Now here I want to share a much more reliable and faster method of committing & syncing code on github.
This tutorial includes guidelines for using git command line tool for interaction with github.

STEP 1 is, installing git tool on your mac (if not already installed). go to http://git-scm.com/downloads and download the setup and install it.
STEP 2 is, writing commands on terminal. To start with:
#Run these commands to configure git color scheme in terminal.
git config –global color.branch auto
git config –global color.diff auto
git config –global color.status auto
git config –global color.ui auto

# Sets the default user name for git to use when you commit
git config –global user.name “Your UserName Here”
# Sets the default email for git to use when you commit
git config –global user.email “your_email@example.com”

STEP 3 is, to clone your repository to your local machine (if not done already).
#Changes path to a folder named ‘github’ in ‘Documents’ (I recommend creating a ‘github’ folder in ‘Documents’ and follow these steps without much change, and also it keeps your github repos organized)
cd ~/Documents
mkdir github
cd github

#Clone repository.
#Remember you have to clone your repository to local machine only once, after that you just have to commit and push it to github, which I’ll be explaining in STEP 4.
## ‘my-repo-name’ is the name of the project repository you are added to, and it is CASE SENSITIVE. you can get the repo url from your repo’s home page at github.com.
git clone https://github.com/your-domain/my-repo-name.git

STEP 4 is, committing and syncing your project daily on Github.
#Changes path to your project repository you cloned to your local machine. Copy all your project files (from your directory)
cd ~/Documents/github/my-repo-name
# Adds all files that have been changed, added or deleted in the queue to be committed.
git add -A
# Commits the changes to Github. 0.MMDD is the standard versioning method we follow for our commits. For example: on 15 April (15/04/13) you should add commit summary as ‘Development Build 0.0415′.
git commit -m ‘Development Build 0.MMDD’
#Finally push (sync) all the committed changes to the Github.
git push origin master

We are done.
IMP POINT: You have to follow STEP 2 only once, when you setup git first time, STEP 3 every time you are assigned a new repository, that should be once in 2-3 months and STEP 4 daily.

Github integration with XCode (for iOS app development):
(Step 1& 2 still need to be done before these)

To start a new project, follow these steps:
1. go to File -> source control ->repository. In the new window, click on “+” icon in left bottom corner and select “checkout or clone repository”. It will ask for repo path. add the repo path you would like to clone e.g. https://github.com/your-domain/test-repo.git and enter your credentials when asked. Clone the repo into a standard directory ~/Documents/github/

2. Once the repo is cloned. create a new project through standard process. Just choose the same folder in which you have cloned the repo and uncheck the option “create a local repository for this”.

3. Now everything is setup. you can use File->source control to commit and push changes to remote repo.

The post Getting started with Github appeared first on Click Labs.

How Will You Get Access To Lighthouse: We will send you an invite through an email. You will have to register on the website and you will have access to our Bug tracking mechanism.

Bugs/Tickets can be categorized under 6 heads:

1) New: The state when a bug is identified is referred to as ‘new’.

2) Open: The state where a bug is genuine is referred to as ‘open’.

Ticket state can be broadly referred to as open under these categories.

3) Resolved: Tickets resolved by the developer come under this category.

4) Invalid: if a ticket is not found out to be genuine by developer after the mutual discussion of developer, PM and Tester, then it is termed as invalid.

5) Hold: If a ticket has less priority/shifted to another milestone/ resolution depends on resolution of some other ticket  its status can be marked as on ‘Hold’.

6) Closed: Tester can directly intervene and close the ticket if he/she finds that the issue no longer exists in the next build.

Some other features which come in handy are related to versioning of the app. It makes sense in most of the projects to come out with different versions of the app rather than complete feature loaded app all at once. Consequently, tickets can be allotted to different milestones so that the required changes are never obscured and can be tackled accordingly.

The post Testing and Bug Resolution using Lighthouse app appeared first on Click Labs.

While some people are saying that apple is getting defensive and it should just do what it always does- ignore the competition and keep building amazing products, I think this really represents that Apple is no longer the only real choice in the top end smartphone market and they are acknowledging it. Apple cannot just choose to ignore Samsung (or rather Android) because they are not the clear leaders any more. People have a choice and apple needs to sell, perhaps for the first time since iPhone launched. Nothing wrong with that if you ask me, competition helps keep you on your toes.

Just yesterday, I was in an Apple store and speaking to a few Apple sales people about what they thought of Phil Schiller’s remarks. The general feeling was that its good that Apple has some competition and they will make some bold moves hopefully.

I am glad Apple is finally acknowledging the competition and hopefully there will be some fireworks in the product side also rather than just marketing campaigns. After all, Apple believes most in answering with products of all the companies in the world!

The post Apple finally acknowledges Samsung as competition appeared first on Click Labs.

If you are a publisher or marketer struggling to seize the attention of the smartphone audience then Pressly provides you the access to quick creation of websites that are smartphones and tablets friendly. The source is HTML5 based content combined with the customizable templates that make it so fast that Jeff Brenner, CEO of Pressly says, “ In the time it takes to load a web page, you can hook your readers with an amazing mobile experience.”

According to him “Pressly is the perfect platform for organizations with a content marketing strategy, such as B2B marketers, as well as traditional publishers.”

Pressly’s engine has already passed through the pages of The Toronto Star, Canada’s largest newspaper & in the publication called Electionism and also fetched fame by producing branded content marketing pieces for global companies like IBM and Toyota. Yet the marketing director Tobin Dalrymple seems discontented by getting covered just by those traditional publishers and explains that by saying “Pressly has been specifically building in features which would allow it to enhance lead generation for content marketers.”

Consequently Pressly got prominent in public as per what Brenner says “Last month Pressly started rolling out its platform to thousands of early beta users, and the response has been overwhelming from clients.”

Brenner acclaims “Our product gives businesses a fast and easy way to take their huge investments in content to mobile users everywhere, in a beautiful, highly engaging way.”

OMERS Ventures and iNovia Capital seemed quite excited about their investments when the top brass of the companies were interviewed about the news.

“We know brands and publishers are looking for a platform to amplify their message on mobile devices – which is a far cry from the keyboard and mouse world. Pressly absolutely nails it with this product,” said Karamdeep Nijjar, a Principal at iNovia Capital.

“At OMERS Ventures we invest in companies we believe can become global leaders. We think Pressly has huge potential due to its innovative products, strong management team and continuing market traction,” said Derek Smyth, Managing Director of OMERS Ventures.

The post Pressly Financed With $1.5 Million For Its Mobile Publishing Platform appeared first on Click Labs.

For the next few weeks I studied the app store and searched for a great app that I could emulate. I searched and searched and just couldn’t find an app that I believed I could improve. I knew I had to make something fun that was centered on my interests and to keep looking.

My first idea was to create an automatic text responder. After talking to a few programmers, I quickly learned that it just wasn’t feasible without banks of servers and a huge budget and iOS did not allow it anyway. This is when I got in touch with Samar, things did not move further as I just trashed the idea.

One night about a month later, I was reading my parents magazine. In the back there was an ad for an app that allowed you to save your kid’s artwork for .99. I had stacks of artwork on my desk, in my filing cabinet and on the walls. With two kids making art around the clock, I had accumulated a lot of artwork. Each scribble they made on napkins and scrap paper I thought was a masterpiece and couldn’t throw away. The thought of storing the artwork digitally would solve a huge problem.  I could purge the clutter without guilt and keep a history of their artistic development.

When I opened up the app I was very disappointed. It wasn’t very attractive or intuitive and lacked some key social sharing functions I thought the app should include. Eureka! Here it was- an app I could improve and the idea for Kidpix was born.

I found another app that stored kid’s artwork that ranked in the top 100 for grossing apps in the productivity category. This one was even more complicated than the first. The concept was great but the design was ugly and confusing. It too lacked key social sharing features. I knew parents needed to make the process of saving artwork easy and fun.  Their lives are busy and demanding. To win their attention and repeat use, the design had to be straightforward, simple and fun to use. If parents were buying these other apps then they’d absolutely buy mine.

I reached out to several development agencies in the US to talk over my idea and get an estimate for how much it would cost to make Kidpix. They liked my idea but told me clearly that it was impossible to form an app in my budget. I was severely disappointed and frustrated. It had taken me so long to come up with a good idea. Now that I had one I was ready to start immediately. But there was no sign that offered me implementing my idea and I was screwed. I was totally convinced that raising funds to that level was the only option left, which was impossible for me.

Out of the blue Samar Singla sent me an email following-up from my first job posting on oDesk. He was checking in to see how I was and if I was ready to begin a new project.  Within a few hours he had an estimate for me and listened to my ideas with excitement. He thought it was a great idea with a lot of potential. I could tell that he was genuinely enthusiastic about my idea and eager to get to work.

Over the next few months I worked with Click-Labs to develop a great design with all the features I envisioned parents would love. Kidpix was easy to use and had a fun and engaging design. Not only could you snap a picture of your kid’s artwork to save and store, you could also surround it with a beautiful gallery quality frame showcasing the masterpiece of your young artist. Parents post pictures of their kids on their blogs and facebook constantly. I wanted them to share the same pride with their Kidpix creations. I also wanted them to be able to make a postcard keepsake of their kid’s artwork to send to grandparents, aunts and uncles or whomever else was involved in their kid’s lives. Kid’s art tells a story. It’s a story meant to share.

When I started to beta test Kidpix it was thrilling. My idea was coming together. After all the tweaks and modifications were made, Kidpix was complete. The team worked really hard to get it done and worked with Apple to have it released before Christmas.

Believe me success of Kidpix was impossible without the swaying efforts of Click Labs team. My first update is under review with Apple. Kidpix just keeps getting better and better. I am so glad that Samar took the time in September to reach out and follow-up. I couldn’t have asked for a better team of professionals to guide me through the development of my first app.

Check it out here.

The post Kidpix!! – Story behind the app invention- part II appeared first on Click Labs.

The next day instead of making sales calls I googled “how to make an app”. I stumbled upon a guest blog post on how to build an app empire. After reading the post I felt energized and excited and had to know more. I ordered the book  written by the author of that blog post, impatiently waited for three days and then read it cover to cover in one night. I thought to myself that I could do it too- I could build my own app empire! Normally I talk myself out of these things with rationalizations and logical reasons why my ideas won’t work. This time, however, there was nothing inside me whispering fears and lists of why I couldn’t switch careers.

My sales job was getting harder and harder. I was working long hours, worried all the time and missing out on time with my family. Many of my colleagues had left the company to pursue their own interests as entrepreneurs. One of these women asked me what I wanted to do if I could begin again and the answer was clear- make apps. She sent me an email the following week about a course that was teaching on how to build an app empire. This happened to be a turning point of my life since I decided that very moment that I am going to switch my career to an app developer.

I enrolled in the 7-week course while still working my demanding sales job. I was the only breadwinner since my husband was in graduate school and so letting go of income just didn’t seem possible. My plan was to work and take the course simultaneously.

About three weeks in to the course I became seriously ill with sepsis infection. Because I was so focused on meeting my sales goals, I worked tirelessly and didn’t take care of my health. Lying in a hospital bed watching your life swing in the balance is a sobering experience. I realized that if I was going to make apps that I couldn’t work my job any longer. It was literally killing me. The decision was not easy to quit my job and to pour every resource I had in to making apps. I didn’t know where my fate was taking me?

Stay tuned for the rest of the story..

The post Kidpix!! – Story behind app invention- part I appeared first on Click Labs.

The post Flying Fun- One more app success story appeared first on Click Labs.

The Gaming industry is facing a paradigm shift with gaming shifting to cloud and there are a lot of speculations revolving around what cloud actually has to offer to the gaming industry. The leading industry brands representatives are gathering to discuss the opportunities: Sega,Ubisoft, Square Enix, Jagex, OnLive, Activision, PlayHaven, Gaikai, Sony, Microsoft, BigPoint,and many others. The agenda covers marketing, monetization, user experience, legal areas and cloud gaming influence on telco, retail and other businesses.

Join in for a prolific exchange of ideas from industry thought leaders.  An opportunity to network, learn and share their experience.

http://www.videogamesintelligence.com/cloud-gaming-europe/

The post Are you looking at harnessing the cloud for player engagement & monetization? appeared first on Click Labs.

The answer as you might have guessed is- it depends. It depends on who you are, how big you are and who your consumers are.

If you are a publisher, probably you should wait for the platform to get some traction but be ready when it does. What it means is that a lot of marketing efforts will be wasted if you launch on a new platform with very small user base, but you should always develop your technology in such a way that you can easily port.

If you are a tech company (like us) new platforms are always to be explored. You might miss a disruption if you don’t. Apart from traction, you should care about trends and new platforms are a very good read on trends to come. We are always investing in teams working on new platforms because this is our R&D like any other industry. When something gets traction, it is already too late.

The second factor is size. If you are a huge, like Zynga, Rovio or EA, probably you should be everywhere. Even if revenues don’t justify that but when people expect you to be everywhere, it becomes important from a branding perspective that people searching for you are not disappointed. If you are a small publisher, wait before there is some traction to justify resource allocation to a new platform.

This actually is also a reason why it might make sense to hire an outside company to handle the tech portion for you for a new platform, rather than do it in house. Tech companies (good ones at least) are always investing in new technologies even before traction which might not make sense for you to do yourself as it is too small to be important. So, if you are a big games publisher who would like to have a presence in Windows Phone market but would not like to invest in a team long term because of then revenue numbers, it makes sense to find a company like us who are always exploring new tech just in case it is big one day.

Tell us what you think in comments below.

The post Should you invest in new Mobile Platforms? appeared first on Click Labs.

Mobile has taken the gaming industry by storm and consoles are having a hard time being sold with mobile devices getting better each day. Time spent on mobile devices playing games exceeds time spent in other applications and internet browsing. According to Flurry, smartphone users play games 39% of their time on device then tablet users play 67% of their time. Mobile has lead to rise of a new breed of games- casual gamers. These “casual gamers” will continue to grow the market size for gaming industry for a few years to come at an unprecedented rate. Users are shifting from costly consoles to mobile devices where games are offered for free or less than 1$.

Social has been the game changer gaming industry was looking for. People who never played anything beyond a few games in arcade suddenly receive invites from their real life friends and start playing again. Thanks to social graph data from Facebook and twitter, game developers can easily find all the socially connected people on the networks and invite them to play their games. Social connectivity is definitely going to be even bigger in 2013. More and more games will have this socially connected services and ways to make social multiplayer gaming possible.

Monetization is the holy grail of game developers as the traditional model of selling a game for upfront money is declining. Free-to-play or very cheap ($1-$5 a pop) games are a norm and are not going anywhere. Developers are relying on in-app purchases to monetize rather than selling the games upfront.

Ever reducing popularity-lifetime of games is a trend that is going to continue. This is a good news for indie developers and a bad one for gaming giants like EA, Zynga, Rovio etc. This is leading to what we can call is democratising the gaming industry. Indie game developers have a better chance than ever to make it big if their games are really great and stand out.

These trends are changing the way games were distributed and marketed. Today digital distribution and socially connected games mean that viral social sharing is the best way to market games rather than putting millions of dollars in a marketing campaign.

So, what are your takeaways if you are a gaming studio or an indie game developer? Focus on making your games addictive, socially connected and with viral marketing tools built in and innovative monetization while keeping the user experience amazing.

The post Gaming trends for 2013- Mobile, Social lead the way appeared first on Click Labs.