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'Destiny' will add a hovercraft racing competition next week
If you're searching for a new way to play Destiny, Bungie and Activision have PlayStation owners covered. Starting on December 8th, Destiny: The Taken King owners can participate in the Sparrow Racing League. It's a competitive race on the game's Sparrow hovercrafts against friends or strangers alike, and from the quick video we just saw at the PlayStation Experience event in San Francisco, it should be a good time. If you're a fan of F-Zero, Wipeout 2048 or any of the other many similar games out there, the Sparrow Racing League will likely scratch that same itch.
Updated Sparrow app rejected, iOS 6-only version on the way
According to Sparrow developer Dinh Viet Hoa's recent Twitter activity, a newly submitted update to the popular email app has been rejected by Apple, and unless the team submits a new version, the app could be pulled from the App Store entirely. "Apple called to tell me that Sparrow has been rejected," one tweet reads. "Our app will be removed from the appstore if we don't submit a new version soon." Apparently the issue stems from the updated app's implementation of rich text editing on iOS 5 devices. The rich text editing feature was not available in Apple's own email app until the rollout of iOS 6, and while details remain sparse, it appears that the Sparrow update in some way violated Apple's terms. "We'll submit a new version of Sparrow for iPhone that is only compatible with iOS 6," Viet Hoa explained. [Via: The Next Web]
Alternative email clients for Sparrow on the iPhone
Sparrow announced late last week that it had been acquired by Google. In its announcement, the company said it will continue to make both the Mac and iOS versions of the Sparrow email client available and provide support for its customers. This means that iPhone owners can continue to use the current version of Sparrow, but at some point, iOS is going to outpace the app and you're going to need to switch to a different email client. If you're on the hunt for a new email app, then you should check out some of the iOS email clients listed below. If you have a favorite that's not included below, please share it in the comments. Mac users may also want to take a look at our list of email clients for the Mac. Default Mail app for iOS (Free) For most users, the default iOS email app is sufficient. It supports a variety of accounts including IMAP, POP3, Exchange and services like Hotmail and Yahoo!. It's a basic email client that'll alert you when you get an incoming email and will let you move, delete or flag a message as important. You can setup an email account for push, if supported by the back end, or set the client to check your email at regular intervals. There's also a handful of options that'll let you select your default account, tweak how many messages you view, setup a custom signature and more. Gmail (Free) The Gmail app is for heavy Gmail users with a single Gmail account who need access to Google-specific functions like labels and the priority inbox. Besides labels, you can also archive and star emails. All changes made in the mobile client will be reflected in the web client. The latest version adds support for the iOS Notification center and lets you send an email using an alternative email address, if it's been configured within the Gmail web client settings ahead of time. The Gmail app is a universal app that works on the iPhone and iPad. iMailG - Gmail and Google Apps on the go (Free, in-app purchases) iMailG lets you manage your Gmail as well as the other Google services within one app. It works well for iOS owners who use the full suite of Google Apps including G+ and Google Calendar. Multiple sign-in is supported, but that has to be turned on for each Gmail account first. The app is available for free, and a series of in-app purchases will unlock specific functions like push notifications (provided by a third-party service). It's a little heavy on the in-app purchases, but it might appeal to some Google users. There's also an HD version for $1.99 that's optimized for the iPad. eMailGanizer Pro ($4.99) eMailGanizer is a mail app that'll help you control your deluge of incoming emails by making it easy for you file them into folders quickly. You can also add emails directly to your iPhone calendar or add them as tasks to outside sources like Toodledo, OmniFocus, Things, The Hit List and more. eMailGanizer works with multiple email accounts and supports IMAP, Exchange and third-party services like Hotmail, AOL and iCloud. It takes a while to add each email address and set up the folders, but it's a very useful system once you've got it up and running.
Email client alternatives to Sparrow for the Mac
Sparrow announced late last week that the company had been acquired by Google; that means that the Sparrow email clients have been put into maintenance mode, with no new features expected going forward. Many customers, like me, who enjoyed using the email client are now contemplating the task of finding an alternative. Yes, Sparrow is useful in its current form, but even if the Mac client behaves well in OS X Mountain Lion and the iPhone client works in iOS 6, that won't necessarily hold up indefinitely -- and if there's a feature you've been waiting for, it's unlikely to ever arrive post-acquisition. Thankfully, there are several alternatives worth mentioning that can take the place of Sparrow, especially for heavy Gmail users. Here is a short list of email clients (and some borderline cases) for OS X that you can check out; I'll cover iOS options in a separate post. If you know of any other titles, please share them in the comments. Postbox ($9.95) For Gmail users, Postbox might be a good alternative. It supports labels and archiving, two features commonly used by Gmail users. It also detects appointment dates inside email messages and lets you add them to your Google calendar. A badge counter on the app's dock icon keeps track of incoming emails, and Growl can be used for notifications. Postbox supports POP or IMAP email accounts as well as services like Yahoo!, Hotmail, iCloud, and more. Besides its email features, Postbox also ties into social networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and lets you update your status from within the email client. One of the best features of Postbox is its integration with third-party services like Dropbox and Evernote. The Dropbox support lets you send large files via email as Dropbox links, while the Evernote integration lets you save your emails as a note. It's a great way to share files and organize emails without cluttering up your email client. Interested OS X users can give Postbox a spin for free by downloading the 30-day trial. A single-user license that you can install on every computer you personally use (PC, Mac, or both) is available for US$9.95. MailMate ($29.99) MailMate is an OS X IMAP email client that shows its strength in its many options. The app supports multiple accounts, offline access and dynamic signatures that'll insert a signature based on your previous emails with that person. It also supports Markdown formatting and custom keyboard shortcuts that provide access to almost everything within the app. One strong point is MailMate's search feature that lets you find emails based on the body text, first or last names, email addresses and quoted text. If you don't like how MailMate looks, you can easily switch to an alternative layout like widescreen, three-pane, or threaded view. MailMate is not as easy to use as the default mail client of OS X, but it's a worthy upgrade for power users. Interested in Mac users can download a free demo to try it before buying it. Mailplane ($24.99) Several people mentioned Mailplane in the comments, so I downloaded the client and took it for a quick spin. Mailplane handles Gmail very well because it pulls the Gmail web interface into the app. Gmail users get access to their priority inbox and labels just like they would if they opened Gmail in their web browser. It's an interesting experience as you get the familiar look and feel of Gmail inside a full-fledged app. As a result, Mailplane lets you do more with your message than the web-based version of Gmail. There are bonus features like built-in support for Evernote and a Screenshot function that lets you grab a screenshot and automatically attach it to an email. The app also uses growl for notifications. Mailplane supports multiple Gmail accounts, but there is no unified inbox like the one you have in Postbox and other clients. You have to switch between Gmail accounts to see all your email. Interested OS X users can download a 30-day free trial from Mailplane's website. Thunderbird (Free) Thunderbird is an open source IMAP/POP3 email client from Mozilla that's inspired by the Firefox browser. The email client has a tabbed interface that lets you jump from one email to another quickly and a built-in search function that'll search the web. It also supports add-ons. It's not as easy on the eyes as the default Mail app in OS X, but it's functional and efficient. It's also free. As several readers have pointed out, Thunderbird's support from the Mozilla Foundation is transitioning from full-time feature investment to support and stability, which to some degree puts it in a similar boat to Sparrow in terms of future features. The main difference is that Thunderbird is an open-source client, and can be supported, forked and improved by the developer community; Sparrow is not. Outlook ($199 as part of the Microsoft Office bundle) Outlook is bundled into Microsoft Office and offers a full-featured client for Microsoft Exchange 2007 (or newer) email accounts, as well as accounts from major providers such as AOL, Gmail, MobileMe, Windows Live Hotmail, and Yahoo (all POP and IMAP services are supported). For Mac users working in a Windows back-end environment, Outlook is a good choice for managing your email, contacts, calendar and other documents within the Office bundle. Of course, Apple's built-in Mail app, iCal/Calendar and Address Book/Contacts all interoperate with Exchange too. Apple's Mail.app (Free) For users who need a basic email client, the default Mail app for OS X will fit the bill. It's free with OS X and supports POP3, IMAP, modern versions of Exchange and other popular email services like Gmail and Yahoo! Mail. Mail has a pleasing interface that includes a widescreen view and threaded messages so you can see all the emails exchanged in a conversation. The upcoming Mountain Lion version of Mail will also include VIP contacts (flag and sort mail from specific high-priority senders) and granular support for the new systems Notification Center alerts. MailTab for Gmail (Free, or $1.99 Pro Version) MailTab for Gmail isn't an email client per se. It sits in your menu bar and alerts you (via Growl if it's installed) when you receive a new email. You can view your Gmail emails by tapping on the icon in the menu bar. There's a compose button so you can quickly write an email without opening a web browser or any other client. If you want to manage your emails in greater detail, the app will open the web version of Gmail in a new tab. For OS X users who have one Gmail account and receive a manageable amount of email, MailTab may fit the bill for checking and responding to incoming messages. I sometimes use it to check on two Gmail accounts at once. One account is open in the web browser, while the other is open in MailTab. MailTab is free to try from the Mac App Store. There are several in-app purchases that will unlock notifications and remove ads. You can also buy the Pro version which is available for $1.99. Fluid (Free, or $4.99) Fluid also serves as more (or less) than an email client, but it does provide a handy way to keep Gmail access going without managing a tab in your primary browser. Fluid creates single-site browsers (SSBs) with their very own application icon and space in the Dock. If you want to have a Fluid SSB for your webmail session, it's a matter of a few clicks to set it up. You'll get all the functionality, keyboard shortcuts and capabilities of the web client in a standalone app. Fluid is free to use, and the $4.99 optional feature upgrade adds several handy tools; for mailreading, the split cookie storage in the upgrade means that you can manage a different Gmail account in Fluid from the one you're logged into in the regular browser. If you've got a favorite email client that we didn't touch on, please do let us know in the comments!
Fellow app developers speculate on why Sparrow 'sold out'
The popular email app Sparrow was recently acquired by Google for a tidy sum, and pretty much immediately mothballed. This has resulted in a firestorm of criticism leveled at both Google and the Sparrow developers. "Why can't independent developers stay independent?" is a common refrain. "Why must they always sell out like this?" Two independent app developers have done some in-depth analysis of the App Store economy. App Cubby's David Barnard, developer of Launch Center Pro, approaches the issue by analyzing his company's own experience on the App Store and inferring Sparrow's probable income from his own app. Tony Wright analyzes the top-grossing apps in the App Store to determine which types of apps gain the most revenue. Though their analyses approach the App Store economy from different angles (and both are well worth reading), they both reach the same inescapable conclusion: for the majority of developers, selling paid apps in the App Store is simply not sustainable. Free-to-play games with in-app purchases are where the real money is being made -- or, alternatively, making a successful app like Tweetie or Sparrow and then selling it to Twitter or Google. Both posts pour cold water on the idea that an independent developer can become an overnight millionaire off a successful App Store debut. Our own Mike Schramm experienced this personally when developing and launching his own iOS game, Antithesis. After eight months of working on the game, getting widespread favorable reviews at launch and a brief feature at the top of the App Store's Arcade page, Antithesis ultimately earned less than $1000 in revenues. Mike made Antithesis for fun, but many independent developers are staking their livelihoods on success in the App Store. Game developers in particular dream of making the next Angry Birds or Infinity Blade, titles that earned their respective developers giant stacks of money. The reality is much harsher. Barnard estimates that Sparrow's iOS app made $400,000 in its first four months. That may sound like a lot of money to people making $40,000 a year or less, but most of that $400,000 came in the first couple of months. Sparrow's team had five people on it and, according to Barnard, that team of five could expect total revenues to eventually average out to around $30,000 per month. They had also taken a funding round, meaning that there were now investors who would expect an eventual return on their money. It's no wonder then that Sparrow sold the company and the app to Google for $25 million. In one lump sum, the team earned an amount of money that would have taken nearly 70 years on the App Store at App Cubby's estimated monthly revenue. Barnard reaches a rather stark conclusion after analyzing Sparrow's rise, leveling off, and buyout: The age of selling software to users at a fixed, one-time price is coming to an end. It's just not sustainable at the absurdly low prices users have come to expect. Sure, independent developers may scrap it out one app at a time, and some may even do quite well and be the exception to the rule, but I don't think Sparrow would have sold-out if the team - and their investors - believed they could build a substantially profitable company on their own. The gold rush is well and truly over. Sparrow is almost certainly not the last time we'll see a critically lauded, popular app "sell out" to a bigger company like Google. Facing numbers like those in App Cubby and Tony Wright's analysis, who could blame them?
Daily Update for July 20, 2012
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
Sparrow acquired by Google, team to work on "new projects"
One of the nicest mail clients on any platform, Sparrow, was just acquired by Google. There's a note on Sparrow's homepage by CEO Dom Leca, which says it all. This is a great move by Google if they allow the team which built Sparrow to focus on making intuitive tools. MacStories got a statement from Google, saying, in part, "[The Sparrow team] will be working on new projects." For now, Sparrow will remain available but won't be getting any new features. Congratulations and good luck to the Sparrow team -- we can't wait to see what you make next.
Google acquires Sparrow, the Apple-focused email app maker
Well, we can't exactly say we saw this one coming. Sparrow, maker of popular email apps for iOS and Mac OS X, has just announced that it's been acquired by Google. Expectedly, details on the acquisition are being kept under wraps at the moment, but company CEO Dom Leca has confirmed in a blog post that Sparrow will be joining the Gmail team at Google to "accomplish a bigger vision." Fans of the company's apps will be glad to know, however, that the team will "continue to make Sparrow available and provide support for our users" while also working on new things at Google. That does sound like most of their attention will be focused elsewhere, though. You can find Leca's full statement on the matter at the source link below. Update: The Verge was able to get some notion of a cost for this deal, with "under $25 million" being a figure assigned to this, a figure that wasn't inflated due to a bidding war. (That should answer those wondering if maybe Google bought this out from under Apple.)
Mac versions of Sparrow and FX Studio discounted today to $4.99
Mac owners on the hunt for app deals may want to check out Sparrow for the Mac and MacPhun's FX Studio. Both apps have been discounted 50 percent today and are now available for US$4.99. Sparrow for Mac is the email client that kicked off the Sparrow craze a few years almost two years ago when the beta version made its public debut. It's been updated and improved since it first launched and is an excellent, lightweight app that'll meet almost all your emailing needs. FX Studio is for photo enthusiasts who like to quickly and easily add effects to their photos. The app includes 40 photo frames and over 170 effects and filters. It works with popular photo editors and organizers like Aperture and Photoshop. You can download Sparrow for Mac and FX Studio from the Mac App Store at their discounted prices today. Editors note: "A few years" was changed to "almost two years" to more accurately reflect the beta launch date of 10/2010.
IRL: Sparrow for iOS, Nikon D800 and the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. One of the reasons we launched this column was to make sure our reviews and hands-on posts weren't the final say on products -- after all, you often need to live with something for more than a week to notice its WiFi signal cuts off past 15 feet, or there's a nasty bug in the settings menu. Indeed, that theme is what ties together this week's roundup of stories: Darren explains why he ditched Sparrow for iOS, Kevin laments the file size of photos he's taken with his Nikon D800 and Brian finds a flaw in his Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight.
Sparrow 1.6 for Mac available with POP support, more
After releasing its mail app for the iPhone, Sparrow is back again with another update of its Mac email client. Version 1.6 adds the highly-anticipated support for Pop accounts, giving you a true unified inbox. There's also a handful of minor tweaks and bug fixes that'll make it easier for you to send and receive mail on your Mac. You can see the full list of changes on Sparrow's blog. Sparrow for the Mac is available from the Mac App Store for US$9.99.
Sparrow for iPhone 1.2 adds new features, push will be subscription-based
Sparrow for iPhone just received a nice update that marks several items off users' wish lists. Among that is the ability to compose in landscape mode, create/edit labels and swipe between messages, plus additional localization. Sparrow now is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Russian and Chinese. However, the developers announced on Sparrow's blog that they were unable to get VoIP privilege from Apple for push notifications. Sparrow will have push introduced in a future update, but it will be done on Sparrow's side, and the company will charge an annual subscription. Sparrow for iPhone is US$2.99 in the App Store.
Sparrow 1.1 adds built-in browser, delete options
You have to give them credit. The developers at Sparrow don't waste any time when it comes to improving their apps. It's only been a little over two weeks since Sparrow for the iPhone launched and there's already an update in the iOS App Store. The 1.1 version of Sparrow rolled out on Wednesday and has some new features and bug fixes. According to the changelog, Sparrow now lets you send and archive mail as well as empty the trash and spam folders from your phone. You can bring important emails to the forefront by selecting which accounts show up on dock badges and which specific labels and folders you want to see. There's also a new built-in browser which will knock the socks off users who receive links in their emails. Besides the new and exciting features listed above, Sparrow 1.1 also fixes both authentication issues with some Google apps account and custom SMTP for aliases. Oh, and that missing push notification feature. Sparrow is determined to get push notification into the app. The company said in a blog post, "Push is coming. If Apple can't help us yet, we have other ideas." You can download Sparrow from the iOS App Store for US $2.99.
Sparrow mail app for iOS hits version 1.1, Push support to follow 'with or without Apple'
Good news today for Sparrow iOS users. As expected, the company has updated its splendid lil' email app to version 1.1 and loaded it with a few hotly anticipated features. Among some bug fixes, you can now make use of a built-in browser, "Send and Archive" messages, filter specific folders and labels, clear your spam and trash bins and even set which accounts you'd like to show or hide dock badges for. While the app is still sorely lacking Push support, Sparrow believes that Apple may change the privacy guidelines for its Push API, which the company plans to include in version 1.2. That said, it's partnered with folks outside of Cupertino's walled-garden, so that it can bring the feature to fruition "with or without Apple." Furthermore, that future version's other features have been detailed -- it'll include landscape support, vertical swiping through messages and localization for an additional nine countries. In related news, version 1.6 of Sparrow for Mac OS X is being readied for release, and it'll pack support for POP email accounts. You can glide on down to the source link for further details.
Sparrow for iPhone released: just a POP and Push away from email perfection
Sparrow's made a name for itself over on the Mac desktop side, and now it's doing its darnedest to do the same on iOS. The email-client-that-could has launched its long-awaited iPhone edition into the App Store today, with $2.99 netting you a highly polished program that integrates a "pane navigation" concept, a unique threading system and full IMAP support. In other words, Gmail, Google Apps, iCloud, Yahoo, AOL and custom email addresses are fine to use here, but there's no support for POP or Push notifications just yet. The latter is apt to put off the power users, but more casual readers may appreciate the unified inbox, direct-attachment feature and plenty of other details that provide for an overall delightful experience. It's available now in the source link (or the App Store, if you're up for a search), and we're told that localization, landscape mode, a built-in browser and 'Send and Archive' will be coming in future builds.Psst... hit the More Coverage link to read Sparrow's explanation of why Push is being left out. If you couldn't guess, it's about privacy.
Sparrow for iPhone will wow with its design, but lacks push notification
After a long wait, Sparrow for iOS made its debut in the App Store on Wednesday. Similar to the desktop version, the iOS mail client promises to provide you with an efficient and pleasant mailing experience, and the app mostly delivers on this promise. Sparrow supports Gmail, iCloud and IMAP, but not POP email accounts. When you launch the app for the first time, you are prompted to setup your first email account. The app will try to auto-configure your settings using your email and password. If it fails, you can enter the server details manually. During the setup process, you can also link to Facebook and pull down your contacts' images. The first thing you notice about Sparrow is the user interface, which is clean, efficient and intuitive. Unlike the native mail client which uses tapping to navigate through the app, Sparrow relies heavily on swiping. You can swipe left and right to move between your account settings, mailbox and individual messages. When you're reading an email, you can swipe up and down to move through other messages in the conversation. You can also swipe on any message to reply, star, label, archive or delete a conversation. Sparrow is not only easy on the eyes, it also supports advanced features like Google labels and identities. I've used lots of email clients, and many struggle with the management and usage of identities. Sparrow, however, is just perfect. Identities are easy to setup and even easier to select when you are going to send an email. Just tap the "From" at the top of the email composition window and a list of email accounts will appear. The app also tracks which account received an email and will automatically select the correct identity when you reply. Like any good email client, Sparrow has a search function that lets you search up to 1000 messages on your phone. You can filter by "From", "To" and "Subject". Search on the phone is great in a pinch, but I found it easier to search on the desktop which is faster and extends to all your messages. Message composition is straightforward. You are prompted right away to select a contact and assign them to either the main recipient, the CC or BCC. As noted above, you can easily select the account from which the email is sent. Writing the email is as simple as typing in text or using the voice-to-text feature. There is no text markup so you can't bold or underline parts of your message. Sparrow also lets you add an image from within the app. When you click on the paperclip icon, you are presented with the option to pick an image from your library or take a new one. Images can be resized when you hit the send button. All this simplicity, however, is overshadowed by one missing key feature: push email. For most people, email is time sensitive. You need to know when an email hits your inbox so you can respond (or at least read it) right away. That's why you need push notification and why Sparrow for iOS is disappointing in that regard. The beta version of Sparrow had push notification, and it worked wonderfully. Unfortunately, Apple rejected the app. According to developer Dom Leca, Apple said no to Sparrow because it used an API, the same one used by VoIP apps, that allows an app to be woken up in case of a network event. This lets Sparrow stay virtually connected to the mail server so it can receive push emails. This always-on type of connection is not allowed by Apple. Even though the solution worked flawlessly in the beta, Sparrow had to remove it for the public release. As it works now, Sparrow will sync your email when you open the app or manually pull down to refresh. You can read Sparrow's statement about push notifications on its website. Without push notification is Sparrow really worth the US$2.99? It depends. If you can't miss an email and your response time is critical, then you should stick with the native mail app. On the other hand, if you're looking for a fresh UI and an efficient way to manage your emails, then you should buy Sparrow without hesitation. You will quickly learn to live without push email or find ways to work around it. It's not elegant, but one work around is to keep notifications in the native Mail app active and then use Sparrow to read and respond to your mail. As noted by Think iOS, you can also use Boxcar notifications to alert you of an incoming email. You can follow the setup instructions on Think iOS's website to get Boxcar up and running. Sparrow for the iPhone is available in the App Store for $2.99.
Sparrow for iPhone tease
Sparrow for Mac is a popular Gmail client for the desktop that's easy to use and even easier on the eyes. Soon, its elegant simplicity will be available on the iPhone. Sparrow developer Dominique Leca talked to Business Insider and let the cat out of the bag about the company's upcoming iPhone app. Here's what he had to say, We want our user to spend less time on mail. Our goal is to provide an efficient and playful experience. But we need to see if the UI we've come up with makes as much sense on the iPhone as we thought when we designed it. Our focus is efficiency. According to the Business Insider report, the iPhone version of Sparrow is midway through development. The team is putting the final touches on the core app and is tweaking the user interface design to see what works best for the app. An early screenshot suggests it will support avatars, multiple accounts, and will have the signature Sparrow look. Sparrow for the iPhone is expected to arrive in the upcoming months. Knowing the quality of work produced by the folks at Sparrow, it will be worth the wait. You can follow the progress at Sparrow's "Coming Soon" website.
Dear Aunt TUAW: I just bought an app and then won it
Dear Aunt TUAW, The good news: I just received an (legit) email saying I won a license for Sparrow! The bad news: I paid for it LITERALLY 15 minutes ago. I'm not about to ask for a refund. Oh well. I hope the developer does something great with his cut of my ten bucks. Thoughts? Your loving nephew, Dave Dear Dave, If Sparrow was worth supporting before winning a copy, then it was worth supporting after. Don't think about this as having picked up an extra tangible good that you didn't need. Think about it as voting for the app's continued development. It's seldom considered, but software developers cannot live on rainbows, hugs, and unicorn tears. Money creates the infrastructure that builds the apps you love. Without cash, there can't be software. By purchasing the app, you're going to help place your vote for keeping it going in the long term -- even if you missed out on a "deal." Hugs, Auntie T.
Sparrow co-founder tells why the Mac App Store is crucial to his success
Sparrow co-founder Dominique Leca gave an interesting interview to Business Insider (BI) in which he reveals his thoughts about the Mac App Store from a developer's perspective. We've covered Sparrow, the popular third-party OS X email client, many times before. It launched on the Mac App Store at the beginning of the year and since then has become a hit, not only for its design, but for its tight integration with Gmail. The US$9.99 price for a full-featured app doesn't hurt either. But how does Leca feel about Apple taking almost a third of each sale? He's got no problem with it whatsoever. "We think the Mac App Store gives us a fair deal," Leca told BI. "It is required to get noticed, especially for an app like Sparrow. People don't wake up in the morning thinking they want to change their mail client. So more than any developer, we need to be there." He notes that after Sparrow debuted on the Mac App Store, the company started selling a licensed version on its website. After six months, only 2% of Sparrow sales come from their website, and 98% come from the Mac App Store. In six months of sales from the Mac App Store, Sparrow has made more than half a million dollars. That's more than enough to make Leca a fan of Apple's store. However, he does have some suggestions as to how Apple could improve the Mac App Store. He points out that users seem to be confused between the App Store for iOS devices and the Mac App Store. Many don't understand why they have to go to two different places to buy apps. He hopes that Apple will begin advertising the Mac App Store so users understand it better. He also notes that handling app updates is a bit of a pain in the Mac App Store. If there's a bug in an app, it could take as many as three to four days to get the fixed app into the store. "But on the bright side, developers have to ship something almost perfect. Without this, the Mac App Store would be crowded with junk apps." Finally Leca says that he wishes Apple would segregate their apps into a specific section of the Mac App Store -- one that is outside of the top charts -- so third-party apps could get more exposure. Many of Apple's products like Pages, Keynote, Numbers, FaceTime, iPhoto, and OS X Lion consistently hold top-12 spots in the top charts, which means some good Mac apps stay hidden behind the tiny "Show All" button. Leca has some other interesting thoughts about Apple and the Mac App Store so be sure to check out the original interview over on BI.
Sparrow update flies in, alights on Mac App Store
Do you use Sparrow? The popular alternative email app has just been updated to version 1.3.2, so if you're partial to "the bird" for your mail, it's time to head out to the Mac App Store and get the latest version. Sparrow 1.3.2 brings the following features to the bird feeder: Features: - Drag and drop mails in your folders / labels in extended sidebar - Character counter in compose window for Shortmail accounts - Focus on Compose window in full screen mode UI: - New conversation view design - New quick reply design - Top bar gradient re-design - New default avatars for incoming mails Bug fix: - Transparent text issue in message composer - Window and sidebar size memory issue - Alt-L Polish character issue - Fixed Esc key behavior in fullscreen - Deminimized animation fixed - Shift-Cmd-2 in Extended sidebar Unified Inbox - Copy and paste issue in compose window - Inline attachments resize issue - Improved memory usage - Fixed various crashes
