In September 2011, I attended 360iDev for the first time. At the time, Fantastical for Mac was a very new app, and I was happy to see that one of its creators, Michael Simmons, would be giving a talk. After his talk, I told him how much I liked Fantastical and that I was hoping he’d make an iPhone version. He gave me a coy “We’re looking into it” response, and I went home thinking it was likely coming in the next six months or so. Fast forward…

Realmac Blog – App Pricing and the Freemium Trend: “So what does this mean for us and the future of apps? Given the right product, a freemium model is something that we may have to consider. To throw in some business speak, the right product matched to the right target market is critically important here, and when done properly going freemium could be a massively successful strategy. That said, how it affects the perceived value of our craft remains to be seen.” (Via. Realmac Blog) While I agree with Rob that…

The first big challenge in designing the iPad version of x2y was the placement of the controls. Looking at all that screen real estate, you are tempted to concentrate only on the visual aesthetic and forget that you want the design of the app to conform to the users’ hands as well his or her eyes. This is why it’s essential when designing an app to mock it up and get it onto the device as early in the process as possible. Tap around and see how comfortable (or…

I think John Siracusa is exactly right: just about all of Apple’s products are in transition right now, and thus none of them feels spot on. We can look at a product like the iPad mini and immediately fall in love with its smaller form factor and easier-to-hold light weight. But then we wince at the non-Retina display. We can easily picture a future where this awesome new iPad has that perfect screen, but we know we have to wait another year or more for that to happen. All…

Reading the Twitter and App.net reactions to the mostly positive reviews of the iPad mini today, I’m left with the impression that many people wanted $199 price point Retina display 10-hours of battery aluminum case, and all the fit and finish you expect from Apple And anyone who doesn’t criticize Apple for not having all of these is a shill. But design is about compromise, remember? There’s no physical way Apple could have kept its “legendary” battery life (Tim Cook’s word, not mine) with the…