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Top iOS 10 Feature Updates

At WWDC 2016 last month, Apple showed off some of the key features they’ve added and improved on for iOS 10. Now that the public beta is available, we can finally see some of these features in action! They still have a few kinks to work out before the full release, but Apple’s added some intriguing features that give us more options, and help make our lives easier by embracing the power of innovations like AI and IoT. Here are some of the most interesting feature additions and updates in iOS 10.

Siri Now Open to Developers

Everyone’s favourite AI voice assistant can now play with others — Apple is opening Siri up to third-party developers. This means you can ask Siri for help with some of your favourite apps, and she can deliver. Need a ride? Ask Siri to order you an Uber or Lyft to your desired destination. Can’t text because you’re rushing to meet friends for dinner? Now Siri can send a WhatsApp message to let them know you’re running late. This update opens up a world of possibility, and new ways for AI to streamline and improve our day-to-day lives.

Home

IoT is here to stay, and Apple has added a dedicated app for controlling HomeKit-compatible appliances. Home allows to you control every compatible device in your smart home, from Nest thermometers to August smart locks, from one dedicated hub with a simple tap of the finger. Home’s best feature is called Scenes, where a single command from you activates a customizable, pre-set routine. For example, on your way out the door, you could simply tap your ‘Work’ preset and Home will take care of locking the door behind you, turning off specific lights, and adjusting the thermostat. Whether you ask Siri to close the curtains at night or adjust the light levels at a dinner party with 3D Touch, you’ll always be in full control of your connected home.

Raise to Wake

Apple has totally redesigned the iPhone lock screen: no more slide-to-unlock. Instead, as you lift your phone it will automatically spring to life, making it simple to glance at your phone and see what you’ve missed. You can use 3D Touch to dismiss notifications, reply to messages and double check your next appointment without unlocking your phone, saving time by keeping the information you need easily accessible.

Removable Stock Apps

Does anyone honestly use built-in apps like Stocks, Tips and Reminders? Most of us have tried to cut down on home screen clutter by hiding little-used apps away in a folder we rarely open. Well, with iOS 10 many pre-installed apps are now removable! Use a different weather app, or prefer Gmail’s dedicated app for your email? No problem. With iOs 10, you can delete the apps you don’t want with the option to download them again later if you choose. Fair warning, though — your user data gets deleted along with the app, and you can run into other issues such as weather no longer syncing to your Apple Watch.

Universal Clipboard

Not as glamorous as some of the other features, the Universal Clipboard will nevertheless be a welcome addition to iOS 10. Finally, you’ll be able to share content across all of your Apple devices without fussing around with AirDrop. As long as your devices are all logged into the same Apple ID and running iOS 10 or Sierra, text, photos and even videos you copy to your clipboard will automatically be sent to iCloud, ready for you to paste on another device. This simple update replaces third-party solutions with an easy-to-use native application.

iOS 10 is still in beta, so you may want to hold off on updating your iPhone for now — mobile app developers are still working out the bugs, and some of your apps may not function properly. However, we don’t have much longer to wait: the full release is expected in the fall, and more updates could be in store.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Happy Father’s Day! Here Are the Top Apps for Dads

With Father’s Day just around the corner, the annual struggle to find that perfect gift for Dad has begun. It may not be as big or expensive as a birthday gift, but it still needs to show appreciation for him putting up with you throughout the years. Moms can be relatively easy to shop for: flowers, a card, maybe some chocolate and you’re done. Fathers, however, usually prefer something more practical and useful that doesn’t wither away within the week. So, why not start with an app? As experts in mobile app development in Toronto, we know that apps can be much more helpful than a random trinket or tool and have a positive impact on your dad’s day-to-day. Here we’ve scoured the App Stores and found some of the most useful apps that can help Dad be healthier, gain skills, and become more efficient.

Rapala Lure Selector

For the fisherman father, Rapala takes the guesswork out of choosing a lure. For many, buying and using the right kind of lure can be more luck than skill. This app lets you select the perfect lure depending on current conditions such as the kind of fish you’re going after, weather conditions, water depth and more. With Rapala your phone will become an integral part of your tackle box, getting your dad more bites, more catches, and more bragging rights.

Couch to 5k

Is Dad getting a bit pudgy, but you just don’t know how to break it to him? Give him a little nudge with an app that’ll supportively get him off the couch and into the old running shoes. Couch to 5k has been taking the healthy living scene by storm, and with a massive success rate and a growing following this app has been helping people achieve their fitness goals around the world. With a simple routine that only needs 30 minutes a few times a week, tons of features to make running as enjoyable as possible and in-app encouragement & rewards, this app makes it easier than ever to get active.

Mixologist

Whether it’s to unwind after work or entertain the guys on the weekend, sometimes Dad needs to make a drink. What to do when the basic beer or wine options don’t cut it and you’re looking for something a little more refined? With Mixologist, thousands of cocktail recipes are at your fingertips and a drink for any taste or occasion can be quickly searched for and served. Even with a limited cabinet, the ingredients you have on hand can be entered and a list of options will be generated. Plus, along with teaching tips & techniques for mixing drinks, this app can also help you find nearby liquor stores when it’s time to stock up.

Forks Over Knives

Want to help Dad tap into his inner chef? Even if you’re just tired of his tried and true recipes, here’s an app that’s sure to spice things up in the kitchen. From the makers of the film Forks Over Knives, this app offers over 200 elegant, delicious meals from some of the top chefs in the world. Each meal is whole-food based, designed in a way health professionals claim can help prevent problems such as heart disease and diabetes. With a step-by-step cooking guide, shopping list sync, ingredients list and an easy-to-use interface, this app can turn anyone into a foodie. Ranked the #1 food app by Apple and constantly updated with new content, for $6.99 this could be a gift that keeps on giving.

Clear – Tasks, Reminders & To Dos

If your dad’s the forgetful type, clearly that crumpled up sticky note in his pocket just isn’t cutting it. Why not streamline everything that needs to be done with one simple app? Clear is a feature-rich, award-winning productivity app that can get anyone’s cluttered life back on track. By creating multiple lists, each with their own themes and reminders, Clear can organize everything you need to do from daily tasks to yearly ones. Plus, with iCloud compatibility you can easily sync Clear across multiple devices. Project checklists, shopping lists, birthday reminders and that perfect gift idea you thought of a week ago – Clear will make sure Dad forgets things a lot less.

There you have it! Show your Dad these apps this weekend while he’s kicking back on the couch and see how much they can improve his life.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Happy Mother’s Day! Check Out the Top Apps to Brighten Her Day

As we’re sure you already know, Mother’s Day is coming up this Sunday. Along with flowers, chocolate and a day at the spa, wouldn’t it be nice if you could suggest some apps that would make every day a little bit easier for the moms in your life? As experts in app development in Toronto, we figured we’re the perfect people to help you out. These are some of the top apps for Mother’s Day to make her days a little brighter.

CleverCards

Forget to pick out the perfect card for Mom? Don’t worry, online cardmakers CleverCards have you covered — you might just have to finally accept Mom’s Facebook friend request. The CleverCards app has several beautiful templates to choose from, and you can go the extra mile and personalize your card with photos and a special message right on your smartphone or tablet. Plus, you can set a reminder for next year and score some brownie points with Mom by having CleverCards locally print & deliver your sentiments the old-fashioned way: through the mail. But if you’re reading this on Sunday and just realized what day it is, don’t fret — you can also share an e-card via Facebook or email instantly. It’s the thought that counts.

LocaWoka

For most moms, there never seems to be enough hours in the day. It’s hard for moms to unwind and enjoy their rare moments off when they’re mentally running through a checklist of chores that keep being put off: wash the car, mow the lawn, paint the garage… it never ends. Luckily, there’s an app Mom can use to outsource all those terrible tasks: LocaWoka! LocaWoka is an easy way to get things done at the touch of a button: just post your task description & deadline, choose a trusted “Woka” to do the dirty work, then sit back and relax. Instead of wondering where in her week she’s going to fit chores in, Mom can focus on the important things in life — like helping her kids with homework, or binge-watching Downton Abbey.

Red Card Blue Card Game

Parenting isn’t all fun and games: sometimes kids act up. But it’s easy to underestimate just how differently parents and children understand things, so how can a mom effectively discipline her little ones while holding on to her patience and sanity? The Red Card Blue Card Game helps kids between the ages of 3 – 8 understand the consequences of their actions, and rewards them for good behaviour in ways they can relate to. And good news for moms on the go: the Red Card Blue Card Game app is now live! The next time Junior has a meltdown in the grocery store, Mom can simply take a deep breath, whip out her smartphone and have him decide if he’d rather draw a red card or change his behaviour. Crisis averted.

Allrecipes Dinner Spinner

Moms wear many hats, from accountant to chauffeur to personal chef — and trying to please the palates of an entire family can feel like a losing battle. So what’s a mom to do when she only has two hours to spare between picking the kids up from school and taking them to soccer practice? The Allrecipes Dinner Spinner app lets you know what’s on sale in your local grocery store, suggests recipes based on the ingredients you want to use, lets you search for recipes based on criteria like cooking time, and much more. With this app, Mom can get everyone fed in a snap with no fuss.

WagJag

In an ideal world, moms would get some time to themselves whenever they needed. But let’s be honest: a real day off is usually few and far between. This Mother’s Day, why not introduce your mom to a daily deal app like WagJag? She can search for spa sessions, wine tours, yoga classes and more, often at deep discounts. What better way for Mom to spoil herself guilt-free? Plus, there’s the added benefit of getting in some extra pampering time post-Mother’s Day: it would be a shame to pass up that half-off ten-pack of manicure sessions.

There you have it! We hope these apps help the moms in your life have a great day, on Mother’s Day and beyond.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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How Apps Can Help Small Businesses

If you’re a small or mid-sized business owner, you probably haven’t put much thought into creating an app for your business. The time, effort and money involved must be too much for anyone who isn’t turning a huge profit, right? Wrong! Small and mid-sized business owners need to start looking at mobile apps as the indispensable tools they are — tools that can raise brand awareness, drive traffic and ultimately increase profits, making them worth the investment. It’s all about creating an app strategy that makes sense for your business goals and choosing features that help you build lasting connections with your customers, improving their experiences with your brand. Here are a few key ways apps can help small businesses!

Be a Utility or Resource For Your Target Audience

You can build an app that solves a pain point for your customers, while connecting them back to your product or service. No matter what your business is, you can find a human problem your target audience has and use a mobile app to help them solve it. For example, we created an app for Rapala, a fishing lure manufacturer. Many beginner fishermen are unsure how to choose proper lures from the vast selection available, and frankly can be a little intimidated by the process. So, the Rapala app has three functions: it defines what lures are best for different species; it helps anglers select the appropriate lures for their fishing conditions using real-time data on water temperature and depth; and it lets users purchase lures for their next fishing trip directly from the app, saving them a trip to the store. What problems do your customers struggle with? Take the time to figure out what they need, and how your mobile app can help them. Done right, your app will also reinforce how your product or service is the solution they need.

Create a Great Loyalty Experience

Mobile apps can offer you so many ways to reward your customers. For example, are you an independent coffee shop owner? Instead of the stickers or punch cards many places use for their loyalty programs, stand out and make yours fun with gamification on your very own mobile app built using TheBaseApp! Your customers can check in and complete tasks to earn user loyalty badges, like trying your newest roast or bringing a friend. Offer discounts or free drinks to your customers after they reach a set number of check ins, and offer a special incentive to the customer at the top of your leaderboard each month to keep driving traffic to your business. In a similar vein, let’s say you build custom furniture — why not use your app to involve your customers in the process, by offering live streaming at points in production so they can see your work in action? The beauty of an app is this: it lets you decide how you can best engage your customers, gives you the freedom to try new approaches, and makes it easy for your customers to stay up to date and get on board with new initiatives.

Scale Your Business

If business is booming, building your own mobile app is the perfect way to expand and scale your business. Technology can enable you to provide your services and products to an audience beyond your local coordinates! Utilize a mobile app customized to your business to expand globally — if your physical store is in one country and you don’t quite have the capital necessary to expand to another, that doesn’t mean you can’t start building awareness and selling product. A mobile app can integrate e-commerce solutions, increase awareness of your brand and give you the ability to solve the needs and wants of larger audiences in the global marketplace. Plus, an app can help you gain insight into how your product or service will perform in a given area, potentially saving you time and money in the expansion process.

Take a good look at your business and your customer base — you’ll find there is so much opportunity to grow your business and reach your customers in engaging, innovative ways. Mobile apps are the first step in unlocking that opportunity and seizing your potential: you just have to take it. Team up with TheAppLabb, a leading app development company in Toronto, to unlock your potential.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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What’s Next For The Future of Apps

It was a packed house at Hotel Ocho in Toronto on the Tuesday before St. Patrick’s Day, where TheAppLabb CEO Kundan Joshi was invited to tell the crowd at Tuni Talks all about one of our favourite topics: “The Future of Apps”. Not to brag, but we’ve made over 450 of them — we know our stuff. We also know the constantly changing nature of technology can be hard to wrap your head around, so we were thrilled Kundan could share his knowledge and break down the difficult things to “get” into pieces that are a lot more manageable, and a lot easier to digest.

When it comes to technology, we agree with the great Wayne Gretzky. Meaning, of course, we should always strive to be a step ahead. Instead of being satisfied with the progress we’ve made, we should be putting in the extra effort needed to create change and constantly be on the lookout for new ways to innovate. However, that’s easier said than done. With new innovations in tech emerging every day, how can you be expected to keep up? Well, as leading mobile app developers in Toronto, we’re hoping we can make things a little easier for you to understand, and help you be a bit further ahead of the curve when it comes to the latest trends. Want to find out more about what’s next in the future of apps? Keep reading!

What We Want From Apps In The Future

Believe it or not, apps have been around a lot longer than you might think. Remember Snake, that super addictive game on your old Nokia cell phone? That’s an app that would have put Candy Crush to shame during its heyday. Decades before Snake, the Baby computer used to first calculation app to figure out a near-impossible calculation in record time. Even Fitbit launched their first device in 2009… that feels like ancient history.

Naturally, as apps evolve so do our expectations of them. In the future, we want apps to provide more features relevant to our lives, seamlessly connect with the real & online world, and not only present content personalized to our preferences, needs and locations but anticipate our preferences, needs and locations. We can expect apps of the future to be hyper-personalized — that is, they’ll use data to give us more targeted, personalized content, services and products. Several apps you use are already embracing hyper-personalization: Starbucks stores your previous orders and lets you order directly from the app, Domino’s has introduced delivery via Emoji, and Spotify creates playlists of new music based on what you’ve been listening to. Apps will also be equipped with fully integrated voice assistance, and seamlessly integrated with the Internet of Things.

Internet of All the Things

What is the Internet of Things anyway? Wikipedia says it’s “the network of physical objects—devices, vehicles, buildings and other items—embedded with electronics, software, sensors and network connectivity that enables these objects to collect and exchange data.” Basically, IoT is everyday devices — from fridges to thermostats — that use sensors & connectivity to work together, understand our needs and operate automatically to take a little stress out of our lives.

Even if you just learned what it is, IoT is already ingrained in our lives at home and on the go with mobile controlled lighting & devices, temperature learning from personal habits (like the Nest thermostat), mobile keyless entry and wi-fi security cameras (like Dropcam) and connected wearable fitness trackers (like Fitbit) — but that’s only the beginning. In the future we can look forward to efficient smart homes with automated lighting & devices, artificial/holographic assistants, smart walls that control security & events, and connected wellness monitoring that will help us stay healthy.

Artificial Intelligence

Simply put, artificial intelligence is the intelligence exhibited by machines or software. We humans have been fascinated by the idea of “thinking machines” for almost as long as we’ve existed, and we’ve spent years and years trying to figure out how to make it work.

What was once a dream is swiftly becoming our reality, with IBM’s Watson leading the charge. Since Watson’s decisive victory over the best Jeopardy! players on the planet five years ago, AI has cotinued to evolve. Pepper the Robot, powered by the IBM Watson AI, recently charmed attendees at Dx3 Canada with its ability to perceive human emotion, recognize faces and make conversation.

In fact, Pepper is so effective that in the near future it’s likely our favourite retail stores will be staffed with small armies of Peppers. Artificial intelligence will make a mark on our lives at home, too. JIBO, the world’s first social robot, can read & tell stories to children, proactively take photos at family gatherings, deliver hands-free messages and remind us of tasks while Cubic, a “personal AI with personality”, uses its advanced speech recognition capabilities to hold conversations including delivering traffic updates in the car, ordering delivery to our homes — even telling us jokes tailored to our senses of humour.

User Interfaces, Augmented Reality & Nanobots – Oh My!

User interfaces, the way we interact with computers & machines, are poised to make big changes in our lives. We’ll soon evolve from relatively commonplace smartphones, wearables and voice NLP to gesture controlled interfaces, augmented reality and smart contact lenses. Google is currently working on contact lenses that measure glucose levels in the tears of diabetics, reducing the need for painful blood testing, Are these smart contact lenses the future of computing interfaces? We’ll have to wait and watch. Plus, nanobots (tiny devices built at the scale of a nanometre) will no longer be a science-fiction concept, as their medical application will become an integral part of improving human health — for example, by drilling through blocked arteries to help treat heart disease. Will these nanobots soon become an extension of our brains, enabling us to tap into computing power in the cloud? Futurist Ray Kurzweil thinks so.

The Future is Now

It all boils down to this: as technology has become a key part of our everyday lives, it’s more important than ever to look ahead to see not only where we’re going, but how much further we can go. One of the Tuni Talks attendees asked our CEO, “Will technology be a threat to the human race in the future?” He responded, “We humans have the responsibility to shape technology towards our benefit. Let’s choose the right problems to solve with the power of technology. 50 million kids in the world are without elementary school. How about using technology to democratize education for them?”

Intel CIO Justin Rattner put it best. Extend yourselves, imagine, think creatively about the problems in the world that you want to solve. With technology, you can achieve that.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Happy International Women’s Day! Check Out the Coolest Female-Founded Startups That Use Apps

From Ada Lovelace (the English mathematician also arguably the first computer programmer) to Margaret Hamilton (the computer scientist who wrote the code that landed us on the moon), women have always had a profound effect on the tech world. But it’s only in recent years that their contributions have become more noticed. With each passing year, more and more women are breaking new ground and making noise in the startup world. So, since today is International Women’s Day, our mobile app development company is taking the opportunity to celebrate some of the coolest startups founded by women that use apps.

Jewelbots – Sara Chipps & Brooke Moreland

Jewelbots are, simply put, friendship bracelets that teach girls how to code. Using the iOS + Android compatible app, girls can program their bracelets to emit different colours & patterns of light to communicate with their friends. After hitting their initial goal of $30,000 in just 19 hours, they raised over $166,000 on Kickstarter proving people believe in their mission to empower the next generation of female engineers & coders.

Revel Systems – Lisa Falzone

By combining the mobility of the iPad with cloud-based technology, cofounders Lisa Falzone and Chris Ciabarra created an iOS-based point of sale solution for restaurants and retail stores alike. With a plethora of supporting apps including a customizable white label mobile app that lets customers pre-order on the go, they’ve revolutionized the way businesses handle their day to day. Founded in 2010, they’ve raised over $127 million in funding and boast 400 employees.

SOLS – Kegan Schouwenburg

Founded by former 3D printery director Kegan Schouwenburg, SOLS uses 3D printing to create customized orthotic insoles and send them directly to consumers. Using SOLS’ iPhone app, people simply snap a photo of each foot sole and send them in. From there, reference points are created and perfectly fitted insoles are 3D printed and sent along to their new owners. Since the seed round, they’ve gained an additional $17 million in funding.

Hey! VINA – Olivia June Poole & Jen Aprahamian

Hey! VINA is a brand new app that matches up like-minded women looking for new friends. Called “a Tinder for (girl) friends” by Techcrunch, users connect their Facebook accounts to help find mutual friends and take quizzes to assess personality and interests. Whether users are new to their city, looking for a yoga partner or simply just looking to meet new friends, the app helps women connect.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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It’s Election Season! Here are the Top Apps to Track #SuperTuesday

It’s the biggest day to date in the race for the White House: Super Tuesday. Sanders, Clinton, Trump and Cruz face off in 12 states in an effort to win their respective parties’ nomination for the Presidency of the United States. With so much news to follow and results to find, here at TheAppLabb we’ve made it a little easier on you to make sense of it all. These are the top apps to track Super Tuesday with.

Election NF 2016 – US Presidential Election News

One of the most comprehensive apps available, Election NF 2016 helps you follow the presidential campaign with an unbiased news feed. You can personalize your news feed with topics you care about, see video of debates & other media appearances, save stories to read later and use the in-app commenting system to discuss issues on the go.

PollTracker

PollTracker updates you on the races that matter the most in seconds, whether you want a detailed look at individual polls or a broader view of what’s happening now. With push notifications, interactive charts and the ability to share the latest results with your social networks, PollTracker is a great option.

all Politics

all Politics gives equal attention to the left and the right with breaking headlines, news & views, debates and political satire for both sides. It’s also a great aggregator, keeping all the news from MSNBC, Fox, Politico and more in one easy to access place.

Voter – Matchmaking for Politics

The Tinder of politics, Voter will help you hop off the fence and commit to a candidate. They’ve analyzed voting records, speeches, stances and more to help you match accurately. All you have to do is answer a few questions about your political opinions and then you’re ready to swipe through issues. At the end, a percentage will show you how closely your values align with candidates, and suggest who you should vote for based on what matters to you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Here Are The Top Apps That Can Help Prevent Bullying, Just in Time for #PinkShirtDay

In honour of Pink Shirt Day, the mobile app developers and technology evangelists at TheAppLabb have curated a list of the top apps that can help prevent bullying.

ReThink:

Developed by a 15-year-old(!), ReThink uses context-sensitive filtering technology to intuitively detect hurtful, offensive language and asks users to “rethink” if they really want to post it to social media. Research shows that when kids & teens are asked to rethink what they’re saying, they change their minds 93% of the time – effectively stopping cyberbullying before it starts.

STOPit:

Inspired by the tragic story of Amanda Todd, STOPit lets kids report bullying behaviours and acts as a strong deterrent for those doing the bullying. With STOPit, kids can take screenshots, record video & audio and report bullying to school officials anonymously. It also includes 24/7 access to a crisis call centre for kids who need someone to talk to. Students at schools that purchase STOPit can use the app for free.

I Am A Witness Keyboard:

Bystanders play a big role in stopping bullying. That’s why The Ad Council, along with a coalition of partners, developed the I Am A Witness campaign. Kids can use the Witness Emoji, a speech bubble with an eye in the centre, to call out bullying when they see it. The Keyboard, available in App Store and Google Play Store, also contains images, GIFS and emojis kids can use to express themselves when they experience bullying.

KnowBullying:

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has developed KnowBullying, an app that helps parents & teachers open a dialogue with kids about bullying. With reminders to talk to kids about their day, warning signs of bullying and strategies to help your children avoid bullying, KnowBully gives you the power to prevent bullying.

Mobicip:

Mobicip is a multi-platform app that allows parents to set controls that can protect their kids from cyberbullying. With app usage monitoring, browser history reports, time limits and more, parents can easily stay on top of what their kids are doing on the Internet from their smartphone, tablet, or even Apple Watch!

With the help of these apps, maybe one day soon bullying can be eliminated altogether.

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