iPhone App-idemic is sweeping the globe
Sunday, 14 September 2008
John Kessler
In the first month after the App Store debuted alongside the new iPhones on July 11, users downloaded more than 60 million of the programs. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Apple CEO Steve Jobs suggested it may become a "$1 billion marketplace." The apps, developed both by Apple and third-party suppliers, also work with the iPod touch.
Atlanta food writer and blogger Jennifer Zyman purchased her first Apple iPhone the day it went on sale last year -- "I waited in line; I'm a geek," she admits -- then upgraded to the sleeker, faster G3 model as soon as it hit stores this summer. She is as keen on her phone as she is on discovering the newest Midtown restaurant.
Now the two go together. Among the 10 "apps" or applications she has downloaded for her phone are two restaurant locators -- Yelp and Urbanspoon -- that use the phone's global positioning software to find nearby restaurants and even provide customer reviews.
"When I was in New York last week and trying to find an Indian restaurant, it was really helpful," Zyman said. "I trust what people on Yelp are saying."
The huge array of iPhone apps -- games, guides, services, utilities -- may be the primary culprit in a new and extremely viral strain of Phone-in-Hand disease. Put down your Crackberry for a second and pay attention: An app pandemic is sweeping the globe.
In the first month after Apple's online App Store debuted alongside the new iPhones on July 11, users downloaded more than 60 million of the programs. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Apple CEO Steve Jobs suggested it may become a "$1 billion marketplace."
The apps, developed both by Apple and third-party suppliers, also work with the iPod Touch and conjure a universe of handheld possibility. The iPhone can become a radio, a voice recorder, a "Star Wars" light saber, a television remote control or a cartoon mouth.
The App Store currently offers about 2,500 choices. As users are finding, the act of browsing, downloading and trying out these apps, many of which are free or cost only a dollar or two, can be a time-consuming hobby.
"My iPhone is glued to my left hand," laughs Atlanta photographer Joel Silverman. "If I walk away from it for too long, I don't know what's wrong."
Silverman claims to have "downloaded a million of the free things," but has also purchased quite a few apps. The best?
"The best are the ones my 3-year-old loves," he says. Little Sophie Silverman most appreciates Preschool Adventure, in which she reassembles a monkey that sings and dances once all his body parts are in place.
"It makes car rides painless," says her dad.
Blair MacIntyre, an associate professor in the School of Interactive Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has downloaded dozens of apps to his own iPhone. As enthusiastic as he is, he points out that Apple hasn't exactly broken new ground. Other handhelds, such as the Palm Treo, have downloadable applications.
"It's one of the things that Apple does well: Take something that is out there already and package it in a way that is easy to use, convenient and hassle-free," says MacIntyre.
Because Apple vets all the third-party software to meet certain requirements, they are generally more stable and less crash-prone. The setup also provides a marketplace for creative young programmers to sell their wares and get a reasonable cut for their products.
Still, not every iPhone user is enamored with the boundless apps. Or even aware of them. When contacted by a reporter, Atlanta anesthesiologist Brad Duplantier admitted that he had never considered the App Store.
"I'm not even sure what it is," says Duplantier, adding, "I've never used the camera or the iPod, either. When I have some time, I need to sit down with my iPhone." APPLE APPS
Some of the popular choices from the iPhone App Store :
Shazam: Identifies a song broadcast on a radio or loudspeaker after capturing a few seconds of audio.
Labyrinth: Mimics the classic game in which a player guides a steel ball through a wooden maze by tilting the phone.
aSleep: Provides ambient nature sounds to fall asleep to.
Remote: Turns the iPhone into a remote controller for televisions and computers in a wireless network.
Tap Tap: Mimics the game play of Guitar Hero.
To keep up with new apps, go online to www.theiphoneblog.com and search for "app avalanche."
— Top Tech
In the first month after the App Store debuted alongside the new iPhones on July 11, users downloaded more than 60 million of the programs. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Apple CEO Steve Jobs suggested it may become a "$1 billion marketplace." The apps, developed both by Apple and third-party suppliers, also work with the iPod touch.
Atlanta food writer and blogger Jennifer Zyman purchased her first Apple iPhone the day it went on sale last year -- "I waited in line; I'm a geek," she admits -- then upgraded to the sleeker, faster G3 model as soon as it hit stores this summer. She is as keen on her phone as she is on discovering the newest Midtown restaurant.
Now the two go together. Among the 10 "apps" or applications she has downloaded for her phone are two restaurant locators -- Yelp and Urbanspoon -- that use the phone's global positioning software to find nearby restaurants and even provide customer reviews.
"When I was in New York last week and trying to find an Indian restaurant, it was really helpful," Zyman said. "I trust what people on Yelp are saying."
The huge array of iPhone apps -- games, guides, services, utilities -- may be the primary culprit in a new and extremely viral strain of Phone-in-Hand disease. Put down your Crackberry for a second and pay attention: An app pandemic is sweeping the globe.
In the first month after Apple's online App Store debuted alongside the new iPhones on July 11, users downloaded more than 60 million of the programs. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Apple CEO Steve Jobs suggested it may become a "$1 billion marketplace."
The apps, developed both by Apple and third-party suppliers, also work with the iPod Touch and conjure a universe of handheld possibility. The iPhone can become a radio, a voice recorder, a "Star Wars" light saber, a television remote control or a cartoon mouth.
The App Store currently offers about 2,500 choices. As users are finding, the act of browsing, downloading and trying out these apps, many of which are free or cost only a dollar or two, can be a time-consuming hobby.
"My iPhone is glued to my left hand," laughs Atlanta photographer Joel Silverman. "If I walk away from it for too long, I don't know what's wrong."
Silverman claims to have "downloaded a million of the free things," but has also purchased quite a few apps. The best?
"The best are the ones my 3-year-old loves," he says. Little Sophie Silverman most appreciates Preschool Adventure, in which she reassembles a monkey that sings and dances once all his body parts are in place.
"It makes car rides painless," says her dad.
Blair MacIntyre, an associate professor in the School of Interactive Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has downloaded dozens of apps to his own iPhone. As enthusiastic as he is, he points out that Apple hasn't exactly broken new ground. Other handhelds, such as the Palm Treo, have downloadable applications.
"It's one of the things that Apple does well: Take something that is out there already and package it in a way that is easy to use, convenient and hassle-free," says MacIntyre.
Because Apple vets all the third-party software to meet certain requirements, they are generally more stable and less crash-prone. The setup also provides a marketplace for creative young programmers to sell their wares and get a reasonable cut for their products.
Still, not every iPhone user is enamored with the boundless apps. Or even aware of them. When contacted by a reporter, Atlanta anesthesiologist Brad Duplantier admitted that he had never considered the App Store.
"I'm not even sure what it is," says Duplantier, adding, "I've never used the camera or the iPod, either. When I have some time, I need to sit down with my iPhone." APPLE APPS
Some of the popular choices from the iPhone App Store :
Shazam: Identifies a song broadcast on a radio or loudspeaker after capturing a few seconds of audio.
Labyrinth: Mimics the classic game in which a player guides a steel ball through a wooden maze by tilting the phone.
aSleep: Provides ambient nature sounds to fall asleep to.
Remote: Turns the iPhone into a remote controller for televisions and computers in a wireless network.
Tap Tap: Mimics the game play of Guitar Hero.
To keep up with new apps, go online to www.theiphoneblog.com and search for "app avalanche."
— Top Tech