A mobile app is a computer program designed to run on smartphones, tablet computers and other mobile devices. Apps are usually available through application distribution platforms, which began appearing in 2008 and are typically operated by the owner of the mobile operating system, such as the Apple App Store, Google Play, Windows Phone Store, and BlackBerry App World. Some apps are free, while others must be bought. Mobile apps were originally offered for general productivity and information retrieval, including email, calendar, contacts, and stock market and weather information. However, public demand and the availability of developer tools drove rapid expansion into other categories, such as mobile games, factory automation, GPS and location-based services, banking, order-tracking, ticket purchases and recently mobile medical apps.
Making a living has never been more difficult for app developers targeting mainstream smartphone users in the U.S. Rather than trying to build the next hit game, developers should consider some… Read more »
When it comes to mobile commerce, technology is not a strategy, and while a lousy checkout can definitely lose a sale, a good one is rarely the reason a consumer decides… Read more »
Fresh data from ComScore indicates that while mobile app consumption continues to rise, most of us are content to use familiar apps rather than experiment regularly with new titles. Independent developers… Read more »
Nearly 2 out of 3 U.S. smartphone owners don’t download a single app in a given month. Isn’t this the age of the mobile app economy? It is, but most of… Read more »
Details are sketchy but it appears Verizon is looking to band carriers together for a new global mobile app store. We’ve been down this road before with alternative app stores and… Read more »
Sure, they’ve been talking mobile for a while, but now that Amazon has followed Microsoft in unveiling its mobile development toolset, the other enterprise IT guys need to make some noise. Read more »
There’s no shortage of reasons why mobile payments have largely flopped in North America. But the restaurant industry could be low-hanging fruit for such offerings, and OpenTable is well positioned to… Read more »
In a crowded mobile market, how do you ensure your new app stands out? Start with a soft launch says Craig Palli of Fiksu. Palli offers his tips on how to… Read more »
Xiaomi overtook Samsung to become the largest smartphone vendor in China during the second quarter. Duplicating that success in outside its homeland will be difficult, but Xiaomi’s success provides some important… Read more »
Palantir has a customer base that pays for results, but the company nonetheless attributes puts a lot of effort into user experience. In June, it re-architected its database simplicity in mind;… Read more »