New Search Engines Just for Mobile Apps
January 9, 2012
We’ve found a couple of new app search engines to check out. The Next Web concluded that “Appgravity is Like a Better Google Search for Android Apps.” Appgravity lets users search the Android Market by name or keywords, with category and list-order features. A convenient button takes the decisive straight to the Market’s Download or Purchase page. Reviewer Martin Bryant found the interface and filtering options to be better than the Market’s built in search. More improvements are planned.
The article observes:
It certainly sounds like the team has had an uphill struggle to build a third-party service that works with the Android Market. ‘We, along with a few other companies and developers, have effectively reverse engineered the Android Market’s public API,’ says [Appgravity’s] Dickens. ‘There is a very tight-knit but open community hosted by Google centered around this “API” which really exists more for Android and its close partners’ use.’
Interesting development. Another contender is Quixey, which does not restrict itself to Android’s store. “You can find apps on Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, Chrome, Firefox, Facebook, web and more!” it promises. The service is still in beta, but the start-up has high hopes for its Functional Search, which it developed specifically for apps. See their About page for more on how that works.
Can we expect more entries in this new specialization?
Cynthia Murrell, January 9, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Two Big Outfits Knee Jerk Forward in Mobile Apps
January 5, 2012
We track the enterprise applications market on a daily basis. I keep the content separate, but I noticed two unrelated stories this morning and both of them triggered thoughts about information access. In my opinion, one cannot easily do “work” today unless it is possible to access, find, tap into, or otherwise get one’s mental paws around digital information. Those struggling with information overload are desperate for solutions; hence, the Big Data boomlet. There are companies which are increasingly isolated from where the information action is, and increasingly these companies are taking actions that would have made little sense just three years ago. Today crazy acquisitions do not raise a pundit’s blood pressure.
Example 1: Point your browser to “FT Buys Its Web App Maker; CEO Ridding’s Memo.” The Financial Times publishes the orange business newspaper and has a juicy chunk of the Economist, the touchstone of the MBA subculture. A couple of years ago, the FT dumped the wax museum, and I thought the outfit was going to focus on its brand and content. After an exciting brush with digital craziness in the now offline Newssift service, the FT is embracing mobile applications or apps.
I found this passage notable:
Assanka launched the HTML5 Web app with the paper’s in-house product team in June 2011, declaring “the craze for native apps is a short one and we are already seeing it on the wane”.
Wow. Never mind that Thomson Reuters has mobile apps which enjoy a modest audience. Ignore the fact that the Bloomberg app for the iPad is a case example of interface excitement. The FT purchased a mobile app development company. After my spin through a recent mobile app conference in London, I can report that the cultural blend of the FT and its interesting view of online information will interact in some interesting ways with the good folks at Assanka. Yes, interesting.
Example 2: Now navigate to “Confirmed: Deloitte Buys Ubermind, Looking to Play a Bigger Role in Mobile Apps.” This article asserts:
Joining Deloitte gives us a chance to be part of something big—something bigger than we could ever accomplish on our own. By combining our creative and technical chops with Deloitte’s global reach, industry insight, and deep talent, we have the ability to make an unmistakable impact in the industry.
We are also focused on maintaining what was working. The key elements of our business that make us unique will remain the same: our people and culture. We look forward to continued success as part of Deloitte Consulting LLP.
Blue chip consulting and services firms are facing a tough challenge.
First, the best and brightest don’t automatically flock to these companies any longer. Google and Facebook, for example, have more magnetism. Second, the emergence of outfits like Gerson Lehman Group have sucked money from the Blue Chips. GLG offers blue chip expertise at a much more attractive price point. Third, clients are pinching pennies and sometimes are quite happy to hire people who have been terminated with extreme prejudice and will work for less money than a full time equivalent. Fourth, it is tough to market the old fashioned way. Some of the traditional big spenders are retiring and the 20 and 30 somethings prefer to get their business advice without a detour through carpet land. How will a professional services firm leverage Ubermind? My view is that it will not because the culture of what is left of the Big Eight is going to find few protein snack bars in a professional services firm. Accounting is one thing; coding apps is another. Bean counters and coders can be a challenge to blend.
What is the relationship to information retrieval? I see three points which we shall attempt to follow:
First, big outfits are buying companies with core competencies not shared by the purchaser. Management is not exactly the trump card for publishing or accounting firms. You recall News Corp. and its alleged misdeeds. You also my recall the accounting firm which muffed the job at Enron. Now the management skills of these types of professionals will tackle digital information via apps. Long shot I think.
Second, keeping coders on the is difficult. Google goes to great lengths to retain its programmers. How is that working out? About 20 percent of Facebook is former Xooglers. Coders play musical chairs and often end up competing with their former employers. How will publishing and consulting companies cope with these employment behaviors. Maybe sue a programmer?
Third, apps are an interesting development in information access. More importantly, coding an app is an invitation to keep writing checks. The work is never really done. Most apps don’t generate much traction. In the enterprise, apps are making headway, but the consumerization of information access is moving quickly, and I think it is unlikely that outfits like the FT and Deloitte can react quickly enough or sustain the appetite to invest in app cultivation for very long. Yep, I am skeptical.
Why, then, are these firms buying app development companies and not signing a deal for the company to solve a problem? The answer is, in my view, that large companies do not know what to do. Buying a company gives MBAs and clueless managers something to occupy their time. Once the acquisitions have been completed, the real work begins. For the FT and Deloitte, it will be trying to sell enough work to pay for the purchases, sustain technical investment, and manage the technical professionals.
Will information access be affected? Nope.
Stephen E Arnold, February 5, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Herding Cats or Losing Them: Google and the Android Crowd
December 30, 2011
Forget Google’s Android patent problems. How about this alleged issue? Business Insider reported on new Droid dilemmas in the article “For Google, Fixing Android is Like Herding Cats.”
Apparently, a deal that was made between Google and seven cell phone companies last May, to release new versions of Android to all phones that are less than 18 months old, has turned sour. Sony Ericsson is the only company that has said it will live up to the agreement.
The article states:
This is a problem for users — they’re not always getting the latest experience that Google has created, and they can’t always use the latest apps. It’s a huge problem for developers — if they target only the most recent software, they don’t know how many customers they’ll be able to reach, and on what timeline.
It appears that unless Google gets more leverage, like the Motorola deal for instance, the search giant can not force these companies to honor their original agreement without contractual obligations.
Jasmine Ashton, December 30, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
YaSabe Creates iPhone App For Hispanic Users
December 23, 2011
Hispanic immigrants are the fastest growing minority group living in the United States today and 25 percent of them are iPhone users. With these two facts in mind, it is not surprising that a new iPhone application has been released that is specifically designed meet the needs of this demographic.
According to the recent YaSabe news release YaSabe Unveils Location-Aware iPhone App for U.S. Hispanics, the Hispanic local search company has created a new bilingual search application that helps users discover their options and find local businesses nearby. Users can search and browse in Spanish or English and change the distance to find out what is available around them.
The article states:
The YaSabe iPhone application lets users search in Spanish or English by name, product, service, or category for any of the 15,000,000 local businesses in the US. YaSabe highlights those businesses that speak Spanish and that particularly appreciate and welcome Hispanic customers and you can get one-click directions to any business right from your current GPS location.
By offering unique bilingual content and innovative technology to help consumers search and browse for local businesses, YaSabe is the first business that is making it a priority to address the search related needs Spanish speakers living in our country.
Jasmine Ashton, December 15, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Arabic Voice Service from Google
December 23, 2011
It’s about time. MENAFN reveals, “Google Introduces Arabic Voice Search Service.” Google is working to incorporate Arabic into its Voice Search for mobile phones. Voice Search is currently available in the United Arab Emirates on Android phones (version 2.2 and above) and iPhones.
Achieving that functionality is not as simple as it may sound. We learned from the write up:
The process would begin when Google streams sound files to their datacenters in real-time, then they would turn the audio information into phonemes, into words, into phrases, finally, Google would compare phrases against the billions of daily queries to assign probability scores to all possible transcriptions and deliver results.
Whew. This is why I’m not a developer. The Arabic speaking world is a huge market; Google’s move makes good sense. One question. How does the service work in a noisy restaurant?
Cynthia Murrell, December 23, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Marketing Love in a Time of Mobile Apps
December 22, 2011
As holiday shopping hits a crescendo this week retailers are examining how to increase sales, analyze shopper data more efficiently and strengthen mobile advertising all in one fell swoop. The article, Malls, Retailers Focus on Mobile Phones to Reach Shoppers, Boost Sales and Study Consumers, on http://www.cleveland.com/, explores some controversial mobile app and Smartphone technologies retailers are employing this holiday season.
Although the Federal Trade Commission and several consumer watchdog groups have put a nix to several Big-Brother-esque programs put in place by malls and large retailers to monitor shopper activity and behavior due to privacy violations, some programs are alive and thriving. Many complain that the programs are all one sided, in favor of the retailer, but that is not necessarily the case. In most instances consumers receive a nice reward for their privacy being violated.
As the article explains of the relationship between retailer and consumer,
With traditional retailers fighting online competition from companies from Amazon to Zappos.com, the retail industry must give consumers a reason to choose brick-and-mortar. Online retailers collect data about shoppers and use that information to tailor advertising and suggest purchases. Now stores and shopping-center landlords see cell phones as a path to influencing what people buy, how long they shop and how much they spend.
Before condemning retailers for utilizing scores of data mines waltzing in and out of their stores every day, consumers should examine their habits and devotion to mobile apps. Without consumer usage these app-utilizing marketing campaigns would be a waste of time. If one doesn’t want to be exploited by a retailer, turn off the phone. Easier said than done, just like search.
Catherine Lamsfuss, December 22, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Google and British Telecom
December 21, 2011
I remember when British Telecom was gaga over Google. Now, not so much. I don’t have a dog in this hunt, but I want to document “BT Sues Google in U.S. over Patent Infringement.” Here’s the quote I noted:
Florian Mueller, an IP analyst who has closely followed the twists and turns of patent litigation, said on his website that BT had become the fifth large publicly traded company to bring patent infringement litigation against Android. “With so many major patent holders asserting their rights, obligations to pay royalties may force Google to change its Android licensing model and pass royalties on to device makers,” he said.
Android business model? Hmmm.
Stephen E Arnold, December 20, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Google Intern Explains Android Lag
December 16, 2011
Leave it to a student intern. Not even the X Factor interns reveal the inside scoop about technology.
Here’s a useful insight into the Google method of “good enough.” Apple Insider reports that a “Former Google Intern Explains Why UI Lag Occurs More Often in Android than iOS.” The intern in question is one Andrew Munn, who ironically took to Google+ with his explanation.
Munn, who interned on the Android team, listed several reasons for the slowness of Android as compared to Apple’s iOS. See the write up for specifics, but it all boils down to one thing. The article asserts:
The original Android prototype didn’t have a touchscreen, as it was meant to be a BlackBerry competitor. As such, Android’s architecture is meant to support a keyboard and trackball. Munn further claimed that after the original iPhone arrived in 2007, Google rushed to complete Android, but ‘it was too late to rewrite the UI framework.’. . . ‘Android is the only mobile OS left that existed pre-iPhone,’ the report noted.
The current state of affairs may be acceptable to Google now, but more may be needed to capture half the market for smart TV sometime in 2013. Munn, for one, is confident that his former team will make the rewrite. “Eventually,” he said.
We’re waiting for an intern to explain open that is closed and fragmentation that is not fragmented. Is UX pronounced “Yuk”?
Cynthia Murrell, December 16, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Desktop Search: A Rusty Anchor?
December 14, 2011
Perhaps the papers aren’t doomed after all. Online Media Daily reports, “Newspapers’ Mobile Traffic Surges.” Perhaps the move to mobile apps will save journalism. The article cites a report from the Newspaper Association of America. We learned from the write up:
More than 20 newspaper publishers found that page views for mobile content increased 65% in September, compared to the same month a year ago. Many papers reported triple-digit page view jumps across their mobile offerings, the NAA said. A Pew study also released in October found that users were more likely to trust apps that came from preferred news organizations.
But, is this paid content or free? Probably some of each. It’s in the advertising, though, that newspapers will reap the rewards of venturing into the mobile arena.
This sounds like good news for the papers, but I’m afraid the nature of mobile will cost us in accuracy; this is more evidence that search is officially smaller and less inviting for cross checking and validation.
We read the data differently. Desktop searching is a rusty boat anchor. What about in depth research? Mired in the muddy bottom we fear.
Cynthia Murrell, December 14, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Fat Apps Microsoftize Mobile Apps
December 10, 2011
If it seems like a step backward, that’s because it is: Network Computing declares, “Fat Apps Are Where It’s At.” At least for now.
Writer Mike Fratto makes the case that, in the shift from desktop to mobile, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Cloud-based applications that run only the user interface on mobile devices are a great way to save space– if you can guarantee constant wireless access to the Web. That’s not happening yet. Wi-Fi is unreliable, and wireless data plans with their data caps can become very expensive very quickly.
Besides, says Fratto, services that aim to place the familiar desktop environment onto mobile devices, like Citrix XenAppor VMware ThinApp, are barking up the wrong tree. The article asserts:
There isn’t the screen real estate available on mobile devices–certainly not on phones–to populate menus and pull downs. . . . But that is how desktop apps are designed. Lots of features displayed for quick access because you have the room to do it while still providing enough screen space to write a document or work on a spreadsheet. Try using Excel as a thin app on your phone or tablet. See how long it takes for you to get frustrated.
So, Fratto proposes “fat apps” as the temporary alternative, applications designed for mobile use with local storage that let you continue to work without a connection. Bloatware is back, at least until we get affordable, universal wireless access worked out. At a conference last week, one firm told me, “Our mobile app for an equipment manufacturer is only two or three gigabytes.” Svelte? Just like Word.
Cynthia Murrell, December 10, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
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