Tiny Shiny Apps – iPhone Development

When the ReadWriteWeb iPhone app was released, there was a comment on Twitter that it had taken longer than they expected to complete the development. I decided to take a look at the app to see what may have caused them issues.

Through the review I created a similar application using the TapLynx framework.

I believe that an equally usable application could have been created in greatly reduced timescales and at greatly reduced cost.

If you have any questions about aggregating your content for the iPhone, please contact us.

Navigation

ReadWriteWebApp has channels displayed on the main screen for the application for ReadWriteWeb, Enterprise, Start and Cloud, the four mains section of the site. There is also a link to the Twitter accounts of the RWW Team.

ReadWriteWeb App - Main Menu

TapLynx - Main Screen

Options for sharing – Facebook, Twitter, Instapaper and Read It Later are all available from the home screen too. These configurable options allow for easy sharing of items when reading.

The main screen is easy to navigate although it feels unfamiliar as a tab based navigation would be a more obvious choice.

In the TapLynx main screen we have included additional categories of Products and Trends as featured on the ReadWriteWeb site. The More option allows the user to configure the main screen to include Cloud, Start and Twitter if preferred.

Articles

The article listing navigation is typical and includes entries for ads and sponsors. Linking through to the article displays pages optimised for mobile with graphics displaying correctly.

Ads

As mentioned above, ads and sponsor mentions are incorporated into the article list. The current sponsor link Camera Plus Pro, is a link to the AppStore Info page which closes the ReadWriteWeb app and launches the AppStore. This could be considered out of the users control until the behaviour is learnt.

ReadWriteWeb App - News

TapLynx - Article Ad

In article ads appeared to be removed when viewed in the app. While this may enhance the experience for the user, surely the publisher is missing out on a page view, especially if the app is a success.

Performance

In the ReadWriteWeb app, the navigation between pages can be slow at times, with the selected option remaining highlighted as the next screen is displayed.

Offline Browsing

Offline browsing is not supported in ReadWriteWeb app. This is supported as standard with TapLynx.

Twitter

The ReadWriteWeb app has a nice reply/retweet/follow Twitter function. All authentication is done use Twitter oAuth.

We recreated the Twitter page by grabbing the list of staff members from their Twitter page and creating a couple of Twitter Search feeds which were combined in TapLynx. The Twitter integration in TapLynx is not so solid as it relies on using the mobile version of Twitter after you’ve logged in or a simple post screen which requires your username/password once, not using oAuth.

ReadWriteWeb app - Tweeting	TapLynx - Tweeting
ReadWriteWeb app - Sharing Options	TapLynx - Sharing Options

Search

There is no option to search in the ReadWriteWeb app. This may be linked to the lack of offline browsing. The TapLynx app has searching built-in by default.

Conclusion

The TapLynx framework offers the ability to aggregate the content from an online publication into a mobile application. The flexible design of the framework allowed configuration without coding, with excellent results.

Other publishers can save time and money with the TapLynx framework. If you have any questions about aggregating your content for the iPhone, please contact us.

Both AppMakr and TapLynx provide a method of rapid application development for iPhone apps based on the aggregation of existing content from feeds.

This comparison was produced based on the latest versions available in January 2010.

	AppMakr	TapLynx
Adding Feeds	Very simple. Search wizard guides the selection of suitable feeds for inclusion.	Most changes only require amendments to property list XML file.
Editor	Web based intuitive interface on any platform.	Mac running XCode required.
Transparency	Submission timelines from AppMakr depends on volumes. Process is not clear for someone unfamiliar with iPhone app development. App was released to AppStore without notification.	Apple Developer account needed. This provides full control over release.
Ownership	By default, your app is published by AppMakr on your behalf. With a Developer account, your app is published with your details. If long term extension of your app is planned check the options for moving from one account type to the other.	You publish your app under your Apple Developer account.
Metrics	AdMob stats are available if you are serving ads in your app. Otherwise there are no details available via AppMakr on downloads or usage.	iTunes Connect offers metrics on downloads and usage.
Ads	Easy to configure with a multiple ad networks. Integration with Admob was very simple. Admob stats provide some app usage data.	Requires inclusion of ad network libraries. Well documented steps and simple integration.
Quality	Fit for purpose app. Lack of formatting of RSS text looks clumsy. Includes sharing functions. Allows offline reading.	High quality app. Includes sharing functions. Allows offline reading.
Performance	Downloads feeds per tab as they are accessed which only retrieves the feed required but also introduces a downloading pause as each feed is read.	Background downloading of all feeds at app startup offers a better user experience.
Price Setting	With the Basic account there is no option to set a price, your app is released for free. You will need a Developer account to charge for your app.	No restrictions.
Cost	$199 – although discount codes of $50 have been available. Developer account $499.	$599
Next Steps	Additional feeds can be added and the application republished.	As the application is an XCode project, additional functionality can be added to take full advantage of the iPhone.

Updated: included comments on Ads, Quality, Performance and Price Setting.

If you would like to discuss either of these services and their suitability to your needs, please contact us.

Building Apps with AppMakr

AppMakr sounds to good to be true for content makers and too good to be bad for iPhone developers. Of course, the truth lies somewhere in between.

AppMakr does what it does, brilliantly. What it does is also limited but limited to very large market that want a brochureware type iPhone application.

App Building

Entering a search term into the site, retrieves feeds for the term in the form of blogs, Youtube and Flickr. It does this quickly and easily. If you know the URL of the feeds you are planning to use, this process is even easier. That’s how the MacLife app could be created so simply.

Building the app by assigning an RSS feed per tab is simple. AppMakr handles the addition of multiple tabs and the More button. It also provides icons for the tab bar and limits the character input for display.

The AppMakr Dashboard serves as a simple interface for developers and agencies managing apps on behalf of third parties. If there are clients who want to extend the application to the next level then this may not be possible with AppMakr.

App Store Submission

It is perfectly possible to create and post an app to the App Store without even knowing what the App Store is. And in some cases this may be ideal. Hiding the complexities of App Store submission from someone creating an application which is not likely to hit any issues is a positive.

Feedback

There was a lack of feedback on process which took only a couple of weeks. When the initial status was Awaiting Submission this was not App Store submission but was actually an AppMakr process prior to AppStore submission. An email was received to advise that AppMakr had submitted to the app to Apple. No email was received to indicate that Apple has accepted it, although this was displayed in the Dashboard which needed to be checked repeatedly. Being informed that the app has been accepted is important to allow promotion and marketing activities to begin.

Support

Very little support was necessary but many channels are available. The phone line support at $120/hour is unlikely to be required.

Pricing

This evaluation was carried out in January 2010 using discount code TECHCRUNCH for only $49. Normal price for the basic service would be $199. The Developer service costing $499 allows publishing using an Apple Developer account. Consideration should be given to anyone using the service on the long term plans for your iPhone app and taking advice where necessary.