iPhone

Audi drives mobile gamers to iPhone 3G

Jason Ankeny — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:37:55 -0400

Auto manufacturer Audi of American announced the release of Audi A4 Challenge, a new mobile game developed for Apple's iPhone platform. Created in just two weeks by interactive agency Factory Design Labs, the free game--according to Audi, the first-ever iPhone application from an automaker--capitalizes on the device's accelerometer to enable players to steer a virtual version of the Audi 2009 A4 through a series of racing courses. In conjunction with Audi A4 Challenge, Audi also launched an associated website featuring videos, wallpapers and a dealer locator. Audi A4 Challenge is available for download now--the new Audi A4 drives into dealer showrooms in September.

For more on Audi A4 Challenge:
- read this release

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Can the iPhone 3G galvanize mobile gaming?

Report: Apple to debut iTunes subscription service

Jason Ankeny — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:14:20 -0400

Apple is reportedly poised to unveil an iTunes subscription service at a September media event that will also reveal a host of upgrades to the fledgling MobileMe cloud-based service, which delivers push email, push contacts and push calendars to native iPhone, iPod touch, Mac and PC applications. According to MacDailyNews, the rumored Apple event will herald the introduction of iTunes Unlimited, a digital music subscription that will launch in the U.S. in late October--promising consumers roughly 50 percent of the total content currently available via iTunes, the service will offer one-year subscriptions for $129.99, or $179.99 combined with MobileMe access. Existing MobileMe subscribers could add iTunes Unlimited for an additional $99.99. A "buy and keep" option would enable subscribers to purchase songs a la carte, and the current iTunes store will maintain its status quo as well. Meanwhile, the reported MobileMe upgrades would allow iPhone and iPod touch users to access iDisk cloud storage, and enable one-button syncing to MobileMe.

For more on the iTunes Unlimited rumors:
- read this MacDailyNews article

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A wide-open race for OS dominance

Jason Ankeny — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:08:43 -0400

What a difference a few months can make. Consider how much the mobile software landscape has transformed in the time since CTIA Wireless 2008 took place in early April: First and foremost, of course, Apple introduced its iPhone 3G as well as its App Store mobile application storefront--in the first month after the App Store launched, consumers downloaded more than 60 million iPhone applications, earning developers about $21 million in the process. But that's not all: The open source arena opened up wide when Nokia acquired the remaining shares of mobile software licensing company Symbian Limited, announcing it plans to team with Sony Ericsson, Motorola and NTT DoCoMo to pool the Symbian OS, S60, UIQ and MOAP technologies to create a single open mobile software platform. At the same time, Google maintained the first devices powered by its Android mobile OS would hit retail by year's end, despite recurring rumors to the contrary, and Verizon Wireless formally committed to the LiMo Foundation's mobile Linux standard.

So while the mobile software community arrives at CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2008 with more momentum and energy than ever before, applications developers also find themselves at the crossroads between opportunity and fragmentation, faced with the prospect of three major open-source operating systems (Symbian, Android and LiMo) as well as the iPhone and perennials BlackBerry and Windows Mobile. There's no clear favorite: Despite the breakout success of the App Store, which effectively revolutionized application sales and distribution in a matter of days, the iPhone still represents a relatively small segment of the overall device population--moreover, Apple's mysterious internal review process, erratic update protocol and my-way-or-the-highway approach to pricing have all rubbed some developers the wrong way. Google also alienated its fair share of developers by secretly making a new version of the Android OS SDK available only to finalists of its Android Developer Challenge contest. And let's not count out Microsoft, either--the software giant recently revealed the number of Windows Mobile licenses grew by 81 percent in the past year, and there are now some 18,000 WinMo apps in all. Pay close attention to which operating systems the breakout apps of CTIA Wireless I.T. target: The battle for OS supremacy is about to get very interesting.

More big changes for the smallest screen

Jason Ankeny — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:28:14 -0400

Roughly a year ago, as the mobile industry prepared to descend on San Francisco for the annual CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment conference, Apple's iPhone was seemingly all anyone could talk about. As we now return to the Bay Area for CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2008, the device's successor iPhone 3G is all the rage, but where the first iPhone innovated the mobile user experience, this latest incarnation is more notable for bringing with it Apple's App Store, a virtual retail storefront that in one broad stroke revolutionized the business of mobile application distribution and sales to the tune of 60 million downloads in the first month alone. By simplifying access to applications spanning from entertainment to productivity tools, the App Store crystallized for consumers the true scope and potential of the mobile experience, illustrating the possibilities inherent in carrying a pocket-sized computer everywhere you go.

The challenge now facing the mobile entertainment sector: Capitalizing on the App Store's momentum. T-Mobile USA is reportedly at work on its own unified software store, one that would work with every T-Mobile wireless device. But the iPhone isn't the sole catalyst behind mobile content's continued evolution. The recent Beijing Summer Olympics proved a huge boon for the platform as U.S. swimming phenom Michael Phelps' record-breaking eight gold medals captivated the nation--NBC's Olympics Mobile WAP site generated close to 30 million page views, with users spending close to 6 minutes per visit. And sports coverage on mobile should continue to attract attention throughout the remainder of the year, with the coming NFL season poised to launch a host of fantasy football applications as well as live game coverage via the NFL Network and exclusive operator partner Sprint.

So the future looks bright--unless mobile entertainment falls victim to the recession, of course. Expect the economy to emerge as a major point of discussion at CTIA Wireless I.T., along with the growing reach of mobile social networking, the revenue promise of mobile advertising and the continued stagnation of the mobile music and video markets. As always, mobile seems to live in a state of constant flux--like the subscribers it serves, the industry just doesn't know how to sit still. - Jason

P.S. Be sure to join me at the Fierce networking party Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Mezzanine in San Francisco. RSVP here.

App Store downloads exceed 60 million in first month

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:50:43 -0400

Consumers have downloaded more than 60 million iPhone applications in the month since Apple opened the App Store, the computing giant's CEO Steve Jobs revealed in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. While a majority of the applications were free, Jobs said that Apple still sold an average of $1 million a day in iPhone apps, generating about $30 million in sales so far--if sales continue at their current pace, the company is poised to earn at least $360 million in new revenue from the digital storefront. "This thing's going to crest a half a billion, soon," Jobs said. "Who knows, maybe it will be a $1 billion marketplace at some point in time. I've never seen anything like this in my career for software." But Jobs said Apple stands to derive minimal direct profits from the App Store, claiming the 30 percent of application proceeds the firm retains are just enough to cover operating expenses. Jobs said iPhone application earned about $21 million during the first month, with the top 10 developers raking in roughly $9 million. He declined to update sales totals on the iPhone 3G itself.

For more on the App Store's early success:
- read this Wall Street Journal article

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Apple filing hints at remote iTunes access via iPhone

Jason Ankeny — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:03:22 -0400

A forthcoming Apple software update could enable iPhone and iPod touch users to remotely access their home computer's entire iTunes media library without traditional synchronization, according to a new filing uncovered by AppleInsider. The 24-page United States Patent and Trademark Office filing, credited to Apple employees David Heller and Thomas Mavrakakis, notes that at present, downloading media items from a computer to a media player is a time-consuming process limited by the device's storage capacity; new versions of iTunes and the iPhone Software propose to eliminate the problem by synchronizing only the metadata, not the content itself, from iTunes to the device. The metadata--which requires only a fraction of the space necessary to store the media itself--would translate on iPhones and iPods as "virtual media items" representing playlists, videos, photos and mobile games: Instead of accessing the files directly from the device, the iPhone or iPod would employ a wired, WiFi or cellular connection to remotely access and retrieve the media items from a user's Mac or PC. "As a result, the user perceives that the virtual media items may be available on the (the media player)," the Apple filing notes. "In this manner, the virtual capacity of an electronic device may be increased."

The same protocols would enable users to manage their iTunes libraries remotely, adding and deleting files while on the move. The device will constantly monitor all processes against problems or fading signals, and pause or cancel data transfers as warranted. The Apple filing adds that the software update would also enable iPhones and iPods to communicate with one another. "In the peer-to-peer environment, one mobile device can communicate with one or more other electronic devices (whether mobile or stationary) in the immediate vicinity," the filing states. "Data sharing can be performed when such communication is available."

For more on the Apple patent filing:
- read this AppleInsider article

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'Frogger' leaps onto iPhone

Jason Ankeny — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:57:49 -0400

Electronic media developer and publisher Konami Digital Entertainment announced its first title for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch platform: George Costanza's favorite video game Frogger. According to Konami, Frogger--now available via Apple's App Store--was re-designed to fully exploit the capabilities of the iPhone platform, including the device's multi-touch interface and accelerometer.

For more on Frogger:
- read this release

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iPhone games publisher ngmoco scores funding

Jason Ankeny — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:24:11 -0400

iPhone games publisher ngmoco announced the completion of a Series A financing round led by venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, with participation from Maples Investments. The total amount of the financing was not disclosed. Founded earlier this year by gaming industry veterans for the sole purpose of creating and publishing titles for the iPhone platform, ngmoco said the investment will support its efforts to develop new games in-house as well as in collaboration with fellow gamemakers. The announcement follows on the heels of KPCB's March 2008 launch of the iFund, an investment initiative targeting applications, services and components for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch platforms.

For more on the ngmoco financing:
- read this release

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JumpTap, Pinch team for iPhone ad network

Jason Ankeny — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:46:19 -0400

Apple's iPhone 3G is proving irresistible to the mobile advertising sector: Mobile search and advertising solutions provider JumpTap announced an agreement with iPhone applications analytics and advertising firm Pinch Media to create an iPhone advertising network. The companies say the partnership combines Pinch Media's App Store analytics and advertising tech with JumpTap's mobile ad network to enable developers to efficiently insert promos into their applications, promising brands a channel to reach the lucrative iPhone consumer via the device's in-application environment. According to Pinch Media, its analytics module offers metrics including volume of unique users, length of time an app is used and geographic location.

For more on the JumpTap/Pinch Media pairing:
- read this release

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Washington Post launches iPhone city guide app

Jason Ankeny — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:50:28 -0400

Venerable daily newspaper The Washington Post announced its washingtonpost.com website will launch a free, downloadable city guide application for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch, promising on-the-go entertainment information spanning more than 2,000 D.C.-area restaurants, bars and clubs. The City Guide app employs GPS features to find and map all nearby locations within blocks of a user's location, enabling search by name, neighborhood and cuisine. Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema will contribute restaurant reviews, and users may also compile lists of personal favorites. The newspaper developed the iPhone app in conjunction with integrated communications service provider Qorvis Communications.

For more on the Post app:
- read this release