June 7, 2010 Comments Off
Today was the first day of Apple’s Worldwide Developers’ Conference (WWDC). ArcTouch’s app developers are on-site in full force and taking it all in.
The keynote address was full of exciting news:
- iPhone 4 with a high resolution screen and video conferencing
- iAds interactive app-based advertisements
- iPhone OS 4, now known as iOS 4
The last item is perhaps the most significant in our mind, since it always seemed clear to ArcTouch that the future of Apple is devices based on the iPhone/iPod/iPad platform and not the Mac OS X platform. This simple name change, combined with no mention of Mac OS X in the keynote address, now publicly suggests the phase out of the Mac OS, and a rise of touch-based devices that look and function more similar to the iPad in the future.
For most people, this may be a welcome direction. The iPad has proven to be simpler device for most people to use than their traditional desktop and notebook computers. The instant-on behavior and the instant-access to a wealth of music, video, books and app content has changed the consumption model and usage of these devices. We see this as a tremendous opportunity. The app ecosystem will continue to grow and we are excited to help our customers be part of it.
Yes, there will be a Mac OS 10.7 some day, but we say that will likely be the very last in the long proud line of Mac OS X.
Thanks Mac OS X!
You set the bar for a modern gorgeous operating system, and made it possible for the iOS to exist. Now go and enjoy your retirement.
January 25, 2010 Comments Off
Flash Packager For iPhone Developers
ArcTouch has been invited by Adobe to be part of a special pre-release program for the “iPhone packager for Flash“.
This allows iPhone developers like ArcTouch to design apps in Flash, but develop and deploy them using standard native iPhone code. ArcTouch’s creative teams are able work in an environment they are completely familiar with during design, but still produce true native iPhone apps. ArcTouch can also use Flash for the illustration, the animations, the interaction, and for showing it during design reviews to customers over the web. Then, when we are ready to build it, we convert it into native iPhone code.
We’re one of a small number of iPhone application developers chosen by Adobe and given access to this technology, and we’re thrilled.
iGevalt Dreidel App Featured On Adobe Site
To get started, we built iGevalt, a dreidel simulator for the iPhone. This app features realistic 3D graphics, motion and sound, and was recently featured on Adobe’s site to showcase the Packager for iPhone. iGevalt is available now in the app store.
Flash Apps To iPhone App Conversion
Do you have an existing Flash game or Flash application?
We can take your existing Flash based applications and convert them into a new native iPhone apps. You’ll benefit by being able to repurpose your existing investment and gain a faster time to market than if you were going to work with other iPhone programmers to rebuild your app from scratch. Plus, you’ll know how your application is going to look and work in advance of the programming phase.
ArcTouch is a full-service app development studio and we offer complete custom app design and programming services.
Contact us today to get started!
December 25, 2009 Comments Off
Mobile Phone App Developers Of CityMint For iPhone
The CityMint application provides the fastest and most convenient way to order food from local restaurants on your mobile phone. CityMint was developed by ArcTouch and is available now for the iPhone and iPod touch in the app store.
Fast And Convenient Way To Order Food
Whenever you’re hungry – at home or at work – CityMint makes it easy to order food:
- Search by current location, address, cuisine, or available menu items.
- Choose what you want, make special requests, and complete the order for pick-up or delivery.
- Save favorite restaurants for one-touch ordering.
- Store frequently used cards and pay for your order without digging out your wallet.
ArcTouch iPhone App Developers
CityMint selected ArcTouch as the iPhone developer for the second version of their app, after realizing that the original iPhone programmer they hired was not able to create an application that was stable or scalable enough for their growing business needs. ArcTouch’s expert iPhone programmers redesigned and rewrote the application and the web services to support it. We used our proven agile development processes and other best-practices such as test-driven development, to ensure robust error free software that CityMint can grow with.
Featured ArcTouch iPhone Development Services:
- REST web services to access restaurant data and Yelp reviews
- GPS, MapKit & location services
- Ruby On Rails
- Core Data and SQLite
- In-app analytics to measure usage patterns
Have an app idea? ArcTouch offers complete custom mobile app development and programming services.
Contact us today to see how we can help you with your iPhone development needs.
December 12, 2009 Comments Off
iGevalt Chanukah Dreidel Game For iPhone and iPod
iGevalt is beautiful Chanukah dreidel game with realistic 3D graphics and sounds. You spin the dreidel with a swipe of your finger, or by using two fingers and “spinning” it. When it lands, a popup appears that shows you what you got and what to do with the “pot” when you’re playing the dreidel game. iGevalt is available now for the iPhone and iPod touch for $.99 from the app store.
iPhone App Created In Just 6 Days
It’s a miracle! ArcTouch created iGevalt in just 6 days! And on the 7th day… we submitted it to the Apple app store! Just in time for Chanukah.
Seriously, this app was created in exactly one week, but still has the polish and refinement you can expect from the iPhone apps that ArcTouch creates. We used a 3D modeling tool to create the stunning dreidel graphics, including the shadows and reflections, and recorded a series of audio clips from children playing an actual dreidel game for the realistic sounds during play.
The experts agree, iGevalt is the best dreidel app available for the iPhone and iPod. Here’s some proof:
It’s super fun! My dad doesn’t like me getting chocolate fingers all over the phone’s screen though. (Jason, 5)
Oy vey. This is about as authentic as you can get without the real thing… and I should know! Now can you use that GPS to help me find some good latkes? (Rabbi Abraham Westheim, 62)
Looking for an app of your own? Contact us for a free estimate. ArcTouch offers complete iPhone application development and programming services.
For those who were wondering, there’s a wide variety of ways to spell Chanukah and Dreidel. Here’s the most common variations: Chanukah, Hanukah, Chanukkah, Hanukkah, Dreidel, Dreydel, Draydel.
November 1, 2009 Comments Off
Captain ArcTouch Saves Phonopolis
Meet Captain ArcTouch, digital defender of justice, and his super apps! Captain ArcTouch is an iPhone comic book app developed by ArcTouch.
To Install The Captain ArcTouch Web App:
- From the Safari app on your iPhone or iPod touch, visit the Captain ArcTouch install page (http://arctouch.com/captain). If you go there from your Mac or PC this will not work – you must visit from your phone.
- Follow the instructions you see on-screen to add the app directly to your phone. Web Apps do not need to be downloaded to iTunes first.
Web Apps Delivers Full Functionality In A Browser
Captain ArcTouch is a Web App. Web apps are delivered over the Internet from a web site to an iPhone or iPod touch through Safari web browser. Unlike traditional mobile web sites, however, which are simplified web pages created for viewing over a the browser on the phone, Web Apps are very similar to the graphically rich and interactive “native apps” delivered through the iTunes App Store.
For example, Web Apps can contain complex animations and transitions through the capabilities of modern HTML5 and CSS. Web Apps can also take advantage of unique functionality of the hardware device, such as the GPS, acceleromoter and swipe and pinch/zoom gestures. Web Apps can store data locally on the phone, and can even be launched right from the phone’s home screen into full screen (without Safari’s navigation buttons) like our very own Captain ArcTouch web app. Best of all, Web Apps can be deployed quickly and easily right from your own web site and can be updated just as easily too.
Web Apps are also more portable to other platforms, since the Android, BlackBerry and the Pre all have some support for modern HTML5 and CSS.
Apps Make You Super. We Make Super Apps.
Contact us to learn more.
October 30, 2009 Comments Off
First App For Classic & Specialty Car Fans
CHROME from American National Property And Casualty Companies (ANPAC) is the first app designed exclusively for classic car & specialty car fans. CHROME is available now for the iPhone and iPod touch for $1.99 from the app store.
Fun And Useful Features For Car Enthusiasts
Instead of carrying a Blue Book, Black Book, or relying on limited online information, CHROME users can:
- Search a real-time price guide data for more than 40,000 models of vehicles from 1899 through the 1990s provided by Old Cars Price Guide.
- See a calendar of upcoming car show information searchable by name and location. Get directions or tell a friend about an event by email.
- Journal your road trips as you travel using GPS, notes and photos. Share your trips by email or post to Facebook.
- View and share photos by make and model for some of the best custom and original rides from shows across the country.
- Browse images of show-quality hot rods and classic cars featured in the 2009 and 2010 ANPAC Chrome calendars.
ArcTouch iPhone App Developer Snapshot
ANPAC chose ArcTouch to create a compelling application to reinforce their brand position as the trusted source of insurance and customer care for fans of classic cars & specialty cars.
Featured Technologies ArcTouch Implemented:
- REST web services to access price guide, car shows and car photos
- GPS, MapKit & location services
- Facebook integration to share trip photos
- Core Data and SQLite
- In-app analytics to measure usage patterns
ArcTouch offers complete iPhone application development and programming services.
October 30, 2009 Comments Off
Helps Patients Through Chemotherapy Treatments
The iChemoDiary from Merck is a personal medical diary to record your chemotherapy schedule, treatments, medication and symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. The iChemoDiary is available now for the iPhone and iPod touch from the app store.
iChemoDiary App Empowers Patients To Manage Their Medical Care
Patients use the iChemoDiary app to track their experience during chemotherapy and communicate with their care givers, empowering them to take an active role in their medical care. With both quick-entry and expandable options, no details are lost, and multiple reporting options make it easy to share the information with your doctor or nurse.
Create a profile for yourself or another person with current chemotherapies and medications.
- Touch a day of the week to record chemotherapy, medications, and symptoms. A dot on a calendar day indicates information has been recorded.
- Quickly and easily record severity of side-effects and other symptoms.
- See charts and reports of your chemotherapy experience on a daily or weekly basis.
- Email reports to family and caregivers directly from your iPhone or iPod touch.
ArcTouch iPhone App Developer Snapshot
ArcTouch was hired to create a best-in-class application that is easy to use for patients and adheres to the quality standards of the pharmaceutical and medical industry, and the FDA.
Thanks for being great partners and for all the help and suggestions you offered. And, of course, you guys did an amazing job building the app.
Featured Technologies ArcTouch Implemented:
- Custom Calendar Control
- Custom Graphing Library For Data Visualization
- Core Data and SQLite
ArcTouch offers complete iPhone application development and programming services.
July 21, 2009 Comments Off
A $2,000 Per Day Software Bug
TechCrunch reports a story of a top iPhone app developer that was losing $2,000 a day in ad revenue for their app because they made a simple software programming mistake that could have easily been caught by basic testing.
Test Driven Development
Our programmers use test driven development to ensure the highest quality code in our iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Pre apps. They create automated unit tests that define the expected results of the application functionality BEFORE writing any software code.
Test driven development follows a simple process:
- Write the tests. Tests are written before the functionality being tested. This helps ensure that the application is written for testability, since developers must consider how to test the application from the outset, rather than worrying about it later. It also ensures that tests for every feature will be written. Other developers using traditional development methods choose to code the features first, but then inevitably under time pressure to work on the next feature neglect testing entirely. Don’t let your apps fall into that trap – demand that any app developer you hire uses test driven development.
- Fail the tests. All tests fail first because no software code has been written by the programmer. This ensures that the test has been written correctly. Once this is shown, the underlying functionality can be implemented.
- Write some code and rerun the tests. The next step is to write some code that will cause the test to pass. Now the code can be cleaned up as necessary and re-run against the tests, a process known as refactoring.
Test-driven development constantly repeats the process of adding test cases that fail, passing them, and refactoring. Passing the tests confirms correct application functionality as developers evolve and refactor the code. Our programmers use automated test frameworks to re-run the complete set of tests whenever new code is introduced, ensuring that the previously completed code is still fully functional without bugs.
Test Driven Development Benefits
Studies have shown that test driven development has numerous benefits and leads to better software.
- Programmers are better able to focus and are more productive.
- By writing tests before coding, developers show they clearly understand the feature’s specifications and requirements.
- Errors introduced during the development cycle are discovered earlier and easier to rectify.
- Software is designed simpler and is more modularlized, flexible and extensible.
- No code is written beyond what is needed to pass a test.
- Finished software has better quality and is more stable.
ArcTouch Bug Free Guarantee
We’re so confident that our Quantum Development process and our test driven development results in superior quality apps that we offer a bug free guarantee. If you discover a problem anytime after we’ve delivered your app to you we’ll fix it for free. Guaranteed.
If you’re considering hiring an iPhone developer, an Android developer, a BlackBerry developer, or a Pre developer, make sure they use test driven development and offer you a bug free guarantee. If not, their mistakes may cost you far more than your original cost to develop the mobile app in the first place.
July 4, 2009 Comments Off
Beam It! Now Available In App Store
Today Beam It! was accepted into the app store and we couldn’t be happier. Now you can effortlessly beam your contact info to another iPhone or iPod Touch user. Those “oohs” and “ahhs” that you’re hearing today are not from the July 4th fireworks, but from Beam It! users marveling at the simplicity of the spontaneous peer-to-peer contact sharing over wireless Bluetooth.
Spread the news and tell everyone to get Beam It! today.
Beam It! Source Code Still Available For Game Kit Developers
ArcTouch is still offering the full Beam It! source code with free usage rights for iPhone developers to add Game Kit peer-to-peer capabilities from iPhone OS 3.0 to your own apps.
June 23, 2009 Comments Off
Essential Books For Software Developers
After you’ve gotten done reading all the material in the new Palm Pre SDK and the information in the iPhone 3.0 SDK, you may want to add some additional items to your summer reading list. The IDEs, simulators and development kits make it easy to rapidly develop apps for mobile phones, but it’s important not to jump right in without laying a solid foundation for stable, scaleable applications.
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