Apple unveils OS X Mavericks 10.9 as a free download today

Only weeks after the folks in Cupertino released the newest version of the desktop OS for developers, Apple has just released the newest OS X Mavericks. This download from Apple is available now at no additional cost to you. If you are running Snow Leopord or later will be available for free via the App Store. This release includes iBooks, Maps and a revamped Calendar, interactive notifications, finder tabs, among much more. For more information,

check out http://www.allureapps.com/2013/10/22/apple-unveils-os-x-mavericks-10-9-free-download-today/

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/

# Hashtags: The Creator and Godfather

We are all aware of what Hashtags are and how they have changed the way we share information and images on various social media sites. Twitter was the first, but they turned the idea down when it was introduced by; Chris Messina. The 32-year-old has worked as a developer and UX designer at Google (GOOG) but left in August to join the San Francisco based startup NeonMob. In his Twitter bio, Messina refers to himself as the hashtags godfather.

The whole Hashtags idea was based off of channels used in Internet Relay Chat and in Jaiku, a Twitter competitor that was later bought by Google. But the real inspiration, according to a blog post Messina wrote in 2007, was that he wanted to have a “better eavesdropping experience on Twitter.”

Apparently the meeting where Chris Messina introduced the idea didn’t go very well, in his words, according to yahoo news “[Twitter] told me flat out, ‘These things are for nerds. They’re never going to catch on,’” Messina said in a phone interview. I guess we are all “Nerds” now ha Twitter? These things have spread across all major social media sites Facebook, Google+, Instagram, just to name a few; and are frequently used for almost every event, person, place, or thing.

The United States of America’s Government Shutdown 2013

As of 12:01AM (EST) on October 1, 2013, The United States Government Shutdown is in effect.  The GOP and the Democrats in the House of Representatives and the United States Senate argue over the United States budget, more importantly, the funding of Healthcare reform, better known as Obamacare. The Obamacare bill, that was previously agreed to in the House and Senate and ruled as constitutional in the United States Supreme Court, then signed into legislation, is now being debated once again as it officially begins enrollment(www.Healthcare.gov) . The GOP controlled House of Representatives will not sign a budget to fund the government that does not include a stipulation to defund Obamacare and delay its implementation until 2015. President Obama has already stated that he will not revisit this issue and will veto any budget or resolution that includes such stipulation.

As a result, the government has shutdown for the first time since January 1996 and over 800,000 federal employees were sent home without pay, which is better known as a furlough. The government shutdown will continue until the “elected officials” in Congress can come to an agreement on a continuing resolution or sign a budget in place to fund the activities of the United States government. It is apparent that the Congress members have sacrificed the nation’s well being and productivity for the agendas of their political parties. United States citizens are disappointed and angry with their government this morning for the lack of “United” teamwork that is expected from the world’s greatest nation and oldest democracy. The government shutdown is not only hurting the, approximately, 800,000 federal employees sent home without pay, but it is costing the nation and the United States economy revenue that may be a detriment to economic growth. The revenue generated by the national parks, monuments, and numerous other tourists locations around the country are all being lost because of closure due to the government shutdown. Tourists are feeling the effects as world renowned sites like the Statute of Liberty are closed this morning in New York City. Businesses that thrive from being located by tourist locations and government facilities are feeling the effects as business slows down without their main customers.

Furthermore, the government shutdown may have long term effects that cause the country to slide into another recession after we have seen continuous economic growth since the last quarter of 2011. Additionally, the amount of revenue being lost by shutting down the office of the agency that provides over 90% of the United State’s revenue, the Internal Revenue Service, could be detrimental to the well-being of the nation if the government shutdown continues beyond this week. Programs like unemployment, social security, and Medicare could all be affected if proper funding is not avaliable to cover the United States obligations to its citizens. This government shutdown, if it prolongs, will be felt by millions of Americans. It would behoove Congress to put their political party agendas aside and make a decision in the best interest of the nation and it’s over 300 million citizens.

Unfortunately, how can Congress feel these effects when all 533 Congress members will continue to receive their paychecks in full without delay per the 27^th Amendment of the United States Constitution? How can the President feel these effects when he will continue to receive his salary of $400,000 a year, since it is stipulated as mandatory spending? Our “elected officials” are operating irresponsibly and without controls that would allow them to understand everyday American Citizens. This government shutdown is a prime example of a nation’s leaders that have lost sight of their duty to this country.

I am not one to give political advice but the best thing a democratic nation can do is to make their voices heard at the voting booth come November 2014. I am proposing that we vote every single one of these “elected officials” in Congress during this government shutdown out of office at the next midterm elections in November 2014. We should have a zero tolerance policy, as people of a democracy, for this type of behavior from leaders of the greatest nation in the world. And, what better way to make your voice heard and regain the truth behind the ideology of “a nation of the people, by the people, for the people!”

Does Anybody Still Have a BlackBerry Phone?

Does anybody still have a BlackBerry Phone? Notice I wrote, “phone” and not a “smartphone”, because if you are smart, you wouldn’t buy an outdated phone. Unfortunately because BlackBerry never made the transition to touch screen smartphones when every other company in the market did. BlackBerry has launched several campaigns and products in hopes of catch up with Apple and Samsung; only problem is they are 4-6 years late. What BlackBerry owners (if you still exist) should be asking is, why am I still living in the past when all my peers are in the present.

There was a time when having a BlackBerry was cool, BBM with friends was more efficient than text, and sharing your BBM Pin was the cool thing to do when exchanging contact information with friends. Those times are long gone; if I were to hear the letters “BBM” today, I’ll probably giggle and make a comment. I might as well reactivate my Nokia while we’re embracing history. I can go on and on making fun of the company and their products, or the silly users who still exist probably in a 3^rd world country somewhere. But the facts are, they are a company fighting extinction.

Some facts about BlackBerry and their decline; recently T-Mobile announced they will no longer stock BlackBerry products, probably due to lack of sales and for taking up valuable shelf space. “BlackBerry said Friday that it is committed to completing a series of major changes quickly after posting a nearly billion-dollar loss and a 45 percent drop in revenue for the second quarter.” Huffington posts reports. As they deal with the company that seems to be on a lifeline, they still pride themselves on some patents the company owns. BlackBerry is also strong in having total cash and investments of about $2.6 billion, with no debt, though it's burning through that stockpile. In just the past few months, it's spent more than half a billion dollars.  Recently, Blackberry announced that they will be firing almost 4,500 employees and expecting a loss of $1 billion dollars following the lackluster sales of their newest Blackberry z10 and q10 “phones”.  This is apparently the lowest sales they have had since 2007, when the first iPhone was released. This only validates the fact that real “smartphones” always have and always will prevail over blackberry.

I have a feeling, majority of the staff they still manage to employ aren’t even using BlackBerry products, I mean, why would they? BBM is dead because nobody has BlackBerry’s anymore, smallest App Market, and emails are instant nowadays with push. I cant think of ONE good reason to still stick with BlackBerry…

The Future of Mobile Businesses; HTML5 vs Native Apps

Mobile Businesses today are extremely aware of the benefits of mobile devices and the productivity they bring to the workplace. And with the insight we have of consumer browsing habits, enterprises should be quick to extend themselves onto these mobile platforms to ensure top-line revenue. Being able to educate your consumers or provide mobile e-commerce services are sure to increase brand recognition.

As we are all aware of the mobile trend and mobile businesses are in full force and every marketing agency is or should be advising clients to become a mobile businesses. Common debates that arise are, HTML5 vs Native Apps.

Should Mobile App Developers and Mobile App Development Companies publish Native Apps or HTML5 web apps? To examine this question, we need to consider their advantages and features.

But first things first, HTML5 web apps are not actual apps that can be downloaded from the app market places such as Apple App Store, or Google Play, etc. HTML5 web apps are simply a version of your website that has been made mobile. Making them user friendly similar to Apps, and eliminating things such as having to zoom in and out when viewing a website on our mobile device. User friendly is the key with HTML5 web apps.

Native Apps are software applications that are built to run on specific platforms like Android, iPhone, and Windows. They are purchased or downloaded through a distribution platform like Google Play or Apple App Store, and are installed directly on our smartphones, tablets, or other mobile devices.

Major companies such as Facebook and Google+ are innovator as they have made their Native app and their HTML5 web app look identical using a technology called PhoneGap (http://phonegap.com/). This allows HTML5 coding to be expanded across all app platforms making your HTML5 web app an actual app. Programmers are now using this technology to extend their clients mobile businesses platforms and converting many web apps into native apps.

Recently, Business Insider wrote an article in regards to mobile businesses and their consumers love native apps, as they offer an overall excellent user experience, speedy performance, and advanced security features. Native apps are also highly compatible with built-in device features and are easy to access on the various marketplaces. Last but not least, native apps offer tremendous marketing and monetization opportunities via the various app stores.

HTML5 web apps, on the other hand, are becoming a fast favorite among enterprise platforms, and a growing number of hugely popular apps are being built around HTML5. Developers love them because HTML is a familiar language, and they have the distinct advantage of working across all mobile operating systems. Publishers, moreover, appreciate the cost-effectiveness of designing a single app for multiple platforms and the ease of no-approval-necessary distribution. Not having to share revenue with Apple or Google is another considerable perk.

So which is better – native or HTML5? It depends. Ultimately, publishers need to consider which route best suits their content, resources, monetization strategies, and needs, and choose accordingly.

The bottom line? Native apps currently dominate the market, but as HTML5 continues to evolve and improve in the coming years, it will likely bridge the gap, attract more consumers, and secure a growing market share.

For the time being, there is plenty of room in the mobile playground for both.

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.