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Quikthinking Software Blog
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    0 AAeMojis App Stickers for Text Messaging on an Android 14 Mobile Phone

    • video
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 06/19/2024

    With a solid history of upgrades and updates since 2018, over 24 of them to be exact, AAeMojis app stickers for text messaging on an Android 14 mobile phone has nearly completed final testing. In the video, I describe to you on mic how to install the AAeMojis app on an actual Android 14 mobile phone. Android 6 through 13 is still supported by this new version as is the version for iOS. The iOS version update with new stickers was released on the App Store May 30, 2024. Android's update release to Google Play is coming as soon as possible. The  app / stickers are designed to be used with text messaging apps. Enjoy!  

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    0 Wacked Out Mobile App Permissions

    • Apps
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 05/22/2024

    Have you had any problems getting one of your mobile apps to operate with a smile? 'Allow camera to make and manage phone calls' popped up on our favorite, constantly used 8.4 inch Android 14 tablet. Some of these permission requests are mind numbingly bizarre. My other 10 inch Android 14 tablet, or my trusty 10-1/4 inch iPad never walked down this peculiar path! Accept the permissions or you lose I've had the naughty 8.4 inch tablet for more than a year. Never used it to take pictures. It is not used to make phone calls. Those duties are assigned to multiple phones. You may have guessed that I denied the camera app on this tablet the permission to 'make and manage phone calls.' So, I can't use the camera without allowing it to 'make and manage phone calls.' This month we updated nine apps to Android 34 / Level 14. In our apps, we don't ask for permissions we don't need. We don't ask for permissions that don't make logical sense for the app to work correctly. Camera error If your Android 14 camera app shouts "the app does not have critical permissions needed to run. Please check your permissions settings." Do the following, in order. Go to: > Settings > Apps > All Apps > Camera > Clear Storage > Delete App Data (it delete's the camera's app data, not your pictures) Now you should be able to go to Settings > Camera > Open, and grant the permissions that are necessary for the camera to work. By Android 15, these steps may change, as the operating system constantly moves around setting options. Moving right along to other Android 14 handshaking... What Apps did we update to Android 14 this month? Always Thanksgiving Blackjack 21 AA Black History Picture Puzzle Black History People Game Black History Quotes Express Black History Quiz Black History Express RnB and Hip Hop Quiz Any Updates for iOS? AAeMojis New emojis were added and released to the App Store. The Android version was also updated, but not released yet. We'll have more comments about this the next time we write some fresh thoughts to keep you informed.  

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    0 Free Pizza for Your Phone

    • Games
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 04/24/2024

    Here's a nice update of our Pizza Burger Match 3 Game for Android and iPhone. It's a food fight that keeps your hands clean! 

  • 0 Apple’s iPhone Ecosystem

    I've never been an Apple "fan boy." I migrated into the world of "i" for professional reasons. After dabbling with an early Texas Instruments computer donated to me by a family member, I used an Apple Macintosh in an early workplace gig. After that job, DOS, (digital operating system), then Windows computers ruled the roost of my media employers. The first personal computer I purchased was as DOS pc. A long string of Windows computers followed from Windows 98 through Windows 11 today. After I began developing mobile applications for Android to get experience, I knew that expanding the app titles into iOS would broaden their base of appeal. iPhones a Poppin' My first iPhone cost me $1. It was a Verizon promotion that I took advantage of. When I upgraded that 4S to iPhone 6, I paid $200 to get it via the pre-owned market. Next, it was another pre-owned unit, this time an iPhone 7 for $217. iPhone X cost me $369, again, it was a just like-new pre-owned unit. I also have a bunch of pre-owned iPads and MacBooks. All of these Apple devices still work, and I have never had issues with any of them. During the iPhone journey, Android remained my mobile phone of choice. I just like them better. I've never paid more than $200 for any of my Motorola or Samsung Androids. My latest Android phone, a brand new one sporting Android 13, cost only $129. Captured in the ecosystem? The U.S. Justice Department and 16 attorneys general filed a lawsuit on March 21, 2024 alleging that "Apple's iPhone ecosystem is a monopoly and that its anti-competitive practices extend to the company's Apple Watch, advertising, browser, FaceTime and news offerings." Some of this might be true, but let's face it. Apple's world is essentially a pay for play experience. If you want to spend thousands on their offerings, you can do so. As I've detailed, there are other options for sober minded, cost conscious individuals. When I became an Android developer in 2011, the one-time cost of the Google Play developer application was $25. Apple charges an annual developer fee of $99. I’ve been paying it since 2018. Who does the media love? The media pushes Apple products as cutting edge technology. If you want to be with the cool kids, you know that television, radio, print, and digital push Apple's annual updates as must have swag. In the press, Android has always been ignored, especially in the United States. Bulletin. According to Statistica.com, Android commanded 70.11% of mobile operating systems worldwide. iOS is behind in 2nd place at 29.19%. These stats are for the fourth quarter of 2023. It's a hard argument to assert that "Apple's iPhone ecosystem is a monopoly," if you are not forced to be a gloating participant in their techno culture. Yes, the green or blue bubbles in iMessages are cute. Go without them using Android messaging and you’ll be just fine. I do agree that it is much harder for a developer to exist inside of the App Store world based on their assessment of submitted applications. Their use of psychological tactics imploring you to embrace their suite of Apple tools is never ending. In the end, "i" universe users will just pay more if the Justice Department wins this case that is sure to drag on for a long time. Do you think the iPhone ecosystem is a monopoly?

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    0 An Android Flirt with Windows 11

    I do most of my digital game playing on tablets or mobile phones: Android, iPhones, and iPads. I have never owned a game console, although I have played games on an Xbox. My Amazon Fire TV module had a game controller awhile back, but I never used it. Once upon a time, I did play a few games on early Windows pc’s. In 2023, I experimented with the Android implementation on Windows 11 created by the Amazon – Microsoft partnership. The Amazon Appstore Preview on Windows 11 was teased in 2022. Good News Arrives In October of 2022, I received an email from the Amazon App Store saying: "Good news - at least one of your apps is included in Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 developer preview, expanding your reach to hundreds of millions of new users." Hmm. I did not ask for any of my apps to be added, so I was flattered that one of the Quikthinking Software titles was selected. Amazon explained how to find the app they selected on their developer console, but I never could find the one that they branded "Windows 11 included" in their portal! March of 2023 brought this communication from Amazon: "Good news - your app catalog is eligible to be included in Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 developer preview." OK. The Windows Subsystem for Android It was also necessary to download and install "The Windows Subsystem for Android" on my Windows 11 laptop. This was a headache. After installation I did watch some game trailers and was intrigued. The platform seemed to have potential, but following much thought, I realized there was a huge investment of time that would be needed to change our apps for Windows 11 Android. Despite promises, it seemed that very few Amazon Android apps would be 100% compatible out of the box to work inside of the Windows 11 subsystem. I concluded that there would not be a global rush to embrace Android on Windows 11, so I deleted the Windows Subsystem for Android from my laptop. The real test for me came at the end of 2022, when I tried as an experiment to submit one of our newest apps to the Amazon Windows 11 app store. When your Google Play and Apple App Store approved app is flying fine, you have high hopes for Windows 11 inclusion. Unfortunately, the app was not approved for the Amazon Windows 11 club. Normally when your app has an issue, you make the changes and work with the app store in question to implement a fix. The requested changes meant a major overhaul. Goodbye, but is it Farewell? I had a feeling that the Amazon – Windows 11 bromance was not going to last. I did not follow through on my submission and cancelled it. In early March, 2024, this note arrived from Amazon: "Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 will no longer be supported after March 5, 2025." On the Amazon App Store Developer blog, additional information was provided. "Starting March 6, 2024, customers will no longer have the ability to install new apps. They will still have access to previously-installed apps." Did you even notice or know? The vast majority of our app downloads come from Google Play and The Apple App Store. So the Amazon Android – Windows 11 experiment failed. As the Amazon update on their developer blog states: "Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), Amazon Appstore on Windows 11." From my developer perspective, one must be cautious when jumping into new digital territory. This one adventure just wasn't worth it for me. I'm glad I made the right choice!

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    0 Musical College of Tune Driven Knowledge

    • Games
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 02/14/2024

    Here's a photo I took of Chaka Khan, performing in an intimate 2007 Atlantic City, NJ setting. I've seen her with and without Rufus six times in different U.S. towns. Another one I took is of Public Enemy below, who also appeared in the shore casino city in 2015. Here's The Revolution at, you guessed it, another Atlantic City venue in 2017. Remember Prince and the Revolution? Yes, same band.   Shows, music, and experience Lots of shows, lots of music, and lots of experience contributed to my college of tune driven knowledge, while working as an on-air and off-air radio broadcasting professional, before diving into the world of mobile app development. You can read or listen to my story in Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance, and Rebirth at Amazon. Two of the three artists above represent R&B and hip-hop. I created a mobile game RnB and Hip Hop Quiz featuring trivia about both genres. Half of the questions I wrote are hip-hop, half are R&B related. We separate R&B into 12 game levels. Hip hop also gets a dozen levels. Checkout the game on your iPhone or Android and have some musical fun!

  • 0 Smoke Free, Fresh Air Motivation

    • Apps
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 01/10/2024

    Saving money is a goal many of us never master. Excuses rescue us from discipline, but wasting money on the other hand is easy. Live for today, forget about tomorrow. Some know this drill. One of the easiest ways for smokers to put money in their purse or pocket is to give up the habit. I am not a smoker, but I loved playing around with the calculator at Smokefree.gov, created by The National Cancer Institute (NCI) to help you or someone you care about quit smoking or vaping. Smokefree.gov is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Worldpopulationreview.com in their U.S. cigarette prices by state chart, show the median price of $9.00 per pack. Someone smoking 3 cigarettes per day at $9.00 per pack saves $493.00 per year. Listen to the full first chapter of our Quit Smoking audiobook.  Your browser does not support the audio element. Our iOS and Android Quit Smoking mobile app includes 25 audio chapters. Follow the link above on our site for more info and discover the audiobook.  

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    0 Santa Jump Game Party App Director's Cut Video

    • Games
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 12/07/2023

    Santa Jump Game Party App director's cut video plus bonus features. Get hoppin', wear the gear, and get on the good foot to jump with the lucky angel. More to enjoy: Santa Jump Game pole hopping high jinks cut Swinging Santa safely jumps for joy cut Santa jump game party animal app cut

  • 0 Mobile Games and Gifts of Garb

    • video
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 11/21/2023

    You might be attracted the most to the 12 signature mobile apps that we've created and feature here at Quikthinking.com. These twelve give you a gateway to discover more about Black History. But there's more. Don't miss out on lots of our games that you can also find here too. I show you games and tell you about garb in the short 43 second video. Take a look at all of the Quikthinking mobile apps. Explore the Always Quikthinking Shop for merchandise and accessories seen in the video. Lots for you and great gift giving too. Thank you for your support!

  • 0 People Power Jigsaw Puzzle People

    • Games
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 11/16/2023

    Do you appreciate the professional nurse, who is serving their patient with precision and care? What about the mail carrier, retail worker, teacher, or craft person? Jobs and occupations make up the big theme of People Power Jigsaw Puzzle. You'll cruise through a large collection of puzzles that picture everyday people doing work. Each representation visualizes the essence of different trades and skills. Every puzzle has an Easy, Medium, and Hard mode giving you 150 total levels to solve. Watch the biologist - geneticist come together in this 30 second video captured on an iPad. Discover more. People Power Jigsaw Puzzle is a mobile game primarily for iPhone - iPad. We do have one version for Android. Enjoy!  

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    0 Thanksgiving Retro Match 3 Game

    • Games
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 11/01/2023

    Here's a mobile game that you can play year-round, but especially during the Thanksgiving season as we celebrate with family and friends. The iOS version, (not shown here) is a swap to match game, as is our Always Thanksgiving game for iOS and Android. In the 20 second video below is our updated Android legacy Thanksgiving pleaser: Thanksgiving Retro Match 3 game. Just tap to match and you are on your way! Still free, still fun, still fast, and still a favorite. text

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    0 Quikthinking Swag Shop Store

    • Shop
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 10/25/2023

    When it's time for tee shirts, hoodies, hats, mugs, accessories or other wearables for you, or for your gift giving, head directly to our Quikthinking Store presented at SpreadShirt. You can customize the size and location of the logos for that special unique look. During the Christmas holiday season, the festive sweatshirt, Santa Hat, and Christmas Stocking are available only for a limited time. Orange is the color to wear during the USA's National Gun Violence Awareness Day (and Month), a cause that I support. Below are two of the unisex Full Zip Hoodies, perfect for layering and everyday wear. There are a lot of other accessories to choose from offered in different colors. Take a look. From November 16 - November 19 get your special 20% discount. On Black Friday, November 24, there's an even bigger promotion! Don't be disappointed if inventory sells out early. The holiday items sold out early last year. The Quikthinking Swag Shop is presented at SpreadShirt.

  • 0 Black History People and Picture Puzzle Game

    Martin Luther King Jr., the Obamas, Muhammad Ali, Simone Biles, Ralph Ellison, Kamala Harris and scores of others capture the magic in this Black History Picture Puzzle game, an Android exclusive. It's been updated with new scenes in the latest version. Game controls are also fresh. Twirl each little block with just a tap to solve the picture puzzles as quickly as you can. The game automatically keeps track of your fastest time to solve a puzzle. See an example of the easy and hard levels in this quick video. Tease your brain, get inspired, and connect to the big-time leaders shown in each scene. Jump right into sports, entertainment, government, education, civil rights, activists, writers and more. They are all in Black History Picture Puzzle game.  One of our first Android apps was Black History People. This one paved the way for many of the more sophisticated titles that followed in our Black History series of mobile apps. Black History People is still one of our most popular titles. Straightforward and simple, close to 100 achievers with their pictures are profiled in this easy to use Android exclusive. Each of the twelve sections is represented by a picture driven menu to enter the profile sections... The 12 menu images represent these sections: Entertainment Poets Sports Writers Business Education Aviation - Space Inventors Medical Music Civil Rights Law You can't lose with either Black History People, or Black History Picture Puzzle game, both for Android.

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    0 Zodiac Signs Jigsaw Puzzle Patterns

    • Games
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 08/15/2023

    Zodiac signs can be visualized in hundreds of different ways. Realistic, artistic, cosmic, or caricature are just four ways to develop a theme. No matter what sign you are, Zodiac Signs Jigsaw Puzzle game app presents your sign using three different design styles. You can solve the puzzles in either easy, medium or hard levels. Here are game screens from an iPad. On Android, the gameplay and visual look is the same. All ages can get some pleasure from the Zodiac Signs Jigsaw Puzzle game. For a laugh about my sign and some more background, you'll want to check out these. You will stay on this site. Zodiac App Mystery Zodiac Signs Clairvoyant

  • 0 8 Black History Inventors Countdown

    In 2022 when I visited the The Hagley Museum and Library on the banks of the Brandywine Creek in Wilmington, Delaware, inventors galore from all cultures were profiled in a special featured exhibition. 8 Black History Inventors Countdown was part of the produced video The Nation of Inventors - and the app that honors them. This time, let's focus on just the eight inventors who made some marvelous contributions to solve simple problems with solutions we all benefit from today. Discover all 50 plus creative minds in the Black History Inventors app for iOS and Android. Watch the countdown. The order we present is not a competitive ranking.   

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