Here’s some information on building a successful iPhone app. While it isn’t exactly an easy task, it is not as difficult as you may think. Even if you don’t know the first thing about code, there are plenty of developers out there that will help you create your first app! As long as you have the perfect idea for your app, you can make a name for yourself. The first thing you should do is refine your idea. You will find it useful to map out your ideas on a piece of paper or on your computer. A flow chart is useful for seeing how your buttons and screens all link to one another. Once you have a plan, it’s show time! Ask your friends what they think. Would they buy this app? Does it seem useful? Is it Fun? Does the layout and flow make sense? Does it seem easy to work with? Before you start building your app, you need to apply to the Web developer Program so that you can sell your app within the App Store. It might take a couple of months before you are accepted, so it’s good to do this in plenty of time. If you’re going to write the code yourself, you also need to download the iPhone SDK 3.0 and delve in! But what if you can’t write, or even understand code? Don’t worry! You’ve got several options. If building an iPhone app is something you really want to do yourself, there are several resources written for beginners which will enable you to understand how to make use of Objective-C, Cocoa-Touch and other programming languages to develop your app. If you’d rather not learn any code and you want to start right away, you can go surfing and look for companies that specialize in iPhone app development. Many have online development tools and templates you can use to build your app, and others will actually build your app for you. Fees for these services could be a one-time payment for the use of their app building tools, a monthly fee, or a profit sharing arrangement. The good thing about working with a specialist company is they’ve got the experience to make sure that your app is a success. It is also quite common for developers to be able to call on the services of a reliable creative graphic design company to great stunning graphics for your app. Alternatively, it is possible to place a job on odesk.com or elance.com and take bids from freelancers. In either case, check references and ask to view samples of their previous work before you give them any money. No matter how you decide to build it, ensure you test your app…and then test it again! You want to be certain all the bugs are out and it works just how it is supposed to before you submit it to Apple. Once it’s App Store worthy, submit it to Apple as well as to iPhone app review sites. Creating an iPhone app is simply the very first step…if you want it to sell, you’ve got to get the word out and promote it!

I’m sure most of you have heard about Apple’s new iPhone and all the different functionality it has to offer, so I’ll spare you the details. What I will share with you are the top ten applications that I enjoy and use on a daily basis. 1. ZenBe Lists – This is a to-do-list application that lets you itemize your daily tasks. The app features a minimalist green user interface, extremely functional features, and a free price tag. I find ZenBe Lists to be above and beyond other to-do-list applications, which is why I chose it as part of my everyday apps. 2. NetNewsWire – Sorting through my feed list is much more efficient on the iPhone as opposed to on the web. That’s where NetNewsWire is so helpful; this application is an RSS reader just like its parent Newsgator only for the iPhone. So if you’re one to enjoy news feeds then make sure you review NetNewsWire. 3. Twinkle – This is a great Twitter application. If you’re asking yourself what a twitter is, don’t feel too bad. Twitter is a website that allows you to blast out short updates about your daily life (“I’m at home on Appcraver looking at this new game, and then I’m going to the market”) to your friends and people that want to track you. So what’s so special about Twinkle? Well the main differentiator is that it knows your location. It taps into the iPhone GPS and adds your current location to all of your tweets! You can also keep track of nearby twinkles. 4. Facebook – It seems nowadays everyone is obsessed with checking their Facebook; well at least I am. This application makes it easier; it gives you one touch access to all of your friends, your profile and inbox. You can even ping anybody who is online and start chatting instantly. The best part is you have immediate access to your Facebook inbox and you don’t have to login every time. Oh and did I mention it’s free. 5. Shazam – This totally free application is a life saver! Have you ever heard a song that you loved so much, but didn’t know the name of it or who the artist was? Well with this application you can solve that problem once and forever. All you do is hold the iPhone up to the music that’s playing and hit the “Tag Now” button. Shazam does the rest! A couple seconds later it will return the name of the artist, record cover and name of the song right to your iPhone. 6. Pandora – This next application is great for parties or whenever you want music playing but don’t want to assume control of the songs. All you have to do is type the name of a band, and Pandora will create a custom “radio station” around that band, which includes songs from the band itself, as well as songs that “sound like” that artist. Pandora is an amazing application for music discovery, pick a channel and let Pandora be the DJ. 7. Bloomberg – Finally a finance application that I can use to constantly stay up-to-date on markets around the world. Bloomberg offers news, stock quotes, company descriptions, top performers, price charts, market trend analysis and more. Although painful at times, I enjoy following my list of stocks. Your probably wondering what this type of app costs, well it’s free. 8. AOL Instant Messenger – AIM for the iPhone is a great product, and works just the way you would expect it to. But it does have a drawback that tends to bug me. Unless the application is open, you don’t get alerted when you receive a message. I don’t know about you, but when I get a message I want to be notified instantly. With the iPhone it presents a problem because as of now you can only have one application open at a time. 9. Movies – The new Movies application allows you to search local theaters for show times, view movie details, and watch movie trailers. There isn’t much to complain about this app, it was designed well and pays close attention to detail. What’s amazing about it aside from the free price tag is that it was developed by a college sophomore who sold it to Flixter. 10. Calendar – Number ten on my list goes to the Calendar application. You’re probably thinking, “Wait doesn’t that come with the iphone?” The answer is yes, it does come with the iPhone, which is probably why it’s such a great application to begin with. I use this calendar every day to manage my schedule, after this app I simply refuse to go back to my old desktop schedule. There you have it, my top ten iPhone applications that I can’t live without. For more information on any of the above mentioned apps or new iPhone applications visit Appcraver.com. Neal Hamou is a staff writer and marketing consultant for Appcraver.com. Appcraver provides up-to-date, breaking news on new iPhone applications, interviews with developers, reviews and much more.Buy Cold Sore Freedom