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Michael Alvarez is the CEO of Avantar, the company behind iPhone applications like One Tap Movies, Showtimes, Calculator AXL, Yellow Pages, AirYell, and Munch. As part of TiPb’s ongoing interview series and our look at the iPhone App Store, Michael was good enough to discuss Avantar’s views on Apple’s new mobile platform, where it is, and where it’s going.
TiPb: Avantar has a wide range of apps on the market. Most appear to focus on quickly acquiring and succinctly displaying useful information like movie times, business listings, and restaurant options. What made Avantar choose these particular apps for your initial iPhone offerings?
Michael Alvarez: You are right. Our applications are meant to be locally relevant, where we use the iPhone’s GPS capabilities to locate the user and then provide relevant information in his or her surrounding area. This is the ultimate stop gap where the brick and mortar business world meets the most relevant, and targeted, digital advertising solution. And, no one is doing it better than we are on the iPhone right now.
What made us choose these particular apps is a bit of a long story. It begins with the President of Avantar’s passion for everything Apple. In his youth, Mr. Adrian Ochoa’s kicked off his successful career with his purchase of Apple’s first computer, which eventually led him to grow a very successful advertising agency and movie production studio.
More recently, he was also one of the first to get the first generation iPhone and it allowed him to envision what the future holds for a mobile Internet and the effect it will have on the advertising industry. Research and data support his conclusions of hyper-growth market opportunity in this sector. Recently, research firm Informa Telecoms & Media stated that “the mobile ad market is expected to grow to $12 billion by 2013, up from an estimated $1.72 billion for 2008.” If you think about it, it just makes sense. Not everyone has a computer, but cell phones are more readily available to the masses. The population of this earth is 6.6 Billion and 3.3 Billion mobile handsets have already been sold.
When Mr. Ochoa and I learned about the plans to launch the App Store, we were in the process of ramping up our interactive yellow pages business and saw the marriage between mobile, Internet, & GPS as the perfect fit for what we had in mind. A few of our developers downloaded the SKD and begun programming our apps several months before the launch of the App Store. We now have nearly 1 Million downloads, and the rest is history yet to be discovered.
Given the diversity in Avantar’s lineup, when designing user interfaces how do you weigh consistent branding/unified look-and-feel against the possibly very different requirements of each individual app?
Getting the right balance is the formula for success. It really comes down to experience, and being that the iPhone Apps are so new we learn new things through trial and error every day that help us to create that balance. We are also very thankful for excellent users who’ve downloaded our apps and provide us with their feedback all the time. We even had one user from Serbia who offered to redesign one of our apps and sent us all the files for free. How amazing is that?
When bringing your content and services to the iPhone, how much did you have to rethink existing presentation and interaction paradigms? Is there anything you learned from developing for the iPhone that would inform, or be carried back to, development for other platforms?
The iPhone was new for us so continue to learn as we go along. We just had to adapt our web design/usability experience and transform it into a smaller window view. Our collective experience in usability and design also help a great deal.
With 3G speed and GPS location, we’re starting to see a shift in applications not just from “static” to “dynamic” but from “when” to “where”. Instead of an alarm telling me it’s 3pm, I can get an alarm telling me I’m passing the grocery store and I need milk. How fundamental will this change be for end-users?
Grand! Think about how much progress our two apps have made to simplify people’s life:
1) Yellow Pages: No more phone book, no more searching two or three websites, no more reading through a list find what you want that’s closest to you, and now you have all the information you need with a few taps of your finger including phone number, address, and driving directions.
2) Showtimes: No more calling an outdated recording for each theater, no more hunting around for information through two or three different websites, no more creating traffic jams in front of the theater to try and read all the posters and showtimes, and no more need for the newspaper. All of the necessary information shows instantly with a single tap of the finger.
Which, if any, of your iPhone apps (or feature(s) of your apps) have especially delighted you? Anything turn out even better than you first thought, or catch on with your customers more than you anticipated?
Showtimes has been as high as the #7 most favorite app, and Yellow Pages has also been a very popular app. Recently Apple published a report stating that the App Store reached it’s 100 Millionth download, which means we currently receive nearly 1% of all their downloads.
Most developers are still experimenting with the business model behind the App Store. You offer both free and paid applications. Does that give you the best of both current worlds? Is there anything Apple could tweak or surface to make things even better for you and your customers?
Our strategy behind offering both paid and free apps was more experimental since no one really knew what to expect when the doors opened. It’s been a great learning experience for us.
One thing I would ask Apple would be to add our own affiliate tracking links on the confirmation pages for each confirmed download. This would allow us to optimize advertising campaigns to know which source produces how many downloads, and thus increasing downloads and sales for both of Apple and us the developers.
Thanks Michael! Avantar.us is Avantar’s website, and their applications One Tap Movies, Showtimes, Calculator AXL, Yellow Pages, AirYell, and Munch are available via the iTunes App Store.
This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb Interview: Michael Alvarez of Avantar on Location Based Search, Paid vs. Free Apps, and More!
MobileCrunch is reporting that:
The iPhone is twice as reliable as the Blackberry after one year of ownership, a new study by SquareTrade finds.Wow. I was a Treo user for years (WinMo and Palm OS) so I know the issues these devices can have in terms of reliability– first hand. Having used the iPhone since its launch in 2007, I can confidently say I agree with this study. I have not used a BlackBerry for an extended period of time, so I don’t have first hand experience with what can happen to one, however, I have discussed this topic with the support team at my place of employment and they concur that even the fabled BlackBerry runs into issues over time.
This is big news for users that are looking for a reliable device that don’t have the patience for the potential troubles other devices can have in the Enterprise (well, even non-Enterprise environment for that matter). The study is broken into a few different subgroups including:
All in all, this is excellent news for the iPhone and Apple, congratulations! Read the full report after the jump!
Reliability Study: iPhone Vs. Blackberry Vs. Treo - Get more Information Technology>
This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
Question: Which Mobile Device is the Most Reliable? Answer: iPhone!
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Wireless
Continue reading EOps "high concept" wireless iPod speakers strongly resemble a cheap desk lamp
EOps "high concept" wireless iPod speakers strongly resemble a cheap desk lamp originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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I watched the recent Apple iPhone commercial, the one featuring Loopt that promised to keep me in stronger, better, faster contact with all my similarly teched-out friends, and immediately fired my iPhone to download it.
But guess what? It didn’t show up in the App Store. Dieter was kind enough to send me a direct link, so I clicked on that, and know what happened? I got a pop-up telling me Loopt wasn’t available in the Canadian App Store.
So, either we Canucks have no friends to stay in contact with, Loopt has yet to expand their offering to our frozen shores, or Apple didn’t bother to make a commercial with wider appeal than AT&T’s network coverage (or all of the above?)
In a global village, is it odd that an App isn’t just an App, and often medieval licensing rights prevent real parity in services?
For our international readers, any other Apps you’ve been unable to get due simply to where you live? Any Americans ever come across an App you couldn’t get?
This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
Not Available in YOUR App Store?
Filed under: iPhone
There's word this morning that the NPD Group's latest research shows a surprising finish for the iPhone in the 3rd-quarter sales competition among US cellphones bought by consumers; for the first time in three years, there's a new top model. The Motorola RAZR, long the most popular handset for adult consumers, has fallen before the touchable juggernaut from Cupertino, CA.
Yes, even while the overall consumer unit sales for cellphones declined 15% from the year-ago quarter (ouch!), the iPhone 3G kicked the RAZR out and took over as the #1 most popular handset sold in the US. LG also bypassed Motorola as the #1 overall vendor in consumer phone sales. Even though the RAZR is now offered as a free phone on new contracts with many carriers, those phones still count as sales for the purposes of the NPD analysis -- making the iPhone's ascendancy even more stunning.
"The displacement of the RAZR by the iPhone 3G represents a watershed shift in handset design from fashion to fashionable functionality," said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for NPD (and recent TUAW talkcast guest). Four of the five best-selling handsets in the third quarter were optimized for messaging and other advanced Internet features.
The top three phones (the iPhone, the RAZR, and the Blackberry Curve) address some different markets and diverse user needs -- but to have the iPhone on top, even counting in the pent-up demand for a 3G version, is pretty astonishing. Considering that Apple has ramped up from a v1 iPhone which gave up some key functionality in the interest of getting to market in a hurry, and even the 3G model lacks some popular items (copy/paste, tethering), getting to the top of the heap is an achievement worth celebrating.
NPD reports iPhone was top US handset in Q3 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
NPD reports iPhone was top US handset in Q3 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Cellphones
Continue reading iPhone 3G overtakes the RAZR as best-selling domestic handset
iPhone 3G overtakes the RAZR as best-selling domestic handset originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Today on the forums be sure to help burgman make a decision, 8GB iPhone or 16GB iPhone? My take on that is the more the merrier. With my first iPhone I made the mistake of going with the 8GB only to find out that I wanted more! Chime in on that thread and help a fellow member out!
Next up is ExBBuser, and he wants to know is the iPhone your only mobile device? Lately I’ve been trying numerous devices to go along with the iPhone. You name it - Treo Pro [Sorry Dieter!], Blackberry Bold [Sorry Kevin! Does not hold a candle to Apple's gem!], etc… Each and every time I seem to find my home back at my iPhone 3G. What are your thoughts?
Johnny Football Hero started a thread asking if the Blackberry Storm is an iPhone Killer? If you are like me you are probably sick of hearing about all of these so called “iPhone Killers”. My quick answer? No chance… Wanna discuss it further head over to the thread and we will chat.
So there you have it folks, join our growing community to get in on the action!
See you on the forums!
This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
Today on the Forums: 8GB or 16GB?, iPhone 3G Your Only Device?, BlackBerry Storm Hype
Every week I will be bringing you what I think are the week’s biggest stories and articles. Let’s get started, after the break!
TiPB Interview: Interface Innovation
If you are interested in how a developer looks at the iPhone’s unique interface development, this is a very interesting article, click to read. They range from how simplicity is important to how to work within the confined canvas of 320×480!
Opera Mini on the iPhone, Nah…
Hogwash I tell you! It was an internal project and never left the confines of Opera. Ah, the joys of the blogosphere!
Marware Sport Grip Case for iPhone
In the never-ending drive to find the perfect case, Casey looks at the Marware Sport Grip Case for iPhone in the weeks case review. This case looks good and covers your iPhone. Does it grip well? Does it look good? Read on to find out!
With MobileFiles from QuickOffice. This app is really, really cool. You can access your MobileMe iDisk directly on your iPhone and even store files locally for convenience! When is Apple going to implement items like this? I love that developers are doing it (and that Apple is allowing them), but I would think that Apple would want to supply their own solution.
Can the iPhone/iPod Touch 1-2 punch be enough to topple the gaming juggernauts of Sony and Nintendo? Business Week seems to think so, and with some compelling reasons. I have to sit and think that many moons ago, there were rumors about Apple buying Nintendo. Perhaps these rumors were just slightly misguided, and in fact, the discussions were actually centered around making the iPhone/iPod a gaming device. Hmm…
They are both cool! Need to know the name of a song playing on the radio? Then this app is for you! But who will win? Read on to find out!
Firmware 2.2 Speculation Continues!
What? OTA podcast downloads? iTunes and App Store makeovers? Craziness I tell you! I sure hope this update comes out soon, I am eager with anticipation!
Apple was going to buy Palm! No Way!
Ahh, this is very interesting to me. I loved Palm before I ever fell in love with Apple (I know, I was a late-comer to Apple Luv) but I did not know that Steve Jobs has offered to buy Palm after canceling the Newton. Wow. One has to wonder what would have happened with Apple’s design and innovation at the helm of Palm…
Well, not soon enough if you ask me. Perhaps it will be part of the next firmware? Who knows. I was at my local AT&T store this weekend and I was discussing this with them. They said it would probably be another $30 a month. I sure hope not. I would be willing to pay $10 more a month. I think AT&T is getting a little too bog for their britches…
We just can’t get enough of those iPhone cases! This week we also have Brian reviewing the iSkin Revo Case. Brain REALLY likes this case! Read on to find out why!
How Awesome is the iPhone? J.D. Power and Associates tells us!
Hmm, not pad for a device that is not even a year and a half old yet, eh?
External Keyboard for the iPhone?
Oh, how I long for thee. And is a reality for you if you are into homebrew for the iPhone. Will Apple ever release an official keyboard? I don’t think so, but you never know.
Ah and finally our beloved bi-weekly Phone Different Podcast What do Dieter and Mike have to discuss this week? Click to listen and read the show notes!
This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
The iPhone Blog Week in Review for November 10, 2008
