nickpettit.com

Leaving a message after the beep is a nice gesture when you're trying to reach loved ones and close friends. That's about it though. Even though the iPhone is making voicemail a more email-like experience, there are a few intrinsic problems with voicemail that are tough to get away from. Watch the vid and you'll see what I mean...

Question:
What do you think of voicemail?

Hey everyone,

As I write this, I'm downloading the iPhone software 2.0.1 update. The only changes in this release are "bug fixes." Hopefully, Apple did some much needed tweaking on the software, because it's really pretty buggy as of right now. Hopefully things get better (and not worse).

Many people have been having problems with the 2.0.0 update, and my iPhone has been no different. The 3rd party apps crash constantly, the Apple apps crash constantly, and even the whole phone crashes. A lot of the apps, like SMS, have been really sluggish too.

Question for iPhone owners:
Have you been having problems with your iPhone lately?

Hey everyone,

A developer named Seth commented on my blog a little while back, asking how long it takes to get into the iPhone Web App directory. The truth is, it actually doesn't take long at all. I always submit my iPhone Web Apps after midnight, and they appear in the directory the following day around midnight (so, it takes about 24 hours).

Seth made an app called Chicago Networking Monkey, located at http://iphone.networkingmonkey.com/. It's an app that helps you find upcoming networking events in the Chicago area. At first, Seth was having a hard time getting the app into the iPhone Web App directory, so he contacted me about it. We worked on some things, and I'm happy to say that it's not only in the directory, it's a staff pick!

I've never had a problem getting apps into the web app directory, but until Seth, I wasn't aware that others weren't fortunate enough to have the same kind of luck. I want everyone to be able to get their stuff out there, so here are some pointers that work for me:

• Make sure your link is pointing to the right place - I know it seems silly, but it's an easy thing to miss during the excitement of submission. When I'm submitting an app, I'm super paranoid about this and check the link 4 or 5 times by copying it from the submission form, and pasting it into different browser address bars.
• Make a screenshot and icon - Never submit an app without a screenshot and icon. I know some web apps make it into the directory without an icon, but they end up with a blank square that looks silly. The point I'm trying to make is, think about all the apps that get submitted without icons that you don't see.
• Optimize for the iPhone - For all of my web apps, over 90% of the traffic comes from iPhones, and this should come as no surprise. It doesn't matter what the web app looks like on the desktop. The only browser that's really going to make an impact is mobile Safari on the iPhone. Make sure your experience is optimized for that above all else.
• Keep it simple - Make your app do one or two things very well, and make sure that it's very clear what the functionality and purpose of the app is. Don't overload the app with explanatory text unless it's critical. Screen space on web apps is at a high premium, so don't waste it!
• Make it load fast - Your web app should load as fast as possible, but make sure you test it over the cellular data network (not 3G, since that's still pretty new). The longer it takes to load, the more people are going to hit the back button and never see your app.

Those are just a few key pointers, but if you have any questions at all, feel free to leave a comment. Like I said, I want everyone to be able to have their work seen!

Hey everyone,

Really exciting news today. One of my iPhone web apps, Countdown to Change, is on Reuters.com! Here's the link to the article:
http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/2008/07/18/obama-election-countdown-clock-emerges-for-new-iphone/

Hey everybody,

I haven't been posting quite as frequently as I had been because I'm moving, but that will all soon change after I'm in my new place. I'm really excited about moving... actually, I'm amped!

There's just a couple of things I wanted to share:

1. I have a bunch more iPhone Web Apps in store that will be coming out in the next few weeks. The new App Store on iTunes is awesome, but I'm going to stick with making the web apps, because the development time is much shorter, and I'm able to make smaller things that might not merit a full native application.
2. My friends over at After Life Comics have been making some great strips lately. If you haven't been checking them out, make sure you do!
3. There are a lot of projects I'm working on, but the one I'm most excited about is a video blog I'm starting. It's probably a little early to be talking about this, as it's several months down the road, but I just wanted to throw this out there. I believe personal branding is becoming very important in the brave new world of social media, and video is a fantastic way to emphasize your unique flair.

Question for YOU:
What do you think makes a good video blog? Is it personality? Is it the subject matter? Or is it something else?

Hey everyone,

Three more of my iPhone application made it on to Apple.com! :)

Check out "101 Spore Ideas" here:
http://www.apple.com/webapps/entertainment/101sporeideas.html

Check out "Countdown to The Dark Knight" here:
http://www.apple.com/webapps/entertainment/countdowntothedarkknight.html

Check out "101 Love Lines" here:
http://www.apple.com/webapps/entertainment/101lovelines.html

I'd love to hear thoughts on these. :)

Hey everyone,

I just finished up a new iPhone web app called 101 Love Lines. You can check it out here:
http://www.zoxide.com/101lovelines/

The idea for this app came from my dad. He provided all of the content, and I put together the interface. It has been submitted to Apple's iPhone Web App directory, so hopefully it makes it in!

Check out Unfortune in the iPhone Web App directory.

Here's the description from Apple.com's site:
"A revolution in fortune telling technology unlike any other. Using advanced randomization algorithms, you get a foggy window into the past, present, and future.

Do you know what’s in store for you? Find out, with Unfortune!"

Hey everyone,

Because the iPhone version of Arnold Quotes was such a hit, I decided to make another iPhone web app.

Using the worlds most advanced fortune telling randomization algorithms, Unfortune gives you deep insights into the past, present, and future. Check it out here:
http://zoxide.com/unfortune/

It was a lot of fun to make, and I want to make more iPhone Web Apps, so stay tuned!

This should be short. I just wanted to announce here that the iPhone version of Arnold Quotes made it into the iPhone Web App directory on Apple.com! Check it out:
http://www.apple.com/webapps/entertainment/arnoldquotes.html

I'll talk more about its development at a later date. It's really easy to make iPhone apps, but worth talking about, because before I started I thought it would be somewhat difficult.

So... yeah. Woot!