Twitter has e-mailed developers to clarify why its acquisition of Tweetie for iPhone represents an opportunity–not a threat.
Friday was a big day for mega-popular social-networking/micro-blogging service Twitter; the company announced its acquisition of the most popular Twitter application for Apple’s iPhone, Tweetie; and it said that it had “worked closely” with Research In Motion (RIM) on the first “official” BlackBerry client, which was just released to the public–in beta form–last week.
However, many third-party Twitter developers have voiced concerns that Twitter’s support and “official” branding of both Tweetie, which will eventually be renamed “Twitter for iPhone,” and RIM’s Twitter for BlackBerry app will make it more difficult to market and sell “non-official” Twitter apps made by external developers.
On Sunday, just two days after the initial announcement, Twitter’s director of its platform team, Ryan Sarver, attempted to assuage developers’ worries over the announcements by explaining that the acquisition and endorsement of the BlackBerry app will actually be a good thing for the Twitter ecosystem, and therein, developers…in the long run.
From Sarver’s e-mail:
“We love the variety that developers have built around the Twitter experience and it’s a big part of the success we’ve seen. However when we dug in a little bit we realized that it was causing massive confusion among user’s [sic] who had an iPhone and were looking to use Twitter for the first time. They would head to the App Store, search for Twitter and would see results that included a lot of apps that had nothing to do with Twitter and a few that did, but a new user wouldn’t find what they were looking for and give up. That is a lost user for all of us.”
The post goes on, but the gist is basically this: Twitter is putting its support behind both Tweetie, which has already proven to be hugely popular in Apple’s iTunes App Store, and RIM’s new BlackBerry client. That’s because folks new to Twitter need to be able to quickly find an app for both iPhone and BlackBerry that’s clearly labeled “Twitter” because the company/you-the-developer will lose them as potential customers if they get confused by the mass of already available Twitter apps from third-parties and simply decide to forget about Twitter altogether.
Umm. Okay.
Sarver also writes that even though the move may present a new challenge for third-party Twitter developers, it’s really “beneficial to everyone in the ecosystem…[since] more opportunities become available with a larger audience.”
He also goes on to apologize for the confusion that came along with the company’s usage of the word “official” in reference to Twitter for BlackBerry and the upcoming Twitter for iPhone–formerly Tweetie. But the post on Twitter’s blog announcing the new BlackBerry app hasn’t been changed; it still reads:
“Working closely with RIM to deliver the OFFICIAL Twitter app has been a great experience and we are looking forward to bringing more and more Twitter innovation to BlackBerry.”

Obviously, Twitter can purchase/support any and all of the third-party applications it pleases; however, I think that its attempt to disguise what is clearly a threat to third-party developers as an opportunity is deceptive, to say the least.
Why, I ask you, would someone new to Twitter, purchase Twittelator Pro for iPhone, which costs $4.99 on the iTunes App Store, when Twitter for iPhone, which will no doubt be the first result when someone searches said app store for “Twitter”, is both endorsed by Twitter–and free?
On the BlackBerry front, why would someone who has no idea what to expect from a mobile Twitter app, purchase a BlackBerry app like TweetGenius, which costs $7.99, when RIM’s official Twitter for BlackBerry is endorsed by Twitter and free of charge?
Sarver is, in effect, saying that third-party developers’ application-names aren’t beginner-friendly enough, so the company is pushing its own applications in front of the rest to hopefully build the overall Twitter user base. And Twitter’s own apps will be free.
The average Twitter beginner probably can’t tell the difference between “Twitter App A” and “Twitter App B,” so if “App A” is free, she’s going to skip the purchase of “App B” every time. At least that’s the way I see it. Sure, folks who start off using a free Twitter for iPhone/BlackBerry app could, over time, get curious about other commercial (not free) apps, but what percentage will actually pay for one of the them? Especially when Twitter says its apps are the best.
Twitter is a VERY simple service, and users really only need the ability to check timelines and send “tweets,” which can be done via any Twitter app. And once a user gets comfortable with one particular app, he’s likely to stay with it for no other reason than it is familiar.
The timing of Twitter’s moves also seems noteworthy to me, since it apparently decide to enter the Twitter-app game only recently; the company let third-party app developers gain loyal users for more than a year before stepping in and trying its own hand with a free app.
More from Sarver’s e-mail:
“As we work to provide the best possible Twitter experience on all of the major mobile platforms, momentum will increase dramatically”
I think this statement is particularly telling. If Twitter really does offer the “best possible…experience on all major platforms,” and for free, why would anyone pay for third-party apps? Twitter adoption, or “momentum,” if you will, is already increasing dramatically. But the company’s recent support for Tweetie and Twitter for BlackBerry could simply redirect that momentum away from third-party app-developers, toward Twitter itself.
That sounds to me like a clear opportunity for Twitter–and a clear threat to third-party developers.

Just in case there was any doubt regarding Apple’s plans to not support the original iPhone with iPhone OS 4, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has now weighed in on the matter with one of his typically terse emails. MacStories reports that a Twitter user sent an email to Jobs asking about future support for the original iPhone, to which Jobs responded “Sorry, no.”
Apple’s preview page for iPhone OS 4 also omits compatibility for the first-generation iPod touch. The iPhone 3G and second-generation iPod touch (which includes the 8 GB model still available for sale today) will be compatible with iPhone OS 4, but will lack support for certain features such as multitasking. Only the iPhone 3GS and third-generation iPod touch (and future hardware) will support all of the features of iPhone OS 4.

One of the biggest criticisms leveled at the iPhone and the iPad — that it can’t run third-party apps in the background — will be fixed at last (partially, anyway), with a little help from iPhone software 4.0, Steve Jobs announced Thursday. The major OS revision will arrive this summer for the iPhone, while iPad users will have to wait until the fall.
The new iPhone software will pack in more than 100 new features, Jobs promised, including (besides multitasking) a unified email inbox, support for Apple’s new iBookstore, a social gaming network, a series of interface enhancements (such as app folders and wallpapers for the home screen) and — yep, it was bound to happen — a new, Apple-controlled mobile ad framework, with Apple set to keep a generous 40 percent of future ad revenue for itself.
Without further ado, then, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty:
Multitasking
Here’s how it’ll work: If you’re running an app on the iPhone — anything from the core Mail app to, say, a game like Tap Tap Revenge — you just double-click the Home key to pull up a small window shade at the bottom of the screen, which can show four apps at a time (just swipe to scroll through more running apps). Tap an app in the new multitasking “dock” and you’ll switch to the app, with the first app’s state saved in the background.
So, will all these apps actually be running in the background? Well, no (if they did, they’d slow iPhone performance to a crawl and eat up battery life, Jobs said). That said, Apple will be allowing a few selected processes to run in the background, including music, VOIP, and location-based apps.
For example, Pandora will still play music while you’re browsing on Safari (you can even pause Pandora or skip tracks using the iPhone’s “lock” control bar), you’ll be able to answer and maintain VOIP calls (think Skype and the like) while you’re working in other apps, and location-aware apps like Loopt will be able to track your location in the background via cell-tower triangulation. (An icon will appear in the iPhone’s top status bar to warn you if a background app is tracking your location; you’ll also get to tweak a series of new location-based privacy settings).
Universal e-mail inbox
Here’s a feature that’s been a long time in coming. Currently, iPhone users checking multiple email accounts have had to switch back and forth between those accounts to see their respective in boxes (a process that takes several more clicks than it should). With iPhone OS 4.0, however, users will at last get a single, unified in box, just like BlackBerry users have enjoyed since … well, forever. You’ll also be able to “fast switch” between accounts, sort messages by thread, and open attachments with a third-part app (nice). Also, good news for Exchange users: No longer will you be restricted to a single Exchange account.
Home screen enhancements
You know how the iPhone won’t allow you to select wallpaper for the home screen? (That’s the home screen with all your app icons, not the lock screen with the digital clock and the “slide to unlock” thingy). That’s all set to change once iPhone OS 4.0 comes out. You’ll also be able to create “folder” icons that contain a series of apps — say, for all your games — effectively boosting the number of apps that can be displayed on the iPhone’s home screen from 180 to more than 2,100.
Social gaming network
The Xbox 360 has Xbox Live, the PS3 has the PlayStation Network, and now the iPhone will have Game Center, a new social gaming system that’ll let you earn achievements, invite pals to your personal gaming network, compare top scores on leaderboards, and square off with other players via matchmaking. Third-party developers who’ve already set up their own social gaming networks for the iPhone (such as Gameloft and OpenFeint) aren’t gonna like this one bit.
A word from our sponsors
Plenty of iPhone apps already feature in-app advertisements, but Steve Jobs (unsurprisingly) thinks Apple can do it better — thus, iAd, a framework for dynamic new in-app, HTML5-powered ads that “deliver interaction and emotion” (I know, I know). Jobs showed off a series of demos, including a full-motion app for Pixar’s “Toy Story 3″ (shocker!), a Nike ad that lets you design your own shoe, and a Target ad that lets you set up your dorm room. Ads won’t pull users out of a running app, Jobs promised, and you’ll also be able to play videos, games, download wallpaper, and view maps from within the ad itself. Last but not least: Apple says it’ll split ad revenue with advertisers 60-40, with Apple keeping the 40-percent cut. Look who just got into the advertising business.
Other enhancements
Expect the iBookstore to come to the iPhone with OS 4.0, along with a series of enterprise enhancements (in-app encryption, wireless app deployment for an entire workforce, etc.) and support for Bluetooth keyboards.
Which iPhones/the iPad will be compatible with OS 4.0?
The iPhone 3GS and the third-generation iPod Touch will be fully compatible with the new OS, multitasking and all, Jobs said. If you have the iPhone 3G or the second-gen iPod Touch, they will run “many things” in OS 4.0, but multitasking won’t be one of them. Finally, the iPad will also be getting all the new OS 4.0 features — including multitasking — but not until this fall. Jobs didn’t mention the original iPhone or iPod Touch, nor did he mention a fee for iPod Touch users wishing to upgrade (as we’ve seen in the past).
What we didn’t get
No Flash support (just “no,” Jobs reportedly said). No status-bar notifications for new email or SMS messages (which already exist on WebOS and Android phones). And no mention at all of an iPhone for Verizon.

Now more than ever, Americans are falling all over themselves to continue their collective love affair with the Apple iPhone.
In J.D. Power’s most recent quarterly survey of smartphone owners’ satisfaction levels with their handsets, the iPhone again has come out — far and away — at the top of the heap. In every metric but one, owners give the iPhone the highest marks: 5 stars out of 5 in the J.D. Power “Power Circle Ratings.”
Apple owners gave their iPhones top marks for ease of operation, operating system, physical design, handset features, and an overall satisfaction rating.
The iPhone, however, earned a mere 2 out of 5 rating for its puny battery life. (I feel your pain on that one, folks.)
In comparison, the other smartphone makers rated earned dismal scores. The BlackBerry line got a 3 out of 5 overall satisfaction rating, enough to put it in a solid second place in the survey. All the other brands analyzed — Palm, HTC, Nokia, and Samsung — scored a pathetic 2 out of 5 stars for overall satisfaction.
The good news: Owners of other brands of phones aren’t completely turned off by their devices. The BlackBerry earned a 5 out of 5 rating for its battery life, and both Nokia and Samsung scored 4 out of 5 in that category.
But other than those highlights, the numbers are pretty grim. In fact, while the iPhone’s overall satisfaction rating remained unchanged since the last survey, every other manufacturer’s rating has been on the decline.
What do users polled in this survey like the most about their phones? The touchscreen. Failure to include a touchscreen on a smartphone was responsible for a healthy smackdown in a phone’s average rating, and consumers now say that they even prefer traditional (“dumb”) phones with touchscreens by a wide margin over those with nothing but keypads.

Apple has sent out media invitations for a preview event scheduled for this Thursday, April 8th, to show off iPhone OS 4.0. The event is scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM Pacific Time in the Town Hall on Apple’s Cupertino, California campus.
Reports of iPhone OS 4.0 features began to surface in January ahead of the iPad media event, but the software was not included in that presentation. At the time, claims of new multi-touch gesture support, multitasking, and a user interface refresh were making the rounds. Multitasking has been the focus of a number of subsequent reports, with a recent one noting that iPhone OS 4.0 will carry an implementation similar to that of Exposé in Mac OS X. Other rumored features include a unified inbox for multiple email accounts and the ability to place contacts directly on the home screen.
Evidence of iPhone OS 4.0 in testing appeared late last year, and the new operating system is presumed to be introduced alongside new iPhone hardware sometime in the June-July timeframe.

NEW YORK — The prospect of a Verizon iPhone has sparked more speculation, more analysis and a big new high for Apple’s stock.
Apple is once again reported to be preparing production of a CDMA iPhone that would be compatible with the networks of Verizon and Sprint, according to a report Monday by The Wall Street Journal.
The report revives rumors of a Verizon iPhone, and by Tuesday analysts weighed in with their own take on the potential development.
Few analysts, however, see the iPhone landing at Verizon this year.
“A launch of a CDMA-based phone with Verizon this year is unlikely,” UBS analyst Maynard Um wrote in a research note Tuesday, adding that he believes “a CDMA phone could be launched with other operators later in the year.” Those other telcos include China Telecom and Japan’s KDDI.
The rumors stir up a long-running debate over when and if Apple and Verizon will ever come to terms over the iPhone.
Apple, maker of the hottest smartphone, and Verizon, the operator of the largest U.S. network, seem to be destined for an agreement once Apple’s exclusive with AT&T expires, but progress has been uncertain.
“Apple can’t ignore the largest customer in its largest market,” says Michael Cote, of the Cote Collaborative. “They have 90 million customers that Apple doesn’t have access to. The only way for Apple to grow in the U.S. is to access those subscribers,” says Cote.
But Cote says if there is a Verizon iPhone, the timing is not likely known even by Apple and Verizon yet.
For Verizon, the iPhone represents a swarm of new, big spending subscribers, but it also means Verizon is largely cut out of the revenue equation as its users become Apple customers, who will spend money at iTunes and the App Store. This conflicts with Verizon’s mobile-commerce ambitions.
There are also network infrastructure issues that need to be addressed. The iPhone puts heavy demands on the wireless system, as unhappy AT&T iPhone customers have long known. Verizon would like to avoid that, and Apple could help if it developed its own supplemental network.
Similar to what Research In Motion has done with its BlackBerry servers and email delivery system, Apple could provide a data center to reduce the burden on Verizon’s network resources, says Cote. This could allow a so-called push system that sends iPhone subscribers updates and emails as they come in instead of requiring the phone to continually check in with the network for new info.
Beyond network management, Verizon and Apple have not seen eye-to-eye in the past and the differences are still unresolved.
RBC analyst Mike Abramsky says there’s a lot of work yet to be done before Verizon and Apple come together. “The two parties may still need to resolve contentious issues such as subsidies, branding, revenue share, data plans, etc.,” Abramsky writes. “And Verizon just launched its own App store last week, which it may require some or all smartphones to offer,” Abramsky added.
Apple shares hit an all-time high of $237.48 early Tuesday, but has since settled down slightly to $236.19 or up 2% by mid morning.

************************************************
Celebrate Passover and Easter with us.
Essential Oil iGuide at the discounted price of 99c for a limited time (March 28, 2010 to April 6, 2010).
************************************************

iPhone App – Essential Oils iGuide

Screenshots

Summary

A few things to note:

Essential Oils iPhone App has been designed as a simple and easy to use guide for the average person wanting to add a little alternative options to their daily living.
The concept of the application is to provide you with access to 3 basic features.
A list of essential oils (and this is by no means all there is).

Some General Uses listed alphabetically.

Then we have created a group of Recipes that show the versatility and wondrous uses of Essential Oils.

A few things to be aware of:

The information provided in this application is for general information purposes only. This data is not considered complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

General Safety Information:

Do not take any oils internally without consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin.
If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner.
Use extreme caution when using oils with children and give children only the gentlest oils at extremely low doses.
It is safest to consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children. A skin patch test should be conducted prior to using an oil that you’ve never used before.

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.

So you’re on the airplane, ready to watch Zombieland on your iPhone, when suddenly you realize you have no stand, no way to prop it up at a comfortable viewing angle.
Take it from me, holding your iPhone (or Droid, iPod, Zune, or any other movie-viewing device) for two hours is no fun. No fun at all.
Solution? Check your wallet. If you’ve got an old hotel room key, gift card, or similar piece of stiff plastic you’re willing to sacrifice, you’ve got the makings of a killer phone-stand.
And it’ll take you exactly five seconds. Just bend the card in two places so it looks like this:

For this stand  a depleted BP gift card was used. It works like a charm (see below), and you can even flatten it out when you’re done and put it back in your wallet for the next time you need an impromptu stand.

Now, before you race to the comments to extol my genius, let me give proper credit: This great idea came from Instructables (where you can find more pictures and, if necessary, instructions).

Found this incredible article on the internet:
via WeAreUproar
We built Gratuitous in order to learn about developing and selling iPhone applications. We’re always looking for ways to improve our visibility in the App Store. Recently, though, we’ve been looking for ways to increase our visibility from outside the App Store into the App Store.
AdWords to the rescue! Right? Maybe not. AdWords didn’t work out for Gratuitous, so we quickly changed course and moved on. But I’d like to share our findings with you
Keyword Pricing
We didn’t know anything about AdWords when we started, so we kicked it off with default settings. We typed up our ad title and body, and hit “go.” The default setting in AdWords is to optimize for impressions (how many times an ad is displayed) by automatically bidding on clicks. For our keywords (iphone tip calculator), the bid went to $2-3 per click. While that may not be bad for a lot of products, it doesn’t make sense for an iPhone app that sells for $1-2. Even if you were able to get the cost per click down to $0.50 – $1, remember that an ad click doesn’t guarantee a purchase – far from it.
So, we switched over to manual pricing. We figured if we could get some clicks for $0.10 – $0.15, then they might be worth it. At that price, we didn’t see enough ad impressions to be worth our time. When bidding high we saw 3 clicks for 10,000 impressions. At 10 cents, the impressions went down to just a few per day. There is no way we’re going to see enough clicks to make that worth our while. If you’re selling a $10 app, then AdWords might be worth looking at.
Copyright and “Limited” Distribution
When we first submitted our ad, it went into review by the AdWords team because it included the word “iPhone.” It’s kind of hard to sell an iPhone app without saying “iPhone,” so we trusted that Google would see that our use of the term “iPhone” was an instance of fair use. After a few days, our ad was approved, but was marked as “Approved (limited).” Limited, to Google, means US-only. That was good enough for us, so we left it as is. If you need ad distribution outside the U.S. you can email Apple and ask them to approve your use in AdWords. Email lwidup@apple.com with your AdWords account number and a nice, friendly note.
Moving on
It’s pretty obvious that AdWords isn’t going to work out for Gratuitous, but apps are only part of our business. “Apps for your life. Consulting for your business.” Instead of advertising Gratuitous, we’re now trying AdWords as a way to generate leads for our consulting service. This is agile business. We tried something, quickly evaluated the results, and adjusted strategy decisively.
I resisted the temptation to spend a bunch of time becoming an expert in AdWords and going in 100%. There may be a way to make AdWords increase Gratuitous sales a bit, but it’s not worth our time. It’s clear that AdWords will not sell thousands of dollars worth of Gratuitous, so the experiment is concluded and we move on and adjust strategy. As a small business owner, I knew I needed to be quick and just test the waters. You’re going to do a lot of new things as a small business owner. Having a good sense for what to spend time on and what to do “just good enough” will be very valuable.