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Although Apple’s App Store first opened its marketplace just over two years ago, some have already estimated mobile app piracy to be responsible for over $450 million in “stolen” revenues. And with iPhones flying off shelves faster than ever, piracy a growing concern for both Apple and the many app developers contributing to the App Store.
Cambridge-based mobile startup mtiks has a solution that protects apps from pirating and makes sure developers get paid for their work. Their framework (currently in private beta – see sign up instructions here) allows developers to install safeguards against unpaid downloads of their apps on jailbroken iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches.
Jailbreaking is the process of altering an Apple iOS device to unlock new functionality and enable the installation of third-party applications without having to go through Apple’s tightly controlled App Store. Although there are some good reasons for jailbreaking (wifi tethering, increased customization, downloading apps rejected by Apple) many people do it to also access “cracked” or free versions of paid apps.
That’s where the anti-piracy solution mtiks is creating comes into play. Integrating with the mtiks framework allows developers to monitor unpaid downloads of their apps and take some control of what happens in the shady app markets of the wild. For instance, the technology is able to detect if someone is running a pirated version of the app and displays an option to buy it (via the legitimate iTunes App Store) when those users launch the app – a simple yet effective measure to recover some lost revenue. (more…)
Tags: apps, Company Profiles, Mobile, mtiks, piracy
Posted in Mobile | View Comments
The local mobile scene is hot. Boston is constantly pushing the bounds of mobile innovation and is home to a growing number of mobile startups, organization, and events coordinators. Behind every company or gathering, you’ll find some smart, passionate people. Here’s a list of some of the individuals who are putting the Boston mobile scene on the map.
These are some of our top mobile technologists, entrepreneurs, and evangelists – the people bringing people together, creating buzz, and forcing mobile investors to think twice about Silicon Valley.
Here’s our list of Boston’s top mobile players — the people who are most active in the community and helping shape the future: (more…)
Tags: Drync, Hooken Mobile, Mobile Monday, Raizlabs, Rich Miner, Rocket Farm Studios, SkyHook, WHERE
Posted in Around the Hub, Mobile | View Comments
Mobile Marketing is exploding and MITX (the Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange) is making sure that Boston’s marketers, technologists, and digital professionals are in-the-know and discussing what the future holds. As part of their Digital Strategy Event series, MITX gathered a panel of local mobile experts yesterday morning on the Northeastern University campus for Top 5 Mobile Application Strategies.
The five speakers on the panel came from a variety of companies and positions, so each of them brought a different perspective to the topics covered. The conversations ranged from the challenges and advantages of marketing with mobile apps to best practices and real-life experiences from both the panelists and attendees. Moderator AJ Gerritson of 451 Marketing got the talking started and introduced the panelists: (more…)
Tags: apps, MITX, mobile marketing, photos
Posted in Mobile | View Comments
The Greater Boston Area has tons of awesome talent in the mobile space, but one question we get asked all-too-often is, “Do you know any good iPhone developers or where to find one?” Well, the simple response is yes. But if you’re serious about finding someone to help you build an app, here’s the more thought-out answer and list of resources:
Whether you’re with a company looking to expand their mobile presence or an individual with a novel idea, there are ways to get in touch with the right people to help you make your app a reality.
However, before reaching out to anyone about your project or idea or requesting a quote, it’s best to do some preliminary work and understand what your needs really are. (Asking someone how much a mobile app costs to develop is like asking how much a house costs to build. The answer is always, “It depends.”)
Are you looking for just an iPhone developer or one who knows Android and other platforms as well? Also, do you also need someone to help you with the design, strategy, and marketing of the app? Not all developers can help you with all of these so it’s important to do your homework before knowing exactly what you need. (more…)
Tags: Lists
Posted in Mobile | View Comments
Local devs from Appearian showcase a new app
Last night saw the fifth stallment of the always-fun DrinksOnTap, organized by our friends at Brookline-based RaizLabs. Held at its regular home at the Asgard in Cambridge, the event brought together local developers, entrepreneurs, and mobile enthusiasts.
The topic of the night was Apple’s new operating system, iOS4, and all the new capabilities developers can tap into for both iPhone and iPad. Tons of local devs came prepared to share their newest creations.
DrinksOnTap happens every few months, and the event draws some serious pros from the local mobile development scene, and it’s super casual and laid back. If you like beer and are into learning about the cutting edge of iPhone and iPad Apps, it’s definitely an event worth attending.
On to the demos and presentations! (more…)
Tags: Apple, drinksontap, Edu, iAd, iPad, iPhone, photos, Raizlabs, Skyhook Wireless
Posted in Mobile | View Comments
In the world of smartphones, nowadays apps are all the rage. And although the iPhone and Android platforms seem to be getting most of the attention, it’s important not to forget that Research In Motion’s (RIM) Blackberry still maintains a dominant market share in the U.S. and is another potential goldmine for developers.
So we’re wondering… where’s the love, Boston devs?
Although research released this month suggests RIM has lost 2% of the market share, BB’s come a long way since securing itself this past decade as the de facto device for corporate users and is now also a top choice for general retail consumers.
Join the New England Blackberry Developer's Group on Meetup.com
With about 20 million users worldwide, half of all Berries sold are now flying off the shelves and into the pockets of students, moms, and average Joes. To fuel this shift, RIM’s put a lot of effort into building solid devices designed for those users and also enhancing its OS to include more multimedia support, a strong app ecosystem, and many other features that people now expect from smartphones. What Blackberry seems to be lacking, though, is a loud and proud developer community – and that needs to change!
In an attempt to correct this, Chris Baldwin of SoftArtisans has been organizing the New England Blackberry Developers Meetup here in Boston. The Meetup is one of three RIM-sponsored groups around the world where devs and industry professionals can gather to learn, share ideas, and get a sneak peek at exciting new developments coming to Blackberry. We attended the third installment of the Meetup this past Tuesday over in Kendall Square. (more…)
Tags: Blackberry, Developers, Edu, iPhone, New England Blackberry Developer's Group, Nexage, RIM
Posted in Mobile | View Comments
Stepping into the MIT Museum, one would expect to be taken to a world of past inventions and artifacts of genius.
At last night’s event, however, MoMo Boston transformed the space and gave people a taste of the future by gathering together over 30 of the Commonwealth’s most innovative and promising mobile startups. Amidst the antique machines and robotic arms on display were up-and-comers demoing and explaining their concepts to a gathering of a few hundred in attendance.
Most every spectrum of mobile was represented as curious attendees nearly filled both the upstairs and downstairs spaces. They listened to the startupers share their ideas for the future of mobile. After grabbing some snacks and beers to wash it down, we made our rounds and spoke with many of the companies ourselves. (more…)
Tags: Edu, Goby, Hello Vino, iZup, Locale, Mobile Monday, MoMo Boston, peekaboo mobile, photos, Raizlabs, Vizit, Zazu
Posted in Around the Hub, Mobile | View Comments
There’s been a lot of heated talk brewing recently in the business and developer communities around Apple’s decision to ban all non-approved tools and technologies from iPhone/iPad development. On April 8th, the latest version of the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement was altered right before the announcement of the new iPhone OS 4 SDK, forbidding developers to use or call any non-Apple APIs, development tools, or languages – the most notable being Adobe’s Flash.
Apple argues that the changes to the terms are necessary to ensure that sub-standard technologies aren’t used to create apps for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, but Adobe and others feel that Apple’s claims aren’t wholly justified and that they’re unnecessarily stifling innovation and limiting options for developers for the sake of gaining more control over their various mobile platforms.
Scott Janousek, Founder of Hooken Mobile
In an effort to better pin down this debate, we spoke with Scott Janousek, a leading figure in the local mobile and Flash community, about these latest developments. His company, Hooken Mobile, focuses on mobile and device development across a number of platforms, including Flash. Since Janousek’s a frequent speaker at conferences and events focused on both Flash and mobile, and since he’s authored numerous articles and books on the topic, including his latest text, AdvancED Flash on Devices: Mobile Development with Flash Lite and Flash 10, we were eager to get his opinion. Here’s what he had to say:
BostInnovation: When you first learned of the Apple’s changes to their license agreement, what was your initial response?
Scott Janousek: I wasn’t entirely surprised by the change in Terms of Service. I had been to a local Boston Mobile developer’s event the week before the news hit the developer blogosphere. It was after talking with some iPhone developers that I reasoned that Apple would wait to the very last moment to reveal their new ToS and potentially torpedo the Adobe iPhone Packager. It was far too close to the release of Adobe CS5, to be a coincidental move, in my opinion. (more…)
Tags: Adobe, Apple, Edu, Hooken Mobile, Scott Janousek
Posted in Mobile | View Comments
The Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange (MITX) seems to have a lot of love for the iPad. Tuesday’s “iPad App Strategies” panel discussion was one of two great iPad-themed events they’ve thrown in just the past couple of days. (These were just the first of many more mobile events and discussions to hit the Boston area over the next few weeks). As usual, MITX gathered a lively panel of mobile entrepreneurs, app developers, and experts on all things iPad on Tuesday.
Discussions centered around best practices for creating great apps for the new platform, pricing models, working within Apple’s walled garden, and more. The panel of four included our friends Greg Raiz of Raizlabs and Aaron White of DoInk and also featured Brett Martin of AppFund and Brad Rosen of Drync. Each of them shared unique insights around their experiences with creating content for the iPad and why the device truly is a game-changer.
Moderator Gene Landley, Chair of the Technology Business Group at the law firm of Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, kicked things off by providing some interesting statistics and recent developments regarding Apple, iPad, and the mobile industry in general. To begin with, iPads are selling like hotcakes – it’s projected that 8 million will be purchased within the first year and current sales of the device are beating out Macs by an impressive 70%. Also, he mentioned some recent industry shakeups such as high-profile exec exits within Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division and also HP’s acquisition of Palm. Oh, and iPads are now banned from Yankee Stadium – which I couldn’t care less about unless that trend spreads to Fenway. (But, c’mon, would you really want an iPad at a ballgame anyway?) (more…)
Tags: AppFund, Apple, DoInk, Drync, iPad, iPad app, MITX, Raizlabs
Posted in Around the Hub, Mobile | View Comments
Monday’s MoMo Boston discussion on Mobile Financial Services was just the first of many great mobile events to hit the Boston area over the next several weeks. Hosted by Bank of America, this one featured five top financial services execs and thinkers as they led an informative panel discussion around the inevitable (yet painfully slow) marriage of mobile and banking/finances in the U.S. and around the world.
Since there’s an app for just about everything nowadays and I can use my phone to track my finances, shoot videos, pinpoint my exact coordinates on planet earth, and much more, why can’t I buy a Snickers with it yet?!
Well, the answer is complicated. So Matt Gross, Founder of Mobile Monday Boston, welcomed the crowd before leaving those types of questions to the panel of experts. Bank of America – the bank that claims to have the world’s largest mobile banking user base – was represented by Marc B. Keller, Senior VP of Consumer Banking Transformation, and Matt Calman, Senior VP and R&D Executive. The three others rounding out the lineup were Chris Musto of Keynote Systems, Bill Hartman of Essential Design, and Aaron MacPherson of IDC Financial Insights. Each speaker brought a unique perspective to the discussion. (more…)
Tags: Bank of America, Essential Design, IDC Financial Insights, Keynote Systems, Matt Gross, Mobile Monday
Posted in Around the Hub, Mobile | View Comments
The are two things we no doubt love covering here at Bostinnovation: events and mobile technology. And when we noticed our calendars and Emails were chock full of reminders for upcoming mobile-related conferences, meetups, and panel discussions, we thought it would be a good idea to share with ya’ll some of the ones you definitely won’t want to miss.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – Boston is perhaps the world’s top city for mobile innovation. We’re home to thousands of thought leaders, industry experts, startups, and developers shaping the future of the mobile landscape. Whether you’re a student, a VC, an entrepreneur, or anyone just generally interested in the future of mobile, you won’t want to miss the top upcoming events you should know about:
Monday, May 24, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (ET)
Bank of America Auditorium. 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA
Organized by our friends at Mobile Monday Boston and sponsored by Bank of America, this free event is for anyone interested in learning about the intersection of the mobile and financial worlds from top financial industry and mobile professionals. The panel of five speakers range from top execs at Bank of America to mobile strategists and thought leaders from the local community.
(more…)
Tags: dartboston, DoInk, IASA New England, MIT Enterprise Forum, MITX, Mobile Monday, Raizlabs, TiE Boston, WebInno
Posted in Around the Hub, Mobile | View Comments
In the world of Internet-connected mobile devices, Google is blazing the way by creating new services and technologies that many of us rely on every day. My iPhone, for example, wouldn’t be half as useful without my Gmail account for Emails, Google Maps to find my way around town, and Google Search to look up general information. And just a few months ago, Google’s experimental labs division cooked up perhaps one of the most promising new services to hit smartphones: Google Goggles.
Since it’s currently only available on select Android devices, I ditched my iPhone and hit the streets of Boston recently for a few days with a Motorola Droid to try out the new app first hand. (more…)
Tags: Boston, Company News, Google, Google Goggles
Posted in Mobile | View Comments
Viruses, Malware, & Spyware are no longer threats for just PC owners. Malicious software is steadily making it’s way into our pockets. Blackberries, iPhones, Android devices and the like are all at risk of infection. And since these devices carry our most personal information – GPS coordinates, Emails, contacts, etc. – hackers are working hard to crack the walls to this new frontier of snooping and information theft.
Over the past couple of years, cybercriminals have begun shifting their focus from the typical web-based approaches of dispensing malware (malicious software) and viruses to P2P networks and mobile devices.
Security researchers at Kaspersky Labs say that it will likely take much less time for viruses to become a money-making industry in the mobile market than it did for computers. “This year and the next year we expect to see the industrialization of smartphone malware,” says Eugene Kaspersky.
Although infection can occur in many number of ways (SMS, Email, websites, etc.), people blindly downloading apps of all flavors are prime targets. If your device is penetrated, cybercriminals would not only have the ability to cripple your phone’s software, but they could also pinpoint your exact coordinates, track all your incoming and outgoing messages, activate your mic to record any audio in the room, and much more. Creepy.
But, wait… app stores are safe, right? Not exactly. (more…)
Tags: Android, Blackberry, iPhone, Kaspersky Labs, Op-Ed, Veracode
Posted in Mobile | View Comments
Sox win in the 12th, Bruins win in double OT and Microsoft wins in Foosball! Check out the photos from last night’s event. Thanks to everyone who came out.
Tags: Edu
Posted in Around the Hub, Edu | View Comments
Although Apple’s App Store first opened its marketplace just over two years ago, some have already estimated mobile app piracy to be responsible for over $450 million in “stolen” revenues. And with iPhones flying off shelves faster than ever, piracy a growing concern for both Apple and the many app developers contributing to the App Store.
