Playing the Blame Game

The Blame Game sounds like fun, doesn’t it? The words even rhyme. We’ve all played it before and some of us are much better at it than others. There are really not that many rules to The Blame Game other than to make sure that, when something goes wrong, attention is diverted away from your desk, department, or company as quickly as possible. The more reasons you can come up for why it’s somebody else’s fault, the more points you get.

This can be done in oh so many creative ways. It could be somebody else’s fault for not following up on the information you gave them. Or, it could be somebody else’s fault that they didn’t give you the information you needed to get the job done. Or, you could always blame technology for breaking down, processes for not working the way they should have, or just plain old incompetence on the part of a vendor that should have known better.

How Much Fun Can the Blame Game Be?

As a matter of fact, there are teams that have taken blaming others to such new heights they have coined the expression ‘blamestorming session.’ We’re all familiar with the brainstorming session that involves sitting in a room and coming up with as many ideas as possible to solve a problem. There are no bad ideas and judgment is not passed on any of the ideas proffered. A blamestorming session is similar in the fact that everyone sits around the room and comes up with ideas, but the problem they are looking to solve is how to divert blame away from themselves. There are no bad ideas on how to blame others and suggestions are offered up freely. The one or two most viable ideas will then be picked and circulated in the corporate ecosystem.

What a blast!

Here’s the problem…

Blaming others for a project’s woes is only a short-termsolution to a long-term problem. It gets even more complicated if you find yourself pitted against your client. When something goes wrong on the project and it runs over budget, is delayed by a couple of weeks, or the scope didn’t come in as anticipated, the first thing everyone does is subconsciously and instinctively start to think about who else’s fault it is.

C’mon, you know you do it too.

You cycle through all of the who-knew-what-and-when-did-they-know-it scenarios. It wouldn’t have happened if this person (who knew the information) had done something about it at this time (when they got the information). You fastidiously compile a chronological list of events complete with email date and time stamps and precise versions of documentation. There’s no way they are going to pin this one on you, your department, or your company. No way, you’re not going down for this mistake!

When it comes to problems, misunderstandings, and confusion between companies…guess what? In the early stages of trying to get to the root of the problem, the blame could go either way. I’ve seen it happen way too many times. For example, when a technical issue surfaces on a project that prevents it from moving forward, you, your team, and your company immediately think it’s on the client’s side. The client immediately thinks it’s on your side.

A barrage of semi-polite, yet accusatory email ensues.

“Can you please take a look at what is going on here and let us know what you find?” the client asks. Translation? We think it’s your fault.

“We did, everything is fine on our side. You may want to double-check what is happening with the changes you made last night to the server,” your company replies. Translation? We think it’s YOUR fault.

This may go on for a day or two until things get desperate, escalations to upper management begin to occur, nerves get rattled and people really start to stress out.

Whose fault is it? The truth is that there is a 50/50 chance it could be you or them. That’s why I encourage you to take a new view of things until the problem goes away. Take the view that BOTH of your companies have the problem until it’s resolved.

Shared Responsibility

Think about the benefits of why this is a better approach:

• It CAN go Either Way – Technology is a funny thing if you’ve worked around it for any amount of time. It’s like building a house of cards. Just the slightest breeze could cause the whole thing to tumble to the ground. Someone could fat finger the wrong web server or database address and bring the entire system to its knees. A seemingly innocuous piece of software could be installed that unknowingly conflicts with a production system and everything comes to a grinding halt.These are honest and simple mistakes to make on either side of the fence. The bottom line is that the project is at a standstill or at the very least crippled for all parties until the situation is fixed. So, work on the problem in good faith TOGETHER until the problem is identified.
• You Won’t Look Like an Idiot – I’ve worked with guys that are alwaysadamant that things are not their fault. They’ll stake their job, reputation, and whatever else they have of value on the fact that there’s no way they could have caused this problem. Their vociferousness is rivaled only by the exaggerated hand gestures they use to emphasize their righteous indignation at being accused of making a mistake.You guessed it. It was their fault. They had to eat crow and retract all of the sound and fury.
• You Will Be Vindicated – Like I said a number of times, it can go either way. There’s going to be those times when it’s NOT your fault and the other guy, team, or company is the one that made the mistake. You’ll find that you will be quietly and graciously vindicated if you handled yourself professionally during this time of discovery. Everyone will know if your team is not to blame. They may not come right out and say it, but you know that they know that you know the issue was on their side…this time.The gracious part is up to you. You can choose to say “I told you so” or some variation thereof. Or, you can rise above it and understand that mistakes happen to the best of us. I recommend the latter. It’s better to rise above the issue and let it go.

Sure, The Blame Game is always fun to play and we’re all probably a bit hard wired to play it. Remember though, when it comes to getting your projects done, there are no winners in The Blame Game. Focus on solutions and breaking through obstacles and your projects will always come out on top.

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Sony Wrist Notifier coming soon?

After two smart watch products, Sony may be preparing a wrist notifier of sorts. Such device, marked as model number SWR10, has just cleared the FCC, making it ready to be sold on the U.S. soil. It, however, remains to be seen when the Japanese company will actually launch this “BT Wrist Notifier”; but with CES just around the corner, we have a feeling this won’t be a long wait.

Anyhow, the FCC’s listing says that Sony’s accessory packs Bluetooth and NFC, which should make for a seamless smartphone pairing. We would assume there may also be some button to locate the phone, pressing on which your smartphone would start beeping so it’s easier to locate. Or perhaps this part will remain reserved for the smart watch. You never know…

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DESIGN MATTERS: ALL ABOUT MOBILE APP TEMPLATES

Your business deserves both an efficient and beautifully designed mobile app. And one key characteristic of such a smart app is a user friendly look. That being said, here are some thoughts on mobile app templatesand the role they play on the performance of your product. That’s because great design matters as much as the line of code. These are equally important ingredients for developing a product that stands out.

Mobile App Templates For Effective Results

                Your mobile app is your business, and your business needs to look amazing and grab the most attention in today crowded marketplace. Consumers are firstly attracted by the best looking app in the app store so making a great choice when it comes tomobile app templates and clearly define your digital product visual style it’s really a must.

First of all, you need to properly do the research, as the visual personality of your mobile app is dictated by the audience you target. The visual direction – which also involves choosing between multiple mobile app templates the best suited one – must create a memorable feeling for your users.    

Smartphone and tablets are touch-screen devices so you need to focus you attention on UX – usability. Make sure all the mobile app buttons are easily clickable; your audience must be able to effectively use touch controls to expand or minimize; finally, from all the mobile app templates you could choose from, do your best on deciding on the one best suited to your business and vision.

4 Examples Of Beautiful & User Friendly Mobile App Templates

                Check out these amazingly crafted apps that have gorgeous mobile templates, and the companies that created them. So here are some mobile design rockstars:

• Twitterific – it’s definitely making twitter extra terrific; simple design, extremely easy to use; after the sun sets, the mobile app automatically switches from a light theme to a darker one.
• Any.Do – it helps you to remember the things you got to do; the template is minimal and focuses on a few principles: capture, organize, sync, share, and personalize.
• Yahoo Weather – it lately drastically changed its design and it looks way better; it’s easy to use and provides information according to its promises.
• Mailbox – developed by Orchestra, it’s the ultimate email client, helping you to quickly get through your emails; clever, beautifully designed and really simple to use.

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4 EASY WAYS TO CREATE A WORKPLACE CULTURE THAT DOESN'T SUCK

Entrepreneurs fret over just about everything: marketing plans, product features, investor pitches, sales collateral, management team hires, company valuations, financial projections, cash balances. But an often neglected, yet critical part of success is the culture that a startup founder fosters and the key role that it plays in the company’s eventual success.

Culture permeates everything. It spurs innovation, inspires resilience, promotes collaboration, wins customers, builds a winning mentality--all key success factors to any business, let alone a nascent young venture.

Yet since culture is not something that can be easily measured, tracked or quantified in conventional terms (ever seen a balance sheet with an asset entry called “Culture”?) it’s often neglected or even dismissed as somewhat of a luxury.

But culture is something that grows within any organization whether you actively work to create it or not, so setting priorities for what’s important and taking an active role in shaping it is absolutely critical. Fail to pay attention and you risk the build up of a poisonous environment that can envelope the entire venture.

HERE ARE FOUR WAYS FOUNDERS CAN HELP BUILD A WINNING CULTURE:

1. Write a Culture Plan
We have business plans, financial plans, marketing plans, sales plans, even office plans, yet very few founders ever sit down and articulate in writing the kind of culture they want to build around them. Writing a culture plan can help clarify to employees the key organizational values that the founder aspires to. It also guides behaviors that affect everything from the way a company treats its customers to key hire decisions.

2. Take the Pulse Often
You don’t focus on what you don’t measure. With my company, I created feedback mechanisms so that I would ensure I was always aware of company sentiment or shifts on morale or focus. Such mechanisms included weekly office hours where any and all employees could book time to chat with me; walking each morning around the office to informally chat with teammates; having occasional anonymous online surveys; putting feedback boxes around the office.

3. Foster Frequent Informal Interactions
Meetings are important though my experience tells me that newer or younger employees often feel intimidated or inhibited in these staged environments where hierarchy is obvious. I deliberately designed a large kitchen with long tables and promoted an environment where the company, regardless of role, sat and ate lunch together every day. These informal interactions not only broke down perceived hierarchical walls, but they also gave me direct engagement with younger employees and interns than may have normally felt intimidated to interact with the CEO. I found that basic human friendship is a more powerful motivator than a top-down command.

4. Mean What You Say
It’s not enough to say that culture is important. As leaders, founders need to continuously reinforce it. Culture and values ought to permeate everything from company benefits, office arrangement and design, employee reviews and, perhaps more importantly, in whom the company promotes, hires and if needed, fires. These clear signals help continuously reinforce a company’s priorities, convictions, and ambitions with respect to the culture it seeks to foster and promote.

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iOS 6 vs iOS 7 icons: A visual comparison

With iOS 7, Apple, under the watchful eye of Jony Ive, completely transformed the aesthetic of iOS. Gone were iOS mainstays like drop shadows, heavy textures and gradients. In their place was a cleaner, simpler interface.

Since iOS 7 was first released about three months ago, innumerable iOS designers have updated their app icons to more closely align with iOS 7's new design aesthetic.

A Tumblr blog fittingly titled AfteriOS7icon has compiled an exhaustive list comparing how icon designs have changed from iOS 6 to iOS 7. The list is curated by @KeeYenYeo.




I think many of the changes have resulted in sleeker and, in some instances, more engaging icons.

Not everyone agrees, however, with some iOS users feeling rather strongly that iOS 7 icons represent an unfortunate step backwards in design.

What do you guys and gals think? Feel free to chime in in the comments below, but make sure to check out the full Tumblr blog before you craft your final opinion and begin firing away.

Here are a few more samples for good measure:

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Scientists created malware that communicates using sound without any network involved

Straight from camp "what could go wrong" scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication have developed a proof-of-concept malware that can communicate with other machines nearby, using just standard laptop speakers and microphones. Most importantly, the computers don't need to be on the same network, they just need to be within 65 feet of each other. Even more sinister, is the fact that the researchers who developed the method claim they can form audio "mesh" networks to extend this reach much farther. The idea isn't a new one, and in fact, the technique that proved most reliable is based on an older method, developed to help computers communicate under water (not malware). One "positive" is that currently data speeds are slow. Very slow. An excruciating 20 bits per second. So, your petabytes of personal data might not be radioed back to crime HQ any time soon, but tests have already successfully shared passwords over the "air gap." If there's ever an excuse to get that radio in the office, this is probably it (though it'll need really good top-end).

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Amazon Prime Air will soon deliver your packages through drones

Amazon has just announced its awesomely futuristic plans of delivering packages using unmanned aerial vehicles or drones. Called Amazon Prime Air, the goal of this delivery method is to ensure the product reaches the customer in under 30 minutes.

The system is designed to deliver small packages, typically those under five pounds, which tend to form over 86 percent of the orders at Amazon. Each of these will be put inside a container and then strapped to a drone, which will fly over and deliver it to your doorstep.

As of now, this is still just an idea, aside from the few test runs made by Amazon. In order to have drones flying in the sky, Amazon needs the right regulations to be put into place by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of America for unmanned aerial vehicles. Amazon believes they will be able to get this delivery method off the ground by some time in 2015.

It remains to be seen how Amazon manages to handle this operation once they get the necessary permission. It is obvious that this method of delivery will be expensive and not something you’d choose unless you want something really urgently. But I wonder if there will be a time in future where the sky will be filled with little drones carrying yellow boxes around to their designated address.

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Solar Charging Feature Enters iPhone 6 Rumor Mill

The first in what will most likely be a long line of rumors related to the iPhone 6 claims that Apple will make good on several patents related to solar recharging for the iPhone 6.

The notion of a solar charging feature on an iPhone is nothing new; in fact, there are plenty of third-party options out there (like the one pictured above) that give users the ability to charge their iPhone battery with the sun’s rays. None of these products, however, are considered to be viable enough to foster mainstream appeal, and for the most part, solar charging arrays for the iPhone tend to be used more as emergency, last-ditch-effort features for giving just a bit of juice to a dead iPhone.

A new rumor, however, suggests that Apple will change the face of solar charging for smartphones next year by implementing well-establish patents for an iPhone 6 battery that will feature a solar charging panel that actually works.

Apple had in Feb 2013 received patents for its innovation in using solar panels in portable devices, like the iPhone 6. The technology was an integrated touch sensor with a solar panel. This technology allows Apple to “stack-up” touch sensors on top of solar cell layers.The report comes by way of the Australian version of IBT. Author Sachin Trivedi writes:

The electrodes on the integrated panel can be used for both collecting solar energy and for sensing on a touch sensor array. The integration, according to the patent, will save surface area on the device. Can we expect this on the iPhone 6?

There are a couple of obstacles regarding this report, namely, that the patent is quite new, having been approved less than a year ago. Typically, we’ve observed that Apple patents often take years to “cure,” and even more often, never emerge on an actual iPhone or iPad. In the case of the aforementioned solar panel/touch sensor array, it’s hard to conflate that functionality with what Apple has going on right now with the iPhone 5s. Having just debuted its first Touch I.D., where and how this newfangled solar panel-turned-touch-sensor remains to be seen.

Another problem is the charge factor.

The ever-increasing battery drain of high-performance hardware on the iPhone suggests that the iPhone 6 will need even more juice than the current iPhone 5s. This will especially be the case if the iPhone 6 has an even bigger screen and the implementation of iWallet, which will prompt the device to communicate more frequently via NFC. NFC takes up battery juice.

Solar power continues to be a novel energy source for small mobile devices. Apple for its part will have to dramatically improve upon existing solar technologies in order to make such a small surface like the back of the iPhone 6 soak up enough energy to make the technology viable.

Of course, Apple might jump at the opportunity to brand the iPhone 6 as “green” as a sales pivot for the device. In spite of the fact that the iPhone has a relatively low energy footprint, Apple might include a solar charging feature just as a means of selling more iPhones. But whether or not solar charging is an actual “good” idea for the iPhone 6 still remains to be seen.

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Do You Want A Curved iPhone 6 In 2014?

The hot, early rumor is that Apple is finally going to make good on the curved iPhone rumor by introducing an iPhone 6 with a curved screen. But is this really something you’re dying for?

You knew it wouldn’t be long before the rumor mill churned up the “curved iPhone” rumor once again. It’s like a broken record — with each passing year, we hear that the new iPhone will either have a convex screen, designed to sort of “wrap” around the user’s head for more ergonomic calls, and/or a curved or “teardrop” shaped back, making for an endlessly wobbly, spin-able iPhone.

Hey — at least it could be used to play “spin the bottle” or make a random selection of who has to take out the trash. Only the “spin the bottle” or “app to randomly decide who takes out the trash” app designers would bemoan a curved-backed iPhone.

All last week, tech analytics dueled over this new rumors, with some asserting that the curved iPhone 6 is a lock, while still others balk at the idea. Considering that their assertions of a low-cost iPhone fell way flat with the iPhone 5s, I’m disinclined to believe them either way — especially this early in the iPhone 6 rumor cycle.

But all of this leads to an interesting question: are you, dear iPhone user, jones’ing for a curved iPhone 6?

Like so many rumored features and upgrades, it’s hard to see the real point of such a feature, beyond aesthetic value. The Android universe has experimented with curved displays already, and yet the flagship Android devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy, Nexus, Droid Razr, HTC One, etc., have steered clear of the design. In fact, Android smartphone designers have experimented with a ton of novel features (remember 3D cameras?), the vast majority of which have fallen flat on their faces. To this end, the “flat faced” smartphone remains the standard.

For my part, I don’t think that Apple introduces risky, expensive, new features to the iPhone without them having a bigger purpose. Case in point: the Touch ID. The fact that it debuted on the iPhone 5s and not the iPad Air tells me that that feature is slated to integrate with iWallet down the line, which will be powered by the iPhone (maybe the iPhone 6?). At present, it’s not really a needed feature — but it will be, once people’s money is virtually wadded into their iPhone.

Even a larger display on the iPhone 6 has purpose — bigger real estate, better video viewing, better gaming — you name it. But what will a curved screen really add to the iPhone 6? Is the straight design of the current iPhone a “problem” that needs to be solved through the development of a convex screen? I think not.

 And what if Apple decides to keep the display flat, but makes the back of the iPhone 6 curved? Does that have purpose?

Maybe. It might feel better in one’s hand — it may conform to the contours of the palm a bit better. But what Apple gains in ergonomics it would lose in security. iPhones, after all, spend a good amount of time sitting on desktops and tabletops. There’s something to be said for the iPhone being able to lay flush on a flat surface. Would a wobbly iPhone be a good idea?

The curved iPhone rumor heated up years ago, when Cupertino invested in those fancy glass-cutting machines. But remember, Apple also invested in LiquidMetal as well, and still has yet to utilize that investment, either.

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Learning to Say “No” Is Part of Success

Success* is often built on a reflexive habit of saying “yes” to opportunities that come our way. We’re hungry for any chance to prove ourselves, and when we’re presented with one, we take it, even—or especially—if it seems daunting. (A lesson I learned years ago was to say yes to opportunities that made me feel nervous because the anxiety was a sign that I’d learn something useful.) We may also tend to say “yes” out of a fear that turning down an opportunity even once sends a message that we’re not interested, and we’ll stop getting additional chances in the future.

But success tends to attract bigger and better opportunities. As we succeed, a key challenge becomes prioritizing the many opportunities that present themselves. We often try to do this without saying “no” definitively—we still want to keep our options open. Inevitably, though, this results in a lack of clarity and overcommitment, and we wind up disappointing people, exhausting ourselves, or simply failing. To prevent this we need to learn to say “no” gracefully but firmly, maintaining the relationship while making it clear that this is one opportunity we’re choosing not to pursue. And success in this effort is founded on the ability to manage the emotions that come up when we close a door or extinguish an option.

These emotions can be subtle: a twinge of regret, a trace of anxiety, a faint voice that whispers, “Are you sure you want to turn this down?” We often respond reflexively to such emotions, driven to eliminate the discomfort they evoke. So we say “yes” and feel some relief—until later, when we realize the costs of the commitment we’ve now made. A critical step in managing these emotions is training ourselves to resist that initial reflexive response; I often describe this to clients and students as “becoming more comfortable with discomfort.” We notice the discomfort provoked by the possibility of saying “no,” and yet we can tolerate it. We’re not compelled to take action to eliminate it.

There’s no magic formula for saying “no” more effectively, but here are three steps that can help:

1. Slow down. Feelings of anxiety generated by the possibility of saying “no” can escalate into a full-blown threat response, an emotional state in which we have diminished capacity to process information and consider options. Slowing down the pace of an interaction or a decision-making process can allow us to catch up and make the choice that’s right for us, not merely the choice that alleviates our anxiety in the moment.
2. Recognize our emotional cues. We experience many emotions before we recognize them in conscious awareness, but feelings often have physiological markers that can help us identify and name the emotion sooner. Once we’re aware of an emotion, we can take action to influence how we respond. What do we feel—physically—when we consider saying “no”?
3. Practice. Saying “no” is like any other interpersonal skill—it feels clumsy and awkward at first, and we improve only with repeated effort.

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WHY FACEBOOK AND TWITTER ARE NOT MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES

BOTH COMPANIES HAVE TURNED THEIR FOCUS AWAY FROM USERS AND TOWARD SHAREHOLDERS TO GET BIGGER, NOT BETTER. REVENUE IS GREAT, BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE PRODUCT.

The simplest reason Facebook andTwitter are not on this year's Most Innovative Companies list: Neither produced innovations worth celebrating. A spot on MIC, as we call it, is not a tenured position. Every year, we assess innovation and the impact of those initiatives. In the history of our list, fewer than one-third of the companies return from one year to the next. This year, only seven are consecutive honorees, an indication of how more companies in more corners of the world are innovating to seek a competitive edge, with the stakes only getting higher.

Facebook and Twitter deserve special comment because they have been among the rare perennials, and their recent moves reveal two companies engaging in innovation's evil twin: short-term thinking at the expense of long-term value. Facebook's most notable product achievement in 2012 was Poke, a facsimile of Snapchat, the trendy-with-teens (and sexters) photo app. Poke stumbled almost immediately. In fact, Facebook has made a cottage industry out of chasing hot Internet services (Pinterest and Yelp included), instead of developing new ideas to delight its billion users. Similarly, Twitter's product strategy feels wholly defensive. Its most notable new feature is photo filters, a plainly unoriginal addition.

Both companies have turned their focus away from users and toward shareholders to get bigger, not better. Revenue is great, but not at the expense of the product. Twitter's focus on improving ad revenue requires a consistent experience across the web, smartphones, and tablets, so it forced its once-elegant mobile apps to conform to a clunky desktop look, because that model works best for advertisers. That's the exact opposite of how product development is supposed to go.

Facebook, facing the strain of a tumbling stock price last summer, has transformed the implicit understanding of the site--my posts will be seen by those who want to see them--into an advertising opportunity. It freely admits that only a small percentage of posts make it to friends and fans, but it can fix that if you buy ads. To compound matters, Facebook's aggressive mucking with its privacy policies has bred a deep distrust of how the company uses the content shared on Facebook (and Instagram) among a significant, vocal segment of its users.

Neither service is a lost cause. Yet. But both would be well served to revisit what made them special in the first place: engaging with peers, not merely consuming content from brands and celebrities; being a creative platform for developers; and championing social media where users, not advertisers, call the shots.

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Apple Rumored To Be Testing 4.9 Inch iPhone 6

The iPhone 5S hasn’t been available for very long, yet we’re already hearing more and more about its successor, the iPhone 6. Rumors of the next iPhone have been swirling around even before the 5s was announced, as the number bump has a tendency to bring many more enhancements, features, and tweaks than any ‘S’ iPhone model. Well, while we’ve heard it before, another rumor surrounding the iPhone 6 has surfaced, claiming that Apple is indeed testing out a model with a 4.9 inch display.

CTech is reporting from an insider tip that Apple is set to launch the iPhone 6 with a 4.9 inch display. That’s not all, though. If the insider is correct, we may also see the successor of theiPhone 5C get a screen bump as well.

We’ve heard quite a few rumors of Apple testing out iPhone handsets with larger displays, and it looks like the company will likely pull the trigger this time around. Whether or not we’ll see a 4.9 inch screen on the new iPhone remains to be seen, but we would be surprised if we didn’t see at least a 4.3 inch display on the next iPhone handset.

With a ton of Android handsets reaching or exceeding the 5 inch display mark, some iPhone users may be craving for more screen real estate. If the rumors turn out to be true, they just might get their wish.

Do you want to see a larger screen on the iPhone or are you happy with the 4 inch display on the existing model?

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Google opens up Mirror API to all developers, even more Glassware incoming

Earlier this week Google gave us a sneak peek at their upcoming Google Glass Development Kit (GDK), a set of tools developers will use to hit the ground running with Glassware ( Google Glassapps). While the GDK still isn’t ready for prime time, Google Developers did announce via their G+ page that the Glass Mirror API has finally been opened to all.

The Mirror API — while not as full featured as the GDK — utilizes cloud APIs to build web apps for Glass, not apps that run natively on the hardware. These are the type of apps we’ve seen “running” on Glass at the moment. Although we’re hyped for the release of the GDK, there’s still a lot that can be done with the Mirror API. The more Glassware available on Glass the better.

[Google Developers | Google Glass API]

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App Translation Service Now Available to All Developers

The App Translation Service is now available to all developers. Every day, more than 1.5 million new Android phones and tablets around the world are turned on for the first time. Each newly activated Android device is an opportunity for you as a developer to gain a new user, but frequently, that user speaks a different language from you.

To help developers reach users in other languages, we launched the App Translation Service, which allows developers to purchase professional app translations through the Google Play Developer Console. This is part of a toolbox of localizationfeatures you can (and should!) take advantage of as you distribute your app around the world through Google Play.

We were happy to see that many developers expressed interest in the App Translation Service pilot program, and it has been well received by those who have participated so far, with many repeat customers.

Here are several examples from developers who participated in the App Translation Service pilot program: the developers ofZombie Ragdoll used this tool to launch their new game simultaneously in 20 languages in August 2013. When they combined app translation with local marketing campaigns, they found that 80% of their installs came from non-English-language users. Dating app SayHi Chat expanded into 13 additional languages using the App Translation Service. They saw 120% install growth in localized markets and improved user reviews of the professionally translated UI. The developer of card game G4A Indian Rummy found that the App Translation Service was easier to use than their previous translation methods, and saw a 300% increase with user engagement in localized apps. You can read more about these developers’ experiences with the App Translation Service in Developer Stories: Localization in Google Play.

To use the App Translation Service, you’ll want to first read the localization checklist. You’ll need to get your APK ready for translation, and select the languages to target for translation. If you’re unsure about which languages to select, Google Play can help you identify opportunities. First, review the Statistics section in the Developer Console to see where your app has users already. Does your app have a lot of installs in a certain country where you haven’t localized to their language? Are apps like yours popular in a country where your app isn’t available yet? Next, go to the Optimization Tips section in the Developer Console to make sure your APK, store listing, and graphics are consistently translated.

You’ll find the App Translation Service in the Developer Console at the bottom of the APK section — you can start a new translation or manage an existing translation here. You’ll be able to upload your app’s file of string resources, select the languages you want to translate into, select a professional translation vendor, and place your order. Pro tip: you can put your store listing text into the file you upload to the App Translation Service. You’ll be able to communicate with your translator to be sure you get a great result, and download your translated string files. 

After you do some localization testing, you’ll be ready to publish your newly translated app update on Google Play — with localized store listing text and graphics. Be sure to check back to see the results on your user base, and track the results of marketing campaigns in your new languages using Google Analytics integration.

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Intrestengly Microsoft is selling Anti-Google ‘Scroogled’ Tees and Mugs

Microsoft has long started an anti-Google smear marketing campaign with the ‘Scroogled’ motto, but now it takes it to another level by actually launching a store where you can buy real t-shirts, mugs and hoodies telling the world that it’s getting ‘Scroogled’.

Prices vary, but for as low as $8 you can get a mug that says “Keep calm while we steal your data” and for $15 you can proudly wear a “Scoogled” hat.

It’s quite shocking to see such straight-forward aggressiveness towards Google from Microsoft. The ads were one thing, but we have a hard time imagining people actually wearing this, and the smear attack looks a bit out of place in the context of the looming Holiday spirit of thankfulness and forgiving.

It’s just business, of course, and we’ve seen Microsoft mock the Chrome browser, blame Google for reading people’s Gmail accounts and it all now culminates in this store of real apparel. What do you think about all this, would and should anyone be buying these?

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Source:Shop Scroogled

5 biggest myths about Android

Fear, uncertainty and doubt, or FUD, is a common tactic in marketing and there’s a fair bit of evidence that negative advertising works. Competitive companies are backed up by legions of fans invested in their wares and everyone feeds their thoughts into the biggest rumor mill ever devised – the Internet. It is fantastic at perpetuating myths and spreading lies, whether it’s the latest fake celebrity death, or the idea that PC gaming is dead. Once you put an idea out there, even if it’s an outright lie that you later retract, it takes on a life of its own.

There are some big, persistent myths about the Android platform that simply will not die. Here are top five of them.

Android lags and crashes are worse than the competitors (iOS and Windows)

In the early days of Android there was a lot of talk about the platform being laggy and it’s never really gone away. There have also been claims that Android apps crash more often than the apps on other platforms. All the mobile platforms suffer from lag and crashes from time to time. Problems tend to be worse just after a major platform update because it takes time for the app developers to catch up and optimize.
Various studies, like this one at Forbes based on Criticism data have shown that iOS apps crash more often than Android apps. A year later and Forbes reported that apps on iOS 6 crash less than apps on Jelly Bean. It’s very difficult to get reliable independent data on this topic and it’s tough to properly compare platforms.
Lots of people on every platform encounter crashes. Complaints about it being a particular issue on Android could be related to our last point about cheap hardware. Underpowered hardware, manufacturer UIs, and carrier bloatware could all have an impact, but they don’t point to any instability or performance issue inherent in Android. Good Android smartphones or tablets do not suffer from significantly more lag or crashes than devices on any other platform. It’s also worth pointing out that “good” doesn’t necessarily mean the best specs. Today's top android dogs like HTC One, Nexus 5, Xperia Z are as butttery smooth as iPhone 5/5S or any Windows phones like Lumia 1020 etc.

Android is complicated

According to the latest figures from IDC Android pushed past 80% worldwide market share for the first time last quarter. Surely we can put the idea that it’s complex, hard to get to grips with, or only for hardcore techies to bed now? It was only a couple of years ago that Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer said “You don’t need to be a computer scientist to use a Windows phone, but I think you do to use an Android phone.”

Right from day one the idea that Android was not intuitive, or that there’s a really steep learning curve before you can master it, was pure nonsense. Most people came to Android from feature phones. The platforms we used before were filling up with perplexing icons and layers of hidden menu options. Android was extremely intuitive by comparison, and the user experience has been streamlined further with each new version.
The idea that the Android platform is too hard for the average user to figure out is seriously insulting to the average user. There is no significant difference in usability between any of the major mobile platforms and even android has become more user friendly and easy to use after major update of Ice cream sandwitch 4.0 onwards.

Android malware will infect your phone

There’s no doubt that malware exists and there are plenty of people trying to infect your smartphone, but for the average user Android is secure enough. It’s not difficult or complicated to protect yourself from threats. Every app that is installed on Android has to ask for permissions and you can review them before you decide whether to install.
If you feel like that’s too much hassle then there’s a very simple alternative. Start by installing a security app, the independent security institute, AV Test, does a regularly updated report on the best options and most of them are free. Don’t go outside of Google Play for apps, most malware comes from third-party stores or other sources. Since it takes time to identify malware you can drastically reduce your risks by not downloading the newest apps, stick to things with plenty of reviews and download numbers. Apply the same common sense you would browsing the web on your computer – don’t click on suspicious links or open suspicious email attachments. Don’t root your phone.
Eric Schmidt got laughed at when he said Android is more secure than the iPhone, but the real point is that the user is the weak link. If you choose to bypass the layers of security built in to any good mobile platform (Android, iOS, Windows etc) then be aware that you’re choosing to take a risk.

Android is the same on every phone

We’ve all seen those arguments where someone jumps on a forum thread or comment section to complain about how awful Android is and it transpires that they’ve been using an HTC Wildfire, a Samsung Moment, or some other budget release. Google has been working on improving the Android experience and optimizing its services so that you don’t need cutting edge hardware to enjoy the platform, but there are limits. If a manufacturer puts together a shoddy phone, slaps its own user interface over the top, and then the carrier fills it with bloatware then it’s not really representative of Android.
You wouldn’t buy an iPhone 3G/3GS and expect it to perform like an iPhone 5/5S would you? The lack of restrictions on Android is a generally a good thing because you get loads of different devices at different price points. The inevitable downside to that is that there will be some duds. Even a small amount of homework and a cursory glance at review scores will guide you towards a decent Android phone and you don’t have to spend big (check out Nexus series and new moto series from Motorola).

Android needs a task killer

If I ate a donuts every time I saw a forum argument about whether you need a task killer on Android then I’d be a bed-ridden whale by now. In the early days we all bought into this, the top task killer app is closing in on half a million downloads and there are many, many others that do essentially the same thing. Then a few people started questioning whether those task killers were really saving us battery life or improving our smartphone’s performance?
There are some compelling arguments against using task killers, like this one at Lifehacker. When I stopped using a task killer there was a noticeable improvement in both battery life and stability, so I’ve never used one since and I’ve never missed it. The appeal is obviously the idea that you can be proactively improving your smartphone, but unless you’re dealing with a dodgy app it’s probably not making the difference you think it is.
It could be the placebo effect that’s convincing you a task killer is helping. Try life without it and see if you can feel the difference.

There are plenty of other myths out there about Android and mobile devices in general. We could have talked about battery calibration, or the idea that fragmentation is a problem that’s unique to Android. What are the Android myths that annoy you?