The process to develop an iPhone app is not as hard or as simple as one might think. I am not a programmer, but wanted to see if I could teach myself how to develop an iPhone app. The news features all sorts of articles about kids as young as 9 that can make them. If they can do it, surely the rest of us can, too?
Like cooking, there is a bit of a process involved in “cooking” up an app. This article isn’t about your style of cooking, per se (i.e programming), but just the general steps necessary to get it from your head and into iTunes.
Creating an app isn’t entirely free, so it is important to know up front that, at some point in this process, you will be shelling out $99 (USD). Also, it is important to know up front that you will need to use a Mac at some point, and will need to use specific Mac-happy code to create your app.
Now that we have all seen the fine print, here are the exciting steps to app happiness!
Step 1: Craft A Brainy Idea
Have a unique idea for an app? There are, as you probably know, a trillion (OK, may not a TRILLION) apps out there. So what makes an app stand out? Why would anyone want to use your app? Why would they pay money for it if you are going to charge?
Be sure to check that there aren’t other apps that do the same thing that you are proposing. Or if you want to create something better than an app that already exists, think about how your idea will be better. Draw it out on paper or on the computer.
Step 2: Get A Mac
The iPhone is an Apple product and uses a variation of the Mac OS. Currently, the iPhone development tools are only available for Mac users (even though there is evidence of designing in jail break mode on a PC), but in order to get it up in the App Store, you will eventually need a Mac to get it there. You can buy a Mac mini relatively cheaply if you don’t have a Mac at your disposal.
Step 3: Register As An Apple Developer
To work with the Mac tools, you will need to become an official Apple Developer. Registration is free so you simply have to give them your information and agree to their terms. You only need to register once, and you are able to use the same username and password used for your iTunes account. Once you are an Apple Developer, you can develop iPhone apps for any of the Mac products.
Step 4: Download The Software Development Kit For iPhone (SDK)
Once you are an official developer, you can download the SDK for iPhone. The version you need depends on the OS you are currently running. This download is HUGE because it comes with all sorts of documentation, sample codes, and all sorts of things you will be glad to have later on. It could take a few hours, so you might want to start the download, put in a good movie, and wait.
ManiacDev is a really great site with TONS of information geared to both uber-newbies like me and tech gurus. Just start with the first video, watch and take notes as you go. Really and truly, these are the best tutorials I have found!
Step 5: Download XCode
If you don’t already have it, download XCode. According to Apple, “Xcode is a complete, full-featured IDE built around a smooth workflow that integrates the editing of source code, with the build and compile steps, through to a graphical debugging experience – all without leaving the view of your source code.” This is another huge download, so you might want to rent a second movie.
Step 6: Develop Your iPhone App With The Templates In The SDK
Once you have your app drawn out on paper or in Photoshop, you can start designing it with the templates provided in the SDK. This is where that HUGE amount of download time will be a huge benefit. You will have lots of templates to choose from, and there are a lot of great YouTube clip tutorials on how to use the templates effectively.
Step 7: Learn Objective-C For Cocoa
If you love programming languages, you will love Objective-C. If you don’t know how to program, this is the part that can get pretty sticky, so you might want to find a programmer friend or hire someone. It really does help to get a book, too, for reference.
Step 8: Program Your App In Objective-C
Once you at least understand the basics of Objective-C (or at least know how to find answers to programming questions), you are ready to program your app. It helps to take screenshots as you go along so you can remember what you tried. Some apps can take just a few hours to program while other Apps can take months. Only you know how much detail you want out there for its maiden voyage in the App Store!
Step 9: Test The App In The iPhone Simulator and on relevant devices
The SDK comes with a lovely iPhone Simulator. You will need to load up your app and do your own testing. You should try to work out as many bugs as possible and think about all the ways someone might use your app.
Step 10: Host A Bake Sale
Remember when I told you in the fine print that you would have to raise some cash? This is that moment. Sadly, loading an app into iTunes costs a one time member fee of $99 (USD). There is no way out of this fee, but you might earn it back in triplicate if your app is worthy! Truly though, you DO get a lot for your $99. For one, you get access to some of the coolest people on this side of Pluto!
Step 11: Have Others Test Your App
Once you pay your fee, you will be able to have others in the app community test your app and help you work out final bugs. This is a great community, and testing new stuff is lots of fun. If you are a newbie like me, you will be in awe of the kings and queens of geeky stardom. Depending on the nature and complexity of your app, this process can take some time.
Step 12: Submit Your App For Approval
After testing your app in the community and working out all the bumps, you can submit the app to iTunes for approval. You will be able to upload it right from the community. The process of approval can take some time, so be patient!
Step 13: Watch The Dough & Traffic Roll In!
If you created a paid app, just wait for the money to roll in to shore. If you created a free app, watch the traffic!

On the surface, the iPad looks like a pretty good deal. After all, just $499 gets you in the door with the entry-level model, which seems plenty capable for most users.
But there’s a dark side to the iPad that’s now starting to surface, thanks to leaked videos of the soon-to-be-launched iPad app store. No, the apps themselves look fine: It’s the price of the apps that, to be blunt, can be downright exorbitant.
Consumerist took a close look at the apps being marketed for the iPad’s launch and found that they’re not going to be cheap. Far from it, to be honest. Where 99 cents is a common price point for apps on the iPhone, iPad apps are coming in around $4.99. The cheapest application displayed during the video demo costs $2.99, and one app shown costs $49.99.
On average, for applications that have an equivalent version on the iPhone, the price increase is 96 percent, almost double what you’d pay for the same apps on the smartphone format.
To be fair, these aren’t the exact same applications, but rather iPad or “HD” versions of the apps optimized for the larger screen. Most iPhone apps will run on the iPad, but they won’t take advantage of the larger resolution screen, so vendors have to rewrite applications for the iPad with the bigger display in mind. That’s worth something — but is it worth double, and in some cases five times, the original price? We aren’t talking about massive programming undertakings here, but primarily subbing in different graphics that will look better on the iPad’s larger screen.
Pricing on iPad applications is far from finalized right now, of course, and vendors probably know the lesson all too well that it is much easier to lower prices over time than it is to raise them. Start high and you’re a hero when you cut the cost by a buck or two, but double the price from $.99 to $1.99 and you’re a money-grubbing villain.

The first batch of iPad applications have become visible in the App Store. Applications can be purchased and downloaded, but obviously require an iPad to be functional. Downloaded iPad apps appear in a separate section of the “Apps” pane in iTunes, below iPhone and iPod touch applications.
Apple has also updated the Terms and Conditions for the App Store, reflecting the addition of iPad functionality and also clarifying that various types of iTunes gift cards and other credits are managed by a separate company known as Apple Value Services, LLC.
The early list of iPad apps can also be viewed at Appshopper.com. Notable early iPad apps includes:
Mirror’s Edge for iPad, AIM For iPad, Super Monkey Ball 2 for iPad, Things for iPad, USA Today for iPad, The Wall Street Journal, ABC Player, Keynote, Pages.

Apple officially invites developers to begin submitting iPad applications to the App Store for inclusion in the grand opening of the iPad App Store at its launch on April 3rd. In the e-mail sent to developers, Apple invites app submissions for an initial review of their readiness for the iPad.
iPad will begin shipping soon and your opportunity to be part of the grand opening of the iPad App Store starts today. Submit your iPad app now for an initial review by the App Review Team and receive feedback on its readiness for the grand opening.
Submit Your App by March 27.
- Build and test your iPad app using iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 5 available on the iPhone Dev Center. Only iPad apps built with iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 5 will be accepted for this initial review.
- Upload your distribution signed app through iTunes Connect by Saturday, March 27, 5pm PDT.
- The App Review Team will review your app on iPad and email you details about the readiness of your app.
- You will also receive additional information about submitting your app for final review before iPad ships.
- Only apps submitted for the initial review will be considered for the grand opening of the iPad App Store.
Apple has provided iPads to a select set of developers under tight security in order to assist them with preparing their apps for the iPad’s launch. The vast majority of developers will, however, have to rely on the iPad simulator included in the iPhone SDK 3.2 for iPad for testing their apps.

First, Apple ticked off some iPhone app developers. Now it’s giving the boot to iPhone screen protector vendors.
In a scene in the 2004 movie Troy, a young virgin priestess professes her love for the god, Apollo. Achilles, played by Brad Pitt, replies, “I think you’ll find the romance one-sided.”
For a few of the Apple faithful, like Gerrard Dennis, CEO of The Simply Group, Achilles’ words can sting without warning. The Simply Group’s iPhone retail app for women’s beach apparel was caught up in Apple’s raid on smut in the App Store.
“I do understand [Apple's] motives,” Dennis says, “although they applied them with the finesse of a club hammer!”
Only three months into the new year, a rejuvenated Apple has shown god-like indifference to its faithful followers, even dealing crushing blows to the businesses of unsuspecting iPhone software developers and Apple-related product vendors.
In February, Apple shunned Macworld Expo, then took some wind out of Macworld Expo’s sails by staging its own announcement of the much-anticipated iPad just two weeks before the start of Macworld Expo.
When Apple launched its iPhone three years ago, industry watchers said the key to its success would be wooing apps developers. And they came to the new platform in droves, helping to make the iPhone one of the greatest tech stories ever told. Today, there are more than 140,000 iPhone apps.
But late last month Apple suddenly removed apps containing what it called sexual content. No forewarning. No explanation. No apologies. Never mind that Apple had already approved these apps. The raid also didn’t include top branded apps, such as the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit app.
Apple didn’t seem to care what happened to banned developers. Dennis’ phone calls and emails, for instance, went unanswered. Dennis says that he even wondered if anyone from Apple actually took the time to evaluate apps or Apple just made a sweeping decision based on keywords.
The Simply Group was one of the lucky ones; its banned iPhone app magically reappeared on the App Store four days later. Yet other app developers wrote to me crying foul. On an Apple whim, they said, their businesses had been obliterated overnight.
Next to feel Apple’s wrath: iPhone screen-protector vendors. Several vendors speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid conflict with Apple told Macworld that Apple will stop selling screen films for the iPhone, iPad and MacBook in its App Store and retail outlets. Apple did not explain the decision, they said.
To be fair, vendors told Macworld that screen protectors are returned at a higher rate than other products due to the difficultly of applying them without causing air bubbles. Power Support, a maker of iPhone screen protectors, did not return my calls.
The ban also includes iPhone cases with screen protectors, vendors said. “The move has left some case vendors scrambling to quickly repackage their products sans screen protection, so as not to lose their privileged place in Apple’s stores,” according to the Macworld story.
Screen and anti-glare films are popular among iPhone owners and have saved screens from scratches, including mine. Yet Apple apparently has decided that they aren’t important anymore given more scratch-resistant screens of the latest iPhone models.
Like others, vendors that have built their businesses on screen protectors find themselves suddenly out of luck without any recourse. Apple’s actions really do bear resemblance to the arrogance and apathy of the Greek gods.

Apple has augmented its iPad “Features” section with a new page devoted to its iBooks application. Initially available only in the U.S., the iBooks application will be available in the App Store once the iPad officially launches on April 3rd and will serve as the hub for the iPad’s eReader functionality and offer access to Apple’s iBookstore where users will be able to purchase content. While many of the details of the iBooks application have already been disclosed, the feature page provides a slightly more in-depth look at the application and clarifies a few issues.
Apple confirms that the application will utilize the open ePub standard, which will allow users to import any open ePub content into iTunes and sync it with their iPad for viewing, even content not acquired through the iBookstore. Apple has been quiet about any sort of digital rights management (DRM) for content sold through the iBookstore, but reports have suggested that it will utilize a version of Apple’s FairPlay DRM that was formerly used on iTunes Store music and continues to be used on video content distributed via iTunes.
The new iBooks page also describes a number of the features of the application, including the ability to automatically switch between single-page portrait and double-page landscape modes by simply rotating the iPad and to change text sizes and fonts. Users can also tap on words within their eBooks to see definitions from the device’s built-in dictionary application or Wikipedia, or search for the word in the text or on the Web. iBooks is also compatible with the iPad’s VoiceOver functionality, allowing content to be automatically read aloud.
While iBooks will be a U.S.-only feature at launch, Apple appears to be busy preparing to build out support for the application and the associated iBookstore, with job postings

As information on the iPad continues to spill out from Apple in the wake of the launch of pre-orders in the U.S., more screenshots and feature information on iWork applications for the iPad have surfaced on Apple’s site. Announced alongside the iPad’s introduction in late January, iWork for iPad will offer multi-touch versions of Apple’s Keynote, Pages, and Numbers productivity applications priced at $9.99 each through the App Store.
Keynote features 12 Apple-designed themes for users to choose from as a basis for their presentations, as well as tap-to-add functionality supporting photos, video, shapes, tables, charts, and text. Items can be easily dragged, resized, or rotated using the iPad’s multi-touch technology. Keynote also supports animations, as well as routing to external video displays using an optional iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter.
Document editing on the iPad is performed using Pages, which offers 16 templates for easy creation of simple text documents, newsletters, brochures, flyers, and other content. In landscape mode, Pages offers a large on-screen keyboard that enables rapid text entry, which is also facilitated by the iPad’s auto-correct feature that corrects spelling, inserts punctuations, and suggests words. Finally, Pages offer a number of page layout tools, allowing users to add and resize images, create lists, format text, and set margins, tabs, headers, and footers.
For Numbers, Apple highlights the 16 included templates for spreadsheet formatting, table functionality with automatic sum, min, max, and count display for data selections, and simple forms for easily entering data on the go and automatically updating spreadsheets. Finally, Numbers offers high-quality charts in a number of different styles that can be copied and pasted into Pages or Keynote documents, and multiple intelligent keyboard layouts to allow users to take full advantage of Numbers’ more than 250 functions.
All iWork applications for the iPad support import of their respective traditional iWork file formats, as well as the corresponding Microsoft Office formats. Users have the option of exporting their finished documents in iWork, Office, or PDF formats.

After we’re done, we ask ourselves the golden question, “Is this app a keeper?” That’s what this list is all about — those apps that eventually find a permanent place on our Macs to call Home. Everyone should have these installed, regardless of what you use your Mac for.
Dropbox
Everyone knows Dropbox for their amazing file-sharing service. Drag any file into the Dropbox folder and it automatically gets shared.
Sign up for a free account and you automatically get 2GB to share with your friends. Set up shared folders and anything you drop will be instantly downloaded by others.
Need mobile access to your files? There’s an iPhone app just for that.
AppFresh
Surely you must know how it feels to load an app, just to have it inform you that it’s outdated and there’s a newer version available? Don’t we always need the latest and greatest?
AppFresh is what you want. It will scan through all of your installed apps, plugins, preference panes, widgets and spew up the results in a matter of seconds. All the information you need to see will be laid out in front of you: latest version number, currently installed version, release date, release notes. It’s a geek’s all-you-can-eat buffet.
Adium
Adium is probably the most widely-used multi-protocol chat app on Macs. It’s oddly strange that it’s never been featured exclusively on MakeUseOf.
Adium supports a wide range of chat protocols from MSN to Facebook to ICQ to Gadu Gadu. If you use it, Adium supports it.
Adding to its list of features, Adium is also hugely customisable in both its theme and functionality. Check out the addons that the Adium community has to offer.
The Unarchiver
Emphasis on the “The”. This little app – that comes without a user interface – can probably unpack just about any file you throw at it. Once installed, it will replace Mac’s native unarchiving utility, BOMArchiveHelper.
To mention a few, it supports and unarchives RAR, ZIP, Tar, 7-Zip, Stuffit, CAB, MSI and even EXE files. The only format it cannot unpack is ACE. But that’s hardly a worry.
Besides being clever, The Unarchiver is also efficient. You can click on as many RAR or ZIP files for it to unpack but it will never overwork your system. Instead, it will queue the files and unpacks them individually.
Transmission
This little app is always being compared to uTorrent. Why? Transmission is fantastic BitTorrent client that was specifically designed to be integrated seamlessly on a Mac.
It’s simple and minimalistic, it’s lightweight, it’s fast and there are a lot of cool things you can do with it.
It will be a long time before I part with this trusty app.
AppCleaner
Macs have always boasted simple installation and uninstallation procedures. To install most Mac apps, all you need to do is drag it over to the Applications folder. To uninstall, drag the app to Trash. But the story doesn’t quite end there.
There will be a couple of mystery files left on your Mac. They won’t do much harm but since you’re uninstalling an app, chances are, you won’t need these files lingering on your Mac. AppCleaner solves this debacle.
Drag any file you want to uninstall into AppCleaner and it will display all the related files. Make sure that you agree and click Delete. Goodbye, remnants!
Skitch
We’ve written about Skitch more than once. Personally, I’ve used it for years. And there’s a good reason for that.
Skitch is one of the most basic yet impressive image editors for Mac. It is capable of saving images to JPG, PNG, PDF, BMP, TIF, GIF and SVG. That should cover most of your image-saving needs.
I mainly use Skitch for simple image manipulations like resizing, cropping, converting to other formats and annotations.
It’s quick and I love the fact that I know the output file size even before saving the file. Skitch also keeps a history of every file every edited. It may not sound like much but that’s what I love it for. I can turn the History viewer on and conveniently grab a file which I modified a week ago.
Perian & VLC
I find it awfully weird that Quicktime still doesn’t support Divx out of the box. Like every good marketing strategy — when there’s demand, there’s supply. Failing every good marketing strategy — Perian is free. Still, it’s considered the swiss-army knife of video codecs for Quicktime (why does that sound so familiar?).
I would probably be at the wrath of the Guillotine of Tech if I used the word “video” and didn’t follow it quickly with “VLC”. For years, VLC has reigned cross-platform champion as the most capable video player. Macs are no exception.
iStat Menus
Keeping with the minimalistic mindset, Apple maintains that, “The less you know, the better.” That’s why Activity Monitor is buried deep within the Utilities folder. Generally, a Mac user should focus on the task at hand and not worry about how much free memory is available.
iStat Menus makes this information easily attainable — on your menubar. At the cost of some menubar-estate, this preference pane will add vital information like CPU usage, temperature, memory usage, network activity and other goodies to the top of your screen where it’s visible at all times.
Sure, this may go against Apple’s teachings but hey, we’re geeks — we need to know everything that’s going on, all the time.
OnyX
OnyX was featured just once on MakeUseOf in the article Ten Tools To Keep Your Mac In Tip-Top Shape. But you know what? Once is more than enough to convince anyone that OnyX is a keeper.
Think of OnyX as a strict physician. It inspects and examines your Mac for anything that might seem wonky and straightens out all the kinks.
It can also clean out old log files and performs a series of automated maintenance to keep your Mac healthy.
Teamviewer
C’mon. This app doesn’t need an introduction!
Teamviewer is one of the best zero-configuration remote-support applications that’s available. Period. And since it’s also available for Mac, why not take advantage of it?
Even if you’re not on the receiving end, having Teamviewer installed is really convenient if you are your family’s tech-support team.
Quicksilver
Highly regarded by productivists as the definitive must-have application, Quicksilver has finally won me over. Sure, its highlight may have been the Tiger-Leopard era but it still has its place in Snow Leopard.
With a couple of quick keystrokes, sending an email or transferring files can be as simple as launching an application. But don’t be fooled, it’s not a simple app launcher. It can do so much more!
It definitely takes a bit of getting used to but it’s highly rewarding once you’ve honed the skill. In fact, you may feel slightly disabled if you’re on a Mac without Quicksilver.
Bean & TextWrangler
I bunched these 2 apps together, not only because they’re both text editors or because they’re free. Rather, it’s because I simply couldn’t make up my mind.
Bean is has slightly more features, supporting Word documents. Aside from that, it also launch amazingly fast!
Bean is an alternative to using Microsoft Word on my Mac. Since I don’t work with Word documents that often, there’s no point in forking the money over to buy a copy.
I use TextWrangler for different purposes, mainly for what lacks in TextEdit — a word counter. It also supports coding and HTML, which is helpful on occasion.
Carbon Copy Cloner
With all the reports of Time Capsules crapping out after a year of use, I refused to take any chances and decided back up my data manually. Carbon Copy Cloner was such a helpful application that I just had to find a spot for it on my Mac.
With features like scheduled tasks and incremental backups, it’s almost a good as Time Machine (without the fancy interface). It allows you to make complete or selective backups of your Mac, backup to a networked Mac, backup to a disk image and even restore from one.
Using Carbon Copy Cloner means freeing yourself from the backup schedules of Time Machine and having complete control over your backups.
Burn
Not that I’m complaining but my fancy Mac does not allow me to burn DVD videos outside of iDVD. There’s just no native support outside of the iLife app suite. Want to burn a music CD but not with iTunes? Tough.
Burn is a simple application that slips right into place. In fact, it’s so simple, it’s crazy. I messed around with it a bit by dragging an AVI and told it to burn a video DVD. I thought it would produce an error of some kind because only MPG files can be used. You know what Burn returned? “Would you like me to convert it for you?” I can’t believe this app is free.
So there you go. 15 apps worth having on every Mac.

Herbs n Spices – the latest app from Flirtation Creations has been submitted to Apple for review and inclusion on the App Store.
Herbs n Spices