A few weeks ago I renamed the iPhone developer meet-up from NSiPhoneDevs to NSHappyHour. When I announced the name change I said I would follow up with the reasons behind the name change but I totally spaced and forgot. Thanks to @jlbruno for reminding me to explain the reasons behind the change.

I came up with the name NSiPhoneDevs back at the beginning of the year. I like the name because it’s a good play on words, or rather a good play on prefixes. “NS” is the class name prefix in the foundation framework used by iPhone and Mac developers, but “NS” also stands for North Shore. For those who don’t know, Salem MA is located in Boston’s North Shore area. So NSiPhoneDevs is short for North Shore iPhone Developers.

While I like the name it is not without it’s problems. First, NSiPhoneDevs doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. I for one am guilty of saying “NSiDevs” on more than one occasion. Another issue with the name is some may believe it excludes iPad developers. This is a stretch I know but I’m sure with the release of the iPad there will be more new developers entering the space who consider themselves iPad developers.

The third, and most important reason for the name change, is the name NSiPhoneDevs excludes a major developer group, the Mac developer. I talked with many Mac developers who said they are not interested in the group because it’s iPhone only, and this includes Mac developers who also do iPhone development. My intentions were never to exclude Mac developers. On the contrary, I want more Mac developers to come especially given that I’m doing more Mac desktop development these days.

The iPhone has attracted a large number of developers who come from other platforms including Windows, .NET, and Java. The reasons for moving from another platform to the iPhone varies by developer. Some are interested in mobile development. Some are interested in joining in on the gold rush. For others, including me, the reason is out of love for Cocoa, Objective-C, Xcode, and OS X.

I switched from Windows and web development to work in the world of Apple because, in my opinion, it provides the best developer experience. Programming on my Mac, whether for the desktop or for the devices, is way more fun for me then in Windows, and I find the developer tools to be far better than anything else I have used in recent years.

So back to the NSHappyHour name change. As someone who is also doing Mac development I did not want others in the Mac developer community to feel excluded. After all, we all use a Mac for programming, we use Xcode as our developer IDE, and we work with many of the same core frameworks.

This point hit home for me at NSConference 2010 where I met a lot of people who share the same passion and love for the developer experience provided by the fruit company. It was at this time I realized NSiPhoneDevs is the wrong name.

The NSiPhoneDevs name is good because it builds off the hype that is the iPhone, but at the same time the name is bad because it does not recognized the development community as a whole. At the end of the day we all work with pretty much the same tools and we can learn a lot from one another whether you are writing iPhone/iPad only apps, desktop only apps, or doing all of the above.

So the group is now called NSHappyHour. After all, that’s what the group is really about. Getting together with fellow Cocoa developers to talk shop over a few beers. So if you are writing code and producing apps for the iPhone, iPad and or Mac then NSHappyHour is the perfect gathering for you to socialize, learn, and network while enjoying tasty adult beverages.

For more information about NSHappyHour, visit http://nshappyhour.org.

Today was the last day for 360idev and what a great 4 days it has been. Catching up with friends, making new friends, listening to great talks, and yes, having a beer or four. This 360idev was extra exciting me for because I got a chance to talk.

My presentation “Building Web Service Powered Apps” didn’t start off great. There was a technical issue with my laptop and the projector that cause the talk to start late. Then as I tried to show an example of a web service call using the Twitter API I got a request limit reached error.

Despite the bumpy start and the shorten time frame, I think the talk was okay. Not great but okay. I wasn’t able to talk through some of the points I had hoped to cover and I had to skip a couple of the demos. My plan is to record the skipped demos as a screen cast and post them here soon.

Thanks to all who came to my talk, and big thanks to the 360idev team, other speakers and the attendees who made the last few days in San Jose great.

Hey Peanut version 1.1 has just been released and is available in the App Store. I’m very excited about this update because it adds support for the new iPad, which will be available for purchase tomorrow. Best of all the update is free to existing users, so if you already bought Hey Peanut and you are getting an iPad then you will get the iPad version of Hey Peanut for free as well.

Haven’t bought Hey Peanut for your toddler? No worries. The price will remain $1.99 and will include both the iPhone and iPad versions. It’s like getting 2 apps for the price of 1.

The iPad release day is less than 2 weeks away and like many iPhone developers I’m scurrying along to get my first iPad app submitted before the deadline. The introduction of the iPad as a new target platform means developers can choose to target the iPhone only, target just the iPad, or target both within a single application. The last option is called a universal binary and is recommended by Apple.

The user benefits with the universal option in that the same application can run on each iPhone OS device. In other words, the same app will run on a user’s iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Best of all the user only pays for the app once even if the app is used on multiple devices.

I’m a fan of universal. It makes the buying decision easier for the user. Buy the app and it will run on all your iPhone OS devices, the ones you own today and the ones you might buy tomorrow. The user doesn’t have to think, “I have an iPhone but I might buy an iPad soon. Should I buy the iPhone only version or the version that will run on both?”

The universal also makes it easier for the developer with regards to app naming and marketing. With a universal app the developer has only one app, which means only one app name and one app icon. The alternative is to release multiple editions for the app, each with its own unique name such as “App XYZ”, “App XYZ for iPad”, “App XYZ Universal”, and so on.

Marketing with a universal app is easier too because the developer is marketing a single edition of the application. The developer doesn’t need multiple app descriptions or web pages for each app edition. But the universal option is not without its problems.

First, what happens if the developer already has an iPhone app in the App Store. Can a new build of a universal binary be submitted as an app update? Can it be submitted as an update before the deadline for launch day? If not then that means a new app must be created which means having different app names. And of course existing ratings and iTunes comments will not appear for the newly created app.

Another issue comes to mind. To the developer, a universal app might feel like writing two separate apps wrapped into a single binary. The user experience, the views, navigation, artwork, etc will likely be different for the app when run on the iPad versus the iPhone. This complicates the code base for the developer, which increases the chances for bugs. The developer can overcome this by separating logic in the code and performing additional testing, but this increases the development cost for the application, which leads me to pricing. Higher development cost can lead to higher pricing.

Pricing is a big issue for me. Will users pay more for an app on the iPad, especially if the iPad version has more features, features not feasible on the iPhone? I think so. But will the user who only owns an iPhone with no plans to buy an iPad pay more? I think it’s less likely.

A desktop app typically costs more than an iPhone app, and since the iPad is closer to the desktop than the iPhone in terms of its ability, especially for productivity apps, it makes sense to me that an iPad app will cost more than it’s iPhone equivalent. Will the higher price for a universal app mean the developer will likely loss out on app sales from iPhone and iPod touch users? Or will there be another race to the bottom (i.e., 99 cents) in terms of pricing for universal iPad apps? I certainly hope not.

A developer can get around this by releasing 2 editions of the same app, one for the iPhone only at lower price point and a second universal app at a higher price point. But now we’re back to complicating the buying decision for the user with different editions of the same app. The user is back to thinking, “Which edition do I need? Which one should I buy?”

I already asked will iPad app pricing race to the bottom like we saw with iPhone apps, and again, I certainly hope not. Developers will be able to do much more on the iPad which will justify the higher price. But should developers expect iPhone and iPod touch only users to pay $9.99 for an app not as feature rich as the iPad equivalent? Or should iPad apps limit functionality to only what is feasible on both devices for the sake of a lower price point?

I wish I had answers to these questions. I’m sure the answers will become clear once the iPad has been released and developers see and understand more, but for know I’m left scratching my head as I ponder these questions.

I’m very excited to announce the immediate availability of Hey Peanut in the App Store. Hey Peanut is a new type of photo browser on the iPhone and iPod touch designed specifically for your toddler, ages 1 to 3 years old. Hey Peanut is kid tested and parent approve. It includes fun farm animals and sound effects to entertain your little one, but the best feature is the built-in voice recorder.

Add photos of family and friends then have them record a voice message for your child. When you child touches the photo the voice recording will play. This is a great way for your child to see and hear love ones who might live or be out of town.

My son Rowan, at the age of 20 months, helped me design Hey Peanut. He played with Hey Peanut at every stage. He hated it in the beginning, always saying “No, no!” But once all the pieces were in place, the music, farm scenes, and sound effects, he loved it. He now plays with Hey Peanut often and especially enjoys seeing and hearing his mom when she is out of town working.

If you have love ones who live out of town, or a parent that travels often, then you toddler is going to love Hey Peanut.

I have spent the last couple of months working on a new app for the iPhone called Hey Peanut. Hey Peanut is a photo browser app with a twist for toddlers.

A while back my wife took pictures of family members and put them into a small photo album. Our son doesn’t see his extended family as much as we would like so from time to time we sit with him and browse the family photo album. This gives him a chance to learn the faces of his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. One day I was watching my wife and son browse the photo album and I thought, “There should be an app for that.” Thus the idea for Hey Peanut was born.

Hey Peanut is based on the family photo album but, as I said before, with a twist. The twist is the recorded voice message. Using an iPhone and Hey Peanut a parent takes a picture of a family member then records a voice message from the family member. For instance, I can use Hey Peanut to take a picture of my mother and record a personal message from her like, “Hi Rowan! It’s GranMom. I love you.” My son can then browse the pictures and listen to the messages at any time.

Hey Peanut is a bit more than just a photo browser. It includes colorful “photo mats” with various sounds effects to keep the toddle engaged. Originally I was thinking of making Hey Peanut more game-like but decided it was not necessary.

Development on Hey Peanut is nearing completion. A lot of time has been spent on making a photo browser slash library manager for the parents. This mimics the photo app to some degree. I had hope to use Three20’s photo viewer for this but I ran into problems so I had to write my own. Over the last few weeks I have taken my code and created a new open source photo browser project called KTPhotoBrowser. The latest code is available on GitHub. The open source project is still work in progress but it is useable. I plan to complete KTPhotoBrowser once Hey Peanut is released.

Meanwhile, if you are a parent with a little one between the ages of 1 and 3 and you think he or she would like to play with Hey Peanut then send me a message and join the beta testing team.

Last week I attended NSConference USA which was the conference’s first visit to the States. I had an awesome time and I will definitely return to NSConference next year. Heck, I might even attend both the USA and UK events.

The sense of community combined with the unique structure of the conference made for a wonderful time. NSConference is different from other developer related conferences in that there are not multiple tracks during the day. Instead all the attendees, called delegates at NSConference, sit in the same room and listen to the same talks. The other difference is the 30 minute break between sessions. This combination makes for a great conference going experience.

Why does the combination work so well? As a delegate I didn’t have to run from room to room to hear different talks and to find a new seat. I’m able to leave my gear in one spot for the entire day, and because I don’t have to run room to room I can spend more time meeting and talking with other delegates. This is were the 30 minute breaks really help out.

At other conferences my chats between sessions are never long enough to really get to know other developers. The 30 minute breaks at NSConference gives you plenty of time to chat with folks you already know and to meet new ones. And because of this I actually met more people at NSConference then I have at the last 3 conferences I have attended.

And meeting other iPhone and Mac developers has never been so easy. I arrived in Atlanta late Saturday afternoon not knowing a single person. Within an hour and a half I was talking with other delegates, having beers, and sharing stories. I feel like I met close to 90 percent of all the delegates by the end of the conference, and I definitely formed new friendships with a good number of those that I met. As someone who works from home, making these connections and feeling apart of a community is very important to me. And this aspect alone makes attending NSConference worth well.

I haven’t said much about the session talks yet. And yes, the talks were great. I found every topic useful and informative. The speakers really know their stuff and I learned tons. If you are seeking knowledge in Mac and iPhone development than there is no better independent developer conference. But more important to me were the connections I made with others in the iPhone and Mac development community. And this includes getting to know the speakers as well.

There are many more good things I can say about NSConference. For instance, the party Monday night was a blast. Eating at the Silver Skillet each morning was a great way to start the day. Dinner and drinks each night with the delegates was so much fun. The only negative part of the conference for me were the lunches, though many folks told me the lunches were better than those offered at WWDC.

Lunches aside, NSConference is a must attend conference for all iPhone and Mac developers.

Today is the official start of what I am calling iPhone Mac Conference Tour 2010. Between now and June I will be attending 3 iPhone and Mac developer conferences. My tour beings with NSConference, which starts tomorrow, followed by 360iDev San Jose in April and wraps up in June with my first visit to WWDC.

NSConference USA kicks off tomorrow with an iPhone developer workshop followed by 2 days of Mac developer talks and ending Wednesday with 2 additional workshops, one on concurrent programming and the other on insights from Matt “Legend” Gemmell. I’m excited about NSConference, not only for the talks but the chance to finally meet a number of people I follow on Twitter. Plus the conference will likely be the kick in the butt I need to get started on my first commercial Mac desktop app.

360iDev San Jose is April 11 through 14. What can I say about 360iDev that I haven’t already said. It’s a great conference. The last one in Denver was one of the best developer conferences I have ever attended. 360iDev San Jose will be a bit different for me though since I will be one of the speakers. My topic will be on using web services with your iPhone apps. Oh, and if you are planning to attend be sure to register here. You’re registration will help me win suite at the hotel.

And what better way to conclude the iPhone Mac Conference Tour 2010 then by attending Apple’s own Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). I’ve never been. This will be my first WWDC. I really wanted to go last year but had a scheduling conflict. Not this year. I have blocked off the entire month of June until the WWDC dates are announced.

So that’s my conference tour for this year. I’m really looking forward to each conference. Speaking of, time to head down to the hotel lobby and meet some folks here for #nsconf.

I’m trying a little experiment. I want to see if I can encourage individuals who might be looking for a cracked version of Killink CSV Editor to buy a license at a discounted price. As part of this experiment I also want to see if I can get the top ranking on search results that include some combination of the following phrases: Killink CSV Editor, serial numbers, registration codes, registration keys, key generators, crack, warez, free, password, patches, pirate key, keymaker, and keygen.

I have a deal for you if you are one of those individuals looking for a cracked version of Killink CSV Editor. These are tough times and we all want to save a few dollars where we can. So my deal for you is this. Instead of downloading one of the cracked versions of Killink CSV Editor, which by the way comes from an untrusted source so BEWARE, I’ll give you 20% off the current price for a single user license. Just use the code UNCRACKME when placing your order. No strings attached. No passing of judgement. Just my way of helping you save a few dollars while at the same time encouraging the use a trusted version of Killink CSV Editor.

Labor Mate 1.6 has been approved by Apple and is now available in the App Store. This version fixes the problem with the No button displayed after touching the Reset button.