• Design. Well-designed apps are delightful, elegant, intuitive, engaging, exciting, compelling, and reliable.
• Innovation. Innovative apps are revolutionary, inspirational, unique, and do things in completely new and exciting ways.
• Technical excellence. Technically advanced apps have excellent performance and make extensive use of the latest Apple technologies to deliver innovative, platform differentiating, and advanced features.

The winners are chosen for Student, iPhone, iPad, and Mac categories from apps available for sale in the iTunes App Store and the Mac App Store (app links below are to the respective App Store). The 2011 ADA winners are:

Student

• Grades 2 by Tapity – a GPA calculator.
• Pennant by Vargatron – an interactive history of baseball.
• Pulse News by Alphonso Labs – an innovative and beautiful news reader.

iPhone

• Cut the Rope by chillingo – a physics-based puzzle game.
• Golfscape GPS Rangefinder by Shotzoom – an augmented reality rangefinder for 35,000+ golf courses.
• Infinity Blade by Chair Entertainment Group – a sword-fighting action game.

iPad

• Osmos for iPad by Hemisphere Games – a physics-based game of survival.
• Our Choice by Push Pop Press – an interactive book platform featuring Al Gore’s latest publication on the environment
• Djay by algoriddim – DJ software for your iPod library.

Mac

• Capo by SuperMegaUltraGroovy – a learning tool for musicians.
• Pixelmator by Pixelmator Team – an outstanding image editor.
• Anomaly Warzone Earth by 11 bit studios – a highly rated game with a “mixture of action and strategy in a tower offense formula.”

Congratulations to the winners! Anyone you think was overlooked this year? Let us know in the comments.

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The iPad was singled out for the top honor of Gadget of the Year at the awards ceremony, which took place in London. Awards are decided based on a combination of reader votes (some 750,000) and the opinions of a panel of expert judges.

In addition to Gadget of the Year, the iPad also took home the Innovation of the Year award, beating out such competitors as the Toshiba Cell TV and Microsoft’s Kinect motion capture controller for the Xbox. It’s certainly put up the numbers to merit such an honor.

Apple also took home awards for Commuter Gadget of the Year (iPhone 4), Retailer of the Year (Apple) and Computer of the Year (MacBook Pro). But it’s worth noting that in many of the categories it didn’t win, it lost out to Android or Android devices.

Google Maps Navigation for Android took the award for App of the Year, once a category that Apple owned virtually uncontested. Phone of the Year went to the HTC Desire, an Android-based smartphone. HTC also won Brand of the Year beating out Apple, which apparently came off as too smug in the minds of both judges and T3′s readership.

All signs point to the fact that Apple now has to share a podium it once held uncontested. Once upon a time, the term “iPhone-killer” signified a mythical device that no real shipping smartphone could ever live up to. It’s taken three years, but as awards like these show, the field is opening up once again.

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Sutton doesn’t mention whether his yells went unnoticed by His Steveness, but he posted a fantastic snapshot of the event to his blog — take a look and see if you can spot El Jobso for yourself (it’s not immediately easy to find him in the crowd, but once you see him, he’s hard to miss!)

Image courtesy of Wayne Sutton

The Theme Begins (Prequel to The Oscar Theme)

Now why would the normally shy and retiring Steve Jobs be at the Academy Awards Oscar ceremony? Well, he is the largest individual shareholder in the Walt Disney Company, to whom he sold Pixar Animation Studios in 2006. Pixar is the legendary computer animation studio responsible for the box office hits Toy Story and Finding Nemo (to name only two of many others) and its latest CG offering, Up, was nominated for an impressive five Academy Awards (and was the first Pixar film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture).

On the night, Up received two of those Oscars; Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score. Steve didn’t take to the stage to receive the awards, but I’m sure he was grinning from ear to ear like a proud father at his child’s first music recital.

The Oscar Theme

If you’re interested in the mechanics of modern movie making, you’ll find this fascinating; Macworld UK reports that a staggering nine out of ten of the Oscar-nominated Documentaries (across both the Short and Feature Documentary categories) were edited on Macs using Final Cut Pro.

If you’re not a movie maker, you might not know that Final Cut Pro is Apple’s pro-level film editing software. Speaking from personal experience of many hours spent in many darkened editing suites all around the world, there are (broadly speaking) three dominant software editing tools; Avid, Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro. (There are others, of course, but they’re far less commonly used in the film and TV industry.)

Avid has traditionally been the editing platform of choice and still reigns supreme, though mostly because it has been around since the Stone Age and many long-established editing facilities using Avid suites have long-term service contracts tying them to that platform. But Final Cut Pro (and the Final Cut Studio suite of film making tools) has been gaining ground in recent years, due in part to its relative affordability and Apple’s amazingly progressive efforts to develop and promote new HD codecs and standards, such as the ProRes family. (For more on this, you can watch a video on Apple’s Final Cut product pages.)

That almost all the Award-nominated Short and Feature Documentaries were edited using Final Cut (and, therefore, made on Macs) speaks volumes about filmmakers’ faith in, and trust for, Apple’s technologies.

The Oscar Theme Part 2: The Theme Continues

The impressive numbers continue. I almost missed this one, but last week The Awl’s Abe Sauer penned Why Apple Deserves and Oscar Too, which started with this remarkable tidbit;

In the 44 films in 2009 that topped the box office for at least one weekend, an Apple logo or device could be seen in at least 18 of them. (That’s almost 41%.) In some, Apple products even eclipsed their human scene partners. This high appearance rate does not include the heap of mass-market films from 2009 that did not own a weekend but also featured Apple product placement.

Sauer has done his homework. He goes on to list a fair number of those movies (you can read the list for yourself here) and, if you’ve got the time to spare, (7 minutes and 25 seconds, to be precise) there’s even a Ken Burns-tastic video slideshow of screenshots from movies and TV shows through the years featuring Apple products. Sauer adds;

…Brandcameo shows that Apple has appeared in 102 of the 302 weekly number one U.S. box office films from 2001 to 2009—more than 33% of them. Apple’s number is actually higher when period and fantasy/scifi films, in which Apple could not appear, are removed (the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars prequels 3:10 to Yuma, etc.).

Right then, don’t let it be said that Apple’s brand managers aren’t doing good work.

The Oscar Theme Part 3: Oscar’s Revenge

During the ad break (presumably while Oscar winners were busy phoning their Moms with the good news) the first ever iPad television commercial was broadcast. The ad itself is a bit “meh,” to be honest; it didn’t light the world on fire and teach us anything we didn’t already know. But that’s OK, because what really matters, I suppose, is that a very large audience not normally exposed to tech/gadget news saw the iPad for the first time. You can watch the ad on Apple’s website here.

I’m still wondering what Apple was up to in that diner back in August last year. At this rate, I think we’ll have to wait for next year’s Oscars to find out.

You know how Michael Jackson won so many awards in his lifetime that they had to start inventing new ones to justify dragging him onstage? Entertainer of the Universe and Best Selling Artist in the New Galactic Empire spring to mind. Hey, that’s the price of über-success.

Apple’s getting a taste of that very same medicine now, as it is named recipient of a boatload of “Best…” titles in AdweekMedia’s “Best of the 2000s” Awards. Described by AdweekMedia as “Our picks, and yours, for the decade’s best in the marketing, media and agency world” the awards include yawn-inducing categories such as “Agency executives of the Decade” and “Small Agency of the Decade” but thankfully all the best stuff is hugely more accessible — and interesting — to non-marketing-types (which, thankfully, describes most of us).

Here’s the opening paragraph from AdweekMedia’s dedicated awards website:

Steve Jobs and the iPod reinvented the music business. Sergey Brin and Larry Page tamed the Web. Ad shop Goodby, Silverstein & Partners rewrote the creativity book. And this thing called social media put amateurs in charge of just about everything else.

They definitely start as they mean to go on, since Apple, its products, campaigns and personalities bag a good number of the awards. AdweekMedia say they spent a month working out a list of “…the best and brightest in the branding, marketing, media and agency world in 33 categories over the past 10 years.” I’m glad to see they’re mindful of the criticisms leveled at industry awards that never seek the opinions of the actual, product-buying public; “As a reality check, we sought your input here on this site over the past month.”  They add, “Those results are presented here, next to our selections. Much of the time, we agree. Other times it’s not even close.”

Here’s the breakdown of the awards (images from the AdweekMedia awards website).

Marketer of the Decade – Steve Jobs

Good old Steve. Last month Fortune named him CEO of the Decade, and he’s a finalist for TIME’s Person of the Year 2009. Another award can’t hurt, right? Here’s a brief excerpt from AdWeekMedia’s positively glowing review of El Jobso:

Visionary, iconoclastic and fearless, Steve Jobs the marketer is inseparable from Steve Jobs the personality. His inimitable blend of competitive skill and design savvy hasn’t just saved a fading brand, it’s recast two businesses that used to have nothing to do with computers: music and mobile phones. Over the past decade, Apple’s iPod and iPhone have redefined popular culture, and returned the company to its roots in innovation and just-plain coolness.

Campaign of the Decade – Apple, “Get a Mac”

The genius is in the casting. For Apple, the campaign managed the neat trick of making the brand look laid back and cool while it mercilessly skewered its rival.

Out-of-Home Ad of the Decade – Apple, “Silhouettes”

You’d have thought Andy Warhol did them—and why not? In the end, the work was nearly as iconic. The treatment [...] achieved what in branding is the nearly impossible: defining a product without showing what it even looked like up close.

Brand of the Decade – Apple

Though the brand almost petered out in the ’90s, last year consumers told Interbrand that Apple was the thing they couldn’t live without and the one they found most inspiring.

There wasn’t always consensus between AdweekMedia’s nominations and the opinions of their readers. The Marketing Innovation of the Decade award was won by “Viral Videos” while their Reader’s Choice had it go to Apple for “iPhone Apps.” The Reader’s Choice award for Digital Device/Platform of the Decade was the iPhone, while AdweekMedia preferred to give it to Facebook, instead.

In a nice twist where, again, readers didn’t agree with AdWeekMedia’s choice, at least they were in disagreement over which Apple product to laud; both the iPod and the iPhone won Product of the Decade, depending on your point of view. And while the readers voted Steve Jobs Media Executive of the Decade, it went instead to Rupert “Google is Stealing My Stuff” Murdoch. Other big names receiving awards include Google, television show The Sopranos, the Disney Channel and WIRED magazine.

Despite the disagreements (there are many more instances in which Apple and Apple products feature prominently in the reader’s votes, check out the awards website to view the numbers) it’s still inspiring to see Apple take so many of the top awards. Of particular note is the Brand of the Decade award; coming from a company of professional advertisers and marketers, it’s obvious how much respect and admiration the world of marketing has for Mr Jobs’ company. Remarkable, too, given how much trouble that company was in last decade.

I recommend taking the time to view the awards website and read the full descriptions for each winner; you’ll get an insight into a world we otherwise try very hard to avoid (after all, who likes Marketing?) but be warned — it’s often a polarizing experience! And when you’re done, come back and tell us whether you agree with the choice in winners.

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Where will you be this June? If you’re an Apple developer, you’ll want to be at San Francisco’s Moscone West for the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2009 slated for June 8-12.

This is the premier event for Apple developers who create apps for Mac OS X or iPhone, and also for IT pros who work with Apple platforms. Besides rubbing elbows with developers of every level of experience, attendees can hit up technical sessions on Mac development, participate in hands-on labs, check out presentations by special guest speakers, and get in on workshops to help you design and create iPhone Apps.

Of course, what’s an industry conference without an awards ceremony? Each year Apple hands out design awards in categories like Best Mac OS X Leopard User Experience, Best Leopard Game, and Best Student App. This year’s nominees haven’t been announced yet, but past winners have gone on to become familiar names in the Mac community.

Tickets to this extremely popular event usually sell out quickly, so if you plan to go, reserve your spot now. Tickets will set you back $1,595, but if you snag yours before April 24, Apple will knock off $300. ADC student members and Team Members in the iPhone Developer University Program can apply for one of 400 scholarships available through Apple.

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There are 34 categories in all, including things like Best User Interface and Best Long Play Game. Winners are not generally too surprising, and the list stands as a good resource for new iPhone and iPod touch users who might otherwise be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of programs that now occupy the App Store.

Shazam takes the biggest prize on the list, walking away with Best App Ever. I admit, though I don’t use Shazam all that often, when I do, I find it extremely handy. Still, Best App Ever? I suppose its other benefit is that anyone and everyone can make good use of it, which isn’t the case with apps I might suggest as more deserving of the award. Curiously, Weightbot was also nominated in this category, something which I can only ascribe to the incredibly good design of the app’s graphics, icon, and interface.

Other winners of interest include Air Sharing for Most Useful App, Field Runners for Best Original Game, and Things for Best Productivity Enhancer. Probably not my first choice in any of those categories, but they’d definitely make the short list, at the very least. Check out the full list here.

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As part of a series of posts that take a look at the where the 2008 WWDC winners are now, I caught up with Perju recently to ask him what it was like to receive the award, how he ended up at the conference, and what the future holds for the Squirrel project. Here’s what he had to say.

TAB: Tell me a little bit about yourself and how you came up with the idea to create Squirrel.

AP: I’m a student air traffic controller in France, and I’m developing Squirrel in my spare time — and I have quite a lot of time ;). Squirrel’s development started two years ago, when I started to care about my finances. I needed an accounting application for my Mac and I found that existing solutions were too complex, too expensive, or they didn’t look like real Mac applications. So, I looked at Apple’s documentation for development on the Mac and I started coding what would later become Squirrel.

I quickly decided to release the application, first for free and then for a low price. My idea was to get enough feedback from Squirrel’s users, be able to earn some money to buy a new Mac (I was coding on a 1.6 GHz Powerbook), and, if possible, to buy a ticket for the WWDC. When Leopard was released, I was very excited about its new technologies and I quickly realized I could make amazing things with Core Animation. A few months later, I submitted Squirrel to the Apple Design Awards.

TAB: How did winning Best Student Product benefit you as well as your project?

AP: It was a real achievement to see Squirrel win the Apple Design Awards, and in the same time it just opened new horizons to its development. Lots of users have sent me their reports, feedbacks, and requests, so I’ve been able to fine tune existing features and work on new ones. I’ve got tons of projects for Squirrel and other apps, and now I also have all I need to make it.

TAB: When do you expect to release 1.0?

AP: There are still some features to be implemented before Squirrel can be considered as a complete personal finance application, even if it is fully usable now. It includes MobileMe syncing, a better importer with smart import rules, an export feature, and additional localizations. I think Squirrel 1.0 should be ready by this summer.

TAB: Why do you prefer developing for the Mac over Windows or Linux?

AP: Actually I’ve never developed on any other platforms than the Mac, and that’s maybe why the Mac is such a great platform. Anyone can download Xcode and start developing. There are a tons of technologies that just make coding very easy. Squirrel relies on Core Data to manage its data and Core Animation to animate graphs and charts. Apple offers a very good set of development tools so you just need inspiration and motivation to get something working. I think the Mac delivers the best user experience for both users and developers, and that’s why we love coding on this platform.

TAB: How did you end up attending WWDC? What was the biggest thing you learned there?

AP: Apple phoned me one week before the WWDC to know if I would come [but since] I couldn’t afford the trip, they just invited me! That week was a great moment, with so many sessions I couldn’t choose which one to go to. The most exciting thing I learned about was Snow Leopard and its new set of technologies that will make our macs very powerful computers. Many developers are very excited about using multiple cores more effectively and GPUs. The iPhone is also very interesting and I’m really happy we can now develop on it as well.

TAB: Any plans for an iPhone App?

AP: Yes, and it will come very soon! I’ve been working on it since this summer and I think that will allow Squirrel to really make the difference. The idea is to have all your transactions in your pocket, add new ones on the fly when you have a minute or two, then sync with your Mac over the Wi-Fi network. It will also feature the same history graph and you’ll be able to check your budgets before making a new purchase. I will hopefully have something ready to show at the Macworld expo!

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Here is the shortlist of Apple’s accolades:

iPhone won Best Gadget, Best Smartphone, and Most Anticipated Gadget (3G) for the editors and the readers.
The iMac won Best Desktop for both readers and editors
MacBook Pro won Laptop of the Year for readers while the Dell XPS M1330 won out for the editors.
iPod Touch won for Portable Media Device of the Year for both editors and readers.
The Apple thin keyboard won Peripheral of the Year for readers.

Readers voted Microsoft Vista as the Worst Gadget of the Year and the editors chose the Palm Foleo in the same category.

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We have the honor of being included in the list with classic blogs like Engadget, Gizmodo, and Lifehacker.

If you’ve enjoyed the content The Apple Blog has provided over the past year, we’d love to have your vote.

You don’t need to register or anything of the sort to place your vote. Just go to this page and click on “The Apple Blog” and your vote will be placed.

You can cast your vote once every 24 hours, so if you really love The Apple Blog, you can vote for us every day. :)

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A quick rundown:
Delicious Library 2 goes home with the Best Leopard Application award – can’t wait to get a look at that piece of software, eh?

Coda takes the Best User Experience award – having played with the demo, that’s not surprising at all.

Best Developer tools went to CSSEdit (first) and rooSwitch (runner-up) – I’ve seen the former and been impressed, and just recently purchased the latter and am very excited about the prospects it offers of switchable application preferences.

On the Best Student Project, Picturesque grabs the honors – I’ve recently seen this and played a bit, and it’s REALLY simple and fun to use.

Great work to all the developers, and Congrats on the recognition to those who won!

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• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era
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