mrc's Cup of Joe Blog

Join us in exploring the world of modern development, evolving technologies, and the art of future-proof software

Author name: Joe Stangarone

Joe Stangarone is a 40+ year veteran of the IT industry and president of mrc—the software company behind the award winning development platform, m-Power. Joe shares his leadership and technology insights through the Cup of Joe Blog, focusing primarily on ways businesses can save time, money, and increase productivity using technology.

Web app usability: 7 small UI elements that make a big difference

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EducationIn his book, “The Tipping Point,” Malcolm Gladwell explains how it’s often the little things that make the biggest difference. We might assume that big results come from big changes, but that’s not always the case.

I think the same holds true for web application usability. Sometimes it’s the small UI elements that make the biggest impact. If your web applications frustrate or confuse users, or if you just want to improve usability, you might just need a few small changes.

Today, let’s take a closer look at web application usability–specifically focusing on those small user interface elements or concepts that make a big difference. I’ve compiled 7 simple ways to improve your web application’s usability, without performing a major overhaul.
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HTML5 offline app capabilities now added to m-Power

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AnnouncementI’m happy to share that we’ve recently added HTML5 offline application capabilities to m-Power! Using the HTML5 offline storage feature, we’ve converted all mobile m-Power templates into offline-ready templates.

Why is this so important?

Let me quickly explain: In the “Native app vs. Mobile web app” debate, the mobile web approach has always provided the most bang for your buck. Mobile web apps that work across all platforms (present and future) are typically more attractive to businesses than native apps that only work on a single platform.

photo credit: William Hook via photopin cc
photo credit: William Hook via photopin cc
However, while the native approach has always been more expensive and time consuming, it offered a benefit that mobile web apps couldn’t match: the ability to function without an internet connection. For many companies, this feature is an absolute necessity. For example:
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Weekly recap: 15 hot programming trends–and 15 going cold, mobile strategy priorities for 2014, and more…

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EducationEvery week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on 15 hot/cold programming trends, mobile strategy priorities in 2014, and more. I hope you find them useful:

Enterprise architecture: getting organized for the coming year
Why is architecture so important? Well planned, modern architecture gives businesses the ability to add new features and capabilities as needed, without tearing anything down or starting over. In other words, modern enterprise architecture is the difference between an agile business, and one that stagnates.
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6 key enterprise application development trends of 2014

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Education“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” –Leon C. Megginson

As we start 2014, I believe that quote applies perfectly to the evolving world of enterprise application development. After all, web application development is undergoing some major changes. For instance, consumer devices have infiltrated the workplace. HTML5 will become the new standard this year. The cloud has matured, now offering even more business advantages. I could go on.

photo credit: sntgmdm via photopin cc
photo credit: sntgmdm via photopin cc

The point is, these recent tech trends will forever change enterprise application development. As technology plays an increased role in business in the coming years, companies that adapt to these changes will have an advantage. Companies that don’t will fall behind.

So, how is enterprise application development changing? What big trends can we expect in the coming year? In this article, we’ll examine some major trends, and explain why they’re so important. While this certainly isn’t an exhaustive list, the following includes some of the most important trends to watch in 2014:
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Build enterprise web applications without programming (New and improved)

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Save TimeIf you’re looking for a way to improve your application development speed, create mobile web apps, or just build enterprise web applications without programming, you should really check out the all new m-Power Trial. It’s recently been revamped with the new m-Power interface we released last month, making application development simpler than ever.

What will you find in the m-Power Trial? Using a simple, on-screen tour, the m-Power Trial will guide you through the process of building enterprise web (and mobile web) apps…all without any programming. Feel free to explore the interface in depth, and even experiment building applications over your own data.

If you’d like to check out the m-Power Trial, just fill out this short form.

Weekly recap: 3 ways enterprise IT will change in 2014, biggest tech disappointments, and more…

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EducationEvery week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on ways enterprise IT will change in 2014, the biggest tech disappointments over the last year, and more. I hope you find them useful:

10 biggest tech disappointments of 2013
A good portion of the entries in this list share a common theme: security…or a lack thereof. Web application security is becoming one of the most important themes of the last few years, yet–as this article explains–best practices are still commonly ignored.
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10 most popular articles from 2013

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EducationAs 2013 draws to a close, I’d like to thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this blog over the past year. Of course, if there are any topics you’d like me to cover in 2014, please share them in the comments.

Over the last 12 months, I’ve written many different articles covering a variety of topics. Today, I’d like to highlight the most popular of those articles and share them with you. In case you missed any of them, here are the most popular posts I’ve written over the last year, as determined by the readers of this blog. I hope you find them interesting:
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6 free white papers and guides for IT leaders

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EducationWhat are the most pressing issues facing your business as we head into 2014? What technology problem(s) is your company facing that you plan to address in the coming year? I’m curious–feel free to share in the comments.

That being said, working in the IT industry, we see many of the most pressing issues facing companies on a daily basis. Over the past year, I’ve seen certain problems mentioned time and time again. For example, going into 2014, many companies are currently dealing with issues like these:

  • Mobile: From what we’ve seen, many companies are still trying to figure out how they can best take advantage of mobile apps. They’re trying to determine which approach works best for their needs.
  • Data accessibility: Another common issue, many companies still can’t easily access the data stored in their database. They need better reporting and BI tools that makes their data more accessible to even end users.
  • Legacy applications: An all-too-common issue, many companies are stuck to outdated applications and systems. They’re looking for ways to modernize their legacy applications, or breathe new life into their existing systems.

If your company is dealing with any of those issues, or plans on addressing them in 2014, I’d like to help. I’ve compiled some of our most popular white papers and guides that relate to the common issues mentioned above, and outlined them below. Here are 6 free white papers and guides that might help you address your company’s pressing issues as you head into 2014. I hope you find them useful:
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Weekly recap: 9 common mistakes developers make, mobile predictions for 2014, and more…

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EducationEvery week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on common mistakes developers make, mobile predictions for 2014, and more. I hope you find them useful:

Why native apps no longer add up
When native mobile apps first broke onto the scene, competition was sparse. Simply placing an app in the app store gave you a good chance of success. Today, that’s no longer the case. The app store now contains over a million apps. Producing an app that even gets noticed is a longshot. Combined with the fact that native apps are more costly and time consuming to create, this further reduces the practical value of the native approach.
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What is HTML5 and how does it help?

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EducationOver the last couple of years, HTML5 has dominated the tech headlines. Set to become the new standard in 2014, this buzz will only grow louder in the months and weeks leading up to that time. The only problem: HTML5 is still surrounded with misinformation.

Everyone wants HTML5, but outside the developer world, few actually know what it is. Some view it as a brand new tech trend. Others think they’ll need to convert their current applications to HTML5. Still others equate HTML5 with mobile web apps. In reality, none of that is accurate.

HTML5Today, let’s clear up some of the confusion. In this article, I’ll walk you through a high-level overview of HTML5 and briefly explain some of its most important features. Hopefully, this provides you a clearer picture of the new HTML standard, and helps you better understand how it can help your company. Sound good? Let’s get started:
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