Low cost web & Android app development for Basingstoke

Why choose New Media Aid?
We develop affordable cutting-edge web apps, Android apps and ecommerce websites. Providing bespoke app development services since the year 2000, we are only 59 miles from Basingstoke, Hampshire. The development cost of a bespoke Android app, web app or ecommerce website for organisations in Hampshire will usually be between £2,000 and £5,000.

We develop advanced, bespoke, Android apps, mobile-friendly web applications and e-commerce websites for Hampshire organisations who want state-of-the-art web and mobile applications at down-to-earth prices.

If you are looking for custom made, Android app development,mobile-friendly website development or e-commerce website design you need look no futher than New Media Aid.


Useful Android app developers term of the day: High Efficiency Image Format (HEIF)

The Android HEIFWriter library is a software development kit (SDK) provided by Google that allows developers to write HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) files on Android devices. HEIF is a newer image format that provides better compression and quality than older image formats like JPEG and PNG.

The HEIFWriter library is available as part of the Android Support Library, and can be included in an Android project through Gradle. Once added to a project, the HEIFWriter library can be used to create HEIF files from image data in memory or on disk, and can be customized to set encoding parameters like image quality, compression level, and color format.

HEIF files created with the HEIFWriter library can be used in Android apps and shared with other devices and platforms that support the format. However, it's worth noting that not all devices and platforms support HEIF yet, so it may not be the best choice for all use cases.


The Android HEIFWriter library is a library that allows Android developers to write High Efficiency Image Format (HEIF) files in their Android applications. HEIF is a modern image format that provides higher compression rates and better quality than traditional image formats like JPEG.

The HEIFWriter library is part of the Android media framework and can be used in Android applications starting from Android 8.0 (API level 26). The library provides a simple and easy-to-use interface for creating HEIF files from Android Bitmap objects or YUV image data.

To use the HEIFWriter library in your Android application, you need to add the following dependency to your app's build.gradle file:

dependencies { implementation 'com.android.support:support-media-compat:28.0.0' }

Once you have added the dependency, you can use the HEIFWriter class to create HEIF files. Here's an example code snippet that shows how to create a HEIF file from a Bitmap object:

Bitmap bitmap = BitmapFactory.decodeResource(getResources(), R.drawable.my_image); HEIFWriter writer = new HEIFWriter("/path/to/my_image.heif", bitmap.getWidth(), bitmap.getHeight()); writer.start(); writer.addBitmap(bitmap); writer.stop();

In this example, the HEIFWriter constructor takes the path to the output HEIF file and the width and height of the input Bitmap. The start method initializes the HEIFWriter instance, the addBitmap method adds the Bitmap data to the HEIF file, and the stop method finalizes the HEIF file.

Note that the HEIFWriter library is only available on Android devices that support HEIF encoding. If you are targeting devices that do not support HEIF, you can use a third-party HEIF encoder library like libheif to encode HEIF files on those devices.

The High Efficiency Image Format (HEIF) is a file format for storing and sharing images and other media content. HEIF is a more advanced format than the older JPEG and PNG formats, offering higher quality images and smaller file sizes. In this article, we will discuss how HEIF works and what benefits it provides over other formats.

HEIF uses a more efficient compression algorithm than JPEG, which is the most commonly used format for sharing images on the web. JPEG uses a "lossy" compression method, which means that some of the image data is lost during compression. HEIF, on the other hand, uses a "lossless" compression method, which retains all of the original image data. This means that images saved in HEIF format can be compressed to a much smaller size without losing any quality.

One of the main advantages of HEIF is its ability to store multiple images and media content in a single file. This is done through a feature called "containerization," which allows multiple images, videos, and other media types to be stored together in a single file. This is useful for photographers and videographers who want to share their work in a more organized way, or for users who want to store all of their media content in a single file.

HEIF also supports advanced image features such as high dynamic range (HDR) and deep color. HDR images have a wider range of colors and brightness than traditional images, which makes them look more realistic and vibrant. HEIF also supports the Rec. 2020 color space, which provides a wider range of colors than the sRGB color space used by most other formats.

Another benefit of HEIF is its ability to store "image sequences," which are multiple images taken in rapid succession, such as those taken by a burst mode on a camera. HEIF stores these images as a single sequence, which can be viewed as a video or as individual images. This feature is useful for photographers who want to capture fast-moving subjects or for users who want to create animations or GIFs from their image sequences.

HEIF also has built-in support for image editing features such as cropping, rotation, and metadata editing. This means that users can edit their images without having to save them in a separate format, which can save time and reduce the risk of losing image quality during conversion.

HEIF is also more secure than other formats, as it supports digital rights management (DRM) features. This allows content creators to protect their work from unauthorized use or distribution, which is particularly important for professional photographers and videographers.

HEIF is supported by many major operating systems and devices, including iOS, macOS, Windows, and Android. However, some older devices and software may not support HEIF, which can make sharing and viewing HEIF images more difficult. To address this issue, many devices and operating systems now include built-in support for HEIF conversion or viewing, or users can use third-party software to convert HEIF files to other formats.

In conclusion, HEIF is a more advanced and efficient file format for storing and sharing images and other media content. HEIF offers higher quality images, smaller file sizes, and advanced features such as HDR and image sequences. HEIF is also more secure than other formats and is supported by many major operating systems and devices. However, HEIF may not be supported by all devices and software, which can make sharing and viewing HEIF images more difficult.



Crimes reported in Basingstoke
Our custom app development prices are criminally low, but not as criminal as these events recently reported in Basingstoke.

How safe is Basingstoke?
Here are some Jan 2025 crimes for Basingstoke which we have added to show you how our software engineers can integrate data from external sources in web apps.

bicycle theft
  • Shopping Area (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
  • A3010 (Under investigation)
burglary
  • Spindle Close (Under investigation)
  • College Road (Under investigation)
  • Frescade Crescent (Under investigation)
  • Church Square (Under investigation)
  • Theatre/concert Hall (Awaiting court outcome)
criminal damage arson
  • Stukeley Road (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
  • Bunnian Place (Under investigation)
  • Bus/coach Station (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
  • Parking Area (Under investigation)
  • Downsland Road (Under investigation)
drugs
  • Elizabeth Road (Under investigation)
  • Theatre/concert Hall (Under investigation)
  • Martin Close (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
  • Normanton Road (Under investigation)
  • Winterthur Way (Local resolution)
other theft
  • Shopping Area (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
  • Harrison Place (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
  • Goat Lane (Unable to prosecute suspect)
  • Hubbard Road (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
  • Bus/coach Station (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
possession of weapons
  • Forsythia Walk (Under investigation)
  • Normanton Road (Awaiting court outcome)
  • Sports/recreation Area (Under investigation)
  • Black Dam Way (Under investigation)
  • Bunnian Place (Under investigation)
public order
  • Braine L'alleud Road (Under investigation)
  • Eastrop Lane (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
  • Shopping Area (Awaiting court outcome)
  • Osborne Close (Unable to prosecute suspect)
  • Winterthur Way (Unable to prosecute suspect)
robbery
  • Shopping Area (Unable to prosecute suspect)
  • Cherry Tree Walk (Under investigation)
  • Spindle Close (Under investigation)
shoplifting
  • Supermarket (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
  • Theatre/concert Hall (Under investigation)
  • Browning Close (Under investigation)
  • Theatre/concert Hall (Under investigation)
  • Shopping Area (Awaiting court outcome)
theft from the person
  • Wote Street (Under investigation)
  • Braine L'alleud Road (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
  • Penrith Road (Under investigation)
vehicle crime
  • Deanes Close (Under investigation)
  • Sinclair Drive (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
  • Basingstoke (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
  • Fletcher Close (Under investigation)
  • Padwick Close (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
violent crime
  • Darcy Close (Unable to prosecute suspect)
  • Antar Close (Under investigation)
  • Wessex Close (Under investigation)
  • May Street (Under investigation)
  • Shopping Area (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
other crime
  • Lyford Road (Under investigation)
  • Culver Road (Under investigation)
  • Bus/coach Station (Under investigation)
  • Crossborough Hill (Investigation complete; no suspect identified)
We are only 59 miles from Basingstoke
ab@newma.co.uk