The Google Play Store and Apple's App Store are the largest platforms for distributing mobile apps. While they offer convenience and accessibility to users, they also exert significant control over the mobile app industry and can stifle competition.Both companies maintain a tight grip over the apps that are allowed on their platforms, including rules around content, design, and functionality. This can result in smaller and newer developers struggling to compete with established players, who may have already established relationships with the platform owners. The outcome of this control is that it can stifle competition and limit innovation in the mobile app industry.An example of this is the popular game Fortnite, created by Epic Games. The company sued Apple and Google after the game was removed from their app stores for violating in-app payment guidelines. Epic argued that the removal of Fortnite was anti-competitive and monopoly behavior. This lawsuit highlights the difficulties that companies can face when navigating the app store policies and the challenges of competing in a market dominated by the tech giants.Another example is Spotify, the music streaming service, which filed an antitrust complaint against Apple with the European Commission in 2019. Spotify alleged that Apple's app store policies stifle competition and give an unfair advantage to Apple's own music streaming service. This complaint highlights the issues faced by companies trying to compete in an ecosystem dominated by a single player.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://iaxds62ruoojbg1k4180.cleaver.rocks/images/posts/2fdd4453-4510-4db0-a8a5-395e4382e2d7.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Additionally, both companies also take a significant cut of revenue generated through their platforms, which can be a significant burden for developers, particularly those with limited resources. This can also discourage new competitors from entering the market and further solidify the dominance of existing players. The email app Blue Mail and project management tool Basecamp are other examples of companies that have taken legal action against the tech giants over allegations of anti-competitive behavior and violations of antitrust laws.The opaque nature of the app store algorithms and ranking systems can make it difficult for new apps to gain visibility and compete with established apps. This can result in a lack of diversity in the types of apps available, as well as reduced innovation in the industry.To address these concerns, both Google and Apple have taken steps to allow more competition in their app stores. Google has made changes to its app store policies to address concerns over anti-competitive behavior and to increase transparency. For example, Google has revised its policy on in-app purchases to allow developers to use their own payment systems, rather than being required to use Google's payment system, which charges a transaction fee. The company has also committed to providing more information to developers about how the Google Play Store's ranking algorithms work, to help them understand how to improve their app's visibility.Apple has also taken steps to address concerns about its app store policies and increase competition. For example, the company has revised its in-app purchase policies to allow developers to use their own payment systems. Apple has also created an App Review Board to hear appeals from developers who have had their apps rejected from the App Store. The company has also introduced a small business program to help smaller developers get a fair share of the revenue generated through the App Store.These measures show that both companies are taking steps to address concerns about competition in their app stores, although the effectiveness of these measures and the extent to which they address the underlying issues remains to be seen.Overall, the issue of competition in the app store industry is complex and ongoing, and requires a balance between providing a secure and controlled environment for users and enabling a level playing field for all app developers.

Techfastly

Exploring the the fine line between control and competition in the mobile app space

App Store Monopolies: Are Google and Apple Stifling Competition?

Rahul Kumar

Load Testing of E-commerce Applications and Websites

<div>Are you wondering about Clubhouse, which has taken the internet by storm? The world's richest man, Elon Musk, has recently popped up in a Clubhouse room that brought a lot of attention to this exclusive voice-only iPhone app. This app on your phone lets you listen in on other people's live conversations, legally and not in a creepy way. You may get the opportunity to join the audio-chat social network. This app has no pictures or videos but only profile pics for each user to join in via audio.The Clubhouse is a new social media app that's less than a year old and making big waves. Having valued at USD 1 billion, venture capitalists are scrambling to invest in this voice-only social media app that has taken the internet by storm. This social platform is built around the "drop-in audio chat". It features short real-time voice conversations any user can listen to but nobody can record. This invite-only app has gathered a legion of high-profile fans, including Elon Musk and some two million users.The coronavirus pandemic may have created the ideal conditions for this app to thrive, as people isolated by lockdowns were desperate for social connection. Though text-based social media platforms are fine, voice is a natural alternative to making a social connection during these unprecedented times. <h2 style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;">What is Clubhouse?</h2>Users can follow other users or topics of interest and join themed clubs in this social media app. They can have access to a selection of chat rooms that focus on different topics, most of which are highly tuned to the zeitgeist.The chat rooms come in all sizes. Some have just a few people chatting informally, while others have hundreds or thousands of people listening to a panel of experts, a celebrity, a politician, or a business leader.The other people in the room are visible, and you can bring up their profiles, complete with a list of whom they follow. The Clubhouse algorithm takes all this into account while offering content choices. You can raise your hand if you want to say something, and the room owner can give you speaking privileges. Moreover, you can even applaud a speaker by rapidly clicking on the mute/unmute button. All of this happens in an audio-only format.It is more like eavesdropping on a fascinating conversation- with the ability to join in if you have something to add. Many of its early users are raving about how much they like it. One reason behind the Clubhouse's popularity is that audio can feel much more intimate and "live" than text-based social media. People now more than ever prefer to talk instead of using a keyboard.During its short life, Clubhouse has garnered a desirable social cachet. Currently, the only way to access the app is to be invited by an existing user. From its initial fame among Silicon Valley investors, Clubhouse has attracted an impressive number of public figures, including Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, and Drake. You'll also find celebrities talking about their latest projects, experts with in-depth domain knowledge, and politicians with policies to champion.Renowned users like these have been a huge drawcard, along with its relatively scanty invitations have added a sense of exclusivity to Clubhouse. Rooms in the Clubhouse are temporary. So, when the meeting is over, the room disappears, and all its discussion is gone forever. Moreover, it is not possible to record these discussions.The temporary nature of these rooms may help stop the formation of social media echo chambers, in which people are only exposed to those with whom they already agree. <h2 style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;">How to Become a Clubhouse User?</h2>The app's website is www.joinclubhouse.com, which points to downloading it from the Apple App Store and waiting for an existing user's invitation. With its membership by invitation only, at least for now, there are two ways you can join and become a Clubhouse user. You can use this app with a personal invitation from a friend who is already its member or download the app and reserve a username to get yourself on the waiting list.If you go by the second way, anyone you know who is already a member might be notified, and if that happens, they might let you in the Clubhouse. At present, this app is only available on Apple devices.You need to give your phone number and your real name to register for Clubhouse. When an existing user sends you an invitation to join this app, you'll receive a link texted to, asking you to visit the app link and sign in with your phone number.You can link your Twitter account to this app if you don't want to set up a profile from scratch. It will pull in your existing Twitter profile picture. Clubhouse encourages you to link your contacts to make it easier to find people to follow. After logging in, you can verify an email address with their service, so you have a method to reconnect if there's an issue in the future.Alpha Exploration Co. has stated that it intends to release an Android version soon for this audio-chat app. <h2 style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;">What's the Buzz Surrounding the Clubhouse?&nbsp;</h2>Recently, this social media newcomer has secured a new round of funding in the order of US$100 million. The firm's plan for the future is to open the app to the general public and allow content creators to get paid.They are considering three types of income generation- subscription, tipping, and ticket sales. Currently, their user base is around 2 million that's likely to see an exponential growth compared to the fact Facebook is approaching 3 billion users, while Twitter boasts of having 300 million users. <h2 style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;">When Did It Launch?</h2>Well, Clubhouse was launched in March 2020 by Alpha Exploration Co., when COVID has started spreading in the US. It became a big deal in the process to select a few in part due to its invite-only exclusivity, similar to the real-world club membership.&nbsp;During its early days, it was an incredibly small community consisting of venture capitalists. This app received USD 12 million investment from Andreessen Horowitz, two months after it launched. It quickly became worth USD 100 million while they had only 1,500 users. Now, the app is open to a lot more than investors, even if it provides invite-only access.Currently, the developers are working on the Android version of the app, as there are more Android users than iPhone worldwide. Launching Clubhouse on Android might have killed the app servers after a publicity stunt like having Musk in an audio chat room. <h2 style="color: rgb(14, 16, 26); background: transparent; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt;">Bottom Line</h2>The history of innovation is marked by people making unforeseen connections. Meeting the right people at the right time in an unplanned way cannot be made on-demand. But you can create the right conditions for people and conversations to happen spontaneously.The Clubhouse rules try to ensure that the conversations happening in their platform are effectively off the record. It states that the user cannot transcribe, record, reproduce, or share information from its chat room without prior permission. This encourages spontaneity and relaxed off-the-cuff chats. However, critics say this also makes space for racism and misogyny.The growing Clubhouse network is likely to face challenges on content moderation and transparency, as confronted by Facebook and YouTube likes. The voice-based social media platform like the Clubhouse is well-suited to create the right conditions for making unforeseen connections- either for better or worse.</div>

Anjali Prabhanjanan

Meet Clubhouse- The Voice-Only Social Media App That Has Taken the Internet by Storm

This generation has neglected mental health over decades, owing mainly to busy schedules, lack of financial resources, denial, and the stigma attached to mental disorders.However, the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic completely transformed our way of living. Although the lockdown was a traumatic period for all of us, it did help in bringing the important aspects of life into focus, i.e., our mental health and the peace within.People finally had the time to stop and reflect on their mental state, which led to the rate of mental disorder diagnoses going through the roof. Since no one was not allowed to leave their houses, the treatment was brought to them through digital methods.Admittedly, the concept of digital mental well-being was initially viewed through skeptical eyes. However, the digital health market is currently estimated to grow up to 17% in the upcoming five years. From online therapy to meditation apps, thousands of online mental help/care alternatives have helped the patients tremendously.In this article, we'll be talking about some of the best apps created to treat commonly diagnosed mental illnesses.<h2 id="depression">Depression</h2>Let's start with the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder worldwide- depression. Depression is defined as "a constant feeling of sadness and loss of interest, which stops you from doing your normal activities."According to a s<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression">urvey conducted by WHO</a>, around 5% of the adults around suffer from depression. It was also found that depression is a common cause of suicide.Following are the best smartphone apps for the treatment of depression. Take a look:<h3 id="cbt-guide-to-depression-self-help-mood-log-diary">CBT Guide to Depression Self-help: Mood Log, Diary</h3>CBT Guide to Depression is a free app that offers help to its users based on CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) guides.CBT is "one of the most evidence-based psychological interventions for the treatment of depression." If you get CBT, the chances of your mental health getting better are much higher, and the chances of you falling back into depression are much lower.This application is available for free on Play Store for android users, with an impressive 4.4 stars rating. However, the app has not been launched on the App Store for iPhone users yet.<h3 id="happify">Happify</h3>Happify is another digital well-being app that uses CBT, along with positive psychology and mindfulness, as one of its wellness techniques. The creators of Happify have taken a creative turn on this app by programming science-based games as therapy.The main focus of happify is to help their users "reduce stress, overcome negative thoughts and build greater resilience." Happify has received 3.5 and 4.5 stars on Play Store and App Store, respectively.Happify is available for Android and iPhone users for free (advanced features can only be accessed by buying a monthly subscription of $11.99).<h2 id="anxiety">Anxiety</h2>Anxiety is another mental disorder that is very commonly found in adults and teenagers. This illness is characterized by feelings of worry or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one's daily activities. A few physical symptoms of anxiety are sweating, pounding heart, restlessness, hyperventilation, trembling, nausea, headache, weakness, and fatigue.Keep in mind that it is normal to experience mild anxiety every once in a while. A few anxiety-inducing events are exams, performances, arguments, or financial problems.However, if those feelings linger for an unusually extended time period, you might be suffering from an anxiety disorder. The most common anxiety disorders are PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), panic attacks, and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).If you are feeling that your anxiety is out of proportion lately, read on to learn about a couple of smartphone apps that can help you with the same.<h3 id="mindshift-cbtanxiety-relief">Mindshift CBT- Anxiety Relief</h3>Mindshift is a CBT-based app that targets anxiety, especially in teenagers and new adults. Mindshift helps its patients reduce worry, stress, and panic by applying evidence-based strategies.Thought journals, fear ladders, and comfort zone challenges are some of the interesting activities offered in Mindshift CBT- Anxiety Relief.Mindshift CBT is available free of cost for both android and iPhone users. It has also received 4.1- and 4.3-stars ratings on Play Store and App Store.<h3 id="self-help-anxiety-management">Self-help Anxiety Management</h3>SAM has taken a completely different approach compared to other self-help apps by abiding by its name: self-help management.The app contains 25 different coping mechanisms to help the users with the mental and physical symptoms of anxiety. Users can make a personalized anxiety toolkit, adding only the features that they find helpful to track their anxious thoughts and behavior over time.For additional support, a user can also use SAM's Social Cloud feature that helps all the users connect confidentially in an online community and share their experiences.SAM has received a 4-stars rating on App Store and can be accessed from Play Store as well.<h2 id="adhd">ADHD</h2>ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is commonly diagnosed during childhood and lasts well into adulthood.Children diagnosed with ADHD have a typically short attention span. They are also hyperactive, i.e., are almost always moving. That includes running or pacing with no other goal than motion. Lastly, they have an impulsive streak; they often rush into actions without thinking about the consequences.If you've been diagnosed with ADHD, read on to learn about a couple of apps that might help you in your daily activities.<h3 id="todoist">Todoist</h3>As an ADHD patient, you might be prone to forgetting your tasks or getting distracted easily. Todoist is designed to help you with exactly that.Once you've entered your task, you can set a due date on it, along with a priority level. There's an option to assign that task to one of your family members if you forget it.If you've started using the app regularly, you can add themes, boards, and filters to your tasks to make them look more appealing. Furthermore, there's a progress board to keep track of how far you've come. All in all, you can make a project out of each of your tasks so that you never forget them.Todoist has received 4.5- and 4.8-star ratings on Play Store and App Store, respectively.<h3 id="brain-focus">Brain Focus</h3>Brain Focus is for those people who struggle with concentration, primarily including ADHD-diagnosed people.In a nutshell, this app helps you utilize your screen time instead of using your phone as a distraction. It uses the Pomodoro technique to divide your focus time into your selected work apps and lock your distracting apps in the meantime.It has received a shockingly high 4.8 stars rating on Play Store. However, Brain Focus has not yet been launched on the App Store for iPhone users.<h2 id="wrapping-it-up">Wrapping it up</h2>If the pandemic has taught us one lesson, it's that a healthy mind space is a key to a content life. So, when the lockdown took away the option of one-on-one mental disorder treatments, people turned to technology for help; and technology certainly did not disappoint.In this article, we've talked about three of the most common mental disorders today: depression, anxiety, and ADHD. The apps that we talked about today have worked wonders for many users and are all trustworthy. That being said, seeking professional help is the better option for you if you've just been diagnosed or if you're feeling like your condition is getting worse.

Ananya Mishra

Mental Health Tech: The Best Places to Begin

Have you ever sent a message and then regretted it right away? Now you have no choice but to wait for the message to be read by the intended recipient. We have all been there, I am sure. Fortunately, self-destructing messaging apps can help.Using a self-destructing message app, you can send messages that automatically destruct after a short, pre-defined duration of time, making them undetectable. These apps also have a built-in system that restricts you from taking a screenshot of the message. In other words, there will be no trace of your message and no proof that it ever existed. Self-destructing messaging applications have been around since the last decade, and they are growing in popularity all the time, with new, free apps appearing all the time. It is no wonder that in a world where most communication takes place online, people are looking for ways to protect their privacy.And the figures back it up. With over 150 million daily users, Snapchat is one of the most popular self-destructing message apps, having been launched in 2011. The self-destructive messages became popular in 2013. While many people praise these programs for their capacity to prevent message tracking, they have also been criticized for a few quarters. Some say that the widespread availability of self-destructing messaging apps has encouraged immoral online conduct like sexting, illicit crimes, and even marital affairs.When it comes to platforms for sending self-destructive texts, there are several options. There is a variety of self-destructing messaging applications to choose from. Know your alternatives when it comes to self-destructing messages, from email to instant messaging?you will be able to discover one that suits your requirement to be completely undetectable. As a result, I conducted some research and found a few applications that are ideal for sending such messages.<h3 id="gmail">Gmail</h3><a href="https://www.google.com/gmail/">Gmail </a>now offers a confidential mode that allows you to choose an expiration date for your emailed messages. Google stores your self-destructing messages on its servers rather than sending them to a third party. This allows the organization to keep control of the data and erase it once a certain amount of time has passed.If both the sender and the recipient use Gmail, the process is straightforward, and messages sent in confidential mode will seem like normal emails. The body text, however, will vanish when the expiration date approaches, even if the recipient will still be able to locate the email and view the subject header in their inbox.<h3 id="whatsapp">WhatsApp</h3><a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/">WhatsApp</a> recently added disappearing messages to its Android and iOS smartphone apps. You can utilize this feature in any conversation on the platform, but only the admins will be able to toggle it on or off if it is a group chat.To activate disappearing messages, tap the contact or group name at the top of the screen and select Disappearing messages. Anything sent while the mode is activated is immediately destroyed after seven days, however, anything sent while the mode is disabled simply remains in the chat history.<h3 id="instagram">Instagram</h3><a href="https://www.instagram.com/?hl=en">Instagram</a> (for Android, iOS, and the web) has just begun rolling out a disappearing message feature for mobile devices, never one to skip out on something other applications did first. Vanish Mode is what it is called, and it will only be available if you agree to integrate your Instagram and Facebook Messenger chat accounts?if you have not seen this prompt inside the apps yet, it should emerge shortly.Simply swipe up inside a discussion to activate Vanish Mode, and whatever you submit after that will vanish as soon as the chat is closed. Nothing posted in Vanish Mode will be there when you reopen it. To turn it off, swipe up once more.<h3 id="snapchat">Snapchat</h3><a href="https://www.snapchat.com/">Snapchat</a> (for Android and iOS) gained its name by introducing a new level of ephemerality to social media with disappearing photographs and videos. These days, the software also allows users to send instant messages.If you send text, photographs, or videos to contact directly, those notes will automatically self-destruct after they open them. On the other hand, one can save a line of text, an image, or a video by long pressing on it, or by taking a screenshot.You can not stop any of this from happening, so if someone wants to save something you have stated on this platform, they may easily do so. Because of this shortcoming, Snapchat is best for self-destructing messages when all parties involved are trustworthy.<h3 id="facebook-messenger">Facebook Messenger</h3>This popular chat <a href="https://www.messenger.com/">software</a> (for Android and iOS) also features a self-destructing message capability, and its biggest benefit over the other platforms on this list is its widespread availability. This is your winner if you already utilize the app to keep in touch with your contacts on a regular basis.You must first initiate a private chat, similar to Telegram, which will encrypt your messages end-to-end. This type of chat works similarly to regular conversations, with the exception that it must be a one-to-one conversation, which means you can not communicate with more than one person at a time, and you can only access these chats on the app, not the online client.<h3 id="confide">Confide</h3><a href="https://getconfide.com/">Confide</a> (for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS) has features like end-to-end encryption and the ability to exchange various forms of media that are not found in many other chat apps (including text, photos, videos, documents, and voice messages). Unlike the others on this list, this application was created particularly for sending and receiving self-destructive messages. Confide specializes in this area, therefore you may expect more thorough protection.Instead of allowing you to select an expiration date, the software automatically deletes messages as soon as the recipient reads them. Confide disables screenshots on mobile devices while the app is open if you are concerned about receipts. If you are really worried, you will be relieved to know that the app only shows one line of a message at a time?even if someone snapped the screen with a second camera, each picture would only display a portion of the message.You can exchange messages to other Confide users directly, but this platform also allows you to communicate with others who do not have the app. The Recipients will then receive an email with a link to download the app, after which they will be able to view your message.<h3 id="telegram-messenger">Telegram Messenger</h3>Telegram Messenger (for Android, iOS, and the web) is a free communication app that stresses security and simplicity. Telegram allows users to send and receive messages with expiration dates.You will need to start a new chat in Secret Mode to use this function. All conversations sent through this chat are encrypted end-to-end, and you may set messages to self-destruct, with receivers unable to transmit them to other contacts. Just keep in mind that, unlike regular Telegram messages, secret chats do not sync between devices, so if you move phones or deactivate the app, they will vanish. If you are having ongoing conversations with someone but do not want traces of those conversations to remain, this approach is ideal.<h3 id="end-note">End Note</h3>Self-destructing messaging has a lot of appeal at a time when it is easy to be worried about online privacy. Self-destructing message apps create a sense of security that normal popular chat apps just cannot deliver, whether it be internal office politics, a messy divorce, or teenage gossip. Even if you have nothing to conceal, it is good downloading a self-destructing message software to have on hand in case you get any messages or photographs that you would rather disappear. Fortunately, the technology to do so is easily available online, for free, and at your service.

Aftab Alam

What Exactly Are Self-destructive Messages? Which Apps Are The Best For Sending One?

Education in the last 17 months or so has been on the receiving end of the COVID-19 casualties. Not only the mortality rate is terrifying but how children across the globe are facing the problem of Inclusivity is a point of concern even for UNICEF. With the world going online for every possible thing, education tops the list and is yet to go back to its classrooms completely. Governments across the globe have been working tirelessly to achieve inclusivity in Education. TV, radio, YouTube, dedicated websites and various mediums have been used to achieve the same. One such effective source of delivering content has been ?Learning Management System? and Moodle has been one reliable LMS.Few of the countries entrusting Moodle includes Austria, United States, Spain, Brazil, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Mexico, Germany, Australia, Columbia, Italy and India. <h3 id="what-is-learning-management-system">What is Learning Management System? </h3>LMS, acronym for Learning Management System, is a software that provides a skeleton or a framework to manage all the aspects of learning process. It is the place where you house, deliver and track all your contents. LMS can often be called as Training Management System, Learning Activity Management System or even Learning Experience Platform (LXP). Benefits of using a Learning Management System:- <ul><li>Cost saving/Cost effective: Using an LMS reduces infrastructure and logistics cost. It also reduces the cost of instructors giving more returns on the investment. </li><li>Consistent Training: Training and course delivery via an LMS is consistent since it is centralized. </li><li>Tracks learner progress and performance easily: An LMS easily generates reports on and overall or individual student basis. By utilizing an LMS for eLearning courses and/or online training, trainers can easily track goal progress, knowledge gains, ROI and more. </li></ul>Generally, an LMS can have more benefits than these listed but these are the ones that tops the list of selling points. <h3 id="what-is-moodle">What is Moodle? </h3>Moodle is the acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment and was founded and developed by Martin Dougiamas in 2002. It was designed to provide educators, administrators, and learners with an open, robust, secure and free platform to create and deliver personalized learning environments. Moodle is a user-friendly Learning Management System (LMS) that supports learning and training needs for a wide range of institutions and organizations across the globe.With over 100,000 registered implementations worldwide supporting over 150 million learners, Moodle is the most widely used Learning Management System in the world today. Moodle open-source project is managed by a dedicated team at Moodle HQ with a head office in Perth, Australia and satellite offices around the world. Because of the Modular nature and inherent flexibility of Moodle, it has categorized itself as an ideal platform for both academic and enterprise level applications of any size. <h3 id="moodle-is-open-source">Moodle is Open-Source!</h3>The underlying technology on which Moodle is built is Open-Source. It means that the software, or Moodle code, is freely available to download, use, customize, redistribute and modify. Moodle being an open-source project can be categorized as collaborative effort supported by a strong global community, including the Moodle HQ team as well as developers, Moodle providers, and users around the world. Advantages of Open-Source:-<ul><li>Free: Open-source codes are freely available without any license fee. </li><li>Security: Less security is often associated with Open-source codes. On the contrary, open and visible code allows the open-source community to detect any security issues. This means security glitches are recognized much faster and patches circulated immediately. </li><li>Customization: As mentioned earlier, open-source codes give the developer flexibility to design and customize an eLearning platform based on the Organization?s goal. </li><li>Scalable: With the organization?s growth, it?s equally important that your LMS is compatible to the growth and meets the evolving needs. </li><li>Future-proof: With the flexibility to customize, innovate and scale, your LMS becomes future proof by creating an eLearning solution that can adapt to changing needs. </li></ul><h3 id="why-moodle">Why Moodle? </h3>Moodle provides a powerful set of learner-centric tools and collaborative learning environments that optimizes both teaching and learning. As discussed earlier, because of its flexibility and scalability, Moodle has been incorporated for use by educational entities, business, non-profit, government, and many other community systems of all sizes. Moodle can be easy for educators and learners to use with a simple and flexible user interface and well documented resources. Not only is Moodle web-based, but it also feature a mobile compatible interface, making it accessible from anywhere in the world across different web browsers or devices. For the developers, Moodle?s modular and interoperable design allows developers to build plugins that can integrate external applications to enhance system capabilities and extend what is possible with the core Moodle product. It gives the developer the flexibility to work around optimization and build a product with the growing need. <h3 id="how-do-you-host-moodle">How do you host Moodle? </h3>Since Moodle code is freely available, it provides multiple hosting options to choose from, including the ability to self-host or work with a Moodle provider.Self-Hosted Moodle:- Self-hosting Moodle gives the development team complete ownership of the site?s code. You have complete control over every aspect of the LMS, from implementation to design to the themes and plugins you decide to install. Self-hosting may sound convenient and affordable but it has its own limitations and is not the suggested way to host if you don?t have the bandwidth or expertise. It may not only require extended resources to manage and support such a complex yet powerful solution, but also to ensure it meets learning needs, reflects your organization, or performs the way you want it to. Many organizations having a self-hosted Moodle have a team of well-compensated experts dedicated to supporting the platform. Managed Moodle/Cloud Hosting:- As discussed above, managing Moodle and utilizing its robust functionality is not something that every L&amp;D team has the time or expertise to take on. Many seek additional help through cloud hosting partners to ease the burden of the educators/administrators.With a Moodle provider, you?re able to spend less time focusing on the management of your system, and more on providing engaging eLearning to your stake holders. Self-Hosted vs. Managed Moodle Services:-<ul><li>Cost and Sense: Self-hosting may be free but managed Moodle services typically save in terms of staff and productivity. Managed Moodle services ease the workload of the administrators as they don?t have to support the self-hosted Moodle platform. Instead, they can focus more on delivering engaging eLearning to end users. </li><li>Data Security: Self-hosting requires data to be housed in their own data centers. This includes intellectual property, private student data, and even medical records. Cloud hosting, in such cases, is preferred over self-hosting to reduce data vulnerability. </li><li>Scaling Infrastructure: A Moodle provider can assist with the adjustments and improvements necessary for your LMS to scale as your organization grows and evolves. </li><li>Customization and Consultation: Based on the needs of an individual organization, the Moodle service provide consults you with the best practices of Moodle suited for your end goals. </li><li>Integration: A Moodle provider can help you to integrate your Moodle platform with other systems such as Student information Systems (SIS), ERPs, CRMs, and other self-hosted products such as Big Blue Button, Kaltura, etc. </li><li>Updates and Backups: Self-hosted Moodle users have the responsibility to schedule, plan and test their Moodle site updates. Many institutions also have to plan upgrades around their busy academic calendar. On the other hand, a hosting partner ensures the organizations that all such activities and backups are taken regularly and are accessible when needed. </li></ul><h3 id="moodle-mobile-app">Moodle Mobile App </h3>Moodle also allows for remote learning and easy access to courses and eLearning content anywhere, anytime, and even when offline through the Moodle Mobile app. Available for both Apple iOS and Android-based devices, Moodle Mobile allows end users to access course content; upload images, videos, and other files; receive notifications; send messages to fellow classmates and educators; attempt quizzes; participate in forums and much more all from their mobile devices. With the need of the hour and the popularity of Moodle, it is only meant to help the society at large leading to the positive growth of Moodle. The gap between the educators and the learners is only meant to be bridged in the near future with technology assisting the human race in every possible way.

Tabish Neyaz

Moodle for Education!

A device that was a luxury in the 1980s is now the most imperative need of the 21st century. Wondering what we are talking about? Well! It's the smartphone. Unsurprisingly, it has become our to-go device, and the mobile apps keep us occupied for most of the day.As per Statista: Between 2017 and 2021, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of global at-home mobile education app usage is projected to amount to 62%. Due to the coronavirus, a lot many people started working from home, leading to an increase in the use of mobile business apps; these apps are projected to have the second-largest 4-year CAGR with 57 percent.2021 will be grander than any previous years with regards to the newest features that the latest mobile models will bring. But the aspect that will attract more limelight is the top mobile app development trends that will dominate 2021.There is no wonder in the fact why the trends keep on changing every year. I consider these to be the game-changing trends that will redefine the future of mobile apps. Read on as I walk you through them.<ol><li>Introduction of 5G</li></ol>The emergence of 5G technology will transform everything for the mobile segment. By 2025, the number of 5G connections across the globe will grow to 1.1 billion.Are you wondering what it has to do with mobile apps? Well! 5G is expected to transform the way apps are used and developed. Additionally, it will not only improve the internet speed but also enhance the functionality of mobile apps. With this trend, the users will get to experience the never-seen-before features in mobile applications.2. IoTThe Internet of Things is not a new concept, but it has taken the world by storm. This technology is transforming the way people live in their homes. It allows users to engage with appliances and gadgets in real-time.In 2021, more users will begin to control appliances and electronic devices with apps. IoT will grow exponentially and thus giving mobile users a new way of operating other devices at their place. The developers will also be more inclined towards IoT since it also possesses data sharing within the network.3. Augmented RealityAugmented Reality (AR) technology has become easily accessible, and it is getting better with time. In previous years, we saw many games that integrated AR and made users interact with creatures and objects that didn't exist in reality but were present on the screen.The league will continue even in 2021, and this technology will begin to enter other segments like healthcare, security, industrial maintenance, and many more. Gaming and enterprise information systems are all set to leverage AR's potential by augmenting the real-world objects with animated metadata.4. Beacon TechnologyBeacon technology is giving some serious technology goals to the world. Beacons use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals. This means a phone that enters a beacon's zone allows the relevant app to receive this signal and provide relevant notifications to the users.The main benefit of this technology is that it minimizes the gap between users and companies. This year, you can see more mobile app development services that will use beacon-based apps and locations. Segments like healthcare, travel &amp; tourism, and physical games are likely to embrace this technology in the future.5. Cloud-driven Mobile AppsCloud technology isn't a new name, and the world has already experienced its positive impact. Fortunately, it has found its place in the world of mobile apps. Mobile apps are directly fetching data from the cloud and occupying less space in your smartphone's internal memory.The league will continue in 2021; Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive will be followed by many more amazing apps.6. M-CommerceMobile purchasing and payment platforms like Amazon Pay, Google Pay, and others have engulfed the marketplace. And it becomes evident that M-Commerce is one of those giant trends that will never see an end. Taking cognizance of this fact, 2021 will be greater than previous years in terms of M-Commerce development.Retail and E-Commerce businesses are vying to have the desirable apps to capture a larger share of the customers. This year is a call to all those entrepreneurs who have been thinking of entering this segment.7. Progressive Web AppsThe star examples of Starbucks Coffee, Twitter, and Pinterest say it all. Two years back, companies advocated that they didn't need a mobile app as they assumed that their web presence was enough for them. However, the scenario has changed now. With progressive web apps, you can render users an experience equivalent to a native app as soon as they land on the website.Mobile apps are catching up with this trend, and you can make your online presence felt. And the ones who will keep pace with this trend will survive through the competition with ease.8. Blockchain TechnologyBlockchain has managed to make its way to the mobile app development segment. If you wonder how this technology can be a part of a market that has nothing to do with blockchain, you need to know that blockchain has gone way beyond cryptocurrencies.You will be amazed to know that several online wallets and smart ledgers are using this technology. The reason is that it prevents data breaching or the creation of fake documents. A blockchain-enabled mobile payment app is the thing of 2021, and the industry leaders are already expecting to make the most out of it.9. On-Demand AppsThings that were earlier a luxury are now a demand. This year will see the emergence of on-demand apps. Placing a specific app request and getting the service at your preferred area will be a common thing. The users will get to avail the ultimate experience that these apps will bring to the marketplace.Food delivery apps, taxi apps, grocery delivery apps, and various other apps will come under its shelter. Present apps like Uber are much popular amongst the users and are a classic example of on-demand apps. Other corporate giants are planning to consider the development of such apps to skyrocket their business and cater to their customers' demands.Wrapping Up:The world that crawled without a smartphone is now running at its fastest pace with the advent of mobile apps. The above-mentioned mobile app development trends are not going to fade away anytime. So let's admit that the ones who will keep abreast of the latest trends won't see an end to their success curve.Admittedly, it isn't easy to develop an app that will ensure guaranteed success, but you need to take the first step to reach the ultimate goal. Initiate it today and stay ahead of the competitors. And trust me when I say that your entity would be a fail if you don't go for developing an app that integrates the latest trends.Don't let this year go in vain and utilize it to the fullest in identifying the nature of the app that your business requires and make 2021 the best year for your organization..PS Don't forget to add these trends to the planning stage.

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