iPhoneized

So you have a killer idea for an iPhone app, but when you describe it to people they just don't get it. Maybe you have a client that is a visual thinker and needs you to draw it out for him. That's when wireframes, mockups and stencils can be your saving grace.

The world of iPhone application development is evolving rapidly, and developers have a growing list of  development tools from which to choose. I've created a list (incomplete I'm sure) of some of the more popular tools and frameworks.

MobiOne, an IDE that utilizes the power of WebKit browser engine, is an enterprise-class emulator that enables development of mobile applications using web standards such as HTML 5, CSS 3 and JavaScript.

Many creative types like pen and paper versus design software when designing the UI for that new killer app. The folks at Design Commission understand this and have come up with an excellent set of tools to add to your box.

If you like designing custom iPhone icons and themes, you'll find this little package extremely handy. Giovanni Corti developed the iPhone Theme Creation Tool using HTML, CSS and jQuery. It allows designers to test their icons and themes locally, in a browser, before loading them onto the iPhone.

When I posted about jQTouch back in March, it was still an Alpha release with lots of promise. Now it looks like it's developers are really starting to keep that promise with it's new Beta 2 release that includes a lot of enhancements and bug fixes.

NimbleKit, developed by VolnaTech, is an SDK that allows users to develop iPhone applications much quicker using HTML and Javascript.

Stephen Martin started designing iPhone apps and found it easier to sketch his ideas before putting together any digital comps. After losing some of his sketches he decided to design his own iPhone sketchbook. The iPhone App Sketchbook lets you quickly put your iPhone app designs on paper, without the need for templates, sketches, and wireframes.

As a self-taught web developer, I learned a lot of what I know by looking at other people's source code. It's unfortunate that I can't do this on my iPhone with mobile Safari, at least not by default.

I came across these really cool tools created by Manifest Interactive, a web development firm based in St. Louis, MO.  They created these tools to be used in house on their own projects, but were kind enough to share them with the world.