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- App Store Lessons: Picking an application name
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, App Store, SDK
iPhone developer Dan B. wanted to know if Apple would reject his application based on the name he wanted to use for his app.
So he did what you'd expect a sane developer to do. He wrote Apple. He used one of his technical support incidents to speak with the Apple Developer Technical Support teams and waited for them to reply.They were quite prompt in answering, redirecting his question to the iPhone App Review Team.
Thank you for contacting Apple Developer Technical Support. We provide support for code-level questions on hardware & software development, and are unable to help you with your app naming question.
Please contact the iPhone App Review Team for assistance. You can contact them directly at [address redacted].
While you were initially charged a technical support incident for this request, we have assigned a replacement incident back to your account.
I hope this information is helpful to you.So Dan contacted the App Review team. And they wrote back too.
Thank you for contacting the iPhone Developer Program. This email address is for inquiries regarding status of application submissions.
Apple is not able to provide pre-approval to developers for proposed application submissions.
We ask that you please review the Program License Agreement details against the specific application you wish to develop and submit any applications for App Store consideration in line with the application submission processes for the program.
If your application does in fact get rejected by the app review team, then we will notify you on what appropriate corrections/changes should be made.So what's a developer to do? It seems like the only way to vet an application (let alone an application name) is to submit it and see whether Apple rejects it or not. If the name is used in the application art, you might have to redesign your screens. If the application idea is not okay, you might end up throwing away all your development costs because Apple would not give a preapproval before starting serious development.
Dan's problem reflects a wider problem with Apple's App Store black box. Developers should be able to pay for support incidents for exactly this kind of situation. It appears that Apple does offer this high level of consultation to partners and other companies that they work with (even to the point of having Phil Schiller call Google directly to discuss the progress for the Google Voice app review). Shouldn't they offer a similar kind of service to smaller developers?
Have you been able to get these kinds of answers out of Apple? If so, how did you approach the matter? Let us know in the comments...
TUAWApp Store Lessons: Picking an application name originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics: AppStore - IPhone - Apple - Unofficial Apple Weblog - TUAWПереслать - Found Footage: Expose-esque UI for iPhone app management
Filed under: iPhone, Jailbreak/pwnage
Oh, so tempting. Engadget and Slashgear link to this video from our friend Steven Troughton-Smith: Exposé-style app management running on a jailbroken iPhone. No, you can't download it anywhere yet; no, we don't know when it will be ready for prime time and available on the Cydia repo; no, we don't expect Apple to have anything similar in the pipeline for vanilla iPhone use.
But wouldn't it be nice?TUAWFound Footage: Expose-esque UI for iPhone app management originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics: iPhone - TUAW - Apple - Engadget - Unofficial Apple WeblogПереслать - Augmented Reality to the max with Layars for iPhone 3GS
Filed under: iPhone, App Review
Every so often an app comes along that you just get excited about. Well, I'm excited about the Layar Reality Browser [iTunes link], and even better: it's free!
This app has been available on the Android platform, and iPhone users have been eagerly awaiting it. Wait no more.
The Layar app will only run on an iPhone 3GS because it really needs that built-in compass. So what does it do? Quite a lot. The app displays real time information based on your location and the direction you are facing, overlaying the camera with locations and information that you are looking for.
Yes, like other apps with augmented reality, it can find food and shopping, but that's only the beginning. You can find apartments for rent, Flickr photos taken near your location, mountain peaks, tourist information, and the list goes on and on. The Layar screen shows your live camera view, a radar-like display showing you a 360 degree view of 'hits' near you, the accuracy of your GPS fix, and the number of items it has located.
The Layars app is based on an open architecture, so it can interact with an unlimited amount of information set up to talk to the platform. It is globally aware, not just U.S. centric, and lots of 3rd party developers are jumping in.
In operation it generally worked very well. I didn't see any crashes, but at times some of the many servers supplying information did not seem to be up and running. When I wanted to see some information on the mountains in my area, it worked great one time, and the next time it said there was nothing around, even though I was standing in the foothills of some 5,000-foot peaks.
Generally though, the app was well behaved, and as you explore the riches it contains your mind races with all the possibilities an app like this has. You don't have to use only the camera view. You can get a list of nearby points of interest or see everything on a 2D Google map. Wikipedia is even available. When I brought it up, it gave me some information on my town, a nearby school, and some info about nearby parks.
I hope this app really grows, because the potential here is limitless. Try it for yourself. There's no cost, and no risk. You'll be surprised at all the stuff around you. I'm going on a trip soon, and can't wait to explore with Layars.
Let us know how it works for you.TUAWAugmented Reality to the max with Layars for iPhone 3GS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics: iPhone - Google - Apple - AugmentedReality - Global Positioning SystemПереслать - Apple relents: in-app purchase for free apps allows demo-to-paid
Big news coming down the pike today for App Store developers. Apple has finally relented on a sticking point in the developer agreement, allowing in-app purchases for free applications. Finally, developers can distribute a free trial version of their applications, unlocking features from directly within the app as users request them (and pay for them). Until now, developers had to deliver two applications, with two unique identities, and no simple way to share data from the trial to the full version. (Yes, you could have used servers and shared keychains, but that's burdensome and kind of pointless.)
What this news means is that developers can unify into a single application. One project to maintain and support, one place to consolidate reviews, one application sandbox for a single set of application data. Earlier today, Mike S. mentioned Gas Cubby and Gas Cubby Lite -- now there could be only one version of the app, with an 'upsell' inside to go from the light to full feature set.
Expect to see these free-to-paid apps hit the store within the next few weeks. Apple will likely be deluged with new apps to review based on this news. Visit the App Store Resource Center for more details and check your e-mail account for the developer news that went out to all iPhone devs today.
Q&A: Readers ask: "How will this affect the no reviews situation for free apps." Good question. Apple is going to need to sort that out. Since in-app purchases are registered to an iTunes account and associated with an application, it shouldn't take much work to limit reviews to those who have purchased something in a free app. We'll have to watch for this to happen because as things stand now, if you download an app, you get to rate it and developers know that free apps are thoughtless review magnets.
"How will you deliver binaries?" All the functionality must already be built into the app. StoreKit allows you to unlock those features when users pay a fee. You can download data or extend a web based service but you can't download additional executable binary components.
"Will I have to buy this twice for myself and other members of my family?" No, not if you both sync to the same iTunes account. It works the same as with applications. One app that has bought an upgrade extends to all apps for that same account. Each time your app launches, developers will check with App Store and restore any purchases that have already been made. So if you buy your upgrade on an iPhone, that upgrade will propagate to your iPod touch when it checks in.
"Will this help in anti-piracy measures?" Definitely. StoreKit allows developers to validate receipts, ensuring that unlock codes are only sent to paying customers. Add a hash-check algorithm for the current device and developers have better control over who gets to use their applications.
"What about promo codes?" I think Apple has learned its lesson about free apps/promo codes. I'm betting that they've already thought about a way to distribute in-app purchases via promo codes.
"What about people who have already bought apps?" Admittedly, this news is currently best suited for new products than existing ones. Devs who have built in shared keychains already have a slight leg up but for the time being you'll likely want to at least consider a new product that leverages this ability rather than trying to retrofit.
As for people who have already bought a paid version whom you want to support while migrating to a free demo/in-app purchase model, you're likely going to encounter trouble until Apple irons out its policies and its solutions. Again, I expect Apple to provide some sort of solution shortly.
And why all this trust in Apple? Any move that benefits developers ends up benefiting Apple in the end. This was a smart move on Apple's part, it's a good move for users, and for developers too. And it still has a long way to play out so keep watching for Apple's next steps.
"Who are the biggest winners here?" It's the people who have been putting out free and ad-support apps. They now have a way to turn off those ads and to solicit donations. In-app purchase doesn't have to be about buying and unlocking features. It provides a real solution for free apps to monetize, and for Apple to transform a huge part of their store into a paying model.
"Can free app devs charge an in-app purchase for nothing (i.e. donation)? Can the user repeat purchases or pick the amount?" Apple provides several kinds of purchase types and those purchases can be applied in multiples. For example, you can buy 5 hit point boosters or make 5 donations of $1. So yes, that model does work for donations.
"Can devs now charge for updates?" Not unless those new features are added as unlockable items. Again, this is something that Apple will likely address given the great demand for exactly that. Expect to see new App Store terms of service should that happen because the current one uses a "buy once, use and upgrade forever" model.
"What kinds of limitations should I think about?" TUAW reader Scott Kveton suggest the following in the comments for this post. He writes, "The key is keeping the app under 10 MB so it can be downloaded without wi-fi. A lot of developers can just 'unlock' functionality but when you get into actually delivery potentially large(ish) content to the device that's not possible. It also opens up the possibility to make the apps that much smaller on initial 'purchase' and then download content on the fly."TUAWApple relents: in-app purchase for free apps allows demo-to-paid originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics: AppStore - IPhone - Apple - TUAW - Unofficial Apple WeblogПереслать - 5 ways for Mac users to get ready for NaNoWriMo
Filed under: Software, How-tos, Odds and ends
You've heard me talk about National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo, before. It's the annual event aimed at getting potential bestsellers out of the minds of would-be writers and onto paper -- virtual or real. The idea is that most people have a couple of good novels hidden inside them, and that they just need a push to get those words written. NaNoWriMo involves starting to write on November 1st, and having at least 50,000 words written by the end of the month.
Seeing that NaNoWriMo begins in about two weeks, I thought it would be a good idea to do some recruitment and provide some ideas on how you can get ready for this event. From what I've seen over my 25 years as a Mac user, those of us who "think differently" are more apt to be creative and participate in something like NaNoWriMo.Continue reading 5 ways for Mac users to get ready for NaNoWriMo
TUAW5 ways for Mac users to get ready for NaNoWriMo originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics: Apple - TUAW - Macintosh - National Novel Writing Month - MacПереслать - Blog Action Day: Five apps to help save the world
Filed under: Features, Education, Other Events, Freeware, Internet, Apple, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
TUAW is participating in this year's Blog Action Day on 10/15, an annual event in which bloggers around the world aim to spark discussion and awareness of serious and important issues. This year's topic is climate change, and fortunately, just like last year, we in the Apple community are in a pretty good place -- the company makes it a point to stay as green as possible, they have Al Gore on their board, and they make it safe and easy to dispose of their products in an environmentally friendly way. But there's always more we can do, from person to person -- making the earth a better place to live is going to take all of us working together.
And so, here's five iPhone and iPod touch apps you can use to find out what you can do to take action on climate change. Some are paid, some are free, but all of them will give you fun and useful ways to help find approaches to dealing with climate change in your own behavior and life.Continue reading Blog Action Day: Five apps to help save the world
TUAWBlog Action Day: Five apps to help save the world originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics: iPhone - AppStore - Apple - IpodTouch - TUAWПереслать - Curio 6.1 gets even more creative and productive
Filed under: Software, Productivity
I wrote about Curio last year, and the past few months have brought quite a few additions to this creative brainstorming and productivity powerhouse. We already saw Evernote integration, and between the last two releases (6.0 and 6.1) Curio has added support for tables, "figure stencils," better copy-as-text, and a lot more.
The figure stencils are great, allowing you to create figures such as mind maps, tables, notes, lists, etc., and save them for re-use. For example, I have stencils for different styles of lists with skeleton headers already included, and "Approved" and "Rejected" labels to drag onto mockups. The tables and index cards allow for a lot of visual organization within a space, just in case you're not an entirely free-form kind of person.
The full release notes for the latest version (6.1) are available here. Curio is available in 2 versions, both with free trials. The Professional Edition is $149US and the Standard version is $99US (comparison), academic discounts available. Version 6 is a paid upgrade for 5.x users, and upgrade prices start at $49US, depending on what you're upgrading from and to. If you want to see Curio in action, check out the "Tutorinis" at the bottom of the Curio homepage.
TUAWCurio 6.1 gets even more creative and productive originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics: Professional Edition - TUAW - Stencil - Mind map - BrainstormingПереслать - Dropzone makes it easy to copy files, install apps
Filed under: Software, Cool tools, Odds and ends, Road Tested
We've mentioned Dropzone before as a Friday Favorite, but I just happened across the app while I was trying to solve a problem.
I suspect many TUAW readers find themselves in the same situation that I am in: I use a desktop and a laptop. I often find myself wanting to move files between these two machines, so here's what I do: switch to Finder, click on the shared Mac I want, navigate to the folder I'm looking for, and then track down the file I want to copy there and drag it over. I could drag a folder from the other computer to my "Places" sidebar in Finder, but honestly, I just never do.
What I wanted was something quick and painless. I tried to whip something up using Automator and Folder Actions where it would copy/move files saved in one folder to the other machine, but even that would get messy. Most often I don't want to move the file, I just want to copy it. I could put the files in Dropbox, but some of these files are sizable (i.e. the 30+ MB iMovie update). To use Dropbox for this would take a long time.
Turns out that Dropzone offers the perfect solution: by enabling FTP on both Macs (System Preferences > Sharing > File Sharing, then click the "Options" button, and check the box "Share files and folders using FTP") I now have a drag & drop solution to copying files between computers. Simply drag the file to the Dropzone icon on the dock and then drop it onto one of the many "dropzones" which I have defined, and Dropzone does the rest. Two folders that I added almost immediately? The "Automatically Add to iTunes" folder in the iTunes folder and the Auto Import folder from inside my iPhoto Library (you will have to control-click your iPhoto library and choose "Show Package Contents" to find the "Auto Import" folder).
There are several plugins available to extend Dropzone to other services such as ImageShack, TwitPic, Flickr, and more. For Internet services, not only will the file get copied to where you want it to go, but the URL will be placed on the clipboard so you can paste the URL wherever you want it to go. I often FTP files to my website, and files Dropzone FTPs to a website can also support putting the URL on the clipboard.
There are several other nifty options, Dropzones for starting the screensaver, putting your Mac to sleep, or drag & drop printing a file to the default printer. You can also zip files (or zip and email them) and many other conveniences.
The biggest feature of all was one that I almost overlooked until I watched a screencast from macosxscreencasts.com about Dropzone. A built-in Dropzone called "Install Application" will allow you to drag a .dmg onto Dropzone and have the DMG mounted, the app installed to /Applications, the DMG moved to the recycle bin, and the app launched (it also works with applications which have been .zip'd instead of put into a disk image).
If you are anything like me, the "install a new app" process is several steps that you repeat a lot. Dropzone's handling of it is incredibly fast and works really well. If it opens a DMG it cannot handle (such as an installer), it will simply open the folder. Great, start stuff that saves you time and frustration. Remember how computers were supposed to make our lives easier? Dropzone does just that.Continue reading Dropzone makes it easy to copy files, install apps
TUAWDropzone makes it easy to copy files, install apps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics: Dropzone - Dropbox - File sharing - Flickr - ImageShackПереслать - First Look: ZenNews brings the news cloud to your iPhone
Filed under: iPhone, First Look, App Review
Zensify announced its latest app, ZenNews [iTunes link], this morning. It's basically an intelligent news aggregator, using algorithms to find "what's hot" from a variety of sources including the New York Times, the Washington Post, Al Jazeera, the Guardian and more. It parses Twitter and other social mediums to figure out who's talking about what, and then creates a tag cloud of hot topics. There's an aggregated view combining all sources, or you can view a tag cloud for each source. You can toggle sources and/or categories on and off in the preferences.
If a keyword in the tag cloud reveals more than 5 articles, tapping it will drill down into another tag cloud, repeated until the keyword returns a list of 5 or fewer articles. View articles within ZenNews using the built-in webkit browser, or open them in Safari. You can always switch from the tag cloud to a list view for any page, and there's a default view titled "All News" which lists all the aggregated news (in list format) at once. You can drill down to specific topics in the Categories view, and see what's new/hot from all enabled sources for a single category. As you read, you can mark any article as a favorite, and view a list of your marked articles in the Favorites view. You can quickly share articles via Twitter or email, as well.
It's all quite slick, and pretty solid for a first release. I did run into a bug which would bring up blank tag cloud pages if a specific combination of being on a certain view and losing a network connection at the right time occurred. I spoke with the developers yesterday, and I'm confident they'll smooth out any wrinkles quickly.
Zensify is offering ZenNews for free. Their plan is to demonstrate the buzz-detecting algorithms, and then offer white-label versions -- using a subscription model -- to companies with a need for up-to-the-minute buzz tracking. For the rest of us, this is a good-looking and, as far as I've been able to tell, accurate way to see what's happening in the world at any given moment. Check out the gallery below for a preview, and grab a copy on the App Store.
TUAWFirst Look: ZenNews brings the news cloud to your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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