Apple plugs in iPhone developers with news feed

Apple this week has taken another step toward better communicating with iPhone developers, launching an RSS feed for iPhone app news.

Developer News subscribers will receive the latest Apple App Store submission tips, such as the importance of App name and icon consistency, plus data on App Store submission approvals (92% approved within 14 days as of this writing), program updates and testing techniques.

Apple said in November that iPhone developers have created more than 100,000 apps for smartphones and market research firm IDC says there will be 300,000 by 2011. Apple roared past the 2 billion app download mark in September. Yet Apple has been knocked by App Store developers and buyers for imperfect management of the App Store submission and oversight processes.

Some developers have argued that Apple makes it too tough for them to get their apps onto the App Store, such as when Apple rejected a Google Voice app earlier this year. Others decry apps like the notorious Shaken Baby app that slip onto the App Store. Then there’s the recent scandal involving bogus iPhone app ratings that led Apple to scuttle 1,000 previously approved apps. 

Buyers have complained about a “no refund” policy that makes plunking down increasingly higher amounts for apps a tougher purchase decision.

The new RSS feed is Apple’s latest attempt to get a better handle on its booming App Store. The company recently introduced ways for developers to gain more visibility into exactly where a submitted app stands in the process. 

While Apple's App Store is in a league of its own, other smartphone makers, such as Windows Mobile maker Microsoft, are boosting theirs as well.

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