Multi-platform application storefront GetJar announced the introduction of the Gettie Awards, a program to recognize developer innovation across all major mobile platforms. GetJar will award $15,000 in pay-per-download credits and 80 hours of free Device Anywhere testing to the top apps in six categories: Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Java, Symbian and Windows Mobile. In addition, three apps will be pre-selected for online public voting–the winner will earn the Gettie Award, as well as $25,000 in pay-per-download credits and 100 hours of free Device Anywhere testing services.

GetJar is accepting Gettie Awards submissions through June 25–for more details, click here. Winners will be announced on July 12.

For more on the Gettie Awards:
- read this release

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Four weeks after the U.S. retail release of Apple’s iPad, it’s clear the company has another hit on its hands. On Monday Apple announced sales of the tablet have already surpassed the 1 million benchmark–by comparison, the company needed 74 days to sell the first million iPhone units. Consumers have downloaded more than 12 million iPad applications from Apple’s App Store, as well as over 1.5 million ebook titles from the new iBookstore. Apple notes that developers have now created over 5,000 new applications expressly for the iPad–the device also runs almost all of the App Store’s 200,000-plus applications for the iPhone and iPod touch.

Not bad for a device that many skeptics initially greeted as the biggest folly since the Esdel first rolled off the Ford assembly line in late 1957. For all of the early criticisms and complaints–no support for Adobe Flash, no camera, no multitasking capabilities, etc.–the iPad appears to have captured the collective imagination of the Apple faithful. In late April, technology journal Wired reported that the iPad already accounts for 26 percent of mobile traffic to its website: Mobile devices make up between 2.6 percent and 3.5 percent of total Wired.com traffic, and from April 3 through April 19, the iPad represented 0.91 percent of total site traffic. Most intriguing, Wired adds that the sudden increase in iPad traffic correlates with a declining share of iPhone and iPod Touch users, suggesting that most iPad visitors are existing Apple mobile device users trading up to a bigger screen.

“Bigger” seems to be the operative word here–everything about the iPad is larger, including the developer revenue opportunity. One of the early iPad success stories is Vimov’s Weather HD, a 99-cent application boasting current and forecast meteorological updates presented in high-definition video. A recent Vimov blog entry analyzes Weather HD’s App Store success, reporting that downloads reached the 3,500 mark in connection with the iPad’s Apr. 3 launch, slipped below 1,000 per day a week later, then jumped back as high as 2,300 by mid-month. Correlating its internal accounting with the App Store sales and rankings of other iPad applications, Vimov estimates that on Apr. 15 alone, the top 100 premium iPad apps collectively took in $304,058 in revenue–the firm also calculates that the top 1,000 apps are earning roughly $372,000 per day, translating to about $136 million in annual U.S. sales. Factor in the international market, and Vimov forecasts that iPad application sales could average $272 million per year.

It’s no wonder that free iPad applications are relatively scarce. According to data compiled by app store analytics firm Distimo, 80 percent of all iPad applications fall into the Paid Apps segment–by comparison, 73 percent of iPhone and iPod touch applications carry premium price tags, while the average iPad app costs $4.67, as opposed to $3.82 on iPhone. Medical apps for iPad lead the way at an average price of $42.11, followed by Finance apps at $18.48; on the iPhone, Medical apps average $10.74, and Finance apps average $5.74. From the screen size to the app prices, it’s obvious that bigger is better for the first wave of iPad developers–and equally recognizable that their ranks are only going to keep growing from here. -Jason

In the last post, I mentioned Xcode 3.2's new Validate option that runs the same checks the App Store Review Team will use before looking at the content of your app and which may be used by Build and Archive (or any other Build command, for that matter), I probably should have mentioned what determines whether it will get run. It's your project settings. To turn it on or off, select Edit Project Settings from the Project menu, and it's under the Build Options, and it's just a checkbox you can turn on or off.


I would recommend not waiting until App Store submission to run validate. Do it before you send to testers or to your client. It will allow you to address problems before your app gets tested, reducing the need for regression testing.

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Multi-platform application storefront GetJar announced the introduction of new conversion tracking tools enabling developers to measure downloads across the Android, BlackBerry, Flash, Java, Symbian and Windows Mobile platforms. The automated GetJar process enables developers to analyze software performance broken down by phone, country and network, offering insight into where their apps run and where they don’t. The Conversion API also complements GetJar’s Pay Per Download promotion system, enabling developers to better manage their cost per active user and optimize their marketing efforts, and works with the firm’s white-label App Download Page service, giving developers the flexibility to monitor downloads from their own websites. For more information and documentation, click here. 

GetJar now boasts more than 65,000 mobile applications in all. Consumers in over 200 countries have downloaded more than 900 million apps, second only to Apple’s App Store.

For more on the GetJar conversion tools:
- read this release

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Frustrated because Apple rejected your iPhone application and looking for a surefire approach for earning App Store approval? The answer is simple: Win a Pulitzer Prize. It worked for SFGate.com’s Mark Fiore, who last week became the first online-only editorial cartoonist to claim Pulitzer honors. A day following his win, Fiore told the Nieman Journalism Lab that in December, Apple turned down his NewsToons app for iPhone, contending his political caricatures include “content that ridicules public figures and is in violation of Section 3.3.14 from the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement which states: ‘Applications may be rejected if they contain content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, sounds, etc.) that in Apple’s reasonable judgment may be found objectionable, for example, materials that may be considered obscene, pornographic, or defamatory.’”

Fiore said he did not re-submit NewsToons according to Apple’s suggested tweaks, telling The New York Times the process “seemed like it would be so daunting.” But as news of Fiore’s Pulitzer victory and App Store rejection began making the rounds, a red-faced Apple reached out to the cartoonist and encouraged him to submit NewsToons again. Apple customer Robert Williamson even emailed CEO Steve Jobs to chide him for Apple’s handling of the situation, writing “While someone can still view these [cartoons] on the web with no problem, I would like to say that having these and others of their ilk available more widely as apps is a benefit to society. While ridicule might be involved, they it can play an important role in civic discourse–look to the Fool in King Lear, or other similar jesters in a royal court for examples the importance of satire… Editorial cartoons of all stripes should get a pass when it comes to the license agreement with the exception of those that espouse violence.” Jobs soon responded to Williamson’s message, writing “That was a mistake that’s being fixed” (a reply that arrived with a signature line reading “Sent from my iPad,” for what it’s worth).

Despite its happy ending, the Fiore saga is just the latest in a long line of App Store approval absurdities and inconsistencies. Developer outrage continues to grow over Apple’s decision to alter its iPhone developer agreement to mandate that all applications must be written to run directly on the iPhone platform, effectively banning cross-compiler translation tools like Adobe Systems’ new Flash Professional Creative Suite 5–The San Francisco Chronicle reports that after Michigan-based Flash developer John Addis created the Facebook page “I’m with Adobe,” membership swelled to over 8,500 within a week. “[Blocking conversion tools is] the equivalent of Apple rejecting bands from iTunes if they use a PC to mix their CD,” Addis said. “It’s a way of funneling every decision a developer makes through a single company rather than letting the market compete.”

But at least for now, the development community remains overwhelmingly positive about the iPhone opportunity. Eighty one percent of mobile software developers are either creating applications for the iPhone platform or planning to do so according to a new survey conducted by research firm Ovum, and it seems like a safe bet that even the Adobe Flash debacle isn’t enough to drive developers away in significant numbers. No wonder Apple rejected NewsToons the first time around–who needs satire when you’re already laughing all the way to the bank? -Jason

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

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

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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

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.

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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

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