In my post yesterday, I outlined how to present high-resolution images in web pages using CSS media queries to users using a high-PPI screen such the iPhone 4's new Retina display. I also mentioned that while this works for background images in CSS, the only solution currently for carrying out this same substitution for images linked to using the <img> tag is to use JavaScript. Finally, I suggested that browsers should natively support substituting high-resolution versions of images when they detect that the user is using a high-PPI display. In this post, I'd like to formalize that suggestion a bit.
I propose a new HTML meta tag, resolutions, to be used to implement automatic support for displaying high-resolution images in web pages to users on high-PPI displays like the iPhone 4's new Retina screen.
The iPhone Simulator is a handy development tool for debugging your iPhone and iPad apps as you develop them. It is not, however, in any way an alternative to testing on an actual device. One of the reasons that the iPhone Simulator doesn't give you the actual device experience is because your Mac's screen is not a touch screen. Until now, if you wanted that, you would have to either test on your actual device or use an app like iSimulate to send touches (and other device data) to your app. While iSimulate and its ilk are still a good alternative, I've found a setup that serves me well for 90% of my debug-time testing: an iPad, coupled with the Air Display app.
A neat little setup for testing your iPhone apps in the simulator with touches instead of mouse clicks using an iPad and an app called Air Display.
For the vast majority of people who will buy Android phones, "open" is an illusion because now that Google has abandoned their direct sales model, Android firmly puts the final decision making power for the overall experience of the phone back into the hands of the traditional carrier/vendor relationship that ruled the space before the iPhone came out. Apple, unlike other phone vendors, is capable of going toe-to-toe with the carriers and is willing to do so to fight for a better user experience. That's why we don't have AT&T branding all over our iPhones. That's why we don't have the mandatory 15-second spiel before voicemail that Verizon users have to suffer through. Apple is at least an equal partner with the carriers who sell it. Most of the other phone vendors, to put it bluntly, are the carriers' bitches.
I'm in shock right now as I woke up about half-an-hour ago to a tweet from Tim Sears alerting me that Feathers was being featured by Apple on the US App Store as New and Noteworthy!
I need your advice – those of you who have had apps featured by Apple – what should I do to really take advantage of this? Any and all ideas welcome!
My iPhone app for Twitter, Feathers, just got featured by Apple as "New and Noteworthy" on the US App Store.
Within two hours of its release, my new iPhone app, Feathers, shot into the Top 25 in the Social Networking category in the App Store. Thank you to everyone who helped by tweeting, blogging, and – of course – buying the app.
If you haven't seen the short 1-minute screencast yet, what are you waiting for? Head over to feathersapp.com to watch it!
Thank you for your wonderfully warm reception of Feathers and please help me to spread the word.
