How Many Things Can an App Replace?

taking-photo-with-iphone

Many years ago, there was a device called the VHS player on which most people watched their home movies. When the DVD player popped up, the VHS cassette tape and its host soon became obsolete as DVD discs quickly put the VHS out of business. And now today – with the popularity of watching movies on the computer and YouTube – one wonders if the DVD will soon go the way of the VHS.

We are now seeing this phenomenon happen with much more fervor and frequency. Younger, newer and mobile versions of electronics and apps are quickly putting dinosaurs like the VHS out of business. Let’s look at a five phenomena that are quickly being replaced by their newer app selves.

Maps — When most people need to find a location, they hop into their car and type the address into their smartphone and the designated map app will provide the route and directions to the specified location. Before the map app, drivers had to use a pre-printed map or Thomas Bros. Guide to find their desired location, and then plan the driving route themselves. Map apps have made printed maps virtually obsolete.

Clock Radios — Before the days of the smartphone, people would have to purchase a clock radio and manually set the time and an alert noise (music, radio, beeping sound) in order to make sure they woke up at the right time the next morning. But with most people owning a smartphone today, that alarm feature comes built-in and there is virtually no need for a traditional clock radio.

Cameras — We’re not suggesting that camera are being replaced. But with more and more people using their iPhones for cameras rather than a separate digital photo device, it’s likely that the built-in smartphone cameras will put the non-phone cameras the way of the film camera.

Paper Notebooks — This app continues to grow in popularity It allows the user to capture anything and every idea wherever she is at any time. The Evernote app works with every computer, phone and mobile device, virtually making the use of notebooks unnecessary.

Expensive Wedding Planning Books— With apps like WeddingHappy, you can start the wedding planning process automatically. As fast as it takes to get an app from the App Store, you get a customized and customizable wedding plan built for you. There’s no need to go to the bookstore to purchase a hardcover planning book when you can download a free planner that can adapt to your needs.

 

 

5 Ways to Avoid Turning Into a Wedding Planning Meanie

Planning your wedding is one of the most exciting times of your life. It’s why many wedding professionals enter the industry, including us here at WeddingHappy.

But as we all know, the wedding planning process can also be *extremely* challenging. So how do you make sure you enjoy this special time in your life while planning a memorable occasion? Here are five ways to help assure the wedding planning process is smoother.

1. Combine dates with wedding planning activities. We’re not suggesting you enjoy a candlelight dinner at a restaurant and review your wedding budget at the same time. But consider reviewing guest lists or party favor ideas over lunch after registering for gifts. Or schedule a cake tasting before an afternoon movie.

2. Do wedding shopping together online. One WeddingHappy Facebook fan told us she and her fiance do a lot of their wedding shopping online. They have fun browsing websites together and get so excited to track their purchases and can’t wait for the items to arrive at their doorstep.

3. Use the right wedding planning tools. There are so many great wedding planning tools — from books to apps — that will make accomplishing your wedding tasks an easy fete. One of the great features of a wedding app is its ability to create a customized task list and timeline for you based on your wedding date. This takes the headache of creating detailed lists away from you and allows you to focus on the fun aspects of your big day.

4. Limit your online inspiration browsing. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by the glitz and ideas on websites like Pinterest and Instagram. We recommend that you set a time limit for those websites so you don’t spend all day looking at ideas that may not be realistic to implement. Remember that those websites are great for ideas and starting points.

5. Make time to talk. This special time in your life only comes along once. Preparing for your wedding can be daunting but it’s also supposed to be a fun, creative project. It’s easy, however, to get caught up in the details and forget to talk with each other about what’s best for you two as a couple. Schedule the time to talk so you’re both included in the planning process. And always listen too!

Talking About Wedding Apps

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California

We’re going to San Francisco!

Liz, the co-founder and developer of WeddingHappy, is speaking at Renaissance.io, a conference for app makers in San Francisco on Monday, January 21, 2013.

Liz is speaking on a panel of experts about the topic of internationalization and localization of iPhone applications. Liz will be focusing on sharing knowledge from her experiences creating WeddingHappy and transforming the app for the Chinese app market with WeddingHappy Chinese.

For the non-techies out there, internationalizing an app means adapting an app so it is usable and useful to non-English speakers.

Did you know that WeddingHappy has been used in 179 countries around the world and is now used by thousands of people per day to help them plan their wedding? There’s so much more to come from WeddingHappy in 2013. It’s going to be a great year!


If you’d like to follow along as the Renaissance.io conference happens on Twitter, watch the hashtag #renio and follow at @renaissanceio.

(Golden Gate Bridge photo from Salim Virji on Flickr)

The 10 Commandments of iPhone Wedding Etiquette

Guest post by Stephanie Herbst of Wedding Party App.

Weddings have come so far in the last couple of years. From iPhones to wedding websites to countless wedding blogs, technology has played a huge role in transforming weddings and making it easier than ever to share photos, videos, notes, and memories!

Yet for all the good that technology has done for weddings, we can’t say there isn’t a catch. We all know it’s easy for people to get a bit too engrossed with their fancy handheld devices and pay too little attention to the bride and groom.

So what’s the best way for a guest to use a smartphone to document the wedding without also seeming rude at the same time? It’s simpler than you think! Just follow these ten commandments for proper iPhone wedding etiquette!

  1. Thou shalt turn your phone on vibrate during the wedding ceremony. (Hopefully you learned this 20 years ago when cellphones were the size of bricks.)
  2. Thou shalt not leave your seat and walk around the entire ceremony to get the perfect shot with your iPhone. No one likes a meddling amateur photographer to mess up the wedding, even if your Instagram feed is quite impressive.
  3. But, thou shalt document the awesome, candid moments of the wedding that you think the couple would love. Because that’s the right thing to do.
  4. Thou shalt send every picture and video taken with your iPhone to the happy couple. Wouldn’t you want them to do the same for you?
  5. Thou shalt not live-Tweet every moment of the wedding and ignore the actual occasion (a couple tweets are okay, though).
  6. Thou shalt think twice before posting that snarky status update about the cash bar (even if cash bars stink).
  7. Thou shalt not change the reception’s Spotify playlist, even if the songs are a bit on the cheesy side. Who are you to judge and put on your hipster playlist?
  8. Thou shalt not publish embarrassing photos or videos of the happy couple to Facebook without their consent. Not only will they be annoyed that they have to untag your photos, they’ll be annoyed at YOU.
  9. Thou shalt not check your work email. C’mon, you’re at a wedding!
  10. Thou shalt only use the very best iPhone apps at a wedding, like WeddingHappy and WeddingParty! Because technology is here to make your wedding more awesome, not the opposite.

So the next time you’re at a wedding, remember these commandments before you pull out your smartphone and check Facebook. With these ten rules, you’ll always be equipped to be on your best behavior and contribute positively to the wedding with your gadgets.

Stephanie Herbst works in marketing at Wedding Party, a company that makes awesome apps to share your engagement and wedding with your closest friends and family. Learn more about them at weddingpartyapp.com, and follow them on Facebook.