iOS vs. Android, which one is user friendly and why?

The technological world we are living in is totally incomplete without an small handheld device named as mobile phone's. But with the changing time, this mobile term has been replaced with the new technology called smartphone. Now talking about a smartphone, only two operating systems come into our mind i.e. IOS and Android. Now the question that arises is which is more superior than the other and by which factors?

Here individual features will be present by which the reader can easily read and decide the superior one.

Android can be Personalized: Android, till now had launch many versions of it. The latest one being Android 4.4 (Kitkat). Best thing about Android is that Android is designed as per the requirements of its user's. One can easily customize it and use it in your smartphones. The best example of it is that countless ROM's are available on net with 0-100% editing. On the other hand, iOS is not as much personalized as compared to Android.

Android is free of cost: One can find a no of Android over the internet and that all free of cost. But iOS is not at all present free for use. It is only available in iPhone's preinstalled in it.

iOS is more speedy: iOS even having lower processor/hardware, seems to run more faster than Android. This is due to more effects added to the iOS. The GUI of iOS is more effective as compared to that of Android.

Android is Portable: Android is developed to run major on any smartphone specifications. Some basic system configuration is required by all, but apart from that all the Android versions can run on any mobile with high or low specification. But for better performance the best android that is suitable in a smartphone is installed in it and retained for the sale. This feature is not at all present in iOS. IOS can be operated in iPhone's only and that also depend on the hardware specifications of iPhone.

Android is more User Friendly: There are many features that are not present in iOS whereas available in Android. More than one account can be used in an Android which is not possible in iOS. Android can be used with unlimited free apps available on net whereas in iOS only apps present in iTunes can be downloaded to the iPhone.

iOS is more secure: Talking about the internal designing, iOS is more secure from unwanted and harmful virus. An iPhone will be least affected by any virus as compared to an Android smartphone. Also in the recent past, with the update of iOS, the feature of in-build mobile tracker is placed within the iPhone. With the help of that app, mobile can easily be tracked from users e-mail id.

Verdict: As per the points mentioned above, Android comes out to be a true leader over iOS in terms of popularity, portability, usability but, when the point of security is considered then iOS, undoubtedly becomes the king of kings. If a user emphasis on a more featured and commercial use smartphone, Android will be his first choice. But if one likes to buy branded phone with best in class GUI's and features too with large storage space and more work ability, undoubtedly iPhone will be his first and last choice.

Coming to the conclusion, one has to be the winner. And after collecting such point without any query, Android presents itself as a user friendly OS.

Read More

Google Hummingbird, Content Authority, and How Atomic Reach Can Help

Algorithm from Google and Atomic Reach

How a person is going to know the content, is a quality one, and relevant to him or her? Scoring engine is that thing which helps to know such information about the content. Atomic Reach is a scoring engine that is used as a tool to perfect content. Few days back Google launched a new algorithm named Hummingbird. Now what is this new algorithm for? The Hummingbird algorithm provides result more contextually, and it is much better in result. But this algorithm is not a killer of search engine optimizer. Factors more than 200 make up this algorithm, which increases the focus of searching conversationally. But one such product also helps to bring in other type of necessity and here the name of that necessity is Atomic Reach. Information, data etc are words, which help in improving the web, and quality things than quantitative things when get the priority, Google’s Hummingbird is the one should come.

The Things which can be done with Atomic Reach

The scoring engine of Atomic Reach helps a publisher to get rid of difficulties of publishing blog or video or many more things. When a publisher uploads content through his or her Atomic Reach account, the algorithm scores the content by processing of natural language, so that the quality of the content can be understood. Topics, industries etc options help to connect content with perfect audience mind via this scoring engine. Every such content has a unique goal, and it can be achieved with a few controlling factors like social media reach, audience engagement, website performance etc. Atomic Reach measure such things efficiently all the time.

Conglomeration of these two

To get benefits from Hummingbird of Google, Atomic Reach could be a great help. Google usually look for authority articles and Atomic Reach helps to craft it for a person with statistics, facts, referral links etc. How the performance in a confined area is going can also be shown by it with information like improvement scope in that particular field of work. All such integration leads the person to a better content that is demanded by Google with Hummingbird algorithm for the social web. Beside all these, the person can find many content providers or clients or partners in a specified area with which he or she is working, and this helps to get a huge exposure for his or her content resources too. Again this Hummingbird algorithm works precisely and simultaneously very fast. The name Hummingbird is thus brought in for this algorithm. With this, Google may understand all sort of meanings one try to search like ‘where is the apple showroom near my house’ etc. Here, Google will try to get the meaning by concentrating each word rather than the whole sentence.

What could make Atomic Reach more helpful?

Coming to Atomic Reach, there are a few things to explore in future. First, written blogs are only things that are used in Atomic Reach where videos, podcasts scoring can be very helpful, in addition, with written blogs. Measure in dashboard cannot be done without signing in to the account and such things like that.

Read More

Google Hummingbird and the Conversational Search

Google Hummingbird is the new algorithm introduced by Google. It is the biggest search algorithm change which Google launches since 2001. What is the interesting part about it? Google launched the change a month before its official announcement on 27^th September 2013…and no one noticed.

What are the changes?

Google claims that its new algorithm has a better and more human-like way of interacting with users. Rather than searching for separate words, the new algorithm better focuses on the interconnection of the given words. So, for example, if you are searching for “grocery shop in x area” Google Hummingbird will focus on finding a grocery shop in the area which you have requested rather than “grocery shop” and “x area”. Google claims that this improved search option will better fulfill the search requests as its goal is that pages matching the mеaning dо better, rather than pages matching just a few wоrds.

Another major change introduced by the new algorithm is “Conversational Search” which allows users to speak out their search requests. This can be done with smart phones, tablets or simply computer microphone. The idea behind the new search option is that the search process becomes a lot more personalized and conversational, acquiring a more close-to-human form. It becomes just like asking another person and expecting an answer…Hummingbird does it!

According to Google, Hummingbird is much smarter, faster, precise and better in many ways.  It can answer questions, filter the answers, and give you comparison results. It can better understand the relationship between words and requests, improving the time and quality for retrieving the matching search result.

How does it affect SEO?

When the new algorithm was announced the online marketing world was shocked and terrified by this major change. For many this automatically meant decrease in links strength which affects SEO, traffic to the website and Page Ranking. Google claims that there are no changes concerning your SEO efforts…if you have done it right so far.

Google Hummingbird`s goal is to be less dependent on keywords. You might be terrified by this but relax! This only means that the new algorithm will try to connect words in more complex, interconnected way. So if you have good quality content which is well structured there is nothing to worry about. If not, consider rewriting your content in order to optimize it according to Google`s new algorithm and finding SEO solutions for your website. In addition, many assume that the new algorithm decreases the importance of external link building which generates traffic to your website. Google responds- make sure you have relevant website linking to your own website and you will continue generating traffic to your own website.

Google`s new Hummingbird algorithm is here for better or worse…we still don’t know and the outcomes of this new revolutionized algorithm are still to be seen. Whether it is faster, better and more precise or it is about to burry any SEO efforts? Time will tell. Until then we should keep doing everything the way we used to- with professionalism and passion.

Read More

Create Best Color Combinations For Your Website By Using These 10 Tools

Being able to select the right color combination is key to creating and intriguing and effective design, whether for print or the web. Achieving the right balance within the design is key to communicating a strong message easily and consistently to readers or users since color psychology have been proven to "trigger" certain types of emotions. The Internet is choke full of color combination tools that promise color nirvana to anyone who cares to listen. But not all tools have the same capabilities though, and most are no more than basic rip-offs of the better, more popular tools. 

To make things easier or you, below is a list of the 10 web-based tools for choosing color combinations for your design:

1. Adobe Kuler

This tool has a versatile, user friendly cloud based interface that offers a slick experience. It was designed around 3 core principles: users can build, browse and share color schemes through the interface (site), the desktop (using Adobe air app) or the Adobe Mac OS X Dashboard widget. Adobe Kuler is also accessible inside the Adobe CS4 suite.

The tool allows you to search color schemes by concept, color, tags, hex values and more. Another incredibly useful feature is the ability to create schemes based on the colors or images you upload. Once you've chosen the right color combination, you only need to download it as an Adobe Swatch Exchange file or by accessing the values in the color table.

2. COLORIovers

This handy tool is a little more than just a simple color scheme designer. It consists of an active community of creative people who are passionate about color. It is the place where discussions on color related topics take place and colors, palettes, patterns and the latest trends are shared. As of now, the site boats over 6.2 million colors in about 2.4 million color palettes created then share by users. Of special interest is Copaso, the advanced color pallet tool that allows you to create custom themes and gorgeous color schemes. You can either pick the right colors from their color wheel or upload the image and pixelate it to isolate certain colors. Moreover, a useful search tool that allows you to find palettes and colors was created by this impressive community.

3. Color rotate

This lets you explore colors and choose color combinations by generating 3D color palettes in real time similar to the way color is perceived by the human brain. You can use the free tool online or download it as an iPhone app. It can be connected to Adobe Photoshop CS6 or CS5 to update background and foreground colors then send them to the desktop as palettes.

The provided 3Dpyramid is fun and intuitive and makes it easy to vary color tints or hues while simultaneously blending two colors. Furthermore, the tool allows you to check how the palette you choose works with typography, browse through a list of palettes and export your customer color palettes in multiple formats.

4. Color scheme designer

Color Scheme Designer has an incredibly simple to use interface, which means anyone can start creating their color palettes within a few seconds. There is an array of options for the kind of scheme you need, front accented analogue to monochromatic. These choices have an effect on the number of colors in a palette and how they interact with each other.

Other than the Ubiquitous color picker, several other options are provided for fine tuning your color palette. Adjust Variant allows you to edit colors separately while the Color-Blind preview is the perfect way to simulate how individuals with color related vision deficiencies will perceive the chosen color scheme. The palette can be exported in various formats, with the text option providing the best flexibility.

5. Pictaculous

This tool uses an uploaded image to generate a dedicated palette. It generates a primary palette with five colors from the colors extracted directly from the image. The online tool pulls in color suggestions from ColorLovers and Adobe Kuler. One feature that sets Pictaculous apart from other tools is that you can use your phone to take a picture upload, it to the service, and matching color palettes, complete with hex codes are generated. This is ideal as more people are likely to spot inspiration on the go and Pictaculous lets you generate a color palette quickly from the snaps. The created pallets can be downloaded as Adobe Photoshop Swatch files or by copying the values in the hex table.

6. Color Blender

Color Blender's mode of operation is to generate a 6-color blend from the chosen base color which makes it easy to create a complementary color scheme efficiently. For starters, use the color picker to choose your preferred color, then the tool will automatically calculate a 6-color matching palette. In case you wish to have better control over the palette, you can switch to "Direct Edit" to edit different colors individually. This mode allows you to select any from the 6 color swatches and use RGB sliders to edit it.

A few options are provided for exposing the generated palette. You can bookmark the palette in your browser, send it via email or download it as a .PCT (Photoshop color table.

7. Color Explorer

This is a suite packed with multiple handy tools for working with and designing color palettes. It boats a well-organized feature set that can be used together or individually. You can go straight to the Color Picker, try using the color matching tool using the RGB mix or take the saturation, lightness, and hue approach. You have 8 color matching algorithms at your disposal but you can also explore the conversion and analysis tools as well as the color library.

The tools extract palettes from uploaded images or from CSS, .txt or HTML files. The pallets can be exported for Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop in native Adobe Swatch Exchange file format. You can also export it as a PNG image overlaid with HTML color codes and RGB values or as plain text.

8. Colors On The Web

Colors On The Web was launched as an ASP application in 2000, but it is now a full flash application complete with variations and features for creating complete palettes. It is equipped with Color Wizard which allows you to use a base color to generate a matching palette.

Apart from being able to generate matching 5-color palettes from the base color, the app also returns a set of saturation, hue, shade, and tint variations. In case you experience trouble creating a custom color palette, an option to generate a random one is provided. Colors are exported as hex code values.

9. Color Munki

This tool offers color control solutions for both designers and photographers. The main tool is provided as a downloadable software package, but the website also features a free palettes creation area. This offers the introductory functionality needed to get you started in created your custom color combination.

Start by choosing a color, then clicking on it. A list of options will be provided. Go to "Add Patch" and the color will be added to your palette. After this, you will be able to access harmonious and similar colors download it or save it for future reference.

10. Oto255

While it may be the simplest tool on this list, Oto255 can by no means be considered as less useful. The tool lets you find multiple colors in the same spectrum within a few seconds without having to manually look for darker or lighter shades of the chosen color. This makes it ideal for finding the perfect border, gradient, or hover color. You only need to find the color, select it with a mouse click and its hex code will be automatically copied to the clipboard.

Read More

How Smartphones Apps Helps Us To Keep Boredom Away

Know How Smartphones Apps Helps Us To Keep Boredom Away. Please download the infographics to get better understanding. 

Download Infographics

Read More

How To Get Your Website Across Smartphone Users in 2013

First off, why would you even worry about Smartphone users? And weren't there plug-ins and stuff for all that? To answer the first question, there really is no reason to to worry about whether smartphone users browse your site or not. All you'll lose is about 73% of traffic from users between the ages of 18 and 44 who use their smartphones to browse. If your desired target audience does not fall into that age group, then, nope - you got nothing to worry about. If, on the other hand, you are like most other marketers or webmasters, you should be very, very worried. 

As for the second question - plug-ins just don't cut it any more. Not if you want your site to appear the way you created it. Plug-ins render a mobile version of your site while you'd normally want it to appear the same across all devices and platforms because you optimized everything (presumably) on it for the most perfect browsing experience (and, therefore, possible sales). 

Fortunately, the Web grows as a whole, and when there is a need, there is a way. There are ridiculously simple ways to make your website accessible to smartphone users in 2013. All you have to do is know about them - and the fact that you do actually need them.

1. Get a 'smart' hosting service provider

To begin with, you can find a host that will provide you a convert to mobile (read, smartphone) option as part of the hosting features. Godaddy is currently advertising such a feature, and it looks good. You have to design the site - which is no big deal since everything is DYI - but that takes time. Also, it will still be a 'mobile version' of your site, somewhat like what the plug-ins do. You cannot use this feature on sub-domains - which means, if you have a blog with your main site (as in yoursite.com/blog), the blog will not be accessible by smartphones. Still, in spite of its limitations, this could be the beginning of a great idea that others will soon take up and improve upon.

2. Get yourself a Responsive Theme

This is by far the easiest. If you are on Wordpress, find a theme that is Responsive - and that means, your blog / site will display similarly across all platforms, including smartphones. The HTML in a responsive theme remains constant, and the CSS3 responds to the queries for site display by offering the most compatible rules for the device (and screen size) the query originated from. In plain English, that means your theme will have separate CSS rules for a smartphone and a computer. A single URL (as opposed to the usual redirection to the mobile site with its own URL) is generated no matter the device being used, and that makes it easy for Google to index your site. No wonder this is Google's preferred method of making a site mobile friendly.

3. Get your own apps

If you've browsed Facebook on your mobile phone, you have probably also installed an app to make the browsing simpler. The pages load faster, and your overall experience is enhanced. Apps make downloading a site on mobile devices a less complicated job, and everything, from ads to content is displayed effortlessly. You can design apps for your site too. If you have a huge audience base, it makes sense to create and app and let all your subscribers know where to download it from, as well as advertise on social networks and anywhere else you can think of. Otherwise, your loyal visitors might eventually get tired of your site because it refused to keep up with the changing times. 

How do you create an app? On your own, if you know how - or with a few clicks from sites like Conduit.Com. 

4. The 30 second solution

If you are in a hurry, head over to bMobilized.Com, type in your site URL, click the 'Mobilize' button and you are done. Okay, this takes a little more than 30 seconds, and the customization can require more than just one click, but you have to admit, this is one of the simplest methods available anywhere. This method works on redirection, as we mentioned earlier in passing. It takes only $9 per month to keep the site running with the bMobilized support team behind you. If you think you can manage on your own, you pay just $5 (still per month, of course). The best part is that you get a full featured 7 day trial. So go ahead and try it!

5. The elaborate solution

For an elaborate business solution that claims to deliver a mobile experience as seamless as that which an app can provide, head over to Mobify.Com and check out the features and pricing. $495 is the starting price per month, and it goes to a negotiable price per requirement in the Enterprise Class. Don't back off yet if such a big budget solution is not for you: Mobify has a free alternative for smaller sites where you can access all the core features (in a limited way) for no charge whatever. This is suitable for sites that have no more than 10,000 page views on mobile devices per month. All features are activated by the inclusion of a small tag in the existing site header. Simple, huh?

6. Promote

Don't just create a smartphone friendly site and be done with it - promote it with paid advertisements. Your ads will flash across as many devices as you choose, and since this is a relatively new concept, now would be the time to cash in on it.

7. Facebook it

That 73% user base we talked about right at the beginning? Well, in the same age group of 18-44, about 70% access Facebook from their mobile devices. These stats are from a survey conducted by Facebook, and we are talking about a test group of 75,000 owners of smartphones. The percentage may go down a little if we refer to worldwide studies, but the actual number of users shoots way up. What does that mean for you? It means you've got to get your site 'out there'. In addition to paid promotions, get active on social networks and let people know about your site. On social media, you'll find a ready and waiting audience with smartphones in hand, and what sense does it make to waste such an opportunity?

Apart from all this, you could create a strategy of promotion that would include super short videos (5 seconds sound good enough?) to consistently promote your mobile site. This is a very popular concept - has been, for a while now, and the more creative you are, the more popular you are likely to become in a very short while. Don't forget also to check the Net regularly for newer innovations in reaching out to the new generation of audience - everything is moving so fast these days that you sure can't afford to get left behind.

Read More

6 HTML Validation Tools To Minimize The Errors On Your Sites

It is important to validate your blog's HTML code to ensure that is complies with the principles of the World Wide Web association. An authenticated HTML code makes it very easy to maintain your site. As well, it plays a huge role in reflecting the degree of your professionalism in the blogging industry. Besides that, it augments the compatibility of your site with future versions of HTML. 

Here is a review of some top tools for HTML validation

How to validate your site HTML

Firefox Add On

Firefox HTML validator is a small icon located on the status bar which validates the code as the page loads. The add-on was developed by W3C but has evolved over time in tandem with changing needs. The extension is embedded within Firefox and makes the validation on your machine without involving a third-party server. This is a superb option for those using FireFox. 

Google Chrome Extensions

Google Chrome HTML validator resides as an icon just adjacent to the address field. When it is auto-run, it displays a green badge. Number 0 is an indication of no validation errors. A red badge with a count is an indication of validation errors. If you click on the icon, it'll pop-up a small window at the bottom of the browser displaying more information about the errors. It is available free of charge and is pretty easy to use.

WDG Validator

This is one of the quickest ways to check the syntactical correctness of your HTML. The best thing about it is that it supports enormous pool of character encoding. W3C is highly accurate and even though it does not include a lot of extras it does provide useful links where you can easily find and run those tools on your site. 

HTML Toolbox

This is a subscription service (available online) that you can use to check your site for any bad links and HTML coding errors. It'll also check from browser compatibility. You pay an annual subscription fee of $60 for a maximum of 100 pages. You pay more for any more pages exceeding this number. The best thing about it is that it is compatible with literary all the major browsers. 

CSE Lite

CSE Lite is a fast, easy and reliable way to validate and edit your HTML code. The validator allows you to view the errors in your code without having to search for corresponding line numbers. This one is quite nice an option for casual HTML authors. 

HTML Power Tools 

This is a comprehensive package of Windows applications that helps you to manage your website. The best thing about this tool is that it will validate your site even when you're offline. It also checks links, spelling as well as orphan files. You however have to pay for the entire kit which comprises: HTML Rulebase editor, PowerSpell, PowerAnalyzer, Image Scanner, PowerSearch, Metamanager, HTML to Text Convertor and Date Stampler. 

Don't hesitate to give your blog that much needed breathe of life. Conduct a HTML code validation check soon and avoid errors that could hamper your future opportunities.

Read More

Internet Marketing - Tool for new economy

Tom: Hey Dick, check out my profile pic on this amazing social networking site.

Dick: Yah, did you read my blog on profile pics. Wait, I will send you the link.

Harry: Hey guys, I just booked three movie tickets on this amazing app.

Every tom dick and harry today is surrounded by internet. So why not use it as a tool for marketing in the new economy, the e-commerce. The giants and even the small businessmen have started promoting their product on internet. In past who would have imagined that a whole shopping mall can be built on internet and sell the products just by marketing them effectively. Today in this ever changing scenario more and more people business persons are using internet as a tool to promote their products ranging from a book to I-pads.

It’s the power of internet marketing that 2012 witnessed a business of 60,000 billion dollars. And 2013 is to witness even more. The reason behind this huge success is that the internet marketing is cost effective and reaches to majority of people. It doesn’t require salesmen, brochures, printers, employees, etc. All which needs to be done is to create a website and make it reach people or display the products/services on popular websites. Even social networking sites have created a huge platform for email marketing companies. Place the products on the page which is hit most or sponsor to make your product visible to all the users.

Another very important aspect of internet marketing is that it is quick. Things are done at the speed of light. It makes purchasing easier, just a click away. And the delivery of the products also occurs in acceptable durations. This planet loves speed that is why it revolves and rotates at such a high rate. The faster the things happen the happier the beings get. Gone are the days when salesman went door to door to Market Company’s product. Today the tool called Internet marketing has solved the purpose. Before internet everybody demanded quality. When businessman realised that thing, quality was not the issue anymore. The requirement now was the facility to avail the services right from a desk. Today people from various backgrounds, uneducated business persons have taken help of internet marketing to promote their product/services at lightning speed.

This amazing tool of internet marketing is not only limited to business. People use it to promote their talent, their work. Some of them get noticed and get lucrative offers. If someone is good at singing he or she can record something and upload it on internet. People hit, like it, the singer gets noticed, again at a lightning speed. It has minimized the duration of success. Gone are the days when millionaires happened at a fifty plus age. Today people are accumulating wealth as early as possible just because of this brilliant tool. There is an endless list of successful people to name them as examples.

One more benefit of internet marketing is that it creates a world in miniature. Today it is not needed to travel to another country to market the product. Internet does that for people who want to market. Someone in Australia can just send an email all over the world to tell about his products or services. All that needs to be done is to build a trust. Once a person buys product from a particular website and if he finds it of good quality he will definitely come over again. He may even refer it to friends and relatives. So internet marketing generates word of mouth marketing automatically.

Movie tickets, travel tickets, vacation trips, everything can be booked in one go. No need to stand in queue to get your jobs done. Even the bills can be paid online. What made this possible? Internet marketing! The business honchos tech and market, people use it the platform to make life simpler, better and easier. Internet marketing is definitely the best tool one can get for promotion. The future can only be imagined from now. The internet marketing was also imagined by someone, someday. Clearer the imagination, more the joy of freedom and wisdom will spread. Keep imagining!!!

Read More

A Web Designer Should Know SEO Techniques

A web designer’s primary job is making things look great. Bring the beauty, let someone else deal with the code. But if you are fortunate enough to have worked with someone who has both the designer and developer skill sets, you know what a striking difference it can make to the finished product. The ability to incorporate SEO concepts into the very design of the page is priceless.

Since the days of hand-coded HTML sites, we generally have dealt with SEO by applying it on the back-end, once the site was aesthetically developed. However, with the advent of CMS solutions and other development platforms, we have the opportunity to make or break the SEO of a page at the template stage, and with the placement of every piece of content thereafter. The design of a site needs to incorporate the philosophy that SEO is the end-game of the project, not a bolt-on to be dealt with later.

Consider the scenario where a CMS template is employed. Perhaps it’s a sleek design, it has customizations based on the organization’s vertical, and it’s Responsive. Those are great functionalities that mean nothing without tight CSS, good use of header tags, and image layouts that are functional and don’t overburden the image/html ratio.

Speaking of tags, it’s within the typography portion of the design phase that a developer can make or break a site. Especially in a template scenario, a designer might elect to make the H1 tag flaming yellow, to discourage its use, when that could cause SEO problems for the rest of the site’s existence.

It’s a rare venture that has both a developer and a designer in one person, but if you can find that individual, you will pay yourself back one hundred times with a site that performs beyond expectations. If you are working with a design house and hiring your own developer or SEO consultant, make sure the entire web team gels well and have strong communication skills.

Kathleen Hurley, COO at Fidelity Networks, has over 15 years’ experience as a business services CIO, a background as a small business owner, and more than a decade as a web developer. Kathleen says that her MBA in IT from the University of Wales and her BA in English allow her to do two things really well: read the directions and speak to fellow humans.

Read More

Best iPad & Tablet Apps of 2013

New apps are being developed every single day. It is almost impossible to keep track of what is available in the android and iOS markets. As the same apps are available for tablets and smaller devices, it is often difficult to know what applications will have the best resolution; features and work better on larger tablet surfaces. With some advice, it is easy to make the most of your gadget and get the best apps for you. As more people opt for smartphone, android and iOS devices, it is essential to take care of them with relevant gadget insurance and utilise them with the best apps on the market. Here are some of the best iPad and tablet apps of the year.

Solar Walk

Solar Walk is an impressive app that shows off the amazing visual capabilities of the iPad. It boasts a beautiful 3D model of our solar system and when used with Retina display, it really is a pleasure to the eye. It is the first app in the app store that supports 3D TV. Even when zoomed out, detail on the planets is visible. The pixel wide orbit lines of the moon are impressive but not in your face. Explore our neighboring planets and moons in a quick, easy fashion. The impressive high-resolution interface and texture of the planets makes it a really true to life experience. The app is not available on android yet, it is available from the Apple app store for €1.89.

Real Racing 2 HD

If you are a gamer, you are in for a treat with Real Racing 2 HD, available for both iOS and Android devices. It is the most critically acclaimed racing simulation on Android. Its high definition graphics, easy to use controls and high performance gameplay set you up for hours of gaming. Drive on a 16 car grid and test your racing power from 30 officially licensed cars. Choose from 15 different locations with over 40 miles of highly detailed graphics race tracks, speedways and city circuits. Handling power is amazing, with its touch or tilt to steer capabilities, as well as customisable options for your own personal driving style. The app is €4.49 and available in the app store and play store now.

Glasses.com

Glasses.com is a truly impressive app that allows you to try on thousands of styles of glasses and sunglasses. Simply upload your image, and you can view yourself on the screen at any angle wearing the specs of your choice, from Ray- Ban, Gucci, Versace and Burberry all scaled to perfectly fit your face. It may seem like a simple concept, but the quality of delivery is second to none. You can use the app for pure entertainment or genuine research before purchasing glasses. The 180-degree 3D facial mapping software gives you a real life 3D view in a fun manner. The app allows you to view up to 4 looks in a single view and tap to look at your head from each side. What’s even better is that the app is free!

NASA Earth as Art is another great app brought to you by NASA. It offers an amazing set of images of earth seen from satellites and are best displayed on larger iPad or tablet screens rather than smaller mobile screens for optimum display. The New York Times app is also best enjoyed on an iPad or tablet. Its high quality, easy navigation and stunning imagery are optimised on these impressive screens. Take the time to do research into the best apps for your device, to utilise your gadget to their full potential. You literally have the world at your fingertips. Happy downloading!

Read More

Top 10 Dictation Apps for Your iPhone

The good thing with new mobile devices today, like iPhones, is that you can use amazing applications with them that will make life very convenient for you. One particular area that can be made much easier is taking dictations and transcribing them into text. There will always be a need to take important notes to prevent forgetting vital information that is related to your job or assignment, whether at school or at work. Taking notes manually is difficult because there is a chance to miss important parts of the lecture or interview. Now, with the help of software applications for iPhones, you can use your device to record important audios, which gives you the option to transcribe them later on your own or with the help of dictation companies. If you are planning to download an application, you can choose from the following top ten dictation applications.

1. Dragon Dictation

This is a voice recognition application, which means that whatever you dictate will be automatically converted into a text format. With this application, sending email messages, text messages, posting a new blog to your site, or making Twitter updates can be as easy as speaking straight to your device. If a brilliant idea pops up on your mind, you no longer need to pick up a pen and a paper, just turn on this application on your device and watch your dictation transform into words in your notepad or to-do lists.

2. Vlingo

Having Vlingo in your device is like having a virtual assistant. It does not simply convert your voice into text format, but also follows commands. For instance, tell it to text a friend, send an important email, or even update your Facebook status, all with just the use of your voice.

3. PocketDictate

This voice recorder application not only allows you to record easily with its user-friendly controls, but it also lets you edit your recordings. You can overwrite or insert extra notes to recorded sound files. This app can also compress your files, so it would be easier for you to send large files through emails.

4. iRecorder Pro

iRecorder Pro also produces clear and crisps sounds to make sure that your recordings are of utmost quality. Even when your iPhone is on sleep mode, you can continue recording through this app. It also has a SmartSplit feature, which splits large files into multiple smaller files for easy sending through email.

5. QuickVoice2Text Email

This application produces quality sound, which makes it ideal for all purposes, like recording meetings, lectures, your dictations, or even your own music. It has a lot of bundled up features. For instance, you can use your recording as a ring tone for your phone's contacts and you can do lengthy recordings, as long as your device has the required memory. Its best feature is that you can email your recording and the recipient will receive both the sound file and its transcription.

6. Audio Memos

This voice recorder app can be used with your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Its intuitive interface can make any recording task simpler. One thing that sets this recorder above the rest is its sound quality. Your recordings will be heard loud and clear so you do not miss any vital word or phrase. It is very easy to use, has no set limit on the recording length, and with its iCloud feature, you can access your recording everywhere.

7. Recorder

Be it short interviews or hour-long lectures, this app will help you record everything. Aside from that, it can also record outgoing calls, which may be essential for you if you need your correspondences documented on file.

8. iTalk Recorder

This voice recorder app lets you choose between three levels of sound quality in which you want your audio recorded. Then, with the use of iTalk, you can directly email your recordings and you also have the option to share your files through iTunes.

9. Voice Answer

Here is another virtual assistant that can help you in many ways, from doing online searches, to sending emails, and even playing your favorite tune. Would you like to know the time in Malaysia now? Or learn more about historical figures? Just give the proper audio command and this app will do as you say.

10. Dictamus

Forget about waiting for your transcriptionist before you can start with your dictation. Dictamus lets you record your dictations straight on your iPhone in different kinds of audio formats. You can then send it to your transcriptionist through email, file sharing, or even in Dropbox.

Read More

More digital impact on your business makes more of online marketing

Introduction

Online Press Releases and Social Media Marketing combined are abundantly capable of increasing your revenue and engagement. Please allow me to go through some tips in a strategic planning takeaway for you to utilize at a later date.

Here I’d like to assist and help implement your ideal strategy using user-generated content. This includes monitoring positive and negative brand perception through tools such as Facebook, Twitter and G+, as well as increasing brand engagement all-round.

Working at The Genuine Gemstone Company, I experience the online marketing tools and channels for PR as part of our online strategy. My tips here will improve your brand placement online, even without necessarily over stretching the budget. 

Online marketing takeaway

Press Releases

Online press releasing activities include influencing media, communities and online specific audiences; you need to be making a sound through online channels.  You can achieve this via social networks, news search, discussion threads, search engines, and other online communication tools.

A useful tip to about press releases is that they essentially only work as a successful online marketing strategy if used alongside social media and your natural link building techniques. If you do not then you won’t reap the benefits of social sharing, engagement and redistribution that enable the spread of your marketing projects.

Planning an enhanced approach to your online marketing strategy is a critical place to make a start. There are SEO tools that can help, including Google Insights and FollowerWonk from Moz. It’s essential to manage your brand reputation and then monitor it, and then store data, create targets, ensure growth.

•     Give out the social signals that reach the most users, post all PR out on Twitter and Facebook
•       Create strong call to action or incentive to click troughs on the release to your website.
•     Publish your work on authoritative site, like The Times; more positive for reads and re-circulating
•       Follow the organic SEO rule of natural link building each month
•    Create unique content every time you create an article; think of the user before the algorithm
•       Vary anchor text as to not upset any search-engine algorithms

Social Media

Social Media is very good for engaging with other users on a channel used to connect with people. If you were connecting with journalists; especially those that target your industry, reporters, bloggers and influencers who cover topics in your industry then this would be a fantastic way of gaining social interaction and building up recommendations and exposure.

Start tweeting with them and engage, but don’t oversell your business or product, just ask about a particular topic that they write.

Create fun, interesting content, for your users to read and enjoy! Just by being creative, conjuring something, compelling, interesting, or even funny; people will naturally want to talk about it and share it with friends, or even do a write up about it with no pitching required.

Think of the great videos you have seen on YouTube and why videos get so many shares and likes. It won’t be because someone spent ages crafting an amazing pitch, to a journalist. It’s the content itself that was really cool, and that meant that it was popular with the public, who just kept on sharing it with their friends etc.

This can create a lot of links and traffic, and work as an effective tool in your overall marketing strategy.

•          Get fans liking your posts, get popular and improve your Google authority
•          Promote everything that your brand has to shout about through social media
•          Cross promote with other brands and endorse affiliate partnerships on Facebook
•          Make your Facebook username and Twitter handle your brand name
•          Hash-tag and include your brand name in your Tweets
•          Use competitions to draw fans, get them to post and interact for prizes
•          Ensure your logo is your profile picture, and create a nice landing page banner
•          Add your website's URL to your profile

Conclusion

"The company’s No.1 appearance in the Fast Track 100, is testimony to their skill and determination to succeed" – says Sir Richard Branson in The Sunday Times.

Being connected to our audience through the spots they will go to online on a regular basis, their emails, social media, browsing the internet. We may have a new promotion which includes a set of Sapphire Rings on GemsTV and it’s important that the outside world have an awareness of this.

So subliminal signals from channels such as Facebook, and email require our marketing team to create a promotion and ensure that it is maximising engagement and customer reach. Our marketing is completed with an on-site campaign to synchronise our campaign when the user visits us on our Gems TV and Rocks TV website.

Read More

Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid

If you run a business and have a website, chance are good you’ve been introduced to three powerful but often misunderstood letters: SEO.  It’s no longer good enough to simply have a web presence, now that web presence must be easy to locate through a search engine.  With only 6% of Google searches making it past the first page- and about 1/3 not making it past the first result- poor SEO could have a tremendous negative effect on your business.  Here are some common mistakes to avoid in your efforts to raise your ranking:

Keeping it too simple with keywords: Do your research!  Don’t assume you know the best keywords to use, or how to use them.  You could end up missing opportunities to integrate search friendly terms into your website.  Think synonyms and words with similar meanings that could be substitutes for each other in a search term. Picture and photo, for example, or optometrist and eye doctor.  You should also try to get inside the mind of potential clients that are searching for your product or service- what terms would you use if you were a potential customer of your own business?  People often search in questions, like “What’s the best restaurant in NYC?”, so you might consider incorporating relevant questions into the text of your website as well.

If you’re purchasing keywords from Google, make sure you fully understand the system so you don’t waste your money.  Broader is not better.  Choose some strategic but specific key phrases that will target your ideal audience. 

SEO First, user experience second: Search engines, especially Google, design their algorithms to find the best sites and content for their users.  That means a frequently updated website with rich content that’s well organized with page titles and descriptions will have a natural advantage on the results page.  The primary purpose of your website and the text it contains is to serve your customers, not your search ranking.  Always keep keywords in mind, but don’t stuff your page with search friendly terms at the expense of quality, informative content- search engines will punish you for it in the long run.

Search term blinders:  Look beyond search terms and keywords.  Both inbound links and social media exposure (or lack thereof) can affect your search standing.  Retweets, likes, and shares are all indications of quality and reputability within a search engine’s algorithm, as are links to your site from other respected websites.  With links especially go for quality and not quantity, though.  Links from less reputable sites- or worse, those known for spam- will count against you. 

Getting complacent:  You’ve researched your search terms, added content accordingly, and you have an impressive web presence that extends to social media and other websites.  That’s a great milestone to reach, but it doesn’t mean your SEO obligations have been satisfied.  Search engines and their algorithms are constantly changing, as is the web content you’re competing with in the search rankings.  To stay at the top of the results page, you’ll need to keep reinforcing your web presence with fresh content, and you’ll want to periodically re-evaluate your keywords and search terms as well.

SEO is a complicated- but high stakes- cat and mouse game.  The top search engines don’t make their algorithms public so you’re never completely sure how to get your site treated well in the results, and constant tweaks and updates to those algorithms mean a good ranking today may not carry over to tomorrow.  The good news is that the basic set of SEO best practices are fairly stable, so you’ll never go wrong by avoiding the above mistakes.  Quality content and well researched keywords will always strongly correlate to high search rankings. 

Read More