iPhone, iOS 5, iPad SDK Development Tutorial and Programming Tips » Tag: app store

Open Source: Orbium Game (HTML5 Based – Available on iPhone/iPad)

John — Tue, 03 May 2011 19:38:30 +0000

Received word about an interesting puzzle game that has been open sourced. It is currently available in the app store and runs on the iPhone/iPad (along with Android, and Palm versions).

What makes Orbium interesting is that this is actually an HTML5 based game, and the app store version runs through the Phonegap framework — and it runs well. The game runs smoothly while animated and beautiful which really shows that the iOS devices and Mobile Safari have come a long way in running html5 apps. There are quite a few games listed on the open source iOS apps list, but this is the first HTML5 based game.

Here’s a video of the game in action:

Because the game is HTML5 based you can test it in your browser here:
http://bni.github.com/orbium/

You can find the Github for the game here:
https://github.com/bni/orbium

The homepage where you can find links to the different versions available is here:
http://jsway.se/

Overall, it is interesting if you want some insight into HTML5 game development.

. Tags: ipad, app store, iPhone, open source, html5, phonegap, ios

Tool: Objective-C Code Generator For Faster App Development

John — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:06:01 +0000

Found a very interesting tool that I have been using today that is absolutely brilliant for anyone programming in Objective-C on iOS and Mac. The tool is known as Accesorizer.

What this tool does is allow you to generate repetitive Objective-C code using fully customizable parameters. It’s tough to explain exactly what this tool does as it is completely different from anything I have used before, and it will take awhile for me to exploit the power of this tool.

If I did have to explain it though, I would call it super code complete on steroids.

Looking through the quick start guide should give you a very good idea about the coolness of this tool.

This video from the creator might make things a bit clearer (sorry it’s a download – previous Youtube video was removed):
Accessorizer Demo Video

You can find a trial version on the Accessorizer homepage which lasts for 30 days.

A great timesaving tool for sure.

[via Cerebral Gardens]

. Tags: objective-c, programming, ios, iPhone, mac os x, apple, app store

iTV – Another Platform For iOS Apps?

John — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:14:14 +0000

For some time now there has been speculation that the Apple TV platform would be upgraded and be capable of handling apps. This has been the next logical step for AppleTV and it comes as no surprise that it appears things have come to fruition. Apparently it will be known as iTV.

Television would provide yet another great outlet, and drive iOS app sales even further. It’s no secret that consoles, and console game revenue dwarf that of the iPhone and iPad app stores. It will be very interesting to see the pricing dynamic once iTV starts hitting the shelves..

An exclusive report is available at Engadget. It seems that one of the more interesting aspects (unconfirmed) is that iTV will only provide 720p playback. This makes no sense whatsoever and it will be interesting to see how truthful that is.

You can read Engadget’s previous report on iTV here which suggested a $99 price point.

[Source: Engadget]

. Tags: ios, itv, app store, apps

7 Massive Marketing Mistakes GUARANTEED To Even Kill Killer Apps

John — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:53:18 +0000

Editors Note: I received this submission, and I was reluctant to look at it since there seems to be a flood of marketers trying to cash in as app marketing experts. I decided to accept this one as it is somewhat different, and didn’t simply provide a simplistic list of tips such as take good screenshots, start a blog, or sell internationally. Please comment on whether you’d like to see more content on app marketing in the future. – John

In my time working with software developers I’ve been able to pick up on some common mistakes that ultimately lead to lower sales or even bankruptcy. Accept them as the ultimate truth or accept failure. The choice is yours.

1. Not accepting that it is all about money. Money is the measure for app success. It doesn’t matter if your app gets rave reviews, a million free downloads, or iPhone and iPad users love it. What matters is that it makes money. Even if you’re just branding or building a portfolio. If it doesn’t make money in the end then what was the point?

2. Thinking app store sales are the only way to succeed. There are many possible business models. Look around, you’ll see many businesses making money from iPhone apps that aren’t even selling them.

3. Misunderstanding the importance of marketing. Marketing is at least as important as development. If you don’t believe that then you haven’t been watching the app store very closely.

4. Not building anticipation for your app. You want to hit Apple’s top download lists, and the easiest time to do that is when your app is first released. Copy the techniques of those having multiple successes in the app store.

5. Not doing any of the marketing legwork. Many developers seem willing to spend thousands of hours on an app, yet none on marketing. You know you have to leverage social media, find good keywords, send your app to reviewers, take good screenshots, create a video, do some market testing, defining your market, finding your purple cow… but are you doing it?

6. Not being willing to spend any money. The $99 that you pay Apple to join their development program is not going to cut it as a marketing budget. If you’ve got an app making money try reinvesting some of it in one of the many ways such as ads in other apps, search ads, ads on app review websites.

7. Not tracking advertising results. Advertising an app is all about selling. I have seen developers burn their marketing budget on ineffective ads that they have no clue whether they are working or not.

How many of these mistakes are you making? Agree or disagree on the importance of marketing? Discuss.

Ed has been marketing software for nearly 15 years, and has recently turned to iPhone and iPad app marketing. For now you can follow Ed Wang on twitter. In the future he will be providing more information on iPhone app marketing.

. Tags: appstore, marketing, apps, apple, app store

2 More Open Source Apps – reMail and RobotFindsKitten

John — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:59:17 +0000

I’ve added two more apps to the open source iphone app store apps listing.

The two apps are reMail, a popular e-mail client that was purchased by Google that provides quick searching, and RobotFindsKitten, a classic DOS ASCII type game ported to run on the iPhone.

reMail is pretty slick, it downloads all your e-mails, and allows you to search them at a very high speed vs. the iPhone’s mail app, apparently it was good enough for Google to buy.

Thanks to Bunnyhero for mentioning Robotsfindkitten.

. Tags: remail, open source, robotfindskitten, app store

Traffic Ranked Listing Of iPhone App Review Sites

John — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 08:07:09 +0000

This is a ranked listing of iPhone application review sites that accept applications submissions from developers. Getting listed on these sites can be a good way to gain exposure for your app, and every little bit helps.

I have filtered out sites that simply track iTunes feeds and list everything in the store.

The listings are ranked based on traffic given by the Compete.com rank.

http://toucharcade.com Compete Rank: 18,238
http://www.appsafari.com Compete Rank:27,893
http://appadvice.com Compete Rank: 38,515
http://www.appcraver.com Compete Rank: 39,759
http://iphoneapplicationlist.com Compete Rank: 56,764
http://www.appstoreapps.com Compete Rank: 88,622
http://www.gamestooge.com Compete Rank: 121,583
http://theapppodcast.com Compete Rank: 174,360
http://www.freshapps.com Compete Rank: 201,486
http://www.nativeiphoneapps.com Compete Rank: 345,031
http://www.iphoneblog.de Compete Rank: 1,141,082
http://www.apptheater.com Compete Rank: 1,171,181
http://www.appgallery.org Compete Rank: New
http://iphoneappgirl.com Compete Rank: New
http://www.theipodkid.com Compete Rank: New

If you know of any other good sites that accept app submissions for review please post them here. Thanks.

. Tags: review, sites, app, iPhone, itouch, apple, ipod, app store

Big List of Youtubers Who Will Review Your iPhone App

John — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:35:50 +0000

As many of you may have noticed, I have been updating my older resource lists with updated links that have been shared with me in the last few months since starting this site, and I’ve been uploading tutorials/other videos to Youtube.

One resource which I didn’t really think about was Youtube. I wasn’t really a Youtuber before uploading my videos, but something I noticed was that there is a massive number of people on Youtube doing app reviews. Usually developers will upload a usage video to Youtube, and ultimately that’s the end of things, it’s hit or miss, and most videos get very few views.

Why not send the App reviewers your apps? Many of these reviewers have already established a subscriber base of 10,000 or more on Youtube (along with nearly as many on Twitter), and I’m sure would be flattered if sent a promotional code. A couple who I have contacted seemed very excited about the idea. Also, many of these videos end up being shown on other sites so the effect can multiply.

I wouldn’t be turned off it appears that many of these viewers are members of the younger set, after all this is a large segment of the App market, and especially if you’re developing an entertainment app this likely is your market.

Don’t forget to mention if you have/know of an active channel in the comments.

Thanks for reading.

. Tags: youtube, app store, itouch, apple, app, ipod, iPhone, reviewers, review, ipod touch

Designing Your First Apple iPhone App

John — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 04:31:58 +0000

This is the second part of the Developing Your FIrst iPhone App video series that I am creating, specifically in this video I go through the simple design process i use in order to cut down on my development time. It is important to know exactly where you’re headed before you write your first line of code, it’s been said that at least 1/3rd of your development time should be spent on design.

While I don’t believe in any hard and fast rules as to how much time you should spend on design coding blindly is usually a bad idea.

Basically for simple apps I go through a 4 step process which involves creating:

1) An Objective Statement
2) A List of Features
3) A Basic Scenario
4) A Definition of the Class Structure

Check out the video:

If you missed the first part in the series it can be found here:
Your First App Store App Step-By-Step – Part 1

You can find the simple soundboard I created using the same code that we will be using in these tutorials in the app store here (it’s free): Example App

Thanks for reading and if you have any comments or questions please post them below.

. Tags: 3g, design, apple, development, sdk, programming, getting started, iPhone, app store, 3gs

Your First App Store App Step-By-Step – Part 1

John — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:20:54 +0000

This is the first in a series where we will be building a simple app based on the soundboard app that I created which is in the app store that can be found here.

Check out the video:

We’ll be learning:

1) Simple App Design

2) MVC Basics

3) Interface Builder Basics

4) Playing Music Files

5) Basic Accelerometer Use

6) Objective-C Collection Basics

7) Submitting Your App

I hope that you enjoy the series, come back for Part 2

. Tags: sdk, getting started, tutorial, itouch, app store, basics, 3g, app, 3gs, programming

iPhone 3GS Will Be All About The Apps

John — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:10:48 +0000

There have been alot of complaints about the new iPhone being too expensive for what seems like a small incremental update. While the camera update may be a large factor to the buying decision in the European/Asian markets many who already have iPhones feel there really aren’t any new features worth the money. There is already some excellent voice control provided by apps in the app store.

So with the 3GS it’s really all about the apps.

It was stated that on average the new iPhone is about twice as fast, and while the compass may seem useless it will be integral to creating improved gaming controls. Right now tilting the phone forward and back has the same effect as turning (try it in your favorite driving game). An improvement in speed will have a dramatic increase in the quality of released apps. As of yet no 3D specs have been officially announced, but if they are improved this will bring the iPhone closer to Sony’s PSP. The memory limitations of the 3G are also somewhat of a bottleneck in app performance, and may be improved also.

I’m looking forward to even better apps.

. Tags: apps, iPhone, apple, 3gs, app store