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Everything New In iOS 17

Apple recently revealed all in their upcoming iOS 17 update. It is expected to become publicly available some time in September, alongside the reveal of the new iPhone and other devices during their summer reveals.

Here’s some of the standout features from iOS 17 which you can expect…

StandBy Mode

StandBy is puts your device into a low power mode, and shows customisable information such as a clock, the weather, or basic information from the same widgets which are available on the home screen. StandBy can show incoming notifications, and other information. This mode could be used to replace an alarm clock if paired with a phone charging stand, as shown in the image above, making it seamless to turn off the alarm, grab your phone, and start your day.

AirDrop Upgrades

AirDrop is being improved, allowing you to share contacts, photos, videos, and more all from a quick tap of your phone to theirs. This improves on the previous method of having to select from a menu who you want to send the info to if you were sat next to the person at the time.

iOS 17 brings in “NameDrop” which will allow the sharing of contacts, simply by tapping the phones with each other. This can be the full contact, just the phone number, or the email.

Journal

Journal is a new app which automatically brings photos, music, and location, & more, all together from each day to give an outline of your day. Users are able to add notes and memories to these automatically generated days, as well as edit them to their liking. Apple claims that machine learning is used to build an understanding of how you like your journal to be, and make it more tailored to your preferences.

For anyone who is active, and a traveller, this will be a perfect addition to their phone, being able to make and share the memories which they have made each day with others.

Offline Maps

For the first time, Apple are allowing the downloading of certain sections of maps with Apple Maps. This has been possible with other maps such as Google Maps, for quite some time, but nevertheless, this is a welcome feature if you are going to be going somewhere with limited or no GPS signal or data.

And More…

We’ve listed just some of the major updates which have been introduced with iOS 17 so far, there are plenty of other smaller changes and updates to make iOS 17 the best version of iOS yet.

A full list of all new iOS 17 features can be found on Apple’s website: apple.com/uk/ios/ios-17-preview/

E3 Cancelled: Gaming Industry’s Biggest Event Put on Hold

E3 has served as the gaming industry’s landmark event, where developers, publishers, and enthusiasts gather to witness exciting game reveals, cutting-edge technology showcases, and engaging presentations. However, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the body responsible for organizing E3, had to make the difficult choice to cancel the event due to a combination of factors.

The Decline After COVID

Due to the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the ESA prioritized the well-being of attendees, exhibitors, and staff. Despite efforts to adapt the event to a virtual or hybrid format, the challenges associated with ensuring a secure and immersive experience for all involved proved to not be up to the previous experience offered by E3.

Other exhibitors, such as Nintendo, Sony, & Microsoft now all offer their own online announcement events which have meant they have no use in attending E3, and over the recent years, more and more developers have been pulling out from attending, preferring their own events which they have sole control over, and take all of the attention, with no rivals.

The End of the Biggest Gaming Event

With the future of E3 in doubt, gamers are having to turn to the individual events hosted by publishers. This could mark the turning point as E3 served as an important event before the rise of the internet and rapid communication where being able to show off to the press was more important to make an impact and generate hype, whereas this can now be done at any time and with more modern marketing techniques.

This demonstrates more than ever how important it is to keep up with the ever moving market and times. And how continual improvements and revisions are needed to ideas to keep them in the public’s eye. Staying stationary in technology is the fastest way to get left behind and forgotten.

PNP can revamp your existing systems and apps to make them modern and user friendly, constantly pushing forward with new and innovative ideas to keep your business relevant.

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How ChatGPT is Changing the Coding Process

Traditionally, coding has been a meticulous and time-consuming task that required developers to possess a deep understanding of programming languages and syntax. However, ChatGPT has introduced a new level of simplicity and efficiency by providing developers with an intuitive and conversational interface to interact with their code.

Get a Helping Hand

One of the most significant advantages of ChatGPT is its ability to assist programmers in generating code snippets, solving programming problems, and offering suggestions. With a few simple prompts, developers can ask questions, seek guidance, and receive immediate responses from ChatGPT, which draws upon its vast knowledge base to offer relevant and accurate solutions. This feature not only saves time but also encourages collaborative problem-solving, as developers can engage in dynamic conversations with the AI model.

Furthermore, ChatGPT’s natural language processing capabilities enable it to understand and interpret code-related queries in plain English, making it more accessible to developers of all skill levels. It can break down complex concepts, explain intricate algorithms, and even assist in debugging code. This empowers novice programmers to overcome hurdles more easily and learn from experienced developers, as ChatGPT acts as a knowledgeable and patient mentor.

Not a Replacement For a Human

Whilst ChatGPT is a powerful tool, it requires an exact and well formed request to be asked to get the best results out of it. Even then, the ending result is likely not usable within an existing system as coding standards and methods will differ, and the code may not even compile/run. It is intended for more as a base, or aid when stuck on an issue as it will provide different solutions which a developer may not have considered.

Paired with an experienced and knowledgeable coder, ChatGPT can be leveraged to simplify a complex request and give the developer a new perspective on the problem which can allow them to reach the end result faster.

AI is no replacement for a human, it can’t deal with specific client requests, or interact with clients like a developer can. It may be able to generate small snippets of code, but it is unable to make anything bigger than a few lines of code. Meaning it is unable to generate entire complex systems at one request. Even if it could generate a base system, there would be no way it could mould it into what a client would want, and make a system which could be well maintained and built on for many years to come.

If you are in need of a CMS made by humans who care, and lovingly craft each system/app, then consider PNP.

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Top Emerging CRM Trends in 2022

A good Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is behind any business which needs to manage and use large amounts of customer data. CRM’s have greatly developed and transformed over recent years into highly streamlined tools for businesses. This article will take a look at some of the new trends for CRM’s in 2022.

Dashboard Customisation

Movable dashboard tiles provide a better workflow

Creating one dashboard for all users, or one for each user type is becoming less common. Customisable dashboards where each section is a component which can be rearranged and dragged to anywhere to suit the user are now becoming on trend. It gives the end user a more personalised experience, and has been shown to improve their workflow.

Process Automation

Being able to set-up automated processed to import/export and process data is a powerful tool being utilised in more modern CRM’s, some even going as far as to let the user create tasks for the CRM to run as scheduled events, or just when they are needed.

While giving the user these tools is incredibly powerful, it can be a sharp learning curve, and should only be limited to users who need the ability to run & create the tasks. Having a customisable tool which can automatically process data build right into the CRM can save countless hours over a year from repetitive tasks.

XaaS (Everything as a Service)

Younger generations, most commonly Gen X, are pushing for businesses to offer “everything” as a service. From 2017 to 2022, there was a rise of 72% in the profitability and usage of subscription services, and an estimated 75% of CRM’s offering a subscription service by 2023. With some of this being down to the pandemic, but also due to the convenience & ease of subscription services.

A modern CRM is most likely to offer a subscription service, especially CRM’s offering cloud services. In 2022, customers are more likely to pick a subscription service than a regular service when shopping online.

As with anything, it is important to evaluate what will be best for your CRM. If you are unsure and need a website/CRM building you can contact us.

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2021 Web Trends

2021 has been a big year for the web industry, with all that has been going on in the world, it is now more important than ever to make websites and apps accessible to everyone. From this, some common trends have appeared.

Real World Interactivity (3D/AR/VR)

Products in your own home

Being able to view a product where it will be used, before purchasing is a huge selling point for users and drives 35% retention in customer purchasing. Having the option to view a sofa or bed, and overlay it on the existing furniture gives the user a better view of how the product will look real world.

With the current pandemic, it has been had for people to get out of the house, and using AR/VR gives them the ability to have similar shopping experience all from their home.

Human-Like Chat Bots

You’re not always speaking to a human…

With 27.6% of the worldwide population using online retailers in 2021, it is no wonder that it has an impact on the help & support sector. To aid with this companies such as: ChatBot & CleverBot, have developed solutions for interactive chat bots which read users questions in real time and provide the closest helpful answer they can give.

This is still backed up by a human if the bot can not solve the issue, however for the majority of cases, the interactive bot can handle most common requests, saving the company money in staff they don’t need, and also expanding their support diversity by being able to support multiple languages and chats at the same time with a bot.

Minimalist Flat UI Design

More Than Just a Sleek Design

As previously identified in this article, the main theme of the year has been interactivity and ease of use. Flat UI Design is just that, giving all the information which the user needs to interact with the site, a simple and uninterrupted layout for each section. With a clear visual hierarchy, it is easy for the user to be able to follow the flow of a page, with important inputs and sections being shown with the use of colour or bold text to gain the user’s attention.

Using Flat UI Design also means that the webpage will translate well to smaller mobile screens as there is less to interrupt the flow and style of the site. Text is more legible on smaller devices due to the common font types used within Flat UI Design.

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Database Systems & Security

In a world where more and more data is being stored in the cloud, it is becoming increasingly important to take the correct measures when deciding what type of database to use. Each type will come with different security measures which need to be taken.

MySQL

A Powerful Relational Database

MySQL is currently the most popular database system on the internet, and is fully open source. It has a relational structure which means that tables are able to be linked via primary and foreign keys, to share data with one another. This comes in useful for when a shop has different categories, and multiple products within sub categories. It allows for a product to be linked directly to a categories table and view the data, without having to repeat any information.

MySQL is venerable on the front-end of sites to SQL injection attacks, in which someone will input a special code, and if not handled correctly when doing validation by the website, it is possible for hackers to gain access to the full database, and see its contents, or manipulate the values for their own gain. Despite this, when all precautions are taken correctly, in most cases MySQL is the database system of choice for most websites.

MongoDB

An excellent choice for high volume datasets

MongoDB is a non-relational database used primarily for high volume and large datasets. Instead of using tables and rows, MongoDB makes use of collections and documents. Documents consist of key-value pairs which are equivalent to a row and row name in MySQL. Collections contain sets of documents and function which is the equivalent of relational database tables.

The advantage to using MongoDB is that when developing, it is accessed and written more like traditional code, making it easier to understand and layout. For large databases, MongoDB is able to scale as and when it is needed, by adding more nodes which can access and write/read data. However this does come at a cost of using a lot of memory for storing and accessing the database, and in larger systems this can require its own server alone. There are less security issues with MongoDB as the user can not directly interact with any of the handling, which may be possible in MySQL, making it more secure and easier to work with on the back-end requiring more checks.

As with anything, it is important to evaluate what will be best for your system. If you are unsure and need a website/CMS building you can contact us.

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Android Apps in Windows 11

Insiders of the Windows update program have started to be able to use Android apps as promised in Windows 11. These apps run natively on your computer, and act just like they would on your mobile device. Any app on the Google Play Store is instantly available to use on your PC. But what problems arise from this?

Android Apps Native in Windows 11

How to Install Apps on Windows 11

Once you have Windows 11, you might be wondering how to install apps. They are located on the “Microsoft Store” with all other applications and games. Search for your app, then simply press download and it will install onto your computer just like any other software. However, this may change in a future update before it is pushed out to the public to be in their own category, but the process will be otherwise the same.

When Will it be Available to the Public?

Currently, it is unknown when this will be available for anyone to download. However, if you sign up to the “Windows Insider Program” it is possible to get these features now. Historically, Microsoft release features from the Insider Program only a few months after being initially available to testers.

Will My App Run on Windows 11?

If you’ve had a mobile application developed by Pipe & Piper, as with all apps on the Google Play Store, it will appear to download on Windows 11. While it should act just like the mobile application, it might require some changes and optimisations in order to best preform on Windows 11.

Going forward, testing on Windows 11 natively is going to become a part of our extensive testing process so your apps will work no matter the platform.

If you want to be sure that your app works on Windows 11, please contact us.

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Core PHP vs Laravel

The web industry is fast moving, and ever changing. With new frameworks and libraries becoming “standard” every 3-5 years, it is important not to fall behind and select the correct options for building websites and apps.

Core PHP vs Laravel

What is Laravel?

Laravel is a PHP framework which aims to provide a base to build powerful and fast preforming websites on. Along with this, it brings security features into its core system, which core PHP does not have natively built in. Many of its functionalities are pre-built, meaning websites are able to be created faster, rather than having to start from scratch each time. Laravel has a strong community which write plugins and documentation, making it easy for anyone to get started using it.

What is Core PHP?

Using Core PHP mostly any dynamic website can be made. It also provides the base to all PHP frameworks, so it is vital to have a good understanding of Core PHP to be able to build effective web applications and systems. While it does not provide a base or any pre-made templates to quickly build a website on, it does provide the most powerful set of tools on which anything can be built. For an experienced team Core PHP can be beneficial to use, however, it is quickly falling out of favour for more modern frameworks.

Our Choice

Moving forward we are moving away from core PHP to more modern frameworks such as Laravel for our Web and CMS systems. Bringing our clients the latest in scalable and efficient technologies is of upmost importance. While we can’t use Laravel to build Mobile Applications, we are always actively searching for the next technology which will allow us to elevate the quality of our systems.

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What is cryptocurrency? And why you should care

Cryptocurrency is a digital currency which is encrypted using cryptography (encryption method), making it virtually impossible to counterfeit or spend it more than once.

They offer the ability to send money anywhere in the world instantly, with only fraction of a penny fees, in a secure environment.

Digital Money

While the concept of money is digital, it is still falls far behind what a cryptocurrency can offer. What may take a bank days, or weeks to process, can be done in a matter of seconds on the blockchain.

While money only has one single use as payment, cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum provide an entire platform for developers to build tools and websites on. These can even be used to build out the digital infrastructure in poorer countries which may not have the money or resources to have done so in the past.

Card providers such as Visa and Mastercard can currently process around 1,700 transactions per second, and PayPal around 170. Bitcoin is able to process over 25,000,000 on the Lightning network.

Money no longer just represents a form of payment, but also becomes a building block.

How it helps

Cryptocurrencies are already having a large impact in poorer, less developed countries as they allow their citizens to hold their money in a secure environment. In countries such as Nigeria, 31% of the population use and trade cryptocurrencies. This is a large increase from the 6% who have a bank account.

Giving the population a way to store, and send money is vital as to send money to family overseas, it can take weeks and have fees of up-to 25-30%.

Realising the benefits, El Salvador has been the first country to recognise and use Bitcoin as legal tender, next to the dollar. And all citizens will be eligible for a $30 worth of Bitcoin to get them started.

Why you should care

In the coming years, companies and entire networks will be built in and around cryptocurrency, with the plan to make the world digital, and take away power from centralised companies such as banks.

Where Google, Apple and Amazon were heralded as “Web 2.0”, cryptocurrency and what is being built is “Web 3.0”.

It is predicted that within 5 years, there will be over a billion people who use cryptocurrency.

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Why GitHub Copilot isn’t as it seems

GitHub recently announced their new artificial intelligence (AI) coding assistant, however it has already run into hot water as it has been found to be stealing code.

How it is trained

AI needs to be trained in order to be effective, and because GitHub is the largest code repository in the world, they have endless code that they can feed the AI algorithm in order to train it how to effectively write code.

This is not without its faults however. Poor quality code can enter the system and potentially cause issues, so only high quality and verified working code should be used to get the best results.

Why it is problematic

Because the AI has been trained using other people’s code, it effectively uses blocks from what it has learned to piece together what it needs to produce.

This is problematic as there have been multiple reports of it taking entire sections of code un-edited from programmers projects, leaving in names, links, and other personal information.

While it does correctly produce the correct results ~60% of the time, it still has a long way to go in terms of development.

Will it take my job?

In order to use GitHub Copilot, it requires human input and knowledge in order to build out effective applications. It is intended to be used as an aid, for quicker development and not as a replacement for a human developer.

AI can not for-see or identify changes that might be required in the future, and can not dynamically work with a client to get what they are looking for.

For now, GitHub Copilot doesn’t have a place in industry due to how new and unpolished it is. However in the future it could well be a useful tool to assist developers.