New research by uSwitch has revealed that smartphones users in the UK pay for just 1 in 10 of the apps they download. The survey, which asked 1,700 people, also reported they each owned 29 apps, adding up to a total spend of just £8.94. Although the report clearly hasn’t covered a broad range of users, so may not be indicative of the whole country, it suggest that smartphone users are wary of parting with cash for apps.

Read the rest of this entry »

App audiences in the U.S. peak at 52 million during primetime (8-9pm) according to a new study by app analytic specialists Flurry. This is equivalent to audiences of three of the highest rated primetime TV shows in a good week and the joint circulation of the top 200 U.S. weekend newspapers.

The research centred on user’s monthly activity of the top 250 iOS and top 250 Android apps during February, plotting the hourly usage difference between weekdays and the weekend. Unsurprisingly audiences at the weekend were 25% greater between the 9am-5pm but perhaps what was less predictable was the audience number at primetime: both weekday and weekend users peaked at 52 million.

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s the May Day Bank Holiday and we’re all looking forward to spending our extra day off with friends and family. But how can you make the most out of that precious extra twenty four hours? We’ve got a few apps that we think will help you make this a bank holiday weekend worth celebrating!

Heads Up!

What do you get when you mix Articulate, Charades and super duper high tech smartphone gaming together? You get Heads Up, an awesome party game that’s bound to liven up any Bank Holiday gathering.

The game is really simple to play – you pick a category, hold your phone up next to your forehead and you have to work out what it is written on the screen as everyone in the room shouts hints at you. You only have a minute to guess as many names as you can so you have to be quick witted (and have helpful friends) to finish on top of the pile.

And, as a funny little twist, front camera on your iPhone records the action, meaning you can easily share your hilariously bad attempts at guessing “Ocean’s 11” with the rest of the world. Pretty good fun I must say!

So if you want to get your party started with a fun game for everyone to play (and you aren’t quite nerdy enough to get into Space Team), then Heads Up is a perfect way to keep a whole room happy.

Read the rest of this entry »

The impact of pets on our lives should never be underestimated. Whether you own a mangy mutt, a 14-foot python or a memory-challenged goldfish, pets are like members of the family. To make sure we continue to treasure our furry/scaly/slimy/feathered friends, a National Pet Month has been organised to promote responsible ownership, raise public awareness of professional pet services and celebrate all things pet-related. So to acknowledge the contribution our animal friends make to our lives, we have cherry picked the top three pet-themed apps for your enjoyment.

MapMyDogwalk

This is an app that you can enjoy with your four-legged friend. Walking your hound not only gives the canine a workout but it also keeps you fit as a fiddle. Connecting via your device’s built-in GPS, this app tracks and maps your dog walking jaunts and records the duration, distance elevation, pace and speed in real-time. It also analyses how many calories you burn and whether you need to step up the march. You can your route with an online account, share your progress with friends on social networks and upload geo-tagged pictures of your walk with Rover for posterity.

Read the rest of this entry »

Another month in the App World has passed so that means it is time for another episode of the App Show! And, boy do we have some top quality stuff lined up to pass by your ear buds.

We’re chatting to free to play consultant and general good egg Will Luton about whether freemium is here to stay. We caught up with Simon Read, developer of New Star Soccer, and Barry Meade, part of the studio behind The Room, to talk shop about their Bafta triumph. And we have Beth from MagicSolver reviewing three interesting infinite runners, as well as the news and Free App Magic chart.

You can listen to the show at 9pm tonight on Star Radio or, if you’re too busy watching the football, catch up with the podcast from tomorrow morning.

Enjoy!

George, App Show Presenter

Interested in learning more about the App Show? Then drop us an email at appshow@star107.co.uk

Snoring isn’t just an annoying reverberating noise that erupts from your partner come bedtime; according to the British Snoring and Sleep Apnea Association it’s a debilitating condition with long term effects on health. National Stop Snoring Week has been organised to raise awareness of this condition and show people persistent snoring can be treated. To help those suffering from ‘vibration of the respiratory structure’, we’ve come up with three top iOS apps that can aid snorers in getting a good night’s kip, learn more about fit after 50 for men.

Read the rest of this entry »

Following on from our previous blog post – “Living without apps? Impossible” – if we need further confirmation that the world is addicted to using mobile apps then Flurry’s comprehensive five-year research analytics provides it. Integrating it analytics into thousands of apps in the U.S, the company monitored the behaviour and usage of the country’s smartphone owners. The top line results show that apps dominate the lives of American smartphone and tablets users, cannibalising 80% of the time spent using an iOS and Android connected device (according to the report this amounts to two hours and 7 minutes every day.)

Read the rest of this entry »

Naturally, we love apps at MagicSolver but how pivotal have they become to our everyday lives? This interesting infographic commissioned by apigee reveals that many of us are dependent on apps to get us through the day or carry out simple tasks. In fact Spain is the country most reliant on apps with 93% of the research respondents saying they can’t see out one complete day without accessing apps. And who can blame them. For further infomorsels on our app addiction take a look at the infographic below.

Read the rest of this entry »

For game developers, large and small, there is no bigger industry event than GDC. Held in San Francisco from the 25^th – 29^th March, the Game Developer Conference is a forum for industry figures – from programmers, artists, designers, audio professionals and business execs – to network and share the latest developments in gaming. MagicSolver will be there with its mobile gaming hat, while for other business management software like fake paystub generator is useful for different payments and others. 

Recent research from industry body TIGA reported that mobile was a major factor in the growth in the gaming industry and this year’s GDC is expected to have a big mobile flavour.

With games the most popular apps to download, getting noticed in an 800,000 ocean of apps can be difficult. MagicSolver has consistently supported mobile gaming by promoting publisher’s games on our apps such a Free App Magic and we especially take pride in helping fledgling independent game developers gain visibility in both iOS and Android app stores.

So if you’re an independent game developer creating exciting apps for iOS and Android, need help to climb the app store rankings and going along to GDC, we would love to meet you. Email letschat@magicsolver.com and we can set something up.

Recover from the hustle and bustle of MWC with our FREE Apps Fiesta!

Catch up on the events of the day, engage in a little light networking or simply relax, kick off your shoes and massage those heels as you refuel for the night ahead with drinks, nibbles and music at the    exclusive Marmalade Bar.

The perfect way to recharge your batteries before a night of partying, mosey on down to Carrer Riera Alta and enjoy the chilled-out vibe of our swinging, Havana-style venue – cold drinks, comfy seats and friendly hosts are waiting!

Like the early birds we are (it gets us all the worms) we’re kicking things off at 5pm so drop in, say hi and let us buy you your first drink of the night – maybe more than one if you’re nice!

See you in Barcelona!

Date: 27th February

Time: 5pm – 9pm

Place: Marmalade Bar, Carrer Riera Alta 4-6 , 08001 Barcelona