Mobile Apps Archives - Jessica N. Abraham | Designer. Writer. Publicist.

Cool Technologies, Medium Contributions, tEQ.life

Augmented Reality | Bringing interactive reading & learning tools to young explorers in real-time

August 14, 2019 No Comments

Previously Published to tEQ.life

If you grew up watching Nick Jr., you already know how much of an impact interactive television shows, such as Blue’s Clues, can have on a young mind. Our children feel as if the characters on the show are actually their friends, and they quickly embrace the second-person experience, as a means for early-learning education. They become like sponges — easily engaged and encouraged by conversation. Intrigued by curiosity, they thirst for exploration. And while they quickly absorb the material and storylines presented before them, there is a huge divide between reality and storytelling that continues to leave a void out in the open.

Augmented reality is changing all of that, allowing our children to thrive at levels we have never seen before.Our children learn in different ways, and yet reading is a major part of who we become as students, educators, and professionals in our fields. We learn visually, we learn through auditorial experiences and we learn through pure immersion, completely saturated in the overall experience.

One company making a difference.

Within, a Los Angeles-based tech company, has been taking advantage of this ideal, creating exciting new platforms and highly interactive experiences in augmented, mixed and virtual reality since about 2014. Last year, they introduced a wide spectrum of learning tools that would bring interactive reading experiences into the forefront of early childhood development.

Yesterday, they announced an “Intergalactic, AR Reading Adventure Sends Kids into Space.”

As it releases its fourth augmented reality storybook, Clio’s Cosmic Quest, Within continues to embrace augmented reality when telling “extraordinary stories” to an audience of young readers. In fact, the launch of the early-learning reading app, Wonderscope, has been nothing short of a welcoming experience, as these young readers are met with a lovable character, who stops at nothing to engage their young minds while leaving a lasting impression sure to last a lifetime.

Meet Clio.

Meet Clio — a tiny particle of purple stardust — as she literally enters into our world and immediately greets your child with meaningful dialogue and an overall sense of inclusion. She includes them into the narrative and invites them to join her on a mission through our solar system. They are, then, presented with a combination of “read-out-loud” experiences, that include interactive diagrams, maps and fun facts to help them through their journey.

Students can choose to interact one-on-one or they can bring their classmates along for the journey. As a team, they join Clio in challenging reading bullies, meeting the Sun and bringing an entire nebula back together — just in the nick of time!

Real-time lessons on life.

“We’ve written lines for kids that teach them how to handle bullies, stick up for what they believe in, and be there for those that need help,” states Within’s Director of Development, Jonny Ahdout, about this rewarding new game.

The story about Clio becomes just one more addition to Wonderscope’s growing library of augmented titles, including A Brief History of Stunts by Astounding People, Little Red the Inventor and Wonder’s Land Ringmaster Wanted — with even more stories and adventures to be released in upcoming months.

According to a recent press release, “Wonderscope’s voice recognition system is built to understand and nurture confidence in new readers at a wide range of levels, and with different dialects and accents. The app provides visual and aural feedback by highlighting words, and having characters make eye contact and react expressively back to the user.
“Clio’s Cosmic Quest ends with a fully interactive bonus scene where users explore and learn more about space, planets and solar systems, developing a playful appreciation for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).”

Wonderscope is geared towards kids, aged 6 and older and currently holds a solid 4-star rating from Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization that provides education and advocacy to families, through the promotion of safe technologies and media for children.

The app is currently free and available on all AR-enabled iOS devices, although stories themselves can run as high as $4.99 a piece.

TalentZoo Contributions

Chic Sketch, Bridging Fashion and Technology Through Mobile Integrations

January 22, 2016 No Comments

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED TO TMCNET’S MOBILITY TECHZONE

Appetizer Mobile is known for its array of interactive mobile apps development and marketing services. Chic Sketch, an innovative app under the Appetizer umbrella, is bringing personalization and design to the mobile forefront as it connects fashion brands directly to enthusiasts in a whole new way. Like parent company, Appetizer Mobile, they are “creating a brand identity in the mobile space.”

As technology takes over our lives, the Fashion Industry has been finding an increased challenge in capitalizing on the mobile revolution that has been allowing other industries excel. After all, we want to touch and feel fabric. We want to see it in all of its vibrance. While we shop and watch runway shows on mobile, how can we interact with it? This is where Chic Sketch has found an “in.”

Fashionistas love this app, because they are able to snap a selfie of themselves, draped in their latest attire and can have a sketch mock up sent to them in minutes. Sketch mockups are created and sent directly to the user. These sketches are created much like the designs that our fashion experts sketch when developing a new collection or runway show. They are, literally, hand-drawn sketch, sent to you in minutes.

Although the app is free to browse and view other sketches, each sketch costs $9.99 with a few for expedition at an additional $4.99.

Like so much of today’s tech world, this app takes advantage of technology to get the job done. Utilizing cloud technologies, Chic Sketch relies heavily on connectivity and storage, allowing each sketch to be streamlined through a cloud-based infrastructure and to the user in under twenty minutes or less — with many sketches arriving much quicker than that. Communication is everything, especially to the illustrators that are working remotely. Photos must be delivered to the artist and back through the company’s cloud-platform for approval and delivery to the fashionista on the other end!

When asked where the inspiration for this chic mobile app came from, award-winning “Forbes 30 under 30” CEO Jordan Edelson said, “The initial inspiration came to me when I would see Emily Brickel Edelson (designer to the stars), Co-Founder, Head Illustrator, and Fashion Designer sketching on paper at different events we attended. When I traveled with her to different fashion events, I would assist and watch her. One of the things I noticed instantly was that as soon as people would receive their sketch, they would take a picture of it on their phone and share it on social media.”

Edelson continued, “Right around fashion week last year I connected the dots and thought it would be a great idea as an application to bring to the masses. People have a strong emotional connection to art, and Chic Sketch caters to that. It’s more than a novelty, its art desecrated by computers – synthetic art as I like to call it. Chic Sketch is a great combination of a digital platform with a human element, as each sketch is created by a real illustrator by hand.”

Edelson also explained how the app has evolved since its beginnings. For mobile applications, and technologies of any kind, it is extremely important to evolve in meeting the needs of growing audiences and to keep up with technology. This app started as simply a service. In its newer form and into a soon-to-be released Chic Sketch 2.0, the app will be more about discovery, social engagement and extended partnerships with other brands.

The app also sets out to be an inspiration to audiences. “We are interpreting fashion through other people’s eyes. It’s bringing life to designs other people have created. When users look at the sketches they can draw inspiration from them, and possibly create their own fashion lines.”

TMC Net Contributions

HTML5 Continues to Transform Traditional Print to Scalable Interactive Experiences

January 15, 2016 No Comments

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ON TMCNET’S HTML5 REPORT

We have been seeing publishers, such as ISSUU, distributing independent magazines across platform via HTML5 since as early as 2010. But as PUB HTML5 crosses this threshold, it reminds us how important it is to create efficiency for our audiences. As mobile platforms continue to be our choice window into the outside world, it becomes ever so necessary to keep our media responsive in ensuring its consumption on the go.

Allowing magazines to be circulated within a global world, many publishers, such as PUB HTM5 and ISSUU are enjoying the potential that HTML5 can bring to their catalog of material – both commercial and independent, as they create “flipbooks,” magazines, catalogs and other publications.

Thanks to HTML5-based platforms, we are granted access to a plethora of devices, including smartphones, tablets and now wearables. We are able to deliver animated transitions, while keeping our content optimized to search engine visibility. We are further able to build large audiences that can now subscriber to push and e-mail notification once a new issue has been published.

Without the need for flash, companies such as PUB HTML5 have found ways to keep responsive content scalable in meeting visibility and aesthetic requirements of each deliverable. Publishers can now expand the potential of their published content by adding video, audio and slideshows. A traditional magazine now becomes an interactive experience.

For publishers, who have gained reputation through newsstand success and are now seeing a rapid decline in subscription and readership, there is hope – and even more opportunity than before. They are given wings and are able to directly engage their brand loyalists in amazingly new interactive instances. Instead of discussing a musician’s new album, they could, indeed, give access to exclusive tracks from that album to audiences all over the world.

The ability to shift our platforms and shift our content to suit our personal needs for consumption is almost spoiling.

Catering to our audiences through scalable media and browser responsiveness, we can ensure a positive, eye-catching – and addicting – experience every time. As we build mobile applications to supplement what the physical world can’t offer and our browsers to provide a means of access without the need for download, HTML5 continues to bring excitement and potential into the world of digital media content and delivery.

Brands are finally adopting the “content is king” mentality. But, we’ve been saying this for years. Taking that content and delivering it in new ways is what it will take to stay ahead of competition and gain in brand loyalty throughout the decades.

What PUB HTML5 and ISSUU are doing is giving brands a voice, whereas they would have lost it otherwise. Giving us delivery potential through their digital newsstand, we now have the opportunity to gain a new monetization strategy. Through their existence, we give our audiences new options… options that allow for online and offline consumptions through a mobile platform and the option to be printed in the physical form.

Business are now given the potential to create packages for strategic partnerships and in delivering proposals in a new light. HTML5 has not just changed the face of how we present written materials, but it is slowly changing how we interact with documentation, marketing materials and educational platforms. The world is evolving – and so is our content.

TMC Net Contributions

App Annie Announces Mobile App Intelligence Made Better

November 16, 2015 No Comments

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED TO TMC NET’S MOBILITY TECH ZONE

Recently, App Annie announced new benefits to operators and OEMs everywhere. As the largest mobile application intelligence platform, it has continuously delivered powerful market data and insights to users in the app economy.

App Annie has announced an expansion of its Usage Intelligence product that will continue to offer business intelligence data to telecommunications operators and OEM professionals—device manufacturers are also included in this community. The product will launch to mobile app operations in over 60 countries and support both Android and iOS operating systems.

Together, users will be able to better gage the strength of strategic partnerships and how they convert for each prospective partner. This will also lead to the identification of potential partners and forge stronger ties amongst partners. It is one thing knowing the company you keep, but what about the company of your partner? This new innovation will help users to better understand competitive landscapes and take advantage of opportunities within the market. Ultimately, this could potentially increase product and service lines, how content, products and services are consumed and diversify markets for an already established brand.

With over 500K mobile professions reported to rely on App Annie on a daily basis, it was imperative for App Annie to serve them better. The company identified the reasons for their current success, which is heavily influenced by the need of business professional in understanding the app market space in connection to their brand, their own personal reach and all available opportunities around them. For this, App Annie took to the drawing board to improve current services to these clients. They have improved existing products, while adding new features for immediate offering.

Mark Ungerer, General Manager for Paid Products of App Annie said, “We are excited to announce this offering for Operators and OEMs. We are constantly listening to our customers and the ecosystem and evolving our product to best suit their business needs. The expansion of our Usage Intelligence product equips telcos and device manufacturers with the right tools to optimize their pricing strategies and to recommend desirable devices to Operator partners.”

In this new release, a “host of different needs” will be met, as stated by App Annie in a previous statement. In the most recent announcement, App Annie’s new additions were broke down one by one. The newest feature rollouts will include:

Device-level metrics with segmentation by device type, data plan and more
Identification and tracking of device and network usage patterns (especially off-network trends with Wi-Fi)
Impact of mobile device usage and its effect on network profitability

These implementations to current products will keep App Annie ahead of the “data game,” ensuring mobile business intelligence data and support OEM users in the continual battle to rename number one. They will continue to influence innovation around the globe and set a bar for standard in the mobile intelligence industry. With so many brand imitators and less barriers of entry to our mobile world, it is almost essential that a product like this exist.

Diving deeper into App Annie’s most recent announcement, we learn the key usage metrics will include a breakdown of data consumption, based on originating location, device used to access the platform, mobile plan and operator, the user’s location of access and when they most frequently are being visited by specific individuals. They will also be able to get a deeper understanding as to who actually visits the site, if they visit more than once, what keeps them returning and how could they better be kept engaged. This data will continue to allow brands to evolve mobile and corporate infrastructure, as well as their pricing, as associated with a detailed core demographic.

AXS Contributions

Knowledge, the fifth element: New app embraces hip hop and edu-tainment

September 28, 2015 No Comments

Sabir Bey, The Sabir Bey Show, Law, History, Science, Society, Religion, Culture, Moorish American, Moors in America, Taj Tarik Bey, Circle 7, LA Talk Live, RMC On Air, Dr Leonard Jeffries, Professor James Small, Dr Wesley Muhamad, Shorty Produkshins, Jessica Abraham, Jessica N Abraham, Mobile App, Google Play

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED TO AXS.COM

The Sabir Bey Show commences with a new home at RMC On Air, after three successful seasons on LA Talk Live, reaching audiences of over 8 million weekly viewers in over 180 countries around the World. It is anticipated that the show will take off to new heights with new platforms and a ton of new projects in the works. Producer of The Sabir Bey Show sat down with AXS on Sunday, September 27, to discuss what this sometimes controversial awakening has got in store for enthusiasts and students across the globe.

New Mobile Application
Toting a brand new mobile app, the show now airs live each and every Friday night at 7:30 PM Est (4:30 PM Pst). The app is very interactive, connecting the official social network of The Sabir Bey Show directly to the mobile app for “always on” access to knowledge… the fifth element of hip hop. Users can view case studies, e-books, dictionaries, DVDs, movies and much more! While this mobile app is only in beta, it is continually evolving to meet the needs of students and viewers around the country.

Out of Darkness Film, Lecture Tour & Screenings
Compared to many classic edu-series films, this film is the first of three, set for an October release and featuring many of the elders in the Moorish community, as well as those within the Pan Africanist movement, including Dr. Kaba Kamene and Professor James Small. A film by Building Seven Media, many are already calling this one of the best films ever to cover “so-called ‘black’” history.

Together, Amadeuz Christ and Sabir Bey have teamed up to collectively put together an “Out of Darkness” tour, where they are holding lectures and screenings of the “Out of Darkness” move before and after it is released.

New DVDs & Books
A Sabir Bey Production is always a thought provoking release. Adding to the collection of DVDs that Sabir Bey has already released, new DVDs are to be released via web and mobile app within the upcoming weeks. In addition to these releases, hard-to-find books will be made available through The Sabir Bey Show mobile store.

The Sabir Bey “Actuality” Show
A spin-off of the popular Sabir Bey Show, Sabir Bey and Amadeuz Christ have teamed up to put together The Sabir Bey “Actuality” Show, an unscripted behind-the-scenes documentary series, filmed as things actually happen on The Sabir Bey Show, at live events and on the road. With three episodes filmed already, viewers are able to catch the show on demand via TheSabirBeyShow.com and through the brand new mobile app. This show is filmed and edited with HD quality. This is not your average reality show.

With so much going on at The Sabir Bey Show, it is going to be hard to keep up. But with every popular series, there is definitely a culture. The Sabir Bey Show is often called controversial by the masses, yet it supports truth, freedom, justice, love and peace in efforts to “uplift fallen humanity” through its mission of uniting Moors across the globe and bringing peace amongst all communities. In continuing this mission, The Sabir Bey Show targets the Media in reminding those who have chosen a career in the media that there is a certain unalienable responsibility that goes with it.

Get the App!

The Sabir Bey Show can be found here in Google Play.

iPhone users can cheat for now by visiting this link and saving a bookmark to their mobile desktop. There will be missing features, but it will still be a good alternative.

Cool Technologies, EXAMINER ARCHIVES | 2016 & Beyond

300-year-old industry implements innovative tech trends

March 11, 2014 No Comments

A2Z and FABTech Canada Release Mobile App

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ON EXAMINER

FABTECH CANADA 2014 will be taking place shortly, and a2z, Inc. plays an important role in helping the event to succeed through innovation and accessibility. FABTECH CANADA is the embodiment of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA), the American Welding Society (AWS), the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA), and Chemical Coaters Association International with SME, who have been “serving to the advancement and growth of fabricating, welding, metal forming and manufacturing” for the last 300 years. Together, they bring these elements into manifestation to produce an annual event that is exciting and unique to Canadians in this industry. Through growth and the evolution of tech trends, innovation is key to successful progress, especially for such a traditional trade in a “high-tech” world.

According to a recent press release (March 11, 2014), a2z, Inc. is teaming up with FABTECH to make this year even more successful than the last. a2z, Inc., a leader in event management and marketing software solutions, has designed a customized ChirpE Native Mobile App for the FABTECH CANADA 2014 event that will take place at the Toronto Congress Centre on March 18-22, 2014. The app is available cross-platform, including Android and iOS and is also available on all “internet-enabled smartphones.”

Because FABTECH CANADA is Canada’s “only exclusive fabricating, welding, metal forming and finishing event,” it dedicates itself to provide all the tools needed to “improve productivity, increase profits, and find new ways to grow in today’s competitive business environment.” In taking that concept to the digital world, it is imperative to reflect the company’s direction through mobile capabilities in bringing productivity to this event.

The a2z-powered ChirpE mobile solution allows for “on-the-go access” to event exhibitor listings, full with interactive floorplans and up-to-date conference scheduling. There are also features for event announcements and a personalized planner so that attendees can create their own customized schedules with notes and calendar capabilities. This particular app is superior to others in its field because it allows for live synchronization with the conference website and provides exhibitors and attendees with an enhanced event experience and to-the-minute announcements. Furthermore, they can use productivity tools to create lists of favorite exhibitors and map out their locations at the event.

This app allows for FABTECH CANADA 2014 to be marketed through app marketplaces and allow for sponsorship possibilities within itself. Mobile Marketing options, which also include Internet Marketing tactics, may also be made available to bring this event to the forefront of many skilled traders in the Canadian region of the World. It also allows for awareness through Word of Mouth and the app’s presence in the mobile marketplace to encourage International attendees in this and future years. With the collaboration of a2z and FABTECH, it is highly likely that we will see a trend amongst future generations of skilled tradesmen and women in incorporating new technologies with traditional practices.

EXAMINER ARCHIVES | 2016 & Beyond

It’s 2014, and you still have no Mobile Marketing Action Plan? Change that!

March 6, 2014 No Comments

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ON EXAMINER

If your brand hasn’t gone mobile yet, you have fallen behind the norm! According to fishbat, a company spelled with “all lowercase” letters and a leader in Long Island advertising agencies, Internet browsing via mobile apps have surpassed PC usage in January alone with 55% usage! PCs hold strong at 47%, while the remaining 8 percent comes from actual Mobile browsers. This means that 62% of the time that the Internet is being accessed within the United States, it is being done via mobile device!

On March 6, 2014, fishbat released press explaining how this is possible. They were inspired to do so by a February 28th article posted by CNN Money, entitled “Mobile apps overtake PC Internet usage in U.S.”

The “smartphone adoption rate” of an increased 39% is actually leading to the PC’s largest decline in the lifespan of PC sales. Let’s face it, mobile devices are more personal, readily accessible, and (depending on phone carrier) free or cheaper than the average PC pricing.

It is now understood that an estimated 55% of adults in the United States own smartphones, while 42 percent own tablets. There is no report on who owns both. So, these numbers may actually overlap. At the same time, they equally contribute to Internet access rates. And, with “growing 4G Networks, there is no reason this trend should stop any time soon.”

Some people would rather share a toothbrush than to share a mobile device. This is an actual report by Hubspot in 2011 that at that time reported “6.8 billion people live on the planet. 5.1 billion of them own a cell phone. 4.2 own a toothbrush.” Those numbers have only grown since then!

As the ratio of mobile ownership and usage, in comparison to PC ownership and usage, increases, Justin Maas, Vice President of Client Relations at fishbat, expects that “accessing the Internet via mobile apps is not only more convenient, but, now, due to smarter mobile designs, it is becoming easier to use,” he says.

“This data shows that businesses, especially e-commerce businesses, have to optimize their websites for mobile apps. It’s extremely important for businesses to have a mobile app version. With their growing popularity, mobile apps are the best way businesses can keep people interested in their brand. If a brand does not have a mobile app, chances are, they are losing out on potential selling opportunities. If designing a mobile app is not feasible, optimization of their website for mobile browsers is the next best thing.”

If you haven’t already implemented “Mobile” into your Internet Marketing and Mobile Marketing Action Plans, you better start now.

Some companies have redesigned their sites to work on all platforms and appear the same. Others have created exclusive designs only for web. Some have implemented mobile apps, while others are doing all of the above. Take a minute. Think. What will you do? How will you take your brand into the Mobile Evolution?

EXAMINER ARCHIVES | 2016 & Beyond, THE BEGINNING ARCHIVES | 2012 & Beyond

Educational App encourages “Social” with contests in promoting Math to our youth!

October 17, 2013 No Comments

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ON EXAMINER

Whether your child attends a public school or is being homeschooled by you, there is no denying that educational yet interactive learning materials are top priority in giving your child the skills they need to succeed in the real world. The younger the children are, the more we seek to excite their core with educational games directed towards their age group. One company is working to supply this demand in a host of games under release that encourages innovation and the elements of Mathematical function.

In 2013, Sproglit tested the waters with the launch and release of their first educational math game. This game was launched as a Beta iPad App and found its way into a number of schools in California, Utah and New York. This game was dubbed “Kyle Counts” and has found success through Beta users.

The matrix that Kyle Counts was built on is being called “Math Arrow” and is now announcing a contest encouraging teachers and parents, who homeschool their children, to enter for a chance to win $1,000. Runners up will win prizes provided by Sproglit in gratitude for their participation.

The contest is fairly easy to execute. Sproglit asks that the educator sends a lesson plan, story or video showing how they have incorporated the Math Arrow program into their classrooms and are finding success by “boosting number sense, addition and counting skills amongst their students.” Sproglit has created a contest page on their corporate site with instructions and entry forms available to these participants.

Currently, success is being reported by BYU Researcher who is reporting that “playing the Math Arrow: Kyle Counts iPad app for ten minutes a day for just one week raises arithmetic scores by 7-11% among first-graders.”

How Math Arrow works is by “numbers from 0-100 to children so that they can visualize patterns and quickly see, for example, how to count by 2s, 5s, and 10s.” This technology works so well, that even the inventor of the first cell phone, Mr. Martin Cooper, calls the Math Arrow “ingenious.” The Math Arrow was featured through The Mathematical Association of America with the headline: “Math Arrow to Replace Number Line?”

Because this game is catching on with children and educators around the United States, it is imperative that this company finds itself a larger presence, Online, in competing for the Mobile App and Tablet markets, Some people are very particular when it comes to educating the youth and avoiding companies that send out “subliminals” with their programming.

In order to provide individuals with a sense of Brand Trust, it will take everyday individuals to tell their own personal stories and successes. Sproglit is giving them an incentive to do so, while listening to ways to make their product better in future editions!

A product full of colors, animals, drama, learning and rewards, it is sure to capture the attention of young children everywhere, many of which normally have difficulty learning in traditional forms of education. It allows them to really understand the methods and sciences behind arithmetic.

Through testimonials, Sproglit may better demonstrate this to new potential users who may be skeptical. These children can speak about the experience themselves, with the adult involved in the process can speak about the actual progress of each child’s journey.

Sproglit is holding submission for contest participants until January 15, 2014. “We are excited to engage teachers and parents. The sooner they show the Math Arrow and Kangaroo Kyle to their children, the sooner their kids will develop a better sense of numbers,” said Sproglit CEO Todd Buchholz.

Invented by Todd Buchholz, former White House economic advisor, economist, author and winner of the Allyn Young Teaching Prize at Harvard University and in conjunction with his daughters Victoria, Katherine and Alexia, the Math Arrow is used in games by Sproglit in bringing about a positive understanding in the World of Mathematics to children everywhere.

Math is one of our most difficult subjects to grasp totally in our lifetime and yet is one of the most important. Everything in life involves it. By providing the youth with a love for the subject, we are preparing them for exciting revolutions in how people think, react, and function in our Tomorrow!