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Entelligence: App stores are not enough
A little over two years ago, Apple changed the face of mobile computing when it launched the App Store and broke down the barriers between app developers and end users. There was no longer a need for users to go to a third-party web site, hand over a credit card, download an app to their computer, and sync it to their device. The App Store’s integration with iTunes made it easy for the consumer to purchase apps, and purchase apps they did. But while Apple now commands a major lead in the sheer number of apps for the iOS platform, it’s far from game over in the mobile market, and other competitors can catch up. But it’s going to take more than just an app store for other platforms to level the playing field — that’s just the table stakes now. Here’s what mobile platform providers need to compete effectively.
First, the devices must stand on their own. Before Apple introduced the iPhone OS SDK, the developer program and the App Store, the company sold more than a million iPhones and iPod touches. That is, it had captured a large enough market for developers to notice before third-party apps were brought into the equation. Handset vendors and platform providers must have devices that are compelling to consumers out of the box, with features and form factors that attract buyers independently. Seeding a market with quality devices is one way to capture the attention of developers who will all want to be part of a platform with room to grow.
Continue reading Entelligence: App stores are not enough
Entelligence: App stores are not enough originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iMovie hits iTunes App Store, only for iPhone 4 (update)
You may not have an iPhone 4 yet — unless you lucked out on delivery, you’re probably still waiting in line — but if you did receive Cupertino’s latest opinion polarizing handset, you might have noticed it doesn’t come with a tool to edit all the 720p footage of jealous friends that you just shot. Thankfully that can be remedied with a portrait of President Lincoln, as iMovie for iPhone just went live — head on over to the App Store and drop your $4.99.
Update: Oddly enough, we’re not actually seeing iMovie in the App Store on our iPhone 4 — only in the desktop client.
[Thanks, Joel]
iMovie hits iTunes App Store, only for iPhone 4 (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sonos Controller for iPad: multi-room music dictation, supersized
Got yourself a smattering of Sonos ZonePlayers in need of some direction? Still trying to figure out exactly why you ripped someone’s arm off to buy that last local iPad? At long last, the turmoil in your life can be settled… but you’ll have to wait till late August for complete peace. You know — ’cause the gratis Sonos controller for iPad ain’t hitting the App Store before then. Head on past the break for a video of how it’ll all go down, or just scroll on down if you’ve got the world’s greatest imagination.
Continue reading Sonos Controller for iPad: multi-room music dictation, supersized
Sonos Controller for iPad: multi-room music dictation, supersized originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Nearly every app in Palm’s webOS catalog is 50 percent off
That’s right, deal seekers and Palm fanatics: you can now get (almost) every single app in the webOS catalog for half off until July 9th. There are a few listed exceptions, but hit up the catalog and get downloading.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Nearly every app in Palm’s webOS catalog is 50 percent off originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Jun 2010 22:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple Store app arrives in Apple App Store
This is one of those things that makes you wonder why it hadn’t been done already. Apple’s just unleashed an Apple Store application for its iDevices designed to pretty much give you the online Apple Store experience — but perhaps without the crazy on-again, off-again antics of this morning. All that’s required is a device with iOS version 3 or above, and you’ll be able to read reviews, locate local brick and mortar Stores, check out new and featured products, and — importantly — buy or pre-order the latest goodies Steve and co have bestowed upon these lands. Alas, we tried to do just that with the iPhone 4 and were met with the familiar “we’ll be back soon” message. So the app might work, but Apple’s store is still struggling.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
P.S. – The app looks to be US-only for now. Sorry world, Apple doesn’t love you enough.
Continue reading Apple Store app arrives in Apple App Store
Apple Store app arrives in Apple App Store originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple rolling iBooks out across iOS 4 devices, get your Winnie the Pooh now
No shock and awe here, Apple’s already given us plenty of warnings, but we thought we’d drop you a friendly note to say that if you’ve upgraded to iOS 4 early, your copy of Winnie the Pooh is flying at you right this minute. Tipsters point out that they get a notification encouraging them to download the heretofore iPad-exclusive iBooks app, though they’re finding they have to do it via their desktop iTunes client rather than over the air. Ah well, Apple’s probably being extra cautious with moving those big wooden bookshelves into the smaller dimensions of your iPhone or iPod touch. We’ve not been able to get the app running on our iPhone 3G, so perhaps this is another of those features you’re not going to be able to enjoy on older hardware — we hope it’s just us though.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Apple rolling iBooks out across iOS 4 devices, get your Winnie the Pooh now originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPad Pulse Reader app goes from keynote hero to App Store zero thanks to NYT (update — it’s back!)
digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/iPad_Pulse_Reader_app_pulled_after_NYT_complaint_WWDC_cameo’; Pulse News Reader — a news aggregating app for the iPad — got itself the ultimate stamp of approval yesterday by being featured in Steve Jobs’ keynote speech. A few hours later, however, Apple had removed the application from its App Store, following a complaint by the New York Times that it was infringing on its rights. Although Pulse collates publicly available RSS feeds, the fact it costs $4 a pop is being interpreted as a “commercial use” of those feeds, and therefore a violation of the New York Times and Boston Globe‘s Terms of Use. Its makers have said they’ll be getting in touch with Apple and stripping out the offending content, but it’s certainly a head scratcher of a decision by the news company. We wonder if this signals the start of a crusade against all paid RSS readers or if Pulse has something peculiarly intolerable about it. Visit the source link to read the complaint in full.
Update: From what we’re reading, it sounds like what the NYT is really complaining about is that its feeds are preloaded into Pulse, and that Pulse is using NYT content and images in its promotional materials, not that Pulse is a paid app. Seems like those are easy fixes — we’ll see what happens.
Update 2: And it’s back! As we guessed, it looks like all Pulse had to do was resubmit without preloading the NYT‘s RSS feed and take some new screenshots of different sites, so that’s just peachy. Still, it’s insanely troublesome that Apple’s first response is to just pull apps without verifying any claims or allowing devs to respond — your store is still broken, Steve, no matter what percentage of apps you’re approving.
iPad Pulse Reader app goes from keynote hero to App Store zero thanks to NYT (update — it’s back!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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eBoy’s FixPix iPhone game available now for $1.99 (video)
var digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/eBoy_s_FixPix_iPhone_game_available_now_for_1_99′; It’s out! eBoy’s $1.99 FixPix iPhone game christened “the greatest game ever made” by a certain Engadget fanboy is available now from the iTunes App Store. If you fail to understand the value of piecing together eBoy pixel art by manipulating the iPhone’s accelerometer, then gawd help you… you’re already dead. Gameplay video after the break.
[Thanks, William]
Continue reading eBoy’s FixPix iPhone game available now for $1.99 (video)
eBoy’s FixPix iPhone game available now for $1.99 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 01:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Charges for Skype 2.0 calling on iPhone put off until 2011
When Skype 2.0 for the iPhone was released, our first reaction was: “It supports free calling over 3G, hooray!” That was, of course, followed quickly by: “It’s only free until August, boo!” However, there’s some slightly good news on that latter front, with free calling receiving something of a stay of execution. You can now stick it to the man until the end of 2010, at which point the whole “mobile subscription” thing comes into play. Why the delay, and what will you be paying for the privilege when the new decade really starts rolling? That we just don’t know.
Charges for Skype 2.0 calling on iPhone put off until 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 08:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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ASUS launches netbook App Store eying a MeeGo future
ASUS didn’t make much of a fuss over it, but its ASUS-branded App Store for netbooks did launch today. Not much to get excited about unless you’re already pumped by Intel’s AppUp store at the heart of ASUS’ offering. The best part might be the announced MeeGo support, whenever the Intel / Nokia OS mashup is ready. Just what the world needs: an EeeMee, right Mr. Anderson?
ASUS launches netbook App Store eying a MeeGo future originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 May 2010 13:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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DoJ’s inquiry at Apple purportedly expanding beyond iTunes practices
Take this for whatever it’s worth (which isn’t a whole heck of a lot without any official confirmation from any of the parties involved), but the New York Post has it that the Justice Department’s inquiry into Apple‘s iTunes practices may in fact be growing. ‘Course, it’s not exactly surprising to hear that authorities are now investigating every nook and cranny of Apple’s tactics thanks to Steve Jobs’ public thrashing of Flash and his sly insistence that the world shun Adobe while hugging HTML5, but we’ve still yet to hear from the DoJ and Apple about what exactly is going on within Cupertino. At any rate, the Post notes that a number of “sources” have confirmed that the inquiry is growing, most notably to include “how the iPhone and iPad maker does business with media outfits in areas beyond music.” We’d heard whispers that things may be getting just a bit too dictator-ish in the developers Ts and Cs, and now it seems that the DoJ is “asking questions about the terms that Apple lays out for computer programmers who want to develop apps for the iPad.” It’ll be interesting to see how all of this plays out, but we can bet devs (and end-users, frankly) are hoping and praying for less restrictions in the future.
DoJ’s inquiry at Apple purportedly expanding beyond iTunes practices originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 May 2010 07:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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JooJoo creator rips into the iPad, says an app store only sells ‘stripped down versions of actual websites’
JooJoo creator rips into the iPad, says an app store only sells ‘stripped down versions of actual websites’ originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 15:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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