Last week, a big headline was Google’s new “anti-fragmentation” stance. It’s going to be some time before their new position has any real impacts, since Android is now heavily in the wild and wildly out of control. While that’s happening, however, Amazon has made a big move addressing the other major challenge with Android—it’s app [...]
Outlook: Considerations for Developing Android Tablet Applications
Arguably, 2010 was the year of the iPad. It became the executive’s new computer and the parent’s new babysitter. For my business, it’s been the primary device of interest for developing new applications, with most of the apps we build for customers now being iPad applications. My take coming into 2011 was that it had [...]
Six Numbers that Matter, Five that Don’t for Mobile in 2011
No, it’s not a predictions post. It would be too late for that anyway, right (this year, they got started in September!)? Instead, I want to focus on some key numbers to pay attention to throughout 2011, as well as some not so key ones. Please, do yourself a favor…pay special attention to the ones [...]
Firefox Mobile for Android – A New Paradigm for Mobile Browsing
I’ve been a big proponent of Mozilla’s Firefox and unlike many others, never made the jump to Chrome. Aside from some very cool recent innovations on the desktop side (e.g., Firefox Panorama), Firefox Mobile for Android has just moved from alpha to beta. Having used the new beta on my Nexus One (see my brief [...]
Mobile a Moving Target in 2010
As a speaker for Digital East, I was interviewed by Tech Journal South about mobile and native mobile apps specifically.: “They’re looking at this year and asking how will it lead me into next year,” he says. Some firms are willing to throw some money at mobile this year, but don’t really expect much to [...]
About Android Being Open
Jason Hiner on Android’s “dirty little secret.” Nuff said…it’s also why I bought a Nexus One directly from Google: Just as Google is overwhelming the iPhone with over 20 Android handsets to Apple’s one device, so the army of Android phones that can be carrier-modified is overwhelming the one Apple phone on a single carrier [...]
Five Ways to Build Interest for Your App Through Sneak Peeks
One of the best ways to generate interest for an app before it’s launched is to release sneak peeks of what’s in progress. A sneak peek can include any aspect of the application. For example, it might be a a landing page that communicates the branding of the app, a crop or full screen of [...]
Android “Gingerbread” Release to Focus on User Experience
Part of the reason Android apps are not comparable to their iOS counterparts is that the interface and user experience is lacking. Functionally, I see many of them as the same — but visually Android apps are considerably behind and their usability leaves much to be desired. Google is focusing the bulk of its efforts [...]
Swype – Android’s Killer App
I’ve been testing Swype as my primary keyboard input for my Nexus One for the past week or so and it’s now open to all Android users. While I’ve pre-ordered the iPhone 4 and plan to move to it for my primary device (but will still use both), the app I’ll miss the most is [...]
The Magic Lottery (for Apps)
Here’s another way to think about it: delight the audience you already have, amaze the customers you can already reach, dazzle the small investors who already trust you enough to listen to you. Take the permission you have and work your way up. Leaps look good in the movies, but in fact, success is mostly [...]
Words Apple Won’t Hear (Right Now) – Code For Android First
Anyone who suggests that the “iPhone 4 is nice” but that developers should code for Android first is truly out of touch with the realities of developing for these platforms. Now, let me be clear, I’m rooting for Android because competition is what spurs innovation by giving consumers choice and keeping platform providers honest. I [...]
Move Your App! (Android) Developer Challenge
Create an Android app that inspires and tracks physical movement. What kind of app can you build to encourage people to get in motion? How can movement be just as easy and fun as checking-in or updating a status? The winner will receive an all expense paid trip to TED Global 2010 with many other [...]
In the App Economy Does the Mobile Browser Matter?
Ironically, the people who would benefit most from building in the browser (i.e., the developers) prefer to create something shinier by going native. Maybe they won’t choose that path if there are four or more major platforms they have to support but until that happens, it’s telling that when the browser route is possible, developers [...]
On Android, Nobody is Making Significant Revenue
App developers have it hard enough on the iPhone; on Android, they’ve got to keep prices just as low, and sell to a much smaller audience. So how are some of them coping? By packing up and leaving, like Gameloft. See my treatise on the smartphone market. Android has an a serious uphill battle to [...]
Debunking the “Smartphone War”
Gartner research shows that Android will surpass the iPhone in market share by 2012. With the Android push, Droid, and rumored Google Phone, the Google strategy seems to be clear – be the operating system of mobile devices. Assuming that actually happens, the question becomes if Google will choose to follow in the footsteps of [...]
Smartphone or App War?
The large number of applications does at first glance seem like a pretty good reason to claim iPhone’s eventual domination of what arguably is the next, major computing platform. However, the number of applications is no surefire measure of iPhone’s or any other platform’s success. Applications are but one — and not the most important [...]
Want an iPhone on Verizon? There’s no app for that…but there’s Droid.
Will people switch from the iPhone? Of course some will. But that’s note the important point. What’s key here (and I’m focusing on the U.S.), is that the #1 carrier with the most comprehensive 3G coverage is going to get Droid. Walk into a Verizon store and there’s no option for iPhone. There’s something like [...]
Would Apple and AT&T Cripple a Google Voice iPhone App?
Google Voice, the innovative invite-only telephone communication control service, is readying a iPhone version of its mobile phone app, which just became available on Tuesday for Android OS-based phones and Blackberries. For instance, Google Voice offers free SMS services that appear to come from one’s Google number rather than one’s mobile phone number. That means [...]
