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All I Want For The Holidays Are App Store Development Guidelines

Aviv — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:04:05 +0000

Apple’s App Store has changed the way mobile developers can reach their audience. By setting up a fast, secure environment for developers and game publishers to distribute their games and applications, Apple is attempting to bridge a major gap between the industry. However, some setbacks remain and the environment still needs some attention.

One of Apple’s major attractions with the App Store is the fact that developers can distribute their games and applications fast and in a secure environment. Once a particular game or app is approved and pushed through to the App Store, millions of people instantly have access to the title, and with the right buzz online, it can generate literally millions of downloads.

While Apple’s App Store has been subject to extremely harsh criticism, primarily focused around harsh rejections and an overall lack of communication. It’s important to remember how big of a push Apple has made with the App Store. Not only was the iPhone earth shattering in terms of user experience and making mobile data accessible, but Apple’s long-term goals in turning the device into a development platform have been more than realized. The speed in which a game or application can be downloaded and distributed through the app store is enough to send any aspiring developer into a cerebral tailspin about what iPhone users potentially need.

However, since the launch of the App Store, countless stories about very useful applications being rejected have sent shivers down most developer’s spines. Without a clear set of development guidelines, developers are taking an enormous gamble in cultivating a game or application on the iPhone platform. While it may seem reasonable for larger more established companies to devote time, money and general resources to hoping their applications get approved. Many smaller teams, producing extremely useful applications are not as lucky. A quote from a colleague of mine who develops for the iPhone explains it well:

“Without development guidelines, there is no way to know for certain if an application or game you are spending your time on, will get approved by Apple. In which case, you can organically appeal the decision and hope the community picks up your story, in which case word gets around to Apple that people are angered and they reverse the decision. Or perhaps they will realize that they made a mistake in rejecting your application/game and reverse the decision. Either way, Apple’s communication thus far has not been comforting to say the least.”

Dropping the iPhone NDA was a step in the right direction. Actually, releasing the iPhone SDK was the first step towards a brighter future, however, the community needed to basically beg Apple to do both. Couldn’t Apple release a well documented set of guidelines, that developers could follow while developing their games and applications? I think this could be done with relative ease, and the impact would be substantial. Not only would would developers be given a clear set of rules to follow, but real-world, long-term companies could be founded. Companies that are interested in establishing roots in the industry, developing platforms of their own and contributing in ways we can’t imagine. These things can’t happen to their fullest potential until Apple opens up and comes clean with what is really driving app store rejections and approvals. No more guessing, hoping and praying that a response will be given, the iPhone development community deserves more. And the potential behind the technology is enough to transform the mobile market as we know it today.

Some setbacks remain, and until Apple releases a clear set of development guidelines, the App Store will still be considered an “application boutique.” Developers and game publishers will continue to devote energy and resources to developing great titles that may never see the light of day. But remember, the iPhone SDK wasn’t so easy to reason out of Cupertino. So what do you think Apple, maybe some official App Store development guidelines for the holidays?

Macbook Nano, Cupertino’s Long Lost Father and Son Team

Aviv — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:06:37 +0000

In the land of mini Mac computers, the Macbook nano pictured below should command attention from lovers of all things tiny across the land. If not for its concept, but for the surprisingly impressive specs.

As Gizmodo explains, we still don’t know if these things are one-time hacks, or if they’re officially being sold by someone overseas. But the specs are impressive and the tininess is enough to make most gadget lovers lust, if only for a brief moment. Check out the full flickr gallery (well worth it), here.

Feature List:
MSI U100 MacBook Nano
Windows XP Pro + Mac OS X 10.5.5
Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz
2G DDRII
10″ WSVGA LED (1024×600)
320GB SATA
1kg
MMC/SD/MS 4
Windows XP Pro + Mac OSX Leopard

Apple iTube: Apple Is Working On HDTV Sets, Calacanis Claims

Aviv — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:41:49 +0000

Jason Calacanis, previously the co-founder of Weblogs Inc, GM of Netscape and current CEO of Mahalo, claims to have direct sources at Apple, who are telling him that Apple has been, and currently is working on gorgeous HDTV sets.

Nate Lanxon, who writes for Cnet.co.uk, got a chance to sit down with Calacanis for a few hours yesterday. The Mahalo CEO confirmed to Lanxon that Apple is indeed planning on entering the television market. “Love him or hate him, the bloke’s got contacts, and he confirmed to me that he knew first-hand that Apple was working on a networked television,” Lanxon explains. “These LCD HDTVs will be fully networked, with the ability to stream all your iTunes content from your Mac or PC. In fact, Calacanis told me they’ll function like a standard TV with an Apple TV box, only without the need for the box,” he continues.

The video above is simply a 3D rendering of what the Apple TV might look like.
Only this one has Firefox built in, not Safari interestingly enough.

A Digital Flat Panel LED TV would be a more than plausible venture that would undoubtedly stay in line with a new mysterious “product transition,” that Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer had recently mentioned. And it would also quiet down Greenpeace. Building the Apple TV into a standalone TV set could give consumers an unparalleled device.

MacBlogz has previously explained that the transition to digital television is an extremely crucial opportunity for Apple to exploit and enter the television market. President and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, David Rehr, has described the digital transition as “the most significant advancement of television technology since color TV was introduced.” What better an opportunity for Apple to penetrate what is already an enormous market bursting at the seams with people in need of a Digital TV upgrade. Apple is already due for a Cinema Display refresh, and we’ve taken the liberty of outlining what we’d like to see. Recent rumors point to a MacWorld 2009 introduction for the new Displays. So don’t be surprised if Cupertino is cooking up an HDTV set right under our noses.

iPorn; giving new meaning to the term “multi-touch”.

Dave — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:10:27 +0000

The upcoming iPhone may be hiding something in its unmentionables, as the technological feats of 3G speed may bring about a pornucopia. Apple may be blushing while keeping relatively quiet as adult entertainment is one of the most lucrative and controversial uses of handheld devices.

“To date, mobile porn has consisted largely of still images, racy text services and “moan tones,” which are sultry-sounding ringtones. In Europe there is an active market for video chatting; customers pay on average $50 a month to exchange dirty messages with actresses.” via Time. Thanks to the iPhone 3G’s video capabilities, short clips are becoming a more favorable staple of the adult industry. Even Google Trends, which measures Web buzz, shows a sharp increase over the past year in the popularity of the term “iPhone porn.”

Leading smut peddlers may be seeing the new iPhone as a wet dream come true. With ample screen size, faster speeds and ease of use, the device is essentially streamlined for naughty use. “It’s by far the porn-friendliest phone,” says Devan Cypher, representative for San Francisco–based Sin City Entertainment. In recent months numerous iPhone related porn sites have emerged, showcasing the ever growing demand for iRotica.

“There are a few hundred iPhone porn sites now in use,” says Farley Cahen, vice president of business development for AVN Media Network, the adult industry’s trade body. Many others are currently in the works targeting the iPhone 2.0, which goes on sale July 11.”

Apple spokesperson, Jennifer Bowcock (thats right, Bowcock), claims that the company is not condoning any porn distribution and will ban all adult related apps from from the upcoming App Store. Ah, but there is no control as of now, that prevents users from accessing mature content through the device’s browser. Although Bowcock does add that “Our iPhone 2.0 software will give customers the opportunity to turn on parental controls.” I seriously doubt this will have much of an impact on deterring those hell bent on accessing mature content.

“It will be impossible to stop the adult business exploitation of mobile entertainment,” said Gregory Piccionelli, a lawyer specializing in adult entertainment at law firm Piccionelli & Sarno.” via Reuters. “He predicted that U.S. consumers may soon be offered free porn on mobile phones alongside paid services like live video or “adult dates,” a term for prearranged sex with strangers.”

It will be inevitable and only a matter of time until porn sinks its dirty claws into the iPhone. Imagine the possibilities that the touch screen has to offer. I personally can’t wait to see what they’ll come up with.

Hey Apple…Where the f*ck are the new Cinema Displays and Macbook Pro Cases? [updated]

Aviv — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:55:29 +0000

I know that iPhone 3G is a big deal. Apple is trying to penetrate the global markets and inch closer towards Steve Jobs’ ultimate goal of Global Domination. I am completely on board with Apple’s plans most of the time, but the Cinema Displays and Macbook Pro cases have been seriously ignored, borderline neglected like a red-headed step-child. Understandably, Apple is focusing far more on the everyday-user (as apposed to professionals) with new iMac designs, the release of the Macbook Air and Macbook updates, iPhone and iPod line overhauls… Amongst all of this, all professionals have gotten is a measly Penryn update to the Macbook Pro (which was slower in some benchmarks), and a standardized Octo-core Mac Pro option (I’ll mention the Xserve updates so that some of you don’t explode).

What’s going on here Apple? There are professionals who use your stuff too ya know? Professionals also love shiny new toys, and spending their money on unnecessary gadgets. Can we get a little love? The button-latch on the Macbook Pro as apposed to the magnetic latch on the Macbook is utterly insane. It’s not reliable, it’s annoying to use and you have to keep your finger nails at a certain length to open your notebook (which then get in the way while you type). The keyboard on the Macbook Pro is completely out of date and also awful to use. It accumulates black smudges and allows dust to get into the machine. If you type on it for a week without cleaning, it turns black. It’s gotten to the point of when I type on my buddy’s Macbook, I am honestly envious. Yeah, the back-lighting on the Macbook Pro is nice, but the Air has that, and the Air has the Macbook’s keyboard. I understand that Apple needs to break up its notebook line feature-by-feature (give some what others don’t have). But this is the MAC-BOOK-PRO-FESSIONAL ! It should have all of these features! And more! How does this keyboard fall into Apple’s distinct price-point variations? Come on. I’ve heard enough of this “You can’t change what’s perfect” non-sense. A few minor feature upgrades and some inspirational fusion with the Macbook Air’s case and then we’ll be on the right track.

Oh yeah…. One More Thing. (pun) The iMac has a camera. The Macbook has a camera. The Macbook Pro has a camera. The Macbook Air has a camera. The iPhone has a camera. Why don’t the Cinema Displays have a camera? It’s been 434 days since any mention of the Cinema Displays has been made. I think it’s beyond the point of neglect. Does anybody know the number for tech social services?

[updates] For the sake of the community, I’ll address some of the commenters below. Updates to these two products specifically are what most professionals have been waiting for. We are not the only ones who want these updates to happen. You can check out Jason D. O’Grady & David Morgenstern’s blog on ZDNET or check out Gizmodo’s many rants about these two products, how late and completely overdue for refreshes they are. Without going into further detail about what these products need, I would NOT be surprised to see both the Macbook Pro case and Apple’s Cinema Display totally overhauled very soon. Rumors about both have been swirling for a long, long time.

Steve Jobs Illustration courtesy of Daily Galaxy.

WWDC Wish List Poll.

Aviv — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:18:29 +0000

Related posts:[Poll] Rumor Roundup; What Do You Want to See Most?[Breaking][Poll] The ultimate iPhone letdown. Brace yourself.[Poll] Vote on OS X 10.6 LION. Related posts:

Apple iTube Released ?

Aviv — Tue, 20 May 2008 21:29:01 +0000

Apple iTube. Simply Amazing.

I advise any Apple fan to take a long, hard look at this video. Prepare to get your mind blown !

Keep in mind, the above video represents a concept that we feel everyone can enjoy ! This is NOT an endorsed rumor, yet simply displays a well-done visual representation of something we may see in the future.

Should Apple release a flatscreen TV set ?

Aviv — Tue, 20 May 2008 04:15:16 +0000

If you’ve got moment… Vote Above. Related posts:WWDC Wish List Poll.[Poll] Rumor Roundup; What Do You Want to See Most?‘iPhone Your Life’ – Apple Helps Organize the App Store Related posts:

What we want in iPhone 2.0

Aviv — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:12:46 +0000

With all this buzz about the next generation iPhone, we’d like to take a moment and share some features we would like to see in iPhone 2.0. We know some of these may be limited due to technical capacities – (battery life, evil corporate carriers…) but they sure would be might nice:

Picture / Multimedia Sharing: It would definitely be suitable to use Flickr for pictures and You Tube for instant video sharing. Of course a video camera would be needed in the phone and a native uploading app as well. But with the release of the SDK, this should be no sweat
GPS – The real stuff: I’ve been using the Gamrin Nuvi 200w for the last couple of weeks here in Portland,OR., and it only cements the fact that Apple needs to get involved with some Interface input. Currently the iPhone is capable of producing some rather inconsistent mapping functions through wireless network triangulation. This isn’t anywhere near as powerful as a satellite GPS system like the Garmin.
Video Recording: It’s already been proven through third-parties that the iPhone is capable of recording video. It’s just a matter of time before Apple decides to incorporate it into the iPhone.
Skype: This is less than likely seeing as how it would divert people from using ATT’s plans. But if the iPhone ever breaks loose from the death chains of mobile carriers, we might see some no-holds barred Skype integration !

There is much more that we would like to see brought to the iPhone. Some of it will probably be rolled out by third-parties developing applications with the iPhone SDK. The SDK has opened the doors to many possibilities for software, gaming and third-party applications. Yet there still remain some core features missing, that involve actual hardware and Apple’s genuine development backing.

What would you guys like to see in iPhone 2.0 ?

Sound off below…