iOS 7 is a truly audacious redesign of Apple's chief operating system. I have been using the beta version since last week and it's abundantly clear that Apple is determinedly focused on ensuring that iOS—the software underpinnings of the iPhone and iPad—remains the simplest, purest OS on the planet. 

It's also obvious that the new iOS 7 design and enhanced functionality will kill off many non-Apple apps, including some good ones.

A Jarring Experience

For long-time iPhone users, the new design is jarring. Everything about the light, sparing iOS 7 looks different from its predecessors—fonts, colors and iconography, especially. There is also an updated browser, a slate of redesigned default apps, new swiping functions and more robust notifications. This all takes some getting used to.

Once mastered, however, it soon becomes obvious which apps will be made irrelevant thanks to iOS 7.  

For example, the new "Control Center," which is available with a swipe up from the bottom of the screen, includes a flashlight. There is no longer any need for that long-kept Flashlight app of yours. Similarly, managing Wi-Fi connections via the Control Center is a breeze. Those few of you with Wi-Fi location apps can now delete them. 

I am unaware of anyone who actually uses Bump. No matter, iOS 7 negates the need for the app, as a new "AirDrop" feature wirelessly sends files to nearby iOS 7 users.

It's intriguing to consider what might come from iPhone to iPhone AirDrop use, everything from instantly sharing music and videos, for example, to a clever new take on the "hot potato" game. Such opportunities notwithstanding, Control Center and its wireless sharing features, including AirDrop and AirPlay, will likely draw first blood against several minor app stalwarts.  

iTunes Radio Will Be Big

With iTunes Radio, it will now be much easier to buy and download a song you like the moment you hear it. You may not view this as a win, but make no mistake, iTunes Radio will be a winner. For those tens of millions of iOS users not currently using a music streaming service, iTunes Radio is the perfect entry point: it's available through the "Music" app, is simple to operate and costs nothing.

iTunes Radio should choke off all but the very best, most-entrenched streaming music competitors. If you already have Pandora or a similar service with which you are pleased, Apple has given you no reason to switch to their ad-supported offering. With Pandora, for example, it's slightly easier to create new radio stations, far easier to share with the world what tracks you are listening to and its enhanced features, such as liner notes, are missing in iTunes Radio. But, Apple's newest offering is more than good enough to take on other streaming services, especially for undecided or uninitiated users.

The Browser Wars Are Over

Apple's mobile Safari has always been the default browser in iOS devices. This meant there was little opportunity for competing browsers on the platform, even top-notch ones like Google Chrome. Now, however, there's even less reason to seek out alternatives. The minimal design of iOS 7 makes for a fuller, more pleasing browsing experience, with more of the webpage visible.

The new design makes it very easy to bookmark a site, to share a post or designate it for later reading. Search is built into the nav-bar and the new cover flow-like tabbed browsing makes switching across sites easier than ever. It's hard to expect the vast majority of users will opt for something different.

Weather Is Lovely

Apple has never allowed users to delete their abysmal default Weather app. This has always been egregiously anti-user. But with iOS 7, users now have little need to seek out alternatives.

The redesigned weather app is so clear, intuitive and attractive that it should suffice for most users. While not as functional as many of the paid alternatives, presentation and ease of use likely mean that far fewer users will seek out a non-Apple solution.

Legit Google Now Alternative

Apple's new Notification Center is likely to impact the reach of Google Now, Google's well-designed and popular "virtual assistant." Now delivers timely, personalized information such as today's weather and traffic in "cards" to users of the Google app.

iOS 7 does not offer a better alternative to Google Now. But, it will offer a decent solution that is built-in. Apple's notification center delivers similar information to Now's—such as stocks, weather, reminders and appointments—directly onto the lock screen. It is somewhat ugly and ungainly, though useful, and I suspect few users—of the several hundred million who use iOS today—will bother with Google's non-native app, even if it is a superior offering.

Default Apps Are Barely Acceptable

This same issue runs through many of Apple's default apps—they're just good enough, and that's more than enough. It's one of the unspoken benefits of controlling your hardware and ecosystem.

Most of Apple's redesigned apps, such as Reminders and Calendar, are so poorly constructed or so plainly ugly—such as Notes—that on any level playing field, popular alternatives for these would be under no threat whatsoever. This is not a level playing field, however. 

To be fair, the obvious failings of the default apps are likely due from the pitfalls that arise from a tightly constructed user interface.

Where the new iOS design fails is when a great deal of information must be presented within a single space, such as the seemingly simple reminder app. Date, place, time, alerts and notes must all be brought to the fore to create a single reminder. The pale, minimalistic new design template has a hard time supporting this.

Where iOS 7's design template soars is when the interactive layer falls away, such as when watching a video. Controls disappear when you want and when you do need them, they are obvious but unobtrusive.

Instagram is Safe, Flickr is Better Off, Camera Apps Beware

I was not expecting the many changes to Camera nor the additional Photos sharing and reviewing functions.

With Camera, controls are simpler, and a new set of filters and editing tools have been added. Photos now (semi-automatically) organizes pictures into various "collections"—by place and time. It's hard to predict how these changes will impact competing photo services.

But for all these changes, existing services will weather the additions well. Instagram, for example, is built upon a massive user base, so nothing in iOS 7 should threaten that. Flickr is a popular photo sharing and archiving service. With iOS 7, it's now even easier to share photos with Flickr, Facebook and other services. I expect these social platforms to witness a boom in photo/video uploads.

Developers of camera apps are threatened, however. Filters and a panoramic feature are embedded in the new iOS camera,  with attractive controls and a camera function that can even be accessed via the Control Center. iOS 7 will make it harder to justify paying money for any but the very best camera apps.

Mail: Return To Sender

Apple's default Mail app is slightly improved. The minimal design and new iconography offer a larger work space. A simple swipe makes it easy to trash or archive an email. It may be the best of Apple's standard default apps. That said, there's no great improvement here. 

For those that have found a better alternative under iOS 6, they will likely retain their allegiance.

Siri Ready To Fight Google Voice Search

Like the Now service, Google's voice search is superior to Apple's Siri offering. For many iOS users, however, Apple's pre-loaded Siri has been good enough. Also, Siri is available at the touch of a button, from anywhere within the iOS experience. Not so the Google app and its handy voice search function.

And Siri has improved. Information is more pleasantly displayed and Apple has reportedly integrated Bing and Wikipedia to ensure better results. In my tests, Siri was slower to respond than in iOS 6 but I am going to assume this is because iOS 7 is still in beta.

Long Live the App 

Many apps and some popular services will be killed off or marginalized by Apple's latest moves. However, I expect in total the app ecosystem will witness significant growth and innovation based on iOS 7's many design, hardware and presentation changes.

The app will not die, but thrive, under iOS 7. But that doesn't mean some existing apps will suffer through Apple's iOS changes.

Reuters reports, based on sources in Apple’s Asian supply chain, that the company is considering building two new iPhones. One will be a 4.7-inch smartphone while the other could be a 5.7-inch “phablet.” Apple is also considering making cheaper smartphones that would be launched in a variety of colors that would sell for $99 (presumably on a two-year contract) and be aimed at emerging markets like China and India. 

Reuters hedges its bets by quoting sources saying that there is no guarantee that Apple will actually produce these products. "They constantly change product specifications almost to the final moment, so you're not really sure whether this is the final prototype," Reuters quotes one source as saying. 

It’s Difficult To Discern The Truth

You should treat these rumors like so much sand running through your fingers. The technology media’s favorite game over the last six years or so has been Apple speculation. For the most part, they’ve been wrong (except for, oddly, last year when we knew almost exactly everything Apple announced before it hit shelves). 

What is really going on in Apple’s supply chain? The only people that can really answer that question are a few select folks in the executive suite at Apple in California. CEO Tim Cook said earlier this year that Apple would not consider making a cheaper iPhone for the sake of having a cheaper iPhone. 

At the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference earlier this year, Cook reiterated Apple’s marketing line when asked about a less expensive smartphone.

"Our North Star are great products," Cook said. "We wouldn't do anything that we consider not a great product. That is not why we are on this Earth. There are other companies that do that and it is just not who we are," Cook said in February.

Now, that does not necessarily preclude a budget iPhone. Apple would just have to consider that device “great” by its own standards.

As for the different colors of iPhones, we may have seen precedent for such a move from Apple. The company has released its iPod music players in different colors after years of monotone black and white schemes. Why not do it with the iPhone?

As for the bigger iPhones… well, Apple is probably going to have to move in that direction eventually. Apple has always said that it would not do something… until it does it. No iPhone screens bigger than 3.5-inches, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs used to say. Now we have a 4-inch iPhone 5. 

On a global scale (though not necessarily in the United States), Apple is getting its lunch stolen by the Android Army, specifically its general, Samsung. The South Korean gadget maker wins by flooding the smartphone market with a variety of different devices with different screen sizes at all price points. Apple can’t ignore this going forward.

There Is No Sanctity In The Smartphone Wars

The iPhone is an iconic product, no doubt. Apple has held it up as this standard of design and experience (see the especially sappy commercial that Apple released this week) and people across the world have come to adore it. Compared to the likes of all the Android devices on the market, the iPhone has a certain purity to it.

That cannot last, though. Market dynamics put pressure on Apple to diversify and adapt. Just look at the new design to Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 7. The knock against iOS 7 is that it looks like Apple has stolen many of the design concepts from other smartphone makers. Gestures from BlackBerry 10, mobile browser cards from webOS, notifications, animated background and translucent menus from Android. 

Apple can take that “incorporate the best of everything” approach and push it to actual hardware. Does that mean cheaper iPhones? An “iPhablet” at 5.7-inches? Sure. Apple will try to present it as the epitome of innovation and claim that it is was the plan all along.

Where there is smoke, there is fire. These rumors tell us that Apple is, at the very least, considering these different smartphone sizes and product categories. Because it has come to realize the basic fact that it has to in order to compete. It is time that Apple let go of the purity of one iPhone at one price. When billions of dollars are on the line, nothing is sacred.

First, the general perception that Pinterest is a largely female domain is not wrong. The vast majority of Pinterest users are indeed women, as the Nielsen Report chart below reveals. In fact, men are more likely to have a MySpace account than a Pinterest account. 

What Pinterest Really Is

While Pinterest describes itself as "a tool for collecting and organizing things you love," it's best to think of the site as mash-up of scrapbook, photo album, middle school art-class collage and that old shoe box stuffed with mementos you store in the back of a closet. If Pinterest were a magazine, I suspect it would be kept very close to a toilet. 

Except that Pinterest is all-digital, always accessible and highly personalized. 

This is how it works: you digitally "pin" various items - pictures, links, memories, ideas, collections, products you want to buy - onto digital "boards." Pin as many items to your boards as you wish, create as many boards as you like on just about any topic imaginable: cars, technology, tattooed women.

The site makes pinning a snap, although does itself no favors by populating its instructions with such gentle reminders as "pinning things that express who you really are and what you really like is more important than getting lots of followers."

Does any man think like that?  

One Man's Life On Pinterest

Nonetheless, I jumped in, eager to explore an area of the web traversed by millions. After all, I like collecting "things" - even if I'm not sold on organizing them.

Be warned. Like loud, overly-pleasant chimes on the door handle of some gift shop on Main Street, the site makes it clear that all eyes are upon you the moment you enter.  

Pinterest encourages you to use your Facebook ID at sign-up, and then aggressively reminds you which of your friends or followers are already Pinning away. It also persistently beckons you to share everything you pin with everyone you know. I ignored these distractions, still embarrassed I was there at all, and just kept moving deeper inside.

Nonetheless, some men are there, and for good reason. There is much on Pinterest for everyone to like. All it took to discover this truth was for me to embrace my inner grandmother.

When you find something you wish to pin - yes, it is a needlessly delicate word - Pinterest encourages you to "♥ like" it. Fortunately, this is not required. Just find items you like, products you need, and pin them onto the board of your choice. Pinterest displays each item in a visually pleasing grid that beckons exploration. The site also offers a set of apps, widgets, a bookmarklet service and other features to ensure there is nearly nothing on the Web that cannot be pinned. Soon, like me, you will have several boards filled with favored items; everything from pictures of Italian sportscars and women in cat outfits, to faded Three Stooges posters I need to convince my wife to let me buy.

Less Shopping, More Discovery

My initial view of Pinterest was that the site was a digital scrapbook for older women with plenty of time on their hands, and a sort of catalog wish-book for younger women whose dreams are, at present, larger than their bank balance. Turns out, this is absolutely correct - only it represents just a portion of what Pinterest is all about. Don't think of Pinterest as a shopping site, per se. Rather, it's a set of tools for visual - not textual, aural or location-based - online discovery.

When viewed this way, I have yet to reach the site's limits. For example, I like World War 1 posters. In the Pinterest search box, I typed in "WW1 Posters." Instantly, I was presented with many juicy finds.

I clicked on a favorite and discovered it was an Australian WW1 Poster. I added it to my newly created "Posters Board." Pinterest, not surprisingly, encouraged me to share my newest find on Facebook. I declined. However, it also told me how many others had pinned the very same item, making it easy for me to explore those user's various boards and pins. 

My excitement was soon tempered, however. Exploring other people's boards can get a bit overwhelming - like shopping for Christmas presents on Black Friday. I returned to the board where I first discovered the old poster. I clicked the "website" link and was taken directly to a vintage posters shop - still more great stuff to collect, and still another unplanned time sink.

Later still, I returned to Pinterest and clicked on the profile of the user - a man - who had originally pinned the poster. He had numerous pinned items scattered across several boards: food, television programs, travel destinations. I decided to follow him and clicked on several of his other pinned items. 

Then I discovered a potential problem with the site - serendipitous discovery be damned.

Pinned items very often do not take you back to the originating source. A pinned photo of, say, a gorgeous white sandy beach may lead not to a travel site, for example, but to a Tumblr of patio furniture. This seems like a definite snag in the company's plans to generate billions in profits. Of course, that's its problem, not mine. 

Will I Keep Pinning?

Pinterest is very visual: It looks good on PCs and even better on touchscreens. And it's a snap to use. It's so easy to pin, in fact, that I can't stop.

No worries. Thanks to Pinterest I quickly found others who had pinned the same items I was interested in. In a very big, busy, and densely populated world, I had, yes, serendipitously, discovered people who shared a very uncommon interest with me. 

Which is still the very best part of the Web.

The BYOD ("bring your own device") trend continues to alter the personal computing landscape just as it upends traditional work boundaries and IT controls. The latest mobile security report from Good Technology reveals some striking information:

• Apple's iOS devices thrive inside the enterprise - when workers bring their own device.
• Microsoft has yet to see any real gains from linking its smartphone and tablet OS with its massive PC install base.
• Despite the steady rise in smartphone and tablet sales, activations inside the enterprise are failing to keep pace. This could mean that larger companies are struggling to manage the complexities presented by BYOD.

According to Good's Q1 2013 Mobility Index Report [PDF], mobile device activations inside the enterprise were up nearly 30% from the same time last year - a sizable increase, albeit less than the overall increase in smartphone and tablet shipments.

Though the report does not offer any conclusions, the disparity suggests that the many corporate issues associated with BYOD, including security, management, cost controls and support of employee-owned mobile computers, may pose more problems than many employees suspect. 

[See also: Is Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Really Good For Workers?]

Android Rising, iOS Preferred.

Despite Android's overall market share dominance, Apple's iOS remains "the preferred enterprise platform," according to Good Technology. As the report notes, Android device activations inside the enterprise increased "just five percentage points year over year." This, despite the explosive growth of Android in 2012. 

Apple's iOS is the enterprise mobile leader with a 75% of total mobile device activations. Android's gains, while small, came at Apple's expense.  

iPhone 5 Most Popular

According to Good, iPhone 5 is the most popular device for enterprise users, followed by iPhone 4S. The most popular Android device is the Samsung Galaxy S3, though it still trails the iPhone 3GS, which Apple no longer offers. The iPad is the most used tablet inside the enterprise.

It's reasonable to expect more iPads - and Android tablets - invading the enterprise. Good's data shows that while only 1 in 5 shipped smart mobile devices is a tablet. Inside the enterprise, one in four device actiations are tablets.

[See also: ReadWrite Survey Results: What A Typical BYOD Program Really Looks Like] 

Microsoft Barely Registers

Despite Microsoft's tablet push, it was Android-based tablets that saw a significant rise in enterprise activations - nearly doubling the number of activations in Q1 2013 compared to Q4 2012.

The news gets worse for Microsoft: 99% of all mobile device activations in the enterprise over the past year were either iOS or Android devices. In fact, Good's numbers show that the Windows Phone platform actually dropped during this most recent quarter, falling from 0.5% in Q4 2012 to 0.3% in Q1 2013.

Expect to see more aggressive pricing, marketing and other appeals from Microsoft. It's clear that iOS and Android are invading Microsoft's enterprise stronghold.

Note: Good Technology is a long time rival of BlackBerry in the mobile security sector and BlackBerry devices are not included in this report.

Where Good's Data Comes From

Take Good's data with a grain of salt if you like. The company has made a significant enterprise push with Apple devices over the last several years while also partnering with Android manufacturers Samsung, HTC, LG as well as Windows Phone maker Nokia.

Good Technology analyzed activations by month among its enterprise and government customers that had at least five activated devices over the quarter. Due to the fact that BlackBerry/RIM devices use only the BlackBerry Enterprise Server for corporate email access, Good is not able to track BlackBerry activations.

Good Technology offers mobile security solutions to over 5,000 organizations in 130 countries. It claims to work with over half the Fortune 100. Good's report is based on its data.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

A new study, this one by Experian, shows again that when it comes to actual usage, iPhone handily beats Android, with iPhone users spending an average of 26 more minutes each day on their devices. Android users use their devices 49 minutes per day - for iPhone users, that figure is 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Win-Win-Win

While it's not clear exactly why Apple holds this advantage, that 26 minutes per day adds up to 3 hours a week, 156 hours a year - the rough equivalent of a full month of regular workdays for every user. That difference is critical in many ways, helping Apple continue to attract carriers and developers to its platform - and helps make its higher prices more palatable to consumers. 

For carriers, the iPhone's advantage in engagement makes it more valuable: more usage = more bandwidth = higher revenues. That will help Apple continue to hold carriers hostage to its hefty subsidy demands. 

For users, any additional costs of an iPhone over an Android device is more easily justified by in the additional value gleaned from the extra usage. 

For app developers, the additional usage makes the iPhone a more appealing platform for their products. These numbers should help cement iOS' pace remain the go-to platform for smartphone app developers. Just as important, as it turns out, iPhone users aren't just more engaged, they use their devices differently.

The Little Differences

A surprising datapoint from the Experian consumer study reveals that iPhone and Android users differ noticeably in how they use their devices.  

iPhone owners spend a disproportionately greater share of smartphone time than Android owners texting, emailing, using the camera and social networking.

According to Experian, 28% of the time Android users spend on their devices is dedicated to talking, whereas for iPhone users the number is only 22%. Android owners also devote a greater share of time visiting websites on their phone do than iPhone owners.

The combination of higher overall daily usage on iPhone, plus the relatively phone and Web-centric usage of Android should continue to mitigate Android's lead in the number of devices out there and convince app developers to continue to focus first and foremost on iPhone. iPhone is simply more "app centric."

Not For Video

On average, smartphone users - both Android and iPhone - spend 58 minutes per day on their device. Video watching, Experian noted, comprised a surprisingly small share of daily smartphone use. This is because only a small number - 2.3% - of smartphone owners watch video on their device "during a typical day." Of those few that do, the average time spent is 5 minutes, spread over 4.2 different sessions. 

If this pattern holds, it could diminish hopes for smartphones to serve as the "second screen." Such numbers could also place obvious limits on the revenue potential of mobile video, including YouTube. The chart below reveals the more common smartphone activities and time spent on each:

For Tim Cook, Usage Trumps Market Share

At the recent D11 Conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook, when questioned about market share, stated that "winning, for us, has never been about making the most." Cook focuses instead on engagement and customer satisfaction. Given Apple's market position, there is no doubt that Cook is wise to focus on such metrics.

In market share, Android beats iPhone in the U.S. - and even more so around the world. But iPhone still wins on engagement - and needs to maintain its lead in that area if Apple wants to keep its premium position among carriers, developers and phone buyers.

(See also: iOS Users Beg Apple: Set Our iPhones & iPads Free!)

Other updates will reportedly include changes to the longstanding lock screen, new widgets in the notification center and an overall uniformity in design and color among all native Apple apps. 

SimplyZesty, a digital agency specializing in design as well as mobile and social strategy, made headlines earlier this month with its mock-up of what iOS 7 might look like. Many point out that the mock-up looks a bit like Windows Phone, and that its unlikely Apple would ever take its UI in this direction. But it sure gives us a good start when thinking about flat design.

Image courtesy of SimplyZesty's mock-up. 

Blow Up Your iPhone

Fortunately, I have a modest proposal for a simple and definitive solution to this problem: iPhones rigged to burst into flames or even explode. You steal my iPhone, it catches fire or blows up in your hand. 

So go on, punk. Steal my iPhone. Let's see how many fingers you have come morning. Once word gets around, this problem will self correct in very short order. What better iPhone theft deterrent could there be than a city filled with petty criminals - all with stumps where a hand used to be? 

Reasonably Priced Protection

The cost would be quite reasonable. Lithium ion batteries are already prone to radical overheating. If a flaming iphone that melts the thief's fingers isn't a strong enough deterrent, gunpowder is cheap, and could easily be engineered into the iPhone 6. Meanwhile, exploding cases could be built to retrofit older models. Look at it this way, what's another $50 or so for the privilege of having a true remote wipe feature?

True, the theft victim is still out an iPhone, but that was a foregone conclusion anyway. Within moments the thief had likely placed an "almost new" iPhone listing on eBay. But the former owner can focus instead on the joy of knowing that the criminal paid an even higher price for that no longer-working iPhone. 

Help From Carriers And Smartphone Vendors?

Besides, as noted, once flaming iPhones become the standard, thefts will likely taper off very quickly. In the meantime, perhaps the mobile carriers would be willing to thank us for our help in stopping crime. No, they probably won't let you out of your contract - they're not crazy - but they might offer heroic vigilantes (nee victims) a free replacement device. 

I wouldn't look to Apple for help, though. Despite the iPhone crime wave, the company has done precious little to protect the products so far, and that's not likely to change. After all, Apple actually benefits every time an iPhone is stolen - mostly likely the vic buys a replacement device at the full, non-subsidized price. What? Is Apple supposed to not sell you another iPhone?

My proposal has wider benefits as well. No doubt there would also be a radical drop in pickpocketing and other two-handed crimes. And wouldn't it be useful to have immediate, obvious evidence of who the thieves are? The police could quickly shift their focus to fighting more important crimes.

Countering Objections

Now, some of you may object that flaming iPhones are dangerous. That the punishment doesn't fit the crime. That innocent people could get hurt.

Sure, fires are hard to control. But isn't that the point here?

And sure, losing a few fingers may seem harsh (it'll be hard to use a touch screen even on a legitimately purchased device), but anyone who's ever had an iPhone stolen probably wished for even worse things to happen to the thief. 

Finally, if bystanders don't want to get hurt, they can just avoid standing by iPhone thieves. And just like gun owners are encouraged to lock up their firearms so kids don't get their hands on them, a little care should keep most of the little ones from using Mommy's iPhone to play games without telling her about it. If not, they'll figure it out when little Johnny down the street has to learn to bat left-handed at stickball.

In the end, what's a little collateral damage compared to making sure my iPhone is safe? Heck, if this takes off, you can bet that Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and the rest won't be far behind. Pretty soon the entire smartphone market will be exploding. That's a good thing, right?

Image courtesy of Shutterstock. 

But not every app from non-tech companies fit that description. It turns out that you don't have to be an Amazon or a Google to deliver a great app experience. 

Each of the six apps profiled below fully delivers on the company's core business - making me want to remain (or become) a customer. Beyond that, they are all surprisingly intuitive and helpful. The key characteristic they share? An overriding concern for the user: 

1. CVS Pharmacy: Primary Needs

The CVS app makes great use of multiple smartphone functions. You can easily find a nearby store, use digital coupons to save money, then collect points for additional savings - all within the app.

Scan your prescription's barcode with your smartphone camera to have your medications refilled. If you want a picture from your smartphone's camera printed out, that's easy, too.

The CVS app is simple to use and packed with helpful customer-facing features. If my parents used a smartphone, I would get them this app. The iPhone version of the app has 4.5 stars and nearly 16,000 reviews. 

[iPhone] [Android]

2. In-N-Out Burger: Loyal Following

Not being from California, I am at a loss to explain the cult-like popularity of this burger chain. But, the app is as as good as a Double-Double. Basic, well-made, and exactly what the user wants.

The In-N-Out app offers turn-by-turn navigation to the nearest In-N-Out outlet. Users can store their gift points in the app. For the faithful, the app includes a full menu (including the not-so-secret menu; Animal Style anyone?), downloadable content and the "history of..." In-N-Out. Well done.

[iPhone] [Android]

3. Chase: Personal Service

Perhaps nobody likes dealing with their bank. Though I think this app is great, with more than 71,000 reviews in iTunes alone, it scores only a 3.5 rating. Frankly, I wish my regular bank's app was this good. 

In fact, for what this app allows me to do, and for how easy it is to operate, it not only outdoes other bank apps, it's far more handy than many mainstream tech apps.With the Chase Mobile app, you can scan and deposit checks into your account. It's easy to set automated text alerts - such as for being notified via SMS when you have low balance. You can pay bills through the app, get a complete overview of all your Chase accounts, transfer money, review your transaction history, find a nearby ATM, click-to-call a Chase representative - all very easily, in my opinion.

[iPhone] [Android] 

4. MLB.com: Content-Rich

If you're not a baseball fan you may not care about the MLB's "At Bat" app. This is wrong.

At Bat app's ease of use, it's incredibly dense feature set, and its simple, well-crafted design offering various additional levels of content, all billed through the app, are a thing of beauty. App developers for all content-rich sites should study At Bat.

With this app, users get the latest scores, the latest news, can track their home team, and favorite players. Set notifications for team and players - and know instantly if your favorite pitcher is chasing a no-hitter, then tune-in.  

Want more than animated game graphics? For very reasonable fees, At Bat offers options to listen to any game (home and away feeds). Pay a bit more and you can watch nearly any game, live. Games are also archived and condensed for later viewing. 

At Bat is simple to use, understands its fan base - and their varying levels of fanaticism - and offers greater content depth for each level of user. I suggest every sports league in the world just copy MLB.com's At Bat app. 

[iPhone] [Android] 

5. Grainger: Servicing Core Customers

Grainger sells all manner of industrial supplies, power tools and equipment for builders and contractors. It's been in business since 1927 - but the company obviously understands the importance of technology to support its mission, as its app is great. 

Looking for a highly specific product among thousands of options? Type it or speak it into the search box. You can have the product shipped to you or a nearby store, and track its progress in real-time. You can even get product reviews from other contractors. 

Your shopping cart and data are synched across your computer and smartphone. That's important for contractors who may need to access Grainger from a job site or back at the office. Plus you click-to-call for help, tap for the nearest location,and share purchase/needs lists with co-workers. This app knows what the company's customers need and works hard to fulfill them.

[iPhone] [Android] 

6. Lululemon: A Sense Of Community

Lululemon sells clothes and accessories, primarily for yoga, primarily for women. Its app, Om Finder, is not a shopping app, however. Instead, it focuses on helping users find the nearest and/or best yoga studio, yoga teacher or yoga class. 

The Om Finder app is simple and purposeful. It's all about helping the customer be their best at the thing Lululemon's clothing is best suited for.Users can share tips about a facility or teacher, connect with others through the app and maintain a schedule of their yoga sessions.

Sure, it's not all altruism. Many people who practice yoga are likely to purchase (still more) clothing from Lululemon. This is a smart way for the company to support its business, help its customers and foster a sense of community, all with a single, simple app. Other businesses - not just retailers - should follow Lululemon's lead.

[iPhone only] 

Great Apps Are Everywhere

The shelf life of most apps is not long. The apps listed above, however, all make my life easier, better, happier or more productive - without annoying me, intruding upon my personal space or bombarding me with junk.  

While very different, all these apps offer important lessons in how companies of all types can use mobile applications to please customers, extend their mission and leverage the power of community.

The pressure on Apple to push out a substantial iOS upgrade hasn't been this intense in some time. After all, this will be first major release since the Great Maps Debacle of 2012 and, more important, since Jony Ive took over as the head of Apple's Human Interface Design team. 

(See also: Why Apple Really, Really Needs To Kill It WIth iOS 7)

Indeed, most of the chatter about iOS 7 so far has been about what it will look like. Flatter. Fewer skeuomorphic design elements. A total overhaul, some have suggested. iOS could certainly use a visual refresh, but there's a far more important question: What will it do? 

Screw The Skeuo-Whatever. What Will iOS 7 Do?

Common requests include multi-user login, more robust security options, an overhaul of the dull Mail app and enhanced enterprise and BYOD features. Inevitably, we'll see Siri learn a few more tricks. Apple Maps will continue to improve.

As always, there's a lesson or two to be learned from the jailbreaking community. Expect to see a few features lifted from Cydia when iOS 7 is unveiled in June. Plenty of us would love to have the ability to choose new default apps for things like email, maps and Web browsing, but such a move would probably play too much to Google's benefit for Apple to stomach. 

More generally, there's a certain pressure on Apple to remain competitive with Android. In the early days, Android was rusty and small enough for Apple to largely ignore in its product development. Now the competition is very real, with Android-based phones and tablets getting sleeker and more functional all the time. If nothing else, this might mean that Apple will need to consider making iOS more customizable and less restrictive. 

Be heard! Take our survey, below, and be sure to elaborate further in comments if you'd like.

If you're looking at a shiny new iPhone, the answers are not comforting. 

The Electronic Frontier Foundation's latest digital privacy report, Who's Got Your Back?, awards Apple its secondthe Electronic Frontier Foundation gives Apple a paltry one out of six stars. While Apple got credit for supporting efforts to defend users by modernizing electronic privacy laws, its apparent willingness to hand over your personal information to the government without a warrant and its failure to tell its users how it handles such requests put it in the dock.

Worse Than Comcast: Apple's Privacy Black Box

Apple came off much, much worse than most of its peers — here defined as major non-ISP mobile-computing players. Apple fared worse than Amazon (two stars), Facebook (three), Microsoft (four) and Google (five). Even Comcast, the cable conglomerate consumers love to hate, scored one star higher than Apple. 

The EFF chides Apple for not publishing a transparency report as companies like Google and Twitter do. Without that, users have no idea what kinds of information the government asks for, because Apple won't tell them, nor does it let them know what its guidelines are for dealing with law enforcement data requests. 

(See also: EFF: Twitter Scores, Verizon Fails At Protecting User Privacy)

Apple certainly wasn't the worst-ranked company overall. The major telcos and ISPs almost always get raked over coals on privacy. In this report, Verizon got no stars, while AT&T racked up a grand total of one. MySpace also got no stars and Yahoo only got one. Amazon's showing is also pretty disappointing, especially considering its vast storehouse of consumer-purchase data and its rumored plans to enter the smartphone market. 

But Apple dominates mobile computing in a way few other companies do. And as the proprietor of a mobile operating system that runs on more than half a billion devices, Apple has its hands on a lot of data. Its approach to privacy matters to an awful lot of people — and its lousy performance is a big deal considering how deeply its devices are embedded into our lives.

That integration is only getting deeper as Apple prototypes wearable devices and dreams up more screens to dominate. 

Not Just A Computer Company Anymore 

It's not all together shocking that Apple has some catching up to do in the privacy realm. Until recently, it didn't deal with all that much information about its customers. For most of its history, the company was called Apple Computer, because that's what it sold: computers.

In the early days, the only way for the government to snoop through your MacIntosh was to get a warrant to search your apartment. Today's Apple's computers are smaller, constantly connected to the Internet and, increasingly reliant on iCloud to sync and share data across devices.

Whereas Google has been handling (and profiting from) user data since day one, Apple is only just getting started. If you use iCloud, its servers house your calendars, email, photos, notes and any other data you choose to feed it. If you're using iOS 5 or higher, you're also entrusting Apple with whatever percentage of your personal text messages go through its iMessage protocol.

To its credit, Apple built iMessage using end-to-end encryption that makes its harder for others to snoop on the contents of messages. Of course, if the FBI — or the local cops — really want to know what you're iMessaging back and forth, they can go directly to Apple, with or without a warrant. 

Of course, if the texts in question aren't iMessages, the authorities could just do what they've always done: Ask the mobile data provider to see them. Such requests have seen a dramatic uptick in recent years, and the major ISPs don't approach them with the same level of transparency that a company like Twitter or Sonic.net would. 

Why Consumers Should Care

Apple has never been lauded for having a forward-thinking and open approach to user privacy issues. That hasn't stopped millions of people from trying to predict the company's next gadget and then eagerly standing in line to purchase it. 

Part of that may have to do with awareness. Digital privacy reports excite a certain breed of data nerd (OK, guilty as charged), but they don't approach the media attention lavished on Apple product announcements. Nor is the EFF's chart plastered all over billboards, bus stops and television sets. 

Even for those of you who already knew that Apple doesn't treat your privacy with kid gloves, the risk of the government peeking into law-abiding texts and calendars is too remote to worry about. To some, this is just a side effect of the hyper-connected, digitally-immersed society we're becoming. Even if they don't particularly like it, it's just not their battle to fight. 

Trouble is, that sort of complacency puts no pressure on Apple to get more proactive about keeping your digital life safe from prying eyes.

If you fall in this category, you might still luck out, of course. Even if there's some major privacy gaffe down the line, it might not affect you. And if you're fortunate, IRS agents aren't currently reading your Apple email or iMessages, looking for possible evidence of tax evasion.

But given Apple's current practices in this regard, if they are, you'd never know. Maybe ignorance really is bliss.

According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple’s lead designer, Sir Jonathan Ive, is completely revamping the look and feel of iOS. Ive had previously been the long-time head of hardware design at Apple (responsible for the physical look and feel of iMacs, iPods, iPads and the iPhone) but was elevated in 2012 when CEO Tim Cook let go Scott Forstall, the previous lead designer of iOS. Ive now controls the look and feel of just about every aspect of the iPhone.

With that change comes the end of skeuomorphism, the designconcept where developers make apps look like the physical object they represent. In iOS, this can be seen in the bookshelves of the Newsstand app or the paper notebook look of the Notes app.

Apple moving away from skeuomorphism is not news. The New York Times reported the move in November of last year, and the topic has been at the top of designers' minds for months. On Wednesday, Bloomberg confirmed that Ive and his cohorts are moving toward a flat design that does not digitally recreate physical objects with 3D renderings.

What is news is that Ive’s team have apparently fallen behind in finalizing the new designs that are supposed to be ready for iOS when Apple unveils it at its World Wide Developers Conference, slated for June 10-14 in San Francisco. According to the Bloomberg report, the design concepts were due in February but are running a month late. The Apple team is working under intense pressure to get the new look down before the next iPhone ships, likely in September or October of this year. 

See Also:

• Why Apple Really, Really Needs To Kill It With iOS 7
• Forget Skeuomorphism: The (Digital) World Is Getting Flatter
• Will Apple's New Design Approach Kill The Luster Steve Jobs Loved?
• Tim Cook Cleans House At Apple - Scott Forstall Is Out

Motivations For Flat Design

The flat design concept is in vogue with mobile designers because it provides a cleaner, crisper way to present information and easy interactive elements. Flat design works better on mobile screens, where inset text and spacing, among other issues, are concerns for developers. Microsoft’s Windows 8 and Windows Phone are prime examples of flat design.

A couple factors no doubt motivate Ive’s decision to transition iOS design:

• Apple is in desperate need of dramatic changes to make iOS 7 fresh and new for consumers. The basic digital design of iOS hasn't changed since the first iPhone was launched in 2007.
• Flat design is more conducive to high-resolution screens. The original iPhone had a resolution of 163 pixels per inch (ppi) on its 3.5-inch screen. The iPhone 5 has 326 ppi on a 4-inch screen. Competitive models like the Samsung Galaxy S4 (441 ppi) and HTC One (469 ppi) boast even higher resolutions that Apple will likely try to match or best with its newest iPhone. 

According to reports, the disagreement that led to Forstall's exit from Apple centered around skeumorphism vs. flat design. Now that Ive is in control of both hardware and software, he is going to bring everything into alignment with his own vision. 

Are you looking forward to a different design for your iPhone apps? Or are you happy with how your iPhone currently looks? Let us know in the comments. 

The good: Windows Phone's showing was a significant improvement, up a full 1.9 percentage points over a year earlier. By contrast, Blackberry — which is rolling out its new operating system, BlackBerry 10 — saw its U.S. share crater in the quarter to less than 1% from 3.7% a year ago. 

In a statement, Kantar analyst Mary-Ann Paralto noted that Windows Phone is "now at its highest sales share figure" ever in the U.S. 

Possibly in anticipation of the good news, Microsoft has just released a new Windows Phone commercial. It doesn't show off the platform nor offer any reason why Windows Phone is a better choice than its rivals. Rather, it takes a page from Samsung and mocks both iPhone and Android users.

When you're far behind in the market, casting yourself as a viable alternative to the market leaders — while simultaneously mocking said leaders — can be a winning strategy. Or, you know, it can smack of desperation.

In this case, however, the ad is so over-the-top, and Microsoft appears to be having so much fun making fun of iPhone and Android users, that it works. Android users are silly hipsters. iPhone users are old. Siri doesn't work. Samsung devices are ridiculously large.

Will the ad help Microsoft sell more Windows Phone phones? Doubtful.

The problem is that the ad is focused on the wrong audience: current iPhone and Android users. Even at the end, Microsoft says, "don't fight, switch." Only, those existing users aren't Microsoft's logical target. Microsoft needs to target folks who haven't yet chosen a side — that is, owners of non-smartphones (what the industry, for its own unfathomable reasons, calls "feature phones"). The Kantar survey noted as much (emphasis added): 

Windows strength appears to be the ability to attract first time smartphone buyers, upgrading from a featurephone. Of those who changed their phone over the last year to a Windows smartphone, 52% had previously owned a featurephone.  

Building market share based on getting iPhone and Android users to switch is likely not a winning strategy, at least not yet. An analysis of U.S. smartphone owners, for example, found that 91% of current iPhone owners planned to stay with the platform — and the majority of those who were likely to switch planned to switch to Android. A smaller, though still sizable 76% of Android users planned to stay with the platform. Most of those likely to switch intend to get an iPhone, not Windows Phone.

But there's no reason to expect the rational from Microsoft — not when it's so far behind. With the new mocking ad, and the large gap between Windows Phone and leaders iPhone and Android, expect Microsoft's marketing to become even more aggressive and in-your-face.

Earlier this year, founder Bill Gates publicly stated he was not pleased with Microsoft's mobile device sales and he characterized the company's smartphone strategy as a "mistake." That no doubt lit a fire under Steve Ballmer and company. Who knows, maybe the scenes inside Microsoft's Redmond headquarters are as acrimonious as those in its newest commercial. 

Along with the U.S., Kantar tracks smartphone sales data in 9 countries, including China, Australia, Japan, France and Great Britain. Now that Symbian has been effectively deprecated, Windows Phone appears set to take third place — a very distant third place — in all of them, with the possible exception of Japan.  

Lead image from Windows Phone video

If Snap, Snap, Go - which describes itself as "a picture game for awful people" - turns out to be as popular as fast food, it may mark the end of civilization's progress. Because that would mean smartphones - the most advanced personal computing and communications devices ever created - are really all about making us giggle. Which certainly isn't "awful," but still a vast comedown from the awesome, life-changing uses promised for our amazing mobile computers.

Snap Battle

Tellingly, Snap, Snap, Go's positioning isn't quite right. It's really for "awful people," it's for the awful person in all of us. 

Here's how it works: After downloading the app, you sign in using your Facebook account. For beginners, the game presents a series of meme-like questions, such as: "Eat Just One," and asks you to vote for which of the of two pictures it shows you best corresponds to the question. Your choices might be a bowl of jelly beans versus chili cheese fries, for example. 

There are also plenty of "awful" battles. Such as: "I lie to get __," "Donald Trump could wear it as a toupee," or "Ron Jeremy owns 10 of these." These are distressingly hard to resist. 

The real "fun" begins when you challenge your Facebook friends - or random opponents. (None of my friends use the app, which I'm sure means something, so I challenged random people.) Again, the app presents you with a series of meme-like questions. For example, "Why is my phone sticky?" (Yes, I know.) You then snap and post a picture that you think best answers the question - as do your opponents. If you don't have an, er, provocative picture of your own, the game lets you cheat and grab a photo from Flickr. Then others get to vote on whose photo they like best. (That's where the pictures come from in the beginner's example above.)

If your opponents don't respond quickly, the game lets you "nudge" them. Beyond that, there's not much else you can do. Another problem is that the game doesn't immediately provide you with results - who won, who lost, how many people voted for one picture over another. I often got bored waiting and moved on to a new snap battle. The game does make it easy, however, to encourage your friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter to join in on the action.

Like fatty, salty, fast food or that silly new pop song you can't stop listening to, the app does its best to keep you hooked. Who could resist responding when asked to come up with a picture for what "always gets you laid?" 

The free app is rated 12+, despite "mild mature" themes. The app does make it easy to report inappropriate pictures, which is a good thing. While playing for less than a day, I encountered one picture that I thought was borderline inappropriate.

"Wisdom" Of The Crowd?

The game's developer states that "witty or funny responses often win, the more awful, the better you do, but it all depends on the wisdom of the crowd."

Wisdom of the crowd is a bit of a stretch. This game is about stealing a few moments of amusement - the app equivalent of Lolcats.  

Somewhere on the Internet sits a very well-constructed research paper discussing the psycho-social reasons why we humans love silly pictures and random, mindless contests with strangers, and further outlines the implications of such behavior. That's great, and a huge validation of the enduring value of the Interent.  On the other hand, I have already spent far more time playing Snap, Snap, Go than I ever will reading that paper. 

Yet, there is one battle where Amazon has little chance of winning. The battle for App Supremacy.

The Amazon Appstore for Android expanded its global footprint this week, spreading its reach to 200 countries. One might think that Amazon, considering its acumen at selling content like books, movies and music, would be a perfect fit to dominate the app space. But, if Amazon is going to climb to king of App Mountain, it has a long, hard way to go.

(See also Do We Really Need Amazon TV? No, But Amazon Does.)

Appstore Gaining Traction

Amazon's value proposition for its Appstore is pretty clear: if you own a Kindle Fire, you get a curated set of apps that work specifically with your tablet. It is when Amazon tries to extend beyond its own gadgets is where potential is stifled. Amazon Appstore for Android can be downloaded to just about any Android device, but as we have seen with other secondary app stores (Samsung or Verizon), being the second app store is not a recipe for success. 

Despite not being readily available on most Android devices, Appstore continues to gain traction. A new report from app analytics firm Distmo reveals that in the U.S., at least, the "Amazon Appstore is rapidly becoming more and more competitive with Google Play" especially for paid apps.

For raw numbers, Google Play has about 800,000 apps. Apple's' App Store is about the same. The Amazon Appstore? 75,000. Yet, app volume is a bit of an inconsequential argument. Downloads are what matter. In that area, Amazon is not fairing poorly. For example, Distmo found that Google Play is "ten times" bigger than Amazon's Appstore in terms of total app downloads. The graph below shows the large gap in free downloads between Play and Appstore:

In paid downloads, however, Google Play is only twice as big as the Appstore. 

The gap is even narrower when comparing revenues. "The top 200 paid applications in Google Play in the U.S. made $5.2 million in March 2013. This makes Google Play 1.7 times bigger Amazon Appstore."

Amazon is also continuing to expand the Appstore's reach. In 2012, Amazon launched Appstore in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Japan. Earlier in April, Amazon announced it was expanding Appstore to 200 countries.  

Does that mean Amazon's Appstore could someday unseat Google Play? Not likely.

Amazon's Reality Check

Apps and developer relations are not a core competency for Amazon. The first year of the Appstore was marred by controversy and setbacks with developers, especially concerning the "free app of the day" promotion that gives the Appstore its biggest value bet for consumers.

Update: Amazon refutes the claim that developer relations are not a core competency. Through Amazon Web Services, the company does have significant developer relations in its corporate blood.  Yet, when it comes to developer relations in regards to the Appstore, that has not always been the case. 

From Amazon communications, Rena Lunak: "Amazon has very deep experience and success with developers via Amazon Web Services, specifically.  In fact, the web scale computing services that Amazon Web Services offers today are based on Amazon’s own back-end technology infrastructure which we’ve spent over a decade building into one of the world’s most reliable, scalable, and cost-efficient web infrastructures.  TinyCo, EA, Halfbrick (makers of Fruit Ninja), Red 5 Studios (makers of FireFall), are just a few well-known app and game developers using AWS to ensure they can scale quickly and cost-effectively to meet customer demand."

Developers are still wary of the Amazon Appstore. Greg Raiz, founder of Raizlabs, an independent app studio in Boston, said that his firm has "experimented with the Amazon store and found minimal traction with apps that are deployed there. 

Consumers don't feel they need an alternate store so they don't actively install it. Amazon did get some consumers to install their store experience by offering a "free app a day" promotion. This had some novelty but hasn't impacted developer mindshare in any significant way.

Only Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet line comes pre-loaded with Appstore. For everyone else, Amazon's Appstore requires users follow the company's "detailed instructions" to determine if their specific Android device can even support Appstore, then to download and install it.

Just as important, mainstream Android apps require additional coding to ensure compatibility with Amazon's forked version of the Android operating system for Kindle Fire, and integration with Amazon's store and payments services. It shouldn't come as surprise that a recent survey of 1,500 app developers by app analytics firm App Annie, found that only 22.5% of respondents were publishing to the Appstore. 

Google's Android Strategy Works

Amazon has done well to create a market for its Kindle Fire tablets and, by extension, its own Appstore. Yet, a limited market share makes for limited potential. At the same time, Amazon faces stiff competition from the likes of Samsung and other Android manufacturers for consumer mindshare. The most used Android tablets are not made by Amazon. They are made by Samsung.

Amazon is a digital content powerhouse, particularly in the U.S. In its official earnings statement this week, the company noted its extensive content creation and distribution prowess - in theory, apps shouldn't be any different - it's all just digital content to be packaged, sold and delivered. But Google's Android strategy - giving away the operating system pre-packaged with Google services like Search, Maps - and Play - gives the search giant a level of scalability and device compatibility that Amazon simply cannot match.

Lead image courtesy App Annie 

For instance, if you want to use a character other than the default, which is basically a duplicate of Charmander from the original Pokémon games, you need to cough up anywhere from $4.99 for the caveman to a whopping $99.99 for the Charizard look-alike. Then when you're actually playing the game, you're bombarded with offers for other purchases, like $1 to buy more firepower for your character or 20 extra lives for $10. Then there are the full-screen ads for other apps that randomly pop up on-screen in the middle of the game. 

Not surprisingly, the gameplay is beyond terrible. There doesn't seem to be any point outside of scamming people into paying for ridiculous add-ons. The biggest mystery is how this travesty got through Apple's App Store approval process despite apparently infringing on copyrighted Nintendo material and an all-around exploitive design. The games are also available on Google's less-restrictive Google Play market for Android. 

What To Watch Out For

Reviews are certainly a great way to keep others from downloading a terrible app; the first three reviews that show up are titled, respectively, "This should be criminal..," "This app is offensive," and "This should be illegal."  So you may wonder who gets fooled by this nonsense, but how about those unlucky parents with kids who know their Apple ID passwords. All it takes is clicking the Buy button and entering your password, and this game could end up costing some family hundreds of dollars.

In fact, the Top 10 in-app purchases list in the App Store indicates that the number-one item purchased by players is the "Role NO.1 and Unlock All" feature - for an absurd $99.99. 

So who is the mastermind behind this ingenious money-making machine? That would be a developer by the name of Mario Casas, designer of such other gems as Adventure Games Super Monster Bros Plus and Super Squirrel Bros by Mario Casas Games. They all share similar designs and the same in-app purchasing system.  

How To Report Bad Apps to Apple

The App Store has long wrestled with a proliferation of scam apps. IGN's iPhone Garbage series exposes a dark corner of the App Store where games like Krazy Kong (a Donkey Kong rip-off) and Legend of Zenda (a Zelda rip-off) somehow found a home. Apple seems to take an after-the-fact approach to rooting them out, as outlined here by iMore's Rene Ritchie:

Apple's approach seems to be that of YouTube - approve any app that meets technical criteria and then respond to publicity or legal takedown demands from copyright holders when and if they come in. It's one of the smartest, safest approaches, legally, for Apple. They certainly don't want to take on the responsibility of pre-emptively moderating intellectual property, and then have their necks on the lawsuit line when something slips through and the rights holders sue both the offending party and Apple.

So how do you report a bad app like Super Monster Bros By Adventure Time Pocket Free Games?  If you dropped a bundle on this game's purchases, Apple devotes a Web page to reporting issues with purchases. If you managed to hold on to your cash but still want to report the app, the best way is to go through iTunes Support. Be warned, though, Apple hasn't shown much inclination to substantially overhaul its review process to catch these specific types of tricks. So as long as these kinds of exploitive apps can make their creators easy money, they'll keep showing up.  

Update: The game, as well as all other titles from the same developer, are no longer available in the U.S. App Store. It's not clear whether or not they are still available in other countries, but we will update with that information as soon as we can. 

iTunes changed all that. iTunes required that we actually pay for our music. It corralled us into accepting copyright-restricted digital content, while doing its best to force us onto pricey Apple hardware. It foolishly mashed together audio library management tools with a music download service with online payments and computer/mobile device synching - only to somehow grow even more bloated as the years went by. Yet here it is, ten years later, and iTunes towers above all its competitors.

No surprise, then, that Apple is formally celebrating "A Decade of iTunes" with an interactive timeline that is equal parts sales promotion and rare look back.

With the possible exception of Windows Vista, probably no software application from a large company has incurred such vigorous and ongoing public scorn as iTunes. Unlike Vista, however, iTunes continues to grow, evolve and continue its semi-secret though highly successful mission of transforming Apple from anemic, also-ran PC maker to its current position as the world's largest technology and media company.

It was (technically) on April 28, 2003, when Apple launched the iTunes Music Store. The store contained 200,000 songs, all priced at $.99 each. On that same day, Apple announced its third-generation iPod, weighing less than "two CDs" and able to hold 7,500 songs. From those meager beginnings, content delivery, the music, film and software industries - and Apple's fortunes - were all soon to be profoundly changed.

Ten years ago, Apple's share price was $6.66. Today it hovers around $400 (down from more than $700, but still). Recall, if you can, the many Borders and Blockbuster Video stores that dotted the American landscape. iTunes essentially enabled us to buy easily digital content for the first time, and taught us that digital content could be worth paying for.

iTunes Begat iPhone

iTunes helped make Apple relevant once again. It enabled the expansion of Steve Jobs' "digital hub" strategy, guiding Apple from failing computer maker to consumer electronics behemoth. That much is generally accepted. Just as importantly, however, iTunes enabled the iPhone. 

The single biggest reason for Apple's meteoric rise over the last decade is the iPhone. Realizing that the rise of "cell phones" could harm Apple's portable iTunes media players (the iPod), Apple teamed with Motorola to create the much derided Rokr E1 phone in 2005. The hardware was disappointing  and users complained that the device could hold just 100 iTunes songs.

Two years later, however, Apple introduced its own device. The iPhone was the shocking evolution of iTunes and iPod, and Apple's work with Motorola. The point is, no iTunes, likely no iPhone and no iPad - the products that currently contribute more than 60% of Apple's valuation.

Yet even the much-improved iTunes 11 still collects scorn, even from the Apple faithful.

This represents a misunderstanding of the platform's roles. At the initial launch of the iPhone, Steve Jobs noted the importance of  iTunes to the "revolutionary" new device:

The (iPhone) automatically syncs to your PC or Mac right through iTunes.
 And iTunes is gonna sync all of your media onto your iPhone: Your music, your audio books, podcasts, movies, TV shows, music videos. 
But it also syncs a ton of data: Your contacts, your calendars and your photos, which you can get on your iPod today, your notes, your bookmarks from your Web browser, your email accounts, your whole email set-up. All that stuff can be moved over to your iPhone completely automatically. 
It’s really nice.
 And we do it through iTunes. Again, you go to iTunes and you set it up. Just like you’d set up an iPod or an Apple TV. And you set up what you want synced to your iPhone. And it’s just like an iPod. Charge and sync. So sync with iTunes.

Apple Loves iTunes - Even If You Don't

iTunes simultaneously serves as Apple's payments platform, media library app, and digital media storefront - for music, books, apps, podcasts and video. It powers the popular App Store. It is an app for purchasing content on the iPhone and iPad - though not for playing that content. On the Mac, iTunes is (still) both music and video library management layer, music player - though not video player - payments provider and media storefront.

No wonder even long-time Apple users complain of feature bloat and a confusing user interface.

Apple's interactive iTunes timeline, meanwhile, focuses almost exclusively on music. Maybe Apple isn't ready to accept that iTunes has transformed the company from computer hardware maker to a global digital media concern. But consider these numbers:

• 40 billion apps downloaded
• 25 billion songs sold 
• More than 15,000 songs downloaded every minute
• 1 billion courses downloaded on iTunes U
• More than 100 million books on the connected iBookstore
• Available in more than 115 countries
• 45% of the video on demand market in the U.S.

iTunes has also delivered tremendous value to content owners, publishers and app developers. According to Apple analyst Horace Dediu, iTunes generated more than $24 billion in revenues for content owners (media and app developers) in the past five years.

No matter what you may think of it personally, iTunes has been essential to Apple's success. Expect it to continue to pushing the company forward, in all its messy, bloated glory.

Images courtesy of Apple.

Today's high-end smartphones pack a virtual film studio in your pocket. The Nokia Lumia 920, for example, includes a 1080p full-HD video camera, zoom light, image stabilization and multiple white balance modes to help ensure that perfect shot.  

Specs aren't enough to convince you?

Blackberry has teamed up with famed Sin City director, Robert Rodriguez, to create a short film using the new Blackberry Z10. Former Cannes film festival winner, Park Chan-wook, used a smartphone to film Paranmanjan - it won the Golden Bear for Best Short Film at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival. 

Not only are smarpthone-shot films making it into film festivals, smartphone-only film festivals are cropping up around the world, such as the Mobil Film Festival in San Diego, the Pocket Film Festival in Paris and the Olleh International Smartphone Film Festival in Korea.

Each of these festivals showcase the device's potential for creating stirring films while enabling those with the talent, no matter where they may be located, to unleash their creative potential.

Personal Filmmaking on a Global Scale

Despite their limitations, smartphones do offer some unique advantages over traditional filmmaking. Smartphone films can be made on a very low budget - which likely encourages risk-taking that traditional filmmaking shuns. Smartphones can film almost anywhere - and they are with us nearly everywhere. The portable nature of the device allows for more intimate moments and increases opportunities for filmmaking with a more personal viewpoint. Smartphones allow those who traditionally are rarely portrayed in films, such as those in impoverished areas around the world, to now be seen. With a smartphone and YouTube, immediate global distribution is possible.

For example, at the third annual Olleh smartphone film festival in Korea, smartphone-made films from around the world were submitted. Last weekend, twenty-five films were screened by the jury for public viewing. All are now available on YouTube. Winners included:

[Note: Some videos below contain foul language]

24 Months Later (Grand Prize and Audience favorite)

Great, even if the whole zombie thing has gotten a bit overplayed.

Tell Me About Yourself (Best Actor award)

Short, funny and probably not safe for sharing with your boss.

Board Maker (Special Youth Award winner)

I confess, I did not get this.

The Opportunity is Everywhere

There is a growing movement - and market - for smartphone films. There are numerous apps to help the budding smartphone filmmaker improve their story outline, streamline the editing process and even maximize time spent shooting in sunlight. There is also a growing market for accessories. These include everything from optional lenses, to an iPhone "dolly" and smartphone "steadicam."

Need funding for your film? Over $128 million has been pledged on Kickstarter for film and video projects. It's quite possible that very soon many if not most crowdfunded films will be shot entirely with a smartphone.

Still hesitant?

The Guardian asked director Matt Carroll for tips. His advice includes methods to improve sound and post-film editing, and guidance on the all-important topic of lighting:

The (smartphone) camera doesn't see subtle light gradations like we do, so it's best to avoid areas of high contrast. For example, if it's a sunny day and you're filming someone under an awning, the chances are they'll come out too dark or the background will be bleached out ('burnt').  

Need more help? 

In France, Pocket Film Festival founder Benoît Labourdette conducts workshops to help smartphone filmmakers. His primary advice is to use your phone’s natural advantage - its size and portability - to get shots that are inaccessible to traditional cameras.

Far removed from Hollywood?

The World Film Collective teaches youth in impoverished areas - from Africa and South America, to inner cities in the UK - to make films using only a smartphone. 

The result?

Smartphones are rapidly becoming the tools people across the planet are using to tell their stories and show them to the world.

Lead image courtesy of Shutterstock. 

Still, that's a lot of money, and with the new cash stash, the company is shifting its business focus away from check-ins toward selling its trove of user location and behavior data to businesses, ad exchanges and others. This may be the company's last, best chance to succeed. 

What went wrong?

Here are five primary reasons why Foursquare failed to capitalize on the disruptive market potential of social-local-mobile — despite its early mover advantage.

1. Gamification Doesn't Scale

From the beginning, Foursquare incorporated gamification elements deep within the user experience. Users could earn virtual points, garner "badges" and become, say, the "mayor" of the local donut shop. 

Gamification, according to Wikipedia, is the use of "game thinking and game mechanics in a non-game context in order to engage users and solve problems." But Foursquare showed that gamification may not terribly relevant to smartphone users — nor much of a revenue generator. In its latest iteration, Foursquare has shifted the user focus away from the app's traditional gamification elements to make local search and discovery more prominent.

2. The Business Model Remains Elusive

What is Foursquare? Does the company itself know, even now? 

Foursquare currently bills itself as:

a free app that helps you and your friends make the most of where you are. When you're out and about, use Foursquare to share and save the places you visit. And, when you're looking for inspiration for what to do next, we'll give you personalized recommendations and deals based on where you, your friends, and people with your tastes have been. Whether you're setting off on a trip around the world, coordinating a night out with friends, or trying to pick out the best dish at your local restaurant, Foursquare is the perfect companion.

That's a lot of different things. Which ones are going to pay the bills? 

Foursquare, an early mover in social-local-mobile, is still searching for proven business model. And numerous companies now focus on this space. Google, Facebook, Yelp, Path, Groupon, LivingSocial and a slew of others are all aggressively seeking to profit from the ongoing integration of offline and online retail, marketing and advertising, and the merging of social, local and mobile data.

Google offers Reviews, Google+ recommendations and advertised links within Maps, along with search. Facebook's local Check-In feature has no doubt already limited Foursquare's potential.

How is Foursquare going to compete? The company has long allowed select businesses to buy promoted listings and sponsor special offers inside the app. Now, the company is allowing any merchant to purchase an ad. If users check-in to a coffee shop, for example, they may receive an ad from a competing establishment. Foursquare's unique user behavior and location data make this possible, but users may find these kinds of ads intrusive. And both consumers and marketers now have plenty of alternatives.

3. Yelp Is Better

Foursquare's new direction takes it into direct competition with Yelp — a battle Foursquare will have trouble winning. Yelp simply does a better job at gauging and responding to real-time, location-based user intent.

Yelp users, for example, typically start searching for establishments when they are interested in a particular time and place. Yelp makes it easy for them to filter within specific categories and by personal preference. No matter the quality of its data, Foursquare's "search and discovery" recommendations will always have trouble competing with user-driven intent. 

The two companies also expose a core divergence over value of data that offers personalized recommendations versus data that aggregates the wisdom of the crowd. Compared to Yelp, Foursquare does a far better job telling you that a friend has recommended a particular neighborhood bar, for example. It may be far more important to you, however, to know that a nearby bar has been recommended by more than 100 people, even if they're mostly strangers. This is the Yelp model. While recommendation algorithms and anticipatory systems may someday prove more valuable, so far Yelp's aggregate data model has proven far more popular. 

4. Better Design Isn't Enough

The new Foursquare app incorporates crisp, visible fonts; real-time mapping; colorful icons; and user pictures. It makes adequate use of touchscreen swiping to move across the app's core functions. It's slick, but a bit confusing.

The app's home page, for example, includes a bookmark tab, chat function, search bar, small map, information on the user's last check-in, data on "places nearby" — without details — trending topics and a large floating button that pops up a short list of nearby businesses. It's hard to see how the new design will drive engagement or draw in new users. 

The app's design seems to mirror Foursquare's mash-up of old and new business models — an apt metaphor for the company's struggles.

5. Selling Data Isn't A Slam Dunk

Integrating offline and online, merging social, mobile and local — in real-time — seems to be the sweet spot for the future of commerce. Foursquare lives in this space. It's user base, billions of check-ins and location data, including across the thousands of apps it's linked to, may in fact be the single best collection of social and local personal data currently available. 

The value of all that data, however, remains unproven. Plus, Foursquare can't just only on the existing database, it has to continually inject new information from new users to remain relevant. Even then, while some ad agency executives recently quoted in AdAge called Foursquare's "unique and proprietary data incredibly valuable," others suggested that Foursquare's data didn't offer anything they could not already get elsewhere.  

Positive Signs?

Foursquare is forging ahead regardless. On the plus side, the company's non-financial metrics are quite impressive:

• 30 million users worldwide
• 3.5 billion check-ins
• 1 million businesses signed-up  
• API integration with 40,000 apps - including with Facebook, Instagram, Vine and Twitter

With its latest $41 million infusion, the company plans to increase its sales staff from 10 people to 40. The company claims that ad-related click-throughs on its app run 3% to 5%, far higher than the industry standard of 1% or less. These are all positive signs.

Will it be enough? Despite its popularity, for the past four years, Foursquare has failed to fully capitalize on the social-local-mobile opportunity. The move from check-ins to data mining is a huge gamble. One that Foursquare has to win, as it won't likely get another chance.

Lead image from Foursquare

Even the savviest hardware makers are bumping up against the limits of what they can extract from existing battery technology. They're forced to spend enormous efforts creating various engineering "cheats" to coax out the maximum battery life and performance for our most favored gadgets.

Despite frenzied research into both battery hardware and power-management software, the best you can say is that the industry is almost managing to keep up with the demand for more and more portable power. 

10 Times Better Than Today's Batteries

Finally, help may be on the way.

According to a recently published article in the journal Nature Communications, researchers at the University of Illinois claim to have developed lithium ion microbatteries with power densities up to "2,000 times" more powerful than comparable batteries. Or more helpfully, technology that could support batteries either 10 times smaller or 10 times more powerful than today's typical lithium-ion batteries. 

Professor William P. King, who led the university team, clearly has high hopes for the battery technology. In a statement, he said:

In recent decades, electronics have gotten small. The thinking parts of computers have gotten small. And the battery has lagged far behind. This is a microtechnology that could change all of that. Now the power source is as high-performance as the rest of it.

"You could jump-start a car with the battery in your cellphone," the researchers crow in their report. They also claim their battery tech can be recharged 1,000 faster than today's batteries. Put it all together and you could theoretically have a "credit-card-thin phone" that could be recharged in less than a second. 

The new battery tech remains in the labs, however, although the team hopes to trial it in commercial settings later this year. If viable, it could revolutionize the market for consumer mobile electronics such as smartphone and tablets - and spur a new outpouring of innovative hardware and screen designs. 

How Does It Work?

In simple terms, a chemical reaction inside a battery causes the anode to release electrons. When the battery is "on" these electrons flow from the anode to the cathode - which is on the opposite side of the battery. The University of Illinois team claims its breakthrough "integrates the anode and cathode at the microscale." Meaning, this allows for even a very small battery to have a "very high surface area" - and thus provide far greater power density (output) and simultaneously support much faster charging.

Battery Life Is Everyone's Problem

Battery performance continues to limit what smartphones and other mobile devices can do. Apple maintains a webpage devoted solely to helping customers improve battery life of their iPads. The company suggests users "update to the latest software," "use your iPad regularly" and 15 other actions to boost battery life, including "let it breathe." Seriously.

In 2012's J.D. Power smartphone satisfaction survey, "battery life" was listed as "a significant drain on customer satisfaction and loyalty." J.D. Power even noted that battery issues for smartphones resulted in "higher rates of merchandise returns and customer defections."

Is It Safe?

The new microbattery could help solve those problems, if they don't catch on fire. The BBC quoted University of Oxford chemist Peter Edwards wondering if the technology could meet the competing demands of cost, manufacturing scalability and safety:  

I'd want to know if these microbatteries would be more prone to the self-combustion issues that plagued lithium-cobalt oxide batteries which we've seen become an issue of concern with Boeing's Dreamliner jets.

Here's hoping the team at Illinois, or one of the many other groups working on this problem, achieve a commercially viable - and safe - battery breakthrough soon. I hate it when my iPhone runs out of power just when I need it most.

Lead graphic representation of new battery technology courtesy of the University of Illinois.  

You may not know this, but panic attacks are surprisingly common. According to a study backed by the National Institutes For Health (NIH), 1 in 8 Americans will experience a panic attack at least once during their lifetime. 

Perhaps any smartphone would help, or even any device capable of creating both distractions and social connections. For me, though, having my iPhone always nearby, always on, its many features and functions ready to occupy my mind, my eyes, ears and fingertips, is often enough to reduce the onset of an attack. The device seems to draw out, bit by bit, all those fears, worries and repetitive patterns that used to conspire to throw me into despair, fear and then panic.

If it really is the iPhone that's helped mitigate my symptoms, and I believe it is, then perhaps others who suffer from similar attacks - and own a smartphone - can also find some relief.

What Is A Panic Attack?

The Mayo Clinic defines a panic attack as:

A sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause. Panic attacks can be very frightening. When panic attacks occur, you might think you're losing control, having a heart attack or even dying.

In a panic attack, the overwhelming sense of fear, as real as it is inexplicable, wreaks havoc not only on your psyche but on your daily contribution to the world. An attack can strike seemingly at random: at home, with friends at a bar, at work, standing in line at Starbucks; anywhere, anytime. That's what makes them so debilitating. 

Twice, I went to the hospital, convinced my symptoms meant an impending drop-dead heart attack. Both times I was told I was not having a heart attack. Eventually, I was diagnosed as suffering from anxiety disorder - which can lead to panic attacks. 

To treat anxiety, doctors recommend exercise, meditation, more sleep and visualization techniques. For those who suffer full-blown panic attacks, professional help is suggested, as is medication. I was prescribed Prozac. Since getting an iPhone, however - though my case absolutly may not be typical - I have been able to gradually reduce my daily Prozac to its lowest available dosage. I expect to soon be off it entirely. I have also stopped seeing a therapist.

Using The iPhone To Improve My (Mental) Health

The potential for the iPhone to aid physical healthcare delivery and diagnostics is well documented. The market for smartphone tools that aid mental health is far less robust. But they do exist. For example, the iPhone app Viary, leverages traditional cognitive behavior therapy techniques:

Together with a therapist, Viary’s clients choose specific actions that will help them achieve a desired goal. For example a client may decide that exercising, eating healthier food, and listening to classical music makes them feel less depressed. Viary sets reminders for these behaviors - walk for 15 minutes every morning, take a vegetarian lunch, tune into some Beethoven etc, - and the app then collects data on these completed actions. Therapists or coaches can then monitor a client’s progress in real time and even respond. 

For me, however, I'm convinced that simply possessing an iPhone has improved my mental health. No matter what symptom crops up, using the iPhone helps calm me down and makes me feel more connected. If I feel inexplicably worried, no matter where I am, no matter who I am with - and this is out of necessity - I pull out my iPhone and start texting. I later apologize to those I am with.

If I feel alone, I call someone. If I get angry, I play a game - preferably online, with friends. When I am bored, I read on my Kindle app. When I can't get a song out of my head, I take to Twitter. If my breathing seems off, I make reminder lists of what I need to do for the day, the week, the rest of my life. If the feelings persist, I open Evernote and scroll through all the notes that have a "thankful" tag attached to them.

If I feel like I can't leave the house, I check my Fitbit app, find out how many steps I've taken that day, then tell myself I will go outside just long enough to add 1,000 more to my total. This usually works. 

Sometimes, when things get really dark, I scroll through my photos, which makes me happy. If that's not enough, I make notes to myself of everything I am grateful for - then email them, knowing my wife can later access the account. 

And when I feel good, good enough even to help others, I sit in the sun, pull out my iPhone and write a blog post. Like now.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.