5 Questions: Leon Ho of Stepcase.com

Digital entrepreneur Leon Ho talks digital photography on the iPhone.

Leon Ho is one of the leading digital entrepreneurs in Hong Kong. As the CEO and Founder of Stepcase.com he runs a very popular productivity blog called Lifehack.org, he is also an iPhone application developer who has recently launched an updated version of what is probably the most successful iPhone app created by a Hong Kong developer: Darkroom. We sat down with Leon to give him the Neonpunch Punch-Up:

Why did you create Darkroom?

When iPhone came out with the iPhone 2G, I started taking pictures with the camera and noticed that many of my shots, usually in low light, came out blurry. As a result, I sought a solution, Darkroom was created out of iPhone’s camera inability to take pictures in low light. In addition, the iPhone is a light mobile device, hence a problem exists with the camera moving when you press the shutter button, often times resulting in blurry pictures.

How does Darkroom work?

Darkroom uses iPhone’s accelerometer feature for our steady mode. Darkroom has two versions, Standard (free) and Premium ($0.99). The difference between the two are features included in them. Darkroom Standard is offered with only the standard pre-set steady mode. Darkroom Premium includes a customizable steady mode that allows you to increase/decrease the sensitivity of the accelerometer, full-screen shutter mode and timer mode.

The standard version of Darkroom received over 800,000 unique downloads worldwide.

What kind of enhancements did you add in this new updated version?

The enhancement for the released version v2.3 was minimal. Our goal was to update it to be compatible with the current iPhone OS 3.1. We also optimized the memory. Do note that OS 3.0 is not supported. There’s a short history of the issue we had with Apple’s approval team documented in our Stepcase blog, if you are interested.

We have rewritten Darkroom completely in v3.0, with a new attractive interfaces, performance gains, and ability to upload your files to the Internet. The new version has been submitted to Apple for review.

As a HK iPhone developer. What are some things you learned that you can share with other HK developers?

1. Care about the user experience. iPhone users are spoiled by the Apple’s usability standard and they are really looking for top-notch applications with great user experiences, including a high level of usability and attractive interfaces.

2. Tackle the market outside of Hong Kong. There are many unsolved problems that need solutions for general iPhone users and of course the market size is bigger.

3. Promote your application outside of App Store. With that many iPhone applications in the app store, you need to promote your application through external channels. There are review blogs, Twitter, and Facebook where you can promote your application for free. Word of mouth was also an important channel for Darkroom’s adoption. Try to support your users as much as possible and they will tell their friends about your product.

What are your 3-5 most essential gadgets you use everyday to make your life more productive or more entertaining.

1. iPhone. The ultimate gadget. It does all the communication stuff I need – phone, SMS, email, Twitter and Facebook, plus camera, web browser, game device, and music player.
2. 13″ MacBook Pro. When I hit the road or at the office, I use this well-built laptop for my work.
3. Kindle. I can pack all those books into a light and thin device.