Between the iOS App Store, BlackBerry World, Google Play, and Windows Phone Store, there are more than 1.7 million apps available for smartphone and tablet users to choose from. The explosion in apps has been fueled by an explosion in users, who to date have downloaded well over 100 billion apps.
With so many apps to choose from, taking the virtual step into an app store presents a bewildering selection. Does it really matter how many apps a platform has in its store, or should we be worrying about which apps there are and how good they are?
How are we supposed to sort the good apps from the bad? Are reviews the answer, or can a managed store make a difference? Search might dig up something - if you know what you're looking for. Big name developers might offer some predictability, yet independent developers are often where you can find the innovation. Then again, big and small developers alike aren't immune from pumping out poor quality material.
So how do we sort through that to find the good apps, the best apps, the apps that really work for what you need?
Spicy Horse Games - the Shanghai-based game developer started by American McGee - has announced the release of Akaneiro: Demon Hunters for Mac, Windows and Linux on Steam. The game is available as part of Steam's Early Access program, and costs $9.99.
Not long after Google announced that they were shutting down Reader, social web veteran Digg announced that they would be building a replacement. Details have been scant since then, but their latest status update shows us a glimpse of the Digg Reader client for iOS and web. Priorities have been placed on speed, functionality, simplicity, and cleanliness of UI.
Spotify continues to try and edge ahead in the streaming stakes, and their latest addition is a big one; they now have the full back catalog from Pink Floyd available to stream. Music from Pink Floyd is available on competing services, to buy and to stream, but Spotify takes the crown as the only streaming service to offer the full and complete works of Pink Floyd. And, for premium members, that means you can take it with you on your iOS device as well as listening along on your Mac.
Introducing iOS 7 at WWDC last week, Apple's Craig Federighi mentioned MFi game controller support in passing. Apple's announcement has long-term ramifications for iOS 7 as viable gaming platform.
While I was out in San Francisco for WWDC 2013, I had the pleasure of joining Leo Laporte, Russ Pitts, Trey Ratcliff, and Dieter Bohn to talk Google Loons, E3, and Apple.
Slim, chic and durable, the Faxion case is an interfusion of soft and hard materials crafted into one form factor. Combining shock absorbing NGP material with a rigid Plextonium exterior, the Faxion’s form-fitting design offers superior protection for your iPhone 5. The gloss finish on the Faxion case gives a cutting-edge vibe to the design.
Sprint has announced a major expansion of its LTE rollout, adding coverage to 22 more cities today, bringing the number of markets with access to Sprints high-speed network up to 110. The new cities include Tampa, Florida, New Orleans, and Miami.
