There has been a bitter clash between corporations when it comes to apps, not least because of the frankly petty issue of the physical name of the app shop itself[1]. This battle led to the name change from the Android App Store to Google Play. Apple first claimed the rights to the name `App Store` back in 2011, claiming that the company thought of the name themselves more than 5 years ago. Amazon dismissed this, stating that the term was generic and wasn't something to be fought for. After a long (expensive) struggle, Apple conceded that there was no need to pursue it, as “With more than 900,000 apps and 50 billion downloads, customers know where they can purchase their favorite apps.”
The two main competitors, Apple and Android are not as similar as most people think. Their main differences lie in their app guidelines. In order to publish a digital app on the IOS store, one must conform to a number of constricting rules and regulations[2] in order to ensure consistency and obedience within the store. Most of said rules are routine; and serve more for safety than control, however Android and other app publishers have more of a flexible look on things, and are seen to be much more easy going when it comes to what is published.

Apple's case was not helped by the fact that their recent IOS 7 update allowed hackers to access the personal data of the public through a security glitch[3]. It is this and other issues that publishers must consider when releasing or even developing an app for use by said public.

Android is not without its shortcomings, for example in the adult app industry; where published dating apps were charging for a simply non-existent service. Perhaps Apple had the right idea after all with their strict guidelines.

Word count:    306

References

Image 1:               http://www.androidheadlines.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/apple_vs_android.jpg            (Accessed 25/11/2013)
Image 2:               http://mediawiremobile.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/google-vs-apple1-500x227.jpg                (Accessed 25/11/2013)

[1]    Ogg, E. (July 2013).          Apple, Amazon stop fighting over who gets to use “App Store” name.                http://gigaom.com/2013/07/09/apple-amazon-stop-fighting-over-who-gets-to-use-app-store-name/  (Accessed 25/11/2013)
[2]    Clover, J. (Aug 2013).      Apple Releases New App Store Review Guidelines with Updated Rules for Kids Apps, Gambling Apps.    http://www.macrumors.com/2013/08/14/apple-releases-new-app-store-review-guidelines-with-updated-info-kids-apps-gambling-app-rules/  (Accessed 25/11/2013)
[3]    Brown, A. (Oct 2013).     Android v Apple: the battle of the apps  http://news.alaric.com/industry-news/mobile/android-v-apple-the-battle-of-the-apps/  (Accessed 25/11/2013)

Augmented reality technology gets its name from the method by which it supplements real world inputs (such as visual scenes or audible sounds) with computer generated outputs (such as graphics or enhanced audio)[1].

As with almost all innovative technologies, augmented reality is of immense importance to publishers; primarily because it potentially marks the next trend in the technological market; and where there are trends, there is profit. Another key aspect of it is that it provides an easy interactive platform to market their products. This is crucial as publishers are able to create another dimension for their advertising. Imagine you are reading a magazine and you see an augmented reality app icon. You can use the open app with said magazine and suddenly are provided with an interactive experience full of information on the given subject.

To give an example, the Japanese car manufacturer Honda developed an augmented reality system[2] by which users could view a 3D exploded view of their cars just by using this amazing technology.

Another great use of this technology, which should be of great interest to publishers is in education. Shown below is one of the many applications that can be used to instruct and inform students in a variety of areas.

It's not all good of course. Depending on the type of image recognition software that you're using, it could use a high amount of data usage. Another disadvantage would be if your phone is not advanced enough for such technology. How do publishers reach them? What if you don't have internet access? These are questions that must be considered by all publishing companies.

The reason that this is such an important advancement in technology is because of its wide variety of uses in a wide variety of areas; for example in gaming, sports, medicine, military, TV and tourism. The main use that publishers should concern themselves with is in advertising as previously mentioned.

As with all upcoming (and of course established) technologies, augmented reality is something that publishing companies should get involved in if they wish to keep up in today's world. It is incredibly easy to fall behind nowadays and publishers that miss out on augmented reality and all its great uses could find their position in the market very compromised.

Word count:    379