FierceDeveloper

AT&T launches Open Call--Apps for All contest

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:51:38 -0500

AT&T announced it is now accepting submissions for its Open Call--Apps for All developer contest, taking place at the CTIA Wireless 2010 convention in Las Vegas March 23 and 24. Updating the operator's AT&T Fast Pitch contest, the Open Call competition is divided into four categories: BREW Mobile Platform, Android, Java & RIM, and an 'Open' category spanning applications and content across all platforms. Developers can enter only one contest category at http://attopencall.com through March 1; an AT&T representative will contact presenters soon after to schedule Open Call meetings, with developers invited to present given five minutes each to pitch their applications to a panel of judges. Developers can present their software on a working handset or simulator--a Q&A session will follow the demo.

AT&T will award $10,000 in cash to the winner in each of the four categories. For more details on the free AT&T Developer Program, including access to the AT&T SDK, technical whitepapers, webcasts, and more, click here.

For more on Open Call--Apps for All:
- read this release

Amazon opens enrollment for Kindle developer beta program

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:56:43 -0500

Amazon.com announced open enrollment for its Kindle developer beta program, promising enrollees access to the tools necessary to create "active content" for the online retailer's Kindle ebook platform. According to the Kindle Development Kit website, the KDK includes a Kindle simulator (both 6-inch and 9.7-inch) that works on Windows, Mac OS and Linux--developers can register up to three Kindle devices through the developer portal, and the owners of those devices will receive invitations to download and test the applications in question. The KDK also features two sets of APIs: Java version 1.4 Personal Basis Profile APIs for mobile devices, and Kindle custom APIs that complement the PBP APIs and provide UI components, JSON and XML parsers, HTTP and HTTPS networking, secure storage and additional features. Amazon adds that future releases of the KDK will include audio and dictionary access APIs.

The KDK site notes that developers should be able to modify existing Java applets and J2ME software to port over to Kindle. In addition, developers can include other third-party software libraries as long as they imported to the same binary archive file as the application. "At this time, the KDK enables you to build active content that runs on the Kindle 6-inch and Kindle DX 9.7-inch devices," the FAQ notes. "The Kindle client applications for other platforms do not currently support Kindle active content."

For more on the Kindle developer beta program:
- read this Amazon Web Services Blog entry

Related articles:
Amazon to release SDK for Kindle content
Amazon Kindle goes international, gets price cut
Forecast: Kindle to represent 10 percent of Amazon sales within five years
Amazon promises Kindle content across more devices

Targeting smartphone apps for mass-market users - page 2

Gail Rahn Frederick — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:16:48 -0500

Nearly half of subscribers that do not currently use the mobile Internet plan to start using it before the end of 2010, according to one study. In that same time period, current users of mobile data services plan to more than double their data usage. The number of subscribers browsing the Web on a mobile device increased 34 percent year-over-year in 2009, with the non-traditional mobile user demographics of teens and senior citizens leading the charge, increasing by 45 percent and an amazing 67 percent, respectively.

The increases in mobile data and smartphone adoption as tightly intertwined. Mass-market adoption in one area drives usage gains in the other. Smartphones provide unprecedented access to the mobile Internet. New mobile Internet users will demand smarter mobile devices to enrich their online experiences. Increasingly, even feature phones are including standards-compliant Web 2.0 mobile browsers, providing a greatly improved Web browsing experience to the more than 80 percent of U.S. mobile phone users without smartphones.

How do mobile developers cater to mass-market smartphone users? Mobile content and data services for smartphones succeed when they cater to broad audiences by streamlining usability, minimizing the network footprint and personalizing the user experience. Mobile developers target the new demographics of iPhone moms, teens, seniors and personal-use. Make it extremely simple for these users to get started and get online with their smartphones.

Here are my top four tricks for designing smartphone apps for the masses:

1. Streamline usability. Make the user experience easy for the mass market. Make it impossible for the user to misuse the application. Test your app with actual human subjects who span multiple demographics.

2. Minimize network footprint. Optimizing the use of mobile bandwidth allows a smartphone app or Web experience to scale to millions of users without clogging mobile radio or WiFi networks. The smartphone may be limitless, but its communication network is still constrained.

3. Personalize the user experience. Adapt Web and application content to target the smartphone model and to react to user behavioral patterns. Use a mobile device database to recognize the device and adapt content to best fit the display size, processing power and user input methods. (Especially, a smartphone app must optimize its user experience for software and hardware keyboards, which can radically affect the user input experience.) Architect your smartphone app to react to user behavior by surfacing dynamic and relevant content that is appropriate for unique users.

4. Adapt to your audience. Use mobile analytics to measure mobile application performance in relationship to consumer demographics. Iteratively improve your application to appeal to your actual and target users.

Gail Rahn Frederick is a mobile software architect, mobile Web enthusiast and instructor of standards-based mobile Web development. At Medio Systems, she leads a mobile software team developing discovery, analytics and search products for operators and publishers. Gail's new book, "Beginning Smartphone Web Development," was released by Apress in December 2009.

Targeting smartphone apps for mass-market users

Gail Rahn Frederick — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:16:25 -0500

Who is the typical smartphone user? I envision a stressed-out businessperson or dangling-headphone hipster. My stereotypical smartphone user is an affluent, tech-savvy individual who harnesses the power of her device for near-constant interactions with mobile data services. She uses her smartphone to send email, browse the Web, stream videos and music, connect with friends on social networks, comparison-shop, and find nearby restaurants and businesses. Oh yes, and she occasionally uses her mobile phone for voice calls.

My stereotype crumbles as more and more mobile users upgrade from feature phones to smartphones. This year, mass-market consumers are stampeding into the smartphone ecosystem. 2010 is the year when "anyone with a touchscreen" is using their shiny, new smartphone to consume mobile data services. Clever mobile developers recognize the exploding smartphone user base as an unparalleled opportunity to simplify the usability of mobile Web and native applications and provide personalized experiences to suit all kinds of smartphone users.

One fascinating example of an emerging smartphone user demographic is the "iPhone mom." First uncovered by a mobile advertising company, about 25 percent of iPhone users are "iPhone moms," college-educated mothers who use their smartphones for store locating, comparison shopping, managing shopping lists, couponing, scheduling and downloading games and entertainment apps. More than half of "iPhone moms" allow their children to use their iPhones (another gold star for Apple's utterly simple and usable the iPhone interface).

Why the sudden explosion of smartphone users? Barriers to mass-market smartphone adoption are being eliminated left and right by mobile network operators, smartphone OEMs and mobile developers:

Plummeting prices and generous operator subsidies make smartphones affordable to more consumers. Witness the Motorola Droid Eris, an Android smartphone available online and on-contract from Verizon Wireless for under $100.
Flat-rate data plans provide consumers with predictable and budget-able monthly smartphone usage costs. T-Mobile USA's Even More Plus plans provide unlimited voice, data and messaging with no contract for $80 per month.
Easy-to-learn user interfaces of modern smartphone operating systems make smartphones less daunting to newbie consumers. The Apple iPhone is an iconic example of a smartphone whose skyrocketing adoption is due to an extraordinarily consumer-friendly user interface. Palm webOS and Google Android are also well-suited for mass-market consumers.
Touchscreens and Qwerty keyboards (and other must-have hardware features) are persuading users to upgrade to smartphones. A Gartner study of second quarter 2009 handset sales reported smartphone sales growth of 27 percent, while total handset sales fell 6 percent.
Smartphones provide access to catalogs of useful, cool and fun mobile apps that are aren't available on feature phones.

Mass-market adoption of smartphones still faces at least one important barrier--a significant knowledge gap. One survey of mobile subscribers found that nearly half of customers want to buy a smartphone but simply don't understand how to use them. In my opinion, this data implies that mass-market smartphone adoption will be strongest for the devices that are simplest to operate. Android, webOS and iPhone will win here. The traditionally business-oriented BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and S60 operating systems must adapt or risk alienating mass-market consumers focused on personal smartphone use. BlackBerry currently has a 2-to-1 user advantage over the iPhone, but this advantage will diminish in 2010 unless BlackBerry improves its consumer appeal.

Simultaneously, the amount of mobile subscribers using and expected to start using mobile data services is growing exponentially...Continued

After Apple's iPad snub, what now for Adobe Flash?

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:19:55 -0500

Apple officially unveiled its iPad tablet device last week, and after all the buildup and hype, opinion on the official specs proved to be decidedly mixed, with more of the attention focusing on what the unit doesn't do than what it actually does. Much of the criticism singled out the iPad's failure to support the Adobe Flash multimedia platform, with Adobe Software itself joining the chorus of complaints. Writing on the Adobe Flash Platform Blog, marketing group manager Adrian Ludwig argues that without Flash support, "there's something important missing from Apple's approach to connecting consumers to content... It looks like Apple is continuing to impose restrictions on their devices that limit both content publishers and consumers. Unlike many other ebook readers using the ePub file format, consumers will not be able to access ePub content with Apple's DRM technology on devices made by other manufacturers. And without Flash support, iPad users will not be able to access the full range of web content, including over 70 percent of games and 75 percent of video on the web. If I want to use the iPad to connect to Disney, Hulu, Miniclip, Farmville, ESPN, Kongregate or JibJab--not to mention the millions of other sites on the web--I'll be out of luck."

The iPad is not the sole Apple device excluding Flash support, of course--in March 2008, Apple CEO Steve Jobs contended the iPhone requires a media player more robust than the existing Flash mobile solution. That's almost complimentary compared to what Jobs reportedly had to say about Flash during a town hall meeting with Apple employees soon after the iPad premiere: Citing a source in attendance, Wired reports Jobs dismissed Adobe as "lazy" and added that Apple doesn't support Flash because it's so buggy. Jobs went on to blame Flash as the culprit behind most Mac crashes, and said that the platform is facing extinction as the world moves to HTML5.

For all of the consumer outcry over Apple's refusal to support Flash, the company is faring better than ever, selling sold 8.7 million iPhones in the first quarter alone--100 percent year-over-year unit growth. Given Jobs' attitude, it seems safe to assume Flash is never coming to the iPhone platform, so where does that leave Adobe? As longtime Silicon Valley insider John Gruber points out on his Daring Fireball blog, Flash penetration shrinks with each iPhone OS-based device Apple sells: "What's Hulu going to do? Sit there and wait? Whine about the blue boxes? Or do the practical thing and write software that delivers video to iPhone OS? The answer is obvious," Gruber writes. "Hulu doesn't care about what's good for Adobe. They care about what's good for Hulu. Hulu isn't a Flash site, it's a video site. Developers go where the users are."

And it seems like everyone is going to HTML5. Apple rival Google has publicly endorsed the specification on multiple occasions--at last year's Mobile World Congress event, the web services giant's vice president of engineering Vic Gundotra hailed HTML5 as one of the three critical components of the modern mobile web browser, and in December, Google gave it credit for boosting Gmail mobile loading speeds. The New York Times reports Google-owned YouTube is currently trialing the format for select videos, as is another video-sharing site, Vimeo.com. "We received a tremendous amount of feedback from our users saying that they wanted to have HTML5 as an option for their videos," says Andrew Pile, Vimeo's vice president for product and development. The NYT adds that video sharing sites like Flickr and Blip.tv plan to experiment with Flash alternatives in the months ahead as well. Whichever direction Apple and Google pursue, the rest of the industry inevitably follows--a shift that could leave Flash behind for good. -Jason

iPhone SDK 3.2 beta arrives alongside Apple's iPad

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:24:30 -0500

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Apple released its long-awaited tablet device last week--dubbed the iPad, the 9.7-inch touchscreen unit promises a user experience optimized for the web, messaging, multimedia, games and ebooks. Shipping with 12 new apps designed especially for the device, the iPad also will run almost all of the App Store's 140,000-plus iPhone and iPod touch applications--in addition, Apple issued the new iPhone 3.2 SDK beta, promising developers the tools to create new applications that fully exploit the iPad's capabilities. The SDK includes a simulator enabling developers to format their user interface for the larger screen size, test an app's memory usage and abbreviate the debug cycle in the design process. Other elements of the SDK include an iPad programming guide, user experience guidelines and tools for creating universal applications that run across iPad, iPhone and iPod touch devices.

Even prior to the iPad's official launch, developers across multiple platforms expressed overwhelming interest in creating applications for the product according to a study conducted by software solutions provider Appcelerator. Ninety percent of Appcelerator's developer partners indicate they are "very interested" in building an iPad app within the year, with balanced representation from iPhone and Android developers on the mobile side and PC, Mac and Linux developers on the desktop side. Developers say they are most likely to create business and productivity apps for the tablet, followed in descending order by entertainment, social networking, education and games--by contrast, games is the leading category in Apple's App Store, followed by entertainment, books, education and travel. "Some respondents wrote that with a rumored built-in camera, the Apple Tablet could spur new growth in video conferencing and video social networking," Appcelerator notes. "Many developers see the classroom as a huge opportunity, while the larger screen interested others in business scenarios, especially in the areas of finance and medical applications."

Before official iPad specs were announced, 77 percent of developers said they are very interested in the device's database/storage features--75 percent indicated strong interest in multi-touch gestures and another 75 percent pointed to its native user interface, followed by multitasking (72 percent) and wireless networking (70 percent). "With multitasking and wireless networking will come an explosion in messaging apps that break free of the iPhone's prior limitations of a single application only being able to run in the foreground," Appcelerator contends. "Multi-touch gestures and a new native Tablet interface will give rise to new ways to share and interact with media or learning applications. Expect immediate and massive experimentation with these new capabilities to create more engaging, tactile, and connected experiences that sit between the extended use case of desktop/laptop applications and the immediate gratification use case of mobile."

For more on the iPhone SDK 3.2 beta:
- read this release

Related articles:
How expectations and rumors crushed the iPad
Apple accelerates the App Store approval process

App Planet orbits 2010 Mobile World Congress

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:22:04 -0500

The GSM Association announced the launch of its inaugural App Planet event in conjunction with the 2010 Mobile World Congress, which begins Feb. 15 in Barcelona. A series of platform-specific application developer conferences taking place throughout the conference, App Planet promises to focus in-depth on tools, guidance, go-to-market knowledge and community support. The full schedule:

Feb. 15: Vodafone 360 Developer Conference, Developer Day hosted by Motodev
Feb. 16: BlackBerry Developer Day
Feb. 17: Sony Ericsson Creation Day; Google Android Developer Lab
Feb. 18: WIPJam Application Developer Conference

In related news, winners of the sixth annual International Mobile Gaming Awards will be announced at Mobile World Congress on Feb. 15. More than 150 entries from 36 countries will compete, with an international panel naming the year's 25 best new mobile games. According to the IMGA, 60 percent of all award entries were iPhone applications, compared to 16 percent last year.

For more on App Planet:
- read this release

Palm kicks off Hot Apps developer competition

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:57:47 -0500

Palm announced the launch of its Hot Apps Program, promising $1 million in total cash bonuses to developers whose webOS-based mobile applications create the most consumer interest. Palm will award $100,000 cash to the developer whose free app yields the most total downloads during the Feb. 1-May 31 contest period--in addition, the device maker will give another $100,000 to the premium webOS app that generates the most total revenue. The next 20 apps in each category will score $10,000 each, and the next 200 apps in each category will win $1,000 each.

To qualify for a Palm Hot Apps Program award, the application must be available to webOS users through Palm distribution programs between prior to May 31--all eligible apps must originate via the Palm webOS SDK or Ares Integrated Development Environment (not the webOS Plug-In Development Kit), and all apps must be available for download from an official Palm webOS distribution program (i.e., App Catalog Distribution, Web Distribution or Beta Distribution).

The Palm App Catalog virtual storefront currently boasts more than 1,300 webOS-based applications, according to data released by webOS School--paid apps outnumber free apps roughly three to one. By comparison, Apple's rival App Store presently offers more than 140,000 iPhone and iPod touch applications.

For more on the Palm Hot Apps Program:
- read this release

Related articles:
Palm App Catalog finally tops 1,000 webOS apps
Paid apps go live on Palm Pre

Linux chief: 'We have to do better' to rival Apple

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:01:50 -0500

Executive director of the Linux Foundation Jim Zemlin maintains that while Linux-based devices can rival with Apple's new iPad tablet on price, the open-source community faces "a ways to go to compete." Writing on the Linux Foundation blog, Zemlin contends that the Linux platform fails to match the "magic" cited by Apple CEO Steve Jobs during the iPad's media launch: "While many question the revolutionary impact of the iPad, Apple's consistent user experience is far closer to magical than most things currently running Linux," Zemlin notes. "It may be easy for us to bash Microsoft every other week, but Apple is a true competitor. They have the polish, the focus on usability and ease of use, the application and hardware integration all to make using their technology a seamless and elegant part of your day, instead of a constant struggle with technology."

Zemlin goes on to defend Linux projects and products that exemplify the platform at is most innovative, among them Android-based smartphones like the Droid and the Nexus One, Moblin-based netbooks and tablets currently in development, and Nokia's Maemo effort. "The issue is that while all of these are incredible efforts, Steve Jobs is hardly standing still," Zemlin writes. "We have to do better." He adds that in the weeks ahead, the Linux Foundation will announce "big news" on its plans to restore the platform's luster.

For more on Zemlin's Linux assessment:
- read this Linux Foundation blog entry

Related articles:
Microsoft's Bach predicts Linux will lose mobile OS race
Nokia debuts first Linux smartphone

Will developers turn the page to writing Kindle apps?

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:44:34 -0500

With Apple poised to finally confirm its long-rumored tablet device on Wednesday, Amazon.com is going on the offensive--as Apple muscles in on its Kindle ereader territory, the online retail giant is targeting the App Store in kind, releasing a software development kit offering coders the means to build and upload "active content" for the Kindle platform. According to Amazon, the Kindle Development Kit will include access to programming interfaces, tools and documentation for both the 6-inch Kindle and 9.7-inch Kindle DX, enabling creation of content that leverages Kindle hallmarks like seamless and invisible 3G wireless delivery, high-resolution electronic paper display and battery life extending as long as seven days with wireless activated. Amazon will kick off a Kindle Development Kit beta trial next month (details here), and adds that firms including Handmark, EA Mobile and Sonic Boom are already creating content for the platform.

The challenge facing Amazon is the same one looming in front of all of Apple's rivals: How to lure developers away from the iPhone, especially with the promise of the Apple tablet on the horizon. Amazon does not report Kindle sales totals, although analysts project the number sold at between 1.5 million and 2 million--by contrast, Apple announced Monday that it sold 8.7 million iPhones and 21 million iPods in Q1 2010 alone. Jeff Smith, CEO of Smule--the startup behind App Store bestsellers including I Am T-Pain and Ocarina--tells BusinessWeek that while it might cost 10 percent of the original development outlay of an iPhone app to fashion a new version for the tablet, it would probably cost as much as another 70 percent to rewrite the software for the Kindle. Developing for Amazon would essentially mean "rethinking how I design applications from the start," Smith adds.

But the biggest obstacle facing Amazon could be the quirks inherent in the Kindle concept. As the Kindle Development Kit homepage points out, Kindles are not smartphones: Users don't pay a monthly wireless fee or sign up for an annual service contract. Which means Kindle applications must be priced to cover the associated costs of downloads and ongoing usage--according to Amazon, that translates to content delivery fees of 15 cents per megabyte. (Applications smaller than 1MB that use less than 100KB per user per month may be offered free to consumers--Amazon will cover any wireless costs associated with delivery and maintenance.) On top of that, Kindle applications will face an upper size limit of 100MB; apps larger than 10MB will not be delivered over-the-air, meaning consumers must instead download content from the Kindle Store to a computer and transfer the app to their Kindle via USB. For niche developers and content providers like educational software designers and comic book publishers, the chance to reach the core Kindle demographic could be a game-changer, but most programmers may have to change up too much of their own game to make the opportunity worth pursuing. -Jason

Booyah carves out its place with 'MyTown'

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:38:40 -0500

Booyah attracted attention months before releasing its first mobile application: In spring 2009, the firm landed $4.5 million in Series A funding via Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers' iFund, the $100 million investment initiative created to support ideas and products for the iPhone and iPod touch platform. KPCB's instincts proved correct when Booyah launched its first iPhone title MyTown in December--the location-based social gaming application already boasts more than 500,000 users playing the game an average of more than 30 minutes a day, reaching number seven on the App Store's top free apps list. FierceDeveloper speaks to Booyah co-founder and CEO Keith Lee about playing in the real world and the importance of originality.

'Pocket God' tops 2 million App Store downloads

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:33:31 -0500

Mobile software developer Bolt Creative announced its Pocket God has now sold more than 2 million copies via Apple's App Store--according to the firm, it's the first premium iPhone and iPod touch application to reach the 2 million sales benchmark. First released in January 2009, the 99-cent Pocket God--a casual game giving users the opportunity to rule their own remote island, complete with deity-like powers--has released close to 30 free updates in the last 12 months; Bolt Creative reports the title has moved as many as 53,000 units in a single day, and downloads topped 100,000 per week throughout the holiday season.

For more on the Pocket God milestone:
- read this release

Microsoft posts--then removes--Windows Mobile 6.5 SDK

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:02:22 -0500

Microsoft briefly posted a Windows Mobile 6.5 software development kit to its Microsoft Download Center website last week, removing the SDK within a matter of hours. According to ZDNet, the WinMo 6.5 SDK appeared on Jan. 22, and remained online long enough for some bloggers and developers to download the kit--some speculate Microsoft pulled the download because it reportedly contains widget tools and emulators for Windows Mobile 6.5.3, an interim build said to add support for "touchable tiles" as well as enhanced gesture support, a revamped address book and updated start menu placement.

With the web buzzing about the SDK post, Microsoft on Monday issued the following statement: ""On Friday, January 22nd Microsoft prematurely posted a version of an upcoming Windows Mobile 6.5 SDK to a public facing Web page. While the SDK was not announced or promoted, it was discovered and generated questions from the community. The beta SDK has since been removed and will be reposted once final testing has been conducted. We apologize for any inconvenience."

The WinMo 6.5 SDK snafu seems likely to fuel increased speculation over Microsoft's mobile roadmap and the long-promised release of Windows Mobile 7. While some sources report the software giant will formally announce the revamped OS during February's Mobile World Congress 2010 event in Barcelona, others indicate it is now delayed until 2011.

For more on the WinMo 6.5 SDK release:
- read this ZDNet article

Related articles:
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Developers question Windows Marketplace payment delays

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:40:33 -0500

A number of Windows Mobile developers are venting their frustration with Microsoft over Windows Marketplace for Mobile payment delays, posting messages on the Windows Mobile Developer Center forum that indicate they are owed substantial sums derived from premium application downloads via the storefront. According to this thread, multiple WinMo developers are awaiting payment following extended delays, some dating back to October 2009 and in several cases totaling thousands of dollars--on its Windows Mobile for Developers FAQ, Microsoft pledges to pay within 15 to 30 days for credit card billing, and within 90 to 120 days for mobile operator billing. "If you're a developer, you will be paid 70 percent of all application sale prices as your revenue share," the FAQ states. "At the end of the month, Microsoft will total all transactions for your application sales on which we were able to collect money. Your 70 percent revenue share is then applied to the total and if that equals or exceeds $200 USD we will initiate an Electronic Funds Transfer payment to your bank account."

Microsoft's Windows Marketplace for Mobile product manager Mihir Rao responded directly to the Windows Mobile Developer Center thread, stating that Microsoft completed its first round of payouts in December and plans a second round this month. According to Rao, there appears to be confusion around Dashboard status updates indicating whether a developer is eligible for payout, suggesting that some programmers are currently ineligible due to missing bank or tax information, or because the $200 threshold has not been met. However, multiple developers responded to Rao's post to report their Dashboard has read "Eligible for revenue payout" since last fall.

"I see my explanation of the ‘Eligible for revenue payout' status has raised more questions than it has answered," Rao wrote in a post dated Jan. 21. "I am going to get some more details on this particular dashboard status to provide further clarification. I will post back with more details by the end of this week, so stay tuned."

For more on the Windows Marketplace payment delays:
- read this Ars Technica article

Related articles:
Windows Marketplace extends to WinMo 6.0 and 6.1
Microsoft adds online app sales to Windows Marketplace

IDC forecasts Android shipments will near 70 million by 2013

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:56:47 -0500

Smartphone shipments worldwide will increase to 390 million units by 2013--a compound annual growth rate of 20.9 percent over the 2009-2013 forecast period in question--according to research firm IDC. While IDC predicts the Symbian operating system will retain its global leadership position over that time thanks largely to Nokia's dominance in markets outside of the U.S., Android is expected to experience faster growth than any of its rivals, leaping from 2008 shipments of 690,000 to 68 million units by 2013, a CAGR of 150.4 percent. IDC adds Android will benefit from the growing footprint of handset vendors supporting the platform, and will finish second to Symbian in shipments by 2013.

On the flipside, IDC forecasts Linux and Palm's webOS shipments will struggle throughout the forecast period. Shipments of Linux-powered devices are expected to trend down due to greater emphasis on the Android platform, although some vendors will continue to support the platform--as for webOS, IDC believes the operating system will grow steadily, but will ultimately capture only narrow market share as a result of limited deployment and operator availability.

For more on the IDC forecast:
- read this release

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Microsoft to discontinue Mobile2Market program

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:57:48 -0500

Microsoft will discontinue Mobile2Market, its mobile application certification and marketing program for independent software and hardware vendors. According to an email sent last week by Microsoft to Mobile2Market members, the software giant will terminate the program on Feb. 18. "Benefits of the program--including Buy It Now functionality with online distributors, the Windows Mobile Catalog, the Designed for Windows Mobile 6 logo, and Microsoft Partner Points--will no longer be available after that date," the email reads. "The Logo License Agreement for Windows Mobile 5.0, 6.0, and 6.1 also will end effective February 18, 2010, at which time distribution of and all references to the aforementioned logos will need to cease."

The email does not expand on Microsoft's decision to shut down the Mobile2Market effort. Calls to Microsoft were not returned prior to press time.

Related articles:
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Can Microsoft woo iPhone developers to Windows Mobile?

Are mobile ads the future of mobile apps?

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:55:24 -0500

Consumers worldwide will download about 4.51 billion mobile applications in 2010 according to a new forecast issued by research firm Gartner, increasing from 2.51 billion downloads last year--that translates to app store revenues close to $6.8 billion, up from $4.2 billion in 2009. Gartner anticipates that free applications will represent 82 percent of app store downloads in 2010, a number that will grow to 87 percent of downloads in 2013 even as expected revenues jump to $29.5 billion: Gartner estimates corresponding mobile advertising revenues will leap from $600 million per year in 2009 to about $7 billion in 2013 as developers embrace a host of mechanisms to subsidize their efforts. Gartner contends that developers have little choice but to pin their hopes on mobile advertising, arguing that as smartphones continue to come down in price, the new wave of mass-market users will be reluctant to pay for mobile software. "Growth in smartphone sales will not necessarily mean that consumers will spend more money, but it will widen the addressable market for an offering that will be advertising-funded," Gartner research director Stephanie Baghdassarian said in a prepared statement. "The value chain of the application stores will evolve as rules are set and broken in an attempt to find the most profitable business model for all parties involved."

But some experts question whether existing mobile advertising concepts and approaches are on the right track. The doubters are said to include Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who believes "mobile ads suck" according to BusinessWeek, citing a source familiar with Jobs' thinking. So Apple reportedly is exploring new approaches to mobile advertising in the wake of its recent agreement to acquire mobile ad network Quattro Wireless, plotting ways to exploit consumer data to better serve mobile advertisements. Insiders say Apple's efforts seek to make ads more relevant to consumers, factoring into the equation data like purchases and downloads from iTunes and the App Store as well as geo-location. "[Apple] could also use the iPhone's capabilities in creative ways--say, having someone shake the device to win a rebate the same way they do to roll dice in games," the report notes.

Despite Gartner's app store revenue projections for the year ahead, more than half of developers are pessimistic about their immediate financial outlook. A new Mobile Entertainment Forum study examining the state of the U.S. mobile content value chain reports that among 100 respondents from 80 companies spanning across the mobile entertainment landscape, 42 percent said they expect at least a 20 percent revenue increase in 2009, and 58 percent anticipate comparable revenue growth in 2010--app developers are less optimistic than any other industry segment the MEF polled, with only 48 percent believing revenues will increase 20 percent or more this year. MEF Americas chairman Jim Beddows theorizes developers have serious doubts about the longterm viability of current marketplace conditions: "The explosion of app stores and applications continues to feed consumer demand, but it's still not proven whether there's a sustainable revenue model," he said in an interview with FierceDeveloper. Nor is it proven that mobile advertising is the solution to those concerns, but if not, then what is? -Jason

iPhone OS 4.0 rumored to debut in tandem with Apple tablet

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:44:59 -0500

Following Apple's announcement it will unveil its "latest creation"--presumably the computing giant's much-rumored tablet device--at a Jan. 27 media event, Fox News is reporting Apple will also introduce version 4.0 of its iPhone operating system. According to an email invitation mailed out Monday, Apple will release an unspecified new product during an invitation-only event at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater on Jan. 27--citing a source inside Apple, Fox News states the spotlight will fall on the tablet, iPhone 4.0 and a new suite of iLife 2010 software. "While we won't see new iPhone hardware just yet, we will see the next-generation software," the report adds, while noting Apple is infamous for making last-minute changes prior to media events.

The Apple tablet and the role the iPhone OS will play on the device have been the subject of months of speculation. Late last year, Silicon Alley Insider reported some Apple developer partners were asked to prepare new, higher-resolution versions of their applications for a January demonstration: "They've told select developers that as long as they build their apps to support full screen resolution--rather than a fixed 320x480--their apps should run just fine," a source said. In addition, French website Mac4Ever is reporting some developers have already gotten their hands on a new iPhone 4.0 SDK beta including a simulator that promises to simplify adapting iPhone applications to different screen resolutions.

For more on the iPhone 4.0 speculation:
- read this Fox News article

Related articles:
Apple field testing next-generation iPhone?
iPhone developers mad as hell, not going to take it anymore
Apple releases iPhone SDK 3.1.2

Verizon Wireless opens binary submissions for V Cast Apps

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:11:30 -0500

Verizon Wireless announced it is now accepting binary submissions for its forthcoming V Cast Apps mobile software storefront. According to an email sent out last week to Verizon Developer Community members, programmers who've successfully submitted concepts to V Cast Apps can now upload binary files as well as provide additional information including Icons, Application Descriptors, Pricing, Export Compliance and Version Information. Upon accepting a binary submission, V Cast Apps will notify developers of certification results via email. Verizon Wireless adds it has updated its VDC forums with new links to app submission resources.

During the recent Consumer Electronics Show event in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless said it is "on the cusp" of launching V Cast Apps, originally slated to go live in late 2009. Verizon Wireless director of business development Todd Murphy did not offer a specific launch date, but said the storefront would initially be available across five of the operator's BlackBerry smartphones: The Storm 1 and 2, the Curve 1 and 2, and the BlackBerry Tour. "We're just waiting for that inflection point" of enough quality applications, Murphy said, adding "We believe that when we put this out into the marketplace, it will have a significant impact." Murphy said Verizon Wireless currently counts about 3,500 developers registered in the VDC program.

For more on V Cast Apps' progress:
- check out the Verizon Developer Community website

Related articles:
Verizon Developer Community membership soars in first month
Mobigloo wins Verizon's Apply Your Ideas contest

Nokia presents Symbian^4 user interface concept proposal

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:06:41 -0500

Nokia has submitted its Symbian^4 user interface proposal to the Symbian Foundation, proposing to simplify the S60 user experience by means of renewed layouts, context menu support for list items, guidelines for autosaving content and minimizing user prompts, among other upgrades. "This proposal improves the competitiveness of the Foundation Platform by reorganizing and clarifying the feature richness of the software to improve access to and use of richly interconnected applications," writes Nokia head of user experience Elizabeth Dykstra-Erickson, the author of the S^4 User Interface Concept Proposal, who goes on to compare the UI design solution to rival operating systems:

"HTC Hero and Motorola Droid, both on Android, have a Homescreen with movable Homescreen widgets; however, each has one multi-panel homesceen page, whereas Symbian Foundation has independent unique pages
"Palm Pre's WebOS eliminates Exit commands, but instead of saving state and releasing memory it keeps applications running
"iPhone has a flattened application library; however, it is displayed to the user exclusively as a manually organized grid, whereas the Symbian Foundation application library is an alpha-ordered list with multiple filtered views."

The Nokia proposal is available for download now on the Symbian Developer Community forum, which also calls for questions, comments, suggestions and requests related to the document.

For more on the Symbian^4 proposal:
- visit the Symbian Developer Community forum

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AT&T to developers: We will reduce fragmentation

Sue Marek — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:58:49 -0500

LAS VEGAS--AT&T Mobility President and CEO Ralph de la Vega used the company's annual mobile developer event here to announce the company's four-pronged approach to strengthening its wireless business. The conference, held at the Palms Casino and Resort the day prior to the opening of the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, attracted more than 1,000 mobile developers--nearly three times the number that the event attracted in the past.

Specifically, de la Vega said AT&T wants to help developers by reducing all the fragmentation that makes mobile app development so expensive and difficult. De la Vega said AT&T will strengthen its smartphone portfolio by supporting all the various mobile operating systems. He said the carrier would help developers sell more apps by supporting all the major OEM app stores, and by offering apps to consumers who own mid-level wireless devices (not smartphones). Finally, de la Vega said the firm will strengthen its app developer program and continue to invest in its network.

AT&T plans to launch five exclusive smartphones that support Google's Android operating system (see related story here) from Dell, Motorola and HTC, and it also will launch two devices running Palm's webOS operating system. Those webOS devices will be exclusive to AT&T and will be announced later this year.

Regarding app stores, de la Vega said the company will support all app stores from the major OEMs, and will provide technical support for those app stores. In addition, AT&T customers who buy apps from Nokia's Ovi storefront will be billed directly through AT&T.

But perhaps the most surprising news from AT&T was that it will use Qualcomm's BREW MP platform to allow consumers with mid-level messaging devices to buy applications. "We want to make apps available to a bigger segment of the market," de la Vega said. He added that by 2011, AT&T expects 90 percent of new AT&T messaging devices to sport the BREW MP platform.

A new AT&T SDK is available for the BREW platform. And BREW MP will be backward compatible, making it easier for existing BREW developers to transition to BREW MP.

AT&T currently supports Java applications for feature phones.

According to David Christopher, the chief marketing officer of AT&T Mobility, the company also is developing a new storefront strategy, call the App Center, which will focus on discoverability and offer direct-carrier billing. Specifically, AT&T is offering a 70/30 revenue share for all new contracts.

For more:
- see this release
- see this Ovi release

Apple accelerates the App Store approval process

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:55:41 -0500

Nearly two weeks into January, most of us have long since abandoned our New Year's resolutions, but Apple's App Store continues its march toward self-betterment. In the wake of a bumpy 2009 that culminated in a handful of developers forsaking the iPhone platform while their applications lingered weeks and even months in approval purgatory, 2010 is off to a much more promising start: Developers are now reporting that the App Store is processing their software submissions at record speeds, indicating that Apple has made dramatic strides in improving how the digital storefront operates.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog reports that iTunes Connect, the portal developers use to submit their iPhone and iPod touch applications, was offline from Dec. 23 to Dec. 28. What happened during that blackout period is anyone's guess--this is Apple, after all--but whatever Steve Jobs' elves did to improve the app submission protocol, the results speak for themselves. At least one startup, Atomic Cactus, tells TUAW that its new puzzle game Artilect earned Apple's stamp of approval in less than 12 hours, while its previous submissions took two to three weeks to run the gauntlet. "Today at 4:00 am I submitted for approval our latest app, which isn't exactly a ‘fart app' (it's a pretty polished puzzle game with OpenFeint)," Atomic Cactus developer Yuri writes. "As of 1:30 pm today, the app is in the App Store."

In related news, the App Store exceeded the 3 billion download benchmark last week--the latest milestone came less than four months after the store surpassed 2 billion downloads, a moment that itself arrived roughly five months after consumers downloaded the first billion iPhone and iPod touch applications. "Three billion applications downloaded in less than 18 months--this is like nothing we've ever seen before," Jobs said in a self-congratulatory press release. "The revolutionary App Store offers iPhone and iPod touch users an experience unlike anything else available on other mobile devices, and we see no signs of the competition catching up anytime soon." It's posturing, of course, but if the App Store is indeed solving the problems that have caused developers so many headaches in the past, Jobs might be speaking the truth. -Jason

Nokia challenges developers to make a difference

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:30:37 -0500

Forum Nokia announced its Calling All Innovators 2010 developer challenge, promising $1 million for ideas that make a difference in people's lives. This year's edition of the Calling All Innovators event calls for application submissions across four categories:

Eco/Being Green: Apps that help to save the planet.
Productivity: Apps to simplify users' lives and improve efficiency, e.g. utilities, business or personal finance applications.
Life Improvement: Apps that positively affect the daily lives of citizens in developing nations.
Entertainment: Music applications, multimedia and games.

Forum Nokia will team with Sesame Street producers Sesame Workshop on an education subcategory within the Life Improvement category to encourage developers to create applications that emphasize early literacy. Sesame Workshop will offer insight during the judging process and collaborate with select developers to further enhance relevant projects, encouraging programmers to create educational applications and even utilize the Sesame Street characters when appropriate.

More details on Calling All Innovators 2010 are available here. Submissions will be accepted between Feb. 1 and May 18.

For more on Calling All Innovators 2010:
- read this release

FlyCast premieres cross-platform app development ecosystem

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:11:57 -0500

Smartphone entertainment provider FlyCast announced the introduction of appMobi, a new development ecosystem promising web developers the tools to create rich native applications for smartphones via Adobe DreamWeaver and Microsoft Visual Studio. According to FlyCast, the free appMobi suite will span the iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Symbian operating systems, offering "write once, deploy everywhere" capabilities that support cross-platform application creation, deployment and monetization--apps are created using common HTML and Javascript as well as open-source PhoneGap tools, including development libraries and a cross-platform emulator. In addition, FlyCast will open up its internal development tools to bolster PhoneGap with content management solutions, advertising (targeting, insertion and tracking), cloud services, realtime updating, reporting and payment and subscription tools. FlyCast also will provide enhanced certification, QA and support around the PhoneGap-based APIs.

FlyCast will release a preview of appMobi to select developers on Jan. 22--for information on participating in the preview, click here. The ecosystem will open wide on March 1.

For more on appMobi:
- read this release

Related article:
FlyCast opens mobile platform to content providers

Sprint expands open location platform

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:27:56 -0500

Sprint announced it will expand its open location platform by adding TechnoCom Corporation to its open service enabler program, promising developers more avenues to create location-based solutions optimized for Sprint devices. TechnoCom is a location-based aggregator that provides customization and integration support services enabling call centers to offer location-enhanced services to customers and handle calls more efficiently. According to Sprint, applications could include solutions identifying a company's nearby stores or office locations and location-based routing to the most appropriate call center or agent.

Sprint launched the open service enabler program in late 2008 with Veriplace and WHERE--last summer, the operator added Alcatel-Lucent, Loc-Aid and Useful Networks. The open service platforms guard the privacy and security of Sprint subscribers while offering third-party mobile, web, WAP, SMS and widget developers a more consistent method to build applications that incorporate customers' location information to deliver customized information and services.

In related Sprint news, the carrier said its Developer Sandbox program now includes both iDEN and CDMA capabilities, meaning programmers can now create and test applications for the Nextel and Boost Mobile brands. Sprint Developer Sandbox, launched in mid-2009, features tools to enable more efficient creation of location-based services, messaging apps and related solutions--the initiative is open to all Sprint registered developers, and provides access to network, handset and product capabilities.

For more on Sprint's latest developer efforts:
- read this release

Palm unwraps developer program, but some remain unimpressed

Mike Dano — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:11:11 -0500

LAS VEGAS--Palm took the wraps off its developer program, and announced several new developer initiatives aimed at generating interest in the company's webOS platform. However, at least one major mobile services company--VoIP calling company Skype--plans to wait on the sidelines until Palm's offerings to catch fire with consumers.

During a wide-ranging press conference here on the sidelines of the Consumer Electronics Show here, Palm said its webOS developer program is now "open for business." Previously the company had only been working directly with a select group of developers. Palm also announced a new distribution deal with wireless heavyweight Verizon Wireless, as well as upgraded versions of its Pre and Pixi devices. (See related story here.)

"We look forward to working with you (developers)," said Katie Mitic, Palm's senior vice president of products, in announcing the company's developer efforts. She said Palm's App Catalog currently holds around 1,000 apps (whereas market leader Apple counts fully 100,000 apps in its own digital storefront) but Mitic said Palm "expects that to grow even more, and faster."

Palm's developer program splits app revenues 70/30 (developer/Palm), after applicable taxes. The membership-based program has a $99 annual fee, which the company said will be waived for developers who opt to distribute open source Palm webOS apps on the Web.

During the company's press conference, Mitic highlighted a number of Palm efforts aimed at exciting developers to its smartphone platform. Specifically, she detailed Palm's new $1 million Hot Apps bonus program, which will run Feb. 1 through May 31. The program will award $1 million to the most successful applications distributed during this timeframe. The developers of the top free and paid applications each will earn a $100,000 bonus; in addition, 40 developers will receive $10,000 (20 each for free and paid), with 400 developers awarded $1,000 (200 each for free and paid).

Separately, Mitic hyped the company's webOS Plug-in Development Kit, which she said enables new functionality such as 3D games. Indeed, EA Mobile showed off 3D versions of its "Sims 3" and "Need For Speed" games running on the Pre.

Finally, Mitic said Palm will open up its database of webOS applications data, thereby allowing third parties to access app descriptions, ratings, stats and screen shots. The goal, Mitic said, was to allow app developers the freedom to promote and distribute their apps as they see fit.

"We give developers freedom and choice with how they take their applications to market," she said, a possible knock at iPhone maker Apple, which has come under fire for its tight control over its iTunes App Store. "We're taking a completely new approach to application distribution. ... That's better for everyone."

Despite Palm's efforts to tout its webOS platform--which is first announced a year ago at the 2009 CES show here--a few major players in the industry remain unmoved. Christopher Dean, chief strategy officer for Skype, said webOS is the only major smartphone platform that Skype does not yet plan to support. Dean said webOS does not have enough momentum behind it to make it worthwhile for Skype to invest in the platform.

For more:
- see Palm's announcement

Verizon Wireless promises imminent launch of app store

Mike Dano — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:55:53 -0500

LAS VEGAS--Verizon Wireless is "on the cusp" of launching its own branded app store--an action that essentially stands as an answer to the wildly successful Apple App Store for the iPhone (currently only available through Verizon rival AT&T Mobility). Verizon's Todd Murphy, director of business development, did not offer a specific launch date, but said the carrier's VCast Application Store would initially be provided to five of the carrier's BlackBerry smartphones: the Storm 1 and 2, the Curve 1 and 2, and the BlackBerry Tour.

Verizon first announced its application store intentions in July, and at the time promised to launch it by the fourth quarter of last year. However, Verizon's Murphy indicated the carrier needed to delay the launch to ensure that the store contained enough applications to make it worthwhile.

"We're just waiting for that inflection point" of enough quality applications, Murphy said during a Verizon developer event here on the sidelines of the Consumer Electronics Show. Added Murphy: "We believe that when we put this out into the marketplace, it will have a significant impact."

Murphy said the carrier currently counts 3,500 developers registered into its program, and "thousands" of application "concepts" for its store.

Further, Murphy promised the application storefront would initially be available for BlackBerry devices, and would launch on Windows Mobile devices in the "middle of the year." Murphy declined to provide a launch window for Verizon's VCast Application Store for Android phones, but did note the app store is heading to Verizon Android phones.

Interestingly, and perhaps unintentionally, Murphy offered a jab at Apple and its trailblazing app store by noting that Verizon's storefront effort would focus on "quality, not quantity." Apple's App Store recently passed the 100,000-app mark, a number that dwarfs app store efforts by the likes of Android and BlackBerry.

Android explodes into the consumer consciousness

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:18:48 -0500

If 2009 was the year that manufacturers and developers fully embraced Google's Android mobile operating system, then 2010 is already shaping up as the year consumers follow suit. According to new data published by research firm ChangeWave, 4 percent of smartphone owners surveyed in mid-December say they're currently using Android, up three points over September totals; more significantly, 21 percent of respondents planning to purchase a smartphone in the next 90 days say they'd prefer the device run on the Android OS--a 15 point jump in just three months. ChangeWave notes that as of September 2009, Android was tied for dead last in consumer preference among the major operating systems--now, it's in second place among future buyers, behind only the iPhone OS X at 28 percent, down 4 percentage points in the last three months. Android's rise also comes at the expense of Microsoft's Windows Mobile and Palm's webOS--6 percent of consumers say they plan to purchase a WinMo device, down from 9 percent in September, while webOS slipped from 6 percent to 3 percent quarter-over-quarter. Only Research In Motion's BlackBerry OS held relatively steady between September and December, increasing from 17 percent to 18 percent among prospective smartphone buyers.

ChangeWave forecasts that Motorola's Droid stands to benefit most from consumer demand for Android devices--in fact, 13 percent of shoppers say they plan to purchase a Motorola smartphone in the next three months, a 12-point jump over September 2009 and the handset maker's first increase in a ChangeWave consumer smartphone survey in three years. In addition, 9 percent of prospective smartphone buyers are now eyeing HTC devices, up from 5 percent in the previous survey, corresponding with the November release of the Droid Eris. Word of mouth is also working in Android's favor, with 72 percent of current Android users telling ChangeWave they're very satisfied with their smartphone, behind iPhone users at 77 percent but well ahead of BlackBerry (41 percent), Palm OS/webOS (33 percent) and Windows Mobile (25 percent).

Not all Android purchases are looming in the immediate future--it appears that a large number of consumers received Android devices over the holidays as well. Mobile application analytics provider Flurry reports Android Market app downloads increased 22 percent between November and December, with downloads to Droid units up 93 percent on Christmas Day over previous Fridays last month. In all, the Droid now accounts for 49 percent of all Android Market downloads, followed by the myTouch 3G at 18 percent, the HTC Hero at 17 percent and the G1 at 16 percent. Flurry adds that Apple's App Store download volume is still more than 13 times greater than Android Market--regardless, Android has made enormous strides over the past year, and that trend will continue in 2010. -Jason

Nokia: We'll be on par with Apple and RIM by 2011

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:41:16 -0500

Contending that the handset maker's declining smartphone fortunes steadied over the second and third quarters of 2009, Nokia executive vice president and mobile phones unit head Rick Simonson says the introduction of Maemo and the stabilization of the Symbian operating system will lead the firm to smartphone segment recovery in 2010. In an interview with The Economic Times, Simonson says the worldwide perception of the Nokia brand is shaped by its struggles to secure a foothold in North America: "We shipped over 200 million smartphones last year and our strategy is volume driven," Simonson said. "We have been stable in this segment and are trying to strengthen our position in the North American market. There is a lot of money to be made in the North American market and since we are not doing too well there, it has resulted in our stock performance--this issue has been played up and media coverage makes it appear it is the same across the world, which is not the case."

Simonson goes on to state that Nokia's resurgence will hinge on "redefining mobilization of all aspects of the office," with a pronounced emphasis on context, citing its 2009 agreement with Microsoft to integrate Microsoft Office software into upcoming Symbian smartphones. "By 2011, our efforts will start producing results, as we will be at par with Apple and RIM in smartphones," Simonson continues. "Not only we draw level with them, we will also win the war because, in addition to email, we will be adding content, chat, music, entertainment and several other features, which will soon become very critical for success of any company in this space. Another crucial factor that will play a large role in our success is that we have the power of an open operating system coupled with the open distribution model that is not restricted by geographical or technology boundaries. Look at our targets for any segment of our devices for 2010--they are all 2 to 10 times that of any of our competitors."

Simonson adds that Nokia's revival also will depend on its global scale and reach. "Through an open system we are encouraging innovation," he says. "We are helping more people--I mean, developers who produce applications for our system--make money. They stand to make more money with us because, our OS is used not just by Nokia, but several other handset makers since it an open system. Next, their apps will be used across the world, as our reach is unmatched and therefore, we present them with the biggest audience to sell their products. An open system enables us to work faster at beating competition in the pockets we are not doing too well, by doing things differently."

For more on the Simonson interview:
- read this Economic Times article

Related articles:
Nokia planning just one Maemo phone in 2010
Sizing up Nokia's Ovi Store five months on
Nokia targets web developers via WRT plug-ins

Palm App Catalog finally tops 1,000 webOS applications

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:07:06 -0500

More than six months after the Palm App Catalog virtual storefront went live in conjunction with the release of the Palm Pre smartphone, the store now boasts more than 1,000 webOS-based applications, according to data released by webOS School. By comparison, Apple's rival App Store surpassed 100,000 iPhone and iPod touch applications in early November. About 70 percent of Palm App Catalog applications are premium downloads--games is the largest category, representing 22.6 percent of all webOS apps, followed by productivity tools (14.9 percent) and sports (13.4 percent). AccuWeather's free weather information application currently tops all other webOS apps with more than 121,000 downloads in the last 30 days.

In late December, Palm released version 1.3.5 of the Mojo SDK, promising Pre user enhancements including an improved App Catalog download experience, multiple simultaneous application downloads and improved battery life in areas with poor network coverage. "At CES in January, we'll be celebrating Palm's move out of its early access program and showcasing our full production developer program and the many ways Palm is innovating in this area," Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein said during the firm's investor conference call last month. "We clearly recognize that having a critical mass of apps is important... After we open the door to all interested developers, we expect to have thousands in very short order."

For more on the Palm App Catalog benchmark:
- read this TechCrunch article

Twitter launches new developer tools, website

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:04:54 -0500

Microblogging giant Twitter announced the introduction of new Developer Site as well as a series of enhancements that should lead to richer functionality across the Twitter application and services ecosystem. In an email to programmers, Twitter director of platform Ryan Sarver writes that developers have now created more than 50,000 Twitter-based applications, with the firm planning to improve support for the ecosystem in the year ahead--first up is a 10x rate limit increase on the number of times an application can request information from Twitter for a single user from 150 requests per hour to 1500 per hour. "With the recent launches of Retweet, Lists and Geotagging we have seen applications struggle to provide the experience they want for their users within the 150 req/hr limit," Sarver notes. "We are excited to open the skies up a bit and provide some more room for developers to work within... Basic Whitelisting still exists and is unchanged. We look forward to what this means in terms of the increased richness around the user experience in Twitter apps."

Twitter's revamped Developer Site promises to consolidate existing communications channels and tools into a single destination while adding tools including new reference documentation, search, API console, API status dashboard (external monitoring service) and clearer documentation of policies. "We are investing heavily in this area and will continue to improve the tools and content for the ecosystem to make sure that you have everything you need to get started and for continued support," Sarver adds. Twitter also is planning a two-day developer conference dubbed Chirp, scheduled to take place in San Francisco sometime this year.

For more on Twitter's developer efforts:
- read this Twitter Development Talk message

Related articles:
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Twitter targeting 2010 as its ‘revenue year'

iPod touch app downloads top iPhone over Xmas

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:03:13 -0500

Application downloads via iPod touch devices eclipsed iPhone downloads by 172 percent on Christmas Day 2009, according to data compiled by mobile application analytics provider Flurry. Total iPod Touch download volumes grew by nearly 1,000 percent on Dec. 25 compared to the average of all previous Fridays during the month-- Flurry speculates that in addition to new iPod touch 3G models received as gifts, iTunes gift cards also drove downloads across earlier generation iPod touch devices. In addition, iPod touch download volumes topped iPhone downloads by 104 percent on Dec. 26. Cumulative App Store downloads increased by 51 percent in December 2009 compared to November totals, Flurry reports.

In early December, Flurry reported the iPod touch accounts for about 40 percent of all iPhone OS-based devices sold worldwide--moreover, the firm contends that the portable media player may boast even greater long-term strategic value than its smartphone sibling, because it's building a loyal consumer base among teens and pre-teens representing the next generation of iPhone users. "When today's young iPod touch users age by five years, they will already have iTunes accounts, saved personal contacts to their iPod touch devices, purchased hundreds of apps and songs, and mastered the iPhone OS user interface," Flurry notes. "This translates into loyalty and switching costs, allowing Apple to seamlessly ‘graduate' young users from the iPod touch to the iPhone." As of June 2009, the iPhone accounted for 57 percent of application user sessions tracked by Flurry--the iPod touch represented 31 percent, and Android devices were responsible for 10 percent. As of late November, total user sessions increased across all three devices, with the iPhone accounting for just 50 percent of sessions on average--the iPod touch's share of user sessions grew to 35 percent, followed by Android at 14 percent.

For more on the App Store's December growth spurt:
- read this Flurry blog entry

Related articles:
Study says iPod touch users slower to upgrade mobile OS
AdMob: iPod touch ad requests triple

As Android grows, so do fragmentation fears

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:30:21 -0500

Looking back at 2009, the biggest story shaping the mobile development landscape was the emergence of Google's Android open-source operating system as a truly viable rival to Apple's iPhone. Android seemed to gain momentum with each passing month this year--during the company's third quarter earnings call in mid-October, Google CEO Eric Schmidt contended all the "necessary conditions" are now in place to galvanize the platform's global growth, with close to 20 smartphones now available worldwide and many more in the pipeline. Looking ahead at 2010, it appears Android will continue to dominate discussion, but not all of it positive: Fragmentation fears continue to escalate, and Google itself is behind the latest wave of concern, albeit indirectly. A recent post on the Android Developers Blog underscores the complexities to come: According to the Device Dashboard, a new online tool providing data about the relative number of active devices running a given version of Android, 54.2 percent of smartphones currently run Android 1.6, 27.7 percent run Android 1.5 and 14.8 percent run 2.0.1. (Android 2.0 runs on 2.9 percent of devices, and 1.1 runs on just 0.3 percent.)

That's not all. "Starting with Android 1.6, devices can have different screen densities and sizes," writes Google software engineer Raphaël Moll. "There are several devices out there that fall in this category, so make sure to adapt your application to support different screen sizes and take advantage of devices with small, low density (e.g QVGA) and normal, high density (e.g. WVGA) screens. Note that Android Market will not list your application on small screen devices unless its manifest explicitly indicates support for ‘small' screen sizes. Make sure you properly configure the emulator and test your application on different screen sizes before uploading to Market." Moll also reminds developers that all Android 2.0 devices will upgrade to 2.0.1 before the end of the year, recommending updates for applications using features specific to 2.0.

While the stated objective of Moll's post is "to provide [developers] with the tools and information to make it easy for you to target specific versions of the platform or all the versions that are deployed in volume," the Device Dashboard nevertheless paints a sobering portrait of an Android ecosystem that's splintering off in an increasing number of directions. Insiders even suggest that one of the motivating factors behind Google's rumored development of its own branded Android smartphone is to guarantee a consistent user experience across its applications. For now, developer interest in Android remains strong: According to data released by applications tracker AndroLib, Android Market added 3107 new applications in November, and 2732 new apps so far this month. But with so many new Android devices in all shapes and sizes expected in 2010, the question isn't whether the platform will grow too big for developers to ignore--it's whether it will grow too big for them to manage. -Jason

P.S. Please note FierceDeveloper will be on publishing hiatus until Tuesday, Jan. 5. Have a memorable and safe holiday season, and see you back here in 2010.

Palm confirms webOS 1.3.5 to launch at CES 2010

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:56:49 -0500

Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein confirmed the device maker is poised to release version 1.3.5 of its webOS mobile operating system during the forthcoming Consumer Electronics Show 2010, which starts Jan. 7 in Las Vegas. Speaking during Palm's investor conference call last week, Rubinstein said webOS 1.3.5 will enable users to download and store more applications, enhance app and WiFi performance, and improve battery life as well as device speed and responsiveness.

"We have an aggressive webOS software roadmap in place and we'll continue to deliver enhancements to our user experience on a regular basis. This includes investing heavily to make webOS a preeminent development platform," Rubenstein said, according to PreCentral.Net. "At CES in January, we'll be celebrating Palm's move out of its early access program and showcasing our full production developer program and the many ways Palm in innovating in this area. We clearly recognize that having a critical mass of apps is important. Today, the Palm App Catalog has over 800 apps from our early access partners. Almost 10 times the number of apps we had in our last earnings call. After we open the door to all interested developers, we expect to have thousands in very short order."

Rubinstein also touted webOS as a platform uniquely positioned to leverage the migration of content and communications to the cloud. "In particular, our over-the-air software update capability is a powerful way to continue to evolve and improve our products even after they're in customers' hands. Since the launch of the Pre, we've provided eight over-the-air webOS updates and each has included a wide variety of new functions, improvements, and fixes--ranging from things like support for new Synergy partners such as LinkedIn and Yahoo to improvements in email and messaging to enhanced security measures for the enterprise. Our 1.3.1 update was made available to webOS users in mid-November and within just one week it was installed by 70 percent of our userbase. This tells us that consumers are quickly learning to appreciate and look forward to this Palm capability."

In related Palm news, the company said its Ares mobile application development platform is now in open beta, promising a complete set of integrated software creation tools hosted entirely within the browser in an effort to reduce the barriers restricting web programmers from shifting their attention to the mobile segment. Writing on the Palm Developer Network Blog, Palm Developer Community manager Chuq Von Rospach notes that Ares features a drag-and-drop interface builder, a robust code editor, a visual debugger and built-in source control integration. Ares is optimized for Safari version 4 and higher, Chrome version 3 and higher and Firefox version 3.5 and higher.

For more on webOS 1.3.5:
- read this PreCentral.Net article

Related articles:
Palm dumps Windows Mobile in favor of webOS
Palm to release webOS SDK, allow legacy apps

Study says iPod touch users slower to upgrade mobile OS

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:22:05 -0500

While 94.4 percent of iPhone users have upgraded their smartphones to run on iPhone OS 3.0, only 52.24 percent of iPod touch users have made the switch according to a new study released by online advertising network Chitika. The iPhone OS 3.0 software update, issued in mid-June, is free to iPhone owners, but iPod touch users must pay between $5 and $10, depending on when they purchased their device--iPod touch units shipped within the last six months arrive with iPhone OS 3.0 preinstalled.

"What's it all mean?" Chitika asks. "Well, despite its hype, iPhone OS 3.0 had very little to offer iPod Touch users. Push notifications? MMS? Tethering? Essentially useless on a device that relies on WiFi for a connection. iPod Touch users are essentially asked to pay for copy/paste, in-app purchases, and the ability to buy a segment of the latest apps from the app store."

For more on Apple mobile OS usage:
- check out the Chitika website

Related articles:
Youth movement driving iPod touch app usage
AdMob: iPod touch ad requests triple

Mobile app downloads forecast to reach 5 billion in 2014

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:48:26 -0500

Mobile application downloads are expected to reach 5 billion in 2014, more than double 2009's estimated 2.3 billion downloads, according to a new forecast issued by ABI Research. Citing growing smartphone adoption--sales grew 20 percent this year--as well as the proliferation of app stores behind the surge, ABI anticipates the iPhone will remain the leading platform for mobile software, although its share of the overall application market will contract during the latter stages of the forecast period--the forecast declares Android will benefit most from the upcoming boom, increasing from 11 percent of total application downloads this year to 23 percent five years from now. "This rapid growth is driven by the mass adoption of the Android OS by both vendors and consumers from 2009 onwards," says ABI wireless research associate Bhavya Khanna in a prepared statement. "There are now more than 14 phones that run the Android OS, and many more will launch in 2010. This, coupled with the rollout of application stores from both smartphone vendors and network operators, will see the iPhone's share of the total market shrink between 2010 and 2014."

Despite growing consumer interest in mobile applications, ABI expects revenues from app sales will decline by 2013 as competition forces downward pressure on prices. Another trend to watch: An increase of free and advertiser-supported applications rivaling premium apps, typified by the launch of the free Google Maps Navigation turn-by-turn service.

For more on the ABI Research forecast:
- read this release

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Wait till late next year for Windows Mobile 7

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:20:37 -0500

While most of the analysis on Google's forthcoming Nexus One branded Android smartphone emphasizes the company's escalating rivalry with Apple, it's also worth considering how far the gap between Google and Microsoft has widened in recent months. With a growing number of handset manufacturers pinning their hopes on the Android OS and software developers shifting their creative efforts to writing Android applications, Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform seems increasingly irrelevant with each passing week. After Windows Mobile lost 28 percent marketshare between the third quarter of 2008 and Q3 2009, according to market research firm Gartner, concern over Microsoft's mobile viability is at a fever pitch--last week, analyst Mark Anderson told the New York Times "It's time to declare Microsoft a loser in phones. Just get out of Dodge." According to Anderson, Microsoft's enterprise-centric culture is the problem: "Phones are consumer items, and Microsoft doesn't have consumer DNA," he said.

To its credit, Microsoft has admitted its mobile missteps. Speaking in October at a private breakfast in Boston, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said the company understands it must make significant strides with the long-in-gestation Windows Mobile 7 operating system, adding "We know we have to kill on that one." At the recent Connect! technology summit in London, Microsoft UK head of mobility Phil Moore was also candid in assessing the firm's struggles: "We're still playing catch-up," he admitted. "When Apple came on to the scene a couple of years ago, it threw away the rulebook and reinvented it. We unfortunately don't have that luxury. It's true--Apple caught us all napping. It launched something that was very iconic, new and unseen with a very good user interface." Moore then dropped a bombshell, admitting Windows Mobile 7 has been pushed back to late 2010. "It is definitely coming," Moore added. "You're going to see a lot more on Windows Mobile 7. Giving the enterprise users and consumers what they want will be part of Windows Mobile 7. You'll get flexibility on a much easier touch UI."

Given how much the mobile landscape has changed in the last 12 months, it's impossible to imagine how much further the industry will evolve in the year ahead, and even tougher to imagine where Windows Mobile 7 will fit into the equation when it finally does arrive. Microsoft has already said WinMo 7 is its last shot at a comeback--how could the project veer so far off schedule? Because no matter how innovative or user-friendly the OS turns out to be, a Q4 2010 release seems like too little, too late. Asked in a recent interview with The Washington Times what keeps him up at night, Google CEO Eric Schmidt responded "I'm always worried about Microsoft. The position they have with Windows and Office is so profoundly powerful." With Windows Mobile 7 out of the picture, something tells me Schmidt's resting a lot easier right now. -Jason

What were the top smartphone operating systems in October?

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:16:17 -0500

Around 36 million Americans now own a smartphone. Here are October's top operating systems by market share.

People Operating Technology checks the pulse of mobile gaming

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:15:33 -0500

Plenty of iPhone applications have provoked controversy. People Operating Technology's new game Death Panel--a factual, non-partisan and non-political look at the Affordable Health Care for America Act--may join the list, although the developer hopes to inspire consciousness and elevate discourse instead. FierceDeveloper speaks with the firm's co-founder Jason Petralia about tackling one of the most vital issues of the day via mobile application. Developer Workshop

Sprint says Android 2.0 coming to Hero and Moment this spring

Jason Ankeny — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:15:48 -0500

While Google's updated Android 2.0 operating system officially reached the consumer market in early November in conjunction with Verizon Wireless' commercial launch of the Motorola-produced Droid smartphone, Sprint announced the revamped OS will not expand to its Hero and Moment devices until as late as mid-2010. "Happy to announce Android 2.0 is coming to Sprint's Hero & Moment," reads a Dec. 11 post on the operator's official Twitter feed. "Date TBD, but roughly 1H 2010."

According to IDG News Service, the delay underscores the potential fragmentation challenges facing the open Android platform as it spreads across more operators and manufacturers. With various smartphones running Android 1.5, 1.6 and 2.0, there exists the possibility that not all Android applications will function properly across all addressable handsets, a situation that could discourage developers from creating software for the platform. "That type of confusion doesn't give developers a warm and fuzzy feeling," said Interpret analyst Michael Gartenberg.

For more on Sprint's Android 2.0 holding pattern:
- read this IDG News Service article

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