The base of mobile phone users all over the world is expanding at an unprecedented rate. The mobile market has shown immense potential and as a result, there has been a tremendous growth in the use of app based technology. As majority of our current population prefer communicating via smartphones, it can be easily understood that most of the interaction take place through apps. Mobile apps have truly made lives of people convenient for carrying out various tasks like shopping, communication, listening music, news surfing and lots more. Thus businesses today are more inclined towards using mobile applications to reach their targeted audience as they can be easily located on their smartphones.

A popular mobile app development company can guide you with all possible assistance necessary for creating apps to boost the online presence of your business.

Advantages of mobile applications for businesses

Businesses using mobile apps now a days, have become readily accessible to their targeted customers across the globe. Not only that the use of applications has helped in developing a trustworthy relationship between the customers and the brands by creating an impression of brand loyalty.

Managing internal operations efficiently through mobile app

In today’s competitive world, every business has its own specific system to carry out internal activities. Based upon the internal tasks, the goodwill of a business is developed which can attract and retain customers. Not only that, smooth internal operations can make a business successful by making everyday tasks convenient and purposeful. In other words, with the increase in customer satisfaction, there is an increase in sales too. According to market statistics, it has been observed that 70% buying experiences are influenced by the ways customers are being treated.  It also enables the employees to stay in constant touch with the buyers, knowing their changes in tastes and preferences. Thus it also contributes in improving the efficiency of an organization.

There are couple of ways through which mobile apps can enhance productivity for your businesses, these are:

1. Customized UI

Using mobile apps the sellers can have the opportunity to personalize the user experiences depending on the customers’ preferences and search history. By using the app analytics platforms such as Firebase or Appsee businesses can immensely develop their in-app experience. Such platforms are also capable in providing detailed analysis of the users’ behaviour along with reports on app crashes. So, by fixing the crashes you can ensure more customized solutions for your buyers and also an increase in its usages.

2. Easy access

With the advanced technology based services now you do not have to type the website URL, and then log in the account to proceed with the purchase. People now look for quick and convenient interface which can enable them in taking effective decisions for buying the desired products. Mobile apps fulfill all the criterion with easy access features in just a single click.

3. Making payments easy

With the development in credit card networks there has been an increase in mobile wallet adoption rate. Payments over the apps have become convenient for the users due to the push in digital wallets like Apple Pay or PayPal. These platforms have enabled the users to make payments without the hassles of repeated log in and out to their bank accounts.

4. Adding value to the customers

There are various loyalty programs that can engage users to use your apps for repeated purchases. You can in fact reward your users with points that can be used for future in-app purchase. This will make your apps more engaging for the potential customers who can be retained to clock higher sales.

5. Easy feedback mechanism

Mobile apps make it easier for the customers to give their feedbacks which enable businesses to increase the user visits by incorporating the necessary changes. Thus it paves way for more satisfaction among the customers which really pays off in the highly competitive markets.

6. Convenient purchasing

People now a days, face difficulties in time management especially while making purchases. Hence online shopping now a days have become popular as customers do not have to be physically present at the stores during any definite time period. With mobile apps the buyers can have exclusive experience as they can purchase their items from any parts of the world as per their convenience. Also they can compare price ranges, reviews and product features with others of same categories so that the purchasing decision is not misled. This definitely helps in reducing time and money along with providing satisfactory shopping.

7. Brand loyalty

This is another crucial component which can make or break a brand’s impression. Making customers loyal towards a particular brand is indeed a challenging task in today’s competitive world. To create your brand’s position you have to invest heavily in making the app so that it can instill a positive impression in the minds of the existing and prospective customers. Once done the mobile application will serve as a tool in engaging your targeted audience to do repeated shopping with your organization.

8. Innovation and Upgradation

Technologies have the benefits of adapting itself as per the convenience of the users. Same is the case with mobile apps. If the apps fail to meet the desired expectations of the users, they can feel free to suggest recommendations to improve it. This is indeed an effective way to ensure more engagement of the customers. Also in this way they can be made more attached towards the brand.

Conclusion

There are plenty of mobile app development services available for creating applications to make your business standout in the current market. App based technologies are increasing in demands because today’s mobile users prefer apps over anything else due to its convenience. So in order to create a better market for themselves along with establishing a strong brand image, businesses now are investing massively in app based technologies. We have mentioned few benefits of mobile apps for businesses that can not only strengthen the operations but can also attract and retain customers from different parts of the world. You can also learn how to design a high performance apps.

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Technology is all around us – so much so that we can use it in nearly every aspect of our life. Whether it is to search for information, communicate with others, or buy goods and services, there is available technology to help us do our tasks. So, it’s not surprising anymore that people are applying technology to their personal health and fitness regimen as well.

The following examples show how technology can help you stay in good shape and help in achieving your Fitness Goals.

1. Tracking Devices

Tracking devices are tools that let you monitor major components of your health such as nutrition, physical activity, vital stats, sleep, and more.

For example, you could use a heart rate monitor while doing cardio routines. Since it measures your heartbeat, you know how hard your body is working at that moment and if you’re achieving your workout target.

Most tracking devices come with apps that let you record and review your health data. This can help you tailor your fitness programs according to your progress or needs. If you don’t have a dedicated tracking tool, you can use your smartphone to download health monitoring apps so that you may track your Fitness Goals.

2. Wearables

Wearables are another tool that’s designed for health tracking. They are very trendy, so you feel OK wearing them.

Similar to health tracking gadgets, wearable devices allow you to measure practically everything about your health – the number of steps you’ve walked, how many calories you’ve burned, amount of sleeping or active hours, and so on. You can also sync your wearable device with mobile apps to help you stay on track of things.

Wearables may come in the form of watches, bands, or clips. Deal sites offer a variety of health products that help you stretch your budget. They are the trending devices to achieve your Fitness Goals.

3. Healthy Eating Sites

Planning your nutrition is another important aspect of your health and controlling your weight. Thankfully, there are now many health sites that help you plan your daily meals by giving you info about nutritional content, alternative food sources and ingredients, and healthy eating tips, among others.

Some websites even have services where you can order healthy meals on a daily or weekly basis and have them delivered to your doorstep. Such sources of information can also help you achieving your Fitness Goals.

4. Social Support

Health and fitness goals seem easier to achieve when you have social groups supporting you. You feel more motivated and excited to get out there and train with people who also want to get fit.

Social media sites abound with online groups for bikers, runners, yoga practitioners, you name it. These groups often organize events where you can meet and connect with other fitness enthusiasts and can achieve your Fitness Goals.

Those who are more involved in their health game go as far as organizing a friendly competition among group members, rewarding participants with prizes in cash and kind.

Indeed, a healthy lifestyle is one of the most important goals that you should focus on. With all the kinds of technology and tools at your disposal, it’s easier to live a healthy life and maintain your Fitness Goals for future also.

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Want Multiple WhatsApp Accounts On Desktop, It Is Possible, Know How?; WhatsApp is one of the most popular instant messaging app with a user base of 1.5 billion worldwide. With the WhatsApp only, about 60 million messages being sent across everyday.

Facebook acquired WhatsApp in the year 2014 and in order to generate more revenue and expand its user base, the company introduced the WhatsApp Web version and freed it on all the devices, though earlier it was a chargeable service.

I have covered earlier in more detail how to use WhatsApp application on PC?

If you have two WhatsApp accounts then you can can easily use both the accounts simultaneously on a your smartphone but you can do the same on a PC or Laptop as well.

Steps To Access Multiple WhatsApp Accounts On Desktop

In order to access WhatsApp web, users need to have the WhatsApp account on their smartphone along with a stable internet connection on both the devices. Moreover, users should also have the updated version of the web browser of their choice.

1. Firstly you have to open web[dot]whatsapp[dot]com in your web browser and also on the smartphone or tablet.
2. Once done you have to scan the QR code appearing on the screen with your tablet or smartphone to start using the WhatsApp account.
3. Now, in order to open your different WhatsApp account in the same browser you have to open a new tab, then paste this link in the tab- and click enter.
4. Once done you will see the same screen with a QR code. Now, again scan the code using your other WhatsApp account from the device and you are done.

Now you can access two different WhatsApp accounts in the same browser.

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With the increase in number of smartphones and increased telecom bandwidth in India, people are exploring video calling apart from the normal day to day calls with their dear ones. The voice calls are still a first choice for many and is hardly to be replaced by video calls, but that doesn’t mean video calls are a dud.

Most promising video calling apps are available for android and iOS users but the most popular apps in India that come with video calling feature are WhatsApp, Google Duo, and Facebook Messenger.

Let’s take a look of features these video calling apps are offering and comparing them as well that which one suits best in the field of speed and size.

1. WhatsApp Messenger

WhatsApp is undoubtedly the most popular messaging app. Currently it has over 200 million monthly active users in India only. The Facebook-owned app introduced the video calling feature in 2016.

During WhatsApp video calling, user can switch the cameras between the front and rear – the video being captured by your camera will be at the bottom right in a small rectangular widget that can be tapped to make full screen. You also see mute button, and a disable video call button, in addition to the end call button. In case you’re on a voice call on WhatsApp, you will now be able to switch to a video call by tapping a button in the call interface in the latest WhatsApp version for Android and iOS.

2. Google Duo

Google has several video calling apps such as Hangouts, however at the I/O conference in 2016, Google realized to focus more on messaging and calling apps. It launched the Google Allo and Google Duo apps at the conference.

Google Duo is comparatively simpler than WhatsApp since it doesn’t support textual messaging. It comes with voice and video calls only.

The Google Duo has an interesting feature called Knock Knock that lets the person who you are calling see your video before the call is answered. The app was recently updated with a fresh contact list and a recent list.

3. Facebook Messenger

Facebook Messenger was initially launched as one of the suite of apps from the social media giant. Facebook launched its Messenger independent of your Facebook profile however you can use Messenger with your Facebook account as well.

Alternatively you can sign up with your mobile number without having to create a Facebook profile if you don’t wish to.

If to think about which app is better, we can say Facebook Messenger has a lot more features than WhatsApp and Google Duo like lot of stickers, games, automated responses from brand pages, and chatbots, separate tab where your voice and video calls are saved, group calling, better interface, the video call screen has mute, video chat off and end call option.

Apart from above , there are two buttons Chat and Camera. Tapping on chat icon will bring you the chat screen while your video call is still running in a Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode.

WeChat, a Chinese multimedia messaging app recently crossed 1 Billion download which is also offering load of features.

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Ubiquitous social multimedia messaging app WeChat, developed by Chinese technology giant Tencent, has crossed the one billion accounts mark  as its messaging, game and shopping services attract more and more users worldwide.

The symbolic threshold was announced by Pony Ma, the founder and CEO of its parent company Tencent.

“WeChat’s worldwide monthly active users have surpassed the critical one billion mark,” said Ma, who is a delegate at the two-week session of the Communist Party-controlled National People’s Congress. “In the future we hope to use technological innovation to push forward the next developmental step of reform and opening,” Ma said.

WeChat falls behind Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, whose active users reportedly stood at 2.1 billion and 1.5 billion respectively as of last year.

The popularity of WeChat—and profits from its addictive mobile games—have pushed Tencent’s earnings and share price sharply upwards.

Another popular feature of WeChat is its payment service, which allows people to pay at restaurants, buy goods from shops or even send money to friends.

Features of WeChat which made it popular

• Multimedia Messaging: Send Video, Photo, Text, And Voice Messages.
• Group Chat & Calls: Create Group Chats With Up To 500 People And Group Video Calls Up To 9 People which is just double offered by its rival WhatsApp.
• Free Voice & Video Calls: High-Quality Free Calls To Anywhere In The World.
• WeChat Out Calls: Make Calls To Landlines And Mobile Around The Globe At Low Rates (In Certain Regions Only).
• Sticker Gallery: Hundreds Of Free, Fun, Animated Stickers To Express Your Feelings From Some Of Your Favorite Cartoons And Movies.
• Moments: Share Your Best Moments On Your Personal Photo Stream.
• Better Privacy: WeChat Gives You The Highest Level Of Control Over Your Privacy. It’S The Only Messaging App To Be Certified By Truste.
• Meet New Friends: Use “Friend Radar”, “People Nearby” And “Shake” To Meet Others.
• Realtime Location: Instead Of Having To Tell Others Where You Are, Just Use Real-Time Location Sharing.
• Language Support: Localized In 20 Different Languages And Can Translate Messages To Any Language.
• More other features like Desktop App, Custom Wallpapers, Custom Notifications, And Official Accounts make it more interesting among other chatting and multimedia apps.

Recently its rival WhatsApp added new feature to delete the sent message to everyone and extended its time limit.

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As per the reports by Google (Alphabet Inc.) and Boston Consulting Group, India is headed for an exponential increase in digital payments methods and the digital payments industry in India becoming Asia’s third-largest economy. It is estimated that it will grow by 10 times to touch $500 billion by 2020 and contribute 15% of gross domestic product (GDP), the report predicted.

Introduction of smartphones, the entry of several non-banking institutions offering payment services, consumer readiness to adopt digital payments, progressive changes in the regulatory framework will power the trend, it said.

Also, the Digital India program is a flagship program of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. “Faceless, Paperless, Cashless” is one of professed role of Digital India.

As part of promoting cashless transactions and converting India into less-cash society, various modes of digital payments are available as below-

1. Banking Cards (Debit / Credit / Cash / Travel / Others)

Banking cards offer consumers more security, convenience, and control than any other payment method. The wide variety of cards available – including credit, debit and prepaid – offers enormous flexibility, as well. These cards provide 2 factor authentication for secure payments e.g secure PIN and OTP. RuPay, Visa, MasterCard are some of the example of card payment systems. Payment cards give people the power to purchase items in stores, on the Internet, through mail-order catalogues and over the telephone. They save both customers and merchants’ time and money, and thus enable them for ease of transaction.

2. Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD)

The innovative payment service *99# works on Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) channel. This service allows mobile banking transactions using basic feature mobile phone, there is no need to have mobile internet data facility for using USSD based mobile banking. It is envisioned to provide financial deepening and inclusion of under banked society in the mainstream banking services.

*99# service has been launched to take the banking services to every common man across the country. Banking customers can avail this service by dialing *99#, a “Common number across all Telecom Service Providers (TSPs)” on their mobile phone and transact through an interactive menu displayed on the mobile screen. Key services offered under *99# service include, inter-bank account to account fund transfer, balance inquiry, mini statement besides host of other services. *99# service is currently offered by 51 leading banks & all GSM service providers and can be accessed in 12 different languages including Hindi & English as on 30.11.2016 (Source: NPCI). *99# service is a unique inter-operable direct to consumer service that brings together the diverse ecosystem partners such as Banks & TSPs (Telecom Service Providers).

3. Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS)

AEPS is a bank led model which allows online interoperable financial transaction at PoS (Point of Sale / Micro ATM) through the Business Correspondent (BC)/Bank Mitra of any bank using the Aadhaar authentication.

4. Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood. It also caters to the “Peer to Peer” collect request which can be scheduled and paid as per requirement and convenience. Each Bank provides its own UPI App for Android, Windows and iOS mobile platform(s) such as Axis Pay, SBI Pay, PhonePe App, Google Tez App, BHIM UPI App, Bonus App – PNB UPI.

5. Mobile Wallets Or E-Wallets

A mobile wallet or E-Wallet is a way to carry cash in digital format. You can link your credit card or debit card information in mobile device to mobile wallet application or you can transfer money online to mobile wallet. Instead of using your physical plastic card to make purchases, you can pay with your smartphone, tablet, or smart watch. An individual’s account is required to be linked to the digital wallet to load money in it. Most banks have their e-wallets and some private companies and various startups have also launched E-Wallets in India. e.g. PayTM, Freecharge, Mobikwik, Oxigen, mRuppee, Airtel Money, Jio Money, SBI Buddy, itz Cash, Citrus Pay, Vodafone M-Pesa, Axis Bank Lime, ICICI Pockets, SpeedPay etc . are digital payment methods.

6. Banks Pre-Paid Cards

Prepaid debit cards, sometimes referred to as bank prepaid cards, are credit instruments that banks issue that give people an easy and adaptable way to manage their finances. Prepaid cards are independent of bank accounts, in contrast to conventional debit or credit cards that are connected to checking or credit accounts. Rather, they preload money onto the card, which they then use for a variety of payments up to the available balance.

7. Point Of Sale

A point of sale (PoS) is the place where sales are made. On a macro level, a PoS may be a mall, a market or a city. On a micro level, retailers consider a PoS to be the area where a customer completes a transaction, such as a checkout counter. It is also known as a point of purchase.

8. Internet Banking

Internet banking, also known as online banking, e-banking or virtual banking, is an electronic payment system/digital payment methods that enables customers of a bank or other financial institution to conduct a range of financial transactions through the financial institution’s website.

9. Mobile Banking

Mobile banking is a service provided by a bank or other financial institution that allows its customers to conduct different types of financial transactions remotely using a mobile device such as a mobile phone or tablet. It uses software, usually called an app, provided by the banks or financial institution for the purpose. Each Bank provides its own mobile banking App for Android, Windows and iOS mobile platform(s) which is one of the most popular digital payment methods now a days. 

10. Micro ATMs

Micro ATM meant to be a device that is used by a million Business Correspondents (BC) to deliver basic banking services. The platform will enable Business Correspondents (who could be a local kirana shop owner and will act as ‘micro ATM’) to conduct instant transactions.

The micro platform will enable function through low cost devices (micro ATMs) that will be connected to banks across the country. This would enable a person to instantly deposit or withdraw funds regardless of the bank associated with a particular BC. This device will be based on a mobile phone connection and would be made available at every BC. Customers would just have to get their identity authenticated and withdraw or put money into their bank accounts. This money will come from the cash drawer of the BC. Essentially, BCs will act as bank for the customers and all they need to do is verify the authenticity of customer using customers’ UID. The basic transaction types, to be supported by micro ATM, are Deposit, Withdrawal, Fund transfer and Balance inquiry.

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DigiLocker a Digital Locker service operated by the Government of India to store certain official documents on the cloud such as Digital Aadhaar, thus enables the citizen of India in reducing the need to carry physical documents and can be used anytime anywhere through the mobile devices. DigiLocker is part of the government’s Digital India initiative.

If you have already applied for the Aadhaar card then you can check Aadhaar card status online after the enrollment.

DigiLocker is a cloud-based platform for issuance, storage, sharing and verification of documents and certificates, according to GOI Digilocker Site. It helps in securing lot of documents online. Now, DigiLocker also allows citizens to access their digital Aadhaar card number. Digital Aadhaar in DigiLocker is the same as eAadhaar issued by UIDAI(Unique Identification Authority of India). UIDAI is as an issuer of digital Aadhaar in DigiLocker, said DigiLocker on it’s official website.

1 GB of storage space is offered to users to store identification card issued by government agencies, education certificates, PAN cards, driving license, vehicle ownership documents and some other documents.The service is aimed towards reducing the need to carry physical documents, and is part of the government’s Digital India initiative.

DigiLocker has partnered with UIDAI to make it available automatically to its users when they link their DigiLocker account with Aadhaar. The advantage of digital Aadhaar or eAadhaar is that it can now be used in the same way as any other DigiLocker document.

How to Access Digital Aadhaar From DigiLocker or eAadhaar in DigiLocker?

1. Signup to DigiLocker using your mobile number and email verification followed by creating user credentials, then login.
2. Upon login to DigiLocker, link your Aadhaar and then you will see a dialog box with a message to get your eAadhaar
3. Click on “Click here” link. OTP box will appear in the dialog
4. You will receive an OTP on your mobile number linked to Aadhaar. Enter this OTP in the OTP box and click “Verify OTP” button
5. On successful validation of the OTP you will be redirected to “Issued Document” page where URI for eAadhaar will be listed
6. Click on “Save” icon next to Aadhaar Card on “Issued Document” page
7. Your eAadhaar will be saved to “Uploaded Document” section.

DigiLocker Benefits

Since DigiLocker is a platform for issuance and verification of documents & certificates in a digital way, so the idea behind this to make paperless governance. The benefits are-

1. Citizens can access their digital documents anytime, anywhere and share it online in a convenient and time saving way.
2. It reduces the administrative overhead of Government departments by minimizing the use of paper.
3. Validation of authenticity of documents getting easier as they are issued directly by the registered issuers.
4. Self-uploaded documents can be digitally signed using the eSign facility (which is similar to the process of self-attestation).

There is also an associated facility for e-signing documents. The service is intended to minimize the use of physical documents, reduce administrative expenses, provide authenticity of the e-documents, provide secure access to government-issued documents and to make it easy for the residents to receive services.

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WhatsApp (A cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS and works under subscription business model) has launched a web client for the web browser that acts same as the phone application does.

The web browser “mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device — this means all of your messages still live on your phone”, said a blog post on the WhatsApp blog (https://blog[dot]whatsapp[dot]com/whats-app-web).

Steps To Access WhatsApp On Desktops and Laptops

1. To connect your web browser to your WhatsApp client, simply open web[dot]whatsapp[dot]com in your Google Chrome browser.
2. Open WhatsApp in your mobile.
3. Tap on three vertical dots in upper right hand side in WhatsApp mobile.
4. Tap on WhatsApp Web
5. Scan QR code given at web[dot]whatsapp[dot]com in desktop/laptop browser from WhatsApp in your mobile
6. Once QR code is recognized then pairing of WhatsApp on your mobile and the WhatsApp web client has established.

Since it is mirroring your phone, the device will need to be connected to the net at all times. there is no web client for iOS users due to Apple platform limitations. With over 500 million users globally, WhatsApp till now was available only on smartphones across operating systems Android, iOS, Windows and BlackBerry.

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Frontback, among top 17 Photo sharing apps, A Photo Sharing App akin to Instagram (albeit with a much smaller user base), is expanding into the social media realm. Frontback lets you capture a photo of you and what you see. Take a photo with the front camera, another with the back camera, and share them both in a single image. It’s you and your perspective.

>>> Top 10 Most Popular Android Photography Apps You should Use

The app allows users to share two photos stitched together as one — one photo taken with the front-facing camera and the other with the rear-facing camera, hence the name — and added both public and private comments on Thursday. Now users can respond to images they see in their stream, sending back their own image or video complete with text if they want.

It’s one of the first major product changes for Frontback, which launched just over a year ago and gained early attention thanks to celebrity users like Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and actor Ashton Kutcher (an investor). The San Francisco-based startup, which took a $3 million seed round shortly after launch, has been relatively quiet since.

App Features

— Capture moments & events using the front and back camera
— Share photos instantly via all standard iPhone sharing features
— Explore many feeds including: recent posts, staff picks and posts your friends liked
— Follow friends, family or other community members
— Frontback Reactions: Interact with friends by commenting on their posts with text and/or photo

Frontback was recently acquired and is managed by a fresh new team with lots of new ideas to make ths fun photo social app more interesting!

One can download this app from Google Play store and App store for their respective devices.

Top 17 Photo Sharing Apps

1. Instagram
2. EyeEM
3. Flickr
4. PhotoBucket
5. Snappr
6. StreamZoo
7. Trover
8. TouchReTouch
9. Cluster
10. SnapSeed by Google (developed by Nik Software), SnapSeed Android, SnapSeed iOS
11. VSCO
12. Tumblr
13. AfterFocus
14. FacebookMoments
15. Google Photos
16. ImGur
17. Foap

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