The IPhone App Life Cycle

The application development life cycle refers to a logical sequence of activities to develop an application according to set goals and objectives. However iPod touch apps are IT applications and as such have some unique characteristics that must be understood. Regardless of the scope and complexity any application development goes through a series of stages during its life. First there is a conception phase, in which the outputs and critical success factors are defined. Second, is the planning phase, in which the application development project is broken down into smaller parts/tasks. Third, is the execution phase, in which the application development plan is carried out. Last, is the exit phase, in which the application development project is closed out. The completion of the application development plan results in a finished product or application that is then presented for sale in the Apple App Store. With IT application development the phases do not have to be completed in sequence many tasks from different phases can be accomplished simultaneously. This is a big advantage because the application development project can move forward at a faster pace if numerous tasks are accomplished simultaneously.

iPod touch apps development activities can be grouped into phases so that the manager and his/her team can better plan and organize the resources needed to complete each activity, and also establish objective metrics for progress and to justify decisions for moving ahead, correcting or ending the app development project. Diverse application development tools are available in the different phases. Below is a closer look at what is important in each phase.

1. Conception

In this first stage, the scope of the iPod touch App development project is defined along with the approach to be taken to deliver the desired outputs. The application development project manager is appointed and in turn, he selects the team members based on their skills qualifications. Project Charter, Business Plan, Project Framework (or Overview), Business Case Justification, and Milestones Reviews are common tools for use in the conception stage.



2. Planning

The second phase of IPod touch apps development should include a detailed identification and assignment of each task until the end of the application development project. It should also include a risk analysis and a definition of criteria for the successful completion of each deliverable. The oversight process is established, beneficiaries identified and reporting criteria and reporting methodologies agreed. Business Plan and Milestones Reviews are commonly used tools in the planning stage.

3. Execution and Controlling

The focus of this phase of iPod touch apps development is the proper execution and control of project activities. The plan from the planning phase is implemented to accomplish the project requirements. As the plan progresses, groups from other areas of the organization become involved to prepare for the final testing, production, and support of the product. Risk Analysis, Score Cards, Business Plan and Milestones Reviews are commonly used tools in the execution and controlling phase.

4. Closure
In this last stage of iPod touch app development, the manager must ensure that the project is brought to its proper completion. The closure phase is characterized by a written report containing the following components: a formal acceptance of the final product, a matching of the initial requirements specified by the client with the delivered product, releasing project resources, and a closure notification to higher management. The app is then submitted to the App Store and the waiting period begins. Different developers have had different experiences in terms of how quickly their apps were approved. Sometimes Apple requires the developer to make changes to that app and then resubmit it for approval. Others have experienced quick approvals within a few short days. Once approved, the iPhone or iPod touch app makes its way into the proper category in the App Store for all the buyers to see.

Online DSi App Store

Rumours from the recent Nintendo Developer Conference held in London suggest that the Japanese company is about to launch an online application store for its DSi handheld.

Ahead of the April US and UK launch date, Nintendo seems likely to reveal that it is opening the so-called DSiWare store to applications that offer more than just gaming.

iPhone envy

The success of Apple's iPhone App Store looks like encouraging Nintendo to push developers to program outside the box for the DSi.

Early speculation has already covered Facebook apps that allow text and video posting thanks to the DSi's onboard cameras and other applications that focus on the touch-sensitive screen.

Answers tomorrow?

We expect to hear a lot more about the DSiWare store when Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata speaks at the company's Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco tomorrow.

10 things you need to know about iPhone 3.0

The launch of Apple's new iPhone 3.0

firmware update was greeted with cheers and disappointment alike as some users got their wish and others... well, didn't.


1. Copy and Paste

Oh, don't go pretending you're not excited that this is here, moaning on about how 'it's a feature available on all smartphones these days'. While you may be right, Apple has managed to make this tiny feature into a Big Deal, and the way you do it (double tap to magnify text, scrolling and grabbing the beginning and end points) is pretty darn cool too.

2. The sheer range of APIs released

Slightly hidden from the consumer eye was Apple's larger onslaught into making the iPhone the most customisable (albeit with Apple's approval) handset out on the market. We're talking thousands of APIs here, allowing things like peer to peer Bluetooth connection for multiplayer gaming or contact sending, or allowing Google Maps to be used within other applications, so finding that restaurant is suddenly going to be a lot easier.

3. Using the iPhone to control accessories

This idea is pretty big, as it allows manufacturers to make Apps specifically for their hardware. While this could mean big things for the sex toy industry (just look at the route Gizmodo took straight away) it means things like the Lifescan from Johnson & Johnson are now possible, allowing diabetes sufferers to keep a visual record of their glucose levels.

But the possibilities (and cool factor) are now seemingly endless... you could make a golf accessory that assesses your swing using motion sensors and then Bluetooth the results to the iPhone for analysis (actually, that's a good idea, if you try and copyright it, then we'll fight you for it.)

4. MMS support

We all thought Apple would never do it, preferring to make sure the world thinks that e-mail is properly where it's at for sending pictures.

But it's not just those slightly-funny snaps you can pick ping over to your mates' phones now, it's also location info, contact sending and even audio files that can be passed to a friend's phone, so if you want to stalk someone AND listen to the same things as them, this is the upgrade for you.

5. Spotlight

Apple has found a new space within the iPhone... scrolling left from the homescreen. This new area allows you to search over the whole iPhone / iPod touch, and even finds Apps (if they're Spotlight enabled).

So if you're sure that you saw someone's name somewhere in the phone... you'll be able to find it now. And if you have a trillion Apps on there and countless home screens to scroll through you can now move straight there rather than straining your finger.

6. Localised search

As well as being able to search over the whole thing in Spotlight, you now have the option to search specifically in certain areas, like the upgrade that came in the iPhone 2.0 firmware allowing you to search through contacts.

And if there's nothing on the phone itself, users will also have the option to take things further afield by looking on a registered server to find the information there too.

7. Push notification

While we all wanted to see background applications running on the iPhone, in a similar way to the forthcoming Palm Pre, the truth is it's likely that the handset simply can't handle it.

So push notifications are the next best thing, with the phone keeping a constant connection to email servers and IM applications, with similar functionality available for other applications to make use of as they so wish.

8. Turn by turn directions

The problem with using the iPhone as a GPS navigation device in a car is, well, you can't really, unless you want to keep taking your eyes off the road to look where you are on the map, so the addition of turn-by-turn directions is a big plus in that department.

However, thanks to the big wide world of licensing agreements, you can't use Google Maps for the application, so if you want to make a turn-by-turn effort, you best bring your own maps.

That really limits this application to the big names like TomTom and Co-Pilot, and we doubt Garmin will be getting in on the action as it has a rival device out in the Nuviphone.

9. In-App purchase

This is another App-changer for iPhone-ites, allowing you to pay for things inside a program. What this essentially means is you'll be able to customise Apps as you want them, ie a magazine can be offered for free and you choose to subscribe from within the App, with the standard iTunes purchase interface popping up to confirm.

The newly-announced Sims 3 game allows you to do this to purchase items for around 60p, and other games will allow you to buy weapons or power-ups in exchange for cold, hard cash (well, the transaction's electronic, so there's no cash actually, but you get the picture).

By the way, you can also get in-game rumbling too... it's not important enough for its own point on this list, but it's pretty cool too.

10. Landscape QWERTY keyboard, A2DP and shake to shuffle

And finally, the 'tweaks'. Apple has finally dripped out a couple of things that iPhone users the world over have been asking for, like being able to use something else other than the QWERTY portrait keyboard. So the addition of a landscape option for all text input is a real plus, though we can't see why it's taken so long.

Coming 'this summer', it's free for iPhone users and around £7-ish for iPod Touch users, unfortunately original iPhone holders cannot use A2DP or MMS thanks to hardware constraints