But…this time around it was a bit different: Gravity Sling and Eliminate got my attention and both are free with a limited set of levels or play time. Basically these are the free trial-versions we’ve been waiting for since day one. So I grabbed both and tried them. More Levels or play time can be purchased from inside each game as an In-App-Purchase. So, I played as far as I could…I liked both games and…didn’t buy anything afterwards. Why? Well, just because I had enough for the moment afterwards. But the games still reside on my iPhone and surely enough, whenever I like to play some I wont start looking around on the AppStore but play the games I allready have and like.

So, under the line I think IAP are a great mechanism to get the foot in the door at customers. People are free to try the App as long as they like and can enhance it if the need more levels, playtime, ammo, cars…whatever. On the other hand, People who don’t like it will probably give the App one of the infamous 1-Star ratings just because they were “tricked” into downloading the app and now “wasted valuable amounts of their lifetime” (I actually read this in one rating once…was a rating for a free(!) movie!). I don’t know what you think about app-reviews by users on the AppStore but I think they should be eliminated…but that’s another story!

I for one really like the mechanism behind IAPs very much and I’m happy to see it is becoming more and more adopted by developers. I’m thinking about it myself but right now I don’t see any of my apps suitable for IAPs…but maybe in the future…

What are your thoughts on this? Are IAPs cool or not? How would you like to have it? Share in the comments…

It’s been almost a year now since the AppStore opened up it’s doors and literally flooded the iPhone- and iPod-Touch-Users with new apps for their devices. Some of them where not soooo good, some of them made people furious but some really hit it big and became popular blockbusters. Anyway, one year and over 50.000 apps later one thing is for sure: The AppStore was that best that could’ve happened to the iPhone-/iPod-Community!

And so we’d like join in as well and say: Happy Bithday, AppStore!

People think it’s a superior verion to the original TouchScan and hence buy it. When they see that it’s hardly working, they come back complaing…and the come back to ME! That’s great! The app is crashing a lot, you can enter two results (yes, he copied the settings-dialogs as well) but the app can use just one…go figure! That’s what the thief Gary Fung calls “the best deal for my customers”. Problem is, I get the support mails!

Anyway, ars technica wrote about it and scammer Gay Fung seems to be scared enough to have replied at once, again saying he didn’t do anything wrong. So, Mr. Fung, let’s get this straight: You stole from me and that is against the law anywhere on this planet!

And, finally, they say that beginning of may the contracts of all developers can be renewed for another year. So…we will be able to continue our work and continue to support all of you! :-) And remember: If you like our software, spread the word (ie. by writing a review in iTunes). If you don’t like our software, tell us! Only then we are able to improve it for you! :-)

Oh…and for those who didn’t get it there’s a drop down list for rating now telling everyone that 1 star is baaaaad, 5 stars goood. ;-)

Still missing is a way to contact a review’s author via mail or something. So many people still don’t know how to change TouchScans settings…makes me so sad :-( …1 star!

Surprisingly enough 85% answered with “anything but iTunes”. Seems like Apple didn’t find the right solution for consumer satisfaction. On the other hand they don’t have to. Since every site dealing with apps and reviews and the like can put a deeplink to the AppStore, Apple can easily just wait and let third parties do their job for free.

On the other hand, as Iliumsoftware says as well, 200 people are not that much if you consider the millions of iPod/iPhone-users out there…so this might be misleading information. Espescially if you consider how a high ranking in the Top 100 apps increases your sales many people somehow *must* be using iTunes.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to more results.

Lately I’ve seen many others trying their luck with similar applications but so far, none of them was accepted.

Pinball Dreams was THE pinball simulation for the Amiga – at least if you ask me. Now it’s going to be the same for the iPhone. The tables were fun to play, the graphics were jist awesome and the sound was superb. Now, the graphics were revamped to match the new amount of available colors but the rest of the game was ported one to one. Just hearing the music gives me this nice warm and comfy retro feeling… :-) What’s best is that the tables are still fun to play and not overcrowded with gadgets, bells and whistles like in many other modern pinball sims. The graphics might look a little old and not as fany as with other pinball games for the iPhone but if you ask me this is a feature, not a bug!

One that was especially fun because of the light gun you could use it with was Time Crisis. Namco now released a version of the “shooter on rails” for the iPhone. To me this was the first First-Person-Shooter I played more than once. Granted, with the light gun missing it might be a little less fun but still it looks like a great way to waste some time.

Okay, today is again one of those days where multiple apps for one and the same purpose are released to the AppStore. As before with the widescreen mailers and the dialshortcuts . Today is the day of the power-dialers that can also send SMS and/or e-mails to your favorite contacts.

There are several released today but I want to direct your attention to these two only because I like the visuals on both of them…especially SuperDial comes close to what I’ve been waiting for for my iPhone…Photos on a pinboard, one tap to call, doubletap to send a SMS.

Read on for more and for the daily freebie!
 

The other contender Face Dial Pro features even more: you can make categories for your contacts and display them on seperate screens…this may be useful if you can afford so much friends but I think I can do with the max Number of 30 SuperDial has to offer. But, decide for yourself what you like better!

On the freebies side there seems to be a low tide right now…only one being a bit interesting seems Micro Surface…seems interesting but not to usefull and besides there was another App doing the same thing I can’t remebr right now called Photoboard…and that’s been out for a couple of weeks now.

Oh…and while I was looking up the URL for Micro Surface I stumbled about this one: iStethoscope…you never kow when you are playing Doctor again… ;-) It’s also free so go grab it!