Tag Archives: users

Study: Mobile gamers download five titles a month, mostly through word of mouth

A new study released by Applifier says that word of mouth is still the number one way mobile game players find the games they like. That doesn't necessarily mean in-person discussion about mobile games, however, though 36 percent of users did report that hearing from a friend or family member was a major source of games, and 25 percent of users said actually seeing a friend or family member play a game was one way they found out about their favorites. However, 43 percent of users say reading user reviews was the main way they found what they liked to play.

Video is another big game pusher -- 70 percent of users polled by Applifier say that they watched online video about mobile games in the last week, and 45 percent of users said that watching the video had them downloading that same game right away.

Most mobile game players, according to Applifier, download up to five mobile games a month, which is just a little more than one per week. Those games are played for about three hours per week, though obviously that's spread out across the entire week, so most likely little bits here and there rather than three hours at a time. And 20 percent of users, said Applifier, can be classified as "sharers," which means they are more likely to download more games, play more often and for longer and convert to paying users. All interesting stuff. For all of the infrastructure for app discovery built by Apple and others, odds are that you're still hearing about your favorite iOS downloads from the people that you know best anyway.

Study: Mobile gamers download five titles a month, mostly through word of mouth originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 23 May 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Songza 3.0 update available now

We mentioned Songza's iOS app last year around when it came out, and the music sharing service has just updated the app to version 3.0. The free app has been almost completely reimagined, and while it still offers plenty of tunes to listen to, the interface has been revamped -- it's much cleaner, flatter, and has some nice bits of plain color included. The "Concierge" service is still there and upgraded, so if you simply tell the app what you're doing, it'll try to get you some music to do that with. The company has also focused on ease-of-use, so for example, just holding down any Concierge station button will start up the music, no matter what, so you can get things rolling as quickly as possible.

The new version also includes an updated "HQ Audio" system, so the tunes you're hearing can sound as good as possible. As before, Songza can be downloaded for free, and whether you missed it or have wandered away from the app in the past, the latest version adds enough new that it's definitely worth another look.

Elias Roman, Songza's co-founder, also tells TUAW that the company has hit a few new milestones recently. The app has just seen its 6 millionth install from the App Store, and served over 560 million songs in just the last month. Songza claims 4.7 million monthly active users, and it says that in total those users spend over 65 million minutes playing tunes every day. That's a sizable user base for sure, and we'll have to see if this updated version makes Songza even more popular.

Songza 3.0 update available now originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 02 May 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Status Board updated with bugfixes, performance improvements

Panic's well-received Status Board app has been updated to version 1.1, and as you might imagine, it's mostly a bugfix update. The biggest issue fixed was probably a bug with sending standard video out, but that should be all taken care of according to Panic (sending HD video out still requires an in-app purchase). The Calendar List panel also deals with resizing much better, and there are now options for either Celsius or Farenheit listings for each Weather panel you have showing.

If you're enjoying Status Board, you may also want to check out our five surprising uses for the app, or take a look at some of the other widgets users have been putting together for the service. Status Board is wonderfully designed, but the app itself is really just a container. It's up to you to fill it up with whatever you'd like to be updated about.

If you haven't gotten Status Board for your iPad yet, you can grab it from the App Store for US$9.99. That's a premium price, but Panic clearly put a lot of work into this one-of-a-kind utility.

Status Board updated with bugfixes, performance improvements originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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App.net introduces a free tier, currently invite-only

App.net is a service that's had its fans and opponents -- it's currently used as a microblogging service, similar to Twitter, where users can share files and updates easily. But unlike Twitter, App.net's had a philosophy of staying away from ads, letting users keep all rights to the content they create, and keeping the API as open as possible. Until now, App.net has only had paid tiers of service, but starting today, they've announced a free tier, meaning users can now join the site and the network for free.

As you might expect, there are some limits. First, you'll need an invite, and the invites are being given out to paid account holders, so it's not exactly an open door just yet. After you sign up, free accounts can only follow a max of 40 people, and will only have access to 500 MB of storage, with a max file size of 10 MB. App.net is also giving away some extra storage space to those who invite users who stick around and follow others, so if you have a paid account already, there's a chance at a bonus if you invite the right people.

If you don't get in on this first run, don't worry -- App.net's devs say they're going to be opening up the process going forward, depending on how it goes. App.net's API is now used by more than 100 third-party apps on a number of different platforms (including apps like Netbot for iPad on iOS), and I expect that number will rise as more and more people join and use the service.

In the past, App.net has gained attention (and accolades) for being a very limited, paid-only network, but offering a freemium tier like this is the next step towards really creating the "movement" and ecosystem the team originally wanted.

App.net introduces a free tier, currently invite-only originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexon releases Dungeon Fighter Gunner for iPhone

Nexon has released a version of its extremely popular (in Asia, at least) Dungeon Fighter Online game on the iPhone, called Dungeon Fighter Gunner. You can download the title right now -- it's pretty standard fare, featuring lots of onscreen touch controls, and the same 2D beat-em-up style gameplay that makes the online title so popular overseas.

But what's most important about this app isn't necessarily what it is, but what it represents. Dungeon Fighter Online is a huge franchise, boasting over 300 million registered users around the world. That's gigantic -- by comparison, World of Warcraft (definitely the largest MMORPG in the West) hosted about 12 million users at its peak. DFO is by far Nexon's biggest title, and while it has put a few apps onto the store already, this is the first app it's released that's been related to the DFO juggernaut.

So we'll have to see how this one does. There are some huge brands out there in terms of online gaming, both in the East and West, that could benefit a lot from some tie-in titles on the App Store. If this game does well, or gains just a fraction of the audience it already has on the PC, we could be looking at the first in a series of big tie-in hits.

Nexon releases Dungeon Fighter Gunner for iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DeNA and Square Enix to release new mobile Final Fantasy game

DeNA and Square Enix to release new mobile Final Fantasy game

DeNA is one of the larger social networks coming out of Asia lately (they're probably best known around these parts for buying mobile game developer ngmoco), and the company announced this morning that it's teamed up with Final Fantasy creators Square Enix to publish a new Final Fantasy-branded title on iOS and Android. Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade is the name, and it's a casual social game centered on flying airships around a fantasy setting, working together with other players to bring down bad guys, earn experience and level up characters and their abilities.

The game is due out on the App Store soon, and will be a free download, so when it does arrive, we'll be able to check it all out and see how it works right away. But even more interesting than the actual game at this point is the deal behind it: DeNA is using the much-loved Final Fantasy brand to try and grow its network of connected gamers. This is a really strong push for DeNA in the West, and while it (and other Eastern social networks) have made lots of tries at attracting gamers' attention before, using the much-loved Final Fantasy brand is probably their strongest tactic yet.

They're asking fans to sign up on the website right now (thus getting them involved in the big Mobage network), and offering a special "Cloud" card in the game for doing so, featuring the popular character from Final Fantasy VII. It remains to be seen if this move will work, but again: DeNA and their competitors have been fishing for new users in the Western market for a while now, and the Square Enix brand is probably their most powerful bait yet.

Show full PR text DeNA and Square Enix Partner to Bring FINAL FANTASY AIRBORNE BRIGADE
Mobile Game to Players in United States and Canada

Pre-registration for the Free Game Guarantees an Exclusive Complimentary In-game Card Featuring the Character "Cloud"

SAN FRANCISCO - November 29, 2012 - Following the game's success with more than three million registered users in Japan, DeNA Co., Ltd. (TSE: 2432) and Square Enix Co., Ltd. announced today that the two companies are bringing FINAL FANTASY(R) AIRBORNE BRIGADE[TM] to mobile phone users in the US and Canada. This is the first FINAL FANTASY free-to-play social game to be released in English.

FINAL FANTASY AIRBORNE BRIGADE is an easy-to-play social game where players cooperate and adventure through a world inspired by the popular FINAL FANTASY series. Each player rides an airship, and forms groups called airborne brigades in order to fight powerful bosses. Each player gains experience, and levels up by adventuring through quest regions. They will encounter foes and obtain abilities and items straight from the FINAL FANTASY series.

"We're very proud to offer FINAL FANTASY fans based in the US and Canada our own take on the themes and ideals of the series with the upcoming launch of the mobile game FINAL FANTASY AIRBORNE BRIGADE," said Kenji Kobayashi, executive games director at DeNA. "In celebration of the franchise's 25th anniversary this year, we strived to create a unique gameplay experience where players can elevate each other through fun, cooperative play."

The game appeals to FINAL FANTASY fans as well as players new to the franchise. FINAL FANTASY AIRBORNE BRIGADE will be available soon as a free download on Android and iOS devices.

Players can pre-register for the game and be alerted via email as soon as the game is available for free download. Pre-registered players can obtain a free three-month exclusive in-game card featuring Cloud, one of the most popular FINAL FANTASY characters of all time, which will help them during boss battles.

To pre-register for FINAL FANTASY AIRBORNE BRIGADE, please visit: ffairbornebrigade.com

DeNA and Square Enix to release new mobile Final Fantasy game originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Nov 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dropbox hits 100 million users, looking for great Dropbox stories

Dropbox has announced that it has reached 100 million users, an impressive number to be sure. For comparison's sake, here's Wikipedia's list of virtual communities with more than 100 million users, which currently has seven companies on it, so Dropbox has just joined a very exclusive club. Twitter, for example, hit 100 million earlier this year, and Facebook has 166.1 million users in the US at last count. To think that Dropbox is shoulder to shoulder with those kinds of companies is very impressive indeed.

To celebrate, Dropbox is going to give away a few 100 GB for life packages, and they want Dropbox users to log in and share their stories of how they use the service. There are all kinds of great examples on there, from wedding photo sharing to high school coaches that use the service to share game plans.

Personally, I've got three computers and about four devices wandering around my life at this point, and Dropbox has become my de facto way of making sure I have important documents and files when I need them. I also use it for backup, keeping archives of my blog posts and various interview transcripts in the cloud, so that if any specific hard drive dies, I've always got a copy on Dropbox's servers. Finally, I work on a few different podcasts, and we use shared folders on Dropbox to share audio and talksheets with our hosts and guests.

Dropbox is a great service, and we congratulate them on all of their success so far. Here's to 100 million more!

Dropbox hits 100 million users, looking for great Dropbox stories originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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App Store has growing population of never-downloaded "zombie apps"

Here's a discouraging statistic for independent developers looking to break into the increasingly crowded iOS App Store. According to a report from mobile analytics firm Adeven, over two thirds of the store consists of "zombie" apps, which generate few downloads and almost no revenue to their creators.

The total number of these apps sits at around 400,000, so while Apple often brags that there are hundreds of thousands of apps available on the App Store, the majority of these aren't of interest to most users, and likely aren't getting discovered.

How are developers making money on the App Store then? Apple's marketplace is looking increasingly more and more like the traditional software market, in that a few companies with a lot of experience, brand recognition and marketing money are able to catapult their products up into the Top 25, where they're usually profitable as long as they can sit there. There's also a thriving market for apps that address specific business verticals rather than aiming at the general consumer.

Not all is lost, however: It's still possible for really well-done apps to break out into the public's view, even though it takes a little luck to do so (hasn't that always been the case?). But the next time Apple comments on the number of apps it has on sale, keep in mind that many of those apps are seldom glanced at by potential buyers. There's a very busy strip of apps at the top of the App Store, and a huge swath of empty strip mall apps out there not seeing much traffic at all.

[via iJailbreak]

App Store has growing population of never-downloaded "zombie apps" originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone apps help the blind in all kinds of ways

We've heard of the iPhone being used in all kinds of situations, but here's a new one for me. Blind iPhone users are making wide use of the device for identifying objects visually. This writeup over at The Atlantic has more, telling the story of two blind women who use Apple's little mobile phone to do things like identify the color of clothing, scan money bills for their values, and even tell them where they are, via GPS and voice controls.

The Audible app will also read books out loud, and there are apps to tell the user where they're pressing on the screen, and even "speech texting" through HeyTell, which is an app that I know a few sighted people use as well.

In the future, these blind users would like even more, specifically better integration of Siri with voice controls (which is something that I think everyone would like), and even more location features. They mention an idea where a phone will buzz or vibrate if you happen to be near a certain location. Still, it's amazing how much having a powerful little, location and camera-equipped pocket-sized computer has been able to change the lives of the blind.

iPhone apps help the blind in all kinds of ways originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 04 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GREE picks up Funzio for $210 million

You might remember GREE as the Japanese social network that picked up OpenFeint around this time last year. Since then, the company has been, like Zynga, Mobage, and a few other giant social networks, looking to pick up social and iPhone/mobile developers to make games for its millions of users to play. And GREE's latest target is Funzio. The developer of Kingdom Age and Crime City on the iPhone has reportedly been acquired for the sum of US$210 million.

The name of the game here is users. GREE has earned tons of them, both in Japan and overseas, and needs content and games to keep them interested and growing. So Eastern companies like GREE are turning to Western devs like Funzio (which is based in San Francisco) to make content for them. We're right in the middle of this trend, so we can expect to see more big purchases like this, from GREE and other networks, yet to come.

GREE picks up Funzio for $210 million originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 02 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Read It Later becomes Pocket, goes free for all

I know Read It Later as a very useful Firefox extension, similar to Instapaper, which allows users to save web content with just one click for later retrieval on smartphones, tablets, or the web. Previous to this, there were both free and pro versions of Read It Later available in the App Store, with the Pro version allowing for things like sharing content to social networks, and a fullscreen reading experience.

All that's changed now, as well as the brand itself. Read It Later, TUAW has been told, is now being called Pocket, and the full service will be available for free on iOS, Android, and Kindle, as well as the web and all of its other platforms.

Pocket has all of the features of Read It Later, which means it still plugs into all of the same places -- users will be able to save content from the web or over 300 apps out there (including apps like Flipboard and Zite), and then access that content again later. And of course the new Pocket app also features upgrades, including a new cleaner UI, a redesigned fullscreen mode, and the ability to favorite and even tag content in bulk, so it's easier to find and organize than before.

It sounds like a great move for the app and its creator, Nate Weiner. The fact that all of the previously pro features are now free should give you a reason to try it, even if you haven't before. Pocket should be available either right now or very soon over on the App Store.

Show full PR text More Than Just Reading - Top App "Read It Later's" Newest Version Becomes the Now Free "Pocket" to Easily Save Web Articles, Videos and More to View Later

New Pocket App Leads Content Shifting Category with a Beautiful New Design that Makes Viewing Later on Any Post-PC Device Easy

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, APRIL 17, 2012 - Four years ago, Read it Later was created to allow users to save their web content to view later on their own schedule. One year ago, Read It Later had 2.5 million users; now it has 4.5 million. This growth made it the number one paid news app for Android and Kindle Fire and a top app for iPhone and iPad. Today, the company announced a new version of their flagship app -- now free across all devices -- and a new name, Pocket.
Pocket is for when people discover an interesting article, video or web page, but don't have time to view it. Once saved to Pocket, the list of content is visible on any device -- phone, tablet or computer. It can be viewed while waiting in line, on the couch or during commutes or travel -- even offline. Pocket is available today for free in the App Store at getpocket.com/ios, on Google Play (formerly the Android Marketplace) at getpocket.com/android, and for Kindle Fire at getpocket.com/kindlefire.
"Nearly five items every second are saved to Pocket from the web and popular news apps, including videos, articles, recipes and more," said Nate Weiner, founder of Read it Later and creator of Pocket. "Pocket is the perfect name for our latest version as it expresses how simple it is to take any content users discover with them, no matter where they go."
Pocket is different than "bookmarking," apps, which organize links for long term storage. Instead, Pocket lets users save the content they discover on the web or inside any of over 300 leading apps--including Flipboard, Twitter, Pulse, and Zite--with a single tap and view it on any device.
Since its launch in 2007, over 200 million items have been saved, giving the company deep insight into how and when consumers save and view their web content. Key findings include:
o. 33 percent of saved items come from 3rd party apps including Twitter, Zite, Flipboard and Pulse.
o. 50 percent of items saved via Pocket are viewed on mobile screens (up from 34 percent in January).
o. Web consumption peaks in the early morning and declines through the day, as consumers dig through their inboxes and find what they want to view later. iPad use peaks at night, as users view saved content in the pre-bedtime hours. Mobile consumption maps to commuting times, as users increasingly view content in transit.
o. 40 percent of items saved are not articles; popular content include videos, images, things to buy, travel tips and recipes.
o. YouTube is the apps' most popular source of content, as users increasingly are saving videos for later viewing.

The new Pocket update is focused on making the most important parts of the user experience as easy and simple as possible. It enhances all the features users already loved in Read it Later in a beautiful new interface.
o. A Cleaner, Simpler UI. The new user interface of Pocket displays all of a user's content in a beautiful, easy-to-view layout adapted to take full advantage of high definition displays.
o. Video & Image Filters. Most people save sites with videos and images, in addition to articles and text. Pocket automatically filters all content so users can quickly switch between articles, videos and images with just a tap.
o. Enhanced Viewing Experience. Articles, videos and anything saved is displayed in a clean and simplified view with fewer toolbars and a redesigned full-screen mode.
o. Easier to Organize. New bulk editing, favoriting and tagging modes make organizing and browsing saved items easier. Users can find content by keywords, publications or create their own custom tags.
o. Favorites. Users can star favorite content so it is always available when they want to find it.
o. Pocket is Free on All Major Mobile Platforms. Pocket is now available, for free, on all major mobile platforms including Android phones and tablets, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Amazon Kindle Fire.

About Read it Later
Based in San Francisco, Read it Later was founded in 2007 by Nate Weiner to help users save what they find online and view it on any device at any time. The service currently has over 4.5 million registered users and is integrated into over 300 apps including Flipboard, Twitter and Zite. In April 2012 the Read it Later app became known as Pocket and focused on the most important parts of the content-shifting experience, making it easier and simpler than ever. Pocket is available for major devices and platforms including iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Kindle Fire, all Android-based tablets and smartphones, Google Chrome, and Firefox.

Read It Later becomes Pocket, goes free for all originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New iPad already five percent of iPad web traffic

According to mobile ad network Chitika, Apple's new iPad, which has already sold millions of units despite being available for less than a week, is already blowing up in network usage. The latest numbers from the ad network say that more than five percent of the total iPad traffic is from just the new iPad. Five percent isn't a huge number overall, but considering that's the dent Apple has made with a new unit in just five days, that's pretty huge.

The company has actually set up an "iPad tracker" where you can see what percentage of the ad network traffic over the last 24 hours the new iPad is currently responsible for. As you can see there, these numbers are for iPad traffic only; the five percent figure is only being compared to the traffic used by the iPad 1, 2, and 3 (the new iPad). Still, the other two models have been out for much longer, so it's fair to say that the Retina Display and all of the new iPad's other selling features are really lighting a fire in consumers for this product.

[via BGR]

New iPad already five percent of iPad web traffic originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T aims to have developers pay for app bandwidth usage

At an interview during the Mobile World Congress going on in Spain this week, AT&T executive John Donovan told the Wall Street Journal that the company is apparently hoping to have app developers pick up some of the cost of network usage. The whole idea sounds kind of dumb, but obviously AT&T wants to make more and more money off of the climbing amounts of network usage, and one idea they've had is to have app developers subsidize the cost of that data. In other words, a developer like Rovio would pay AT&T directly, and then Angry Birds would come with some kind of a "No Network Usage" label, meaning that users wouldn't need to pay AT&T for any data that app happened to use across the network.

TechCrunch's Jordan Crook doesn't waste any time taking the charge to AT&T for this, saying that the whole thing is a "boondoggle" designed to sneak more money out of both developers and users (who are already hit by the rising costs of usage plans). The fact is that most uses don't go anywhere near AT&T's data cap, but it's in the company's best interest to make them think they're almost there, sending out warnings and cautions about how much bandwidth is being used. AT&T's Donovan claims that a plan like this would allow AT&T to avoid raising user costs, but let's be honest: They'll still go up as AT&T charges users more and more on network usage, and they'll also add on costs to developers (who also will likely pay for way more bandwidth than their users actually use).

All of that said, it's doubtful we have much input on this anyway: If AT&T does offer such a usage plan, there are probably plenty of developers willing to pay if it gains them even just a few more app users.

AT&T aims to have developers pay for app bandwidth usage originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cook: iCloud has 100 million users, 3 million Apple TVs sold last year

Tim Cook spoke at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference, and he's shared a few up-to-date numbers about a few of Apple's platforms and services. iCloud is probably where he shared the most fascinating insight: The service now boasts over 100 million users, which is a very sizable user base. I don't know offhand how many Apple accounts are out there, but that seems like a significant amount of growth for a service that's not all that old (although MobileMe customers were obviously migrated).

Apple TV is also growing -- we've already heard this year that it was big, but Cook says that Apple sold over 3 million set-top boxes last year, and a million last quarter already. He confirmed that the Apple TV was still just a "hobby" for the company, but noted Apple still wants to see more mainstream acceptance of the streaming media device before really dumping in.

We'll leave it up to your imagination as to what the Apple TV would be like if Apple decided it was a real market instead of a hobby. Finally, Cook also pointed out that Apple is growing at a gigantic rate in the developing world, earning twenty times the income from previous years in developing tech nations like Asia, India, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It certainly sounds like Cook has confidently moved into a leadership role at Apple -- not only are things going great, but he definitely has a plan for the future.

Cook: iCloud has 100 million users, 3 million Apple TVs sold last year originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Voting now open for Best App Ever awards

Voting has been opened up for the 2011 Best App Ever nominees. These awards have been put on every year for a few years now by our friends over at 148 Apps, and they feature many of the greatest apps you'll find on the iOS store, chosen by users. To vote on this year's awards, head over to the Best Apps Ever page, and choose your favorites from all of the various different categories from Best Overall App to the various technical choices in each category.

For the first time I can remember, the awards also talk about Android apps this year, so if you have an Android device and some favorites on that side of the fence, be sure to represent over there as well. But despite the fact that Android is being honored, Best App Ever is still planning to announce the final winners later this month at Macworld, as usual. Voting is open until January 25, and be sure to put your votes in. We're curious to see which of these great apps is crowned with a win.

Voting now open for Best App Ever awards originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: iOS and Android apps fighting for retention, not discovery

The latest Flurry report has an interesting insight for app developers. Over the last few years, as apps have gained more and more attention and users, discovery has been one of the biggest issues developers face: Most devs spend a lot of their time post-release just trying to tell as many people as possible about their app, so they can actually find it in the store and buy it. But Flurry now says that because of the growing amount of tools out there for app discovery, the biggest problem faced by apps isn't getting found anymore. It's trying to get customers to stick around.

As you can see above, app user retention drops off sharply after the first month of usage, and only gets worse from there. Based on my own experience, I can agree with this assessment -- while I probably use more apps than the average consumer, even my favorite apps really only hold my attention for a few weeks at the most before I find something else I really like and move on. That's not a judgment on app quality -- there are just so many apps out there and apps always coming out and dropping in price and going free that there's always something shinier to move on to, no matter how great the app is.

Especially with models like freemium, app retention becomes more and more important for developers. Presumably, then, the next tools developers need should not only work towards discovery (things like Game Center and OpenFeint have helped immensely with this kind of thing), but also should be aimed towards keeping users interested in the apps they have. The new Notification Center may help with something like that, or maybe a "Recently Used" folder on your iOS device, that pushes you back to apps you've used lately. It's fascinating to see that as the app ecosystem grows and ages, developers are facing new and different problems reaching users.

Report: iOS and Android apps fighting for retention, not discovery originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pew: Half of US customers use phones to get info in realtime

Have you ever been out and about with your cell phone, needed some information, and looked it up right there on the spot? You're not alone: The Pew Internet Research Project has released a report that says more than half of US cell phone owners have used their devices to get information they needed in real-time, right where they happen to be. That's a huge change in the way we used to deal with information -- remember when you had to print out maps or call ahead before you went somewhere, or just forget what the name of that '80s movie actually was? Nowadays, connected phones are so ubiquitous that all of that information is literally and conveniently a touch away.

In fact, I'm surprised that number isn't higher. And looking up information isn't the only thing smartphone owners do with their phones: 92 percent text and take pictures, 80 percent send photos to others, and 76 percent send emails. Social networking in general is popular as well, with 59 percent of owners using those sites, and 15 percent going to Twitter specifically.

We've heard before that people are actively doing these kinds of things with their smartphones, but the trend is definitely continuing.

Pew: Half of US customers use phones to get info in realtime originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iOS Users Buy More Apps in 2011, Pay More for Them

We iPad users sure do love our games and apps, and thanks to the incredible sales of the iPad and the iPad 2, plus a wider distribution of the iPhone (nearly 1/3rd of all iPhones are on Verizon), App Store downloads have risen an amazing 61% since 2010.

iPad and iPhone users are now downloading and using an average of 83 apps, which is a significant increase than the 51 app average from last year. In fact, as a collective, we’re downloading 32.3 million apps a day. That’s a lot of Angry Birds! In contrast, iOS users are only downloading 11.9 million iTunes tracks per day, so it’s safe to say that apps have taken over the iTunes store.

Back in 2010, average downloads per user had only by grown 4%. This year, we’ve come to see more value in the App Store, and are now willing to spend a bit more. iOS users now spend 14% more per app in 2011 over 2010.

According to Apple’s internal data, there are 425,000 apps in the App Store, 5 billion total app downloads, and $2.5 billion dollars that’s been paid to developers.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, in a note to investors, estimated that 82% of iOS apps available in the App Store are free apps, and the remaining 18% are paid. He believes that the App Store will earn $4.2 billion dollars this year, with developers getting a hefty $3 billion dollar chunk of that. Munster predicts that App Store revenue will continue to increase next year to $7.7 billion dollars, and that users will download even more apps.

This may be heartening news for Apple and app developers, but it’s great for us consumers as well. More apps means more great games and programs available in the App Store for us to use, plus it equates to more people wanting to buy iOS devices to see what all the fuss is about. And more people will result in even more spending and development, continually improving the App Store for everyone.

Waze makes plans to deal with LA’s Carmageddon

Here in Los Angeles, there's a cataclysmic event about to happen. No, it's not the next earthquake (as far as we know) or an alien invasion. It's Carmageddon, which is what the locals have started calling a closure period over July 16 and 17 where the city will shut down the 405 highway from the 10 to the 101. That's a huge stretch of road in a city that depends on its cars, so people are expecting the fallout to be pretty monstrous -- while lots of folks (including me -- my apartment is about two blocks from the 405 on Santa Monica) are hoping to just stay home for the weekend, we've all got places to go and things to do, so we may end up navigating the traffic anyway.

iPhone app Waze is helping to jump on this grenade -- the company has teamed up with Los Angeles' KABC 7 to bring real-time traffic updates to and from the iPhone all throughout Carmageddon weekend, both using its social mobile network of users (which just recently hit 4.5 million drivers around the world) to track movement on the road, but also to connect the TV station with volunteer users, who can report where reporters might not actually be. The company's set up an anti-Carmageddon website, and hopes to provide alternate routes and information to frustrated drivers all weekend long.

I hope it helps -- this particular stretch of the 405 is about six lanes wide, and serves about 500,000 people on any given weekend, so presumably all of those people will be off the highway and looking for other streets to use. Fingers crossed that it's not quite as apocalyptic as it seems it might be.

Waze makes plans to deal with LA's Carmageddon originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Americans Prefer Their Tablets on the Couch


A recent report issued by the Nielsen Company explored the locations in which people are using their wireless devices. The report investigated 12,000 consumers across all three of tablets, smartphones and e-readers.

The report broke usage down into situational as well as time distribution as it pertains to each device. Overwhelmingly, tablet use happened in front of the television both most often and for the longest period of time. By comparison, e-readers were used most in bed.

There are commonalities between all three devices, but some are favored in certain situations. While all users indicated using their devices while shopping, very few were e-readers. Use in the bathroom and waiting rooms was more equalized between all devices, which shouldn’t come as a surprise.

If you evaluate the best overall diversity of use among the devices, the smartphone is a clear winner. Likely attributed to having the most portability while also maintaining the functionality of being a telephone, the smartphones were used nearly equally across all locations. In a humorous light it should be pointed out that when reviewed for the time spent using the devices in these locations the smartphone was used for shorter periods of time in the bathroom and in class/meetings –where it is less appropriate to do so.

The study I would most like to see is how the various usage locations and time compare to other computer use. By this I mean whether people are using their laptops and desktop computers less in favor of their tablets, e-readers and smartphones. I would hazard to guess that many of us are on the couch with our tablets having traded away our old laptops. How many times would you have pulled a browser up on your computer to check something quickly and now do so with your smartphone?

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