Hasta La Gadget!

Microsoft has begun laying out plans for its version of the App Store — dubbed the Windows Marketplace — with some familiar numbers, and a few unfamiliar tweaks. According to Ina Fried, the company will charge developers an annual fee of $99 to become part of the ecosystem, and an additional $99 for every app they submit (though throughout 2009, they’ll have a chance to submit five apps at no cost). A rep from the big M states that the fee is “an acceptable cost of doing business for [software developers] looking to get in front of millions of customers,” and justifies the charge on the grounds that Microsoft will “run a rigorous certification process to ensure that the end user’s experience is optimal, and that the device and network resources aren’t used in a malicious way.”

Additionally, the company maintains that the process will offer “complete transparency throughout the application submission process,” which indicates the folks in Redmond wouldn’t mind courting devs who’ve been burned by Apple’s opaque, confusing, and sometimes unfair system of approval. Besides the flat rates, Microsoft will take 30 percent of earnings from sales just as Apple and Google do — the lone standout being RIM, who’s generously offering 80 percent to devs (though hasn’t exactly been blowing doors off hinges with its movement on fostering development). Microsoft’s Marketplace will debut with the launch of Windows Mobile 6.5 in Q4 2009, though developers can apparently register come Spring, and start submitting this Summer.

Filed under: Cellphones

Microsoft unveils Windows Marketplace fees, splits, hopes, and dreams originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s just reached a whole new level of stupidity in App Store approval shenanigans: the Tweetie 1.3 update was just rejected for displaying “offensive language” in its Twitter trend search view. Right, not for offensive language in the app itself, but for offensive language on Twitter — an insanely strict new standard that could conceivably be used to reject each and every iPhone Twitter client out there. (And if you haven’t noticed, there are quite a few iPhone Twitter clients.) Hell, Apple might as well reject the next versions of Safari and Mail, since they can display dirty words too — and let’s not forget the awful things people are doing with Notes and the camera. Better lock it down.

Look, Apple — this is a nadir. Rejecting a Twitter client for Twitter’s content is simply indefensible, and it’s a sign that the App Store approval “process” is broken beyond repair. It’s time to drop the seemingly-random black-box approach — which has earned nothing but well-deserved scorn — open up, establish consistent, easy-to-understand rules with a well-defined appeals process, and actually work with innovative developers like Tweetie’s Loren Brichter to push your platform forward in the face of newly-stiff competition. The massive popularity of the iPhone and the App Store may prevent a mass exodus, but the best devs are going to leave if they feel jerked around, and we doubt a store full of fart apps and misogynistic jiggle apps is really the vision you had for your platform. Think about it.

[via The iPhone Blog]

Filed under: Cellphones

Apple stupidly rejects Tweetie 1.3 for foul language in Twitter trends originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The App Store loves novelty camera apps, but some (below) are more useful than others. This week, we also found a video streamer, a price-shopping helper and eight extra mouths for your mouthy self.

iPet Photo: Whether your cat or dog is turned on by monkey sounds, bird sounds or the sounds of other dogs, this camera app draws their attention for a quick snap. I tried it on my dumb cats, and it works fine, especially on the dumber of the two. Costs a buck.

Air Video: I had this local wi-fi video streaming app up and running in no time flat, serving up a MPEG4 video from MacBook Pro to iPhone in seconds. As you might have guessed, it does require a bit of Mac or PC software running, but it’s pretty unobtrusive. Nice way to watch movies when you should be doing something else. File compatibility is a little thin, but there’s a “convert” function I didn’t get a chance to test fully that might be very effective. Good way to spend $3.

PriceOfUnit: For nerds with a grocery fetish (like me), you can comparison shop the price-to-quantity ratios of everything from olive oil to pet food. It’s a little rough around the edges, but a good thing to have if you really want to gauge the value of your condiments. And it’s free.

MouthOff: A well designed novelty app that gives you an assortment of moving cartoon mouths, this moves the cartoon to mimic you actually talking, by reacting to the pitch and volume of your voice. It’s surprisingly well synced, though some mouths (green monster, gold-toothed pimp) are cooler than others. (That dog face reminds me of the Ballchinian from Men in Black.) One dolla make you holla… literally.

ReplayCam 25shot!: It’s no Cycorder, but this subtle multiple-shot camera app lets you make temporary videos, and save frames as stills. It will even save all the shots in a pretty 5×5 grid, assuming your subject is pretty enough to be looked at in a 25-shot matrix. It’s $2. (Macworld reviewed it in greater depth.)

This Week’s App News on Giz:
• Amazon Kindle Is Now an iPhone App

• Watchmen Getting an iPhone MMO Game

• Cydia Opening Paid App Store for Jailbreak Apps

• This iPhone App Will Result in At Least One Accidental Shooting

This list is in no way definitive. If you’ve spotted a great app that hit the store this week, give us a heads up or, better yet, your firsthand impressions in the comments. And for even more apps: see our previous weekly roundups here, and check out our Favorite iPhone Apps Directory and our original iPhone App Review Marathon. Have a good weekend everybody—your regular iPhone Appster, Johnny “Egypt Me” Mahoney will be back from Cairo next week.

This week we’ve cast the net out a bit further to catch some gems from this month that may have escaped our attention, including a repackaged, excrement-producing pop-culture classic. And it’s no fart app.

Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World: But unfortunately, it’s just as inane. Gone is the dot-matrix Tamagotchi you may remember from 1996, and in its place, a not-particularly-cute generic cast of knockoff superflat characters. The game appears to be based around gardening and growing plants by doing a rain dance: I gave up after a few minutes. But it poops, which is always nice. $6 with free lite version.

PhotoKeys Photoshop Remote: If you keep your phone docked near your keyboard like I do and do some heavy ‘shopping, this looks pretty handy. It turns your iPhone into a customizable tool palette by talking to a mini server app on your desktop. Windows and Mac are both supported. It’s $4.

Epiphany Recorder: Innovating above the countless other voice recorders in the store, Epiphany starts recording a buffer the moment it’s launched, but it only saves the audio you tell it to pressing the “Remember that!” button, which automatically saves the previous few seconds or minutes of audio (you pick). It’s great for recording an interview by grabbing only the important parts, saving major time in transcription. Very cool, and it’s free.

FedEx: There are a handful of other package-tracking apps in the store, but FedEx’s new official app looks nice for its ability to tie into you FedEx.com account. You can monitor shipments you’ve scheduled online, as well as create new labels from your phone. Nice interface too, and it’s free.

CTU: Even though this app is a few years too late, the last remaining folks still enjoying Bauer Hour can now create the show’s trademark multi-splitscreen-with-digital-timer tableaux with their photos. As a clock app and a novelty, not bad. $2

This Week’s App News on Giz:
• Mac Plus Emulator now Available for Jailbroken iPhones

• Why Most Content Apps Suck (But Some Would Be Amazing)

• iTunes Concept Shows How iPhone App Management Should Have Worked From the Start

• Metal Gear Solid Touch For iPhone Trailer Has Me Worried

• Major Label Bands Decide App Store Is Cool, Want to Take Over Your iPhone

• 5-Row QWERTY Jailbreak App Fixes One of the iPhone Keyboard’s Most Annoying Flaws

• Dashboard Widgets For Jailbroken iPhones: Hot or Not?

• ‘That’s What She Said’ iPhone App Is the Opposite of Comedy

• Your iPhone Is now a Kitchen Thanks to Cooking Mama

• TV.com iPhone App Streams Free Full-Length CBS and Showtime Shows

• iMafia for iPhone Circumvents the App Store, Sells Other Apps In-Game…and Apple Willingly Approves

• Apple Purging App Store Of Every Last Emoticon Enabler

This list is in no way definitive. If you’ve spotted a great app that hit the store this week, give us a heads up or, better yet, your firsthand impressions in the comments. And for even more apps: see our previous weekly roundups here, and check out our Favorite iPhone Apps Directory and our original iPhone App Review Marathon. Have a good weekend everybody.

Feeling the cobwebs starting to accumulate upstairs here late in the winter? Here are a few apps that can add +10 INT points, plus a few more less intellectually strenuous toys as always.

Brain Thaw: I’m kind of surprised that brain training games aren’t to be found in the same volume as, well, fart apps-a quick mental puzzle is the perfect mobile game. Besides being well designed (ADORABLE PENGUINS), Brain Thaw gives you a quick math rule to follow for a few minutes in line, and logs your scores with players of the game worldwide. $1

Wikiquiz: Wikiquiz pulls a fragment from a random Wikipedia article (a difficulty setting chooses how random) and asks you to identify it. The more you can get in a set amount of time, the higher the score. Cool idea for a game. It’s a buck.

AirPhones: Pretty interesting idea—AirPhones works with a little server app on your Intel Mac (Windows and Universal clients are coming, says the devs) to stream audio from any application to your iPhone or iPod touch. So if you like to watch movies in bed on your desktop Mac with Front Row, for instance, you can use your iPhone as a wireless headphone receiver. At $7 it’s overpriced Since the price was just slashed to $4, it could be cool if your specific situation warrants something like this.

Cubert: It’s Q-Bert! For a buck!

This Week’s App News on Giz:

• The Week in iPhone Apps: Essential Jailbreak Apps – last week’s special Jailbreak edition. If you missed it, have a look and get jailbreakin’.

• How To: Tether the iPhone or G1 To Your Laptop For Free 3G Broadband

• Card Counting iPhone App Could Get Your Legs Broken

• Bow Cam iPhone App: Barks to Get Pup Attention for the Photo

• Apple’s Puritanical Review System Kills South Park iPhone App

• Presidents of the USA (SHE’S LUMP!) Offer Complete Music Catalog Via iPhone App

This list is in no way definitive. If you’ve spotted a great app that hit the store this week, give us a heads up or, better yet, your firsthand impressions in the comments. And for even more apps: see our previous weekly roundups here, and check out our Favorite iPhone Apps Directory and our original iPhone App Review Marathon. Have a good weekend everybody.