Mobomo was thrilled to sponsor the third annual Hyattsville Zombie Run 5K on October 13th! The event is hosted by the Hyattsville Elementary School PTA and proceeds support HES, including the purchase of art supplies, musical instruments, coats for students, field trips, teacher professional development, and more.
This Zombie themed 5K race is USATF certified and timed, and the 1 Mile Kids’ Challenge and 1K Family Fun Run are opportunities for everyone to participate. People dressed up as a zombie or any Halloween costume that added to the fun! All races started and finished at Magruder Park. It was a great, family-fun event and it was a great way to start a Saturday. Our CEO, Brian Lacey, left the rest of Mobomo team in the dust and completed his 5k in just over 23 minutes!
The 13th Annual W3 Awards were just announced and two Mobomo projects were selected by The Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts as Silver winners! We are honored that The USO was selected in the mobile app category and www.NASA.gov was selected as a government winner in the web category. These awards celebrate digital excellence by honoring outstanding Websites, Web Marketing, Video, Mobile Sites/Apps & Social content created by some of the best interactive agencies, designers, and creators worldwide. These awards are also the first major competition that is accessible to companies of all sizes, from Fortune 500 companies to small startups.
The USO
Mobomo was able to recognize the USO and the mobile application that we partnered with them to create. This application fosters greater discoverability of locations where USO provides services and programs offered by the USO through its distributed locations and online. Prior to the discovery phase, USO was seeking to design, develop, and deploy a cross-platform mobile application that introduced an additional channel for the United States military service members and their families to better engage with USO centers and programs. Currently, there are 200+ USO locations that all create their own content. We were able to pull the CMS data and integrate it into the app so that the service member receives the content from the service center that they are physically at or that is most adjacent to them.
NASA
In addition, Mobomo also entered www.NASA.gov under the government category. In 2013, our team migrated www.NASA.gov —a site with over 250,000+ pages, 1.4 million assets, and 3 TBs of data—from a proprietary data center and content management system (CMS) to Amazon Cloud and Drupal 7 without downtime or service interruption. This was a colossal task: Mobomo completed the entire effort in just 13 weeks. The results were so colossal, in fact, that www.NASA.gov has won a multiple, highly coveted Webby Awards. Mobomo has continued to work with NASA in order to create a dynamic, user-centric, mobile-first site that simplifies the experience for every visitor. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for www.NASA.gov!
For the 6th year in a row, Mobomo Appears on the Inc. 5000 after continued growth.
Mobomo is a premier mobile-first web and mobile application development company that has extensive experience working with federal agencies and commercial enterprises. Inc. magazine has just revealed that Mobomo is No. 2989 on its 37th annual Inc. 5000, the most respected ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. This is the sixth time Mobomo has been recognized on the Inc. list and we are honored to be among such innovative companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent small businesses. Microsoft, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.
"We are thrilled to be recognized on the Inc 5000 list for the sixth year in a row," said Mobomo CEO Brian Lacey. "All of the credit goes to our growing team, who are driven by delivering outstanding product quality and customer service. Their efforts and talents are what fuel our continual growth."
Mobomo has a history of delivering exceptional products for its customers, launching over 50 this year alone. We are proud to continue on our mission of developing high-performance applications and websites that are carefully designed and engineered to fit the needs of our clients.
The highly anticipated announcement of iOS 12 came at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. A free beta is available for those interested in a sneak peak of the platform's functionality, with the final iOS 12 software expected in the fall.
There are a number of new features being tested for the new platform, but we're most excited about these:
1. Broad Platform Updates for Increase Speed
Responding to user feedback about the slowness of older iPhones and iPads, the new iOS platform promises significant speed increases for older devices.
2. Group Facetime
This feature allows you to call up to 32 participants and transfer directly from a group chat to a group facetime.
3. Camera and Photo Upgrades
In addition to improving portrait mode and allowing third-party apps to edit photos, the Photos app is expanding its search tool to compete with Google Photos.
4. Siri Updates
The improved virtual assistant has a number of new features, including the ability to translate into over 40 languages. Those of us who are absent-minded will especially appreciate the new password-hunting ability, allowing you to search any saved passwords. (Note: We highly recommend locking your phone if you intend to use this feature.)
5. ARKit 2 Creates Potential for Multiplayer Experiences
Solidifying Apple as a leader in the AR space, iOS 12's ARKit 2 will allow multiple users to see and interact with the same AR scene using different devices.
The U.S. Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government dedicated to gathering, mapping, and monitoring information about natural resources conditions. USGS has partnered with Mobomo on a variety of projects, from their Drupal website to the most cutting-edge technology. The USGS Did You Feel It (DYFI) application is a long-running system for rapidly collecting and mapping macroseismic intensity data from users' shaking and damage reports, and is now shifting from a purely web-based experience to incorporating voice-enabled IoT devices, powered by Alexa today, and possibly Google, Siri, and others in the future. We cannot wait to present together at the VOICE Summit on our, not yet released, Alexa skill. Be sure to see our session on Thursday, July 26, at 2 pm.
What better way to keep USGS at the forefront of technology than to utilize Alexa for earthquake reporting. This information, originally gathered via snail mail and then the internet, enables citizens to report what they experienced during or after an event. Now, if you feel an earthquake, you can duck for cover and report it all at once!
While reporting an earthquake to Alexa after it occurs may not be the first thought to cross your mind, expanding use of voice technology will enable this to become second nature. Having accurate information based on one's location is important to the success of the USGS earthquake research. The next time you feel an earthquake, be sure to use this Alexa Skill to report your experience.
Did You Feel It?
"Did you Feel It" is a voice Skill for the Amazon Alexa family of devices that provides a voice interface for citizens to provide detailed earthquake reports to the US Geological Survey. Considerable effort went into the development of the Conservation User Interface (CUI) to allow for more natural conversations, and feedback from test users was integrated into the current Alexa skill set. With proper care in skill development, voice-enabled IoT devices may allow people to interact and respond more naturally to real-world events that the USGS monitors and studies. From anywhere within range of an Alexa device, citizens can engage in a natural dialogue about earthquakes in their areas, such as:
"Alexa, was there just an earthquake?"
"Yes. An earthquake of magnitude 2.7 was reported 2 minutes ago, 20 miles north of your location. Did you feel it?"
"Yes."
"Would you like to answer some questions that will help USGS scientists better understand earthquake effects?"
"Yes."
The app then asks the citizens a series of questions about the effects of the earthquake shaking, the results of which are parsed, collated and sent to the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program for further study.
It's anticipated that voice-enabled IoT devices will significantly augment current collection strategies and improve many users' experience with their contributions to the USGS science and earthquake response. Check out our session at the VOICE Summit to learn more about the process, challenges, and what it took to bring this project to fruition!
This week Clutch released a new report highlighting the best development companies in the greater DC area, and Mobomo made their list! We were recognized for our ongoing expertise in web and mobile development across a variety of platforms, including iOS, Android, WordPress, and Drupal.
What is the Features module?
The Features module does have a purpose.. But what exactly, do you need it, what is the structure? All valid questions surrounding Drupal's module. The primary purpose of the module is to copy configuration setups from one Drupal site to another. The Features module offers a well-known method of bundling configuration in a new module that can be installed on other sites--a feature. See the full Drupal 8 configuration setup.
The Features module is an important tool to use on any Drupal 7 or prior projects. To put it simply, Features allows for configurations to be packaged as a reusable component from one environment to another. It might seem like a hassle to add yet another module to your development process, but you will find Features very handy and rewarding as your site grows in size.
.row {
display: grid;
}
2. Define the number of columns in our grid and the size of the gutters (the space between items/columns).
The main advantage of using Features is being able to have configurations in code so it can be tracked under version control. Since everything in Drupal 7 is stored in the database, configurations changes such as Content Types or Views needs to be moved upstream some way. Creating those changes manually is not such a big issue when your site is small and there’s only one developer working on it. However, when there are several developers working at once on a large scaled site, having to manually create config changes on all the environments is extremely inefficient and time consuming not to mention the possibility of human error. Using Features decreases the amount of inconsistencies across the board. By having configurations in files, the deployment process is also simplified.
Features Structural Organization
There are many different ways to organize the components within Features. You can categorize them based on the kind of Drupal entities (Views, Content Types, Blocks, etc). The downside to that is you might end up with a very long list of Features that makes it hard to keep track of, or Features that are not broken down specific enough and resulting in merge conflicts every time changes occur. One approach is to group feature around Content Types and Pages. It’s much easier to identify what Feature to export if you know that a certain Block for staffs will be under the staff profile Content Type. There may also be components that does not necessarily fit into one place. For example, fields that are used in several different Content Types can be moved to a feature for shared components.
Other Tips
Make sure to revert Features once your code has been pushed up. Also, you should go and double check everything is at the state you want. I have encountered times when Features did not import something properly even though all the correct components were selected. It is also wise to name your features with something identifiable to your project as the base name and place them all in a Features folder in modules for easy access.
Drupal 8 comes with content management system in core so there won’t be a need for Features in the future. However, Drupal 7 is here to stay for awhile and it is definitely an essential module for development.
THE CLUTCH REPORT RANKS THE TOP COMPANIES IN THE AREA.
The rankings were based on Clutch’s proprietary research methodology, which is based on references and reviews, clients and experiences, and market presence. Results are also based on how well companies demonstrate their expertise in the competitive D.C. area, and their success rate on completing high-quality projects. The report includes overviews of the winning companies and full profiles and client interviews are published with the research online.
Mobomo is proud to work with some of the best startups, most distinguished enterprises, and prominent federal agencies in the U.S. marketplace. Our notable web and mobile development work includes projects for NASA, the USO, RGS, Pulse, and NOAA Fisheries.
Mobomo is excited to announce that our work on the Baby Trax mobile application with ProgenyHealth has won the Gold Hermes Creative Award! Being a Gold Winner is a tremendous achievement and we are very proud of the Mobomo team members that were involved in this project. The Baby Trax mobile application provides NICU Caregivers with access to the ProgenyHealth team via secure messaging. Baby Trax enables users to:
Track feedings, diaper changes, sleep, growth, vaccinations, and pumping
Use the phone’s camera to take pictures and add them to albums
Stay updated with a personal plan of care, recommended articles, and resource library
Export baby’s photos, growth, and vaccination information in a PDF Baby Book
Send messages to their Case Manager through secure in-app chat
This application has been at the forefront of caregiving, as the healthcare industry continues to embrace new technology to communicate with their patients. There were about 6,500 entries in the Hermes Creative Awards 2018 competition, hailing from throughout the United States and 21 other countries. Judges of this award are industry experts who were looking for companies and individuals whose talent pushes the high standard of excellence set by the industry. It is an honor to be among such highly-esteemed peers.
Mobomo is proud to work with some of the best clients in D.C. Some of our most recognized and award-winning work has been for NASA, The USO, Pulse, and USGS, and now Baby Trax has joined the ranks! Want to be our next award-winning app?
About the Hermes Creative Awards
“The Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition for creative professionals involved in the concept, writing, and design of traditional and emerging media.” Hermes Creative Awards recognizes outstanding work in the industry while promoting the philanthropic nature of marketing and communication professionals. The name Hermes (Greek messenger) and the idea for the award were chosen to represent our roles as the messengers and creators of marketing and communication materials and programs.
The highly anticipated announcement of iOS 12 came at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. A free beta is available for those interested in a sneak peak of the platform's functionality, with the final iOS 12 software expected in the fall.
