Despite a lawsuit from Apple alleging trademark infringement over the name “appstore” the Amazon Appstore launched today,
The Amazon Appstore is selling apps for Android phones and tablets in a challenge to Google’s own Android Marketplace.
And, for at least today, Amazon is giving away Angry Birds Rio, for Android, for free.
It looks through your iTunes, and then suggests replacements…
Hm. Once again… has app development gone too far? Maybe?
In this case, however, the intention at least is quite good. New York City wants you to be able to find a condom when you need one.
The New York City Department of Health developed the app to lead users to free condom distribution locations. The app called “NYC Condom Finder” is available for iPhone and Android.
Dr. Monica Sweeney, the city’s assistant health commissioner said, “We want New York City to be the safest city in the world to have sex.”
All right, y’all. Is the app thing going too far?
Haven’t been to confession recently? Don’t worry there’s an app that allows you to confess your sins to it. No, really.
It’s officially sanctioned by the Catholic Church.
From Reuters:
Confession: A Roman Catholic app, thought to be the first to be approved by a church authority, walks Catholics through the sacrament and contains what the company behind the program describes as a “personalized examination of conscience for each user”.
“Our desire is to invite Catholics to engage in their faith through digital technology,” said Patrick Leinen of the three-man company Little iApps, based in South Bend, Indiana.
The app is $1.99. Would you use it?
We haven’t checked in with you on this topic for a while now.
Recently, while hanging out around L.A., someone asked us what our favorites apps were, then before we could answer, she pulled out her own phone and proceeded to show us Talking Tom Cat — you know that green-eyed cat that will repeat anything you say and even let you beat it up? (Note: Some of us at Go have mixed feelings on Tom Cat. Not fans of beating up the poor little guy).
However, that app has been adopted by many.
So, if a talking cat can get people hooked, what else is grabbing your attention these days in the app market? Tell us here or at go@latimes.com.
From Times’ Technology:
Gartner Inc. on Wednesday predicted that mobile application revenue will nearly triple in 2011, to $15.1 billion, from $5.2 billion last year.
That will come from 18 billion downloads of the programs that run on a growing variety of smart phones and tablets from Apple Inc., Android, BlackBerry and others.
Apps were largely popularized by Apple after the release of its App Store in July 2008, which at the time had about 500 apps available for the company’s iPhone and iPod Touch.
The store now has 350,000 apps available, including 60,000 designed for its iPad tablet computer. Last weekend Apple said it had sold 10 billion apps since the store had opened. Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi estimated that Apple drove 90% of app downloads in 2010.
(Source: Los Angeles Times)
Really like this app so far. Been using it all night. Clean and simple. Works on iPhone, Android, the mobile web, and the regular web.
Plus I love the “Map” view (at least on the iPhone).
Jared Keller of The Atlantic lays out why he believes Apple will dominate the mobile world.
He writes:
Forget apps. In the coming mobile revolution, the company with the best machines will win.
And continues:
What’s Apple’s secret? It’s not apps or the app store, since virtually every app that exists for the Apple OS exists for Android as well. It’s the Hip Factor: Hooking consumers while they’re young with sexy machines.
Let’s discuss. We want to hear from the Apple-lovers and the Android-owners alike. BlackBerrys and other devices, too. Do you think Apple has essentially cornered the mobile market? Is the hardware what draws you to a mobile device? How can other devices compete?
Tell us here or at go@latimes.com
Xavier Jones, 17, (pictured above on the right) collapsed during basketball practice at La Verne Lutheran High School. He was administered CPR by his coach, Eric Cooper Sr. (pictured left) who was aided by a first aid application on his iPhone.
Coincidentally, Cooper had purchased the $1.99 application, called PhoneAid, as a sort of refresher course on CPR. “It was really fresh and clear in my brain,” Cooper said. “We are trained in CPR, but the iPhone app was a stabilizer for us.”
Photo credit: Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times
