There's an app for that

Here's an introductory presentation that I put together for Random House on apps. It was a great excuse to really plug the Android platform.

There's an app for that - An introduction to mobile apps on Prezi

id's John Carmack reveals Rage HD app coming to Android soon

id's Rage HD app for iOS is one hell of a great game and a demonstration that mobile gaming has a serious future, it's not just going to be all about casual games. The good news for Android fans is that id's John Carmack has revealed that they're working on Rage HD for Android as well.

What's the hold-up? Well, it seems that fragmentation is proving to be the little green robot's metal Achilles's heal once more. In Carmack's own words, "there's a lot of things with how the distribution platform works and the diversity of the platforms that you have to target, where things are still much, much nicer on the iOS world."

It will be interesting to see just how long it takes id to overcome the fragmentation issues on Android and what monetisation strategy they employ with Rage HD in the Android Market. Surely, there's no way they'd go down the Angry Bird's free with ads route. I'd guess id will maintain exactly the same pricing policy and two app strategy on Android as on iOS.

Personally, I've chosen to embrace Android fragmentation and ignore the critics. The benefits - lots of brilliant devices for consumers to choose from - clearly outweigh the negatives - pain for developers. I can't wait to play Rage HD on Android. I'll pay for it and promote it as much as possible to other users.

Source: Engadget

Android Market updates announced by Google - Is a browser-based Market coming soon?

Google have spent Friday 17th November updating the Android Market experience. Here are a list of the new features:

- A “feature” graphic, landscape aspect ratio, 1024 x 500 (required).
- A high-res icon, 512 x 512 (required).. The Android icon design guidelines located at http://developer.android.com/guide/practices/ui_guidelines/icon_design.html apply.
- 2 screen shots, 320w x 480h, 480w x 854h, or 480w x 800h, increasing to 8 screen shots in the future (1 required).
- A link for a promotional video hosted on YouTube (optional).

Does this mean a new browser-based Android Market is on the way?

The additional screen shots, feature graphic and high-res icons suggests that Google is preparing developers for a browser-based version of the Android Market. This will be very welcome news if true, as it will hopefully help to solve some key problems for consumers and developers when it comes to finding great apps.

Android Market isn't searchable on the web. Doesn't this strike you as ironic given that Google has probably done more than any other company in human history to help make information more discoverable? Being able to search and discover apps on your browser would be a big step forward for Android.

Lower the barriers to purchasing apps. People are more comfortable entering their credit card details into a website than their phones at the moment. If Google can integrate Google Checkout efficiently into the browser-based Android Market and create a smooth process for signing-up, they will significantly reduce that first barrier to people actually buying apps. It isn't mobile billing yet, but it would be a good start.

Fingers crossed.

Source: MobileCrunch

Sharp's Lnyx naked-eye 3D phone hits Japan next month

Remember that post when I mentioned Android 3D phones were on the way? Well, it turns out they are arriving faster than I expected. NTT Docomo are going to start selling Sharp's Lnyx 3D phone in a few weeks from now. It's running Android 2.1 and presents a 3D image to the user without the need for glasses.

Here's a video of the Lynx in action:



For more information on specs head to MobileCrunch.

UsTwo's Grallery app makes my mobile into a work of art

I can't tell you how impressed and excited I am to discover an app called Grallery, by creative app pioneers usTwo. They've turned my HTC Desire into a work of art.

  

How Grallery works

Grallery is a satellite app for usTwo's wallpaper creation tool for iPad, Granimator.  Artists create wallpapers on the iPad app and Grallery becomes a distribution tool for their work.  Grallery has a really simple, but beautiful and addictive, tile interface for browsing the available wallpapers. I'd also like to mention the fantastic interaction sounds that the app makes use of, a satisfying click whenever you select an image. After about 10 minutes of deliberation, I finally selected a wallpaper for my phone and I know I'll be updating it constantly.

Collaborative media potential

I think that the collaborative relationship that usTwo have created between two apps is a hint towards the future of digital creation and distribution. Developers should think more about apps that have a symbiotic relationship with each other. Granimator is the app for professionals, while Grallery brings it to the masses. I'd love to see this kind tool developed for authors and filmmakers.

Google Mobile tweet up Gingerbread treats

Google Mobile set Android blogs buzzing yesterday with a tweet featuring this picture.

Looks like a tasty update is on the way soon. And to think that some people are still waiting for Froyo.

Tablets owners more likely to purchase books

Nielsen have released some interesting stats on the different app purchasing behaviours of iPad users compared to iPhone users. It's been well know for some time already that iPad owners are willing to pay a premium for apps, but it also now seems that the larger screen alters what content they are interested in.

Books fair badly on the iPhone, with Apptizr reporting that they make up only 3% of total paid for app sales. It's a different story on the iPad though, according to Nielsen's Connected Devices: Does the iPad Change everything report, with books being second only to games in terms of the apps that people are paying for. It's nice to think that books have a bright future in the tablet space.

Some nice tables:

 

Source: Nielsen

Microsoft drop the 7 for Windows Phone ads. Good thinking

I've never understood why Microsoft insisted on referring to their new mobile platform as Windows Phone 7, which led to some very confusing mobile names. Try saying the Windows Phone 7 HTC HD7. I also wondered what would happen come the next phase of devices. Would they stick with Windows Phone 7? Wouldn't that make people think the platform wasn't being updated? What was so bad about Windows Phone?

Anyway, it turns out that their marketing gurus were probably thinking the same thing as the new adverts for the platform have dropped the 7. Good thinking Microsoft. People don't need to be confused.

Nielsen stats show Android still fastest growing mobile platform, with the youngest audience

The latest stats from Nielsen show that Android's growth wasn't dented release of the iPhone 4. In fact, Apple's new device simply helped iOS not lose share.

Blackberry 30%
Apple 28%
Android 19%

Given the strengths of the Android and iOS mobile platforms, I can see both living comfortably with 30% + share of the smartphone market. It will be interesting watching how Windows Phone performs over the next 6 months. Given Microsoft's huge marketing budget, will it be able to achieve the kind of spectacular growth that Apple and Google have achieved?

Android's audience is younger
Those same Nielsen stats also show that the Android platform has a younger audience than its competitors. This is most likely the result of Google's open approach. That much maligned fragmentation allows for cheaper Android device options and more affordable allows you to reach a younger demographic.

Source: Mashable

My top 10 Android apps

1. Angry Birds
Lives up to the hype. Very addictive. Beautifully simple game play.

2. Kindle for Android
It's easier reading books on your phone than you might think. I read the entire Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest ebook on my Desire and enjoyed even page. Very cheap books.

3. Aldiko
Brilliant for free books and a really nice library system for storing them. All of my Cory Doctrow reading is done here.

4. Engadget
The gadget kings have the quality app you would expect. Addictive.

5. Pulse
I've posted before about how good this app is. A truly beautiful way of browsing your RSS feeds. It also caches a lot of data, so works nicely on the tube.

6. TweetDeck
 Combines your Twitter, Facebook, Buzz and Foursquare accounts together brilliantly.

7. AppAware
How do you find new apps in the clunky Android Market? AppAware is how.

8. Robot13
Fantastic free comic reader. The comic itself isn't bad either.

9. Galcon
Practice your Adama moves in this old school space strategy game.

10. Watchdog
How do you know which apps are behaving badly on your phone and draining resources? The Watchdog will keep an eye on them for you.

Android media players finally arrive, thanks to Samsung and Creative

With all this hype around tablets you tend to forget that people still like good old media players to listen to music on. Personally, I don't use my HTC Desire as my music player, as it would kill the battery and the phone doesn't have enough memory to store all my music. Of course I can upgrade the mircoSD card, but I need over 32g and that isn't going to come cheap. The irony that in a world of convergence devices I'll still end up with a phone, tablet and MP3 player isn't lost on me. At least there are some nice devices on the way though.

Samsung Galaxy Player 50
Samsung's player looks like a proper competitor to the iPod Touch, with

Android 2.1, a 3.2-inch display and a 2-megapixel camera, plus Wi-Fi and GPS. The 16G version will retail for around £200, so it won't be too expensive either. Plus, that memory is expandable thanks to a microSD slot.

Creative Zen Touch 2

 
Having owned a Creative Zen, I have a soft spot for these guys. If the screen wasn't resistive touch, I'd probably buy one. In any case, I'll definitely test one out when they are released in the UK. It's the cheaper option of the two devices, with the most expensive 16G version priced at £150. Looks great, but touch resisitive...

Droidcon Day 2: Does Android have a dude problem?

Day 2 at Droidcon was a more traditional conference, with presentations and guest speakers.

She's in the 5%

Does Android have a dude problem?
Lady Geek's Belinda Parmar made a compelling case that Android is failing to get its message across to women. Quoting a report from UGov, Parmar pointed out that 57% of women admit to wanting an iPhone as their next mobile, but only 5% want an Android phone. Why can't the green robot communicate with women?

Google doesn't tell a consistent story like Apple.
Steve Jobs didn't found Pixar for nothing, he is a beautiful and compelling storyteller.  Apple created the app and tablet revolution by telling consumers stories about how these products will benefit their lives. Watch any Apple commercial and you can't fail to get the message, apps are fun and magical. Steve Job's introduction of the iPad is text book storytelling, he explains the "extraordinary" things the device does and why it is better than the devices it replaces.

Compare Apple's approach to the way Google market Android. Oh wait, they don't market Android at all.

Phone manufacturers can't be trusted to do advertising
Instead Google leave it to mobile phone manufacturers to promote Android, which results in adverts like this.



Now the Droid may have been a massive success for Motorola and the ad campaign must have worked, but it doesn't explain the benefits of Android and it alienates women. I've noticed that female responses to Android tend to be that it is geeky, that the phones are masculine or that they don't know what it is at all. Google really should start promoting the Android brand, as the phone manufacturers aren't going to do it for them.

Android is geeky
The girls are right you know, Android is very geeky. As an Android fanboy, I realise that we're too obsessed with phone specs and hardware. But that little robot is very cool as well. Look at some of the ways that Android's community use and re-brand him. He could do a great job explaining what Android is all about and we should help him. It is about openness, apps and phones that make us truly connected to the internet and help solve our problems.

Women want apps to solve problems
Belinda Parmar explained that although women love the iPhone, the majority who buy one don't actually then buy any apps. Those who do, buy apps that help them solve problems and are useful, as opposed to entertainment apps like games and books.

Android Market doesn't make it easy for non-geeks to buy apps
I know that I drone on about this a lot, but Android Market isn't exactly making it easy for people to buy apps. Until Google sorts out a one-click purchasing solution for the Market, women (and men who aren't geeky enough to figure out how to set up an account on Google Checkout) will continue not to purchase from it.

Google and phone manufacturers should work out how to reach women, because they're missing out on £0.6bn in revenue
Is that not reason enough to start marketing the platform properly to women?

Droidcon Day 2: Mobile trends that might surprise you

Day 2 at Droidcon was a more traditional conference, with presentations and guest speakers.






Mobile trends that might surprise you
Comscore's Jeremy Copp delivered some very interesting mobile trends that reminded me that I'm not the typical digital consumer.

• Only 25% of mobile owners in Europe browse the web
• Only 25% of mobile owners in Europe use apps
• But there were 15.3m extra mobile media consumers in 2010

The growth in mobile media consumption is being driven by social networking, with more people now accessing Facebook on mobile devices than via PCs.

Google is powerful on mobile, but not as powerful as on PC.

• 41% of mobile owners use their device for web searches
• 90% of PC owners use their device for web searches

Android is growing rapidly.

• The Android OS experienced 1329% growth YoY

Some things you might not realise about mobile.

• UK mobile users access Facebook for over 2,600,000,000 minutes per month
• 75% of mobile users in Europe don't use apps. That's a lot of room for growth in apps.
• UK mobile audiences consume 10bn page views per month on mobile browsers
• Only 38% of Symbian users use apps, compared to 90% on Apple and Android. Tells you a lot about the apps available to Nokia owners.
• About 11m European users access dating sites a month on their mobiles. Weird!

Worldometers delivers a statistical headshot

The Worldometers website is an amazing example of the power of raw statistics to make you very scared. Part of the Real Time Statistics Project, which has the goal of making world statistics available in a thought-provoking and time relevant format to a wide audience around the world, it delivers a stream of numbers to users. Watching the carbon dioxide total race away is truly terrifying.