IT’S the coolest new playground for computer programmers, and Malaysia wants in on it.

The App Store, created by Apple Inc to supply software applications for users of the iPhone and iPod Touch, allows programmers to create their own “apps” and publish them to the store with relative ease.

And with a platform as nicely packaged as the iPhone for a canvas, developers from all over the world are able to let their imaginations run wild. They’ve designed apps that can identify songs played on the radio just by pointing your iPhone at the speaker, help you find nearby restaurants using the built-in GPS, keep track of your diet/fitness plans, teach you how to speak a foreign language and pretty much anything you can think of.

But then there are also the inane ones, which are the most fun. It includes stuff like iPhone koi fishponds, lightsabres, strobe lights, and last but not least, the iWood app, for the superstitious to always have a digital screenshot of bark for them to “touch wood”.

Jason Khong showing the Apple software development kit (SDK) and simulator he uses to design iPhone applications.

Now, Malaysia too has been part of this phenomenon, but we want a bigger piece of the App Store pie, which is why a project by the government known as ICON (Integrated Content Development Task Force) has been initiated.

The project, run by MDeC (Multimedia Development Corporation), includes an initiative known as ICONapps, which hopes to get local software developers interested in and committed to designing applications – starting with the iPhone.

“We’re picking the iPhone to start with because it’s the most mature mobile applet market,” said Tan Tze Meng, manager of the MDeC infostructure department.

“We did our research, and the numbers were quite clear – there are 30 million devices (iPhones and iPod Touches) being used now, and one billion apps sold from the App Store in less than a year. Everyone’s jumping on the bandwagon now. Everyone wants to have their own app store. It’s the way to go.”

Applications on the App Store are either free or available for a few US dollars each, depending on the developer, but the worldwide market and ease of purchase using the iPhone makes it a potentially profitable sector for local developers.

“A good developer should earn up to five to 10 thousand (US) dollars a day,” Tze Meng added. “We want Malaysian developers to be able to earn money from this, but it’s also about having our content published on the global stage. We want to show what Malaysian developers can come up with.”

ICONapps has already started a pilot programme catering to 150 programmers. Participants will go through various stages to help them complete an iPhone app and the various fees and costs will either be reimbursed or subsidised, including RM3,500 to buy a development system, depending on the commitment and potential shown by the programmer.

The Mistletoe App: Designed by Jason Khong for all the lonely hearts during Christmas.

One of the main reasons why iPhone application development has grown so rapidly around the world is the quality of the entire system.

All programmers need to do is download Apple’s software development kit (SDK) to start designing their own apps. Once they are done, they send the app to Apple for review, and if Apple think it’s fine, and it usually is unless the app is buggy or inappropriate for the masses, it gets published on the App Store to iPhone users all over the world.

Developer Jason Khong, who has already been creating iPhone apps, believes as a package, the iPhone, Apple SDK and App Store is unrivalled.

“The App Store can only grow. It’s a great platform. They have a great device to run their apps in the iPhone, which has all the capabilities of a computer, a good SDK, and a worldwide market,” said Jason, 27.

“All the iPhones are the same, so you don’t have to worry about different screen resolutions or being compatible with less powerful devices (when designing apps). And if you get like a million downloads, you don’t have to worry about the server crashing, because the App Store handles it. They’ve solved a lot of these small problems so the developers can focus on being creative. ”

Jason’s first published app was a mistletoe app for Christmas – a swinging branch for you to take advantage of those yuletide celebrations – which he said was “just something for fun”.

“I didn’t really earn much from that app. But it was good to get that first app out of the way, to create it and publish it. Now I’m working on a unit trust information app, which is more localised,” he said.

According to Jason, the earning potential for developers isn’t just through App Store sales, but in developing for other companies.

“The mobile computing era is coming, if it’s not already here. From what I know, there are many local companies already looking to get on to the iPhone platform with their own apps because it’s cool.

“And there are so many possibilities! They have more ideas than I can handle,” he added.

With all these ideas flying around, Tze Meng believes anybody can start cashing in on the market, and not just developers. But only if they have enough initiative.

Jason says that though the SDK is very intuitive, users would still need to know some basic code.

“But in any case, Google is your best friend,” said Tze Meng. “There are many sites out there to teach you the basics. If you’re not waiting to be spoon-fed, you could already be writing for the App Store.”