On Reddit today, I’ll be doing an AMA (Ask Me Anything). Essentially anyone that has any questions that they think I might be able to help with should head over to Reddit.com and post them. I’ll be answering as many questions as I can, as quickly as I can all day starting at 11am EST. If you have any questions about anything at all (how TheUnlockr works, wireless questions, hacking, modding, Android, iPhone, MeeGo, etc.), feel free to ask away.

Head over to the Reddit AMA

How far you get depends not only on your skills, but also on the approach you take. Typically, people who get into the app development business take one of two approaches. Either they’re going for gold and hope to create the next Angry Birds, or they want to learn what it takes to build an everyday app that generates consistent income.

Unless you’re a creative programming genius, chances are that you’ll be best served by adopting the second approach. This means thinking of your app development income not in terms of dollars, but in nickels and dimes.

For example, I took a 19th-century puzzle and, with a few tricks, turned it into an app that pays my rent. In this second article of the “So you want to be an app developer” series, I will describe the techniques I used and that you can use to increase your returns on just about any app you create.

Support multiple languages

One of the easiest things you can do is to add multiple languages to your app, which all major development platforms support in a simple configurable way. Even though most of your sales will probably come from the US, accommodating other languages can increase your international revenue by 10 to 20 percent. Plus, you never know what opportunities may arise from your app’s international distinction in the app store. One of my first successes came from a French website that promoted my app for a day.

Support old OS versions

Your tech friends probably update their devices the day a new OS is available – and some of them even before! But most people actually don’t, so take the time to support older OS versions. Though they’re different, Android and iOS both have mechanisms that allow you to mix newer and older API’s depending on the version of the OS, so make sure to check the documentation for OS version support for every new API you learn. In the end, it may be that only 6% of people have Android 2.1, but that percentage could wind up paying your phone bill.

Maintain activity

You’re probably learning as you go – whether it’s coding or getting to know what your customers want – so you should be updating your apps often. When an app gets updated, you bring it back into people’s minds. If they haven’t launched your app in a month, you’ve now reminded them about it, and they will likely try it once more. This may, in turn, cause your app to be seen by or even recommended to another person (especially if you please your users with a useful update).

Leveraging your other apps

To really make money, you will need to have multiple apps. Each app can appeal to a different audience and may be discovered through completely different keywords. Furthermore, when one of your apps promotes another, you’ve increased the discoverability of all of your apps.

Affiliate links

Speaking of other apps – when referring people to them, use affiliate links whenever possible. When your website or app sends people to the store to check out another app, you can increase your income (by 5% with the iTunes affiliate program). Frankly, there’s no reason not to use an affiliate referral when creating a download link from your website, because you’ll get money even if the consumer ends up buying something else.

Playing with pricing

There are websites with bots that constantly track changes in app prices (mostly apps that are on sale). It may be worth it to change your app’s price from time to time just to get more exposure. Also, don’t feel that you need to go to the bottom of the barrel with your app’s price. It may be that you sell just as many apps at $1.99 as you would at $0.99.

Spreading across platforms

Once you have a handle on one platform, you should be ready to take on another. Often, most of the work in an app involves the graphics, sounds, and the workflow from one screen to another. The coding can often be quite simple. By mastering just two platforms (Android & iOS), you already have 4 app stores you can sell on: Apple’s iTunes App Store, Google Play, Barnes & Noble’s Nook store, and the Amazon App Store for Android.

Don’t do it alone

The best strategy is to not tackle the app world alone. Sure, we can all wear multiple hats and create the graphics and sounds for an app, but our time is well spent when we farm that work off to creative people who can do it better and faster. Whether you arrange to pay these people once or share royalties is up to you. In my experience, though, from a money management perspective it is easier to pay once than to calculate payments each month.

In the end, when you see money from multiple sources rolling into your bank account every month, you’ll be feeling good about the work you’re doing – and you’ll want to do more. And with these skills in your repertoire, you’ll be better prepared to reap the rewards if your app does become the next Angry Birds.

“It’s called Puppy Tiles,” he says.

“That’s sooo cute!” she says. “You have my number, right?”

Aaaargggh! You’re a programmer too, for a swanky insurance company, and no matter how many times you’ve explained force-placed mortgage insurance, no girl has ever asked for your number! And so this is it – you’ve decided to quit your job and jump into the exciting world of app development.

But wait…like most things in life that are worthwhile, a life of app development has challenges. The first and most important is figuring out how to make money doing it.

When people ask me what it takes to be successful writing apps, my answer usually surprises them. Here, I present the first in a series of articles, to focus on the basics and provide a realistic perspective of the app development world.

How much can you make?

On January 25 of this year, Apple announced that it had paid developers over 4 billion dollars since their app store opened. If you take the number of paid apps available that month (54.5% of approx. 556K apps), you’ll see that the average iOS app has earned its developer around $13,200. Not per year, mind you, but over its lifetime, which for some apps could have been 3.5 years. And when you factor in paid apps that are no longer available for sale on the app store (approx. 54.5% of approx. 757K apps ever created), the number could actually be as low as $9,695. Add to this that the lion’s share of that money went to the likes of Angry Birds and Infinity Blade, and you’ll find that you could be fighting for every dollar you earn.

Indeed, my own first app – when it launched in November of 2009 – sold 14 copies in its first month (and 6 in the second). Since then, it has beaten the average above, but it took a lot of non-programming work to get there.

Market or Die

The biggest problem facing new developers on mobile app stores is discovery. With so many apps coming out each day, you’re competing just to be seen, let alone convincing people to download your app. So, in addition to programming, you’re going to have to become a marketing expert.

Creating a website, Facebook page, and a Twitter account for your app gives it more places to be discovered beyond the app store fronts. Be sure to keep those sites updated regularly with new material, and use your friends to help spread the word by having them “like” your app’s Facebook page and follow your app on Twitter.

Once you’ve gotten people to discover your app, you need to convince them to download it. Start by figuring out your ad copy and screenshots. Develop an “elevator pitch” and be able to explain your app in 15 seconds. Your app should not be so complex that a concise description is difficult. I have found that a good place to test marketing is in bars. When you get an “oooh!” after demonstrating a feature that you thought was insignificant, that’s something to use in your ad copy.

If you’re really into numbers, you’ll probably want to create a spreadsheet to record and graph out your app stats. When you tweak your ad copy or try new screenshots, do you see an impact in sales?

Solicit feedback from your customers by making feedback easy, like with an in-app link to your e-mail address, or, an in-app link to your app’s review page. Feedback is important because it can help you clarify features in your ad copy and screenshots, and give you ideas for future app updates.

Your first dollar

Unless you have a good marketing blitz that generates a lot of buzz across the Internet, expect that you won’t get a lot of paid downloads early on. Thus, it is useful to have a separate free version. People are more inclined to try it out, which will increase your app’s rankings along the way.

Use ads in your free version (e.g. AdMob or iAd). Even if you sell only 2 paid apps a month, ad revenue from a few hundred free downloads is enough to see whether you’re making progress. Also, reports from AdMob and iAd provide a good mechanism to see where and how your app is succeeding, as ad revenue indirectly gives you an indication of whether people are actually using your app, not just downloading it.

What it will cost you

Time. Time to expand your knowledge of the app world, time to develop your marketing, and, time for programming! So if you’re keeping your day job, be prepared to have to balance your new hobby with your social life.

Income taxes. Some app stores send out 1099 forms; others don’t. Most don’t even withhold taxes. Be sure to keep track of all your earnings and expenses – I use a spreadsheet – because you’ll need to figure out how much you owe the government each year.

Devices, devices, devices. Any good developer needs a handful of test devices (with different form factors and OS versions). These can even be used as business expenses, which is good since my own collection has cost more than $2500. But resist the temptation to upgrade all of your devices to the latest OS; you’ll be surprised at how a bug only surfaces on a specific device or OS version.

Internet presence. You’ll need a domain and hosting service. You should not use your personal pages or e-mail address; find an alternative that allows forwarding.

Why it’s worth it

If all this sounds like more trouble than it’s worth, there are other benefits to app development that may not be immediately apparent. Having an app out in the wild – and on my resume – has done more for getting interview requests than anything else in my 14 years of programming experience. I have also found that app development is a skill that generates lots of interest from people who just want to network (and from people who don’t just want to network…) Lastly, trust me on this – few pleasures in life equal the high of meeting a complete stranger on the subway who happens to have your app.

Stay tuned for the next post in the “So You Want to Be an App Developer” series: Surviving – and Thriving!

Verizon has some really great 4G LTE smartphones.  Here we are taking a look at the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Motorola Droid Razr, and the Motorola Droid 4 in order to help you decide which one is right for you.  Each phone has great features but each one excels in different areas.  We’re listing these in the order they were released.  Here is a quick list of each phone’s top selling points.

Motorola Droid Razr:

• Very fast phone!
• Incredibly thin and lightweight
• Unique design and use of unconventional materials giving a “high end” feel.  Kevlar, Gorilla Glass and water resistant coating over the internal circuitry…yeah, that’s nice to have!
• Beautiful Display – not quite HD resolution, but SAMOLED display with qHD resolution looks great!

Samsung Galaxy Nexus:

• Very Fast Phone!
• It’s a Nexus device!  That means very timely software updates from Google and it runs a vanilla version of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (the only phone in this group to currently run the latest OS).
• While the design is nothing new or unique, it has a solid (albeit plastic) design and a curved glass screen).
• Gorgeous SAMOLED HD display with 720p resolution with a screen size of 4.65″.

Motorola Droid 4:

• Very Fast Phone!
• Phenomenal hardware keyboard on this phone!  Really, it is impressive and is the biggest feature this phone has.  If you want a QWERTY slide out keyboard, this device will not disappoint!
• This phone is thicker and bulkier than every high end device without a hardware keyboard.  But at 0.5″ thick, it is not too thick and has a great design that makes the phone feel thinner than it is.
• 4.0″ TFT display with qHD resolution.  Nothing to write home about but it is an adequate display.  Did I mention there is a phenomenal keyboard under the screen?

So what do you do…which phone do you buy?  Well, different people look for different things in a phone.  If you want a hardware keyboard, then the Droid 4 is an obvious choice.  The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has an unlockable bootloader meaning that those people who like to hack and install custom ROMs will love the Nexus as the sky is the limit in terms of development from the Android community.  The Droid Razr is so thin you’ll want to tell it to eat something!  And if you like the Droid Razr but wish it was a little bit thicker but had a 3300 mAh battery, the Droid Razr Maxx is the phone for you.

Happy shopping!  These phones are all fantastic and it is hard to go wrong with any one of them.

Sure, the Motorola Droid 3 launched in July 2011 and now the Droid 4 has been launched.  If you are looking to buy a Motorola phone with a hardware QWERTY keyboard, the Droid 4 seems like the obvious choice.  There is a bit of a trade off between the Droid 4 and the Droid 3 so we thought we would do a comparison of key features.

Major Similarities:

• Dual Core Processors (although the Droid 4 is clocked at 1.2GHz  vs. the 1.0GHz processor on the Droid 3)
• Excellent landscape slide out hardware keyboards
• Both phones currently ship with Gingerbread (Android version 2.3)
• Motorola’s same custom interface/overlay on both (i.e. Motoblur)
• Battery Life is approximately the same (despite the batteries being different sizes…more on this below)
• Both have an 8MP camera capable of 1080p video recording
• Micro USB, Mini HDMI ports on both
• MIcro SD memory expansion for both phones

Major Differences:

• 4G LTE Support on the Droid 4 while the Droid 3 only has 3G
• Droid 4 does not have the world roaming capabilities that the Droid 3 has
• Droid 4 has has been re-designed (stylized like the Droid Razr and lacking the Droid 3′s mismatched screen and keyboard lengths)
• 1 GB of RAM in the Droid 4 while the Droid 3 has a fairly crippling 512MB
• New edge lit keys on the Droid 4′s hardware keyboard
• Droid 4 is on Verizon’s list of phones getting the ICS upgrade (Android version 4.0) where the Droid 3 appears to be stuck with Gingerbread (Android version 2.3)

Summary:

The Droid 4 is a superior device in terms of performance, design, and speed with the 4G LTE support.  The Droid 3 has world roaming capabilities.  This is the biggest difference between these two phones.  The Droid 4 has a larger battery (1785 mAh) than the Droid 3 (1540 mAh) but 4G LTE uses battery faster than 3G service does so battery life is approximately the same and should get most users through the day on a single charge.

The biggest reason to buy the Droid 3 over the Droid 4 is if you are going to be traveling internationally with any kind of regularity.  The Droid 4 is currently priced at $199.99 on a 2 year contract while the Droid 3 is $149.99.  Maybe the $50 savings counts for something but if the lower price is the biggest consideration for you…we suggest you spend the extra cash on the Droid 4 cause you are getting a much better and future proofed phone.

Note:  An older rumor that the GSM Radio in the Droid 4 will be “enabled” later this year is interesting.  If Verizon actually enables the global roaming capabilities of the Droid 4, the decision is much easier for international travelers.  We cannot confirm this rumor but you can read about it here:  http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/12/verizon-to-enable-global-roaming-for-lg-spectrum-and-droid-4/

What is Ice Cream Sandwich, you ask? It’s the latest version of Google’s Android operating system and, oh boy, is it pretty. Tons of things have been changed, polished, and added. So many in fact that it can be a bit troublesome to know everything your new version of Android can do. That’s where we come in. Here’s our complete walkthrough of Ice Cream Sandwich to show you all the things that have changed from previous versions of Android. Hang tight, it’s a long one.

Highlights

Lockscreen

• New additions to the ways to lock the screen; none, slide, face unlock, pattern, pic, and password.
• Now have a choice between none and slide to unlock where you didn’t before.
• Slide to unlock allows one direction to unlock and one direction to open the camera.
• You can get to notifications from the lockscreen (just cant click on them without unlocking the device)
• Can use Face Unlock (which works most of the time)

Launcher

• New launcher with widgets and apps in the same place
• Fun new swiping and floating in animations
• Tap and hold to not only add the app to the homescreen but you can also uninstall apps this way now as well

Notifications

• Shortcut to Settings in the notification bar allows you to get to settings much quicker from any open app.
• Swipe to dismiss notifications

Homescreen

• There are 5 homescreens now
• Universal search bar is now always present at the top of every homescreen
• Apps can be organized into folders by holding down on them and dragging them on top of one another
• You can name these app folders as well
• Widgets can be resized
• Trash is now at the top of the screen when holding down on an app instead of the bottom
• There is a larger shortcut bar that floats along the bottom
• You can drag and drop apps into the floating shortcut bar along the bottom

Multitasking

• Button always present on bottom right
• Thumbnail view showing the running apps current screen
• 18 apps can be open at one time
• Swipe to close an app

Stock Apps

• Phone – Incoming calls can be ignored and sent a text response immediately
• Messaging – Mostly cosmetic changes
• Gmail – Mostly cosmetic changes
• Email – Mostly cosmetic changes
• Calendar – Sync all your calendars in one place (including social, personal, work, etc.)
• Maps – Mostly cosmetic changes
• People – Syncs with all your social accounts to bring profile pictures, status updates, etc all into one place.

Text Input

• New keyboard spelling options; tap a word to get spelling suggestions
• Streaming Voice to Text added

Settings

• Data counter has been added with the ability to set limit notifications

Camera

• Faster to load
• Almost instant shutter for faster picture taking
• Panoramic moda allows you to sweep across and take one long photo
• Built in face detection
• Added camera effects / video camera effects

NFC

• Google Wallet (coming soon)
• Android Beam allows you to tap your device on another Android Beam device to share apps, pictures, videos, files, etc. without having to pair via Bluetooth

Browsing

• Sync Bookmarks with Google Chrome Desktop Browser
• Request Desktop Version of site
• Swipe to dismiss tabs

Miscellaneous

• Screen capture

In case you are just looking for information on a certain type of ROM, jump ahead in the video to:

• 0:53 for Hacked ROM overview
• 6:28 for ASOP ROM overview
• 13:06 for MIUI ROM overview

So you have a rooted device and you see a ton of different ROMs you can choose from…but you do not know what the differences are?  This is a common problem and many people feel overwhelmed when making their first few ROM selections.  We are going to discuss the most commonly found types of ROMs so you will know what to expect from each one.

Obviously we could not touch on every aspect of each but we have covered the highlights of all three major ROM types.

Hacked (or Modded) ROM:

• Modified manufacturer’s ROM
• Usually maintains same look and feel as stock device (to a point)
• Overclocking is available and performance is generally better than stock
• Limited customization and theme options in comparison with other ROMs
• The basic Hacked ROM is typically debloated (free of excess software added by the carrier or manufacturer as found when purchased)
• Click here for link to ROM used in video

AOSP ROMs (CyanogenMod):

• Built from Google’s source code
• Manufacturer’s overlay is not present (bloatware is gone of course)
• Exceptional customization and theme options built in to the ROM
• Resembles a “Nexus” device – Almost a pure Google experience
• If the build is stable, performance should be superior to stock device (even without overclocking…but of course overclocking is typically available)
• Click here for link to ROM used in video

MIUI (Chinese ROM):

• Unique ROM design which is an AOSP ROM with a custom overlay
• No app drawer in stock launcher – feels more like Apple’s iOS
• Exceptional customization and theme options (perhaps the most)
• Biggest negative – occasionally you will see Chinese text in places
• Again, If the build is stable, performance should be superior to stock device (even without overclocking…but of course overclocking is typically available)
• Click here for link to ROM used in video

The 3.1 Honeycomb update for Sony Google TV units has been out for well over a week now.  Google TV has not had the best press in recent weeks as Logitech has called their venture into Google TV with the Revue a “gigantic mistake” [source].  Logitech is not planning on releasing a successor to their Revue so you may be thinking that the Google TV platform is going away right?  We are not here to tell you that you are right or wrong, but we will show you the pros and cons of the Google TV platform after the 3.1 update. Here is a brief rundown of the pros and cons that the 3.1 update brings to Google TV:

Pros:

• Enhanced interface that is less cumbersome and easier to navigate
• Applications are available for download with the addition of the Android Market
• You can now side load apps [click here to see how]
• Search functionality is more relevant and easier to find what you are looking for

Cons:

Final thought:  If Google can reach an agreement with the major networks that results with the end of blocking the Google TV browser from accessing that content…all other internet based TVs and devices will be completely out classed.  The 3.1 update is a good step in the right direction for Google TV while the rest is up to negotiations.

So I have to say I am slightly impressed with the HTC Flyer / Evo View 4G. Too be honest, what I like about it is really the fact that, thanks to it’s pen, it’s one of the few tablets out there that actually solves something. Most tablets are fun to play with but truthfully there aren’t really too many situations where they solve a need. Tablets kind of just sit somewhere between a phone and a real laptop. I have a larger screen so I can do things a bit more comfortably than on my phone, but it’s not quite as functional as a full blown laptop. Therefore, for most people, there’s no real need to have a tablet. It’s more of a luxury item, that sits nicely on the coffee table that they use when they don’t feel like picking up their actual laptop to check email or browse the web.

Here’s where the Flyer / Evo View tickles my fancy. It may not be bridging that gap between tablet and laptop, but instead it replaces another, perhaps less remembered, piece of equipment; the spiral notebook. It’s hard for a normal tablet to do this because it doesn’t have a pen that works for it (we won’t get into capacitive vs resistive screens here) and it doesn’t have software to make using that pen feel more natural, like a real pen would function. The HTC Flyer / Evo View does this pretty well, so that made me wonder; how would people who use a spiral notebook a lot in their daily jobs react to it? Would it make their lives easier or would they panic and throw it at me? Let’s find out.

Check out our HTC Flyer / Evo View 4G Review

Check out our HTC Flyer / Evo View 4G Basic How Tos

Any other uses you guys can think of?

Special thanks to the people who took the time out to share their thoughts on the tablet! Please check out their sites for more information on them, their services, and/or products!-

• Matthew Carona, VP of Product and Business Development at Qello – http://Qello.com
• Michele Ragussis, Head Chef of Dutch Boy Burger – http://DutchBoyBurger.com
• Christopher Hench, Fashion and Portrait Photographer – http://ChristopherHench.com
• Talya Neginsky, PACE University Student

Seeing as we’re all for getting your hands on the newest device, we were equally relieved to discover 5 eco-friendly ways to recycle your old devices. Besides, recycling your old phone makes it that much easier to justify buying a new one.

1. Donate to charity: You can donate your old devices to a charity like Cell Phones for Soldiers, which donates an hour of talk time to Soldiers in Iraq for every phone donated. If you’re looking for a charity close to home, most major retail parking lots now have donation drop boxes for the Salvation Army or Goodwill.

2. Take a trip to the zoo: Eco-Cell helps organizations find useful ways to fundraise by recycling mobile phones. They began focusing on zoos a few years ago to help rebuild Gorilla habitats. Eco-Cell has since raised over $90,000 for rehabitation efforts. Don’t have time for the zoo? Visit their site and they will send you a pre-paid shipping label for your electronics.

3. Home pickup service: This may be helpful if you have a couple of bulkier electronic items stored in your home or office. For example, in New York services like  4th Bin will work with residences and businesses for a small fee. The Vietnam Veterans for America also has a free pick up service for most areas.

2. Contact a local school library: Public schools often have a used cell phone drop off box ready for charity pick up. If you are looking to recycle an old computer or digital camera, most public libraries will welcome the donation, and you can benefit from the tax deductible.

1. Put your wireless retailer to work: Most wireless retailers now have pre-paid enevolpes in-store for you to mail in your old cell phone, all you have to do is ask. AT&T has a great Reuse & Recycle program open to all consumers.

After you’ve accomplished your eco-friendly act and feeling good, head over to our how to fuel your cell phone addiction for helpful tips on obtaining your next device without breaking the bank.