They’ll always be a place where Apps are better than the native web, but the increasing importance of the browser, both because it’s the one platform that ties everything together, and because the increased fragmentation the smartphone market will have as time goes on, will make Apps less important than they are now

Could not have say it better… and btw are you familiar with the concept of NIWEA, Native Interoperable Web Apps… check it out on Liip’s blog.

Two requirements need to be met before browser based technologies are capable being a general replacement for applications:
1. They need to be functional offline. The ability to edit a document can’t depend on the availability of a network signal.
2. There needs to be access to core phone features like the phone book, calendar, camera and location.

Those requirements are also valid when you are considering developing a mobile application and you are hesitating between developing a mobile web application or a native application. To which I would add two other points…
3. Needs of updating the application. Mobile web app are much more easily updatable. It takes much more time on a native application.
4. Portability on any device. When well done, a mobile web application can be accessible from the begining to almost any mobile device. Ain’t true for native app obviously.

To sum up… things to think about when developping a mobile web app. vs. a native app:

1. Offline feature.
2. Accessing core feature of the phone.
3. Ease of update.
4. Portability on any device

I’ll end with a quote from Cameron Moll on Twitter:

…and the more I’m convinced well-done mobile web apps pretty much negate the need for iPhone installed apps that do the same.

A new Podcasting application has been refused entry into the App Store because it “duplicates the functionality of the Podcast section of iTunes,” [...] The new application called Podcaster would allow users to download podcasts on their iPhone and listen to them at their leisure. The app also streams podcasts so you could listen to your favorite show anywhere you have an Internet or data connection.

This is what can happen when using/developing on close plateform… they decide! That sucks because this app was doing exactly what I was looking for. I’d love to hear podcast in the train but currently I do have to synch with my computer through a cable. I’d love to do it over the air without connecting to my computer.

From Wikipedia:

Applications that developers create will be sold exclusively through the iTunes Store on Mac and Windows, or on the App Store on the iPhone and iPod touch. [...] To run applications on the iPhone, the application needs to be signed with a certificate assigned by Apple after the developer has developed the software through the $99/year developer package and official iPhone SDK.

Good point for Dave Winer (Why iPhone is an ureliable platform):

I wouldn’t invest in or develop an iPhone app because Apple could decide not to approve it, and if they don’t approve it you can’t sell it. You can’t even give it away. You don’t find out if you’ve been approved until the last step, after you’ve fully invested, so you could lose, totally, if Apple says no.

Another dark side of Apple’s app store… as far as I can tell I have not found one application that could not be done on another device.

Via Stef’s quepasa. See also: stevenf.com and App Store: I’m out.

• Le co-voiturage ne se planifie pas toujours… co-voiturer tous les jours génère des contraintes qui mènent à l’échec sur la longueur.
• Il ne s’agit pas simplement d’aller d’un point A à un point B, tant qu’à faire, autant le faire avec quelqu’un avec qui je partage quelques affinités…

Une pincée de “réseau social” avec une poignée de “dynamisme”… il y a de la place pour une application mobile! Lors d’un événement (festival, concert, soirée,…) je veux pouvoir sortir mon mobile de ma poche et consulter la liste des personnes qui rentrent dans la même direction que moi…

e-covoiturage.ch