Seriously, I can't believe this shit

http://www.playtoniq.com/aquaapps/

Granted you probably won't get rich with Apple raping you on the commission for a 99cent game, but iPhone is now the best selling mobile phone in the US

http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2008/11/10/the-iphone-is-now-the-best-selling-phone-in-the-us/


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"In the morning if my face is a little puffy I'll put on an ice pack while doing stomach crunches."

Whoa, that Aqua shit is super clever.

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Do it for the Lobster

More dumb stuff

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/14/punch-o-meters-come-to-both-android-and-the-iphone/


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"In the morning if my face is a little puffy I'll put on an ice pack while doing stomach crunches."

Quote by stevo

More dumb stuff http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/14/punch-o-meters-come-to-both-android-and-the-iphone/

Awesome.

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Do it for the Lobster

Quote by stevo

The beauty of a native app (getting in the iphone app store) is that your app is 1-click purchase away from the customer, and they dont even have to fool around entering credit card info. I think that removes a huge barrier for the customer who's not even gonna think about dropping $3 to play a game with his friends.

I'll give you that. Once you simplify the payment system, people don't think twice about dropping $1 here and $2 there. Next thing you know, they're in to you for like $50.

Quote by stevo

And I do think for games the access to the iphone's capabilities is huge.

I agree

Quote

It is written in Objective-C and allows developers to embed their web app (HTML, JavaScript, CSS) in Webkit within a native iPhone app. We're big advocates of the Open Web and want JavaScript developers to be able to get access [to] iPhone features such as a spring board icon, background processing, push, geo location, camera, local sqlLite and accelerometers without the burden of learning Objective-C and Cocoa. PhoneGap also has a web app that allows web developers to quickly package their web app into a native iPhone app by providing a URL, a name and icon graphic the web service with automagically create a native iPhone application.

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Thought this was appropriate:

Google Voice Does End Run Around Apple, Launches New Web App

Like I was saying before, web apps are where it's at. This made news because it looks like a native iPhone app... but guess what; it also looks like a native Android app. And not only that, but it works on Blackberries, Nokia phones and really ANY phone with a browser. Sure not all phones have all the features, but it's still one app that works on all phones.

The only thing they would be missing on the iPhone, and this wasn't the case until recently, would be push notifications. And that's something you could theoretically solve with email.

EDIT: Also, I don't know if this was the case in the past, but Phonegap is now cross-platform. That means, you make one app and it works on all the major phones (iPhone, Android, WebOS, Symbian and Blackberry). In fact, Apple even allows apps developed with Phonegap to be approved in the App Store, which is even more incentive to use it.

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A friend of mine tweeted about this today. Looks like a really cool way to build a web app for the iPhone (or any other smartphone with a full web browser).

jQTouch, jQuery plugin for mobile web development

The demo on their home screen is pretty slick, and you can actually play with it yourself too.

EDIT: And back to the phonegap topic, Harmonious is a new app written in phonegap. It was featured in the App Store Spotlight and has a free version you can play with too.

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I looked into this for a bit:

phonegap: js
rhomobile: ruby, cost some money to license its use and to use their built in servers
titanium: python
mosync: c/c++ no iphone support yet

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I am no more an evolutionist than I am a gravatationalist or an electromagneticist.

Quote by lcde

I looked into this for a bit: phonegap: js rhomobile: ruby, cost some money to license its use and to use their built in servers titanium: python mosync: c/c++ no iphone support yet

Based on the new iphone dev agreement, the Ruby and Python options won't get you in the App Store anymore, unless they are exempt somehow. PhoneGap is still AppStore-able, and I assume mosync would be too, assuming it leaves you with native iPhone C/C++....

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wow that's super shitty.

It seems you can use adobe AIR, which might be interesting.

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I am no more an evolutionist than I am a gravatationalist or an electromagneticist.

Quote by lcde

wow that's super shitty. It seems you can use adobe AIR, which might be interesting.

Where did you see that? I know they had AIR running on the iPhone, but they also had Flash running on it too and Apple still won't let that in their AppStore.

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Quote by skeezer65134

Where did you see that? I know they had AIR running on the iPhone, but they also had Flash running on it too and Apple still won't let that in their AppStore.

From adobe's site:

Quote

Does the Flash Player or Adobe AIR runtimes need to be installed on the iPhone in order to run content created with Flash? No. iPhone applications built with Flash Platform tools are compiled into standard, native iPhone executable packages and no runtime interpreter is necessary to run the application. Can I submit my app to the iTunes App Store? Yes. You can submit apps built with Flash tooling for the iPhone to the iTunes App Store by following the policies and procedures specified by the iTunes App Store.

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I am no more an evolutionist than I am a gravatationalist or an electromagneticist.

You can submit them all you want, they still violate the AppStore terms.

Quote by old_terms

3.3.1 — Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs.

Quote by new_terms

3.3.1 — Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs. Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine, and only code written in C, C++, and Objective-C may compile and directly link against the Documented APIs (e.g., Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited).

Since flash and AIR are not "Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine", they are not allowed.

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Picking up a used 3GS tonight some time if all goes well. Planning to use it on TMobile (no 3G, but only $60/mo, so that's a nice trade-off). I'm kind of excited about the purchase, so I thought I'd post here about it.

This thread seemed relevant since I'm not interested in iPhone development . Probably not in the Obj-C or native application route, but along the Javascript/HTML WebKit route.

Anyone happen to have looked in to that a little already and know of a good resource to start with? I already know PhoneGap is an option, but I wonder if trying to target the iPhone specifically would be more worthwhile.

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http://communities-dominate.blogs.com/brands/2010/06/full-analysis-of-iphone-economics-its-bad-news-and-then-it-gets-worse.html

A good economic/statistical analysis of the viability of iphone development.

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Do it for the Lobster

Quote by Chops

A good economic/statistical analysis of the viability of iphone development.

I thought it was a terrible economic/statistical analysis.

And jesus christ, was he ever going to get to the point?

Quote

After Apple takes its 30% cut, the average income earned by all apps, paid or free, to the developer, from end-user payments, is 20 cents per downloaded app. It is one legitimate way to look at the whole market and its total economics. But don't worry, I will split this by paid apps and free apps.

No, it's completely illegitimate. Why even go through all the trouble to divide app revenue by total app downloads (including free)? It's a bullshit number, which he then admits. All the numbers he used were wild ass guesses anyway.

I don't think anyone denies there is a long long tail in the app store and there's plenty of dead weight too. There's a long tail on everything. I'm sure the average revenue on developing a regular ol' web application is way less than an iPhone app, does that mean you shouldn't do it? So what if there are more blackberries in use than iPhones? There are more Windows PCs than Macs too, does that mean you're an "idiot" for developing on the Mac? Maybe, but it all depends on your target audience, and of course the quality of the app you develop. Which I guess since that isn't something easily calculable, he just ignored it.

Quote

The world has actually 'featurephones' which do apps fully well, using Java and Brew and Widgets etc. How many of those are out there in the wild? Try 2.1 Billion. So that moron who approved the 'brilliant' marketing idea to develop a cool app, and did it only for the iPhone eco-system, conveniently spat in the faces of 96% of the population with reasonably advanced phones - that all could have easily taken that free app, and engaged with your brand, through a mobile phone app. 96% were rejected by this idiotic exclusion strategy by the Apple fan-boys from the marketing department who never bothered to study the real mobile market.

That kind of blind numerical thinking reminds me of people who cite things like "there are 1 billion people in China, if we get 1% that's 10 million customers" as if all Chinese customers are equal. Of the 2.1B phones he says, 2B of them are owned by people who just want to make a fucking phone call, not buy apps.

And blowing off the iPad's 2M in 2 months is ridiculous. Wired says that "soon" it will be selling more digital iPad issues that newsstand. Of course they aren't releasing hard numbers, but I don't think they'd be saying that if the digital issue was a total flop. Also, it's becoming apparent that people are willing to spend more on an iPad app than iPhone. I could go on, but there are a million more variables to consider when developing anything on any platform. To just look at broad numbers, calculate a few averages, and claim your app will fail is bullshit.

The only thing he says that makes any sense is that most companies could be making cheaper web-based mobile apps that would reach a wider market. Well no shit, that isn't exactly news. However if you actually want to make money, you need a seamless payment system, which doesn't exist yet.

Make it 3 million iPads

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/three-million-ipads-sold-but-frustration-for-some-customers/?ref=technology

Quote by stevo

So what if there are more blackberries in use than iPhones? There are more Windows PCs than Macs too, does that mean you're an "idiot" for developing on the Mac? Maybe, but it all depends on your target audience, and of course the quality of the app you develop.

What people don't ever mention in these kinds of reports is the importance of the distribution system and the community built around it. That's what made the iPod a huge success, and that's what is keeping the iPhone/Pod/Pad on top as well.

And Java? JAVA?! Are you fucking KIDDING me?!!! You want a Java app for your phone? Here's how it goes down; Google Java apps, pour through pages and pages of terrible, ad-laden websites to find the app with little or no reviews, and ultimately have no idea what it will do to your phone (it could do background dialing, send text messages, record and send your phone calls, anything). Add to that that the app will probably look like shit and run poorly, if at all. Oh, and if you developed that Java app, you really have no way to turn the user into a customer since there's no easy way for them to pay you for it.

The iPhone, by contrast, is dead simple. You already entered your credit card information at the beginning so buying the app is as simple as clicking a button. The app has been reviewed and proven not to do anything malicious (and to generally not crash), all the apps are located in 1 spot, with a nice interface and a plethora or reviews and ratings, and the installation is seemless and can be done directly from the device.

Which one would you prefer to both use and develop for?

Web apps have their place in the market, and you could stand to make quite a bit of money from them (and you don't have to give Apple a cut either). Plus, they can theoretically work on any phone with a browser and you can push updates instantly with no interaction from the user. But they have 2 HUGE flaws; 1) they are significantly slower than native applications and 2) there is no quick and painless way for your users to pay you.

I find it exceptionally interesting that when I visit amazon.com on my iPhone, it LOOKS like an iPhone app (it's slower than a native app, but the appearance and interface is amazing). And when I go there on my computer, I get the normal "full" site. That seemless transition I find very interesting, and I really had no idea it existed until I got my phone. Because of this, I'm pretty interested in developing a web app that feels native and runs well on both a phone and a computer.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and stevo, you mention fromt he article developing for platforms fewer people use and how the author says it's a terrible idea. This made me think of Gravity for Symbian. Here's an app that is arguably better than any other app doing the same thing on the market, on ANY phone. It's developed exclusively for Symbian, a platform that, at least in the US, has next to ZERO market penetration... and it's slipping fast. Yet, this guy's out there selling this app at $10 a pop to thousands of people. Is he rich? No. Is he making good money doing this? You bet your ass!

Now, I realize that world-wide, Symbian is king, and the iPhone still pales in comparison, but I'm willing to bet that there are a shitload more people buying apps on their iPhones than there are people buying apps on their Symbian devices... so does that make this guy, he's pulling down good money making this "niche" app, a loser?

EDIT2: And here's another thing to think about. Of the people you know with smart-phones that CAN buy apps, how many of them have a Blackberry? How many an Android phone? Palm/WebOS? WinMo? Symbian? Now, how many do you know that have iPhones? My guess is, that last one will be the largest number, possibly larger than all the others combined.

My belief is this: people with iPhones make it known that they have them. Not so much because they go out of their way to show them to you, but because they USE them. iPhone users are always pulling out their phones and doing SOMETHING on them. They are very happy with the device. It's not just a phone to them, it's a slick device that has changed they way they live. This is generally not true of any other platform as far as I've seen. People may pull out their Android or Java-capable phones to play some games when they are bored, or they may constantly be checking and composing emails on their Blackberries and WinMo phones, but that's the extent of the phone's usefulness to them. These phones aren't as "slick" and enjoyable, and their owners are not the ones buying apps...

I might also bet that of the people you know, other phones may actually out-number the iPhone, you just don't know it because those other phones all stay in the owner's pocket, being nothing more than a phone with a browser that they paid way too much money for. I'm always amazed when someone I've known for a while breaks out a Blackberry (or even more rarely, a WinMo device), because I know they've had it the whole time, and it wasn't until months after I met them that I found out they had anything more than a phone that makes calls. In contrast, if someone has an iPhone, I usually find out about it within a week, if not within an hour or two.

This is why I bought an iPhone; I want a phone that will be enjoyable to use and will come out for more than just texting, phone calls and pictures. I've had mine since Monday, and it's already quickly becoming an integral part of my life; checking emails, casually surfing the net, making even more use of twitter, etc. I had my Nokia phone for almost a year, and I never used it to do half the things I've done on the iPhone in the less than 1 week I've had it. Sure the Nokia takes better pictures, but that's not the most important feature of a cell phone...

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OpenAppMkt is hot on the blogs today. It's a distribution platform for web-based iPhone/Pad/Pod apps. The apps run kinda slow (mostly 'cause my connection is kinda slow) but the delivery platform is pretty cool. No Objective C required, 80%/20% profit split for paid apps and no dealing with the AppStore walled garden. Maybe I'll actually put something together

EDIT: Chops, might want to consider an HTML5 frontend to your pet project. 1 App that'll run on any mobile device would be pretty spiffy

EDIT2: Looking through the docs, there's another implication here too; OpenAppMkt could potentially stop people from pirating your wares by validating paid users on the fly. OpenAppMkt Apps phone home when launched, unlike native apps, and their login information can be validated on your end.

EDIT3: Sencha sounds awesome!

Quote by Sencha

Sencha Touch allows your web apps to look and feel like native apps. Beautiful user interface components and rich data management, all powered by the latest HTML5 and CSS3 web standards and ready for Android and Apple iOS devices. Keep them web-based or wrap them for distribution on mobile app stores.

And you know my affinity for PhoneGap

Quote by PhoneGap

PhoneGap is an open source development framework for building cross-platform mobile apps. Build apps in HTML and JavaScript and still take advantage of core features in iPhone/iTouch, iPad, Google Android, Palm, Symbian and Blackberry SDKs.

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