Timelapse of 3D Prototype Printing

Ever wonder how additive 3D printing/prototyping works ?

Layers of melted plastic are added in increments of a fraction of a millimetre (1/5th mm in this case) until the model is finished. The effect is that the prototype object appears to grow out of nowhere.

To help show our customers how our 3D printing and prototyping service operates, we have created a simple timelapse video of a prototype being printed in 3D.

The item is a clever little device we invented a while ago and made available for free to the public via Thingiverse. It attaches to an iPad mini or iPad Air "Ultrathin Keyboard Cover" and changes the viewing angle to a more comfortable one.

Check out the video here (total printing time was about 1hr 14mins).

WWDC Rumour: Apple iOS 8 Could Include Split-Screen Multitasking

The rumours are heating up as we close in on Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) for 2014.

The latest rumour to surface is that the next update to the iPhone/iPad Operating System (iOS) will allow users to run multiple apps at once and even drag-and-drop content between those apps. This is a luxury that Microsoft Surface users have lorded over their iOS cousins for a long time.

Currently, iOS only allows certain types of apps to continue to perform limited work in the background when another app is on the screen (e.g. Playing music or checking GPS location data) - so this would be a quantum shift in multitasking on iOS devices and is likely to help greatly in the quest to bring tablets further into the business environment.

Creative Intersection's good friends at 9to5mac.com have more details.

..... and of course, we will bring you more details as we will have our own representative from our Brisbane production facility personally attending the WWDC Conference in early June.

Creative Intersection attending Apple WWDC 2014 Conference

We are thrilled that Apple have chosen us to attend the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) from 2nd to 6th June in San Francisco.

Our Managing Director, Ian Exaudi, will be representing Creative Intersection at the exclusive Apple event which features product and feature launches as well as extensive 1-on-1 sessions and workshops with Apple technicians and experts.

The event is a tech-fest involving 1,000 Apple technical staff and 5,000 developers from around the globe.

WWDC is also a great opportunity for meeting with our other strategic global partners, including our bluetooth iBeacon hardware suppliers.

We are currently accepting requests from our existing and prospective clients and other Australian developers who have not been fortunate enough to be invited to the event. We will then discuss and explore as many of these requests as possible - in person - with Apple's experts.

So, if you have a burning idea that currently has difficulty being executed on the iOS platform, we can investigate it and find out from the experts if there is any way to make it happen or if the idea fits into Apple's future roadmap.

Give us a shout if you would like us to represent you at WWDC !

Creative Intersection ... Apple Worldwide Developer Conference, June 2-6 2014

Just Released: 3 New Apps Developed by Creative Intersection

This past fortnight has been a fairly big one for us, with 3 different app projects being approved by Apple (and one of those on Google Play) and subsequently released to the public. We have only released this many apps in such a short period a couple of times before, so we're pretty relieved and have allowed ourselves 20 minutes off before we move on to the next batch of projects already under way and scheduled for release in the next few weeks.

App #1:  Reports2Go (iPad)

Catapult BI's Reports2Go App

This is a Business Intelligence (BI) app used by management teams within large corporate entities to access their Cognos Business Intelligence data using the services of our client (Catapult BI).

It's an iPad-only app, which uses Dropbox as the cloud storage service for the data (documents in various formats such as PDF, DOC, and MHT). The documents are then then shared with authorised users and can be previewed and downloaded for later (offline) review at will via the Reports2Go app.

The app integrates with other BI apps such as IBM's Cognos mobile app to present interactive BI content generated by the Cognos system.

Client website: www.catapultbi.com

App #2: Agent Genie (iPad + iPhone)

Agent Genie iPad and iPhone App

This is a Real Estate Agent's best friend. It allows the agent to create and manage properties for which they hold open house events, and then allows prospective property buyers to register their attendance and interest at those open house events. Marketing and Offer Management is also an important part of the overall system designed and developed by Creative Intersection's team of web and mobile application developers.

Property numbers are limited for the free account version, with an unlimited number of properties able to be created if the agent subscribes to the Agent Genie service online (using the ChargeBee subscription system).

The Agent Genie app is a Universal iOS app, meaning that it works on iPhone and iPad, and the online administration interface runs via any web browser.

Client website:  app.agentgenie.com.au

App #3: Out2Nite (iPhone + Android)

Out2Nite iPhone and Android App

Out2Nite is a social networking app for iPhone and Android handsets, and uses a central database and local GPS/geolocation technology to allow users (signed in using their Facebook profile) to be notified when their friends are at the same venue (bars, pubs, etc) as themselves.

Client website:  www.out2nite.com.au

If you have an idea or if your business needs a specific mobile tool, give us a shout.

Australian iTunes App Store Price changes - April 2014

Apple have announced some pricing changes that will affect a small number of local "stores", including the Australian iTunes App Store.

No news yet on what the changes will be specifically, but it looks like there will be an adjustment to some of the pricing "tiers" that Apple app publishers have to choose from to set the price of their apps.

In Apple's iTunes App Store, a publisher can't choose just any price for their app ... they have to choose a tier which then relates to a price in each country in which the app is sold.

The "free" tier is obviously the same worldwide, whereas Tier 1 - for example - equates to USD 0.99. Australian apps at Tier 1 prices were previously AUD1.19 but were brought back into line with USD a couple of years ago due to exchange rates.

Apple are now adjusting that again, which means that the prices for Australian apps will most likely go up slightly.

The good news ? ... If you're an app developer/publisher who resides in Australia then your app prices will increase for any apps sold in Australia, and your 70% cut of that app price will increase accordingly.

Don't forget - if you're thinking of creating an app, check out our blog post on how to best monetise your app (hint: don't charge up-front ... charge for in-app purchases or use advertising).


Update 2-Apr-2014:  Apple's new Australian pricing changes the Tier 1 app price from $0.99 to $1.29 (AUD) and Tier 2 from $1.99 to $2.49 (AUD). This is a sharp rise (25-30%) which seems a little out-of-line with the AUD exchange rate but the positive side is that as an app publisher you now earn 25-30% more for those lower Tiers.

The other Tiers have also changed to varying degrees (remember there are many Tiers right up to Tier 87 which is now a whopping $1,299.99 AUD).

New 3D Printing and Prototyping Service for Brisbane

We're excited and happy to announce that Creative Intersection has started offering a 3D Printing and Prototyping service to businesses, professionals and students in Brisbane and Southeast Queensland.

Our 3D printer has an accuracy of 200 microns (0.2mm) and uses ABS or PLA plastic to build up complex 3D models as large as 140mm cubed.

Example of 3-part model of the Google Android logo, printed and then assembled

This service is perfect for:

• Engineers and engineering students
• Inventors
• Hobbyists
• Lovers of custom novelty "stuff"
• Anyone looking to create a special one-off gift for someone
• Tinkerers who need that little doo-dad for the thingamabob that just broke
• Bakers (domestic and commercial) making custom cookie-cutters (there's even a Mac and PC program for that)

Some printed models, including our logo and a bust of one of our designers!

There are free apps available to take a series of pictures and effectively scan yourself (or a special friend) and create a 3D model of that person.

You can even download free files from places like Thingiverse, 123d (Autodesk), Cubehero, Youmagine, and others and then just send them to us for manufacturing.

Click here for more details about this exciting new 3D printing service.

In-App Purchases By Far Exceed Paid Apps

News just in last week from our friends at eMarketer: Free apps with in-app purchases account for nearly all non-advertising revenues.

In other words ... if your app is available only as a paid version you are most likely missing out on a very large proportion of the revenue that you could otherwise be earning.

We have known this for years, based on anecdotal evidence from our numerous clients - which is why our recommendation is often to release a free limited version which allows for the user to experience the main features of your app without risking being sold a lemon (after all, there are a lot of try-hard and me-too apps on the App Store - both Apple/iOS and Google/Android).


Interestingly, while the Google Play Store (Android apps) has been picking up quite a bit of market share, it's almost exclusively (98%) for apps that are free to download and which then offer in-app purchases. Apple users aren't far behind with 92% of revenue from the Apple App Store being from free apps with in-app purchases. For Apple, that's a 15% increase in 11 months and is creeping ever-closer to 100% for either platform.

The lesson here is to remember to think about how you're best going to earn back the development costs and like any business, it pays to understand your customers' spending habits.

If you have a great idea for an app for iPhone, iPad, or Android handsets and tablets and would like to discuss it with us confidentially to see if it can be done (and how best to position yourself to make a profit from it), give us a shout.