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Baby Shaker app proving a thorn in Apple’s side

Matt Thomas — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 09:20:33 +0000

Most of the time it’s hard to tell which technology stories are going to cross over into the mainstream media and become higher profile news pieces. Sometimes however, it isn’t. The current outrage surrounding the Apple baby shaker app is certainly one that would fall into the latter category.

When news broke that an application where users shake a picture of a baby until it stops crying was available for download from the App Store, the Apple marketing department must have braced themselves – it was pretty obvious that this one had legs.

We’re now in day two of ‘babygate’ and things don’t seem to be letting up, in fact the story is snowballing. Established institutions across all forms of media (BBC news and the telegraph to name but two) are asking, not unreasonably, how one of the bright young things at Apple actually approved this App for sale. With the story set to drag on into the weekend Apple will be asking very similar questions.

The outrage has led to calls for improvements to the app approval process. Especially since this isn’t the first time it’s been found wanting. Remember the card counting app that angered casino bosses? Or the issues some people had with iFart and iBeer?

Kindle now on the iPhone

Matt Thomas — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 08:54:54 +0000

Late Tuesday night Amazon.com released Kindle for iPhone as a free download from the iPhone App Store. The app allows iPhone users to download and read over 240,000 ebooks that have been specifically formatted for Kindle.

The app is intended to work alongside a Kindle reader and allows you to access all the Kindle books in your Amazon account from your iPhone. After you enter your Amazon user name and password the application will automatically download your Kindle books and store them on your iPod touch or iPhone.

A clever aspect of the app is that it will periodically transmit your place to Amazon.com, this information can then be sent to your Kindle reader, ensring that you never loe your place when switching between iPhone and Kindle.

The app is far from perfect however. One thing thats sure to annoy people is the fact that you cant buy your kindle books directly from the app, also the it doesnt appear to support newspaper or magazine subscriptions which will hamper its adoption amongst business users.

All that being said, this app does appear to solve the inconvenience problem associated with carrying a Kindle reader absolutely everywhere with you. Whether it has done so without making the device obsolete is another matter.

CBS Launch Mobile TV App

Matt Thomas — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:32:23 +0000

CBS has released a free mobile application via the app store that allows users of iPhones and iPod Touch’s to watch entire CBS programmes over 3G and WiFi connections via their mobile devices. The App is called TV.com and represents a first for the iPhone, an application from a major US TV studio that that provides whole TV programmes completely for free.

It joins the same sector BBC’s iPlayer app, though it has some way to go before it is on the same level as it. The hugely expensive BBC venture offers UK audiences the entire BBC programming schedule, including all digital and radio channels, for free, users simply log on and anything from the last seven days is theirs to either download or view streaming.

The CBS app, includes popular programmes such as, CSI, the original Star Trek, 90210, the L Word and Smallville. However, the jury is still out on whether or not TV.com is anything like as functional as something like the iPlayer. So far the response has been mixed but its early days yet, we’ll wait for it to find its feet before passing final judgement.

Amazon offers Game downloads

Matt Thomas — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:14:41 +0000

It seems another company is jumping on the App Store bandwagon. Amazon, the popular online retailer, has launched an online game download store. A beta version of the store is currently available, showcasing around 600 games, of which three are available for free. The illustrious gratis titles are, Jewel Quest II, Build-a-lot, and The Scuffs, users can download these games as soon as they have installed the Amazon Games software.

Much like the App store, in terms of games, Amazon Games is shunning major titles and focussing on the cheaper end of the market – the games will be available at two prices, $6.99 and $9.99. However, interestingly the games are initially available on a thirty minute trial basis. Once that trial period is over the users will be asked if they wish to buy the game. It is thought that Amazon is aiming squarely at the casual gaming market rather than hardened gamers.

This is a bold step for Amazon after branching out into music and software downloads late last year. However, early feedback seems good and, as they continue to add games it might be that we start to see Amazon games emerging as a viable competitor to the App Store.

App Store reaches 300 million Downloads

Matt Thomas — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:01:26 +0000

The App Store, Apple’s resource for buying and downloading applications for the iPhone or iPod touch, has reached the 300 million downloads mark. The site went live less than five months ago, taking only 61 days to climb to the hundred million mark.

Obviously 300 million is an inconceivably huge number, one which will lead many to conclude that the App Store is doing really well. However, on closer inspection, the numbers appear to be flattening rapidly. After that initial 61 days that the App Store took to reach its first hundred million, demand increased and the store took only 43 days to reach the 200 mill mark. However, the rate plateaued, with 300 mill taking exactly the same amount of time, another 43 days.

With iPhones still flying off the shelves at a terrific speed, it would not be unreasonable to expect use of the App store to continue growing as more and more people have a use for it and existing users continue to access it. This hasn’t happened.

Obviously 300 million is 300 million. There’s no getting around it, it’s a huge achievement. However, the App Store’s failure to maintain its growth will be a worry, as it could mean that people who initially used the store are not continuing to do so.

Double Standards at Apple

Matt Thomas — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 10:00:12 +0000

A double standard in the rules that govern inclusion in Apple’s ‘App Store’ has emerged after Google admitted that voice search programme, Google Mobile App violates Apple’s SDK. Specifically, Google Mobile App is using undocumented APIs to conduct its voice searches. This is forbidden by the rules that Apple have set out for developers wanting to create applications for the iPhone, which clearly state that developers may use, only APIs supplied in the iPhone developers kit. The offending APIs relate to the app’s proximity sensor function.

Despite the fact that a smaller developer’s app would almost certainly have been rejected for this infraction, Google Mobile App remains downloadable from the App store and seems unlikely to be removed any time soon. When asked why they chose to ignore the rules a Google spokesperson replied by claiming that it was necessary to get an “innovative and useful application,” to users as fast as possible.

That logic does hold up to a certain extent, it is certainly a good app and it would have been delayed or compromised by obeying the rules, though it is another troubling example of Google believing itself to be above the standard practices laid out for other companies. Perhaps the search giant should have curbed their enthusiasm slightly in this instance, to at least appear as if they’re on the same planet as the rest of us.

Banker hits the big time with iPhone App

Matt Thomas — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:00:58 +0000

When banker and amateur game developer, Steve Dementer thought up Trism, a puzzle game based on matching colours, he can’t have thought that he was creating a new career for himself. However, after writing the game in his spare time and placing it on the App Store, that’s just what it became. The game proved to be a huge hit and to date, has earned Steve around $250’000 dollars.

Steve was able to quit his job and has now started his own company, Demiforce, which is currently in the process of writing Trism’s sequel as well as five new games.

Although more sucessful then most, Steve is far from alone, Apple have opened their doors to amateur game developers in a way that few before them have, offering these part time developers cheap ways to utilise professional equipment, reducing the barrier between amateurs and professionals. The programme has been incredibly successful, with 1’500 games available from the App Store at present. The App Store has seen a rise of 60% in terms of titles available over the last two months and that number is set to rise still further. Amateur games designers, by and large, couldn’t be happier with many feeling that Apple have democratised games development.