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MWSF 2010 Demo: SachManya's Yapper

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Apr 12, 2001
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204651-app_500.jpg


SachManya announced Yapper at Macworld, a web-based tool that allows you to build an iPhone App based on an RSS feed. The product is targeted at bloggers and other content providers who want to create an iPhone app quickly based on their existing content.

Yapper handles app creation after the customer submits the rss links and relevant icon graphics. The final app is submitted by Yapper for approval in the App Store. The basic cost for app creation is $99 with additional fees for additional features.

Article Link: MWSF 2010 Demo: SachManya's Yapper
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/02/11/mwsf-2010-demo-sachmanyas-yapper/
This sounds like it has the potential to become a big giant blackhole, since every RSS feed on the planet could potentially become a separate app. Not only does everything have to funnel through Yapper, but it also has to funnel through Apple. And what happens when an RSS feed changes addresses?

EDIT: Not to mention, what happens when the common runtime needs to be updated. eg: when you build SSBs with Fluid, and Fluid itself is updated, you still have to update each of the SSB apps. That's handled nicely by Fluid, but the same thing won't happen with Yapper. So if a bug is found (eg: incompatibility with iPhone OS 3.something or 4.0), every "app" built with Yapper is going to have to be updated and resubmitted.

It sure seems like the long way around. Just make a decent RSS feed application, maybe design its UI to make it feel like every RSS feed is separate (eg: open the reader app and a pseudo-"Springboard-ey" kind of UI appears, display an icon/favicon for each feed, tap one to read it) and sell it for $2.99, instead of the complicated and potentially floody $0.99-separate-app-per-feed.

Frankly, I can see Apple baulking at this, esp since there is little value actually provided by Yapper's approach. It's not really any better than those apps that are little more than a Safari front-end for a website. And I wouldn't be surprised if Apple built RSS handling into iPhone OS 4.0.
 
Interesting. Only last week I had an idea for creating a source-code package that bloggers/online authors could buy to create their own apps, with the option of having me compile/submit it for them of course.

I decided not to in the end, because I don't think the market for it is particularly big given the effort it'd require. A well built iPhone specific web page would be 10x better for 99% of people.

Of course, I may be wrong, and I wish these Yapper guys well with their project.
 
Seems a small shop - their sign up forces you to provide a telephone number and website...

Just like having an app ber book, or an app per genre for the same app, maybe having an app per RSS feed is a little OTT. Any word on them getting broad Apple app approval?
 
Finally...

I think this is a great idea and it should have been done a long time ago.

Frankly, web browsing on the iPhone is not the best experience, so anything that improves it must be welcome.

But $99? That's a bit steep for most bloggers, who would really need something like this.
 
What's the point of having an entire App just to read an RSS feed, when you can do it right from Safari (for free)?
 
YAPPER vs iSites some thoughts from an iPhone developer

Some good questions raised on this forum. I thought i would share my research here. First I looked at both services. iSites is around a bit longer that's right and they are a bit cheaper. Also both say they are building native iPhone and android apps but then I digged a bit more and i found that isites is not a totally native app-what they have done is completely a web based solution wrapped within UIWebview. What I mean is that guys their navbar and tabbars are background images not native iPhone navbars and tabbars. So why does that matter - it would take an iSites based app much longer much to load the app and the content because everything is delivered over the network connection. Further, I downloaded one of the iSites apps and tried to launch the app in the airport mode. Guess what, the app is useless when their is no network connection. YAPPER on other hand says their app would still run offline - very cool for people like me who take Caltrain everyday to work, I can still read the articles when their no network connection. Finally, YAPPER has an option for push notifications so a publisher/blogger can send our alerts for breaking or exclusive stories. I hope this helps.
 
I think you didn't get this one!

batchtaster said:
This sounds like it has the potential to become a big giant blackhole, since every RSS feed on the planet could potentially become a separate app. Not only does everything have to funnel through Yapper, but it also has to funnel through Apple. And what happens when an RSS feed changes addresses?
Click to expand...
Some good questions raised on this forum. I thought i would share my research here. First I looked at both services. iSites is around a bit longer that's right and they are a bit cheaper. Also both say they are building native iPhone and android apps but then I digged a bit more and i found that isites is not a totally native app-what they have done is completely a web based solution wrapped within UIWebview. What I mean is that guys their navbar and tabbars are background images not native iPhone navbars and tabbars. So why does that matter - it would take an iSites based app much longer much to load the app and the content because everything is delivered over the network connection. Further, I downloaded one of the iSites apps and tried to launch the app in the airport mode. Guess what, the app is useless when their is no network connection. YAPPER on other hand says their app would still run offline - very cool for people like me who take Caltrain everyday to work, I can still read the articles when their no network connection. Finally, YAPPER has an option for push notifications so a publisher/blogger can send our alerts for breaking or exclusive stories. I hope this helps.
 
MacRumors said:



204651-app_500.jpg


SachManya announced Yapper at Macworld, a web-based tool that allows you to build an iPhone App based on an RSS feed. The product is targeted at bloggers and other content providers who want to create an iPhone app quickly based on their existing content.

Yapper handles app creation after the customer submits the rss links and relevant icon graphics. The final app is submitted by Yapper for approval in the App Store. The basic cost for app creation is $99 with additional fees for additional features.

Article Link: MWSF 2010 Demo: SachManya's Yapper
Click to expand...

I DO NOT RECOMMEND YAPPER!

Here's why.

I read this article, and went to their website. I run a small wordpress blog and wanted an app built for it.

on 2/12, I ordered. I filled out all the info. My RSS feed, my image, all the info required in their order form. It took me to paypal, and I paid.

I got a website saying they would start building my app.

on 2/17... *I* had to email them, asking for an update. They replied, saying they were in the process of building my app, it would take a couple days, and they would keep me posted.

I heard nothing from them at all, NOTHING.

on 2/22, again *I* emailed them, asking for an update.

I get this reply and I quote:

"We have recd your app request as well as the payment. Based on our recent experience with the App Store your app is likely to get rejected since it has limited content (only one feed). So we recommend that you add more feeds like from Youtube or twitter. Otherwise, we can add a user story submission component to your app to help your chances of getting approved . This would allow your app users to upload their PubFail story with photo/video and then they can also view these stories within their app. To foresee how this would work; download our 360news app from the app store and check out the submit tab and also visit 360ne.ws. We can use this component in your app. Their would be no additional cost to you. We will also give you a webpage for these uploaded stories that you could integrate into your website with an iFrame so your site's look and feel will be consistent and user don't see 360ne.ws url.

Pls let us know your thoughts at the earliest."



What????

1. Their website asked for my RSS feed. I gave it.

2. Their website NEVER MENTIONED ANY OF THE ABOVE.

3. Now suddenly I have to add youtube and twitter feeds? Why would I want to do that? Or they want me to agree to install something from 360ne.ws? That would then have an iFrame on MY site?

SOUNDS FISHY TO ME!!!!!!

I have since filed a dispute at Paypal against Yapper and my transaction. This is total nonsense. Their reason for this is because I only have 1 RSS feed? Well they should have told me that to begin with!
 
mriggins said:
I DO NOT RECOMMEND YAPPER!

Here's why.

I read this article, and went to their website. I run a small wordpress blog and wanted an app built for it.

on 2/12, I ordered. I filled out all the info. My RSS feed, my image, all the info required in their order form. It took me to paypal, and I paid.

I got a website saying they would start building my app.

on 2/17... *I* had to email them, asking for an update. They replied, saying they were in the process of building my app, it would take a couple days, and they would keep me posted.

I heard nothing from them at all, NOTHING.

on 2/22, again *I* emailed them, asking for an update.

I get this reply and I quote:

"We have recd your app request as well as the payment. Based on our recent experience with the App Store your app is likely to get rejected since it has limited content (only one feed). So we recommend that you add more feeds like from Youtube or twitter. Otherwise, we can add a user story submission component to your app to help your chances of getting approved . This would allow your app users to upload their PubFail story with photo/video and then they can also view these stories within their app. To foresee how this would work; download our 360news app from the app store and check out the submit tab and also visit 360ne.ws. We can use this component in your app. Their would be no additional cost to you. We will also give you a webpage for these uploaded stories that you could integrate into your website with an iFrame so your site's look and feel will be consistent and user don't see 360ne.ws url.

Pls let us know your thoughts at the earliest."



What????

1. Their website asked for my RSS feed. I gave it.

2. Their website NEVER MENTIONED ANY OF THE ABOVE.

3. Now suddenly I have to add youtube and twitter feeds? Why would I want to do that? Or they want me to agree to install something from 360ne.ws? That would then have an iFrame on MY site?

SOUNDS FISHY TO ME!!!!!!

I have since filed a dispute at Paypal against Yapper and my transaction. This is total nonsense. Their reason for this is because I only have 1 RSS feed? Well they should have told me that to begin with!
Click to expand...

What a bunch of crap! Good luck with this!
 
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