Mobile Apps that are Money Making Machines
MM Team on January 31st, 2011 in Android Apps, Android Development, Android News, Android Tips & Tricks, Apple News, Gallery, Mobile News, Uncategorized, iphone apps
While Robert Nay recently made headlines for developing a chart-topping iPhone app, the 14-year-old from Spanish Fork, Utah will need to create a paid or advertising-supported follow-up to his Bubble Ball puzzle game in order to make any money.
Since Apple opened the iTunes App Store in July 2008, independent developers have created tens of thousands of titles with the hopes of striking it rich through paid downloads (where they keep up to 70 percent of the sales) and more recently via advertising or premium upgrades.
With increased competition from major game developers and globally recognized brands, however, most independents lose money on their smartphone applications that are now also created for Google’s Android mobile operating system.
Yet it is still possible to get rich right away developing iPhone apps. Just look at how some of the top app makers to come out of nowhere did it.
New and noteworthy app all-stars
Zeptolab/Cut the Rope
Ten days after this addictive puzzle-solving game debuted for 99 cents on the iTunes App Store last October, Cut the Rope was downloaded more than one million times. Ten days later, another million copies were sold. By year-end, this Moscow-based development company founded by two 28-year-old brothers had an absolute blockbuster with the sale of more than five million apps.
Co-founder Semyon Voinov, who previously worked as an artist with Helskini-based mobile development firm Digital Chocolate before joining forces with his brother full-time last spring, recently told us that independent developers can still thrive making iPhone apps because “there is no need to have a big team or business connections.”
That didn’t stop major game publishers from taking notice. Zeptolab’s first app, the 99-cent slingshot game Parachute Ninja, sold a respectable 300,000 copies with New York City publisher Freeverse. Last June, Zeptolab scored a publishing contract with Chillingo – the UK-based behemoth behind Angry Birds and other iconic titles. Chillingo, which markets games for an undisclosed cut of the action, was impressed with Zeptolab’s production values and chart-topping potential.
“We saw the great talent ZeptoLab had and the innovative gameplay design they had created,” said Chillingo co-founder Chris Byatte. “We realized that with even more polish, the game would have massive consumer appeal and we’re proud to see all the success we’ve helped them achieve.”
Venture capitalists are paying more attention to iPhone app developers, including this San Francisco-based startup that was founded in September 2009. Stanford University MBA student Daniel Terry, who briefly worked in the product department of large mobile app developer Tapjoy, saw the success of freemium games on Facebook.
Freemium games like Zynga’s FarmVille cost nothing to download but hit players up for premium gameplay along the way. Before Zynga launched the official FarmVille app for the iPhone, Pocket Gems earlier last year scored a nice success with the similar game Tap Farm. With five titles in the App Store, Pocket Gems last month raised $5 million from Sequoia Capital, a backer of Google, Yahoo! and other groundbreaking companies.
First-mover successes
Steve Demeter/Trism
The poster child for overnight success developing iPhone apps, Steve Demeter boasted of making more than $250,000 in profit only two months after his color-matching game Trism debuted in the App Store in the summer of 2008.
“The key is to make an application that instantly proves its value,” Demeter explained when we interviewed him a year later.
The San Francisco-based Demeter, who was 30-years-old when Trism started selling for $4.99 a download, predicted early on that that the game would generate more than $2 million in profit. It’s estimated that Trism cleared $1 million, but increased competition in the App Store apparently killed its trajectory and there has been no major follow-up since. While he acknowledges that creating one of the first blockbuster hits for the iPhone changed his life, Demeter learned to keep his financials closer to the vest.
“Talking about numbers made me realize why people don’t talk about numbers,” he said. “You get people asking for loans, and (in meetings) that can become a stumbling block.”
Demeter said he expects to come out with Trism 2 in the coming months.
Ethan Nicolas/Ishoot
This former Sun Microsystems engineer literally quit his day job shortly after reportedly making more than $600,000 in only one month (including $37,000 in a single day) in late 2008. Legend has it that Nicholas, based in Wake Forest, North Carolina, programmed much of iShoot with his 1-year-old son on his lap during his off hours.
After a sluggish beginning trying to sell the shooter game out of the gate at $4.99 per download, Nicholas struck gold while giving away a “lite” version of the game for free. Thereafter, iShoot shot to number one on the free charts. Of the nearly 2.5 million consumers who downloaded the game in those opening weeks, more than 300,000 ended up shelling out a discounted three bucks for the complete game.
iShoot continued to gross hundreds of thousands of dollars thereafter. Naughty Bits, the iPhone app development company Nicholas formed, also enjoys modest success with the 99-cent Rhumb Line board game app.
GreatApps/iSteam
Not every million dollar iPhone app is a game. To date, this 99-cent novelty app – which makes your iPhone look like a steamy mirror after a hot shower – has been downloaded more than three million times.
The London-based, twenty-something developers behind GreatApps – who modestly claim to be just “three Greek guys playing with a Mac” – came together in November 2008. The company is now marketing technology that detects how firmly users tap touchscreen devices so that different responses can be programmed based on the amount of force applied.
Other GreatApps iPhone apps include the free titles Zen Piano, GoSanta!, and CometBuster that use the company’s TapForce technology.
Read the rest of this article »
Samsung Galaxy Tablets Out of this World! Powered by Android
MM Team on September 20th, 2010 in Android Apps, Android Development, Android News, Android Resources, Android Tips & Tricks
Dallas, TX — Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile)1, the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S., today announced the upcoming availability of the Galaxy Tab™ in the U.S. with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. The first mobile tablet from Samsung shares many of the powerful characteristics of the Galaxy S smart phone lineup that launched this summer. The Galaxy Tab is designed with several enhancements to create a unique mobile experience that other products can’t deliver.
The Galaxy Tab features a brilliant 7-inch enhanced TFT display screen, 1GHz Hummingbird Application processor supporting 3D graphics and smooth Web browsing and front and rear-facing cameras for video chat while on-the-go. The Galaxy Tab is powered by Android 2.2™, including full support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1. Just like the Galaxy S smart phones, the Galaxy Tab includes Samsung’s Social Hub application and the new Media Hub content service, offering a robust collection of premium movies and TV episodes from some of the biggest entertainment companies.
“The addition of Galaxy Tab to the Galaxy product portfolio is a powerful proof point of Samsung’s commitment to bring new and innovative mobile experiences to U.S. consumers,” said Omar Khan, chief strategy officer for Samsung Mobile. “The 7-inch display and thin, lightweight design, combined with premium content and productivity tools makes the Galaxy Tab a true mobile tablet that is as comfortable to use standing on a crowded train as it is relaxing on the couch at home. The Galaxy Tab is perfect for watching a movie, reading an e-book or catching up with your favorite TV shows or chatting with an old friend. Plus, the Tab’s design makes it completely pocketable in your pants or jacket.”
Powerful Display, Portable Design
The Galaxy Tab’s 7-inch display features enhanced TFT technology, offering brighter colors and clearer pictures, whether watching a movie or reading a book. The display delivers 1024 x 600 WSVGA resolution, offering full support to the Android 2.2 operating system. With support for Flash Player 10.1, the Galaxy Tab delivers an enhanced content experience when compared to other tablets currently available in the U.S. Users can engage with thousands of sites with rich Flash based applications and content including games, animations, rich Internet applications (RIAs), data presentations and visualizations, ecommerce, video, music and more. Samsung’s mobile tablet also provides access to the more than 80,000 applications currently available on the Android Market™.
Many of the built-in productivity services and Android applications are scalable to fit the Galaxy Tab’s full 7-inch screen. For example, the user’s email, calendar and contacts will all rotate from portrait to landscape format through the tablet’s accelerometer and then open as a split-screen to create a PC or laptop viewing experience on the Tab. Likewise, many Android Market applications will open in full screen. Non-scalable Android Market applications will be framed and centered on the Galaxy Tab screen.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is designed for people who want a premium mobile entertainment experience on the go, but don’t want to be weighed down by a bulky device. The Galaxy Tab fits in a pocket or purse, weighs only 13 ounces and is 12 millimeters thin. Those super-light and sleek dimensions, matched with the 7-inch touchscreen display allows the Galaxy Tab to easily fit into a jeans’ backpocket or the inside pocket of a jacket. The compact design of Galaxy Tab also makes it easy for the user to type on the virtual keyboard with both thumbs or with one hand using Swype technology to type with one continuous finger motion across the keyboard.
Two Cameras, One-on-One Video Chat
The Galaxy Tab is designed with a rear-facing 3 megapixel camera for taking pictures on-the-go and sharing with family and friends. The Tab is also outfitted with a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera and camcorder, enabling video chat with other people who have video conferencing capabilities. Users can align the Galaxy Tab with video chat clients including Qik and Fring and seamlessly talk with other people over a WiFi connection.
Google Mobile Services Benefits 
Services like Google Maps™ Navigation (Beta) and Google Goggles are available on Google’s Android platform. With useful location-based services like Google Maps™, consumers can search in Standard English instead of entering an exact address. A search-by-voice function is just as intuitive, meaning searches can also be completed easily on the go. Google Goggles™ is a powerful, visual search tool that uses the Samsung GALAXY Tab’s camera to uncover information – an image of a landmark or artwork is automatically used to perform a search, delivering relevant content like a description or history. In addition, with a camera, users can enjoy various augmented reality services which are downloadable in the application market.
Samsung Social Hub Simplifies
Just like the Samsung Galaxy S smart phone portfolio, the Galaxy Tab keep users connected with Samsung’s Social Hub application. Social Hub works with the user’s Messaging and Contacts to initiate the sending and receiving of information, whether it is e-mail, instant messaging, social network updates or SMS messages. Additionally, calendar information from portal calendars, such as Google Calendar, and social networking services are displayed together in one calendar with two-way synchronization.
Additional features of the Galaxy Tab include:
* Daily Briefing: Offers instant access to weather, news, stocks, and schedules. * Impressive Onboard & Expandable Memory: Galaxy Tab can add 32 GB of external memory to store and manage your favorite video content and pictures.
* AllShare DLNA Technology: Take video or pictures shot with Galaxy Tab and send content wirelessly to other DLNA-enabled devices (HDTVs, laptops, PC monitors, etc.)
* Document Viewer & Editor: Open and make changes to any Word, Excel, Powerpoint or PDF document
* 4,000 mAh Battery: Super-sized battery provides ample power to watch movies, share content and surf the Web
Samsung Media Hub – Entertaining the Masses
In addition, the Galaxy Tab will include future access to Media Hub, Samsung’s own content service, offering a vast lineup of critically acclaimed films and TV programs for rent or purchase. Samsung is working with the biggest and best names in entertainment, including MTV Networks, NBC Universal and Paramount to assemble a robust library of movies and TV programming, including new release films, next day TV episodes and even full TV show seasons. Media Hub also allows the user to expand the entertainment experience, allowing content purchased to permanently own to be shared with up to five devices that carry the Media Hub application.
Premium Accessories Portfolio
To enhance the Galaxy Tab user experience even further, a set of accessories designed specifically for the mobile tablet are available for purchase from www.Samsung.com including:
Keyboard Dock – $99.99
* Ergonomic, comfortable full-size keyboard with 7” Galaxy Tab replaceable inserts that doubles as a charger for power and synchronization of media and data
* Dock contains convenient stereo audio output jack for connecting to speakers or home stereo
Desktop Dock – $49.99
* Doubles as a Galaxy Tab charger using the Micro USB wall adapter that comes with the Tab; allows users to view movies, display as a digital picture frame and listen to music
* HDMI output to view HD content on HDTV enabled with 1080p resolution and provides HDTV connection to play content from the Galaxy Tab to a television
Car/GPS Dock – $99.99
* Conveniently positions 7” Galaxy Tab display screen inside car for turn-by-turn GPS navigation instructions and traffic updates
* Attachable to either the windshield or car dashboard and rotates freely between landscape and portrait modes
Upcoming Availability
The Samsung Galaxy Tab portfolio of mobile tablets from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless will be available in the coming months. For additional information on the Samsung Galaxy Tab portfolio, please visit www.samsung.com/galaxytab.
1 Number one mobile phone provider in the U.S. claim for Samsung Mobile based upon reported shipment data, according to Strategy Analytics, Q2 2010 U.S. Market Share Handset Shipments Reports.
Santa Baby, All I want is an Android Tablet Tonight..
MM Team on August 20th, 2010 in Android Apps, Android Development, Android News
Google will roll out a tablet computer to rival the Apple iPad just in time for the Christmas shopping season, a new report said. Read the rest of this article »
Google has teamed with wireless provider Verizon and HTC, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, to launch a device on Nov. 26, or “Black Friday” — the biggest shopping day of the year.
Although neither company would comment, Google is readying a flat, touch-screen tablet-style computer similar to the iPad, according to a report on tech blog Download Squad.
Looky here!- Dell's new tablet powered by Android….
MM Team on August 16th, 2010 in Android Apps, Android Development, Android News, Google News, Mobile News
How sweet that sound of “crossover.” Well thanks to Dell, they are reinventing the word.
The Dell Streak tablet-smartphone crossover when on pre-sale last week, tackling Apple’s iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone devices in one go. The Streak, however, sends mixed messages regarding its size, price, and viability as a replacement to any of your Apple devices. So, can it make the cut?
The Streak arrives in the U.S. after several delays (it was available two months ago in Europe), and will cost $300 with a two-year AT&T contract, or $550 without. It has a 5-inch touchscreen, works as a phone as well, and comes with Google’s Android 1.6 mobile operating system. In a nutshell: too little, too late. Here’s why.
Most high-end smartphones now come at $200 with a two-year contract. That includes the Apple iPhone 4, the Motorola Droid X and upcoming Droid 2, or the BlackBerry Torch. The Streak, which serves as a smartphone as well, comes in at $300, its 5-inch screen is only 0.7-inch larger that of the Droid X, and the resolution is lower than iPhone 4′s 3.5-inch Retina display.
On the tablet front, the Streak doesn’t fare any better either. It’s $50 more expensive than the cheapest iPad, when bought unlocked as a tablet. Price difference aside, the streak’s screen is only half as large as the iPad’s. What the Streak has over the iPad is the 5-megapixel camera on the back, and a front-facing VGA camera.
When compared to the iPod Touch, the Dell Streak is $100 more expensive, if you want to use it as a multimedia device. Of course, the iPod touch lacks dual cameras and 3G capabilities. Darin Fireball’s John Gruber threw a bone speculating that Apple will release a dual-camera, Retina display-laden iPod Touch next month, making the Streak irrelevant if this proves to be true.
Software-wise, Dell’s Streak will come with a year-old version of Google Android OS, namely 1.6. The current version of Android is 2.2, and it already started to trickle down to several smartphones using the OS. Dell said it will offer an over-the-air upgrade to Android 2.2 “later this year,” but gave no specific date.
The Dell Streak’s screen size is too big for the device to be used as a smartphone (it would cover half of your face when talking), but yet too small in comparison to other tablets on the market.
The pricing of the Streak doesn’t help Dell either, as it’s more expensive than a phone, or a tablet as well. The software on the Streak is ancient in comparison to Android smartphones on sale now, and the AT&T-only contract could set off some of the users who want to avoid the iPhone-clogged network.
Is the Dell Streak something you would consider instead of a smartphone? Would it be an alternative for the iPad or other Android tablets? Do you think the Streak’s price is too high for either the smartphone or tablet categories?
We want to know so “Sound off ” in the comments.
Young Adults- "Aren't Sold" Mobile Organic Search Still King
MM Team on July 15th, 2010 in Android Apps, Android Development, Android News, Mobile NewsRead the rest of this article »
In an interesting, albeit limited study of roughly 2,210 young people, 47% say they’re using real-time search from the likes of Twitter and Facebook on a regular basis, while just 4% say they would choose paid search results over natural results.
The study, conducted by Tamar, found that people over 55 were the least likely to trust paid search as a trusted source with just 3% choosing it over natural search results. Younger people, however, are increasing their use of mobile to search- as 14% of both 18-24 year olds and 25-34 year-olds use mobile search every day.
Google announces "App Inventor"
MM Team on July 12th, 2010 in Android Apps, Android Development, Android News, Android Resources, Google News, Mobile News
Last night, Google unveiled a new Android development tool called “App Inventor” that allows anyone without programming knowledge the ability to create Android apps using a simple drag-and-drop WYSIWYG-style editor.
The new service, announced via this New York Times article, aims to break down the knowledge barrier for creating apps for the Android platform, and has been in beta testing in educational institutions for the past year or so. The service is a Web app that provides a dead simple way to drag and drop elements of an Android app, with the hard-coding being formatted in the background- the same way WYSIWYG editors tore down the barrier to basic HTML editing in the early days of the Internet.
Google claims the service was used by kids in the sixth-grade to create rather powerful apps, indicating just how easy App Inventor can be. ”To use App Inventor, you do not need to be a developer. App Inventor requires NO programming knowledge. This is because instead of writing code, you visually design the way the app looks and use blocks to specify the app’s behavior,” Google says on it’s Website.
The flip side to this, as TechCrunch is pointing out, is that the Android Market could potentially be bombarded with “less-than-stellar” apps that degrade the the Market itself. The same thing happened back when WYSIWYG editors reinvented how Websites are created, and allowed anyone who could drag-and-drop elements the ability to create a Website.
Read the rest of this article »
Follow the VC Funds…. Mobile Social Network WAP Sites
MM Team on May 18th, 2010 in Android Apps, Android Development, Android News, Android Resources, Mobile NewsBooyah, the company behind the popular “MyTown” geolocation app has raised $20M in a third round of funding to take on fierce competition in the space.
Though it hasn’t seemed to garner as much press as its counterparts like Gowalla and Foursquare, MyTown has long been a hit with users. The company says its apps are gaining more than 100,000 new users a week and now has two million total users. To put it in perspective, that puts it ahead of Gowalla, which claims 250,000 users, and FourSquare, which has 1.1 million.
The company differs slightly from Foursquare and Gowalla in that while it allows users to “check-in,” it also allows users to “buy” venues and charge rent to other users when they visit. The concept is Booyah’s answer to mayorships, and does a good job engaging users with geolocation and the “gaming” aspect.
MyTown 3.1 was recently released that offers several enhancements such as a check-in limit, add-ons to customize your property and a revamped menu of nearby locations that shows your friends’ favorite destinations and trending places. MyTown definitely has a shot at becoming a leader in the space if it keeps up its current momentum.
