How to Hire an App Developer?

Once you’ve your App product idea in mind, the next most important question you mostly encounter is “How can I hire an app developer or put together an app development team?” The simple answer is — you can hire an App Development Company, or Hire an App Developer Freelancer, or hire An Offshore App Development Team. We’ll go into details of all these options and some more further in this article, so by the time you end up reading you’ll be well well versed in the following: Finding an App Developer, Shortlisting an App developer, hiring an app developer, negotiating on App development cost and much more.

The global count of smartphone users has surpassed three billion and is projected to further escalate in the forthcoming years. This wave in smartphone demand has triggered a parallel wave in the demand for mobile apps and their development.

The requirement for no-cost mobile app construction tools is also currently at a peak, coinciding with the exponential expansion of the market. Numerous bespoke app development firms operate within this market, alongside Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms that facilitate do-it-yourself app creation without the need for coding skills.

Top Places to Source and Hire App Developers

In the dynamic realm of app development, the journey toward crafting a standout digital solution commences with the pivotal choice of your development team. Just as a treasure map leads to hidden gems, this section serves as a compass, guiding you through the top avenues where the brightest app development minds converge. From specialized development firms to global marketplaces, personal networks, and tech hubs, we’ll unravel the diverse pathways that usher your app’s journey toward excellence. Come along as we traverse these corridors of innovation and unravel the possibilities that lie within when you’re on the hunt for the ideal app developer.

Hire an App Developer from An App Development Company
When embarking on the journey of app development, one of the most sensible choices is to collaborate with an established app development company. This avenue presents a host of advantages that set it apart as the premier choice for sourcing app developers and teams.

An app development company houses a multifaceted team of experts, each specializing in distinct areas — from designers and developers to testers and architects. This comprehensive skill set ensures that every facet of the app’s creation is meticulously addressed.

Hiring from Freelance Marketplaces
While freelance marketplaces like Upwork or Freelancer.com offer a convenient platform to connect with individual app developers, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons before opting for this avenue. Freelancers can be cost-effective, especially for smaller projects or specific tasks. The flexibility to hire on a project-by-project basis is appealing for startups who have limited budgets.

Hiring from Personal Circles or Platforms like LinkedIn
Sourcing app developers from personal networks or professional platforms like LinkedIn might seem appealing due to the familiarity and potential ease of communication. However, it is critical to recognize the disadvantages of this strategy.

The main drawback lies in the unpredictability of finding the right fit within a specific timeframe. While personal connections might offer convenience, they may not always possess the necessary skills or availability required for the project. This can lead to delays, frustration, and potentially compromised quality.

Sourcing App Developers from Tech Blogs or Forums
Exploring tech blogs or forums to source app developers might seem like an unconventional approach, but it comes with its share of challenges. While some tech aficionados may provide useful insights and ideas, depending only on this route for complete app development might be dangerous.

The primary drawback lies in the lack of structured project management and accountability. Engaging with individuals solely through online platforms might result in miscommunication, missed deadlines, and a lack of oversight. The absence of a dedicated team working in tandem can hinder the collaborative process that is necessary for creating a high-quality app.

Elevating Your App Vision with Agicent: The Definitive Choice
In the fast-paced world of app development, where several options compete for your attention, the route to excellence is created by making strategic decisions that correspond with your vision and ambitions. Among the plethora of avenues available, one distinct choice emerges as the epitome of comprehensive solutions: partnering with an app development company like Agicent.

Conclusion
In the ever-changing landscape of app entrepreneurship, the quest to hire the perfect app developer is like choosing the right toppings for your pizza — it can make or break the entire experience! As you embark on this whimsical journey, it’s crucial to recognize that app development is not just about summoning a coding wizard; it’s more like assembling a squad of multidisciplinary superheroes who join forces to craft a knockout app.

The challenges and insights traversed in this blog unveil the hidden treasures of the hiring process. From sketching out your project blueprint and scrutinising technical prowess to balancing budgets, dissecting portfolios, and gazing into the crystal ball of long-term visions — each step is akin to picking the right emojis for your digital masterpiece.

Source: https://www.agicent.com/blog/hire-app-developer/

Top Automation Testing Tools in 2024

In the bygone era, the primary objective of software testing was to detect errors in the software product. The goal was to improve the overall software quality.
However, the scope of software testing has been broadened significantly, thanks to automation testing tools. They can enable the test cases execution rapidly with less human intervention. Thus, allows for quick feedback as compared to manual testing, which in turn allows for significant time savings and enhanced efficiency. Let’s delve into the automation world and explore the features and functionalities of different tools to drive successful testing outcomes:

1. Selenium:

It is one of the top automation testing tools that facilitate the automated testing of various functional aspects of a web application. It has diverse tools, including Selenium IDE and Selenium Grid.

Features

1. Language support
It supports various programming languages when it comes to test scripts, such as Python, Ruby and Java.

2. Cross-browser & cross-Os compatibility
It has the diverse capability to allow automated testing in various modern web browsers such as Firefox, Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Safari. Additionally, it provides testing support across many operating systems, including Linux, Windows and MacOS.

3. Integration with CI/CD tools
It can seamlessly integrate CI/CD (continuous integration/ continuous deployment) tools such as Jenkins and Docker.

2. Cypress

It is a modern testing framework for web apps utilizing JavaScript to simplify the writing and execution test processes.

Features

1. Efficient test automation
It offers to curate web test application scripts that leverage JavaScript. It simplifies the writing test processes and seamlessly interacts with web elements by providing a clear and intuitive syntax.

2. Real-time debugging
It has the unique feature of real-time debugging, which can detect and fix the issues that happen during test execution.

3. Integration with CI tools
It can provide seamless integration with popular CI tools, including CircleCI, Jenkins and TravisCI, which ensures continuous testing and quick feedback.

3. TestRail

It is an intuitive web-based testing tool that can effectively organize, track, and manage test cases. TestRail can offer a centralized platform to monitor test activities, allowing the team to improvise their testing processes and offer spectacular quality software.

Features

1. Comprehensive test tracking
TestRail helps to track tests for multiple platforms, such as mobile devices, browsers etc. It offers a unified view of test cases while allowing efficient test execution monitoring.

2. Seamless integration
It can seamlessly integrate automation testing tools, including JIRA, Selenium and Jenkins with popular project management tools, enabling efficient collaboration.

3. Real-time progress tracking
TestRail allows real-time visibility to track the progress of testing activities by generating traceability reports and monitoring test execution progress.

4. Rainforest QA

A powerful no-code QA solution that helps creates and executes tests by eliminating the need for coding or scripting.

Features

1. No code required
It offers a user-friendly interface so that the test can be created and performed seamlessly with the help of drag and select options. Thereby, it eliminates the need for coding and makes the testing experience super-easy.

2. Rapid test development
It enables rapid development and running tests while quicken the overall testing cycle, helping teams obtain faster feedback for software quality enhancement.

5. Katalon Studio

It is an intuitive automated testing tool that provides a rich feature set such as data-driven testing, cross-browser testing, and ease of use to make web application testing make it easy.

Features

1. Test creation & execution
With its scripting capabilities and built-in recorders, testers can seamlessly build test cases by interacting with the web application. It has a user-friendly interface empowers testers to create and execute web application tests.

2. Cross-browser testing
It supports testing via different browsers such as Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer and Safari for consistent compatibility and functionality.

6. Appium

A popular and widely used test automation framework for mobile apps and became popular by incorporating the Selenium strengths. It can seamlessly automate testing for hybrid, Native and mobile web apps by leveraging the WebDriver protocol.

Features

1. Multiple scripting language support
By utilizing Appium, testers have the vast flexibility to use their preferred programming language as it supports multiple scripting languages, including PHP, JavaScript, Ruby, and Python.

2. Code and test reusability
It allows the test script to be written for a single platform, which can be utilized on other mobile platforms such as Windows, Android, and iOS.

7. Espresso

It is a test automation framework developed by Google and is widely popular among developers. It offers a platform-specific solution for Android app testing, especially Native Android apps.

Features

1. Support Java and JUnit
It supports an extensively used programming language such as Java and a testing framework like JUnit for native Android apps. Due to its Java and JUnit familiarity, it makes it easy for developers to integrate Espresso into their current testing workflows.

2. Lightweight APIs
Its lightweight APIs offering can make the test upgrades and maintenance more easy and manageable, which can minimize the overall effort required for the test maintenance.

3. Android UI test to APKs compilation
Incorporating a testing Framework like Espresso can efficiently compile Android UI tests to APKs (Android application packages), simplifying the running test processes on various environments.

8. Robotium

An intuitive automation testing framework dedicated to design for testing Android applications. It competently provides a robust Android app testing solution for different environments and test levels.

Features

1. Scripting language
It harnesses the potential of the well-known programming language Java as it works as a scripting language for mobile app test automation.

2. Simple API for test generation
It can perform quick test generation by leveraging its simple and user-friendly API. This framework can optimize the automated test process while minimizing the time and effort needed for test development.

9. Selendroid

This is one of the automation tools for testing, specifically used for native and hybrid Android application testing.t can provide a comprehensive Android app testing solution due to its intuitive features like WebDriver API and Selenium integration.

Features

1. Multi-device interaction
By leveraging this framework, testers can interact with multiple devices at the same time, which allows them to test applications for different configurations and models.

2. High-quality recording
It’s a really painful task for the testers to manually script every action. Right? But with Selendroid capabilities, testers can automatically record and playback test scenarios’ interactions.

3. Integration with Selenium grid
Selendroid facilitates the efficiency and scalability of test execution, especially in large-scale scenarios.

10. TestComplete

It is one of the commercial testing automation tools offering intuitive database testing support. TestComplete offers robust features to make the database testing process effective.

Features

1. Database Connectivity
It supports various databases such as Oracle, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL etc, with the help of its connectivity options and built-in drivers.

2. Data Validation
It allows data validation from databases against the expected conditions or values to aim for data accuracy.

3. Test data management
From managing the test data in the test script to directly manipulating the test data within the tool, the TestComplete can quickly set up test scenarios to make sure the data state is consistent during testing.

Source: https://www.agicent.com/blog/a....utomation-testing-to

Best sites to book a cruise
Many people plan to go on a cruise, but how many actually experience it? Well, planning a cruise is an exciting adventure, but it can also be a complicated and daunting process. The number of passengers in 2022 were approximately 30 Million, and the annual revenue generated by the cruise industry was approximately $27 Billion. Cruising is big business and that’s why you have different ways of booking a cruise, for instance, it can be directly through the website on your own or through the cruise line with a PVP (Personal Vacation Planner). Another way is through Online Travel Agencies (OATs) such as Expedia, Priceline and Orbitz. OTAs offer great deals and discounts, as well as comprehensive information on cruises.

1. Vacations To Go

Vacations To Go, an amazingly laid out website, which has been running successfully since 1984. The website uses 30 technologies from 4 different industries such as Advertising and Content Management System. It has over eight million happy customers and declares itself to be the largest online cruise agency in the world. It’s an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau (BB with A+ rating. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vacations Publications, Inc., which publishes magazines, books and special reports for travel and mature markets.

2. Cruisesonly

CruisesOnly is America’s Largest Cruise Agency, which has been running successfully since 2011 alongside parent company World Travel Holdings. The website uses 81 different technologies from 17 different industries such as Conversion & Analytics. The website claims to be one of the best cruise booking sites that offer exclusive and impressive deals. But once you read the fine print well you will realize there’s a lot of fine print.

3. Cruise.com

Cruise.com is one of the Internet’s Largest Cruise Specialists and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Omega World Travel, Inc. The website is slightly messed up and can be overwhelming for newbies. There are a total of 66 technologies from 11 different industries installed on the website. They have been connecting travelers with the perfect cruise vacations since 1998. They have been named the Travel Agency of the Year (2022) and won top awards with every major cruise line.

4. CruiseDirect

The cruise-specific website might look outdated but gives you the best deal possible. The company has been around for two decades and served half a million people. When you go through the website you can rapidly search cruises by destination, departure port, month, how long you want to stay on cruise or which cruise line you are looking for. The website uses 57 technologies from 17 different industries such as email service.

5. Cruisecheap.com

The presentation of the website is elegant. The high volume, cruise-only travel agency specializes in cheap cruise vacations. They have done full justice to their tagline which is “We Make People Happy”. The Florida-based travel company was acquired by Arrivia , Inc in December 2019. It was founded by Uf Tukel and Don Walker. Cruisecheap is a member of the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). The award-winning, multi-branded travel company that started with 5 employees today has a team of 120. CLIA, ACC & MCC Certified agency, and member of the Better Business Bureau & meets all BBB membership standards.

6. CruiseCompete

The website might not be impressive and attractive but the deals, offers and services provided are unbeatable. Trusted by more than 1 million cruise consumers since 2003 the company has been running successfully. They have brought together more than 500 independent travel agencies to make cruise booking easy and quick. Customers only need to submit the ship name and date of sail with little relevant information and the travel agent will approach them with the best of offers so that they can compare them in one place. The concept was so powerful that the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Travel and Leisure, Kiplinger’s, USA Today, Detroit Press and many more of the world’s most influential publications have rambled about them.

7. AmericanDiscountCruises

The simple and graceful website is one of the best cruise sites among others. The website uses 37 technologies from 12 different industries including Advertising, Social, Payment & Currencies, and others. The company came with the mission of offering customers the best vacation ever. They are one of the world’s leaders in cruise deals and discounted all-inclusive resort packages. They have been the winners of both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises’.

8. Cruisewatch

Cruisewatch is for people who love the power of data. AI-based travel tech company which aims to find technological solutions for every inefficiency in the cruise booking process. The website uses a compilation of data points to predict the best time for its customers to book a cruise based on price-allowing you to get the best deals. They monitor nearly 25,000 cruises and combine that info with price history and reviews to help you choose the most suitable cruise at the best price. Users can see price predictions for selected itineraries and set up alerts accordingly to alert by email whenever the cruise is available with a dropped price.

Source: https://www.agicent.com/blog/b....est-sites-to-book-a-

Best Diabetes Management Apps of 2024
Diabetes is a severe and fast-growing health concern in the 21st century which is affecting millions of people. A WHO report says about 422 million people worldwide have diabetes. We live in an era of technology where everything is linked to our smartphones right from shopping to tracking health. It’s a clever move if you have one of the best diabetes management apps installed in your handy gadgets, as it will keep track of your health during your diabetic diagnosis journey. But the primary concern is finding the right app that addresses your concerns and makes managing diabetes easier. Also, it’s essential to use an app that is built on the latest technology so that its aim for managing your health is met.

1. mySugr

mySugr app made for people with diabetes by people with diabetes. The app does it all for type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes management, and along with this it offers carb counting, glucose tracking, and bolus dose calculation estimates. It gives you weekly, monthly, and even yearly reports on your blood glucose levels. With an overview of your last three months of blood glucose levels, the app will give you an estimate of HbA1c anytime and anywhere on the dashboard.

2. Glucose Buddy Diabetes Tracker

Glucose Buddy Diabetes Tracker app by Azumio, Inc tracks your blood glucose, medicine, CGM data, insulin, carbs, food photos, exercise, weight, A1C, blood pressure, and ketones. The app gives you convenient reminders of when your blood glucose is due to be checked or it’s time to take meds. It gets integrated with Dexcom glucometer devices, Apple Health apps, and more, making tracking easy and convenient. Plus, it comes with custom insights that help you understand how your lifestyle impacts your diabetes management.

3. MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal app is not diabetics specific but it offers exceptional food tracking software. With the app you will be able to locate lots of products with accurate nutrition information. It has features such as a meal and activity log, customized recommendations based on goals, a supportive community, tracking progress over time, meal plans and custom carb-tracking tools. There is a note section where users can record blood sugar levels and insulin injections. The app allows users to log many restaurants’ foods or even use a barcode scanner to quickly lookup for food at a store or pantry.

4. Diabetes:M

Diabetes:M is the go-to solution for people who want better control of their health and rely on having all relevant information right in their reach. The app offers features such as test time reminders, nutritional log and tracking system, integrations with fitness apps and blood sugar trend mapping. It also offers a bolus calculator based on the nutritional information you add.

5. OneTouch Reveal

The app complements the OneTouch Verio Flex and OneTouch Verio Reflect meters to track your readings over time. The app will notify you of repeated highs or lows so you can take action to avoid them in the future. The color-sure technology that automatically organizes your blood sugar results in a color-code logbook and dashboard that is linked with your logged food, insulin, and activity. You can easily share your progress with your family, friends, and trusted care network. Your physician can log in to review your history and adjust your care plan based on diet and carb ratios.

6. BlueStar Diabetes

BlueStar is a free, award-winning app powered by Welldoc for people living with diabetes. The app offers a variety of helpful tools for those with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Based on your blood glucose, medications, and lifestyle, the app guides you to improve your A1C and overall health. The comprehensive app is an FDA-cleared Class II Medical Device. The digital health solution offers automated, real-time, tailored, coaching and support. It analyzes BG, BP, food, activity, sleep, weight, and medications.

7. Fooducate-Calorie Counter App

The Fooducate app is a nutrition-centered monitoring app. It helps you to figure out which food can keep your blood sugar in a healthy range. A unique feature of the app is that it has more than 300,000 foods programmed. Whenever the user scans the barcode, he or she will see an A, B, C, or D, grading for how healthy the food is. If the food fails to make the grade then alternative suggestions for more nutritious options are received. With the app, you can easily track and discover all the information about the food item such as added sugar content, hidden ingredients, and more.

8. Beat Diabetes

The app is best for newly diagnosed people. It helps them to speed up the condition for improvement. The app offers tips for understanding and managing diabetes, such as the best and worst foods items for diabetes, advice on controlling blood sugar levels, descriptions of potential diabetes complications to look for, and an overall of the latest treatment strategies. The app is only available on the Google Play Store.

9. Glucose Tracker-Diabetic Diary

The app becomes an indispensable glucose buddy for anyone with gestational diabetes, type 1 or type 2. It will allow you to track regular hemoglobin, sugar levels, pressure, and insulin reminder and also add tags, medications, conditions and weight to each record. The strong and smart insulin tracker helps you to set your daily value and to monitor every medication.

10. Medical ID

Many times the simplest technology is the most important. The pre-installed application on the iPhone provides information to responders in the event of an emergency. The app allows you to create a medical profile that includes all your important details. All the information is accessible on the lock screen of your mobile phone. The app provides information on nearby hospitals hence keeping you safe. It’s not a diabetes-specific app, but it’s most needed in the times of emergency.

Source: https://www.agicent.com/blog/b....est-diabetes-managem

Best Alternatives to Airbnb

Are you tired of sifting through countless Airbnb listings to find the perfect place to stay during your travels? It’s time to broaden your horizons and explore other options in the growing world of vacation rental platforms. Whether you’re looking for a more sustainable option, a local experience, or just a change of pace, these platforms are sure to provide you with the perfect home away from home. So sit back, relax, and learn about the world of vacation rental alternatives to Airbnb.

1. VRBO

VRBO, or Vacation Rentals by Owner, initially known as HomeAway, is one of the leading alternative platforms to Airbnb. It is a popular vacation rental platform that connects travelers with property owners around the world. Since its establishment in 1995, VRBO has been using technology to improve the rental experience for both guests and owners.

2. Booking.com

Booking.com is a popular online platform that connects travelers with holiday rental owners from 1996. Booking.com offers short-term housing and apartment rentals. With a user-friendly platform, it’s easy to book these types of accommodations. However, this also means there is limited interaction with the host, similar to booking a hotel.

3. Agoda Homes

Agoda is widely recognized as the largest online travel agency in Asia, offering over 1.8 million quality accommodations including hotels, resorts, budget hostels, and now homes. Unlike other Airbnb websites, Agoda Homes only features entire apartments or homes listed directly by the owners. This eliminates the need for direct contact with the host, allowing for a more streamlined check-in and check-out process. However, guests are still welcome to request local recommendations from the host. The Agoda app is available for both Android and iOS devices.

4. Flipkey

Flipkey is another vacation rental platform owned by TripAdvisor. It allows homeowners and property managers to list their properties for short-term rentals, and provides a platform for travelers to find and book accommodations. The front-end technologies used by Flipkey are HTML, CSS, Javascript, and AngularJS. For the back-end they have used PHP and MySQL for data management and processing.

5. 9flats

Next in a list of the best alternatives to Airbnb is 9flats. Another vacation rental platform offers travelers a wide range of accommodations. 9flats.com includes apartments, homes, and rooms in over 200 countries worldwide. It has set itself apart from Airbnb by offering a collection of entire apartments for rent, rather than just individual rooms. With a wide range of properties available, travelers are sure to find a suitable place to stay no matter where their travels take them.

6. Homestay

Homestay is a home rental platform that connects travelers with hosts. The platform was created with the goal of providing travelers with a more authentic and affordable travel experience. With Homestay, travelers have the option to book a private room in a host’s home for a specified duration. This differs from traditional vacation home rental services, offering both short and long-term options.

7. Sonder

Sonder offers a unique experience that blends the affordability and flexibility of Airbnb with the comfort and luxury of a hotel stay. With private rental apartments available in various cities around the world, guests can enjoy the privacy and freedom of having their own space including kitchen and living area. As of 2021, Sonder has over 5,000 listings in over 35 cities and is constantly growing. Whether you’re looking for a cozy studio in New York or a spacious six-bedroom apartment in Montreal.

8. Plum Guide

Plum Guide focuses on providing a high-quality vacation rental experience. They rigorously vet each property before adding it to their collection. Their team of Home Critics inspects each property to ensure that it meets their standards. The stringent vetting process ensures that guests are guaranteed an exceptional, magnificent vacation rental.

9. Onefinestay

Onefinestay is a luxury home rental platform that utilizes technology to offer a personalized travel experience for its guests. The company is known for its luxurious and spacious homes, which are hand-picked and carefully curated to provide travelers with a comfortable and authentic stay in their desired destination.

10. Vacasa

Vacasa is a leading full-service vacation rental management company that leverages cutting-edge technology to make vacation rental management easy and stress-free for homeowners. Vacasa’s proprietary technology is designed to optimize the entire vacation rental experience for both homeowners and guests.

Source: https://www.agicent.com/blog/b....est-alternatives-to-