Apple today sent an App Store Marketing and Advertising Guidelines to all iOS Developers.
Most of the time, these documents are guide for how to do certain tasks and self help guide for Developers for new features on App Store.
But this time the Guidelines are far from self help and very close stringent and rigid rules. It seems like Apple is trying to control its image everywhere on Internet, Publications and Broadcast medium.
Apple is known for controlling Company and it’s executives image and known for taking hard stand on these matters.
You can find the document on Apple Developer Program alternatively you can find the document here:
https://developer.apple.com/appstore/AppStoreMarketingGuidelines.pdf
We have reviewed the document couple of times and we found the guidelines very stringent, rigid and tough to follow. It is also difficult for Apple to control these guidelines as iOS , Applications and other Products are so much popular and the lot of content / material is generated on Top of these products.
We have identified few of the Interesting excerpts from the document which are really hard to believe.
Like, for Custom Photography and Videos Apple has provided Do’s and Don’ts Guidelines -
But this one is really shocker:
Do not use White Apple Products !! What ?? Yes, Apple wants people to use Black Apple Products in Advertising and Marketing.
For websites and App Store Promotions and Application Screenshots more guidelines are released.
Few of the most surprising guidelines are here.
First : You can not alter your Application Screenshot and can not add custom text / picture in Application Screenshots. That’s probably very welcome move from the Consumer point of view as lot of FAKE or misleading applications can be filtered due to this new change.
Second: Do not overlap Apple Products
Third: Never display Apple Product’s home Screen or Dock Icons in your communication!!!
Apart from these, Apple has released perfect height, width of iPhone, iPad and iPhone 5 Logos and Icons details this will surely help designers.
Apple has released Localizable ‘Available on App Store’ badges for website and accessories.
That’s it. We are digging more how it gonna affect to developers and designers on their general practice of Marketing and advertising iOS Games and Applications.
What do you think, is Apple going much far on this issue?
All the Screenshots are taken from: https://developer.apple.com/appstore/AppStoreMarketingGuidelines.pdf
[video]
We are very excited to announce about ‘Valentine Memories’ program for iPhone.
‘Valentine Memories’ is First ever Personalized iPhone application program, it brings new form of beautiful digital gifts.
It is collection of your best moments spent with your loved ones,
We will help you to decorate your collection, bundle as an iPhone application and ship to your Valentine’s iPhone.
It’s perfect gift for your Geeky (i)Love mates!
How much do you spend on buying gifts on special occasions either on cake or card or perfume or tie? $ 50 - $ 100 !!
‘Valentine Memories’ cost you just $ 25 as a special price for this amazing, creative & innovative Valentine Gift.
You can order the app here, with that you need to provide at least 7 Photos & Custom Messages you would like to add.
This Valentine’s Day,we at Nuskha Labs are eager to help you create most memorable, most wonderful digital gifts for your loved ones.
You can contact us on nuskhalabs@gmail.com
We have got only 99 ‘Valentine Memories’ invites to accommodate till this Valentine.
This app will be delivered as an Ad Hoc application (independent of iTunes Store), so your personal information will not be shared with publicly.
[Note: We are offering the special price to our first 25 customers only.]
You can find the screen cast of the application (demo) here: http://www.screencast.com/t/QYhFYEaJpjw
You can gift personalized application to your loved ones on occasions which matters most to you like B’day, Valentine’s Day, Anniversary Day , Father’s Day or Women’s Day.
Thanks,
Creative Team (Valentine Memories)
(Source: nuskhalabs.com)
Is it easy to create “Valentine Memories” app? YES, Very Easy. Once you order the App , we will send you details and proceedings by Email
What its (Valentine Memories) required to create the app? : Just Few Photos (7 - 12 Photos)
We need at least 7 Photos from you , which you wanted to include as most memorable moments of your Love life. ( If you don’t have 12 photos, we will put images according to the occasion you are creating the app.)
What will I get at last? : (iPhone app) You will get a personalized app ready to be used on your iPhone.
Is it limited to only iPhone? Yes, currently only iPhone/ iPod are included.
How will you distribute the application? We are using Test Flight SDK and provide FAQ, Email and Phone Support.
To whom I can gift this App? To your Loved ones / Soul mates who use iPhone/ iPod.
A proud daughter/son can send a wonderful memories app to her father/ mother on their birthday/anniversary filled with all sweet memories.
A lovable wife/ husband can surprise their spouse with Memories app by combining all the wonderful moments they spent together in years together.
We are inviting all the people, proud mothers/fathers, loving husbands/wives, caring daughter/sons, artists, photographers and iPhone lovers, nerds/geeks to be part of the Memories Calendar by creating & gifting iPhone app.
Privacy Policy: This app will be delivered as an Ad Hoc application (independent of iTunes Store), so your personal information will not be shared with publicly.
(Source: nuskhalabs.com)
Today Morning was as usual, started with some fixes on client project. And then I went to my Apple Developer account for small work of Ad-hoc distribution to client.
‘1 Day remaining in your Apple Developer Program’
OMG !! I forgot to renew my Apple Developer program , today was the last day for Renewal of the Program. Don’t know how this thing slipped from my task list.
I immediately went through Renewal Process. Purchased the program and received a message that, It will take 24 Hours time to renew my Program and I will be notified by email.
That means, In 24 Hours I will receive notification and my Developer Program may resume.
What if my developer Program get expired in between?
A.) My all Apps will be removed from the Store.
B.) My all Apps which are ‘Waiting For Review’ mode will be removed and once again either I need to resubmit apps or they may be dragged I to new queue when my Program gets renewal. ( I am not quite sure about this. )
I talked with Apple Developer Support (Singapore) , only option left because of Time Zone.
Nice talking Gentleman received my call in around 30 seconds (not bad).!
I explained him a problem and my fear about Re-queueing the already submitted applications. (Unlike other Customer Support, they didn’t asked any annoying question about Verification of My Name, Address, Age and Phone Number.)
He immediately understood my problem , and asked me my immediate contact number in case current call get disconnected. (That’s a smart move, as in my Developer Account I have provided Company Number that is different than my immediate contact number.)
International call sucked my Talk Time (Balance Minutes), so unfortunately my call got disconnected!! I was keeping my fingers crossed that whether the gentleman on other line understood my problem or not.
But Luckily in 5 - 7 minutes - I received an International Phone call and on the line was the same guy from Apple.
He told me that he understood my problem and to resolve the matter
’ Apple will extend your current developer program for 4 more days’ …!
What?? Yes, they extended my Program for few days, so I may not suffer in any case of system generated Program expiration.
I said (still bemused) thanks to Support guy, and he said Welcome.
For lot many people its not noteworthy incident which you would mind to share.
But for me , where Customer Support is really worst by all the Service Provide/Telecoms in Asia, its unbelievably surreal experience. In India, from Customer Support guys you hear only one sentence “We are extremely sorry , We can’t help you with this problem” or “We can’t change in the System. Sorry for the inconvenience”
I am pleased, surprised and happy that Apple takes care of its developers and customers by what best they can do. Presumably Apple provides best Customer/ Developer Support in all Technology Giants.
I found one more reason , one more story to love Apple more. !
Note: Checkout our Valentine Memories Program - First ever truly personalized iPhone app for your loved ones.
We got rejection from Apple Team and in the email Apple Review Team have said - “However, We have decided to honor his life in other ways and we are not accepting these types of apps.”
We are really happy (& proud) to announce that ‘Tribute Calendar’ is launched with Cydia Store.
We have kept our promise to release the App free (as well Ad Free), it will remain Free for lifetime.
Finally, wanted to extend our thanks to lot many news sites, editors, Apple fans for providing great support on various blogs covering our story. In addition app is featured with Sincerely Ship Library , so you can print wonderful Post Cards with images of ‘Tribute Calendar’. You can find all the images of Tribute Calendar here.
One more thing…
If you don’t have Cydia or Jail broken device , we are distributing the application to 25 lucky users as an Ad-hoc application. Write to us nuskhalabs@gmail.com
You can provide support to us by downloading our other application PhotoCalendar HD
(Source: nuskhalabs.com)
Drumroll, please... Introducing iFixit.org | iFixit.org -
We have been traveling to developing countries in Asia and Africa, visiting e-waste scrapyards and small repair shops, meeting “fixers” who breathe new life into gadgets that the western world has tossed away, and photographing the journey. Part travelogue, part investigative reporting, part soapbox, iFixit.org promises only one thing: a clear-eyed, thoughtful look at global repair culture.
This looks amazing! The beautiful site design alone is worth the visit but the subject matter is essential knowledge about the world we live in. Fascinating stuff.
(via 52 Tiger)
Getting various responses on the acquisition of Summify by Twitter.
Found interesting thing - Summify has removed its iPhone app from the Apple App Store.
Lot of people are commenting on Twitter’s acquistion and shutting down the Startups like Trunk.ly, BackType, PostRank …
https://twitter.com/#!/randfish/status/160080348884123648
We wish this shouldn’t be the first step towards the shutting of popular social news iOS/Web app.!!
(Source: blog.summify.com)
Apple recently rejected an application in the App Store that paid tribute to Steve Jobs. In this interview, we talk directly to the developer of the application to get a behind the scenes picture and discuss about the next steps.
1. What did the App do? How did you conceive the idea for the App?
- Application’s name is Tribute Calendar – its Special Edition app of PhotoCalendar (bit.ly/photocalendar) app lets you create Calendar wallpaper with the image of popular Steve Jobs images. Also there are multiple themes and convenient positions to place the calendar image.
We release special edition of PhotoCalendar about events, personalities we love to honour. Earlier Royal Wedding Calendar ( bit.ly/royalCalendar ) was released with same idea.
Steve Jobs made larger impact to our personal life, and thats how the idea of Tribute Calendar was invoked.
2. Why do you think Apple has rejected your App? Any particular reasons that come to your mind?
Apple has been very sensitive about their trademarks, patents , individuals associated with the Apple. Apple is also very sensitive and selective when it comes to Steve Jobs. Considering the nature of our application, we don’t think there is any thing objectionable at all. But we respect Apple’s decision
3. What will be your next step relating to this App? Would you still be wanting to get this in the hands of users or will you focus on some other project?
We will be releasing the App on Cydia Market, also figuring out the way to reach out normal App Store Customers via next PhotoCalendar ( bit.ly/photocalendar & bit.ly/photocallite ) update.
4. Do you think Apple is right in the decision? How do you think Steve Jobs has changed the world for you (if he has)?
We respect the decision made by Apple, although we are quite disappointed because of rejection. Steve Jobs always been inspiration to us , you can find the simplicity and clarity which Steve liked in our applications.
If you’ve got any other questions for the developer, just ask it in the comments section below and we will make sure it gets answered.
Many of you have asked, so here’s what’s going on with me.
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE
- 8/1979: Born. Grew up in CT, built a killer eraser collection, fell in love with computers.
- Left college to start a company. Fell hard. Fled to India for 3 months.
- Started 2nd company. Learned to be an adult. Fell in love with NYC.
- Moved to SF, discovered burritos & some of my fave people on Earth.
- 9/2011: Got diagnosed with Leukemia!
- Cried. Went through 3 cycles of chemo. Hurt. Thought hard about what I want out of life. Grew up a second time.
TODAY
… After over 100 drives organized by friends, family, and strangers, celebrity call-outs, a bazillion reblogs (7000+!), tweets, and Facebook posts, press, fundraising and international drives organized by tireless friends, and a couple painful false starts, I’ve got a 10/10 matched donor!
You all literally helped save my life. (And the lives of many others.)
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Tomorrow, I’ll be admitted to Dana Farber in Boston for 4-5 weeks.
First I’ll get a second Hickman line to allow direct access to my heart (for meds and for nutrients if I’m not able to eat). Over the next week, the docs blast my body with a stiff chemo cocktail to try and eradicate all traces of cancer cells. In the process, the immune system I was born with, and my body’s ability to make blood, are destroyed.
Next Friday, I get my donor’s stem cells by IV. I start on immunosuppressants to prevent my body from rejecting them (I’ll be on them for 12-18 months). For these weeks I’ve no immune system, so I’m severely vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. My hospital room and hallway become my world.
Meanwhile, the stem cells make their way to my bone marrow and, with some luck, start producing platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells. At this point, my blood type changes to the blood type of my donor. And my blood will now have my donor’s DNA, not my own.
This is science fiction stuff. I can hardly believe it’s even possible, and there’s lots of chances for things to go wrong. It’s frightening.
AFTER THE TRANSPLANT
Recovery to a new state of “normal” takes about a year, but there’s a few storm clouds hovering:
- My immune system is new, like a baby’s. I’m prone to getting sick.
- Just as with any organ transplant, there’s a chance of rejection. Except in this case, it’s my blood that’s the foreign body, and it touches every organ. They call it graft-vs-host-disease and it can cause health issues and organ complications for the rest of my life.
- Successful transplant or not, Leukemia can relapse. Stubborn mofo.
Overall, 75% of AML transplant patients survive year one, 50% make it through year five. My odds are a little better since I’m young.
THE GREAT NEWS
I’ve got a long road ahead. But I’ve got a donor & amazing family & friends. A few months ago I didn’t have many options. Today I have a plan.
I am alive. I start tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Thank you.
