Iphone vidcam app is on the app store now

apple finally approved the vidcam app (single camera version only) and it is up on the store now in case anyone is interested. below is the itunes direct link as well as youtube video. videos, manuals, diagrams, compatibility list, etc. on www.totalcontrolapp.com. let me know if you have any questions.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore...019409&mt=8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZdEF-sViZo


also the zwave iphone - itouch app is on the app store under Total Control Z-Wave Automation Edition or just search z-wave. blackberry version is being finalized now and should be released in a week or so.

Android and Winmo versions are in beta right now for video surveillance. i am looking for a couple of beta testers on these interfaces. if anyone is interested let me know. thanks.


Rob Conlin
Intelligent Designs Group, LLC
www.totalcontrolapp.com

$59.99! holy moly. is there any chance the price will drop once the multicam edition gets approved?

holy moly? you paid 3-4x that for your iphone/itouch, probably 2-4x times that for each camera you have nevermind the thousands on whatever setup you have in your house. us devs have to eat too you know. it took a long time and a lot of headache to get that app passed. the price is the same across the board for all interfaces so i am actually taking a cut on the iphone since apple has to get their share. if you think my price is high why don't you take a gander at iRa. maybe that can help put it in perspective a little.

mulitcam and all other editions will follow the pricing on the estore at www.totalcontrolapp.com

no offense but if you want a .99 app then there are 9,9999 of them on the store. we are looking to develop something with a bit more quality than that.

Rob

DeLicious said:

$59.99! holy moly. is there any chance the price will drop once the multicam edition gets approved?

Click to expand...

well, yes and no.

the iphone was a gift. but i do pay quite a bit in service, albeit less than i payed for my previous smartphone.

all my IP cams were bought on sale, most of them for less than the cost of the app, even the wireless ones.

the security system was bought with the insurance money from the break-in.

now, to be fair, i wasn't expecting a 99-cent app. i was thinking more like $20. i'm a dev too, and i understand how things work, but $60 is too much for me. i'm just as happy to continue using the free vnc app to log onto my home computer running ElkRM and look at the cameras that way (albeit at one frame every 3 or 4 seconds).

i wasn't trying to say anything bad about your app or your programming skills, just eliciting a cry of surprise at the price.

No problem Delicious. i actually elicit a cry of surprise from everyone expecting .99 apps most of the time. it's mind boggling to me. never before the iphone was this expected from an application. not that i can recall anyways. btw - where are you getting your cameras for less than the app. i would like to pick up a couple for that cheap. i can't even find them on ebay that cheap. mobotix alone is almost a thousand dollars in most cases.

as far as pricing expectation like i said take a look at iRa or MobileCamViewer. i believe my pricing is well placed. there are other cheaper version you can try out especially if you run a pc already.

i got a couple of wireless airlink IP cams at frys for 49.99 at one point...

that's great but they are not even on the supported list so they wouldn't apply for this app. i'll check them out though and see. on top of it let's do the math for a second. if i sell the app for $20 after apple's cut i get $14 after taxes less than $10. after everything i went through to get it on the store without just cutting cellular off after 30 seconds or 2 minutes like some of the cheap ones i may as well just hit the delete button on the whole project and move onto something else. whether you receive things for free or not they cost money for someone at some point. that was my point. my cost is less than your airlinks when they came out of the factory line. it costs less than most products being discussed daily on this website. i'm sorry but i have to agree to disagree with you about the pricing. i appreciate the feedback and i'm sure this will be a common thread for the app store. everyone wants everything for peanuts on there and tons of support and updates with it. just not worth it unless you can cover your costs at the very least.

I also think it is a bit pricey, but maybe you are not targeting us as your buyers. Do you have a better chance of selling 1x copies at $60 or 3x copies at $20? Remember you have 15? million iphones out there so don't ignore economies of scale.

the economies of scale are very small with the iphone compared to other cell phones if you really look at the market. the target is a quality price for a quality application. i am not sure who you are talking about when you say 'us' but speaking for myself i don't think $59.99 is pricey at all. i have paid much more than that for other apps and hardware. the app sold before noon on the first day so i don't think the pricing is off at all. again if you go through the math when dealing with the apple store then the price is not even $59.99. people always want everything cheap. there are cheap versions of the app on the store if that is your market. i am not trying to compete with them. i am looking for something sustainable so that the project can continue and evolve into even better versions. we don't sit around in meetings trying to figure out the next .99 fart or flashlight novelty item. it's not what we are interested in doing. again like i said in the earlier post people expect cheap app prices on the iphone/itouch. if you only knew what went into not just developing the app but getting it through the store maybe you wouldn't be so quick to put down the price. i almost gave up twice with them because of the cryptic nonsense i had to deal with. let's put it to you this way i can spend 8 months at 40 hours a week developing an app and they can reject it for no reason at all and there's nothing i can do about it. if this isn't russian roulette than what is it. i have to take the chance that after everything i have to go through to develop the app it will pass inspection so to speak. again there are other apps for vidcams that are cheaper if that is the market for you. for our project to continue and flourish to bring out updates, new versions, new applications, etc. for quality applications that we are interested in pursuing then there has to be a cost to cover everything never mind trying to make a profit. it's funny but people are paying hundreds of dollars for iphone/itouch and $80+ every month for cellular service on the iphone but they complain about a 1 time $59.99. i should just switch it to monthly subscription like everyone else tries to do in the security business. that way you can have your .99 app. having been on the user end for many apps/hardware i totally despise that business model but it's in response to people wanting everything cheap. my uncle had a significant ADT dealership in the early 90's with over 30,000 accounts and the whole pitch was you can protect yourself for as little as a cup of coffee a day. again it goes back to the monthly subscription model which i do not care for. if you want to pay me $4.99 a month with an annual contract that automatically renews then go ahead. i will make much more in the long run and you can have an app for under $5 which is what is important it seems in this case. for me to make <$10 on an app is just too much of a headache. look at the other vidcam apps on the store and show me the economies of scale. they are lucky if they have 15 reviews in many cases.

now one thing i do agree needs to be changed with the apple model.

demo trials. people should be able to try your app out before they buy it. just as i am justifying charging my price for the app you should also be able to justify that it works as expected before you plunk down your $ on it. my only recourse right now is that i am making videos for people directly with me connecting to their cameras temporarily so they can see the app in action. not much else i can do on that front. actually i have the very limited ability to give out demo copies of the app. i would be more than happy to work with Dan on a contest for a free app as long as the winner agrees to a review on here. i am not sure how Dan runs the contests but if anyone is interested just reply so in this thread and Dan can show me what i need to do to hold the contest.

again like i said before people are going to have an issue with pricing on iphone/itouch apps regardless of my price if it is over the norm in the store. apple has essentially created a race to the bottom with the app store and it is really ruining probably the best cellular development platform currently on the market. i know that i am bucking the trend here but i would not want anything less than a quality app for myself so i don't see a reason to cut corners and put out quick and dirty apps. if nothing else if you don't respect the price respect the application itself. even if you don't buy it at least give some credit to the effort involved. i think my videos speak for themselves on many levels as to the quality of the application.

If it's too much simply don't buy it...Pretty simple to me. If you want it or would use it then spend the money. Better than sending your money to India or China for an inferior product with barely English speaking tech support


(Begin Political BS)

Stimulate the economy! Support the small guy!

(End Political BS)

Here is my two cents. I can't program my way out of a box. So paying only 60 bucks for some software that actually works to integrate your cell phone so it can do even more for you seems pretty reasonable to me. I don't have an Iphone myself I have a Blackberry so am interested in the Blackberry version and if it does what is advertised I would definately pay 60 bucks or more. Lastly Here Here on the India/China slam. Too many folks in the US want everything cheap yet they also want high salaries. Can't have both for very long if they keep outsourcing the higher paid jobs nobody will have any money to buy anything. Ok stepping down off the soapbox now.

yea there are free trial demo's for all apps except iphone/itouch ones. just go to the website www.totalcontrolapp.com and under the section you are interested in there will be a form with instructions. basically you input your email and you get an OTA (over the air) link to click on right in your blackberry in this case. it installs automatically from there. with blackberry make sure you use an email that is setup to your blackberry email client. the web browser does not parse links right on bb. the full url is there also though if you want to copy/paste (not teasing iphone people, smile) and put it right in the browser. should work either way. bb vidcam is limited to 10 days and 2 cameras so you can test all of the functionality. contact me if you have any issues.

best to go through the manual for initial setup though. bb is not as intuitive of a UI as some other cellular interfaces. here is the link: Blackberry Multicam Manual
the demo is basically multicam limited to 2 cameras and 10 days.

i just made an android video of the beta on that interface in case anyone is interested. since it is far enough along to be finished soon i will probably put a section up on the website with the video on there.

thanks for the assist guys. i really debated posting stuff here because i enjoy coming here to talk and learn about stuff not get caught up in posts like this. we have a whole slew of apps coming out this year and they all center around products and ideas that we discuss on here but on the other hand i didn't know a better place to bring it to market. i know i'll get ripped regarding them but i also know that i will get real assessments of the apps so i can polish them for future versions. i'd rather hear criticism from people who actually know this stuff and how it is supposed to work than someone who doesn't even understand what the app is but thought the name sounded cool.

Rob

You rock, Rob. I support your pricing decision and as a fellow "pro" in the industry, I understand what you're facing. The "lowest common denominator" issues we face can nearly drive a guy into another industry. Keep up the good work.

i really could have used the trade for the cav6.6 Anthony, smile. maybe next time...think of me next time you get another unit. thanks for the support. the app is already doing well in multiple countries so i must be doing something right.

twilo123 said:

i really could have used the trade for the cav6.6 Anthony, smile. maybe next time...think of me next time you get another unit. thanks for the support. the app is already doing well in multiple countries so i must be doing something right.

Click to expand...

Sure, Rob, we could do some trading. Just not for Radio BLAH, err, RA. Sorry, I couldn't resist... I'm pleased that you're doing well. If the app takes off, you'll be able to bypass CAV and purchase a nice matrix switch and Parasound Halo amps driving Totem Acoustic Tribe in walls throughout the home. Don't forget the little people when you make it, kid.