Way to get an iPhone BTC app into the App Store

kangasbros

hero member

Activity: 812

Merit: 1006

Quote from: EuSouBitcoin on April 21, 2012, 06:02:44 PM

I'm thinking it would be better just to have a website designed for the small displays of mobile devices (like google or yahoo have). Then you don't need Apple approval and the mobile version would work on both iOS devices and Android devices. I guess this also beg the question of whether you'd prefer to have some BTC actually on the mobile device or just keep some on an exchange or online wallet and then access that site through the mobile device.

I am already doing this with easywallet.org - pretty fast to get started with iPhone/Android devices. The UI for mobile isn't that great yet, hopefully I will have some time in the future to improve it.

EuSouBitcoin

sr. member

Activity: 490

Merit: 251

I'm thinking it would be better just to have a website designed for the small displays of mobile devices (like google or yahoo have). Then you don't need Apple approval and the mobile version would work on both iOS devices and Android devices. I guess this also beg the question of whether you'd prefer to have some BTC actually on the mobile device or just keep some on an exchange or online wallet and then access that site through the mobile device.

BitPay Business Solutions

hero member

Activity: 742

Merit: 500

Quote from: R- on April 21, 2012, 03:23:05 PM

Ben (Piuk) did it. Blockchain.info is now on the App store.
http://goo.gl/VRHaK

Yeah! Fully functional iPhone wallet. Ben is the man!!

R-

full member

Activity: 238

Merit: 100

Pasta

Ben (Piuk) did it. Blockchain.info is now on the App store.
http://goo.gl/VRHaK

rjk

sr. member

Activity: 462

Merit: 250

1ngldh

Quote from: marked on April 11, 2012, 10:30:19 AM

Quote from: kangasbros on April 09, 2012, 09:41:10 AM

It is just the fact that the full clients suck for mobile usage. Hope that somebody implements Electrum-style client and gets it approved.

voice=cinema-deep

in a world everchanging...

Electrum for android https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/electrum-for-android-75617

Coming soon from the creators of Electrum Desktop Client.

marked

dun dun dun.... sweet!

marked

full member

Activity: 168

Merit: 100

Quote from: kangasbros on April 09, 2012, 09:41:10 AM

It is just the fact that the full clients suck for mobile usage. Hope that somebody implements Electrum-style client and gets it approved.

voice=cinema-deep

in a world everchanging...

Electrum for android https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/electrum-for-android-75617

Coming soon from the creators of Electrum Desktop Client.

marked

BitPay Business Solutions

hero member

Activity: 742

Merit: 500

Quote from: R- on April 10, 2012, 01:02:56 PM

I am surprised you think so. Jailbroken iPhones blow Android's OS out of the water in my opinion.

I agree. Cydia is the best source for apps on any OS I've seen.

R-

full member

Activity: 238

Merit: 100

Pasta

Quote from: notme on April 09, 2012, 02:05:59 PM

Anyway, we're really off-topic since the fact is people have iPhones and we don't want to throw out that market.

I am surprised you think so. Jailbroken iPhones blow Android's OS out of the water in my opinion.

notme

legendary

Activity: 1904

Merit: 1002

Quote from: kangasbros on April 10, 2012, 08:22:27 AM

Quote from: casascius on April 09, 2012, 03:43:27 PM

Can anyone confirm if I understand this correctly? The SDK for iPhone is available for free in the Mac App Store to anyone with a Mac computer running Lion, and the SDK includes an emulator for iPhone for app testing. One can compile the app, but must be part of the $99/year developer program in order to load an application on physical iPhones, even your own phone connected via USB?

I don't think you need to own the licence to run your self-compiled apps. I'm not 100% sure though, since I've had always the licence.

Also you can distribute the app also as a beta to something like 100 users. They don't even need to compile it or anything, and I guess installing for them is pretty trivial.

However, without a very easy installation there won't be much adoption. Technically adept people usually don't understand how easy it must be, so that people will "get it". If you need to do anything that requires some thinking, most people won't bother.

You either need the license, or the phone must be jailbroken.

casascius

vip

Activity: 1386

Merit: 1141

The Casascius 1oz 10BTC Silver Round (w/ Gold B)

I wonder if it might be worth a serious canvassing effort to Apple to get them to not block Bitcoin apps. And where to write to. (I'd participate, and would send my opinion in written form via FedEx, which tends to get noticed a lot more than e-mail).

My read on the situation is that Apple blocks all forms of "virtual currency" because they want to make sure they get a cut of in-app purchases, something developers could easily get around if in-app purchases were made with scrip. But I am not sure they really intend to target projects like Bitcoin. They don't block the PayPal app, nor presumably do they require a 30% cut of every PayPal transaction sent with an iPhone, and the emergence of MintChip legitimizes the evolution of currency as a concept.

I think it's plausible that they could be persuaded that an application that sends Bitcoins is no different than one that sends your PayPal balance, and is substantially different from an app that uses scrip to evade Apple's cut of an in-app purchase and so they should make an explicit exception for it in the rules.

kangasbros

hero member

Activity: 812

Merit: 1006

Quote from: casascius on April 09, 2012, 03:43:27 PM

Can anyone confirm if I understand this correctly? The SDK for iPhone is available for free in the Mac App Store to anyone with a Mac computer running Lion, and the SDK includes an emulator for iPhone for app testing. One can compile the app, but must be part of the $99/year developer program in order to load an application on physical iPhones, even your own phone connected via USB?

I don't think you need to own the licence to run your self-compiled apps. I'm not 100% sure though, since I've had always the licence.

Also you can distribute the app also as a beta to something like 100 users. They don't even need to compile it or anything, and I guess installing for them is pretty trivial.

However, without a very easy installation there won't be much adoption. Technically adept people usually don't understand how easy it must be, so that people will "get it". If you need to do anything that requires some thinking, most people won't bother.

casascius

vip

Activity: 1386

Merit: 1141

The Casascius 1oz 10BTC Silver Round (w/ Gold B)

Can anyone confirm if I understand this correctly? The SDK for iPhone is available for free in the Mac App Store to anyone with a Mac computer running Lion, and the SDK includes an emulator for iPhone for app testing. One can compile the app, but must be part of the $99/year developer program in order to load an application on physical iPhones, even your own phone connected via USB?

notme

legendary

Activity: 1904

Merit: 1002

Quote from: Gabi on April 09, 2012, 06:38:30 AM

Seriously guys:

But well, it's true that we have to allow new people to use bitcoin, and it's not our fault if they use fail phones

Wish I could, but I'm locked in Apple hell after I had an iPhone purchased for me for a project I was working on. Man, will it be nice when I can get an android. My girlfriend has one and it is much better for someone technically inclined like myself.

Anyway, we're really off-topic since the fact is people have iPhones and we don't want to throw out that market.

kangasbros

hero member

Activity: 812

Merit: 1006

Quote from: BitPay Business Solutions on April 09, 2012, 10:23:00 AM

Quote from: piuk on April 09, 2012, 10:19:19 AM

I'd rather own my keys, you shouldn't need to sacrifice bitcoin's greatest strength for a bit of convenience.

piuk has shown how this can be convenient and secure at the same time. Everyone else should follow this model.

While I agree that owning your own keys is the best solution, the blockchain.info app solution is not optimal. Installation is hard and UI is crappy, of course this is subjective.

And of course the more wallet apps there is, the better. Everyone can decide themselves which model is the best for their specific usage.

casascius

vip

Activity: 1386

Merit: 1141

The Casascius 1oz 10BTC Silver Round (w/ Gold B)

Quote from: piuk on April 09, 2012, 10:19:19 AM

Quote from: kangasbros on April 09, 2012, 09:41:10 AM

the mobile app model just sucks IMHO. I don't want to manage invidual addresses etc. I just want a very simple way to receive and send bitcoins, with good anonymity and privacy.)

I'd rather own my keys, you shouldn't need to sacrifice bitcoin's greatest strength for a bit of convenience.

I am a big advocate of paper wallets, but for pocket cash, I would have no problem with the mobile web app model. Like if I were going to Meze Grill and wanted to pay for that damn good steak gyro they've got (that I went back for another a couple days after the first), I wouldn't be worried about a site operator swiping 20 bucks off me. Just as likely I might lose my phone and the keys with it - at least on a hosted service I would get them back.

BitPay Business Solutions

hero member

Activity: 742

Merit: 500

Quote from: piuk on April 09, 2012, 10:19:19 AM

I'd rather own my keys, you shouldn't need to sacrifice bitcoin's greatest strength for a bit of convenience.

piuk has shown how this can be convenient and secure at the same time. Everyone else should follow this model.

piuk

hero member

Activity: 910

Merit: 1005

Quote from: kangasbros on April 09, 2012, 09:41:10 AM

the mobile app model just sucks IMHO. I don't want to manage invidual addresses etc. I just want a very simple way to receive and send bitcoins, with good anonymity and privacy.)

I'd rather own my keys, you shouldn't need to sacrifice bitcoin's greatest strength for a bit of convenience.

kangasbros

hero member

Activity: 812

Merit: 1006

Quote from: Matthew N. Wright on April 09, 2012, 05:17:26 AM

Isn't Bit-Pak already available in the US iTunes?

Promoting Bit-Pak is about the best way to make sure that people will hate bitcoin. Some guy I met at the bar had installed it, and had waited about 2 weeks for the block chain to download. While the app consumes your battery etc.

Then I told him about easywallet.org, and he had it up and running & bookmarked on his iPhone in about 3 minutes. Then I sent some bitcoins to him and he had them instantly in his iPhone.

Introducing bitcoin to a new guy with easywallet.org : 2-5 minutes
Same with BitPak: 2 weeks, and the guy will probably forgot it or remove it from his iPhone from consuming resources.

It is just the fact that the full clients suck for mobile usage. Hope that somebody implements Electrum-style client and gets it approved.

(Myself I approve what the blockchain.info guys are doing, but the mobile app model just sucks IMHO. I don't want to manage invidual addresses etc. I just want a very simple way to receive and send bitcoins, with good anonymity and privacy.)

Gabi

legendary

Activity: 1148

Merit: 1008

If you want to walk on water, get out of the boat

Seriously guys:

But well, it's true that we have to allow new people to use bitcoin, and it's not our fault if they use fail phones

Matthew N. Wright

hero member

Activity: 588

Merit: 500

Hero VIP ultra official trusted super staff puppet

Isn't Bit-Pak already available in the US iTunes?

Topic: Way to get an iPhone BTC app into the App Store (Read 3741 times)