This week Apple caused a storm by announcing their new iOS App Store terms and conditions for publishers. In a nutshell; long-awaited in-app subscriptions are here, and publishers are worried about their bottom lines. But maybe what they should be thinking about is content. Read more »
Apple introduced App Store subscriptions this week. People disagree on the fairness of Apple’s 30-percent take of revenue resulting from subscriptions, but the feature is here to stay. Might its introduction signal a shift toward a new paradigm for paying for mobile apps? Read more »
In-app purchases represent a huge opportunity for developers to generate revenues and for consumers to enhance the user experience. But the market will only reach its potential if it can avoid the public relation problems that plagued the ringtone market a few years ago. Read more »
Apple has clarified its official position regarding the rejection of the Sony Reader iPhone app, and the reasoning behind it has far-reaching implications for the App Store. Apple, it turns out, wants a share of the revenue made through iOS-initiated book sales. Read more »
The Sony Reader app for iPhone has been rejected by Apple, according to the NYT. Apple apparently rejected the app because from now on, all in-app purchases would have to go through Apple, and no apps can access content bought outside the App Store. Read more »
Apple today extended its social media presence by creating a Twitter account for the App Store. After 10 billion purchases, I guess Apple realizes the store is pretty popular and might just become even more so through a little additional exposure. Read more »
Google’s stance on prohibiting apps in Android Market from being mini-app stores led to the quick demise of Kongregate Arcade, a flash game portal app that got pulled yesterday. But it could also have an impact on Amazon’s plans for an Android app store. Read more »
Independent, off-deck, app stores will become the major driver of mobile app downloads by 2015, eclipsing on-deck app store. That’s the word from a new report from research firm MarketsandMarkets, which forecast the growth of the mobile app market. Read more »
Apple has posted a downloads countdown page on its site as it approaches 10 billion apps downloaded. This year marks the App Store’s third birthday, so that’s an average of over 3 billion app downloads per year. iTunes took eight years to reach the same milestone. Read more »
The Financial Times reports today that software publishing behemoth Microsoft has filed a motion with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week, objecting to Apple being awarded the trademark “App Store.” But upon what ground does that claim really rest? Read more »
Watching the launch of the Mac App Store, I am struck by the change in the way people buy software. Much like primitive societies evolved from the hunter-gatherer model of resource collection to an agrarian civilization of cultivated farming, so has shopping for software changed. Read more »
With the launch of the Mac App Store earlier today, you might be eager to find out what Mac games are available to waste your precious time. While the choices right now are quite limited, there are still some gems out there worthy of attention. Read more »
The holidays are a volatile time for the App Store. With EA and other major studios selling games at bargain basement prices, things got especially crazy this year. One indie developer provides an interesting snapshot of how launching a game amidst the madness works out. Read more »
Overnight, an unofficial WikiLeaks iOS app was pulled from the App Store after being approved only last week. Before you run out and wreak DDOS justice, note that censorship may not be behind the decision. This may be a much more straightforward guideline violation. Read more »
iPhone and iPad app discovery website App of the Day spent some time analyzing App Store data and came up with some interesting findings, which they compiled in this infographic. Check it out for a detailed look at how Apple’s mobile marketplace ticks. Read more »
Many EA iPhone and iPad games are now available for only $0.99 as part of a massive holiday sale. But EA isn’t just getting into the giving spirit. This is a calculated move by an App Store bully designed to anticipate the holiday app rush. Read more »
Offering freemium versions of mobile apps is a now a full-fledged trend, so shouldn’t all app developers employ the model? Not so fast. The strategy has worked, but it requires understanding of both the market and your product, along with careful thought, planning and a willingness ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Larva Labs, an Android developer which has chronicled many of the shortcomings of Android Market and the plight of its developers, finally sees some cause for hope. It comes from new monetization opportunities like alternative app stores, in-app purchases and the growing potential for ad revenue. Read more »
Issuu, a popular document sharing service that may have provided some competition for Apple’s planned digital newsstand, has abandoned plans to release an iOS app after Apple rejected the company three times. The company hinted that its openness was the cause of its rejection. Read more »
Apple announced yesterday that it is now accepting submissions for the upcoming Mac App Store. Revealed in October, the Mac version will operate much like the iOS App Store, and is set to launch sometime in January 2011 if Apple keeps to its schedule. Read more »
VLC Developer Rémi Denis-Courmont recently sent Apple “a formal notice of copyright infringement” concerning the VLC Media Player iOS application. The app’s distribution in the App Store is in violation of the terms and conditions of its General Public License, and it may be pulled soon. Read more »
Android Market eclipsed the 100,000 app milestone today, according to a tweet from the Android Developer Twitter account. This puts Android Market on a solid pace though still trailing Apple’s App Store by a wide margin. Read more »
When Steve Jobs announced the Mac App Store yesterday, my first feeling wasn’t excitement, but rather worry. My concern is that the Mac App Store will, perhaps in two or three years, become the only effective channel through which Mac developers can sell their apps. Read more »
You’re not alone if you’ve ever wondered when the convenience of the App Store would be unleashed on your Mac. Apple’s “Back to the Mac” event this morning revealed that the wait will soon be over. Developers could have the most to cheer about, though. Read more »
Appbackr is introducing the wholesale model to iOS apps, giving developers a new way to move their apps. The Appbackr Marketplace, launching in beta this week, allows buyers to purchase a bulk number of apps from a developer at a lower price, then sell them. Read more »
Freedom-loving developers have long used open-source licenses as a tactic to maintain the open availability of their source code. With the rise of closed hardware/software platforms like Apple’s iPhone, however, that tactic is being challenged. And that may not be a bad thing. Read more »
According to some reports, there are now 300,000 apps available for iOS devices. Whether or not the number is actually there yet, it will be soon, and that’s an impressive feat for Apple. But is it the best thing for Apple consumers and iOS developers? Read more »
Steve Jobs promised the second generation Apple TV, announced at the last Apple event, would ship within four weeks. This being the fourth week, it’s not surprising to see reports appearing citing charges to credit cards, which suggests shipments are imminent. But are apps, too? Read more »
For app developers, the single most important step in preparing an iPhone app for release is to ensure it has been properly optimized for iTunes App Store search. With that in mind, we offer a lesson on the art and science of search engine optimization. Read more »
The iTunes App Store has more than 250,000 active apps for sale. How will you get yours get noticed? After you’ve spent significant time and resources on developing and releasing it, you can’t simply wait for it to be “discovered.” In today’s crowded marketplace, you need a strategic and savvy marketing approach to sell your app — or you risk it getting lost in an ever-expanding deluge of sub-par offerings. Navigating the nuances of app marketing involves many steps, from knowing the finer points of search engine optimization to understanding Apple’s ranking policies and how to use social networks to your advantage. This guide offers strategies for all of those topics and countless others, including app design; choosing a release date; Facebook, Twitter and YouTube marketing ideas; what makes or breaks a press release; and tips on how to win the approval of the ever-influential app blogger. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Apple wants a cut of any profits made using its App Store for iOS devices, which is why it takes 30 percent of revenue from purchases made through iTunes accounts. Now, Jobs and co. hope to extend that model to newspaper subscriptions, too. Read more »
This came a quite a shock to me, since it seems so impervious to the wailing of developers and consumers alike, but Apple announced today via an official press release that it would be relaxing some of its iOS development restrictions. Read more »
Sometime in June, Apple passed the 100 million marker in iOS devices sold, and now Steve Jobs has announced 120 million devices sold. To put that in perspective, Apple sold just over eight million iPhones in all of last quarter. Read more »
Apple could be facing another round of tough negotiations with content producers like it faced when it introduced the world to digital music and movie downloads. If it is successful though, Apple could revolutionize the marketplace of how we consume television content. Read more »
Apple’s App Store now offers a selection of over 250,000 apps — a record reached in just a little over two years since the App Store first opened its digital doors. Further insight revealed that the average price of a paid application is now $2.67. Read more »
Apple recently re-branded its iPhone OS to the less device-specific iOS, and not only because it seemed ridiculous to have the iPhone operating system powering the iPad. No, as rumors surrounding the upcoming iTV suggest, Apple wants to bring iOS to more hardware platforms. Read more »
This morning, as is part of my ritual when waking up, I checked for app updates on both my iPhone and iPad. When doing so on the iPad, I noticed that the Genius feature had been released sometime while I slept. Read more »
Apple has introduced a new Try Before You Buy section to the ever popular App Store. However, it’s not something that you should get yourself too excited about — the new section only highlights the free and lite applications already available within the store. Read more »
Google’s new App Inventor could create a wave of new apps to serve as vehicles for mobile advertisements. But with Android Market already developing a Wal-Mart-like reputation, the new do-it-yourself developer kit needs to produce apps people really use — and ones advertisers will really pay ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
After finding more than $375 of iTunes transactions on my credit card this weekend, I thought I was hacked. It turns out the “hacker” was my step-daughter who was understandably confused between virtual goods and real currency for in-app purchases inside a free iPhone application. Read more »
