A Note From the Mobile Tech Lead:
Bringing Web Technologies to “Native” Mobile Application Development

Nowadays web technology (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) is everywhere!

In recent years, the fast-paced development of web technologies has dramatically powered development activities past its traditional boundary. Web technology has not only been entrenched in modern browsers, it has also contributed to enterprise-level Web applications, mobile application development, and server-side services, as well as some emerging platforms like the Internet of Things.

Here are several highlights of how advances in web technologies have changed the development process:

Keep reading >>

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Jimmy’s Corner: Think Outside The Bottle

In a recent trip to a wedding reception in New York City, I came across a window display that was very cleverly done. It was is decorated with empty plastic water bottles that were repurposed to create beautiful light fixtures. We need more “outside-the-bottle” ideas to combat the rapid deterioration of our environment that is attributable to “outside-the-box” innovations.

Don’t get me wrong, I love innovation. I love watching it, and I love being a part of it. Engineers are often told to think outside the box for innovations in product design, manufacturing processes, and distributions. A life cycle of car design used to take 5 to 6 years, now it is less than 2 years. Moore’s Law of electronics has lasted more than 50 years with no sign of slowing down.

Click here to continue reading >>

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Happy 20th Birthday, Logic!

Logic Solutions celebrates 20 years of development excellence this year. Over the past couple months, we’ve gradually updated our website with content, materials, and images celebrating reaching our second decade. You may have noticed the new logo, the celebratory slider on our homepage, and CFO Grace Lee’s kind words in her blog post.

Now we have a whole page looking back on our past milestones, achievements, and photos. Please celebrate with us by checking it out!

Click here for our look back at the past 20 years!

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Give Your Website A Fresh New Look!

The summer is a great time to revisit your website and ask yourself “It is user-friendly and intuitive to my site visitors? Are my bounce rates really high and is there something I can do about it? Could I have been affected by Google’s ‘mobile-geddon’?”

Why not take the time this season to redesign your website to give it a fresh, contemporary look and make it mobile-friendly? Download our Website Development Guide and contact us today for an assessment on how experts can help you convert more leads and close more sales!

Download the guide here!

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Blog: Facebook Brings eCommerce Customer Service to Messenger

eCommerce and changing technology has altered how online and offline retailers interact with customers. For online stores it is now common, expected even, for businesses to interact with customers through email. Traditionally, anything that a consumer did on a website, from creating an order to customer support, involved separate email threads that easily get lost in cluttered inboxes, require clicking on links to the online store, and identity authentication. If you were one of the lucky few that used an online store with live chat customer support, getting a transcript of the exchange (if you could at all) was a convoluted process.

Facebook’s latest updates could change this entire eCommerce experience.

Here’s how…

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Catch Up On Our Other Blogs

• Jimmy’s Corner: High-Speed Trains, High-Speed Technology (5/4)
• A Note from the Office Manager (4/22)
• Google’s NEW Preference for Mobile-Friendly Website Design Will Influence Where Consumers Spend(4/20)
• 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Relationship with a Developer  (4/20)
• Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish, and Keep the Faith (3/30)
• Apple Watch, MacBook, ResearchKit, and HBO Now Are Coming in April (3/12)
• Comparison of Mobile Payment Types (3/5)

The post July/August 2015 Newsletter appeared first on 雷技信息科技（上海）有限公司.

Water bottle display at Banana Republic

In a recent trip to a wedding reception in New York City, I came across a window display that was very cleverly done. It is decorated with empty plastic water bottles that were repurposed to create beautiful light fixtures. We need more “outside-the-bottle�?ideas to combat the rapid deterioration of our environment that is attributable to “outside-the-box�?innovations.

Don’t get me wrong, I love innovation. I love watching it, and I love being a part of it. Engineers are often told to think outside the box for innovations in product design, manufacturing processes, and distributions. A life cycle of car design used to take five to six years, now it is less than two years. Moore’s Law of electronics has lasted more than 50 years with no sign of slowing down.

Internet and mobile devices have driven even faster innovation and consumer product cycles. Think about when your contract is almost up on your mobile phone �?you’re ready for a faster, better device. We expect to have a new mobile phone every two years.

Great outside-the-box thinking has had some negative consequences, though. We are seeing unprecedented environmental impact all over the world, but especially in developing countries where economic growth often outweighs environmental, health, and safety concerns until it is too late.

Water bottles themselves are a manufactured demand in developing countries like the U.S., where most tap water is potable. But in some countries such as India, China, and Brazil, manufacturing output has greatly polluted primary water sources, and there is a dire need for clean drinking water.

Several years ago residents in east China began having serious health problems. After an investigation, 23 out of 26 battery manufacturers were found guilty of polluting the local river. China now has more oversight and hardware to combat the growing environmental issues, however much damage is already done. And most corporations still give precedence to profitability over environmental impact.

But some companies are bearing their share of environmental stewardship and corporate responsibility. Here are a few things they do:

• Integrate EH&S practices into their manufacturing process. Our Quantum Compliance (www.usequantum.com) is one of many companies that provide solutions to make it easy and streamlined to do so.
• Reduce unnecessary waste such as water bottles, plastic cups, plates, and etc.
• Make something out of recyclable materials. For example, Tzu Chi Foundation’s volunteers turn plastic bottles into blankets for victims of natural disasters.

I certainly would not mind having these beautiful bottle light fixtures in my home or office!

The post Think Outside The Bottle appeared first on 雷技信息科技（上海）有限公司.

In recent years, the fast-paced development of web technologies has dramatically powered development activities past its traditional boundary. Web technology has not only been entrenched in modern browsers, it has also contributed to enterprise-level Web applications, mobile application development, and server-side services, as well as some emerging platforms like the Internet of Things.

Here are several highlights of how advances in web technologies have changed the development process:

• HTML5 brings many new features (like built-in video/audio playback, local cache, etc.) to benefit modern browsing (cross-browser compatibility, mobile optimization, etc).
• Working with HTML5, CSS3 ensures easier and but still powerful building of web pages.
• The development of the JavaScript ecosystem contributes a lot of frameworks (like AngulaJS, Backbone.js, Ember.js, React.js, etc.) that unquestionably facilitate the development of web technologies.
• Node.js, a JavaScript (Google V8) powered cross-platform runtime environment opens the gate of server-side development by just using web technologies.
• On June 17, 2015, The General Assembly of Ecma International has announced the approval of the next version of JavaScript (with the codename ECMAScript 6 or ES6, now called ECMAScript 2015 officially). The new version brings foundational changes to JavaScript which enables the development of larger, more complex web applications.

Web technologies also play a very important role as they enter the mobile application development arena. They benefit mobile developers through its simplicity and fast-paced development, as well as its �?strong>cross-platform�?nature – “Write Once, Run Anywhere�?

The majority of development work nowadays still uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build web pages, then these web pages are run in an internal browser (called WebView), which is embedded in a native application (called Native Shell). If needed, the Native Shell can also expose native APIs (like camera, location service, etc.) to JavaScript. The applications built in this way are called Hybrid Applications. Some frameworks (like Apache Cordova (PhoneGap), Ionic, etc.) can facilitate this development.

In general, the benefits of Hybrid Applications fit well with our needs in terms of development process as well as our marketing strategy:

• Its �?strong>cross-platform�?nature can help reduce development time and cost dramatically.
• We can easily design for various situations, like different platforms, device sizes, etc.
• We can provide rapid prototyping and easy distribution to each platform (web browsing or app store).

However, this approach still has several “pain points�?that prevent developers from choosing hybrid applications over native applications, such as:

• Poor performance. Although the internal browser (WKWeb​View in iOS and Chrome WebView in Android) has been improved to provide faster web page reddening speed, the overall performance is still not comparable to what a native application brings.
• Poor Native API support. With the help of frameworks, the application can access to the native features of underlying platforms by leveraging external “plugins�? However, using such “plugins�?actually brings uncertainty as well as complexity in managing the development as well as a required level of maintenance.

Then, is it possible to bring web technologies to “native�?mobile application development?

The answer is YES.

With the help of JavaScript engine (also called JavaScript Runtime), developers can still write the application by using web technologies, but also allow the application to run directly on platforms (like iOS, Android) supported by JavaScript Runtime as a native application.

Because of this, developers can utilize the fast and convenient web technologies for development as well as the counterpart performance and user experience that a native application provides.

The framework Appcelerator Titanium is the earliest pioneer in this area and it does a great job in creating mobile applications on different platforms from just one JavaScript codebase. In March 2015, the release of React Native by Facebook brings this approach to the next level.

Compared to Appcelerator Titanium, React Native uses a batched asynchronous messaging protocol for establishing communication between native main thread and a background thread where a JavaScript engine runs to process JavaScript code. Without blocking the native main thread, the application can be more responsive and bring a more native-like user experience. Beyond that, React Native also ships with React.js – the emerging powerful framework that helps build applications easily by using its novel technologies (like Virtual DOM, One-way Binding, etc.).

Currently React Native is used in two of Facebook’s apps: Facebook Groups and Facebook Ads Manager. Without mentioning it, it is hard to tell they are not built upon native SDK and instead are built on React Native.

The “core�?need for using web technologies in native mobile application development is to build applications with a powerful performance and native-feeling UI. And the most promising part of React Native just lies on it – perhaps it can help lead us to this new stage of mobile application development.

Leo Shi is the Mobile Tech Lead at Logic Solutions. He participates in the entire development process of iOS and Android mobile applications, and web-based mobile apps.

The post Bringing Web Technologies to “Native�?Mobile Application Development appeared first on 雷技信息科技（上海）有限公司.

A Note From the Business Development Manager:
From Logic’s Ambassador to the Marketplace: The Two P2s

While few people who know me would describe Al Carpinelli as quiet, I’ve yet to offer my input to our blog until now. In a recent kitchen chat, our lead designer, Fatimah, kindly suggested a focus on the ingredients of my success as the most senior business developer at the company.

I immediately thought of the two P2s that I live by as Logic Solutions’ ambassador to the marketplace. The first P2 is patience and persistence.

Keep Reading >>

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Give Your Website A Fresh New Look!

The summer is a great time to revisit your website and ask yourself “It is user-friendly and intuitive to my site visitors? Are my bounce rates really high and is there something I can do about it? Could I have been affected by Google’s ‘mobile-geddon’?”

Why not take the time this season to redesign your website to give it a fresh, contemporary look and make it mobile-friendly? Download our Website Development Guide and contact us today for an assessment on how experts can help you convert more leads and close more sales!

Download the guide here!

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RESCHEDULED: Jimmy at SPARK’s Michigan Marketing Minds Event

CEO Jimmy Hsiao was going to be on the panel of Michigan Marketing Minds – Home, Home on the Cloud on June 9 from 5-7pm. However, this event, sponsored by Ann Arbor SPARK, has been RESCHEDULED. Please make a note of this in your calendar and enjoy a couple hours free on a nice summer evening! We’ll announce the new date soon!

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Summer Kick-Off BBQ

Last Thursday we kicked off the start of the summer season with a BBQ in our own backyard! Grills were heated, dishes were set on the picnic table in the parking lot, and delicious food was had. And, despite the weather being slightly chilly, we had a fantastic time. Here is a teaser of some photos from the event. You can view the rest of the photos on our Facebook page!

See the rest of the photos!

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Blog: Facebook Brings eCommerce Customer Service to Messenger

eCommerce and changing technology has altered how online and offline retailers interact with customers. For online stores it is now common, expected even, for businesses to interact with customers through email. Traditionally, anything that a consumer did on a website, from creating an order to customer support, involved separate email threads that easily get lost in cluttered inboxes, require clicking on links to the online store, and identity authentication. If you were one of the lucky few that used an online store with live chat customer support, getting a transcript of the exchange (if you could at all) was a convoluted process.

Facebook’s latest updates could change this entire eCommerce experience.

Here’s how…

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Catch Up On Our Other Blogs

• Jimmy’s Corner: High-Speed Trains, High-Speed Technology (5/4)
• A Note from the Office Manager (4/22)
• Google’s NEW Preference for Mobile-Friendly Website Design Will Influence Where Consumers Spend(4/20)
• 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Relationship with a Developer (4/20)
• Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish, and Keep the Faith (3/30)
• Apple Watch, MacBook, ResearchKit, and HBO Now Are Coming in April (3/12)
• Comparison of Mobile Payment Types (3/5)

The post May 2015 Newsletter appeared first on 雷技信息科技（上海）有限公司.

While few people who know me would describe Al Carpinelli as quiet, I’ve yet to offer my input to our blog until now. In a recent kitchen chat, our lead designer, Fatimah, kindly suggested a focus on the ingredients of my success as the most senior business developer at the company.

I immediately thought of the two P2s that I live by as Logic Solutions�?ambassador to the marketplace. The first P2 is patience and persistence. During my 15 years as a representative for Logic, I’ve concluded that being patient with prospective clients is critical but it also has to be combined with persistence. I know that our clients make their vendor partner selections for their own reasons and on their own time frame, not ours, which means I need to be patient. Simply put, when that time comes, I hope that I’ve been effective in putting Logic at the “top of their minds�?to be considered for the project. To achieve this requires persistence.

I ask myself, have we at Logic “checked in�?frequently enough with the client to know when their decision point is approaching and attentive enough to clearly understand their project needs and vision for success? Persistence doesn’t equate to calling them every week as I wouldn’t want to be viewed as annoying or overly aggressive. The balance point between frequency vs. harassment can vary from one prospective client to another, so this part is never a certainty.

It is so helpful when a potential client tells me when would be a good day to check back in. With this information, I can set a reminder and be sure to check in with them on the day of, never sooner. If we strike the balance here, we’ll likely have the opportunity to be selected.

The second P2 is privilege and pleasure. I sincerely consider my role as Logic’s sales representative to be a great privilege. Not many people are given this charter to be out in front, to tell our story, and to welcome new clients to our door. I have been known to brag to coworkers that I have “the most fun and exciting job in the company�?and I mean it sincerely. I am so happy to launch out every day to network in the business community, engage with companies, hear their challenges, and collaborate on possible solutions. This is the greatest reward, the essence of why I take such great pleasure and pride in being a pivotal part of the Logic Solutions team.

If you are one of our valued clients, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. If you’ve been considering us to serve your technical project needs, please know I’d be honored to be invited to meet and to consult on a strategy for your successful project outcome.

Warmly,
Al Carpinelli

The post A Note from the Business Development Manager appeared first on 雷技信息科技（上海）有限公司.

A Note From the Office Manager

Let me begin by saying that I love hats. This is undoubtedly a good thing because during my 15 plus years at Logic, I have worn and continue to wear many different hats. Let me take you through a typical day:

When I first arrive at the office in the morning, I usually put on my hat for tidying up the kitchen, which includes making sure there is plenty of water in the hot pot for tea as well as in the Keurig for coffee drinkers. While this might not sound important, that first cup of tea or coffee can definitely make a difference in the mood of some employees. You know who you are.

Keep Reading >>

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Jimmy’s Corner: High-Speed Trains, High-Speed Technology

The train conductor announced “We are now entering the new high-speed section from Kalamazoo to Chicago at 100 miles per hour.” I excitedly texted my assistant, Linda, “I am going to get to Chicago in four and half hours now!” It’s an improvement from the five and half hours it took to get to Chicago a year ago on the same train. I guess over the course of 30 years, it counts as a major improvement.

The trip to Chicago today is the third time I’ve ridden a “high-speed” train in three weeks in three countries. Each ride gave me insight into how high-speed trains have not only affected the day-to-day schedule of people travelling from one location to another, they have also brought parts of the world closer together for greater, more interesting experiences.

Keep reading >>

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5 Ways to Get the Most Out Of Your Relationship With A Developer

You’re looking for a developer to work with to make your mobile (or web) app vision a reality and you’re excited to talk about your vision. But are you prepared for a developer’s questions like these?

• What is your budget?
• What devices will support your app?
• Are there different types of users?

Developers are as psyched as you are about your project but they need to know as much about your app early in the Discovery Process so they can help you build it.

Before your first meeting you should be able to answer these 5 questions about your project…

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Logical Additions

Please welcome these new faces to the Logic family!

Treasure Anne Poynter joins Logic as the new Business Development Manager. She brings 15+ years selling IT Solutions and Services to a variety of industries. Treasure is a Michigan native but was also able to spend four years living in Hawaii consulting for marketing firms while obtaining her graduate degree from Hawaii Pacific University. She holds her MBA in Organizational Development and is also PMP Certified. Treasure hopes to continue growing Logic Solutions’ solid reputation and legacy using her passion for efficiency sprinkled with some aloha spirit! Connect with her on LinkedIn.

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Christopher Li is a Sales and Marketing Associate with Quantum. Chris graduated from the University of Michigan in 2012. He has since worked on various projects including teaching a private cello studio of 15 elementary and high school students, gaining customer service and sales experience at Chase Bank, and re-developing the business model of the second largest hotel in  Columbus, OH. In his free time, Chris can be found playing his cello, spending time with family and friends,maintaining his fitness, and petting his dog. Chris is excited to be joining the team and is eager to begin contributing. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

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Jimmy at SPARK’s Michigan Marketing Minds Event

CEO Jimmy Hsiao will be on the panel of  Michigan Marketing Minds – International Marketing Momentum on June 9 from 5-7pm. Sponsored by Ann Arbor SPARK, this event will discuss how local companies have expanded into the global market and tackled the challenge of marketing to an international audience.

This event is free, so we hope that everyone will come out to attend it! Details are below:

Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2014
Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Event Type: Business Training, Entrepreneurs, Marketing
Location: SPARK Central, 330 E. Liberty, Lower Level, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Cost: FREE

Description: Local companies are expanding into the global market and, along with this, tackling the challenge of marketing to an international audience. Panelists share the best practices for marketing across borders in this series event. Get some insight with no borders.

Register Now!

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Blog: Google’s NEW Preference for Mobile-Friendly Website Design Will Influence Where Consumers Spend

The “mobile-geddon” is upon us.

On April 21, Google deployed a change to its recommendation criteria, one that heavily favors sites the search engine defines as “mobile-friendly websites.” Mobile-friendliness includes responsive design, quick-loading graphics, vertical scrolling, and more. You can read details about the change at many news outlets, such as Wireless Week.

Here’s what you need to know…

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Catch Up On Our Other Blogs

• Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish, and Keep the Faith (3/30)
• Apple Watch, MacBook, ResearchKit, and HBO Now are Coming in April (3/12)
• Comparison of Mobile Payment Types (3/5)
• Jimmy’s Corner: Sending off the Year of the Horse and Welcome the Year of the Goat (3/2)
• Oxnard Union High School District and digiCOACH iPad System Instrumental in Increasing Student Engagement, Leading to Increased Attendance (2/24)
• What the heck are mobile payment systems? (2/23)

The post April/May 2015 Newsletter appeared first on 雷技信息科技（上海）有限公司.

Everyone at the office has a mug of their own. To say we love our coffee and tea is an understatement.

Let me begin by saying that I love hats. This is undoubtedly a good thing because during my 15 plus years at Logic, I have worn and continue to wear many different hats. Let me take you through a typical day:

When I first arrive at the office in the morning, I usually put on my hat for tidying up the kitchen, which includes making sure there is plenty of water in the hot pot for tea as well as in the Keurig for coffee drinkers. While this might not sound important, that first cup of tea or coffee can definitely make a difference in the mood of some employees. You know who you are.

Next up could be my “official greeter�?hat, as I check various employee calendars to see who might be expecting guests. From my vantage point at the front desk, it is possible that I may be the first Logic employee a visitor meets. My goal is to create a welcoming environment for all who cross our door��s threshold.

Another, and perhaps the most important hat, would be my HR hat. It is vital that new employee account set up/paperwork/benefit coordination are completed efficiently and accurately. There is no room for error when this hat is perched on my head.

Oops �?time to put on my purchasing agent hat �?an urgent purchase request has just been approved and that little bit of software for the client’s project is needed RIGHT NOW!!!

Oh �?someone needs to visit a client �?time to switch to the travel agent hat and reserve airline tickets, hotel and a rental car. (I do believe this is my favorite hat!)

Last minute working lunch here in the office with a client or a company review meeting? Quickly change to the hospitality hat.

A first aid question or emergency? Time for the medical assistant hat. It’s amazing that my medical background still comes in handy at times�?/p>

There are many other hats stashed in my desk, too, but it is my opinion that if I am doing my job well, you won’t even notice I am doing it. It is my fondest hope that my contributions to Logic have somehow helped to create an atmosphere where employees feel comfortable and can work efficiently, and all visitors to Logic feel at home.

Warmly,
Linda O.

The post A Note from the Office Manager appeared first on 雷技信息科技（上海）有限公司.

A Note From the Chief Financial Officer:
Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish, and Keep the Faith

When I was attending Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission meeting as a commissioner last week, I thought I was the luckiest person in the world. It is beyond my wildest dream that one day I would be having lunch at the Governor’s residence in Lansing with fellow commissioners, government officials, and APA business leaders when I immigrated to the United States with my family in high school.

Looking back, it has been an incredible journey since the day Jimmy told Eric and me that he wanted to start a software development company twenty years ago. I was very fortunate to participate in the very first planning meeting in Jimmy’s basement and grow up with Logic.

In June this year, Logic will mark its 20th birthday. Since I know the marketing department will have a remote chance to ask me to say something about this milestone, I would like to take the opportunity to share my thoughts on this remarkable accomplishment.

Read more >>

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Client Spotlight: Applied Fitness Solutions

Applied Fitness Solutions in Ann Arbor, MI, is dedicated to the enhancement of physical fitness, athletic performance, health, and wellness. With more than 2,000 clients, over a dozen fitness instructors, and a second location opening up in Plymouth, MI, Applied Fitness realized that their successful business was expanding faster than their desktop-based member management system could handle.

Applied Fitness approached Logic for a technical solution that would manage their existing client database and serve as a platform for their fitness practitioners (trainers) and clients to interact through. It is web-based to allow for greater accessibility for both the Applied Fitness staff at both facilities, and for their personnel and clients.

Read more about how their new Client Management System reduced the time their trainers spent on client management tasks by 15-20%, thereby allowing them to provide a higher level of service and manage more clients!

Congratulations, Applied Fitness, on your success and your new location!

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Checklists for eCommerce and Mobile App Development!

Our downloadable resources have grown to be super popular so we thought we would highlight our two favorites: the all-new eCommerce Solution Checklist and the ever popular Mobile App Development Checklist. If you haven’t seen them before, download one today!

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Blog: Apple Watch, MacBook, ResearchKit, and HBO Now are Coming in April

Source: Apple

At its “Spring Forward” event on March 9, Apple showed off the much-anticipated Apple Watch and unveiled three exciting new products – Apple’s ResearchKit, the new MacBook, and HBO Now on Apple TV.

There is a lot to be excited about. For consumers, this means access to slimmer gadgets and new devices. For developers, this marks the arrival of new technology, devices, and platforms to develop for.

Here is a rundown of the big announcements.

Read more >>

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Catch Up On Our Other Blogs

• Comparison of Mobile Payment Types (3/5)
• Jimmy’s Corner: Sending off the Year of the Horse and Welcome the Year of the Goat (3/2)
• Oxnard Union High School District and digiCOACH iPad System Instrumental in Increasing Student Engagement, Leading to Increased Attendance (2/24)
• What the heck are mobile payment systems? (2/23)
• Happy Chinese New Year! (2/19)
• Reinventing How We Use Email(1/21)
• Magento 2 Developer Beta is here! (1/7)

The post March 2015 Newsletter appeared first on 雷技信息科技（上海）有限公司.