Tag: Tap Tap Tap »

Camera+ has been the go-to camera replacement app since its release. This new version brings it up to date with iOS 7 and also includes features like manual exposure compensation, square cropping, and AirDrop support.

Camera+ has long been one of the best choices for a Camera app replacement. This version update brings some really interesting features like Front Flash, Live Exposure display, and a non-intrusive Horizontal Level. If you have been interested in what your iPhone camera can really do, give Camera+ a shot.

The folks at tap tap tap have done it again. Not only have they released an update to Camera+ that supports the iPhone 5, but TechCrunch reports that they have released a new Camera+ app for the iPad (on sale for $0.99). And if you have both, you can even use iCloud to sync your lightbox photos. Awesome!

A few months back, tap tap tap's wonderful Camera+ app was pulled from the App Store for sneaking in a feature that was disallowed from the app in a previous build. The feature, which was wonderful, gave users the option of turning the volume buttons on the iPhone into the camera shutter so you could completely free up the screen for the viewfinder. Apple, in their own technical lingo, replied with:

Your application cannot be added to the App Store because it uses iPhone volume buttons in a non-standard way, potentially resulting in user confusion. Changing the behavior of iPhone external hardware buttons is a violation of the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement. Applications must adhere to the iPhone Human Interface Guidelines as outlined in the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement section 3.3.7.

Unfortunately for us, the feature was then snuck back into the app in an Easter egg that was widely reported on various tech blogs which forced Apple to kill the app for good. Camera+ then slinked off into iOS app limbo and was forgotten by many. Sad times indeed.

Four months and a few staff member additions later though, Camera+ has been re-released with version 2.0 and has a whopping 50 new features (minus whole volume button camera shutter). Fans of Camera+ can expect more of the same great interface that made the original app so great, as well as many speed and interface improvements that may make cause some people to abandon the old Apple standby.

The app is currently 99 cents, but pick it up fast because tap tap tap may bump the price up when they decide that their relaunch celebration is over. If anything, get it now before it gets pulled again!

Also, be sure to check back after the break for the complete list of the apps improvements.

There is nothing overly wrong with the calculator that is included with the iPhone. It is a pretty app that has all the functionality that you would really need to perform most math equations, but in the world of tap tap tap, it isn't perfect. There is no history screen, no way to see what you've typed in a long equation, and scientific features that can only be accessed in landscape mode. Being the perfectionists that they are, tap tap tap knew that the world needed a better calculator.

"Calcbot is a simple, yet intelligent calculator for your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (Universal). Never lose your place in a calculation again with the live as-you-type expression view. Simply swipe the keypad to the left to reveal advanced functions. See your past calculations in the history tape. You can even send old values and expressions back to your calculator or to a friend via email. Calcbot is the smartest, simple calculator you will ever use."

Being only a novice calculator user (but a long time TI-83 gamer), I had no insane algorithms to throw at the app, but was immediately impressed by the slick UI. As you type, the parts of your equation show up live, right under the solution, preventing the inevitable forgotten variable. The simple swipe commands for bringing up the scientific calculator and the history were also welcome additions.

I have to admit, when I woke up this morning I thought I had a good calculator built into my iPhone. Now I have a better one. Thanks Tapbots and tap tap tap!

Be sure to check out the extra screen shots after the break.

tap tap tap (Convert, Voices) has done quite well in the App Store despite not being a game developer. Continuing this trend, the company has announced today in a lengthy blog post that their newest app, Camera+, has made $250k in its first month. Surprisingly enough, the app did so with no advertising (the company doesn't advertise for its apps anymore due to costs) and quickly declining sales in the US market.

So how did they do it? Here's the abridged version.

Since tap tap tap does no advertising anymore, John Casasanta, head of the company and writer of the blog post, says that the key is to start with a HUGE launch. Huge as in contest for $10,000+ worth of camera equipment... but the key is how to get the word out. Fortunately for tap tap tap, John Casasanta is also the head of MacHeist, so the company got a large head start, but now tap tap tap has its own opt-in list with 70,000 subscribers. Says Casasanta, "Granted, not every developer has access to such resources, but there’s no reason that anyone can’t build-up resources of this sort over time… it’s taken us years so patience and persistence is key."

I guess in any business, you're only as successful as the people you know, or in this case, the amount of people you know.

The rest of the success lies in the app itself. Since the US App Store is completely dominated by games, it's imperative to have a flawless, detail oriented app with some fun touches and well done social network integration. The post talks, in detail, about making things feel right, with not too many options, but enough to work correctly. Also, developers need to be completely open to feedback, and update when the app needs to be updated, but only when the updates are necessary.

As a non-game, it's very important to keep hope even after sales wane in the US. The app market overseas is very different from our game and entertainment app dominated store, with countries like Finland having 14 of the top 25 being non game and entertainment apps. Check out the sales chart on the right to see how foreign app store are supporting Camera+.

The post ends with a warning. "You can spend a year on an app and hardly make a dime on it. It’s not just the nature of the App Store… it’s the nature of practically any business." Only make an app if it's something that you love, and be sure to slave over every last detail.

So good luck to all the devs that are out to make your own $250k. If every app turns out to look as well made as any of the tap tap tap apps, the world would be a much better place.
[Source: taptaptap]

Tap Tap Tap, developer of a couple of the most popular and beautifully designed applications like Where To? (4.5 stars), Tipluator (3.5 stars) has imploded over differences in direction between it's founders. It's a theme we've seen before in iPhone developer Tapulous.

In this corporate divorce, most of the software has gone to Sophia Teutschler and will go under her Sophiestication Software name. This includes Tipulator, Groceries (unreleased), and Where Am I? (unreleased). The one odd ball, Where To? will be sold off by Tap Tap Tap and has already been removed from the App Store.

Tap Tap Tap has a few other projects in the works, though no details have been released.

For more info on this, see the latest Tap Tap Tap blog post here.