Friday, October 23, 2009

AppsFire Launches App Star Awards To Find The Next Great iPhone App

"Appsfire, the service for sharing iPhone Apps with anyone, has announced that they are doing a contest called App Star Awards, in partnership with SFR/AppliStore and LeWeb.

The idea is very simple. Anyone that has a legit iPhone application that doesn't require jailbreaking, can submit a 30 second video to the contest, even if the app is not totally finished. 30 clips will be preselected, 10 in each category ? games, entertainment, utility and other. Those clips will be reviewed and rated by a jury (full list below). Three winners, one in each category, will get a check of $1,500 and a free ad campaign with participating partners.

The results will be announced on stage at LeWeb in Paris on December 9th. TechCrunch Europe is organizing the startup competition in partnership with LeWeb."

Pepsi kills controversial iPhone app

"Soft drink giant PepsiCo has decided to remove from Apple's App Store a controversial iPhone and iPod touch application criticized for its insensitive portrayal of women.

AMP UP Before You Score--a free application touting PepsiCo's Amp Energy drink and touted as a 'road map to success with your favorite kinds of women'--generated user reviews calling the app 'sexist and stupid' and 'a great new case study for branded apps gone wrong.'

Pepsi eventually turned to its Amp Energy Twitter feed to apologize, but did not immediately pull the app from circulation--at the time, a spokesman informed The Wall Street Journal the firm is still 'looking at the situation and evaluating its options.'"

iPhone finger painting application Brushes catches on

"Finger painting used to be the province of the preschooler. Now adults do it. Doodlers do it. Serious artists do it, like pop art master David Hockney. They do it -- as we do nearly everything these days -- with an iPhone application.

'Brushes,' which allows users to paint on the white digital canvas of an iPhone screen or iPod Touch using their fingertips, hit the app store in August 2008. Sales soared earlier this year after artist Jorge Colombo designed The New Yorker's June 1 cover art using the application."

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

iPhone app shares your whereabouts with ease

"During a recent visit to a friend's house in backwoods Kentucky, I got lost while jogging on deserted country roads. I had my iPhone, luckily, but no good way to tell my buddy where I was so he could talk me back.

What I needed was Glympse, a fantastic new app that shares your location via e-mail, text message, and/or Twitter--and does so for a set amount of time.

Tapping Google Maps, Glympse quickly zeroes in on your current location, then gives you the option of sending it to one or more e-mail addresses and/or phone numbers. If you elect to link your Twitter account, you can just type in 'Twitter' in the To field."

Apple to Allow Purchases from Within Free Apps - PC World

"Good news for game developers and people who hate “Lite” iPhone apps: Apple is now allowing purchases directly from within free apps. This feature was previously allowed only for paid apps.

Certainly the decision will affect anyone who develops a “Lite” app that has less features than the paid version, as it’ll let them combine both into a single download. But my mind jumps straight to gaming, which could see a rush of apps with paid microtransactions to unlock extra content or features."

Bengals' Chad Ochocinco gets iPhone app

"Chad Ochocinco has a new iPhone application that was created with the help of Bengals quarterback Jordan Palmer and breaks new ground for the media-savvy receiver. It also puts him one-up on buddy Terrell Owens — for a few weeks, anyway.

For US$4.99, Ochocinco fans can follow his daily exploits in photos, videos and tweets. They can ask his advice on dating or anything else, send their own photos for posting, and track where he is each day when he’s on the road."

Smart Phone: Will Clean Energy Be Apple’s Killer App?

"Apple rode the iPhone to record-breaking third-quarter profits at the tail end of a recession. Imagine what could happen if the “smart energy” revolution takes off in earnest and smart phones are on board.

Consider: Even with consumer spending in the doldrums, Apple sold 7% more of the still-pricey iPhones during the quarter. This month, Apple will start selling them in China.

Every day, there are more applications for smart phones—Apple says there are more than 85,000. Plenty of apps are silly; some are useful. And these apps aren’t exiled to a geek Siberia: Apple says there’ve been more than 2 billion downloads. Those are Dan Brown numbers. And so far that’s mostly for apps to find restaurants or mimic flatulence.

What will happen as the drive for smarter energy use joins forces with the smart phone? All kinds of companies, from Google to General Electric, are trying to figure out how to get a piece of the “smart grid” action."

Google goes global with Apps

"Google Inc said more than 2 million businesses now use its online office software, and the Web search leader is going global on Monday with an advertising campaign to lure customers away from Microsoft Corp and IBM products.

The campaign, which starts Monday in countries including France, Japan and Britain, represents a rare foray by Google into mass-market advertising and underscores increasing competition to provide businesses with email and other office software.

While Microsoft and International Business Machines Corp dominate the market for enterprise email, Google is trying to convince businesses to switch to its so-called cloud-based services, in which software is accessed over the Internet and maintained at Google's data centers instead of on a company's computers."

Friday, October 16, 2009

iPhone Application Development - Creating Apps For Money

The Huge Niche That Is The Application


When it come's to technology, there are few things that have advanced as quickly as the mobile phone. Few have advanced faster or as far. And one of the leaders in this cell phone advancement is the Apple iPhone. Its transformation into something that resembles a miniature, personal computer has given birth to a whole new side market. The applications that the iPhone can utilize range from the helpful to entertainment.


And for all the amazing applications that already exist, there are a slew of new ones just waiting to be created.


This has in itself created a product market that actually seems to rival the iPhone itself. Few times have we seen a sub-niche product reach such heights as the iPhone's application. And many people are finding it very profitable. If you were to look on the internet , you could find many different tool's and software products that make creating an application as easy as creating a blog or a webpage. Not to mention, it's a ton of fun, and anyone can do it.


iPhone Application Development


The greatest thing about iPhone Applications is that this no end to the number of apps that can/will be created. If you can imagine it, you can make it. And with technology changing all the time, there will always be a need for newer, better iPhone apps. So developing your own iPhone apps , either for fun or for profit could definitely be a longterm idea or hobby.


Now, besides great ideas, developing iPhone applications can take on a complete plan of action, or even a business model, if you decide to take iPhone application seriously. Creating apps is about knowing what people want, and what they will want in the future. And in order to get your apps ready for the market, there needs to be a system or developmental plan. See just creating a great application isn't enough to make great sales. There are certain ways to get the app listed in the Apple Application store. And not to mention, it's a good idea to market the product so that your App gets in front of a ton of iPhone owners. It might seem a little overwhelming if you haven't done any marketing, but it's really quite easy once you see how it works. Especially on the Internet. Once you get a grasp of how to utilize the Internet for marketing purposes, you will realize that everything is basic, and very common sense orientated.


The best way to develop your application creation plan is to do a little research. There are some very successful application creators that offer complete guides and help manuals. If you want some help discovering your own success as an application creator, just check out the link:


iPhone App Development


Create iPhone Apps - Learn How To Develop and Market Your Own Applications


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Mintz
http://EzineArticles.com/?iPhone-Application-Development---Creating-Apps-For-Money&id=2388431

Monday, October 12, 2009

$3 iPhone game shuts up cheapskates by raising price to $40!

$3 iPhone game shuts up cheapskates by raising price to $40!:

"for software hunters out here (nevermind that there’s a lot of free, or 99 cent, crap in the AppStore). So, it’s inevitable that a $2.99 iPhone game is going to draw complaints from cheapskates. That’s what Schiau Studios has been dealing with. In response to customer complaints that the game is too pricey, Schiau Studios raised the price of their Alchemize game to $39.99, making it the most expensive game in the AppStore."

Review: Tweetie 2 is the Best iPhone App. Period. | Cult of Mac

Review: Tweetie 2 is the Best iPhone App. Period. | Cult of Mac:

"With the release of Loren Brichter’s much-anticipated Tweetie 2 for iPhone, however, I think it’s time to establish a new category: “iPhone software better than anything Apple.” In fact, I’m willing to go so far as to claim it is the single-best app ever written for the platform. It’s incredibly useful, smooth as butter, innovative in design and features, and just works as you expect that it would. It’s as if it sprung, fully formed, from the skull of the iPhone, as if to say, “This is how it should work.” Not only has Tweetie 2 raised the bar for mobile Twitter clients, it’s raised the bar for mobile software"

Apple "No Refunds" Policy For Better & Worse - Business Center - PC World

"Apple's 'no refunds' policy for iPhone App Store purchase is both not as bad--and worse--than it sounds. Readers say Apple occasionally gives refunds, but also complain that Apple's own updates break apps for which no refunds are given.

These readers were replying to a story about the no-refunds policy I posted earlier today.

One reader said he got a refund for applications purchased that did not function with VoiceOver, an accessibility application used by the visually disabled.

'I sent a long and stern letter detailing the inadequacies of the app store for the blind community and how it was clearly unjust to force people to pay for applications that are completely unusable on their devices,' the reader wrote in an e-mail.

'The result? Somewhat surprisingly, they promptly refunded the price of all the applications I had listed without any trouble at all. Clearly, their draconian refund policy is not set in stone and they are willing to consider requests on a case-by-case basis at least some of the time.'"

Sunday, October 11, 2009

6 Must Have Tools For Marketing Your iPhone Apps

Here are 6 must have tools for marketing your iPhone application. Taken together, and coordinated effectively, they can drive visibility for your iPhone app - visibility that will enable customers to discover just how unique, fun, powerful and/or useful your iPhone app is.


1. Draft a Succinct Description of Your iPhone Application Highlighting the Strengths and Uniqueness of Your iPhone Application. The starting point for selling your application is telling potential customers how great it is and why. And the key to doing that successfully is being able to clearly and effectively communicate about the application and why it's worth taking a closer look at in one or two sentences. Once you have a succinct but effective description, you'll use it in a lot of different forms to reach out to potential customers.


2. Set Up a Website Featuring Your iPhone App. Unless you are one of the lucky few with a featured application, the App Store is the place for customers to buy your app - not the place to market it. A 2-3 page website containing a link to your iPhone application on the App Store provides the basic building block that you will use to give your iPhone application an online presence.


3. Leverage Google AdWords to Get Online Visibility. Go to AdWords.Google.com and open an account. Be careful here - you can spend a lot of money chasing the wrong people. There's plenty that's already been written about how to set up good AdWords searches. Define a budget, develop effective searches and use them to drive potential customers to check out your iPhone app website.


4. Draft a Press Release That Effectively Highlights Your iPhone App. Use the statement you drafted as the basis of an expanded (but still tight) description of your product. Check out www.mediacollege.com/journalism/press-release for a brief but good tutorial on how to draft a press release. Make sure to answer the following questions: What does it do? What is unique about it compared to your competitors' applications? Where can the reader get more information about it? Where can the reader buy it?


5. Submit Your iPhone Application to Review Sites. Sites like theiphoneappreview.com, appcraver.com and iphoneatlas.com invite iPhone developers to submit their applications for review and then post reviews for the ones they like. This is another place the description you drafted in step 1 will come in handy. If you assume they receive literally tens or hundreds of pitches a day, to make sure you are one of the ones they pay attention to, your description needs to be tight, professional and to the point. How do you choose which sites to submit your application to? Google "iPhone application review" (and likely variations of that) and submit your succinct description to the first ten sites that appear in the search results. Periodically redo the search to make sure your application is being featured at the top review sites.


6. Viral Marketing Tie in to iPhone App. Key Principle 1: the best sales force in the world is a bunch of your highly satisfied customers desperate to tell everyone they know about how great your iPhone application. Corollary to KP1: customers are more likely to tell everyone they know about how great your iPhone application is when it serves their own interests. Translation: Find a way to give your customers an incentive to tell other people about your application and make it easy for them to do so. Can your iPhone application be more useful, powerful or fun when it's connected to one or more users of the same application? Can you make it easier for your satisfied customers to tell other people about your iPhone application?



In future articles, I'll talk more about how to use these tools to jumpstart sales and also about other ways to make your iPhone application marketing program a success.


Are you looking for more information about how to market your iPhone app? Email me at h.c.colten@gmail.com.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hugh_C._Colten
http://EzineArticles.com/?6-Must-Have-Tools-For-Marketing-Your-iPhone-Apps&id=2674869

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

What Makes a Top-Selling iPhone App?

iPhone apps are becoming more popular than ever before. Thus, the market is full of a diverse array of apps that are meant to give people entertainment and meant to make their day to day lives that much easier. Though there is no exact science to what makes an iPhone app successful or popular, there are some common denominators. If the app fills a need or a gap in the market, if it is publicized in as many places at once, and if the application's design is purposeful, the app is then more likely to be a top seller.


The first thing to consider is that for anything to sell well it has to fulfill a need that is not being met. Thus, you need to find a gap in the market. Is there something that is not being offered that should be offered? Think about day to day needs when thinking about top selling iPhone apps. Additionally, if the app is meant to be one of entertainment, it helps if there is nothing like it currently offered in the market. The more original an idea is, the less competition there will be and the more likely it is that a person will want to try it.


Once the app has been brainstormed, it is all about the marketing. The more publicity an app has, the more likely it is that people will want to try it and will either use it on a friend's iPhone or will test it for themselves. Thus, you want people to believe that an iPhone app is the best thing since sliced bread. To do this, it helps to advertise the app in all possible places: everywhere from blogs to forums to traditional newspapers and magazines. The more exposure an app has, the more likely it is that people will recognize it. Once an iPhone app gains name recognition, it can then start to build a buzz around it. The more people like an app, the more they will talk about it and the more it will be sold.


Lastly, you need to make the design of the iPhone app fit the tone of the app's purpose. Thus, if you are offering someone an app that will make their professional work lives that much easier, you want the app to be clean and streamlined. If you are trying to reference old school video games to give your users a release, then you might want to go with more pixilated or old school type graphics and designs. The app's design, no matter its style or look, should be something that can be clearly seen on the iPhone. If it is too big or complex, it might irritate users. Thus, you want an app that is as fun or productive as it is easy to understand and use.


If you consider the characteristics of the best iPhone apps, you will see that the idea, marketing, and design are major factors in profitability. Supply and demand is in effect, and if an idea is unique enough, fills a need, and is fun and easy to use, it is bound to sell well.



For more information on iPhone applications or to read more in-depth reviews of iPhone apps visit AppCraver today. AppCraver is dedicated to iPhone apps, news, reviews and interviews with iPhone application developers.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Neal_Adam_Hamou
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Makes-a-Top-Selling-iPhone-App?&id=1958638

iPhones Devs Sanity-Check Analyst App-ocalypse

iPhones Devs Sanity-Check Analyst App-ocalypse | The iPhone Blog

Developers Bjango posted an interesting — and informed — reply today to Newsweek’s sensationalist scoop on the iPhone App Store goldrush, and how the “rushies” might not be finding them much gold any more.

Could it be, the era of the fart-app fortune is… over?

Um, yeah. Anyone (other than the few who first staked their claims) banking — literally — on an everlasting gold rush to make their app fortune, rather than a clear, calculated business plan, is playing the lottery. And we all know the odds of winning those. So what’s the alternative model for the iTunes App Store? The same as it is anywhere, and with anything, else — focused effort and luck, with those who have better focus and more effort finding themselves luckier on average.

Developes Say App Store Profits Extremely Difficult

App Store profits extremely difficult, developers say | iPodNN

Despite initial impressions given by Apple and the media, success stories at the App Store are actually rare, a new report suggests. Apple has enjoyed pointing to Trism developer Steve Demeter as an example of App Store profits, as well as a new egalitarian footing for independent developers. Demeter managed to accumulate $250,000 in two months through his iPhone app; while some observers believed he would be able to retire on future iPhone profits, Demeter now admits that he is only living a wealthy lifestyle because he invested in Palm stock, which jumped in value from $1.76 to $12.

Newsweek writes that after conducting interviews with consultants and programmers, it now appears that many developers are failing to turn a profit on their apps. In cases where money is being made, even popular titles are often making less money than might be expected. Trib Cubby developer David Barnard complains that in spite of good reviews and highlighting from Apple, he still ended up in debt because of his app, and having to sell his car. Only the release of a second app, Gas Cubby, has generated a profit. "But we spent a hell of a lot of money to get there," says Barnard

AT&T Opens Network To VoIP iPhone Apps -- iPhone -- InformationWeek

AT&T Opens Network To VoIP iPhone Apps -- iPhone -- InformationWeek

AT&T (NYSE: T) on Tuesday opened its 3G network to VoIP calls on the iPhone, reversing its previous position, as federal regulators consider applying proposed net neutrality rules to mobile phones.

AT&T's decision applies only to Apple's smartphone. The wireless carrier does not allow the use of voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, over its 3G network on other mobile phones. Before the reversal, VoIP applications from Skype and other companies could make calls on the iPhone only over a Wi-Fi connection.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

How to Market Your iPhone App

The iPhone is quickly emerging as the premiere wireless smart phone device in the U.S. Most recently it has added to its efficiency with the 3G connectivity feature and a more robust battery life, bringing even smarter phone users to date. For this reason the apple iPhone app market has soared. I have found it incredibly hard to avoid the latest commercial in which the use of an iPhone app was implemented to find a restaurant by food preference.


Marketing an iPhone application seems like it would be as easy as putting out a brochure in the mail. But if you have tried, it may not have appeared to be that easy. So these are some of best thoughts on possible ways you might want to market your iPhone apps.


Find your audience


What type of people will use your product? How does your product fit the needs of apple iPhone users? Is it unique in its creation or an alternative or improvement to already existing apple iPhone software applications? Do you know if your product would be popular with a certain apple iPhone user demographic?


There are forums in which iPhone users dwell. Try plugging into discussions between users. They might provide you with information on what programs are needed and what existing programs don't work. Use these forums as focus groups examining what the needs and benefits they look for from application. Pick the brains of the users. You might find out additional information on user demographic also.


Check the competition


The Apple iPhone is not without competition, see what the competition is offering and create an application of similar usability. If you have an application already created, market that application in apple user forums and other smart phone user forums as an alternative to any similar programs used by the devices. You should also contact top authoritative iPhone sites and consider advertising your application. You must remember to treat your application just like you would any other product you sell. Just because it is a digital product doesn't mean that you don't have to market it as heavily.


Get Social


Social networking sites are also great promoters of new applications. You can create a page and promote your application. Get a lot of people interested in your iPhone apps through advertising on your page, joining groups that might have an interest in what your software provides. MySpace has a bulletin feature that let you send mass bulletins to subscribers of your page and as well as the subscribers of the groups you have joined.


Blog


Out of all the suggestions mentioned above I have found this avenue the most controlled way to market anything. The current craze is blogging. It's like a forum but it gives you a way to ask your audience questions and provide them with answers. It gives you insight on customers needs and provides you with information useful to improving and marketing your products quicker. The grass root appeal is the new marketplace for anything you want to sell. You are able to address objections and develop the ground work necessary for moving your customers toward your product. Some of the best iPhone apps have been discovered this way. The market for the best iPhone apps is growing in tremendous gains, with a little creativity and market study you can be a part of this growing industry.


For more information on iPhone app marketing or to read more in-depth reviews of iPhone apps visit AppCraver today. AppCraver is dedicated to iPhone apps, news, reviews and interviews with iPhone application developers.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Neal_Adam_Hamou
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Market-Your-iPhone-App&id=1958865

Secrets To Making Money With iPhone Apps Exposed!