It’s been almost four years since Apple debuted its App Store platform for iOS (and then the Mac), and MacStories has an in-depth look back at that time. In just four short years, Apple has gone from saying that all we’d need on iOS are web apps, to a millions of dollars a year industry that supports almost half a million jobs. Needless to say, that’s phenomenal growth.

But what’s most interesting about the growth of the App Store is how the apps themselves have changed. MacStories writes about that initial push — in those early days, the quality of the software was very low, and there were a lot of “speculators,” for lack of a better term: Developers who just released quick and dirty apps (honestly, fart apps is what most of them were) to try and make a little bit of money. App branding, too, has come a long way. In the early days it was all about search and gaming the system, and these days, there are more ways to find good apps than ever.

At the same time, it’s also harder for developers to make their mark in an increasingly crowded market. Apple’s own success may be its biggest problem. The App Store has grown in a huge way over the past four years, and that may make it harder for both developers and Apple to figure out how to best run it going forward.

MacStories looks at four years of the App Store originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MacStories looks at four years of the App Store originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint wants customers to buy the iPhone 4S and is offering a US$100 credit for the 4S to anyone who brings in an older iPhone as a trade. Details of this trade-in offer was published by TechnoBuffalo, who received it from a trusted source. This offer is supposedly available to both new and existing customers who agree to a new two-year contract and will last until June 30.

Sprint to offer $100 towards iPhone 4S upon trade-in originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint to offer $100 towards iPhone 4S upon trade-in originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IK Multimedia’s iRig Mix mixer has finally arrived in stores, and it’s just as impressive now as it was back when we saw it in action at CES this year. The mixer is sturdy and impressively small, and it has hookups for two different sources, including two iOS devices or any other stereo input source, as well as an extra mic/instrument input. Those sounds can then be mixed together, balanced, or tweaked with EQ, and sent out to a headphone jack on the bottom, and a stereo RCA output on the top. In short, this is a great full-featured mixer for mixing together sounds from almost anywhere.

The biggest bonus here, however, is that the mixer also works with IK’s apps on the App Store, so downloading DJ Rig or any of the other apps will sound extra nice coming through this thing. And there’s an X-Sync feature built in to the mixer that works with the DJ app to beatmix for you, making for super simple DJing: Just start up the apps on your iOS devices, turn X-Sync on, and the mixer will beatmatch automatically.

The whole kit is very impressive, and even if you just need a mixer for occasional audio use (unrelated to your iOS devices), it would probably work great. Plus, it’s out now for just $99, and good luck finding an equivalent professional mixer at that price.

iRig Mix out now, impresses with size and features originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iRig Mix out now, impresses with size and features originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Most takes on real-time strategy for the App Store have to corrupt the form in some way, yet some still turn out well (see Total War Battles for a a great RTS game that takes a different turn). But Amoebattle impressively does RTS as you expect it. You choose units, send them around exploring, and tap to attack or move through the fog of war in real-time.

There are nine different unit types to be discovered during the campaign, and each has its own attributes and abilities. The graphics are cute and colorful, but the tactics are hard to master — especially near the end, when the game has no shortage of challenges to overcome.

Amoebattle is an excellent RTS title for Apple’s touchscreen devices, something that a lot of RTS fans have dreamed about ever since the iPad was first announced. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t skimp from RTS traditions, even on a mobile device, and it holds up to them well. The game is US$4.99, in a universal version, on the App Store now.

Daily iPhone App: Amoebattle does RTS right originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Daily iPhone App: Amoebattle does RTS right originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time Warner Cable and Viacom announced in a joint press release that the two companies have resolved their disagreement over video streaming to mobile devices. Details of the settlement were not announced.

The new-found friendliness means Viacom shows like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart will be available to Time Warner Cable subscribers who watch TV via the TWC TV app. The additional channels should be added in the next few weeks. Customers can download The TWC TV app from the iOS App Store for free. It requires a Time Warner Cable subscription.

Time Warner Cable, Viacom settle dispute over TV iPad app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Time Warner Cable, Viacom settle dispute over TV iPad app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If it feels like you not only have more apps on your iPhone, but that you’re spending more time in those apps, then you should congratulate yourself on being as savvy as pollster Nielsen. According to a report from the organization, the number of apps on the average smartphone increased from 32 to 41 — a jump of 28 percent — over the past year.

As you can see from the Nielsen infographic at the top of this post, the percentage of time spent by smartphone owners in apps rather than on the web has also climbed. The average smartphone user spends only about 19 percent of his or her time on the web; the rest of the time, native apps are being used.

The one other fascinating tidbit on the chart shows that the number of smartphone owners in the US has climbed from 38 million in 2011 to 84 million in 2012 — that’s a jump of 121 percent in just one calendar year.

[via Engadget]

Report: Americans have 28 percent more mobile apps in 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Report: Americans have 28 percent more mobile apps in 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse signed an estimated US$15.5 billion deal with Apple to carry the iPhone. After a less than stellar quarterly performance, the CEO is trying to quell shareholder discontent by publicly defending his decision, says a report in AllThingsD.

Speaking at an annual shareholders meeting, Hesse assured investors that “carrying the iPhone will be quite profitable.” Customers will join Sprint to get the iPhone on an unlimited plan and will stay because most people who buy the phone are happy with their purchase. The iPhone will increase the number of long-term customers with revenue-generating data plans which is good for Sprint’s bottom line. Sprint won’t see these benefits until 2015, but the CEO believes the iPhone is worth the wait.

Dan Hesse certain the iPhone will be profitable for Sprint originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dan Hesse certain the iPhone will be profitable for Sprint originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Speaking at a J.P. Morgan Conference, Verizon Wireless CFO Fran Shammo revealed that the carrier plans to transition its grandfathered customers off their unlimited data plans, says a report in Fierce Wireless. Shammo confirmed that, starting this summer, customers moving from a 3G phone with an unlimited plan to a 4G handset will be required to drop the unlimited plan and sign up for a shared family data plan.

According to the report, Verizon will only offer a shared family data plan for its 4G customers. These plans include one bucket of data which is shared among multiple devices. This change will affect customers upgrading phones, but the report did not say what would happen to current 4G customers on an unlimited plan or unlimited 3G customers who don’t want to upgrade.

[Via GigaOM]

Verizon Wireless to transition grandfathered customers from unlimited data plans originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 08:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Verizon Wireless to transition grandfathered customers from unlimited data plans originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 08:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If there’s one thing about iPhoto for iPad and iPhone that I’ve never been too happy with, it’s that the apps aren’t exactly self-explanatory and Apple doesn’t provide much in terms of an onboard guided tour. Long-time Apple developer and publisher Saied Ghaffari has just published a new iBook titled Hello iPhoto for iPad & iPhone (US$1.99) that provides a unique way of learning the tricks of iPhoto for your iOS device.

I had the opportunity to talk with Saied recently about the book, which was created in iBooks Author and has been featured by Apple in the iBookstore. He’s no newcomer to the how-to book market, having created the popular “It’s About Time: Learn the Switch to Mac” application that led a generation of switchers to the OS X platform. That app made it into special bundles with Parallels Desktop as well, providing a way for switchers to painlessly make the way between Windows and OS X.

Times change, and now Saied has embraced iBooks Author and created a helpful companion to the iOS version of iPhoto. Once purchased and downloaded to your iPad, the book appears on the shelf in iBooks. With a tap, it opens to a gorgeous photo of the Grand Canyon — an image repeated on other chapter headings. In the lower left corner is a small thumbnail that opens a launch page when tapped.

The launch page provides a portal to learning a bit about iPhoto and iTunes on your Mac, iPhoto on your iPad, or iPhoto on your iPhone. Tapping any one of the images on the launch page takes you right into that specific book chapter.

Going to the iPad chapter brings up three more images, any one of which can be triggered with a “tap to learn.” The main topics are an Overview of iPhoto, Browsing & Sharing, and Editing. If I select Browsing & Sharing, for example, I see a more focused page with descriptions of two lessons — one for Browsing, one for Sharing. With a tap on either description, I’m into the lesson. Once you’re at this level, the document is readable in the usual “swipe to turn a page” manner.

This is where Saied’s experience in computer-based training really shines. Through the placement of small “magnifying lenses” on the page, your eye is drawn to a feature of iPhoto that you’re going to learn about. Saied then takes you through a succinct written description of the feature to accompany the images.

To be honest with you, I pretty much ignored iPhoto for iOS until I read Hello iPhoto. In the short amount of time that it took for me to go through the book, I was able to pick up a lot of hints and tips about iPhoto for iOS that I wasn’t previously aware of. I feel that the $2 price tag of the book is a perfect price point for Hello iPhoto, as it definitely provided much more value in terms of a learning experience.

If you have purchased iPhoto for iOS, but still find yourself not using the app all that much, you owe it to yourself to buy Hello iPhoto. It will get you up to speed on iPhoto in no time at all.

Hello iPhoto for iPad & iPhone is an amazing new way to learn originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 16 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hello iPhoto for iPad & iPhone is an amazing new way to learn originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 16 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Republique is an upcoming iOS title that’s made a lot of noise by getting funded on Kickstarter recently, to the tune of half a million dollars, but I’ve had one nagging question about it: How exactly are they going to distribute the app to all of their backers? The most obvious solution would be to put a password gate inside of an app, but Apple doesn’t allow that. If you have to lock content in your app, then you’re clearly selling it outside of the App Store, which means you’re dodging Apple’s 30% cut. So what’s their plan? Republique hasn’t yet said, only that it’s still being decided.

Fortunately, however, here’s the answer. The folks behind Zombies, Run! say that all they had to do to distribute an app for Kickstarter backers was … ask. Apple agreed to let them have two versions of the app on the store — one just for sale, and another that was free with a password gate in it. There were two limits, however: There had to be at least some content in the password-closed app, so people who just randomly came across it weren’t confused. And Apple made the app developers take down any preorders once the app went live, so that Apple didn’t lose any sales of its own.

Good to hear that distribution this way is possible — there are a few other Kickstarter projects that will need to make use of a plan like this when they are released. The key, according to Six to Start, is to get in touch with Apple early, and keep that communication flowing.

How to distribute Kickstarter apps: Ask Apple originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 16 May 2012 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

How to distribute Kickstarter apps: Ask Apple originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 16 May 2012 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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