Cheap Gas! Version 3.01 has now been approved for sale in the App Store. You can get it here.
This is a very minor update to correct a timestamp reporting issue.
Tag: Cheap Gas!
An Open Note to Mobile Ad Networks – Show Me The Money
It seems like once every couple of weeks I’m complaining about the see-saw nature of mobile advertising rates. Of late, the rates have been what I consider to be abysmal (sub $4 to low $3 CPM).
This is particularly frustrating if you’re serving up between 500,000 and 1,000,000 impressions per month.
And seemingly, just as often, I’m approached by competing ad networks wanting me to switch to their platform.
They always want to talk about how they can pick and choose between several publishers and that their tech is superior.
You know what I want to know?
How much am I going to get paid. Period.
Seems harsh, but here’s what I’m supplying and risking for switching to any ad publisher: my (or more properly, my app’s) reputation and traffic.
If they are only offering what I’m getting today – or less – what’s the point of even talking?
Today the cycle repeats. I have an ad network calling to make their pitch, and I can almost predict the spiel.
Mr. Ad Network cubicle guy, you REALLY want my business?
Pay me a signing bonus for switching to your network. Pay me for the time I have to take to integrate your ad client into my software, unit and system test it to make sure it doesn’t blow up under load, and bake it for 2-3 weeks in the App Store approval queue.
But please, don’t come to me expecting me to switch because you have the best brokering system since bartering began.
Show Me the Money.
Cheap Gas! Version 3.0 Now in iTunes! Augmented Reality is HERE!
Exact Imitation is the Most Sincere Form of Thievery
OK, Apple.
I turned the other cheek when another app with the name “Cheap Gas” showed up in the app store. That was also a GasBuddy.com client, and differed in name only by some hyphenated bullshit tacked onto the end of “Cheap Gas.”
Fine. It’s a crowded little space (GasBuddy.com, GasBag, iGasUp, Cheap Gas!). Build a better mousetrap, yada yada yada. Fine.
When a THIRD app shows up – named “Cheap Gas Finder” – and uses the “Cheap Gas!” application in iTunes VERBATIM as their app description… well, let’s just say “enough’s enough.”
It’s not like Cheap Gas! is an obscure app. It’s not a world beater, but it’s fairly well known, with well over 400,000 downloads.
How in the hell can anyone simply tack on a word of a popular app, steal their description VERBATIM, and still get approved into the App Store?
Am I pissed? Really, more disappointed than pissed.
I’m used to being kissed before I get screwed.
So, there’s THAT.
Below are the screen shots of my app, and the two copycat apps.
Cheap Gas! Version 3 Submitted to iTunes… New Augmented Reality Feature
Augmented Reality in Upcoming Version of Cheap Gas! – “Cyborg”
Cheap Gas! Palm Pre Beginnings
Cheap Gas! New Features
In addition to the “Tweet ‘Em!” button, I’ve totally revamped the SOAP client, so it should be faster getting data from GasBuddy.com (I had been using a proxy to assist with the SOAP calls, but bit the bullet and moved the SOAP client entirely on the handset – so, remove the intermediary proxy means a more responsive app).
I also optimized the scrolling so the UI experience should be a lot better… plus I prettied up some of the plain jane buttons.
I’m very hopeful this release gets approved quickly, because I really think people will dig the twitter option. A lot.
Cheap Gas!… In Print!
Our Cheap Gas! iPhone application will be in a print article in the upcoming June issue of Budget Travel Magazine and in the upcoming July issue of Travel + Leisure Magazine.
I’ll let everyone know when these hit the newsstands.
One never knows how these things will turn out (favorable or not) until you see the articles in black and white.
But hey – I’m just excited to be included in the conversation. Keeping my fingers crossed for good reviews.
Cheap Gas! Version 2.01 is now available in iTunes
A fix for problems with Refresh and Resort is now available (or will be this evening, at any rate) in iTunes.
Version 2.01 corrects a bug in refresh that was causing the app to get blown out of the water. Resorting by price and distance has also been stabilized.
Hopefully, this will go a long way toward correcting several irritating issues.
Logorrhea 