How to Become an iOS Beta Tester: Part 3 Can You Keep a Secret?

In this final post about ‘How to Become an iOS Beta Tester, we ask the question, “Can you keep a secret?” Why is that so important for a beta tester? The bigger question is, why is that important at all in this culture of openness? Some people applaud certain groups or individuals who expose governments, corporations and individuals to the world via the internet. Should governments keep secrets? If not, maybe they should publish all our social security numbers. Should corporations keep secrets? If not, maybe they should publish all our credit card numbers. Should doctors keep secrets?… You know where I’m going with this.

It would be ludicrous to think of a true open society as one that stands naked before the world knowing there are political and social rapists lurking about to take advantage of that exposure. We all have secrets; some we keep for safety sake, others we might keep out of embarrassment. That’s not to say that criminal activity should be kept secret. There are things that need to be exposed to protect the innocent and punish the criminals. We need to discern which is which. Read more »

How to Become an iOS Beta Tester: Part 2

iOS app developers face a perilous future when they rush their product to market without adequate beta testing. In Part 1 of How to Become an iOS Beta Tester, we discussed ‘Why and How’ to become a beta tester. Today we’ll look at the ‘Qualifications and the Work’ of a beta tester. Finally, we’ll talk about the need for secrecy. As I researched the various sides of beta testing, I thought about the United States space program which is now in jeopardy. We’ll see why this is relevant to iOS beta testing as we continue in Part 3.

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How to Become an iOS Beta Tester: Part I

iOS apps for the iPad, iPod and other iDevices is niOS iPhone Beta Testerot unlike any manufactured product. They need the services of the beta tester throughout the development cycle before they reach the public. One could not imagine an automaker selling a car without first thoroughly testing the brakes. It’s equally important for an iOS developer to test their app before submitting it to the Apple App store for sale or even free download. Even if it were not a health or safety issue, those one-star ratings can destroy a developer’s reputation.

The focus of this article is not the iOS developer in search of beta testers. Ray Wenderlich has a good post regarding that. We’re looking here at the beta tester in search of a developer. Read more »

iPad: A Publishing Platform for E-Books & Interactive Book Creators

The iPad is fast becoming a publishing platform. It will bring with it a type of gold rush for independent content creators of e-books and interactive books. That’s right, books will be created on the iPad. That will be especially true of fixed-layout coffee table-type books and picture-laden books. We’ll look deeper into that, but first, a look back at what brought us here.The letterpress. Precursor to e-books Read more »

Steve Jobs, Apple CEO Announces His Retirement, Tim Cook Takes Helm

Steve Jobs, the celebrated CEO of not just Apple, but of corporations worldwide, has retired. Tim Cook, chief operating officer will now helm the company.

The company Jobs founded, along with tech whiz Steve Wozniak, earned a reputation in the public eye as the premier technology innovator of the 21st. century. Most notable among those innovations are the iPhone and iPad. But long before he was a household name, he was a star among the creative community over three decades ago. Read more »

Build Your Own iPad Book App

What would it take to build your own iPad book app today?

Upon hearing the rumors and eventually reading some facts from reliable sources about the coming release of the original iPad 1 in 2011, I set out to design an app and have it ready for the launch of the tablet.

Designing the app was the easy part. Developing and programing it was quite another, which required skills I didn’t have nor a desire to learn. I completed the comps then submitted requests for proposals to developers, both stateside and abroad. Read more »

Welcome to The Booklands

In the Booklands

I love books: paper, electronic, interactive & otherwise… I love ’em all.

Since electronic and interactive books are the hot topic of the day (and rightfully so), I’ll be writing a lot about them, but not to the neglect of the wonderful works of words and art bound in leather and pulp.