Author Archives: Hussain Fakhruddin

Java vs Objective C: A Comparative Analysis Of The Languages

There are many differences of opinion as to whether Objective-C or Java is the more comprehensive, compact and user-friendly programming language. In what follows, we will compare the two languages on the basis of a few important parameters.

 

The iOS app vs Android app development debate will rage on for times to come. While potential profitability is an important factor, mobile app developers are also divided in their opinions as to whether Java (required for Android development) or Objective-C (required for iOS development) is an easier, more useful language. Contrary to what many beginners believe, Apple Swift is NOT a substitute of Objective C. Over here, we will compare the two programming languages based on some key parameters:

 

  1. Ease of learning – Although this differs from person to person, app developers have a tendency to try to learn Objective C first. This probably has a bit to do with the better revenues that iPhone apps have the potential to earn, in comparison to Android applications. On the other hand, there is a school of thought that Java is a lot more ‘modern’ language, while Objective-C is, in essence, rather archaic. Stuff like DRY-violation and split headers in Obj.-C are indeed hardly of any use.
  2. Static vs dynamic – Android fans might opine that Objective-C is a ‘language of the ‘90s’, but the fact remains that it is still more dynamic than Java. The technique for ‘Method Invocation’ demonstrates this the best. While in Java, core data and proxy objects have to be handled by ciders, Objective C allows developers to implement the way simpler ‘message passing’ method. All that is required is passing the text string to the corresponding object.
  3. Extent of manual coding required – Java would edge this round, since even dedicated iPhone app development experts agree that programming in Objective-C requires significantly more manual typing. What is often overlooked is the fact that method names in the Cocoa framework are, by default, longer. Hence, it is not a fault of the language per se – and in any case, new, shorter methods can be declared. For that, coders have to be really proficient in handling function pointers though.
  4. Creation of instance variables – All instance variables (attributes from class instances) in Objective C have to be defined in a .h interface file. Attributes are declared with the ‘NSString *AttributeA’ line. In Java, however, instance variables cannot be accessed/initialized via classes. Separate ‘class instances’ are required for the purpose. In addition, attributes in Objective-C are protected, unless something is defined as ‘Special’.
  5. Run-Time performance – While creating iOS apps, developers benefit a lot from the top-notch run-time performance of the compiled Objective-C programming language (OO). Since Java codes have to be compiled as well as interpreted, the performance speeds tend to be lower. However, in terms of general acceptance among new programmers, this is not much of an issue.
  6. Garbage collection vs Pointers – These are the two techniques used in Java and Objective-C (respectively) for memory allocation and management. Most professional coders from mobile app agencies feel that the ‘garbage collection’ method is more efficient than the ‘pointers’ and ‘reference counting’ in Obj.-C – which can be confusing at times. The way in which values are returned by methods in Objective-C is also non-intuitive, and that’s a thumbs-down too. While coding for iOS apps, developers have to constantly check whether the previously allocated objects are getting removed, so that the available memory is not getting clogged. This is generally not required while working with Java.
  7. Source syntax – The syntax of the two languages are, understandably, different – although it would be waste of time to argue whether one of them is ‘simpler’ than the other. Java derives its syntax from C++ (a familiar language for most developers), while that for Objective-C is based on the basic C language. There are OO extensions available for the Apple language, which are somewhat similar to the syntax of SmallTalk.
  8. Constructors and code reusability – Web and mobile app developers love languages that allow them to reuse codes – and Objective C performs better on this count. All the initializers defined in the same class can be reused in this programming language. Java requires the use of ‘constructors’ for variable initialization. These ‘constructors’ often cause code duplication and are, barring a few exceptions, not reusable. There is no concept of ‘constructors’ in Objective C, and regular methods can be called to initialize variables.
  9. Design patterns – When it comes to creating better user-interfaces in mobile apps, Java has an edge over Objective-C. However, the former is a bit more complicated than the default model-view-controller (MVC) design pattern layout of Objective C. For coding in Java, developers have to know how to work with ‘Activities’ and ‘Intents’ (which are, in essence, a variant of ‘commands’). Although both the languages support XML for declaring user-preferences, the framework in Java is extensible and hence, more user-friendly.
  10. Handling data structures – It is relatively simpler to create and handle various data structures (points, rectangles, etc.) in Objective C – simply because all of them are treated as value types and a copy of each of them is automatically created. As a result, simple ‘C structs’ can be used to access these data/value types. Java lags behind over here – since data structures here are are allocated in the ‘head’ of code snippets and generally used/transferred as references. This, in turn, makes Android app testing a more tricky process – and probability of the presence of bugs is also higher.
  11. Access to scalar types – Both Java and Objective C can access scalar types. The latter, by virtue of being a C-superset, can be used to access unions and structures as well – which is not possible with Java. The overall set of scalar types compatible with Obj-C is also higher than that in the Java environment. What’s more, writing Java interfaces can necessitate runtime overheads, while all C-software libraries can be accessed for free.
  12. Visibility modifiers – Java offers more flexibility to programmers and app developers for determining the visibility of attributes/variables in the codes. There are four visibility modifiers in the Android language (‘default’, ‘public’, ‘private’ and ‘protected’), any of which can be used as per the precise requirement in a program. In Objective C, all variables declared as ‘static’ are ‘private’. Public or protected classes do not feature in the Obj.-C framework.
  13. Availability of references/samples – Mobile app developers can find loads of resources, sample videos and other references for both Objective-C as well as Java on the web. If one were to really pick, it can be said that the Apple tutorial videos are rather too elaborate – and there are several things that require too long to be learnt (which should not be the case). The Android SDK comes with API reference, which is a big advantage. Resources for Java (including ApiDemons samples) are more methodically organized, and the ready availability of sample projects on API usage and data architecture management comes in handy too.
  14. Xcode vs Eclipse – Another popular debate among programmers revolves around which of the languages has the better integrated development environment (IDE). Android app experts unanimously agree that the real-time feedback (errors and warnings generated via incremental compiler) in Eclipse makes it a more user-friendly IDE than Objective C’s Xcode. For big programs, the waiting-for-feedback period can be long in Xcode, while the ‘Project Tree View’ (while accurate) has a dated feel too. The ‘content assist’ feature of the IDEs are more or less at par.

The presence of Grand Central dispatch at the operating system level is a significant advantage of Objective-C. On the flipside, it does not have any built-in tool support, unlike Java – in which remote system class downloading is supported. Both the languages have their specific plus points – the wider acceptance of Java is countered by Apple’s dedicated support for Objective-C – and it would be fair to say that the final say as to which one is a ‘better’ language depends on the proficiency of individual developers.

 

Which one do you feel is the easier and more user-friendly language?

 

How Many Of These OS X Yosemite Problems Have You Faced?

Unlike iOS 8, the adoption rate of Apple’s new desktop operating system – OS X Yosemite – is on the higher side. There are some early problems with the OS though. We have here highlighted a few of them.

 

In less than two months of its official release, OS X Yosemite has crossed 38% adoption rate among Mac-users worldwide. If the same time-frame is considered, the adoption of Yosemite has been higher than that of its predecessor, OS X Mavericks. To put matters in further perspective, it took more than two years for the Windows 8 operating system to cross a pitiful 20% adoption rate. Last week, OS X 10.10.2 was released after its beta version was seeded to and tested by developers. Apple’s new OS version is not without its share of bugs and apparent glitches though. Here are a few problems that you might have faced:

 

  1. Audio problems – Strangely enough, OS X 10.10 does not seem to be able to detect all types of connected headphones and speakers. As a result, listening to audio files can be a bit of a problem. If you have faced this issue, you need to select the ‘Internal Speakers’ option, under System Preferences → Sound → Sound Effects. The time when you had plugged in the headset can also be a factor.
  2. Wi-fi connectivity bug – The inaugural version of Yosemite had this bug, and it has not been properly rectified in the 10.10.1 upgrade patch. Home users as well as iPhone app companies using Mac systems at workplaces – there have been complaints from all types of users regarding the frequent connection losses on Yosemite systems. At times, connecting to a network becomes a problem as well. Hopefully, the new upgrade has finally got rid of the wifi bug.
  3. Faster battery drains – There had been a bit of a panic among Macbook Air-users, regarding the faster battery drainage after upgrading to OS X Yosemite. This ain’t really a bug though – since after doing any major OS upgrade, the battery gets fully recalibrated, while the Spotlight also gets reindexed. This causes a higher-than-normal battery juice consumption for the first couple of days after doing the upgrade. Within 3-4 days at maximum, battery life should be back to regular levels.
  4. Bluetooth connectivity problems – Okay, this one is more serious. After upgrading to OS X Yosemite, many users have reported a significant audio lag in Bluetooth – and there have been cases of no sound as well. Some people have also found their system simply locks up whenever a Bluetooth headphone is plugged in. It is not the easiest task to connect to a paired device either. The developers at Apple need to look into this issue soon.
  5. System lags – It has been a common refrain from general users as well as app development experts that systems running on Yosemite take significantly longer to ‘wake up’ than previous versions of OS X. According to a solution to this posted on Reddit, this happens due to unfinished automatic system updates. Turning off these auto-updates is one option, while Notebook users can simply down the lid for a minute and then check if the welcome screen is visible. Repeated download popups for iTunes 12 can be an irritation too. If you are seeing these, go for a manual download from the official website.
  6. Crashes during video playback – Not much was heard about this after the release of OS X 10.10, but after people upgraded to 10.10.1 – this problem started to crop up. According to home-users and professional app developers reporting this problem, an error message is flashed before any video starts playing. There have been several instances of total browser crashes (Safari), whenever a video is played. To be fair, at least for YouTube videos – this might not be an issue with OS X, and might be occurring due to a bug in the streaming process.
  7. Older Macs tend to slow down after the upgrade – Prior to its release, a lot of talk had been about how Yosemite would be a much faster OS than Mavericks. Well, that has been proved to be true – but only on the new Macs. Most older systems do not have the capacity to handle all the new features, layouts and widgets of Yosemite. This, in turn, has affected the overall system speeds. Thankfully, there are ways to tone down the new effects of Yosemite (for instance, turning off the Notifications Widgets), which can help older Macs upgraded to Yosemite work at satisfactory speeds.
  8. Incomplete booting – In addition to the dark or blank screens that are displayed after ‘waking up’ a Yosemite system, upgraded Mac-s can develop snags during the booting process. In particular, when the system is connected to the Ethernet (as is the case at web and mobile app development companies), the bar either fills up too slowly, or simply freezes halfway. System experts feel that unplugging the Ethernet and booting the Mac first is a way to work around this problem. After the release of 10.10.1, booting problems have become way less frequent though.
  9. Surprisingly slow Safari browser – Given the promise of enhanced browsing speeds that Yosemite comes with, this problem has come as a shocker to many. However, the lag in Safari (much like the battery drainage problem) is likely to be a temporary one. The slowness is generally caused due to the initial disk-encryption, that takes a huge share of the total processing capacity of the system. You can also speed up the browser (and the web apps) by deleting the cache/moving the Cache.db file to Trash.
  10. Mail accounts becoming inaccessible – Arguably the most common and troublesome bug in OS X Yosemite, after the wifi and Bluetooth connectivity issues. Several users have reported that they are not being able to send/receive emails over SMTP. You need to make sure that the ‘Automatically detect and maintain account settings’ option is not checked. Removing and setting up your email account(s) might also be necessary – particularly if you are not being able to access Gmail via IMAP. In most cases, this mail bug temporarily goes away once the accounts are re-added. From time to time, check whether the account provider settings are okay or have got automatically changed.
  11. Issues with Spotlight – Mac-fans and iOS app developers have unanimously voiced their approval of the revamped Spotlight feature on OS X 10.10. However, there is a glitch in it as well – the Bing searches work only when the selected location and language are matched. In other words, Spotlight would work only at the geographical locations where it is available. In addition, some reports have come in from people who are in countries that are supported, that Spotlight is not working properly. Once again, we hope that Apple would fix this issue soon.
  12. MacBook does not shut down – Recently upgraded your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air to OS X Yosemite? You might find that the device is simply refusing to shut down, and understandably, consider this to be another bug. However, chances are that this is happening due to the FireVault encryption process that takes place after the upgrade. It can take upto 48 hours for the encryption to be complete – and after that, your MacBook should start behaving normally once again.
  13. Problems in mobile integration – The much-vaunted ‘Handoff’ feature in the new Apple desktop OS has been a bit of a letdown for some users. Even at mobile software and app development agencies, professionals have had trouble to work simultaneously on their iPhones and iMacs. The most common problem has been with text forwarding, and the only way (till now) to tackle this is the tried-and-tested method of disabling/re-enabling the SMS functionality. For getting ‘Handoff’ to work properly, resetting iCloud and/or Bluetooth might also be necessary.
  14. Possible bug in the system graphics? – For most full-time graphics and UI/UX designers, using Photoshop on Yosemite has been nothing short of a nightmare. This is rather remarkable, since there had never been any issue related to working with Adobe Photoshop on Mac systems earlier. In general too, graphic designers have reported that strange shapes and colors often appear on the screen, when any photo-editing software is launched. All of this hints to a minor problem in the graphics card detection process on Yosemite.

According to regular users – professional and otherwise – the new Apple desktop OS has compatibility issues with Logitech mouse as well as keyboards. None of the above problems are really serious, and it is expected that Apple would iron them out soon. A couple of them, in fact, are not bugs at all (as mentioned in the discussion). OS X Yosemite is probably the best desktop operating system from Apple till date, and we would really like these flaws to be removed as soon as possible.

 

Have you experienced any of these problems while using Yosemite?

 

Intex Cloud FX: Another Blow To The Overhyped Firefox OS?

Firefox OS is one of the so-called ‘challengers’ to the duopoly of iOS and Android in the war of mobile platforms. Unfortunately, with the Intex Cloud FX, it seems that Firefox OS has taken a couple of steps backwards.

For nearly a year, there have been rumors about how the Firefox OS, Ubuntu Touch and Samsung’s Tizen are going to emerge as major competitors to Google Android. Till now though, the competition has not materialized – with the Galaxy Gear 2 smart watch (the world’s first Tizen-powered smart device) generating only lukewarm response, and the Firefox OS barely managing to create a ripple. In late August, the Cloud FX handset was launched, and at $35, it was touted to be the ‘cheapest smartphone’ ever. Although the initial sales figures were impressive, the reviews have been far from favorable. We would here highlight how the Cloud FX has damaged the prospects of Firefox OS in the long-run:

a) Disappointingly small screen size – At a time when even iPhones are getting larger-than-before screens, the 3.5” display area of the Cloud FX is a bit of an aberration. Couple with that the fact the maximum resolution level supported is a meagre 480×320 pixels – and you sort of feel that this phone has arrived at least half a decade too late.

b) The Gecko environment disappoints – Until the Mozilla developers do something about it, the default Gecko environment of Firefox OS will always seem like a hurriedly put together mishmash of iOS and Android. CSS, HTML and JavaScript are the methods used to design the UI of the Intex Cloud FX – while Firefox app developers also have access to a limited number of open web tools to create applications. In effect, this handset (and probably other Firefox OS devices that follow) is nothing more than a computer in the form of a smartphone. Not really something anyone is looking forward too.

c) So slow that it hurts – Android Lollipop has the all-new ART runtime, iOS 8 has integrated the A8 chip processor – and Firefox OS is stuck with a 1GHz single-core CPU (Cortex A5) processor. The average speed of the Cloud FX is roughly the same as that of the first-generation iPhones – but breaking news, iPhone 6 is already out!

d) Lacks loads of sophisticated features – Smartphone-users, analysts, sellers and even mobile app development experts agree that features like front-facing camera, LED (for notifications), 3G internet connectivity and LTE simply must be present in a modern-day smartphone. Well, none of these are feature among the specs of the Firefox OS. We all know that the phone is priced at a measly $35 – but even so, it should not have been as handicapped as this.

e) Where are the developers? – No mobile OS can succeed without the availability of a large number of quality apps. Even an erstwhile market leader like Blackberry has fallen behind in the pecking order due to this factor. A couple of years back, Mozilla had announced that the Firefox OS would bring in ‘hundreds of thousands of developers’ – and this prediction has certainly not come true. Android and iPhone app developers can earn big and have plenty of scopes to showcase their creativity and programming skills. Sadly, the popularity of Firefox OS has never picked up, its features are half-baked, and the Cloud FX has done nothing to shake off the negativity around this ambitious new mobile platform.

f) The OS is still plagued with bugs – Experts and device reviewers from mobile app companies had expected the Firefox OS powering Intex Cloud FX to be polished and bug-free, and they have been sorely disappointed. Non-responsive screens and app crashes are common affairs on this phone (along with the extremely poor speed). Connecting to wireless networks (Wi-fi) is often a problem, and there have also been many reports of sudden, frequent connection drops. Mozilla should really take a good hard look at its in-house testing phase, before releasing its next flagship phone.

g) Phone time related to battery level – This is, arguably, the most irritating feature of the Intex Cloud FX. As the phone battery goes down, the clock would get slower – and that would give the impression that the users’ security certificates have lapsed. After resetting the time, accessing the mail over IMAP or POP is a problem, as is accessing the Firefox Marketplace. The least that the developers could have added to the phone is some sort of automatic battery backup feature, so that the displayed time remained accurate.

h) Getting a consistently strong signal is not easy – In fact, it is a matter of luck. Fans of Firefox OS (along with Android haters, of course) have tried to cover up this problem by maintaining that in developing countries (think: India, China), mobile coverage is not the strongest. However, even in the United States, many users have been left frustrated by the inexplicable low signal strengths on their Cloud FX handsets. And what if you are really unlucky? A ‘no signal’ message flashes on your phone screen.

i) Want a ‘slim’ phone? Cloud FX won’t be your choice – With a thickness of 12 mm, the Cloud FX sticks out like a sore thumb in the market choc-a-bloc full with ultra-slim smartphones. According to studies conducted by device analysts and app developers, this handset is around 1.6 times thicker than average high-end smartphones. Weirdly enough, the Cloud FX is not a heavy phone at all. The size of the phone does not match with its weight – have the hardware experts left some area to be filled with air?

j) Low storage capacity – People love storing documents and saving mobile apps on their handsets. Sadly, on the new Firefox OS phone – there is not much of internal memory to support these activities. The built-in memory is a pathetic 256 MB, while the 128 MB RAM is nothing to write home about either. The sole saving grace is that, external macros cards can be added to the phone.

k) Shoddy camera – Once again, we know its a $35 low-budget offering – but a 2 MP camera really does not make any sense on a smartphone. To put things in perspective, the latest iPhone has a 8 MP camera, Samsung Galaxy S5 has a 16 MP camera, and Sony Xperia Z1 boasts of a 20 MP built-in camera. Now, megapixels are not the be-all and the end-all of phone cameras, and the the other handsets are way more expensive – but surely the Firefox developers have gone with a 5 MP basic camera?

l) The phone body feels ‘cheap’ – To woo people away from Android, Firefox OS needs to stay away from devices that are as poorly built as the Intex Cloud FX. Those who trash Samsung phones for their plastic bodies should take a look at how bad, grainy-looking the front plastic cover of the Cloud FX is. There exists an air gap between the LCD and the touchscreen as well. Even the word ‘Intex’ has been put on the phone with plastic pieces. Let alone the OS, even the brand name of Intex would suffer due to this phone. 

m) No back button – Mobile app development experts are pretty much sure that, as  the overall Firefox app-count swells, this will emerge as a major issue. The absence of a ‘back’ button will hurt the usability of apps with multiple screens (and let’s face it, practically all present-day applications have many tabs and pages). The Firefox apps currently available are way too simplistic – and that’s precisely why this issue has not been talked about that much yet.

n) Lackluster battery performance – If you thought that this low-end phone would at least have a strong battery, here’s another disappointment. The Cloud FX comes with an under-par 1250 mAh battery – and if you get it, the phone charger will become a constant companion of yours. That’s bad news for mobile gaming fans, in particular. The device also heats up too soon.

Another low-point of the Intex Cloud FX is its sound quality. Instead of focusing solely on generating maximum volume, the Firefox developers should have corrected the screechy sounds that the device generates during calls. No one would mind if Firefox OS phones are priced at slightly higher levels – Android One is doing very well – but the device specs have to improve a lot. A handset like Intex Cloud FX simply does not cut it.

AppBoard Tuesday – 13 Ways To Filter Good Apps From The Bad

Howdy, dear readers! It’s another fine Tuesday, and we are back with yet another edition of your favorite free weekly newsletter – AppBoard Tuesday (ABT). Last week, one of our junior developers (who also happens to be a mobile gaming addict!) downloaded a new Android game from the Google Play Store. As it turned out, the only good thing about that gaming app was that it was free – since it crashed repeatedly, high scores could not be saved, and playing the game (it was a bike racing thing, if you were wondering) for a tick more than 15 minutes caused his brand new Moto E to appreciably slow down. And that, folks, got us thinking.

It’s all very well that companies offer free app quotes to high-profile clients, but what about the average user – who innocently downloads new apps from stores, only to find they are buggy? In this edition of ABT, we will guide you through a few pointers which will help you get a hint as to whether the app you are planning to download/have already downloaded is a good or a bad one:

 

  1. Read the app reviews – Thanks to the hundreds of ‘free app review exchange’ sites and Facebook communities, store reviews are no longer as authentic as they used to be. Even the lousiest of apps have at least a few 5-star ratings. Check out the negative reviews (if any) more carefully, and find out which features of an app are drawing the maximum flak. The lesser the negativity around an iPhone/Android app, the more suitable it is for trying out. At least once.
  2. Check the featured apps – Coming up on the ‘featured apps’ list (after fighting it out with 1.3-million odd other applications at Play Store/Apple iTunes) is no mean feat. You can pick the ones that are featured at the stores with zero qualms, for they have been downloaded, tested, and liked by many other fellow-users. That, of course, does not mean that every other app is ‘bad’ though. It’s just that, you have to be more careful while considering whether to get them.
  3. Size of the app – Good apps take up minimal phone memory – bad ones are memory hogs, it’s as simple as that. Be wary of Android apps (in particular) that are more than 55-60 MB in size. Ideally, you should adjust your phone settings so that the device decides where a new app would be stored (phone memory or external microSD card). Larger apps might boast of more features, but their usability is generally poor.
  4. Bandwidth usage – Ask any mobile app developer, and (s)he will confirm that this is one of the key attributes of any new application. Our colleague, who had downloaded that troublesome racing game, had finally found out that it was taking up well over 70% of the total available mobile bandwidth. Once you have installed a new app, make sure that it is not taking up too much of the mobile bandwidth. If it is, get rid of it immediately. You certainly do not want a painfully slow smartphone/tablet!
  5. Battery drain – On the latest iOS and Android devices, you have the option of checking the amount of battery drain caused by each installed application. Now, all mobile app companies claim that their software do not put any extra pressure on the phone battery – but you should not entirely go by that. Many people make the mistake of thinking that abnormally fast battery outage is occurring due to some problems in the device. Check whether any of your apps is causing the problem instead. Never keep applications that are, in effect, ‘battery-killers’.
  6. What’s in the background? – A classic example of a ‘bad’ app would be one that remains active in the background, even after you have closed it. That, in turn, leads to poorer battery performance, and at times, screen freezes. The processor speed of your phone/tablet can also be affected. Find out what an app ‘does’ when you are not using it (and do not plan to use it for some time). If it remains active somewhere in the background, you would be better off without it.
  7. Crashes and screen freezes – The total crash-count of that ridiculously bad mobile racing game was 16, that too in a 2-day period! If that apparently ‘cool-n-snazzy’ newly-released app crashes repeatedly, you can rest assured that there is something wrong with it. A buggy app can also cause troublesome screen freezes – and at times, doing a hard reboot is the only option to get your handset functional again. Not every indie developer/company places equal emphasis on mobile app testing, which makes the presence of bugs in apps a distinct possibility. Of course, this threat is more for Android apps.
  8. Security – Right from digital storybooks in mobile apps for kids, to important passwords, credit card information and the like – a vast range of data is stored by users in their phone applications. The problem is, not all apps are trustworthy enough – and there are many which do not provide adequate security against unauthorized access and misuse of data. With WatchKit having released last month, the spotlight is more than ever on mobile app security. If an application does not come with proper security certifications, you should never go for it. Not even if it’s free and the better ones are paid!
  9. Splash screen duration – UI/UX designers pull out all stops to make attractive splash screens for their apps. Sadly, many of them forget the basic fact that – a splash screen is nothing more than something to be displayed as the app is being loaded. To be classified as ‘good’, the duration of an Android or iOS app should never be more than 8-10 seconds (even that is a stretch). Ask yourself – do you really want to stare at a splash screen – however colorful it might be – for minutes on end? Find out more about splash screen designing guidelines here.
  10. Compatibility with the latest mobile OS versions – iPhone fans are more than eager to upgrade their devices to the iOS 8 platform. Android-users cannot wait for the day when they would get the notification for upgrading to Android 5.0 Lollipop. In such a scenario, it is of essence that the new apps churned out by mobile application companies should be customized for these platforms. Older version apps can, and often do, perform erroneously on devices running on the latest platforms.
  11. Number of features in the introductory version – Or Version 1.0, as some app developers prefer to call them. A ‘good’ app should have a limited number of features and functions, and one clear purpose (i.e., it should solve a single requirement of users). In subsequent versions, the range of features should gradually increase. There are many apps that try to pack in too many features – and the only thing they succeed in doing is confusing the users.
  12. Frequency of upgrades – This one is basically a follow-up from the earlier point. Leading mobile app agencies as a rule announce the release of new, improved versions of their best-performing apps. On the other hand, shady companies treat the release of apps as a one-shot game, and do not bother spending time, money or manpower on further upgrades. As a result, user-satisfaction levels take a backseat. It would be advisable to check how frequently an app is upgraded, before you download it. For a new app, you can try finding out from the developer regarding the future upgrade plans.
  13. In-app navigation – Again, this is easy to explain. A common trait of every user-friendly mobile app is that they have simple, easy-to-understand in-app navigation schemes. Graphic designers make sure that not only do these apps have visually appealing layouts, but checking out all the tabs and sections of the application is a breeze too. At certain companies, specialized designers are either not present, or are not competent enough. Not surprisingly, they come up with apps which people have a tough time understanding, let alone using. The very definition of a ‘bad app’!

 

Good Android or iPhone apps for kids should  come with properly working parental controls. The popularity of freemium apps is spiralling at present – and you need to make sure that such paid download options on a free app are reliable enough. If you create mobile apps yourself, keep in mind the above parameters, to make sure that your products always have plenty of takers. Mobile app making is a lucrative line of business, and substandard products are being released in the lure of making quick money – but you can avoid bad apps rather easily.

With the hope that all of you have only the best apps on your smart devices, we would bring this week’s AppBoard (ABT) to a close. In case you have ever downloaded troublesome apps, do share their names, and the issues you faced with them. Write to us about anything else you might want to know, before downloading apps from the stores.

 

A little bit about ourselves here. These are exciting times at our iPhone app development company. After the launch of our Australian chapter – Teks Mobile Australia – in August, we are now all set for the opening of another foreign branch, this time in Sweden. Teks Sweden would, in addition to developing iOS and Android apps for clients, offer professional translation services and manpower consultancy solutions for businesses. Do pray for our success.

 

Stay well, each one of you. We will be back next week, with another dose of AppBoard Tuesday. What topic will be under discussion in the next edition? Well, for that, you have to wait till Tuesday!

 

 

SpriteBuilder – The Must-Have Suite For Mobile Game Developers

Most iOS game developers across the world prefer using Cocos 2D v.3 with the SpriteBuilder suite, for making customized, high-end games. SpriteBuilder helps in creating native games for the Android platform too. Here’s a checklist of the features that have contributed to the success of this game development suite.

 

With the release of the SpriteBuilder 1.0 tool in January this year, cross-platform mobile game development has become easier than ever before. The SpriteBuilder suite is managed and supported by Apportable, and can be used with the both Cocos2D and 3D, as well as Chipmunk game development engines. In fact, many professional mobile app developers are off the opinion that SpriteBuilder has been instrumental in reviving the slightly sagging popularity of Cocos2D-Objective C, in 2013. So, what are the features that make this tool so special? Let’s take a look:

 

  1. Compatibility with Xcode and Objective C – Along with, of course, Cocos2D-Swift at present. Companies are increasingly taking to making games by using SpriteBuilder along with Xcode 6.0, and the Objective-C/Swift programming language. This compatibility feature is vital in making native mobile games within relatively shorter periods, and without major glitches.
  2. Native games for Android – SpriteBuilder has certainly done its bit to expand the usage of Cocos2D as a game development engine for the iOS platform. At present, it is the only available game development suite for the Android platform. Most mobile game developers feel that using Spritebuilder is a way more simpler option to make games, than having to learn up Java and/or Javascript.
  3. Open source – App developers love open-source software, and SpriteBuilder satisfies this criterion. The codes and snippets can be tweaked around, for adding customization to game development projects. Generally, leading mobile app companies get requests for making diverse types of games, and the open-source SpriteBuilder suite comes in very handy in that regard.
  4. Multiple screen modes – Just like Cocos2D has several layout options, the SpriteBuilder suite comes with two alternative screen modes. In the Fixed Screen mode, the attributes of the game nodes (expressed as a percentage of the parent container) do not change. As a result, all the ‘scenes’ you create for the game will be identical. On the other hand, the Flexible Screen Mode of SpriteBuilder allows developers to resize scenes, so that the latter can properly fit into the screens of different devices. As is understandable, the size and precise positions of the nodes also keep changing in this mode.
  5. Speed – SpriteBuilder was always expected to bolster the speed of iOS game development, but the real surprise has been how the tool has been able to cut down the ‘developer-to-stores’ time span for the Android platform. The support from Apportable has been influential for bringing this advantage to game developers. Instead of any third-party engines or suites, all Objective-C programs are compiled straight to the x86 (in certain cases, the ARM) machine codes. As a result, the entire process speeds up.
  6. Facilitates better collaboration between app designers and game developers – Mobile app agencies which have started using SpriteBuilder with Cocos2D have also witnessed better collaboration between their in-house designers and coders. On of the key reasons for this has been the presence of a robust visual editor in this suite, which allows the creation of game prototypes on a real-time basis. This lets designers (and even clients) to share their inputs, and changes can be done accordingly. As any mobile app expert would agree, developers and designers have separate capabilities which can turn into conflicting interests. SpriteBuilder keeps the joint workflow between the two teams seamless.
  7. Learning curve – Much less steep than that of Unity or Libgdx. What most new mobile game developers like about SpriteBuilder is the opportunity to create ‘fake Gameplay scenes’ that it provides. All that the developers need to do is make a new ‘Gameplay.ccb’ (preferably in 480×320 screen size), and then add an art pack and any number of game objects to it. Working with the fake scenes can be really helpful in learning how the overall gameplay content can be scaled up in future.
  8. Auto-adjustment of image sizes – With SpriteBuilder, iOS/Android game developers no longer have to separately specify the sizes of different images in the scenes. By default, the suite takes every image at four times(4x) of its original size (i.e., a 60×60 character becomes 240×240). Images for iPads are generally taken as double the size for those used for iPhones. Of course, you can keep the images used in smartphones and tablets of the same size, by selecting the 2x option under ‘tablethd’.
  9. ‘Safe’ and ‘Unsafe’ screen areas – Yet another big advantage of SpriteBuider is its developer-friendly screen representation. The overall screen area for games is divided into the inner, larger ‘safe’ area (the gameplay area that is displayed on all devices), and the outer ‘unsafe’ border area (which remains partially or completely hidden from view). Since the two areas are clearly demarcated, game developers get a proper idea about where they should put the gameplay content, and from where they should put in paddings or the larger background images. For instance, on iPhone 5, certain areas of the ‘unsafe area’ is visible.
  10. Enhanced features in the new version – SpriteBuilder 1.3.5 was officially launched less than a month ago, and it packs in even more delights for mobile game development professionals. The support for Xcode 6 and Swift has been bolstered further, while the multithreading feature in the Open GL is also an interesting addition. However, the two new features that have got app developers all abuzz about SpriteBuilder 1.3.5 are the Cocos2D Metal Renderer and the packages dynamically created for Cocos2D-Swift. It is expected that the CCEffectLighting property would also improve in future versions of SpriteBuilder.
  11. Licensing requirements – As already mentioned above, SpriteBuilder is an open-source game development suite. Mobile app developers can download and use it under a straightforward MIT license. In other words, there is no need to worry about copyright infringements and other such issues – while customizing the source code of SpriteBuilder. No extra expenses are required either. An Indie license would do the trick.
  12. Support for 3D game development – SpriteBuilder does not have many takers for three-dimensional mobile game development at present – but things can easily change within the next couple of years. Unity 3D, with its support for a large number of platforms, is the chief rival of SpriteBuilder in this domain. It will be interesting to note what further additions are made to SpriteBuilder, to improve the suite’s worth as a 3D game development tool. At least, SpriteBuilder is not ‘2D-only’ – and that’s something.
  13. Additional customization – When used with Cocos2D, SpriteBuilder offers a myriad of personalization options to game developers. The sizing type, reference corner, positioning type, and even the anchor point of game scenes can be adjusted as per the exact requirements. By using ‘Points’ (instead of the absolute UIPoints), the positions and dimensions of images can be automatically scaled up for devices with bigger screens.
  14. Tiled editor and boned animation support – The professionally-styled tiled graphic-user-interface (GUI) editor of SpriteBuilder is certainly one of its many high points. Add to that the support for high-end boned animations, built-in animation/scene editor, particle systems and improved localization tools – and there remains little scope for doubting SpriteBuilder’s position as the best suite for 2D native game development. The speed at which SpriteBuilder can generate sprite sheets is also impressively high.

The combination of Cocos2D v.3 and SpriteBuilder ranks high on the popularity count among game and mobile app developers worldwide. The SpriteBuilder suite is available for download for free, at the Mac App Store. For becoming proficient in native game development on the iOS and Android platform, thorough knowledge about the features of this suite is of essence.

 

Oh, and did you know – with SpriteBuilder, you can create a relatively simple mobile game in under 7 minutes?

‘Hey Siri’ Vs ‘Ok Google’ – War Of The Mobile Digital Assistants

Apple and Google Android are constantly at loggerheads, as far as their mobile business is concerned. The Siri vs Google Now is one of the most interesting mini-battles in this ongoing war. We here analyze how the two virtual assistants perform on the basis of several parameters.

 

Ever since the handsfree ‘Hey Siri’ feature was showcased during this year’s Apple World Wide Developers’ Conference (WWDC), iOS fans have been dying to check it out. A couple of other factors had bolstered the anticipation for this handsfree functionality of Siri. For starters, Android loyalists have long been mocking at the rather common mistakes that Siri is prone to commit. More importantly, while Google Now (unveiled during Google I/O 2013, and debuted on the Android Jellybean platform) recently crossed the magical 1 billion active users mark, the usage rate of Siri on iOS 7 has remained on the lower side. iOS 8 and Android 5.0 Lollipop are both out, and once again, it’s time for the next round of battle between the two mobile artificial intelligent (AI) assistants. Read on, and find out which among ‘Hey Siri’ and ‘Ok Google’ comes out on top:

 

  1. Response accuracy – Siri on iOS 8 has improved a lot in understanding queries and responding to them correctly, but it still has a long way to go, to catch up with Google Now. In a recently conducted survey by Stone Temple Consulting (comprising of 3086 common random questions), Android’s voice assistant came up with an impressive 88% correct responses. Apple’s Siri was a distant second, with only 53% correct answers. In fact, Siri’s performance was fairly close to that of Cortana – which got 40% of the answers right.
  2. Wake up/Activation time – Siri would edge this round. iOS analysts and mobile app developers have confirmed that voice commands can be given to Siri within seconds of bellowing the ‘Hey Siri’ wake-up call (there is hardly any time required for activation). Google Now can, however, take voice instructions only after the activation chime is generated. Not a big difference, but still a point that would delight sticklers for device speeds.
  3. Requirement of a power source – This one is a no-brainer. You can bellow ‘Hey Siri’ as loudly as you want, but your iOS 8-powered device won’t respond unless it is plugged in to a power source. Android users need not worry about this factor. They can chirp  ‘Ok Google’ to their handsets, and the latter would spring to action – irrespective of whether they are connected to a power source or not. There is a way to work around this problem for iDevice owners, but more on that later.
  4. Response Speed – There is not much to choose between Apple Siri and Google Now (particularly on the new iOS 8 and Android Lollipop platforms, respectively) regarding this. However, the ‘OK Google’ command, on average, does elicit slightly quicker responses than the ‘Hey Siri’ command (4.894 seconds vs 5.53 seconds). While the two are more or less at par for most types of voice queries, Siri takes significantly longer to respond to traffic-related queries (since Apple Maps has to be launched). Google Now responds to similar queries almost 3 seconds more quickly.
  5. Knowledge Base – First things first – what is a ‘knowledge base’ for mobile digital assistants? Simply put, these are the databases that allow ‘virtual helpers’ like Siri, Google Now and Cortana to come up with customized, informative, detailed results – instead of simply pulling up relevant results from the web. The ‘Ok Google’ command allows Google Now to scan through multiple knowledge bases to come up with the correct response, while Siri generally has only Wolfram Alpha to fall back on. This advantage of Now is principally derived from the built-in knowledge cards of Google.com. After all, Google is by far the biggest online search engine – and it’s not surprising that its mobile assistant would have greater access to data on the web. Maybe it’s time for Apple to start a search engine too?
  6. Improvement over time – Google Now is still ahead of the mobile artificial intelligence (AI) game. However, Siri has witnessed the biggest improvements over the last couple of iOS versions, as per general iPhone users as well as iOS app development experts. The breakthrough has, of course, been the launch of the ‘Hey Siri’ functionality – which has facilitated handsfree awakening and conversation. Google Now already had this feature, and it has bolstered its overall capacity to help users.
  7. Ability to provide ‘enhanced results’ – ‘Enhanced results’ refer to the capability of mobile digital assistants to include useful links, reviews and other add-on stuff in the results they display to users. Neither of our two rivals perform exceptionally on this count, but once again, it is Google Now with the advantage. The percentage of queries for which the Android assistant could come up with enhanced results (during the Stone Temple Consulting survey) was exactly double (58% vs 29%) of what Siri was capable of. Once again, the performance of Siri was rather uncomfortably close to that of Windows Cortana, which offered enhanced results to 20% queries.

Note: All three of them were found to bungle up simple grocery store searches!

8. Voice recognition – Another round that ‘Ok Google’ will comfortably take home. While Google Now can easily understand relatively difficult words in foreign language (say, the name of a rare Italian cuisine), Siri can – at times – struggle with names of even common things. This makes the accent of the users while giving voice commands a big factor. In addition, Google Now is more secure, since it is practically impossible for anyone other than the authorized owner(s) of the handset to wake Now up with ‘Ok Google’. ‘Hey Siri’ cannot quite give the same assurance against voice-imitations. Yet.

9. Number of languages supported – Check out discussions on Google Now and Siri at any active mobile app development forum – and the first thing that will strike you is the rapid strides that both Apple and Google have taken on the language support count. The total number of languages currently ‘understood’ by Google Now is an impressive 52. What’s more – it can take instructions in as many as 7 languages simultaneously. Siri on iOS 8 has become better than ever too, with support extended for 24 new dictation languages. Let’s just say that this round is a tie.

10. Ability to relate follow-up questions – Surprisingly, neither Google Now on Lollipop nor Siri on iOS 8 is much good regarding this. Search for ‘Chinese restaurants’ after the ‘Hey Siri’ command, and you will get names and reviews of the top eating joints in the locality. However, if you try to follow up that query with a question about the distance to these places – Siri would treat it as a totally new question. Google Now disappoints as well, since it would return plenty of results – whatever it can find with the word ‘restaurants’. In fact, for contextual, follow-up searches, Cortana performs better than either. Finally, some ‘yay’ for the Windows Phone assistant!

11. Overall user-convenience – ‘Hey Siri’ and ‘Ok Google’ have separate fields where they excel. Mobile analysts and app developers unanimously agree that for everyday tasks like setting reminders, wake-up calls, sending texts and placing calls – Siri is the smarter AI agent. However, for voice queries that involve extensive information searching, Google Now comes up trumps. Comparing the two on the usefulness count would be akin to comparing apples and oranges. The precise requirements of a user determines whether (s)he finds Siri or Google Now more useful.

12. The fun factor – Google Now might be more efficient and ‘knowledgeable’, but it lacks the ready wit that has become a hallmark of Apple Siri. Try asking her ‘Who let the dogs out?’, and she will get back with an innocent ‘Wasn’t Me’, which will get you doubling over with laughter (there are many even funnier Siri repartees – listed right here). On the other hand, Google Now is more like the old-fashioned, obedient English butler – focusing on the tasks given to it, and not bothering much about being a ‘friend’ to the device-owner.

13. Dependency on browsing history – A lot of sheen goes off ‘Ok Google’, if a user is in the habit of regularly deleting the web browsing history on his/her phone. Android app developers state that, just as Google.com depends on previous searches to come up with more relevant, useful results over time, Google Now also can ‘keep learning’ only when earlier browsing data is available. Siri does not have any such dependency, and is more of an ‘independent’ digital assistant. In addition, Google Now often functions in collaboration with other mobile apps. Deletion of such applications can affect the performance of Now.

14. Frequency of crashes – Neither iOS 8 nor Android 5.0 Lollipop are bug-free yet (far from it, in fact). It’s hardly surprising that Siri and Google Now on these platforms are prone to sudden crashes from time to time. Overall tests have shown that instances of Google Now crashing is slightly more than that of Siri – but this difference is statistically not significant (and Android fanboys have the opposite opinion, anyway!). As the new platforms become more stable, both Siri and Google Now are expected to gain on the reliability front.

15. Memory usage – On new Samsung Galaxy S3 handsets, Google Now takes up 55 MB of RAM space. This figure is nothing to be concerned about for most people, but for those who are fast running out of memory space on their Android devices – keeping Now might require deleting few other mobile apps. Siri steals a march over its arch-rival over here – since it takes up next to no memory space. Apple’s digital assistant needs memory only for the notes and queries it has to handle.

 

With the arrival of ‘Hey Siri’ on iOS 8, iPhone-users no longer have to hold down the ‘Home’ button on their devices, to use Siri services. However, from the above discussion, it is pretty clear that ‘Ok Google’ still holds most of the aces. iOS app developers and analysts feel, correctly, that Siri has improved a lot – but a lot of work remains to be done before it becomes nearly as good as Google Now.

Bonus #1: 5 Cool Tips To Get The Most From Siri on iOS 8

  1. Activation without plugging to power source – Charging an iPhone while using Siri is not an absolute must. You can work around this by activating the ‘Hey Siri’ feature, and then extending the auto-lock period to anything more than 1 minute. After that, keep saying ‘Hey Siri’ every time the digital assistant times out, and it will wake up again.
  2. Live music identification – Integration of Shazam has brought forth this additional functionality. Now, you can simply let Siri ‘listen’ to a song, and then ask about the latter’s details. The assistant will display song information, links for paid downloads, and even a tab to access the Shazam app.
  3. Training Siri about the nicknames of your contacts – If you have a lot of ‘John’-s in your contact, the command ‘Call John’ would only add to the confusions of Siri. You can, of course, mention full names every time – but there is an easier way out. On iOS 8 devices, after ‘Hey Siri’ activation, you can simply say ‘John is my so-and-so’ – and Siri will look that person up. Make sure you have properly labeled your contacts first though.
  4. Live voice streaming – Professionals from iPhone app development agencies feel that this has been a big step up for Siri. No longer do users have to spell out their entire commands, for Siri to spring into action. Siri on iOS 8 has a built-in speech-to-text feature, which allows streaming voice recognition. That, in turn, lets Siri start working earlier than before.
  5. Option to create better ‘Reminders’ – You can make the ‘Reminders’ app on your iOS 8 device more customized with the help of Siri too. Through the Apple mobile digital assistant, you can add items to different pre-created fields in Reminders (say, Shopping, Meetings, etc.), without having to make any manual entry.

 

Bonus #2: 5 Cool Tips To Get The Most From Google Now on Android Lollipop

  1. Location and Commute Sharing – Google Plus might have a lot of ‘meh’ features, but it combines wonderfully with Google Now for this. You can update your precise location and commute details on G+, and share it with your friends/family members. Particularly useful if you wish to alert (or be alerted) about a serious traffic jam!
  2. Hotword Detection – What ‘Hey Siri’ is for iOS, ‘Google’ is for Android. Check the ‘Hotword Detection’ option at Google Now → Menu → Settings → Voice. This will enable you to ‘wake up’ now simply by saying ‘Google’. It doesn’t get much easier than this.
  3. Using TV Cards – For Android phone-owners who are movie/TV show-addicts as well, Google Now serves up further wonders. Provided that the phone and the smart TV are connected to the same wireless network, people can check out program details, show information, and even interesting tidbits about the actors, right on their mobile screen.
  4. Collaboration with Gmail – Everyone uses Gmail, and Google Now can make the mail service provider more informative than ever before. Android app developers have confirmed that Now has the capacity to scan mailboxes of users, and bring to them a host of additional information accordingly. Right from restaurant reservation details, to airport boarding passes – almost all relevant info can be obtained via the Gmail+Google Now combo.
  5. Personalized image search – Okay, this one is available only for users from the United States. If you are in the habit of clicking many photos – you no longer have to bother searching for specific pictures later on. Simply log on to G+, activate Google Now, and tell it to search for, say, ‘my photos at coffee shop’. The image(s) that you were looking for will be displayed in an instant.

 

Which one among ‘Hey Siri’ and ‘Ok Google’ is your favorite command at present? Have your say!

 

Teks Offsite 2014 (Installment I) – When IT Professionals Turned Cricketers

‘Edged, and taken!’

 

‘Need a couple of boundaries this over…’

 

‘That went like a tracer bullet!’

Hipsters vs Geeks

You do not associate sentences like these with a mobile app company, right? Well, it was that kind of a day – when the developers and designers of Teknowledge Mobile Studio forgot about their iMacs and Android projects, and donned their cricketing whites. The result? A match to remember!

 

In a bid to encourage the off-the-job bonding among the Teks employees, a 12-over-per-side cricket match was organized on last Saturday, the 29th of November. Each side had 10 players – and each of us was raring to go on the day (to be frank, from a week in advance!). The admin head of our mobile app agency had already checked out the ground space at Kolkata Maidan (we like doing EVERYTHING efficiently!). Everything was sorted out, balls and bats and bails and wickets were arranged, and the teams were all set to show off their cricketing skills on the field.

 

A bit about the teams that faced off on that winter morning. The first team were called ‘Hipsters’ – and comprised of our graphic designers, animators, PHP experts, content and PR executives, and the chief admin/project coordinator (that’s right, they had landed the big fish!). The team name had been selected after due deliberation – and was apt enough, considering the creative nature of the team-members.

Team Geeks

And what about the quite formidable opposition? They were the ‘Geeks’ – and don’t run away with the assumption that they were typical nerds who would be mere pushovers on a sports field. They were the team of Android and iPhone app developers of Teknowledge – and at least half of their team were fit enough to…well maybe not take on the Kohli-s and the Raina-s…at least hold their own. A couple of them were not over the moon with the ‘Team Geeks’ name, and were eager to prove that their brains were not the only agile part in their bodies!

A slight nip in the air, the prospect of an exciting cricket match to kickstart the weekend, and a full Sunday to follow – what could have been a more enjoyable package for us Teksians? Well, there was one point to ponder on. Barring a couple of players from either side, all the others had last touched cricketing gears 5, 7, even 10 years ago. Match-practice and fitness levels were not the highest for most…but hey, enthusiasm can conquer all! It might have been just another fun outdoor session organized by our mobile app development company, but we were determined to make it one of the most exciting intra-company corporate cricket matches of the year. And boy, did we succeed or what?

Now we all know that women’s cricket is neglected in our country and all that – and letting our lady colleagues a chance to get involved in the game was a priority of ours. There was one snag though – we did not have enough females in our ranks to make a cricket team (let alone two!). The way out? The ladies took up the responsibility of being the umpires for this all-important match. In case you were wondering, there was a third umpire too – Yours truly!

Teams lining up for the match

Proceedings started sharp at 8:15 am at the Maidan, with the toss – presided over by the umpires and the two captains. The ‘Geeks’ called correctly, and somewhat surprisingly, elected to field first. Perhaps it was their confidence in their fast bowlers (okay, medium-pacers – but you get the point!), perhaps they did not want to bat first on an unknown surface – any which way, they were ultimately left to rue this decision. After all, there is a golden rule in limited overs cricket – ‘always try to put runs on the board first.’

 

The openers of ‘Team Hipsters’ took the field after 10 minutes, and they put the team off to a mini-flyer. 12 runs came off the first over, with a couple of boundaries. The ‘Geeks’ hit back soon enough though, with a wicket-maiden next up. Runs were nicely choked up in the middle overs, and it was a quickfire 17 from our chief UI/UX designer (who knew he could wield the long handle so effectively too?) that propelled the ‘Hipsters’ to a somewhat respectable score of 7/106 off their allotted 12 overs. The general feeling was, it was a slightly below-par score. What happened next was somewhat unprecedented.

V. Prakash - opener - Team Hipsters

After a decent enough start, the mobile app developers (a.k.a ‘Team Geeks’) started losing wickets at regular intervals. The fielding standard of the ‘Hipsters’ was not the greatest – misfields and byes were rather frequent – but the overall tight line and length of the bowlers did the trick quite nicely. The icing on the cake was our UI/UX designer (yes, once again), who chipped in with 3 quick wickets. A valiant rearguard effort from a couple of the senior developers ultimately came to no avail – as the ‘Geeks’ finally ended up a good 29 runs short. One of the iOS app developers, playing for the ‘Hipsters’ hit a frantic 34 – the highest score of the match.

Team Huddle after the 1st innings

Okay, you might by now be wondering which team I played for in this Hipsters vs Geeks mega match. Oh well, I turned out for neither – and instead, donned the mantle of official scorer-cum-commentator. During the match, I had to attend a couple of calls from clients asking for free app quotes – but overall, I ensured that I did not miss out on any action. Yes, we had a (manually-created) official scorecard too!

 

After the match was over, we had a proper presentation ceremony too. The winning and the defeated captains came up with short speeches – and both of them lauded the efforts put in by their respective team-members. Given the number of…let’s call them ‘silly mistakes’…that happened on the field – a bit of leg-pulling was in order. That bit was reserved for Monday though, we don’t make fun of each other in front of others!

 

The best thing about this Geeks vs Hipsters match was the spirit in which it was played (I would have loved to say competency, but that would be a stretch!). A minute’s silence was held before the toss, in memory of recently deceased Australian cricketer, Phillip Hughes. There was plenty of…ah…wild, wayward bowling (c’mon, we did not have any match parctice), but no sustained, short-pitched stuff was dished out.

UI/UX designer

And what about sledging – that integral part of modern-day cricket? We did have more than our fair share of friendly banter. Our mobile app designing head (the man with runs and wickets) was at the thick of things regarding this as well. He constantly chirped away at the ‘Geek’ batsmen – which made the latter thoroughly irritated. The other ‘Hipsters’ were, of course, doubling up with laughter at the man’s wacky offers and verbal music to get the opposition batsmen out.

 

Last but certainly not the least, our lady umpires carried out their responsibilities beautifully. Yes, there were wides and no-balls missed, and a couple of times they did lose the ball-count – but on the whole, they presided over the proceedings efficiently enough. Let’s be fair here too – players from either team kept playfully pressurizing them into adjusting the scores marginally in their favor – but they stood firm!

PHP Developer at Teknowledge Mobile Studio

A full morning’s cricket can make you ravenously hungry – and our mobile app development experts, designers, and the others were living proof of that on that day. After a bit of on-field euphoria from the ‘Hipsters’, we headed to Arsalan – that Park Street haven for biryani-lovers – for a grand Saturday lunch. All of us filled ourselves as much as we could. I do have a sneaky feeling that the food seemed tastier to the ‘Hipsters’ than the ‘Geeks’ though!

 

All is not lost for ‘Team Geeks’ though. Last Saturday’s match was the first in a three-match series. The next couple of matches would be held over the coming weekends – and everyone is confident of putting up an even better show the next time round. It’s high time we proved that Cricinfo blogs and armchair discussions are not the only things about cricket we are really comfortable with.

Team Hipsters

This was the first installment of the series of year-ending Teks Offsite tours in the offing. Apart from the 2nd and 3rd cricket matches, we have a office tour to Piyali Island, Sunderbans, lined up. Reports on those will be coming up in the next installments of Teks Offsite 2014.

 

Most of us – me included – are in the habit of checking match scoreboards first on Cricinfo, before reading the full match report. Why should the first unofficial ODI between ‘Team Hipsters’ and ‘Team Geeks’ be any exception? Here’s the scorecard from saturday’s match:

 

Teks’ Tour Of Maidan

The Geeks Vs The Hipsters Cup 2014 – 1st ODI

(Hipsters won by 29 runs)

 

Hipsters Innings (12 Overs Maximum)

Batsman Mode of Dismissal RS (BF) Strike Rate
V. Prakash c: J.Rout+ b: J.Agarwal 10 (5) (2×4, 0x6) 200.00
K.K. Dipak b: G. Srivastav 8 (5) (1×4, 0x6) 160.00
S.Ghosh+ b: A.Saha 34 (14) (3×4, 2×6) 242.86
Z.Ahmed b: G. Srivastav 14 (13) (1×4, 0x6) 107.69
S.Goswami* c: G. Srivastav b: J.Agarwal 8 (6) (1×4, 0x6) 133.33
P.Poddar b: A.Saha 12 (7) (2×4, 0x6) 171.43
A.Manna not out 17* (8) (2×4, 0x6) 212.50
D.Nandi run out 1 (2) (0x4, 0x6) 50.00
A.Karak not out 2*(1) (0x4, 0x6) 200.00
Total (12 overs)        7/106 (RR → 8.83)

 

Geeks Innings (12 Overs Maximum)

(Target: 107 runs off 72 balls)         

Batsman Mode of Dismissal RS (BF) Strike Rate
M.Agarwal c: S.Ghosh+  b: A. Manna 2 (3) (0x4, 0x6) 66.33
R.Kolli c: A.Karak b: V.Prakash 1 (2) (0x4, 0x6) 50.00
G.Srivastav c: S.Ghosh+  b: A. Manna 19 (13) (2×4, 0x6) 146.15
J.Rout c: S.Ghosh+ b: S.Goswami 3 (4) (0x4, 0x6) 75.00
J.Agarwal  run out 16 (8) (2×4, 1×6) 200.00
A.Saha* b: S.Goswami 9 (7) (1×4, 0x6) 128.57
A.Roy Chowdhury not out 16* (11) (2×4, 0x6) 145.45
S.K.Jhunjhunwala run out 9 (7) (1×4, 0x6) 128.57
P.Das run out 0(1) (0x4, 0x6) 0.00
K.Reddy b: S.Goswami 0(1) (0x4, 0x6) 0.00
Total (11.2 overs)     77 (RR → 6.75)

 

 

Toss: Geeks, who chose to field

 

Umpires: D. Banerjee & D. Chatterjee

TV Umpire/Reserve Umpire/Match Referee: H. Fakhruddin

 

MOTM: A. Manna (17*, 3 wickets, and plenty of friendly sledging!)

 

Hipsters lead 3-match series 1-0.

AppBoard Tuesday – How To Keep Your Mobile Apps Secure?

Every mobile app company in the world claims that its applications come with ‘100% security assurance’. To be fair, most of them do perform rigorous app testing (on devices, in the cloud, etc.) procedures, to detect and delete bugs. Considering that it takes close to $5000 to identify and fix a major bug/malware after an app has been released, such precautions on the part of app companies are hardly surprising. Unfortunately, the awareness levels among general users regarding mobile app security is rather low. That, in essence, is the topic under the scanner in this week’s edition of AppBoard Tuesday (ABT).

 

Before jumping headlong in the discussion on mobile app security, a myth needs to be cleared. There is a popular misconception that, while malware is a pretty common feature in Android apps, iOS applications are more-or-less bug-free. Stats, however, suggest otherwise. 4 out of every 10 free iPhone apps (on average) are hacked every quarter – making them vulnerable to attacks as well. For the record, close to 80% of the featured free Android apps can be hacked.

 

So, how to ensure that the apps you download are indeed bug-free AND their chances of getting hacked are minimal? The following tips should come in handy:

 

  1. Download with care – Do not rush to download and install every new app that arrives at the stores. Get apps only from official online stores (i.e., Apple iTunes and Google Play Store). Do not make the folly of not reading the user-reviews of the app before downloading. The privacy policy clauses and official terms & conditions are worth going through as well. In short, know everything about the piece of mobile software you wish to have on your smart device.
  2. Filter all inputs – For most data-driven mobile applications, SQL Injection is a major security threat. Expert iOS and Android app developers generally advise people to filter all inputs (at the device level) to counter this risk. All types of potentially corrupt/malicious data will be blocked out.
  3. Know the unique security layers of your device – The security features (and similarly, the vulnerabilities) of the iOS platform is different from those on the Android platform. Blackberry and Windows platforms have their own security frameworks as well. Do some research about these platform and device-specific mobile security features. Security across all mobile platforms is not standardized – and knowledge on this would help you select suitable apps for your device.
  4. Are you hiring a mobile app agency? – If yes, kindly be very careful while making your choice. Avoid getting lured in by the tall promises of free app quotes and ‘too good to be true’ testimonials showcased by shady companies. Check out app portfolios, talk with the company representatives, find out about the mobile app testing standards maintained, and other such pertinent information. Hire a company which has a decent track record of creating successful apps for third-party clients.
  5. Perform static and dynamic verification of apps – Or if you can’t, get someone familiar with mobile technology to do the tests. A thoroughly performed static verification would make sure that bad/corrupt APIs have not wormed their way into the build of an app. Dynamic verification, on the other hand, requires the involvement of all the backend systems in a live IT environment. Neither static nor dynamic verification of apps is yet very popular – but as mobile security concerns grow, they are likely to become integral parts of mobile application testing.
  6. Choose VPN over public, unprotected wi-fi networks – Everyone uses mobile internet services on the go. However, precious few people have any idea about how their favorite web-enabled apps are getting connected to the web. More often than not, apps access the network via non-encrypted, public wi-fi systems. That can be disastrous from a security perspective, since unauthorized access of mobile data becomes a distinct possibility (in fact, easy for any hacker logged on to the same network). It is always preferable to connect apps to the web (if required) via a secure virtual private network (VPN).
  7. Know the importance of passcodes and app locks – Whenever you are not near your smartphone/tablet, do spend a few extra seconds to lock your device with a unique, secure passcode. This would rule out the chances of someone else messing about with your apps in your absence. Many mobile app development companies create applications that have locking options as well. Activate these app locks, whenever you do not intend to use an app for an extended period of time. Of course, try not to hand over your handset to other people. It’s your personal device, after all!
  8. The importance of ‘https://’ in mobile CMS – Agencies that create iPhone/Android apps emphasize on this factor. When you are using any app to pull content from the web, it is of essence that secure browsing (https://) is on in the mobile content management system (CMS). Avoid storing any data to ‘NSUserDefaults’. Ideally, do not store too much of confidential, sensitive information in an app at all – whatever the security attributes of the latter might be. Who knows when a hack attack might come calling?
  9. Having an antivirus application is important – Particularly for Android users. You might mistakenly download a buggy app from the store (Google Play Store, in particular, has plenty of them). A reliable anti-malware app like McAfee, Avast or 360 Mobile Security would make sure that a faulty app would not infect your device. It would be advisable for iPhone/iPad users to install a mobile antivirus too, before going on an app-downloading spree. As pointed out above, iOS apps need not necessarily be ‘bug-free’.
  10. Protect your data during transit – Every quarter, hundreds of new instant messaging (IM), photo-sharing and file-sharing apps are released. Most of them are properly tested, but there can be the occasional ‘black sheep’ (read: the ones that flout app security guidelines). Hence, while using any new app to share data, you need to encrypt all the important information. In this context, it should also be stated that your app login information must be private and secure.
  11. Delete hoax messages and meaningless chain mails – The ‘forward this message to 10 of your friends NOW’ messages on WhatsApp and WeChat seem like a whole lot of fun – but they can be security threats too. Many such chain mails contain a link, which, if clicked (rest assured, there will be a ‘call-to-action’), can lead to serious malware attacks. Many people do not forward such messages, but do not delete them either. That can also be dangerous. Get rid of every hoax message as soon as possible – there’s no saying which of them might be a virus file.
  12. Do not keep Bluetooth or Wi-fi on unnecessarily – Device-to-device and device-to network connectivity are supposed to be used only when such functionality is required. Many users do not bother turning off their phone bluetooth, after file transfer(s) are complete. The same goes for the device wi-fi settings, which remain on even when browsing can be done using mobile data. Remember, the more ‘open’ you keep your smart device, the greater is the scope for a hacker to target your apps.

Rooting Android devices and performing iOS jailbreak is a common activity among smartphone-owners. Most people do not bother to consider that the latter, in particular, can be very risky (since it renders all warranties on iDevices null and void). Near-field communication (NFC) is coming with Apple Pay – and those who wish to make mobile payments via it have to be doubly cautious. Mobile app developers and security analysts also advise activating the remote data wiping feature of applications, whenever available.

 

With that, we come to the end of this week’s AppBoard Tuesday (ABT). Do share with us the mobile security measures you use, and whether there are any other ways for safer usage of mobile applications. You can also suggest other app-related topics that you would like to be covered in future editions of ABT.

 

An update on what our in-house app developers are working on now. Doo’l (https://www.behance.net/gallery/21451327/Dool), an image-based social networking app, is in the final stages of testing, and would be launched soon. We have also started working on 3 other new apps – myBabySitter, iChatty and 1Cloud2. Wish us luck for those.

 

Till next Tuesday, ABT will take your leave. Don’t forget to…stay zapped with apps!

Busted! 16 Myths About Mobile App Development

The popularity of mobile apps has gone up by leaps and bounds in the recent past. As the potential profitability (for developers) and benefits (for end-users) of apps have increased, several myths about them have also surfaced. We have here busted some of these myths.

 

The progress of mobile technology over the last half a decade or so has been nothing short of remarkable. The total number of app downloads from the Apple Store has gone beyond 75 billion, and the worldwide mobile app industry has hit the $25 billion mark (a rise of over 60% compared to last year) earlier in 2014. As app development companies have started sprouting in cities all across the globe, several myths and misconceptions about this line of business have also started doing the rounds. In the following piece, we will be debunking some of these myths:

 

Mobile Apps Create Their Own Demand

 

Let’s just say it’s not easy as that. If you create an Android or iPhone application, there is no guarantee that hefty revenues will start flowing from it. Both Google Play Store and Apple iTunes have more than 1.3 million apps each, and your promotional campaigns have to be robust enough – to make your products stand out in the competition. It would be too naive to expect that people will rush to get every new app that is launched at the stores.

 

Mobile App Developers Need To Know Every Programming Language

 

Greater programming knowledge is always good for developers, but it’s far from true that they need to know every coding technique that exists. For iOS app developers, in-depth knowledge of Objective-C and Swift is necessary, while Android developers need to be really proficient in Java. Having said that, most mobile app agencies prefer to hire developers with knowledge of around 8-10 languages, for creating enterprise apps.

 

App Ideas Have To Be As Unique As Possible

 

This is a tricky one. Run-of-the-mill ideas for apps are hardly of any worth, even if the technological expertise at your disposal is of the highest order. However, you should not strive to think up ideas that are too unique, bordering on weird. If no one has ever thought up the idea you intend to work on – chances are high that your target buyers won’t get the point of the app either. Your focus has to be on IMPROVING the type of apps already present, and not on making a breakthrough.

 

Cross-Platform Mobile App Development Is Too Difficult

 

Far from it. Most leading mobile app companies go for the ‘configure once, run anywhere’ coding method – which does away with the need for developing separate versions of applications for each device. You will be wasting time, money and of course, a whole lot of extra man-hours – if you plan to develop customized app versions for every platform (iOS, Android, Blackberry, etc.) separately. All that is required is a proper mobility platform.

 

Native Apps Are The Way To Go, Since Making Them Is Easier

 

In the professional world of mobile technology, not having an integrated mobile app development strategy is akin to inviting technical issues in future. Using readymade manufacturer SDKs might seem more convenient to start with – but the absence of app analytics, management and back-end support will come back to haunt you later on. In fact, opting for native apps only can pose problems during the testing phase as well.

 

Mobile Apps Are Invariably Very Cheap

 

Many smartphone-owners have this misconception. Their rationale is simple (and thoroughly wrong!) enough – mobile applications are smaller in size than web applications, and hence, the former should cost less. This is, unfortunately, not true. Significant costs have to be incurred to hire the services of a mobile app agency, and get an application developed. The only things that is generally available for free are the app quotes.

 

It Takes Several Months To Create A Mobile App

 

If this were to be true, hardly any corporate firm would have been able to use dedicated apps for promotional purposes. Thanks to reusability of codes, anything between 6-8 weeks is enough for making a relatively straightforward Android or iPhone app (the time span can get extended by a week or so for complex apps). It’s all about backend integration and the efficiency/reliability of developers. If they are good at their job, there is no question of waiting half a year for an app!

 

Funds Are The First Thing Startup Companies Should Think About

 

Think about it like this – unless your app ideas are viable enough, or if you do not have capble app developers/graphic designers at your disposal, why would anyone invest in your company? A smart mobile app entrepreneur always emphasizes on coming up with apps that would bring in customers. This initial success would get venture capitalists interested, and from there on, funding won’t be a problem. If Steve Jobs had waited to become rich, Apple Inc. would have remained a pipe dream till now.

 

Making Changes To App Codes Is Not Possible

 

Nearly all sophisticated mobile app development frameworks offer real-time preview and editing options to developers (think SpriteKit or Cocoa Touch). Even experienced programmers can make errors while coding for an app – and rectifying these is extremely easy. You can tweak the code snippets as much as you want, without having to recode the entire program. Creating an app can be a real exciting assignment indeed.

 

Only The Best-Looking Apps Get Featured At Stores

 

Interesting UI/UX designs and an overall ‘nice’ appearance is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for a successful app. Focusing solely on the mobile app designing aspects (in-app navigation, color schemes, splash screen, etc.) and neglecting the functionality aspect in the process would be a grave folly. Few people would be interested in downloading a beautiful app that is not of much practical use. Even those who do would also uninstall it soon enough.

 

Having An App Development Team Is Necessary

 

Preferable, yes. Necessary, not quite. There are plenty of freelance mobile app developers plying their trade across the world – most of them having large clientele. However, it is true that many corporate clients prefer hiring the services of a full-fledged app development team. Presence of a team ensures that unforeseen delays would not crop up during the app development stage. Freelancers cannot offer this assurance.

 

Making An App Is A One-Shot Game

 

Well, it’s not. After your app has been approved and released at app stores, you have to keep track of download figures, user feedback, plan future upgrades, and perform other related tasks – on an ongoing basis. Except when working for a third-party client, a mobile app developer has to think as the ‘owner’ of the application as well. And of course, the total ownership costs are more than the one-time app development expenses.

 

Business Apps Tend To Slow Down Devices

 

It has been projected that by the end of 2017, the monthly data usage on 4G smartphones and tablets would both be well in excess of 5000 MB. That, in turn, gives rise to the suspicion that installing multiple apps (especially enterprise apps) would result in too much of mobile bandwidth consumption. However, business applications need not always be heavy. In fact, contemporary app developers make it a point to create apps that do not hamper the performance of devices in any way.

 

No Technological Expertise = Cannot Create Apps

 

Technology, programming knowledge, coding expertise – call it what you will – is only a medium for mobile app development. The focal point is always the potential and viability of your app idea. Provided that you have done your research well and have brainstormed a good app idea, you can always hire a company to convert it into an app. Anyone can make an app – technology need not be a barrier for this. After all, there are thousands of mobile app companies to take care of that.

 

Cross-Platform Apps Often Compromise On Functionality

 

At a time when developers are increasingly blending in native and hybrid app development techniques, believing this myth would be downright silly. Yes, the opportunities and challenges of developing for the Android platform differ from those on the iOS platform – but making customized multi-platform, fully functional apps is far from impossible. Cross-platform mobile app development has evolved a great deal over the last couple of years.

 

Paid Promotions Are An Absolute Must

 

Once again, paid mobile app marketing campaigns can be great – but they are certainly not the only form of promotions mobile companies are concerned about. The prime emphasis has to be on meeting the expectations (and delivering ‘wow-factors’) of the early adopters of a mobile application. This, over time, leads to positive word-of-mouth publicity – which keeps pushing up app download figures (or, if your app has a glitch, it is revealed soon). There are many app review channels on Facebook and other social media channels, where you can promote your app for free. There are many online portals as well, where apps can be submitted for appraisals.

Yet another point that clients often overlook is the importance of intellectual property rights of mobile apps. If the legal owner is not on his/her guard, a shady company can bypass the need for signing non-competing agreements – and that can lead to hassles in future. Mobile app development is arguably the most booming business in the tech domain – and it’s high time the above myths are dispelled.

14 Commonly Reported Bugs In iOS 8.1.1

It had generally been hoped that the iOS 8.1.1 update will come with major bug-fixes for iPhone and iPad users. In particular, iPhone 4S and iPad Air 2 were expected to become more compatible with the iOS 8 platform. However, the much-anticipated upgrade has not turned out to be anything great.

 

Most mobile software analysts and app developers feel that iOS 8.1.1 is, by far, the most polished version of the new iOS 8 platform yet. That, sadly, is not saying much – considering how shambolic the first upgrade, iOS 8.0.1 was, and how unsatisfactory its follow-ups (iOS 8.0.2 and iOS 8.1) have been. We will here do a round-up of the most disruptive bugs and problems that still persist in this upgraded mobile platform version from Apple:

 

  1. Weak wi-fi connectivity – This has been a bone of concern mainly for users of older flagship Apple devices (iPhone 4S and iPhone 5) who have upgraded their devices. If the reports at online forums are anything to go by, iOS 8.1.1 has done absolutely nothing to wipe out this problem – which had been present from the day iOS 8 was released. In particular, connecting to corporate wi-fi networks is a huge issue. Connection breaks are common, and in general, the signal remains weak.
  2. Copy/define in Safari remains on – The overall performance and speed of the default Safari browser in iOS 8 have improved quite a bit, but a snag still remains. Plenty of people have confirmed that they are not being able to turn off the ‘copy/define’ functionality from their phone browser, even after repeated tries. It’s worth mentioning that some early adopters of iPhone 6 have experienced this problem as well.
  3. The mystery of the missing ringtones – This is a new bug that iOS 8.1.1 comes with. Once you upgrade your handset – you might be in for a nice little surprise, since all your ringtones and text tones might have disappeared. Thankfully, the problem is not a major one, and doing a complete iCloud Restore would help you get back the tones on the phone. Keeping the device synced with iTunes is also advisable.
  4. iPad Mini has become virtually unusable – General users as well as iOS app developers had been confident about the new upgrade solving the performance glitches in the iPad Mini that iOS 8 had brought about. If anything, iOS 8.1.1 has compounded things further – with random screen freezes, app crashes and erratic copy-paste functions becoming more frequent. Even the keyboard has remained slow and buggy. iPad sales trends are not their most robust levels at present, and the new upgrade has done nothing to increase its appeal.
  5. Excessive battery drain – Probably the least important of the bugs that are being reported about iOS 8.1.1. Experts from mobile app companies have repeated time and again that battery performance of smartphones take a hit, every time a major upgrade is installed on a device. Users who are experiencing significantly shorter battery life after moving on to iOS 8.1.1 probably have the auto-brightness and/or the background app refresh features on. Turn off all these features, keep track of the applications that are eating up too much battery juice – and you might not have to reach for the charger that often.
  6. The tablet becomes hot – Playing games on an upgraded iPad for a couple of hours at a stretch has become a problem as well. According to gamers, the tablet heats up rather quickly, which, in turn, slows down the device and affects gameplay. Most app companies are shying away from developing new iPad apps for kids as well, till this problem is solved. iOS fans have always mocked at how even high-end Android devices tended to heat up – but the shoe is on the other feet this time.
  7. Overconsumption of data plans – None of the versions of the iOS 8 platform has done any justice to the mobile data plans users opt for. Reports have poured in about how the rate of data consumption has grown higher than ever – even though no additional heavy iPhone apps or games are being used. Toggling the cellular data (i.e., turning it off and on) can serve as a temporary solution. Some users have reported that activating the Airplane Mode for a minute or so also helps in getting rid of this glitch, albeit for some time.
  8. Downloading mails over Wi-fi – Oh well, if the wi-fi is not working fine, you can hardly expect to get new mails on a real-time basis on the go. Right from users of upgraded iPhone 5 handsets, to owners of iPhone 6/6 Plus – everyone has faced difficulties in accessing their inboxes/downloading emails from any IMAP account. To give credit where it’s due, devices upgraded to iOS 8.1.1 work fine in the EDGE and the 3G environments.
  9. Installing iOS 8.1.1 has not been straightforward for many – Before taking your call on whether the new iOS upgrade is ‘good’ or ‘bad’, you will have to install it – and even that has proved to be a hassle for many people. There have been many cases of incomplete installations, particularly when done OTA. Software maintenance and mobile app development experts are of the opinion that doing a ‘hard reset’ makes the installation procedure easier and significantly quicker.
  10. Bluetooth connectivity errors – For majority of iOS 8 adopters, Bluetooth connectivity has not been a problem – but there is a murmur of discontent growing in a small community regarding this as well. It has been noted that a significantly large proportion of people reporting Bluetooth problems on iOS 8.1.1 own iPhone 5S handsets. This has made the option of upgrading older flagship iOS devices to the new platform even more of a dilemma.
  11. Non-compatible apps – Not all iPhone app development companies have been able to release iOS 8-compatible versions of their applications yet. As a result, users (who have switched off the automatic updates option in a bid to save battery) are frequently facing app-related problems (freezes, crashes, too much battery drain, etc.). If you HAVE to upgrade to 8.1.1, keep the auto-update option on, so that bug-free new app versions automatically get downloaded on your phone.
  12. Potential problems with iMessage – Wondering why this topic is even being raised, when iOS 8.1 has reportedly ‘done away’ with the iMessage bug? Well, not every user has been fortunate – and the bug has remained on certain devices, even after the installation of iOS 8.1.1. Doing a full reboot of the tablet generally makes iMessage fully functional. If the problem persists, iOS app agencies advise doing Settings → General → Reset → Reset Network Settings.
  13. General performance issues – iOS 8 has already drawn plenty of flak regarding its unsuitability on iPhone 4S. Even after upgrading to the 8.1.1 platform, owners of these older handsets have reported general device sluggishness, call outages, and a host of other problems. However, instead of blaming Apple for this, users can work around these issues by removing unnecessary animations, and (if required) restoring the factory settings. Users of iPhone 5 and iPad Mini who are facing similar performance problems after upgrading can follow the same steps to troubleshoot their devices.
  14. Unreliability of Hotspot – Yet another problem that had surfaced with the iOS 8.0.2 update, and has not been entirely solved by iOS 8.1.1. Adding to the frustrations of affected users is the fact that, help from carrier companies has not been forthcoming – since this is more of a ‘device issue’. Many upgraded iOS devices have been randomly rebooting as well.

Considering the series of problems iOS 8 has run into since its launch, it’s shockingly low adoption rate does not come as a major surprise. Within the first 45 days, less than 50% iPhone users have upgraded to the new platform, while over 80% people had moved to iOS 7 during the same time-frame. It seems like iOS 8 has to exorcise the influence of its predecessor first – before taking on its biggest rival, Android 5.0 Lollipop.

 

An iOS 8.2 update is already in beta stage, at the iOS Dev Center. However, it would be more focused on extending support for WatchKit (for Apple Watch), and it remains to be seen whether the above iPhone/iPad problems are also ironed out. For the moment, those who have found iOS 8.1.1 to be buggy have the option to downgrade to iOS 8.1. Let’s just hope that the forthcoming update (release date unknown) will fix most of the above bugs.

 

Have you faced any of the above problems?