Apps

Contact Center Managers Get Some Mobile Mojo
June 18, 2013

Another day, another mobile app release; except in this case, the app is aimed at the contact center supervisor -- not exactly a role that has been inundated with mobile functionality to this point. The application in question is Five9's latest cloud contact software application, which includes mobile functionality. Enhancements to the suite include multichannel capabilities and an iPad app.

Weighing the Importance of Google's Waze Win
June 18, 2013

After months of courtship, social navigation app Waze ultimately chose to partner -- for $1 billion-plus -- with Google, rejecting Facebook and Apple. The price tag shows how valuable Waze has become, and that's to say nothing of the overtures it received from the world's tech giants. "I think what's really surprising is that Facebook allowed the deal to die," said tech correspondent David Shamah.

Froguts Illuminates More Than a Frog's Insides
June 17, 2013

Dissecting frogs in high school biology classes used to be a rite of passage. It was a physical, visceral method for teaching kids that living organisms have common pieces and parts: organs, muscle, nerves and connective tissue. Kids learned that even frogs have hearts, lungs and brains. With a real dead frog, though, the lesson seems to be larger than just the anatomy.

Foursquare Paves a New Path Down Memory Lane
June 14, 2013

Mobile technologies may tend to focus on life's present and future, but Foursquare this week launched a feature that gives users new insight into the past. Specifically, the location-based social networking service on Thursday introduced the Foursquare Time Machine, a tool that allows users to retrace the steps of their past check-ins through a digital visualization.

WhatsApp Is Killing the SMS Messenger
June 14, 2013

What happens when an industry gouges its customers for years, and then technology comes along that allows consumers to circumvent the gouger? Customers leave in droves is what happens, and it's WhatsApp and its ilk that are enabling the exodus. If you're unfamiliar with WhatsApp Messenger and its brethren, they're text message alternatives that don't rely on mobile-to-mobile SMS technology.

Google's Waze Grab Is About a Lot More Than Defense
June 12, 2013

Google has finalized its acquisition of Waze, developer of a crowdsourced mapping app, with the goal of expanding its location-based and social maps offerings while providing users with a way to outsmart traffic. Waze has a worldwide user base of about 50 million people who log in to access or submit real-time navigational data. Google reportedly paid about $1.3 billion for the startup.

All Things Appy: 5 Best iOS Car Apps
June 12, 2013

Cars -- we love them. We're hooked on their looks, their shine, the freedom they represent. The insurance, the payments and the smog checks, maybe less so -- but cars are still a good example of a genre of app that fits well with the smartphone. This week, All Things Appy takes a look at key, free must-have apps in this area, including one for drooling and one for speeding, gambling and swearing.

Radar Cast Pro Puts a Meteorologist in Your Pocket
June 10, 2013

I'm not a weather junkie, but when it's time to get up and go -- a wintertime road trip or a fishing or hiking expedition -- I usually take a peek into the mountains with a weather app that I've now replaced with an even better version. The new app? Radar Cast Pro - NOAA Hi-Def FutureCast, Push Notifications, Lightning Strikes & Weather by WeatherSphere.

Plume Earns Its Perch With the Best Twitter Apps
June 07, 2013

If there's one app that has been synonymous with an innovative, high-quality Twitter experience in the Android environment, it's Joaquim Verges' paid Falcon Pro. One of the killer features in Falcon Pro is its ability to live-stream a Twitter timeline. With a 2-minute synchronize refresh rate, Falcon will live-stream your timeline in real-time when you're using WiFi.

All Things Appy: Top 5 Android Fashion and Beauty Apps
June 05, 2013

The fashion and beauty industry is fast-moving, and apps are a good way to keep track of developments, because app content lead time can be significantly shorter than for print magazines. This week's All Things Appy takes a look at the must-have apps in this genre for the Android platform, including apps to buy the gear, track trends, and social network with like-minded fashionistas.

Twitter's Vine Climbs Over to Android
June 04, 2013

Twitter's Vine has sprouted on Android, allowing users to post 6-second videos with tweets. Vine became available for Apple's iOS months ago, but until now, Android users have been left out of the fun. Now they can get into the thick of it as well. "Android owners: Welcome to Vine," said Android engineer Sara Haider. "Starting today, you can begin to shoot, share and watch short looping videos."

Make Your Kids Stars With a Little Disney Movie Magic
June 03, 2013

If you're a parent, there's a great chance that your iPhone will house a whole series of photos and videos featuring your kids following a road trip, a visit to the beach, a hike or a soccer game. Enter Story, a free app from Disney for the iPhone. Story accesses the photos and video stored on your iPhone and -- using the metadata -- combines them into a story. There are some limited editing options, but not enough to overwhelm.

Runtastic Turns Workouts Into Enjoyable Data-Crunching Exercises
May 31, 2013

If you've used any of the free tracking apps -- like Google's My Tracks, which records your path, speed, distance and elevation change while you exercise and then maps the route, charts elevation and speed, and tots it all up in a set of statistics -- you'll understand the concept behind Runtastic Pro. Runtastic Pro additionally promises to help you reach goals and track health improvements.

Google Offers a New Bag of Gmail Sorting Tricks
May 30, 2013

Google has unveiled a new Gmail design to give users more organizational control over a cluttered in-box.The revamped in-box is an option; users who like the approach can separate their email into four tabs: primary, promotions, social and updates. Primary is for the mail from friends, families or colleagues that a user would want to read and perhaps save.

Google's All Access Music Service Starts on the Right Note
May 24, 2013

Google has refreshed its music app. It's a big deal, because Google has introduced custom radio and an a la carte music streaming service, All Access, for an introductory price that's $2.00 cheaper than a la carte streaming leader Spotify. You can try the service free for 30 days, and if you start a trial by June 30, it will then cost $7.99 a month to continue.

Crowdsourced App Helps Otis Lift E-Service to Another Level
May 24, 2013

Mobile CRM is well entrenched in the sales and marketing spaces -- perhaps too entrenched in some cases. However, the third tier of traditional CRM -- service -- has barely been breached by mobile technologies. Some headway has been made, but for the most part it has been in fits and starts. Only a few vendors offer e-service applications for the mobile environment.

Walmart's Mobile App Aims for 'Indispensable' Customer Tools
May 22, 2013

The key for developing a mobile strategy? Understand the customer. That was the theme of Wednesday's keynote presentations at CTIA 2013, the wireless industry trade show held this week in Las Vegas. Companies that address their consumer find higher adoption and engagement. In the case of Walmart, the world's largest retailer has found a way to push boundaries while addressing consumer needs.

Yahoo Throws in 1 TB of Free Storage With Flickr Revamp
May 22, 2013

Yahoo has announced the overhaul of Flickr, its photo and video sharing site, after purchasing social microblogging website Tumblr. The new Flickr has "a beautiful, completely reimagined experience that puts photos front and center," Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer wrote in a blog post that is reminiscent of what Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg said when announcing his company's overhaul of NewsFeed.

GrubHub, Seamless Merge to Boost Restaurant Delivery Chops
May 21, 2013

Two well-known restaurant delivery services -- GrubHub and Seamless -- announced plans to merge on Monday. The services enable users to search local restaurants that deliver by ZIP code and food specialty. Combined, the companies' footprint will cover 500 cities and connect users to more than 20,000 establishments.

MX Player Pro Lets You Bypass the Fiddling and Enjoy the Movie
May 17, 2013

I often run into issues playing video media on mobile devices. It's haunted me since the days of Windows Mobile on the Palm Treo -- remember those early smartphones? Believe it or not, it's still an issue years later with current tablets and smartphones. The problems that I've encountered have generally manifested themselves as either the file not playing or audio and video being out of sync.