Category: Tech & Software (Page 2 of 5)

So much has happened in the App Store. Tons of new apps, a new iTunes Store design on iOS6 and the Mac. We thought now would be a good time to get some perspective and look back at this very healthy and very busy app economy.

Before you dive into our insanely amazing and priceless infographic, here are some of the observations:

• The App Store is a very healthy ecosystem with well over 1 million apps ever created and approved by Apple
• There is a slowdown in year-on-year growth of new apps published. It does not mean that there is less activity, but rather that growth is decelerating. This is likely the sign of a maturing market.
• Free is clearly prevailing over Paid. 74% of apps published in 2008 were Paid, in contrast to 34% this year. This can be explained by the growing popularity of in-app purchase as a way to efficiently monetize an app.
• A red flag: Over 25% of the apps submitted and approved have been pulled out of the store.
• A low number of apps (a little above 1000) reached the top ranks of the App Store in the US in 2012. This stresses how difficult discovery is if you’re not part of the elite group.
• We estimate that a very large number of apps (over 600,000) never got substantial traction, which is a very bad news for the app economy.
• Although games represent only a fraction of the total number of apps ( <17%) in the App Store, they comprise a majority of apps which appeared in the top 10.
• Let’s note the presence of Google Maps as a new entrant in the top-quality ranked apps next to the already much beloved Angry Birds franchise.

Ruben Corbo, Freelance Writer

Multivariate testing does sound a bit too technical and daunting especially to those who don’t know a thing or two about algorithms, traffic, web design and software operations. But rest assured that once you understood the core of the process, going through the complexities of the test would come across as a breeze.

Everything becomes easier when you get the right kind of help. Read More...

Igor Royzis

by Igor Royzis, Hands-on CTO

Not having a well defined methodology. Would you attempt to build a house without following a specific set of rules, best practices and sequence of tasks? Then why so many development shops think they can just through 5 or 20 developers into a room and let them decide how to approach the project without any clear direction and methodology? Introducing methodology from day one is the most important success factor for medium to large projects. So please, don’t accept “we’ll get to it later” or “we don’t have time to introduce a methodology right now”. Stick to your guns and insist on clearly defined methodology if you want to improve chances of success. Read More...

Suzen Pettit

by Suzen Pettit at Omaginarium

One of the best and the most challenging parts of what I do is the constant upgrading and self-educating of my…professional self. In the field of online marketing, SEO and internet advancements, this world is spinning so fast it is hard-(really hard! )to stay ahead of the curve. Forget ahead, actually. I figure if I stay somewhat abreast of the most important elements — the things that are going to impact my clients, my own business and the future of our industry, I am doing my job. And it’s continuous! And it’s all good! Read More...

For any of you who attended our session on “How to Create & Market Award-Winning Apps,” you’re already aware that having a great-looking app is not a luxury any more.  It’s a necessity.  And if you ever hope to get featured by Apple, it’s a must have.  A poor looking UI or not-so-great icon can kill your chances of ever getting to the top of the App Store.

With competition for attention at an all-time high, you need to go that extra mile to get your app noticed.  But what if you lack the talent to design a nice interface or create the killer icon?  And what if you cannot afford to hire an A-List designer?   Well then, Tapptics is what you need.  They offer courses on everything from app design to icon creation.  And even better, they give you free templates!

• The iPhone Interface Design Training Course is broken down into individual lessons about specific common elements of interface design. You can start at the beginning and complete the course straight through, or you can pick and choose the individual lessons that you need to learn aboutright away.
• In the Outsourcing iPhone App Development Series, you’ll learn how to select the right dev team for your app project. This is a vitally important step and you will learn what to look for and what to avoid.
• The iPhone Icon Design Course provides you with the fundamentals of designing mobile app icons, and tips about making your icons unique and widely appealing.
• The iPhone XCode Training Course shows you how to code custom graphics for multiple iOS elements. This course includes in-depth instructions on writing the code and provides example XCode projects from other iPhone apps.
• In the iTunes App Store SEO Course, you’ll find lots of juicy tips about how to keep your iPhone app in front of as many eyeballs as possible for as long as possible. These techniques will help you maximize your app’s opportunity for success.

So what are you waiting for?  We’re using Tapptics for our apps.  You should too!

According to Wikipedia, Flash has been in existence since 1996 and, because of this, has a strong base of developers and users. According to Adobe statistics, Flash has reached 99% penetration on Web browsers, while HTML 5 has a 40% penetration.

The latest version of the Adobe Flash Player runs on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android 2.2+, RIM QNX and Google TV. Earlier versions run on PlayStation 3 (Flash 9), and PSP (Flash 6). Adobe Flash Lite runs on Wii, Symbian, Maemo Linux, Windows Mobile, and Chumby.  In contrast, some video sites, including YouTube, and blip.tv, have implemented a degree of experimental support for HTML5 video. Steve Jobs noted that Flash is not an open standard – it is controlled by Adobe Systems, whereas HTML5 is largely controlled by a committee (WHATWG) made up of three companies: Opera Software, the Mozilla Foundation, and Apple.

Some users have complained about the relatively high CPU usage of Flash for video playback.  This was partially because the Flash plugin did not use the GPU to render video. Adobe has responded to some of those criticisms in the 10.1 and 10.2 releases of the Flash plugin by offloading H.264 video decoding to dedicated hardware and by introducing a new video API called Stage Video.  In addition, the use of the newer ActionScript 3.0 inside Flash movies instead of the older ActionScript 2.0 improves code execution speed by a factor of around 10. But older websites that use ActionScript 2.0 will not benefit from this. Another reason for poor Flash performance is that some Flash developers incorrectly code their Flash files which can be a problem with “HTML5” animations as well. Read More...

Naomi Kokubo

Question: My startup is launching a new website.  It’s in “alpha” right now.   I need to test it out before it goes to public “beta”.   What’s the best way to test a new website on a budget?  I can’t afford costly focus groups or expensive usability studies.

Answer by Naomi Kokubo, Editor of Founders Space Read More...

Just heard about App Cooker from a friend, and it’s a pretty nifty tool.  Whether you’re an indie developer, an established company or an amateur, App Cooker helps you shape your iOS application ideas.

It’s pretty easy to use.  Just start with an idea, a sketch or an icon, then utilize the App Board to organize and inspire your work as you go. It’s easy for anyone to use yet achieves professional standard results. App Cooker is a good solution for planning and perfecting your projects until they are ready for production.

App Cooker helps with all sorts of things, including defining your app, evaluating your app, setting up workflows, creating icons, and UI design. Read More...

That’s right.  Coding is no longer some boring, arduous task.  It’s now become a game thanks to Treehouse.   They’ve developed a Facebook app called Code Racer that let’s players compete at coding.

Code Racer is a multi-player live coding game that teaches newbies how to code a basic website using HTML and CSS, and tests intermediate and advanced users on their coding speed and agility. Players race against each other and the clock to complete coding challenges, unlocking weapons and rewards along the way.

Even if someone has zero experience with building websites, they’ll be able to watch a video tutorial and complete the code challenges that will give them the basic skills to launch a web site. Read More...

Well, I have the answer… learn to code yourself. That’s right. Codecademy is a hot new startup that teaches you how to code.  It’s an easy way to learn how to program javascript. It’s interactive, fun, and you can do it with your friends.  I recommend it to any frustrated founders who need to get something done but don’t have the cash or the patience to employee an engineer at Silicon Valley prices!

Codecademy was created out of the frustrations Zach and Ryan felt with learning how to program. Tired with less effective text and video resources, Ryan and Zach teamed up to create Codecademy, a better, more interactive way to learn programming by actually coding. They say that this is just the beginning. They’re going to be adding all sorts of new courses over time!

They’ve even gamified coding with badges and all.  So give it a try.  Maybe you have what it takes to build your own site or app.