The Appys - The Very Best in App Development and Design

Android Marketplace booming

Stephen — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:16:44 +0000

The Android platform is fast becoming the biggest in the world, it has now been activated on over 250 million devices worldwide. That’s up 50 million since November 2010.
Meanwhile, the Android Marketplace has managed to fly past its 11 billionth download. Apple’s App Store, which is around three months older, passed its 18 billionth download in December 2011. Most downloaded apps are free. Estimates suggest just 10% of apps downloaded are paid for but this is rising as apps become more sophisticated and useful and people are willing to pay for them.

Facebook’s planet of social apps

Stephen — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:03:47 +0000

Facebook has announced many new types of post descriptions (verbs). For example, previously people just ‘Liked’ something. Now they can share with their network that they ‘Bought’ something or ‘Read’ something or that they ‘Want’ something.
Facebook also recently announced 60 more Timeline applications that will now let users publish information to Facebook automatically. Most of the apps are newer versions of online and mobile apps like Foodily, Goodreads and Slacker.
Facebook wants its users to share all the data of their lives and wants thousands more apps to have the automatic share function. A user’s Facebook Timeline will then become a living stream of information that is updated automatically – for example – whenever that user buys a concert ticket, books a holiday or reads a recipe.
‘Our vision for Timeline and our vision for the application platform is whatever you love and whatever story you want to tell, you can add that to your Timeline,’ said Carl Sjogreen, director of product management for Facebook.

iPad app allows kids to publish books

Stephen — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:41:01 +0000

This is cute, a new free iPad app that allows kids to create and physically publish their own books. Scribble Press is a chain of three stores in the US (California) that wants to go global with its product.
Using the iPad app, kids can choose various templates before they advance to designing their own books from scratch. The printed books ordered through the Scribble Press iPad app will cost $9.95 plus postage in the US.

Three billion iPad apps downloaded since 2010

Stephen — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:01:49 +0000

If further proof was needed that the iPad is transforming the publishing (books, magazines, games, video) industry, it came with new ABI research that shows three billion iPad apps have been downloaded since it first launched in 2010. This represents nearly 20% of all iOS (Apple native app) downloads.
“The iPhone took as long as two years before being able to achieve this level of downloads, while the iPad made it within nearly a year and a half. In comparison, Android tablets only have around 440 million downloads thus far,” states ABI.
While there are just 120,000+ apps specifically for the iPad, iPad users can expect a deluge of new, high quality apps for the iPad in the next two years.
Publishers, on the other hand, can be comforted by the fact that iPad users are willing to pay for good quality apps, whether they be books, games or web services. It is also easier for publishers to sell in-app advertising thanks to the size of the iPad screen.

The first great app orgy of consumption

Stephen — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:09:54 +0000

The last month of 2011 was, for the app sector, the most astonishing time it has ever witnessed. According to analytics form Flurry, 1.2 billion apps were downloaded in the last week of December alone, as people unwrapped millions of iPhones, Androids, iPads and Android tablets all over the world during Christmas.
The US gobbled up half of the downloads, followed by China and the UK. The UK had 81 million downloads followed by Canada (41 million), Germany (40 million) and France (40 million).
“Looking forward to 2012, Flurry expects breaking the one billion download barrier per week will become more commonplace,” said the company’s blog.
It is estimated nearly seven million Android devices and iPhones were activated on Christmas Day 2011 alone. Now that’s smart.

Want to do better in exams? There’s an app for that

Stephen — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:28:17 +0000

A new iPhone app – created by a 25 year old Irishman, Cormac Moore – aims to help second and third level students perform better in exams. Moore, a published researcher in the area of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) – the study of successful thinking patterns of outstanding individuals – developed the Headcase app with the help of 30 top ranking college students and app builder Kablingy Software.
“I took the successful learning patterns of these top performing students and literally ‘downloaded’ them using the tools of NLP,” he says. These learning patterns were taken and tested on underperforming students. The improvements turned out to be dramatic, with all 50 students in the three pilot programs making substantial improvements.
“I developed the app so that students won’t need to fork out hard earned cash to do repeats, or hand over another €2,000 to repeat an entire year of college,” says Moore.
The iPhone app is available in the iTunes App store and costs €2.39, but is free to download until Sunday the 4th of December.

Pull a cracker, beat a world record and help the Simon Community

Stephen — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:12:36 +0000

Carphone Warehouse and the Simon Community will attempt to break the world record for the highest number of simultaneous Christmas cracker pulls, this December 2nd on Hanover Quay, Grand Canal, Dublin 2. The event will take place at 12.30 pm and is open to the public to join in.
The record currently stands at 1,478, and they are aiming to top that by achieving 1,600 cracker pulls at once. If the record is broken, Carphone Warehouse will donate “a generous amount” to the Simon Community.
As well as the world record attempt, Carphone Warehouse is donating all profits from its annual in-store gift-wrap to the charity. That means a 50c donation for each and every gift that’s wrapped. It will further donate €1 for every new fan on its Facebook page until they hit 22,000. Carphone Warehouse hopes to raise over €10,000 for the Simon Community through this initiative.
Carphone Warehouse extends an invitation to the public to take part in the record breaking attempt. On the day, there will be treats available for anyone who takes part, in addition to Christmas carol sing-along with some special Irish music acts.

INVITE: WORLD RECORD CRACKER PULLING ATTEMPT
Where? Hanover Quay, Grand Canal, Dublin 2.
When? December 2nd, 2011, at 12:30pm.

The Winners of The Appys 2011

Stephen — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 09:12:31 +0000

The winners of the 2011 Appys have been announced. Congratulations to MailOnline for iPad, the Grand Prix winner of the Appys 2011 with Carphone Warehouse. This year’s awards received over 250 entries and was opened up to entries from Facebook apps and iPad apps.
Other notable winners include the best business app – Adverts.ie, the best entertainment app – the 3Player, the best media app – TheJournal.ie, best sports app – the Leinster Rugby app and the best food app – Heinz BBQ.
“Congratulations to all who made the shortlist and who won an award. Thanks also to our sponsors Carphone Warehouse, Nokia, O2, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, iMobile, Independent.ie, Tapadoo, Furious Tribe, Airport Genie, Alternatives Digital, and 3e FYI,” says Des Doris, event organiser.
“Once again The Appys celebrated and rewarded some of the best and most innovative apps available for smartphone, tablet and Facebook users,” says Doris. “The future is mobile and apps will continue to play a huge role in the continual development of the mobile industry. It’s great to see how innovative and creative the Irish app industry actually is.”

Future apps
“Apps will evolve from what we know them as today. Obviously gaming apps will still be huge but future apps will become intelligent pieces of software capable of better organising people’s lives.
In the minds of the most adventurous app developers, this is just the first generation of technologies that we will wonder how we ever lived without,” says Stephen Conmy, event organiser and editor of Digital Times.

Some stats
According to new research from market research firm, Berg Insight, the number of mobile app downloads globally will reach 98 billion by 2015. App store revenue will also grow, to reach €8.8 billion in 2015. Last year, global revenues from paid apps, in-app purchases and subscription services reached €1.6 billion.

The Winners of The Appys 2011, listed below in the following order – entrant, name of the app and finally the developer.

Best Business App – sponsored by O2

Adverts Marketplace Ltd., adverts.ie, Adverts Marketplace Ltd.

Best Education App – sponsored by Nokia
MedMedia Ltd./Irishhealth.com/Aptamil, Child Immunisation Tracker, Appsie

Best Entertainment App
TV3, 3Player, DV4

Best Facebook App
Jameson Irish Whiskey, Jameson Urban Safari, eightytwenty/4D

Best Food App
neo@ogilvy, Heinz Summer BBQ App, Púca

Best Gaming App
Redwind Software, Space Brains, Redwind Software

Best iPad App
Associated Newspapers, MailOnline for iPad, Brand 42

Best Media / Publishing App – sponsored by Alternatives Digital
Distilled Media, TheJournal.ie, Distilled Media

Best Music App
98FM, 98FM, Adforce

Best Social/Sharing App – Sponsored by Tapadoo
Skype, Skype, Grayling Atomic

Best Sports App – sponsered by Samsung
iMobile Applications Ltd., Lenister Rugby, iMobile Applications Ltd.

Best Travel & Tourism App – sponsored by airport genie
Dublin Bus, Dublin Bus, App Biznet IIS

Best Branded App
neo@Ogilvy, It has to be Heinz BBQ, Púca

Best Nokia App – sponsored by Nokia
TV3, TV3 Catch Up, Axionista

Best Android APP – sponsored by Sony Ericsson
neo@Ogilvy It has to be Heinz BBQ Púca

Best iOS App
Adverts Marketplace Ltd., Adverts.ie, Adverts Marketplace Ltd

Best Developer
Vinnie Coyne

GRAND PRIX
Associated Newspapers, MailOnline for iPad, Brand 42

The People’s Choice Award – sponsored by Carphone Warehouse

Facebook

It’s show time – The Appys 2011

Edward — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:21:52 +0000

The final touches are being put to the Mansion House for today’s awards, The Appys with Carphone Warehouse. We are looking forward to rewarding the best within the application development sector. There is an event timeline and some housekeeping details below – as well as a list of some of the companies attending.

At the end of the mail you will also get your chance to enter the two competitions currently running on Facebook from Carphone Warehouse and Sony Ericsson.

Get the Appys Apps

For Android go to the market. For Apple go here. Alternatively go to the Android Market or iTunes and search for The Appys in the Irish store to download. A big thank you to Furious Tribe for putting this together for us.

Event details

Dress code is smart/casual.
Kick off is at 7pm in the Mansion House.
You will be checked in on Samsung Tablets and then shown to a drinks reception and the exhibition area.
At 8.15pm people can make their way into the awards ceremony where each table will have a selection of hot and cold finger food (for example sushi, smoked turkey bundy, watermelon, mini-burgers and lamb kebabs).
At 8.30pm sharp the doors close and the awards begin.
At 9.30 pm the awards finish and the band Groove Boy will begin playing.
There is a DJ from 10.30pm until late.

Drinks

The free drinks reception is sparkling wine, and red and white wine. There is also a full bar service, although you have to pay for these drinks. During the awards show itself there is table service available.

Who is attending?

Just a small selection of companies attending on the night include Nokia, Furious Tribe, Samsung, iMobile, Sony Ericsson, Redwind Software, Carphone Warehouse, Tapadoo, Vodafone, 98 FM, Communicorp, RTE, Independent.ie, PUCA, Paddy Power, Distilled Media, Windmill Lane, Appsie, National Irish Bank, Agency.com, Axonista, TV3, Associated Newspapers, Fusio, Mobanode, EightyTwenty, Publicis QMP, Vodafone, Product World, App Sandwich, Web Reach, Flashpoint, Intuition, Arikebio, VMAD and many, many more.

Prizes

There will be spot prizes on the night as well as a Blackberry Playbook for the Best Developer. Each of the winners will walk away with a coveted Appys gong. You can also enter the Carphone Warehouse People’s Choice competition and the Sony Ericsson Best Android Competition beforehand.
Entertainment
The band Groove Boy is brought to us by Carphone Warehouse and were part of the courtyard stage at this year’s Castlepalooza. The DJ and full bar service will run until closing.

Shortlist is available here and the hash tag for the night #CPWappys.

Best Nokia Shortlist

Edward — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:10:33 +0000

The shortlist for the Best Nokia category has been confirmed and the winner will be announced tonight. The shortlisted applications and their developers are as follows:

GAA- ebow
Irish Times City Guide – Irish Times
Leinster Rugby – iMobile
Munster Rugby – iMobile
Newstalk – iMobile
Paddy Power – Paddy Power
TV3 – Axonista

Best of luck to all on the night.