What is WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is a popular app that I’m sure many of you have heard of, but what is it really for? It’s an application that effectively replaces a lot of the communication your phone is already capable of. WhatsApp allows you to send text messages, pictures, videos, and your location and contact info, easier, cheaper, and

PyCon 2014

Keeping up with technological advances can be hard which is why we try go to the best and more notable technological conferences to learn and teach the best technologies available. In April 9th-17th I had the pleasure to attend PyCon 2014 in Montréal. PyCon is a conference related to the usage of the programming language

Mobile application marketers and industry trends

Have you personally done any marketing? To answer this question, you need to ask yourself other questions like: Did I compete for a job when there were other candidates? Did I compete for a desirable apartment where there were other applicants? Did I arrange my impression to be most favorable to another person? Yes, that’s

Getting users to create app content – Getting started

Last week, I wrote about a special kind of content consumption app where developers could, in essence, trick users into creating content for others to consume, thereby reducing the creation stress on developers. This week, I want to expand on this idea by describing some strategies apps can use to get users started in the

Springtime Apps ~ Push Interactions on CTV Morning Live

When selecting apps for my CTV app reviews I always start by thinking “Is there a major holiday or festive day coming up?” If there isn’t, I usually go to my next question “Is it the beginning of a season?!”  Usually I can answer yes to one of those questions which will launch me into

User Generated Content – An Overview

As my PhD supervisor, Carl Gutwin, says: “Ideas are cheap. Good ideas are hard”. Through my years designing mobile apps, I’ve thought hard about what it takes to make a compelling app. What, exactly, makes an app a hit? This is, of course, a loaded question. Apps that fulfill a real human need are easier

SSL HeartBleed

The SSL HeartBleed bug is a serious vulnerability in the security layer of the internet.  It has been around since December 2011 and it is estimated the “bad guys” have known about this vulnerability since about mid 2012. The vulnerability allows attackers to read secure traffic while it is in transit.  It affects approximately 20%

2014 – The Dawn of Indie Game Development


Most people who enjoy video games can recall the first one they ever played which for me, was the classic Super Mario Bros. Since then, I’ve grown increasingly infatuated with playing video games, buying consoles as they come out and playing as much as I can after school. Thankfully as I grew older I reduced

Mobile Monday – TACT

The Auditory Concentration Test App (TACT) is a great example of one of our apps that truly improves the quality of life for the user.  Designed by Declan Quinn, Mb., FRCPC, a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, the Auditory Concentration Test is a continuous performance test used to measure sustained attention in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders.