Every year brings new ideas and innovations—that’s what makes technology such a fun thing to follow. And while it’s not always possible to foreseen the individual success stories inevitably that crop up (I’m looking at you “Yo”), there are some overarching trends that we can look forward to.

In today’s web environment having a Responsive Web Design is essentially a requirement. Responsive web design is the standard for mobile optimization, recommended by major search engines like Google and Bing. Occasionally alternative methods of mobile optimization will rear their heads, but for most businesses and sites, responsive design offers the best benefits and cost efficiency.

#HappyNewYear, everyone! Maybe it’s just my boundless optimism speaking, but it looks like 2015 is shaping up to be a brilliant year, especially for the UK startup scene. With the expansion of wearables and connected homes, there are a lot of new opportunities for businesses to leverage mobile technology. Plus there are bound to be some odd twists and turns and exciting innovations thrown into the mix, your company will likely go through a few of its own!

Christmas is one of the best times of the year for families. But with the kids home from school and family gatherings dominating so much of your free time, it can sometimes be a struggle to find constructive activities for the kids while you manage the holiday logistics. That’s where apps can really lend a helping hand. Here is a list of my handpicked top 7 apps to try out for your kids this Christmas.

Uber is an incredible piece of technology, no two ways about it. But it has also been a PR disaster, as the hashtag #Ubergate reveals. Uber has been plagued with uncouth comments from their senior execs, poor control of privacy issues, hostile policies against competitors, not to mention their tenuous relationship with taxi regulations.

As we head into the new year, I know there are some of you out there who feel the itch of entrepreneurialism. Make it your New Years Resolution to pursue your dream! If you need a little inspiration, especially the women out there, here are some successful, leading female entrepreneurs in the UK startup scene.

Smartwatches are on the rise. As the devices and platforms have matured in the past few years, it has become clear that smarwatches are on the fast track to mass adoption. Device makers have been tinkering with the concept for a while now, and it looks like things are all lined up for a major hit; and when that happens, entrepreneurs need to know how to take advantage of the opportunity. The short answer: smartwatch apps. But there’s a lot more to it than that.

The holiday season is here, and though it brings cold weather, it also means that now is the hottest time of the year for shopping. Retailers everywhere are featuring huge deals and promotions as we come to the end of 2014. As you venture out to snag some deals and buy gifts for friends and family, consider taking along some of these fantastic shopping apps to help you make the most of the holiday shopping extravaganza.

Thanksgiving is in full force across the pond, which means Black Friday sales and spending sprees are soon to follow. And after that we’ve got a whole December holiday season full of gift giving, travel, and other expenses. With all that in our future, now seems like a good time to get our finances in order!

Mobile app development is a multi-step process, and a team effort. But from a broad perspective, it is fairly straightforward. There aren’t a lot of caveats or pitfalls. In essence the process goes: you have an idea, you hand it over to a mobile app builder, they build it, and ta-da! But ideally you’ll be a lot more involved than that! It’s your app, after all. So let’s take a closer look at the process and see what your role will be.