Category Archives: Mobility

With the official release of Apple iOS 12, Apple introduced an intriguing new technology call Shortcuts. Shortcuts was first released as part of iOS 12 beta. The application required to create the actual Shortcuts was only available to developer.

With the official release of iOS12,  you can download the shortcuts application to develop custom scripts that automate common tasks.

Imagine dialling into your daily conference call, automatically logging into your favorite conferencing tools and putting your phone on Do Not Disturb, all with a simple voice command. You could plot a road trip by having your iPhone. Use a short cut to grab the itinerary from your calendar, automatically plot your route, play your favorite iTunes playlist and log your kilometers. The potentials are endless and can be achieved using simple Siri commands.

Shortcuts can execute a series of simple sequences that a user prescribes or can evolve into more sophisticated routines that take various factors into consideration.

Now that I’ve downloaded the Shortcuts application (which is available on the Apple Store), I’m looking forward to exploring the possibilities. I created my first Shortcuts in less 5 mins. A basic understanding of programming concept is helpful for anyone creating sophisticated Shortcuts. Otherwise it’s a simple drag and click interface.

Down the road I’d like to see if Shortcuts can help purge unwanted emails. Time to start thinking about all the repetitive tasks I perform on a daily basis.

From what I can determine, Shortcuts works with all the pre-installed iOS applications, though with some limitation (Will discuss in next blog). You can also automate basic tasks using most iOS applications. I’m interested in seeing how easily I can manipulate an array of information and streamline actions such as sending out holiday greetings. I anticipate software developers will expand support for Shortcuts over time opening up the ability to further automate workflows

Stay posted as we will provide regular updates on iOS 12 Shortcuts and discuss further ways we believe this technology can add value to customers..

April 21st 2015

By Mark James:

Mobileggedon is here, what does that mean for you? Do you know or care?

There are a couple of questions you should ask; such as, What is Mobileggedon anyway? How will Mobileggedon effect my business, me?

Google announced on April 21st that it has changed its algorithm. This change is driven by Google’s desire to embrace the rapidly growing mobile market. Mobile friendly sites will be given a higher ranking on the search results than non-mobile friendly sites. In other words, the effectiveness of your website will be severely impacted by having a lower ranking

Research has shown people rarely venture beyond the top ten sites that are returned from a search. This means by your not complying to making your website a Responsive Website the investment you made in your website and SEO optimization will take a significant hit.

How does this affect your bottom line? A large percentage of Internet searches will bypass your website causing a measurable reduction in your internet traffic and revenue (earning potential).

Let’s face it websites have become a critical medium for interacting with customers. Your website represents your brand, expresses your value proposition and helps to promote/sell your goods and services. The fact is customers are increasingly accessing websites via mobile devices.

This brings us to why Google made the adjustment to their algorithm. Google made this change primarily due to the exponential explosion of mobile devices now using the Internet. Mobile devices now accounts for X of all Internet traffic. Mobile users are becoming very accustomed to accessing information anywhere and anytime. Research shows that 50% of all web searches will be done via mobile devices by 2018. That is less than three years from now.

Well now you are probably asking what does this mean to my business and me? If you are not asking that question you should be for Mobileggedon is really an opportunity for you to update your website by becoming responsive to meet the growth demands of mobile device users expectations and to get a top ranking when a conducted search is returned.

What is Responsiveness? First a little background on how websites are built. When information is laid out on paper most often use 8×11. Sometimes 8×5 will be used for handbook or 17×10 for a poster.

This size determines the real estate available to layout our information

When developing content for the web the web designer work in pixels (px) – Think of your computer screen resolution (1024 x 768), your phone camera, (your big screen tv).

Many websites were built at a time when most users would have accessed the Internet via a desktop PC or laptop. Web designers didn’t have to think about small screen sizes and the different devices that exist today such as tablets and smart phones.

This is also compounded by the fact that mobile devices today have introduced a plethora of different screen sizes.

While HTML allows us to view web content on a mobile device as is, you may quickly notice some user interface issues. Such as:

• Links may be difficult to click on
• Menu bars may be too long
• Fonts may be difficult to read
• Graphics may be slow to load or just too large

These are just some of the issues that need to be address so that your website meets the bare minimum requirements needed to become responsive.

A Call to Action

If you would like to better understand what is needed to meet Google’s responsiveness guideline or how to get your website mobile ready, contact us and we will provide a 50% discount for your initial consultation.