Mobile App Dev Trends in 2024: Buckle Up, It’s a Rocket Ride!

Hold onto your keyboards, developers! The mobile app space in 2024 is about to blast off. We are talking over 935 billion dollars in revenue expected to be generated by mobile apps this year – that’s a mountain of cash waiting to be mined with the right app.

Think about it – nearly 2 million apps are chilling in the App Store, and almost 3 million live on Google Play. And get this – users are hooked – nearly a quarter of Millennials can’t stay away from their apps, checking them over 50 times daily! The market? It’s on fire. We are looking at a 20% growth rate projected from 2021 to 2024. First-time app installs are expected to explode to a mind-blowing 183.7 billion this year. That’s a gold rush of users waiting for the next killer app. So, are you ready to catch up on the latest trends and ensure that your apps are not outdated? In this article, we are here to tell you about the latest trends that will transform how you build apps.

Let’s Get Started with the 11 Trends Shaping the Mobile App Dev:

AR: Think Beyond Pokemon Go! Remember the craze?

That was just a glimpse of what’s to come. Augmented reality (AR) lets you weave real-world magic into your apps. Imagine guiding users through a store with virtual arrows or letting them try on clothes virtually before they buy. The possibilities are limitless!

Security Gets an Overhaul: No More Data Breaches!

Hackers see your app as a goldmine of data. Scary, right? Here’s the harsh truth: traditional security just isn’t enough. In 2023, cybercriminals swiped $2.64 billion from mobile finance apps, and nearly half of data breaches involved stolen logins. Yikes!

That’s where you, the coding samurai, come in. Fingerprint scanning? Table stakes. Developers are like security ninjas, constantly battling with cutting-edge anti-spoofing tech to keep your app’s Fort Knox strong.

Beacons: Location-Based Magic!

Imagine tiny Bluetooth beacons scattered around, whispering sweet nothings (well, data) to smartphones. This tech unlocks a treasure trove of possibilities. Picture a museum app that blasts you with an audio guide as you approach a T-Rex exhibit, or a store sending discount alerts as you browse the shoe section. Beacons are a game-changer for personalized experiences that make users feel like VIPs.

Mobile Payments: Ditch the Bulky Brick (Your Wallet)!

NFC payments are taking the world by storm. Users can simply tap their phones for quick and secure transactions, leaving their bulky wallets at home. Features like Apple Tap to Pay are making it easier than ever for even small businesses to join the contactless payment revolution, without needing fancy terminals.

Instant Apps: Try Before You Buy!

App downloads can be a pain. Enter instant apps: bite-sized versions that let users access specific features without a full install. Perfect for trying things out or quick tasks.

Super Apps: All in One Place!

Think WeChat. These super-powered apps offer a whole ecosystem of services – messaging, social media, payments, and even gaming – all under one roof. The possibilities are staggering.

Cloud Power: Unleash the Beast!

Mobile devices are strong, but they can’t compete with the cloud’s processing muscle. Cloud computing lets apps offload tasks, store massive amounts of data, and scale effortlessly. This translates to smoother performance, lightning-fast updates, and a treasure trove of opportunities for data-driven features.

AI and Machine Learning: Built-in Smarts!

AI is revolutionizing the app landscape. From analyzing user data to personalizing experiences to powering features like image and speech recognition, AI is making apps smarter and more intuitive.

IoT: Connecting Everything!

The Internet of Things (IoT) is weaving a web of connected devices. Mobile apps can become the central hub for controlling and interacting with these devices, opening doors for smart homes, industrial automation, and a future where our physical and digital worlds seamlessly connect.

Cross-Platform Development: Reach Everyone!

Developing separate apps for iOS and Android is a thing of the past. Frameworks like Flutter and React Native are making it easier and cheaper to build cross-platform apps that work flawlessly on both major operating systems.

Microservices Architectures: Building Blocks of Success!

Microservices break down complex apps into smaller, independent modules. This means faster, more agile development and easier maintenance. Imagine a team of specialists working on individual features simultaneously, leading to a smoother development process and a rock-solid final product.

Conclusion

Mobile app development is a goldmine waiting to be tapped. Are you ready to be a mobile app architect and build the next game-changing app?

So, get ready to jump on board. Check out AlignMinds to see how our expertise and knowledge can help you build the next generation of mobile apps.

April 24, 2023April 25, 2023

Optimizing Laravel Application Performance: Techniques and Tools

Introduction

Are you tired of waiting for your Laravel application to load? Do you find yourself frustrated by slow response times and sluggish performance? You’re not the only one! Nowadays, users crave lightning-fast website and application experiences. In fact, a study conducted by Google has conclusively shown that a staggering 53% of mobile users will abandon a website if it takes longer than a mere 3 seconds to load. Whoa, that’s alarming!

But don’t worry, there’s hope! With the right techniques and tools, you can optimize your Laravel application for peak performance and provide your users with the speedy experience they crave. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the nitty-gritty of optimizing your Laravel app for peak performance. We have some real-world stats and examples to back up the best practices.

So, get ready to rev up your app’s performance and take it to the next level!

Techniques for Optimizing Laravel Application Performance

1. Minimizing Autoloaded Services: Autoloading numerous services can potentially result in sluggish performance as each request triggers the loading process, thereby consuming excessive memory and resources. To optimize performance, it is recommended to curtail the count of autoloaded services and limit the autoload only to essential services.

2. Route Caching: Route caching creates a cached version of the routes, which significantly improves the performance by reducing the time spent on route scanning and compilation. To implement route caching, use the command “php artisan route: cache” in Laravel.

3. Switch to the Latest PHP Version:

Upgrading to the latest version of PHP can provide better performance due to the latest features and improvements in the language. Make sure to check the Laravel documentation for supported PHP versions.

4. Compress visual data: The utilization of large images can drastically impede the performance of your application. In order to enhance the efficiency of your system, it is recommended to diminish the size of your images by means of an image compression tool or use Laravel API performance optimization tools.

5. Minimize HTTP Requests: Each HTTP request generates additional overhead, which can slow down the application. To minimize HTTP requests, combine all necessary resources such as CSS, JavaScript files, and images into one request.

6. Enhance the efficacy of database queries:

Database queries that are too slow have the possibility of severely undermining the performance of your application. To optimize your queries, use Laravel API performance optimization tools like eager loading, query caching, and indexing.

7. Utilize the methodology of Eager Loading: Eager loading loads all related data for a specific record, reducing the number of database queries required. This feature can be used in Laravel by using the “with” method on a model.

8. Employ JIT Compilers: The Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler can improve PHP performance by compiling the code at runtime. To enable JIT in PHP, make sure to use the latest PHP version and enable the JIT configuration.

9. Incorporating a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A Content Delivery Network can improve performance by distributing your application’s static content to multiple servers worldwide, reducing the latency and network load on your server. In Laravel, configuring the CDN within your application’s configuration file is crucial to leverage this capability.

Tools for Optimizing Laravel Application Performance

Laravel Debugbar: Laravel Debugbar happens to be a robust package that offers developers instantaneous and unparalleled insight into their application’s performance. It displays debugging and profiling information such as memory usage, execution time, and database queries in a graphical interface. This tool allows developers to identify and fix performance issues quickly, resulting in faster application performance.

Blackfire.io: Blackfire.io is a profiling tool that helps developers optimize their applications’ performance. It provides a deep understanding of the application’s performance by identifying performance bottlenecks and suggesting ways to fix them. The tool integrates seamlessly with Laravel, allowing developers to profile their applications with ease.

LoadForge: LoadForge is a load testing tool that helps developers simulate high traffic to their applications. By testing the application’s performance under heavy load, developers can identify and fix performance issues before they become a problem. LoadForge also integrates with Laravel, allowing developers to test their applications easily.

Laravel Telescope: Laravel Telescope is a debugging tool for developers who take performance seriously. It offers unparalleled visibility into critical aspects of your application, including requests, jobs, and database queries, all in real-time. The tool allows developers to quickly identify and fix performance issues, resulting in faster application performance.

Start Optimizing your Laravel Application Performance

That’s a wrap! We’ve finally reached the finish line of our quest to maximize the performance of our Laravel application. By implementing the techniques and tools we’ve discussed throughout this blog, you’ll be well on your way to creating a blazing-fast web application that your users will love. If you’re on the hunt for Laravel application development in Kochi, Kenya, US, look no further than AlignMind. Contact them now to augment your application’s operational efficiency.

Remember, optimizing your application’s performance is an ongoing process. Keep monitoring and tweaking your code, caching and database settings, and server infrastructure to ensure that your app is running at its best. In the end, it all comes down to providing a great user experience. By following the tips we’ve shared, you’ll be able to deliver lightning-fast response times, minimize downtime, and keep your users happy.

So go forth and optimize and why settle for anything less than the best? Get in touch with AlignMinds today, one of the leading Laravel application development companies in Kochi, Kenya, US and watch your Laravel dreams become a reality!

March 29, 2023

Top Web Development Projects Ideas

If you’re starting with web development, this post will outline some of the top web development ideas that you can use to make your website stand out.

8 Best Web Development Project Ideas In 2023

Here in this section, we will discuss 8 best full stack web development project ideas that you can try in 2023:

1. Grocery Delivery Website or App

Grocery delivery apps as a top web development project idea gives users a wide range of products and services. They’re frequently integrated with an analytics API. Using free website builders enables adding eCommerce functionality and shipping options. Grocery delivery websites help users compare prices and make payments and save shopping lists. Food delivery apps offer features similar to real- time operations and social sign- ups and customizable payment options. Some offer cash- on- delivery, while others allow credit cards to pay for their orders. The first step in the development process is to set your process flow. This will include defining your target followership, relating the type of app you want to produce, determining the time it’ll take to develop, and assessing the ideal of your final design.

2. Mood-board Creator App

A mood- board creator app is another web development project idea that saves time and money by helping you organize your ideas. This can be especially useful if you’re working with a customer. Creating a mood board can be delightful for sharing your ideas with guests and fellow creators. A mood board can help you find direction in your design process and help you exclude design crimes. Mood boards can come in numerous forms, but a standard format is a digital collage of images, plates and textures. They can also include words or descriptive expressions that capture the overall feeling of a particular design. Whether creating a brand, website, or mobile operation, mood boards can help you develop a sense of style. These can be simple visual plans or complex, organized collages.

3. Image-Sharing App

There’s a lot of talk about image sharing these days, so let’s look at some of the most extraordinary ways you can put your digital creations to good use. One thing’s for sure you’ll have a lot further data to work with in the coming times. One way to do this is by starting with native app development. For illustration, you could use Kotlin for Android, Swift for iOS, and JavaScript for the database. This will enable you to make a largely functional operation in no time at all. To get the most out of this operation, you ’ll need to be more sophisticated in your approach. In particular, you must concentrate on the big picture, i.e., your users and their requirements.

4. To-do List App

You can use the to- do list app as your web development project idea as your first design. If you’re starting with a full stack web development, these apps are a great way to organize and stay on track. The stylish to-do list apps are easy to use and allow you to produce tasks and assign them to others. A to- do list can keep you from getting distracted and make it easier to flash back effects. It also allows you to produce space for other studies. Plus, these apps are mobile-friendly, so they’re great for busy people on the go. When preparing your to- do list app, you’ll need to do some database CRUD operations. You’ll also need to allow users to produce and view timetable views, library systems, and comment on tasks.

5. Invoicing System For Freelancers

A sound invoicing system for freelancers is a game-changer for freelancers in terms of keeping pace with their payment obligations. It can simplify transferring checks and help you get paid promptly. The software should also allow you to track your time and charges to keep your billable hours in check. A tab system that allows you to shoot customized checks will make your billing process more manageable. Some of these systems offer a variety of precious features, similar to automatic payment options. It also offers a free invoicing option to automate introductory invoicing requirements.

6. Video Conferencing Website or Application

Videotape conferencing application is a great web development project idea to showcase your skills. To produce a videotape conferencing app, you need to consider your target followership and the features that will be most useful to them. It would help if you also add many features that will help you optimize your real- time connection. The most pivotal point of a videotape conferencing app is the audio and videotape quality. It is crucial as it can make a huge difference in the number of people that can participate in a call. Additionally, you can add a whiteboard. Some of the more advanced features include automatic adaptations to the video and audio bitrates, which are pivotal to the quality of your calls.

7. Content Management System

Web development involves designing and developing a website with numerous factors. These include your software, customer software, and a database to store data. Content operation systems help manage content. These systems allow users to produce, edit and publish blog posts. They also offer performance monitoring and reporting. A CMS is a more complicated one than a regular messaging app. A full Stack system should be suitable to make the system you need. Whether it’s an e-commerce website or a portfolio website, you will need to learn how to develop the right way.

8. Project Management Tool

Complete mound web development systems involve erecting a website with multiple factors and a database for data storehouse. To make a full stack web development, you need a lot of knowledge of different technologies. Fortunately, several software tools will help you with this. MeisterTask is a Kanban- grounded tool that helps you sort and organize your systems. It has a free version and paid version that includes many features like workflows, custom fields, and more. Wrike is an important design operation tool. It helps you set a timeline, organize tasks, and improve performance. You can also produce interactive maps. It’s available in a free version and a paid version with unlimited users.

Conclusion

Whether you ’re looking to start a new web development project or revamp your existing one, plenty of offers are available to help you get started. We hope our information gives you an idea of which one you should go for. Get in touch with us today to know how you can get any of these projects developed by the hand of our professionals.

October 25, 2022November 28, 2022

Making Secure Financial Transactions on Mobile: Always Do This!

For the last few years, our mobile usage grew extremely high and this leads to a huge risk of data theft. Here the Government itself promote digitalisation and there arises a discussion on a very interesting topic of securing financial transactions on mobile devices.

Security for mobile devices has been advancing in an enormous way. But, compared to computers within your home network, mobile devices can be less secure. Here are a few tips you can follow to make your mobile devices more secure and use them to perform transactions that are protected.

How to make financial transactions on mobile secure?

1. Do not download apps from untrustworthy sources

Do not download 3rd party applications from other areas outside the App Store. Download apps only from the official App store for your device. Also, checking and verifying the following things before you download an app will help you with securing all the finical transactions you are going to perform later.

Read Reviews and check the ratings

Imagine ourselves as a customer who is buying a product from a shop. We would usually check the reviews and ratings of the shop and the products before making a purchase decision. Like that, you should undergo a habit of reading the reviews and checking ratings of the app before downloading it. There are apps that are fake and do not reveal much information on the app store. Going through the reviews and ratings will help you with deciding whether the app is useful to you and secure.

Number of Downloads

An app with a high number of downloads is more likely to be genuine and secure. An app with 1 million downloads makes it evident that there is a positive buzz created around the app due to its usefulness and security. A security breach will be less likely in case of such apps since it will affect the wide customer base they have.

Also, due to its huge customer base, the developer will usually have the budget and resources to maintain the security of the app even if the threats surrounding the mobile app evolves. So, using only the most popular apps is an easy way to secure financial transactions or any type of transaction on mobile devices.

Find the vendor or developer

App store shows the contact details of the vendor/developer of the app. Find and learn their security and privacy policies. Check whether your information is used for any other purpose and what are the purposes of sharing user data with third parties, if they are doing so.

Granting Permissions

Do you have a habit of granting all the permissions asked while getting the app installed on your device?

Due to convenience, users have the habit of granting all the permissions without checking what are they and whether they are really needed while installing a new app on their device!

While granting all the permissions allows users to explore the features of the app, granting unwanted permissions may put you in trouble. Asking permission to access the camera or social media accounts may be appropriate for a video editing app. Messaging apps like WhatsApp asks permission to access your messages and contacts. But, a mobile app that in no way is designed to make a call or send messages or email to people is asking for access to contact list may be inappropriate, especially if the app was downloaded from untrustworthy sources.

So, make sure that only the appropriate permissions are granted while installing the app.

2. Strong Password Protection

The first thing a user does in his new mobile is setting up a security password/pattern lock. The reason may be privacy more than security.

A strong password is a better way to protect your device. Nowadays, most of the smartphones are enabled with at least one of these features like facial recognition, iris scan, and fingerprint etc to secure mobile devices, restrict unwanted people accessing them and protect all types of transactions that will be done using the devices. These features offer more security and protection for your devices than a PIN or password can offer.

3. Keep your software updated

You must ensure that software on your devices is up to date. Updating software regularly ensures more security, and since they often fix security vulnerabilities from time to time, hackers will not be able to use them to their advantages.

4. Transactions only through secure mobile websites

In some cases when you have no computer to access online shopping portals to do some shopping and there are no apps available on the App Store to help you with it, you will be forced to use the mobile version of their website. In such cases, using only a secure HTTPS connection to access the website will be the first step to secure your transactions. This is a guarantee that any data passed between your device and the server are only shared between these two machines. Always check whether there is a padlock icon before dropping items to the shopping cart. The padlock symbol usually means that the transactions are protected and the webpage is secure. This also means that you should not be doing financial transactions through websites that do not have the padlock symbol on the address bar or on the top of the screen in case of mobile devices.

5. Don’t pass sensitive information through public Wi-Fi

Any information sends through public Wi-Fi can be accessible by those who have access to the network. So, use only your phone’s cellular network or your home’s password-protected internet connection for doing secure financial transactions.

6. Check bank statements and mobile charges

The majority of identity theft cases and cybercrimes involve financial fraud. So check your bank statements regularly and immediately report if there is any suspicious activity. Authentication through fingerprint can be enabled for banking apps on top of PIN or passwords authentication, allowing you to maintain more security for your financial transactions.

The Bottom Line

As technology is advancing, more techniques and methods and deployed to secure financial transactions. But, frauds and thefts are also on the rise as culprits are leveraging the same technology advancement. It may not possible to prevent all fraudulent transactions and data theft. These are some of the tips you can follow and invest in some type of protection to some extent.

This article is written by Sarath M V, Manager – Finance and Administration at AlignMinds Technologies

October 25, 2022November 29, 2022

How the App Development Community is gearing up to Fight Covid–19

There’s no stopping Covid-19 now. It’s spreading like wildfire. Any city or country, you name it, and you will find several positive or suspected Covid-19 patients there.

Speaking to Time magazine, Richard Kuhn, a virologist and professor of science at -Purdue University, informed that if the health officials had taken action earlier and contained the outbreak within Wuhan, things would not have escalated to this level.

So, now the question is how to control this pandemic that threatens to take the whole world under its wraps?

Sure, lockdowns and curfew imposed by many governments are helping us control the viral transmission of this global pandemic, to a very higher degree. But then is this enough?

Not until the health sector world over starts relying more and more on smartphone apps, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to fight the spread of coronavirus. These technologies are widely being used in a variety of industries, such as retail, banking, and more. High time the health industry takes note of it and starts applying technology to their industry.

Leveraging this technology might help stop the spread of this pandemic right in its track.

Consultancy for Covid-19 through apps

Currently, people who are suffering from fever, cough, and shortness of breath meet the doctor in person. This means, they visit the doctor at a clinic or hospital, and thereby transmits the virus to all those who came in contact with – it could be the doctors, nurses, other patients, and more.

Instead, if such patients stay at home and connect with the doctor via an app, and describe their symptoms, the doctor will be able to treat him accordingly. Given that the suspected patient doesn’t move out of his house, he is not exposing others to the virus.

Case study

In Singapore, nearly a million people have used the telehealth app called – MaNaDr. About 20% of physicians offer different services via this app. Patients were getting pre-screened on MaNaDr and advised to be at home if the symptoms were not severe. However, the patient reports to the doctor every evening to keep him posted about his condition. If the latter feels that he is getting sicker, then an ambulance is ordered to take him to the hospital.

This kind of virtual monitoring makes it easier for the doctors to treat patients and also puts less pressure on the hospital that is already facing resource crunch in the wake of Corona spread. More than anything, consultancy apps avoid transmitting the virus to others.

Covid-19: Tracker Apps

Worried that its healthcare system would collapse in the face of coronavirus scare, India has gone on a complete lockdown mode – which is being now termed as World’s Largest Coronavirus Lockdown. Not surprisingly, the tech community is keeping itself busy in developing different apps that could help control the spread of the pandemic.

CoWin-20

The soon to be launched app, CoWin-20, would most likely help users find if they came in close contact with people infected with the virus. Plus, it would also be able to tell you if you’re in an area with a high number of infected cases. The app most likely determines this by scanning the database of infected people and checking individuals’ travel history.

Co-Win is currently being tested on both iOS and Android.

Corona Kavach

This is yet another app being launched by the Indian government. Currently available in beta version, the app, Corona Kavach, would helps users check if they have crossed paths with patients who have tested positive for the virus. Plus, it keeps you posted with the latest details on the community spread of Coronavirus through the user’s location.

Covid Symptom Tracker app

This new app launched by British researchers of Kings College London will help track the symptoms related to the Virus, allowing people to self-report their condition daily. The app, according to a Techcrunch report, will measure temperature, tiredness, and symptoms such as headaches, breathing problems, coughing, and more. If the user is showing signs of Covid-19, a testing kit will be sent home to understand the symptoms better. Further, it will help parse between mild coronavirus from seasonal coughs and colds, which currently may be making people to self-quarantine unnecessarily, or inadvertently infecting people.

Covid News, Tips and Alerts Apps

WHO MyHealth

With the Covid-19 pandemic taking its toll world over, people are already on their tenterhooks. But what’s making the situation even worse is misinformation being communicated about this virus through Whatsapp forwards and all, creating further panic among people.

To combat misinformation, the World Health Organization is gearing up to launch an official Android, iOS, and Web app, called WHO MyHealth, for news, tips, alerts, and more to keep you updated about the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article is written by Jennifer Warren, a Content Crafter with GoodFirms , a research and review platform for service and software companies. The company provides a curated list of top mobile app development companies, top writing service companies among many others.