Posts tagged Dev
Apple has Released the Source for TextEdit
Great way to learn about Mac application structure.
The iOS 6 App Opportunity: Transit
Apple’s new maps application ships without public transit directions. Transit directions was a service provided by Google, whom does a mostly fantastic job at aggregating disparate public transit data into a unified format. While Apple has focused on delivering a great in-car experience, they’ve punted on local transit.
As a compromise, they’re recommending apps that provide transit directions from within the Maps app itself. A cany developer or team could be ready on launch day with apps for the top metro areas, which implimenting the new API hooks, and skip the hubbub of the App Store entirely by selling an app for a few dollars within Maps’ recommendation space.
Or you could make the app free and use it as a beachhead to promo additional apps. Shops with lots of apps (game companies, media outlets, etc) hugely benefit from being able to cross-market their other apps from within successful apps. For example, when Zynga launches a new app, they promo it within their existing install base to guarantee initial attention. One could use a transit app, ready on day one, to build a wide base of users for an larger suite of apps.
Personally, I prefer the pay case (and am anxiously awaiting such apps before I upgrade). Either way, it’s a big opportunity for the developer who can craft a sharp app quickly but is often stymied by the App Store.
Shell Apps and Silver Bullets
Web technology is great for many things. Replicating a native app experience is not one of them.
If you’re thinking of going with HTML5 for your company’s app, read this and think again. Great arguments from someone who seems to know their ass from a hole in the ground.
AKA: don’t judge a framework/language/technique by its demo app.
This not only applies to HTML5, but also to bridge efforts like Ruby Motion. Sure, it’s crazy simple to write an example app, but once your app grows to a practical size, and you start spelunking in the API, the benefits of the bridge becomes moot.
However: the writer’s Facebook example is poorly chosen. FB’s app is largely HTML5, and for their specific situation this makes a lot of sense.
Update: Pete Warden (who is much better qualified to address this than I) responds much more vigorously (and convincingly) against this article’s claims, especially with regard to HTML5 performance claims.
Mike Krieger explains why Instagram uploads photos so quickly.
It’s slight of app.
“ More specifically, Adobe will require developers to share 9 percent of net revenue beyond $50,000 for using the premium features, Adobe announced today. The premium features are Stage 3D for hardware-accelerated graphics and domain memory for better conversion of games previously written in C or C++.”
CNET on Adobe’s upcoming payment terms for premium Flash features. Adobe’s Emmy Huang explains the motivation behind the charges, “We’ve designed this pricing to encourage the kind of innovation and experimentation that often helps to spark inspired and inventive games.”
I’m a bit confused: asking developers to pay to keep a waning language competitive helps innovation how?
If this works, Sony will start taking royalties from filmmakers for an HD version of BetaMax.
PeteSearch: Twelve steps to running your Ruby code across five billion web pages
Using CommonCrawl’s web archives, Ruby, S3 and Elastic MapReduce, Pete Warden shows you how to crawl 5 billion web pages for a few dimes.
Absolutely demystifying.
“ Build task claims to succeed in spite of generating error messages.”
A Plea for Better iOS Text Facilities
buzz:
Some (e.g. Facebook and Instagram) have dealt with this problem by abandoning fully native apps and instead building hybrid apps that rely on UIWebView for all but the simplest content presentation. Other, less ambitious companies have dealt with it by essentially distributing 200 MB PDFs disguised as general purpose software. The really crazy ones, like Joe Hewitt with his Three20 framework, have essentially reimplemented their own rich text rendering frameworks, complete with CSS-like style functionality, but while I’ve certainly never been one to shy away from a megalomaniacal engineering challenge, I’m pretty sure that way lies madness for anyone without Apple-level engineering resources (it’s telling that three20 was created by Facebook and even they are now relying on UIWebView).
Second. Unfortunately the crazy, CSS and ePub forking iBooks Author files don’t inspire hope.
Worst thing about the new Twitter app? The tableviews lag. The stream sputters each time it attempts to load an avatar.
The one feature Twitter should be focused on –– before all else –– is a speedy, well designed (why the inset?) main stream. (Which is a shame, because the unified Connect tab is rather nice) It is crystal clear Loren Brichter doesn’t work at Twitter anymore. Let’s hope they take their time ‘updating’ the iPad app.
Ibis Reader
Ibis Reader doesn’t whine about cross-platform coding or app store regulations. They just build amazingly full-featured web apps.
Their web app (with a polished iPhone interface and local database) is indistinguishable from a native implementation. Devs take note.
