Category: Apps (Page 5 of 34)

Steve Jobs backs down on subscription pricing

Steve Jobs.

A couple months back, Apple CEO Steve Jobs made a number of enemies by implementing restrictions around App Store subscription pricing that included a 30 percent finder’s fee for Apple. Apparently some of that change is being rolled back, though Apple won’t be making it easy for subscribers to get content outside the App Store.

The new rules don’t go into effect until the end of the month, at which point we’ll be able to see just how well the app development world is handling the restrictions. Several publishers have pledged to comply with the new rules, but others have pledged to abandon the App Store altogether. I’ll be particularly curious to see what happens to the developers who continue on like nothing has changed. Will we see mass bans from the App Store?

To me, this change seems like a PR move. Apple knows that there are quite a few customers who are also App Store developers, and those guys were not happy when the changes rolled out. Hell, I wasn’t happy and I have no stake in the situation whatsoever.

Weather Doodle now available for the iPad

The Apple iPad may already come pre-loaded with a pretty handy, no-frills weather app, but for those that want their weather forecasts delivered with a bit of style, Tiny Mammal’s Weather Doodle is just the app for you. Although it’s been available for the iPhone since late 2010, the app has finally made its way onto the iPad, and it’s currently on sale for only $0.99 (normally $1.99) through May 23rd.

Weather enthusiasts won’t find too much to get excited about — using individual weather stations within cities across the world, you can access basic info like current conditions, the 5-day forecast, and wind speeds and humidity — but it’s in the presentation where the app really shines. Instead of just seeing a static image of the weather conditions, Weather Doodle depicts it using animated art, whether it’s the moon glowing, snow falling, or lightning striking from storm clouds. There are three different art themes to choose from (with more on the way), but only one of them comes installed with the app. The other two can be purchased for an additional $0.99 each, which is perhaps its biggest shortcoming. Fortunately, the one theme that is included (titled Paperscape, which looks like a grade-school art project using construction paper) is undoubtedly the best of the bunch.

Still, for as appealing as the simple yet beautiful presentation may be (it certainly makes checking the weather more interesting than usual), the lack of any really cool features prevents Weather Doodle from being a must-have app. It’s a great deal at its current sale price, but at its usual $1.99 price point, there’s just not enough there to make it worthwhile.

The ultimate baseball app – Bill James Baseball IQ

If you’re a baseball junkie, this app will blow your mind. Bill James is the king of baseball stats, and now you can get an app for your iPad or iPhone called Baseball IQ that gives you an unbelievable about of information. Check out the video above and you’ll get a feel for all the possibilities with this app, but it just scratches the surface.

One of the best uses will be for fantasy baseball. Right now, you have access to tons of stats if you play fantasy baseball, so it’s hard to gain a real advantage over the other teams. But with this baseball app from Bill James, you get a level of information on stuff like match-ups that goes way beyond what you can find on the web.

So check it out and get that edge!

MOG app for Android is TERRIBLE

MOG Music.

I’m seriously kicking around the idea of dumping my iPhone in favor of an Android device. I’ve been playing with the HTC Inspire for the past few days and really loving it. The notification bar alone could be reason enough to say goodbye to Apple for a while, at least anything running iOS. One of the things I loved about my iPhone was the ability to get any music, anywhere. The MOG app was amazing for streaming and allowed for downloads when I would be without a connection. The Android version does the same thing, just much more shittily.

This is one of the problems with Android in general – different apps will behave differently on different devices. That differentiation (wink wink) is good in some ways – there are a lot of options for users – but it can also be a bit painful. Right now my app has a constant “Artist Radio” overlay along the bottom of the screen, no matter which screen I’m on. It blocks the Download button. It blocks the Play Album button. It infuriates the hell out of me. The app also randomly starts playing any time I receive a notification on my phone. Yes, any notification will start whatever music MOG has loaded provided I’ve used MOG earlier in the day. I have to restart the damn phone to turn it off.

Angry Birds on Android to reach $1 million in monthly ad revenue

No doubt you know that Angry Birds is a bit of a sensation. The mobile game has been downloaded more than 30 million times across different platforms, some 12 million of which were paid downloads from iOS devices. The game is also on Android, but the game is free there, supported by ad revenue. Rovio Mobile, the game’s developer, says it expects to see monthly ad revenue of a million bucks by the end of the year.

Check the video from Google’s new admob mobile success stories:

I’ve heard of mobile developers doing well – just look at Tapulous – but Rovio and Angry Birds might be the first instance we’ve seen of a developer monetizing its product so well. Rovio is turning huge profit from the game, but also turning around and merchandising the product into plush toys and soon, a kids television series.

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