Keith Axline

How Apple could turn personal data into a gold mine for the masses [Opinion]

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Apple is the best on privacy, but it's still not close to what we need.
Apple is the best on privacy, but it's still not close to what we need.
Photo: Ash Edmonds/Unsplash

Apple should be building a data marketplace for its users, not raising fears about privacy. Privacy is about preventing the leakage of personal data and does nothing about the ownership and monetization of that data.

Individuals should be getting paid for their data directly, not the companies that collect that data. And that should be the focus of Apple’s efforts.

Why Jamf Now is the official MDM solution of Cult of Mac

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com
Mobile device management products are designed to solve exactly this problem, and today we're announcing Jamf Now as our official Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution.
Photo: Jamf Now

badge It’s pretty hard to run a business today without accounting for the devices your employees use to do their jobs. We’re all pretty technically savvy here at Cult of Mac, but as a distributed team, there is a huge need for us to agree on apps, settings and tools that we use.

Mobile device management products are designed to solve exactly this problem, and today we’re announcing Jamf Now as our official Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution.

Software localization isn’t an annoying chore, it’s a crucial opportunity

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Attention, devs: If you haven't localized your apps, you're missing out.
Attention, devs: If you haven't localized your apps, you're missing out.
Photo: slon_dot_pics/Pexels CC

This post is brought to you by MacPaw, maker of Mac app subscription service Setapp.

One of the amazing benefits of selling software on the internet is that you can reach customers from all over the world. So why would you cut out a huge potential market just by assuming everyone who wants to use your product speaks English?

In fact, ignoring other markets can be one of the biggest marketing oversights software companies make.

How indie developers can use video to market their apps

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Video app promotion: Making a killer video could be the best way to promote your app.
Making a killer video could be the best way to promote your killer app.
Photo: Terje Sollie/Pexels CC

This post is brought to you by MacPaw, maker of Setapp.

As indie developers, we can get too caught up in how things work — what features our product has, what users can do with it. It often seems like if we can just explain how our product works, everyone will become a devoted user.

We spend lots of time pulling together onboarding videos and tutorials. But there’s a whole other front in the battle of promotion and conversion: making an emotional connection between a potential user and your product and brand.

Why selling your app as a subscription makes sense

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Why selling Mac app subscriptions makes sense
If you develop Mac software, selling app subscriptions could be your smartest path to success.
Image: MacPaw

Our App Business section is brought to you by MacPaw, maker of proven Mac apps.

When you’re developing Mac apps, success can sometimes seem self-defeating. The better job you do, the less your customers need to buy subsequent versions of your app. Your job then shifts to marketing and an endless quest to acquire new customers in order to keep cash flowing in. Meanwhile, those who use a subscription business model for their software can easily enjoy that sweet, sweet recurring revenue.

Pro tips for improving your app reviews

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App Store reviews
Here's how to harness the power of app reviews (even bad ones).
Image: MacPaw

Our App Business section is brought to you by MacPaw, maker of proven Mac apps.

Getting a bad app review is a definite bummer. When some faceless user trashes your labor of love in the App Store or some other public venue, it can really sting. But if you’re smart about it, you can turn negative reviews into positive opportunities for improving your app and winning committed customers.

Here’s how to spin bad app reviews into developer gold.

Mac app licensing is the headache you don’t want to DIY

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app licensing
For Mac developers, handling app licensing can be a huge hassle.
Image: MacPaw

Our new App Business section is brought to you by MacPaw, maker of proven Mac apps.

For independent Mac developers, one of the big, daunting tasks that the Mac App Store efficiently handles is app licensing. You just submit your app, then the store manages the actual app license through its user accounts. But this unquestionable convenience comes with a few critical downsides.