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Does Your Business Need a Mobile Site or Mobile App?

Posted on May 19, 2012 by admin

There is no question that your business needs a mobile presence. In 2011, less than 40 percent of mobile owners in the US had smartphone. Today, that number has risen to 50 percent and is continuing to grow. The average number of apps on American smartphones has also jumped considerably. Up from 32 apps last year, 41 apps now occupy smartphone devices – an increase of 28 percent. The undeniable truth is that mobile users are now the fastest growing audience for businesses. The only logical question that remains is whether to opt for a mobile site, mobile app or both. The answer depends entirely on the particular needs of your business.

Your decision to opt for a mobile site or mobile app may not be as simple as choosing “one or the other.” Many web publishers elect to build mobile sites as their first venture into mobile and then consider building a mobile app at a later time. Mobile sites are cheaper and less complex than mobile apps, which makes them a better place to start. Still, as a business owner you also need to consider whether or not to invest further in a mobile app. Here are some basic questions that will help you find the best mobile solution for your business.

Who are your users?

Reports such as AdSense help you determine how users are accessing your content. The best way to reach your target audience is to tailor your content and deliver it directly to the devices that your audience is using. For example, suppose the majority of your audience discovers your content via feature phones. The best strategy here would be to build a mobile site as smartphone apps are not compatible with feature phones. User statistics will undoubtedly help you make the best decision.

How do you want users to access your content?

The big issue here is connectivity. Mobile apps allow users to cache your content to consume at a later time. Mobile apps will prove more useful than mobile sites for tourist information and maps as mobile sites require users to have data access. Consider whether or not the ability to download and cache information is important to the overall user experience.

How do you want users to interact with your content?

Native, mobile specific features such as GPS navigation, embedded cameras and accelerometers provide a unique user experience unknown to desktop browsers. While HTML5 is making newer devices able to offer these types of options through mobile websites, mobile apps provide the most robust suite of native phone features.

How quickly do you want to make changes to your content?

Updates to mobile apps are much more complex than updates to mobile sites. Mobile site updates are instantaneous while mobile app updates require some additional steps. First, the app stores may require a resubmission of your app depending on the change you wish to make. Users will then need to take action to update the app package. It is helpful to consider your update preferences prior to choosing a mobile development platform.

What development and budget constraints exist?

In-house capabilities and resources play an important role in choosing a mobile development platform. Without in-house capabilities, businesses must account for development and upkeep costs. The advantage of building a mobile site over a mobile app is cost. While you will only need to develop one mobile website, mobile apps require cross platform assets. Basically, an app that functions on the iPhone may not do so on the Android. Cross platform mobile development requires the skills to build a mobile app across a variety of mobile devices. Depending on your budget and resources, one of the two should prove feasible as a good solution.

Finally, consider whether you will need to hire a professional to maintain the mobile site or application. Once you can answer these important questions, the closer you will be to making the best decision for your business and users.
Akesh Gupta is President of Light Speed Solutions. Akesh and his team strive to deliver mobile application development services to clients on time and on budget.

Categories: Technology | Tags: mobile application development

Looking to Buy a Piece of Texas – Five Reasons Why You’ll Also Get Peace of Mind by Working with Professional Brokers

Posted on May 17, 2012 by admin

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If you’re thinking of buying a hunting-and-fishing or cattle ranch in South Texas or in the Hill Country, you’re pointed in the right direction. Satisfaction of your desire doubtlessly awaits you in the Lone Star State, with its diversity of elevations and environments.

Most Hill Country land straddles the dividing line between humid and semiarid zones (which means that it has both wet and dry years), and it has an elevation of between 1400 and 2200 feet. The south, on the other hand, is generally quite flat, and it contains a number of climates, including desert along the Mexican border and humid subtropical on the coast.

When choosing your property, it is important to have professional Texas ranch brokers, such as Evans and Associates, make sure that the piece of land you are buying, whatever its elevation and environment, is the best you can get and that all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed in the transaction.

Here are five reasons why you should buy your property through a professional.

1. A professional knows what features will lead to a plentiful stock of game.

White-tailed deer, the bucks of which are one of the most desirable of the trophy animals, require a particular blend of browse, water and environment to thrive. Only a trained eye can tell if the browse is the appropriate mix for whitetails—a variety including honey mesquite, guayacan and guajillo shrubs—and if it is being managed correctly.

2. There need to be a number of water sources.

Ideally, there needs to be one for every 300 acres of land—in order to keep your deer healthy and trophy-size. Professionals make sure that you have enough water and that it is good drinking water for deer.

3. The deer population needs to be controlled.

Whitetail bucks cannot reach trophy-class size if the competition for resources is too heavy. Real estate experts consult the appropriate surveys and game counts to make sure the land you are buying is not overstocked.

4. Buying a ranch is not as simple as buying a normal piece of property.

Buyers of cattle ranches frequently purchase the existing farm’s stock of cattle and cattle cars. Experienced sales agents can handle the sometimes complicated sale and transfer of existing stock, making sure you get the best possible price.

5. There is a lot of red tape involved in setting up a cattle operation.

Brokers can expedite the TCEQ’s permitting process and set you up with everything you need to get your farm up and running—a foreperson, a source of hay, etc.

If you’re thinking of buying a piece of Texas, buy peace of mind as well, knowing that you are choosing the best route to homeowner success by purchasing your property through real estate professionals.

Josie enjoys writing and one of her favorite things to write about happens to be real estate. If you’d like to learn more about Texas Ranch Brokers, please visit http://www.texasranchlandforsale.com/

Categories: General | Tags: real estate, texas, texas living, texas real estate, travel

5 Hobbies for the DIY Man

Posted on May 17, 2012 by admin

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You love DIY, and you’re looking for a new project to begin. We can give you five great hobby ideas for the DIY man:

Build a patio! This can be a rewarding hobby that you can enjoy for years to come. When building a patio, use the right materials and tools to get the job done right. Begin by planning the size and space. Prep the area, then mix and spread the cement. When trying to finish off that patio in just the right way consider using power trowel blades. Once you’ve finished laying the patio, finish it off right by adding that perfect BBQ.
Build a man cave! What better hobby can there be, than to build a room that you will get to enjoy and call your own. From the ground up you can decide what purpose you want the room to serve. Is this going to be your theater room? Are you looking for a sports bar to watch the game? Or are you looking for a place for that perfect game of pool? Whatever purpose you decide, take the time to build with quality products; and once complete enjoy the room with the guys.
Do you enjoy woodworking? The hobby for you might just be building an heirloom piece of furniture, or re-finishing the cabinetry. Woodworking can be a very enjoyable hobby as it allows you to free your mind, focus your skills, and see beautiful end results. Many a family member will via for something you’ve created with your own two hands, and what a greater gift to give a child or grandchild than something special just for them.
If you love the outdoors and working with the soil, gardening might be the hobby for you. From tilling the soil, to planting the seeds, to nurturing and watching them grow; gardening can be a great hobby if you love the outdoors. There are so many different types of gardening now too. You might like traditional row gardening, or be willing to branch out and try the new square foot gardening. Maybe you’d even like to own a little orchard or vineyard. By reading and experimenting, you find just the right niche for you.
Another great hobby for a DIY guy is tinkering with cars! Save the money you spend on oil changes and learn to do it yourself. You might just find you’re interested in learning more. In fact there’s many a man today who would say they enjoy the challenge of restoring a classic car. From finding the parts, to working out the problems, you’ll enjoy the sweet success when you turn the key and that newly restored engine purrs back at you.

Though this list of five may be small, it can give you some fun ideas to try, or maybe it will spark a new idea for you. Hobbies have become very important in our lives. Instead of working all day and boob tubing it all night, find a creative way to spend your time and use your DIY skills. You never know, you may just find you have a knack for whatever you set your mind too.

Micah Castro is a freelance writer for Regal Tool & Supply who specializes in power trowel blades and other concrete finishing tools.

Categories: Lifestyle | Tags: diy at home

Top 5 Family Holiday Spots in US

Posted on May 17, 2012 by admin

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Top 5 Family Holiday Spots in US

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America continues to be a top tourist destination but people just don’t know where to go. This is why it is highly recommended to follow this list of places to check out.

America is a country that is full of amazing holiday spots to visit but the majority of tourists will have no idea where to go. The cities all have different things to offer and each one will be catered to a certain group of people.

It doesn’t take a psychic to know that America is a beautiful country and has beautiful places to visit but it can be tough to determine which cities are better for your lifestyle. Here are some cities that you should consider visiting during the holidays.

New York

As on one of the oct popular cities in the world, New York has always been known to be a beautiful spot to be at during the holidays. People will fly to New York to watch the various parades that go on and the weather that comes with the season.

You must bring your Winter clothes as the holiday season can be quite chilly in New York. Be sure to visit Times Square and the various other tourist spots while you are there.

San Francisco

This is a beautiful city all throughout the year and is more for those that do not want to enjoy the snow and cold weather. Berkeley is a city near San Francisco and you can have a lot of fun there as you can meet a lot of psychics that will offer you a pretty accurate tarot reading before the new year.

Though these medium readings may not be all that perfect and not all of them are truly clairvoyant, it is still a fun experience for the locals and tourists. Once you are done with your reading, be sure to make your way to the city where the views are perfect and the weather is just right.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles is certainly the place to be when it comes to the holidays as Disneyland is arguably the most magical place in the world during Christmas. LA has grown to truly be a mainstay place for tourists to enjoy the area and the locals are enjoying just as much. If you are looking to really have fun, then you should consider LA as your main place to visit.

Orlando

Orlando is just Los Angeles as you will be able to enjoy the likes of Disney World. This is truly a special place and will be an experience that your family will never forget. Be sure to bring your camera and always keep in mind that it will be more expensive than you think. Always bring more money and simply just enjoy.

Hawaii

Hawaii is a place where you can go all throughout the year and feel like you are on a different planet. There is nothing like Hawaii and you will have one of the best times of your life. The trick is to go before the holidays and try to stay as long as you possible can to get the best possible deals out there.

If you are looking to have a beautiful time in America, these are the places that you should consider visiting on your trip.

Jane, psychic from England and tarot reading expert.

Categories: Entertainment | Tags: medium readings, psychics, tarot readings

A Look Back – 90′s Trends

Posted on May 17, 2012 by admin

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Mood Rings

Mood rings have their roots in 1970′s when their invention came about. They enjoyed a popular resurgence during the 1990′s though and were a must have accessory, mainly amongst groups of young girls. The rings work using a thermo-chromic liquid crystal, the colour changes because as the temperature changes the wave lengths of light reflected change also. It is this reaction to temperature which causes the colour of the ring to change. Because it was thought that the temperature of the body would change with a persons’ mood the colour of the ring is said to directly represent the wearer’s mood. It is actually the temperature of the surrounding air which has the biggest effect on the colour of the ring and not the wearer’s temperature.

Shell-Suits

The thin wind-proof jacket or ‘shell-suit’ as it’s known is the quintessential iconic image for the early to mid 1990′s, featuring bright bold colours, geometric lines, and a glossy texture. Although from the late 80′s, shell-suits enjoyed large popularity during the 90′s fuelled by celebrity endorsement and TV appearances. One of the most famous TV shows to feature the shell-suit was of course ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ featuring a young Will Smith. On this side of the pond, another iconic 90′s TV show which featured the shell suit was Krypton Factor. Contestants were pitted against each other in a series of challenges, in each one wearing their specific assigned colour, including a colour coded shell suit for the physical round!

LA Gears

I remember being in the playground as a kid and thinking that LA Gears were really pretty cool! Not cheap for a kid’s trainer, unfortunately the children with them were regarded as the cool ones. The main appeal to the traditional LA Gear design was a flashing bulb located in the heel. Stationary the owner looked like they had just another pair of sneakers on, but those shoes were made for walking! As the user took off for a stride the impact would spark the string of LED’s to light in the heel.

Track Tops

In the 1990′s the track-top boomed in popularity. Usually these tops were traditional in colour, often utilising blues, blacks, and reds. They are zip-up in style with definitely no hood, the top would almost certainly be Adidas branded. Adidas track-tops featured the iconic three stripes that ran down the arms of the garment. The style has a strong association with ‘brit-pop’, made famous by bands such as ‘Oasis’.

Slap Bracelets

Popular amongst children, the slap bracelet came in an array of bright and bold designs, not out of place in the 1990′s. This was the real key to their popularity with kids, that the bracelet came in so many varieties that it could be collected! The bracelets were put on by a simple slap on the wrist and came off when unwound. In recent years the slap bracelet has been making a comeback but in a slightly different form. Products such as Rocks Oval slap watches have utilised the technology to create a fun and funky new style of watch strap.

Curtains

‘Curtains’ is a term that should strike horror into any male these days, however the Curtains hair style is synonymous with the 1990′s. Many celebrities sported this look back then, quite literally in David Beckham’s case as he was rising to fame. The hair style received a lot of publicity on the red carpet. A prominent example of this is in the cult film hit Titanic where a plucky Leonardo DiCaprio had to often sweep the hair from his eyes.

Citations:

Photograph by Alkivar

iclikd.com have a great selection of Rocks Oval slap watches available in a multitude of cool colours.

Categories: Lifestyle | Tags: 90s, culture, culture shock, fashion trends, old tricks, trends