Mobile development moves fast, with new devices, operating systems, languages, and tools. Choosing the right mobile application development platform (MADP) can mean…
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Braintree targets European commerce apps with a streamlined sign-up, free transactions
With an email address and a company URL, European developers can now plug PayPal and credit card payments into their mobile apps and websites using Braintree’s new SDK.…
Read MoreWebRTC is quietly — but unmistakably — gaining steam
WebRTC has long failed to live up to a tremendous amount of hype. But while major challenges remain, the technology is clearly gaining momentum and is positioned to make big strides over the 12 to 24 months.…
Read MoreMobile website development 101 (because so many are still flunking)
Political campaigns, SMBs and other organizations are still failing to build websites that are optimized for mobile phones. They can change that by addressing several fundamental factors.…
Read MoreExamining developer strategies in a brutal app economy
Making a living has never been more difficult for app developers targeting mainstream smartphone users in the U.S. Rather than trying to build the next hit game, developers should consider some other compelling options.…
Read MoreGo enterprise–or go home?
In his Weekly Update, Colin Gibbs, the Gigaom Research curator for mobile, is ‘examining the battle for mobile enterprise app developers’. Along…
Read MoreVoIP calling outfit Rebtel launches a challenger to Twilio called Sinch
Rebtel is an OTT communications company with ambitions of being much more than a cheap international calling service. It has spun off its VoIP and messaging network into a new company that will target mobile developers.…
Read MoreWhy I’m not worried about the mobile web
Native apps have come to dominate the time we spend on our mobile devices as opposed to the broader "mobile web," and some industry insiders are concerned that trend will stifle innovation. But there are a few important reasons to believe the mobile web has a bright future.…
Read MoreFor developers, big opportunities lie in hardcore tablet gaming
The console gaming market is struggling, and the economics of the booming mobile gaming market are brutal for developers. But tablets provide an opportunity for developers to make money by targeting hardcore gamers with immersive, console-type titles.…
Read MoreIf you think “mobile first,” you might be doing it wrong
The term "mobile first" has become something of a mantra for publishers who were often too slow to capitalize on the growth of mobile apps and web sites. But those publishers and their advertising partners need to start taking a broader view of how to present -- and monetize -- content across devices.…
Read MoreThe freemium model rules for consumer apps. But alternatives will emerge
The freemium model is fueling revenues not just for mobile games but also for other kinds of apps. Freemium's importance will only grow over the next few years, but developers will increasingly find other ways of monetizing their wares.…
Read MoreMore evidence that emerging markets are fertile ground for HTML5
A new worldwide survey finds that HTML5 is gaining ground among developers in emerging markets, and is actually more popular than iOS in some regions. That's good news for Firefox OS and other new platforms based on the web-based language.…
Read MoreWhy the mobile app industry really is like a gold rush
The mobile app market is often compared to a gold rush, with developers playing the role of miners looking to strike it rich. But like any gold rush, there are huge opportunities for those who can provide tools to those seeking a massive one-time strike.…
Read MoreIs AT&T’s Sponsored Data today’s “sender pays” SMS?
AT&T unveiled an initiative that will enable developers and other mobile content providers to subsidize the data bills of subscribers when they access particular apps, websites or other content. But is the model really just an extension of the "sender pays" SMS that got no traction in the U.S.?…
Read MoreThe silly native vs. web app ‘battle’ may finally be on the wane
A new survey indicates mobile developers are increasingly embracing both HTML5 and native code to produce the best apps as efficiently as possible. That's good news in a space that all too often gets caught up in a manufactured war between the two strategies.…
Read MoreWhat Cisco’s move to open source H.264 means for mobile WebRTC — and what it doesn’t
Cisco last week said it will take its version of H.264 open source, paying licensing costs to make it freely available to third-party developers. The move may boost H.264's chances of becoming a default codec for real-time communication, it might not help WebRTC's prospects in mobile.…
Read MoreBehind eBay’s $800M buy: Braintree will replace PayPal’s developer platform
PayPal tried to revamp its developer platform this spring for the new mobile commerce reality, but it realized it wasn't moving fast enough. It decided to buy Braintree, which already had sophisticated tools in place.…
Read MoreGoogle’s new app policies are an important step in the right direction
Google is adopting some strict new policies in an effort to clean up its flagship Android app store. The company is taking a page from Apple's playbook as it tries to minimize the downside to operating an open source mobile platform.…
Read MoreBlackBerry 10’s app woes continue
BlackBerry World is teeming with low-quality apps from a single developer, according to a new report from BlackBerryReview. The news underscores how BlackBerry continues to struggle to build out its library with quality titles.…
Read MoreAmazon and Microsoft battle for mobile cloud developers
Amazon and Microsoft compete for mobile cloud developers with new push notification services.…
Read MoreStruggling to win customers, Microsoft tries harder to woo developers
Microsoft hopes to grow its library of Windows Phone titles with a new tool that enables anyone to create an app without learning code. Until the company can increase the platform's market share, though, it will continue to struggle to attract attention from developers.…
Read MoreCan Microsoft solve its mobile apps problem?
A lack of popular mobile apps has hindered the growth of Windows Phone, as a Nokia executive pointed out this week. And Microsoft will find it increasingly difficult to lure developers as several new mobile operating systems come to market this year.…
Read MoreForget “mobile first,” “mobile second,” and all other cut-and-dried rules
App developers, web publishers and others continue to argue whether "mobile first" is the best strategy in the era of the smartphone. But executives should always think first about just what they're trying to accomplish with their apps and websites.…
Read MoreFor Microsoft, Bing as a platform is the only way
Bing as the world's leading search engine might not be a realistic goal, but Microsoft is counting on Bing's data and infrastructure to power the future of Windows apps.…
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