Another Looming Milestone
Posted on 10 March 2010 | No responses
The AppStore has surpassed 170,000 applications available for purchase. Within a matter of months or weeks–we will have inevitably reached the dubious 200,000 app milestone. Is that cause for celebration?
Good news? Bad news? Just news? If you have visited here before–you know my perspective.
Good idea–lets put it in-perspective.
- If I had 200,000 dollar bills laying end-to-end, it would create a chain nearly 20 miles long and take the average human more than 12 hours to walk from one end to the other and back again.
- Or, if the average developer income on the AppStore earned a measly US$10,000 a month (probably the minimum needed to sustain a viable 1-person business), the total annual sales would exceed $34B. And Apple would be raking in more than $10B for their efforts.
- Distance to the moon. If each app represented one mile, we will soon have nearly enough to reach the average distance to the moon (+ 230, ooo miles).
- Finally, if I downloaded all 200,000 apps on the AppStore at an average download speed of 1 minute per app, it would take more than 3,000 hours to download the lot (yes that’s 138 days). So, if I started at Midnight on January 1–I would not be complete until sometime on May 19–straight through 24X7. If I only downloaded during a typical workweek of 40 hours it would take 83 weeks. I could start on January 1 in ONE year and finish on July 30 of the NEXT year.
Now, that’s a lot of apps. Originally AppReview intended to review ALL of the apps–and provide the only comprehensive comparison. It is just not possible. The average review takes several minutes for simple apps and multiple hours for the complex. At an average of an hour per app for each review, it would take 10 reviewers 7 years to accomplish the feat.
I’m getting tired just thinking about it.
Is It Really Going to Save You?…
Posted on 7 December 2009 | No responses
Almost all iPhone users have at least once come across one of the “Emergency Information” apps. Yet, how many people actually stop to think of how ridiculously absurd that whole notion is? Throughout my life, I have found myself in a few emergency situations ranging from sports injuries to fatal vehicle accidents. Not once have I stopped to think, “Hey, I wonder if I can get important information about this person on their phone… Hey buddy! I’m just going to go through your phone here to see if I can get some information”. A vicitm’s phone is surely not the first place an EMT or Medical staff is going to look for important information. If you were in a car wreck and your phone was sitting out, there is a high possibility that your phone is either going to be crushed or thrown three hundred feet away… Of course someone will always be able to find exceptions and perhaps there would be some instance where having this information on your phone could be of some kind of use. However, if you have medical issues that need immediate consideration in an emergency, I think I’d stick with a bracelet or card in your wallet or purse. There is an app for that, but it sure isn’t worth having…
Christmas Shopping
Posted on 4 December 2009 | No responses
Christmas shopping has been a tradition for practically as long as the holiday has existed. Some take the more relaxed route of completing their shopping early in the year so the stress of the holidays does not have to intermingle with the insanity of holiday shopping time. Yet some of you out there just live for the Black Friday rush, to get out and get a deal that is only possible once a year. I myself prefer the option that excludes the crazy, surging, bargain-happy crowds. The only flaw of this seemingly strategic and self-preserving plan of action is that I tend to procrastinate until the last second, putting me in that deadly category of last second shoppers. I know first hand the stress that comes when you have to fight with those other procrastinators out there. So from after repeating this experience over many years, I have put together this list of apps that will help you get organized, keep within budget and even get some of your shopping done without even setting foot in a store!
Amazon Mobile: Get some of that shopping done right from your couch. Find deals and save money and time!
Santa’s List: Keep an organized list of the gifts and their recipients with this app. Stay organized and on budget.
RedLaser: Simply scan the barcode of a product with this app and it will search the internet for good deals.
Yowza!! Mobile Coupons: Everyone loves a good deal! Check around with this app to see if any stores are offering coupons near you.
Pongr: Use your camera to take a picture of a book, movie or cd cover and this app will search the internet to look for deals for that product.
Target: If you like Target, you better have this app. For someone who doesn’t have a passion for it, use this as a way to find and compare sales.
Walmart: You either are a Walmart fan or you are a hater, there isn’t much middle ground in this war. Regardless, this is a great app to do some comparison shopping with.
Park’n Find: After a long day at the store, the last thing you want to do is to have to wander around to find your car. This app will get you there quickly.
WootWatch: Keep up with alerts from woot.com and make sure you don’t miss one of their great deals!
Best Buy: This is a great place to start when searching for almost anything electronic.
The Deal Hunter: This baby lets you do exactly what its name says. Be the hunter, not the prey.
eBay Mobile: This is pretty much eBay for your phone. Browse all the products and keep an eye on those bids you have out there.
eBay Deals: Find some of the better deals available on eBay quickly and easily.
Come see this list of Christmas Shopping apps on our website
What Apps Do YOU have?
Posted on 3 December 2009 | 1 response
I have found myself springing on strangers like never before. “I see you have an iPhone. I have one too.”
Sure I see the fear and the trepidation in their eyes, but I am undeterred. “What apps do you have? Find anything interesting? Fun? Really unusual? Huh? Huh? ”
Yes. I know that I am breaking fundamental rules of cordiality in the Miss Manners book of etiquette, but that has never been my strong suit. Somehow, I feel a primordial bond with anyone who flicks the glowing screen. We are family–therefore, I am entitled to a little intrusion.
Unfortunately, in all of this breach of protocol I have found something interesting–and confusing.
Many times the victim is not offended by my forthright questions (shocked perhaps–but not offended). They are willing to show me their screen which is–more often that I care to admit–virtually devoid of apps. There may be one or two for their grandchild to play with, one that was free and they could not remember what it did for them, or another that was recommended by a co-worker… But I have found it a disturbing trend that I am one of the few that have found that there IS a limit to the number of apps you can have actively displayed on your iPhone at the same time (last I checked= 8 pages worth of 132 apps).
I am looking for your help. Can someone share with me–why folks will drop an Abraham Lincoln for a Jamba Juice or a nightcap, and then agonize over the purchase decision for a $4.99 app? A $.99 app? Even the free ones? Sure. I have said it all along–100,000 apps are WAY TOO MANY. But I can’t let it go. There MUST be something out there even cooler than the ones that I have today. So I keep looking, and looking.
So, perhaps in the very near future you will find yourself accosted by a total stranger who walks up to you casually and blurts out some form of communication about “your wraps”.
Please don’t be offended. After all, we are family. Now. Go get that app. And that one, and that one…
RedBox comes to the iPhone
Posted on 3 December 2009 | No responses
After a quiet and humble beginning in 2002 with only 12 kiosks, Redbox has quickly become a household name. Many Americans have fallen in love with those little red colored boxes that have been popping up with a frequency that only Starbucks seems to match. Although perhaps the selection is significantly smaller than going to a true video store, we seem to find something very appealing about the big touch screen and having the movie dispensed to us without the hassle of being asked to join any frequent renters club.
Redbox has recently created an iPhone app that allows their customers (or pretty much anyone for that matter) to make their Redbox experience faster and more enjoyable. Maybe you want to know what movies are at the Redbox in front of the grocery store you are shopping at. No need to wait. Whip out your iPhone and find that particular machine by using the GPS to find your current location (machines are also searchable by city and zip code). Then browse the selection that is available at that kiosk.
Find a movie you want? Reserve it straight from your phone. Then just pick it up on your way out. This is a great innovation! Especially when you’re sick of a particular machine not having the one movie you wanted. I loved this app and it’s definitely on my frequent use list! With more than 15,000 kiosks nationwide, this app will be more than useful to anyone who gets it.
Universally…iPhone
Posted on 20 October 2009 | No responses
This past week was spent traveling. Heading out to see a part of the world (namely the US Midwest) to enjoy the changing colours of the season.
Since I would be visiting previously unvisited locales, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to test some functionality on my iPhone, and one feature–has created a high amount of anticipation. I enjoy the concept of GPS functionality on the iPhone–and decided THAT would be my exclusive travel guide for the trip. I purchased and downloaded apps to begin the experience, climbed aboard the plane and over-confidently declined a rental car with a GPS system.
Trusting, perhaps. Unwise, maybe.
Unsuccessful, mostly.
I found that all of the software I tried for the iPhone was quite good. When it worked, it was relatively successful. I prefer having the maps locally on the device–since it is quite easy to leave the 3G world in just a few left and right turns on a beautiful country road.
The accuracy seemed to be no worse than a dedicated GPS box, although it often had a very difficult time acquiring satellites for an extended period of time. I will admit, however, that I was using a makeshift iPhone holder–and the quality of reception could be significantly lower than a windshield mount–so I assume some culpability there.
My final conclusion however–is that I would NOT recommend using my iPhone as a GPS, except perhaps as a backup.
Sometimes ‘the obvious’ is what rises up, and bites me–unanticipated. I failed to realize that the iPhone, after all–is my phone. I live a busy life with a number of fine folks who, for one reason or another, still try to contact me even while I am away. My frustration became apparent as I would just get my coordinates configured (while safely sitting in the driveway of-course), begin my drive time–and a phone call would inevitably arrive. The app would close, and I was left completely blind from a GPS perspective for several minutes of driving. I found myself getting annoyed and curt with the caller (un-acceptable) while I tried to resort to either driving-by-memory, or finally finding a good place to stop and re-engage.
Rest assured, I did follow all of the requirements for safe, un-distracted driving and conformed with all of the local laws. At the conclusion of each call, the apps would eventually re-calculate, I was able to make several legal U-TURNS at my first available opportunity, and I found myself progressing as originally intended.
My conclusion for this week is for developers who build applications that provide a critical stream of data or require some dedicated time on the iPhone or iPod Touch. Spend a little time considering the use model. Think about what happens when your data stream gets interrupted on a clearly multi-purpose device?
The user experience you create may become an annoyance, just as this did for me?
I Am Starving Over Here…
Posted on 5 October 2009 | 1 response
Yes. The last post was in June. I know that your time is valuable–and reading posts without meaning add little to the day. The truth of the matter–is that I have been trying to figure out how to best participate in this little experience of mobile computing that I enjoy so much. There really is a lot of stuff out there about the iPhone and iPod Touch experience–and about Apple. Although very little from a developer standpoint.
In-fact, I have found myself in meaningless discussions with non-iPhone users, actually defending Apple. Palm PRE users have a few hundred applications to choose from, while there are more than 88,647 today for the iPhone. But when does MORE stop being better? Alternatively, there are hundreds of applications available on the Blackberry or Windows mobile device which have their own viable customer base. The question that kept lounging in my head: as a developer, what has Apple done to deserve my allegiance?
1- We submitted an app for approval and heard nothing for weeks.
2- When we did get a response, it was an unappreciated and terse dis-approval for meaningless reasons which were resolved in a matter of minutes…no in ONE minute.
3- We resubmitted again without the original exhilaration of wondering what would happen next, and effectively not really caring anymore.
So, I have reached a few conclusions which I am going to start referring to my “Working With Apple-isms”. But feel free to add your own.
Working with Apple is like:
1- Falling in love with the motorcycle, more than the person. Yeah, I still think the iPhone is a cool design.
2- Working as an intern for a manager that provides no encouragement, no suggestions for improvement, effectively zero communication and hires more and more interns all of the time.
3- Buying a brand new car, only to find that the manufacturer keeps their name on the title. In-reality, I don’t OWN the car but I am considered a co-owner in good standing–as-long as I do exactly what the manufacturer requires.
4- Like the motto from an over-bearing government: ”You can build anything you want–as-long as you want what we allow” (somewhat ironic, given the 1984 Apple ads). And no, this is not intended to advocate morally and intellectually-degrading rubbish.
5- Finally, working with Apple is like being on a new “Twinkie Diet”. Sure, Twinkies taste good–and there are billions consumed by someone out there but they offer no long-term nutritional value and if I stay on that diet, I will probably die from malnutrition.
And yes. I did wake up a little cynical today.
Parents? Apple Shareholders? Engage!
Posted on 25 June 2009 | 3 responses
For the past several weeks, articles have appeared in this blog and dozens of others regarding the lack of filter mechanisms for applications on the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Apple has abandoned any limits and is now officially releasing applications which qualify legally as pornography. Those same degrading images which were once shunned are are now officially marketed from Apple.
Now–parents out there. It is my hope that you take exception to this–after-all, you gave little johnny that iPod Touch for Christmas just last year. The same child to whom you gave the first book or the first bike; now you have given them now the gift of porn.
It is now official. Parents need to engage!
Apple suggests that it is reasonable to release these types of apps since the OS 3.0 provides the ability for parents to block anything that they consider inappropriate. However, my ‘unofficial’ survey of a dozen parents whose children were on the iPod Touch revealed that 11 of the 12 were completely surprised 1) that there was any need for parental oversight and 2) that there was any way for them to parentally intervene. That analysis was with OS v2.x where parents could limit the types of music downloaded - ONE (get that explicit stuff out of here), and TWO - REMOVE SAFARI (get unsupervised browsing under control). With 3.o, parents need to study the new oversight features–to protect the innocent.
I decry Apple’s official endorsement and distribution of pornography. What need is there now for a jailbroken iPhone? Porn is available directly through Apple.
Shareholders need to engage.
When Apple talks about future revenue growth–some analysts estimated that more than $1B of of Apple revenue will come through the AppStore on iTunes in 2009. What impact will porn have on that number? Will it double it? Quadruple it? If you are an Apple (AAPL) shareholder–you just ought to be aware of where your investment expects to gain ground.
My patience with Apple has reached its peak. Apple no longer just provides the notebook that enables porn, they are distributors; this is an overt strategy by Apple, Inc. to profit in the on-line pornography marketplace.
On the ELITE Apple Approval Track…
Posted on 16 June 2009 | 1 response
I recall watching the iPhone 3.0 announcement a few short months ago. Lots of great news–of course. The MOST interesting for me–was the message that:
“96% of the [then 25,000] apps submitted were approved”, meaning that 1,000 apps were NOT approved.
“98% of thost apps were approved in 7 days or less…”, again–the message should be that there were 500 apps that took longer than typical.
We are pleased to announce, that AppReview–for some reason, has consistently been on the elite side of these statistics. On our first submission, we waited (impatiently) for more than 5 weeks. Requests for data went virtually unheeded. Finally, we re-submitted the application without any Apple feedback and found that the new version of the app was approved within 5 days.
Now, here we are–having resubmitted an update to the app, and we are entering our THIRD week of waiting.
Will Rogers, a famous 20th century philosopher summed up my feelings succinctly: “Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction.”
You can view the 3.0 announcement available on YouTube below. Items referenced previously begin at about the 6:00 mark.
What about WWDC (Apple’s Developers Conference)?
Posted on 10 June 2009 | 1 response
What a big deal. We have a new iPhone which is more evolutionary than revolutionary. About what everyone expected with the highlight being the opportunity to demonstrate some of the stuff that was announced months ago around the OS 3.0 launch. The temperature from the developers conference points to an increasing number of apps available. As of this week, the number is closing in on 50,000. Thats right.
So what is going on at the developer conference that most everyone will care about? Some gems I which thought to be interesting:
- it was sold out. Now, I have participated in developers conferences from various companies and for sundry operating environments. Unless they booked the Catalina room at the Marriott only, this is a significant accomplishment. It suggests that this is a clear industry trend, something to be taken seriously.
- it was sold out. It seems that everyone is jumping on the bandwagon to develop for, generally-speaking, the iPhone and iPod Touch. (As an aside, we applied to participate as a Palm PRE developer, and have YET to receive any notification. Obviously they are NOT REALLY interested in building a developer community.) The anticipated result of having tens-of-thousands of developers on a single platform is discouraging as it seems inevitable that there will be a number of poorly thought-through apps that will continue to bombard the market.
My bottom-line, is that I am not sure what this will mean to the typical developer. There are already tens of thousands of apps that are not getting downloaded/purchased at a rate significant enough to sustain a viable business. It seems now, that getting to 100,000 apps for the iPhone by the end of the year–is virtually inevitable.
Although, THE GOOD NEWS: if we do reach that milestone by the end of the year–clearly there will be 100,000 apps for customers of BOTH the Apple iPhone and the Palm PRE combined. Now, at-least THAT sounds a little more comfortable.
