苹果最宠爱的17款应用软件
JP Mangalindan/Kurt Wagner | 2013-04-11 16:00
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Steve Jobs was a stickler for detail, requiring final approval on everything from ads to wording on his Keynote presentations. It's no surprise then that the company he built places similar attention to detail when choosing apps to highlight in its ads and new product promotions. Apple (AAPL,Fortune 500) won't talk about the selection process (a spokesman declined to comment), but there's little doubt that inclusion in an Apple commercial, or better yet, a launch video at one of Apple's major press events, can help boost an app's popularity. Developers agree to the company's Program Licensing Agreement before apps move to the App Store, giving the company full license to use material as it sees fit. Many app developers are therefore pleasantly surprised when their apps become part of Apple's marketing campaign. Tread through the comments section of any Apple commercial uploaded to YouTube, and you'll find numerous requests from viewers trying to identify the featured apps.
Astronomy apps Star Walk and Solar Walk, both created by Vito Technology, have been featured in multiple Apple advertisements, including the iPad 3 presentation. Vito CEO Victor Toporkov says that inclusion in Apple promotions doesn't dramatically increase app sales for his astronomy apps, but it does help them retain a top position in the App Store. (Star Walk currently sits at No. 7 on the list of Top 10 education apps in the U.K. and routinely holds a Top 10 rating in the U.S.) Apple highlights apps from a number of categories, including travel, education, music, news, and games. But some simply appear more often, or with more fanfare, than others. Here's a look at some of the company's favorite apps.
Maps
Developer: Apple
Price: Free
Get it: N/A
We have all heard the story of Apple's Maps debacle. The highly publicized app was released with major flaws back in September, prompting Apple CEO Tim Cook to issue an apology and encourage users to test competitor apps while the bugs were worked out. Apple often highlights its own apps in both commercials as well as product announcement videos, and Maps has been no different. Of course, this generates more excitement for the app, but also pushes Apple fans' already lofty expectations even higher.
Starbucks
Developer: Starbucks
Price: Free
If you want to pay with a Starbucks card (which many people do), then the Starbucks app is a simple way to carry your card balance around on your smartphone. The app was utilized more than 2 million times per week on average, according to CEO Howard Schultz during Starbucks'(SBUX, Fortune 500) fourth-quarter earning call in October. Want to simply use your phone to pay with a credit card? Then try ...
Square Register
Developer: Square
Price: Free
Get it: Square Register
Starbucks accepts Square payments as of late 2012, but Apple has also highlighted Square in commercials, an obvious choice considering small businesses can now use Apple products as registers. Square has taken the small business world by storm, enabling mom-and-pop shops across the country to accept payment via credit card where cash was previously required. Small businesses think it's a good idea; apparently Apple agrees.
Paper
Developer: FiftyThree
Price: Free to download; up to $7 for extra features.
Get it: Paper
Designed by a bunch of ex-Microsoft employees, Paper by FiftyThree may be the best drawing app for iPad. Silicon Valley evangelists range from Square CEO Jack Dorsey to Flipboard CEO Mike McCue. "I've been looking for an application like this for the last 20 years!" McCue recently told Fortune.
Developer: Facebook
Price: Free
Get it: Facebook
Last August, the No. 1 social network introduced a native iOS app that brought with it speed improvements and eventually, newer features like Timeline. Given that 157 million-plus Facebook(FB) users sign on via mobile on a daily basis, the app update was a welcome one.
Garageband
Developer: Apple
Price: $4.99
Get it: Garageband
One of Apple's in-house apps remains one of the best all-around time killers. It's audio creation and editing made easy. Even better: Multiple people can join in to play and record with the Jam Session feature. Apple also highlighted the app in one of the iPad mini's most popular ads.
Developer: Flipboard
Price: Free
Get it: Flipboard
Flipboard represents the future of media consumption. The personalized magazine app allows users to filter their content, receiving only the news, updates, and photos that they want. The company recently announced it has reached 50 million users across iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, and has a valuation of more than $200 million.
Solar Walk and Star Walk
Developer: Vito Technology
Price: $1.99 (each)
Get it: Star Walk
Both apps have appeared in numerous Apple commercials. Solar Walk allows users to take a 3-D trip around the Milky Way Galaxy, hopping from plant to planet. Star Walk helps smartphone users pinpoint specific stars or planets by simply holding their phones up to the night sky. An Apple Design Award winner for 2010, Star Walk has more than 5 million downloads since 2009. Solar Walk has been downloaded 2 million times since 2011.
TED
Developer: TED Conferences
Price: Free
Get it: TED
TED Talks offer up insight from some of the world's sharpest minds, and now you can get them all on your iPhone or tablet. The TED app allows you to bring your education along with you wherever you go.
Developer: Twitter
Price: Free
Get it: Twitter
For those who live and die by their pithy 140-character updates, Twitter for mobile is a must. It's simple, elegant, and alerts users with on-the-fly updates. Need we say more?
Pages
Developer: Apple
Price: $9.99
Get it: Pages
For iOS users who want to hammer out a document on their small screens, Pages is a solid offering, with a number of templates to choose from -- invitations, recipes, among them -- and a wide selection of fonts.
Mathboard
Developer: PalaSoftware, Inc.
Price: $4.99
Get it: Mathboard
This teaching app helps students from all grade levels better understand basic math techniques. The app falls under a category of new interactive learning apps that have become popular alongside tablet growth. Children are able to write on the app's "chalkboard" by using their fingers as the writing utensil.
Yelp
Developer: Yelp
Price: Free
Get it: Yelp
Yelp's mobile app is just plain practical. The app allows users to better connect with local businesses by offering up customer reviews for nearly everything in their communities from hair salons to restaurants to doctors' offices. Yelp has been vocal that its mobile presence will take priority as the company moves forward, and more than 9 million unique users utilized the mobile app every month during the company's fourth quarter. The fact that it's free is simply a bonus.
Rubik's Cube
Developer: Seven Towns Ltd.
Price: $0.99
Get it: Rubik's Cube
The classic 3-D combination puzzle designed by Hungarian sculptor Ernő Rubik is now digital and offers four different sizes and play options, including a timed mode and the ability to slap any image users like atop their digital cubes.
Lonely Planet
Developer: Lonely Planet
Price: $3.99 per city
Get it: Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet's mobile app gives users extensive travel guides for exploring new cities, including Barcelona, Berlin, and London. As smartphones have quickly replaced physical maps when it comes to needing directions, Lonely Planet's app is eliminating the need for clunky travel guides, too. Some of the app's basics, like maps, top locations, and search features, come free, but the more extensive guides cost $3.99 per city.
Fruit Ninja
Developer: Halfbrick Studios
Price: Up to $2.99
Get it: Fruit Ninja
The Queensland, Australia-based game developer stumbled upon a hit with Fruit Ninja, an iPhone and iPad game based on a simple idea: slice and dice all that onscreen fruit as fast as possible.
Dinosaur Zoo
Developer: dotnamestudios
Price: $2.99
Get it: Dinosaur Zoo
Think of Dinosaur Zoo as a pocket-sized edition of Jurassic Park where kids can learn about, pet, and even roar at prehistoric giants.

史蒂夫•乔布斯是一个重视细节的人,从广告到主旨演讲的措辞等所有事情,都必须获得他的最后批准。因此,他创办的公司重视广告和新产品宣传时涉及的应用软件也就不足为奇了。苹果公司(Apple)不会透露应用软件的遴选过程(发言人拒绝对此予以置评),但毋庸置疑的是,如果一些应用软件出现在苹果的商业广告、甚至是苹果主要新闻事件中,它们的受欢迎程度肯定更高。应用软件进入苹果商店之前,软件开发商接受苹果的《程序许可协议》,向苹果提供在合适时机使用软件的正式许可。因此,如果应用软件成为苹果市场营销活动的一部分,它对软件开发商来说不啻为一个惊喜。浏览上传到视频网站YouTube的所有苹果商业广告,大家会发现,观众想要确定其中涉及的应用软件的请求简直数不胜数。 盈洭科技有限公司(Vito Technology)开发的天文学应用软件星际漫步(Star Walk)和太阳系漫步(Solar Walk)多次出现在苹果的广告中,包括iPad 3演示。盈洭科技公司CEO维克多•托波尔科夫表示,这两款应用软件成为苹果公司宣传活动的一部分之后,它们的销量并没有大幅提高,但是确实有助于保持它们在苹果商店的王者地位。(星际漫步目前在英国十大教学应用中排名第七位,而且始终是美国的十大应用之一)苹果公司强调了旅游、教育、音乐、新闻和游戏等领域的应用软件。但是某些应用软件只是出现的频率更高,或是带有更多炫耀的成分。今天,我们就为大家介绍一下苹果最偏爱的一部分应用软件。 | Steve Jobs was a stickler for detail, requiring final approval on everything from ads to wording on his Keynote presentations. It's no surprise then that the company he built places similar attention to detail when choosing apps to highlight in its ads and new product promotions. Apple (AAPL,Fortune 500) won't talk about the selection process (a spokesman declined to comment), but there's little doubt that inclusion in an Apple commercial, or better yet, a launch video at one of Apple's major press events, can help boost an app's popularity. Developers agree to the company's Program Licensing Agreement before apps move to the App Store, giving the company full license to use material as it sees fit. Many app developers are therefore pleasantly surprised when their apps become part of Apple's marketing campaign. Tread through the comments section of any Apple commercial uploaded to YouTube, and you'll find numerous requests from viewers trying to identify the featured apps. Astronomy apps Star Walk and Solar Walk, both created by Vito Technology, have been featured in multiple Apple advertisements, including the iPad 3 presentation. Vito CEO Victor Toporkov says that inclusion in Apple promotions doesn't dramatically increase app sales for his astronomy apps, but it does help them retain a top position in the App Store. (Star Walk currently sits at No. 7 on the list of Top 10 education apps in the U.K. and routinely holds a Top 10 rating in the U.S.) Apple highlights apps from a number of categories, including travel, education, music, news, and games. But some simply appear more often, or with more fanfare, than others. Here's a look at some of the company's favorite apps. |

苹果地图Maps 开发商:苹果公司 价格:免费 获取途径:无 我们都对苹果地图崩溃的消息有所耳闻。2012年9月,高调宣传之后,苹果地图最终面世。然而,由于软件存在的瑕疵,苹果CEO蒂姆•库克被迫公开道歉,甚至鼓励用户在解决漏洞之前使用其他公司开发的应用软件。苹果常常在商业广告和产品发布视频中亮相自行开发的应用软件,苹果地图也不例外。毋庸置疑,这让苹果地图应用的面世变得更为激动人心,同时也推高了果粉们本来就已经高涨的期望值。 | Maps Developer: Apple Price: Free Get it: N/A We have all heard the story of Apple's Maps debacle. The highly publicized app was released with major flaws back in September, prompting Apple CEO Tim Cook to issue an apology and encourage users to test competitor apps while the bugs were worked out. Apple often highlights its own apps in both commercials as well as product announcement videos, and Maps has been no different. Of course, this generates more excitement for the app, but also pushes Apple fans' already lofty expectations even higher. |

星巴克应用Starbucks 获取途径:Starbucks 开发商:星巴克公司 价格:免费 获取途径:Starbucks 如果你想和许多人一样,使用星巴克随行卡(Starbucks card)付款,你可以使用星巴克应用这一简便的方法。这样,只需带上智能手机,你就可以实现刷卡消费。星巴克公司(Starbuck,《财富》500强企业)CEO霍华德•舒尔茨在去年10月的第四季度财报会议上指出,这款应用每周的平均使用频率超过200万次。你想轻松地用手机里的信用卡付款吗?那就试试这款应用吧…… | Starbucks Developer: Starbucks Price: Free If you want to pay with a Starbucks card (which many people do), then the Starbucks app is a simple way to carry your card balance around on your smartphone. The app was utilized more than 2 million times per week on average, according to CEO Howard Schultz during Starbucks'(SBUX, Fortune 500) fourth-quarter earning call in October. Want to simply use your phone to pay with a credit card? Then try ... |

Square收银台 开发商:Square公司 价格:免费 获取途径:Square Register 自2012年末以来,星克巴公司开始接受Square付款,而苹果公司也在商业广告中应用了Square。显然,小型公司可以选择把苹果公司的产品作为收银机。移动支付Square已经完全征服了小型企业界,使全美过去只接收现金付款的小本经营商店能够接受信用卡付款。小型企业认为这是个不错的创意;显然苹果对此也颇为赞同。 | Square Register Developer: Square Price: Free Get it: Square Register Starbucks accepts Square payments as of late 2012, but Apple has also highlighted Square in commercials, an obvious choice considering small businesses can now use Apple products as registers. Square has taken the small business world by storm, enabling mom-and-pop shops across the country to accept payment via credit card where cash was previously required. Small businesses think it's a good idea; apparently Apple agrees. |

交互式记事本Paper 开发商:FiftyThree公司 价格:免费下载;使用额外功能需支付7美元。 获取途径:Paper FiftyThree公司的Paper应用是由一批微软(Microsoft)的老员工设计的,很可能是iPad最出色的绘画应用。它在硅谷吸引了一批拥趸,包括Square公司CEO杰克•多尔西和社交杂志Flipboard的CEO麦克•马库。马库最近在接受《财富》杂志(Fortune)采访时说:“近二十年来,我一直在寻找类似的应用。” | Paper Developer: FiftyThree Price: Free to download; up to $7 for extra features. Get it: Paper Designed by a bunch of ex-Microsoft employees, Paper by FiftyThree may be the best drawing app for iPad. Silicon Valley evangelists range from Square CEO Jack Dorsey to Flipboard CEO Mike McCue. "I've been looking for an application like this for the last 20 years!" McCue recently told Fortune. |

开发商:脸谱 价格:免费 获取途径:Facebook 去年8月,世界顶级社交网络Facebook引入了一款本机iOS应用。它不仅提高了浏览速度,甚至还带来了更新的板块,比如时间轴(Timeline)。每天有超过1.57亿Facebook用户使用手机登录,因此该应用的更新大受欢迎。 | Developer: Facebook Price: Free Get it: Facebook Last August, the No. 1 social network introduced a native iOS app that brought with it speed improvements and eventually, newer features like Timeline. Given that 157 million-plus Facebook(FB) users sign on via mobile on a daily basis, the app update was a welcome one. |

音频编辑软件Garageband 开发商:Garageband 价格:4.99美元 获取途径:Garageband 这是苹果的一款内部应用,是全方位消磨时间的最佳软件之一。它使音频的制作和编辑变得简单轻松。更妙的是,它允许多人同时参与,进行即兴演奏。此外,苹果公司也在iPad mini最受欢迎的广告中使用了这款应用。 | Garageband Developer: Apple Price: $4.99 Get it: Garageband One of Apple's in-house apps remains one of the best all-around time killers. It's audio creation and editing made easy. Even better: Multiple people can join in to play and record with the Jam Session feature. Apple also highlighted the app in one of the iPad mini's most popular ads. |

社交杂志Flipboard 开发商:Flipboard 价格:免费 获取途径:Flipboard Flipboard代表着媒体消费的未来。用户可以使用这款个性化的杂志应用对内容进行过滤,只接收需要的新闻、更新和照片。Flipboard公司最近宣布,有5,000万用户通过iphone、iPad和安卓设备使用这款应用,它的市值已经超过2亿美元。 | Developer: Flipboard Price: Free Get it: Flipboard Flipboard represents the future of media consumption. The personalized magazine app allows users to filter their content, receiving only the news, updates, and photos that they want. The company recently announced it has reached 50 million users across iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, and has a valuation of more than $200 million. |

太阳系漫步和星际漫步 开发商:盈洭科技 价格:(每款应用)1.99美元 获取途径:Star Walk 这两款应用都多次出现在苹果公司的商业广告中。用户可以使用太阳系漫步应用绕银河系进行3D旅行,在植物和行星之间穿梭。只需要把手机举向夜空,智能手机用户就可以通过星际漫步应用确定恒星或行星的具体位置。星际漫步应用获得了“2010年苹果应用大奖”,自2009年以来,它的下载量已经超过了500万次。自2011年以来,太阳系漫步应用的下载量也达到了200万次。 | Solar Walk and Star Walk Developer: Vito Technology Price: $1.99 (each) Get it: Star Walk Both apps have appeared in numerous Apple commercials. Solar Walk allows users to take a 3-D trip around the Milky Way Galaxy, hopping from plant to planet. Star Walk helps smartphone users pinpoint specific stars or planets by simply holding their phones up to the night sky. An Apple Design Award winner for 2010, Star Walk has more than 5 million downloads since 2009. Solar Walk has been downloaded 2 million times since 2011. |

TED 开发商:TED大会 价格:免费 获取途径:TED TED大会应用的功能是发布全世界最精明人物的观点,现在大家可以在自己的iPhone或平板电脑上了解这些观点。通过这款应用,大家可以在任何地点接受思想上的熏陶。 | TED Developer: TED Conferences Price: Free Get it: TED TED Talks offer up insight from some of the world's sharpest minds, and now you can get them all on your iPhone or tablet. The TED app allows you to bring your education along with you wherever you go. |

开发商:推特 价格:免费 获取途径:Twitter 对于那些发表更新的字数永远都不超过140字的人来说,手机应用Twitter是一款必备软件。它既简单又优雅,在联机更新时提醒用户。还需要多说吗? | Developer: Twitter Price: Free Get it: Twitter For those who live and die by their pithy 140-character updates, Twitter for mobile is a must. It's simple, elegant, and alerts users with on-the-fly updates. Need we say more? |

Pages 开发商:苹果公司 价格:9.99美元 获取途径:Pages 对于那些想要在小屏幕上完成文件操作的iOS用户来说,Pages是一款可靠的应用,提供了包括邀请函和食谱在内的多种模板和字体供用户选择使用。 | Pages Developer: Apple Price: $9.99 Get it: Pages For iOS users who want to hammer out a document on their small screens, Pages is a solid offering, with a number of templates to choose from -- invitations, recipes, among them -- and a wide selection of fonts. |

计算板Mathboard 开发商:PalaSoftware软件公司 价格:4.99美元 获取途径:Mathboard 这款教学应用帮助各年级的学生更好地掌握基本的数学方法。随着平板电脑的增长,一批交互式教学应用应蕴而生,而计算板就是其中的一款应用。学生们可以用手指在该应用的“黑板”上写字。 | Mathboard Developer: PalaSoftware, Inc. Price: $4.99 Get it: Mathboard This teaching app helps students from all grade levels better understand basic math techniques. The app falls under a category of new interactive learning apps that have become popular alongside tablet growth. Children are able to write on the app's "chalkboard" by using their fingers as the writing utensil. |

大众点评Yelp 开发商:大众点评 价格:免费 获取途径:Yelp 大众点评Yelp的移动应用简单而实用。它提供消费者对几乎所有行业企业的点评,从美发店、餐厅到诊所,无所不包。通过这款应用,用户能更好地与当地企业联络。Yelp曾表示,它在移动应用领域的发展将随着公司的发展不断占据优先地位。Yelp第四财季中,每月有900多万个性化用户使用了该移动应用。这款应用的免费使用政策对用户来说相当于一份额外的馈赠。 | Yelp Developer: Yelp Price: Free Get it: Yelp Yelp's mobile app is just plain practical. The app allows users to better connect with local businesses by offering up customer reviews for nearly everything in their communities from hair salons to restaurants to doctors' offices. Yelp has been vocal that its mobile presence will take priority as the company moves forward, and more than 9 million unique users utilized the mobile app every month during the company's fourth quarter. The fact that it's free is simply a bonus. |

魔术方块Rubik’s Cube 开发商:魔方公司 价格:0.99美元 获取途径:Rubik's Cube 由匈牙利雕刻家厄尔诺•鲁比克设计的经典版3D智力玩具如今有了数字版。它共有四种不同的规格和选项,提供限时模式。另外,用户还可以把自己喜欢的任何图片放在数字魔方上。 | Rubik's Cube Developer: Seven Towns Ltd. Price: $0.99 Get it: Rubik's Cube The classic 3-D combination puzzle designed by Hungarian sculptor Ernő Rubik is now digital and offers four different sizes and play options, including a timed mode and the ability to slap any image users like atop their digital cubes. |

孤独星球 开发商:孤独星球 价格:3.99美元/城市 获取途径:Lonely Planet 孤独星球(Lonely Planet)的移动应用为用户提供大量探索新城市的旅游指南,如巴塞罗纳、柏林和伦敦。由于智能手机能提供精确方位,所以智能手机得以迅速取代纸质地图,而孤独星球的应用的出现,使人们不再需要笨拙的旅游指南。这款应用的部分功能是免费的,如地图、最高位置和搜索功能,但是更丰富的指南价格为每座城市3.99美元。 | Lonely Planet Developer: Lonely Planet Price: $3.99 per city Get it: Lonely Planet Lonely Planet's mobile app gives users extensive travel guides for exploring new cities, including Barcelona, Berlin, and London. As smartphones have quickly replaced physical maps when it comes to needing directions, Lonely Planet's app is eliminating the need for clunky travel guides, too. Some of the app's basics, like maps, top locations, and search features, come free, but the more extensive guides cost $3.99 per city. |

水果忍者 开发商:Halfbrick工作室 价格:约2.99美元 获取途径:Fruit Ninja 游戏开发商Halfbrick工作室位于澳大利亚昆士兰。Halfbrick根据一个简单的创意,偶然创造了iPhone和iPad游戏水果忍者(Fruit Ninja):尽可能快地切开在屏幕上出现的所有水果。 | Fruit Ninja Developer: Halfbrick Studios Price: Up to $2.99 Get it: Fruit Ninja The Queensland, Australia-based game developer stumbled upon a hit with Fruit Ninja, an iPhone and iPad game based on a simple idea: slice and dice all that onscreen fruit as fast as possible. |

恐龙极乐园 开发商:dotnamestudios工作室 价格:2.99美元 获取途径:Dinosaur Zoo 大家可以把恐龙极乐园(Dinosaur Zoo)想象成一个装在口袋里的侏罗纪公园(Jurassic Park)。孩子们能在这里学习和了解宠物,甚至对着史前庞然大物大喊大叫。(财富中文网) 译者:乔树静/汪皓 | Dinosaur Zoo Developer: dotnamestudios Price: $2.99 Get it: Dinosaur Zoo Think of Dinosaur Zoo as a pocket-sized edition of Jurassic Park where kids can learn about, pet, and even roar at prehistoric giants. |
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