A new year, a new iPhone. In case you’ve been living under a rock or simply unaware of tech releases, the iPhone 5 is without a doubt, arguably, the most eagerly anticipated consumer gadget of the year. With the release date coming up just around the corner on the 21st of September; the slimmer, lighter, and longer new iPhone is expected to break record sales already and many analysts believe that as many as 58 million units may be sold by the end of the year.
After nearly two years of being in the process of a complete redesign of the previous iPhone; the Cupertino based technology giant has unveiled itsthinner and lighter form factor, which carries a 4 inch retina display, faster A6 processor, and LTE support for speedy network speeds- all on the newly polished operating system, iOS 6. And with all of Apple’s faithful followers all eager to purchase “the biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone”, Apple’s unique marketing strategy still remains as a decisive selling point for the most valuable company in the world.
But lets take a quick flashback for a bit. The iconic iPhone, which made its debut in 2007, made a major breakthrough in the mobile industry. This marked the start of a new smartphone industry that is worth a massive $219 billion dollars today. More important, is the significance of the iPhone to Apple’s profit. Over the past six years, Apple’s iPhone has accounted for more than half of Apple’s overall revenue. The iPhone is so important to Apple that its financial and stock performances over the next years will be highly correlated to iPhone sales. The iPhone remains as a pivotal product for the massive company, so much so, that it might as well be called “the iPhone” company.
However, things remain different today with the ongoing growth of competition within the mobile world arena. Unlike in 2007, Apple is facing competition more than ever from its primary rival Android, which recently captured the throne of holding the majority market share of the American smartphone market. This has in turn stirred the recent debates on countless of Apple vs. Android topics which seem to have no end. However, in the end whatever the outcome may be, we, the consumers ultimately hold the winning edge on this game, because competition encourages innovation and pushes Apple and Android device manufacturers to constantly provide new additions to the playing field.
So what are your thoughts on the iPhone 5? Does it manifest Apple's revolutionary pedigree? Will it satisfy your demands? Do you think Apple is or has become the reigning king in smartphones? Or is it simply just right? With so many questions and answers that pertain to both sides of the spectrum, one thing is for sure and that is that Apple never fails to surprise its followers and the massive global consumer electronics market that we live in today's digital world.
Anyone who’s ever developed a website likely has a bitterness toward Internet Explorer 6. The once-popular web browser was originally released by Microsoft in 2001—a time when the World Wide Web was a very different place. Due to IE 6’s security issues and lack of support for modern web standards, web developers have had to create special exceptions and CSS workarounds to ensure their sites display correctly.
Well, not anymore.
Microsoft recently announced that, starting this month, those still using the obsolete browser would be forced to upgrade to a newer version. Those still using Windows XP will be updated to IE 8, while those on Vista and Windows 7 will get IE 9.
In many countries, the number of people still using IE 6 is less than one percent; this includes Austria, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and, most recently, the U.S. (good job, guys). However, Microsoft reports that, worldwide, IE 6 still accounts for 7.7% of web usage. Even worse, in China usage is over 25%.
Just last month, the folks behind the Internet Explorer Countdown movement were happy to add the United States to their Champion’s Circle page. When it was announced that usage in the U.S. had dropped below 1%, Microsoft’s IE Marketing Team threw a little party. Roger Capriotti, director of IE marketing, write on the Microsoft IE Blog: “IE 6 has been the punch line of browser jokes for a while, and we’ve been as eager as anyone to see it go away.” They even made a nice cake to celebrate.
So, what’s the big deal? This means that the web can move forward, grow and evolve. The more web developers have to make special exceptions for outdated technology, the slower this evolution will occur. Although IE 7 and 8 still lack support for many HTML5 and CSS3 standards, it’ll be exciting to see how the web progresses now that IE 6 is history.
2011 has been a crazy year for the tech industry! From the rise of Angry Birds to the death of Steve Jobs, there has definitely been a lot to talk about. In this video, we list five of the most exciting and unfortunate happenings of the past year.
Take a peak, then let us know what you think on Facebook and Twitter.
In our latest segment of PT Bios, we ask Kevin and Michael what is the one tool that they simply couldn’t live without.
Kevin, a Web Developer at Plum Tree, mentions the Firebug add-on for Mozilla Firefox as one of his essential tools. Recently, Firefox announced that version 10 (to be released in early 2012) would feature it’s own developer tools, which could become a replacement to the popular Firebug plugin.
A closer look....
With Firebug, users can right-click on any web page element and hit “Inspect Element.” This brings up a console that allows them to view and edit the HTML, CSS and functionality of any element on the page. This functionality has already been replicated in Google Chrome as a standard function, so it’s only logical that Firefox would want to offer their own, native version. You can watch a preview of the new Firefox tools, or download the future of Firefox now (caution: this release is not stable yet).
Are you a Firefox user, or have you migrated to Chrome or another browser? Do you have a question for a future PT Bios video interview? Leave a comment on our Facebook Page or contact us on Twitter.
We realize that developing a mobile application for your organization can be time consuming, expensive, and even confusing. That’s why eIntelli Mobile is here for you. eIntelli Mobile is a division of eIntelli, a product development brand focused on providing accessible tools to help smaller businesses and associations attain the growth they are looking for.
“Mobile phones are becoming more and more a part of our everyday life. It’s tough to stay connected sometimes, we’re trying to make it easier. eIntelli Mobile is the next step in mobile marketing and communications for Associations, we’re excited about the breakthrough in communication we’re able to provide through our app.” -Brad McCrory, Director of Product Development
eIntelli Mobile creates modular mobile development products that allow users enhanced accessibility to your organization right from their mobile device. With a mobile app created by eIntelli Mobile, users have the opportunity to interact with your organization in ways they never before imagined. The mobile application world is changing quickly and proving to be a successful tool in expanding your business.
Some of the key features and benefits offered by eIntelli Mobile:
More engagement: Mobile application users are more engaged than the average member that might receive only newsletters or rely on the website for events and news, which for your association means more member retention, overall involvement, and growth.
Always connected: Allows members to donate, sign-up for events and workshops, sync calendars, receive push reminder messages for events/classes/workshops, access directory, and more all within the application.
eIntelli Mobile offers several different pricing options, depending on your needs, or we can create a custom version tailored to your organization. Our developers specialize in iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone development, or we can help create a Mobile Web version of your site.
Contact us today to get started with a mobile app by eIntelli Mobile. For a full list of features, check out http://www.eintelli-mobile.com or check out the eIntelli Mobile blog. We look forward to helping your business or association grow with a cross platform experience!
What is a Meta description and why is it important for your website?
Let’s start by identifying what the Meta description is and the purpose it serves.
The Meta description should be found within the <head> tag in any HTML document.
It looks like this: <meta name=”description” content=”The Meta description goes here.”>
It usually comes near the Meta keywords tag and the <title> tag. It serves as a short description of what that particular page is about. In the past this tag, along with the Meta keywords tag, were used to stuff keywords in an effort to spam the search engines. Not anymore. The Meta keywords tag is essentially ignored and the Meta description tag is usually used as the text accompanying the search engine result on a SERP page. It can be ignored, though, depending on what was searched for and what search engine you are using.
Why are Meta descriptions important?
Meta descriptions are important for two reasons. The first is that they can have influence on keyword rankings within search results. Countless times have we seen pages improve in search engine rankings due to changes made within the Meta description tag. The second reason they are important is related to usability and click-through rate. If a user searches for a term and a page from your website comes up, this doesn’t necessarily mean they will click your link. If they take the time to read your description and it matches what they are looking for, or it is explained in a way that makes sense, they will click your link.
How to write a good Meta description:
As mentioned earlier, Meta descriptions are important because they affect search engine rankings and click-through rates. To positively affect both of these factors you will need to write good Meta descriptions. In order to do this you will need to keep two things in mind; targeted keywords and your users. Always remember, write content for users and not search engines. If you write a Meta description and only have your targeted keywords in place, no one will click your link because it will look like spam. If you don’t have any keywords, you may not rank well for the keywords you are targeting. Best practices would be to add in no more than 2 keywords and have some type of call to action for your users. Make it catchy and make it informative. Most search engines start cutting off text at 150 characters so try to keep it to 150 characters or under; there are tools on the internet for this.
Key points:
Take a look at the Meta descriptions of some similar websites that rank well for your keywords and use them as examples. Make sure every Meta description on every page on your site is unique to that particular page; otherwise it will be seen as duplicate content. Make sure your Meta descriptions are informative and add in a keyword or two. Remember, write content for your users and not search engines.
