Varga has already moved onto other projects, doing development under his own label and contract work for other companies. Olson is being joined by his brother and father in making his development company into a full-time gig. And Alphonso Studios continues to explore the possibilities of Pulse.

"We've only scratched the surface with Pulse," Gupta said. "We've created a nice visualization of the news, (but) that's only part of the problem. The real challenge is getting the right news to people ... This is just the start."

While the recognition from Apple is exciting, the developers suggested that other possibilities may be ahead.

"I wouldn't say I'm driven to do mobile," Varga said, "but it's very exciting right now."

Olson agreed. "It looks like I'm going to be in apps for awhile," he said. "At least until the next big thing."