Fast Facts
* New search tool helps locate ag app for user operating system
* Tool at http://baegrisk.ddns.uark.edu/geospatial/smartPhoneSearch.aspx.
LITTLE ROCK - An extension engineer for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture has developed a tool to find help users find just the right app among the thousands created across multiple smartphone operating systems.
Mobile phone usage is growing globally. At the end of 2010, 77 percent of the world’s population subscribed to a mobile phone compared with 28.7 percent having Internet access, according to the International Telecommunication Union. App use has also expanded wildly. Earlier this year, Apple marked the 10 billionth download from its apps store.
"It is safe to assume that farmers, consultants, and county agents will start relying more and more on smart phones by using either a number of smart phone applications, or mobile friendly web applications, in near future," said Dharmendra Saraswat, assistant professor/extension engineer for Biological and Agricultural Engineering.
Saraswat said the Smartphone Apps Search Tool "mainly caters to the agricultural users who have the option to search for free or paid apps using a list of keywords that dynamically varies as per user’s choice across four major operating systems, Android, Blackberry, iPhone, and Windows 7."
The tool is simple to use. There are three pull-down menus that narrow the search by operating system, by cost of app, and by keyword or phrase.
Working with Saraswat on the search tool were Kandasamy Prasanna, extension program associate for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, and Mr. Benjamin Hancock, a University of Arkansas graduate student.
The tool can be accessed by clicking the link http://baegrisk.ddns.uark.edu/geospatial/smartPhoneSearch.aspxx
For more information visit www.uaex.edu.
Source: U of A Division of Agriculture