Joel Comm, creator of the famous iFart application, is using a new platform to state his case for a new App Store review process. Comm is the first developer that we know of to create a video appeal aimed directly at Steve Jobs. (See video below.)
The new application, a "cha-ching" button that makes a cash register sound when pushed, was rejected because, according to Apple's rejection letter, it provides limited functionality. Comm takes issue with the rejection, claiming that there are numerous similar apps already approved by Apple, including Wooo! Button (iTunes link), Hallelujah! Button (iTunes link), and Knock on Wood (iTunes link).
Do you think this rejection was fair? Do you think that Apple needs to fix the App Store review process or remove it completely? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Don't like something about an app? Don't just sit there--pitch a fit.
(Credit: CNET)Want great software for your mobile phone? Keep up the complaints. That was the message at a Tuesday session of the BlackBerry Developer Conference here in San Francisco aimed at developers. But it's a dictum that applies to all smartphone owners.
In the symbiotic relationship between the application developer and the user, a well-placed critique is key to a good programmer improving their mobile application. The motto of the squeakiest wheel getting the most grease may seem obvious, but the importance of user feedback becomes even clearer when articulated in dollar signs and numbers.
A single-star rating for an application on a review site or storefront can severely limit its chances of getting downloaded, and therefore of making money.
"This is the curse of the one-star," said session speaker Stephen King (not that Stephen King), CEO of app testing company Mob4Hire.
His company's research suggests that the bulk of users feel comfortable downloading new mobile software that gets four stars or above. With 69 percent of people discovering apps based on rankings, reviews, and friend recommendations, and the mobile app industry growing 26 percent year over year, according to Juniper Research, there's real money to be made or lost. Addressing peoples' complaints isn't just a best business practice; it may directly affect the bottom line.
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Apple, Inc.)
Apple will be hosting free iPhone Tech Talks starting later this month and continuing through December. The talks will be hosted by Apple engineers and technology evangelists in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Apple representatives will discuss and provide guidance in user interface design, game design, code optimization, Core Data, video and audio development, App purchases, push notifications, and Web content integration. They'll also make themselves available to answer questions about software development on the iPhone and iPod Touch.
You have to be a registered iPhone Developer in order to attend these sessions, which you can sign up for online. The sessions will be held in the following cities in North America; click the link above to see other locations around the globe.
- Oct 29, San Jose
- Nov 2, Seattle
- Dec 1, New York
- Dec 3, Toronto
The North American agenda (PDF link) could be likened to WWDC, but it's smaller and free.
Apple warns that seating is limited, so it's recommended that you sign up as soon as possible.
Apple sent an e-mail to iPhone app developers on Friday afternoon announcing the App Store Resource Center, a destination for details on application review and distribution, ranging from advice on preparing an app for submission to managing an app once it is available on the App Store.
According to Apple:
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Apple)
"The App Store Resource Center provides details on how to get started with iTunes Connect, including setting up your account, contract and banking information, what you'll need to have prepared before you submit your binary, and quick reference guides on assigning a rating to your app and using keywords.
"You'll learn what you can do to ensure your app is ready for the approval process and what to expect during review. You'll also find guidance on managing your app, once it's on the App Store, including app-editing information, submitting updates for your app, and where you can find and leverage sales and marketing resources."
Apple also advised developers to "check out the News and Announcements section of the iPhone Dev Center for tips on submitting your apps to the App Store, turnaround time for app review, new program features, and guidance on everything from development and testing to distribution and marketing."
Developers need a registered iPhone Developer Apple ID and password, which can be obtained by signing up for a paid membership to Apple's iPhone Developer program, to access the App Store Resource Center and the iPhone Dev Center.
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Design Commission)
Design Commission, a Seattle-based design house, has created a decidedly analog tool for iPhone app design: the iPhone Stencil Kit.
The Stencil Kit is made from stainless steel and ships with a Zebra mechanical pencil. The Design Commission site hosts free, printable PDF templates in letter and A4 sizes, both for use with the stencil.
The stencil lets you to trace the appropriately sized interface for iPhone app development, then add various controls such as sliders, icons, buttons, media playback controls, search tools, and dialogs. Using the stencil and one of the downloaded templates, a developer can easily sketch a quick rendition of what he or she wants an iPhone app interface to look like.
The iPhone Stencil Kit costs $16.95 plus shipping; you can buy it directly from Design Commission. We recommend this tool to any developer who feels more creative with pencil and paper when designing an interface.
Here's an interesting solution for anyone who has a killer idea for an iPhone app but doesn't know the first thing about software development: Moobila turns your idea into an app and markets it on the App Store.
Actually, the company specializes in turning existing corporate software into iPhone apps, thereby eliminating the need to train or hire programmers.
But Moobila also provides an opportunity for budding entrepreneurs to see their ideas turned into potentially money-making software. You pay for the development; you keep whatever revenue it generates.
Want to see a few proofs of concept? Moobila has already developed three iPhone apps, including tape-measure replacement iFlipMeasure and iPicolo, which lets you upload a photo to multiple social-networking sites at once.
You'll have to contact Moobila for a quote, of course, as no two apps are alike when it comes to development. But hourly rates start at around $15-20, according to a company rep.
If you're an iPhone/iPod Touch user who likes to win free stuff or an iPhone developer who wants to generate some buzz about your product(s), look no further than AppGiveaway.
True to its name, AppGiveaway lets developers give away promo codes--and lets users register to win them. It's like eHarmony meets the App Store meets, um, some site that holds contests. Thankfully, there's no cost for either party.
AppGiveaway lets you enter to win promo codes for apps like this.
The site offers new giveaways every day. And not just one measly app: there were seven added today alone.
To throw your name into the virtual drop-entry-form-here box for any given app, just click through to read its description, and then click "Enter this giveaway." (If you haven't already registered, you'll need to do that first. It's a one-time e-mail confirmation process.)
If you're a developer, you need to register as one (as opposed to as a user) in order to submit your app for a giveaway. Of course, you also get to pimp the app with a sexy description, screenshots, links, and a Buy Now option for those who didn't win but want the app anyway.
It would be nice if the site showed a tally of how many people had entered a particular giveaway, or gave you a way to keep tabs on which giveaways you've entered. How about a way to sort giveaways so you can see those that are about to end (and sneak in your entry under the wire)?
Even so, AppGiveaway makes it a snap to enter app contests and, potentially, win free stuff. As for developers, it definitely looks like a way to get your app on the map, if only temporarily. (What do you say, devs? Is this a handy service, or does it need more, well, development?)
A recent post on Barron's Tech Trader Daily suggests that Apple plans to "attack the low end of the smartphone market" by offering a $99 version of the 8GB iPhone.
According to Barron's, RBC Capital analyst Mike Abramsky believes that Apple will reveal updated 16GB and 32GB iPhones at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8 (as expected), keeping $199 and $299 price points. The article suggests that "Abramsky thinks even an evolutionary upgrade will drive a healthy upgrade cycle; he estimates 20 percent of the 21 million iPhone-installed base will upgrade within the first year."
But the most interesting part of this report reads:
The company could leverage its component and manufacturing efficiencies by offering an 8GB version of the phone at $99, down from $199 currently. He thinks the result could provide a major lift to unit demand, with 5 million additional iPhones in FY 2009, and 22 million in FY 2010.
Additional information about this story was also posted at AppleInsider, reiterating the rumor that there will be new models of the iPhone, but that Apple would split the iPhone into regular and "pro" editions.
According to AppleInsider:
Next month's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference will see the introduction of an "iPhone Pro" that will sell for $199 and $299 with storage capacities of 16GB and 32GB, respectively. Inside, he [Abramksy] expects a new 3G wireless chip capable of connecting to wireless networks that support download speeds of up to 7.2Mbps, a 600MHz Samsung ARM processor, 3.2-megapixel camera with video capabilities, a magnetometer, and other features already found on the current iPhone 3G.
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RBC Capital Markets)
It is also noted that "Apple will continue to sell its existing iPhone 3G in an 8GB configuration, only pricing it down to $99 from $199 in a bid to broaden its share of the worldwide smartphone market, boost its multitouch install base, and poke holes in any price umbrella rivals may seek out in their own bid for market share."
The iPhone hasn't really been around long, and in order to gain market share, Apple may well consider introducing different models, lowering prices, adding more features, and growing geographically. (China would be a good place to start.) All this could be accomplished with a $99 starting price.
We know that you've heard the $99 iPhone rumor before--including after Walmart started selling the iPhone--and never seen it materialize. What do you think this time around? Would you be interested in a $99 iPhone? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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Apple, Inc.)
The international distribution of iPhone applications is not being handled properly at the App Store, one developer tells MacNN. Having launched a title called CameraUFO, Magno Urbano says he recently visited the US App Store to verify if his software was on sale. Although not at its main intended venue, the app could be found at a number foreign stores, though still not all of them.
According to the piece, the developer has reported the problems to Apple, but no solution has been offered as of this article. According to the developer, "many developers could be losing substantial amounts of revenue."
Are you an iPhone App Store developer? Are you suffering from this problem or another App Store problem? Tell us about it in the comments.
We reported last March about Apple extending the iPhone developer program to expire on July 11, one year after the opening of the iTunes App Store. Since then, some Apple developers have reported tough times renewing their iPhone development licenses, according to reports.
Recently, however, Apple has begun to allow iPhone development licenses renewals (a full 60 days prior to the developer program expiration date). One developer submitted the following screen snapshot as evidence that renewals are working.
Renewals allow developers to continue to sell apps without losing their place in the iTunes App Store, something many of them feared might happen. Still, the program has some glitches. According to this article, iPhone developers running out of Ad-Hoc slots, posted on iLounge.com:
A number of iPhone developers are running out of slots for the addition of ad hoc testing devices, according to one developer's blog posting. James Thompson, developer of PCalc, states that when he recently ran into problems deleting and adding new testing devices to his list, and contacted Apple about the problem, they replied saying, "Please know that each Standard iPhone Developer Program enrollment has a limit of 100 test devices. Please be aware that removing a device will not replenish the current amount available."
It appears that the registered device list isn't as flexible as one would want it to be--another kink that Apple needs to iron out. The ability to swap out testing devices and testers at will should be a high priority for Apple. Hopefully, Apple will resolve this issue quickly and not limit ad hoc device list resets to once annually.
Developers, we'd like to hear your thoughts about the Apple iPhone developer program.
