Our newest contest winner

It’s time again to pick a new winner in our monthly blog contest! I’m sure you’re all anxious to find out who the lucky person will be, so let’s get right to it….

This time around, the winner is Boon Chye for commenting on the Great AppStore Article post. Congratulations! I’ve just sent you an email explaining how to get your prize. If you don’t receive it, reply to this post and let me know.

To everyone else, thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Be sure to stay tuned and keep the comments coming!

Great AppStore Article

I have to share a great article about the iTunes AppStore over at AppleInsider. I don’t have much to say that isn’t already covered in the article, but I will share a quote that I think highlights a very real danger:

“In some respects, the App Store has taken its place alongside YouTube, where poor taste is the defining metric,” Wolf wrote. “More ominously, it has led to a deterioration of the entire pricing structure for iPhone applications. The risk is that developers who hope to build quality applications that have a long shelf life may be discouraged from doing so because prospective development costs exceed the revenues they expect to earn on the applications. In short, this race to the bottom has the potential to degrade the overall equality of the applications sold at the App Store.”

Not only is this something Apple needs to think about, but all the other device and OS manufacturers out there should keep this in mind as they launch their own on device stores.

You can find the entire article over at AppleInsider!

Windows Marketplace News

Microsoft released another Windows Marketplace update a few days ago, and I’m excited to share that we were part of the announcment! As you can see from the article, we are working closely with Microsoft as they get ready for launch. I thought I’d take a second to share an insider’s perspective.

Read on for my two cents on the Marketplace!

Microsoft is doing a LOT that is right in their Marketplace. For instance, they are working directly with developers to create a model that benefits the customer, but not at the expense of the developer. This is going to encourage developers to support the system. The end result is a win-win for the consumer.

They are also listening AND making changes based on what they hear. Throughout this process we’ve offered and been asked for our advice. Better yet, the advice doesn’t just disappear into a black hole - we see concrete, positive changes resulting from our discussions with Microsoft.

Finally, the testing process for applications is going to weed out a lot of junk. Microsoft really is striving to ensure that applications are the best they can be. The requirements for developers are clear cut, the testing is comprehensive, and the feedback is clear information the developer can use to improve his product and resubmit.

And they’re putting every bit as much effort into the front end for the store. I firmly believe that the Marketplace is going to be very successful, and I think Microsoft is going to help set both consumer and developer expectations for application stores going forward.

No, Bob. "Password" Isn't a Good One.

Hi Twitter Management,

Correction: This post was originally meant to be tongue-in-cheek, where we would offer Twitter employees a free copy of eWallet to keep track of their passwords. It’s not an offer for the general public. It looks like you’re having a little problem with your passwords. I know you know that using “password” isn’t a good idea, but I imagine you’ve all probably been pretty busy lately.

We’ve got this program called eWallet - you may have heard of it. It not only lets you store passwords safely so that you don’t have to pick the ones anyone can remember - and hack - but it also has a built-in password generator so you don’t even have to think of one. It’s network compatible, so your trusted employees (though you might want to rethink them as well, from what I’ve been reading) can all use it, and it’s compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry and Windows Mobile phones.

I’d be happy to give you a copy! No charge - consider it thanks for giving us all yet another way to feed our internet addictions. Just get in touch with our Customer Service guys, and we’ll get you your copy.

Just iPhone Art

Just iPhone Art is a great new site our friends over at JAMM have launched. I’m fascinated by the incredible art people are producing on their iPhones. The JAMM team’s new site delves into this phenomenon and focuses on this cool new artisitc medium.

Definitely pop over and check it out!

Developer Pro-Tip: Show the Clock!!

If any casual game iPhone developers are listening I gotta rant a sec. Hey, guys! Show the clock! I play casual quick games when I have a few minutes to spare but don’t want to dig into anything too complex. If you hide the clock (the Status Bar if you want the technical name) it means I have to exit the application to see if my few minutes are up.

The Status Bar really doesn’t take up that much screen real estate, and it isn’t going to detract from your really sweet graphics. And don’t worry about whether this will limit how immersed in the game I get - I don’t play casual games for immersion - I play them for a quick bit of entertainment when I’ve got 5 minutes to kill.

And if for some reason you really, really, really can’t show the Status Bar, at the VERY least, save my state when I hop out to check the time. Besides being one of the HIG guidelines, it’s just good development. Trust me. If I lose my progress too many times because of a phone call or checking the time, the game isn’t going to have much of a lifespan on my device.

OK - my rant is complete. You can return to your casual gaming.