Mobile Applications … Are they convenience or a nuisance?

efore I start this blog, think back 10 years ago. In 2003 what did you do with your cell phone? At the time, they weren’t smartphones. You made phone calls and text messages. Some may have begun allowing you to send photos and play simple games. There was no touch screen. No color. No internet (without charging an arm and a leg) and not even a thought of downloading apps.

10 years later, Apps are an essential part of our daily lives. Every step of the day and every aspect of our lives have been invaded by our smartphone and mobile applications. Some of us simply cannot live and breathe correctly without our smartphones, but at least there is probably an app to help with that.

As we say in our video on our home page, there is a 91% chance your smartphone is in arms reach from you right this second. The fact that smartphone sales are higher than the decline of personal computer sales tells you that people are realizing the convenience of their mobile applications. The ability to do your personal banking, motivate yourself, help you study, learn anything you want, assist you with household chores, cooking, tells you how to work out, when to change your kids diaper, entertain yourself, etc… With millions of apps in the App stores (Android, Apple, Windows) there is basically a mobile app for every aspect of your life.

The other side of the argument is that mobile applications are a nuisance because we are way too involved in technology. The truth is, we haven’t even scratched the surface of technology. We have the smart watch coming out, Google glasses already out and other technology plans being worked on that we are unaware of as of now. When we talk about being too involved in our smartphones, just imagine not being able to go through your daily routines without having the convenience of your smartphone. You can be the judge, what do you think about mobile applications? Convenience? Or a Nuisance?

Regardless which side you fall on, we have to accept the fact that Mobile Applications are a part of our everyday life now; and going forwards as well. Here at Allure Apps, we are constantly working on bringing you the most user-friendly forms of Mobile Applications.

http://www.allureapps.com/2013/10/21/mobile_applications/

What do you think of Apple iOS7 for iPhone software update?

This past week Apple delivered on their new iOS7 software update for us. If you have an Apple iPhone then chances are you have the new software update and if you haven’t updated yet, that means two things.

1. You are still contemplating the change
2. You dislike change and don’t want to make the switch to the new iOS7.
If you are still contemplating the change here are a few tips that the new iOS7 delivers.

Spotlight Search:
You might have noticed that iOS7 no longer has the spotlight search that could earlier be accessed by hitting the home button and swiping the screen to the right. Instead, iOS7 makes it easier by giving spotlight search on every page. To summon spotlight touch the display and swiping down.

Control Center to Simplify Everything

With the new software update; If you swipe up from the bottom of any screen, including the lock screen, you'll see the Control Center. In the Control Center, you'll be able to quickly access the flashlight, alarms, calculator and camera. You'll also be able to adjust your device's brightness to save battery life; pause, play, or skip a song you're listening to; adjust your WiFi; and more.
Swipe in iMessage to reveal timestamp:
One of the most irritating thing about messaging on iOS was one could not see the exact time of individual messages exchanged in a quick succession. That has somewhat changed with iOS7. Now you can touch any chat bubble and swipe to the left to reveal individual timestamps.

Live Camera Photo FiltersiOS7 has built-in live photo filters so you no longer need to use Instagram to make your photos look creative. You can access this feature by opening the Camera app and tapping on the icon with three circles overlapping each other.  Most other photo filter apps requires you to take a photo first and then import them so a filter can be applied.  Seeing photo filters applied in real-time can be a major time-saver for photographers.
Update Apps In The Background

Your iPhone will now update your apps in the background automatically when your phone has access to WiFi; so they're always up to date when you go to use them. It's very convenient, but you might find it sucks your battery life. If it's killing your battery too much, you can turn it off.
FaceTime Audio: This is one of my favorite features as now you can make voice calls to other iOS users over a data network. Yes, we have had FaceTime for a while but this is perfect for situations when you don’t want to come on camera. It also consumes lesser data and works even in low bandwidth.
Contact blocker: While Android has many apps that let users block contacts from calling them or sending text messages, iOS by design does not provide third-party apps that access. Instead, iOS7 now has the capability to block contacts from your iPhone. Either in the messaging menu or the call log, you will get an ‘i’ icon next to the caller’s name or number. Hit that and scroll to the end that will give you the option to block them. You can visit your blocked numbers list from the phone settings menu and can remove people from the blacklist.

App Folders Are Now PagedIn the previous version of iOS, each folder was limited to only 12 apps. The new version of iOS lets you add a lot more apps. This is supported through the use of multiple pages in each folder.  You can drag apps into folders by pushing down on an app icon until it starts wiggling.  Drag the app on top of another app or into a folder from there.  When adding a 10th app into a folder, the folder will create an additional page.

The new iOS7 is sleek, intelligent and sophisticated.  The dynamic and look of the new iPhone compared to the previous software has changed with a new modern stylish look.  It still proves that Apple is always looking to be the best.

Do children really need Smartphones?

School is back in Session! New school clothes…check, new pencils…check, new folders…check, new calculator…check, new smartphone….check.  Wait, smartphone?  Since when is that a staple for the back to school shopping?  With going back to school this week there are tons of parents that feel the need to get their child a new smartphone to keep constant communication.  It only makes sense that parents can know where and exactly when their child will be ready to be picked up, who they are going to be with and just the safety net of knowing their child will have that easy communication.  All of that makes sense for the parents to get their child a smartphone these days.

However; is a smartphone really the best thing for anybody between the age of 10 and 15?  If your child is in sports or cheerleading and you, as a parent are constantly trying to find out where he/she might be to pick up at the end of the day, then maybe a cell phone isn’t a bad thing.  What about the children who are just social butterflies and want to have a smartphone to be the “cool” kid on Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, etc…? A recent study showed that 56% of children between 10-13yrs old have a smartphone.  Now, that might not all be a terrible thing but is that too early to have your child addicted to technology?  Are we teaching the future how to be wired to a smartphone, social media and little outside communication? Maybe they are just learning from the adults and watching the way that we communicate and how addicted we are to our phones?

The truth of the matter is, a smartphone is necessary when you want information and/or convenience to find anything you want at your fingertips, the problem is that with the younger generations becoming more prone to technology, what are we doing to these poor kids brains? Are we turning them more and more into adults at a younger age?