The latest Distimo report is out and the report breaks down the various smartphone app stores and their growth in 2010. On the surface, it looks like App World did really well, with triple digit growth to nearly 18,000 applications applications. But where does this growth come from? Growth in App World has occurred in categories that contain apps which most users wouldn’t consider apps. The following categories saw the most growth in App World:
Reference and eBooks – 733% (books aren’t apps) Themes – 653% (even though themes are installed, they really aren’t apps) Music and Audio – 402% (most of these are individual radio stations with dedicated apps that don’t provide much value) News – 353% (like the radio station apps, news apps are usually apps dedicated to a single source. Again, there’s very little value here) Health & Wellness – 243% (a large portion of this category includes Medical Guides which are essentially eBooks). Continue reading ‘A Review of App World in 2010 Shows Little Actual App Growth’
Do you need a BlackBerry to own a PlayBook? No, the BlackBerry is a value-add to the PlayBook. Without a BlackBerry, you still get access to a great tablet with core features like smooth multitasking, Flash, games and more. With a BlackBerry, you get additional productivity features like email and calendar. What is BlackBerry Bridge? Again, pairing your BlackBerry gives you a few extra productivity features in a secure manner. When you pair the devices, some PIM information is shared and when the connection is severed, that data is gone from the device.
It should be interesting to see how many people who don’t own BlackBerrys pick up the PlayBook. Are email, calendar and BBM integral to your tablet experience? We’ll see.
The BlackBerry brand has done an incredible job climbing the ranks of The Vitrue 100: Top Social Brands. The Vitrue 100 is a list of 100 brands and the volume of discussion on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. In 2008, the BlackBerry brand ranked number 20, in 2009, BlackBerry rose to 15 and in 2010, BlackBerry is the number 2 social brand.
CES 2011 is coming to a close and we’ve got a photostream you can check out. The slideshow features the Stone Temple Pilots, Olivia Wilde, the EN-V concept car and lots of other gadgets. All pics are courtesy of Nan Palmero.
Ford has announced a new smartphone app that’s available to BlackBerry users and will likely complement the unannounced Ford Focus Electric. The app has a wide range of features but is mainly going to be used to monitor the car’s charge. Other features include the ability to find your car via GPS, remotely unlock/lock the doors, and download performance and system data about your vehicle. Features of the MyFord Mobile app include: Continue reading ‘Ford Announces MyFord Mobile App to Monitor Electric Charge and More’
