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Apple Releases Xcode 4

Minutes ago, Apple released the latest version of Xcode to developers. Xcode 4 was previewed to attendees of the World Wide Developer Conference in June of 2010 but developers have been unable to discuss the product in open forums as the product has been under NDA.

Xcode 4 introduces an integrated development environment incorporating functionality that was previously delivered through Interface Builder. Additional enhancements include Project Workspaces, which allow developers to easily work across multiple projects, using build outputs of one project to be used as dependencies in another project. (For Visual Studio developers, Project Workspaces are similar to Solutions.)

Xcode runs on Max OS X Snow Leopard and includes the Xcode IDE, Instruments, iOS Simulator, the latest Mac OS X and iOS SDKs and hundreds of new features. Among these are embedded LLVM technologies built into Xcode 4 Analyzer that travels code paths to look for logical errors before they become bugs and Live Issues underlines coding mistakes before building.

Xcode 4 is available via the Mac App Store for $4.99. (It is available at no cost to registered developers via the Developer portal at developer.apple.com.)

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Apple Releases ‘iAd Producer’ Tool to Developers


Apple has just launched a new software tool called iAd Producer (via MacStories).

iAd Producer makes it easy for you to design and assemble high-impact, interactive content for iAd. iAd Producer automatically manages the HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript behind your iAd to make creating beautiful, motion-rich iAd content as easy as point and click.

The tool is available for members of the iOS developer program and significantly opens up iAd creation. While Apple's iAds have generally been seen as a success, the slow content creation process has been cited as significant hurdle for some of their early partners. Prior to this tool, it was said that Apple handled all of the ad creation in house.

Apple's choice to use HTML5 for iAd creation has likely been part of this issue as the tools have not been as mature as those for Adobe Flash. iAd Producer offers visual layout and design with Page Templates, Pre-built animations/effects, advanced Javascript editing and more.

Long time Apple developers have speculated that the iAd Producer tool may also be a prelude to a larger, more sophisticated tool for web content creation in general.

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iPhone “Freemium” Apps Offer Viable Business Model for Developers

GigaOM takes a look at so-called "freemium" iPhone apps: applications that are free to download and offer basic functionality but generate revenue through the use of In App Purchase content. According to the report, freemium apps are becoming increasingly popular with developers who are finding it a viable business model. The number of "freemium" apps generating sufficient revenue to rank among the top-grossing App Store titles is increasing.

"A look at the top-grossing iPhone apps today finds 34 of the top 100 apps are free, but make their money through in-app purchases of mostly virtual currencies as well as other premium features. Remco van den Elzen, CEO of analytics firm Distimo, said he believes in-app purchases now represent about 30 percent of all iPhone App Store revenue. "We're seeing more developers implement more in app-purchases especially with games," he said. "Freemium Apps are also picking up significantly. A lot of developers realize it's a successful model."

Another analytics firm tracking such data revealed that in January only two freemium iPhone apps ranked in the top 50 grossing apps, a number which rose to 10 by the end of October and stands at over 20 today.

The striking success of freemium iPhone apps comes even as their prevalence in the App Store remains low, with only about 1.34% of iPhone apps using the model during the third quarter of this year.

Interestingly, the freemium business model has yet to catch on with iPad applications, as none of the top 200 grossing iPad apps utilize the strategy on a platform where higher purchase prices for applications are the norm.

As the report notes, iPhone developers are learning how to offer a solid app experience for their free versions while also pushing attractive upgrade options via In App Purchase, finding that the strategy can be more lucrative than offering ads in their applications and attract a more loyal base of customers.

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