A Spanish translation of Mein Kampf has been launched at the App Store, observers note. Written in the 1920s by Adolf Hitler, the book is both an autobiography and a charter of the fascist, anti-Semitic policies that would come to guide the Third Reich. No other version of the book is available as a standalone app, and its icon is the Nazi Party emblem, complete with swastika.
Apple has been criticized once again for its App Store review policies, as Macworld.com complains of frustrating inconsistencies between different members of the review team. The company has worked to publish its first book, the "iPhone & iPod touch Superguide," as both a PDF version and an app available on Apple's portable devices.
While the iPhone platform has proven attractive to game developers, e-books have begun to dominate the latest apps, according to data collected by Flurry. From August 2008 to August 2009, most of the new apps were released into the Games category. Starting in September, however, the Books category took the lead for the first time in the App Store's history.
Apple on Thursday released an update to its Remote app for the iPhone and iPod touch. Version 1.3.2 adds support for the Apple TV v3.0 firmware and corresponding iTunes 9.0.2 updates also announced on Thursday. Along with the Apple TV compatibility, the Remote download also offers several bug fixes.
Lala is readying an iPhone app that will serve as a portal for the company's music services, according to the Associated Press. The app will allow users to purchase the right to stream songs for $0.10 each, which pays for an unlimited number of plays. The sound quality, however, is lower than standard iTunes MP3s.
Apple has almost reached another important psychological milestone when it comes to the App Store, a tracking website claims. The store is said to be nearing over 100,000 active titles, scattered across a number of different categories. During its fourth-quarter results call, Apple cited only a figure of more than 85,000 apps; the current tally is already over 91,000, but Apple may be holding back in order to make a more dramatic announcement.
The Windows Mobile development team today indirectly criticized Apple with a video (available below) promoting Windows Marketplace for Mobile. The spoof makes fun of Apple's tendency to reject certain iPhone apps and allow novelties, and instead portrays imaginary apps that Microsoft would have rejected, such as ones that would provide a fake mustache or that regularly shock the owner. Apple isn't mentioned directly in the roughly two-minute spot.
Apple is facing new media criticism over the absence of a comprehensive App Store refund policy, most prominently from the New York Times. One writer notes that while people can get refunds if a download is delayed, or not properly executed, it is impossible to get money back based purely on quality complaints. The issue can become serious when dealing with more expensive iPhone apps, such as navigation software. It may also impact people buying less expensive titles which do not work, in spite of Apple's quality assurance.
Developer Cramzy claims that although its Celebrity Birthday Match app was approved for the App Store on October 4th, it never appeared in the list of recently-released apps. The program was more importantly submitted on September 24th, which is said to be around the same time a number of developers were reporting difficulty with iTunes Connect. Due to Connect being used for everything from app delivery to software management, developers experienced severe problems when submitting new apps or updates.
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.
Apple has reversed course and approved iSinglePayer, an iPhone app advocating health care reform in the US. The app had initially been rejected for being "politically charged," as it contains charts and information regarding single-payer health care systems. Users can even find the nearest congressperson and view campaign donations provided by companies in the health sector.
Palm at a special event tonight staked out its differences with Apple by making key changes to its developer program. The smartphone developer is one of the first after Google to foster open development and said it will dismiss its usual $99 app submission fee for any developer whose webOS apps are open-source. Back end data on app downloads and other sales info will also be available to all developers on request.
Apple this morning said that App Store downloads had reached the two billion mark. The news follows just 158 days after the company said it had reached one billion downloads and now has over 85,000 apps with over 125,000 registered developers. It proves that the rate of downloads "continues to accelerate," according to Apple chief Steve Jobs.
An unusually large number of iPhone apps were approved on the weekend of September 18th, one website observes. AppShopper remarks that in monitoring trends at the App Store, it noticed 1,394 titles premiering on the 18th alone, followed by another 928 on the 19th. By the 20th figures had dropped to a relatively normal level, just 298 apps.
Developers are experiencing severe problems using iTunes Connect, scattered reports say. The service is the conduit through which apps are submitted to the App Store, and during this week it has allegedly been stalling during uploads. The problem is said to be independent of browser or operating system choices, and to typically involve hangs midway through an upload, though some developers complain they cannot even begin the process.
Apple has begun airing three new iPhone TV ads, once again highlighting apps available at the App Store. The first, Dine, targets eating and travel, and references apps such as TripCase, Zagat to Go and Quickoffice. Nature despite its name is actually based around learning, and hence shows off titles such as DailyFinance, GuitarToolkit and iBird Explorer Plus.
Apple has already issued a response to today's release of an uncensored Google submission to the FCC, according to Silicon Alley Insider. "We do not agree with all of the statements made by Google in their FCC letter," reads a statement from an Apple representative. Reiterating an earlier point of view, the representative adds that "Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application and we continue to discuss it with Google."
Sony is purposely limiting PSP minis in a way that could hobble them compared to their rivals on the iPhone, the company revealed in a Game Developers Conference presentation on Thursday. The small games will have a sped-up approval process compared to regular PSP games but are banned from using any networking features and can't have downloadable content. They also won't be allowed to support third-party peripherals, according to the company.
Apple is giving special support treatment to at least one iPhone developer, according to the latter party. CEO Mike Simon of LogMeIn has revealed that he now has a private phone number he can call regarding Ignition, the company's remote access app. The software has an unusually high price of $30, and is said to have generated at least $1 million for LogMeIn since its December introduction.
The upcoming Windows Marketplace for Mobile will let Microsoft remotely delete apps from Windows Mobile phones without the user's consent, the company said in a presentation as part of its Tech·Ed New Zealand conference. In the event an app is approved but later pulled, Microsoft will automatically wipe the app from every phone that had previously downloaded the app. It's not clear if Microsoft will also automatically refund paid downloads.
Needham & Co. is raising its price target for Apple stock from $200 to $235, says one of the research firm's analysts, Charlie Wolf. The bump is based entirely on the performance of the iPhone, Wolf notes, and in particular the effects of the App Store. The store is said to have had "explosive" growth since January, and it is thought that a "virtuous circle" involving app developers and smartphone buyers could soon push iPhone sales higher.
iPhone owners are much more likely to download apps and get involved with social networking than their BlackBerry-owning counterparts, Compete revealed today in a new study. About 72 percent of Apple smartphone users are likely to have downloaded at least 10 third-party apps, but 73 percent of BlackBerry users have picked up five apps or less. The researchers add that iPhone owners are more willing to buy their apps than BlackBerry owners.
Apple's 2009 iPod update event was generally a positive, says Needham & Co. analyst Charlie Wolf. It did for instance mark Steve Jobs' first public appearance after his six-month medical leave, during which he had a liver transplant. Jobs also announced several important statistics, such as the existence of over 75,000 iPhone apps, and over 1.8 billion app downloads. The last official figures included 65,000 apps and 1.5 billion downloads.
Several new football-themed apps have been added to the app store, ESPN Fantasy Football and Madden NFL 10. The Fantasy Football title allows players to control and manage their ESPN teams and leagues directly from the mobile device. Users can access live scores and stats, configure personalized alerts, or post on a league message board.
Along with several new iPod introductions, Apple on Wednesday also announced a firmware update, v3.1, for the iPhone and iPod touch. The latest firmware brings the company's Genius technology to App Store content. The new functionality works in a similar way to the music feature, allowing users to view app suggestions based on their list of downloads and popular content from other users.
Apple's approach to the App Store is ultimately hurting game development on its platform, Sony Europe developer relations head Zeno Colaco claimed this week. In comparing the process behind iPhone and iPod touch games to the recently introduced concept of PSP Minis, the executive argued to Develop that letting App Store game creators have a low-cost development kit actually hurts their chances of success as it encourages too much development. While their games go online quickly, they reportedly get lost in the sheer volume of titles where the smaller PSP catalog will provide better exposure.
GameSalad has announced it will soon launch an iPhone publishing system for titles produced with its game creation utility. The tool is free, and meant for non-programmers, as it is capable of implementing AI and other gameplay components using drag-and-drop construction. The software features project, scene and actor editors, and can uproot asset formats like Ogg Vorbis, PNG and JPG.
Entertainment publisher Gameloft has announced sales surpassing the 6 million mark for titles sold at the App Store. The iPhone OS is said to be the company’s leading sales platform, with over 35 games, 18 of which have made the worldwide Top 10 Paid Games list at some point in time. A few of the top-selling titles from Gameloft in 2009 include Terminator Salvation, UNO, Real Tennis 2009 and NFL 2010. The publisher plans to launch an additional 15 to 30 iPhone games throughout the year.
A recent update for an iPhone game has been rejected for purely cosmetic reasons, according to the title's developer. Joe Stump observes that although he was merely submitting bug corrections for Chess Wars, he was called on Tuesday by an Apple representative, who said that after a six-week wait his update was being rejected for having "shiny" chat bubbles. That look is trademarked by Apple, the representative is said to have claimed.
A look at one Android app's performance today suggests Google may be unintentionally stifling its smartphone OS. While a recent AdMob study estimates Android Market's paid app market is only worth $5 million, Larva Labs' Matt Hall notes that even high-profile, highly rated Android titles generate "much lower" revenue than iPhone equivalents. Despite having one sustained top-selling $5 game (Retro Defense), a consistent fifth place seller (Battle for Mars) and being highlighted by Google, the company's daily average revenue was just $62.39 for all its apps combined.
Although just over a year old, Apple's market for third-party apps is 40 times larger than that for Android, researchers at AdMob found today. Based on the percentages of the 26.4 million iPhone owners and 18.6 million iPod touch owners who have paid for apps, as well as the $9.49 average spent per person each month, the online ad firm estimates that Apple should generate about $198 million in August and almost $2.4 billion if that rate was constant for a full year.
Nokia chief Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo was put on the defensive late yesterday in an interview regarding the poor performance of the N97 versus Apple's iPhone. When asked by the FT about the critical reaction to his own smartphone, which has been criticized for being too expensive, too slow and lacking a modern touch interface, the executive claimed the N97 was still viable but admitted he wanted to do better, particularly highlighting the increasing emphasis on Ovi services like the music store and navigation.
Real this morning branched out to Apple devices in earnest by revealing a port of its Rhapsody service to the iPhone and iPod touch. Normally only offered through rival players like those from SanDisk, the service gives subscribers access to the full song catalog and lets them queue up any of the 8 million songs from Rhapsody on request. It also provides access to playlists, Rhapsody Radio and every other service normally available through the full-function website, Real claims.
Apple on Friday took an unusual approach in its official response to the FCC's inquiries over the rejection of Google Voice for the App Store and denied that it had rejected the app at all. The company instead claims that it "continues to study" the software and now says its primary issues are with the integration of the app, which Apple insists duplicate too many iPhone features.
Microsoft at its first WinMoDevCamp in Seattle made clear it wants a different philosophy towards mobile app pricing than Apple. The Windows Mobile developer's Loke Uei urged those third parties writing apps for the soon-to-launch Windows Marketplace for Mobile to charge significantly more than 99 cents per download when possible and noted that Microsoft would look at revenue, not popularity, to gauge the winner of a developer contest. Letting prices slip to the 99-cent mark devalues apps that are "worth more than that," Uei said, adding a belief that a developer could sell half as many apps but, at $10 per copy, make much more money.
Nintendo on Thursday acknowledged its role in the removal of a DS simulator app, DS DoubleSys, from the App Store. The app was not licensed or approved by Nintendo, although it simulates the DS interface with similar sounds and menus. Nintendo spokesman Charlie Scibetta told CNET News the company notified Apple that the app was violating intellectual property rights.
Apple could be reconsidering allowing the C64 Emulator app onto the App Store, following its rejection in June. The developer, Manomio, recently claimed in a tweet that it was contacted by a senior director at Apple and there is "BIG news coming," although further details have not yet been announced.
A popular iPhone app based on the Nintendo DS handheld has been pulled from the App Store, investigation reveals. The app, DS DoubleSys, does not allow users to play DS games; it instead simulates the interface of the DS, including a number of menus and sound effects. Two original games, including a rhythm title, can nevertheless be played from within DoubleSys.
Archos today sent a formal invitation for the already confirmed September 15th introduction of its Android tablet but also teased some of its features by laying the groundwork for its own app store. AppsLib would differentiate itself from Android Market, as well as competitors like the iPhone's App Store, by focusing on high-end devices. Every app will need to support an 800x480 resolution (or 480x800 when rotated) and should be prepared to support 720p video over HDMI for either large-resolution apps or HD movies.
In response to a number of rumors allegedly originating with Swedish news outlets, Spotify has denied that its iPhone app has been rejected from the App Store, according to Macworld.co.uk. Separate rumors suggest the app did receive approval, although the developer has clarified that Apple has not yet responded with an official decision in either direction.
