One would think that parsing and generating xml files using the iPhone SDK would be a simple task.  However, Apple decided to leave out the NSXML and related classes from the SDK.  So- out of the box, that leaves us with NSXMLParser.  No thanks.
My first question was: How can I deal with xml the way [...]

Adding an in-app announcement system to your app is an excellent way to “Apple-proof” your app. With 2-4 week approval times, having an instantly changeable notification system is the best way to reliably reach your users.