App Store

90% of the Money Spent on Mobile Apps Comes From the App Store

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 21, 2011

With the iPad coming under scrutiny as the competition begins its latest assault on Apple's tablet dominance, new figures suggest that the iPad may still be the best bet for those looking to make a living out of making tablet-based apps.

Piper Jaffray Senior Research Analyst Gene Munster has written in a research note released Monday that Apple's iPad still accounts for between 85% and 90% of the money spent on mobile applications.

The news comes as Android moves into a new era thanks to the release of Ice Cream Sandwich, the release which Google hopes will combine the tablet and smartphone software in a way similar to the iPad and iPhone. Munster's claims show that Android may still be suffering from an old issue: Android users just don't seem to buy apps as much as iOS users...

OmniFocus Gains Siri Support and iCloud Syncing

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated February 19, 2018

For those that really take todo systems seriously, the OmniFocus app is often at the top of the list for getting things done. With a suite of apps that covers the Mac, iPad and iPhone, OmniFocus creators The Omni Group have created a real powerhouse of applications that many swear by.

In the latest update for the iPhone version of their OmniFocus app, the developers at The OmniGroup have taken Apple's lack of a Siri API and gone all Chuck Norris on it. Instead of waiting for Apple to give them permission to use Siri to create tasks, they have linked OmniFocus with iCloud, which in turn gives the app full access to reminders created using iOS 5's built-in Reminders app.

The end result? You can now tell Siri to create reminders in OmniFocus...

Apple Goes After Amazon in Court Again Over Using the Term “App Store”

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 19, 2011

While Apple's long-running legal battle with Samsung has been consistently receiving the headlines, Tim Cook's band of highly paid lawyers are also going after another one of the tech industry's big boys, Amazon. Since the beginning of the battle back in March, Apple has been suing the retailer/tablet-maker over its use of the phrase "App Store."

Apple has now revised that lawsuit, claiming that Amazon has altered the way it uses the phrase, removing "for Android" from the end of the company's description of the app store implemented in its new tablet, the Kindle Fire.

Simply calling its store the "Amazon Appstore," Amazon is risking the wrath of Apple's lawyers again...

iPad App Store Updated With Subtle Interface Changes

Alex Heath ∙ Updated March 18, 2019

Sometimes it's the little things that really make a difference. Apple has updated the iPad version of the App Store with a subtle, yet very helpful, interface tweak.

Like usual, new apps and staff picks have been put on the App Store homepage for this week. But there's a new gestured-based feature that you may have missed...

The Only Game Apple Ever Made For the App Store is Now Dead

Alex Heath ∙ November 17, 2011

Apple has killed the only game it ever made for the App Store. Texas Hold'em for iPhone is no longer available. The game originally debuted on the iPod in 2006, and Texas Hold'em was revamped with the launch of the App Store in 2008.

The game was sold for $4.99 and was last updated in September of 2008, which goes to show how much Apple cared about the title in the first place.

Google Resurrects Gmail in the App Store

Alex Heath ∙ November 16, 2011

Google has put its Gmail app back on the App Store. After an embarrassing fiasco in which the app was made available and then pulled after only a couple of hours, Gmail for iOS has been resubmitted to the App Store for everyone to download.

Does the app still suck? You be the judge...

ATARI’s Asteroids: Gunner Now Available on the App Store

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 13, 2011

ATARI is one of the biggest and oldest names in the gaming space. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs even worked there before starting Apple way back when, and all these years later ATARI is happily releasing some great games for Apple's touch-based iOS devices.

The latest release to come out of the team at ATARI is Asteroids: Gunner, which the company describes as "a free-to-play, dual-stick action shooter for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad."

Bringing a spot of the old arcade magic to the iDevices, Asteroids: Gunner is sure to be a real hit amongst those looking for a shooter that won't break the bank, and with 150 waves of enemies, the game shouldn't be one that's over in a flash, either...

Hacker Uncovers Serious iOS Security Flaw

Cody Lee ∙ November 7, 2011

If there's one thing about iOS that even the skeptics can agree on, it's how much more secure it is than Android. Several security firms have found that Apple's mobile platform has far less malware than its Google-backed competitor.

The reason behind this is Apple's "walled garden" approach it takes with app approvals. Applications are thoroughly screened and must meet certain criteria before they are allowed in the App Store. That hasn't stopped one hacker extraordinaire from finding a really nasty bug...

Google Reportedly Finishing Up Native Gmail App for iOS

Cody Lee ∙ November 1, 2011

If you're an iPhone owner and also happen to be a Gmail user, you may want to pay attention. Word on the street is that Google is putting the finishing touches on a native Gmail application for the iOS platform.

MG Siegler, an Apple columnist for TechCrunch, made the announcement last night. The tech writer has learned that Google is nearly finished with an iOS-flavored native Gmail app, and it's headed for the App Store...

Hulu Plus App For Apple TV is Ready To Go

Oliver Haslam ∙ October 31, 2011

It would seem that there is quite the political battle going on inside Apple's Cupertino headquarters, and the subject matter may not be what you'd expect.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple is currently mulling over the decision to allow Hulu Plus onto its Apple TV platform. That's right, Hulu Plus.

The story suggests that there is currently a completed build of Hulu Plus running on internal Apple TVs, and that the app is ready for primetime. In fact, it has been ready for a month. Apple hasn't yet decided whether to allow it onto the Apple TV alongside the existing Netflix app...

Apps Aren’t the New Channels

Sébastien Page ∙ October 28, 2011

Since we first heard that Steve Jobs had 'cracked' the code for an integrated Apple TV set, rumors have been going crazy about what Apple has planned.

News came out this week that Jeff Robin, the guy who helped develop the iPod and iTunes, is currently leading Apple's secret TV project – let's just call this Apple TV set the "iTV." Our imaginations then started running wild at the prospect of a TV that could be controlled using Siri, or maybe even 3D gestures.

While there is no doubt Siri would be part of an iTV, one big question remains: how will the content get there?

Nintendo’s Refusal to Make App Store Games Costs Nearly $1 Billion

Alex Heath ∙ Updated July 10, 2017

Nintendo reported a net loss of $923 million for the first six months of the fiscal year, revealing the drastic effect that the company's stance on mobile games has produced. Despite the fact that there has been huge consumer demand for Nintendo titles on mobile platforms like iOS, the company has been adamant that it doesn't plan on porting its games to mobile devices like the iPhone.

This last report was the first loss that Nintendo has seen in 30 years. This is believed to be caused by a number of factors, including the economy and rapidly slowing sales of Nintendo's Wii console.