US iPhone, App Store mania builds as iPhone 2.0 launch nears

Even though the iPhone 3G won't be out in the US until tomorrow, users are already getting new software a day early. An update to iTunes, the launch of MobileMe, the introduction of the App Store, and some leaked iPhone 2.0 firmware offer plenty of pre-iPhone Day entertainment. Read More...

Shopping Trip to App Store for Your iPhone

The best feature in Apple's second-generation iPhone 3G is the "App Store," a distribution mechanism for third-party programs. In general, the process of choosing and downloading apps is easy and quick, and most of the programs are useful or entertaining. Here's a guide to choosing the apps for your iPhone.

Apple has some work to do with iTunes 7.7, iPhone 2.0, and the App Store

Section: iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iTunes, iPhone + Communications, iPhone, iPhone SDK & AppsApple’s recent launch of a few very popular services and products has brought many complaints and problems to the company. Despite this, the iPhone 3G has sold out practically everywhere, and the App Store is a huge hit, but Apple really needs to get on top of these issues. These products, namely iTunes 7.7, the App Store, and the iPhone 2.0 software, are near perfect, but each have its own flaws. After the break I will outline some of these issues. iTunes 7.7 Although this product’s initial failure could be blamed on the huge toll the servers were taking due to everyone trying to activate, it still needs some work. For one, syncing with the new iPhone 2.0 software isn’t quite there yet. For example, when you delete an app off of iTunes, but not your iPhone, that app will just be put back onto iTunes during the next sync, even though you don’t want it. Also, backing up iPhones with the new software takes an unbelievably long time, and some people have said those backups usually turn out to be corrupt. Let’s hope this gets fixed. App Store This part of the new iPhone was a huge success, with 10 million downloads in its opening weekend.  It has brought amazing third party apps to the device that make it much better than competing phones. That said, the App Store isn’t perfect, either. For example, it still has some difficulty when it comes to determining which applications need updating and how many updates there are. In addition to this, many developers are not at all happy with the review system and how hard it is to debug their apps and talk to their customers. iPhone 2.0 Software This is probably the part that needs the most work. Many iPhone users are experiencing all sorts of lag when typing, opening applications, and doing everyday stuff. Along with that, many applications are crashing upon launch, even Apple made apps. Some may argue that the growing list of lacking features (copy and paste, turn by turn nav, etc.) could even be an iPhone 2.0 software issue. Items such as this are making the iPhone seem like a bad device even though it isn’t. Did I miss anything? Do you agree? Let us know in the comments. Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Unfair practices in the App Store?

The App Store might be only a few days old, but it has already proven itself to be a viable and potentially lucrative outlet for developers. With so many apps (and more being added all the time) for sale, getting exposure is extremely important if a developer wants to stand out in the crowd. Unsurprisingly, the market, especially in the games sector, is very competitive. But is the quest to compete leading to some unfair, and ultimately consumer unfriendly practices? Note: All of this data refers to the U.S. App Store, I'm unsure of the situation in other parts of the world.We got a tip from an iPhone developer, who requested anonymity, about some shady techniques being employed by some developers to obtain a higher app ranking in the App Store. As it stands right now, if you choose to browse the App Store in iTunes, not using the search but using the "All iPhone Applications" category, apps are visually displayed in alphabetical order. Well, they are supposed to be displayed in alphabetical order. As it stands right now, only five of the 21 titles displayed on the first page actually fit that criteria -- and they are the last five apps on that page.Some developers have figured out that adding a symbol or space before the game name will promote the app to the first page. Thus, Solitaire City, which alphabetically should be on page 26, is the very first app listed in the store. Other tiles like Whack the Groundhog, $0.99 Sudoku and 'ColorRise 3D' are all listed on the first page, instead of where they should be cataloged.Gallery: App Store HijinxContinue reading Unfair practices in the App Store?Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple Launches iPhone App Store (TechWeb)

TechWeb - InformationWeek - The App Store opened its virtual doors with about 500 applications for Apple's iPhone, ranging from games to business tools.

iPhone roundup: iTunes remote, Apple ready for real software in the App Store

Who would've thought that rumored iControl app would not only turn out to be real, but survive the inevitable internal politics, delays, and feature cutbacks to make it all the way through to a summer release? Sure enough, iTunes 7.7 has been pushed out to developers in the past several hours, and the installer encourages iPhone and iPod touch owners to "use the new Remote application for iPhone or iPod touch to control iTunes playback from anywhere in your home -- a free download from the App Store." No further details are given -- and it's not clear whether the "iControl" name seen earlier has been scrapped altogether -- but we can guess that it'll use WiFi to hook up with your mainframe, which really makes the idea of an AirPort Express appealing all over again. On another note, Apple has released Beta 8 of the iPhone SDK and is using the occasion to kick off acceptances of applications to the real, live App Store in preparation for its July 11 launch. It appears that Beta 8 is actually required to complete the process, so don't go jumping the gun now -- goodness knows the rest of the iPhone-toting world doesn't want your half-baked apps in a couple weeks, you shady developer, you. Read - iPhone / iTunes Remote app Read - Applications to App Store now being acceptedPermalink | Email this | Comments