Industries – Page 19

‘Virtuali-Tee’-An Augmented Reality App to Learn About Body’s Internal Organs

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Super Admin Testreveal

Ed Barton, the CEO of Curiscope has discovered a new app called ‘Virtuali-Tee’, an educational app that works with augmented reality to learn about internal organs inside the body.

This eye-opening experiment is not carried out through various specimens and skeletons but into his own body.

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The AR-based app works using the camera of a smartphone and allows the technology to digitally view the body and show organs such as the stomach, heart and lungs. As the device is moved from one side to another the 3D realistic model also moves. This app can help users look into their own anatomy.

Barton and his co-workers at Curiscope raised almost 75,000 British pounds to make this project a reality.

The app allows the users to tap on a particular organ and get a video description of the things viewed.

The app costs around 20-24 British pounds and works on both Android and iOS devices. It can be downloaded for free, but the app only works with the accompanying of blue, green or red T-shirts.

Also Check : Latest Updated Educational Apps Directory List

Apps for Commuter Convenience Introduced in Thane, WB by Transport Departments

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Super Admin Testreveal

To take the transportation sector to real-time digital mode the Thane Municipal Transport and the Government of West Bengal has introduced navigational mobile apps for commuter convenience.

To provide real-time location the Thane Municipality has launched ‘whereismytmtbus’ a live tracking system for all TMT buses. The app will provide the expected arrival time, nearest destination, specific route fares, seating availability in bus etc.

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Commuters can also book tickets and renew passes through the ‘whereismytmtbus’ app.

The West Bengal government has also introduced an app called ‘Pathadisha’ App and fare smart card in state-running buses. The app launched by the West Bengal Transport Minister Subhendu Adhikary was an initiative of the Vision 2016 of the WB transport department. This app will help in the smart, simple and transparent way of commuting.

The ‘Pathadisha’ app aims at giving 24*7 service to the common people. The app will also provide smart cards up to Rs 1000 for boarding the government buses.

The initiative of launching such navigational apps will stop theft in expenses of the state transport, save bus employees and passengers from the crisis and bring clarity in the system. This is a part of the process to take the transport sectors to real-time digital mode.

Best Educational Apps For Kids

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Super Admin Testreveal

If your child is one of those, whose eyes are always glued to that screen and whose fingers, tapping continuously, remember, you can get this addiction of theirs to good use. Using best educational apps for kids, make learning a fun experience for them. After all, your kid’s education need not be limited to books.

Here’s a list of 49 best educational apps for kids that you can choose from:

1) PBS Parents Play and Learn

Meant for pre-schoolers, PBS Parents Play and Learn is so fun that your child will ask to play the learning games again and again. It consists of lessons to improve early reading skills, math and science, that have been designed by early childhood experts. Apart from the fun games it offers, the app also gives suggestions to parents about the activities they can do together with the kids, away from the screen.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

2) Elmo Loves 123s

The app, Elmo Loves 123s, has everybody’s favourite Sesame Street characters, Elmo and Abby Cadabby, guiding the kids through the world of math. This app helps your child to count from 1 to 20, do simple addition and subtraction and to trace numbers that come with surprises, when correctly answered. The surprises include Sesame Street videos, puzzles and colouring pages, that will surely keep your kids engaged.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

3) Kodable

Knowledge in coding has become the need of the century. It may become an inevitable part of every career in future and therefore, here is an app to teach kids to code. With Kodable, kids learn the basics of writing code. They can enjoy by creating video games, animated stories and much more. The app is so engaging that, kids do not even realize that they learn valuable skills like basic coding and programming, problem solving, logic, physics and more, along with the way.

Available in : iOS, iPad

4) Disney Story Central

Bedtime storytelling just got easier with Disney Story Central. The app comes with a large collection of e-books that feature Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, the princesses, and Doc McStuffin. Disney Store Central offers read-along narration and personalized book recommendations apart from rewarding your kids with trophies and awards as they progress.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

5) MoMA Art Lab

What your kids end up becoming in future isn’t entirely based on what they learn from books. It is also about the skills they acquire at an early age. MoMA Art Lab helps to increase your child’s creativity by learning to create images, while learning to problem-solve simultaneously. The app teaches the kids to build with shapes, draw pictures and even add photographs to their artwork, thus keeping them entertained for hours.

Available in : iOS, iPad

6) GoldieBlox and the Movie Machine

Godliebox, the toy company, that has been inspiring girls to become innovators, has come up with their first app named GoldieBlox and the Movie Machine. This app helps your kids to learn the basics of animation and to create their own one-second animated GIFs. Who knows, maybe you have an animator in the making?

Available in : iOS, iPad

7) Grandma’s Garden

Your kids are sure to fall in love with this Grandma’s Garden app that features grandma and grandpa characters teaching them basic skills like reading, counting and science. The interactive lessons are so enticing that you will find your kids have the app open in the iPad, whenever they get a chance.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

8) The Magic School Bus: Oceans by Scholastic

This interactive story book helps your kids begin a fun aquatic journey with Ms. Frizzle and her students. The Magic School Bus: Oceans by Scholastic app consists of science facts, pictures, games and videos that will surely keep your kids entertained.

Available in : iOS, iPad

9) Kids Weather

It’s a fun app that teaches kids about the weather. The Kids Weather app keeps track of the weather forecast for your area and gives suggestions to kids about dressing according to the weather.

The scientist in your kids will have all fun they need as the app keeps them entertained through its lessons on Fahrenheit vs. Celsius and details on moon phases.

Available in : iOS, iPad

10) Fish School HD

This app features colorful fish that helps your preschooler learn letters, numbers, shapes and colors. Set against the backdrop of the under-sea-world, the Fish School HD app will keep your kid engaged while sharpening his/her skills.

Available in : Android, iOS

11) Khan Academy

From practising math facts to learning how to write code, if there is anything your kid wants to learn, he/she will surely find it on the Khan Academy. Though the app is meant for every age group, including adults, upper elementary kids are going to be benefited the most out of the free learning opportunities it offers. All they need is a Khan Academy account that can help them to keep track of their learning.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

12) Cookie Monster’s Challenge

PBS Kids and Sesame Workshop have collaborated to come up with an app named ‘Cookie Monster’s Challenge.’ The app prepares children for school through mini games that teach self-control, focus and following directions. There are nine levels of the games and at the end of each level, the kid will be rewarded with pieces of a cookie-making machine.

Available in : iPad

13) Science 360

With videos that cover every topic under science, the app, SCIENCE 360 will grab the attention of even the most reluctant student. You don’t get to see an app with so many amazing science lessons, all at one place, very often.

Available in : Android, iOS

14) Ansel & Clair’s Adventures in Africa

This Ansel & Clair’s Adventures in Africa app instills a sense of adventure and exploration in children. It features Ansel, an amiable travel photographer, and Clair, a clever robot, who guide your kids through the exotic locations of Africa. Along the way, the kids get to solve quests and puzzles, play games and watch animations.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

15) Star Walk

If your kid is interested in learning about stars and constellations, Star Walk is the app he/she needs. The best feature of this app is that if you hold your tablet towards the sky, the app recognizes the constellation it sees and names it. Apart from that, the app also lists solar systems and satellites.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

16) Habitat the Game

This Habitat the Game app teaches your children to take care of the environment. The user adopts a virtual polar bear that can stay healthy only if real world actions like turning lights off and conserving water, are completed. What more do you need to create an impact in your child’s mind about being eco-friendly?

Available in : iOS

17) Impoppable

Bubble bursting had always been our favourite childhood game, wasn’t it? With Impoppable, your kids get to do it virtually. At each level, the user has to pop bubbles that add up to a particular number. This fun app will help kids to gain number sense and review basic facts.

Available in : iOS

18) Super WHY

Based on the TV series, the Super WHY app consists of four interactive games featuring the main characters Alpha Pig, Princess Presto, Wonder Red, and Super Why. Kids can play along with the characters to practice on the alphabet, rhyming, spelling, writing and reading.

Available in : iOS, iPad

19) Sushi Monster

You can now stop complaining about how your kid doesn’t practice his/her math facts. The Sushi Monster is more fun than you think and it encourages flexible thinking of numbers than plain memorization.

In this app, the kids have to satisfy the hunger of “Sushi Monster” by feeding him with the right combination of numbers. It’s a fun way to enhance your kid’s math skills without making them realizing that they are learning.

Available in : iOS, iPad

20) Alphabet Car

This fun app helps your kid to learn the alphabet letters, words and spelling through an interactive game of 40 levels, ranging from easy to hard. The phone can be used as a steering wheel to drive the bus towards the correct letters and words to win. 3D graphics and personalized car customization features of the Alphabet Car app, makes it interesting.

Available in : Android

21) Hello English App

The Hello English App helps kids to master the language from an early age. It helps to enhance reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, while building your kid’s vocabulary.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

22) Spelling Bee

The Spelling Bee app comes with over 2300 words and various levels of difficulty, ranging from easy to hard. Introduce this app to your kids and you will see them transform from beginners to advanced spellers in no time.

Available in : iOS, iPad

23) Duolingo: Learn Languages Free

If your kid is interested in learning new languages, this is the best app for them This award winning Duolingo: Learn Languages Free app can be used to learn Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Irish, Danish, Swedish and English in a fun way. You play a game and there, you get to practice your speaking, reading, listening and writing skills at the same time.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

24) eTABU Word Search

It is a fun app to improve your kid’s reading, word recognition, vocabulary and mental flexibility skills. See your kid’s language skills improve by using this enticing and highly entertaining eTABU Word Search app.

Available in : Android, iOS

25) Edukitty Preschool

This fun app by Cubic Frog Apps consist of a variety of games that include matching games, 3D alphabet, Biggest/smallest, Left/right, up/down, find the colour or shape and at the end of the game, the kids get to collect a sticker. The Edukitty Preschool app comes with a customization option, where the parents can easily delete the games that might be too challenging or hard for their child.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

26) Kid Mode: Free Games and Lock

This Kid Mode: Free Games and Lock app comes with a huge variety of educational games meant for children less than 8 years of age. It consists of live Sesame Street videos and games categorized by age, making it fun but also safe by its parental lock feature.

Available in : Android

27) Rocket Math

Math turns fun with this app for your kid. With this Rocket Math app, your kids get to build his own rocket and go for fun math missions, which include identifying odd/even numbers, doing square roots etc. At the end of each mission, the kids can earn a gold, silver or bronze medal and beat the high score.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

28) LumiKids

This app, meant for pre-schoolers, helps them take the first step towards sorting by colour, shape and size. LumiKids helps to improve your kid’s visual-motor coordination without frustrating them with complicated text or voice-over instructions. Also, the games adapt to your kid’s ability level, thus, making it fun yet challenging for them.

Available in : iOS, iPad

29) Phonics Genius

You won’t find a better app to improve your child’s vocabulary. The app, Phonic Genius, is loaded with 6000 professionally recorded words that have been grouped into 225 categories. It is meant for children aged between 1 and 6 years.

Available in : iOS, iPad

30) Pizza Fractions 1

The concept of fractions gets simplified with the Pizza Fractions 1 app. It gives your child a visual approach to fractions and the adjustable difficult levels help the beginners to start from scratch.

Available in : iOS, iPad

31) Middle School Math Planet

Middle School Math Planet is another fun app to brush up your middle schooler’s math skills. The app comes with over 30 out-of-the-world games, where the users can fly spaceships and help aliens complete their tasks while learning basic math concepts like geometry and fractions.

Available in : iOS, iPad

32) ABC Ninjas

Your kids will never forget alphabets after using this ABC Ninjas app. It comes with a game where the kids are supposed to slice capital letters or lower cases with a name or phonetic sound.

Available in : iOS, iPad

33) Vocabulary Spelling City

Learning vocabulary is always stressful for your kids. However, Vocabulary Spelling City comes with games like Word Unscramble and Hang Mouse making it more interesting.

The app is meant for children of above 6 years. They can play 9 games using 10 word lists of the vocabulary. Parents can also add customized wordlists to the app for their kids to use.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

34) TodoMath

Designed for kids above 5 years of age, TodoMath guarantees to take your child on a daily math adventure. Ranging from a 10-15 minute drill practice session, a Mission mode to a Free Play Mode, this app is going to keep your naughty munchkin engaged for hours while brushing up his/her math skills. The app ranges for the children under the age of 6 to 10 years.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

35) Jack and Jill: A Toddler Adventure

Your kid gets to go on an adventure journey with Jack and Jill while completing puzzles, singing- along, participating in sailboat races and, searching and seeing games.

Available in : iOS, iPad

36) Storybooks

This fun Storybooks app loaded with free story books, with fun pictures, text, and audio, is perfect for the voracious reader in your kid aged between 2 and 8 years.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

37) Grammaropolis

The app welcomes you to the world of grammar. Different parts of speech inhabit Grammaropolis, whose personalities reflect the role they play in a sentence. For example, the pronoun is hell-bent in taking the noun’s place while the conjunction wants everyone to get along.

Available in : Android,

38) NASA

The NASA app provides a large collection of images, videos, mission information, news, NASA TV and other similar content for your little scientist to discover.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

39) Hooked on Phonics

The app comes with lessons in the form of games and stories to get your kids literally hooked on phonics.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

40) IXL

IXL provides your kids with additional lessons to the school curriculum in subjects like maths, English, social studies and science. On completing milestones, the kids earn online prize pictures. If your kid gets most of the problems right, he/she can easily jump to the next level and if then they’ll need to practice more. The app consists of written and audio explanations for each problem but contains no videos.

Available in : iOS, iPad

41) Scratch and Scratch Jr.

The Scratch and Scratch Jr. apps designed by MIT intend to teach programming to kids. Scratch is meant for kids aged above 7 years while Scratch Jr. is meant for those aged between 5 and 7 years. Using the app, kids can learn to program their own computer games, art and applications and share them with rest of the online community. The kids will get feedback from real users and they will get to see the number of viewers for anything they have created.

Available in : Android, iOS

42) Dragon Box

Dragon Box is an app that has successfully managed to get kids to learn math through their fun games. Kids easily move through 200 levels of games without even realizing that they are learning basic math concepts like geometry and algebra.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

43) Epic!

This Epic! app is an e-book library meant for kids less than 12 year of age and contains more 10,000 e-books in their collection.

Available in : Android, iOS

44) My Incredible Body

An amazing app that teaches kids about human anatomy through visuals, 3-D animated videos, informative narrations and virtual tour.

Available in : iOS, iPad

45) Wild Kratts World Adventure

With this Wild Kratts World Adventure app, kids get to explore habitats across the world. The game consists of 30 levels each of which is a mission on animal science with the help of creature power.

Kids earn creature power “selfies”, habitat stickers and WoW Facts at the end of each mission.

Available in : iOS, iPad

46) Shape Gurus

This enticing app teaches kids to match, sort and arrange according to colour and shapes. Shape Gurus offers a series of geometric puzzles that join together to tell a story. The puzzles get difficult as the levels progress.

Available in : Android, iOS, iPad

47) Pacca Alpaca

This fun Pacca Alpaca app helps your kids to learn numbers, colours and shapes in different languages.

Available in : iOS, iPad

48) This Is My Food – Nutrition for Kids

This Is My Food – Nutrition for Kids app teaches kids about food and nutrition. It is loaded with fun facts, animated diagrams, and mini games to keep your kids engaged.

Available in : iOS, iPad

49) Telling Time with the Smurfs

The Telling Time with the Smurfs app uses Smurf characters and a circumstantial storyline to teach your kids to tell time.

Available in : Android, iOS

50) PocketPhonics

PocketPhonics is an early reading and writing app that teaches letter sounds, first words, and handwriting to toddlers. It emails a certificate after the toddler has mastered each of the levels. It is designed to increase the challenges on higher levels.

Available in : iOS

How can the Market Potential of IoT Revolutionize the Retail Industry ?

Posted on March 14, 2017 by Super Admin Testreveal

‘Internet of Things’ is a network of devices that are connected to the internet. It is used to search any info, upload images and connect with people. Since these products are connected to the Internet, they have their own IP addresses and can connect with each other in order to automate tasks. IoT is basically the interaction between humans and machines that can unlock possibilities.

Key features of IoT

1) Can enable the services across several fundamental sectors in the economy
2) The needs of the customers are met through global distribution models and continuous global services.
3) It provides an opportunity to new commercial sectors to support mass global deployment
4) Value-added services will become the main factor to income and mobile operators are bringing in new capabilities to make this happen.
5) Mobile apps are leverging the IoT.

Building Blocks of IoT

The multiple building blocks of IoT are connected to operate and communicate:

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1. Application and User Interaction

This generally involves the collaboration between people, applications and business processes.

2. Cloud Server

Cloud computing is the only platform that can support massive and unpredictable data. Cloud server supports IoT by providing network, storage and power. The massive data generated by IoT can be analysed within the cloud with proper data solutions.

3. Sensors

Sensors are devices that detect a wide variety of information and generate output as data to send via wireless technology. The IoT sensors are called as node that collects information and sends it through communication protocols like Bluetooth, Zig Bee, Z-wave, Wi-Fi and also, by wired communication.

4. IoT Gateway

IoT Gateway acts as a bridge between Internet and objects. They also provide the secure channel required for the transmission of data and usually run Real-Time Operation Systems (RTOS).

5. Connectivity(Network)

Internet connectivity is used with the connected device or with the connected hub, base station or the smart phone.

6. Energy-Efficiency

Many devices in IoT might be difficult, dangerous and costly in terms of charging or replacement of the battery. Therefore, they are operated for a year or are able to wake up only periodically to relay data.

7. Security

Data security is a critical component in case of IoT since it deals with many confidential and case sensitive data.

The way consumers live, work, and play is changing and is reshaped each day with the connected devices. Use of intelligence and connectivity to everything we use can produce enormous amounts of data that companies can use for:

• Improving their operations
• Creating new ways of doing business
• Better ways to serve their customers

The growth of IoT is becoming a reality faster than we can imagine. Retailers who hesitate to use them are opening ways for promoting other competitors to swoop in and capture the market.

The IoT movement provides the retailers opportunities in different critical phases like:

• Customer Experience
• Optimising Supply Chain
• New channels and revenue stream

Customer Experience

IoT provides an opportunity for retailers to develop a vastly improved ecosystem in the industry. It connects with the digital world allowing real-time interaction with consumers both inside and outside the retail store.

The increasing demand of smart phone will be a platform for these interactions. This is either done through location-based beacon technology, which retailers use to interact with customers directly as soon as they enter the store. Apple’s iBeacon technology is already used by brands like Lord & Taylor, Hudson Bay, mobile marketing platform called Swirl etc. to deliver promotions to their customers.

By the interaction acquired through IoT, retailers can leverage the data to improve the customer experience. The brand named Hugo Boss has already started using heat sensors in their clothing store to track the movement of the customers. This will help them to arrange products in the right way according to the high-traffic areas.

Optimising Supply Chain: In more complex supply chains and increasing digital channels, the connected devices and products provide the retailers the opportunity to optimise certain operations. For example, RFID (Radio-frequency identification) Technologies can improve the precision of inventory tracking by using the electro-magnetic fields to identify and track objects.

Integrating IoT can also reduce costs and help in improving store operations. Lighting and temperature control within the store can be maintained using sensors to provide customer support and more cost effective energy use. Using sensors, many of the functions that employees currently perform manually, such as tracking inventory, changing prices tags items can increase the store experience.

Creating News Channels and Revenue Streams

The news system of IoT provides new opportunities to the retailers to create new revenue systems. Products such as household appliances, comfort products, home security, health and wellness etc. are becoming a main part of the IoT system.

Lowe’s, a store for home décor and appliances have launched a new platform called the Iris platform that can communicate with different devices like Z-Wave etc. This was designed with an open interface where the manufacturers could integrate their products. Home Depot’s Wink and Staples’ Connect are other platform examples that use the IoT management system.

How to make IoT a Reality in the Retail Industry?

At the beginning, you may find it difficult to move on with the Internet of Things strategy. It might be hard to accommodate a new device into the existing complex IT infrastructures. In order to lay foundation of IoT support, you need to mainly concentrate on two areas:

1. Technology
2. Organization

Technology

Technical capabilities are critical for IoT functions. To get the maximum out of the IoT devices, IT firms will have to develop existing investments in key areas such as analytic infrastructures, customer-facing problems etc.

Applications

1) Development and debugging tools
2) App factories
3) API management strategies to provide the business with API and visibility capabilities
4) Embedded operating system

Organization

A well-organized company with the right culture, talent, governance and organizational structure is one of the most important ways to drive IoT strategy. IT and technology should work together to leverage the technical aspect of IoT.

Key organisational elements

• Clear understanding of the business strategy
• Approach that promotes impact and potential benefits of IoT
• IoT enabled solutions should be designed and implemented with business needs in mind
• Repeated testing

Technological Challenges for IoT

• Device Management
• Device diversity and interoperability
• Integration of data from multiple sources
• Data volume and performance
• Flexibility and evolution of applications
• Data Piracy

Examples of IoT In Retail Industry

IoT provides retailers with a whole lot of new experiences; but, the fundamental objective remains the same as that of the traditional retailing industry. Wearable’s form a part of the Internet of Things using bluetooth, devices like Smart watches or other devices that connect to iPhone/Android uses internet apple watch, glasses etc. which can be connected to the smart phones and any sort of data can be transferred between the devices.

Some of the examples where IoT was used include:

1) Rebecca Minkoff used smart mirrors in dressing rooms

To bring out the actual concept of a connected store, Rebecca has introduced smart mirrors in her in-store dressing rooms. The items in her store contain RFID tags which help in the recognition of an item. The product details can be pulled up to the smart mirror which shows the different style of the item with the available size and colours.

2) ‘Target’ has now introduced beacons for shoppers

Across around 50 stores target has introduced the usage of beacons to make hyper-local content accessible to shoppers via ‘Target Run’. The customers who have downloaded the target app can connect it to the bluetooth and receive notifications of products as push-notification.

3) Amazon launched dash button for Dash Replenishment Service

The dash replenishment service uses sensors built into devices like washing machines, pet feeders etc. to automatically reorder placement products. Through the new service, Amazon aims at making commerce so seamless for their customers.

4) Ralph Lauren’s PoloTech Shirt tracks Heart Rate and Calories Burned

Ralph Lauren has introduced Polo-tech t-shirt, a smart workout shirt that monitors the vital activity stat of the wearer in real-time. The black-box filled with sensors that are snapped into a place near the rib cage will allow syncing the data to the iOS app. This will allow the customers to track the biometrics and also to calculate the data of their daily workouts.

IoT challenges for retailers and the future journey

In 2016, according to IDC, the amount spent on IoT was at $737 billion and the forecasted rate that it would reach is about $1.29 trillion in the coming years. Currently, IoT is seen on enterprises with transportation, manufacturing and utilities.

The most difficult thing a company has to manage is how to overcome, analyse and act relevantly on the data connectivity with different devices. Simply collecting the data is not just enough but, the retailer has to transform it into useful information.

At this starting stage, the main thing retailers need to realise is that IoT is not just about sensors and connectivity, but is the output got from a business by creating new experiences. The true transformation occurs when you start exploring through the network of IoT strategy with your network of customers, suppliers, assets and extended ecosystem.

CNN Officially Launches CNNVR–A New Immersive Journalism Unit and Virtual Reality Platform

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Super Admin Testreveal

CNN has officially launched the news network CNNVR with Journalism unit and Virtual reality platform. CNN has made this big push by adding 360 videos to its Android, iOS apps and website.

Over the past few months, CNN has been experimenting with 360 videos by primarily publishing video as on Facebook 360. According to Farkas, the CNN’s 360 videos have reached more than one million views.

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The CNN network has been training correspondents from different countries like New York, Atlanta, London, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Dubai, Johannesburg, Tokyo, and Beijing to produce its reports.

CNN has published a new 360 video story about the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain on Tuesday. In the upcoming days, the network is going to take its viewers into an operating room to see the separation of conjoined twins, as well as onto a glacier.

“We are trying to give you access to places that are incredibly rare,”Farkas said.

CNN recently also launched a VR app on Google’s Daydream headset. The CNNVR unit also has plans to experiment with augmented reality and also to increase stream events live in 360.

How Will Virtual Reality Apps Influence Small Business

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Super Admin Testreveal

The field of Virtual Reality is going through many exciting innovations and changes. Although it is yet to be a household technology, it has already made inroads into the mainstream and commercial. That it is indeed the next wave that will influence our daily lives is vouched by the fact that Facebook bought Oculus VR in a US$2 billion deal. Virtual Reality apps is also changing how businesses operate and following are the ways it is poised to influence small businesses:

VR will change the way brands interact with customers

Virtual reality is exciting to customers because it engages more of their senses, captures their mind and triggers emotions that can never be aroused by inanimate 2D visuals. In short ,it is the dream tool of any marketer.

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Brands like Marriott and JC Penny have already given their guests and customers the thrill of a virtual tour of far off destinations. The important point to be noted here is that not all of these VR campaigns were driven by sales as the end. Rather, these businesses saw VR as an opportunity to engage with the customers and change the way their customers look and them. They wanted to send a message to their customers that says. “we work with cutting edge technologies to give you a unique experience”

There is a lot of scope for small businesses and entrepreneurs to connect with customers in innovative ways with VR. Imagine a food startup which shares preparation of your meal in a virtual reality. Isn’t it an appetizing and connected way to order a meal?

Cost Savings due to Virtual Reality Apps

Although Internet has negated geographical boundaries as a serious barrier for businesses, virtual reality apps will do their bit in getting us tangibly closer. Virtual reality can save a lot of time and money in travelling to places. It is already being used in realty and tourism sector. Being able to look for a new office space without stepping out of your office can save a lot of time and effort.

As technology advances, entrepreneurs can interact with all the stakeholders like vendors, investors and customers in a more personal way and saving cost all the while. Recruiting activity will benefit greatly as virtual reality will allow reading body cues and expressions of candidates from across the globe.

Quicker Product Development for Start Ups

A lot of cost can be saved in product development and testing, thanks to virtual reality. There is no need to build a costly prototype of your product for testing. Just introduce your customers to one in a virtual reality and make quick changes (or even real time in some cases!). Check out research work done by consumer Research Company Haystack using VR tools with their target audience.

Lesser cost in Brick and Mortar

Virtual reality will also mean that most of the businesses can display their products and services in a virtual world. This will drastically cut down on the need to have a retail space and maintain inventory costs associated with the brick and mortar model.

Advantage to New Age Start ups

Companies that are starting up with VR in their DNA will have great advantages over a bigger competitor who does not have VR integrated into their business because they did not see it coming, a couple of years ago. For example: imagine an shopping apps that does not have a virtual reality experience versus a newer one that is giving their customers an option to see how a dress fits and looks on them. The costs of starting everything from the scratch for the older app are big and so are the first mover’s advantage to a newer app offering virtual reality experience.

New Mobile App Developed to Help Dementia Patients and their Families

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Super Admin Testreveal

The researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago has developed a new mobile app called the “Dementia Guide Expert” for patients suffering from dementia, their families and caregivers.

The app is considered to improve the quality of life, disease awareness and well-being of nearly 48 million people globally.

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The app which is now available on Android Google Play and iTunes was developed by Valerie Gruss, Memoona Hasnain and Mike Koronkowski. The app not only provides knowledge about dementia but also helps to find appropriate providers, community support and resources.

Dementia, is the progressive loss of memory, thinking and reasoning which can interfere the daily life and result in behavioural changes. Even though there is no complete cure for this disease, early diagnosis can provide improved outcomes.

The new app provides expert tips and information about the disease, types, factors, risks, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, communication techniques and links to practical resources and support services.

The app which is already downloaded in five countries is now available in English and will be soon translated into other languages.

Paytm Introduces A New E-commerce Platform the ‘Paytm Mall’

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Super Admin Testreveal

Paytm has launched ‘Paytm Mall‘ a separate standalone e-commerce platform, a destination for online shopping.

Paytm Mall is your all new Premier Online Shopping Destination. Download the Android App here:

— Paytm Mall (@PaytmMall) February 27, 2017

For a significant time, the company has been running the wallet and the e-commerce division under the same app but the announcement of Paytm Mall has brought a split, where wallets become a part of Payments bank.

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The Paytm Mall app was launched on Monday and includes a wide range of products such as electronics, furnishings, fashion etc. The new app includes cash-back offers which are filled into the Paytm wallet of the user.

The new app seems to simplify the shopping experience for its customers, with shopping and wallet maintained separately while other features remain the same. Paytm was also updated recently which promises faster responses and add on features such as paying loan installments, and simplifying utility bill payments.

The Paytm Mall is now available on Android and the web. It contains over 68 million products spread over 1000 cities and towns across the country.

‘HeartMapp’, A Mobile App to Help Older Adults with Congestive Heart Failure

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Super Admin Testreveal

Health Professionals and Engineers at the USF College of Engineering and USF College of Nursing has created a new app called HeartMapp for patients with congestive heart failure(CHF).

This is a non-invasive mobile app that help patients in self-care and also reduce the cost of re-admissions in hospitals.

The Android-based application consists of six modules allowing the patients to check their daily heart conditions, perform walking and breathing exercises, monitor vital signs, follow up proper medications, get information on heart health and even review statistics in a graph.

The app also acts as a reminder for the patients every morning to check their weight, blood pressure and even answer their questions about the disease symptoms.

Dr. Athilingam and Dr. Labrador are currently working on the testing of the app with nine patients from the USF Health Cardiology clinic and also keeps updating the app with new features based on the feedback from patients.

Major Developments in the Mobile Gaming Industry [2017]

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Super Admin Testreveal

Mobile games have become hugely popular with the increasing adoption of smart phones. Advanced pocket computers and other consoles have enhanced the customer experience in the last few years thereby supporting and drastically changing the gaming industry landscape.

According to the reports from Global Market Insights, the mobile gaming industry is estimated to grow double from 2017 to 2024. The competition in mobile game development are as fierce as ever and developers are frequently on the lookout for new technologies that can give their mobile game a competitive edge.

In this blog, we can take a look at what technology trends we can expect in mobile gaming apps this year.

1) The future of Mobile Gaming: Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality(VR) Gaming is a three-dimensional environment in which we can interact using an electronic equipment. In VR gaming, the gamer dons a specialized equipment that allows them to enter a three-dimensional world. The equipment can include devices such as a VR headset, helmet, mask, gloves where they interact with the fantasy gaming world.

VR gaming was considered as a thing of the distant future until the release of virtual reality headsets. VR headsets provide gamers with an impressive and realistic gaming experience. Star Citizen, Eagle Flight, Arizona Sunshine, Elite Dangerous etc. are some of the most popular VR mobile games.

Here are three key reasons why mobile VR will be the future of gaming:

• Simplicity – It’s a simple, easy to operate technology
• Portability – Once VR goes mobile, you wouldn’t have to carry around bulky VR equipment. There would be only a headset and your mobile
• Affordability – As most people already own smart phones, they just need to buy a VR headset to go with it.

2016 has been a breakthrough year for VR gaming. With a spectacular range of software and hardware all set to be available, virtual reality fanatics are going to become even more impressed.

Beyond gaming, VR technology can be used in other forms of Entertainment, Healthcare, Space technology, Museums, Online Shopping, Automotive manufacturing and Education.

2) Augmented Reality(AR)

Augmented Reality gaming uses an existing environment and creates a playing field within it. AR games are mostly played on devices like smart phones, tablets, and other portable gaming systems.

More advanced AR gaming apps may actually build an environment from the user surroundings. Environment creation is an important task in gaming as the user would require a new environment after completing each level. It helps to expand the playing field, create a diverse range of real-world environment to keep the games interesting.

Video game companies are quickly adopting this technology to create games that are life like and offer the most amazing experiences. Devices like PlayStation and Wii offer augmented reality games, where players use physical actions to control the movements and actions.

Pokemon GO is considered to be the breakthrough for AR gaming which uses a camera, gyroscope, clock and GPS enable a location-based augmented reality environment.

The best Augmented Reality Games available in Android/iOS are Temple Treasure Hunt Game, Real Strike, ARBasketball, Paintball Arena, SpecTrek, Toyota 86AR, AR Invaders, Droid shooting etc.

3) Ionic Framework App Development

Undoubtedly, the vast growth in technology has landed us into an era that is rapidly changing, adopting and inventing new, better ways to do things. Ionic framework created in the year 2013, Drifty Co. makes it easier to develop native mobile apps with HTML5, CSS, Sass is also known as the Hybrid apps.

Ionic which is a completely open source SDK for HTML5 app development frameworks is targeted at building hybrid mobile apps which are basically small websites running in a browser shell in an app that has access to the native platform.

In 2017, a majority of the developers may use this in games. Its optimum specifications allow it to work on the latest devices in the market. The framework which works on both iOS and Android platforms allows the developers to create complex gaming apps much easier.

Benefits of Ionic Framework in Mobile App Development

Platform independent Framework: It has the ability to recognize the platform specific optimized CSS equivalent to the native look and feel on various mobile Operating Systems.

Default User interface: This has many default CSS and JS components that cover most of the essential/basic things which you use to create a mobile application.

Feasible Cross Mobile App Development: Developing an application only once is advantageous as it would be compatible with all the mobile devices.

Built on Angular JS: The Ionic framework is built on top of the Angular JS framework. Ionic expands Angular at a basic level with a lot of stuff to make creative applications.

An Ionic framework is the dominant HTML5 mobile advancement system at present and it is growing very fast. While developing a mobile application, this is highly recommended since it might be a good choice based on your business and technical needs.

4) Location-Based Services

LBS delivers information about the geographic location of the mobile devices. This includes mobile phones, mobile interactive browsers etc. LBS deliver end-user applications based on location services.

This new technology is having a great impact on how business is being done. Knowing the physical position of the user at any time can be a huge potential for mobile game development service providers.

LBS can be involved in the following aspects like:

• People Tracking and Finder
• Driving Directions
• Information Directory Services
• Advertising
• Location Based Billing
• In games where location is a part of the game play (For example Your movement on daytime makes your avatar move in the game or your position can unlock contents)

Today nearly all mobile devices have GPS thus making it easy for the game developers to incorporate location-based services into the games they develop.

5) Hybrid App Development

A hybrid app consists of an HTML5 web app, written using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. This is then transformed into native iOS, Android or other mobile platform using PhoneGap. These apps can be easily moved across multiple platforms and are cheaper and much faster to build an app.

This helps in increasing the productivity while incurring minimal costs. Hybrid Application development consists of two parts:

• Hybrid Mixed Application Development
• Hybrid Web Application Developments

The need for gaming has elevated to such an extent that game developers are trying out so much to put out their best. Opting for a hybrid application is a lucrative business model, while it meets the expectations of all the customers. Hybrid App Development includes benefits such as:

1) Time-Saving: A hybrid app negates the need to create a new operating system for every app each time. At this point, they wouldn’t need to spend extra time to develop platform-specific versions for each of their apps. It can help developers to design apps that can rank high in usability and efficiency.

2) Web plus native access to features: In hybrid apps, users have access to more features like web content and access to native capabilities within the app.

3) Easy Updates: Hybrid apps save the user from tedious clicks and efforts. For updates, users no longer have to revisit the AppStore and make several clicks.

4) Offline Access: They can be used even when the devices are offline and helps users cut their expenses, indulge more in the of such apps and in turn, benefit the business.

However, game developers will have to ensure that the hybrid app utilizes the different capabilities of each platform to an optimal level so as to save costs as well as to satisfy the customer needs.

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6) Android Instant Apps

Android Instant apps allow usage of apps without downloading them from a link from the Play Store. This new concept saves the users from the annoyance of first downloading the app and then determining its usability. Here, users have the flexibility to install only those apps that fulfil their expectations and needs.

By the introduction of this method by Google, it has paved the way for mobile game development and mobile game app developers. Users will be able to run games on their smart phones without downloading them. This feature makes it easy to play games on the go.

Mobile users do not need to install the full app if the preview of an instant app fulfills their purpose. Fast loading and easy accessibility are the main attractions of instant apps.

Another main feature of Instant Android Apps is that they support NFC for ease of usability.

7) Cloud Based Technology

Cloud computing is a network, where a large number of systems are connected with private or public sources, to provide dynamically scalable infrastructure for data and file storage. With the advent of this feature, the cost of application hosting, computing, content storage and delivery has been reduced significantly.

Cloud Computing offers new opportunities in the gaming industry. With the support of cloud technology, other industries such as music, television, etc. offer extensive content to users in PCs and smart phones.

Features offered by Cloud Technology

Security: Can prevent interruptions such as hacking. The information is stored within a storage space and makes the platform safer than the other traditional applications.

Compatible with Any Type of Devices: High-end games can even be played on lower end machines. Cloud technology can diminish the limitations caused by memory requirements, graphic capacity, and processing power.

Reduced Costs: The cloud systems follow a ‘pay as you go’ strategy in which gaming companies need to pay only for the resources that they have used.

Easy Access to Games: Easy to implement and can access games from any device from any location without downloading the game.

Safe from Piracy: The gamers play games on cloud servers with an access on their personal computers, so cloud diminishes the chances of unauthorized manipulation, interruptions and maintains the novelty of the game.

More devices are available: Cloud computing supports the usage of multiple devices such as smart phones, laptops etc. Players can enjoy the game from anywhere in the world without carrying the console.

8) Cloud Demand Services are on the Rise

Refers to games which are not stored on your computer or device but kept on a server. Using the client-side software you can connect to the server and retrieve the game when needed. Benefits for this are that you don’t need to update the software every time when a new update comes.

Some of the top Cloud Services for the Gamers are:

• G-cluster
• Play-station Now
• GameFly
• GameNow
• StreamMyGame

GamingAnywhere is another open source cloud gaming platform which currently supports Windows and Linux and can be ported to OS X and Android. Gamers may customize GamingAnywhere to meet their needs. And this advantage is not possible in other game clouding platforms.

According to Cisco research, globally cloud apps will drive 90% of total mobile data traffic by 2019 and Mobile cloud traffic will be 11-fold with Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 60%.

9) More Focus on Security of the Gaming Apps

Protecting your gaming brand, assets, stories and characters have tended to be more important these days. Mobile games and other apps are seeing an increasing number of hacking attacks, where they clone popular games and then collect the revenue from the cracked copies of the original.

Securing a mobile game can be a complex task since the threats vary depending on different factors- Platforms, the architecture of the game, type of the game and much more. Using third party app stores can end up hosting pirated versions of the original app. This can deny the revenue to the actual game developer and most of such pirated game versions contain malware.

Things to be done to keep acquiring security in apps:

a) Use intrusion detection and obfuscation techniques

b) Prevent piracy by adding a line of defense in server layer, network layer, a memory layer, and disc layer of the game.

c) Get an external audit done by a specialist.

In 2014, Flappy Bird was a Top Free Game in iOS App Store. The developers made an income of around $50,000 a day from in-app advertisements and sales. Within a month, there were 60 different clones of the game being added, every single day to the store.

In a rush to get apps in the market, developers fail to keep security as a key part and finally can get a loss about 50% or more of their potential revenue because of hacking or other security failures.

The two other development to keep an eye on in 2017 is MagicLeap, the US “mixed reality” start-up which has been funded to a high level and is considered to be a game-changer. The second development involves Microsoft is trying to make VR headsets standard for Windows 10 running PCs. It will enable firms to manufacture VR headsets with confidence.

Mobile Gaming development is actually at an interesting point. It can reach more customers than any other gaming apps platforms. Nintendo, Pokemon Go, and Super Mario Run proved to have something new and interesting to offer to the gaming apps space in 2016. Two Major hardware launches-Nintendo’s Switch and Microsoft’s Scorpio might also happen this year.

At the end of the day, though, providing a premium and smoother experience is the key to the success of all mobile game development in the coming years. Design skills and understanding the customers should be the priority concern for mobile app developers.