Since Google announced its release of the software development kit for Android-powered wearables last month, the shower of interest has turned into a veritable deluge. App developers across the globe are caught up in the storm. Why? The components used for wearable devices have gotten little and inexpensive and a large number of consumers have smartphones that are simpatico with a wearable device. Juniper Research predicts that more than 130 million smart wearable devices will ship by 2018. Google is keeping the name of its newest line simple - Android Wear - but they’ve made sure to let everyone know that, while the premise is straightforward, the possibilities boggle. Initially the vanguard mobile device OS will be tailored for smartwatches and comparable trappings, but they will soon offer a closetful of trendy, fashionable body-fitting devices. But whatever form the Android Wear device takes, there are certain requirements that it must meet, according to Google. Alex Faaborg, Android designer, explains the Android Wear concept in a promotional video. “It needs to be incredibly fast, incredibly glanceable... there’s really only two components: the information that’s most relevant to you, and the ability to speak to it and do a quick command.” He goes on to say, “We designed an entirely new UI specifically for this form factor, and its really based around voice and contextual information.” Google has lined up a number of hardware and chip partners to produce this upcoming fashion line - LG, Samsung Electronics Co., Motorola, Intel Corp., Fossil, Asus, HTC, Intel, Mediatek and Qualcomm Inc. It looks like LG will be the first partner to produce - its “G Watch” is poised to debut within the next few months. And the price is far from Gucci-like at only an estimated $300. Google’s announcement “definitely gives wearables a status that it’s a market in it’s own right and it needs to be treated with the respect that a separate operating system branch gives it,” said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst with Kantar World Panel. App developers agree. They are are well aware that there are no boundaries in the wearables space, but they also know he/she who hesitates is lost. "A whole new app ecosystem is going to be born," said Shawn Hardin, chief executive officer of Mind Pirate, which released "Global Food Fight," its first game for Google Glass, earlier this year. "Those who are going to make that happen in a big way are going to be valuable companies because of it, and those who wait too late won't be a part of it." And Google - - - look out for iWatch… Sources: http://www.techhive.com/article/2109241/meet-android-wear-googles-bid-to-bring-serious-productivity-to-smartwatches.html http://gigaom.com/2014/03/10/google-to-release-sdk-for-android-powered-wearables/?utm_content=buffereef88&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Mobile apps are a way of life at Barefoot. Yes for the obvious reasons in that we design and build them, but also because they help make our business and personal lives easier. We admire the work others put into their mobile apps, and are constantly surprised at what people come up with month after month.  There are many mobile apps almost everyone with a smart device uses. Communication apps like email or Google Hangouts help us stay in contact while on the go. Task management apps like Asana or RedminePM keep us on track with projects we’re working on either on our own or with others. Then for fun are gaming or social media apps like Candy Crush, Twitter or Facebook.  Yet which apps do we really get the best of both worlds, enjoyment and utility? We walked around the halls of San Diego’s Barefoot offices to find out what they thought.   Mint We have jobs and we make money, thankfully. Managing that money can be as easy as checking a Bank of America or Chase mobile app, but that just reflects how much cash we have to blow while agonizing over broken March Madness brackets. There are many other things to consider in managing money, such as tracking how well you’re paying off those grad school loans and department store credit cards. Enter Mint, the app for managing all of your money, all over the place. Once the app is downloaded, you can sync the app to your bank accounts to get an idea of how much cash you’re sitting on. Then you plug in any loans you have, mortgages, car loans, student loans, you name it. The app gives you your net worth by balancing your cash vs. debt. Then once you’ve resolved once and for all your tired of paying interest on that study abroad semester in Rome, you can set a goal for paying down debt, and getting on track.   Hype Machine On the entertainment side of things, we love music apps to keep our days going. Spotify and Pandora are great, but we also love a lesser known app called The Hype Machine. “The app aggregates music from blogs all over the internet and then crowd sources a fresh list of top tracks,” says Peter Holmes, our creative director who may or may not have an affinity for DJ’ing on the weekends. What he means is, Hype Machine checks in with the hundreds of the most popular Internet bloggers every day for the latest, most talked about music, then puts it in one easy place for listeners to discover. You can listen to the newest songs posted seconds ago, the most popular of the day tracks, and see what your friends are listening to and discovering. This way, you can listen to the newest and most hyped music before you commit to buy.   Docusign Docusign may be responsible for sending fax machines into extinction with the dinosaurs. When released we remember our accounts team excitedly talking about how much faster they were able to sign contracts and move the process along for clients. The reason why is the app provides a secure solution to collect signatures by allowing others to electronically sign documents. Hunter Jensen, Founder and CEO here at Barefoot, didn’t hesitate to bring up the app stating, “Docusign hands down saves me more time than any other app.” With Docusign we can import documents to sign or send signatures, place fields throughout documents to make it easy for signers to know where apply their excuse for a signature, and allows for signers to scribble right on the mobile device for circumstances like travel or trade shows.   Sidecar We recently discussed the most popular of the transportation apps, Uber and Lyft. While we certainly do get plenty of utility out of those two, Sidecar is the new kid on the block trying to make a name for himself and is starting to prove he can play with the varsity squad. Sidecar functions in a similar way as Uber and Lyft in that when you download the app it syncs with your Facebook account to get your profile information. Once you’re ready for a ride to happy hour, flip on the app and it locates the nearest drivers to your location. The difference with Sidecar however is that this transportation app is the one that started the idea of entering your destination location before the driver is selected. This is so the app can calculate how much your ride will cost, removing the surprise $40 bill for a ride around the block. Then once your pick up and destination locations are selected, Sidecar displays a list of drivers for you to choose from with varying prices and vehicles. Sort of like a Tinder for commuting, users can swipe down the driver list that displays the driver’s name, profile picture, image of their vehicle, and the price of the ride. The prices vary given the quality of the car and how far the driver has to come to get you. This means - if you’re picking up a hot date you can pick the swankiest car available. But if it’s a night out with the bros, who cares, pick the cheapest and closest.   It was tough to narrow down the list to just these, and we know there are hundreds of fantastic apps developers and users enjoy. What are your favorite mobile apps? Let us know in the comments below.

An aspect of artificial intelligence (AI) research, machine learning is focused on the process by which computers improve at performing tasks by exposure to data rather than by specific programming. Algorithms are constructed to allow the machine to collect and analyze data, comparing large numbers of examples to discover patterns. This allows the machine to draw conclusions and learn from its accumulated experience in order to predict results in new data. The result? “Instead of people writing software, we have data writing software,” says Jen-Hsun Huang, Chief Executive of NVIDIA, a firm that makes chips for AI systems. This hasn’t only led to change in research and software development, but also to the daily lives of people across the planet. Read on to discover the greatest implications of machine learning for mobile applications. Commonplace AI AI is already a part of our day-to-day experience. Over the past decade or two, consumers have become accustomed to seeing the results of machine learning in the form of recommendations from online retailers, or music streaming and video services based on the user’s previous searches, purchases, and ratings. Machine learning is used for many other commonplace applications such as search engines, identifying and blocking spam email, detecting text in a foreign language and providing a translation, or recognizing unusual activity to detect potential credit card fraud. The progress made in this area provides a foundation for advanced uses of the technology, from revolutionary self-driving cars and drones to medical diagnostics, legal research, and financial advising. Practical Applications In December 2016, Bank of America Merrill Lynch published Robot Revolution – Global Robot & AI Primer  with the goal of “setting out the challenges and opportunities offered by robots and AI.” The paper outlines the potential economic effects that may result from the increasing use of robots and AI, as well as possible investment opportunities. It demonstrates the massive scale of AI’s influence and projected growth over the next several years. They estimate that by 2020, the AI and robotics market will expand to $153 billion, up from $58 billion in 2014. The Internet of Things, which includes physical devices, vehicles, buildings and other items which are connected to and can exchange information over the internet, will play a big part in this. While some of this market consists of industrial uses for AI and robotics, a significant portion of the market is expected to be made up of business, home, and personal uses like mobile applications. A Pocket Full of AI Neural networks are designed to mimic the structure and function of neurons and their connections in the human brain. They are used in many familiar applications that rely on machine learning such as voice recognition software, Facebook’s facial recognition software for photo tagging, and Snapchat lenses, to name but a few. Until recently, machine learning relied on massive computing power, which required a connection to a server with enough energy to handle the load. Mobile applications have been limited by this need to use cloud-based servers in order to function. However, new technology is beginning to change this. In 2016, researchers at MIT announced that they had designed a new chip to implement neural networks that is 10 times more efficient than existing mobile processors. This will allow mobile devices to run AI algorithms internally without connecting to the internet. The offline process saves time and energy and means much more powerful apps can be created to use on mobile devices. Speech recognition and language translation applications are already being developed, with other types of apps sure to follow. Endless Possibilities Once machine learning applications no longer have to connect to the internet to function, the variety and utility of available apps is likely to expand rapidly. An examination by Deloitte University Press concluded that machine learning applications will soon be found in every industry, and will feature one or more of the following capabilities: An analysis or diagnosis of sensory data Perceptual interfaces or interactivity Navigation and motion control These new apps could include personal health monitoring, augmented and virtual reality, drone piloting, presentation capabilities, and more. The ability to provide personalized information to an individual while navigating a city street, retail store, airport or museum will surely be of interest to advertisers or the curators of such spaces. Progress in machine learning is made thick and fast, so it’s never too early to start considering new applications that could enhance your life and business.