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You've been using an awful lot of shopping apps lately
Year-end mobile use statistics are usually pretty predictable, at least in terms of overall growth -- Spoiler Alert: It goes up every year -- but 2014 was actually somewhat surprising, if Yahoo's Flurry analytics is to be believed. According to the company's data, the biggest app growth category was Lifestyle & Shopping, which grew an astounding 174%, year-over-year. Other notable big movers include Utilities & Productivity which grew 121%, Messaging at 103%, and Health & Fitness with 89% growth. Games -- which have long been a main source of revenue in the App Store -- grew the least of all, with just a 30% bump over the previous year. Of course, as app gaming is already a massive market on its own it could be argued that there's not that much more room left to expand each year, while shopping apps clearly had plenty of room to grow.
Twitter's data deal with IBM helps companies know what you like
Many of the companies you deal with like to keep tabs on what Twitter users say, but they rarely have a true sense of what the world is thinking -- are people spreading positive buzz, or is there trouble brewing? IBM doesn't want to leave that question open, so it just unveiled a deal with Twitter that will put all those tweets to work in the corporate world. Companies will get to use the Watson cognitive supercomputer and cloud services to sift through public Twitter updates and (hopefully) make smarter decisions based on the internet's zeitgeist. They'll know why their new widget is suddenly popular in New York, for example, or whether there's a lot of gripes about customer service. Don't be surprised if your favorite store or device maker soon becomes much more responsive to your desires... even if you've never voiced those concerns to the company itself.
iPhone 6 launch makes app marketing more expensive than ever
The launch of a new iPhone and release of a fresh new version of iOS always boost App Store activity, and this year's iPhone 6 launch has not only pushed more users to the App Store, but also pushed the cost of acquiring a loyal customer on iOS to the highest point it's ever been. According to new data from app marketing firm Fiksu, the cost of a single loyal user rose to US$2.25 in September. Fiksu also tracks both the marketing cost per new app install and the cost per app launch (each time a user repeatedly opens the application), which stand at $1.23 and $0.29 respectively. By comparison, the cost of an app launch on Android is just $0.08. These numbers mean two things: First, the App Store remains the Fifth Avenue of mobile marketplaces, and second, it's a place where it's increasingly difficult for smaller indie developers to score a hit without spending a huge amount of money in order to build their initial user base. [via TechCrunch]
iPhone 6 beating out its bigger brother by a 6-to-1 margin
For the first time in the history of the iPhone, Apple launched two new sizes of its iconic handset this year, so which way the sales would swing was anyone's guess. The smaller -- and cheaper -- iPhone 6 was obviously going to beat out its bigger brother, the 6 Plus, but by how much? App analytics firm Localytics has some early usage data that shows sales of the iPhone 6 beating out the 6 Plus by a huge 6-to-1 margin. The data was pulled from a pool of 1.5 billion devices, so it's likely a good sample from which to draw conclusions. Of course, with early sales of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus experiencing huge bottlenecks, some hoping for an iPhone 6 Plus may have settled for the smaller model, and vice versa, so it could change a bit as supply meets demand. [via VentureBeat]
Study claims 47% of app downloads come from search results, but I'm not so sure
How do you normally find new app to download? According to data from analytics firm TUNE, you're more likely to find new apps to download in the App Store search results than anywhere else, and the competition isn't even close. The percentage of people who claimed their most recently downloaded app was discovered in search results stands at 47%, while the next most popular response -- "My friends/family told me about it" -- accounts for just 15%. Other responses that were less common included reading about the app online, and finding it in one of Apple's featured sections. The numbers are pretty bold, and fall roughly in line with those of studies by other analytics companies, but what exactly does it mean? The suggestion here is that search optimization is a key factor in the success or failure of an app, as half of an apps sales are likely to come from user search results. However, the idea that half of app downloads come from users who didn't even know the app existed to begin with may be a bit far-fetched, so there's obviously factors not being taken into account here. Yes, the customer might have found the app's page using the search function, but how did they know to search for it to begin with? Things like weather apps and other essentials can be search for with generic terms, but the App Store is filled with specialized apps with extremely unique names, and countless numbers of those are getting plenty of attention as well. Perhaps these surveys need a bit more specificity, or maybe respondents are simply confused by the question itself. If you heard about an app from a website or a friend, but then use the search function on the App Store in order to actually locate it, which answer fits the best? [via TechCrunch]
Twitter wants everyone to know how many people read their tweets
Publishers and verified users have been able to track view counts on organic tweets since last month, but Twitter is looking to make that data more widely accessible. Today, the microblogging social network revealed that this analytics feature is no longer limited to people or companies with a tiny blue check mark on their profile. The tweet activity dashboard is now also available to users who are active primarily in English, Japanese and Spanish, and have had an account for longer than two weeks. And don't worry, support for additional languages is coming -- Twitter let it be known that it is working to bring its tool to everyone sometime "soon." So, there it is, now you won't have to wonder if anyone's actually reading those thoughtful (and wonderful) tweets of yours.
A company will scan your Tumblr pictures to work out what brands you love
When Yahoo bought Tumblr for more than a billion dollars, a lot of us wondered how it would ever turn a profit. After all, people sharing cat GIFs and monochrome erotica didn't seem like a very effective business model. According to Mashable, however, the social network is going to earn its keep by helping big brands like Coca Cola and Nike understand how they're perceived. That's because Tumblr is hooking up with analytics firm Ditto, which will scour your pictures looking for sneakers and soft drinks in the frame. It'll then pass this data on to the companies involved for a fee, helping them to ensure the teenagers are all praising the right sort of soda at the next box social, or something. Update: Tumblr's reached out to confirm the deal, a "firehose partnership" with the agency, will go ahead this week.
Apple quietly buys BookLamp
Apple has confirmed a story that first appeared in TechCrunch this evening, saying Apple "buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans." BookLamp, sometimes referred to as 'Pandora for books', developed some exclusive algorithms that analyzed book content to make recommendations to readers. The Boise, Idaho based company was actually acquired by Apple this spring, but the deal was kept quiet. Apple's purchase is being seen as a competitive move against Amazon, which offers customers very good recommendations based on prior purchases. Apple, which has struggled for traction with its iBooks store, could certainly use the technology BookLamp has developed. BookLamp started out as an Apple customer, but Apple probably wants the technology all to itself. Currently, the iBook store lists top sellers, but has no recommendation engine. The BookLamp website has a 'Thank you for your Support' message, but nothing about the Apple purchase. The price Apple paid is estimated to be between 10-15 million dollars.
Report: Twitch viewership beats ESPN, WWE streaming sites
Twitch is the number one site for live streaming video content in the United States, according to video solutions company Qwilt. The company's data shows Twitch leading by a large margin: it currently possesses 43.6 percent of all live streaming viewership, while WWE - its closest competitor - pulls in 17.7 percent. ESPN only managed 6.3 percent. Qwilt describes Twitch as "Yankee Stadium, Lambeau Field, Madison Square Garden, Estadia Do Maracana and Wembley all rolled into one" on its site. Hyperbole? Maybe, but then, according the Qwilt's data, Twitch was ranked in the top five video entertainment sites (which includes services like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu) in not just the US, but the UK, Brazil, Taiwan, Peru and Thailand as well. We have nothing witty to end this on. Them's some impressive numbers, any way you slice it. [Image: Qwilt]
Google+ adds page view counts to user profiles
Earlier this month, we learned that Twitter's considering introducing view counts to individual tweets, and it looks like Google+ just flipped the switch on a similar initiative. Follower counts are now joined by the total number of page clicks, which includes the sum of your profile, post and picture views since October 2012. Some profiles have already begun showing the count by default, but you may need to check a box in your profile settings before it appears for you. Similarly, you can disable the feature by unchecking the box.
Spotify tries to win over artists by predicting their future royalties
While Spotify has shown that a streaming music model can be successful, it's consistently come under fire over an apparent lack of financial support for new artists. To boost that relationship, the company has launched a new website, Spotify Artists, with the intention of cutting through the noise to explain how much musicians could be paid if they decide to stream their music. Spotify uses real-world, albeit anonymized, examples to demonstrate how its business model works and details how it calculates royalties, which have already passed the $500 million mark this year. Spotify realizes it can't do it all alone, so it's brought on board two new partners to provide some additional muscle. Next Big Sound's Artist Analytics dashboard processes Spotify's music metrics to track how music spreads and who's listening to it, helping artists decide when might be the best time to embark on a tour or new promotional campaign. With support from Topspin, you'll soon be able to grab yourself a branded tee or limited-edition vinyl along with your gig tickets, directly supporting your favorite acts from within the Spotify app. While most of its free features are already available, Spotify says we can expect to see its new ticket and merchandise listings go live "in the upcoming months," giving it some additional ammo in the fight against streaming non-believers.
Apple buys Twitter analytics firm Topsy for over $200 million
Apple already benefits greatly from social media hype surrounding its product reveals, and now the company is looking to get super serious about Twitter. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has bought up Topsy Labs Inc., a San Francisco-based social search and analytics firm. The purchase will reportedly set Apple back over $200 million. Topsy offers a couple of commercial products, including Topsy Pro Analytics which is a paid version of the free Topsy keyword tracker available on the company's main website. Above just tracking mentions of certain words, Topsy's tools are designed to help determine whether chatter about a certain topic is positive or negative. As is usually the case with these types of acquisitions, we're not likely to hear any specific plans for Topsy from Apple. Instead, when Apple integrates some crazy new social feature into a future version of iOS a year or two down the road or suddenly begins promoting apps to you based on your social chatter, we'll all remember Topsy and go "So that's what they were up to!" Still, TechCrunch offers some speculation.
Daily Update for December 2, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Google Play tops App Store in downloads, but App Store still leads in revenues
In the second quarter of 2013 Google's Play Store bested the App Store in overall downloads by roughy 10%, according to new data released by analytics firm App Annie. This is in contrast to the company's Q1 2013 and Q4 2012 reports which both showed Apple leading in overall downloads. However, while the Play Store now has the lead in overall downloads, Google's app marketplace is still far behind Apple's in terms of app monetization. In Q2 2013 the App Store generated approximately 2.3 times the revenue of Google Play. The gap in this category is slightly smaller than it was in Q1 2013 when the App Store raked in 2.6 times the revenue of Google Play.
New Chrome developer tools bring Bluetooth, iTunes integration to packaged apps
Google's latest Chrome developer tools could give us even fewer reasons to close our browser -- devs can now build packaged apps with access to Google Wallet, Google Analytics, Bluetooth devices and an API that dives into the user's music library. Technically, Chrome has had a Media Gallery API for some time, but this latest update allows applications to access, import and play music using iTunes as a default media gallery. Of course, apps using this API will need the user's permission before rummaging through their Papa Roach collection, so settle down. The Chromium Blog's notes the Bluetooth connection could support "low energy health devices like fitness trackers." If that means apps that will monitor a FitBit and tell us to get up and stretch, that'd definitely be appreciated. For the full release notes, hit the links below.
Apple.com world's 8th most popular website in new ComScore ranking
For 2012, Apple's website was ranked as the world's 11th most popular. However, that ranking did not take mobile access into account -- just desktop access. Now web analytics firm ComScore has added mobile visitors and viewers to their count, pushing Apple up to the No. 8 spot on the MMX Multi-Platform Top 50 Properties list. The first five sites on the list are not surprising, with Google sites taking the lead followed by Yahoo, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon. Sites run by TUAW parent company AOL are in the sixth spot, followed by Glam Media and, finally, Apple. Rounding out the top 10 are Wikimedia sites and CBS Interactive. Apple's total "digital population" on the ComScore list is counted as 115,920,000 unique visitors/viewers, about half that of list-leading Google's count. Not surprisingly, Apple's mobile audience viewed as an incremental percentage to the desktop numbers was 54 percent, indicating a strong mobile presence on the web.
FlightPath from TestFlight features realtime analytics for developers
TestFlight has long been known by developers as a very useful tool for testing iOS apps (even outside of Apple's distribution system), and for a while now there's also been a TestFlight SDK, which developers can insert into their app code to track various testers and their actions in the app. But today, TestFlight has introduced FlightPath, which is a separate product designed for analytics post-release. FlightPath is a real-time analytics platform: Developers can insert FlightPath code into their apps, and the service will then provide real-time information on customer usage, any crashes the app experiences and even segmented data to target the information precisely. In other words, it sounds like TestFlight is taking its SDK to the release stage. There are a number of analytics services like this -- Google runs one; Flurry is a popular choice; and there are plenty more. But TestFlight has a lot of great experience at providing information to developers directly, so FlightPath should be a helpful tool for anyone used to using their SDK. Currently, FlightPath is still in beta, so we don't have any information yet on how it'll all be priced out. Given how these services work, there will likely be a free option, with charges for premium services or support. Until that's all announced, you can sign up for the beta on the main site, and TUAW has been offered special priority access for the first 100 developers who sign up using this link. Show full PR text TESTFLIGHT LAUNCHES FLIGHTPATH: REAL TIME, ACTIONABLE ANALYTICS FOR APP DEVELOPERS Intuitive Analytics Tool Allows Developers to Customize, Analyze & Manage Data in One Click SANTA MONICA, Calif. – March 21, 2013 – TestFlight, the leading app beta-testing platform used by more than 300,000 apps, today announced the private beta launch of FlightPath, an intuitive analytics solution for mobile app developers. FlightPath brings app data to life in an easy to understand front-page format that is fully interactive and encourages deeper data exploration due to its real-time delivery. "Today we're launching FlightPath, a product that will help streamline mobile analytics. We built TestFlight to help developers build better apps and now FlightPath will help developers build a better business," states Ben Satterfield, co-founder of TestFlight. "Up until now, it can be a laborious and complex process for developers to use existing analytics tools to learn more about their app's usage. It usually involves digging through multiple pages and then waiting hours in order to view specific data. With FlightPath, developers can now do it all on one page, with one click." FlightPath delivers real-time views of high-level data and instant drill downs into limitless combinations of core metrics. Developers can choose from preset segments and add to them on the fly or explore by clicking multiple data points to see how the information changes based on each attribute. Preset segments provide immediate insight including views such as "Loyal Users," "Early Adopters," or "Flight Risks." Key features include: · Single page UI for all analytics · Real-time data · One-click pivoting on any attribute · Click any data point to create endless combinations · Preset segments to view valuable data with no setup required · Instantly save any custom segment · View number of crashes by audience segment Developers can use the same TestFlight SDK to activate FlightPath when they submit to the app store. The SDK is one line of code and takes seconds to include. To learn more, please visit http://www.FlightPathApp.com
Report: Customer retention is a major factor for the App Store
Yes, the conclusion of this report might be a little obvious to anyone who's been following the App Store closely, but it's true: Flurry's latest writeup of App Store stats suggests that keeping users playing a game or using an app can be a major factor in that app's success. Flurry filed the apps it follows into a set of four categories, based on star systems. Black Holes feature low amounts of monthly users, and low amounts of retention over a couple 30-day periods. Shooting Stars have put a lot of users together quickly, with high user numbers, but relatively low retention. Red Dwarfs have lots of user retention, but low numbers overall -- these are cult favorites, used by a smaller amount of very loyal people. And finally, Supernovas have it all, in Flurry's estimation: Lots of users that stay with the app for quite a while. When you take those categories over to the average number of minutes of usage per month (in the chart above), then things get really interesting: As you can see, the more retention an app has, the more engaged its users are (and whether you're talking about premium apps or apps that use in-app purchases, more engagement usually means more money made). So this is where Flurry gets its conclusion: User retention is extremely important. Even if an app doesn't take off right away in terms of user numbers (if it's not a Shooting Star, with a lot of users who don't stick around), keeping those users over a longer period grows the user base and that user base stays loyal over time. In the past, a lot of developers have aimed for that Shooting Star status -- they push on big launches, and try to put a huge number of users together very quickly after an app's release. But this report shows that there's another market on the App Store, one that moves a little more slowly (and doesn't collect as many users as quickly), but that can become very large and engaged indeed, sometimes over a matter of months or even years.
Pinterest unveils web analytics, offers insight into visitor pinning behavior
If you've wanted to know just which adorable puppy picture on your website got the most pins on Pinterest, you're in luck. The internet pinboard folks just unveiled a new web analytics tool for businesses and site owners that'll track which content receives the most attention in terms of clicks, pins and repins, and how recently those items were selected. Verify your website with Pinterest, and you'll be able to check out your visitors' pinning behavior starting today. Hmm, maybe now we'll get to see which one of our editors is the most popular.
Analytics firm Applause launches the Applause Index
I'm not sure how useful this idea is, but it is interesting, and we'll see how it all plays out. Applause is an analytics firm that purports to measure app quality and user satisfaction, by scanning the App Store for rankings, sales and reviews (there are a few other companies that do this already, like App Annie and Distimo). But Applause's innovation is that it boils an app's performance down into one 0-100 number, called the Applause Score. From all of the information available for that app, Applause ranks it into one number, which you can then (supposedly) use to compare app quality and popularity. And Applause has used these numbers to launch the Applause Index, which tracks the scores of 60 high-profile apps, combining them into one number that Applause claims will let you see "peaks and valleys in the overall apps economy." In other words, Applause has tried to boil the day-to-day popularity of both the Android and iOS marketplaces into one number, similar to the way the Dow Jones Industrial Average works in the stock market. Is it useful? We'll have to see -- it's possible that, over time, this number could show trends in the app stores, or even reflect actual consumer attitudes. But that will probably take some practice and research -- at this point, Applause has only begun to track these defined "scores," so there are undoubtedly some quirks in the system (and it's not clear to me how these 60 apps were chosen to represent the Index, even after browsing through the footnotes). But it is an interesting idea, and who knows? Over time, this number could show us something about the App Store we didn't see before.
