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Top Four Office Productivity Apps

Smartphone technology has profoundly contributed towards the development of app centric approach towards work, life, productivity and efficient. You name it and there is an app for that. Taking cue from this “Office Productivity Apps” is the latest genre of app development that has acquired a lot of attention. As the name suggest, office productivity apps are designed with a specific intention of enhancing productivity and efficiency at work. It has set of tools and features that are adept to meet business usage of any sort. Today there are thousands of dedicated applications that can be used for conducting video conferencing, IM, office suites etc.

Besides enhancing productivity at office, ‘Office Productivity Apps’ has lead to a development of remote work culture which I lot of people find convenient and stress free. People have tactfully applied mobile technology to a traditional work setting, wherein attending an urgent meeting or replying to a high priority mail has become a hassle free experience. Therefore in the field of ‘Office Productivity Apps’ here is a listing of top apps that will make life at office easy, simple and worthwhile.

1. Kingsoft Office

Kingsoft Office app

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Kingsoft office is a editing mobile office app that is not just FREE but is extremely useful and user friendly. The application has a very stable operation and an excellent interface. It supports 23 kinds of files can has a built in file manager that automatically organizes all the office documents. Users of this application can also integrate the app with the mail application. Additionally, the application supports cloud based storages namely Dropbox, Google Drive and Box. Net. Despite being a free app it offers a wide range of features and the performance of the application is highly appreciated from users of all quarters.

(https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cn.wps.moffice_eng&hl=en)

2. ThinkFree Office Mobile

ThinkFree Office Mobile

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Available both on iOS and Android, Thinkfree office mobile is yet another office suit app that has a set of remarkable functions and usage. With the help of this application a user can perform complete file management with synchronization functionality of documents with one’s personal computer. Document management with Thinkfree Office mobile is extremely easy and simple. Unlike Kingsoft office, the advanced features of the application are only available on the pro version of the app.

(http://mobile.thinkfree.com/en/index.html)

3. Aqua Mail – email app

Aqua Mail - email app

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A dedicated email application, AquaMail pro is an easy automatic mail setup for widely used email service providers namely Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo etc. In addition to that it also enjoys support of several corporate email servers. The application has dedicated widgets from which message list and message count can be easily viewed. It has a seprate setting for WIFI and mobile connection. The application is available for the Android OS in Pro and lite version. It is the best application if you travel a lot along with the need to check your emails periodically.

(https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.kman.AquaMail&hl=en)

4. Remember the Milk

Remember The Milk

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Remember the milk is a very interesting application that will assist you to organize the tasks and things to do list in an extremely seamless manner. The application allows you to manage your entire task anytime, anywhere. It also extends Gmail, SMS and IM reminders and even allows users to access the information offline. The application is appropriate for people in sales or for those who have to travel to meet customers or attend business meeting as it can be integrated with Google Maps as well. In short, Remember the Milk is a simple, out of the box and an extremely useful mobile application that is designed to streamline work and bring organization.

(http://www.rememberthemilk.com/)

The above mentioned Apps are some of the best office suites that are designed to meet modern day work requirement. Download it on to your Smartphone and see for yourself the difference it brings in your work life.

How to Test iOS Apps on Mac using iSimulate

You can use your iSimulate app which is also referred to as the iOS simulator to test iOS apps on your Mac computer. This is quite easy and it does not need for you to go through a lot of procedures. With the iSimulate app on your computer, you will be able to see the interface of your iPad or your iPhone on the screen of your Mac computer. In order for you to interact with the apps in your iPhone or iPad, you will only be required to use the mouse and the keyboard of your computer for the interactions. You will need to emulate actions that you perform on your device when using the iSimulate app on your Mac computer to test your iOS apps.

iSimulate

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The iSimulate app comes with Xcode. This app can be used to test and debug the apps on your iOS device. It is easy to use. The iOS simulator has a lot of capabilities. There are iPhone apps that will help give you insight on how to use your iOS simulator if you are not sure how to go about it. The iOS simulator is usually accessed through the Xcode. You can either run apps in iSimulate or launch the iSimulate app without launching any iOS apps.

safari-ios simulator

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When you want to test the apps in your iOS device, you can first start by launching and running the apps in the iSimulator through the Xcode. This is the easiest way of doing this. You will need to choose iSimulator from the Xcode in your iOS device in order to run the apps of your device in iOS simulator. From the Xcode startup menu, you should choose iSimulator then click on run. This way Xcode will provide the most recent version of the app and you will be good to go.

There are ways to run the iSimulator app without running your iOS apps. This is the perfect way to go if you want to test how the apps launch from the home screen of your device and also if you want to test how a web app in iSimulator. The iOS simulator usually shows the homepage of the page app that was last in use by the iOS device. One of the ways of using the iSimulate app to test iOS apps on Mac is by using safari. This is a web browser for Apple products.

iSimulate

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When you are using safari, you will need to access the browser through the iOS simulator. Safari can be used to directly test your iOS apps on your Mac computer. You will just need to click on safari from your home screen. You will then need to type apple.com in the address field and then press the return button. If you are connected to the internet through the Mac, safari will bring to you the Apple website. The website will be running in iOS simulator in safari browser. The iSimulator app will give you the tools that are needed to help you debug your iOS tools.

The primary use of the iSimulator app is for app developers to test the iOS apps that they are developing. The testing is usually done through Mac. The iSimulator app can also be used by developers to show off the apps that they have developed to their market audience. There are a lot of advantages that come with using the iSimulator to test iOS apps on Mac. You will be able to play with your apps on the big screen and you will also have a very easy time doing this because you will be using the keyboard and mouse of your Mac computer.

iSimulate

Using the iSimulator is quite easy. If you are not sure what needs to be done, all that you will need to do is download a guide that will help you through the steps. You can also go to the Apple website as here, you will be provided with all the necessary information on how you can get the iSimulator app and how to use it. The iSimulate app is very affordable and it has been found to have very positive effects when used on the Mac to test iOS apps. Another good thing about the iSimulator is the fact that it can be used to test apps of different iOS versions.

Amazing Things You Can Do With iPhone and iPad

iPhone

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If you haven’t had the chance to own an iPhone or an iPad, then you do not know what you are missing. These smart devices come with a wide range of brilliant features that make them quite irresistible. From amazing apps to interesting games, Apple has it all. This is a company that has been on the front line to ensure that users get an experience that is simply amazing.

Even though there are some undesirable features that you might come across (which is not an unusual thing with any device on the market), there are many amazing things that you can do with a device whose name is prefixed by an ‘i’. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top amazing things to do with an iPhone and iPad: -

You can turn an iPhone to a projector

Doesn’t have a projector to stream live TV, videos or presentations? An iPhone will help you do just that. You can turn your iPhone to a portable projector that will make sharing content with friends and colleagues a breeze. This feature makes an iPhone quite handy when it comes to board meetings or even lectures.

You can utilize it as a GPS device

Having trouble locating your loved ones? If yes, an iPhone can take you a step closer in your loved ones’ direction. You will always know where they are at all times with this valuable device. Not only will you be able to locate your loved ones, but this precious handset will help you to locate other various iOS devices. Apple’s ‘Find My iPhone Online” feature is mainly built for the use of tracking lost or stolen iPhones. This feature saves users considerable amount of time, money and energy.

Using the volume button for steady pictures

The quality of the iPhone’s camera is indisputably one of the best ever for a portable handset. With it, capturing amazing colors and details is made quite easy. One important thing that most iPhone users don’t know is that the use of the volume button makes it even easier and more gratifying to take stable pictures horizontally with both hands.

Enhanced photography capabilities

Like mentioned above, the volume function for taking photos works amazingly well for focused images. You can take this further by acquiring a photo stand known as Glif. This is an iPhone accessory that is specifically designed for mounting iPhones on tripods for filming and taking amazing still photos. This feature enhances camera capabilities for excellent family photos and wildlife shots. If you haven’t been impressed with the previous photos that you took with other devices, and then working with an iPhone will go beyond impressing you.

Works as an excellent wildlife hub

Are you always fascinated by wildlife? If the answer is yes, then having an iPhone is not an option. IPhones come with an Instant Wild iPhone app that allows users to assist biologist to identify the rarest and most threatened species. This app streams live photos from motion-sensitive cameras that are placed remotely in different parts of the world whenever a creature walks into view. This makes it easy for users to view and monitor wildlife from wherever they may be, and have the opportunity to discover new species. If you are an animal lover, then getting an iPhone should be at the top of your priority list.

Just like iPhones, iPads too are carefully designed devices that never fail to revolutionize the computing world of every user. With this device, there is almost nothing that you can’t do. When compared to other tablets on the market, the iPad has proven to be quite the leader when it comes to quality. If another tablet can do something, you can trust an iPad to do even better. The apps are just amazing and the experience unforgettable. Every app that gets on Apple’s apps store is carefully tested to ensure that it meets the users’ needs.
Those are just but a few amazing things that you can do with iPhones and iPads. If you are adamant about quality, then getting an iPhone Smartphone or an iPad tablet is what you should do.

Selecting the Right Android Tablet for Testing Your Apps

Today, with a “boom” in the tablet making industry, many options for tablets are available in the market running on android platform having different hardware configurations and different intuitive UI’s by different makers. Because of these so many options available, the app developers are confused and can’t possibly decide which tablet to purchase for testing purposes. Here are tips on making your Android tablet selection.

Tablets for testing

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For apps to look good on Android tablets, right from the stage of beginning the process of app development it’s important to test the look and feel on these larger devices. Tablets are not just scaled up phone displays — the additional space can offer a much richer user experience, if the developer takes full advantage of it.

The developers need to be selective as so many different hardware options are available that you can’t possibly purchase them all and most developers will likely benefit most from using the emulator and starting with a small number of tablets. Though if you try the other way round, then the pile of devices that you’ll be needing to test your app is going to look like this:

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Categories/families of tablets

Numerous models are available in the market presented by various big vendors. So as to shorten this big number game, you can eliminate the older models from most vendors, leaving you with a smaller set of tablets to consider. As per me buying the tablet whose configuration belongs to the latest generation will likely be the most effective, even if the previous device has a larger user base. With the release of new products, the balance changes continuously in the market and the user base. Launch of a more recent device continues to become more relevant, whereas an older device increasingly represents a diminishing user base. Though that still leaves a number of tablet vendors to choose from.

Another wrinkle coming in the selection of the tablets is the fact of the app stores present outside of Google Play. I generally ignore the abstruse vendors that run their own app ecosystem. But the Amazon’s Kindle Fire line and Barnes & Noble’s Nook are two options that do bear merit. A relatively large fleet of users are allowed access in these stores due to their retail presence and a very smaller set of device configuration are to be worried about for the purpose of selection.

So that leaves me with the following three main configurations that I want to be able to test:

Amazon Kindle Fire
Google (e.g., the Nexus 7 or another brand tablet)
Nook

By getting one device which represents one from each of those categories, it’ll give the developers to a large cross-section of Android tablet users.

Emulator options and considerations

Emulation is extremely slow and sometimes can be frustrating for the developers too. The configurations to be pursued, takes time to decide. There are quite a few options to emulate tablets and, unless you are collecting one of each device, it is likely that you’ll need to emulate some devices. The much lower cost of creating and maintaining these virtual devices can be deceptive.

But the good news is that the specialized addition to the emulator has been released by Amazon and Nook that makes the virtual device behave similarly to the real device. Amazon, Google & Barnes & Noble have given up instructions on their pages which are to be followed by developers so as to start these emulators provided by them for specific devices. And with the recent release of the Android Virtual Device (AVD) Manager directly creating named devices such as the Nexus 7 is now possible. Even when you buy physical hardware; there is a solid place in your testing strategy for virtual devices.

Tablets price comparison

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Price and Benefits of buying a certain brand of tablet

The developers should evaluate the tablets based upon what business need is to be fulfilled and not from the consumers perspective who has an entirely different set of needs. What others tout as the best tablet to buy might not be the “best” tablet for your organization. If business makes purchases to save time and gain an advantage, small differences in the price of tablets shouldn’t drive decisions. The important thing to gain is to save hours of the developers time and hence access the precisely right hardware independent of the price which has to be shelled out for buying of the tablet as long as it solves the purpose.

Must Have Apps for Saving Battery Life

When it comes to buying a smartphone, the user of today tend to make choice by caution. Besides premium brand such as Apple, BlackBerry and Samsung, there are a wide range of entry level smartphones that allow users to perform multiple tasks such as listening to music, play games, check emails, stream videos and take pictures. Due to wide range of capabilities that a smartphone bestows on its user, the battery of the phone does not last that long. Since, we are dependent on our smartphones for so many things, it is imperative to conserve the battery life of our phone to attend that crucial phone call or message.

Turning off the vibration of the phone, dimming the screen or turning off the Wi-Fi are some of the manual procedures to conserve the battery of a phone. Additionally, there are dedicated battery management applications which allow users to conserve the battery of their smartphones in the most seamless fashion. To take our discussion further on this topic, here is a list of top battery management applications that one must have on their phones.

juice defender

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1) Juice Defender: A feature full application which can be fully customized as per individual need and requirement. Juice Defender is an ultimate power manager app that is designed to extend the battery life of Android driven smartphones and gadgets. The primary feature of the application is to minimize battery use by automatically managing those components of the phone that drains the battery. The application has set of preset profiles namely Balanced, Aggressive and Extreme. Depending upon the usage of the phone a user can set the application on either of the modes. Another interesting feature of this application is that it comes with a home screen widget that allows users to check the status and control of the battery life.
(Play Store)

battery-life

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2) Battery Life Pro: Battery Life Pro is a very useful battery extending application that is specifically designed for iPhone and iPod touch. The best feature of Battery Life Pro is that it helps users to monitor and maintain their battery life by constantly upgrading them with information related to the battery consumption. In fact it has an automatic alarm system that notifies users to charge their phones. It is one for the most widely used battery management applications for the iPhone and iPod touch.

(App Store link)

Green Power

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3) GreenPower: This is another efficient battery management application that is extremely easy to use. After initial configuration, GreenPower automatically saves battery life. The application is very smart and automatically turns of WI-FI, data transmission and Bluetooth, when not in use. Additionally, the application also turns on these aspects of the phone when a user needs it.

(Play Store)

Battery HD

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4) Battery HD + : Battery HD + may seem a replica of Batter Life Pro, however it has certain additional features that allow users to get a sneak peak of the battery usage left for 2D games, 3D games, Navigation, video chats, listenging to music, photography etc. This gives the exact estimate of battery life and users can accordingly manage the performance of their phone battery.

(Play Store)

Battery Doctor

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5) Battery Doctor: A free battery management application that gives you the complete control of your batter consumption. Through the applications five different set of menus users can get insight into the exact status of the battery life. It also keeps tab on the recharge history along with the time it will take to completely re-charge the phone. This is a must have application for those who rely upon their smartphones a lot. It is also a good companion for individuals who have to travel a lot and do not have the time to recharge their phones that often.

(Play Store)

So, here is the list of top 5 battery management mobile applications that will most certainly improve the performance of your smartphone in general. Battery management is important from the perspective of efficiency and availability. It is extremely handy for those who are into online trading, sales, marketing and finance etc.

How iOS7 will Impact iOS App Development Environment ?

Now that the world has got a glimpse of brand news iOS 7, it’s time to pay attention to the domain of iPhone app development. Apple’s decision to unveil the latest version of the iOS at the WWDC is a very strategic one. It is because; WWDC is largely a developer’s conference with the specific intention of preparing the developer consortium with the technology of the future. As Apple showed off its latest product on the opening day of WWDC, a number of developers participating at the event exhibited a mixed response towards the show. Thus, the purpose of this write-up is to analyze the future of iPhone app development and how it will impact the iPhone developer community at large.

ios7
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Through the iOS 7, Apple has unleashed a number of new features such as the flash light, anti theft/activation lock features, photo app, and AirDrop, it will have a definite bearing on the prospects of iOS app development market. For example, there are number of flash light applications that are currently available on the Apple Apps store. Since, iOS 7 has already incorporated this feature, what will be the future of existing applications that offer similar feature and attributes. The same reasoning applies to other features of the iOS 7 as well.

ios7 beta

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A few developers present at the WWDC felt seemingly betrayed. Stephen Orth, the creator of iOS app Photowerks is one of them. Photowerks is an intelligent, simple photo organizer app that catalogues photos based on given time and location. The Photo app that the iOS 7 has to offer reveals pretty much similar feature. This is not the first time that such a thing has happened, even in the past Apple has been accused of replicating features and concept from other app development companies.

Shifting focus from iOS 7 features to iOS 7 design, a number of iPhone developers present at the event confessed that by and large design overhaul within iOS 7 will have a very profound impact on the iOS app development environment. In the past Apple made only minimal and incremental changes to the iOS, therefore adapting to its environment was not a very difficult accomplishment. However, this will not be the case with iOS 7. Whatever industry practices that developer had been adhering too since 2007 will have to be carefully scanned, as they accustom themselves to the revolutionary changes put forth by iOS 7.

While there is a group of developers who feel anxious over the change and non skeuomorphic design, there is another party of developers who are quite excited about the changes that has been incorporated in iOS 7. The onslaught of Smartphone culture has unveiled trendy ‘mobile lifestyle’ that seem to have diminished the boundary of mobile experience to that of desktop. As time has passed, the mobile technology has become more sophisticated and advance. With an all new notification system, back ground support; a number of fresh avenues in the domain of app development have opened up. As apple releases iOS 7 Beta for developers (https://developer.apple.com/iOS 7/) a whole new chapter in iPhone app development has been wavered.

Additionally, some developers have expressed that the automatic update feature of iOS 7 will save developers from the ordeal of fragmentation. AirDrop API is another segment of iOS 7 that is lucrative for the developers. They can now brain storm over new ways and methods of sharing content. iOS 7 will make be made available in fall. From now till then, developers have ample time to get accustomed to this new iOS 7 environment. The ultimate winner in this situation are going to be the users who will not just get to use this amazing OS but will get support of best mobile application that will be created in the future.