Owning an iPhone has been an all-time goal among the millennials, and baby boomers are the consistent fans of Apple products. As options in mobile phones were limited decades back, consumers preferred to have a high quality and standard phone, regardless of their cost.

However, when it comes to the specific class that comprises marketers, investors, professionals, they most probably opt iOS over other operating systems. And this inclination becomes more particular when it comes to enterprise applications.

As we already know, Apple has a strong user base across the globe; applications that best fit the iOS configuration are also high in demand. Heading with native iOS app development is one of the core strategies businesses prefer.

Practical features and advanced functionalities have encouraged iOS native app development.

But, here is the twist.

The question is,

Whether to choose Swift or Objective-C for iOS app development?

Let’s start with comparative advantages between Objective-C and Swift to have a better conclusion.

Key Advantages Of Swift And Objective-C In Native Mobile App Development

Before Swift was brought in by Apple, the core programming was executed through Objective-C.

Readability
Offering clean syntax is the main forte of Swift. And this is the reason why the majority of developers are including Swift over Object-C. This makes it easier to read and write. Also, the code in Object-C is identical to Swift in some cases.

Maintenance
Mainly, without modifying C, Objective-C cannot evolve. However, this makes the task more complicated to maintain compared to Swift. As an instance, it is mandatory to sync both method names and comments in Objective-C files manually. While on the other side, developers working with Swift get the flexibility to code with quality, work on comments, and features.

Safety
Security is one top priority in the present stage. Growing apps market competitiveness is the reason behind its growing importance. The downtime caused due to app crash almost equals to zero in Swift compared to objective-C. Moreover, the syntax and language creation in Swift is error-free.

Speed
With Swift, developing an app is claimed to be 3.9x faster in contrast to other competing frameworks present in the market. Moreover, comparing with the above stats, apps designed with Objective-C are 2.9x faster than those using Python.

Simplified learning
Being in the market for a considerable time, Objective-C has excessive support and application compared to Swift. It is a fact that there is more support for new entrants.

Coming on to the need for native iOS app development, let go through some relevant details.

Why Go With Native iOS App Development?

iOS native app development assures your business security as they are more steady if compared to other opponents in the market.
It is the decisive way to brand your enterprise. Many people are interacting with target enterprises via mobile apps. Well, you fail to get the right app; the chances are that the opponents are already waiting to grab the opportunity.
The apps are the ultimate solution to handling big data. They have the latest analytics and artificial intelligence features that help your business to narrow down to what clients want and deliver it appropriately to drive sales.
The iOS native app development guarantees businesses of better integration between their businesses and inherent features. This will help to bring unique user experience to the target audience. It is the most significant leap towards faster growth.
Getting associated with Apple and its related products will catapult your business to the next level. Apple is known for innovativeness, and your business can ride the same tide to success.

Conclusion,

Being among the pioneering development languages, Swift is indeed better if compared with Objective C in almost all categories. However, it is a clear picture that Swift leads owing to quality, security, and fineness and its potential to stay ahead of opponents. Apple is furiously working to deliver a better version of Swift. So who would or can overlook Swift for other programming options.

iOS native apps have proved to be fruitful in assisting investors and project managers in making their strategies, operations, and marketing robust. It is a fact that the surging marketplace would encourage adopters for Swift.

Again, it is all about how passionate you are about iOS app development. You also have to be smart enough to make the right choice for a venture.

Originally Published at Troop Messenger

Have a thought or an important reminder to set? But no paper or pencil, and no time to pen it down? Fret not, we have got you covered!

The thing with thoughts is that they hit you suddenly, irrespective of the time and place. A million-dollar idea can strike your brain while you are tuning to your favourite song, or walking down the street to fetch your morning coffee. We bet it happens to everybody, including you.

At a time like these, do you frantically search for a paper or pen or you wish for a readily available tool that allows you to make quick memo notes? The latter sounds perfect, and that’s why we’ve rounded up thirteen best note-taking apps and summarised their features.

To find an ideal note-taking app with all the above features, we began with over thirty-six contenders and shortlisted our way down to thirteen plus most promising applications.

Best Note-taking apps: The quicklinks!

1. Evernote

2. Microsoft OneNote

3. Bit.ai

4. Google Keep

5. Simple Note

6. Slips

6. Zoho Notebook

8. Quip

9. Dropbox Paper

10. Boostnote

11. Colornote

12. Notion

13. Milanote

14. Bear

15. MyScript

Evernote: The biggest note-taking app

This app allows users to prioritise and capture ideas, to-do-lists, and projects. It offers capable services such a supporting an extensive range of note types including sketches, checklists, plain text, images, audio memo, and clipped pages.

Evernote Pros:

Evernote Cons:

Great Web Clipper

Easy note formatting

Uncluttered interface

Flexible manipulation of images

OCR feature that allows users to extract text from images

Lacks search capabilities

Poor text formatting

Available on: Windows, iOS, Web, Android, and macOS.

Pricing: Free plan for individual use. Premium plans start at $2.74 per month.

Microsoft OneNote: The Office user’s Note-taking app

With Microsoft OneNote, you can do a lot more than creating notes and checklists.

This tool is perfect for both professional and personal reasons, given how it allows the users to enjoy multiple features like organisation, collaboration, and sharing. It’s the best note taking the app for Android and Mac users.

OneNote Pros:

OneNote Pros

Scribble great idea by writing and drawing with fingertip

Collaborate with anyone

Convert handwritten notes to text

Access from anywhere

Digital Highlighter

Upload files

Organise lessons and share assignment from the central library

Integration with other apps

No reminder features

Complex for newbies

Functionalities differences for Mac Users

Available on: Windows, iOS, Web, Android, and macOS

Pricing: Free plan with 5 GB file upload limit. Extra space can be purchased.

Bit.ai (Document Collaboration Note Taking App)

Bit is a great Microsoft word alternative and the perfect app for team note-taking and documentation. Teams can create notes and documents like to-dos, client materials, project proposals, sales decks, training documents, how-to guides, etc. and collaborate in real-time. They can chat inside of documents, leave in-line comments to leave feedback, make decisions and get everyone on the same page.

Bit.ai Pros:

Bit.ai Cons:

Take rich notes by adding audio, pictures, videos, code blocks, maths equations, etc

Workspaces to keep everything organized

Markdown support

Content management capabilities

Rela-time team collaboration

Chat

Safe and secure

Document tracking

No handwriting support

No mobile app

Google Keep: The Personal user’s Note-taking app

This is another popular free note-taking app that offers users a tactile and comprehensive note-taking space.

The tool has an advanced array of inbuilt features. Keep by Google is the quickest way to offload thoughts and ideas without losing focus.

Google Keep Pros:

Google Keep Cons:

Create notes, lists, and set reminders

Add collaborator

Add drawings and photos

Search notes by creating topics

Colour notes for easy searching

Automatic sync and backup

Follows voice command

Pinboard feature

Multi-device sharing

Limited features

Difficult organization

No Numbered list or bullet point

Available on: Android, iOS, Windows, Google Chrome, macOS

Pricing: Available for free

Simple Note: The affordable note-taking app

Simple Note being the easiest of all note-taking apps delivers a productive way of taking notes, maintaining lists, and penning down ideas.

The tool is clean, light, and free with all components like syncing sharing, and backup.

SimpleNote Pros:

SimpleNote Cons:

Simple and clean UI

Markdown support that allows users to write, preview, and publish notes

Instant searching through tags

Users are allowed to export data

Collaborative features to work together

No reminder

No social media integration

Poor save-to-disk feature

Available on: Windows, iOS, Linux, Web, Android, and macOS

Pricing: Free

Slips : The feature-stack Note-taking app

Slips support you to store your instant idea, a quick note, an image, an URL link, etc., just at the touch of a button.

It has power-packed feature-stack of auto text suggestions, organizes text with bullets and number lists, seamless keypad, supports instant image capture, and many more.

It enables the user to write text by choosing the font styles of Bold, Italic and Underlined. With the help of coloured templates, the user can easily pick the choice to make note-making more professional and beautiful.

Slips Pros:

Slips Cons:

Free to use

Simple and Clean UI

Auto-Save Option

Unlimited number of slips

Set Time Reminders

Lack of social media integration.

Zoho Notebook: The most beautiful note-taking app

This is an excellent app for both professional and student, for it provides a wide range of features that allow users to jot down notes, set reminders, create checklists, and sync it all. Not only is it free, but it is ad-free too.

Zoho Notebook Pros:

Zoho Notebook Cons:

Audio notes

Upload photos and files

Pre-built checklist

Completely free and ad-free

Cloud Syncing

Beautiful interface

Ease of use

Lacks some features like tag search

No text formatting

Weak community support

Available on: Windows, iOS, Web, Android, and macOS

Pricing: Free

Quip: The project-focused note-taking app

Quip is not your regular note taking application since it can do a lot more. There’s a reason why it is touted as best note taking the app for Mac users.

The app is a spreadsheet and works processing application that lets you work with others, take notes, create documents, and share spreadsheets on the go.

Quip Pros

Quip Cons:

Complete transparency of collaboration features

Secure mobile collaboration

Group Chat

Integration with Google Drive and Dropbox

Create folders and subfolders

Private folders for personal note-taking

Efficient storage and syncing

Slow search function

Limited features with a free plan

Available on: Windows, iOS, Web, Android, and macOS

Pricing: $30 per month for a team of five, and an additional $10 per member.

Dropbox Paper: The Best Collaboration Note-taking app

Dropbox paper is a free note-taking tool from Dropbox which works by bringing creation and collaboration at one place. The tool allows the users to write, edit, review, brainstorm, and manage the task on the go.

Dropbox paper pros:

Dropbox Paper Cons:

Add audio, pictures, videos

Excellent cloud sync and backup

Essential note-taking functionalities

High-level task management

No Highlight features

No reminder or timer setting

Boostnote: An open-source Note-taking app

This is an open source memo app made especially for programmers. The stylish tools are backed up by a great community of developers and programmers.

With Boostnet, the users can take notes, write mathematical formulas, and codes, and customise as required.

Boostnote Pros:

Boostnote Cons:

Markdown notes

Various formatting options

Semi-live previews

Code syntax in over 100 languages

Backed-up by the community of programmers

Easy syncing across devices

Customisation features

Consistency issues

Poor syncing

Doesn’t work well when offline

Available on: Windows, iOS, Web, Android, and macOS

Pricing: Free

Colornote: A Smart Note-taking app

Colornote is a neatly designed application with coloured templates. The key features include quick creation of lists and notes, effortless organisation, and secure backup to the cloud.

All these features make Colornote the best note taking the app for students and professionals.

Colornote Pros:

Colornote Cons:

Checklists and Text notes

Colour Coding

Sticky notes

Managing calendar and schedule

Setting reminder

Notes sharing

Locking and archiving features

Backup and searching

Autolink to search the web

Not available for iOS and macOS

Chrome extension unavailable

Lacks some basic features

Lack of searching options

Availability: Android and Amazon Appstore

Pricing: Free

Notion: The all-in-one workspace Note-taking app

The notion makes for an all-in-one Workspace with excellent features like writing, planning, collaboration, and organisation. It’s more than the note-taking app.

The tool gives the user the best of everything by bringing together productivity and collaboration features.

Notion Pros:

Notion Cons:

Notes and Documents with multiple media types

Knowledgebase through easy-to-find answers

Kanban boards, list views, and calendar

Databases and Spreadsheets

Markdown

Drag and drop

Runs Offline

Syncing across devices

Easy Integration

Complex UI

No feature to organize snippets

No handwriting supports

Available on: Windows, iOS, Web, Android, and macOS

Pricing: Free plan with 5 GB file upload limit. Paid plan at $4 per month with unlimited upload and storage.

The Rise of Collaboration Tools in the Digital Workplace
The digital age has transformed the way we work, with information now accessible at our fingertips. However, the effectiveness of this information hinges on its timely and appropriate delivery. Missteps in communication can lead to significant setbacks for even the largest organizations. Recognizing this, enterprises are increasingly turning to business collaboration tools to ensure seamless team communication and organized workspaces.

Slack: The Reigning Champion of Collaboration
Slack, an award-winning and widely acclaimed collaboration platform, has set the standard with its powerful messaging capabilities and user-friendly interface. Features such as threading, instant messaging, pinning, document tracking, and swift navigation have made Slack a go-to tool for corporate teams.

However, despite Slack’s impressive offerings, there are compelling reasons to consider alternatives. Some organizations may find gaps in Slack’s features, while others might discover tools with advanced features that elevate productivity. Additionally, budget-friendly options are available that may better align with a team’s financial constraints.

A Glimpse at the Top Slack Competitors
Let’s explore the top contenders in the realm of team collaboration tools, each with its own set of standout features and advantages.

Troop Messenger
Troop Messenger is a robust business messaging application designed to facilitate communication and collaboration among team members. It offers a secure environment with features like instant messaging, video calls, and file sharing. Troop Messenger stands out for its high-speed connectivity, end-to-end encryption, and privacy-focused firewall. It also includes productivity-enhancing features such as speech-to-text conversion and the ability to delete or recall messages. With a free version suitable for small businesses and a premium version at just $1 per user per month, Troop Messenger is an affordable and secure choice for organizations.

Fleep
Fleep is a versatile team collaboration software that merges business chat with multitasking tools. It operates across various devices and platforms, making it one of the most adaptable solutions available. Users can manage notifications at both app and conversation levels, and the interface is thoughtfully designed. Fleep’s paid plan starts at $5 per member per month, offering a balance of affordability and functionality.

Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams enhances team collaboration with top-tier security and the ability to customize workspaces and integrate with Office 365 applications. It provides 1 TB of storage per organization and a 15 GB file upload limit. Office 365 subscribers can access Microsoft Teams for free, benefiting from seamless integration with Microsoft’s suite of tools.

Zoho Cliq
Zoho Cliq offers messaging features that surpass traditional chat applications. It is favored by businesses of all sizes for its ability to consolidate multiple channels into a single window. Zoho Cliq emphasizes security, user training, and quick navigation. The free plan includes 100 GB of file storage per organization, while the paid plan offers 100 GB per user at $0.58 per user per month.

Blink
Blink caters to companies with a deskless workforce, such as those in transit, logistics, and hospitality. It digitizes processes and engages employees through a mobile app. Blink boasts enterprise-level security, including encrypted data and remote wipe capabilities. It has been shown to decrease employee turnover by 28% and increase satisfaction, making it a valuable tool for internal communications and HR teams.

Ryver
Ryver excels in task and content management, offering built-in solutions for video and audio conversations. Its search functionality allows for unlimited message retrieval, and the platform supports comprehensive notification management. Ryver’s premium plan starts at $99 per month, with an enterprise option at $399 per month.

Mattermost
Mattermost is a premium, open-source business chat software that provides a private cloud for scalable and highly encrypted messaging. It features brainstorming tools, task management, and video conferencing. Mattermost’s self-hosted nature ensures data security, with pricing starting at $3.35 per user per month for the Enterprise E10 plan and $8.50 for the Enterprise E20 plan.

Bitrix24
Bitrix24 facilitates team communication through video calls, social networking, and project management on an end-to-end open-source platform. It offers a centralized repository for secure media sharing and features such as document storage, chat integration, and CRM customization. Bitrix24′s standard plan is priced at $99 per user per month, with a professional plan at $199 per user per month.

Conclusion
While Slack remains a powerful tool for business collaboration, the landscape is rich with alternatives that offer diverse features and pricing models. Organizations should assess their specific needs and explore these competitors to find the best fit for their team’s communication and collaboration requirements.

Originally Published at Troop Messenger

“Go paperless”, “Go digital” are the slogans of today’s digital world.

The archaic method of managing and monitoring attendance with huge stacks of registers for hundreds of employees and generating reports of each employee attendance will be a nightmare. Courtesy to technological advancement, many software solutions are in front of us to ease the tasks now.

Eliminate the manual methods of attendance management with “paper and ink” and revamp this system to a biometric attendance system with “scanner and biometrics”.

Biometrics-iris, face, and fingerprints have become the digital signatures to the attendance of all employees all over the world in the full spectrum of industries irrespective of brands.

These systems also can be used in

Schools,

Colleges,

Educational institutes,

Visitor management,

Citizen identification

Many designers and developers have already adopted this system and provided various feature set software applications based on biometrics.

Have a look at these top 10 biometric attendance systems and read on to know their features as well. Here we go!

Biometric Attendance Systems

1. Time dynamo

2. mDESK7

3. A-ID Biometric

4. eSSL Biometric attendance system (E9C WIFI)

5. ACTAtek Biometric

6. 4Gid

7. Formula One Biometric Attendance System

8. Bioscan

9. Timecheck

10. Bio star 09

1. Time Dynamo
Developer: Tvisha Technologies Inc.

Specifications: Requires iOS 10.3 or later, compatible with iPhone, iPod, iPod touch, iOS, and Android devices. TPOS7 Product 7′ TFT LCD, Network 3G Data/ Dual SIM, 7′ IPS capacitive touch screen, resolution of 1024*600, Quad-core Processor, the memory of RAM DDR3 2 GB, Built-in Storage 16 GB, Support max.

32G with micro SD card,

Rear 5 MP & Front 2 MP camera,

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi connectivity,

Integrated STQC certified Fingerprint scanner.

Description: The compact professional real-time attendance management and leave management system empowers businesses with accurate tracking and monitoring employee’s attendance with biometric automated solutions. It scans each employee through either iris recognition pattern, faces recognition method or fingerprints. With the advent of the uniqueness of these biometric patterns, it has become easy in eliminating proxy attendance.

Features: Real-time Attendance tracking, GPS tracking, Absence management, Payroll generation, Scheduling Management, Notifications, and Reports.

Accolades: Time Dynamo has been shortlisted by NASSCOM under the top 10 innovative product showcases in the 5th edition of NPC

2. mDESK7
Developer: Mantra Softech India Private Limited

Specifications:

1.2 GHz Quad-Core processor,

7 inches or higher; 1024×600 resolution-display,

8 GB of internal memory and 2GB of RAM,

Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity,

Single SIM with 4G support,

Audio-Microphone,

Rear Camera,

LED flash.

Description: This device is used for registration and authentication of an employee through a fingerprint impression. This Wi-Fi enabled device is available at an affordable price. You can use it for Guest Management, Canteen Management, Citizen Identification for government schemes. The data can be stored within the device. Features: A separate port for pen drive connection, FBI PIV fingerprint sensor, 1:1 & 1: N matching, GPS

.

3. A-ID Biometric
Developer: A-ID systems India

Specifications:

Dual CPU (32bit RISC + 400MHz DSP),

Memory of 1GB flash and 34MB RAM,

Fingerprint capacity of 200000 users(400000 templates),

Log capacity of 1,000,000 events, and

Biometric identification speed of 3,000 match in 1 second (max 20,000 templates).

Description: It is well-known for the Indian smart card industry. Features: Records real-time entries and updates periodically and stores all the data in the form of cloud storage

4. eSSL Biometric attendance system (E9C WIFI)
Developer: ESSL security

Specifications:

10000 users,

1,00,000 logs of transaction storage,

500DPI optical sensor,

Card storage of 10000.

Description: It is the best and reliable centralized time and biometric attendance management system. The firmware (Push data technology) is easy to install and use. Used at canteen management, school attendance, gyms and clubs, and production management.

Features: Attendance management and Payroll generation

5. ACTAtek Biometric
Developer: ACTAtek

Specifications:

500 DPI optical scanner,

20000 users and 75000 log events can be allowed.

Description: Allows remote user registration and authentication. Used for security and workforce management applications. These biometric attendance systems allow 5 modes of authentications such as fingerprint, smart card, ID, barcode, and PIN. It has a multi-lingual interface. Scanning speed is less than a second.

Features: Attendance management, Payroll generation, leave and clock management

6. 4Gid
Developer: 4G Identity Pvt. Ltd.

Specifications:

FBI scanners,

Captures wet and dry fingers,

Fingerprint live slap scanner.

Description: 4Gid is the largest biometric identification database. It is a fingerprint and iris authentication system and used for a wide range of applications such as monetary transaction securities, ATMs, e-passports, e-visas, etc.

Features: Time and attendance management, Blacklist management

7. Formula One Biometric Attendance System
Developer: Formula One solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Specifications:

The capacity of 1500 users,

Wi-Fi connectivity,

Able to record 50000 transactions,

Matching 1:1,1: N up to 2200 fingerprints.

Description: It can be used in small, medium, retail applications. Employees can be identified with fingerprint, RFID, or Password.

Features: Automated time and attendance management.

8. Bioscan
Developer: Sansci group

Specifications: Secugen Hamster Pro 20 scanner device.

Description: This biometric attendance software can be adopted at schools, corporate companies, and field jobs.

Features: Fast and reliable live tracking of attendance, accessible on both online and offline, daily report generation.

9. Timecheck
Developer: Timecheck

Specifications: It uses various scanners such as Anviz FacePass Pro face recognition devices.

Description: It is the web and mobile-enabled time and attendance management system. It is implemented in diverse work culture. It can be integrated with any biometric systems

Features: Accurate time and attendance tracking of various shifts and administrative management, Mobile application, Comp off management, Payroll generation, and Reports.

10. Bio star 09
Developer: Star link

Specifications:

Larger graphics LCD,

The storage capacity of 9,560 finger templates,

5 lacs recording capacity and TCP/IP & USB port connectivity for data transfer.

Description: Anyone can access it through a fingerprint, card or PIN. It can be applied in any industry. The features can be customizable.

Features: Attendance record and manage

Conclusion:
These are the top 10 biometric attendance systems you can adopt in your organization, company, or industry according to your business requirements.