Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Apple, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

Apple's push notifications sure are neat, but they aren't the brass ring for developers on the iPhone. That, so far, would be background processes. And while Apple has said that background processes would just be too much of a drain on the iPhone's battery, that doesn't mean they don't want them, too.

Ars Technica reports that Apple is still trying to figure out a way for certain apps to do it. There's two options laid out here: one is user-based, in which the user actually approves certain apps to run in the background, with the consequence (if you do choose to enable that) of lower battery lifetime. The second has Apple approving apps for background action, allowing certain developers to run based on limits of "resource usage such as RAM or network bandwidth."

Obviously, there are pros and cons to each plan -- giving the power to the user means they will be able to choose when the battery is drained (on a particularly busy day, for instance, or when the iPhone is plugged in), but it also means that users will have the ability to crash their own phones (allowing too many background processes could cause issues). And of course, while leaving the choice in Apple's hands will make sure background processing is only used in the "right circumstances," we all know how great Apple is at app approval.

Ars concludes on the same point that I would: if background processes are really going to make a difference, they'll likely rely on a future iteration of the iPhone, as the one we've got now is just not built to run apps all the time, no matter who chooses them. Even if Apple is working out a way to run certain apps in the background, they are almost certainly spending more time beefing up the iPhone hardware as well.

Rumor: Apple working towards putting background processes on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 18 May 2009 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rumor: Apple working towards putting background processes on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 18 May 2009 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: iPhone, SDK

If you're a developer running the iPhone 3.0 beta, you may have gotten a special note in your email today -- and judging by the number of you who let us know about the news, there's plenty of those emails going around. Apple is testing the long-awaited push notification feature of the 3.0 software (and the back-end servers that provide the updates) with a build of the Associated Press news update app. If you got an email with a promo code and you've been putting the app through its paces, do let us know how it's going.

Push notification is all well and good, but what about true background processing for those critical applications that need always-on connectivity? More on the prospects for that capability in our next post, coming up shortly.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

[H/T to Engadget]

Developers invited to test iPhone 3.0 push notifications with Associated Press app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 18 May 2009 21:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Developers invited to test iPhone 3.0 push notifications with Associated Press app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 18 May 2009 21:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In an e-mail sent to iPhone developers testing iPhone OS 3.0 betas, Apple announced the start of testing of high-volume Push Notifications using a pre-release version of the Associated Press iPhone application. The current test will run for seven da...

Filed under: iPhone, App Store, App Review

I wouldn't have thought it was possible to get an iPhone to capture barcodes clearly, but Occipital has done it with a new $1.99US iPhone app called RedLaser [App Store]. Why capture barcodes? One good use is to find better prices for a product. Scan a product in the store, then RedLaser captures the barcode and does a quick Google or Amazon search to give you quick price comparisons.

I tried the app at a bookstore and my local Best Buy and was surprised how well it worked. You need pretty good light to capture a barcode, which is an issue with the iPhone camera, not the RedLaser software. You need to hold the camera steady. The best way is by holding down the button to take the picture, then release when you are steady.

RedLaser gives you the option to try again, and guides you on how far the camera needs to be away from the barcode. Then RedLaser instantly goes out to the internet and gets you the price comparisons.

In practice I had some misses. The camera wasn't at quite the right distance, or I was a bit shaky holding it. In most instances, however, I was able to get the barcode and see the price comparisons I was looking for. It's also important that the camera not be tilted in relation to the barcode. Try to keep everything lined up. And the app will not work at all unless you have an internet connection. It would be nice if it could store the barcodes, then go out and identify them when you have a good signal.

You also get the ability to mail your product list to yourself or a friend to read it on a bigger screen when you get home.

The clever technology in the app is able to sharpen the image a great deal, making the iPhone camera a feasible platform for this app. When you take the picture the barcode will look pretty fuzzy, but after a couple of seconds of processing it looks quite good, which is the magic that RedLaser accomplishes.

I'd expect this will work fine for most people, but there are some negative comments at the iTunes store as well, largely, I suspect, from people who couldn't hold it steady, had bad light, or glare falling across the barcode. When I eliminated those issues, it seemed to work fine.

Note: This app only recognizes US and UK UPC and EAN barcodes. It works works best on standard-sized barcodes, but I had success with some smaller ones as well.

Here's are some screen shots of RedLaser in action:

RedLaser for iPhone scans for bargains originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 18 May 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

RedLaser for iPhone scans for bargains originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 18 May 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone, App Store

Imagine this scenario: you're watching the latest episode of "Mythbusters" on the Discovery Channel when an ad for Nationwide Insurance appears. Are they trying to sell you insurance? Of course, but they're also touting their new Nationwide Mobile (click opens iTunes) iPhone app, which Nationwide policyholders can use to report accidents, start claims, and find local agents or repair shops.

Later, you're watching NBA playoff action and you see an ad for E*TRADE that catches your attention. It's not that you want to lose more money in the stock market, but you're fascinated because the ad is talking about the E*TRADE Mobile Pro app for the iPhone. Banks have been doing iPhone apps for a while, with Chase and Bank of America taking the lead.

Are you beginning to see a trend here? Sure, maybe a handful of ads doesn't make a trend, but more and more companies are delivering apps that provide a mobile solution for their customers, and then advertising that iPhone-based solution to a wider audience on TV. Why? The iPhone, despite being on the market for two years, is still considered to be leading-edge technology, and it has an unparalleled "cool factor". Any company wanting to show that it's cool and on top of current mobile technology is going to jump on the iPhone connection.

I wouldn't expect to see any Microsoft apps for iPhone soon. What apps and related ads would you like to see?

Update: Thanks to the many readers who pointed out that there are two Microsoft apps available: Seadragon Mobile and Microsoft Tag Reader. Of course, I seriously doubt if they're going to tout either of these apps in a TV ad.

Additionally, we've seen a DirectTV ad that shows a customer interacting with the service via his iPhone. They're not promoting the mobile app or the iPhone, just using it in a matter-of-fact way. Interesting.

Trend: Company-specific apps and ads originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 18 May 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Trend: Company-specific apps and ads originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 18 May 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BusinessWeek reports that AT&T is considering introducing a discounted limited data plan for the iPhone at $20 per month. AT&T currently offers only an unlimited data plan for $30 per month, and the data transfer cap for the rumored discounted plan ...