Monotouch apps in the app store

I will have more to say about Monotouch in a future post, but the first thing to know is that there are Monotouch based apps in the Apple store. Here's a useful link that lists some of them:

http://monotouch.info/MonoTouch/Apps

App Store Review Guidelines (Third-party tools allowed)

Today, Apple posted formal guidelines for mobile app review/approval. The best part is that they have relaxed restrictions for third-party development tools. Up until now, the review process has been fairly subjective and undocumented. The good news is that the process is now documented and available here (must login with developer account). The bad news is that it is still fairly vague and worded in such a way that if they decide they don't like your app, it won't get approved.

In light of the shortcomings of this documentation, this appears to be a great step in the right direction for Apple. If you listen carefully, you will probably hear developers rejoicing everywhere. Only time will tell how this will all play out. For now you can move forward using development tools like Flash cs5 and mono-touch to create iPhone apps.

Tab Bar Custom Icons

If you need a custom icon for your app I recommend this site. Read carefully the license agreement. I spent quite a bit of time trying to use my own photos for custom tab bar items but the tab bar is looking for specific things in the image. You may want to take a look at these icons and then determine if you want to make your own or just use these.

Video Capture of iPhone Simulator

You will find this useful if you would like to demonstrate your iPhone applicaiton. This utility will generate a Quicktime movie of your running applicaiton. There are several different options you can use. Click here.

Here is my first sample using this application: