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The most interesting latest news on the topic: Apps |
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The Israeli government has asked Steve Jobs to remove an app, which it claims encourages violent Palestinian protests, from the App Store, putting Apple in the position of moral arbiter. In a letter addressed to Jobs, a government minister said the Arabic-language app, called "Third Intifada," which aggregates information about planned protests against Israel, is a threat to Israel. "I am convinced that you are aware of this type of application's ability to unite many toward an objective that could be disastrous," said Yuli-Yoel Edelstein, minister of public diplomacy, in the letter, according to Reuters. Apple has not yet issued a comment on the letter, and the app remains available. The request puts the company in an uncomfortable position, especially if the app's support for violence is not explicit. In that case, Apple could face accusations of suppressing free speech or giving preference to one set of political interests over another. The company will alienate someone, no matter what it decides to do. Tech companies increasingly find themselves responsible for content offered in their app stores. Apple's tight regulation of high-profile apps make it a lightning rod for such complains, but Google's Android Market and others have also been forced to make decisions that require a moral stance. Apple recently removed an app after complaints that it was hostile to gays, for example. It also rejected a game from the App Store that centered on illegal immigrants' attempts to cross a border. Both Apple and Google have banned "spy" apps that target jealous spouses and turn phones into a location tracking listening device. Facebook recently shut down a page calling for Palestinian uprising after Israeli complaints. It's an interesting counterpoint to the critical role social media sites have played in organizing protests against authoritarian regimes across the Arab world, beginning with the revolution in Tunisia in December. The Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, began in 2000 and led to thousands of deaths on both sides. |
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Apple has dropped a contentious requirement for the way in-app purchases are handled that was alienating publishers, clearing the way for more subscription-based publications to be included in the App Store.
The rule, introduced in February and set to take effect June 30, stated that any content offered for viewing in apps, like a magazine subscription, had to be sold through the app where it would be subject to Apple's 30 percent cut.
Publishers could sell the subscription on their own site as well, but the in-app price had to match the external price and linking to the external purchase option from the app was prohibited.
This meant virtually all purchases would be made in-app, with Apple taking a hefty cut. It also prohibited most publishers from bundling print and digital subscriptions (though some big houses negotiated deals with Apple) or offering other kinds of specials.
The revised rule states that publishers don't have to offer in-app purchases, though they still can't provide a link or button to the external purchase.
Ironically, Apple caved in after many big publishers finally agreed to sign on under the old rule after much hemming and hawing.
The Cuptertino company's change of heart may stem from a desire to be inclusive of smaller businesses, such as "iFlow," an e-book seller that shut down when the rule was announced because it wouldn?t be able to operate at a profit.
The defection of the Financial Times, which decided to abandon the App Store in favor of fielding an independent web-based app that freed it from Apple's restrictions, might also have jangled the company. If the FT project proved a success, other large periodicals that don't need the exposure provided by the App Store might have followed suit.
Apple was also under pressure from Google, which only takes 5 percent of in-app purchases.
Whatever the reason, it's likely that Apple's policy shift will lead to more publishers with apps in its App Store, though those who can't afford or refuse to pay the 30 percent toll will have to tell users to manually visit their websites for the actual purchase step, unless Apple relents on the no button/no link rule as well.
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The Federal Drug Administration is making moves to regulate the growing number of mobile medical apps later this year, which could impact a growing market.
The FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health plans to issue guidelines on mobile medical applications later this year, concerned with issues of efficacy and safety as the development and usage of mobile medical apps gains momentum. The regulation could impact a growing market estimated to be worth $2 billion.
The devil will be in the details and exactly how the rules are spelled out could have big implications. As it stands today, if the device transmits data but doesn't control or alter the function of a medical device, it may be defined as a medical Device Data System by the FDA, a classification that is exempt from the stricter rules that are reserved for devices used in patient monitoring.
Some app makers have already gone through the approval process with the FDA, which could indicate how and to what extent the federal agency will regulate apps.
The first app developer to secure FDA clearance was AirStrip Technologies, whose app allows physicians to monitor a mother and baby remotely during delivery, something considered to be a true clinical tool since it allows the physician to make clinical decisions and will be sold only to hospitals and used with existing monitoring systems.
FDA clearance allowed the company to market its app as a clinical tool, and not just a simple mobile app, according to AirStrip.
The FDA in February also cleared MobiUS, an app developed by Mobisante, which allows viewing of medical images for diagnostic purposes. Mobile MIM, a remote diagnostic imaging tool created by MIM Software, was also approved the same month.
There are apps to detect malaria, diagnose skin diseases and mobile accessories to analyze tissue for certain types of cancer, and with doctors in the Mayo clinic using apps like Pocket Lab Values to double-check lab results, it is evident that medical apps cover a wide array of uses, and are here to stay.
The prevalence of medical apps raises questions about when a smartphone becomes a medical device, and subject to FDA regulations. After all, an app that lists symptoms of a disease isn't in the same category as one that can be used to monitor a fetal heartbeat during delivery.
The balancing act before the FDA will be to encourage app development and not stifle an emerging industry, but also regulate those innovations to ensure they meet high quality standards and are safe and effective for the patients.
To date, the FDA hasn't been involved in regulation of the clinical app development, but the fact that it's drafting a preliminary exploration on the subject and plans to submit it to the medical community for review indicates the agency will be more proactive in monitoring these products in the future.
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Amazon is kicking off summer by offering a steep discount on nearly 20 4G phones -- with contract -- including high-end devices like the LG Revolution, Samsung Droid Charge, HTC Thunderbolt and Google Nexus S 4G.
The Seattle-based retailer's is also offering a $25 gift card with any Windows phone, and $10 in Amazon Appstore credit with a Sony Ericsson Xperia Play.
Amazon hopes its Memorial Day sale entices deal-seeking customers and draws them to its new Appstore. The company, which launched the Android marketplace, is trying to grab a piece of the surging sector.
Its Appstore has had its battles, as widely-publicized with Apple's attempt to shut Amazon out for trying to use a name similar to their "App Store." Amazon's next battle will be the get people to pay attention to something other than the name battle -- the app store itself.
Total mobile app store revenue totaled more than $2 billion last year, with Apple leading the way. Amazon's chances of taking over the market, even with an Android bent on its side, remain unclear.
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The Social Security Agency have developed a baby-naming app, signaling government's growing intention to explore mobile platforms.
This week, the SSA released its "Baby Name Playroom" app, scouring deep into government databases to retrieve the most popular baby names over the past 130 years. The app lists over 45,000 unique names, provides a "favorite names list" that users can share on Facebook, Twitter or via email, and offers trivia baby name knowledge games.
While the app doesn't include features like the origins of specific names, it does include links to lots of useful information on its SSA website, like disability benefits for children, and how to file for a social security number for babies.
The government is dipping its toe into the baby name game and developing a free app in part as a way for the government to test drive the app-building process, according to the administration's CIO Frank Baitman.
"We recognize that the mobile platform is going to be hugely important to Americans," Baitman, a former director at the Palo Alto-based Institute for the Future said, "and to government and business to be able to get their jobs done in years to come."
One of Baitman's goals is to help the SSA move more services online and raise awareness of the agency, and apps like "Baby Name Playroom" seem like a good vehicle to test-drive that goal.
Baitman said that a growing segment of the U.S. population may not have a computer or laptop at home but do have smartphones, which makes the app development a wide-reaching tool. The SSA's app shows the federal government is moving into ground already broken by state and local governments.
Local governments have recently been demonstrating an increasing willingness to partner with technology firms and using mobile devices and apps to solve problems, too. In California, for example, municipal governments are investing in technology for a parking app that citizens can use, resulting in less congestion and a lower stress levels for those looking for parking.
And, in Washington State, the government joined with a private company to implement a smartphone app to help match automobile drivers with riders wanting to cross a heavily traveled bridge that connects Seattle to Bellevue.
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 Tags: Apple, iPad, Apps, Off-Beat, Cat Fishing, Game for Cats, Here Kitty Kitty, iSqueek, Party Mix-Up, Purina, Tasty Treasure Hunt
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20 May 2011 |
New apps aimed at cats are turning the iPad into a high-tech pet toy, though owners may want to invest in a screen protector before doing so.
Purina's Friskies now offers iPad and Android apps for cats, becoming the first pet food manufacturer to capitalize on the increasingly popular tablets.
Four free apps, called "Here, Kitty Kitty," "Cat Fishing," "Tasty Treasure Hunt" and "Party Mix-Up," promise to entertain felines with moving objects that flash or bounce when hit.
Owners can first attract pets to play tablet games with Here, Kitty Kitty's imitation birdcalls and rustling cat food bag noises. Then cats can happily bat at digital fish and virtual cat food with the other apps.
Though Purina claims the games are based on research into cats' preferences, there's not much variation on the swatting theme in the apps, but most cats don't seem to mind.
Purina's apps join a rather specialized group of apps aimed at pets. Besides Friskies' offering, there is an "iSqueek" iPad app for dogs and cats, along with Cat Toy's virtual laser pointers, butterflies and mice that react when cats press their owners' tablets.
There's even "Game for Cats," which awards points to those with accurate swiping abilities.
While Purina claims that iPad screens are hardy enough to remain unscratched under batty cats' claws, some owners may not enjoy watching pets wreak havoc on their newly-purchased $500 tablet.
Those with money to burn, however, can buy a "claw-proof" cover or perhaps even a cheaper tablet for their pets to slowly destroy.
Friskies strives to keep not only cats but also humans busy with their tablet apps. The feline food maker partnered with Mondo Studios to make two games for pet lovers called "Wonderland Quest I and II," which take humans on cat-like questing journeys through fantastic environments, complete with butterflies and other chasable creatures.
Purina's cat apps are available soon for both iPad and Android.
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Apps may consume surprising amounts of data, suggesting users need better ways to monitor app Internet traffic as metered data plans become the norm.
A U.K. report found that the average data usage among the 50 most popular apps in the country was about 10-megabytes per hour.
The most voracious app, inexplicably, was "Tap Zoo," a Farmville-style game that pushed 115-megabytes an hour. That kind of data volume would impact battery life as well as data quotas.
Although many users recognize that Web browsing and media streaming eat a lot of data, people don't expect apps to generate much traffic if they aren't explicitly downloading things. These findings suggest that it would be helpful if apps disclosed their traffic demands to protect users from hitting data caps a week into a billing cycle or racking up overage charges.
Carriers know that users like unlimited data plans -- but they're not crazy about offering them, especially because of the toll it can take on a network. For example, when Verizon began selling the iPhone 4 in January, it offered an unlimited plan to sweeten the deal. But according to a top executive, the carrier will switch back to tiered pricing before the iPhone 5 ships.
AT&T dropped its unlimited plans last year.
Verizon will also begin phasing out unlimited data plans in favor of tiered ones. The company recently announced it would roll out "family data plans," which will let family members' phones, tablets and other device share one capped plan, with one monthly fee, in the hopes of softening the blow of taking away unlimited data.
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An app promises to give users a 30 minute notice in advance of the "Rapture," or Judgment Day, the moment -- some say this Saturday -- Christians believe they'll ascend into Heaven, leaving everyone else in decidedly less pleasant conditions.
"Rapture Detector," promoted by a Reverend Billy Joe Estes, offers an unconventional religious strategy: users are told that "sin, lust and fornication can be yours again!" because the Detector's half-hour heads-up provides enough time to repent and join those who've been pure all along.
As Rapture Detector's home screen loudly declares: "Timing is Everything."
The beginning of the Rapture has been forecast for May 21 this year. Despite the precision of the date, "Rapture Detector" could still prove useful since sources seem vague on the time -- like which time zone?
Although the app seems aimed at people uncertain of their status on Judgement Day, other services like "You've Been Left Behind" target people who expect to be Raptured. For $15 a month, the service will send post-Rapture messages to up to 62 e-mail addresses, perhaps explaining to those left behind where the user has gotten off to.
In a similar vein, "Eternal Earth-Bound Pets" will, for $135, take care of pets abandoned involuntarily by Raptured owners, animals not being eligible for salvation.
The service's employees are certified atheists who have also "blasphemed in accordance with Mark 3:29, negating any chance of salvation," according to the company's FAQ.
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Apple's iPhone 4, its App Store and several games have earned world records, cementing the iOS platform as a force not only among smartphones, but gaming platforms as well.
According to Guinness World Records, the iPhone 4 is the fastest selling portable gaming device in history, selling about 1.5 million units since June 24, 2010. In comparison, Sony's PlayStation Portable moved 200,000 units its first day, while Nintendo needed nine days to move 500,000 DS handhelds in 2004.
In addition to Apple's iPhone, its App Store, which since its July 2008 debut has received 6.5 billion downloads of its 37,000-plus available downloadable games, was named far-and-away the largest gaming destination in the world. The App Store's numbers dwarf the competition, with Steam, the PC's answer to iTunes, offering gamers about 1,100 titles and. Microsoft's Xbox Live Indie Game store carrying around 1,300.
Several games won individual honors from Guinness as well, including "Angry Birds," which nabbed the top-spot for paid games, with its 6.5 million iOS downloads since its debut in Dec. 2009. "Plants vs. Zombies," from developer PopCap, was recognized as the fastest-selling iPhone strategy game with 300,000 paid-downloads its first nine days on the market, while Tapulous' "Tap Tap Revenge" series was given the nod as the highest-selling game series on the IPhone with more than 15 million downloads.
The iPhone's mobility has surely played a role in making the device a popular destination for casual and serious gamers alike. Today's smartphone user always has their device in arms reach, and having games right on their device eliminates the need for bulky, pocket-filling handhelds like the PSP and Nintendo DS.
In addition, the App store is always a click away, offering thousands of games with price-tags as low as $1. The low entry point allows users to experiment with several games because, unlike console games that charge up to anywhere from $30 to $50 a title.
Dedicated console gamers point to the richer and deeper game play experience as justification for the increased price, but the argument doesn't resonate well with average casual gamers, who increasingly turn to their smartphones for a quick game or two to pass the time between other activities. Especially in these difficult economic times, gamers are looking for cheaper forms of entertainment, and are finding it in app-style downloadable titles.
For their part, Nintendo has been vocal against the growing popularity of App Store games, saying they cheapen and threaten the very existence of full-scale, console gaming systems.
But, as the Guinness Awards underscore, smartphones are continuing their march towards ubiquity, and as a result, downloadable gaming will continue to grow, continuing a paradigm shift from traditional console-based gaming on the television screen to the touch-sensitive small screen.
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One in three smartphone owners use apps before they get out of bed, according to a survey, revealing how mobile devices are becoming ingrained in everyday behavior.
Ericsson ConsumerLab's 18-month study of mobile Internet usage found that Facebook and Twitter accounts for approximately half of smartphone usage at any given time of day, though late evening is most popular, with 34 percent connecting through social media then.
"Prior to the introduction of smartphones," according to the study, "consumers tended to use the Internet in 'chunks' -- they would tend to confine their Internet activities to when they had an opportunity to sit in front of a computer."
In addition, over half of U.S., Europe and Japan smartphone owners use their device while commuting to work. And the same amount use their phones for non-voice activities pretty constantly all day long -- with the exception of dinner time, when only 26 percent are multitasking with their phones.
Usage is heaviest in the early and late evenings, when over 60 percent of users are active. And 40 percent use their smartphones before going to bed.
The study's report says "app culture is growing in importance and turning into a new way of living," as consumers expect and depend on accessing online services "at low cost and complexity from multiple locations during the day."
In February, Zokem Research reported that app usage had pulled almost even with text messaging in popularity among smartphone users, consuming 667 minutes per month compared to 671 minutes.
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