apps

Google's all-in-one search application for Windows Mobile phones is a handy sliver of an application that brings Google search, Google mail, maps, and a flurry of Google's other online services to your fingertips. On Windows Mobile phones, Google Mobile App installs as a Home Screen plug-in, from which you'll be able to type a term into the search bar or scroll through icons to launch a Google service on your mobile browser, like Gmail, Picasa Web albums, and Google Docs.

If you don't choose to install the plug-in, or if your phone has a custom screen, … Read more

Interscope Geffen A&M, a division of Universal Music Group, announced Monday that it has released iPhone and iPod Touch applications centered on some of the label's most prominent artists, including The All American Rejects, Soulja Boy, The Pussycat Dolls, Lady Gaga, and Keri Hilson. The applications are built off a new iPhone framework from mobile developer, Kyte.

Each artist-specific app will feature video content produced by the individual singer, along with custom branding, an RSS reader that will be updated with artist news, and a built-in chat feature that allows users to talk to each other and … Read more

Thankfully, recent developments in mobile search applications have given us a handful of sturdy options when it comes to launching search from a Windows Mobile phone. Last month, Microsoft released a credible update to Live Search for Windows Mobile. This month it's Google's turn with Google Mobile App for Window Mobile smartphones and Pocket PCs.

Although Google has a precedent of mobile search applications established for BlackBerry and iPhone, Google's mobile division has tailored this iteration of its Mobile App to the logic of Windows Mobile's Home Screen, to good benefit. See for yourself in this … Read more

I've now crossed into my eighth page of apps on the iPhone. Frankly, the time is quickly approaching when I'm going to have to delete good apps from my iPhone just so I can download more. To make matters worse, the apps keep on coming at the iTunes Store, as more developers figure out ways to utilize this unique platform--and they keep getting better! I haven't deleted an app that I've paid for yet, but I believe that the time might be coming when money spent will not be enough of a reason to keep an … Read more

iPhone users have very short attention spans.

Just 30 percent of people who buy an iPhone application actually use it the day after it was purchased, according to Pinch Media, which analyzed over 30 million downloads from Apple's App Store. And the numbers plunge from there: after 20 days, less than 5 percent of those who downloaded an application are actively using it. The drop-off is worse for free applications.

Those are amazing numbers. It's not a new pattern--GigaOm and TechCrunch noticed this last August--but back then, with the App Store just a month old, it was … Read more

Something missing from many location-aware Twitter applications for iPhone is the option to stick a Web map into a tweet. Most simply change the home city in your Twitter profile and slap on some latitude and longitude coordinates. This is great if you feel like looking those up, but otherwise it's a less than ideal way to tell people where you are.

Schmap, the social-mapping service, has a new and free iPhone app out called GeoTweeter (not to be confused with GeoTweeter.com) that lets you do just that. You can broadcast your location on a map that gets … Read more

I remember playing Oregon Trail in grammar school on what I believe was an Apple II, but honestly, I have only a vague recollection of the game. I recall having fun with it, but can't really remember concrete details.

Thing is, I could relay pretty much every detail of the game Black Belt (a game I was addicted to at the time), but my mind's eye is coming up short on Oregon Trail images.

I think this has less to do with the quality of the game or my brain's memory capacity and more to do with … Read more

Windows Mobile owners tired of opening their browsers every time they want to start a Google search can now put that habit to rest. On Wednesday, Google released a version of Google Mobile App for Windows Mobile phones (rate it here).

On Microsoft's mobile platform, the free, native application installs a home screen plug-in from which you can launch a handful of Google's mobile services. About two thirds of Google Mobile App is dedicated to its search field. The other portion is populated with thumbnail icons that open your Gmail, Picasa Web albums, Google Docs, and so on, … Read more

Eliot Van Buskirk over at Wired has an interesting post today about Seattle band Presidents of the United States of America.

In addition to selling its songs on iTunes in the normal fashion, PUSA has just released a $2.99 application for the iPhone and iPod Touch that will let you stream songs from four albums (the ones whose rights are owned by the band), plus assorted other flotsam (live tracks, demos, whatever).

The application was built by Melodeo, whose vice president of business development is none other than PUSA's Dave Dederer.

The songs are streamed, not downloaded, which … Read more