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When Apple first introduced the iAd program this past summer, it was greeted with a rousing “meh” from the crowd. Advertising isn’t an exciting medium to many people, but it does serve a purpose — one that Google has used to its advantage to build an empire. But now that Apple is in the ad game, is it a winning formula, or just a necessary evil?

What is an iAd?

Apple has always been known for making provocative advertisements, but selling them is a new ballgame entirely. After all, they’re known for making hardware and software, not selling space. But with the introduction of the iPhone and the App ecosystem, a hole opened up. Free apps were being supported by ads, ones that weren’t very creative and seemed to go outside of the clean aesthetic of the iPhone itself.

iAds for iOS

They saw an opportunity. Apple wasn’t blind, and they knew that Google’s business plan was built on search and the accompanying advertisements, which has become the standard for how people make money on the internet. Mobile advertising was new, and Google already had their hooks in the market. It was an opportunity to make some money, but do it in a very Apple way that would hopefully become dominant on all mobile devices over time. Apple couched this by saying that this was a way for free apps to generate some revenue, but it was also a way to stick it to Google.

So What Makes iAds Different?

Where Google ads are static and basic, iAds are all about interactivity. Click the ad and you’re taken to a new screen where you become a part of the ad itself. Play a game, listen to sounds or watch videos, all while still staying inside the app. That is the key to making iAds accessible and popular among the masses — keep the viewer in the app, and that way they don’t lose anything by clicking on the link. It separates the Google ads from the iAds in a way that sets a higher standard.

Nissan’s Interactive iAd

This has its drawbacks, particularly for the advertisers. An iAd that will get approved by Apple has to be intricate, detailed, and serve a purpose. In his presentation, Steve Jobs demoed an iAd for Toy Story 3 which had games, puzzles, and video. These are all things that need to be created and produced which can get quite expensive. Then there’s the buy in of the ads themselves, which according to some reports, can be as much as seven figures. This means that only the higher-end companies will be buying iAd spaces, because they have the resources to make the production values that Apple wants.

Are iAds Going to Become Standard in All Apps?

The big fear when Apple first introduced iAds was that everyone was going to find a way to integrate them into their apps. Although Apple claimed it was targeted at free apps, there was no reason why a paid app had to remain ad free, and users panicked.

A Nike iAd

But what happened next was a little bit different. Instead of getting greedy, most developers that charge for their apps have decided to forgo advertisements in lieu of the purchase price. Ultimately, what Apple said they wanted is what they seem to have received.

What Does This Mean to Me?

Apple has built itself up as a company that lives on presentation and control. They want to make sure that any user who uses one of their products has a positive experience, and nowhere is this more true than in the world of iOS and the iPhone. As such, they want to make sure that even the advertising on the device gives a warm and fuzzy feeling, as well as bring in some spare change to their pockets as well. Because of the high cost of admission, Apple doesn’t expect everyone to create iAds, but those that do will have amazing ads that really go above and beyond.

The thing is, iAds haven’t taken over the app system, and most people would be hard pressed to say that they’ve even seen an iAd. Ultimately, although Apple can now officially claim that they’re in the ad game, it’s just one of many options available to developers who want to bring in extra revenue.

That said, Apple products are known to gain enhancements over time. Don’t be surprised if the next version of the iAd program comes out and it blows Google’s mobile ad business out of the water.

In this week’s poll question, we want to know how many apps you have installed on your iOS device!

Leave a comment below and tell us whether you like to cram your device to the brink or keep the offering slim. I currently have 73 and would have a lot more if I weren’t about out of storage!

Don’t go counting your apps one by one to answer! Instead, tap on Settings and go to General and About. The number next to the Applications heading should tell you how many are installed on your device.

Some weeks there are so many fun games coming out that it seems like there aren’t enough lunch breaks and commutes to enjoy them in. Lucky for you, we’re on the job to collect the finest of the recent releases and help you prioritize your weekly dose of app entertainment!

This week is no different, and as always we encourage you to get in touch if you’d like your game featured!

The Incident

The Incident

A leftover from last week’s collection of 8-bit revival titles, The Incident is a clever platforming game of sorts that paints the apocalypse in a different light than its Super Mega Worm competitor.

You play as an ordinary gentleman whose stroll through the city is interrupted by sudden rifts in the sky that begin dropping…well, everything! Hundreds of unique and detailed objects — from furniture and vehicles to instruments and more — come tumbling down, and your goal is to jump, dodge, and climb on top of the growing stack as you try to survive the deluge of stuff.

Great production values, achievements, and collectables earn this unique game an easy recommendation.

Price: $1.99
Developer: Big Bucket Software
Download: App Store

Solomon’s Boneyard

Solomon’s Boneyard

Splintering off from Raptisoft’s Solomon’s Keep, Solomon’s Boneyard is almost like a survival-horror mini-game offshoot that’s been polished into its own independent title. Rather than a fully-fledged dungeon crawling RPG, Solomon’s Boneyard focuses on pitting you — as one of seven selectable magic users — against an endless horde of undead in a graveyard.

As you’d expect, the waves get progressively more menacing, and your character gains new skills, spells, and “perks” as you go along. In many ways, it takes the successful gameplay of its predecessor and streamlines it for short gaming sessions, providing a more linear competition to earn the highest score. And in that it succeeds almost flawlessly, with enough variety and difficulty to keep the grind from becoming tiresome.

If you’re after a sophisticated sequel then you’re out of luck, but if you want a quick fix of solid gameplay then you’ll find it in Solomon’s Boneyard.

Price: $0.99
Developer: Raptisoft
Download: App Store

Splode

Splode

Following the dark theme into cuter territory, Splode recently emerged as a charismatic and addictive game for your iPhone. The Splodes, we are told, are adorable little spheroids that float along invisibly until you poke them. Then they explode and night turns into day.

More specifically, your touch causes them to lose their drab grey fuzz in favour of a brightly coloured coat right before swelling up and popping brightly. If they pop near enough to their brethren, they pass the effect along, and so your poke eventually causes a chain reaction that brightens up the whole screen. The best part is that each colourful burst is accompanied by sweet and beautiful music, which makes the whole spectacle feel all the more satisfying to participate in.

There is a challenge mode as well as an endless survival mode, and both are very difficult to pull yourself away from once you’ve started playing. If you’ve always wanted to bring some light into the world then this may be a good one to grab.

Price: Currently Free (Usually $1.99)
Developer: Escalation Studios, LLC.
Download: App Store

Aerox

Aerox

Aerox is one of the most beautiful physics platformers on the iPhone, and its support of the more powerful graphics capabilities of the 3GS and iPhone 4 mean that you can enjoy realtime reflections, shadows, and lighting effects in the palm of your hand. Despite its advanced visuals, Aerox runs smoothly, which makes it all the more impressive to look at as you play.

Gameplay is fairly basic and consists of controlling a ball through each level by tilting and turning to get it from the start to the ending platform. Along the way, you’ll encounter many different kinds of puzzles and traps including blocks to push and precisely timed actions. Imagine Super Monkey Ball only without the monkey and with a cooler colour scheme.

If you think you have a steady hand and want to appreciate the beautiful visuals, then Aerox deserves a spot on your wishlist.

Price: $1.99
Developer: Synoptical Studios Ltd.
Download: App Store

Mr. Bill

Mr. Bill

From a big name developer like Capcom, it comes as no real surprise that Mr. Bill is a stellar game. But what sets it apart from the rest of the lineup is its utterly unique premise and sense of humour. Mr. Bill is a deceptively cutesy looking title, but don’t be fooled — it will challenge you.

As Mr. Bill, you have just been hired as a human cannonball for the circus, and the job turns out to be…stressful. Surviving each level means tapping the screen to flap your arms and maintain height, all while seeking floating bits of food to replenish your energy. As if that wasn’t harrowing enough, you also have to worry about all kinds of other circus performers who will either help or hinder you as you pass over them.

It’s difficult not to smile at Mr. Bill. Besides being fun and addictive with its endless mode, it also looks spectacular with polished graphics and smooth animations. It’s one of Capcom Interactive’s finest and the last of our recommendations for this week!

Price: $0.99
Developer: Capcom Interactive, Inc.
Download: App Store

What Have You Been Playing?

While you’re taking a look at those, why not let us know what games you’ve been spending your week with in the comments? Tell us if we’ve missed any winners, we welcome your feedback!

Since the Golden Age, comic books have been a form of art-entertainment that have captured our youth; today, that is even more true as the comic book enters the digital age, and what better companion is there to help it along than the iPhone? Just like iBooks reinvented book-reading for iPhone, Panelfly hopes to do the same for comic books. And it doesn’t disappoint.

Keep reading after the fold to find out how you can get your favorite classic and modern comics on your iPhone or iPod touch, and devour them in ways you never thought possible on a touch-screen.

Overview

Overview

The easiest way to get started with Panelfly is to go directly to the Store when you first open it. Immediately, you’ll see several sections (Featured, New Books, Top Tens, Browse and Download), which is reminiscent of the iTunes Store. The awesome thing about the Panelfly Store is that if you know how to use iTunes to buy music, you know how to use Panelfly to buy comics. It’s that simple.

Pricing

Panelfly is a free application on the iTunes App Store; comic book issues range from free to $1.99, and graphic novels can be more expensive (often in the $8.99 range).

The Store

The Panelfly store offers lots of the most popular series for purchase, at unbeatable prices.

Using Panelfly

Step 1. Buy your first issue

Buying a book is as simple as tapping the Buy Issue button and entering your iTunes password; the reason you have to log in through iTunes is that it uses Apple’s awesome In App Purchase system to process payments. That means that you don’t have to sign up with Panelfly to download books! Chances are, if you were able to download the app, you will be able to download comic books.

Those of you who were hoping to not have to pay for comics, fear not! There is an entire section of free comic book issues, which changes periodically. To check it out, go to Top Tens, and tap Free Comics; there, you can get a taste of the fun you’ll have using Panelfly.

Whether you opt for a free issue or a paid one, when you download it, the book-cover flies into the Download tab; you can tap there to see its progress.

The store page for Hellboy: Seed of Destruction

Step 2. Explore your Library

When you have downloaded an issue, you can back out of the Store by tapping the little arrow on the top-left corner of the screen. Then, tap the Library item, and it will bring you to a list of all your issues.

You can view your issues by Title, Publisher, Author, Artist or Genre by tapping those items in the tab bar at the bottom of the screen.

Your Library

Your Library shows a list of the series that you have downloaded. Tap one to choose an issue and start reading!

Step 3. Start reading!

Now for the fun part: reading your new comic book! The really neat thing about Panelfly is how effortless it is to read from panels that are much larger than the screen of your iPhone. Panelfly knows where the borders and text captions are on every panel (even the irregularly-shaped ones), and will guide you through them. To go forward, tap on the right side of your screen; to go back, tap on the left. Panelfly will seemingly magically guide you from panel to panel, making sure you miss nothing!

Try rotating your device for a landscape view too. Panelfly performs like a champion, taking screen-rotation, scrolling, and zooming in its stride.

Reading a Comic

Tap on the left and right to go backward and forward in your new comic book issue!

Step 4. Save some for later

Congratulations! You’ve learned how to use the bulk of Panelfly. There are a few more gems in it, though: sometimes, you’ll find a page that really stands out to you, and you’ll want to save it for later; look no further than the Bookmark button on the toolbar! Tap it, and your page will be fly into your bookmarks. Pages that you bookmark are collated across all of your comic book issues in the Bookmarks screen (from the top level, tap Bookmarks). Now, you can swipe through, jump to, or delete any bookmark you have ever made.

Bookmarks

It’s easy to save a bookmark in Panelfly, and just as easy to look at it later! From the front page of Panelfly, tap Bookmarks to get to this beautiful bookmarks manager.

Final Thoughts

There are a few other comic book applications for iOS, but Panelfly really stands out with its superb visual design (the red theme is breathtaking), admirable performance, and wide selection. If I could think of anything that would improve the app, it would be an update including better resolution graphics for the Retina Display; another improvement would be to update the application to work with iOS 4’s new Multitasking feature. The app looks beautiful on my iPhone 4, but I know that it would be just unbelievable if it had the crispness that would come with doubling its resolution.

The Panelfly team has indicated that they are hard at work on an iPad version of the app, which looks amazing. The future for this comic bookstore looks bright indeed.

After having wandered bought a few issues of Hellboy, I can’t wait to sit down with a cup of coffee and start reading. Panelfly gets a 9/10 rating from me; when the app is updated for the Retina Display and Multitasking, I’ll be happy to rate it 10/10. I hope you give this great, free app a shot, and get inspired again by comics.