Thank you Steve.

Today is a sad day. Steve Jobs is resigning from Apple as CEO. The rest is history. Thank you Steve. Really.

.ipa file size difference between Xcode 4.0 and 4.1.1

Today I decided to start work on the next release of Password Validator. Upon my first Adhoc build ready to be installed on my test device, I found out a very surprising thing: the size of the .ipa is now 3.8 megs instead of 7.9 megs. What a difference! the larger size one was generated from Xcode's Organizer Archive and Export command release 4.0. The only explanations for this could be:

• Xcode 4.1.1 is much more efficient at generating ARM6 code while using the LLVM debugger instead of the GCC 4.2 one.
• Xcode 4.1.1 uses a different compressor for jpeg resources

iOS versus webOS UI fundamentals comparison

Here is a complete touch-based UI fundamentals comparison between iOS and webOS. Well, not exactly but when looking at the HP TouchPad in action and comparing it to the iPad or iOS in general I keep asking myself: what is really the reinvented thing here?

Let's face it. The iOS looks like a glorified Palm OS. Same home screen fundamentals. Even the Newton had the same basically.

Palm IIIc home screen

iPhone homescreen

HP TouchPad

HP's webOS seems to be really the thing being reinvented here. Just saying. Any comments?

I'm still alive... and well !

You know, it is summer time. As an indie iOS dev, I'm taking a time off. I'll be back soon.

An indie iOS developer at the crossroad

The iPhone amazed me. I wanted to know how this device was working inside. So I started part time learn how to develop iOS applications more than two years ago. Like many indie developers, I bought books, read them and tried. I was looking for ideas of applications that would allow me to test my just acquired knowledge. So I went for a password generator that went for sale on June 9th, 2009. That was version 1.0. Next, in order to boost sales, I added a password manager feature into the application. That was my first try at managing small chunk of persistent data. I could not spent too much time on this and learn things like Core Data or SQL. So I went with arrays and dictionaries. That was version 2.0. Then, I tried to make my only application at that time look pretty in order to give it a professsional look. That was version 2.3. Then iOS 4 and iPhone 4's Retina Display came out and I wanted to stay in the game. So I learned about iOS 4 multitasking and created version 3.0. At each iteration, sales kept increasing but never at the expected or wished level. Then I tried harder and created a sub product of my first application, the basic password generator that was the basis of my first app. The idea was to create a smaller and cheaper app that would up sale to the full featured application. It didn't happen. I then created a free version of Ultimate Password Manager to help users decided and take the plunge with the paid version. As far as I can tell, I don't think it made a big difference. Sales a too low compared to all the time I spent on these apps. During these months I kept increasing the price of Ultimate Password Manager. From the introduction price of 1.99$, the application is now selling for 3.99$. Unit sales never came down so globally I'm made more money. Here and there I tried advertising, web reviews, etc. They all came and went by without all the buzz I was hoping. Then I made mistakes. Tried to fix them. I made three major application's web site revisions. The current version is at www.ultpassmgr.com and it does look good to me. But sales are still lacking. I know why. But I'm at the crossroad. Version 3.1 of my "flagship" application is currently waiting for review at Apple. This could be the last version of this application for a long time.

Now I have this blog that keeps getting more and more traffic. IM getting better at writing. I write less often, but with better content (I think). This blog is all about discoveries I made learning to develop iOS applications. As more time was spent adding features to my apps, less time was spent on my blog. While waiting for Apple to review each of my submission, I went back to my blog and wrote about my discoveries. Recently I started another blog showing the world what I think are great iOS application designs at http://buildingiphoneapps.posterous.com. I took the plunge also to get a return on my time spend on my blog and I started selling ads. So far so good, ads are selling.

I think this is the best time to start reading again and learn more things. There is so much to read and learn. I would like to spend time with Code Data. I don't know much about graphics in general and way too few things on iPhone graphics. I would like to learn about iPad applications development: how they differ from the iPhone for example. There is a bunch of resources on this. I don't know about Internet based services like HTTP, JSON, XML parsing... Well, you get the idea. I'm not a graphic designer too. I know nearly nothing about Photoshop and I prefer vector-based graphic software. So much to learn. There is cool stuff on github too and I would like to test a few gem there and write abourt those. Not enough spare time to do so.

The iPad is such a great device and for the same reasons I started to develop on the iPhone two years ago, I want to try on the iPad. But enough about security application and password management. I want to try something really new but something that my spare time will allow me to learn and create. I want to create something in a not too crowded market. Is it possible? I don't know. I'll have to investigate.

I'm contemplating ideas of applications for the iPad, there is so much to do there. Much more than on the iPhone if you ask me. But as an indie iOS developer, my resources are very limited in time and financially. So many applications are missing on the iPad right now. I'm thinking about a creating great blogging tool. Nothing really cool exists in this space. Only the SquareSpace's iPad seems to be really nice. But what about Blogger? WordPress? Posterous? Tumblr? NOTHING. Niet. Nada. I just don't get it. Is is a market size issue? Is this an API issue? I'm thinking about how many apps based or using the popular cloud storage Dropbox. There is a lot. The lack of great blogging tools could really be an issue with badly done APIs or no APIs at all. I don't know. But I think that reading on APIs would help me better understand why so few good apps for these services exists and if I have what it takes to try for myself learn and create something. There is also apps for developers. I'm myself using services like AppFigures, GoSquared, AppAnnie and there is no nice apps for these services on the iPad are nowhere to be found. So many things are still to be done.

So here I am at the crossroads. Wanting to take a pause at my current iOS app development while learning new things. As I return to my Instapaper to read a bunch of accumulated things to read and learn, and delve into my RSS feeds, expect more blog posts about my discoveries and may be my new endeavours.

The birth of a new computer era

When the iPad came out last year, it was a shock. I was shocked. Everybody had an opinion about it. A few saw this coming. One year later, the computer industry is again in a state of shock... Well maybe not but what HP announced yesterday was quite impressive. I'm talking about the TouchPad.

What HP seems to be ready to deliver is quite impressing, very classy and at some level, better than the iPad. One of the main difference between the iPad and the TouchPad (and most of the soon to be released tablets on the market) is this: the iPad is the one where the user experience is entirely focused on the active application. Once an application is running, it takes all the screen and leave very little space for other things like notification and task switching. On the other hand, the TouchPad with its card-based metaphor, leaves some room for other things beside the currently running app. The use of the status bar to peek at notifications is very reminiscent of the traditional desktop computer. On the iPad, the home screen is so traditional in its presentation. Remember Palm devices with row of application icons on the screen? For this, webOS is unique and I feel it is a sexier user experience for a tablet than a row of icons. Besides that, I don't know how well the webOS scales with swiping cards on a tablet with many dozen of installed applications.

Generally, reactions are very positive. A lot of people liked what they saw. But a few really important points still remains without answers:

1. Pricing
2. Battery life
3. App distribution

On pricing, HP has no choice but wait for Apple's next move. RIM is doing the same with its PlayBook. This make the announcement a little bit awkward. Anyway, the TouchPad is not a finished product on the software side. It won't go for sale before this summer. In about six months. This is a very long time. I wonder if this is not a lost opportunity here for HP. This is kind of scary for HP because they try to compete with the iPad, a product that is about to be replaced by another one! I don't expect the next iPad to be a major revision, more like what we saw from the iPhone 3Gs compared to the previous revision.

On battery life, again, this product is in the final stage of tweaking and they don't want to over promise and under deliver. They know they have to come up with something similar to the iPad. 

On the App Store, or whatever it will be called, we know a thing for sure: developers have more than half a year before they can start to offer their apps. More to get real profits.

All in all, Steve Jobs is once again right: the age of traditional computers is coming to an end. Fast. Apple knows it. Google knows it. RIM knows it. And now HP seems to know it too. Microsoft? Nope. See here.

To get even better perspective on yesterday announcement from HP and how Apple might play its next card, please read:

• Daringfireball's article: The next six months. 
• Techcrunch's article: iPad 3. 
• Cocoia's Blog: HP webOS event roundup.

At long last - WOW, already in review

This.

Ultimate Password Manager 3.0's Safe

Now.

Waiting for review. That is all.

Update #1: wow, after less than 24 hours, my app is already in review.

Damn - Ping for Apps can't come fast enough!

I hate these, a very bad user review of one of my app:

Who is this guy, B767Driver? Never heard of him! Never bothered to ask for support if he had a problem with my app! This kind of user review looks like a punishment to me! This guy don't even know how much effort I put into developing iOS apps, if only he could put some effort to get in touch with me and ask for help before writing a review like that!

Again, Ping for Apps cannot come fast enough. I have no way of returning to this guy and ask for a precision or help this guy out! The only thing I can do is update my app web site (www.tinysofty.com) and tell users to ask for support before making a final judgement in an App Store review.

Working on...

If you want to know tasks that I'm working on, just come and visit my blog! Look at the top bar and click on "Working on...".

An incomplete review is better than nothing...

A few days ago, a guy from the www.appadvice.com emailed me a request to have a promo code in order to be able to create a review of password management applications for the iPhone. I was more than willing to provide the requested promo code because I really like this web site and their iPhone / iPad app.

A few days went by without any news from AppAdvice. I made an offer to help with answers to questions the reviewer might have. I did no get any reply. Today, I found out by accident the published review. I was really anxious to look for my application review. I was about to be disappointed.

First, my application "Ultimate Password Manager" (UPM) was put in the section of password generators. What? UPM has a lot more to offer than a password generator! The first release last year was all about generating passwords but since then, the application moved in the password manager territory. For that matter, only a small passage does mention the password management capability. What a miss from AppAdvice.

The review is reproduced here. 

Now, someone could ask: what impact did this article had on the application's web site (www.tinysofty.com)? So far, no real effect as proven by the website's analytics. Let see how things goes in the next few days.

I guess an incomplete review by a notorious web site like AppAdvice is much better than nothing at all. At least, Ultimate Password Manager get noticed more and more.