Wow! eBook – Blog

Book Description

A unique behind-the-scenes look at what makes an application succeed in the App Store

With this invaluable book, Tyson McCann offers a non-technical look at all aspects of the iPhone application development landscape and gets to the core of what makes a popular—and profitable—application. From knowing your customer to to launching a successful app, and everything in between, this must-have guide navigates such topics as developing a concept, analyzing the competition, considerations before the launch, marketing, building a community, and maintaining market share… to name a few.

Coverage includes:

• Setting Your Goals, Costs, and Expectations
• Researching the App Store Market
• Knowing Your Customer
• Plotting the Stages of Development
• Guidelines and Expectations for Developing Your App
• Creating Free and Freemium Apps
• Creating Paid and Premium Apps
• Adopting Apple’s Approach
• Riding the Social Networking Wave
• Feedback, Maintaining, and Scaling Download Now »

Book Description

With iOS 5, Apple added more than 200 new features to the iPad 2, but there’s still no printed guide to using all its amazing capabilities. That’s where this full-color Missing Manual comes in. You’ll learn how to stuff your iPad with media, organize your personal life, wirelessly stream content to and from your tablet, stay connected to friends, and much more.

The important stuff you need to know:

• Build your media library. Fill your iPad with music, movies, TV shows, eBooks, eMagazines, photos, and more.
• Go wireless. Sync content between your computer and iPad—no wires needed.
• Get online. Connect through WiFi or Wi-Fi + 3G, and surf the Web using the iPad’s new tabbed browser.
• Consolidate email. Read and send messages from any of your email accounts.
• Get social. Use built-in apps like iMessage, Twitter, and Ping to stay in touch.
• Store stuff in iCloud. Stash your content online for free, and sync up all your devices automatically.
• Interact with your iPad. Learn new finger moves and undocumented tips, tricks, and shortcuts.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Get to Know Your iPad
Chapter 2. Interact with Your iPad
Chapter 3. Get Online
Chapter 4. Surf the Web Download Now »

Book Description

After you’ve uncovered the basics in Lion, Mac Kung Fu is your next step. You’ll learn how to master everyday tools such as the Dock, Spotlight, Mission Control, Launchpad, and Dashboard. You’ll discover other amazingly useful tools and built-in add-ons that you never knew existed. You’ll customize the OS X interface, refine your workflow, learn valuable security tricks, work better with photos, movies and documents, and test your Mac hardware. You’ll wow friends with your insanely great Mac knowledge!

Mac Kung Fu details things even Mac Geniuses don’t know. And why should they? Many of the tips in this book exploit settings or experimental features never officially made public.

Each tip in this unique book is deliberately short and readable, and you can dip in and out whenever you want. Most take less than a minute to complete, yet the results last for a lifetime of better computing.

What You Need: Mac OS 10.7 (Lion) and above.

About the Author
Keir Thomas is a Linux Journal award-winning author who has been writing about Linux, operating systems and computer hardware for over a decade. Formerly a computer magazine journalist and editor, working on titles such as Linux User and Developer, Linux Magazine and PC Utilities, his other book titles include Beginning Ubuntu Linux, Third Edition Download Now »

Book Description

The best iPhone applications are the ones that demonstrate smooth, fast, efficient and optimal performance. An application should be designed to run at 200 mph, but operate just as smoothly as it would at 5 mph. Developing an application that supports such a wide range of performance needs is no small task and requires an understanding of the basic elements of performance as well as a strong strategy.

This book covers every aspect of tuning, optimizing, and squeezing every last bit of performance out of an iOS project. From application architecture and design to development and deployment, readers will be guided through the entire process of tuning an iOS application for high performance.

Every line of code presents an opportunity to improve upon the effective performance of an application. This book begins with the fundamentals of performance, demonstrating the impact poor performance can have on the success of an application. Apple’s App Store is riddled with applications that fall just short of success and it isn’t too much of a stretch to attribute many of these failures to a lack of optimization. Readers will be lead through each chapter, learning every aspect of performance tuning from simple syntax tips and tricks to advanced process management, and network and memory optimizations.

In addition to theories, syntax, and detailed code examples, readers will learn to take advantage of Apple’s powerful performance measurement and benchmarking utilities to identify the specific components of an iOS project that might need attention. Download Now »

Book Description

Visual learners will quickly see how to take full advantage of Mac OS X Lion

The latest Mac desktop operating system adds iPad functionality, a desktop App Store, and many more cool features. This guide combines step-by-step instructions with full-color illustrations to show visual learners how to take advantage of everything Lion has to offer. Plenty of screen shots show you just what to expect at every step, so you can get going quickly whether you’re new to the Mac or upgrading from an earlier OS.

• Reviews how Lion incorporates all-new features including a multi-touch trackpad, Mission Control, App Store functionality for the desktop, and more
• Aims specifically at those who learn best when they see how things are done, with step-by-step instructions and full-color illustrations showing exactly what each step looks like
• Shows both new Mac users and those upgrading from an earlier Mac OS how to get going with OS X Lion, use all the iLife digital media applications, customize the desktop, and make the most of the latest features

If you learn more quickly when someone shows you how it’s done, this is the perfect Mac OS X Lion guide for you.

From the Back Cover
Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer instructions that show you how to do something — and skip the long-winded explanations? If so, then this book is for you. Download Now »

Book Description

Simply the easiest way for visual learners to get up and running with Mac OS X LionOS X Lion is the latest version of the Mac desktop operating system, offering cool new features for more than 25 million Mac OS X users. For visual learners who are switching to a Mac, upgrading from an earlier OS, or just getting started with computers, Mac OS X Lion Simplified provides all the necessary information in the simplest way possible. Task-based spreads provide step-by-step instructions with full color illustrations that show exactly how to accomplish a wide variety of tasks with Mac OS X Lion.

• Looks at Mac OS X Lion, the latest Mac desktop operating system that features support for the new multi-touch trackpad and other enhancements
• Offers visual learners the easiest way to get going with Mac OS X Lion, using step-by-step instructions illustrated with full-color screen shots that show exactly what each step looks like
• Explains how to use the new trackpad, customize the desktop, work with files and folders, and use the latest versions of iPhoto and iMovie

For those who learn best when they see exactly how something is done, Mac OS X Lion Simplified is the quickest and easiest way to get up and running on Mac OS X Lion.

From the Back Cover
Are you new to computers? Does new technology make you nervous? Relax! You’re holding in your hands the easiest guide ever to Mac OS X Lion — a book that skips the long-winded explanations and shows you how things work. Download Now »