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Back in August, after the release of the company's Android app, I spoke with GetGlue CEO Alex Iskold about how his startup prepared itself for making the move to mobile. The app first launched on the Web, and thus the company's developers were most familiar with languages native to the Web. In order to transition to mobile, Iskold and GetGlue employed the services of Appcelerator's Titanium - a tool that simplifies native mobile app development for developers. Today I had the chance to chat with Appcelerator's Scott Schwarzhoff about how young companies can plan ahead for their development strategy by anticipating the three phases of app maturity.

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In the last year, the venture-backed Mountain View-based company has quickly grown to support over 64,000 developers and thousands of mobile apps across several platforms. The company's flagship offering, Titanium, allows developers familiar with Web languages to quickly piece together mobile applications with native platform functionality.

Companies of all sizes, from startups like GetGlue to large corporations like eBay and NBC, have built consumer and enterprise level applications using the service. As Schwarzhoff points out, every company needs to plan ahead for mobile development.

"It's important to have a really well thought-out development plan across all platforms that can sustain in the long term," Schwarzhoff told ReadWriteWeb. "You can have a lot of things pop up in the form of new APIs, new capabilities and new platforms. You need to stay ahead of the curve."

One of the best ways company looking to expand into mobility can roadmap their products is to understand what Appcelerator calls the "application maturity model," which consists of three distinct phases.

• The Information Phase - The first step for many companies, says Schwarzhoff, is to dip their toes into the mobile sector with basic read-only apps that provide one-way information to the user. It's in this phase that many first timers build familiarity with the platform, its capabilities and possible business models.
• The Participatory Phase - In this second phase, apps begin to allow for two-way communication, pushing and pulling information between the device and the cloud. Companies begin to realize the potential of the platform and its native functions, like location, photos and social networking.
• The Business Operations Phase - In the third phase, a company finally begins to use their apps as a new way to drive revenue and loyalty from their customers. It's not just a side project, says Schwarzhoff, now it's a critical part of the the overall strategy.

Schwarzhoff adds that companies don't just pass through these phases with their apps, but with platforms as well. As companies enter the mobile scene on one device, like the iPad, they then get increasing curious about other form-factors.

Whatever your startup does, or intends to do, mobility should play an important role in the overall business strategy. Planning your mobile roadmap early and understanding the phases of app maturity will go a long way to help this facet of your business grow quickly and smoothly.

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Kind Gesture of the Day: Between the cat-dumping lady and the puppy-tossing teen, 4chan has really been on a moral kick lately. And they’re not done yet: This image of a flyer requesting attendees for the birthday party of nonagenarian WWII vet William J. Lashua was posted to the infamous online forum. Users quickly obtained his complete mailing address, and a call went out to contribute letters, cards and gifts to help mark Lashua’s special day. Hundreds obliged.

As I was saying to someone earlier today, if /b/tards put their heads together for the greater good, every single one of the world’s problems would be solved. (Of course, a ton of new ones would replace them, but still…)

[floatingparticles.]

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Worthwhile Cause of the Day: In the wee hours of August 31st, Redditor mrsammercer sat down at his computer and regaled the net with his middle-of-the-night, Wayne’s World 2-style epiphany: To hold a satirical DC rally — an absurd countervail to Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” event — to be spearheaded by Stephen Colbert:

Think about it. It’ll be just like Colbert’s mockery of GW Bush at the 2006 White House Correspondent’s Dinner, but 500,000 people will be able to participate with him. We’ll all stay totally in character as teabaggers. The kid with the microphone that interviews all the idiots at these things can come by and we’ll ramble into his microphone.

This would be the high water mark of American satire. Half a million people pretending to suspend all rational thought in unison. Perfect harmony. It’ll feel like San Francisco in the late 60s, only we won’t be able to get any acid.

Meanwhile, the movement has been steadily gaining ground. A website has been set up to help rally support for the “Restoring Truthiness” cause. The Comedy Central Insider blog even mentioned it, albiet matter-of-factly.

Will this vision come to pass? It is too early to tell. In the meantime, mrsammercer’s plea continues to echo through the cyberhalls: “I know you’re out there somewhere, Stephen, watching LOLcat gifs along side us. We need you.”

[image: reddit.]

Artist explores the death of the 100W light bulb in France through a tea kettle that heats water through wasted energy.

This is required reading prior to next week’s meeting in Tessenderlo, Belgium.   Make sure you know the difference between “lambic”, “saison”, and “trappist” ales before showing up.

Inside the secret cave in an undisclosed location where new DASH7 products are being tested and certified for interoperability … never before seen photos available exclusively via this blog.

Pictured above:  Ted Osinski (MET), Richard Schnell (Savi), Dusmantha Tennakoon (MET), and Brian Esque (Nexjen).

PSFK curates some of the brand strategy, digital and creative advertising news and ideas that caught our attention this past week.

Free Range Studios teamed up with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and John Cleese to bring a smile to your face.

Author: Marc

A fiction series experiments with a new model involving its readers.

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A selection of noteworthy concepts picked as favorites by the group.

I’ll tell you one thing I know: the more you post, the more traffic you get.

It’s helpful if the stuff you post is worth something. I try hard to make that always the case. Others don’t try as hard, and yet, their traffic climbs when they post more stuff.

You can reply in the comments and tell me that you’d rather put out great stuff once a month, or once a week, or whenever the great stuff mood strikes you. That means you didn’t really read the first sentence of this post.

I’m not saying what you should do. I’m not saying what’s better or worse. I’m not telling you how often to write on your blog.

I’m telling you that there’s a reason why the top blogs on the Internet all post more than five times a day. All of them. It’s surely not because there’s always more than five amazing things to tell you every day.

But it’s 100% related to traffic and what we’ve observed by posting more.

Even now, while I’m writing these posts about six days ahead of when they go live, I’ve got two a day ready to go. Maybe when I get better at it, I’ll give you three or four amazing things to think about. Not likely. In a new project, I’ll have more than one writer, which will help.

My story still stands: the more you post (provided it’s reasonably useful), the more traffic you get.

Programmer converts certain computer operations into sounds.

A Foursquare-inspired introduction of game mechanics aims to help curb power use.

More people are preferring to work part-time jobs now, a recent survey reveals.

Texas universities offer environmentally-friendly branded energy option for fans.