What is Apps: Definition and 55 Discussions

A mobile application, also referred to as a mobile app or simply an app, is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Apps were originally intended for productivity assistance such as email, calendar, and contact databases, but the public demand for apps caused rapid expansion into other areas such as mobile games, factory automation, GPS and location-based services, order-tracking, and ticket purchases, so that there are now millions of apps available. Apps are generally downloaded from application distribution platforms which are operated by the owner of the mobile operating system, such as the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store. Some apps are free, and others have a price, with the profit being split between the application's creator and the distribution platform. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on desktop computers, and web applications which run in mobile web browsers rather than directly on the mobile device.
In 2009, technology columnist David Pogue stated that smartphones could be nicknamed "app phones" to distinguish them from earlier less-sophisticated smartphones. The term "app", short for "software application", has since become very popular; in 2010, it was listed as "Word of the Year" by the American Dialect Society.

View More On Wikipedia.org
  1. Wrichik Basu

    Websites that can help in localization of Android apps for free

    After publishing two apps on Google Play recently, I am currently looking for ways to translate my apps to different languages. In Android, all the strings used in the app are placed in the strings.xml file. If the app is installed on a device that is using a different locale, Android will first...
  2. E

    How to explain serious extenuating circumstances in PhD apps

    Hello! I am planning on applying to physics PhD programs in the fall. My first two years of undergrad I averaged Bs in my lower division classes. Last two years I got a majority of As and A-s in my upper division courses. Those first two years I had some extremely personal extenuating...
  3. Clutch Bangstrip

    Spectroscope Apps: Light vs Radio-Based Analysis

    A while back, I had one of many experiences my senior year... That made me super interested in science, in general. In my class, we used some type of rainbow graph-binocular-like machine contraption-thingy that basically showed us what stuff contained. It was called a spectrograph/gram/scope/I...
  4. YoungPhysicist

    Html5 <canvas> element related apps not working

    Recently I want to make a image adder in html, which is just a app that add the rgb value of each pixel in simple bmp files together.It can be used to grayscales and other things. I found this website that teches how to do that with the <canvas> element in html5...
  5. prashantakerkar

    Calculators Smartphones apps for accessing Quadcopter Drones

    Is it feasible to design and development Smartphones apps which will access,control & monitor quadcopter Drones operating at 2.4 GHz & 9.8 GHz wireless frequencies? Thanks & Regards, Prashant S Akerkar
  6. RentonPhysics

    My HTML5 Physics Apps Collection Age 6-14 - FELP.PL

    Enjoy my collection of physics&related html mini applications, it's free and not commercial (I did them for fun and for my kids at extra school lesson). The idea was "so you have this adress and discover by yourself what is that". Some are simply just external links to PHeT etc, some are unique...
  7. J

    Looking for Ti Calculator Apps? Check out this website!

    Hey guys I was wondering if anyone knew of any good apps for the ti-nsipre calculator that was either a step by step solver or just a solver in general of problems like the one in the picture. I realize the picture is just setting up the expression but a solver for when there are actual values...
  8. Greg Bernhardt

    What are your top 5 most used phone apps?

    Early on with smartphones I went in a phase where I added dozens of apps. Now I've settled in and generally use 5 or so daily. What are yours? 1. Gmail 2. PF 3. Facebook 4. Yahoo Sports 5. Waze
  9. kyphysics

    Any Phone Apps that Can Surreptitiously Record?

    I'm wondering if anyone has come across a phone app that can record video and/or audio without going into a "record screen," whereby it's easy for someone in view of the phone's screen to know you're recording them. No, I'm not stalker or anything like that in case you're wondering. :-p...
  10. jtbell

    Fun with G Suite (formerly Google Apps for Work)

    In an earlier thread, I asked about email providers to use with my own domain name. I finally took the plunge and signed up for G Suite a couple of weeks ago. It went fairly smoothly overall. A few thing confused me at first. I'm still ironing out some kinks related to other Google services that...
  11. M

    Why are my Mac apps crashing constantly?

    Hi PF! In the past 24 hours programs on my Macbook Pro have been incessantly crashing. I'm running OSX Yosemite 10.10.5 (I'm waiting to update until I update MATLAB so I can run it on Sierra). So far three programs have been crashing: MATLAB, Safari, and App Store. Any idea what to do? I've...
  12. epenguin

    I Free or cheap app for log plots

    Trying to complete some homework help I got a bit stuck on an elementary or common problem that was always a bit difficult. I have a function f(x) and just want to plot log f(x) against log x. This is common in chemistry and biochemistry. It should have been easy. :redface: I have picked up...
  13. D

    Studying Learning programming from scratch for phone apps

    I wish to be able to create android and iphone games and apps but currently know nothing about programming. With this in mind, what do you suggest doing first in a form that you suggest the programming language i start learning first, textbook that i should use and program that i will write on...
  14. DrFooster

    Will a Grad. certificate help me stand out in MS/PhD apps?

    Hi Everyone, I've scoured the internet to find answers to this question and I haven't had much luck. I graduated in 2014 with a 2.86 GPA in physics. To counteract this lower gpa in my applications; I have a lot of research experience and I'm currently working in industry doing some...
  15. P

    Editing Protected Sheets Through Google Apps Scripting

    Does anybody know of a way that I can protect a Google Sheet in such a way that it can only be edited via scripts? Ultimately I'm putting something together that acts as a very poor man's ticketing system. I have information displayed in a sheet and a set of buttons with scripts attached to...
  16. M

    Good iOS apps that help in taking notes?

    Hi everybody, I'm an engineering student with an avid interest in Maths. I wish to do some kind of research in Maths someday and Really enjoy studying it. Of late, I have been reading a lot of Maths books on different topics and it's getting hard to keep track of everything I've read. I have...
  17. G

    Unlocking the Secrets of Snapchat Filters: How Do Apps Track Speed?

    I don't know if many of you have snapchat, but it's basically an app for taking pictures and sending them to others. Something you can do is add a filter that shows what speed your phone was going while the picture was taken.. How is this done? Or, more generally, how do things like running apps...
  18. J

    Calculators Is there a way to run TI-84 plus apps on the C-Silver Edition

    Is it possible to run TI-84 plus apps on the TI-84 plus C silver edition? If so, how do you do it? I'm not trying to run games or anything, just regular old apps. When I try to send the files to my device I get an error message.
  19. B

    Losing Confidence with Grad Apps for Physics :/

    Hey Everyone, Before I made a thread about applying to grad school, now I am not sure if I should for PhD just yet. I feel like my gpa is not high enough, my physics gre is not good enough, and overall feeling pretty lousy about applying. I am already taking a year off, and now I just think I...
  20. M

    Creating Free iOS Apps: Requirements and Mac Necessity

    How to make free apps on iOS? What skills are required to make them? What programming language is needed?
  21. DennisN

    Looking for the Best Android Science Apps? Check Out These Recommendations!

    This nice thread, Favorite Android Science Apps?, is closed, so I decided to start a continued thread on this topic... I've recently got me my first Android phone, and I spent yesterday with checking out apps and installing them. Here are some science/education related apps I've installed (all...
  22. S

    Will objective-c (for OS X and IOS apps) be hard to learn?

    A friend i know is taking a course on IOS/OS X programming with objective-c, and i thought i might want to learn it too. I already know the very basics of programming, a bit of python and javascript, so i know what things like lists, strings, integers,booleans, floats, loops, functions and...
  23. A

    Apps of nuclear physics in medicine

    how images of body organisms are are formed in positron emission tomography...?
  24. kq6up

    Mathematica Mathematica vs. Other Math Apps

    I have been using Maxima to help me review to go back to grad school for physics. I think I might be running to the limits of its functionality (or maybe I just don't know how to use it correctly). I used to have a lot of experience with Mathematica, but their license system has grown to be...
  25. Ascendant78

    Useful ipad apps for physics majors?

    At this point, I have about $45 credit in my iTunes account from gift cards given to me for Christmas. I was wondering if there are any useful apps out there that I can get for physics? Whether they are good now for while I am in college, good for work in the field post-college, or both. For...
  26. D

    Schools Stressing out over grad school apps

    Hi everyone, I'm applying to grad school and I find the process extremely stressful. Today I got almost/maybe rejected from my third graduate school and I am completely freaking out. This one was one I was actually pretty hopeful I can get in. I still have four other schools I applied to but if...
  27. L

    Schools Grad school apps: attaching proof of scholarships/awards?

    When applying to grad programs in the US, is it be a good idea to attach documented proof of having received scholarships/financial awards if they were on both sustained academic performance and need-based grounds? In my country, the grants I got throughout my undergrad are kind of a big deal...
  28. A

    Standing out for graduate apps.

    One thing that I hear that physics students should be good at is math an computers. Would a major or minor in computer science or math increase ones chances for grad school? If not what of computer sconce classes should you take? And what if your physics department does not offer computational...
  29. P

    Dealing with Low GRE Writing Score for Grad Apps

    Hello all, I am working on grad school applications and they ask for GRE scores as expected. Here is the issue: my quantitative and qualitative are 162 and 161 respectively. I am okay with this. I don't know what the hell happened with writing. I got a 3.5. Yes, that low. I can tell you (as...
  30. DocZaius

    Any simple whiteboard iphone apps?

    I am looking for an app on which to do "back of the envelope" type equation scribbles. I would be writing on a blank background with my finger. It would essentially just be a whiteboard on an iPhone. Nothing fancy - no need for sharing etc... In fact it might be better without fancy features...
  31. K

    Favorite Android Science Apps?

    Which android science apps would you recommend to your colleagues?
  32. M

    So what about apps for lovers and friends

    never thought i would be posting here, but how many good apps out there on the android market place cater to lovers/friends/fiancées? naive question? maybe, but i would love to hear what makes a good app for lovers/friends
  33. Greg Bernhardt

    Calculators Good iPhone Calculator Apps: Graphs & More

    Curious if anyone has found any good iphone calculator apps? Anything good for graphing?
  34. F

    Design iPhone Apps: UROP Project | C++ to Objective C

    Hi all, I've applied to several UROP (Undergrad Research Opportunity Program) projects and I've gotten accepted to four, and one of them involves designing iPhone apps. The problem is... I've never programmed in Objective C, but I do know a fair amount of C++ (very basic OOP skills). Is...
  35. N

    10-year-old girl hacker throws pennies at apps developers with discovery

    http://dvice.com/archives/2011/08/10-year-old-gir.php Kudos to her! This is very impressive thinking for anyone, let alone a young child.
  36. G

    Physics Apps for iPhone: Any Advanced Options?

    I've always wanted to put some Physics apps on my iPhone, but the ones I keep coming across are way too low-level; they seem geared to high school kids who are first encountering the material... Any recommendations for apps that are more advanced?, like upper-division or graduate student level?
  37. B

    MATLAB Any standalone Matlab/scilab for iPod apps around?

    Hello, I've been craving the ability to use Matlab on my iphone, but the main MAtlab app requires a permanent internet connection. I was thus looking for a stand alone matlab/scilab clone. I found some cryptic pointer to such a thing here: http://mobile.co.nz/?p=38" but that's just a pointer not...
  38. 1

    Schools Does grad school like to see teaching experience on apps?

    Hi all. I'm considering being a tutor for my dept and later on taking up a TA position. I do enjoy teaching, but it's a time commitment. Would such teaching experiences help me in applying to grad schools? Thanks!
  39. W

    Can I run all my apps off a USB drive?

    Hey, guys, do you have the experience of running your daily used apps off a USB drive? Which is I am now trying to do. But I find that only portable apps can be run like that. while some apps like MS office are not portably available. How can I do that?
  40. Pengwuino

    Blocking apps on computers from installing

    GOOD LORD! I swear, I think I'm spending half my waking hours (slight exaggeration) fixing my mothers computer because someone in the family uses it like a drunken moron uses a car to get home and eventually kills someone. Everytime something is screwed up with it, I go find all sorts of...
  41. mcknia07

    Top Apps and Music for iPod

    What are some good apps no iPod should be without? Are there any good songs that shouldn't be left out, either?
  42. A

    Concerns of a Math Major: Will a B+ in Topology Impact My Graduate School Apps?

    I'm a 1st semester sophomore math major right now and I'm taking an Intro Topology course this semester. It ended up being harder than I expected it to be and I'm fairly certain that I will end up with a B/B+ (most likely a B+) in the course due to one bad exam. How bad will this look when I'm...
  43. D

    Real world apps for the secant function

    On a project i have i need to find a real world application for a function. I chose secant. It's too late to turn back and i need help.
  44. P

    Calculators Comparing the TI-89 & hp50g: Apps, Screen Resolution & Support

    Which is best? I have the TI-89 but I am curious about how it compares to the hp50g. Does the hp have ebook reader apps or note making apps. can the screen resolution be adjusted to increase the size of the character font etc. Does the hp have good 3rd party app support. the TI apps are...
  45. P

    Calculators Finding 3rd Party Apps for the TI-89 Calculator

    Does anyone know any good links for TI-89 3rd.party apps?
  46. R

    Choosing Between Flash & Ajax for Client-Side Apps

    I have been playing around with a couple projects of mine on again, off again for about a year now. I was thinking of dabbling with some client side applications and wanted to get some personal opinions from anyone who has used Flash or Ajax. Can anyone give me some insight if they have had to...
  47. S

    Rather new computer with windows XP. Problems with downloads of apps

    I have a rather new computer which works with windows XP. However, I need some help: When I try to install some programs as for example the msn messenger (free program!), the computer displays an error message like "the download was incomplete" or "the program is damaged". What's wrong? I'm...
  48. F

    Calculators TI89Titanium, Can someone explain to me how to put apps on this?

    Can someone explain to me how to put apps on this?
  49. S

    Schools Sooo I'm gonna graduate in May, I've started a couple of grad school apps

    but I don't have any research experience, my GPA is decent but I'm sure it'd be over a 3.5 at least by the time I'm actually done next semester, and a couple of professors seem interested in letting me do research and stuff for them the next semester or so would it be worth it to hold off the...
  50. L

    Should I Include My Undergraduate GPA on My Postgrad Applications?

    I am preparing my post Grad apps now. I have been wondering if I should state this somewhere on my resume or statement of purpose. "I finished my undergraduate degree with GPA 3.3+ 2 years after high school." although 3.3 is quite low, but it will be my GPA until the end of this semester. There...
Back
Top