It seems that smartphones were top of everyone’s Christmas lists this festive season with an estimate of over 20 million iOS and Android devices being activated between December 25th and 31^st according to a new report by Flurry. The report also found that a record breaking 1.2 billion apps were downloaded in the same week, known as “power week”.

The holiday “power-week” has become far more important for application makers than the run-up to Christmas and with the 60% surge in downloads in that week compared to the average, shown in the graph below; it’s easy to see why. This has led to a number of firms offering festive discount deals on apps with even Apple giving away free iOS apps through their ‘12 Days of Christmas’ app to encourage downloads.

According to Flurry’s report the US saw the most app activity with figures hitting 509 million compared to download figures of 81 million in the UK and, popular bird flinging app Angry Birds saw downloads of 6.5 million on Christmas Day alone. “Flurry expects breaking the one billion download barrier per week will become more commonplace” said vice president of marketing at Flurry, Peter Farago, as the number of mobile internet devices grows.

On November 29-30, Altoros exhibited at Apps World Show London Olympia. Altoros is a global company of experts in software and application development, and provides new approaches in staffing technology projects.

Tristan Palmer, Altoros Managing Director UK, shared the company’s experience in building cross-platform apps,with the use of Rhodes, Titanium, Phonegap, etc. and developing for tablet devices. Also, for those who were curious about making the applications work faster without re-writing them from scratch, he dwelled on some strategies for enhancing the performance of existing apps.

“We’re glad that our presentation attracted so many people and encouraged loads of questions,” said Tristan. “Mostly, they were interested in mobile (iOS, Android, Blackberry) and TV-related apps development segment. Another trend under discussion was building applications for specific industries, e.g. e-learning, sports, marketing, etc.”

Tristan gave some examples of how Altoros helped other software companies develop their projects by supplying flexible IT talents and staff for HTML5, Flex/AIR, Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and .NET projects of any size.

If you want to learn more about Altoros and how it can help you with your multiplatform apps, please, visit http://altoros.com/about_summary.html

Apps World exhibitor LeadBolt, the leading mobile advertising network and in-app ad monetization company announced this week the release of a revolutionary new ad format. “App Wall” is designed to allow developers to monetize their apps quicker, with more consumer engagement options and without the integration issues of an SDK.

“We set out to create a solution for developers to monetize their apps without the need for much effort over the development of the app itself. Developers should be able to focus on what they do best – developing amazing apps,” said LeadBolt CEO, Dale Carr.

Released initially as a “Top Apps” wall, this new format will ensure high returns for developers by presenting the app user with an offer wall of the top performing apps. The combination of app installs, which are amongst the highest paying offers, presented on an offer wall, a high performing ad type, will ensure superior eCPMs for developers. However, its method of delivery is what makes this ad format even more revolutionary. Top Apps requires no SDK integration.

With just simple html, developers can integrate the “Top Apps” wall into various different forms that perfectly compliment the developer’s specific app, such as a menu icon, a top apps tab, a navigation bar, a simple banner, a hyperlink or app of the day announcements. From there, users will install one of the apps from either the Android marketplace or iTunes store. Advertisers will get quality non-incentivised app installs and publisher will get paid for each of these app installs.

For more information and a short video of the new ad type visit

www.leadboltapps.com/appwall

Layar the world’s leading mobile augmented reality platform is exhibiting at Apps World next week. You can come along to stand 81a to meet Layar and hear about the largest content catalogue with more than 3,000 layers.

The app aims to bring impactful augmented reality experiences into people’s everyday lives and was named as a 2011 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum and received a Meffy Mobile Entertainment Award in 2010 for Technology Innovation. Layar recently worked with Linda magazine to add additional content in the form of digital buttons to over 50 pages in the magazine, which could then be revealed using a smartphone. The content included unique backstage video footage of the cover shoot, one click to sites selling the fashion featured in the articles, and book test drives for the advertised cars. Check out the video with Linda here.

Layar is available for download in the App Store and Android Market and is already installed on more than 10 million mobile devices, offering brands and publishers an extensive reach across multiple platforms.

You can register here for a chance to meet Layar at the Apps World expo

Related articles

• Augmented Reality: Layar Creation Challenge winners (wired.com)
• Augmented Reality: Layar Vision (wired.com)
• Layar Extends its AR Platform with Computer Vision Capabilities (readwriteweb.com)

Embarcadero will be exhibiting at Apps World next week, come along to stand 126 and see how you can target both Win and Mac from a single codebase – making Mac development easy.

FireMonkey from Embarcadero provides the only single native Win/Mac development solution helping developers rise to the challenge of providing compelling, fast and highly functional software for both Windows and Mac simultaneously.

Come along and meet Embarcadero by registering for your free expo pass here and see how to write truly stunning visual business applications on Windows and deploy them natively to both Win and Mac from a single code base using one language, one framework and one IDE.

Embarcadero are also running ½ day workshops on 7^th and 14^th December that will delve even further into their FireMonkey software, register for free at their stand.

As an official media partner of this year’s Apps World Europe, Text it will be running an exclusive competition for all attendees. Text it will be giving away a bespoke mobile website, as well as a bulk SMS campaign (delivered to 5000 UK directors) to one lucky winner.

Text it help marketing companies harness the power and convenience of mobile to communicate more effectively with potential clients to gain a marketing edge by:

Text it will have reps at the show who will be collecting business cards from those who wish to be involved in the competition – what could be easier! The lucky winner will be contacted on the 5th December and will have 3 months to use from the draw date.Good luck!

By Michael Lantz, CEO, Accedo (stand 39)

Social TV is one of the most promising categories of TV apps, however it comes with a number of challenges. If done well, it provides a wealth of opportunities for operators, device manufacturers, and content providers alike. Indeed, we truly believe that Social TV can and will be a runaway success if developers and broadcasters approach it in the right way.

Here are our top tips for creating the best social TV apps around:

1. Consumption, not production

The TV is a completely different environment than the PC. Although that seems fairly obvious, it is something, which is often forgotten. In the social TV app environment, users are generally looking to stay in touch with friends whilst watching TV, but they are not on the whole interested writing messages or using other features, which require lots of interaction. Almost exclusively, the TV usage is consumption of social feeds and content rather than the production of such content. This philosophy should also be applied to Social TV apps and at Accedo we’re working hard to bring generation two of social TV apps to the market.

2. Connections with personal media content

Of course, staying up to date with messages from friends, contacts and connections directly on the TV is a good application but it is unlikely to radically change consumer behaviour. By including media content, such as photos and video, the app can instantly become much more compelling. Imagine being able to view photos and videos instantaneously on the TV screen when friends upload them. Remember, with the increased broadband speeds and the improved chipset performance, the possibility of accessing such content in high quality will only increase and it’s not difficult to imagine “social TV channels” being sent to friends via new forms of apps.

3. Contextual Social TV will be the real winner

The TV is a social experience, and can almost be likened to the modern campfire. However, increasingly, consumers are viewing alone and social media gives them the opportunity to interact with friends and family who are not in the living room with them. For most social media users, the convenience of a personal device outweigh the benefit of a TV application and the vast majority of the personal communication aspects of social media will take place through other devices than the TV.

Contextual applications however can enable consumers, who sign in to watch the same programme, interact with each other. It would even be possible to allow those consumers to be part of the programme format itself. The first contextual applications will likely be voting and ratings for music shows, talent shows and reality shows, but the innovation possibilities are endless.

Accedo will be exhibiting at this year’s Apps World Europe event and will be on stand 39. To book your free exhibition pass please click here.

Related articles

• #AppsWorld: Who will benefit from the rise of #TVapps? (apps-world.net)
• TV apps moving into the mainstream – #AppsWorld Europe (apps-world.net)

The gambling sector is one of the biggest mobile app success stories in terms of creating real value for customers and real revenue for companies who execute their strategies correctly.

Apps World Europe, one of the world’s leading multiplatform apps events, is returning to London Olympia on 29-30 November, to learn more about how you can benefit from the explosive trend in gambling apps, visit: http://www.apps-world.net/europe/

Apps World Blog caught up with one of the UK’s leading app developers, Mubaloo, which has produced apps for a number of major players in the gambling industry, to find out how the sector has grown recently and discuss how gaming brands are taking advantage of this lucrative new channel.

The UK is a global centre for online betting and gaming operators, and as such, companies like Mubaloo are at the forefront of the fast growing mobile gambling sector; with operator and software clients from around the world, including UK based companies who are market leaders in recently regulated countries like Italy.

Slow out of the traps

Mobile was slower to take off in the gambling sector than many had predicted, with a lot of the early gaming apps delivering little in the way of brand identity or unique usability; in fact most offerings constituted poorly optimised versions of brands’ desktop websites.

“Mobile gambling has been tipped to take off several times over the past decade, and although, under the radar to most observers, operators have taken, and continue to take, significant revenues through Java apps on small screen feature phones,” says John Mapperson, one of the key figures in Mubaloo’s project team.

However, while the technology may have been slower to catch up, the nature of betting and gambling lends itself to the mobile experience; and according to research released earlier this year, UK mobile gambling revenue more than doubled between 2009 and 2010 to £41m. The industry, it seems, has tipped the odds.

Since the iPhone launched in 2007, operators like William Hill, Ladbrokes and Betfair have begun to take real advantage of the channel, consistently reporting multiplying revenues and new users through their mobile operations.

The availability of widespread 3G, WiFi connectivity and sophisticated large screen smartphones and tablets has allowed operators and content providers to deliver engaging mobile apps that bring the action to players wherever they are.

Regulation and legislation

With issues around regulation never far from the heart of the gambling industry, some have expressed concerns that regulatory constrictions, not just from government but app stores too, could stifle the impressive growth we’re currently seeing.

The Mubaloo team, however, works on the belief that technology and development expertise can effectively balance the legislative pressure. “The gambling industry is used to regulation, and the operators understand they need to be just as responsible with their mobile apps as with high street stores and websites,” says Mapperson.

Working closely with operators, Mubaloo has implemented a number of features, such as restrictive geo-tagging, which ensures mobile gambling is only done in jurisdictions where the operators are licensed, and by age verified users.

In terms of the two main app stores, Apple’s App Store is the more gaming friendly. It puts all gambling apps through a legal process which ensures that all compliance is in place, though this can often be a frustratingly long process.

Google have taken a different approach; blocking all gambling apps from the Android Market, as they don’t check individual apps. “This is unfortunate,” says Mapperson. “But Android apps can be distributed directly via websites, 3rd party app stores and SMS, which makes the impact more just about app discovery.”

The new game

Gambling brands have begun to realise that their mobile apps need to offer as many of the features of their online offering as possible while staying true to the brand identity which these firms work so hard to cultivate; all within a user interface which is optimised for the small screen and individual device.

“Operators now want apps that stand out from the crowd and offer unique benefits, such as live in-play systems, personalisation and social elements,” says Mapperson. “Our clients want to make sure they create apps which are functional and easy to use, while taking advantage of the device features available.

“Apps have to be fast and fluid. Often gambling apps are integrated with multiple back end systems for odds, user accounts and payments; so the development of the app needs to be efficient to deliver a seamless experience for the user.”

App development, app store acceptance, branding and cutting-edge functionality are all part of the packed agenda at Apps World Europe on 29-30 November at Olympia, for more details on why you should attend, and to register your place, visit: http://www.apps-world.net/europe/

Technology and solutions from Logia Group are redefining the way operators, developers, content providers and media owners monetize the mobile arena. Logia offers the full range of field-proven monetization tools, including:

-     AppSuite- A range of apps based VAS including music, gaming centers, video surveillance and more…

-     In-App payment solution: both white label solution for operators or billing and alternative payments for developers

-     White label mobile apps & media store solution

With this in mind we at the Logia Group have the ability to have strong market knowledge to share with our communities.

It’s easy to assume that things are simple when it comes to mobile app monetization. The perception is that developers create a app, invest in good graphical art, send it off on its way to one of the various app stores, sit back, rake in the cash and repeat. It’s a shame that it’s a complete fallacy. The fact is that 90% of developers will hit a dead-end or will fail to generate a profit for all their hard work.

Taking a step back, it’s easy to forget that the recent “app store phenomenon” is nothing new. In fact, it goes back a decade or so. The vast online libraries and directories of shareware sites set up to share programs were the direct predecessors of Apple’s mobile app economic shift. The major change today is that everyone’s in on the game. Google does it for Chrome and for Android, Amazon sells tablets and Android apps, and Microsoft’s Windows Phone Store is growing and shaping up to become the platform for Windows 8 software.

So the question remains, in this sea of so-called mobile app change, what chance do developers stand in actually making any ROI whatsoever? The answer is much brighter than you think.

Understanding What Works

According to a report by Evans Data, games remain the dominant app across most app stores, taking up 27% of the catalogue. Business apps came in at 21% while productivity apps were not far behind at 20%. This should lead you to understand that, while the consumer side of apps is clearly the strongest, there is still a huge opportunity for enterprise and security apps.

When it comes to OS’s Android came out on top as the best app store for developers over the long term, with many believing that the Android Market will be the pivotal place to develop for within the next two years.

Android App Price Points

One of the most recurring questions developers are faced with is how to hit the right price point for their app. One way to go about it is analyzing similar apps. If yours is clearly the best, don’t be afraid to double up on your direct competitor’s price point.

Certain apps need to be released for free from day 1, specifically if there’s potential for a freemium based model.

A super interesting observation comes from comparing the different price points: a top 10% game priced at $0.99 is bringing in roughly four times less than a top 10% game priced at $1.99.

5 Android App Money Making Tips

1 – Develop your app quickly and get it out there. This is especially true if you are short on funds. You can always improve your app with future updates. Thus being said, avoid publishing a buggy app at all costs. Make sure your app does what it’s supposed to and focus on quality.

2 – Develop for categories that convert into sales: Games, Business, Productivity and Security. Consumer end-users are definitely not the only ones who are purchasing apps. Enterprises buy tons of software, especially if it solves a core challenge to their business.

3 – Don’t be fooled by exceptions to the rule. Yes there are small development teams that have breakaway app success, but it’s definitely a rare occurrence.

4 – Focus on creating apps with a big enough target audience OR go for the long tail. One of the true advantages of the Android market is that apps rarely get rejected or removed. When in doubt, refer to the Power Law.

5 – Selling your app isn’t the only way to generate revenue. Ads and alternative monetization models are picking up steam. The LogiaAd solution is a perfect way to jump right in start generating money via pay-per-download and pay-per-action opportunities.

In conclusion – Anyone who wants to make money today with Android Apps better move extremely fast, but not at the cost of low quality.

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The Logia Group will be exhibiting at this year’s Apps World Europe, you can meet them at stand 81b, view the floor plan here.

We are pleased to welcome Wiley to Apps World Europe  – this year Wiley will be bringing along some of the top Mobile App books currently available – this will be a great opportunity to get yourself a great book, grab a coffee and chill out in the networking area in the exhibition.

For over 200 years Wiley has been one of the most trusted and valued sources of information and understanding. Wiley’s breadth of brands and imprints (For Dummies®, Bible, Wrox, Sybex and Visual, to name a few) makes it one of the UK’s top technology publishers, with a strong reputation for top-quality authors.

With the huge boom in mobile technologies, businesses and developers alike are increasingly in need of the latest techniques and methods. Wiley have done the hardwork for you, with a vast selection of books, bringing you up-to-date information, with titles spanning from Apple to Android, Twitter to Facebook.  Well-designed books will guide you through the most advanced platform tools, programming techniques, and technologies. From in-depth coverage through to beginner basics, all with expert guidance from skilled authors, these books will quickly become an indispensable business resource.

Below we have listed a few of the top sellers that will be available from Wiley at this year’s event with a special event discount of up to 40%! You will be able to find Wiley on stand 8/9, view the floor plan here.

Android 3 SDK Programming For Dummies

By Roger Ramnath, Roger Crawfis and Paolo Sivilotti

Published by Wiley – Spring 2011

£24.99/€28.00

ISBN: 9781118008256

Android 3 SDK Programming For Dummies provides the perfect solution for readers who already know how to program and just want to know about programming in the Android environment and the ins and outs of the latest Android SDK. Readers who are already familiar with object-oriented programming and syntax will find that Android 3 SDK Programming For Dummies provides more of what they’re looking for and less of what they already understand.

The book begins by demonstrating a fully functional application that demonstrates a wide variety of Android features, including user interface design, application management, data and content management, incorporating external services, and interacting with hardware, the operating system, and networking. The book then goes through the process of building the application, creating the emulator, and running the application. The sample application demonstrates Android programming best practices, as developed by a professor with years of experience helping students with programs and anticipating pitfalls.

Appillionaires: Secrets from Developers Who Struck it Rich on the App Store

By Chris Stevens

Published October 2011 by Wiley, RRP £16.99

ISBN 978-1-119-97864-0

The phenomenal success of iPhones and iPads has given rise to a generation of apps wizards. With blockbuster apps such as Angry Birds and Doodle Jump, a generation of designers and programmers are all making millions on the Apple App Store.  These Appillionaires are smart, ambitious dreamers working in bedrooms and garages across the world, plotting the future of mobile apps and software distribution.

In his new book, app designer and tech columnist Chris Stevens explores the fascinating inside stories behind some of the most successful app developers. By deconstructing their paths to glory, he offers expert tips that the Appillionaires have used to become an overnight success.

Readers will learn:

How Angry Birds became a multi-million dollar blockbuster app just in time to save the cousins who created it from bankruptcy

How a husband and wife team from Washington D.C. got the idea for their smash-hit app Harbour Master from a sailing trip

How two brothers from Croatia came up with the idea for the Doodle Jump after sketching out game ideas as children

When to cut their losses, looking at examples of development studios and venture capitalists who’ve squandered small fortunes on failed app ideas, but still refuse to quit

How to create a feeding frenzy of popularity using tips from the creators of Angry Birds, Pocket God, Stickwars and other apps that have taken the world by storm

Readers can prepare to learn the secrets behind some of the most phenomenally successful apps ever created as this book invites them to meet the exclusive group of app geniuses whose software has changed the world.

iPad in the Enterprise: Developing and Deploying Business Applications

By Nathan Clevenger

Published by Wiley – Spring 2011

£29.99/€36.00

ISBN: 9781118022351

iPad in the Enterprise is a guide for developers and IT who are tasked with planning, designing, developing, deploying, and supporting iPad applications used in the enterprise.

iPads are now in the hands of workers in virtually every level of companies in almost every industry, and users are beginning to demand line-of-business applications to help them be more productive and efficient from wherever they are. iPad in the Enterprise addresses considerations for both business and IT for taking advantage of the iPad and achieve dramatic ROI; enterprise iPad applications and data integration with existing systems; user interface design and user experience prototyping tools and techniques; criteria for evaluating and selecting the best option for software development and enterprise-friendly approaches to provisioning, security, and device management

Companion worksheets, user interface paper prototyping templates, sample code, and various other resources will be shared on the book’s web site. Additionally, several iPad apps will accompany the book that include worksheets, working sample apps, training instructor guides, and other resources.

iPad in the Enterprise is available now for £29.99/€36.00 from all good bookshops and available as an e-book.

Windows Phone 7 Programming for Android and iOS Developers

By Zhian Zhou, Robert Zhu, Pei Zheng and Baijian Yang

Published by Wiley – Spring 2011

£26.99/€32.00

ISBN: 9781118021972

Windows Phone 7 Programming for Andriod and iOS Developers focuses on new Windows Phone 7 design guidelines and technologies, showing readers how to leverage them to enable specific application development scenarios common on Android and iPhone.

Ideal for mobile application developers who want to explore WP7 as well as university students keen to learn more about mobile programming, this book identifies what’s new in Windows Phone 7, creating user interfaces, understanding application fundamentals and using local data storage before going on to address web services and push notifications, multimedia, graphics and security issues.

Windows Phone 7 Programming for Andriod and iOS Developers is available now for £26.99/€32.00 from all good bookshops.

For more information or a review copies, please contact:

Anna Hann

Publicity Manager
John Wiley & Sons Ltd

ahann@wiley.com

+44 (0)1243 770448

Visit www.wiley.com/go/press for the latest news from Wiley