Posted on May - 13 - 2010
Ways to wealth: Is there an app for cashing in on smart phone applications?
Burton: I have an interesting software program I would like to submit to Apple as an app on their iPhone. Do you know how I can do this?
Elaine: Phone applications (apps) are considered the next boom business. There are currently more than 10,000 apps available for the Apple iPhone and the number is climbing every day. According to industry experts, it is predicted that the revenue for these apps (including advertising, downloads and virtual goods) will rise to $4.1 billion by 2012 in the U.S.
With any business boom come problems. Recently, Apple changed the rules on what apps it will accept for its iPhone and has removed those that do not adhere to these new guidelines.
Apple will no longer accept “adult-themed” content or apps that are no more than business cards or feeds to sites. They have removed these apps from their selections to users and will reject new ones that do not comply with these new standards.
To create an application for the iPhone, you must be using Web 2.0 Internet standards. Your app must look and operate just like all other applications currently available for the iPhone and seamlessly access other iPhone services, including making a phone call, sending an e-mail and displaying location maps.
You must be an Apple Developer Connection (ADC) member to submit apps for possible inclusion on the iPhone. To become an Apple Developer Connection member, go to developer.apple. com/membership/ online.html. It is free.
Your app submission must conform to the iPhone web development guidelines in effect at the time of your submission. You can review these on the Apple site. The most obvious change most app developers must consider is the “touch screen” capabilities of the iPhone.
Although an external keyboard is an option, the primary means of interacting with app content is through touch.
The other major difference between developing content for the Internet compared with developing it for the iPhone is plug-ins. Plug-ins are not supported on the iPhone. If your website currently uses a plug-in to embed audio or video in a webpage or to display user interface elements such as menus or other navigational elements on your website, it will not operate properly on an iPhone. You will have to modify the code of these elements to conform to the guidelines for iPhone app development.
At the other end of the development continuum, Google’s open Android system is far less restrictive than Apple. Many apps that were rejected or removed by Apple have flooded the Android app pool.
The biggest battle between these two giants is over geo-location targeting of app users by cities, states and other designations within the U.S. Apple recently disallowed the practice; Android allows it.
Questions? Write Elaine at Elainezimm@aol.com.
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