Technology
Big Announcements From WWDC 2017
Published
9 years agoon

A few weeks ago, Google held its I/O developer conference, where they laid out the vision for the future of Android and its various services. This week is Apple’s turn at their own World-Wide Developer Conference (WWDC). Apple usually uses the headlining keynote to outline updates to their major software platforms. This year they delivered those software updates as usual but with a few hardware surprises thrown in there. In the weeks leading up to WWDC, the internet was awash with rumors about a smart speaker to compete with Amazon Echo and Google Home as well as a new iPad. Let’s dive in and check out the biggest announcements from WWDC:
iOS 11
The newest version of Apple’s most popular operating system, iOS 11, brings a slew of new features centered around social interactions. The Google Assistant, Siri, is now able to translate sentences into different languages. Siri can also use machine learning capabilities to gradually learn your habits and make suggestions automatically based on how the device is being used. The Control Center was also updated slightly to condense all of the controls to one page (hooray, no more swiping over for music controls!) and 3D Touch can be used to expand those controls.
iMessages was also updated with the ability to synchronize conversations between Apple devices, meaning that if you delete a conversation on your iPhone, it’s also deleted on your Mac as well. Apple is also integrating a peer to peer (P2P) payment system directly into iMessage. Previously, most people would use a third-party app such as Venmo or Square Cash to send payments to their friends or businesses. Now, you can simply use iMessage to send and receive money using Apple Pay. The payments are transferred to a special “Apple Pay Cash Card” which can then be transferred to your bank. Because this P2P payment system only works inside of iMessage, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to use it outside of the Apple ecosystem (sorry Android owners). However, it does make transferring money to family and friends who use Apple products that much easier without having to use a third-party service like Venmo.
Live Photos are updated with the ability to be edited. Now users can create small GIFs from the Live Photo. The photos themselves can also be edited with Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, showing off by changing a woman’s hat to a totally different color. Those changes in Photos can also be imported into third party photo editing apps such as Photoshop.
While Apple didn’t introduce any new features to CarPlay, they did introduce a new safety feature that is able to recognize if you are driving and will turn on the Do Not Disturb to prevent any distractions. The App Store has been completely redesigned and looks more in line with how Apple Music looks. The tabs at the bottom now have dedicated sections for Apps and Games. The redesign is supposed to improve app discovery and visibility.
For the past few months, Apple has been heavily touting the iPad as a tablet that can replace your laptop. How well it will do depends on the user but to further the point, iOS 11 introduces several new features specifically for the iPad to increase productivity. There is improved multitasking that allows users to drag an app from the dock and onto the screen for split screen. Information can also be dragged from one side screened app to another, with Federighi again showing a demo where he dragged texts and pictures from one app into the Mail app. Finally, Apple created a Files app that allows users to manage files similar to a desktop (the app itself was leaked a few hours before the event started though). Power users have wanted Apple to allow access to a file system for a long time and Apple finally gives some kind of desktop feature that allows that. The Files app can also connect to external cloud storage such as Box, Dropbox, and OneDrive.
Apple also showed off the augmented reality (AR) capabilities of iOS 11 and is banking on AR being used more on mobile devices like phones and tablets rather than dedicated headsets. Apple is releasing ARKit to allow developers to create AR apps for iOS devices.
macOS High Sierra, tvOS 11, and watchOS 4
Unlike recent years where a new macOS introduced tons of new features, this year’s update featured at WWDC is more of an incremental update. In fact, the new version will be called High Sierra (which is similar to when Apple went from Leopard to Snow Leopard). With this new version, it comes with a new file system called Apple File System (APFS). APFS was first introduced in the iOS 10.3 update. Along with other improvements, this new file system speeds up file transfers with native encryption. The Photos app has additional editing features and Safari will automatically block web trackers to stop those annoying autoplay videos (I’m looking at you CNN). There is also a new Metal graphics API called Metal 2 that supports VR (and AR) and external AMD graphics cards.
Apple’s tvOS wasn’t particularly showcased at WWDC this year, however, Apple CEO Tim Cook did announce that the Amazon Prime Video is coming to Apple TV. Most of the newer features of tvOS such as, new background modes and notifications, custom sound support, and automatic light/dark switching are buried in the release notes.
The Apple Watch operating system, watchOS 4, introduces a few new watch faces such as Siri and Toy Story characters. The Siri face will display information such as reminders as well as a feature dedicated complication to access Siri directly. Of course, being fitness focused, watchOS 4 also allows Apple Watches to pair with gym equipments in order to receive the most accurate workout and calorie information.
Hardware
Because WWDC is a developer conference, most of the announcements are centered on software. However, Apple took this time to introduce a few new surprising hardware announcements.
Apple unveiled a new 10.5 inch iPad Pro which features Apple’s new A10X CPU and a 12 core GPU. The screen supports HDR video and can run up to 120 Hz refresh rate. This is especially important for the Apple Pencil as the increased refresh rate allows much finer control and responsiveness. The refresh rate changes dynamically depending on what’s happening on screen in order to maximize battery life. The new iPad Pro starts at $650 for 64GB of storage and goes up to 512GB of storage.
In regards to the iMac, Apple is finally updating their all-in-one computer with Intel’s 7th generation Kaby Lake chips. The screens are 43 percent brighter and it displays more colors. The 21.5” iMacs get upgraded Intel Iris Plus GPUs while the 4K models get AMD Radeon Pro 555 and 560 graphics cards. The top end 5K 27” iMac gets Radeon Pro 570, 575, and 580 graphics cards. These are the most significant updates to the iMac since 2015. But wait, there’s more! In addition to upgrading the existing iMacs, Apple introduced the all new iMac Pro at WWDC. Until the new Mac Pro comes out, the iMac Pro will be the most powerful computer Apple has ever made. It ships with an 8-core Intel Xeon processor which can be configured all the way up to a whopping 18 cores. It also features a 5K display and the new AMD Radeon Vega GPU. Save up your pennies because the entry level iMac Pro starts at $5,000. Apple also took the time to make minor spec bumps to the new Macbook line by upgrading them to Kaby Lake as well.
Apple also introduced the HomePod, it’s smart speaker is to compete with the likes of Amazon Echo and Google Home. Apple calls it a “breakthrough” speaker that will reinvent music like the iPod did. Those are pretty bold claims but sound-wise, the HomePod seems to deliver. Covered in a mesh material, the shape is reminiscent to the Mac Pro “trash can” look and features, an array of seven tweeters and a subwoofer. The A8 chip inside utilizes technology that Apple calls, “special awareness” that allows it to automatically tune the sound to match the makeup of whatever room it’s in. Naturally, it’s also integrated with Siri and Apple Music, the form of which has been upgraded to answer numerous music queries. Apple says that Siri is able to hear commands even when the music is blasting full tilt. Because Siri is built in, most of the abilities Siri has on iOS is also available here, such as asking for; weather, news, sending iMessages, and creating reminders and timers. HomePod also integrates with HomeKit for centralized control of your HomeKit devices. In an apparent dig at Amazon and Google, information sent to Apple is encrypted and sent using an anonymous Siri identifier. The HomePod doesn’t ship until December and will cost $350 when it releases.
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Technology
Top 10 App Development Software That Help Create Stunning Apps
Published
3 weeks agoon
December 25, 2025
Wireless internet and digital platforms have become the norm for managing businesses, driven by the widespread use of smartphones, laptops, and tablets. So, it comes as no surprise to see the demand for apps growing even more. If you want to create your own, here are the top 10 app development software that can help you create a stunning mobile app for your business.
1. Quixy

Businesses use Quixy’s cloud-based no-code environment to empower their consumers. The goal is to automate workflows by developing applications based on their needs. And everything is done without writing any code!
Quixy helps eliminate manual processes and translate ideas into applications. It assists business to become more transparent, innovative, and productive. Through the platform, users can either develop an app from scratch or customize the pre-made apps from the Quixy app store in minutes. Quixy has several drag-and-drop forms, including a rich text editor, e-signature, QR-Code scanner, and Facial Recognition widget.
Pricing:
- Contact the sales team to request a quote.
2. Zoho Creator

Zoho Creator is a low-code platform that fuels the fast development and delivery of web and mobile applications. Like Quixy, there’s no need to write endless lines of code to build an application. Some of the key features of Zoho Creator are AI, cloud functions, JavaScript, third-party integrations, multiple languages, offline mobile access, and payment gateway integration.
Zoho Creator promises to remove about 90% of the complexities in the application development lifecycle so that you can create the apps you need without too much trouble. From conceptualization to launch, Zoho helps you focus more on features, business value, and the customer—not code.
Pricing:
- Free 15-day trial
- Standard – $12/user/month
- Enterprise – $37/user/month
- Flex – contact them for pricing
3. AppyPie

AppyPie allows you to build apps for multiple objectives. It has several app builders, covering payment app builders to worship app creators. Plus, you do not worry about resubmitting the app after making some modifications.
ApplePie can create apps for small businesses, restaurants, real estate radio, and much more. AppyPie’s no-code technology is precisely what it sounds like: programming without coding to build enterprise-grade applications.
Pricing:
- Free trial
- Basic – $16 /app/month
- Gold – $36 /app/month
- Platinum – $60 /app/month
- Enterprise – Price varies, contact the sales team
4. Google AppSheet

AppSheet is a trustworthy no-code platform, which means anyone can build powerful mobile and desktop apps minus the codes. With AppSheet, you can deliver an app that is rich in functionalities. It also provides shared innovation, team collaboration, security and governance, and lifecycle management for enterprise clients.
Pricing:
- Starter – $5/user/month
- Core – $10/user/month
- Enterprise Plus – contact the sales team to request a quote
5. Appery.io

Our next app development software is called Appery.io. It is a low-code app development software for developing hybrid mobile apps, web apps, and progressive web apps (PWAs). Apps created through Appery.io work well with all devices and platforms. Aside from that, Appery.io helps you integrate your existing backend with your app. It also allows instant import and uses backend services in the app builder.
Pricing:
- Beginner – $25/month
- Pro – $70/user/month
- Team – $135/month
- Enterprise – contact them for pricing
6. Buildfire

An excellent platform for small and medium-sized businesses, Buildfire helps you build native iOS and Android apps. You don’t need to have programming knowledge, thanks to its drag-and-drop builder. It has premium features, including a plugin marketplace, push notifications, analytics, media streaming, loyalty programs, and e-commerce integrations.
Pricing:
- Standard – $165/month
- Growth – $315/month
- Scale – $440/month
- Professional Services – Book a demo
7. UI Bakery

A modern low-code platform, UI Bakery can help you build stunning web and internal apps easily and quickly. It has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, AI-assisted workflows, and seamless integration with popular databases and APIs. It also lets you design responsive applications without the heavy coding. If you want to create dashboards, admin panels, or full-fledged apps, this is the software for you.
Pricing:
- Free
- Builder – $25/per month/developer
- Team – $35/per month/developer
- Enterprise – contact them for pricing
8. Shoutem

Shoutem is a Mobile App creator for small to large businesses. The app provides a drag-and-drop designer with a re-publish feature that is free of charge. Likewise, it can give you a preview in the native preview app.
Pricing:
- Android – $59/month
- Standard – $99/month
- Professional – $179/month
9. AppInstitute

AppInstitute enables you to create apps for small businesses, including beauty salons, radio stations, sports and fitness, coffee shops, and more. It has a drag-and-drop app builder. It guides launching, promoting, and marketing your apps.
Pricing:
- Instant – $49/month
- App Stores – $99/month
- App Stores Premium – $149/month
10. Caspio

Caspio is a low-code app development platform designed for SMBs. It is an all-in-one platform for creating database applications with features of a visual application builder and a robust cloud database. Moreover, it is a powerful, secure, and compliant platform that provides interactive web-based reports. That said, it’s time to bid goodbye to obsolete systems and start building modern cloud-based applications for your business. With two decades of expertise, Caspio accelerates digital transformation for companies, industries, and organizations.
Pricing:
- Lite – $100/month
- Plus – $300/month
- Business – $600/month
- Enterprise – Contact the sales team
Conclusion
We hope you found the app development software that provides sufficient templates and features for building your app. However, creating a complicated app using a single builder is not always practical. You can develop several apps utilizing software that contains all the necessary features. And if you’re a startup company, consider getting the best startup software to build your online presence. This way, you’ll get the best value for your money.
Technology
The Top 8 Webinar Platforms For Your Next Virtual Event or Demo
Published
4 weeks agoon
December 19, 2025By
Skylar Lee
Webinars are a powerful marketing tool you need to incorporate into your business. So, next time you’re hosting an event or demo for your clients, here are the top webinar platforms you can consider for 2026.
Before we list down the ten best webinar platforms of all time, here are some examples of webinars you can host:
- Customer onboarding
- Employee training
- Thought leadership
- Product demonstration
- Live classes
- Corporate communications
- New features
- Lead nurturing
1. GoTo

GoTo is an all-in-one video conferencing and webinar solution for many businesses and hosts. With GoTo, you can subscribe to one product at a time. That said, their webinar solution ensures security, enables personalization, and increases audience engagement rates. One reason webinar hosts love GoTo is its Stripe integration. That said, you can accept payments easily without subscribing to another invoicing app.
Pricing (billed annually):
- Reach (500 participants) – $69/mo
- Elevate (1,000 participants) – $299/mo
- Unlimited (Unlimited participants) Contact their sales team
2. WebinarNinja

WebinarNinja is the leading webinar platform for coaches and creators. This platform allows you to host a live, series, hybrid, and automated or evergreen webinar. Plus, you or your attendees won’t miss the webinar since they send automated emails for your upcoming events. In addition, you can engage audiences before or during the webinar with handouts, landing pages, chats, and audience presenters.
Pricing:
- Monthly billing – $0.60 per attendee/per month
3. My Own Conference

If you are hosting a webinar with fewer than 20 attendees and want to host it for free, My Own Conference is your best option. It’s a no-fuss choice because you won’t download any software and can schedule webinars anytime! Like other webinar platforms on this list, you can send an automated email about upcoming lessons or seminars anytime.
Pricing:
- Basic plan – Free
- Business plan – $28/month for 30 attendees
- Enterprise – Contact sales
4. Livestorm

Livestorm is another webinar platform offering a free version. It’s limited, but it’s ideal for audiences of fewer than 30 people. Like other webinar platforms on this list, you can integrate Livestorm with apps, such as marketing automation and CRM software apps. Additionally, you can also customize your Livestorm webinars with branding and track your analytics.
Pricing:
- Pro – $105/mo
- Business – Contact sales
- Enterprise – Contact sales
5. Demio

If you’re a marketer and are hosting a webinar, Demio is one of the best webinar platforms to use! With Demio, you can host a live, automated, or series webinar. You can customize Demio by adding your business logo and colors to maintain brand consistency anywhere. Plus, you can increase engagement rates with polls and handouts. Finally, you can monitor your webinar’s results with their tracking and analytics systems.
Pricing:
- Starter – $63/mo
- Growth – $117/mo
- Premium – $196/mo paid annually
6. Adobe Connect

Adobe doesn’t just develop design and video editing software application. They also have a webinar platform, Adobe Connect, you can use to host events. In terms of features, they have the basics, such as polls, breakout rooms, chats, and integrations. However, Adobe Connect goes further with features such as drawing and annotations, templates, and asynchronous browsing. That said, Adobe Connect is steeper than most webinar platforms.
Pricing:
- Standard – $190 per year/per host
- Premium – $290 per year/per host
- Enterprise – $390 per year/per host
7. WebinarGeek

Here’s another webinar platform that doesn’t require a download when you use it. WebinarGeek lets you do everything on your browser, such as conducting live and hybrid webinars and co-presenting with other hosts. This platform is ideal for marketers since they have marketing integrations like Zapier, HubSpot, and MailChimp. However, creators, coaches, and teachers can benefit from the platform because of the engagement features.
Pricing:
- Basic – $81/month
- Premium – $116/month
- Enterprise – From $409/month
8. BigMarker

The final platform on our list is BigMarker. Once again, marketers and sales teams are the target audience for this webinar platform since it’s made to get more leads. Landing pages and registration forms make it possible. Plus, they can learn more about their potential customers through customer profiles and other marketing integrations. That said, creators can use BigMarker to host their events and invite attendees to their next event with their Call to Action feature.
Pricing:
- Basic (Up to 1000 attendees) – Request a quote
- Enterprise (Up to 10,000 attendees) – Request a quote
- Enterprise+ (Up to 500,000 attendees) – Request a quote
Final Thoughts
Webinars have increased in popularity because of accessibility and cost. For coaches and creators, they can engage with the audience even better through chats and downloads. Meanwhile, marketers can make the most out of webinars through tracking and analytics after talking to leads and customers. Luckily, for these creators, webinar platforms can help them achieve their goals and attract more audiences in different ways.
Business
How Marketing Optimization Tools Level Up Your Marketing Game
Published
1 month agoon
December 12, 2025By
Skylar Lee
While many companies and small businesses struggle to capture their target audience’s attention amidst competition from giant brands, it’s clear that marketing needs to be taken up a notch. To do this, it requires marketing optimization tools to not only achieve marketing objectives but also generate leads. But how do you go about optimizing your marketing efforts and what tools can help?
1. Make Use of Data

According to Hubspot, marketing in 2025 will heavily focus on data. That said, data will give you insights into your target audience. Plus, you can better understand how your business works better through data. Fortunately, many marketing optimization tools have data and analytics to help you reach targets.
If your strategy is understanding your audience better through data, Google Analytics is your best free option. With Google Analytics, you’ll know where your users are coming from and how many of them are visiting your website.
Another data-heavy strategy is social media marketing. After all, you don’t want your social media marketing efforts to go in vain. Although MeetEdgar is primarily a social media scheduler, it will help you understand which of your posts are doing great in engagement. Plus, you can make decisions regarding your other non-performing posts.
2. Focus on SEO

Data isn’t enough when optimizing your marketing campaigns or strategies. Marketing strategies are best served with the help of SEO. You shouldn’t overlook or underestimate the impact of what SEO can do for your business. After all, you want to drive customers to your website, right? SEO is your best bet in getting more clicks and visits. Plus, you can earn your place on the coveted first page of search engines.
With SEO, you don’t have to overcomplicate it. Plus, you don’t want to skimp on SEO, especially if you want visitors to flock to your site. You can use one simple tool to help you research keywords, explore your competitors, and track your progress. Ahrefs is one of the tools you should have in your arsenal. They have an all-in-one tool ready to help you learn about your content, links, competitors, and more!
3. Stay Active on Social Media

Social media platforms are the best places to reach your target audience. You can post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to engage with your audience and promote your products or services. But posting on social media requires constant efforts and well-thought-out strategies. You need to post regularly with the right content, copy, and visuals to attract your target audience. Content creation tools like graphic design software and video editors will help you meet your social media marketing goals.
Canva is the go-to for many marketers because of its ease of use and UI. Plus, you can make graphics in minutes. Meanwhile, Clipchamp is a trusted name in video editing. Marketers can use templates to create videos in a snap. Plus, they can make compelling videos by adding filters and AI voiceovers.
4. Keep Content Consistent

During the planning stages, it’s important that your content should also be ready before it’s published. If you are launching a marketing campaign, you need your visual assets and marketing copy prepared. But you don’t create for creation’s sake. You need to keep your messaging and visuals consistent on every platform.
You want to ensure that people across various channels view and interact with your campaign assets while getting your main message out.
There are a couple of marketing optimization tools for this strategy:
- Hubspot is the popular choice for content marketing since you can publish and schedule your blogs on this platform.
- Like with social media marketing, you need content creation tools. However, an alternative to content creation tools is unlimited graphic design and video editing services. For graphic design, you can rely on Penji. You can request your graphics in one place while you work on your company. Meanwhile, Video Husky is a trusted video editing service helping you with short-form and long-form videos.
- Email marketing is another content strategy you should consider when reaching your audiences. Mailerlite is your best bet in achieving your email marketing goals.
5. Research Your Competitors

Aside from learning about your audience, you should also keep an eye out for your competitors. After all, you want to see how your target audience responds to their posts. Plus, you want to compare how different your websites could be. This will give you an idea of how to improve your posts and websites.
Although Ahrefs has a competitor research tool, an alternative to this is SpyFu. They specialize in analyzing competitor keywords, traffic, ads, and domains.
Other Marketing Optimization Tools to Use:
Marketing Automation

Marketing automation tools have been the go-to applications for most marketers. After all, marketing automation streamlines your work. Plus, you can leave it to the AI or other automated sequences to do your job for you. That said, there are tons of marketing automation tools.
One stands out from the rest, and that is MailChimp. Although known as an email marketing tool, they have a marketing automation feature by building relationships with your customers and ad retargeting.
Customer Relationship Management

Customer relationship management (CRM) software is one tool you need to reach more customers. This works best if you have an email marketing strategy. And if you need a CRM tool, Salesforce is the highly recommended one. You can run your marketing campaigns on their software. Plus, you can nurture leads and provide the best customer experience.
Project Management

One overlooked marketing optimization tool is project management. You should use a project management tool to help you get on track with your campaigns. Asana is a must-subscribe project management tool for marketing. You can collaborate with your teammates, assign them various projects, and organize them for each strategy.
Final Thoughts
In the competitive landscape of 2026, optimizing your marketing strategy is no longer optional, it’s essential. It can be challenging to entice your target audience digitally nowadays, especially if you’re hesitant to use optimization tools. That’s why it’s essential to use them to help you achieve your marketing goals. And with the tools above, you can be on your way to reaching your audience and increasing your sales.

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