April 4, 2012

The (R)evolution of Apps

Posted in apps, cloud services, mobile news by Lisa Leitner

Are you familiar with the situation that your grandmother tells you stories about her life and in the end says something like “So many things have changed” and you just smile and nod? Well, if you think about it, your granny has a point. Just have a look at the history of IT.

Information technology has experienced some massive peaks in the last decades: the introduction of the first personal computer, the Internet, mobile phones, text messages, e-mail, smartphones, mobile commerce, tablet computers and – very popular recently – the (R)evolution of apps.

 

mobile app icons

mobile apps as we know them

The Truth about Apps

You might think that apps are a quite recent discovery, but really, apps have existed for a much longer time than Apple’s iTunes Store or Google’s Android Market (now called Google Play). But, it’s a fact that the term “app” moved mainstream when Apple launched its App Store in 2008. Ever since it has mainly been used as a synonym for mobile applications for smartphones and tablets. However, an app can run on your computer, on a browser as well as on your TV and on other electronic devices.

App is short for “application”, which is short for “application software”, which you could also call “computer software”. An app is a piece of software which performs a certain task, e.g. navigate, inform or entertain. Anyway, on which device you are using your app is irrelevant.

 

Desktop Apps

Don’t think too complicated! A desktop app is exactly what the name suggests: a program you can use on your desktop. To demonstrate how old apps are, I give you an example of a desktop app we all know: Microsoft Office. Now desktop apps are popular again. There’re also desktop app stores like for example the Mac App Store. Desktop apps I use on a daily basis are e.g. Tweetdeck, Evernote and of course mysms.

 

Web Apps

Also, there are web apps everyone knows and many have used for years: Hotmail, Gmail, Google Docs. This might sound boring at first but if you think about it, they are very useful. If you use a certain (web) app on more devices, you can benefit from all advantages of the cloud. You can get web apps like Wunderlist or StumbleUpon on the Chrome Web Store and soon to come Mozilla Marketplace.

 

TV Apps

Now that’s really a new kind of apps! The so called connected TV or also smart TV is in the spotlight of the entertainment technology business at the moment. Using apps on your TV, you can not only check Facebook or Gmail from your couch, but even connect your TV with other devices. For example, if you come back from a holiday, you can watch the photos you took with your smartphone on your TV – right away, without any wires or changing of SD-Cards! If you want more information on this, have a look at Apple TV and Samsung Smart TV.

 

Apps on desktop, web, TV

apps on your desktop, in the web and on TV

The (r)evolution of apps has been an impressive and successful one. Its history is longer and more comprehensive than most of us would have thought. Its future looks bright. Having mobile apps, desktop apps, web apps and TV apps offers us great possibilities and potential to facilitate our everyday life. Imagine you have one app for all your devices. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Do you think you’d benefit from being able to send text messages from your TV? Do you like the idea of using mysms on your TV?

March 21, 2012

SMS vs. Messenger: Why you should not have to decide

Posted in apps, messaging by afeiner

When browsing through Google play or the App Store, sometimes it seems to be a jungle out there. Yes that can be confusing, and yes it can take a while till you find what you are searching for.

In messaging there are two main groups of applications – SMS apps and instant messenger. I’m sure, if you know the difference between the two, browsing the stores will be a lot easier. But what if you don’t?

SMS vs. messenger - messenging apps on the rise

Messaging apps are on the upswing

A little history…

SMS (text messages) have been on the market for almost 20 years now. Despite being only a side product of the GSM standard in the 90s and slow growth in its beginnings, text messages have been on the rise ever since. Just to get an impression of what we are talking about – about 8 trillion texts were sent only last year and the market is still growing. For example in Germany sent messages increased by 11% last year compared to 2010.

So people love to text, but in times when communication tools seem endless that’s only half the story. Messengers have been on the rise too, starting with the introduction of web-based ICQ in the 90s. Now they are all over the market and have moved from the web to our mobile phones, take Whatsapp, Kik, Facebook messenger as a few examples.

 

What you need to know

Here are some more details you should consider before deciding what service or app is best for you:

  • SMS (text messaging)

Text messages are sent via your carrier’s network and are probably the most reliable way to send a message from one phone to another. However, using your operator involves costs and these can vary widely depending on your home country. SMS messages only support sending of text – no videos, files, pics (unless you want to send MMS which are generally more expensive). Also, texting is fast and what is more, it’s universal that means you basically can reach every other mobile phone.

 

  • (Instant) Messenger

Instant messenger also have their benefits. They are fast too. As the name suggests, messages are sent instantly. Multimedia is supported and the programs themselves are often free of costs or only have a small annual fee. Messages are sent via the Internet, and not via your mobile carrier. But don’t forget unless you use WIFI your carrier is still involved – this time by providing you with a data package. One other downside of messengers is that every contact you’d like to message, needs to use the same program or device and has to be online.

 

The perfect couple

Probably you know what I’m about to say. Both have their pros and cons. Why should you have to decide? I think you shouldn’t. Whatever is best for you at the very moment when sending a message, this should be your choice. So if you’re abroad sitting in your hotel room with WIFI, use instant messaging. And if you send birthday wishes to your granny who doesn’t have a smartphone, send a text message. Not one or the other, but a combination of the two is the perfect solution. That’s exactly what we believe in. With mysms we merge texting and instant messaging into one single tool and automatically select the option that works best for you.

 

Hope that helps you a little when you trying to find your way through the jungle next time 😉

 

Sources:

mobithinking.com, crn.de

March 7, 2012

Why use Cloud Services? What is in for me?

Posted in cloud services, messaging by Lisa Leitner

The terms “cloud”, “cloud services” and “cloud computing” seem to be everywhere these days. Everyone talks about it, everyone uses it, everyone is fascinated by it, but who really knows what the cloud is and – more importantly – why one should use it?

 

I. The cloud and its advantages

Generally, the term cloud derives from the cloud drawing that used to symbolize the Internet itself. The connection between the cloud (as we use the term nowadays) and the Internet is obvious: cloud computing refers to managing your data via a third party network, hosted over the Internet. In a nutshell, cloud services basically offer you a hard disk on the Internet.

 

The Cloud

The Cloud - accessible from all devices

 

 

How you can profit by that? That’s easy – you can benefit big time! Cloud services offer you great advantages compared to your local data storage space:

 

  • Accessibility

Using a cloud service, you can access your data from all your devices. In practice this means that you can have your private and work-related documents, family pictures, videos, music etc. with you at all times, wherever you are. So, if you meet a friend in a coffee shop, you can show him your holiday pics on your tablet. Or, if you’re on a business trip and forgot an important document, you can access it via an external computer. Awesome, right?

 

  • Convenience

As all associated services are fully managed by the provider, you don’t have to care about anything. You don’t need any additional physical device (like an external hard drive), only some kind of end device (which should not be a problem in times where the number of mobile devices nearly exceeds the world’s population) and access to the internet . Also many businesses have discovered this advantage. It’s for sure one main reason why the percentage of enterprises using cloud computing is about to rise from 36 % to 52 % this year.

 

  • Affordability

Especially now that hard disk prices rocket upwards and the economic situation cries for cost saving, the low prices of cloud services come in handy. Several businesses reckon they can cut costs up to 20 % a year. Also, there’s a rumor going around, that there are some crazy providers out there that offer their cloud services for free ; )

 

  • Ample storage space

Your storage space in the cloud is elastic. Meaning that you can alter the size of the storage space you need at any given time. Unlike using a hard disk, which is full at a certain point, you can expand your “online storage space” anytime.

 

II. Cloud services on the market

There’s quite an amount of cloud services available on the market. Some offered by the tech giants Google, Apple and Amazon, others developed by innovative start-ups. However, there are several useful solutions for both, businesses and consumers. Here are some examples:

  • Traditional cloud services: Dropbox, iCloud, Google Play, Gmail, Calender, and Picasa, Amazon’s cloud
  • Video cloud services: Netflix, YouTube
  • Music cloud services: Pandora, Spotify, Grooveshark
  • Social cloud services: Facebook, Twitter & Co
  • Note-taking and Task-management cloud services: Evernote, Wunderlist
  • CRM cloud services: Salesforce
  • Text messaging cloud services: ???

 

III. Text messaging cloud

Quite some time ago text messaging was a sole network operator business. None of these operators has ever cared about a text messaging cloud. They disregarded the benefits a service like this would offer their users. Fortunately these days are over! mysms recognized the opportunity and grabbed it. The mysms Cloud is a text messaging cloud which offers its users features that facilitate managing one’s messages enormously.

 

mysms text messaging cloud

mysms' text messaging cloud

 

  • Accessability

All text messages are synchronized between all devices. This means that a user can access his/her text messages, images and files wherever s/he is, using any kind of end device.

 

  • Convenience

Additionally to the convenience of not having to care about saving or losing one’s messages, pictures and files, mysms comes in handy for users who are not bffs with their smarphone’s keyboard. The mysms cloud enables users to type messages on their computers.

 

  • Affordability

Talking about crazy – the mysms Cloud is free of charge.

 

  • Storage space

All sent and received text messages, pictures and files are saved in the mysms Cloud. No text message will ever be lost again. Furthermore, if you’re changing devices (get a new smartphone for example), your old messages go along with you – automatically.

 

All in all, I’d say that cloud computing is one of the greatest advantages today’s technology has to offer. For the end user it seems to be an easy-to-manage tool, which is great because that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be. Some still haven’t recognized they are already using a cloud service (e.g. Facebook, Gmail), but will do soon when you help us spread the word. So, please share and let your friends know why they should use cloud services and what’s in for them!

 

Source: MSM Research

 

February 29, 2012

Introducing Websms Connectors for mysms

Posted in messaging, mysms news by mysms

Yesterday we opened our mysms Android app for other websms services. By doing this, we expand our core service – free synchronization of text messages on various platforms – by one additional sending option.

 

Using other websms services via mysms is made easy with the integration of connector apps. With immediate effect, there are connectors of providers like Fishtext, Cherry-SMS, O2, GMX, sms.at, sipgate and many more available on Google Play. For users of these services it’s now possible to use their SMS package while sending over the mysms Android app, tablet app, Facebook app, Chrome app, desktop app or web app.

 

Moreover, we decided to launch our very own connector. With “mysms out” we offer text messages for 0.08 EUR worldwide. This service is no longer part of our mysms app, but a discrete connector which is treated like all other websms connectors. Additionally, you can access your “mysms out” credit via other compatible SMS apps.

 

"mysms out" connecter

Activation of "mysms out"

 

Launching mysms connectors we aim to optimize our app to better serve our users’ needs. What do you think about this step? Like it/Dislike it?

 

February 24, 2012

Hello World!

Posted in mobile news, mysms news by mysms

Hallo! Salut! Hola! Ciao! Olá! Hej! Hello…and welcome to our mysms blog!

We’re very happy to announce the birth of the youngest of our mysms family: the mysms blog! Bringing this blog into being we’d like to establish a platform where you can interact with us, share your thoughts and opinions and stay informed about happenings in the mobile world.

 

Contents of our mysms blog will include the topics messaging, cloud services and facts & figures about the mobile, smartphone & tablet market. Also we will share our latest mysms news with you – covering product updates, new features as well as quick peeps behind the scenes.

 

In order to never miss out on a blogpost (written mainly by Angela, Elfriede and Lisa) we recommend you subscribe to our newsletter, friend us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and circle us on Google+.

 

In this spirit, we hope you enjoy our mysms blog – anywhere, anytime and on any device ; )

 

mysms team

mysms team welcomes you on our blog