Okay, if for somewhat reason you haven’t been around any geeky civilization this week, here is the brief- every year around spring time, Google is holding the most interesting and intriguing event of the year, the I/O Developer Conference (yes, we know- a kick ass name).

This year, the I/O conference is taking place on May 15-17, in San Francisco’s Moscone Center. During the conference, participates (who were lucky enough to get a ticket) get to hear about what’s Google been up to in the last couple of months, and it’s plans for the near future. Beside the first row peek-a-boo, participates also get the opportunity to meet some of the men and women who literally shape the way we interact with our favorite WWW (and of course, our beloved mobile OS).

Although this is only the second day of the I/O, dozens of announcements have been already made, covering almost every field Google is involved with. Among others, we’ve heard about the new music service, Google+ new features and Chrome’s voice search. Those are all great products for end users, but what about developers? We’ve gathered 5 announcements that may interest you as a leading Android developer, and will definitely improve your app’s quality.

Android Studio- The biggest treat for Android developers has to be the brand new Android IDE (integrated development environment). This new environment allows developers to preview strings in code, see color codes and even preview the app’s layout on different device sizes. There is no doubt that Android Studio will make app creation much easier and accessible to all developers.

Beta testing and staged rollouts- So, you’ve developed a killer app. Good for you. But what about those pesky bugs that causes low ratings on the Play Store? From now on, you can manage Beta testing or create a staged rollout straight from your Google+ account. How does it work? You choose which users will get your APK, directly from the Play Store- an offer visible to their eyes only. If you want to test an update, choose which percentage of the users will get the offer, without commit it to your entire user base.

Google Play game services- This one is a real social game changer for game developers. Served as a SDK, Google Play game services prompt users to store their settings, saved games and achievements on the cloud, making them available from different devices. As an added bonus, the cloud also allow easy to integrate real-time multiplayer (via Google+) and social leaderboards. Check out my favorite golf game Super Stickman Golf 2 which has already integrated the service.

Cloud Messaging- Announced as a part of the Google Play game services, Cloud Messaging allows developers to connect with Google’s servers, sending a large amount of push notifications to be set at once. Another great feature allows users to dismiss notifications on one device, and have them dismissed on any other device connected with their account.

New location APIs- Google has released three APIs that will help developers spot their users location. First up, we’ve got “Geofencing”, a service that virtually “builds” fences between areas. Those fences report the app whenever a user has crossed them, which allows better monitoring. Every app could activate up to 100 designated fences. Second, Google has transformed the way tracking is made- “Activity Recognition” tracks movement without using the device’s GPS. And finally, we’ve got the “Fused Location Provider”, which significantly decreases battery usage by the GPS.

These are just some of the new features Google has announced. Although we hear some people that express their disappointment about the fact no hardware or major Android update has been unveiled, we truly think Google’s decision about focusing on improvements is the right one. You go Google! Stay tuned for more I/O updates and innovations, as day 3 is coming up.

There is no better season than the spring, and there was never a better time to set up your HomeBase account as we announce the $50 sign up bonus starting today!

If you still haven’t signed up and created your own HomeBase account, this is what you have to do:

1. Sign up and create your account. Signing up is 100% free of charge, and you go live instantly.
2. Design your HomeBase. Choose content sources, background and sounds to best fit your own app. Having trouble deciding? You can always choose to leave the customization to your users.
3. Implant the HomeBase SDK file with your existing app. Integration is easy, and can be done in less than 5 minutes.
4. Upload your app with the HomeBase SDK to the Google Play Store, and your balance will be credited $50 instantly!

This is our biggest promotion to date, so make sure you sign up before the summer is here. If you are an Android app developer who looks for an innovating monetization solution, HomeBase is the tool for you.

For more information about this sweet deal and how to sign up, click here.

Every free app developer has 3 major dreams- reach millions of downloads, monetize their apps, and get worldwide recognition. The easiest and shortest way to fulfill those dreams is to get featured on one of the “Top Free” pages on the Play Store- from there on, the way to success is very short. Unfortunately, not all great apps can be featured on the Play Store charts- the vast majority of app developers will have to find new and creative ways in order to reach their goals.

The competition app developers’ face is massive. Keep in mind that the Play Store offers over 700,000 different apps and counting (FAST!). Add the fact that nearly 90% of those apps are offered for free, and you’ll get a terrifying number of apps that competes for the same spot on the user’s device. That’s what we call a jungle.

So, how does your app can stand out from the crowd? We’ve gathered five tips that will help you increase usability and achieve higher engagement level with HomeBase- The lock screen that matter.

1. Keep Your App In Front- HomeBase offers a quick launch menu that allows the most popular apps installed on the device to be launched directly from the lock screen, without unlocking the phone. Beside its useful purpose for users, developers can increase their app’s usability by adding it to the menu as default- so your app is always in front all others.

2. (RSS) Feed the Masses- If you run a brand, own an app studio or have multiple apps- this is the solution for you. You can keep your users up to date with everything that’s going on with your brand straight from the lock screen. RSS feeds are widely used by thousands of brands and companies, so why not creating your own? Be sure to include an appealing headline, so more users will be interested in what you have to say. Users are always looking for new and interesting content; provide them with a great experience they will surely appreciate.

3. Push, Don’t Pull- One of the best tools for interacting with your users is push notification. From the HomeBase Admin Panel, you can send tailored push notification that will hit endless number of users at once. Notify them about the new version of you app available on the Play Store, tell them you’ve published a sequel for their favorite game, or just congratulate them on holidays- with timed push notifications you can increase usability and promote other apps or services you offer. Oh, one more thing- although a very useful tool, too many push notifications can be irritating sometimes. Don’t push your users too hard, and keep the notifications for the most important stuff.

4. Don’t Just Say It, Design It- Alright, this is where the fun really starts. HomeBase offers a fully customizable platform, so you can set your creativity free and express yourself to the fullest. Your HomeBase should be all about your brand or app, and great designs never fail. Create a background, change the lock icon and even add your own customized unlock sound- a 360° solution that will keep your users engaged 24/7. Customizing an awesome lock screen is also a great way to build product character and make users connect to your brand name or logo.

5. All Hail the HTML- Utilize the most powerful tool that HomeBase has to offer for your own good. With the advanced HTML components, everything is possible. Game developers use them to add live leaderboards, mini-games, video tutorials, and other changeable content. Social apps developers can choose to create a component that shows status updates from the user’s friends on one platform. Business apps or brands can add currency and stock information that is being updated in real time. Well, you get the point. HomeBase is the only lock screen that allows HTML. Use it wisely.

So, are you excited yet? We are! Alongside a new revenue stream and soaring income, HomeBase is offering a great platform to increase app usability and different ways to achieve higher engagement level with users. You can choose only one way or mix it all up, it’s all up to you. Let us know how it went, we’re eager to hear from you.

To all of our developer partners out there- you can embed the video on your app’s page at Google Play in order to help users better understand what’s HomeBase all about, and prepare them for the great experience they’re about to get.

One last thing- we want to give a big shout out to the amazing guys and gals at Clutch animation studios for doing such a great job working on this project. The video would never be as awesome without them! Check out their portfolio at www.clutch.co.il.

When was the last time you met a person that doesn’t own a smartphone? Now days it’s almost impossible to locate such a person- it’s not surprising that smartphones sales soared by almost 50% comparing to last year. The smartphone changed our entire way of thinking by delivering what’s important to us directly to our everyday use device.

Well, that’s just plain old news. Brands started to be aware of the growing mobile platform nearly a decade ago, and since then, found a lot of cool and creative ways to increase engagement by using smartphones. Still, it looks like branded apps and customized content is just not enough. The latest updates to all mobile operating systems (and especially Android) introduced new abilities and behaviors that just begs to be used in order to promote brands. One of those features allows users to add panels and different widgets to the most used screen on the smartphone- the lock screen. Users interact with the lock screen every time they look at their phone, dozens times a day. Here at Widdit we leveraged that attribute when we’ve first launched HomeBase- a platform that allows app developers and brand managers to increase their app’s engagement directly from the lock screen.

Promoting brands using the mobile platform has a lot of unique advantages, mainly because the smartphone offer a world of possibilities.

1. Engagement on the go- Here is a fun fact- one out of three smartphone owners prefer giving up sex than giving up their smartphone. Yes, that’s one third. Our smartphone is so important and close to us, there is a mini crisis going on whenever we leave home without it. It’s so necessary, we almost can’t function without it. So, why not use this platform to increase engagement with a loveable brand? Brands can achieve high engagement level on the most close and personal tool. When engagement is made on such an intimate platform, its impact is much more distinctive. Estimates say mobile marketing will grow by 38% in the next four years, and bring more than 8.2 billion by the year 2016.

2. Dozens Of uses per day- our smartphone is like a Mecca for our brain. We draw so much information from it that we can never really lay it down. How many times have you heard the phrase: “There’s an app for that”? Well, there’s an app for almost everything, and if not, there will be soon enough. People use their phones ALL the time, which means they are getting exposed to tons of content every day. Brands can’t ignore that fact, and some brands made mobile engagement a true mastery.

3. A Powerful multi-tool- my grandfather always told me how excited he was when his dad bought him his first pocketknife. One simple tool that serves so many purposes, and can still fit in your pocket. I like to compare that old pocketknife to today’s smartphone. Exactly the same, but with a camera! Well, try telling my grandfather that. The smartphone has so many attributes and features, that in the last couple of years we see a whole bunch of mobile campaigns that are being launched based solely on those attributes- the QR reader, Facebook’s Open Graph, Social media apps, and even the most basic phone features.

There is no doubt that a strong brand can get much stronger by utilizing the mobile platform attributes to its advantage. There is no limit to creativity; brands can increase their engagement level in so many ways. Developers and brand managers should always keep both eyes open and constantly look for new platforms that will help them to promote their product.

2012 is behind us, and it’s time to see what Widdit’s users were searching for on January 2013. As always, we bring you the top ten in search terms to help developers add meaningful and engaging content to their website and apps. We hope the list will inspire you to create a great lock screen and toolbar designs that are up to date and relevant for your users.

So let’s get started-

Top 10 in Music

As the holiday season passed us, we say goodbye to Christmas carols and hello to some new artists on our list. Taking 1st place this month is the controversial rapper from Chicago Chief Keef, who was charged for drug use and weapon possession. Making his breakthrough this month is Skrillex- the undisputed champion of bass dropping. Maroon 5 is back to our list, thanks to their huge hit One More Night.

1. Chief Keef
2. Lil’ Wayne
3. Rihanna
4. One Direction
5. Skrillex
6. Maroon 5
7. Bruno Mars
8. Beyonce
9. Eminem
10. Kendrick Lamar

Top 10 in Movies

Fantasy, Action and Romance- what else can we be asking for? Starring at the top of the list is the zombie-comedy-romance hit Warm Bodies. Pitch Perfect is still holding steady in 2nd place, while the surprising remake of the known tale Hansel and Gretel takes on 3rd. Semi funny “Movie 43” get represented at 8th.

1. Warm Bodies
2. Pitch Perfect
3. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
4. Silver Lining Playbook
5. Mama
6. Argo
7. Django Unchained
8. Seven Psychopaths
9. Flight
10. Beautiful Creatures

Top 10 in Shopping

Though Christmas is over, we still love shopping online. Here is an inside look on the most popular products online last month.

1. Nikon d5100
2. iPad
3. Rocawear ladies shoes
4. Jordan shoes
5. Club America Jacket
6. Johnnie Walker Black
7. Coolpad Quattro
8. Popcorn Maker
9. Rapunzel Barbie
10. Acuvue 2

Top 10 in News

As an infinite source of information, the internet brings us all the hot stories from around the world. Middle-Eastern country Syria took the notorious 1st place, due to the rebel war going on. Iran came in 2nd, and the death of the American born pop star Jenni Rivera story climbed to 8th.

1. Syria
2. Iran
3. Fiscal Cliff
4. Immigration
5. India
6. Hurricane Sandy
7. Obama
8. North Korea
9. Powerball
10. Gun Control

That’s it for this month; we wish you a great and informative 2013.

At the start of 2013 we find ourselves on the verge of a new era- and no, I’m not talking about the Age of Aquarius or any other vague Mayan prophecy. I’m talking about the social age. Since the early days of web 1.0, web browsing has changed a lot, and the ecosystem keeps on changing ever since- that’s exactly what the internet is all about. So what is so exciting about this year, and what’s so different than the years before? According to Yahoo’s new COO, the future is all about the personalized WWW.

During the DLD conference that took place in Munich, Henrique De Castro shared his point of view regarding the changes the web is going through. According to De Castro, the internet life cycle can be dealt into four major eras- Web 1.0 age, the portal age, the search engine age, and now- the age of the social web.

Back at 1993 when “baby internet” took its first steps, it brought us real revolution- but still, you couldn’t ignore the huge lack of content on it. According to De Castro, publishers wrote internet content the same way they wrote it for the papers: “That was good”, says De Castro, “But the web didn’t have enough content. As the web created more content, the container got very, very stressed.”

As a result, the age of portals arrived. I bet you have fond memories of your favorite portal, which took the online world by storm. Websites like Yahoo (which may be the last standing portal giant out there), Netscape, AOL, and many more benefited from the situation and brought users what seemed to be all the content they needed. As the years passed by and the “Dot-Com Bubble” exploded in 2000-1, many of these portals have disappeared in oblivion.

Enter the search engine age- the strongest, most stable age up to date. Internet companies slowly realized that users are looking for more than just content portals- they’re looking for answers. This age is critical because it brought us what De Castro calls “Segregated content”- and as a result, the start of the age led to a massive increase in content being produced. From this point onwards, users are being the center of publishers’ attention- they know WHAT they look for, they know WHERE to look for it, and they want it NOW.

Although a big and meaningful change, the search engine age has just opened the door for a new and very different age- the social age.

“The future of the web is going to be completely different from what it is today” says De Castro. He even took it to the next level by stating that “My web is going to be different from your web. That container will aggregate text, images and video, premium content, aggregated content and user-generated content.”

It has been long debated that the web is getting much more social, and going into a more personalized direction, but what is the real meaning in all of this? Well, there is really no one answer. Nobody can predict the future and tell exactly what is going to happen in the next couple of years, but let just assume that De Castro know what he’s talking about. We can already witness the huge impact social networks have on our browsing habits, but this is just the start.

Picture a web that is all about you- a web that brings you exactly what you look for like never before. Maybe a web browser that presents information gathered straight from your mobile device? Wouldn’t it be cool to get all the information you’re looking for from one (very) smart platform? These are just some of the questions web developers ask themselves at this verge of a new era. A much more personalized and social age that will better serve users, developers and advertisers as one.

Oh, just wait and see what Widdit is up to this year.

It’s going to be LEGEN- wait for it- DARY!

If you love your Google Now, you’re going to be excited about this- Google’s open source web browser project, Chromium, is now updated with a brand new notification center that has the ability to present Google Now cards on Windows. While Chromium is just an open source project, it shares most of its code with Google Chrome, which means we’re in for a surprise.The guy who discovered the change in the Chromium code last week is François Beaufort, a developer from France, who says that in order to activate the notification center, all developers have to do is to toggle on the “Enable Rich Notifications” under chrome://flags. Beaufort also snapped a screenshot of his discovery, reveling a friendly popped-up notification on the right side of the screen.

Although the embedded code on Chromium is just the first step on the way, assuming Google Now cards are going the PC way is a pretty safe bet- Google have cooked this for a long time now, focusing their radar on mobile-to-PC connectivity.

The notification center is not new to Chrome users- if you’re signed in with Google+ or YouTube accounts, you get little red boxed notifications alerting you have a new circle update or a comment on your channel. That’s cool, but too basic; the new Notification center will present many more features and possibilities. Now days, Google Now absorbs information only from the mobile phone search history and users’ preferences, and it’s really smart; getting the same information from the pc will only make its suggestions and attributes smarter and more powerful.

Beside its extraordinary user value it provides, the notification center will be a fertile ground of lucrative opportunities for web and mobile developers. Third-party developers will get a whole new platform to push tailored made content and offers, which can greatly increase their conversion rate. Maybe we’ll even witness a new business model transforming, who knows.

The connection between the PC and the Android device is a gateway for even bigger things. Maybe it’s too early, but one cannot help himself wondering which information will assist Google Now’s prediction.

In the meantime, we still have to take wild guesses and assumptions about the notification center’s potential. But you just wait; mobile-to-browser notification center may be closer than you think.

During the last couple of days, couple of app developers contacted us wondering about HomeBase’s required permissions. Though seems frightening and invasive for some, the detailed list of permissions is only meant for creating a better, more rewarding user experience.
In this next post, we will help you better understand this list of permissions, and why it’s necessary for a fully functioning HomeBase. All permissions should be included on your app’s manifest. You can notice that some of the permissions are not mandatory, but allowing them highly increase user value.

So let’s jump right in-

Your location (Optional)

APPROXIMATE LOCATION (NETWORK-BASED)
PRECISE LOCATION (GPS AND NETWORK-BASED)
These permissions regard the location of the device.
HomeBase requires these permissions in order to access the user’s location and provide information about the weather forecast and status on a current location. This permission is optional, and should be included only if your HomeBase uses the weather widget.

Your messages

READ YOUR TEXT MESSAGES (SMS OR MMS)
RECEIVE TEXT MESSAGES (SMS)
These permissions regard the use of SMS messages received on the device.
HomeBase requires these permissions in order to display SMS messages on the lock screen. HomeBase will NEVER read, use, or transfer any of your personal information to a third party agent.

Network communication

FULL NETWORK ACCESS
This permission regards the use of internet connection on the device.
HomeBase requires this permission in order to absorb information needed for updated RSS feeds, weather, and live notifications. All information is needed in order to provide users with the full HomeBase experience.

PAIR WITH BLUETOOTH DEVICES (Optional)
This permission regards the pairing of Bluetooth devices with the device.
HomeBase require this permission in order to provide better experience. For example, this permission is needed for pairing the device with a car speaker.

Your personal information

READ YOUR CONTACTS
READ SENSITIVE LOG DATA
These permissions regard the use of the contact list stored on your device.
HomeBase requires these permissions in order to present information with the contact’s name as stored on the device. Alerts such as messages, missed calls and emails will be easier to detect by the user.

Phone calls

READ PHONE STATUS AND IDENTITY
This permission regards access to the phone features of the device.
HomeBase requires this permission in order to disable itself during a phone call.

Storage

MODIFY OR DELETE THE CONTENTS OF YOUR USB STORAGE MODIFY OR DELETE THE CONTENTS OF YOUR SD CARD
This permission regards the use of information stored on the device’s SD card.
HomeBase requires this permission in order to better function offline. For example, when the user creates a customized background for HomeBase, the picture is usually stored on the SD card. This permission allows HomeBase to access this file and retrieve it. HomeBase will NEVER access the user’s personal information of files with no reason. HomeBase will NEVER use any of this information or store it on its servers.

System tools

REORDER RUNNING APPS
RETRIEVE RUNNING APPS
These permissions regard retrieving information about app use habits.
HomeBase requires these permissions in order to create a smarter quick launch menu. The quick launch menu allows users to access their most used apps without unlocking the device.

PREVENT DEVICE FROM SLEEPING
DRAW OVER OTHER APPS
DISABLE YOUR SCREEN LOCK
These permissions regard the state of the device when interacting with other apps (and lock screen).
HomeBase requires these permissions in order to function. HomeBase is an upgraded lock screen, and as such- it should be presented on top of any other lock screen app.

Hardware controls

CONTROL VIBRATION
This permission regards the vibrate feature of the device.
HomeBase requires this permission in order to provide better and richer user experience.

System tools

RUN AT STARTUP
This permission regards the launching process of the app whenever the device is starts.
HomeBase require this permission in order to deliver a better experience for users, allowing them to enjoy HomeBase without open it every time they turn on their device.

EXPAND/COLLAPSE STATUS BAR
This permission regards the use of the status bar of the device.
HomeBase requires this permission in order to present alerts on the status bar.

READ SUBSCRIBED FEEDS
This permission regards feeds presented on the device.
HomeBase require this permission in order to gather information about the RSS feeds that are being used by the device.

Default

READ CALL LOG
This Permission regards the use of the device’s call log.
HomeBase Require this permission in order to present missed, incoming and outgoing calls on the notifications panel.

TEST ACCESS TO PROTECTED STORAGE
This permission regards future processes not yet in use.
HomeBase Require this permission in order to check if it can run on future devices.

That’s it! Although the list is long, it’s essential for maximizing the HomeBase experience. We know HomeBase requires access to a lot of personal information. Please notice that we will NEVER, EVER, use any of this information for our personal good, nor distribute it to any third party agent or company. For further information about HomeBase’s privacy policy, please visit www.homebase-apps.com.

It’s been a while since we’ve last updated the “Top 10 Search List”, and now it’s time to get back and check out which search terms hit it big this holiday season.

Adding content regarding these terms can significantly increase your site’s traffic, so give the people what they search for! Widdit is always happy to bring you all the insights that will help you better understand your audience.

Most Searched Music Titles

Well, no surprise here! This time of year is all about holiday’s spirit. Christmas songs jumped right in, and took 1^st and 2^nd place by storm. The second most popular genre this month was Hip-Hop. Popular artists like Drake, Lil’ Wayne and Rihanna are taking over our music chart once again.

1. Christmas Carrols
2. Christmas Songs
3. Drake
4. Lil’ Wayne
5. Rihanna
6. Taylor Swift
7. One Direction
8. Kendrick Lamar
9. Eminem
10. Chris Brown

Most Searched Movie Titles

Superman is back, big time! Though premiering only around June, the hype around our favorite alien from kryptonite has already started. Other than the man of steel, his DC ally Batman is still manning our charts at 4^th place. Notice the 9^th entry- the highly anticipated Quentin Tarantino movie- Django Unchained. It’s gonna be awesome!

1. Man Of Steel
2. Pitch Perfect
3. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
4. The Dark Knight Rises
5. Lincoln
6. Lawless
7. Skyfall
8. Ted
9. Django Unchained
10. Red Dawn

Most Searched In File Sharing

Some charts can be more informative than others. Our file sharing chart is one of the most insightful charts out there- that’s what people REALLY look for. Most of the time illegal, file sharing is widely spread around the web since day one. Maybe the next time you’ll consider buying a movie ticket?

1. Ted
2. Dexter
3. The Walking Dead
4. The Dark Knight Rises
5. Taken 2
6. Sons Of Anarchy
7. Lincoln
8. Lawless
9. Homeland
10. Flight

Most Searched Sites

As always, the monsters of the internet world compete over the highest number of searches every month. December hasn’t brought us any changes, but here are the top ten sites according to Widdit search:

1. Facebook
2. Google
3. YouTube
4. Yahoo
5. Craigslist
6. Netflix
7. EBay
8. Amazon
9. AOL
10. MSN

That’s it for 2012. 2013 is almost here, so next time we’ll see what is going to be big the upcoming year. Stay tuned!