The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gifThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Apple adds submission histories to iTunes Connecthttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/06/apple-adds-submission-histories-to-itunes-connect/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/06/apple-adds-submission-histories-to-itunes-connect/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/06/apple-adds-submission-histories-to-itunes-connect/#commentsFiled under: ,

iPhone developer Brian Stormont pinged us this morning to share the news that Apple has quietly updated iTunes Connect with a great new feature: Status History. Appearing near recently reviewed items, this option opens a detail table showing how your application has worked its way through the App Store review process, and on to the shelf. Stormont details this update on his site.

This option does not, at this time, appear to be universally available. When I checked my personal apps this morning in the iTunes Connect "Manage Your Applications" screen, I was unable to find any Status History links on any of my application listings. However, I was able to confirm this feature with other iPhone developers.

Another new feature appears to be that the amber-bubbled status messages have been extended. In addition to the standard "In Review," iTunes Connect now offers a "Waiting for Review" status for newly uploaded material. If you see any further interface changes or new status messages, drop us a comment and let us know.

So what does this all mean? In my opinion, this is all great stuff, helping move Apple towards greater developer feedback. No, it's still not the full ticketing system that a lot of us are hoping for but it's definitely a step in the right direction.

Thanks, Maior

Apple adds submission histories to iTunes Connect originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Apple adds submission histories to iTunes Connect originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>App Store ReviewAppStoreReviewGood AppleGoodAppleMoving forwardMovingForwardProgressErica SadunFri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 ESTGamesalad offers $99 iPhone game publishinghttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/02/gamesalad-offers-99-iphone-game-publishing/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/02/gamesalad-offers-99-iphone-game-publishing/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/02/gamesalad-offers-99-iphone-game-publishing/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

We mentioned Gamesalad's plans to bring their publishing system to the iPhone earlier this year, and now they've done it: for $99 a year, they say that you'll be able to design games on their game creator development tool, and then publish them straight out to the iPhone's App Store. If you don't want to bother publishing the games yourself, you can create them and have them "viewed" through the Gamesalad Viewer (which we couldn't find on the App Store quite yet), or you can export them out as full applications and publish them as your own iPhone apps (Flutterby is in the store right now as an example of a Gamesalad Creator game).

There's also a $1999 membership service that lets you customize every aspect of your games, and provides you with direct customer support, which is supposed to be for "elite users" (like, we guess, actual game companies). And truthfully, I've developed a few apps using just Xcode, and it's not too big a deal (though I've never had to go through an actual release or worked with end users, which I'm sure is most of the battle anyway). But if the thought of using professional coding tools to develop your little game idea sends you into panic attacks, and the Gamesalad creator seems more your speed, this might be a nice viable way for you to turn your gaming idea into App Store gold.

It costs nothing to download and try out the creator, so if the idea interests you, you can work on putting a game together, and then pay later when you decide you've got something you want published on the iPhone. And hey, if you do put a game up, be sure to send a tip and let us know -- we'd love to see the end products of this process.

Gamesalad offers $99 iPhone game publishing originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Gamesalad offers $99 iPhone game publishing originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>creatordevelopmentgamesgamesaladgamesalad-vieweriphonepublishingtiptuawviewedxcodeMike SchrammMon, 02 Nov 2009 23:30:00 ESTiPhone app claims 95% piracy ratehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/28/iphone-app-claims-95-piracy-rate/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/28/iphone-app-claims-95-piracy-rate/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/28/iphone-app-claims-95-piracy-rate/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

With all of the success stories coming out of the App Store, it's been pretty easy to forget the problem of piracy for most developers. Not so for Fishlabs, who've posted over on the Touch Arcade forums that their latest game, Rally Master Pro 3D, is experiencing a 95% piracy rate. You read that right: supposedly 95% of the people playing the game on the iPhone haven't paid for it.

There's probably a multitude of reasons why that is -- the app is $7 with no trial version, it's not a super-popular app quite yet (so one pirated copy on a popular message board is probably traveling farther than the copies coming off of the official App Store), and there are probably at least a few other factors in the mix that we don't know yet. Still, 95% is obviously pretty darn high for a platform that's supposed to only deliver software through Apple's official store.

Now, fortunately Fishlabs doesn't sound litigious -- they're not pulling the old "piracy = lost sales" fallacy that many companies in this situation would do. They are lowering the price on the app -- they expected it to be worth more, but apparently their consumer base seems to disagree. They tell Mobile Entertainment that they'd entertain the idea of providing content only through Apple's in-app purchasing service (presumably, that would prevent piracy by locking down the extra content), but they also say that's a gamble they've tried and missed on other platforms before.

Of course, it'll take more than one post on one message board to make hay out of the problem of app piracy -- it definitely happens, but on the other hand, there certainly are apps selling well, and there are also apps not selling well that don't have this level of piracy going on. Apple already has lots of authentication and validation processes in place, but if app piracy is this big a problem for everyone, they may need to look at more.

iPhone app claims 95% piracy rate originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)iPhone app claims 95% piracy rate originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>app-storeapp-store-piracyforumsiphonelost-salesmobile-entertainmentpiracyrally-master-pro-3dtouch-arcadeMike SchrammWed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:00 ESTCSStringTokenizer, a Cocoa Touch front end for tokenizing stringshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/27/csstringtokenizer-a-cocoa-touch-front-end-for-tokenizing-string/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/27/csstringtokenizer-a-cocoa-touch-front-end-for-tokenizing-string/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/27/csstringtokenizer-a-cocoa-touch-front-end-for-tokenizing-string/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Have you ever wanted to work with rather deep elements of Core Foundation in the iPhone SDK with some sort of front end? August Joki has just come up with a project that provides a Cocoa Touch wrapper for the CFStringTokenizer type in the Core Foundation framework.

As you can see in the screen shot at right, the demo provides various aspects about the current string including the string in a letter, word, or using a WordBoundary. It works just like CFStringTokenizer can, but can be accessed using this front-end.

If you're wondering what CFStringTokenizer actually is, it's useful for breaking a string into a token, which can specified by words, sentences, or paragraphs. You're also able to further modify the tokenization once you break it down.

This is something that's going to be useful for iPhone developers who like to work with a Cocoa Touch interface to bring lower-level elements of the iPhone OS into their apps, and also to developers who work with natural language strings.

To download this project, go over to the cocoa-stringtokenizer project page on GitHub.

CSStringTokenizer, a Cocoa Touch front end for tokenizing strings originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)CSStringTokenizer, a Cocoa Touch front end for tokenizing strings originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>CFStringTokenizerCocoa TouchCocoaTouchCore FoundationCoreFoundationtokenTUAW Dev CenterTuawDevCenterJoachim BeanTue, 27 Oct 2009 09:30:00 ESTFree music and a chance to win more from Tap Tap Revenge 3http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/22/free-music-and-a-chance-to-win-more-from-tap-tap-revenge-3/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/22/free-music-and-a-chance-to-win-more-from-tap-tap-revenge-3/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/22/free-music-and-a-chance-to-win-more-from-tap-tap-revenge-3/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Tap Tap Revenge 3 is apparently going gangbusters over on the App Store -- Tapulous has gotten in touch with us to let us know about two different free promotions they're doing lately, as well as give you readers a chance to win their entire catalog for free.

First up, the free stuff for everybody. Today, October 22, they're giving away the great song "Fireflies" by one of my favorite new music acts, Owl City. It just happens to also be the number one song in iTunes today as well, which is a pretty big deal for Tapulous -- it's the first time they've been able to pair up a TTR track release with a #1 on the download charts.

To get that free song, just sign in to the application and pick it up. Additionally, if you don't have the app yet, buying the app before this Friday can get you a free premium two-pack -- all you have to do for that is email your iTunes reciept (or a screenshot of it) to "freemusic AT tapulous DOT com" and put your TTR3 username (and only your username) in the email subject line.

And hey, if that's not enough free stuff, keep reading -- here at TUAW, we're giving away licenses to TTR3's entire premium catalog (the whole thing, from A Perfect Circle to Robbie Williams) to three lucky commenters.

Continue reading Free music and a chance to win more from Tap Tap Revenge 3

Free music and a chance to win more from Tap Tap Revenge 3 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Free music and a chance to win more from Tap Tap Revenge 3 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>contentcontestdlcdownloadable-contentfirefliesgiveawayiphoneowl-cityprizestap-tap-revenge-3usMike SchrammThu, 22 Oct 2009 20:00:00 ESTXcode Tip: Updating your documentationhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/22/xcode-tip-updating-your-documentation/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/22/xcode-tip-updating-your-documentation/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/22/xcode-tip-updating-your-documentation/#commentsFiled under:

It appears that the Dev Center at Apple just updated its documentation set today. If you're using Xcode 3.2 and you want to update your documentation, you might be looking in the wrong place.

Before 3.2, you used to update your documentation in the Developer Documentation window (Help > Developer Documentation, or Command-Option-?). Now you'll find your documentation sets in the Xcode Preferences window (Xcode > Preferences... or Command-, and then choose the Documentation tab). Also, if checked, Xcode will automatically update your documentation when you launch it.

This Documentation panel offers subscription options for installing a documentation set (such as, for example, Mac OS X Legacy Library or iPhone OS 2.2 Library) as well as a handy Check and Install Now button that lets you request the latest updates. Use this to keep on top of the latest documentation updates.

Thanks, Scott Lawrence and @zadr

Xcode Tip: Updating your documentation originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Xcode Tip: Updating your documentation originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>adcdev centerDevCenterdocumentationhelpxcodeErica SadunThu, 22 Oct 2009 17:00:00 ESTShazam picking up investors, boasts 50 million usershttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/20/shazam-picking-up-investors-boasts-50-million-users/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/20/shazam-picking-up-investors-boasts-50-million-users/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/20/shazam-picking-up-investors-boasts-50-million-users/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Shazam is one of the first apps I actually used in context on the iPhone, and while we haven't heard much about the app since it debuted way back in the early days of the App Store, apparently the company itself has been blowing up, thanks to the free app. They've picked up a nice round of investment from venture capitalists, and the service itself now boasts over 50 million users (by comparison, Last.fm claims only 30 million, but they've gotten way more press than Shazam's service, including recent integration on Xbox Live). That's a heck of an achievement, and Apple is a huge part of it -- not only did Shazam make a big splash on their iPhone app, but they say that Apple actually helped connect the VCs and the company together. That's an interesting peek behind the scenes at what Apple is doing for one of the App Store's oldest and most popular free apps.

As for why Shazam is so popular, the VCs say they can see the platform as a "springboard" for selling music, advertising, and a few other commodities. Currently Shazam's free app only lets you tag five songs a month (a limit I never hit and thus didn't know about, even though I would say that I do use the app regularly), but they're planning a paid version that will allow unlimited identification of songs through the iPhone's microphone. I don't know how well that will sell (it's hard to believe that people will pay $5 for a service they are already using for free, though perhaps I'm underestimating the amount of music that people want to "tag"), but it's clear that Shazam is a company that is making the absolute best of having an extremely popular free app on the App Store.

Shazam picking up investors, boasts 50 million users originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Shazam picking up investors, boasts 50 million users originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>advertisingapp-storefree-appfreewareidentificationinvestorsiphoneipod-touchlast-fmmusicshazamsocial-networkventure-capitalistsMike SchrammTue, 20 Oct 2009 10:30:00 ESTDevs quickly move to new models after in-app purchase changehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/17/devs-quickly-move-to-new-models-after-in-app-purchase-change/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/17/devs-quickly-move-to-new-models-after-in-app-purchase-change/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/17/devs-quickly-move-to-new-models-after-in-app-purchase-change/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

It was just yesterday that Apple announced they would allow free apps to enable in-app purchases, and developers are already jumping on the "get the app for free, buy the content later" business model as quickly as they can. ngmoco came out swinging, as Touch Arcade reports, with both a free intro version of Rolando 2 out for purchase, with later chapters of the game as add-ons. They've also been working on a shooter called Eliminate, and we're now told that title will be free as well, with extra content to buy later.

The creators of Urban Rivals, an app that is based on a virtual trading card game, have let us know that they too plan to go the free-with-microtransactions model as soon as their app is released, and though we haven't actually heard from Tapulous, Andrew Lacy told us outright that the only reason Tap Tap Revenge 3 had a 99 cent price tag on it was because of Apple's limitation, so we'll expect that app to go free as soon as it can.

Clearly, there's a drive for this model on the developer side, but the question will be just how much this echoes with consumers -- certainly the "download a trial, buy more later" model has worked well on other platforms, so we can expect it to work here on the App Store as well. But on the other hand, just as when the App Store first opened for business, it's a very "wild west" moment -- everybody and their brother is offering up in-app transactions, and they're all of varying prices and quality.

My guess is that we'll see a few "hits" -- a few free apps that everybody buys content for (Tap Tap Revenge 3 is a good guess; considering that because you know most of those songs, there's much less guessing on what the quality of the transactions will give you). At the same time, there will likely be apps that everyone agrees aren't worth the in-app purchase (it's the old story of "horse armor" when Xbox Live started doing microtransactions). Until we find a good balance, where quality meets price, odds are that it'll be tough for consumers to know just what's worth it, and thus tough for developers to convince them that their content is.

Devs quickly move to new models after in-app purchase change originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Devs quickly move to new models after in-app purchase change originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>andrew-lacydeveloperseliminatefreefreewarehorse-armorin-app-purchasesiphoneipod-touchngmocorolando-2tapulousurban-rivalsMike SchrammSat, 17 Oct 2009 12:00:00 ESTDev raises price of $3 app to $40 just to spite customershttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/13/dev-raises-price-of-3-app-to-40-just-to-spite-customers/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/13/dev-raises-price-of-3-app-to-40-just-to-spite-customers/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/13/dev-raises-price-of-3-app-to-40-just-to-spite-customers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

I like the way Schiau Studios thinks -- when customers complained about the price of their $2.99US App Store game Alchemize, they raised the price up to $39.99. Over on the TouchArcade forums, they make their case: most devs, they say, when faced with complaints about price, will just lower their price even though their software is already cheap. So they wanted to buck the trend, and instead raised it up to almost $40 (which, incidentally, is slightly more than what you might pay for a handheld console game).

Lest you simply complain that they were greedy, they say they were only out to make a point: everyone who purchased the game at the higher price point will have all of their money go to charity, and now that the game's back at the $2.99 price point, 33% of all the profits to be gained will go to the same charity. Regardless of whether the game's any good or not, we like their thinking.

Can we all agree to stop griping about price points? I've actually heard this come up lately on a comedy podcast of all places -- when Chicago broadcasting legend Steve Dahl (and one of my favorites) started up a podcast about a month ago, and introduced an app to go along with it. Steve was inundated with comments complaining about the $2.99 price, which he responded to with a great argument on the show: he's put a lot of money into the app and the show behind it, and if you're already a fan of his, paying less than the cost of a cup of Starbucks should not even be an issue.

Sure, when the App Store first started up, it was the Wild West -- both prices and quality were all over the place. But at this point, Apple's review system has more or less settled down, and blogs like ours are full of recommendations, with enough free apps to last any rabid app user most of their iPhone time. If you have any interest in an app at all, a couple of bucks shouldn't be enough to give you pause -- either pick it up and make sure the dev gets their due (small as that may be), or move on to find an app you'd rather buy.

Dev raises price of $3 app to $40 just to spite customers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Dev raises price of $3 app to $40 just to spite customers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>alchemizeappapp-storeapp-store-pricingcharitydiscussionforumspricesschiau-studiossteve-dahlwild-westMike SchrammTue, 13 Oct 2009 14:00:00 ESTTUAW is now on GitHubhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/13/tuaw-is-now-on-github/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/13/tuaw-is-now-on-github/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/13/tuaw-is-now-on-github/#commentsFiled under: ,

As posting code on the blog can sometimes can get very cluttered, we have just set up a GitHub account for TUAW to make everything better and easier for everyone. This is where you'll be able to find code for our developer-related posts. We'll try to get some projects hosted in there very soon, so don't worry that it's empty now! If you haven't heard of it, GitHub is a hosting site for git revisions, which makes it a great place to host and interact with code of all kinds.

You can find our profile at http://github.com/tuaw today. What would you like to see on TUAW for iPhone/Mac development? Let us know in the comments below!

TUAW is now on GitHub originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)TUAW is now on GitHub originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>codingdeveloperdevelopmentgitGitHubprogrammingTUAW Dev CenterTuawDevCenterJoachim BeanTue, 13 Oct 2009 12:00:00 ESTSportacular updated for (fantasy) footballhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/10/sportacular-updated-for-fantasy-football/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/10/sportacular-updated-for-fantasy-football/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/10/sportacular-updated-for-fantasy-football/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

I only follow a few sports teams, but for the teams I do follow, Sportacular (that's the iTunes link for the free version, and here's the paid version, sans ads) is definitely my app of choice. For nearly every professional sport you can think of, the app will track scores, plays, schedules, standings, and anything else you need to know about everything from NFL to college football to the English Premier League and the PGA.

Right after iPhone OS 3.0 came out, the developer added in push notifications, and now I've got push updates coming whenever the Cubs have a game starting and ending (or at least, when they did -- there's always next year) and whenever a Bears quarter ends. Sportacular even has a few social features happening -- you can make picks and discuss each game with other fans using your Facebook login, as well as read news and updates about each team in the games you check out.

The app was updated to version 1.6 last night, and the new features include better game pages for NFL and NCAA football, and option to manage and track your fantasy football team in conjunction with their fantasy football app on Facebook. The one bummer I have is that they don't have actual media of the games -- for that, you'll probably have to go for an official app. But especially as a free download (the ads are definitely non-intrusive), Sportacular is really impressive with everything it does to help you track your favorite sports and teams.

Sportacular updated for (fantasy) football originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Sportacular updated for (fantasy) football originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>adsappcitizen-sportsdownloadfacebookfantasy-footballfootballfreencaanflsport-trackingsportacularstatstrackingupdateMike SchrammSat, 10 Oct 2009 17:00:00 ESTRock Band coming to the iPhonehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/09/rock-band-coming-to-the-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/09/rock-band-coming-to-the-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/09/rock-band-coming-to-the-iphone/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


It's true -- as leaked earlier this week and confirmed yesterday, EA is bringing Harmonix's Rock Band to the iPhone, and it's about what you'd expect: notes come down the screen set to popular music, you tap in certain places in time to the beat, and get a score based on how well you do. Truthfully, I'm a huge Rock Band (and Harmonix) fan in general, but this doesn't excite me much -- the big draw of Rock Band is actually playing with those instruments, and while yes they're plastic and tiny, when you get four people in the same room together playing them, it actually feels like you're jamming in a band.

Fortunately, the iPhone version will have both online and bluetooth multiplayer, so you will be able to jam with people, but the gameplay is simply reminiscent of Tap Tap Revenge, which you probably already know about and/or have. It looks like they've gotten most of their songs from the actual Rock Band game; twenty songs with the purchase (no price yet), and then there will be 99 cent packs of two songs each coming out soon. The app's been submitted and it should be out in the store next week.

Rock Band coming to the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Rock Band coming to the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>contenteagamingharmonixin-app-purchasesinstrumentsiphonemultiplayermusicnotespacksrock-bandtap-tap-revengeMike SchrammFri, 09 Oct 2009 09:00:00 ESTWhy the App Store is working just righthttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/07/why-the-app-store-is-working-just-right/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/07/why-the-app-store-is-working-just-right/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/07/why-the-app-store-is-working-just-right/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Edible Apple has an interesting analysis up about this Newsweek article claiming that App Store developers aren't getting rich. Newsweek basically claims that all those success stories we've heard about App Store developers have a darker side: if they aren't already buried in costs from developing that hit app, they're desperately scrambling to rise above the noise and get another one's sales up on the App Store. [For a similar perspective to Newsweek's, check out this post from Ged Maheux at the Iconfactory.]

Edible Apple replies that that's true, but a closer inspection of the numbers shows that these devs are actually making plenty of money -- while their costs are going higher than they expected (one example has a developer paying over $100,000 to make $200,000) there is still money to be made. What developers are actually discovering, says Edible Apple, is that the App Store isn't a gold rush -- it's a business.

That's an interesting point. In the beginning, the App Store was a gold rush -- you could hack together a fart app and come up with a few month's worth of beer money over night. But with almost 100,000 apps, it's a different ballgame. You either need to come up with an original idea that people are interested in, or polish an existing idea until it shines so bright it's unavoidable. And as Edible Apple says, that's actually a good thing. There is money to be made in the App Store these days -- multiple developers have proven that already. It'll take work and luck to do it, but isn't that the case with any successful business?

Why the App Store is working just right originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Why the App Store is working just right originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>analysisapp-storecostsedible-applegold-rushiphonemoneymoneymakingnewsweekpricingMike SchrammWed, 07 Oct 2009 23:00:00 ESTMega-super TUAW shootout of the iPhone UI sketchbookshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/03/mega-super-tuaw-shootout-of-the-iphone-ui-sketchbooks/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/03/mega-super-tuaw-shootout-of-the-iphone-ui-sketchbooks/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/03/mega-super-tuaw-shootout-of-the-iphone-ui-sketchbooks/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Part of my work requires me to mock up iPhone apps, often to show developers how I would redesign a user interface to work better than something they've come up with. Over the past few months, a number of paper sketchbooks have appeared on the market, all designed expressly for this purpose. I decided to try out all of the sketchbooks that I could find in a cursory Google search, just to see which one would work best for me. Of course, that meant that I had to write a review!

The three products I discovered and tested were App Sketchbook (US$16.99), iPhone Application Sketch Book (US$14.99), and The Developer Sketchbook for iPhone Apps (US$19.99). All of them are designed for the same reason, to let iPhone devs or business analysts describe how they want an application's user interface to look. Follow along as I take a look at these three sketchbooks, as well as a metal stencil template for drawing UI elements.

Continue reading Mega-super TUAW shootout of the iPhone UI sketchbooks

Mega-super TUAW shootout of the iPhone UI sketchbooks originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Mega-super TUAW shootout of the iPhone UI sketchbooks originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>developeriphoneipod touchIpodTouchsketchbookstencilUIuser interfaceUserInterfaceSteven SandeSat, 03 Oct 2009 17:00:00 ESTBlackBerry alert! BlackBerry Desktop Software for Mac arriveshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/02/blackberry-alert-blackberry-desktop-software-for-mac-arrives/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/02/blackberry-alert-blackberry-desktop-software-for-mac-arrives/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/02/blackberry-alert-blackberry-desktop-software-for-mac-arrives/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

A TUAW reader zapped us a note with his BlackBerry device to tell us that as of today, BlackBerry Desktop Software for Mac is available (we first noted it as "coming in September" back in July).

It's a free download [link], and requires Mac OS X 10.5.5 or better, BlackBerry device software version 4.2 or higher, and iTunes 7.2 or newer. Key features of the software include the ability to synchronize your iTunes library with your CrackBerry, sync calendars, contacts, and appointments, & add or delete apps and files.

This is the first time that Research In Motion (RIM) has developed their own solution for syncing Macs and BlackBerry handhelds. In the past, the company made a version of PocketMac for BlackBerry available at no cost to Mac-owning customers, and other third-party developers such as Mark/Space have had BlackBerry solutions available for many years.

Thanks to Storry for the tip!

BlackBerry alert! BlackBerry Desktop Software for Mac arrives originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)BlackBerry alert! BlackBerry Desktop Software for Mac arrives originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>blackberrydesktopmacsoftwareSteven SandeFri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:00 ESTClever iPhone app prevents calculator pR0nhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/01/clever-iphone-app-prevents-calculator-pr0n/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/01/clever-iphone-app-prevents-calculator-pr0n/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/01/clever-iphone-app-prevents-calculator-pr0n/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


A tweet earlier today pointed me to an iPhone calculator app that really got me laughing, as well as taking me on a trip down memory lane.

When I was in high school, calculators were expensive (US$200 for a six-function calculator with memory, for example) and just starting to make it into the hands of students. In those more naive times, anything that could be construed as even mildly suggestive got a lot of chuckles. One of the more amusing pastimes was to perform certain calculations that would come up with a result like 5318008 or 3104558 which, when the calculator was turned upside down, would spell a "dirty word."

Well, TLA Systems wants to make sure that its PCalc RPN [iTunes Link, US$9.99] and free PCalc Lite [iTunes Link] calculator apps for iPhone are used only for good purposes, so they've built in a special smut filter that will block these words when the calculator is turned upside down by displaying the word "CENSORED." Their blog entry is very tongue-in-cheek, asserting that they developed the filter to avoid getting a 17+ rating in the App Store.

Personally, I think TLA Systems developer James Thomson is just brilliant at getting blogs to write about his products. Well done, James!

Tip of the Tweet to @timhaines

Clever iPhone app prevents calculator pR0n originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Clever iPhone app prevents calculator pR0n originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>app storeAppStorecalculatorhumoriphonepr0nrpnSteven SandeThu, 01 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST360iDev Denver: iLime building the infrastructure for push, in-app purchasehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/30/360idev-denver-ilime-building-the-infrastructure-for-push-in-a/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/30/360idev-denver-ilime-building-the-infrastructure-for-push-in-a/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/30/360idev-denver-ilime-building-the-infrastructure-for-push-in-a/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

One sign that the iPhone development world is starting to mature is that companies are beginning to build the infrastructure necessary for devs to enable push notification and in-app purchasing. Usually these functions require a developer to make a significant investment in server hardware and labor to set up and operate the push and/or purchase servers, as well as to write code to integrate those services into their apps.

I met with Tim Courtney and Chris Grove of KeyLimeTie yesterday at 360iDev in downtown Denver. Their company's new service, iLime, is a scalable solution consisting of highly reliable server infrastructure and a set of iPhone Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that make it possible for iPhone developers to integrate Apple Push Notification Service (APNS) and in-app purchase easily.

iLime is making it very easy for small, independent developers to test the waters of push notification by making their APIs and server prowess available for free for up to the first 25,000 push messages each month. After that point, the service is charged on a per-push basis on a tiered pricing structure that makes higher volume more attractive. For in-app purchasing, iLime simply charges a flat US$0.05 fee for every content purchase made through their service.

iLime was first announced at iPhone Dev Camp in August. At 360iDev, iLime announced additional features and detailed documentation of the APIs. Courtney also noted that while there are only a handful of apps in the App Store at this time using iLime's services, several hundred iPhone developers have tested and used the services and they expect a significant number of iLime-enabled apps in the near future.

It's great to see KeyLimeTie making the investment in the virtual bricks and mortar that enable push notification and in-app purchasing, so more iPhone devs can take advantage of these iPhone OS features.

360iDev Denver: iLime building the infrastructure for push, in-app purchase originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)360iDev Denver: iLime building the infrastructure for push, in-app purchase originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>360idevdenverilimein-app-purchasespush notificationPushNotificationSteven SandeWed, 30 Sep 2009 13:00:00 ESTExclusive from 360iDev: OpenFeint 2.1 released, over 200 games in App Storehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/29/exclusive-from-360idev-openfeint-2-1-released-over-200-games-i/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/29/exclusive-from-360idev-openfeint-2-1-released-over-200-games-i/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/29/exclusive-from-360idev-openfeint-2-1-released-over-200-games-i/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

This afternoon I had the opportunity to talk to Jason Citron and Eros Resmini of Aurora Feint, the company behind the OpenFeint social gaming platform. At 360iDev, Aurora Feint announced the availability of OpenFeint 2.1 to the developers on hand, as well as touting that over 200 active games using OpenFeint are now on sale in the App Store.

Citron noted that there are about 500 indie developers, like those in attendance at 360iDev in Denver this week, who are working on other gaming titles using the OpenFeint platform. OpenFeint 2.1 is available immediately for download at www.openfeint.com, and information on the open and free business model for the platform is on the site as well.

OpenFeint is being used in some of the top games in the App Store right now, including geoDefense Swarm (which debuted at #2 when it launched), Rope 'n Fly 2 (currently in the top 50), and Apple featured games Unify and Above & Beyond. The platform provides a way for developers to add social gaming elements to their work without reinventing the wheel, as standard APIs are used instead.

TUAW will have more news from 360iDev tomorrow, so stay tuned!


Exclusive from 360iDev: OpenFeint 2.1 released, over 200 games in App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Exclusive from 360iDev: OpenFeint 2.1 released, over 200 games in App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>app storeAppStoredeveloperdevelopmentexclusivefeaturesiphoneipod touchIpodTouchopenfeintSteven SandeTue, 29 Sep 2009 19:30:00 ESTTUAW Live from the 360iDev Denver iPhone development conferencehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/29/tuaw-live-from-the-360idev-denver-iphone-development-conference/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/29/tuaw-live-from-the-360idev-denver-iphone-development-conference/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/29/tuaw-live-from-the-360idev-denver-iphone-development-conference/#commentsFiled under: , ,


About a month ago we reported that the 360iDev conference was going to be held in Denver, Colorado. The event is now underway, and since I happen to live in the area, I'm attending the event that's billed as the premiere iPhone developer conference in the world.

There are certainly a good number of iPhone developers on hand -- Tom Ortega of 360|Conferences, the group that's running the event, mentioned that the registration was at 225 developers, more than attended the last event in San Jose, CA.

The sessions last for the next day and a half, and there are plenty of opportunities for developers to learn, meet, and party. Stay tuned to TUAW for short interviews and more info from 360iDev.

TUAW Live from the 360iDev Denver iPhone development conference originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)TUAW Live from the 360iDev Denver iPhone development conference originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>360idevconferencedenverdevelopmentinterviewiphonetuawSteven SandeTue, 29 Sep 2009 17:30:00 ESTHandyGames releases App Store analysis presentationhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/29/handygames-releases-app-store-analysis-presentation/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/29/handygames-releases-app-store-analysis-presentation/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/29/handygames-releases-app-store-analysis-presentation/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Top20 iPhone Games Analysis 09/2009

The folks over at German developer HandyGames originally put together this slideshow presentation for their own internal use, but they determined that it actually could be useful for almost anyone following iPhone releases and their development, so they released it out into the world. And they were right -- there's some good info in here. Basically, they did a survey of the top 20 apps, both paid and free in five different regions of the world on the App Store, and then compared different qualities of all of those apps to see what the most successful apps had in common.

What did they find? Things like the fact that the majority of top 20 apps do not use all caps for the title and use an original IP for their releases. The differences are interesting as well: most paid apps are made by recognizable developers, while most free apps are made by smaller publishers. Free apps receive many, many more reviews than paid apps, though (if I'm reading the presentation right) they tend to be rated lower. Chillingo is the App Store's most prolific top developer, while Digital Chocolate releases games most often, with a full 1.5 releases per week since (I suppose) they started publishing games.

Very interesting stuff, though the numbers still require a little backgound knowledge to deciper (Backflip Studios appears in a few rankings, even though they've only just started releasing games last month -- popular games, but only a few games nonetheless). Cool to get an overall snapshot of the kinds of games that are doing well on the App Store so far.

HandyGames releases App Store analysis presentation originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)HandyGames releases App Store analysis presentation originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>analysisapp-storechillingodigital-chocolatedigital-cholategameshandygamesiphoneipod-touchpresentationreleasetop-20Mike SchrammTue, 29 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST