The New Features of iOS 6.1 and the Progressive Apple World

iOS 6.1 has arrived with a bang with incredible new features. Here is an overview of some of them. The iOS 6.1 beta has been talked about everywhere since analysts are of the opinion that the new features are many and good enough for the new version. It has been revealed by many tech magazines with Apple’s upcoming update which was expected for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

One of the magazines discovered several new features within a recent update  with Apple’s mobile devices. The beta version gives a taste of what iOS 6.1 has to offer and would be more aboard the update because of the new features.

One of the big new features of iOS 6.1 includes the features which will leap through the UI concepts around the place. Before, iPhone and iPad one could check movie times but one could not insert memory cards more than 32 GB since they were not scalable externally. Not all features were greeted by applause and cheers, but most users loved the new platform.

Apple Maps is now better with less bugs and more presence with iOS 6.1.The location search has been improved from the version 6.0 and now it feels less jerky to use them. Now 6.1 does have the "Report a Problem" function in Apple Maps where all problems can be sorted out without worrying much. This button was very small and difficult to spot after a user swipes up the screen. Now with the latest version and update, the button to Report a Problem is situated in front and center on the iPhone as well as the iPad. Apple will improve application as time goes by with Apple Maps expected to be targeted for enhancements.

One of the minor cosmetic changes that would be skipped by any company while observing are the lock screen’s music controls which is now spaced out than in iOS 6.0 which would aid in navigation of music a fantastically comfortable experience. A new reflection affect is included now with the volume slider to add to the overall magic. 

So those features are just the start. There is a possibility that Apple would bring in more features with iOS 6.1 since there is a very good chance of fixing bugs and maintenance operations are performed on the platform in tandem after iOS 6. Those features will likely come to the fore with the beta versions of the software. iOS Developers are excited with the new platform and one can even watch movies by commanding Siri with their voice.

iOS 6.1 boasts Siri enhancements with specific quotes like "three tickets to see Toy Story 3" which would be acted upon without any glitch. The voice assistant will comply easily and use the Fandango app for taking the user to the purchase menu. Not all theaters are supported through the app but will soon identify compatible theaters with small movie tickets.

As discussed above, iOS 6.1 uses an updated Map Kit framework to perform map-based searches for any points of interest. Another portion is the relevance behaviour for boarding passes which has changed drastically. One needs to have the date matching the passes for being relevantly perfect.

Custom iOS app development in business and its far-reaching effects

iOS app development has long been in demand and has resulted in far-reaching effects in the tech world today. The surge of apps is due to the increasing demand and craze for something innovative every time. The iOS trends have started owing to the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) culture that the offices have started employing. This has prompted individual employees to buy their own iPads and iPhones into the office. Many organizations and individuals were surprised by the productivity gains which they saw and many organizations have opted to develop custom business apps for the iOS platform. The most common business uses were taken into account before the development of custom apps. Apps were used for solving specific tasks including inventory management and bill invoicing. There are apps which help in dealing with customer relationship management, as well as research and surveys.

The new hi-tech Austin Convention Center proposed elimination of paper work orders resulting in 200 percent ROI for the tech giant. Similarly, Lee Medical automated its healthcare processes with business apps, which helped in quality of their services and several lives were saved at reduced costs. West Paw Design introduced FileMaker Go for iPad which prompted its entire business to go automated right from the first part of order entry to the final delivery, which saved thousands of dollars on an annual basis. Many organizations are very keen to automate their processes to iOS devices but most of them are stuck on how to implement them cost-effectively. The biggest challenge that many of them face is how to create and update iOS apps for business needs. Organizations need developers who can provide custom iOS application development but the remuneration per hour is huge.

It is good to have a web app which is advertised with mobile browsers. This requires extensive programming with JavaScript and CSS. Such apps lack complete interactivity with native apps and need a steady web connection to run. Additionally, the time and cost involved in the integration of custom apps is huge. Also, there is a strong need to acquire or build custom libraries for much of the functions in an organization including charting, reporting, or even signature capture. It is good to have an alternative which would imply using a platform designed for development and maintenance of custom business apps. One such platform is the popular FileMaker which is actually an Apple subsidiary. Employees expect a lot from the iOS platform and the iPhone experience since Apple is known to be the pioneer of smart design and great quality in smartphones. Its design is pivotal to adoption. The tools need to be easy to use and design. Additionally, the iOS apps need to be simplistic yet comprehensive.

The alternative platform should boast of support to the native iPad and iPhone clients since users will be expecting the same quality which Apple presents. It should have gesture support along with several touchscreen actions such as pinch and zoom, with support for location. A good platform goes far beyond client expectations and mostly offers support for common data exchange APIs along with integration with popular authentication systems. The popularity of the iOS and the supportive devices like the iPad and iPhone are making them essential for boosting business productivity.