iPhone app development is demanded by many companies in the western world. Also, the trends around iPhone app store are changing too. The Apple iPhone 4S is a phenomenon now, while the iPhone 5 is ready to be rolled out by September 21 this year. What makes the phone a must-buy all the time? Obviously Apple and Steve Jobs have created a brand which is insurmountable. The high adoption rate of these smartphones is testimony to the class of the products and its unmatched features. More than 50% of all US smartphones are iPhones which is continually building on its earlier success.

But with recent years, demand has been heavy for custom iPhone apps from the enterprise markets as well as other mobile development companies. Android-based phone sales have literally doubled over the year while Windows Phone is trying to make inroads into the market. The App Store has become increasingly crowded since there are about a million mobile applications available on the App Store across various categories. To stand out and make a mark in the App market, it is necessary for companies to partner an established partner and a development company which has the right kind of experience and expertise in the field of mobile app development. It is necessary to look out for competent mobile development companies who have years of experience in the field as well as a team of developers who are expert enough to create any type of app for any domain. The company should have experienced professionals who are well versed with the iOS 6/iPhone 4S apps along with development of apps for the iPad, and any other Apple product.

The iPhone 4S SDK development process is difficult for the newbies but those accustomed to developing apps on the platform will find it easy to create apps for a wide variety of requirements. The offshore technology team of mobile app developers and iPhone     developers need to get ahead of the technology curve for being the best. One should stay ahead of the overall competition for making a mark. Offshore development companies always try for getting mobile application developers who are willing to put in extra time and effort for success, obviously in a mutually beneficial relationship. The biggest advantage of outsourcing iPhone app development process is that the costs involved are very less compared to developing apps inhouse. One can see significant cost reductions and the development time is less too. 

Some of the features of highly successful custom iphone app development companies include:
  • High experience and skilled development team specific to iPhone app development
  • Proven success with app listings in the App store for the series of iPhones as well as iPads and Macs.
  • Cost effective project plans and flexible and scalable pricing models
  • Stringent delivery schedules and tight plans of development
  • Custom iPhone application development including all app functions found in a single roof

Companies which are able to offer apps related to other latest mobile technologies especially for Android always have more business than a technology specific app development company. Apps are always in demand related to the smartphone hardware features including the accelerometer, GPS, calendar and anything that needs customization revolving around an enterprise.
 
From a programmer’s perspective, Silverlight is actually an event-driven programming framework which consists of Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML), and some additional code. Silverlight projects mostly include graphics, audio, and video and every added item finds its place on its control tree.

Silverlight offers an efficient visual control framework for diverse tasks including input, UI rendering, media controls, layouts, gestures, software input panels, and much more. A typical Windows Phone developer can also get project templates for developing basic applications, which are conformity with the new Metro design guidelines. Silverlight offers multiple unique advantages for the developers in the Windows Phone Marketplace making the development process easy and efficient.

Visual controls which act like prebuilt templates are available for completing a number of common tasks. Silverlight for Windows Phone includes by default a number of stock controls: Button, CheckBox, TextBox, MediaElement, the Bing Map control, and more.

On Windows Phone, all Silverlight apps need to be installed to the phone through Windows Marketplace since they cannot be downloaded online. Silverlight includes impeccable visual designers in the form of Visual Studio and Microsoft Expression Blend for the layout and format of pages. Expression Blend, provides extraordinary designer experience and is especially used by developers for creating advanced layouts for Silverlight applications. One needs to check on layouts and rendering to see if they are functional, if there is no designer in place.

Styles can be applied for a particular look and feel which saves developers from lot of effort and work. CSS provides multiple and innovative ways to define the look and feel which will be prevalent throughout the project. Silverlight also offers resource dictionaries and a huge repository of Styles for styling common controls. Styles are applied to font items such as foreground, style, and family too.

Multiple pages are used in some applications which are then navigated in a particular way. It supports a navigation style which is alike the styles of many web browsers, with linear navigation methods of forward and backward along with a history section. Document URIs are used to navigate in between applications with the help of NavigationService found in the framework. Silverlight applications can also be easily integrated into the Windows Phone navigation model.

Most programmers are adept in understanding and creating event-driven programming metaphors. Traditionally, LOB apps which made use of VB, C#, or Java work on an event-driven metaphor. Events are raised and methods call the relevant code in response. This is the preferred model for most form-based apps and even Silverlight accepts this working style.

Silverlight has spelled out support for vector-based image formats in accordance with the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) base. It boasts of high-performance due to the built-in vector-based rendering engine. Normal images might lose picture quality due to pixelation especially when stretched to huge sizes. Vector images on the other hand, make use of geometric paths for drawing so that they are not pixelated when stretched for large sizes. Many other techniques are utilized by Silverlight developers to provide an interactive and enlightening experience to the users.
 
Here are some of the profound tips for becoming an iPhone Apps Developer. One of the first steps that you need to do is buy a Mac. A Mac with an Intel-based processor which runs the Leopard version of MacOS X will suit you fine. A top of the range model is not necessary. Any Mac which can afford maneuverability for the developer will be needed. Mac Minis are more than powerful enough and can be serviceable if one already has PCs and a bunch of devices. Mac Minis are good to move around too. Developers can take them home for continuing their work. Owning the SDK is the next step. Apple provides the free SDK which is required for iPhone development and includes that an average developer needs to get going. It includes the development environment Xcode and the iPhone Simulator which is required for testing. There are some performance analyzers too, template-like interface builders and a huge reference library with enough documentation.

The third and one of the most important parts for iPhone app development is to learn Objective C. It is the primary programming language which is required for app development and an extension of C with OOP principles along with scripting elements. Any developer with previous programming experience will find it easy enough to transfer their skills for mobile app development. Apple adopted Objective C which was previously referred as SmallTalk. Since then, it has always used the platform. The best way to pick up the language is when you start with C/C++ and then learn about the APIs of the iPhone and the iPhone developer site is the best source too.  The free tutorials on the web can get you help too. The official Apple SDK has good details about various features and one can get clarification on anything. To start out with development, the fourth step is to start writing something. Get a project to work on and start coding with Objective C. A Java programmer can also adjust and practice his or her programming skills for getting a project done.

A couple of modification tasks can help if one has not actually commenced on an original project. The SDK includes a host of sample projects which can help the developer with several aspects of development. One can start there with the process and just reverse engineer it. One can add new features and even create a new game. The fifth step is to eventually become a developer. Sign up to be an iPhone Developer and shell nearly $99 which would allow agreeing to Apple’s terms and conditions. One needs to sign up to even test the code on the iPhone. Depending on time available during some weeks and even depending on the level of programming knowledge, an iPhone game would take about two months to get finished. The toughest part is to adjust to the unsafe language since a new developer would get frustrated to find even a single bug in the code. Finally, submit the app to Apple. Apps need to be submitted to the App Store and uploaded with a description along with icons and screenshots. Apple mostly takes a week to approve the content.
 
Smartphones normally cost a lot of money, but did you know it can help you make money? Here are two free apps to earn money with small jobs. Both EasyShift and Gigwalk are free apps which can help you earn your dough with no strings attached. The idea behind the mobile apps is that companies would hire one to do some simple work with the help of the iPhone. After the work is submitted, one can get paid via PayPal account.

One can do testing on similar jobs using both apps, which mostly cover beginner-level work which do not take more than 20 minutes per job. EasyShift is developed by Quri Corp. and was launched last year as an iPhone app. The app is dedicated to stock-checking tasks related to convenience and drug stores.  Gigwalk launched nationwide in May 2011 and opened for both iPhone and Android phones. It matches businesses with the workers, and the rates vary more than EasyShift's jobs.

The EasyShift app offers step-by-step process of job descriptions. The jobs are basically done for manufacturers for competitive aspects including promotional prices and product placement. Gigwalk jobs vary greatly and have different types of jobs.

The jobs are pretty much addictive and also very easy. One has to answer some questions sometimes or take pictures of energy drinks. You can scour for apps' built-in maps for the nearby job list. You might even get paid enough for some hard work. There is much pride associated with doing the tasks correctly for a few bucks and this leads to higher-paying jobs ultimately.

Gigwalk gives small jobs that add up quickly. An average worker or Gigwalker earns $200 to $800 every month while some earn casually 40 to $80 on a monthly basis. An EasyShift user can make $100 to $200 monthly too.
EasyShift is more user-friendly than GigWalk since it divides every job step in different screens so that it is clear for users to complete the job. GigWalk does not give a clear description for every job like EasyShift does.

With Gigwalk, users apply for jobs and expect to hear back if they are accepted for the job or not. EasyShift jobs can be instantly claimed by tapping Reserve while Gigwalk users can tap Quick Apply for applying for jobs.

The tasks often involved in GigWalk are of varying degrees of complexity and effort. Though they may appear similar, they are not so. The gigs might include visiting a Chinese restaurant and taking of photos of the menus. Answering survey questions is also part of the gig sometimes. A similar-sounding job might pay me double the amount since the effort might be more.

EasyShift pays its workers sometimes by the same night. Gigwalkers also get paid well within a day and sometimes it takes about 5 days before you get paid, but that is a rare occurrence. Both apps are good enough mobile apps which offer simple ways to earn money and nobody is too overqualified to say that it is not worth it!
 
The media greeted the iPhone 5 last week with a mediocre response. The new iPhone 5 has longer, larger screen, with a thinner body frame compared to iPhone 4S. If follows the first two parts of technology’s Olympic-sounding motto: citius, grandior, vilius which means, faster, bigger and cheaper.

But it is not all about statistics, and even though iPhone 5 does not break any records, it is still at the top of the league. Apple lovers will tell you that it is not about the records that matter, but the experience.

Raw specifications suggest that the new phone is 18% thinner and 20% lighter than last year's 4S but these specs never reveal the feel of touching an iPhone. With the latest phone, typing or swiping feels like you are touching the core pixels. This is because a layer of glass is removed from the touchscreen. Though the 4in screen is longer, it has the same width and one can still swipe the iPhone across with a thumb, which is not possible with Samsung's huge Galaxy S3.

Those having an iCloud account can set up their new gadget with everything – including photos, apps, settings and even Wi-Fi settings and alarm times.

Apple is promising more than 225 hours' of standby time and more 3G browsing and talk time amounting to nearly 8 hours. The new "Panorama" camera functionality is remarkable too. You can take a picture while moving and the camera goes on clicking until one has a perfect scene. You can move yourself up and down or around an object. You have 360 degrees of freedom for moving. Once the clicks are done, the software gets it all together seamlessly.

The iPhone 5 has a rear camera which includes 1080p video recording which also includes stills in between. There is the new enhanced Siri too which can find and book restaurants, tells you football scores, and offers turn-by-turn navigation to anywhere. It also helps the user to open apps and look out for film times and reviews. It is now easy to be updated with weather forecasts and particular stock prices too.

Here is a summary of what the new iPhone 5 can do:
The good: The iPhone 5 adds most of the things that were found lacking in iPhone 4S: It has 4G LTE, bigger screen by length, and the quickest A6 processor yet. The redesign of the iPhone is sharp, slim, and incredibly feather-light.

The bad: Some telecom companies like Sprint and Verizon models will not have voice and data simultaneously which is a bane. Also, the new and smaller connector makes the current accessories redundant without the multi-adapter. Also, there is no NFC feature compared to Android phones while the screen size is smaller than     the big Android models.

iPhone 5 certainly rebuilds the iPhone enigma with a fantastic framework of a sleeker design and better features than its predecessor, providing a solution for most of its previous shortcomings. The best iPhone is here and it certainly makes it to the top bracket of the smartphone universe.
 
The use of Android-based smartphones has grown considerably in the recent years. It boasts of an incredible number of apps in its market which is growing at an incredible rate of 32 per cent every month. There are brilliant smartphones available now for every price range thus giving them a huge number of options. The rise in interest has been credited with the new models like Samsung S III.  There are certain HTC models which have been very popular along with Sony Ericsson which has launched mid-range budget phones in recent months. Android being open source has been extremely successful in attracting various developers for creating innovative apps.

There is a huge and open market place for developers for publishing t    heir apps. There are less restrictions for Android app development compared to the iPhone market and apps can be created for and on any platform: Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X.

Companies offering Android app development are extremely in demand as there is a huge need of applications of different types in the mobile world. Android is preferred by many of the developers and inspite of its less number of apps in the store, people prefer Android phones because of range and budget. The newer phones boast of high end graphics too. Core library support is essential too for the creation of innovative apps

The apps which are shipped with the default software development kit are Email Client, SMS, and Google products including Google Chrome and the contacts section. One can easily reuse the existing framework APIs for better and solid third party Android applications. Programmers are also provided with basic or complex apps as they desire.

Coming to the enterprise world, mobile field personnel are lost when they are out in the field for getting a real-time notification about the inventory or even get an idea about a sales visit address. Sales orders are usually done manually and then entered in the system and updated after they are back in their office. The manual input of data is done in the company ERP database. This is absolute wastage of resource time and even the sales order updates are not of real-time nature. Sometimes sales personnel realize that they are short on inventory but are unable to deliver. This creates problems for the sales personnel since they do not have immediate updates. They might even lose the customer’s location and address.

Mobile field service apps are created as Android apps and are usually integrated with ERP solutions so that there is information sync between sales personnel and the database with real-time updates on both sides.

Many offshore companies are well-versed for creating and developing Java-based third party mobile applications, for mobile devices including tablets and smartphones.

Here is a list of the most popular Android application development services:
  • Application development for mobile devices
  • Custom application development
  • Java-based game development
  • Android games and utilities development
  • Mobile business software development
  • Third-party libraries implementation
  • Security-based mobile solutions
  • Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS support-based apps
  • Communication apps
  • Design apps for companies
  • QA and testing services
 
IPhones have been the best platform for various applications since its inception in the year 2007. The extreme technological flexibility and high end hardware has enabled the iPhone to be compatible to millions of applications found in various online stores. Interestingly, in this era of technological revolution, the iPhones provides a huge array of applications which are required for every day use. Moreover, the high demand for apps has fuelled the need for many high end app developers. Many programmers around the globe design apps which cover all the major business and utility segments required for daily usage.

iPhone’s revolutionary touch-interface for the first time has created a product that is transforming the usage of mobile devices with its ability to become accustomed to the user’s experience. This has facilitated for a wide range of apps to be moved to the iPhone and different companies across the world have started creating a road map into their customer management and relationship strategies with the swelling field of iPhone application development. Many companies have the ability to fix complex problems related to mobile application and hence help create revolutionary iPhone apps for their customers around the world. Varieties of iPhone apps are available like widgets commonly used in social media integration, and website creation and are available in different forms. 

In recent times, the trend for apps has shifted more towards business. Education, business, medical and book applications are the most sort after categories of apps development these days. Even during this economic instability, the mobile apps seem to be flourishing as businessmen and entrepreneurs are using the apps more frequently to reach out to their customers/and prospects and thus providing them something new and unique. Program developers are acting according to the demand and are emphasizing more on the business front. With several thousand companies working day and night all over the globe to develop applications for different sectors including entertainment, social networking, shopping, navigation, and browsing etc. they are readily accessible online. The technology platform used in creating the apps include JavaScript, XHTML, CSS DHTML AJAX, Xcode, Cocoa Touch Framework, Objective C, iOS4, iPhone SDK, Unix and Mac OS X. The most innovative and creative iPhone apps and their designs are created by coding the iPhone SDK platform. The apps made by the developers, who are highly trained IT professionals are extremely user friendly and easy to install.

Before letting the applications hit the store, they are thoroughly run through different tests and are checked and rechecked for bugs. The app teams in various companies remain up to date so as not to fall back in the competitive market. A lot of work is put into promoting these apps as well. Most companies facilitate 3rd party services to develop apps as per the client’s creative ideas to change them into a live iPhone apps. With such a powerful device like an iPhone at hand, you can do anything you like anytime with a little help from such app development teams.