Posts Tagged ‘downloads’

App Downloads Surpass Song Downloads On iTunes

Attributed to Asymco and Horace Dediu

At the WWDC’s June Keynote address, it was announced that iTunes had 15 billion song downloads and 14 billion app downloads. Horace Dediu of the marketing analysis website, Asymco, has reported that, last week, the iTunes store hit 15 billion app downloads. At this rate, apps are sure to replace songs as the main traffic for iTunes.

Only seven months after the App Store’s launch, it was evident that apps were going to be the big seller.

Dediud’s Total Media Download (by months)chart shows that apps began their quick assent in January of 2009 and did not slow down again. After three years, songs downloads hit three million, while in the same amount of time, apps have managed to surpass that by five times.

There was also a significant spike in app downloads in the second half of 2010, which is likely attributed to the release of the iPad. Another influx of app downloads appears to have occurred around the same time in 2011, which presumably would be attributed to the release of the iPad 2.

Song downloads are far from becoming extinct in the iTunes store. According to Dediu’s analysis, within the past six months, there has been an unexpected increase in song downloads from an average of 8 million per month to 12 million per month. While there is no information to link this influx to any specific event, it is possible that the digital releases of albums by such superstars as Lady GaGa and Katy Perry have helped increase awareness of the one-touch buying power of iTunes.

[Image attributed to Asymco and Horace Dediu]

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• 5 Million Beatles Songs Sold via iTunes
• App Store Milestone: 15 Billion Apps Downloaded and Counting

Financial Times Web App Enjoys Popularity With 200,000 Downloads Already

Financial Times and Apple were in a bit of stalemate for part of this year due to Apple’s in-app purchasing rules. Financial Times was very clear about their issue with Apple’s 30% cut of sales through the App Store and full access to subscriber data.

In the end, Financial Times opted not to comply with Apple’s rules, and instead, launched an HTML5 website that has found quite a bit of success with readers and has managed to stay away from the App Store.

Financial Times launched their new web app just two weeks ago, and according to Media Week, the publisher is already nearing 200,000 downloads. Financial Times broke the trend with Apple’s in-app purchasing rules, and it was the first major newspaper to explore on its own with a web based app.

As of now, it looks like there is no turning back for Financial Times:

“We’ve seen strong demand for the FT web app since its launch. We have an ongoing marketing campaign encouraging users to migrate to the new platform and we’re confident we can maintain the momentum.”, said a Financial Times spokesman via interview with Media Week.

These results will be quite interesting going forward. Considering Financial Times’ success, perhaps some other major publications may decide to explore their own web app models while keeping close contact with their own subscribers.

» Related posts:

• Financial Times Creates HTML 5 App, Avoids Apple’s Fees
• Financial Times and Apple – Still No Agreement on Subscriptions
• Financial Times iPad App Generates $1.5 Million in Ad Revenue

Apple Restricts Multiple Accounts From Using Automatic Download

Now that the hubbub of the keynote address at the June WWDC wherein Steve Jobs and his lovely band of techies divulged the upcoming iOS changes that are supposed to make our lives so much easier, it is becoming clearer and clearer that iCloud is not what we expected.

In an article today at tuaw.com, we have discovered, as some of you may already have, that Apple is restricting automatic downloads to one account at a time. This could potentially be a serious problem for a lot of people. There are users that have multiple Apple IDs because they are U.S. citizens living in other countries and want to take advantage of both, users that share a computer, but have their own iDevice, users that need separate accounts for work and home. This is not an uncommon situation. If you don’t have two Apple IDs in your household, chances are, someone you know does.

Here are a few examples of people with multiple Apple IDs having issues, as discussed on the forums at apple.com:

At home, two people that use the same computer have different iTunes accounts and different devices. One sets up Automatic Downloading with their account and device. The second person then wants the same benefit on their device and uses the same computer, but different ID to allow Automatic Downloads, but is not allowed because someone else already used the computer to set up Automatic Downloads on their own device.

Another scenario would be where one person uses two separate iTunes accounts because he temporarily lives in another country and utilizes both the U.S. iTunes and his current location’ s iTunes. This is a prevalent issue for military personnel in the discussion forums. This person may not set up Automatic Downloading for both accounts.

What about those that use one Apple ID for work purposes and personal use? If an employee is required to download certain apps from a work account, but keeps a personal account so that he can also download personal apps without the charge going to the work account, he would not be able to automatically download from both accounts.

Apple recently released an article explaining Automatic Downloads and associating a device with your Apple ID. In the article, the restriction is explained (italicized for emphasis):

“When you turn on Automatic Downloads or download past purchases on an iOS device or computer, your device or computer will be associated with your Apple ID. Your Apple ID can have up to 10 devices and computers (combined) associated with it. Each computer must also be authorized using the same Apple ID. Once a device or computer is associated with your Apple ID, you cannot associate that device or computer with another Apple ID for 90 days. You can view which devices or computers are currently associated, remove unused devices or computers, and see how long before they can be associated with a different Apple ID from the Account Information page in iTunes on your computer.”

I use multiple Apple IDs on my iPhone and iPad for work-related purposes. Luckily, I was just too lazy to actually set up Automatic Download this past week and did not get stuck with only being able to use one account. Now that I have learned of this oversight on Apple’s part, I won’t be setting up Auto Downloading, and frankly, I am leery of the whole iCloud situation and what other unwarranted restrictions Apple will put on its use. This may be the first time I don’t immediately update my iOS the moment it releases.

Because I have not experienced Automatic Downloading, I do not know if the iDevice will be restricted to one Apple ID for everything. For example, if I set up Automatic Download for one ID, would I not be able to use another ID at all? Would I not be able to manually download apps with the other ID. Has anyone experienced this? If so, please post a comment here so that we can become more aware of all issues related to Automatic Downloads.

I would also like to strongly suggest that everyone, even those who don’t think they will be affected by Apple ID restrictions (because, chances are, someday you will), to send feedback to Apple and request that they remove this restriction in the next update.

» Related posts:

• iOS 5 Allows Multiple App Downloads Simultaneously
• iTunes Leak Reveals Automatic Downloads in iOS 5
• Hacked iTunes Accounts for Sale on Chinese Websites

iOS 5 Allows Multiple App Downloads Simultaneously

New information coming out about iOS 5 has revealed an interesting new feature: Apps can now be downloaded simultaneously from the App Store. Currently, when you download more than one app at once, the second app must wait for the first to finish loading before it can start downloading.

In iTunes, when you download multiple apps, it allows for simultaneous downloads, and in iOS 5, the App Store on your iDevice will work the same way, allowing you to download multiple apps at once.

In iOS 5, downloading a large application doesn’t halt the downloads of smaller apps and updates at the same time. Apps that download faster can be used first, and you no longer have to wait to use an app that’s in a queue to download.

This isn’t a huge feature or update, but it’s still useful. I’ve certainly been in the situation where I’m loading more than one app at once and this will cut down on the waiting time.

Simultaneous downloads work on both 3G and WiFi. When using 3G, the 20 MB cellular limit still exists, but multiple apps under 20 MB can be downloaded at once. Goodbye and good riddance to those pesky “Waiting…” messages!

[via Apple'N'Apps]

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Apple Announces 25 Million iPads Sold in Past 14 Months

At today’s World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) Keynote address, we were given some amazing statistics as to the overwhelming success of iOS devices. Here are the basics:

• Apple has sold over 200 million iOS devices to date.
• IOS is the number one mobile operating system, with 44% of the market.
• 25 million iPads were sold in the first 14 months.
• Fifteen billion songs have been sold on the iTunes music store.
• ITunes is the number one retailer of music in the world.
• There are 90,000 apps made specifically for the iPad
• There have been 14 billion downloads from the app store so far.
• The App Store has over 425,000 apps to date.
• Apple has paid out $2.5 billion to developers.
• There are 225 million accounts with credit cards and one click purchasing.

With the recent announcement of iOS 5 and the great new features to come for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, it is likely that these numbers will increase greatly by the end of this year.

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iTunes Leak Reveals Automatic Downloads in iOS 5

Apple’s upcoming iOS 5 may include a new feature called automatic downloading, according to a mistakenly released iTunes message discovered by a MacRumors reader.

An extra line was added to the update page that comes after you check your app library for updates, reading: “Or if your device has Automatic Download enabled for apps, your updates will download to your device without having to sync.”

Since an Automatic Download setting doesn’t currently exist, the additional line suggests that this is a sneak peek of a feature that will be a part of iOS 5. Apple will be revealing iOS 5 at the Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, June 6th.

The leaked message has since been removed, but it’s stirred up excitement for Apple’s upcoming announcements. An Automatic Update feature could potentially mean that iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches will be updated over the air without the need for syncing at all. The wording, specific to apps, indicates that sync-less updates could also be available for other iOS content.

At least we won’t have to wait long to find out more. With an unlimited data plan, this sounds like a great option, but those of you with limited data plans might not be as excited about this one.

In addition to introducing iOS 5, Apple will also be announcing its iCloud service and details about Mac OS X Lion at the conference on Monday.

[via MacRumors]

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Great iPad Apps Downloads for this Week

The iPad ecosystem has grown drastically over the last twelve months. Just a few weeks ago, the number of dedicated iPad apps available in the App Store passed the 80,000 mark.

Expect the trend to continue as more developers figure out ways to take advantage of the iPad 2 specs. In this article, we wanted to share some applications released this past week that you should consider as great downloads for your iPad.

Crackle – It’s On (by Sony)

Sony’s (free) Crackle app will give you access to hundreds of movies from Sony Pictures Classics, Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, and Tri-Star libraries. You also get the chance to enjoy a variety of TV series episodes.

Sony is actually providing high-quality video streaming with a curated experience that fits quite nicely on the iPad. The video selection includes full-length Hollywood movies, and a very good selection of TV episodes from popular shows like Seinfeld, Married with Children, and many others.

Since Crackle is a free application you will encounter short ads that appear during the video. However, most of the ads I’ve seen are very short ads, which should not be a problem for you. Let’s not forget that Crackle is a free application, with no subscription fee and free content.

NBA Jam HD

EA released this past week an extremely popular and classic arcade game. The original NBA Jam is a basketball arcade game developed by Midway in 1993, which set the mark for a whole new genre of sports games back in the 1990s. Now, that same action-packed game-play joins the iPad.

NBA Jam HD is a blast to play on the iPad. There are no fouls, normal violations or free throws. The game is pure action. You can download now for $9.99.

Final Fantasy III

Square-Enix made everyone rejoice with their release of the turn-based role-playing game (RPG), Final Fantasy III. Final Fantasy III was the first title of the Final Fantasy series to sell a million copies, and helped popularize turned-based, Japanese-style role-playing games across the globe.

As usual with a Final Fantasy game, expect an extremely rich story, with several plot twists. The game will keep you entertained for 20+ hours, thanks to a large world to explore, many quests to complete and the ability to summon powerful creatures. Final Fantasy II is available now for $16.99.

Qwiki

If you’re ready to spend hours lost in random facts and articles on Wikipedia, then Qwiki is the right app for you. The application presents information in a way you haven’t seen before on the iPad. It is a seamless port of the popular Qwiki website, which is a futuristic fact site that combines images, videos, and narration to describe and explain over three million topics.

Qwiki is a great app that turns learning into an experience. For more details check our in-depth review by clicking here. Qwiki is a FREE download for your iPad.

iHeartRadio

Clear Channel has extended its iheartradio Internet radio app to the iPad, and just like the iPhone version, the iPad app lets you stream music from any of the company’s 750 radio stations that simulcast online. You can browse and stream music from all of Clear Channel’s digital stations located across 150 cities in the U.S., along with the company’s digital-only commercial free stations. The app gives you access to lots of radio stations, and is available now for download free of charge.

Back to the Future: Episode 2

Get ready for a great scientific destiny date with Back to the Future: Episode 2. You must help Marty and young Doc Brown prevent gang boss Kid Tannen from wreaking havoc on Marty’s family and erasing his girlfriend from the future.

This puzzle adventure from Telltale Games has quickly gained some steam on the App Store with its innovative touch controls and impressive visuals. Back to the Future: Episode 2 is available now for $6.99.

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Pay-Per-Install iOS Apps now Banned from the App Store

Late last week, Apple quietly updated the algorithm it uses to rank iOS apps available on the App Store. Apps used to be ranked almost exclusively by number of downloads over a certain period of time, but moving forward, Apple is now taking into account actual apps usage, in order to improve the ranking of higher quality apps.

In an effort to weed out junk apps from the top spots of the App Store rankings, Apple just started to ban apps that “manipulate or cheat the user reviews or chart ranking in the App Store with fake or paid reviews, or any other inappropriate methods.”

These apps often use mechanisms such as pay-per-install to manipulate their ranking: in order to gain access to locked features within an app, users are forced to install other apps on their device, as a way to ‘pay’ for the features, instead of using more conventional methods such as in-app purchases. According to freemium experts such as Tapjoy, a slew of iOS developers recently received rejection notices from Apple for their new apps.

Apple is obviously trying to prevent the App Store from being flooded with more junk apps, and pseudo-free apps, a problem that plagues other eco-systems such as the Android market, which embrace the freemium model. Apple is also trying to protect one of its main revenue streams, as allowing pay-per-install methods could eventually kill the in-app purchases model, a way for Apple to keep 30 percent of all transactions within the iOS eco-system.

While Apple’s move will most likely enrage several iOS developers, the new policy should benefit iOS device owners, as the charts published by the App Store will now prioritize the quality of the apps, and not just their popularity.

[via TUAW/MacStories]

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Cablevision iPad App – 50,000 Downloads in Five Days

Just 4 days ago, Cablevision surprised many in the industry with their Optimum iPad app, especially after the company’s new innovation let its subscribers watch up to 300 live TV channels and access over 2,200 video on-demand titles.

After 50,000 downloads since its release, the application has become the most popular iPad app in the Entertainment category in the App Store.

Cablevision’s new concept has also catapulted the application into the 10th most popular free iPad application.

Needless to say, the cable company is quite excited about the consumers response. “We are very pleased by the strong and positive consumer reaction to the Optimum App for iPad, reflected by download activity, ratings and reviews,” Cablevision senior vice president of video product management Gary Schanman said in a statement.

However, this success story has a few detractors. We already told you about Time Warner’s situation with Fox and Viacom, in which the content owners requested Time Warner to remove their channels from the TWCable TV app.

Consistent with Time Warner’s story, the YES Network, which carries New York Yankees and New Jersey Nets sport games, has informed Cablevision it does not have the rights to distribute its content via the iPad. Will Cablevision follow the same path as Time Warner, and remove the YES Network from its iPad streaming app? Maybe not so fast.

When Cablevision released its iPad application, the cable company issued a statement clarifying their rights to distribute content. “Cablevision has the right to distribute programming over its cable system to iPads configured in this way under its existing distribution agreements with programming providers,” said Cablevision after announcing their iPad app.

The company has been down this road before. In 2006, they were sued by content owners over copyright infringement with some remote digital video recorders. However, the cable company prevailed in 2009.

Cablevision and Time Warner will probably argue that their iPad applications are covered by its distribution agreements with content owners. First, the companies will claim they’re limiting subscribers to only watch the content inside their home. Second, the cable companies will claim they are delivering the content signals over their DOCSIS architecture, instead over the Internet.

It will be interesting to see if any other content owners decide to force cable companies to remove their channels from innovative concepts like the iPad streaming apps. One thing is for sure. Expect Cablevision, Time Warner and other network operators to gear up, and start providing access to more channels and video on-demand titles for your viewing pleasure.

» Related posts:

• Cablevision Releases Optimum iPad App – Enjoy 300 TV channels
• Fox Requests Time Warner to Remove Channels from iPad TV App
• Time Warner Cable about to Launch Live TV Streaming via iPad

iOS 4.3 Update Makes In-App Purchases More Secured

A few months ago, we talked about the Smurfs Village application, which created quite the spectacle. The FREE app has been highly ranked for quite a while, and it quickly became one of the highest grossing apps in the App Store. You might be asking yourself how a FREE app could become one of the highest grossing? Simple, in-app purchases!

While many free apps for kids seem perfectly harmless at first glance, beware, as many of them could lead to surprising unexpected fees. That is one of the areas that iOS 4.3 is trying to fix with the latest software update.

With the new iOS 4.3 software update, Apple has included a slight modification to their in-app purchase policy in the form of a password reentry. The previous iOS versions did prompt you for your iTunes password before making in-app purchases, but a 15-minute period was given to you after downloads in which subsequent in-app purchases could be made without having to reenter your password. This is what led to the major issues with the in-app purchases process because a few children spent hundreds of dollars on their parents credit cards by purchasing “Smurfberries” to speed up the growth of their crops and villages.

Keep in mind that Apple does offer ways for you to block in-app purchases. Simply turn off in-app purchases in your Settings, by tapping Settings and then selecting General from the list on the left. From there you can tap Restrictions and then turn In-App Purchases OFF.

If by any chance you forget to turn off the in-app purchases on your device, the new iOS 4.3 has added an extra step when attempting to approve in-app purchases. In addition to a password being required to purchase an app on the App Store, a reentry of your password is now required when making an in-app purchase.

A word of advice. Don’t give your password to your children, or anyone else. Even with the new password reentry process, other folks can still rack up hundreds of dollars on your credit card without even knowing.

» Related posts:

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• FTC Investigating iPhone and iPad In-App Purchases
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