First  post!  I truly believe the first steps of the space age is upon us.  This might seem fictional and crazy to most people, even laughable for now, but it'll only be a matter of time where all this space society will become important.  So happy to be a part of this!!!

The majority of Internet users consider each URL as a website. The thing is that many of these sites are not sites at all. They are web apps. For the end user, all these terms don't matter. But they matter to you and your business when you contact a development agency and try to explain what you actually need.

Another reason to learn the difference between web app and website is the future of your business. If you want to use your software for a long time, develop and improve it, you should also understand how to do this in a case of web app and website. That is why we decided to dot the t's and cross the i's and finally find out what are the key difference between a website and web application and what type of software will fit your project requirements better.

Difference between website and web application

Before we compare the notions of website and web application, let's find out what each of them means and what set of peculiarities they have.

What is website?

A website is a static page on the Internet which isn't very functional. Its main purpose is to provide an end user with some particular information. Users in most cases do nothing but read (or watch or listen to) the information which a website contains. The brightest examples of typical websites are news, recipes, weather, blog portals.

The main idea of this type of software is that a customer has little or no interaction with the program. For instance, on the news website, you can choose news section. Another example is a subscription form which can also be present on a site. But nothing more. A user doesn't input any information to a website.

If you want to see a real-life example, visit our website The Match Player . The full project includes an iOS and Android application and a landing page where you can read about it. The Match Player is a program where users can create accounts and look for competitors for a golf match. Apart from that, there's also a dating part with a chat, where everyone finds a date. The comprehensive review of the Match Player app you can find in our blog.

Match Player: Website by Cleveroad

What is a web app?

A web app is an interactive page. It allows users to input, get and manipulate data in different ways with the help of interaction. Such software programs usually have a very tight connection with the server and send lots of requests to it.

If you need a clue of what a web app is, think about an online content editor, which processes users' files. Another example is a social network. Here users can communicate, share content, post news and so on. It's a web app too.

Cleveroad has created lots of web apps. One of the most recent is a Shirt App project. Shirt App is a web-based application where anyone can create a custom design of a T-shirt for himself or for a present and order it.

Shirt app: Web application example

Another great example of a web application that we've created is a Train Away project. The full scope of work included an IOS and Android app development plus a web application. The project helps people all around the world find a plate for trainings with the needed facilities. The program also allows users to pay for a visit or to buy one-week or monthly subscription.

TrainAway: Web app by Cleveroad

As a matter of fact, nowadays, we see that these notions integrate into each other and it makes even more difficult to identify the website and web application difference. Some web apps can work as a website until you log in or buy a premium account. To make it easier, we'll try to follow the generally accepted classification in this particular article.

https://www.cleveroad.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-website-and-web-application-choose-what-fits-your-business

I can not wait for this journey to begin. I am  a hard working man, a family man, and hope I can get a position in police or security, I know I would be a great asset to assuring the safety of my fellow Asgadrians.

What is Camera Effects Platform ?

Before all else, let’s get closer to the subject and clarify what the Camera Effects Platform is and what it is needed for.

Camera Effects Platform is a set of tools that allow developers to use the camera as an AR platform. Mark Zuckerberg saw huge potential here because now almost everyone has a smartphone with a good camera and enough processing capacity to work with AR technologies (thank you, Mark!). Earlier, we believed that only VR goggles are capable of this.

The platform is powered by an augmented reality engine, which provides face tracking features, 3D rendering and JavaScript framework for free.

Business opportunities with Camera Effects Platform

Camera Effects app platform can become a pot of gold for those who understand all the opportunities it gives. The biggest benefit of the platform is that it doesn’t require any additional expensive hardware to use. Actually, it’s vice versa. The platform works on a piece of hardware that almost everyone already has . On a smartphone! Which means that you can use all the opportunities of the Camera Effects Platform without any extra expenditures.

Let’s see how businesses can take advantage of the Frame Studio, at first:

Frame Studio business opportunities

Users encouragement

You can also encourage users to create the best photo frame for your company or brand and then choose one, rewarding the winner.

Brand awareness

If you create a frame, designed in the colours and style of your company brand, you can improve brand awareness and users’ engagement. For instance, your users can take a selfie with your photo frame and post it in social media for a reward, a discount or bonuses. To make it even more fun, you can pin your frame in a particular place, only for a short period of time.

With AR camera Studio , your business can do much more. There are thousands of ways you can benefit with it. Let’s take a look at some of them:

AR Studio business opportunities

Virtual comments

With the feature to add notes to real objects, you can allow customers of your restaurant (or a cafe or a bar) to leave comments on the walls of your place, so everyone can read how others rated you. It is a new fun way to engage users to participate.

Interactive maps

Just like comments, the notes on walls or the ground can help people to get to a particular place, like your office or cafe. It would also be great to use this feature for quizzes, where customers have to find a place or an object with the help of tips “left” on the walls or floor.

Virtual menu

How cool would it be to come to a restaurant and see the menu on a table? A customer can choose a language and you don’t need to print a set of new books every month or so.

Virtual galleries

Museums and art galleries can use the technology to place notes near articles, to tell their origin and history. Or, an art gallery can come to a customer’s apartment or anywhere a person wants to see it via their camera on a smartphone.

Interactive manuals

Imagine, that there is no need for manuals and instructions. A person who bought an appliance can see how to use it with the help of his camera, at the moment he points it at a device.

Virtual notes

You can create an app where a wife can leave virtual notes on a fridge and an alert on her husband’s phone to check it before leaving for work. An app where a man can leave his love confession on the ground near a house where the girl lives and send her a notification to check it (great way to save community property, by the way).

Virtual objects and devices

Virtual objects added to the real world is not new to us. IKEA, a company that sells furniture and everything for homes, already uses this feature. After downloading the IKEA app, users can “fit” the pieces of furniture they like in their homes. With the new Facebook Camera Effects Platform, everyone will have a chance to add the same feature to their apps. And it is not only about furniture . Mark Zuckerberg offered to create a virtual TV app where people can watch virtual TV everywhere they want, instead of buying real expensive devices.

Games advancement

Games, that already use VR technologies but work only with goggles, soon will be available to anyone who has a smartphone.

Interactive aducation

The platform can be used in educational apps. For instance, a medical student can perform surgeries on virtual patients. Different simulators would also work great.

Virtual tours

Tourists agencies now can show all the views of a place a person wants to visit on an office table.

Virtual makeup

Computer vision recognizes objects and faces, reacts to their changes and changes VR with it. Moreover, 3D masks that cover face and moves with it allows users to create such effects as virtual makeup. Imagine, you can try on something from a shop sitting at home or see how you would look with another hair colour and length and much more.

Lots and lots of ideas can be applied based on the technology so generously offered by Mark Zuckerberg and his development team. Every AR effect that only chosen ones could use is now available to anyone . All spheres and all industries can use it. Now, everyone has a chance to create an awesome application with such great technologies which will only improve in the future.

Fintech App Developers

What is FinTech startup? We decided to structure awarded startups and divide them into 3 categories:

1. Startups for analytical data collection in social media;

2. Startups for recognition of oral and written speech;

3. Startups for financial consulting.

Startups for analytical data collection in social media

Neener Analytics

Area : behavior analytics in social media

Project guarantees 80% of accuracy in determination of FICO score (a key tool for measurement of consumer credit risk level in the USA) on the basis of analysis of one social media profile. Moreover, with the help of this analysis, they can tell you whether your borrower will return funds within the whole period and repay a debt or repay it before/prior to the due date. It is an innovation in FinTech .

Neener Analytics tool for social media analysis

Alpharank

Area : API for data collection in social media

Alpharank in autonomous mode helps understand how clients affect each other's buying behavior. Their technology uses analysis of a user purchase history and social experiences in Facebook.

Alpharank determines the cost of each customer on the basis of the influence of their purchase on others. Developers say that this data will help optimize e-mail marketing, loyalty programs, referral programs and coupons as well as campaigns in social media. The main fields of such technology application are e-commerce, tickets sale, and banking market as well, so it can show the FinTech impact on banks .

Alpharank API for analyzing clients' buying behavior

Startups for recognition of oral and written speech

Capitalise

Area: written speech recognition for asset management.

Capitalise simplifies investment process by recognizing and understanding the text written by investors.

You explain in simple language your investment strategy to a robot that automates the trading process. Automated management of company's portfolio is based on investment scenarios users can analyze and optimize for efficiency increase. In addition to the user request, the platform also suggests alternative and more efficient strategies. Due to the power of FinTech, small business can get benefits from such startup.

Capitalise tool to make your investments smarter

According to founders, only large investors could afford themselves such mechanism, and banks could support personal event managers for such large investors.

Fintech App Developers

What is FinTech startup? We decided to structure awarded startups and divide them into 3 categories:

1. Startups for analytical data collection in social media;

2. Startups for recognition of oral and written speech;

3. Startups for financial consulting.

Startups for analytical data collection in social media

Neener Analytics

Area : behavior analytics in social media

Project guarantees 80% of accuracy in determination of FICO score (a key tool for measurement of consumer credit risk level in the USA) on the basis of analysis of one social media profile. Moreover, with the help of this analysis, they can tell you whether your borrower will return funds within the whole period and repay a debt or repay it before/prior to the due date. It is an innovation in FinTech .

Neener Analytics tool for social media analysis

Alpharank

Area : API for data collection in social media

Alpharank in autonomous mode helps understand how clients affect each other's buying behavior. Their technology uses analysis of a user purchase history and social experiences in Facebook.

Alpharank determines the cost of each customer on the basis of the influence of their purchase on others. Developers say that this data will help optimize e-mail marketing, loyalty programs, referral programs and coupons as well as campaigns in social media. The main fields of such technology application are e-commerce, tickets sale, and banking market as well, so it can show the FinTech impact on banks .

Alpharank API for analyzing clients' buying behavior

Startups for recognition of oral and written speech

Capitalise

Area: written speech recognition for asset management.

Capitalise simplifies investment process by recognizing and understanding the text written by investors.

You explain in simple language your investment strategy to a robot that automates the trading process. Automated management of company's portfolio is based on investment scenarios users can analyze and optimize for efficiency increase. In addition to the user request, the platform also suggests alternative and more efficient strategies. Due to the power of FinTech, small business can get benefits from such startup.

Capitalise tool to make your investments smarter

According to founders, only large investors could afford themselves such mechanism, and banks could support personal event managers for such large investors.

Who benefits of using CRM solutions

The answer is pretty simple. Both sides: businesses and customers. However, before choosing a CRM system, you need to understand whether a client-oriented approach meets the principles of your business. There is no need to use such systems within your business model without a sufficient justification, only because such systems exist and work for some other business.

For example, such businesses as online stores, wholesale companies or beauty salons will not be able to work effectively without paying enough attention to incoming calls. After all, the fulfillment of orders and customers’ satisfaction are very important for each of these businesses. It’s the only way to gain loyal customers .

So, if your business model is based upon the importance of incoming calls or requests (leads) from new customers, or if your business makes effort to obtain and retain new customers, you will gain benefits of using a CRM system.

Benefits of a CRM system for eCommerce

Here are some ways how introduction CRM in eCommerce can help you improve the quality of customer service.

Advantages of CRM software for eCommerce

• Sales growth. Representatives of the sales and customer service department will be able to access information, such as customer order history, payment history, product inventory, and so on. This deep insight will allow to apply a more personalized approach to customers.
• Improved demand and supply planning. Ecommerce CRM software provides demand-driven planning feature as well. Now the company can better predict the demand for its products and better manage its reserves (sales, search, manufacturing, etc.).
• Targeted marketing and advertising campaigns. Due to the centralized information, you can launch targeted and personalized marketing and advertising campaigns.
• CRM solutions allow to create self-service portals for your customers to access the status of their order, track the shipment, check inventory and much more.
• Improved after-sales service. Having all the necessary information, you will be able to better serve customers after the sale, making more personalized offers.
• Integrated RMA Management. Return Merchandise Authorization or RMA may also be among CRM benefits. What does it mean? A support representative who has all need information can find the most suited approach the customer's problem solving on phone or using remote diagnostics.
• Reduced costs and losses. Automatic synchronization of information eliminates the need for manual data transmission, which is subject to errors and can lead to unsuccessful client’s experience.

• How to choose a CRM system

  
  The first step in choosing a CRM system for your business is to identify the goals and objectives you are pursuing. Then, you are ready to investigate the market of currently available CRM systems . Take some time to decide on the functionality and budget that you are willing to spend on implementing your CRM system. Will it be an individual solution or a ready-made option? Let’s figure it out. Here are a few options you should be aware of.
• 
  Cloud CRM system (SaaS)
  The main point is that all information is stored in the cloud. Cloud solution is perfect for small and medium businesses as it does not require extra money for additional equipment and technical personnel.
• 
  Standalone CRM solutions
  Quite obvious that you will have to need your own server. However, unlike cloud technologies, you can fully adapt the system to your needs.
• 
  Individual eCommerce CRM
  The system is tailored to match all your individual business needs and the requirements of your customers.
• 
  Off-the-shelf solutions
  They can be adopted by almost any business. Though they may not be a perfect fit for your company, their development costs and speed to deploy will offset the disadvantages.
• 
  The question is whether to use a ready-made software offered by various vendors, such as Salesforce , Oracle , and Zoho or to develop your own solution from scratch . Therefore, we want to consider the advantages and disadvantages of CRM developed from scratch and customized off-the-shelf solutions with the use of the provided SDKs.

Vue js Vs React js

What is better: Vue.js advantages and benefits of using React.js

Now it is the time to start comparing. What should we use in one case or another?

#1. Need an app with templates? Vue is up to you

Vue attributes should be added to HTML layout - it is a necessary action. It may remind a data-binding feature in Angular library, and directives are targeted for adding functionality on the page. Let's imagine an example of a simple Vue app that displays a message and contains a button name of which can be changed to the opposite by clicking.

This process can be implemented much faster due to Vue.js template. In the case of React, it avoids templates and it requires from the developer to activate DOM in JavaScript that is automated with JSX. So the same app will require more actions from the user.

Working with Vue template

If you want to use templates, you will have to learn advanced HTML. But if you need to write simple functions, standard HTML and JavaScript can be enough. Moreover, the advantage of the creation of functions lies in the easier testing process as well.

However, in the second release of Vue, you can use both templates and create functions.

#2. Don't want to complicate things? Choose a Vue

A simple app written using Vue can be uploaded from the browser directly without a transpilation. It allows the user to add Vue library to the project easily, like jQuery.

You can do it in React library as well, but more often React-written code is based on JSX and ES more.

Vue.js examples' simplicity is reflected in its design. We can compare how two frameworks can process value in the app.

React compares current and previous value - it makes it possible for React to understand when and what to add to DOM. That is the reason why it is impossible to change the value directly.

As for Vue, all data is changed there without any troubles. It may seem that the Vue rendering process lacks React efficiency, but it is not correct. Vue is constantly monitoring DOM conditions and automatically changes values once it is changed. So this process in Vue is not only more capacious but also more efficient comparing to React.

However, everything is not so shiny concerning Vue. Vue cannot monitor editing of values, their deletion, and other massive changes. These shortcomings can be eliminated using React set-methods. So it can give a notion of what is Vue.js .

#3. Need a small and fast app? Vue is waiting for you

Both React and Vue create virtual DOM and sync it to a real DOM once data inside is changed. Both libraries have tools for the optimization of this process.

Vue developers tried to make Vue's rendering system faster than that one of React's. As for library size, Vue gains the lead here. The last release of Vue framework is minimized up to 25.6 kb.

But if you want to get all React tools, you will have to download React DOM (37,4 kb), React library (11.4 kb), and now it is two times heavier than Vue. At the same time, you will get more APIs from React.

#4. Need a large app? React is at your disposal

Comparing simple apps developed on the basis of React and Vue, the majority of developers can give their preference to Vue. It is because apps that are created using templates can be developed more easily.

But these benefits can slow down the development process if the app will increase in sizes. App templates are subject to bugs in the process of the implementation of specific tasks, and it is not easy to restructure and divide this app into components. So when you think about a large web app, create React app.

But JS templates can be structured to components and they have a clean reusable code. Testing of the app is implemented more quickly as well.

History of React.js and Vue.js

So, React is advantageous in large apps when readability and possibility to test code are crucial.

#5. Looking for a library for your web or mobile app development? You need a React.

React Native is a library that helps to develop mobile apps in JavaScript language. It is almost the same as React.js, but there are native components, not the web. If a developer had an experience of working with React.js, it wouldn't be a problem for him to learn React Native.

It is very important that it can build an app for web or mobile without additional skills and tools. Learning React gives the developer an undisputed advantage if he or she plans to develop both web and mobile apps. Now do you see why use React.js ?

Vue.js cannot boast about such features so here React is leading undoubtedly.

#6. Need a large development mechanism? React is the leader.

For sure, React today is a more popular library that has 2.5 million downloads per month. While Vue library has only 225,000 downloads per month.

Popularity is not just a small advantage. It means more discussions, manuals, guides and so on. More add-ons for integration into the project, it saves time and efforts of the developer since he or she can use ready-made solutions.

Both frameworks are open source, but React was created by Facebook team. This is also a strong side. Companies and developers that prefer React can be confident in the long-term technical support of the library. You can find React.js templates all over the Internet.

As for Vue, it was created by one developer whose name is Evan You. He is performing technical support of the library. There are no teams of specialists.

Nevertheless, Vue popularity is growing, and it constantly shows new updates, and new releases. There are a few thousand open and resolved issues on GitHub.

What is the verdict?

In fact, if you use one library in a successful way, there is no sense to change it. To sum up our research, let's list strong sides of both frameworks in a nutshell.

Vue.js pros:

• Flexibility when creating templates and rendering;
• Simplicity of syntax and project development;
• A small size of the library and faster integration.

Advantages of React.js:

• Better for large app development;
• Easier in testing and learning;
• Applicable for cross-platform development;
• A larger system of add-ons and tools.

Strong sides of Vue and React

But anyway React and Vue are exclusive UI libraries that have more similarities than differences. Their best features include the following:

• Quick interaction with virtual DOM;
• Not large size;
• Quickly responding components;
• Can be used on server's part;
• Simple sync to the router, simple management of conditions.

Vue js Vs React js

What is better: Vue.js advantages and benefits of using React.js

Now it is the time to start comparing. What should we use in one case or another?

#1. Need an app with templates? Vue is up to you

Vue attributes should be added to HTML layout - it is a necessary action. It may remind a data-binding feature in Angular library, and directives are targeted for adding functionality on the page. Let's imagine an example of a simple Vue app that displays a message and contains a button name of which can be changed to the opposite by clicking.

This process can be implemented much faster due to Vue.js template. In the case of React, it avoids templates and it requires from the developer to activate DOM in JavaScript that is automated with JSX. So the same app will require more actions from the user.

Working with Vue template

If you want to use templates, you will have to learn advanced HTML. But if you need to write simple functions, standard HTML and JavaScript can be enough. Moreover, the advantage of the creation of functions lies in the easier testing process as well.

However, in the second release of Vue, you can use both templates and create functions.

#2. Don't want to complicate things? Choose a Vue

A simple app written using Vue can be uploaded from the browser directly without a transpilation. It allows the user to add Vue library to the project easily, like jQuery.

You can do it in React library as well, but more often React-written code is based on JSX and ES more.

Vue.js examples' simplicity is reflected in its design. We can compare how two frameworks can process value in the app.

React compares current and previous value - it makes it possible for React to understand when and what to add to DOM. That is the reason why it is impossible to change the value directly.

As for Vue, all data is changed there without any troubles. It may seem that the Vue rendering process lacks React efficiency, but it is not correct. Vue is constantly monitoring DOM conditions and automatically changes values once it is changed. So this process in Vue is not only more capacious but also more efficient comparing to React.

However, everything is not so shiny concerning Vue. Vue cannot monitor editing of values, their deletion, and other massive changes. These shortcomings can be eliminated using React set-methods. So it can give a notion of what is Vue.js .

#3. Need a small and fast app? Vue is waiting for you

Both React and Vue create virtual DOM and sync it to a real DOM once data inside is changed. Both libraries have tools for the optimization of this process.

Vue developers tried to make Vue's rendering system faster than that one of React's. As for library size, Vue gains the lead here. The last release of Vue framework is minimized up to 25.6 kb.

But if you want to get all React tools, you will have to download React DOM (37,4 kb), React library (11.4 kb), and now it is two times heavier than Vue. At the same time, you will get more APIs from React.

#4. Need a large app? React is at your disposal

Comparing simple apps developed on the basis of React and Vue, the majority of developers can give their preference to Vue. It is because apps that are created using templates can be developed more easily.

But these benefits can slow down the development process if the app will increase in sizes. App templates are subject to bugs in the process of the implementation of specific tasks, and it is not easy to restructure and divide this app into components. So when you think about a large web app, create React app.

But JS templates can be structured to components and they have a clean reusable code. Testing of the app is implemented more quickly as well.

History of React.js and Vue.js

So, React is advantageous in large apps when readability and possibility to test code are crucial.

#5. Looking for a library for your web or mobile app development? You need a React.

React Native is a library that helps to develop mobile apps in JavaScript language. It is almost the same as React.js, but there are native components, not the web. If a developer had an experience of working with React.js, it wouldn't be a problem for him to learn React Native.

It is very important that it can build an app for web or mobile without additional skills and tools. Learning React gives the developer an undisputed advantage if he or she plans to develop both web and mobile apps. Now do you see why use React.js ?

Vue.js cannot boast about such features so here React is leading undoubtedly.

#6. Need a large development mechanism? React is the leader.

For sure, React today is a more popular library that has 2.5 million downloads per month. While Vue library has only 225,000 downloads per month.

Popularity is not just a small advantage. It means more discussions, manuals, guides and so on. More add-ons for integration into the project, it saves time and efforts of the developer since he or she can use ready-made solutions.

Both frameworks are open source, but React was created by Facebook team. This is also a strong side. Companies and developers that prefer React can be confident in the long-term technical support of the library. You can find React.js templates all over the Internet.

As for Vue, it was created by one developer whose name is Evan You. He is performing technical support of the library. There are no teams of specialists.

Nevertheless, Vue popularity is growing, and it constantly shows new updates, and new releases. There are a few thousand open and resolved issues on GitHub.

What is the verdict?

In fact, if you use one library in a successful way, there is no sense to change it. To sum up our research, let's list strong sides of both frameworks in a nutshell.

Vue.js pros:

• Flexibility when creating templates and rendering;
• Simplicity of syntax and project development;
• A small size of the library and faster integration.

Advantages of React.js:

• Better for large app development;
• Easier in testing and learning;
• Applicable for cross-platform development;
• A larger system of add-ons and tools.

Strong sides of Vue and React

But anyway React and Vue are exclusive UI libraries that have more similarities than differences. Their best features include the following:

• Quick interaction with virtual DOM;
• Not large size;
• Quickly responding components;
• Can be used on server's part;
• Simple sync to the router, simple management of conditions.

AI in agriculture

What is Mixed Reality?

Mixed Reality (MR) is a term gaining its popularity today. It defines a combination or union of two virtual environments where two worlds coexist together. Sometimes a mixed reality is called a hybrid reality.

Let's discover some mixed reality examples. It makes it possible to simultaneously investigate a virtual environment and real world as a single whole. Using real environment and coordinates virtual objects can be placed in a real world. When a user approaches a certain object, it is enlarging, when moves away - it is shrinking. Owing to a virtual reality, users can explore an object from different angles and at any distance. Besides, a mixed reality allows users to affect virtual object and interact with them as if they were in the same place.

Mixed reality in action

Mixed reality can turn your smartphone into an interactive handbook where the informational environment for places we are located in is building on. How does MR technology affect farming ? 3D-mapping technology makes it possible to turn fields into the virtual environment where farmers can generate different scenarios of crop cultivation, even if they seem fantastic in real life. Special software combined with webcams in a virtual environment augment physical objects as well as integrate us into the virtual world.

Owing to unique capabilities and experience a hybrid reality has, developers start investigating different ways of efficient use of this technology in diversified areas. Present-day medicine, architecture, education, and smart farming are the most advantageous fields for the application of a hybrid reality technology.

Machine learning in agriculture

Machine learning - a complex statistics application for search of consistent patterns in data and development of required forecasts - has eased the process of a task assignment. Developers do not have any longer to build special programs for their computers to solve one task or another. Instead of this, a computer is taught to find the problem by itself, without any assistance. A real breakthrough in the world of information technologies. And, considering technical capabilities of AI, agriculture field cannot be ignored.

History of machine learning has begun in the 1950s when computer scientists managed to teach a computer to play chess. Since then, together with computing capacity, the complexity of consistent patterns and forecasts computer is capable of drafting and detecting has been growing. As well as the complexity of problems computer can resolve today, and farming problems are also included in this list. Moreover, machine learning is a subdivision of artificial intelligence (AI) , so complex methods of smart intelligence are applied in ML technology.

AI pyramid - machine learning position

How does ML work in farming practices ? The algorithm gets a range of training data and then uses it for requests processing. For example, you can upload in the computer a few pictures with the description like 'A flower is depicted on the image' and 'There are no flowers at this image'. If you add new images to the database after this, it will start identifying pictures with flowers on its own.

The algorithm keeps on improving. Right and wrong results of an image recognition are sent to the database, and software is becoming smarter with every processed image. In some sense, such process can be compared to building a muscle - the more you train, the stronger you get. The more images you have downloaded in the program, the more precise result it will produce.

AI in agriculture

What is Mixed Reality?

Mixed Reality (MR) is a term gaining its popularity today. It defines a combination or union of two virtual environments where two worlds coexist together. Sometimes a mixed reality is called a hybrid reality.

Let's discover some mixed reality examples. It makes it possible to simultaneously investigate a virtual environment and real world as a single whole. Using real environment and coordinates virtual objects can be placed in a real world. When a user approaches a certain object, it is enlarging, when moves away - it is shrinking. Owing to a virtual reality, users can explore an object from different angles and at any distance. Besides, a mixed reality allows users to affect virtual object and interact with them as if they were in the same place.

Mixed reality in action

Mixed reality can turn your smartphone into an interactive handbook where the informational environment for places we are located in is building on. How does MR technology affect farming ? 3D-mapping technology makes it possible to turn fields into the virtual environment where farmers can generate different scenarios of crop cultivation, even if they seem fantastic in real life. Special software combined with webcams in a virtual environment augment physical objects as well as integrate us into the virtual world.

Owing to unique capabilities and experience a hybrid reality has, developers start investigating different ways of efficient use of this technology in diversified areas. Present-day medicine, architecture, education, and smart farming are the most advantageous fields for the application of a hybrid reality technology.

Machine learning in agriculture

Machine learning - a complex statistics application for search of consistent patterns in data and development of required forecasts - has eased the process of a task assignment. Developers do not have any longer to build special programs for their computers to solve one task or another. Instead of this, a computer is taught to find the problem by itself, without any assistance. A real breakthrough in the world of information technologies. And, considering technical capabilities of AI, agriculture field cannot be ignored.

History of machine learning has begun in the 1950s when computer scientists managed to teach a computer to play chess. Since then, together with computing capacity, the complexity of consistent patterns and forecasts computer is capable of drafting and detecting has been growing. As well as the complexity of problems computer can resolve today, and farming problems are also included in this list. Moreover, machine learning is a subdivision of artificial intelligence (AI) , so complex methods of smart intelligence are applied in ML technology.

AI pyramid - machine learning position

How does ML work in farming practices ? The algorithm gets a range of training data and then uses it for requests processing. For example, you can upload in the computer a few pictures with the description like 'A flower is depicted on the image' and 'There are no flowers at this image'. If you add new images to the database after this, it will start identifying pictures with flowers on its own.

The algorithm keeps on improving. Right and wrong results of an image recognition are sent to the database, and software is becoming smarter with every processed image. In some sense, such process can be compared to building a muscle - the more you train, the stronger you get. The more images you have downloaded in the program, the more precise result it will produce.

What does a localized app mean?

To decide what type of app local or global you want to build, we need to understand what both mean. Local app is an application that provides some community specific needs. It’s an app that was designed to develop some specific purposes of people that live in a particular country or area. For people from other countries, such apps can be not even uninteresting but pointless.

Global app is an app that covers a large territory and has no limits for downloads. Usually, such applications are not tied to any country or nationality.

Best local apps examples

We all know the names of the most popular worldwide applications that are famous and recognizable all over the globe. Apps like Instagram, Facebook, Vine, Tinder or Periscope probably need no special introduction. However, there are lots of apps that gained huge popularity in a particular country or area . Let’s take a look at them and the stories behind their success.

Taobao

Taobao is an e-commerce app that works similarly to E-bay or Wish apps. The project was developed by Alibaba group in 2003. It has a C2C business model (customer to customer) and gives small business and retailers an opportunity to work on Chinese online shopping market. The app had more than 370 mln users in 2010.

Taobao website screenshot

There are two ways how sellers can make a deal. They can announce a fixed price on some goods or to auction. Each customer can rate a seller, comment his work or complain in a case of indecent treatment.

Now, the app and site work all over the world. Nevertheless, China and Chinese speaking countries are still the main customers here.

Teen Patti

Teen Patti is a gambling card game, developed specifically for the Indian audience. Why? Because it’s a traditional game for Indian people which they can play now in a mobile app and on the site. The game itself is a simplified version of poker.

Teen Patti app screenshot

For many years there were no games specially designed for the Indian market. People tend to adopted western trends instead of creating something for themselves. To tell the truth, for a long time there was no such need as only a few people had smartphones at that times. However, it has changed and as we all know, if there is a demand there will be an offer.

Pandora Radio

The story of Pandora Radio app creation is amazing. It all started many years ago when a group of enthusiasts decided to process songs in a very unusual way. They hired professional musicians who defined 400 characteristics of each song and put all this data into a database. The project changed its purpose many times. What we have now is a music app which memorizes your preferences and offers you the songs with a strong likelihood that you will enjoy them even if you haven’t heard them yet.

Pandora Radio app screenshots

The app is available only if you live in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The reason of such limited geography is music licensing. However, we hope that it will change soon and the app will be available all over the world.

TransitTimes+

One more extra popular local app is TransitTimes+. It’s an app that works in Australia. It shows all the public transport facilities in Australia making locals’ lives easier. You can not download the app unless you are in the country. Which is rather sensible because why would you want to know what time the train from Lynbrook to Endeavour Hills lives (if there is such) if you are not in Melbourne.

TransitTimes + app screenshots

There are lots of apps of this type. All of them became ultra popular for good reason. Many of them plan to expand their geography and become global and something tells me that they will manage to do it. Yet, without a small start in a limited area, it would be impossible to do.

It is a very typical question to a developer or a product owner whether it is better to create a local or global application . There is no right or wrong answer. Yet, we’d like to explain why with some apps it is better to start local and when it is better to introduce your app to the whole world.

Globalization vs Localization

Let’s look closer at the cases when small application localization is not a fault but an asset.

When local app development is preferable

Strong national idea

If your app just like Teen Patti has a very nationalized idea or connected with a tradition or custom then it is better to make it local. It doesn’t mean that people in other countries will not be interested in your app at all. However, it is better not to rely on this audience from the very beginning.

You already have a small local business

If you are an owner of a cafe or a restaurant (only in one country) and you’ve decided to develop an app for iOS or Android you probably understand that people (at least not many of them) from other countries will book a table or order food with delivery from your place. The same with a taxi, delivery services, and other services on demand.

Apps for specific spots

What we mean here is that you’re developing an app that has to solve issues of a particular place . For instance, it can be a parking application, apps for airports and other places tied to a specific geoposition.

Event apps and city guides

Such applications have bright future. However, it is better to start with limited area. Only when your product becomes popular you can go further and expand your business.

In-house apps

Applications developed specifically for one company are rarely global. Mostly because there is no such need.

If any of mentioned above cases describe your future project then you need to apply a localization strategy .

Originally  - Choosing App Localization For Your App Based On the Target Audience Of the Project

I am cruising down the street on my custom made skateboard and I see a single tree slumped over a small pond.  It was a cypress tree that lived here for quite  some time before my current embodiment here.  Few people take time to contemplate such arbitrary matters, yet when I look upon a tree....  I see the physical structure of the tree of course, but more importantly I can see the principals of life generating and sustaining mechanisms which our great mother symbolizes by the existence of that tree.  I can see that the tree is home to multitudes of creatures who ask that tree for nothing and yet it freely gives with an overwhelming sense of unconditional love and appreciation.  I guess my only wish is to convey the gratitude I have and the happiness I know because of that otherwise arbitrary cypress.

TheFalse Shephard

What are payment gateways?

A payment system is a software used for payment processing on the Internet or through mobile apps. It acts as an interface between a website or a seller's mobile app. A licensed bank-member of Visa/MasterCard as a subsidiary bank can process transactions with credit cards for an online business. As a rule, a payment system is used for different payment methods , but we suggest using credit card payments as an example.

A payment system encrypts confidential credit card data to guarantee that the confidential information is transferred reliably between the user, seller and acquiring bank.

Payment systems play an important role in the performance of transactions performing as well as in payment authorization between the seller and purchaser. And they can serve both as online payment methods for small business and large business.

Choose your payment method online

This system performs a few tasks for transaction completion:

Encryption

A browser protects data transferred from the user to the provider's server. Then the system delivers data about the transaction of the payment process used by the acquiring bank.

Request for authorization

The system transfers data about the requested transaction to the issuing bank. After this, an authorization request is confirmed or rejected.

Fill in order

Once the payment system receives a reply to the request, it transfers the request to the website or mobile app to process different methods of payment.

Actually, this process lasts only for a few seconds. It is not as long as its description. Apart from payment processing, payment gateway providers perform other functions as well. They perform protection against fraud by verifying the recipient's address, verification of the address of a credit card holder, geolocation identification, and verification by scanning fingerprints etc.

Those who are familiar with e-commerce can note that the main goal is not only to identify what payment platform is better but also determine other factors you should consider to understand what platform will better fit your demands. Let's check particularities of some of them.

Comparison of payment gateways: Stripe vs PayPal vs Braintree

Braintree will be the first on our list of payment gateway comparison .

Braintree

PayPal purchased Braintree in 2013. One of the main problems with PayPal was in a redirection of the user from the seller's website to the PayPal server, and it required the user to be a registered service user. It was a reason for discontent from both parties, so the purchase of Braintree solved the problem.

Online payment platform Braintree provides developers with SDKs and adjusted API interfaces in six programming languages as well as with ready-made solutions for baskets. PayPal's Commerce feature, that was launched recently, means that dealers can integrate Purchase buttons into such apps like Pinterest or Facebook Messenger. Stripe's Relay feature may look similar to it. Braintree also has a phone support that is available for all customers.

Braintree website: pay with a few clicks

Braintree doesn't charge a monthly payment for processing payments either. It charges a commission for a transaction at the rate of 2.9% from transaction amount plus 30 cents per transaction. Braintree provides users with a special offer where your commission will be covered starting from $50.000 you processed.

If the amount you process exceeds $80,000 per month, you can get a discount.

If you receive PayPal via Braintree, you have no Braintree charges, but you will get PayPal payments.

If you receive Bitcoin via Braintree Coinbase option, your first processing in Coinbase with an amount of $1 million is free. After this, you will pay 1% of commission for conversion and 0.15% of the fee.

Some of famous clients of Braintree online payment gateway are Airbnb, Dropbox, Uber, Casper, Yelp, and others.

PayPal

PayPal can become a good alternative to other integrated payment systems in your web or mobile app. Of course, it can be integrated as the main solution, however, a lot of brands consider it as an alternative since some users don't want their credit card data to be stored on each trading platform where they made an order. PayPal is supported by all platforms. Since PayPal makes redirections to its website, you don't need a payment gateway integration . In case you want to add PayPal Express, redirection will be skipped, and Express API will submit all required information.

PayPal system on your tablet

Also, there is no necessity to pay a subscription fee. A standard rate is 3.4% plus 30 cents for a transaction. If the amount you receive monthly exceeds $3.000, you will be able to apply for PayPal Merchant Rate that reduces your fees when you increase sales. Thus, you can pay 2.4% of the standard rate depending on sales for the previous month. So, this is how payment gateway works .

Famous PayPal clients are Walmart, eBay, Adobe, and others.

Stripe

Processing payments in Stripe is conducted via its own servers. Therefore, there is no necessity to store confidential data and think about its compatibility with the PCI. Stripe's system verifies fraud on its own. Stripe offers libraries to developers in six programming languages from Java to Go as well as many community libraries.

It is worth noting that Stripe has many third-party integrations that don't require development skills, hosting or complicated adjustment from your side, like Shopify does it, for example.

But you may require a developer for the integration of this payment system into the app. Besides, if you need to add payment system into the website, there are ready-made JavaScript libraries, and also iOS and Android SDKs for mobile apps that support Apple Pay and Android Pay respectively. Stripe supports more than 100 currencies and it offers a few methods of online payment . Apart from debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, and Android Pay, Stripe support Bitcoin and Amex Express Checkout.

Stripe payment gateway to use

There won't be redirection for customers from your website. Verification will be conducted on the computer and optimized for mobile devices. In 2015, Stripe added a Relay product that allows developers to create a Purchase button in the third-party apps like Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Also, only Stripe allows users to receive payment via AliPay.

Stripe offers a standard fee to all users - 2.9% from each transaction plus 30 cents per transaction. It also provides discounts for enterprises that receive more than $80.000 per month. Also, Stripe allows users to make Bitcoin payments up to 5 bitcoins per day that equal to $625. This service also charges 0.8% from the transaction amount.

Famous clients of Stripe are Lyft, Instacart, Postmates, KhahAcademy, and Grab etc.

Full research - PayPal Vs Stripe Vs Braintree

I have no doubts that each of you can recognize the brand represented on the cover picture of this article. However, what factors contribute to the fact that practically every person in the world can recognize these two words on a red background? That's all a matter of brand identity development intended to explain the company's mission to customers and bring a positive experience.

In this article, we will tell you about the importance of branding, give several examples of successful campaigns, as well as some tips on how to brand your product on a budget.

What is branding in business?

The first thing you should understand is that branding does not exactly have to do with the logo, name, trademark or any other symbol of your company. Moreover, it cannot exist within the department of marketing only. I would say that all of these are nothing more than just components of brand development strategy but not the only things affecting it.

So, what is branding actually? Commonly, it is focused on the creation of awareness for a company, as well as the products or services it provides customers. In other words, branding contributes to the creation of the brand's image in your customers' minds.

Well, if not a slogan or logo then what helps customers form this image? That's the reasonable question with a little-blurred answer. In short, your brand's image depends on the total amount of all the impressions your customers get when interacting with anything connected with your business.

This way, the impressions the customers get can be based on a bunch of factors such as interaction with your product, the company or you personally. The last point is actually the reason why entrepreneurs all over the world start blogging and being interviewed actively. They are developing personal brand that way and to be closer to their target audience at the same time.

Each interaction tells customers something about your brand. So, if they're convinced a product or a service is advanced and innovative those traits become a part of your brand in their minds. Let's say that if you have a beautiful and easy to use e-commerce website , your brand may be perceived as experienced or even world-class. In contrast, if your design is poor and inconvenient you may look cheap and amateurish for your customers.

A few words about the design importance (Source: Kinesis )

Importance of branding to an organization

Nowadays, it is hard to underestimate the influence of a robust brand since the fight for customers is getting more intense each year. So, you should pay attention to brand building strategy since this process leads to a better understanding of business objectives, as well as allows you to align your marketing strategy.

Efficient brand marketing is able to generate new loyal customers along with increased revenue. Except for customer loyalty, it also brings loyal employees since a strong brand gives people something to believe in. Nevertheless, the brand effectivity can be measured not only by the number of purchases but the experience it provides customers with as well.

Let's consider the example of Coca-Cola and Pepsi as confirmation that shows the real power of branding, as well as how to create brand awareness correctly. In 1975, the marketers from Pepsi conducted a curious campaign. They proposed to people in various public places drink two sips of cola from cups that were not marked. After, they were asked which drink they liked most of all. Almost everyone has chosen the cup with Pepsi inside, so the winner was obvious.

The thing is that despite the fact consumers considered Pepsi to be better, Coca-Cola was dominating over Pepsi in market share. So does now, over 40 years after this campaign .

Scholars decided to study physiological reasons on why that choice was made by consumers. Without going into medical details, they conducted their tests with the help of a machine, tracking brain activity.

At first, they were sticking to the original conditions - participants had no idea what they were drinking. The outcomes were exactly the same as after the campaign in 1975 - they liked Pepsi more but now it was proven by the machine.

On the next stage of their research, scientists told participants what exactly they were going to drink. Then, the machine defined that Coke was the winner. As it turned out, drinking the known beverage our brain does not evaluate the taste itself, but memories and experience connected with a particular brand. Scientists pointed out that was the consequences of branding .

Interesting, huh? That is one of the best brand stories showing the importance of branding and it seems like several new reasons to start thinking through your branding strategy. By the way, this example of brand power is applicable to any sphere, be it the digital industry with its mobile apps and games or even farming with its foodstuff.

Emotions that drive customers to purchase (Source: SMITH )

The connection between a seller and a customer has always been difficult before a mobile boom. Everything has changed since weve gotten used to having everything we need in a smartphone. Now, you can acquire users just by sitting at home or from any part of the world. Some customers prefer to order used things in their area instead of paying an arm and leg for long distance shipping. And if you are interested in a mobile solution development for local customers and sellers, well try to explain how to create such a solution the best possible way.

We know that the leading applications to sell stuff locally are LetGo, Caurousell and OfferUp.

The OfferUp developers claim that their users spend approximately 25 minutes a day in their app, just like for Instagram and Snapchat. The use of mobile applications is growing in all business areas and its a great opportunity for a P2P e-commerce market to create your own marketplace mobile app . The secret to success is simple. The easier and more comfortable the way you connect a customer and a seller is, the more successful your application will be.

Best local selling apps

The common feature of the apps like Offer Up , Carousell and LetGo is that they allow a seller to give goods free of charge. Its a great way to get rid of some small items, which you cant sell on eBay because the service charges a commission for every transaction.

LetGo app allows you to sell stuff online in a particular area quickly and easily. The service is so easy to use you can sign up via a Facebook account. And because the system cares about the security of the platform, social registration gives an opportunity to check the data of all users. Customers and sellers communicate in the chat on the platform. And you can upload photos of the items you want to sell immediately using the built-in camera in the app.

Let Go app

Carousell is one of the best marketplace apps, where you can find anything from cosmetics to automobiles. The system works similar to LetGo. A user has to upload 4 photos of an item and its description. Built-in chat, convenient search options, with the help of this application you can sell not only in your area but in other areas too. The app is also integrated with social networks, so a user can share ads there. However, Carousell marketplace has one distinction, you cant pay here. A customer can either meet with seller personally or use such services as PayPal, for instance. By doing this, service allows users to use whichever payment most convenient for them.

Carousell application

OfferUp app is the biggest marketplace for local customers and sellers. The app provides security because it allows every user to build their reputation on their profile page. Just like on eBay, users can rate a person after a deal. As well as that, customers can join their service TryYou and add their ID to prove the authenticity of a profile. The system provides a security chat but the deals are conducted personally.

Offer Up app

Business model of apps like Offer Up, LetGo and Carousell

How does OfferUp work ? These services have lots of things in common and work pretty similar. And one of these similarities is a business model which, as they claim, they dont have. These selling apps dont charge the commission for registration, profile creation, and not even for the number of ads. More than that, they dont take a commission for a deal. OfferUp developers intended to earn exclusively on advertising to keep the service free and available for everyone.

Yet, if you want to create an app like LetGo, Carousell or Offerup, we suggest you taking into consideration some of these monetization strategies.

Local marketplace app monetization strategies

Online transactions

If customers can pay via your app, you can charge a fixed price or a percent of every deal. Its easy to do with some third-party services like Stripe, for instance.

In-app-purchases

What is meant here is the ability to buy some special offers, or sellers can pay to place their ads at the top.

Delivery

Your service can also be a mediator allowing sellers to expand the trading territory.

Internal ads

An opportunity to publish action offers, special offers and a system of internal recommendations.

How great it is if there are people around you with the same passion as you have? What if your passion is a game and you need a partner but all your friends either too busy or just dont like it? Well, if you are keen on golf then we have some great news for you. Because we managed to create an app that helps users not only find a competitor for a game but much much more. Let us tell you how it all started...

How it all began

Once upon a time, there was a Swiss guy who was fond of golf. He liked playing golf with his wife but he wanted to find more experienced players in his area. So he tried to find such an app. And when he realized that there is no such, he decided to make it. He hired a development team and they made an application for him. Unfortunately, our future client met men of no scruples so his software simply didnt work.

Some people would have considered it as a fail. However, our customer is a very persistent and purposeful gentleman. He hired a technical consultant and they started looking for someone experienced and reliable who they could trust. Thats how they found us.

The client wrote us in a support chat with the request to check his existing application and say if we can fix it. Unfortunately, the code of an existing app was written badly and so we couldnt use it at all. We offered to develop the app from the scratch and this is how it all began.

Functionality description

First of all, we prepared all the documentation to the projec t. The estimation was 3 500 hours because the project was going to be vast. The customer wanted to develop iOS and Android apps at the same time plus an admin panel with lots of functionality. But first things first, lets take a look at the functionality of the applications.

The app itself has three modes. The first mode allows users find competitors and arrange time and place for a game without bets. In a second mode, you find a competitor set time and place and you set a prize for a winner. It can be either money or anything else you both agreed with. And the third mode is a dating mode, where you may find a competitor you can date with.

The app has free and paid accounts. A user can register with the help of an email, Linkedin or Facebook.

MatchPlayer - app for golf players all around the world

In the app, there is a live chat to talk to a person without living the app. But the most interesting (and the most complex) feature was a search engine with multiple filters in each mode . For instance, if you are looking for a partner, you can indicate two locations - your home and a club you play in. You can also search people by age, gender, time and dates a person is available for a game and ranking (because if you are a pro, you may not want to play with an amateur). In a dating mode, there are even more filters. Among all others, here you can indicate desirable weight and height of a person you want to date with.

After you have played with your competitor you enter your score into a table. Your competitor has to the results of a game. If he or she doesnt, they appeal to admin.

Here you can also find newsfeed. It is formed with the posts from users which means that every user can post a picture, text or share an interesting link. Admin can also post here some news about the application. The application supports two languages, English and German.

Best application for golf players

In the app, you can do much more than just search for other golf fans. For instance, you can shop here. Yes, thats right, you can purchase golf items right in the app. What is more, you can even book a golf tour to another country via the app !

Travelling mode in MatchPlayer

But that was just a tip of the iceberg. The most interesting is a part which users dont see. Its an admin panel that is packed with lots of analytical and statistics functionality. An Admin can check scores of each player and see different statistics ranking tables based on a particular golf club or region or country. He also manages promo codes that allow new users to get a premium account. Ads management (admin does it by himself). Users management, news management, golf club import and export ( there are more than 24 thousand of golf clubs in the app ), users export and much more.

Read also article Golf App Development