The Wind in the Willows Audio Book iPhone App From The Toy Lounge

Now in the iTunes App Store! Please check it out, The Wind in the Willows Audio Book iPhone App is a FREE download -
you can find it by following this link to the App Store.

Published in 1908, Kenneth Grahame's timeless tale The Wind in the Willows is a literary classic enjoyed by adults and children alike. The story centers around four principal characters - Mole, Ratty, Mr. Toad, and Mr. Badger - and their river adventures in the English countryside. Now the Toy Lounge brings this engaging novel to the iPhone and iPod Touch with our Wind in the Willows audio ebook.







The Toy Lounge audiobook reader features:
Audio synched to autoscrolling text
Text sync on or off option with audio
Manual or autoscroll option without audio
Automatic bookmarks
Manual bookmarks
Search function
Chapter repeat option
Sleep timer with 10, 15, 30, 60, and 90 minute settings
Adjustable font sizes
Background color options
Day or night reading modes
Email notes to contacts

We hope you enjoy this title from author Kenneth Grahame, who wrote that The Wind in the Willows is a book for those "who keep the spirit of youth alive in them; of life, sunshine, running water, woodlands, dusty roads, winter firesides."

This audio version is a Librivox.org recording of a book in the public domain , read by Mark F. Smith.

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Total audio time - 6:38:23
Due to the large file size, we recommend that you initially download this app using iTunes on your computer, then syncing your iPhone or iPod Touch.

The Toy Lounge creates apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch, including ebook, audio book, children's book and business applications. Please contact us for details on creating your own custom iPhone app.

Email: custom@toylounge.com

iPhone Apps as Promotional Products

Promotional iPhone Applications - iPhone Apps as Promotional Products

Here's something new for the promotional products industry! iPhone apps make great promotional products. Are you a promotional products distributor? How about something new to show your clients? With Toy Lounge promotional iPhone apps, you can offer your clients cutting edge technology that advertises their business on the hottest promotional platform on the market.

Advantages of using iPhone apps as promotional products:

Every company large or small can use a promotional iPhone application.
Promotional iPhone apps don't need manufacturing
Promotional iPhone apps don't need to be imported
No worries about toxic materials as with plastic or painted products
Promotional iPhone apps don't need shipping
Promotional iPhone apps aren't fragile and won't damage
Promotional iPhone apps portray your clients as hip and cutting edge
Marketing studies show iPhone users have higher incomes and spend more money
Promotional iPhone apps can easily be updated
Promotional iPhone apps can deliver coupons and specials direct to customers' phones

If you are a promotional products distributor, please contact us at the Toy Lounge for more details on how you can add promotional iPhone applications to your product line. Our basic iPhone apps for business start at only $975.00 (c).

Call of the Canyon by Zane Grey - iPhone ebook app from the Toy Lounge

Introducing The Call of the Canyon by Zane Grey - an ebook app for the iPhone from the Toy Lounge. You can find this app here in the iTunes App Store.


American author Zane Grey (1872-1939) wrote over 90 books, but was best known for his western novels. Now the Toy Lounge brings Zane Grey's romantic western The Call of the Canyon to the iPhone and iPod Touch. In this title, veteran Glenn Kilbourne returns from the trauma of the First World War to recover in the Arizona wilderness. But will rejecting his former superficial life mean losing the woman he loves?


The Toy Lounge eBook Reader for the iPhone features:

Autoscroll option with speed control
Automatic bookmarking
Manual bookmarks
Search function
Font size adjustable
Background color options
Day or night reading mode
Notes emailed to any contact

The Toy Lounge creates apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch, including ebook, audio book, and children's book applications. Please contact us for details on creating your own custom iPhone app. To see The Call of the Canyon ebook app in the iTunes App Store, click here - iTunes required to view.

iPhone Apps for Real Estate Agents

Real Estate Agents - promote yourselves on the iPhone! Times have been tough for the real estate business; realtors need to take advantage of everything possible to promote themseves and stay in touch with potential customers and let them find you with one touch. iPhone apps are a great new way to advertise and promote your real estate business with the iPhone - the dominant smart phone on the market today.







Click here to download this Realtor's iPhone app FREE
from the iTunes App Store - iPhone and iTunes account needed to download. Check it out!

iPhone apps for real estate agents will allow real estate professionals to have their advertising images right there on a customer's iPhone screen for easy access to the latest MLS listings and price changes. The Toy Lounge iPhone app for realtors is a budget friendly application that's fast to design, full of useful features and at a reasonable cost.

Your very own Realtor iPhone App can feature:

* Start page with your logo and picture
* Info page about you and your business
* Your website home page with your current listings
* Interactive map page with your office location
* Page with your latest news or blog entries
* Mortgage calculator tool
* And more!

The Toy Lounge iPhone app for real estate agents and realtors starts at only $975.00(c) and can be ready for your customers in the iTunes app store in just a few weeks! Your competition is going to be advertising and promoting on the iPhone, so why aren't you?

Contact us at the Toy Lounge to get your iPhone app started right away!

Budget iPhone Apps for Small Business from the Toy Lounge

Budget iPhone Apps for Small Business

Why pay thousands of dollars for an iPhone app if you only need the basics to get started?iPhone apps are a great new way to promote and advertise your business. Having a special picture button for your business right on your customer's mobile phone is great exposure.

Your target market sees your logo or image every time he or she scrolls through the iPhone screens. It's the advertising promotion that keeps on giving! Your own iPhone app makes it simpler and faster for your customer to see your products or services and then contact you to close a sale.

Promotional iPhone Apps for every kind of Small Business - with our Toy Lounge semi stock iPhone app templates, you will be able to advertise and promote your business on the fastest growing form of media today - the iPhone. Toy Lounge stock iPhone apps for small business are budget friendly and fast to develop and upload to the Apple iTunes App Store. Read more details here.

Pictured below is a sample 4 page Small Business App that includes Splash Page, Business Info Page, Link to Website Page, and Map Location/Directions Page. Everything you need to establish and promote your business on the iPhone yet at a budget-friendly cost.

Basic Pricing starts at only $975.00 for a 4-5 page iPhone app.

Upgrade your basic app with links to your Facebook page, Twitter feed, photo collection, YouTube video, your online store, RSS updates, other custom pages, and more!

Pricing starts as low as $975.00 for a 4-5 page iPhone app.

Categories include: iPhone apps for Realtors, iPhone apps for Restaurants, iPhone apps for Car Dealers, iPhone apps for Bars, iPhone apps for Banks, iPhone apps for Salons, iPhone apps for Insurance Agents, iPhone apps for Wedding and Party Planners, iPhone apps for Sales Reps, iPhone apps for Retail Stores, iPhone apps for Attorneys, iPhone apps for Chiroprators. Don't see your business category here? Give us a call or email.

1.5 Billion iPhone Apps Downloaded

Apple has announced that over 1.5 billion iPhone apps have been downloaded to date from the iTunes App Store. Look for the mark to reach 2 billion shortly, with over 65000 apps listed in the App Store.

Need custom iPhone apps for your business or personal project? The Toy Lounge - http://TheToyLounge.com - creates custom iPhone applications to your specifications.

The Toy Lounge creates Custom iPhone Apps

The Toy Lounge - http://thetoylounge.com - creates custom iPhone apps and now also creates custom apps for Blackberry! The Toy Lounge's first Blackberry app is for streaming radio, just like we already do for the iPhone. More details to come here in another post.

For specific information on our streaming radio apps for the iPhone, please check out the Toy Lounge at http://thetoylounge.com/radio-stations or email us with any custom iPhone app questions.

New iPhone 3G S on sale today!

New iPhone 3G S went on sale to the public today, prompting long-ish lines in several major cities' Apple and AT&T stores. Observers reported that the lines were not as long and moved faster than previous iPhone rollouts. The Toy Lounge iPhone Apps Blog - http://www.thetoylounge.com/iphone-apps-blog/ - opines that the iPhone 3G S "is no big deal" and recommends holding off an upgrade especially if you have much time left on the AT&T contract.

The Toy Lounge - http://thetoylounge.com - is a registered iPhone developer in the Minneapolis St. Paul area of Minnesota.

iPhone Apps for eBooks - Publishing Your eBooks with iPhone Applications

iPhone Apps for eBook Publishing

Publish your book or eBook as an iPhone app and get paid for your work! It's a great new way of publishing whether you're an author and your book is already published or if you are an aspiring author looking for a publisher.

For publishers - consider making an iPhone app for your existing books. iPhone apps allow your eBook to be read both on the iPhone and the iPod Touch. A paid iPhone app adds another revenue stream to your publishing line, helping both your list of authors and your own bottom line. Not big enough to partner with Stanza? We can create your own eBook reader for you and incorporate it into your line of eBook iPhone applications.

For authors - iPhone apps for your eBooks can get your work published and on the paid marketplace without waiting for an established publisher to select your book. You as the author control the publication, the price, and the royalties. You get 70% of your book app's sales price from the iTunes App Store, after Apple's 30% cut. This means after Apple, you get ALL of the royalties. And with the new iPhone 3.0 upgrade coming out later this year, you will even be able to offer your eBook apps on a subscription basis so you can charge more for adding content periodically!

iPhone apps for eBooks FAQ:

Q: Why should I invest in an iPhone app for my book instead of publishing an eBook for Kindle?

A: You should do both! An author should monetize his or her book in as many ways as possible (unless you're independently wealthy).

Q: What advantages does an iPhone app have over Kindle? Kindle publishing is free, and iPhone apps cost money!

A: Your eBook as an iPhone app nets you 70% of the sale price vs. 35% from Kindle. Also, your eBook iPhone app can be upgraded or have added content at any time. You can even sell your publication by subscription with your iPhone app. Also, Apple has sold almost 40 million iPhone and iPod Touch units vs about 500,000 Amazon Kindles. Publishing your eBook with an iPhone app is a market you can't ignore.

Q: Does an eBook published with an iPhone app also need a reader?

A: Yes, your iPhone eBook application will need an eBook reader incorporated into the app. The Toy Lounge has its own proprietary eBook reader that we can build into your eBook application.

Q: Can't I use the Kindle reader or Stanza reader for my own eBook iPhone application?

A: No - Kindle and Stanza are not licensing their readers for use in individual iPhone apps. You or your publisher would need to have the publishing volume to make a special partnership to list your books with Amazon/Kindle/Stanza like the bigger publishing houses are doing.

Q: How much does it cost to turn my eBook into an iPhone app?

A: The cost for your eBook iPhone app will depend on the number of pages in your eBook, any illustrations or pictures included in your eBook, and any added features you may need included. A basic cost for starters would be $2500.00 - but keep in mind that this is just a rough estimate and a starting point until we can review your actual material and necessary requirements. We offer volume disounts - the more eBook iPhone apps we create for you, the lower the cost for each will be.

Please contact us at the Toy Lounge for a free price quote on your eBook project.

Amazon buys eBook reader Stanza

Now the two most downloaded eBook readers for the iPhone are both owned by Amazon - their own creation Kindle and now the greatly popular Stanza. Amazon announced the acquisition of Lexcycle, Stanza's parent company, on April 27th 2009.

Possible names for the new Amazon reader? How about Kinza? Or Standle? Actually, Amazon has announced that Lexcycle and Stanza will remain an independent operation and won't be combined with Kindle (at least not for right now). Purchase price was not disclosed for Lexcycle, which is just in its first year of existence.

Are you thinking about creating an iPhone app for your eBook? Don't have the publishing power to make a deal with Kindle or Stanza to list your book in their stores? Contact us at the Toy Lounge, we can create a custom eBook iPhone app for your project and incorporate our own eBook reader into your application.

Billionth iPhone App Downloaded on 4/23/09

Apple announced the one billionth app download from the iTunes App Store on Thursday April 23rd 2009! And guess what, it figures that the one billionth app would be a free one.

What's the lucky free app that will be the beneficiary of all the hoopla? It's Bump, a simple social networking app that "bumps" two phones together to exchange contact info. More on Bump to come - but our congratulations to Bump Technologies and also to the 13 year old kid - Connor Mulcahey of Weston, Connecticut - who gets the pile of goodies from Apple, including a new iPod Touch, a MacBook Pro, a Time Capsule and a $10,000 iTunes gift card!

The Toy Lounge also makes custom iPhone apps for your project. Find out more at the Toy Lounge website http://thetoylounge.com . Watch for the two billionth iPhone app to come up very soon at this rate.

Wall Street Journal Custom iPhone Application

The Wall Street Journal releases their new custom iPhone application -

The newspaper world adds another new iPhone application, this time from the esteemed Wall Street Journal. And, unlike the paper and online editions of the Wall Street Journal, their iPhone app is free - WSJ advertisers foot the bill instead of you!

The app's look is similar to that of The New York Times iPhone application with the same general screen layout for section headings, an advertising banner, and search function. The Wall Street Journal goes a step farther than The Times, adding sections for video and radio.

This custom iPhone app is a free download in the iTunes App Store. Contact us at the Toy Lounge if you would like an app similar to this for your newspaper, publication or other project. The Toy Lounge creates custom iPhone apps for newspapers, radio stations, children's books, ebooks, games, and more.

iPhone Apps for Children's Books

Publish your Children's Book with an iPhone application!

Attention Children's Book Authors - having trouble getting your Children's Book published? Are you tired of sending out your book to publishers, only to never hear from them again, or get the standard rejection note? Or, is your book already published but you get a tiny royalty and there's no marketing for your book?

Think about creating an iPhone app for your Children's Book! Here are just a few of the benefits of self-publishing your book using an iPhone application:

* Your book gets published the way you want it
* You control the publishing process
* You are your own final editor
* You don't answer to anyone else
* You get ALL the proceeds (after Apple's 30% - is that better than your publisher's deal?)
* You can revise or upgrade the book as needed
* You can charge whatever you think is best for the book
* Nothing has to be printed or shipped (great environmentally)
* You don't need a publisher or an agent for this type of distribution
* Add sound, animation, and social networking features to your book
* And More!

Please contact us at the Toy Lounge for more details and a Free Quote on your book's iPhone app.

Great New App from Major League Baseball

MLB.com At Bat 2009

From MLB.com -
"Exclusive pitch type, location, and speed data make At Bat 2009 the fastest, most detailed way to follow baseball on your iPhone and iPod touch. Listen LIVE to every regular season and Postseason game including all home and select visiting team feeds and no blackout restrictions. Watch the best plays of the game moments after they happen. The app will detect your connection speed to deliver the optimal quality video."

MLB is rumored to be working on streaming live game video feeds when Apple uncorks the new upgraded iPhone OS later this year. This app is a foretaste of the innovations that will be upcoming through the iPhone - find out more about creating your own custom iPhone app with the Toy Lounge.

MLB.com At Bat 2009 costs $9.99 for the season.

Check out MLB At Bat 2009 in the iTunes App Store

iPhone Apps for Newspapers

Times have been tough recently for the Newspaper business. Remember when major cities had at least two competing newspapers, and each newspaper company usually had both morning and evening editions? If you're under age 40, you probably don't. The newspaper business has been in decline for some decades, but internet technology has recently speeded up the decline.

Countless free news websites are siphoning off newspapers' former paying subscribers, Craig's List has ruined classified advertising for newspapers, and printing and other production costs continue to rise. Long time columnists are quitting to publish their own content. This gloom and doom can also be applied to the magazine business. Is there any good news out there for the publishing world?

iPhone apps may help newspapers to rise again or at least maintain themselves while they reinvent and regroup. Newspaper iPhone apps can bring a leading edge technology to an industry many consider tired and old fashioned, maybe even comatose. What an iPhone app can do is bring the newspaper and its content one step closer to the customers, who are able to personalize and share their favorite news content and read it anywhere they are, even offline.

iPhone apps can help newspapers add a social networking feature to their publications and give an advertising sales force something new to talk about with potential advertisers instead of dwelling on declining circulation numbers.

Read the rest from the Toy Lounge

Planning your iPhone app

Planning your iPhone app -

Developing a custom iPhone app is expensive and takes a lot of time. iPhone developers have lots of jobs and their own ideas to work on and experienced programmers are in high demand/short supply.

The best way to reduce both development time and expense is to have a well thought out plan of attack for your custom iPhone app beforehand. We have a detailed, although not all-encompassing list of questions to ask yourself as you plan and outline your app project. For example,

* Why do you want to make this iPhone app?
* Is there any competition already in the App Store for my proposed app?
* Find the rest of our iPhone App Planning List here

Not every question will apply to your particular project and you'll come up with more as you move through the initial process but it's a good start to thinking out your plan of attack and saving money on your app development.

iPhone Apps FAQ

New iPhone App FAQ -

There's a new FAQ for iPhone apps on the Toy Lounge site - you can check it out here - more FAQ to be added as more iPhone app questions are submitted. Here's a preview:

What are iPhone apps? How many iPhone apps are there? How much do iPhone apps cost? How much does it cost to make an iPhone app? Who makes iPhone apps? Can I make my own iPhone app? Follow the link above for more Q&A.

iPhone Apps are an exciting new mobile format for entertainment, productivity, marketing and promotion. Over 30 million users and multiplying! Be sure to check out our current Top 10 lists of iPhone applications or contact Toy Lounge to discuss creating your own custom iPhone app. The Toy Lounge is a Registered Apple iPhone Developer.

Who can use a custom iPhone application?

* iPhone apps for corporations
* iPhone apps for children's books
* iPhone apps for small business
* iPhone apps for government agencies
* iPhone apps for organizations
* iPhone apps for non-profits
* iPhone apps for museums
* iPhone apps for military
* iPhone apps for newspapers
* iPhone apps for radio stations
* iPhone apps for banks
* iPhone apps for realtors
* iPhone apps for restaurants
* iPhone apps for churches
* iPhone apps for celebrities
* iPhone apps for bands and musicians

Welcome, First Post

Welcome to the Custom iPhone Apps Blog! Check back regularly for more information all about iPhone apps. Read about iPhone app development, how to get a custom iPhone app for your company or yourself, the latest Top 10 app lists and an on-going custom iPhone apps FAQ.