When it comes to monitoring your app performance and how users are adapting its features, mobile app session replay is a powerful solution. Session replay, also known as session recording or app session replay allows you to replay videos to check how users are interacting with your app. It is a qualitative analytics solution many mobile app development teams are using to enhance the app’s features and improve user experience.

What is a Session Replay?

Session replay is a standard method of recording mobile app screens that tell app developers and performance engineers to understand how users are navigating through the app. It is one of the best techniques to identify any issues users are facing while using your app. By regularly checking session replay, your mobile app development team has a better idea of how users are interacting with your app and collects the insights required to fix any UX issues. By improving the functionality of your app and delivering a great user experience, you can increase the conversion rate.

Mobile app session replays record the screen rendering, user gestures, events, popups, error messages, swipes and navigations, and much more. App developers can check screen recordings and screenshots to get a clear idea of how users are interacting with the app. Your app development team can check where users click, where they scroll, and which feature is creating problems. This data is useful to identify bugs and fix them in a timely manner.

Let’s explore how mobile app session replay can help you understand user behavior, resolve usability issues and deliver an outstanding user experience.

See the Real Experience from the User’s Perspective

One of the biggest benefits of using this amazing tool is that it allows you to see how users are using your app in real-time and what he is trying to do. When you observe your users in real-time, it gives you a clear idea of how pleasing or painful it is for them to use your app. It allows you to better understand what issues your customers are facing by watching their live sessions.

Identify Bugs and Solve them Faster

Developing a bug-free app is easier said than done. Variations in devices, operating systems, screen sizes, and resolutions make it challenging for developers and performance testers to identify potential bugs. With session replay, you can easily capture all sessions, allowing developers and the QA team to observe how a user engages with a new app or interface.

You can monitor live sessions and see when and how the bug is appearing and impacting user experience. Mobile app session replay allows your team to ensure the app is functioning properly. In fact, session replay can improve the process of identifying and fixing bugs.

Improve User Onboarding Experience

It’s no surprise that user onboarding matters a lot. If truth be told, it can make or break your mobile app. Mobile app marketers and developers always try to make their apps unique from their competitors. You can set your app apart by creating a positive first impression. According to statistics, 25% of users abandon the app after using it for the first time.  

Attracting customers to your app is not enough, you need to convince them to use your app and take the desired action. Mobile app session replays can help you identify the friction points in the onboarding process. When you know all the possible issues, it allows your development and design team to make important tweaks in the app to maximize user engagement.  

Help Customers to Easily Use Your App

The ultimate goal of the mobile app development team is to build a highly functional product that is easy to use and helps users to solve their problems. Session replays allow you to see how users are using the app and collect important data that you can use for improving the user experience. Session replays allow you to provide users with technical support by showing what’s going wrong in the app and then offering the possible solution to help users make the most out of the app’s features.

Many app developers are willing to incorporate session replays into the customer support service in order to help agents directly access and view sessions. This strategy helps customer support representatives to provide the best possible solution to customers’ problems.   

Boost Conversions

Today, many brands are harnessing the power of session replays to increase the conversion rate. According to a study, session replay can increase the conversion rate up to 26%. A high conversion rate means that your app is performing well, and users are taking the desired action.

Since session replay lets you know the problems app users are facing and solve the bugs quickly. It will eventually help you perform an in-depth analysis and realize user behavior at each step of the user journey. Many famous brands such as SpanishDict, Zenstores, Metromile, and more have successfully increased the conversion rate by adding session replays to their app development strategy.

To Summarize

All in all, session replay is a powerful yet result-driven strategy that helps app developers and marketers to make important changes in the app as per the user requirements. With session replays, you can better understand users’ problems, improve onboarding experience, identify and solve bugs and deliver a seamless and outstanding user experience. Adding session replay to your app development process can help you increase conversions and make your mobile app a big success. 

The post How to Deliver a Stand-Out Mobile App Experiences with Session Replay appeared first on Branex Official Blog.

Source: Statistica

According to Statista, mobile commerce sales are expected to reach $3.56 trillion in 2021. A study conducted by Hootsuite suggests that currently, 5.22 billion consumers use mobile devices to fulfill their needs.

To win the trust of mobile users and entice them to shop from your brand, developing a killer eCommerce mobile app is critically important. An eCommerce app that functions well and has a compelling user interface design can encourage customers to use your app and make more purchases.

Your eCommerce app needs to create a first, positive impression, otherwise, you won’t be able to catch the interest of your potential buyers. If your app is not designed properly, people will not bother to use your app.

An intuitive user interface design is the key to a successful eCommerce app. Here are some useful eCommerce app designing tips that will make the eCommerce app development process smoother.

Let’s get started.

1. Make it Easy-to-Use

The ultimate goal of creating an eCommerce app is to allow shoppers to find the desired product they are looking for and make a purchase decision. The goal will only be fulfilled when you make it super easier for users to take the desired action. While designing an app for your eCommerce business, the team of app designers and developers put their best efforts into making the app user-friendly. Avoid adding too many functions to complete the goal.

Try to make it simple by minimizing users’ effort and giving easy and simple options to make the purchase process faster. You should focus on the basic features and functionalities. Since the screen size of mobile devices is limited, adding too many functionalities will make it difficult for app users to use the function to the fullest.

Furthermore, incorporating many complex features will only make your app difficult to use. Search bar, hamburger button, shopping cart, profile page, easy sign-up process are a few important features/functions, app designers should include in the eCommerce app.   

2. Use High Quality Images

When it comes to creating an eCommerce app, using images is indispensable to make a positive impression. Images are one of the most important components of your eCommerce mobile app design that can act as an effective selling tool. Adding high-quality images of your products in different dimensions enables shoppers to understand the features of the products.

Unfortunately, many designers don’t give much importance to images or use poor-quality images. It badly impacts the conversion rate and decreases your chances of closing more sales. Including images of products, you are trying to sell and giving the shoppers an option to zoom in, zoom out and see the product from different angles will definitely encourage customers to complete the purchase decision.

Add catchy and high-quality images to the user interface design of your eCommerce app and allow shoppers to make a well-informed decision about the product.

3. Add Product Information

Ecommerce apps are designed to provide customers with a memorable shopping experience and persuade them to make a purchase. Customers want detailed information about the product they want to purchase. Adding basic information about the products such as material, size, functionality, and other important information makes the buying process faster. App designers are advised to add as much information about the product as possible to help shoppers decide whether this product is the right fit for them.

4. Add Advanced Filters and Search Option

If you want to improve the functionality of your eCommerce app design and increase the conversion rate, it is advised to focus on the search options and product filters. You can add advanced search filters to the eCommerce app design to enable users to quickly find the right products, which will ultimately increase your chances of getting more sales.

You can improve the search functionality of your eCommerce app by using advanced search patterns such as dynamic search scoped search explicit search, and smart autosuggestions.

5. Product Arrangement Matters

When it comes to developing a user interface design for your eCommerce app, you need to carefully consider the product arrangement. You can offer a memorable user experience by classifying your products so that shoppers can find the right product within a few clicks.

Don’t forget to mention the main category and sub-category of the products. It will make it easier for app users to simply click to land on the desired product page and complete the purchase decision.

6. Easy Signup and Checkout Process

App developers and designers should simplify the process of login by making it short. Online shoppers are too busy, they don’t have time to fill long signup forms. It is annoying for eCommerce shoppers to sign up for an account and remember the password to complete the purchase decision. Instead of forcing customers to sign up and complete the order, you can provide them with a guest checkout option.

Moreover, you can also offer a social login option or log in with an existing email account. Providing easier options to signup and checkout will definitely provide a frictionless user experience that will make your eCommerce app a big hit.

7. Easy Payment Options

Make it easier for app users to buy from you by providing easy payment options. Today’s customers want an easy payment gateway and safe and secure checkout. Thanks to advanced payment options, now customers can pay with a single click using the touch id – no need to enter the credit card information, expiration date, and card number.

To Conclude

Running a successful eCommerce business will become easier if you design a user-friendly and high-performant mobile app for your online business. By following these easy and simple user interface design strategies, you can launch a robust and feature-packed eCommerce app for mobile users that performs well and offers an awesome user experience.

The post 7 Super-Easy User Interface Design Tips to Create a Functional Ecommerce App appeared first on Branex Official Blog.

It’s not where the currency has come to a stop, but it is ever-evolving. According to analysts, Bitcoin will witness rapid growth in the coming years. Just during this bull-run, the FXStreet estimated a single Bitcoin price to reach an alarming rate of $300,000 above & more.

But before we begin with learning where we can find the best price for Bitcoin, let’s first identify what Bitcoin is and how much potential this digital currency upholds in the growing industries.

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a digital cryptocurrency that is more commonly used as an investment for making online purchases and more. It is a currency sponsored by the government. It works through a system where people in the Bitcoin community earn coins through a sophisticated method called “mining.”

Using the best computer technologies and working on complex algorithms, the machine searches for Bitcoins to take a painstakingly long process to mine a single Bitcoin.

Based on the market value of Bitcoin, you can sell or purchase the cryptocurrency anywhere you want. One thing to keep in mind is that Bitcoin is not backed by any government. Bitcoin is part of a system or a community where you can earn coins through mining, as discussed above. The currency can also be purchased in digital wallets through different bitcoin exchanges. It works similarly as a stock market exchange does.

In short, Bitcoin is expressed as the future of currency.

Which Is the Best Exchange to Purchase Bitcoin?

If you can’t set up your own mining gig to extract Bitcoins, my recommendation is that you go for purchasing Bitcoin at an exchange. Choosing the right exchange can be quite overwhelming and if you’re not quite sure about which mining exchange can be the best option for you, let us help you out.

Here are five mining exchanges that I believe are worth consideration.

1) Coinbase

Without a doubt, Coinbase is one of the largest Bitcoin exchanges in the market. With Coinbase, you get not just an exchange but also a digital wallet. It is one of the easiest places to find & purchase your Bitcoin currency. You can purchase Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash & Litecoin from this place.

When you purchase a cryptocurrency from Coinbase, it charges you a fee of 1.49% for U.S transactions through a bank account. If you purchase it using a credit or debit card, you get a charge of a 3.99% fixed rate. Why do I believe Coinbase is a great option? It’s because Coinbase keeps 98% of your cryptocurrency in an offline location.

2) Cash App

Here’s a mobile app through which you can purchase & sell Bitcoin without incurring any additional cost. Although the app is normally used for transferring money, because of its free transactional nature, it is considered one of the top apps for Bitcoin currency exchange. Among the best crypto to buy, Ethereum is one that I believe holds a significant potential of growth. It is also a very stable currency and holds a great potential for growth in the coming days.

Powered by Square, Cash App is a huge financial technology where multiple transactions take place. It includes multiple services, including Bitcoin transactions, which is a small part of the entire gig.

3) Binance

Binance is another cryptocurrency exchange that includes plenty of different cryptocurrencies. It includes cryptos such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and its very own Binance Coin. The transaction fees for Binance goes as low as .1%, so if you want to get the best rates for multiple transactions, Binance is your best bet. Binance allows you to make quick trades on various digital currencies such as TRON, ICON, Ethereum Classic, EOS, Litecoin, Stellar Lumens, Ripple and a bunch of other ones.

If you are looking for a platform where you can make many exchanges at a low price tag, Binance is your one-stop-shop solution for everything. You can access it through a desktop as well as your Android app. There are reports of delays during transactions, but altogether, it is a great app.

4) CoinMama

Looking for an all-in-one exchange with a digital wallet for easy transactions, Coinmama is a great platform where you can change different currencies. You can easily exchange additional currencies, including U.S Dollars to Euros and much more. The site comes with more than 2 million customers in 188 countries. An easy feature allows you to purchase Bitcoin in just a handful of clicks from the homepage. The exchange further offers you to make real-time transactions. You only get charged for a higher fee, which goes as much as up to 3.9% on commission. Just buy and sell transactions for 0.9%. If you perform the transaction using a credit or debit card, it can go as much as up to 5%.

For now, there’s only a website. There’s no mobile app for using the platform.

Coinmama is a registered business in the United States and well recognized by the government.

Is Cryptocurrency a Good Investment?

Cryptocurrency has a vast potential and growth structure. If you haven’t thought of making due investments in the past, now is the time to make some. The market is currently on a rapid growth because of the bull-run, but by the end of this year, the market will come to an abrupt close. And when from there onwards, the currency value will start coming down, making it the best time to invest. You can put your money in and wait for the next few years for the currency to reach an alarming value for the long term. It can be an excellent investment for you and future businesses.

The post Best Exchanges to Buy Cryptocurrency in the UAE Fintech Market in 2020 appeared first on Branex Official Blog.

It is observed that tech professionals are widely accepted and hired in non-tech companies rather than tech firms. Technical specialists’ percentile growth is 11% faster in the non-tech industry than in tech-related industries. The following percentage was initially researched and addressed by Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadela, who revealed it during a tech event back in 2018. Since then, it has now become a trend and is expansively growing at an accelerated pace.

Just take a look at the automotive industry globally and study their hiring patterns. It is observed that automotive industries are now hiring more software engineers as much as they are hiring mechanical engineers and the reason behind it is simple. The world is advancing towards implementing more technological solutions and relying less on the workforce to operate them.

Software advancements are not limited to specific IT departments of various organizations. Instead, they are now hiring multiple software engineers to work with them in different departments such as finance, HR, production/operations, and SEO marketing. Wherever any business is observed lacking digital literacy, software developers are found to complete the equation.

Such advancements are allowing non-tech organizations to go beyond the line of performance.

As Microsoft terms it, we are entering into the new era where software developers in different departments are leveraging technology to enhance productivity and enhance operational efficiency.

The idea of using technology to make everything empowered digitally is what sets the very foundation of “tech-intensity.” Wondering what tech-intensity is & how it is defining the next decade? Let’s explore.

What is Tech Intensity?

The concept “tech intensity” was initially introduced at the Microsoft Ignite conference in the year 2018. Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, brought the concept that digital transformation and cloud technologies are an essential component for every organization. Whether they are tech-empowered businesses or non-tech work zones, digital transformation is an integral part of the organization’s progress. However, some organizations go beyond leveraging the cutting edge technologies to innovate & develop more robust solutions to gain competitive advantage. These are the organizations that are empowering themselves with what Microsoft terms as Tech-Intensity.

Forbes explained what Microsoft believes tech intensity feels like from the perspective of Nadella,

“Nadella described tech intensity as a fusion of cultural mindset and business processes that rewards the development and propagation of digital capabilities that create end-to-end digital feedback loops, tear down data silos, and unleash information flows to trigger insights and predictions, automated workflows and intelligent services.”

In the Future, Every Organization Will Become a Tech Firm

In the simplest of terms, tech intensity is the rate at which organizations are adopting technology to build their digital capabilities to work in coherence with the changing times.

For instance, up till now, many organizations have looked towards digital agencies and software firms to help establish their digital presence and implement technologically organization-wide. However, with a tech-intensity, they will now be able to implement these technologies themselves. They can exploit technology to enhance productivity and improve overall work efficiency accordingly.

If there’s one thing that is rapidly changing, then it’s the workforce, which mostly comprises Generation Zers and Millennials. This particular generation is quite tech-savvy. Hence, when they start working in a non-tech related firm, they will expect to work in a workplace environment that is appropriately equipped with the right technological tools.

The workforce in the present era comprises 59% of the individuals coming from these two generations. These individuals have different perspectives, and they work on technologically adept working models. More than 67% of the millennials expect employers to have a purpose. They want them to create a social impact, and Generation Zers are commonly capable of doing it with their social media influencing skills.

In short, if you are not part of the growing social media club in the coming decades, you will fall behind in the rat’s race. Another thing that will increase the tech-intensity for employees in a particular organization is how effectively they will implement software solutions to enhance their operational efficiency. With the introduction to Operation 4.0, organizations are now focusing on four key areas:

1. Product Driven Processes
2. Cost and Budget Driven Processes
3. Journey Driven Methods
4. Manufacturing Driven Factors

Combining all of these four areas into a single dashboard technology, software specialists can enable operation managers and employees involved with the internal operations to harness the most effective way to solve operation and production problems in coherence with the routine day queries.

Such implementations are observed in the Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) in the UAE market, where bankers are introducing robust solutions to boost digital transformation. They are leveraging dashboards to centralize their operations. While every organization worldwide aims to adopt new technological advancements and rapidly transform, organizations across the UAE are no exception. It’s just a matter of time until every company in UAE will have software engineers at work with them to help recreate technological infrastructures and deploy effective digital processes.

Further Read: How Much does it Cost to Create an Online Banking App

The Use of Advanced Technology in Business Operations

With the advent of AI and Machine Learning, many businesses are now changing how they once operated. IT can make performances more pervasive, and according to MEA business leaders, almost 30%of these individuals leverage the power of AI in research, and nearly 20% expressed how AI has become a hallmark for increasing operational efficiency. The remaining 18% of MENA leaders show how AI developments are affecting sales & marketing and helping them progress.

Microsoft explains how tech intensity has become the center of how businesses can empower partners & customers. Instead of focusing on specific solutions, they aim to show how the entire organization can create their digital solutions as per their particular requirements. It will not only create a variety of opportunities but also help the business to improve dramatically. Are you a non-tech business aiming to expand? How about you consider boosting tech-intensity?

Please share your thoughts with us.

The post Why Should Business Leaders of UAE Look Into “Tech-Intensity” After 2020? appeared first on Branex Official Blog.

The big pharma around the world is trying their best to be the first to come up with a cure.

Yet, they have failed to produce a vaccine that can destroy the virus and save human lives.

With the number of tests and trials a vaccine needs before it gets approval of the WHO, we don’t see any sunlight on the horizons as of yet that will ensure this pandemic will finally be at rest.

You know how they say, “Prevention is better than cure” it’s what the world is at work here.

Many countries, such as China, are leveraging the power of next-generation information technologies to ensure that their lives can be saved from this global threat through prevention.

Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cloud Computing, and 5G has helped improve the efficiency of these countries to combat the Coronavirus by performing various activities successfully.

Are you interested in exploring how some of these facets are making a difference? Go ahead, read on.

How Can Big Data Help with Predictions & Early Warnings?

When the first signs of the novel Coronavirus appeared in the Wuhan province of China, it started claiming many lives. And as the pandemic grew and claimed many lives, people got worried and started searching a lot about this strange illness. A lot of information started circulating on the tight-knit networks of China and a lot of data was seamlessly collected by machine learning algorithms working at the back-end. This data was well utilized by a company called Qihoo 360, a leading Internet company in China who released a “Big Data Migration Map” early on in February. The map became quite handy in predicting how the epidemic situation is migrating from one province to another nationwide and allowed China to tap into which areas must be sealed off easily.

Similar technology can also be adopted by UAE as well, where they can tap into the location data of millions of users using the Internet and mobile phone and identify which areas are most vulnerable to the COVID 19. Once identified, they can then seal off those areas and allowing business as usual in the least susceptible regions.

Further Read: Survival Strategies for Businesses in Dubai During the COVID 19 Pandemic

They can do it by studying the patterns in people’s movement and how much the spread is affecting them. By studying their behaviour, it can help the UAE to understand which areas require more attention. Such areas can raise the red flag beforehand so the pandemic can be controlled in them.

How Can Artificial Intelligence Help Improve the Efficiency of Treatments?

When the outbreak occurred, one of the things that we learned from China was that it leveraged the power of AI to control the virus spread. Several organizations made their algorithms publicly available during the outbreak, which focused on improving the efficiency of supporting the testing and research. For example, Baidu, a popularly recognized AI R&D open-sourced software algorithm called LinearFold which became effective in multiple medical facilities such as gene testing institutions, epidemic prevention centers, research institutions and other global healthcare facilities.

The algorithm is quite interesting as it minimizes the time required to predict & study coronavirus infection in people. A simple test that could take hours to complete will only take just a few seconds.

Something similar can also complement and speed up the process of treatments in UAE. Recently, a team of scientists at the Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center was able to create a treatment method that helps regenerate infected lung cells in the human body. Also, the treatment prevents the immune system from overworking, which is the prime reason why many individuals infected with Coronavirus are dying. The ADSSC has created a mist that, when inhaled by an infected patient, can help treat the Coronavirus effectively.

Also, AI-powered technologies from Ali Baba are also making significant contributions to the genetic analysis of those who are infected. Usually, the process would take several hours, but with a new AI algorithm developed by Alibaba Damo Academy, the research can shorten the process to a half hour.

It can accurately detect virus mutation in infected individuals.

Imagine the impact of such technologies getting coupled with the new treatment methods introduced by the ADSCC? It can have some astounding benefits and can help detect and resolve the virus better.

How is Cloud Computing Making Significant Contributions?

As the pandemic grew, we saw that countries went into a lockdown and the sudden surge of patients overwhelmed the existing healthcare infrastructure. In many such facilities, the need for a robust system to secure and protect all potential information became necessary and as a result, cloud computing became quite the flagship technology that came into use.

In China, Alibaba made its powerful AI computing technology available for medical institutions initially, which they later made available for the entire world. Today, UAE can benefit from its fast-paced AI computing technology and cover more grounds in the healthcare industry with the treatment development for this novel virus. Another company called Didi came up with their GPU cloud solutions to provide excellent technical support for rescue platforms and research institutions.

In areas where lockdown is strictly in effect, video conferencing is helping people to interact with each other domestically and professionally. We are seeing the usage of apps like Zoom becoming quite common and we know that it is making significant contributions in establishing the perfect communication. In fact, many of the big firms in UAE have come to a resolution to provide work from home opportunities just because there exists an app like Zoom to contribute for the people.

How is 5G Connectivity Making an Impact?

More than 80% of the UAE now has 5G technology working actively in different parts of the country. But here’s the big question: how exactly can 5G help create an impact in dealing with the novel coronavirus?

With strict social distancing in place and small congregations allowed, access to doctors across the region can be a difficult task. With 5G patients, with COVID19 or otherwise, can consult doctors via virtual OPD clinics and telemedicine.

With the high-definition video quality results that 5G delivers, China was able to connect doctors and scientists across the country with hospitals in Wuhan, the birthplace of the disease. This reduced the need for on-site doctors in Wuhan and thereby freeing them to focus on patients in the other regions.

The same formula can be applied in the UAE to ensure doctors across the UAE can collaborate by sharing critical information such as treatment methods, health imagery data before a viable cure is found.

Also, tracking and keeping a close eye on people in highly susceptible regions via their smartphones and fitness bands can ensure authorities can stop the spread of the infection in other regions.

Concluding Thoughts

These are challenging times. With the novel, Coronavirus spreading like fire and no available vaccine put out this fire, combating the pandemic has become much more grave than ever. But that certainly does not mean that we can’t make use of the solutions that we already have in hand.

Technology is one area that can help us to effectively deal with this devastating pandemic and make sure that we can go about our lives just as normal. It’s time we should harness the tools at our expense and minimize the damage by bringing back life to as much normalcy as possible. I hope our readers will continue to follow the health advisory, give support and hope to each other in these turbulent times.

Do you have any suggestions? Please feel free to share them with us.

The post How Can Next-Generation Tech Help Us Overcome COVID19 in the UAE appeared first on Branex Official Blog.

You’re at work and having an informal chat with your colleague.

During the conversation, you also mention that you wish to purchase a mid-range smartphone for your wife this holiday season.

Your colleague, who by chance happens to be your friend as well, tells you about a few phones that were on the top of his mind.

After a few minutes, the conversation ends and you guys get back to work.

As soon as you log in to your computer and start browsing the web, you’re bombarded with ads about mobile phone and their accessories.

You freak out and ask your colleague wt* is going on and he has no clue as well.

I’m sure some of our readers might have experienced this creepy phenomenon.

Now the question is, how and why does this happen?

It’s because Google is listening to your conversations.

Now you might ask does Google records everything you say. Or does Google only record your searches?

These might seem like silly questions to ask, but those who know a cent or two about the technology understand the influence that Google has in our lives. And the eavesdrop doesn’t come free. The myth is that Google voice records everything that you say to a bot, even those things that you don’t want the world to listen to.

If you don’t believe me, here is Mark Zuckerberg, who has taped his laptop for some reason. Why? Because he knows things that you and I don’t, but surely, he had some concerns with his privacy.

Coming back to the question, is Google listening to everything that you say, or a quick question is why is Google listening in the first place? Some say that Google looks to your conversations for their ads; others claim that there is no certainty of why Google or any of the tech companies is doing so.

The internet went furious when a personal conversation between Danielle and her husband was recorded by Alexa and sent randomly to her husband’s colleague.

Danielle pulled the plug on Alexa immediately after her husband’s friend called that someone is hacking it.

How Google Home Works?

When you request Google Home or any other Alexa device, they record the stream of audio clips of whatever you say and send them to a server. Here is where the actual magic happens. The audio clips are analyzed and a response is created for the user.

Every device needs “wake words” to activate them, from “Alexa” to “OK Google” these are activation phrases that bring voice assistants to life.

This means that mics are always listening and picking up conversations even when you are not requesting anything from them. Although these conversations are not sent over to a network, they are stored somewhere.

Why Does Google Device Need to Eavesdrop?

Listening to words before you say the wake-up phrase is essential for the whole concept to work. The process is borrowed from the pre-buffer option of cameras burst modes, which captures a few frames before you press that shutter button.

Just like in-camera, the pre-buffer helps in not missing a shot due to slow shutter; the voice assistants help systems handle requests instantly. Without perked ears for that “Alexa,” “OK Google,” or “Siri,” these assistants would need physical buttons to activate them.

If you are serious about your security, you must go for a push-button voice assistant for your home. Devices like Google Home, Alexa and Amazon Echo, are listening to you even when they are turned off.

Can Hackers listen to me?

Of course, there are security measures that prevent hackers from listening to your devices. The data in the voice assistants are encrypted, so even when the home network is compromised, and it is unlikely that the devices can be used for listening.

Having said that, nothing is impossible. And that is why Amazon and Google both have security measures to prevent wiretapping your home. The audio zipping from your home is encrypted at the centers of Amazon and Google, so even if the device is hacked, no one can decrypt your data.

To prevent hackers from listening to you, there is a manual mute button that prevents the Echo and Home from listening to you.

What Happens to your recorded Audio Clip?

If you want to listen to past queries, you can always listen to them by visiting myactivity.google.com while you’re logged into your account. This link doesn’t just contain your audio clips. It stores your web searched, YouTube videos and apps that you’ve used.  It’s all presented in a neat, searchable chronological stack.

There are benefits to these personal audio catalogs. In cases where search queries are unable to work, Google Home presents personalized content based upon your data.

How to Delete or Stop Google from Listening to You?

An easy way to prevent Google Home from eavesdropping your conversation is to tap the “Mute” button at the back of the device. This will indicate the Assistant not to record the conversation. To resume listening simply press the button again.

What if you want Google Home to work without stopping the recording, more like an “Incognito Mode.” Unfortunately, this is not possible. When you pause Google from myactivity.google.com, it will just temporarily disable the Assistant on Android phones.

The semi-good news is that you can delete saved audio clips after the fact. To do that, go to myactivity.google.com, tap the three vertical dots in the “My Activity” title bar, and select “Delete activity by” in the drop-down menu. Click the “All Products” drop-down menu, choose “Voice & Audio,” and click delete. Google says this may affect some of Google Home’s personalization features because it mainly wipes its memory.

Conclusion

It is not just about Google Home or Alexa, security is a significant concern with these devices, so either you don’t use the device at all, or you use it with some security measures.

The post Sshh! Google is listening – Lemme Show you How to Stop it from Eavesdropping appeared first on Branex Official Blog.

It came up with quite a few exciting smartphones from its famous earth-shattering 3310 feature phone to hot cakes like its XpressMusic, E, and N series.

This was a period of great prosperity for Nokia with its consumer division enjoying a whopping half a billion phones annual sales.

Nokia was completely consumed (blinded as well) by the huge success it had achieved over the years.

Success is something that tends to make great organizations become complacent.

While Nokia was in its heyday, Apple, not a name synonymous with smartphones then, was quietly brewing a storm behind the walls of its ol’ Cupertino Campus.

And in 2007, Apple dropped the bomb by introducing its iPhone 3G and changed the way we looked at mobile devices forever.

But Apple wanted to keep control of its OS and didn’t allow other mobile manufacturers to leverage the power of iOS.

This offered a great opportunity to Google, who was also cooking Android in its kitchen.

Since Android was an open platform and offered loads of customization options, it attracted a ton of mobile phone manufacturers.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Now Android has graduated to become one of the most popular mobile operating systems in the world and powers billions of devices including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and even cars.

Image Source: Statista.com

Related Read: Java Vs. Kotlin – Which is the Right Option for Your Next App Development Project?

Initially, Apple iOS had the upper hand when it comes to responsiveness, thanks to Apple’s amazing hardware-software integration but Android caught up with iOS by bringing performance improvements in its newer versions.

In this article, we compare two of the latest versions of Android and see what’s gotten better or worse.

1.    Aesthetics

One of the first things you will notice when comparing Oreo with Pie is aesthetics. Pie adds a little more color and curves that were absent from Android Oreo. It is by no means a drastic change but some edges have been smoothed out. Subtle differences such as colorful settings icons, changes to notification drop down and quick settings bar are a welcome addition. It looks far better than the whites of Android Oreo.

2.    Battery management

Since Android Marshmallow, Google has taken battery management seriously by packing in a Doze mode, which puts your smartphone in hibernate state when it is not in use. The results are far better battery life on devices running Marshmallow and newer versions.

Android Pie introduced a new feature called Adaptive Battery. This feature tailor the operating system based on how often users use certain apps. This means that the apps you rarely use will have no or limited background permissions. Notifications from such apps will be delayed due to low priority. Android Oreo did not have this feature.

3.    Brightness Controls

Another difference users will notice between Android Oreo and Android Pie is how they both handle brightness. Android Oreo brings conventional adaptive brightness mode but this mode is nothing special as most smartphones have this feature already irrespective of which version of Android operating system they are running.

Android Pie takes things up a notch by adding some smart capabilities to its adaptive brightness mode. It analyzes your usage patterns and the changes you make to brightness during different lighting conditions and maps out a custom curve. Although, that’s also a minor upgrade still it is a feature you won’t find on Android Oreo.

4.    App Functionality

Android Pie allows developers to create app slices, which functions just like app action, but they can float around the Android Pie interface. Google gave the demo of this feature with the Lyft app during launch. App slices are small but meaningful bits of information that does not have to be saved in the app anymore.

Professional mobile app development companies in Dubai are taking advantage of this feature and saving user’s time. This can enhance the user experience and will give a slight edge to Android Pie over Android Oreo in the long run.

5.    Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

The world is raving about machine learning and artificial intelligence but we have not seen its true implementation in mobile ecosystems. Both Apple and Google are slowly but surely changing that by pushing some smart features here and there. Android Pie is no exception to this rule. Unlike Android Oreo, Android Pie predicts feature you want based on your user patterns put it in front of you so you can easily use them without having to fiddle with different menus.

App actions like booking a taxi, making a call or resuming a playlist will appear depending upon the time of the day. In addition to this, you can search for these smart app actions in universal search, Google Play Store or Google Assistant, which was not possible before. The operating system learns from behavior and offers users a convenient shortcuts to get more done faster.

6.    Night Mode

Android Oreo comes preloaded with a night mode that also has a blue light filter. It takes out the blue light as you near your bedtime, helping you enjoy a good night sleep. Yes, the display might have a yellowish tinge but it is far less taxing on your eyes. There is another feature called Wind Down, which takes things a step further, gray scaling the display and put your phone in “Do not disturb” mode when you reach your bedtime.

Which Android version do you prefer? Feel free to share you’re views with us in the comments section below.

The post Android Oreo Vs Android Pie: What’s in and What’s Out and Everything In Between appeared first on Branex Official Blog.

In the annual World Government Summit 2018, the Vice President of Dubai urged policymakers to make AI as an integral part of the government performs its functions. He also emphasized the need to carry out discussions to address climate change, biotechnology and space settlement. The agenda of the summit was how can leaders of tomorrow improve the lives of the next generation.

Last year in 2017, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai took a breathtaking initiative and launched a five-decade government plan within the UAE Cabinet. It was dubbed as “The UAE Centennial 2071 Project” which mostly covered plans on developing a lifestyle that promotes happiness and prosperity in the future. Also, the foundation to create Dubai as one of the most technologically adept cities in the world was laid in the following event.

His Highness, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, tweeted on his Twitter account:

“Brothers and sisters, today we launched the UAE Centennial 2071 project to put in place a vision that extends to five decades and to prepare the nation for future generations,”

 The Centennial plan for the year 2071 contained certain points which indicated that the future establishment of the world will require machines to be intellectually smart. Such machines will be capable to make critical decisions without any human interference so it can mitigate the human factor. It will provide the opportunity to individuals so they can start focusing towards other areas of professionalism such as achieving sustainability in business and developing soft skills.

His Highness further shed light on the matter by tweeting:

“The vision is based on the lectures of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for future generations, and the goal is for future generations to live a happier life in a better environment, with bigger opportunities and stronger communication with the world,”

His Highness (the Vice President & Ruler of Dubai) announced that there are four key areas the future scientists of UAE will seek to develop themselves. It will seek to excel in the field of education, economy, government development and fostering cohesion in the community.

Sci-tech is at the peak of its development in the UAE and one area where the capital state, Dubai, is looking forward to innovate is none other than artificial intelligence. By respecting the principles of the Emirati moral value systems, the future leaders of UAE want to create an environment which applies concepts of deep machine learning and moves the nation forward in the next age of advancement.

“UAE Centennial 2071 is based on four aspects: Education, economy, government development, and community cohesion. The goal is for the UAE to be the best country in the world by 2071. The vision’s objectives also include the development of education, with a focus on advanced technology and engineering, and instilling an Emirati moral values system in future generations,”

Introducing the First Minister of AI in the United Arab Emirates

The UAE government changed the tides of time by introducing the first ever minister for AI in the world. They believe that the endorsement of a young individual talent to govern and explore areas of Artificial Intelligence can open new doors to development in Dubai. At just the age of 27, Omar Sultan Al-Ulama is fueled to make marvelous discoveries in the world of AI and make the better use of them in improving.

He is set to take action on a commendable strategy formulated by His Highness (Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum)where he aims to cut annual costs down by 50% using artificial intelligence. They are calling it the UAE’s 2031 AI Strategy. He has also previously entertained the government with his role as the Deputy Director of the Future Department and now Managing Director of the World Government Summit.

At one of the public accounts, he states:

“We believe that artificial intelligence is going to alleviate people from certain jobs that were not enjoyable in the past,”

 Here’s a fact to consider…

Nobody likes to yell for orders or wait in the line so they can get served by an official who is energetically deprived and has some bad news already waiting. Omar Sultan believes that Artificial intelligence will mitigate the human element from such jobs allowing machines to make critical decisions on their behalf.

However, his major concern is not the implementation of such technologies, but to create more job roles for individuals who are going to be affected, once technology supersedes their positions. Because when it does, there will be massive unemployment. This will not only create huge problems for the government of UAE, but it will also result in creating problems for the governments on a global scale as the individuals will seek out to return back to their own countries and show the willingness to be readjusted.

His Excellency stated that they will ensure more job opportunities are created for the less privileged in other domains such as Social Media and Marketing. These jobs will include roles such as social media influencers, social media management, and community networking so they do not have to stay unemployed for a longer period of time.

“Literacy today is not being able to read or write, it is moving from that to not able to program. In the future, if we don’t speak the language of Technology, we will be left behind.”

As far as the future generation is concerned, the government of UAE is taking multiple initiatives such as empowering the youth to learn how to code at a very nascent development stage. It is introducing software learning courses in early education institution curriculums so the early learners can adapt to it at a very young age.

Another big challenge that Omar Sultan Al Ulama observes is how the teams are going to stay-up-to-date as the machines will learn on its own and develop briskly. Smart intelligent machines learn by interacting with social environments, collecting information, storing and processing it. Then, it delivers output based on what it has analyzed.

For instance,

Google’s AutoML is a great example of an intelligent bot which is now capable of making a decision on its own. It holds the power to create multiple child bots and train them for different applied situations accordingly.

With such ever-changing environments in which AI-powered management systems operate, the need to update and regulate policies can become an extremely difficult task to achieve. Omar Sultan believes that artificial intelligence is something that needs to be democratized and the need is relevant where governments of the world should come together.

Centennial 2071: Transforming Dubai into a World Class AI Hub

UAE is transforming its landscape, cultures, business processes, infrastructures, and much more so it can compete with the rest of the elites from around the world. How is UAE government opting in to parallel with the rest of the world?

Artificial Intelligence.

Developed under the supervision of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE has given birth to a long-term vision plan which extends as long as up to the year 2071. It is to come into effect after 2021 and will run up to 5 decades. The blueprints for the Centennial 2071 is projected to stabilizing government policies in order to retain Dubai’s country reputation across the world.

The purpose of the Centennial 2071 plan is to make Dubai, the best country around the world. This government of UAE further plans to make due investments in the future generations of the UAE population. By enabling them to leverage their own skills and knowledge, the government wants the younger generation to take initiatives with the following key aspects in mind:

• Fortifying the country’s reputation
• Diversifying the imports and the exports by relying less on oil
• Investing in education focusing on advanced technology
• Building Emirati values and ethics for the future generations
• Raising productivity of the national economy
• Enhancing society’s cohesion

The plan was based on the lecture presented by H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. In his discussion, he spoke about the respective strategies and their effective implementations which will guarantee development for decades.

By the year 2021, UAE government is planning to remove the immigration officers and planning to replace them with AI intelligent smart terminals for safer assessments and better onboarding experiences.

A great initiative to present AI-powered robocops becoming a part of the Dubai’s Police Force. An extract from The 4th Gulf Information Security Exhibition and Conference.

An inside view of a driverless vehicle navigating around the city of Masdar. To interact and specify locations, all you need to do is utilize the touch panel.

Point of Interest

The UAE aims to establish the first inhabitable human settlement in Mars by 2117. H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said that the project is a seed that the UAE plants today and expects future generations to reap the benefits, driven by its passion to learn to unveil a new knowledge. He issued directives to Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre to lead the Mars 2117 project and prepare a 100-year plan for its implementation.

The post Centennial 2071 – An Aim to Create Dubai the Most Technologically Adept City in the World appeared first on Branex Official Blog.

Have you ever wished that your mobile devices could communicate with objects inside a grocery store and make your shopping experience a whole lot easier? Perhaps a simple “Accio cereal” would make your rice crispies fly right out of its shelf at the opposite corner of the store right into your cart? If yes, we have some good news for you.

Apple has granted you your wish by introducing a game-changing technology known as iBeacon. If you are interested to know what it is, how it works, and how it stands out from other technologies available in the market, you are about to get your curiosity satiated. This article instills in you everything you need to know about iBeacon, the latest sensation in device-to-object communication and location-based services.

What is iBeacon?

iBeacon is a stellar protocol developed by Apple. Multiple vendors started creating compatible hardware transmitters known as Beacons. These beacons are Bluetooth low energy (BLE) devices that communicate identifiers to mobile devices in their proximity. Your mobile devices can automatically take the pertinent action as soon as they identify a beacon within their radius.

iBeacon technology can also be used as an indoor positioning system, which can accurately provide the precise location at the building level and deliver hyper-contextual content. Despite being developed by Apple, iBeacon technology also supports Android, which is a great news for millions of Android device owners.

Related: Gain Deep Insights from the Future Tech Week (GISEC/GEMEC/IOTX) – Dubai 2018

What Makes iBeacon Stand out from the Crowd?

There are a plethora of location-tracking systems out there but none like iBeacon itself. What makes iBeacon stand a head and shoulder above others is its ability to track location inside buildings with high accuracy. This is where all other location tracking systems fail to deliver. Moreover, it consumes lesser energy as it capitalizes Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for communication.

How does iBeacon Work?

In order to leverage the iBeacon technology, you need to understand how it works and what you need to make it work. Here are three things to help it function properly:

1. An app
2. A Beacon
3. A User

1.     An App

To implement this burgeoning technology, you need to invest in mobile app development. You need a mobile application that can act as a bridge and help your mobile devices communicate with a Beacon. The ShopKick’s customer rewarding app known as shopBeacon, perfectly embodies this concept,combiningiBeacons with its home-backed ultra-sound technology. The app managed to generate $1 million in sales for retail partners and became an overnight success.

Related: 7 Mobile App Development Trends to Keep an Eye On In 2018

2.     A Beacon

A beacon is capable of transmitting and receiving signals under30 meters in range. As soon as your mobile device falls within the beacon’s radius, these beacons can calculate the transmission power based on data. In addition to this, it can also determine the distance of each beacon along with its exact location. As soon as a user comes in proximity, the communication between mobile device and beacon begins.

3.     A User

You need to ask for permission from your app users whether they are willing to share their location information or not. Only with their consent can you can implement the iBeacon technology. With growing privacy and security concerns prevalent across cyberspace, many consumers are reluctant to share their location information with other users. According to a research, most users will be willing to share their location information with you only if you offer them a discount or a lucrative offer as a recompense.

Beacon IDs

A beacon is regularly sending out messages via Bluetooth, which has a Beacon ID. It is a common misconception that every signal has a unique ID, which is a myth that you need to ditch right away.

Beacon IDs fall under one of these categories:

1. UUID
2. Major
3. Minor

1.     UUID (16 Bytes)

UUID is used to mark a group of beacons placed in an enterprise or company. This means that all beacons in your company should have the same UUID.

2.     Major(2 Bytes)

This type of ID is assigned to a group of beacons located in a particular place.

3.     Minor (2 Bytes)

Minor IDs are assigned to differentiate beacons placed in the same department with the same major IDs and UUID.

Battery Consumption and Security

Two of the most important considerations when implementing a beacon is battery consumption and security of data. Powered by batteries, beacons are standalone devices. They leverage Bluetooth low energy (BLE) which has a low signal strength, therefore, you can expect beacons to last more than a year without needing a battery replacement. The type of Beacon you choose can also affect the overall battery life. There are some rechargeable Beacons available in the market which can be recharged using a USB port or some other power source.

This brings us to the most important question. “How secure is the iBeacon protocol?” It is a shame that iBeacon protocol does not provide even the most basic levels of security. What this means is that anyone can scan your Beacon IDs, which is exactly what you want to steer clear of from a security standpoint.

Users who are aware of different types of IDs can clone or emulate beacons with their smart devices. This is why it is not in good measure to share sensitive information through a beacon. Generating Beacon IDs is also not a tough nut to crack, especially with a host of ID generating apps such as iBeacon scanners and iBeacon Detectors. These apps can help you analyze the number of Beacons in close proximity. You can also purchase Beacons from different online vendors.

After reading this article, would you implement the Beacon technology in your business? If yes, which advantage of Beacon technology persuaded you to take that step? Feel free to share it with us in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you and highly appreciate your feedback about Beacon technology

The post Welcome to The World of Beacons: All You Need to Know About iBeacon appeared first on Branex Official Blog.