WWDC23 Recap – These are a Few of Our Favorite Things

We had an exciting time watching Apple unveil its fancy new tech at WWDC last week! The long-awaited event was packed with a plethora of valuable information and exciting updates – far too much for us to cover in one short post! Today, we’re going to touch on the highlights from the Keynote address and cover a few of our favorite things…

iOS 17

iOS17 did not disappoint! There were several exciting updates to make the user experience more seamless and intuitive. First, the contact posters added a personalized touch to the iPhone, and we particularly loved the addition of real-time transcripts to voicemail. This feature allows users to read and respond while a caller is leaving a message, making it even more convenient.

We’re excited to learn that FaceTime is now available on AppleTV, a long-awaited development. We can’t wait to connect with our loved ones on the big screen! Another impressive feature we came across was NameDrop, which enables users to effortlessly share their contact information by simply bringing their iPhones together or placing their phones next to an Apple Watch.

We were thrilled to see the introduction of Family Passwords, an update that we had hoped to see this summer. With this feature, we no longer need to rely on external password managers like 1Pass at home – sorry 1Pass!

iPadOS 17

iPadOS received some fantastic updates and overdue attention. One notable improvement is the enhanced widget interactivity and customization options. You now have the ability to add Home Screen widgets that provide helpful updates and allow you to personalize your Lock Screen with images, live activities, and various widgets to suit your style.

Another exciting addition is the improved PDF integration, which makes it much easier to fill in missing fields and edit information seamlessly. Additionally, PDFs are now supported in Notes, enabling effortless collaboration across your devices. This enhancement makes managing and working with PDFs a breeze!

For health-conscious individuals, the inclusion of the Health app in iPadOS is a significant milestone. Now, you can conveniently access and analyze all the data collected from your iPhone or iWatch, making it easier than ever to track your health and fitness goals.

Finally, a noteworthy breakthrough is the newfound support for external cameras on iPad. This opens up exciting possibilities for capturing high-quality moments with your favorite camera accessories directly on your iPad.

Siri

Siri didn’t get the big upgrade we had hoped for. The whole ChatGPT thing has really exploded in the last few months and that’s a little too soon for Apple to act on it in time for this year’s OS release. Siri is getting the ability to handle back-to-back requests. We’ll have to see how that plays out with the betas this summer.

Mac

We were pleasantly surprised to see the Apple Silicon MacPro. Some folks online expressed a bit of sticker shock, but it’s a high-end machine and that comes with a high-end price. Part of that is largely due to Mac Studio. Before the release of the Studio, your desktop Mac choices were between a Mac mini and a Mac Pro. In that lineup, the mini had to stretch to the mid-range and the old Intel Mac Pro started off in the upper mid-range. Now the Studio is positioned to take up that “medium” position, where you’re doing serious work, but not making Avatar A20: The Final Avataring. With the Studio providing coverage for those mid-range workflows, the Pro is really only for top-end jobs, especially those that require PCIe card interfaces like a fiber channel interface.

AR/VR Headset

Saving the most thrilling announcement for last, Apple unveiled the groundbreaking Apple Vision Pro, ushering in a new era of spatial computing. It was a strategic move to hold this reveal until the end of the Keynote, as we realized that nobody would have been able to focus on any other features announced throughout the day! With Vision Pro, users are introduced to an infinite canvas that revolutionizes how they perceive their favorite apps.

Imagine being able to arrange apps anywhere on the canvas and effortlessly scale them to the perfect size, bringing your dream workspace to life. It will be a game-changer that opens up endless possibilities for customization and productivity. With this in mind, Apple understands the importance of human connection. With VisionPro, you will maintain awareness of the people around you while immersing yourself in this new spatial computing experience. It strikes a perfect balance between digital innovation and human interaction.

As expected, this cutting-edge device comes with a premium price tag. Starting at $3,499, it incorporates advanced features like a high-quality camera and sensor array, dual Apple silicon ships, and twin 4K micro-OLED virtuality displays. The price reflects the exceptional technology and capabilities packaged into this device, making it a dream come true for tech enthusiasts and ultra-nerds alike.

Again, these announcements only scratch the surface of everything we took away from WWDC23. Our main request is for Apple to start handing out some free samples! If you missed any of the updates from WWDC, be sure to check out the highlights from the event here.

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WWDC 2023 – Our Hopes and Dreams

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for developers and fellow Apple enthusiasts! WWDC 2023 kicks off on Monday, June 5th in beautiful Cupertino, California. There are a lot of items on our “wish list” this year, so let’s jump right in with the things we hope to see coming out of Apple’s HQ!

Xcode

SPM Handling 

We’ve all seen the annoying message,  “Build operations are disabled: Package loading in progress. Please try again later.”

Our team has spent a lot of time working on Callisto, which is a large app! We have dependencies split out into frameworks and it can take SPM a while to resolve all the packages when switching branches. Usually, Xcode does a great job of queueing up actions when it’s busy. For instance, if you do a clean build and then run nut tests, it will finish the clean and then do the testing – that’s all we want for SPM resolution.

Siri for Xcode

We’ve spent time playing with ChatGPT as a coding assistant. It’s been awesome for small tasks with temperamental parameters like getting a timestamp of files. It’s a straightforward process that doesn’t need to be done often, so it can be a hassle to look up the specific API to start the file. ChatGPT generates that code right out, but there’s friction there and opportunities for a bespoke Xcode experience. We’re hopeful that Apple will do something in this space, but have reservations…we’ll see!

Better SwiftUI Tooling

When trying to build a few screens for Callisto a while back, we ran into a lot of roadblocks with SwiftUI. One of the key features of SwiftUI is the live preview. To make those work, Xcode compiles bits of your code behind the scenes and shows them in a preview pane.  Callisto is a Catalyst app but has an AppKit plugin for doing Mac system things. Xcode could not handle that when trying to make a SwiftUI preview. Xcode would try to compile the AppKit code with UIKit and become very upset when it didn’t work. That left our foray into SwiftUI dead in the water. We’d be thrilled to see these issues addressed at this next WWDC.

Catalyst & iOS Updates

Dynamic Type on Mac

Dynamic Type has been around on iOS for over 10 years! This is the function in your iOS settings that allows you to adjust the size of the text on your device. It’s great for our aging eyes that increasingly glare at our phone screens, but we would love to see this supported on macOS. This recent announcement about new accessibility features coming in iOS 17 mentions the possibility of adjusting text size across Mac apps such as Finder, Messages, Mail, Calendar, and Note. We’re hoping WWDC23 takes our dream and makes it a reality!

Auxiliary Window Replacement

In the past, Mac apps used auxiliary windows for things like inspectors and floating tool panels. Some apps, like Photoshop, had multiple auxiliary windows for paintbrushes, color panels, and more. These auxiliary windows would disappear when switching apps to reduce clutter. Currently, Catalyst lacks a similar feature. The UIScene API for window management does not provide the same level of distinction. Hopefully, at WWDC, we will see a more advanced Stage Manager implementation and some means of distinguishing main content windows from helper windows.

Miscellaneous Items

Passwords

Our team has been using 1Password for the past several years, and we really don’t have many complaints about it! However, it would be awesome if Apple could produce a dedicated Passwords app instead of burying its password management in Settings. We’d also like to see Apple make it easy to share passwords within your Apple family! If we had these abilities, they might just get our team to make the switch from 1Pass.

Better Siri for Mac

While macOS does have Siri, we’re hoping for much better quality. We’ve found that Siri fails at the most basic requests sometimes. For example, when you try to open an app in the Applications folder with the phrase “Open AppName”, it fails usually 2 out of 3 times. We don’t know why it’s SO bad and have no clue if there’s a way to debug it.

The real dream is to have a conversational Siri. Think of how Tony Stark talks to Jarvis as he works. Playing with ChatGPT has teased this kind of reality for Siri in the context of Xcode. “Write a method to delete all the files in a given directory.” That’s a thing ChatGPT can do in a web browser window. Why can’t Siri do that in Xcode? Imagine an Apple-trained LLM that especially knew about Swift, UIKit, and all the Apple technologies. Add in the context of the project you’re currently working on. Talk about a developer accelerant. But that’s a big leap, so it’s doubtful we’ll see that this year, but maybe the first step?

HKSV Streaming API

We are overall, pretty happy with the HomeKit ecosystem. The only complaints we have revolve around Siri! Right now, HKSV (HomeKit Secure Video) records events from cameras and saves to iCloud, but scrolling back through time is only available via Apple’s Home app. Third party apps aren’t able to access the history of clips because there’s no API for it. With HomeKit (hopefully) maturing a little more this year, Apple should make that available to developers.

That’s all of our hopes and dreams for this year! Keep an eye out for our highlights and overall review of WWDC23!

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Quick Intro to Kanban & Scrum

In our previous post, we learned what the Agile methodology is and how you can apply it to your team environment. We quickly mentioned two words (Kanban & Scrum) that are a part of the Agile process and drive the progression of a workflow. Today, we will introduce Kanban and Scrum in greater detail and walk you through each framework.

Let’s start with Kanban…

Kanban is a framework for managing and improving the workflow within a system. Kanban is the combination of two Japanese words, Kan (“sign”) and Ban (“a board”). In Kanban, user stories are represented as cards on a board with columns that distinguish the different stages of the development process. For our team at Oak City Labs, our user stories represent each task that must be completed for each software feature. The cards are filtered through the Kanban board, starting in the “Backlog” column and working their way through “To Do”, “In Progress”, “Testing”, and “Complete”. See an example Kanban board below:

Traditionally in Kanban, each column limits the number of user stories that can exist at one time, which helps prevent work from piling up in one stage of the process. This also encourages teams to limit their work in progress (WIP) and prioritize the most important items. By visualizing the flow of work, teams can identify blockers that prevent tasks from being completed, they can remove waste, and optimize their performance.

Now let’s talk about Scrum…

Scum is another Agile framework for managing and completing complex projects. It was originally created for software development, but it can also be applied to several other project types. 

Scrum commits its teams to complete an increment of work through sprints that vary in length, most sprints lasting between two and four weeks. The goal is to create learning loops to quickly gather and integrate feedback from both the team and the stakeholders. At the beginning of each sprint, the team holds a planning session to define the sprint goal and to identify the work items that will be addressed during that sprint. The team then works on those items during the sprint, holding daily stand-up meetings to check progress, identify, and resolve any issues that arise.

There are three main roles in Scrum:

  • The Product Owner who works with stakeholders or clients to create the vision of the product that will be conveyed to the team.
  • The Scrum Master who usually serves as a project manager to oversee planning sessions and daily stand-ups, and removes blockers that prevent tasks from being completed.
  • The development team who creates, tests, and deploys the product to the client.

At the end of the sprint, the team holds a sprint review to demo the work that was completed during the sprint and to receive feedback from stakeholders. The team also holds a sprint retrospective meeting to reflect and identify areas for improvement in the next sprint. 

Scrum provides a framework for teams to collaborate and deliver value to customers in a transparent and flexible way. It encourages teams to work in an interactive and incremental way, to prioritize work based on customer value, and to continuously improve their processes.

The flexibility offered by both Kanban and Scrum offers advantages to teams who want to adopt various aspects of each framework and incorporate them into their workflow. Each team and project has unique requirements and working styles. Kanban and Scrum allow teams to harness their strengths resulting in a more efficient and adaptable process, ultimately leading to better project outcomes.

Are you ready to take your software solution to the next level? Schedule a call with us today.

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Agile – Learning the Basics

You’ve probably noticed that the term “Agile” is used quite a bit in the corporate world. But what does Agile actually mean? Typically, the term is used by companies to describe their approach to project management and development, some companies even holding certification in the agile process. However, the term’s use can vary greatly, depending on the company and the specific context. In some cases, Agile is simply used as a buzzword or catchy marketing term to imply that the company is innovative and responsive to its client’s needs. In other cases, it refers to a specific methodology such as Kanban or Scrum that a company has adopted for its development process. 

Other companies (Oak City Labs included) use the term “Agile” to describe a set of values and principles guiding their work approach. This includes the prioritization of team collaboration, flexibility in workflow, emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement, and valuing individual interactions and needs over processes and tools. 

When teams implement the Agile methodology into their work, they are making the end-user or client their top priority, with the goal of delivering a product that both meets their needs and exceeds their expectations. As mentioned earlier, collaboration is key for successfully following the Agile methodology. Maintaining frequent communication between the development team and the customer is essential for obtaining feedback and guidance throughout the development process. Our team believes that the more often we see our clients, the better. When we kick off a new project, we establish the expectation that we will conduct weekly check-ins to discuss where our team is at in the project, demo any new features that have been added, answer any questions, and overall, ensure that we are meeting the client’s expectations. This process has made our relationships solid and has built trust in our client-team relationship.

Another critical aspect of the Agile methodology is flexibility, valuing individuals over processes. This means that we do not say “no” to change. Adaptation is in the very nature of the rapidly changing tech industry. When developing software for our clients, it almost never fails that a new feature will come up or an existing feature’s functionality will need to be changed. A team that holds to the Agile approach is used to shifting focus, even if it’s last minute. A traditional workflow process might say that any changes must be submitted no later than 30 days before project completion. But an Agile team realizes that sometimes, changes are inevitable, and what might have been a necessary feature last week is no longer a concern. Agile teams welcome change and take each challenge head-on knowing that flexibility produces improvements. 

Agile teams don’t need to stick to a strict regimen. Any organization can implement aspects of the Agile methodology into its workflow process.  If you’re a team who seeks challenge and thrives in a rapidly changing environment, then you should consider adopting the Agile method. 

Are you ready to drive change through technology? Contact us and schedule a consultation today. 

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How to Build a Features List 101

When you’re ready to consult a development team for an estimate on your software solution, they are going to ask you for your features list. A features list is just what it sounds like – a list of functions that the app will provide for its users. 

For your development team to give you an accurate estimate for the timeline and cost of your project, they will need to know exactly what they’re building. Think of it as a bonus room addition to your house. When you ask the contractor to provide an estimate, they need to know how large the room will be, what kind of flooring to install, which walls they need to tear down, etc. The more work, the more your room addition will cost. Similarly, the more complex your app is, the longer and more expensive development will be. 

In this article, we will discuss how to build a comprehensive feature list.

Determine your budget

This seems like an obvious place to start because your budget will drive the rest of the app development. The more money you have in your budget, the more detailed the app can become. We work with many entrepreneurs who participate in various grant programs, so several of our clients already have their budgets determined for them by the programs they receive their funding from. We encourage you to allow some wiggle room in your budget because we are 1,000% sure that new features you haven’t thought about before will pop up as the project progresses. We recommend that you provide a price range for your developers to build their estimate. 

Write out a statement of purpose

For the sake of this article, let’s assume that you have already come up with your software solution, have conducted thorough market research, determined your target audience, and are ready to jump into the development phase. 

Whether you’re building an app to educate users on a specific topic, or you’re building an app that will work as a game, you need to come up with a “thesis” statement to convey its overall purpose. When we ask our clients for their “thesis”, we usually approach the question by asking them to define what successful completion of the project will look like. Here’s an example:

“By the end of the first phase of my project, the app will be used to educate users on how to naturally balance their hormones. Users will go to my app for educational resources including videos and articles, and they will be able to connect with professionals in the medical field to schedule an online consultation via video conference on their iOS app.”

Break it down

Another thing that we ask all of our clients to do is break down their features into the following brackets:

  • Must have – features that the app needs for a complete user experience
  • Should have – features that are not detrimental to the function of the app but hinder the user experience if not included
  • Nice to have – features that are not immediately necessary, but would add value and an improved user experience
  • Next version – features that are not needed, but as the app gains an audience, would be good to add in the future

Putting your features into these categories will help keep the most important features prioritized while also ensuring that low-priority items are not forgotten. If the project finishes under budget, you can start to add in features that are categorized as “Nice to have”. The more organization, the more smoothly your project will go.

Talk to your developers

We can’t encourage you enough to study your market and target audience to learn what the most pressing needs are for your software solution. If you don’t fully know what your app should include right away, that’s okay! Just provide as many details as you can about what your expectations and goals are for your software solution. Your developers are there to support you and will work with you to determine the fine details of your app.

Ready to get started on your project? We’d love to talk to you. Schedule a free consultation with us.

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Staging and Production – What’s the difference?

One of the most essential parts of the development process is establishing the staging and production environments. These two environments allow us to ensure that the code we’ve spent weeks building is both stable and bug-free before it’s released to the end users. Even though staging and production environments are almost identical in appearance, they are actually completely different from each other. In this post, I’m going to talk you through what the staging and production environments are and how they operate.

Let’s start with the staging environment.

The staging environment is a replica of the software being built. Think of it as a test kitchen for a restaurant. It allows the chefs to practice and perfect their recipes before the restaurant opens to the public. Similarly, the staging environment allows developers to test and perfect their code before it is released to the end users in the production environment. Staging environments are used to showcase new features, identify and fix bugs, and allow all other changes to be made and tested before the software can deploy. When we develop new software, we also want our clients to gain access to the staging environment as soon as possible so they can test the app for themselves and give us feedback.

Some important things to know about the staging environment:

  1. Staging environments have the same hardware and software configurations as a live production environment
  2. Access to the staging environment is restricted and monitored to prevent unauthorized access
  3. Data in the staging environment should be backed up regularly so that any changes can be easily undone if necessary
  4. Staging environments should be tested thoroughly before any changes are made to the live production environment
  5. Software and websites should be tested in the staging environment for compatibility with other applications and operating systems

Now let’s talk about the production environment

The production environment is essentially the “hard copy” of the organization’s live applications, websites, and services. It is the environment that is used by end-users to interact with the organization’s services. It is the most reliable, secure, and up-to-date version of the software solution where the latest versions of the app are made live to its users where they can see, use, and interact with the product. Once changes are made to production, all testing and bug fixes are completed at this point. The production environment contains the final version of the product.

Some important things to know about the production environment:

  1. It should be kept secure and up to date
  2. All software and hardware should be tested prior to deployment in the production environment
  3. A backup should be made prior to any changes to the production environment
  4. The environment should be scalable and able to handle increased capacity
  5. The system should be monitored to ensure optimal performance

So whether you’re in the beginning stages of development or you’re nearing your launch, familiarize yourself with both your staging and production environments so that you can better understand your product and create a comprehensive onboarding experience for your users.

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Web vs. Mobile Apps

You have a brilliant software solution and you can’t wait to share it with the world! 💡 You took our “Should you Build an app” quiz and passed with flying colors. Now you’re ready to find a development team who understands your product and can take your vision to the next level.   

One of the first questions that you will be asked by your potential developers is if you want a web or mobile application. If you haven’t done your research, this question might rock your world! Deciding to build a web or mobile app is a HUGE decision that requires significant thought and planning. Today, I’m going to walk you through what mobile and web apps are, their pros and cons, and how you can start to determine which option is right for your product.

Let’s start with Web Apps

Do you pay your rent through an online portal? Or do you log into a patient portal to schedule doctor’s appointments and view your lab results? The platforms that host these services are web applications. Web apps are kept on remote servers and include a client-side component (the part of the app that you use), a server-side component (the backend), and a database that stores and retrieves data for the app. Since web applications are hosted on remote servers, users must have internet access to use the app.

Pros include…

✅ Web apps are accessible on any device

✅ Development is relatively easy, affordable, and does not require additional efforts to publish the app

✅ Web apps can be integrated with other apps and services

✅ Web apps reach a large audience 

Cons include…

❌ Security is not always strong. Web apps are more susceptible to cyber attacks

❌ Web apps can be slow and prone to network errors. If the internet connection is unstable, users will have difficulty accessing the app

❌ Restricted functionality – As web applications are not native, sometimes they cannot use all the features of your device, like advanced camera controls.  

❌ Web apps always need to be hosted on the Internet which requires ongoing costs and maintenance. 

Now let’s discuss Mobile Apps

It’s 2023 and probably safe to assume that the majority of us use a smartphone. Whether you’re texting, listening to music with a music player, or taking photos, you’re using a mobile app. They are designed to run on smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. Mobile apps are available through distribution platforms, such as the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Mobile apps store their data on the device’s local storage or in the cloud depending on how many users there are using the app. Mobile apps are usually more complex than web apps because of the necessary software and hardware components needed for their features, device compatibility, and operating systems.

Pros include…

✅ The ability to run offline

✅ Mobile apps are usually more engaging than web apps – they are typically more personalized

✅ Mobile apps are more secure than web apps due to the device’s authentication methods and ability to encrypt data stored on the device. 

✅ Mobile apps can be monetized through in-app purchases and advertisements

Cons include…

❌ Mobile apps are complex to develop and usually more expensive

❌ Mobile apps might not be compatible with all devices

❌ Mobile apps updates might take a long time to get published on the App store

As you can see, there are several factors that determine whether you should build a Web or Mobile app. It really boils down to what your specific product needs are, your timeline, your budget, and who your audience includes. We encourage you to consult an experienced development team who can listen to your product vision and inform you on which application will produce optimal results.

Ready to start your project? Connect with us online and schedule a free consultation with our team.

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Professors Who Built An App

Since Oak City Labs was founded in 2014, we’ve had opportunities to collaborate with professors, academics and clinicians to develop customized software solutions for some of the industry’s most pressing pain points. Working with professors is a unique treat for our team, as they have spent the majority of their careers identifying a specific problem to solve through technology. Their work is thorough and calculated, making their data and software solutions evidence-based or deep in the study phases of research. By the time we connect on our initial Zoom call, they are usually ready to hit the ground running! This month, we want to recognize a few of the incredible professors and clinicians that we’ve had the pleasure of working with. 

Michael A. Crary, Ph.D., FASHA & Giselle Carnaby, MPH, Ph.D., FASHA
Florida Dysphagia Institute

Before we met Dr. Crary and Dr. Carnaby, our team knew little about Dysphagia and its impact on the aging population. Dr. Crary and Dr. Carnaby have spent their careers researching Dysphagia and various therapy methods that could effectively treat and rehabilitate patients. They came to our team in 2021 to discuss an app that would allow clinicians to answer a series of questions, then produce a graph output of their responses. Their goal was to streamline the process of training that was traditionally completed with pen and paper. After hearing their story and seeing the positive impact that Dr. Crary and Dr. Carnaby have in their community, we were eager to jump in and join their efforts to develop the app. As with all of our projects, we met with them on a regular basis to identify what features their app needed to best support their team. 

We spent the next several months developing the iOS app and creating a portal for the Dysphagia Institute’s team to utilize for online learning, training, exams, and certification. By the end of the project, Dr. Crary and Dr. Carnaby had an evidence-based, intuitive, and easy-to-use mobile app along with a portal for their team.  Today, they continue to innovate in the field of dysphagia management with their new app that provides better insight into swallowing disorders.

“We didn’t have a clue about how to proceed with developing an app. Oak City Labs answered all our questions, was clear in communication, and very responsive. Because of their efforts, they’re helping us to grow.” – Dr. Michael Crary

Laura Widman
Professor of Psychology at NC State University

In June of 2022, Professor Widman reached out to Oak City Labs to discuss her ideas for “The Talk Tutor” – an interactive app for parents to use as a guide when speaking to their children about sex and relationships. After meeting with Laura, we learned that many parents feel uncomfortable or unprepared to approach their children about the “birds and bees”. Laura’s mission from the beginning of her project has been to equip parents to confidently approach their children about sex, and provide them with helpful conversation starters, educational resources, and the ability to connect with other parents who are in a similar stage of life. 

Professor Widman came to our team for help in determining whether she should build a web or mobile application. Throughout the next several months, Laura conducted 100 interviews with parents, teachers, pastors, and clinicians to learn more about how the topic of sex is approached from various perspectives. From there, we listened to the feedback she received and determined what the best approach would be for her submission to a grant program. Through many planning sessions with our team, we formed a design and outline of the application. By the end of our meetings, Laura had a design ready to submit for approval and potential funding! We are confident that Professor Widman’s application will find funding in a fantastic program, and we look forward to future development with her. 

“They’re extremely creative and bring ideas to the table. [They are] especially good at working with designers and engineers who really understand how to make a good design and are willing to bring in new ideas and ideas.” – Professor Laura Widman

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Top Five Free Apps for Breast Cancer Management

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. All around the world, family and friends are pulling out their pink clothing to show support to their loved ones who are courageously fighting breast cancer. Sadly, breast cancer is familiar to many, as about 2.3 million women and men have been diagnosed since 2020.

Researchers are working tirelessly to develop a cure to eliminate breast cancer. In the meantime, the tech industry has teamed up with doctors and researchers to create resources that will put treatment control back in the bands of the patient. We narrowed down a list of our five favorite breast cancer management apps that are free and available to download today!

Breast Advocate

The Breast Advocate is available on the App and Google Play Stores. It was the first shared decision-making app that was co-created by both patient advocates and breast cancer specialists. The mission of the Breast Advocate is to empower patients to confidently approach their oncologists and have meaningful conversations about various treatment options. Using evidence-based information and an extensive database, the Breast Advocate provides personalized recommendations for treatments that are based off of the patient’s diagnosis, personal values, and preferences. The app also provides educational tools that include a comprehensive yet personalized approach to all treatment options and links to recent case studies with expert opinions. Treatment for breast cancer is a personal decision that every patient should have complete control over. The Breast Advocate is a fantastic resource to give patients the confidence they need to determine their own treatment journey.

ChemoWave

Available on the App Store and Google Play, ChemoWave was created to assist patients in tracking their symptoms, medications, and daily activities. This app allows users to set up medication reminders and keep a journal of their symptoms throughout the day. Additionally, the app provides tools to track daily steps and other physical activities. The app uses AI-enabled insights to generate a breakdown of a symptoms, moods, and treatment actives, then generates a personalized chart for patients to visualize what activities made them feel better or worse.

MBC Connect

Free on GooglePlay, MBC Connect is an interactive patient registry for those with metastatic breast cancers. The app provides educational information on various diagnoses, gives links to the latest clinical trials, and nudges patients with opportunities to connect with other MBC app users. The app allows users to enter their health and medication information while maintaining privacy guidelines. The health and medication information contributes to a powerful database that will drive advances in research!

CaringBridge

CaringBridge is available for free on GooglePay and the Apple Store. This app is a helpful resource to keep family and friends up to date on the patient’s cancer journey. With the app, users can write in a personal journal and maintain complete control over the viewing permissions for family and friends. There are also gallery features for users to post their milestone moments and share with the support group. Another great feature is support mobilization. This allows users to coordinate help of all forms, from meal trains to fundraising and donations.

ACSFUNdraising

Cancer treatment is costly. The average cancer patient spends about $150,000 in treatment. With ACSFUNdraising, patients can accept donations and access any fundraiser organized by the American Cancer Society. Additionally, patients can register for a Relay for Life and link up with a team who can walk or run to raise funding that goes towards treatment. The app allows family and friends to create fundraisers, share them on social media, and send donation receipts to online givers. Cancer treatment should be available to every person, no matter what their socioeconomic status is. With ACSFunding, the burden of treatment costs can be significantly lifted.

 

These are just five of thousands of resources available to breast cancer patients! With the help of technology, finding healthcare educational information, and support is made easier. If you or someone you know is battling breast cancer, show your support by sharing these helpful resources.

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