Developers, Apple busy updating apps for iOS 4, iPhone 4
Apple has been busy all weekend posting updated apps that support iOS 4 and its new features--including multitasking and the soon to be released Retina Display of iPhone 4--to the iTunes App Store.
New iOS 4 savvy titles are tagged with the line "iOS 4.0 tested" in the iPhone App Store app and within iTunes. A search of the web version of iTunes shows over 1,000 titles referencing iOS 4, but the more than 225,000 titles in Apple's App Store library indicate there is lots of work left.
Among the early titles specifically updated to support iOS 4 (and rapidly approved by Apple; many developers are still waiting) is Pandora, which adds Background Audio features that allows the system to continue playing feeds even after the app is dismissed.
The new Loopt adds new support for iOS 4 Background Location with a "live location" feature that updates users' presence information for a set period of time after their last checkin. While using live location, Loopt can send the user a push notification update if one of their Loopt friends happens to show up nearby.
Other popular apps that have recently been updated to support iOS 4 include:
Dropbox
Evernote
Fandango
FlightTrack (reportedly adds new in-app SMS features and calendar integration)
GoDocs (a GoogleDocs client, adds support for Fast App Switching will shortly add support for "Open In" document handling)
Pastebot
NY Times (adds support for Fast App Switching, was previously broken under iOS)
and Quota.
Pretty simple to update apps for iOS 4
Scott Sykora, the lead developer of TaskerApp, a location based task management tool, has added support for Fast App Switching, Background Location, and the high resolution Retina Display, and is currently waiting for Apple to approve the new update. He described his efforts in a report published by RDM.
"I found the Fast App Switching to be one of the easiest things to get working in iOS4. All it requires is a re-compile against the new libraries and your app will freeze and unfreeze in the background," Sykora noted. Adding support for Background Location updates "was quiet simple," and getting Local Notifications working "was very easy to implement."
Full resolution support for iPhone 4 is "also quite easy if your artwork was created at a higher resolution or using vector artwork," Sykora said. "Basically you just create images with the same filename as the current version with "@2x" added," such as [email protected]. "They need to be exactly twice the dimensions but you don't need to change your code at all. The standard bundle image loader automatically checks for a high res version when you're loading the image."
Overall, Sykora said, "I've found the transition to iOS 4 to be very painless. I think a big reason for this is that I develop in Objective C and use the native frameworks whenever I can. Apple has done the work to support developers using their tools but if a developer is using a 3rd party abstraction layer their lives will get quite a bit more complicated. Maybe this is a moot point since most of those have been restricted in the new dev agreement anyway."
New iOS 4 savvy titles are tagged with the line "iOS 4.0 tested" in the iPhone App Store app and within iTunes. A search of the web version of iTunes shows over 1,000 titles referencing iOS 4, but the more than 225,000 titles in Apple's App Store library indicate there is lots of work left.
Among the early titles specifically updated to support iOS 4 (and rapidly approved by Apple; many developers are still waiting) is Pandora, which adds Background Audio features that allows the system to continue playing feeds even after the app is dismissed.
The new Loopt adds new support for iOS 4 Background Location with a "live location" feature that updates users' presence information for a set period of time after their last checkin. While using live location, Loopt can send the user a push notification update if one of their Loopt friends happens to show up nearby.
Other popular apps that have recently been updated to support iOS 4 include:
Dropbox
Evernote
Fandango
FlightTrack (reportedly adds new in-app SMS features and calendar integration)
GoDocs (a GoogleDocs client, adds support for Fast App Switching will shortly add support for "Open In" document handling)
Pastebot
NY Times (adds support for Fast App Switching, was previously broken under iOS)
and Quota.
Pretty simple to update apps for iOS 4
Scott Sykora, the lead developer of TaskerApp, a location based task management tool, has added support for Fast App Switching, Background Location, and the high resolution Retina Display, and is currently waiting for Apple to approve the new update. He described his efforts in a report published by RDM.
"I found the Fast App Switching to be one of the easiest things to get working in iOS4. All it requires is a re-compile against the new libraries and your app will freeze and unfreeze in the background," Sykora noted. Adding support for Background Location updates "was quiet simple," and getting Local Notifications working "was very easy to implement."
Full resolution support for iPhone 4 is "also quite easy if your artwork was created at a higher resolution or using vector artwork," Sykora said. "Basically you just create images with the same filename as the current version with "@2x" added," such as [email protected]. "They need to be exactly twice the dimensions but you don't need to change your code at all. The standard bundle image loader automatically checks for a high res version when you're loading the image."
Overall, Sykora said, "I've found the transition to iOS 4 to be very painless. I think a big reason for this is that I develop in Objective C and use the native frameworks whenever I can. Apple has done the work to support developers using their tools but if a developer is using a 3rd party abstraction layer their lives will get quite a bit more complicated. Maybe this is a moot point since most of those have been restricted in the new dev agreement anyway."
Comments
One developer notes how easy it is to implement iOS4 features. What about developers making the iPad? Is that easy to scale-up their apps? Seems like Apple is putting up a bunch of hoops for developers to jump through. Any more coming? Maybe for the AppleTV next.
It is not that hard to develop universal apps (iPhone and iPad apps) as well. You only need to design your iPad Interface Builder files and their associated class files and make sure to check what device is running using an "If" command. Developers need to do their work. There are no hoops to jump through.
Ahhh, interesting insight into Apple's distaste for Adobe's Flash -> iPhone compiler...
Quit trying to generate or foment controversy. This has nothing to do with Flash. SJ has stated Apple's position on Flash--it's NOT distaste! It's simply old software. Apple is moving on. So should you.
i know for sure i have at least 5 - 6 apps on my MBP that are no longer in the app store because the dev gave up. it is too much to ask for the dev that works on apps in his / her spare time only to find out it becomes a full time job just doing updates.
One developer notes how easy it is to implement iOS4 features. What about developers making the iPad? Is that easy to scale-up their apps? Seems like Apple is putting up a bunch of hoops for developers to jump through. Any more coming? Maybe for the AppleTV next.
Seems like you know nothing of what you speak. If you'd do a little simple reading of Apple's documentation about the iPad, you'd have your answer from the "horse's mouth". Don't rely on the gossip on these threads, and don't generate it yourself.
You slander with your lazy gossip Apple's extensive honest efforts to help developers avoid the very "hoops" of which you mention.
how many devs leave because they have to update their app so many times....
i know for sure i have at least 5 - 6 apps on my MBP that are no longer in the app store because the dev gave up. it is too much to ask for the dev that works on apps in his / her spare time only to find out it becomes a full time job just doing updates.
You're right, I'd rather own a platform that is never updated, no matter how buggy or out of date it is, and where apps never have to be updated, gain new features, etc. Might as well move to Windows Mobile, or better yet, I hear that the trusty Palm OS hasn't been touched since basically the late 90's. Both are good options.
how many devs leave because they have to update their app so many times....
i know for sure i have at least 5 - 6 apps on my MBP that are no longer in the app store because the dev gave up. it is too much to ask for the dev that works on apps in his / her spare time only to find out it becomes a full time job just doing updates.
Oh yeah, Apple should be very careful not to disappoint any lazy dev who doesn't want to update his app. Full time job? Yikes! Perish the thought that iOS development would require that much effort!
Get your head out of your butt, you lazy bum!
On a more relevant note, at least it's good that Fast App Switching was explained a little, devs have to update their apps to enable the basic "freeze" and "unfreeze" of their apps.
Twittelator was updated, BTW.
Quit trying to generate or foment controversy. This has nothing to do with Flash. SJ has stated Apple's position on Flash--it's NOT distaste! It's simply old software. Apple is moving on. So should you.
The point he was making is that any apps that were developed with the Flash -> iPhone compiler would not be able to take advantage of these features. Rather, users of those apps would be waiting for Adobe to get around to fixing the compiler. Given that it's 3 years and still no Flash for existing mobile devices (other than a very tiny percentage of high powered Android 2.2 devices), why should Apple tolerate that? They want users to benefit from the new features.
how many devs leave because they have to update their app so many times....
i know for sure i have at least 5 - 6 apps on my MBP that are no longer in the app store because the dev gave up. it is too much to ask for the dev that works on apps in his / her spare time only to find out it becomes a full time job just doing updates.
Darned right. Apple should go kidnap those developers and lock them in the basement until they implement the new features. In fact, let's get a law written that once a developer writes an app, they're required to update it forever. No, let's make it a Constitutional amendment. Developers should never be able to decide that something isn't worth their while to continue.
This....
Dropbox
Evernote
Fandango
FlightTrack (reportedly adds new in-app SMS features and calendar integration)
GoDocs (a GoogleDocs client, adds support for Fast App Switching will shortly add support for "Open In" document handling)
Pastebot
NY Times (adds support for Fast App Switching, was previously broken under iOS)
and Quota.
Does not equal this....
Apple has been busy all weekend posting updated apps that support iOS 4 and its new features--including multitasking and the soon to be released Retina Display of iPhone 4--to the iTunes App Store.
Most disappointing launch ever. Apps should have been approved a week ago. Devs should be submitting apps like wildfire, not this wait and see BS.
how many devs leave because they have to update their app so many times....
i know for sure i have at least 5 - 6 apps on my MBP that are no longer in the app store because the dev gave up. it is too much to ask for the dev that works on apps in his / her spare time only to find out it becomes a full time job just doing updates.
I'm not trying to just pile on here, but really???
I updated my 3GS last night, and you know how many of my apps that were not updated to support iOS 4 stopped working? ZERO!!! Somehow I'm pretty sure that 6 months from now many of these same apps still won't be updated, and yet they will still be available on the app store.
The new iOS offers new features but does not mean that the devs have to suddenly bust their hump to update all of their apps. However, if they want to continue to see revenue from these apps it would be in their best interest to take advantage of the new features.
Try this out... Pick any of your favorite software titles from 5 years ago and hit your local Best Buy, WalMart, GameStop, etc. and see just how many of these you find on the shelves. My point is that software has a limited shelf life. If devs don't either update their software or release new versions, then those apps go the way of the dodo. Do you really think Office would still be king of the hill if MS didn't update the product with new features and functionality?
Most disappointing launch ever. Apps should have been approved a week ago. Devs should be submitting apps like wildfire, not this wait and see BS.
I've had numerous apps over the past couple weeks that HAVE already been updated to support iOS 4. Of course there are going to be tons of apps updated right around the launch date, but this is more a matter of project prioritization on the part of the devs rather than Apple. Heck, Apple could have made the new SDK available 6 months ago so devs had a huge window to perform the update in, but let's face it this wouldn't help any at all. First of all, many devs would have new apps in the pipeline that take priority to updating existing apps for an update 6 months away. Then there would be people like you trashing Apple of putting out the SDK so far in advance that it limits what new features Apple can include in the new APIs.
How many new apps requiring Windows 7 were released the same day as that OS? I assume that would really be the most disappointing launch ever? I mean Windows still has about a 90% market share on the desktop and let's face it there are WAY more desktops than iPhones. You must have just been beside yourself with disappointment over the lack of updated apps on Windows 7 release day. Oh yeah, let's not forget that Windows developers don't even have to worry about submitting their apps to MS for approval so that should make it even easier for them to have updated their apps for Win 7.
how many devs leave because they have to update their app so many times....
i know for sure i have at least 5 - 6 apps on my MBP that are no longer in the app store because the dev gave up. it is too much to ask for the dev that works on apps in his / her spare time only to find out it becomes a full time job just doing updates.
Developers leave because they were obligated to update their app? Thats like saying I quit developing for this platform because they updated the system software to 2.2
Lol
Most of the iOS3 apps will still work on iOS4 even if the developers hasn't updated.
I'm a part-time developer and all it took me was just a simple recompile to take advantage of fast app switching. I do not have to change any line of code at all.
And I also love the fact that updating the artwork to a higher resolution is just a simple resizing of vector images saved as "@2x.png" and you do not have to declare them in your source code because the APIs are smart enough to detect them.
This is why I develop for the iOS.
http://whenwillskypereleaseios4app.com/
I tried playing an mp3 with iOS4 and the latest version of Dropbox, and it still seems to pull up the built-in Quicktime playback screen to do so. When switching away from the app, the music stops, and doesn't continue like I would have expected. Maybe developers have to do a little more work besides just compiling against the iOS4 libs to get support for some of these other new features in iOS4. If so, this is disingenuous advice for AI to be handing out right now.
Oh yeah, Apple should be very careful not to disappoint any lazy dev who doesn't want to update his app. Full time job? Yikes! Perish the thought that iOS development would require that much effort!
Get your head out of your butt, you lazy bum!
Spoken like someone who'd never shipped software.
Two facts to consider:
1. Most apps in the AppsStore are pulling in less than minimum wage. This is true for almost all of them below the top 0.001% (200 out of 200,000).
2. If iOS developers were allowed to use high-level frameworks and tools they'd be able to update their apps in a fraction of the time needed to recode them by hand in C/C++/Obj-C.
Did anyone else try out Dropbox with iOS4, specifically trying to play a music file from your account? I typically use my account as temporary storage for mp3s I want to listen to, but don't otherwise have a way to quickly get onto my phone (i.e., when I'm at work, where, believe it or not, iTunes is completely forbidden on all machines).
I tried playing an mp3 with iOS4 and the latest version of Dropbox, and it still seems to pull up the built-in Quicktime playback screen to do so. When switching away from the app, the music stops, and doesn't continue like I would have expected. Maybe developers have to do a little more work besides just compiling against the iOS4 libs to get support for some of these other new features in iOS4. If so, this is disingenuous advice for AI to be handing out right now.
1) Playing a song in Dropbox works fine, but they are not using the APIs (at this time) to allow audio to play in the background when you switch apps and it will only play the song you song as there is no play the folder or playlist option at this point.
2) If you are allowed to play audio from your iPhone then why aren't you allowed to use the iPod app?