[Scan-DC] iPhone: Police scanner makes arresting first choice

[Alan Henney]

The Australian

March 8, 2010 Monday 
1 - All-round Country Edition

Police scanner makes arresting first choice

BYLINE: Simon Canning

SECTION: FEATURES; Pg. 32

LENGTH: 615 words

THE most popular news app in Australia for Apple's iPhone is a police scanner made by a 29-year-old programmer living in London who started computer coding when he was 14. 

James Leung is the chief executive of Smartapple, a tiny iPhone application developer in Britain succeeding where some of the world's biggest media companies are struggling to go -- attracting the attention of consumers in the voracious iPhone app market.

Leung's police, ambulance and fire radio scanner app, 5-0 Radio, is the top-selling news app in Australia according to Apple, ahead of other news apps including The Guardian, News Australia Plus 2.0, Sky News International and the Lotto results app.

Ironically, Leung told Media he intended the app as an aid to journalists, not a competitor to news sites. ``When I made the app, I thought only news reporters would get this app forthe earliest scoop on a story,'' Leung said. ``However, we've noticed people of all ages are interested in (or at least curious about) the daily lives of public servants.'' Leung sources frequencies for police, radio and ambulance services from readily available public databases, while the service offers access to other public servant streams such as airport communications and train radios.

While the app has proven popular, with between 60,000 and 80,000 downloads a day internationally for the free app and between 4000 and 6000 versions of the paid app also sold worldwide, it does not come without its critics. Australian buyers will struggle to get metropolitan police radio communications, with most major cities encrypting streams.

However, listeners can still get regional police as well as ambulance and fire communications -- although these are expected to be encrypted in the next 12 months.

Police say listening to communications is not illegal except when used in the act of committing a crime or for profit.

``I was surprised that 5-0 Radio was the No 1 paid app overall (not just the news category) in the Australian iTunes store during November-December 2009,'' Leung said. ``Right now, we're enjoying success in the US as well.''

----- The top ten apps -----

NEWS & INFORMATION

1. ......... 5-0 RADIO: AUSTRALIAN POLICE, ............... $1.19

FIRE, ... AMBULANCE ............................................... SCANNER

2. ......... THE GUARDIAN ........................................... $4.99

3. ......... NEWS AUSTRALIA PLUS 2.0 ....................... $2.49

4. ......... SKY NEWS INTERNATIONAL ....................... $3.99

5. ......... INSTAPAPER PRO ...................................... $5.99

6. ......... LOTTO RESULTS ......................................... $1.19

7. ......... REEDER ..................................................... $3.99

8. ......... WASH POST ............................................... $2.49

9. ......... NEWS ONE AUSTRALIA 2.0 ........................ $1.19

10. ....... QUAKEWATCH - LATEST EARTHQUAKES ... $1.19

SPORT

1. ......... AFL SUPERCOACH ..................................... $3.99

- .......... SEASON ...................................................... 2010

2. ......... NRL SUPERCOACH - SEASON 2010 ............ $3.99

3. ......... NRL 2010 .................................................... $1.19

4. ......... AUSSIE RULES ........................................... $1.19

5. ......... RUGBY UNION 2010 .................................... $1.19

6. ......... MLB.COM AT BAT 2010 ............................... $17.99

7. ......... GOLFSHOT: GOLF GPS .............................. $36.99

8. ......... HURLEY SURF COASTALWATCH ................ $3.99

9. ......... FISHING KNOTS .......................................... $1.19

10. ....... TOUCHSPORTS TENNIS '09 ......................... $2.4