2 Billion App Downloads

Apple announced today that more than two Billion (2,000,000,000) applications have been downloaded from its app store. That is one heck of a big number. There are now over 85,000 applications available on the iTunes store. Apple has more than 50 Million (50,000,000) iPhone and iPod touch customers worldwide. The iPhone is now available in 77 countries with some recent huge market entries just announced!


Another incredible fact about the number of downloads is the speed at which downloads are increasing. Apple's app store had half a billion, that's 500 Million, downloads in the last quarter alone. It will eventually slow but at this point sales are going ballistic.

What surprised me about the big 2 Billion number is the yawing and lack of incredibleness reported about it! I was thinking last week about Apple's great success recently, and more specifically how great the iPhone has been for them. It got me thinking... "what's next?" I wonder this because there are some other very serious players out there making moves and unless Apple has another big hit in the next year or two, they too could end up a thing of the past. RIM learned a hard lesson about being late with the Blackberry Storm and bringing out a device that doesn't compete well with the iPhone. Will Apple get taken down a peg or two by Google or Microsoft?

It's going to be interesting to watch in the next year or two!

Would you Survive?

Would you survive without your iphone? How about if you were stranded on a deserted island? There is a new game on the iTunes store that quizzes you so see how you could survive is stranded. Using this app you can find out if you would be able to rough it out until help arrives to save you, or if you would perish the first day.

Would You Survive? is a free iPhone application that will probably teach you a few tricks about survival, whether you are truly stuck on Gilligan's Island or just in everyday life.

Here is an example of the types of questions you will be asked!

Play this app with your iPhone or iPod touch. Chances are you would be more likely to survive if you had your iPhone with you on a deserted island. Apart from being able to call for help and know your exact position, you could look up the answers to the question that could save your life!

App Store Resource Center

To help developers with creating apps for their iTunes store, Apple now has an App Store Resource Center. This shows new would-be developers the process and documentation required to launch an application on the iTunes store for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

At first glance this looks like a huge improvement. Even for those who are familiar with Cocoa Touch and the programming, Apple has some long and arduous processes before an application can reach the iTunes store. I guess what I thought it was, and what I hoped it would be, would be an truly easier process. I think the resource center is great but it doesn't really make the process any easier.

For a Kick Butt company with some Kick Butt application on a Kick Butt device... I was somewhat disappointed. I'd give Apple a C+ on this one!


I like this funny flow chart of how Apple decides on apps!

iPhone Skyscrapers

I really enjoy finding new and interesting iPhone apps. Skyscrapers was just released about a week ago on the iTunes store. It is a puzzle game where the goal is to build skyscrapers.

In this iPhone app you build skyscrapers from the bottom up as the floors slide across the screen. The more successful you are making the buildings taller, the more difficult it becomes as the new floors arrive faster. Once you complete a building it stays in your "cityscape view" that lets you see the city you are building.

It's hard to tell whether this app will be a big success or a total dud. Only time will tell!

iPhone Mouse & Remote

I'm often surprised at some of the nifty applications that come up for the iPhone and many of the things you can do with it. Usually it involves a utility or game app that can be played on your iPhone or iPod Touch.


Air Mouse Pro is a cool app that transforms your iPhone into a wireless remote for your computer. Using the built in accelerometer in the Apple device, you can move the iPhone like a mouse and use many of the control functions presented on the screen.


Here is a list of some of the features:
- Accelerometer based mouse
- Trackpad (full screen vertical and landscape modes)
- Media keys & Web keys
- Application notifications - Remote keyboard with modifier, function and arrow keys
- Programable hotkeys (can be set to run a program or keyboard combination)
- Scroll pad
- Multitouch gestures (scroll & right click)
- Password protection
- Custom sensitivity settings
- Foreign language keyboards
- Supports Bonjour or static IP
- No screen size limitation. Works with multiple monitors.

This is a great app for just $2.99, especially for people like me who forget to pack their mouse in the computer back. I NEVER forget to take my iPhone though because it... Kicks Butt!

Canadian iTunes store all about Skype!

It looks like a bug with the release of iPhone OS 3.1 because when I search the categories section of the Canadian iTunes store, I get nothing but the Skype icon instead of the categories. If I click on the icons they all go to the same games section.



Since it's been that way since the beginning of the weekend i figure there must be an explanation. Here is my top ten reasons why it's doing this:

10. Skype has bought Apple
9. Steve Jobs just discovered Skype
8. Skype is paying Apple huge advertising $
7. Apple forgot to pay one of their key employees
6. Bin Laden is up to his tricks again
5. it's just me and no-one else knows what I'm talking about
4. Someone watched Linsey Lohen on iTunes and fried the whole system
3. George Bush is doing it - still pushing the conspiracies!
2. Apple kissed Skype and they liked it
1.. Just blame Bill Gates

I like the Skype app, but I want to see all the other categories still too! let's hope they work through the top reasons and find the solution soon so we can get back to reviewing some Kick Butt iphone applications.

Swiss army knife of iPhone Applications

Like most people, I enjoy playing the occasional game on my iPhone or the peace and quiet it gives me while the kids play on it during the drive to school. Often I find a game that I will play almost daily and then either delete the app completely or move it to the last page where it will stay until I need more space. Kind of like piling up dirty laundry I guess.

Sometimes I come across an iPhone app that is something I might not use on a regular basis but I will likely keep for the life of the cell phone - this is usually a utility or tool type of application. AppBox Pro looks like an application that might meet become both of these. This fantastic iphone app lets you choose what you see at start-up. The app includes 18 configurable different apps all in one package. Some of these you might have and some you might not. For 99 cents it's a good deal.


Here's what you get:
> Battery Life
> Clinometer(Inclinometer) - Surface/Bubble Level
> Currency Converter - 195 Currencies
> Date Calculator
> Days Until(Countdown)
> Flashlight(Torch)
> Holidays - 83 Countries
> Loan Calculator
> Periodic Calculator
> Price Grab
> Random Number
> Ruler
> Sale Price
> System Info
> Tip Calculator
> Translator
> Unit Converter - 17 Categories, 357 Units
> Web Apps Links



The battery app-within-an-app is far more advanced that the basic percentage indicator now available on the 3GS.