Apple is not only tweaking its App Store rankings to downrank pay-per-install applications, it may be actively banning these applications from the App Store. According to Tapjoy, several developers within their network are receiving rejection notices from Apple because their applications feature a pay-per-install promotion.

This cross-application promotion lets users buy virtual in-app goods by downloading other applications instead of sending a payment. This practice has been criticized because it artificially boosts the download counts of applications. Users download these advertised applications because they want something for free, not because the app is desirable.

Tapjoy claims these incentive-based downloads are not directly prohibited by Apple’s developers guidelines, but believes Apple is applying section 3.10 to apps within its network. Section 3.10 of Apple’s developer agreement states:

Developers who attempt to manipulate or cheat the user reviews or chart ranking in the App Store with fake or paid reviews, or any other inappropriate methods will be removed from the iOS Developer Program

Tapjoy defends its pay-per-install model by claiming the system is misunderstood. It acknowledges that campaigns may boost the downloads of some participating developers, but the overall model is beneficial to users, advertisers, and developers. Tapjoy supports the recent changes to Apple’s ranking algorithm and is asking Apple to reconsider its unofficial ban on pay-per-install applications.

Apple banning pay-per-install apps from the App Store says Tapjoy originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here’s a double whammy for you. Vietnamese site Tinhte (who have a decent record of leaks) has put out a video of what they claim is a) a white iPhone from Apple which is b) running some “test version” of iOS. As you can see in the video on the next page, multitasking in this mystery version presents you with a page full of screens for running applications. They go all jiggly and present the standard close button when long-pressed, and there’s a nifty Search iPhone up top, but seems to be missing from the usual swipe to search function normally used to invoke Spotlight.

Is this real? Well, as Federico Viticci from MacStories points out, the Calculator app uses an old icon, as does the Voice Memo app. But iPhone Dev Team hacker Chronic tweets, there’s nothing from Cydia like this. In fact, Chronic states unequivocally that this is, in fact, simply build 8A216 of iOS 4. The Gold Master version of iOS 4 was 8A293. Nothing to get excited about today it seems, although the way multitasking works here is kinda neat. Perhaps it will live again in iOS 5. For now, we’re not going to say this is indicative of anything but a white iPhone running an old version of iOS 4.

Update: 9to5 Mac posted another video which supports the notion this iPhone is a prototype with 64 GB of memory. Unfortunately they are enthused over what they perceive as iOS 5 features, including such goodies as Facebook integration… We are siding with Chronic on this one and say this is build 8A216.

[via Engadget]

Continue reading White iPhone? Test version of iOS? Tinhte claims both in video

White iPhone? Test version of iOS? Tinhte claims both in video originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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News broke yesterday that Apple filed a patent and trademark violation lawsuit against Samsung. The suit claims Samsung stole the physical look, hardware design, software packaging and user interface from Apple and used these Apple-inspired elements in its popular line of Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

Samsung has responded strongly to this suit, threatening to fight this lawsuit and retaliate with its own countersuit accusing Apple of violating wireless patents held by the Korean company. This move pits Samsung against its second biggest client in a war over lucrative wireless and smartphone technology. Apple obtains display panels and semiconductors from Samsung and accounted for 4% of the Korean’s company total revenue in 2010.

Samsung will respond strongly to Apple’s lawsuit originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPhone dev-team released an untethered jailbreak for iOS owners running Apple’s latest 4.3.2 firmware. Good news for jailbreakers as Apple did not patch the hole discovered by @i0n1c. The code for this exploit was used in the untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.3.1 and was easily ported over to the jailbreak for this latest version of iOS.

iPad 2 owners cannot join the jailbreak party as the 0.9.6rc14 version of redsn0w only supports the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 (GSM), iPod touch 3G/4G and the first generation iPad. Point your browser to the dev-team’s website for more information on the Mac and Windows version of redSn0w.

As always, follow the directions closely and remember you jailbreak at your own risk.

[Via Redmond Pie]

iPhone dev-team releases untethered redsn0w jailbreak for iOS 4.3.2, iPad 2 not included originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An internal memo suggests Apple is ending the US$30 MobileMe and iWork rebate program. The program offers customers a $30 discount on a $99 MobileMe subscription or the $79 iWork suite when they buy a new Mac. According to the memo, Apple has told all resellers to end the program on April 18th. All references to the rebate must be removed by the end of that business day.

This change is stirring up the persistent rumor that MobileMe is undergoing a major overhaul. Apple recently stopped selling boxed copies of MobileMe leading to speculation that some or all the cloud service may be offered for free. This change may be announced in the upcoming months, possibly at WWDC and may be tied to Apple’s iOS 5 update.

The termination of the iWork rebate program is not tied to MobileMe, but it does hint an update to the productivity suite is on the way. The desktop version of the suite was updated in 2009 and is in need of a refresh. Much of the changes to iWork in 2010 focused on bringing the applications to the iPad. iWork 11 was expected to debut with the roll out of the Mac App store, but that rumor failed to materialize.

Apple ends $30 MobileMe and iWork rebate program originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sonos, creator of a well-reviewed, multi-room, wireless music system, has updated its software to support Apple’s AirPlay. It means a Sonos music system owner can wirelessly send music from an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch to any room that has a Sonos Zone Player. The catch is that you have to buy a US$99 AirPort Express to plug into one of the Zone Players to get it working.

It’s understandable that Sonos has to do this. AirPlay support is a hardware and software solution, and Sonos is not building AirPlay hardware into its Zone Players. I’m not sure this will be a big deal to many Sonos owners. The company already provides a wireless dock with iPhone support that allows the phone to stream to any Sonos device. That dock needs to be plugged into AC power, but the connection into the Sonos system is wireless.

The Sonos software update also includes support for multitasking for its iPad and iPhone app. That means it will run in the background and not force a relaunch, which will speed up operation of the system from any iDevice. Those updates are available on the App Store for free. The Sonos system has become very popular over the years, and feature updates have included even the earliest devices the company has made. Supporting AirPlay is a nice addition to the feature roster, and for those who already have an AirPort Express to dedicate to this task, it will be welcome.

Sonos music systems now support AirPlay, but there’s a catch originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Circus Pain is a physics puzzler in the vein of Angry Birds and Ragdoll Blaster. The goal across each of the game’s 55 levels is to toss a little circus performer into an on-screen basket while trying to hit as many obstacles as possible along the way. It’s a pretty standard affair for the touchscreen at this point, but the excellent premise and art style of Circus Pain make it stand out from other App Store titles. The game is sometimes tough, but still very interesting, and you can move at your own pace as you navigate through the game’s four worlds.

Plus, at a price of just 99 cents for a universal version, it’s tough to turn this one down. If you’re not willing to invest the buck right away, there’s a lite version to try as well. But if you like tossing ragdolls around for a little bit of physics-based gameplay, Circus Pain is an enjoyable romp.

TUAW’s Daily App: Circus Pain originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia has just released a Safari plug-in for its browser-based Ovi Maps 3D mapping software, and it is beautiful. The new mapping software renders lifelike 3D textured buildings in a level of detail that is unparalleled. The image above is from London, and as you can see, not only are the buildings rendered in photorealistic 3D textures, but bushes and trees are as well.

As of now, Nokia’s 3D textures are limited to London, Oslo, New York and other big cities, with other cities to follow later. To view the 3D beta of Ovi Maps 3D, you need to download the 19 MB Safari plug-in here. Unfortunately, there’s no word on whether Nokia plans to release an iOS app for Ovi Maps 3D; given the competition in the smartphone market between Apple and Nokia, it’s doubtful. However, Apple has been rumored to be overhauling the Maps app in iOS for quite some time, and it would be great if it could come close to this level of 3D textures in a future version of Maps.

[via Electronista]

Nokia releases Ovi Maps 3D beta plug-in for Safari originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thanks to the hard work of the folks who purchased Valve’s Potato Sack promotion, the Portal 2 alternate reality game has finished, and the long-awaited sequel is now available on Steam. The game officially releases tomorrow for consoles and PC, but since the Steam version is compatible with SteamPlay, it’s also available for the Mac from day one.

Portal was one of the best games of the past few years, and every indication is that the sequel will be just as inventive and fun. If you’ve been waiting for it, the wait is over. Go and enjoy!

Portal 2 out now originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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These are the steps to jailbreak iOS 4.3.2 untethered with Sn0wbreeze 2.6. Sn0wbreeze 2.6 can jailbreak iOS 4.3.2 untethered on iPhone 4, 3GS, iPod Touch 4G, 3G and iPad. iPad 2 jailbreak is NOT possible ATM.

Sn0wbreeze 2.6, just like PwnageTool, creates custom iOS 4.3.2 to jailbreak iPhone 4, 3GS, iPod Touch and iPad. Sn0wbreeze 2.6 also preserves iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS baseband so you may unlock iOS 4.3.2 with UltraSn0w later.

How to Jailbreak iOS 4.3.2 Untethered with Sn0wBreeze 2.6

Step 1

Download the required stuff linked below and put them on your desktop.

• Download iOS 4.3.2 for your device.
• Download Sn0wBreeze 2.6
• Download iTunes 10.2.2 and install it.

Step 2

Run the Sn0wBreeze.exe. Hit Ok and then Close Credits button. and then hit the next button.

Step 3

Either drag & drop the iOS 4.3.2 firmware file in the given drop-box on Sn0wbreeze window or hit the Browse button and select the downloaded iOS 4.3.2 IPSW file for your iDevice.

Sn0wBreeze will identify the IPSW firmware file. When done, hit the next button.

Step 4

Now select the Expert Mode and Hit next button.

Then select General.

Step 5

iPhone Users:
**If you depend on unlock make sure Activate The iPhone [Hacktivate] option is checked/selected.
Then keep hitting Next.

Step 6

Now select the Build IPSW option and hit next.

Sn0wBreeze will start building custom firmware to jailbreak your iPhone 4, 3GS, idevice. Since the building process takes several minutes to complete, you can either choose to play PacMan or stick with the Spinner.

Once Done! Hit the OK button. (Custom firmware can be found on desktop)

Step 7

Now follow the on screen instructions to put your iDevices into Pwned State. Sn0wBreeze instructions are important to follow because this will put iDevice into Pwned DFU state NOT the simple DFU mode.

• Hold Power + Home buttons for 10 seconds
• Now release the Power button but keep holding the Home button for 10-30 more seconds
• Your device should now be in DFU mode

Sn0wBreeze will prompt you once you’re into Pwned DFU state.

Step 8

Now open iTunes, Hold down the Shift key and hit the Restore button.
Browse and select the custom firmware that we just created, from the desktop.

iTunes will start restoring iOS 4.3.2 on your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch/Apple TV 2G. Once the restore process is complete, your device will be running iOS 4.3.2 jailbroken.

Redsn0w 0.9.6rc14 can jailbreak 4.3.2 untethered on iPhone 4, 3GS, iPad, iPod Touch 4G, 3G. These are the steps to jailbreak iOS 4.3.2 untethered using RedSn0w 0.9.6rc4. No iPad 2 support.

Dev-team released RedSn0w 0.9.6rc12 to jailbreak 4.3.2 earlier, however, it was a tethered jailbreak. Now, Dev-Team has released RedSn0w 0.9.6rc14 which features i0nic’s untethered jailbreak exploit.

WARNING: If you depend on UltraSn0w unlock, you must STAY AWAY from RedSn0w and stock iOS 4.3.2, use Sn0wbreeze or PwnageTool instead.

How to Jailbreak 4.3.2 Untethered with RedSn0w 0.9.6rc14

Step 1

Download the required stuff:

• Download RedSn0w 0.9.6 rc14
• Download iOS 4.3.2
• Download iTunes 10.2.2

Step 2

Restore iOS 4.3.2 on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch and keep it connect to your computer via USB.
*You can skip this step if you’re already running iOS 4.3.2.

Step 3

Execute the Redsn0w 0.9.6 rc14

Step 4

Hit the Browse button and select official iOS 4.3.2 firmware (downloaded in Step 1). RedSn0w will recognize your IPSW file. Then hit Next.

Step 5

Now check mark “Install Cydia” and hit Next.

Step 6

Now make sure your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch is turned OFF and Plugged in to your computer. Hit Next.

Step 7

Now you’ll be instructed to put your iDevice into DFU Mode. Follow the on screen instructions.

Once you’ve successfully entered into DFU mode, RedSn0w will start jailbreaking iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS on iOS 4.3.2 tethered. When done! your iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS will be jailbroken untethered on iOS 4.3.2.

You can follow us on Twitter, Join us at Facebook, and Subscribed to RSS Feed to receive latest updates.

Dev-team has released RedSn0w 0.9.6rc14, the iOS 4.3.2 untethered jailbreak for iPhone 4 (GSM), 3GS, iPad, iPod Touch 4G, 3G. You can download RedSn0w 0.9.6rc14 from the link below.

Only a few weeks after the iOS 4.3.1 untether created by @i0n1c was released, Apple pushed out firmware 4.3.2. Thankfully, it appears Apple didn’t have a chance to fix the hole used by @i0n1c’s untether, so he ported his code over to 4.3.2’s kernel. Today’s redsn0w has been updated to include it.

The iOS 4.3.2 untether jailbreak works on all devices that actually support 4.3.2 except for the iPad 2:

• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 4 (GSM)
• iPod Touch 3G
• iPod Touch 4G
• iPad 1

Download RedSn0w 0.9.6rc14

You can download RedSn0w 0.9.6rc12 for both the Windows and Mac OS from the link below:

• Download RedSn0w 0.9.6rc14 for Windows [Mirror 1][Mirror 2]
• Download RedSn0w 0.9.6rc14 for Mac [Mirror 1][Mirror 2]

You can follow us on Twitter, Join us at Facebook, and also Subscribed to RSS Feed to receive latest updates.

Sn0wbreeze 2.6, the iOS 4.3.2 untethered jailbreak is now available for download. Sn0wbreeze 2.6 can jailbreak iPhone 4, 3GS, iPod Touch 4G, 3G and iPad. You can download Sn0wbreeze 2.6 from the link below.

Sn0wbreeze 2.6

• Supports iOS 4.3.2 (Except iPad 2).
• Updated to support i0n1c’s 4.3.2 untether.
• Multitasking Gestures enabled as usual.

ERROR 3194+

• Close down any TinyUmbrella‘s.
• Remove Cydia’s SHSH caching server from your hosts
  (C:\WINDOWS\system32\driver\etc\hosts)
• Reboot

Download Sn0wbreeze 2.6

You can download Sn0wbreeze 2.6 for Windows from the link below:

Download Sn0wbreeze 2.6

Detailed step-by-step instructions will be posted shortly. Stay Tuned!

You can follow us on Twitter, Join us at Facebook, and also Subscribed to RSS Feed to receive latest updates.

Jailbreak iOS 4.3.2

How to: Jailbreak iOS 4.3.2

Matt Tubergen heads Recharge Studios, a wholly owned subsidiary of W3i that invests in the development and marketing/distribution of freemium mobile games.  W3i is a market leader in distributing and monetizing apps with over 500 million apps distributed for W3i clients. Recharge Studios is actively seeking new investment opportunities, if you have a great idea for a game contact us.

Last week we wrote about the importance of understanding the lifetime value of a freemium game user. You can roll out all the right game mechanics and do all the right things but if you don’t understand what value a user is providing you long-term, it’s challenging to build a successful business model around your game.

In last week’s post we identified two key metrics in calculating lifetime value, Retention and Revenue per Daily Active User or RPDAU. This week we dive deeper into arriving at an RPDAU value.

What is RPDAU?

Simply put, the RPDAU is a key data point, based on a calculation that allows you to extrapolate a value for each active user. That value can then help in forecasting long term revenues.  Basically, how much money are you making divided by your daily active users.

Arriving at RPDAU

The key theme from the above statement, how much money, can be further broken down to: from where? In other words, to calculate an RPDAU most freemium games will look at two revenue streams

• In-app purchases (IAP)
• Advertising (Such as an offer wall like the W3i Ad-Funded Payment Platform)

Understanding how users convert at each revenue stream is key to arriving at the RPDAU. It is worth noting that how a user converts in one stream, say in-app purchases, may not be the same as how they convert in the other, advertising.

In order to arrive at the RPDAU, you have to add the average revenue a user generates from both streams. So if the average conversion for IAP is 1.5 cents and the average conversion for advertising is 2 cents the RPDAU would be 3.5 cents.

Once you have that value, you can begin moving forward on calculating a lifetime value and take into consideration retention, the subject of next week’s blog.

Do you have a question about freemium gaming or a topic you’d like us to explore? Let us know in the comments or catch us on twitter @rechargestudios or @w3i.

Freemium Game Blogs are published in partnership with the series on W3i’s corporate blog.