How to Change the World

How to Make an iPhone App

How would you like to offer an iPhone application for your website or blog? Check out AppMakr if you do. It allows you to make an iPhone app for your website or blog without any programming skills in a few minutes. The cost to create an app is as little as a one-time $199 fee.

The process is that you go to AppMakr.com, provide some graphics and RSS feed information, and then the site builds your app and submits it to the iTunes App Store. You can monetize your app with ads and sponsorships or by charging for it via iTunes. This is what you what you need to get started:

• RSS or Atom feed. (If you have multiple feeds for your website, you can also add them to your app.)
• 320 x 480 pixel splash screen
• 320 x 46 pixel header
• 512 x 512 pixel icon for itunes

Here are examples of apps built from Alltop topics. All of these are free apps that people can use to stay on top of popular topics.

• Macintosh.Alltop
• Design.alltop
• Lifehacks.alltop
• Social-media.alltop
• Photography.alltop
• Celebrities.alltop
• Marketing.alltop
• Twitter.alltop
• MyAlltop/GuyKawasaki

In other words, I can now offer custom iPhone apps for each of the 800 Alltop topics. How cool is that? And anyone can build a custom iPhone app for their personalized MyAlltop page too. The Atlantic, U. S. Army, PRWed, Inc, and Seth Godin are also using it to provide iPhone apps for their sites.

If you’d like to try the service, go to AppMakr.com and use coupon code “GUYK” to pay $49 instead of $199. This offer expires on January 18, 2010.

When You Care Enough to Aggregate the Very Best

There is no better way to please and impress people around Christmas time than to make them something. If you can cook, make them a meal. If you can paint, make them a painting. If you can sculpt, make them a sculpture—you get the picture.

What if you don’t have these talents? What if you’re out of time? I have a totally conflicted suggestion for you: Build them a customized MyAlltop page. Surely you can point and click.

It will take about thirty minutes, but the output of those thirty minutes says, “I didn’t just rush out and buy the first thing I saw at BestBuy. I used my unique geek expertise to craft you something that you can use every day of the year."

It will be our secret that building a MyAlltop page is quick and easy. Here are the steps:

1. Create a MyAlltop account in their name. You start here. Be sure to use your email address, so that you get our confirmation otherwise they’ll get it and wonder what’s going on. (Here’s a tutorial that will step you through the process if you want more help.)

2. Make a mental or physical list of their passions. If you don’t know which topics, blogs, or websites they like, casually bring up the question.

3. Compare their list to Alltop’s topics. You can see all the topics or you can search by categories, keywords, and topic name. With over 750 topics, you will find ones that interest them. For example:

   • News
   • Moms
   • Shopping
   • NFL Football
   • Shoes
   • Social Media
   • Bags
   • Fashion
   • Celebrities
   • Twitter
   • Photography
   • Yoga
   • Fitness

4. Add feeds to their MyAlltop page. Go to a topic and pick a handful of feeds that will appeal to them by clicking on the +. This is the most challenging step because you may not know much about the topic. But, as a rule of thumb, the most popular feeds are on the top part of an Alltop page.

5. Bask in the glory. Surprise them on Christmas morning with their customized page. You should bookmark it or set it as their home page if you can.

As I said, this process will take approximately thirty minutes. I built this MyAlltop page for my wife as an example in much less than that. I hope you give this idea a shot and show that you care enough to aggregate the very best. Happy holidays!

The Six Twitter Types

If you’re new to Twitter, you might be wondering about the basics types of people on the services. I explained the six types over at the American Express Open Forum.

My Favorite Applications

Over at the American Express Open Forum, I provided a list of my favorite applications. Check out the list if you want to see what makes me tick.

LinkedIn as an Advertising Medium

According to the LinkedIn site, its users are rich, young, educated, and powerful. If you’re looking for a medium to reach such people, check out this comparison to publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and BusinessWeek.