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Most Expensive iPhone Apps Money can Buy

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In a world where smartphone users cringe at the thought of paying more than 99 cents for the latest apps, can you imagine paying $1,000 for an iPhone app that, say, helps ease your stuttering? How about paying that much for an app that helps you prepare for the state bar exam? Those are just a sample of the mobile apps that are part of an elite list of software for your iPhone or iPad — the most expensive apps on the iTunes App Store. Here are some of the costliest iTunes apps, according to mobile app data analysts Distimo. Agro (iPhone/iPad, $999.99) » This app helps agronomists (they study soil management and the production of field crops) create and distribute field inspection reports. “No matter what field of agronomy you specialize in, vineyards, orchards, broad acre farming, sugar cane or small-time domestic, this app will save you time and increase your bottom line by eliminating duplication of paperwork,” according to its iTunes description. MobiGage Laser (iPhone/iPad, $999.99) » A metrology application that works with a Leica laser for the measuring of materials in manufacturing plants. It can be used in the production of airplanes and cars, for example. “The reason it’s $1,000 is because Apple won’t let us charge $25,000. That is what the competition is charging for their PC versions,” said Frank Ruotolo, president of Titansan Engineering, which makes MobiGage. BarMax (iPhone/iPad, $999.99) » BarMax is a prep course for either the California or New York bar exam. It comes with past test questions, essays and audio lectures. The company also is planning to produce courses for Texas, Illinois and Florida. And at 1.4 gigabytes, it’s also one of the largest apps in iTunes. Sina Mobasser, co-founder of TestMax Inc., which makes the app, says at $1,000 his app is still a much better value than using more traditional courses.

“The most popular player in [this field] still relies on sending you 50 pounds of books and an iPod full of audio lectures,” said Mobasser, who said about 500 students have purchased the app. “And they charge close to $4,000.”

iStutter (iPhone, $999.99) »

This app helps stutterers with their speech. “It analyzes vocal fold activity and selectively provides delayed auditory feedback (DAF) when the user’s speech is too fast or the user is stuttering,” according to its description.

iVIP Black (iPhone, $999.99) »

A “premium lifestyle” app that’s like a license for the good life, it gets you personalized attention and special treatment at select luxury venues such as hotels and resorts. It also allows you to book private jets, yachts, private islands and more. To even own this app, the user must certify that he or she has a net worth of at least $1 million.

Engine Connect (iPad, $999.99) »

Now, TV weather forecasters, sportscasters and news anchors can use an iPad to manipulate animations and graphics such as weather maps on the television screen as viewers watch them.

Android apps

Unlike iTunes, where there are restrictions against selling joke apps that do nothing for exorbitant prices, the Android Market is rife with such apps. They make up some of the most expensive for Android phones, according to Distimo.

Black Diamond ($200) »

All this nonfunctioning app does is give you a wallpaper of a black diamond. “Own the most expensive app in the Market. Just Because I’m rich and I can!!” according to its description. (Meanwhile, the Blue Diamond app, which is exactly the same except for the color, is now available for free!)

Vuvuzela World Cup Horn Plus ($200) »

At least this app does something. Shake it and a vuvuzela horn on the screen begins to blare. Shake it again and it stops.

via The most expensive iPhone apps money can buy | The Salt Lake Tribune. __________________________________________________________
If you’ve been thinking about getting your own mobile app developed for your business, or to turn your mobile app idea into a marketable product, Los Angeles California based mobile apps development firm is your one stop shop for all major platforms including Apple iOS  (iPhone and iPad devices), Google Android , and RIM Blackberry. Our private label mobile apps development division provides mobile app development services to its wide network of Resale Partners. Call 310.928.3514, email info@veztekUSA.com, or use the online form to request a no obligation free price quote 

NYPD Employs an iPhone App to Track Stolen iPhones

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NYPD wants to track stolen mobile iPhones: Yep, there’s an app for that too. According to an internal training memo, NYPD is teaching its officers to use the Find My iPhone application to track down the stolen iPhones.

“All over the city, cops have been trained. It’s something we’re hoping to see success in,” said a Brooklyn police source, who added that sergeants are showing officers and detectives how to use the iPhone app.

The NYPD sent the training memo to city precincts in early January in an effort to fight the soaring number of iPhone thefts citywide.

“If a complainant is reporting the theft of an Apple Corp. product, ascertain if they have access to Apple’s ‘cloud’ environment AND have previously activated ‘location services’ on said device,” the memo says. The stolen phone must be turned on for Find My iPhone to work, and its user must have an Apple iCloud account. The app can’t work if the stolen iPhone’s GPS-linked Location Services are turned off. Cops can use the app to have the stolen iPhone play an audible alert, lock the phone or permanently erase its data.

“Is it helping? Yes,” a Manhattan police source said. “It’s another tool to locate the phone and apprehend the perp.” But cops are still literally being left to their own devices in employing this new crime-fighting technique. The NYPD is not providing iPhones, so far relying on the fact that enough officers already carry the ubiquitous smartphones.

In the first reported use of Find My iPhone by a New York cop, Officer Robert Garland employed his own device to track down a suspect in the theft of a 24-year-old woman’s phone from Tuci Italia, a clothing store on Sixth Avenue near 57th Street, on Jan. 26. Garland busted George Bradshaw, 40, of Brownsville, Brooklyn, 10 blocks away, on 49th Street and Eighth Avenue, after using the app to make the pilfered phone ring. It allegedly was found in Bradshaw’s boot.

via NYPD cops learning to use Find My iPhone app to catch thieves – NYPOST.com.
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If you are interested in getting a mobile app developed for your business, or to turn your mobile app idea into a marketable product, Los Angeles California based mobile apps development company Veztek USA is your one stop shop. We provide mobile apps and games development and consulting services for all major platforms including Apple iOS  (iPhone and iPad devices), Google Android , and RIM Blackberry. Our private label mobile apps development division provides mobile app development services to its wide network of Resale Partners. Call 310.928.3514, email info@veztekUSA.com, or use the online form to request a no obligation free price quote 

Smartphone Shipments Top PCs For The First Time Ever

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2011 marked the beginning of a major shift toward mobile computing.

Smartphone shipments topped PCs for the first time ever last year, by 73 million units, according to figures published by research firm Canalys on Friday. Last year a total of 487.7 million smartphones were shipped. Only 414.6 million PCs, which include tablet PCs, shipped. That’s a 62.7 percent increase on shipments of smartphones over 2010. This was largely driven by Apple’s strong performance throughout 2011, including 37 million iPhones sold in just the fourth quarter alone.

“In the space of a few years, smartphones have grown from being a niche product segment at the high-end of the mobile phone market to becoming a truly mass-market proposition,” Canalys VP Chris Jones said. “The greater availability of smartphones at lower price points has helped tremendously, but there has been a driving trend of increasing consumer appetite for Internet browsing, content consumption and engaging with apps and services on mobile devices.” Jones said the overtaking of PCs by the smartphone should be seen as a significant achievement.

It’s yet another important step on the road from isolated, search-oriented computing to a more social, mobile, and inter-connected web. App sales have also exploded, marking a major shift away from traditional software and games. It is important to note, however, that the smartphone market is still in its infancy. Many people already had PCs and aren’t replacing them every two years the way they do their phones.

While the shift is important, it doesn’t spell the end for desktops or laptops. Not yet anyways.

via Smartphone Shipments Top PCs For The First Time Ever – Forbes.

Why iPhone Shoppers Buy More Apps

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¶Do Apple consumers have more money? Possibly, but that’s not why app developers seem to like them more.

¶Tango, a free video calling service with 33 million customers, introduced two pay services on Dec. 15. One is video voice mail, which subscribers can use to leave each other messages; the other allows overlays of animation on the calls, like Valentine hearts that descend on a loved one in midcall. While the first animation is free, unlimited use of a set costs $1.98. The video mail is a storage play, with five videos stored for free, and increasing charges for saving additional messages.

¶The service works on both Apple’s operating system and the Android operating system developed by Google. Fifty-five percent of Tango’s subscribers come from Android, a not surprising number given the sheer number of phones now using Android. Even with that slight edge, however, the conversion rate from a free to a paying customer is four times higher on an Apple iPhone.

¶“Apples to apples, no pun intended, Apple just does a much better job on conversion,” said Eric Setton, a founder and the chief technical officer of Tango. “It comes from years of collecting credit card numbers on iTunes. People can use their stored credit card numbers and purchase things easily. Punching in a credit card number on Android is more work.”

¶Mr. Setton said each service had picked up two million subscribers since being introduced. While he did not say how many of those were paying for the service, he said an informal survey of customers indicated that 25 percent of those who tried the service were willing to pay for it.

¶At least for now, as Mr. Setton noted, the latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, offers to load credit card information into the phone. That is useful for the phone’s “tap to pay” function for retail purchases, buying from the app store and, Mr. Setton no doubt hopes, loading up on Tango video storage.

via Why iPhone Shoppers Buy More Apps – NYTimes.com.

Mobile Apps for Home Appliances

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Use Your Smartphone to Run Samsungs Wi-Fi-Enabled Washer And Dryer [VIDEO].

Samsung revealed its latest washer-dryer concept at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. The electronics giant has equipped a 5.2 cu. ft. capacity WF457 front-loading washer with a Smart Control system, allowing users to stay connected to the washer without having to manually control it at the machine. Consumers can, via a smartphone application, monitor cycle selections, remaining time and finishing alerts, as well as remotely start or pause the washer from anywhere in the house.

Moreover, the new model boasts a new feature called Water Shot Technology, which delivers a cleansing shot of water with dissolved detergent and then a rinsing shot for dual rinse performance. The result is a cycle time that is up to 25% shorter, making it much more environmentally friendly compared with conventional washers. Samsung is setting the bar for Wi-Fi-equipped electronics, rolling out new notebooks, smartphones, tablets, computers and even smart TVs have wireless internet. The WF457 washer and dryer will be available at major retailers in spring 2012.

via Use Your Smartphone to Run Samsung’s Wi-Fi-Enabled Washer And Dryer [VIDEO].

5 great GPS apps for your iPhone

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It’s happened to all of us: You’re meeting your friends at a local bar that no one’s been to before, and you’ve gotten yourself a bit turned around. Luckily, you’ve brought your trusty GPS-enabled iPhone along with you. You know all you have to do is type GPS into the App Store search bar to find something that’ll have you sitting at that private table with bottle service in no time. But wait — the results list goes on and on forever, and many of results aren’t related to driving. Other than the star ratings and listed price, how are you to know which one will get you where you want to go with the least hassle?

There are a vast number of GPS apps listed in the AppStore, and not all are created equal. To be honest, some free apps are just as good if not better than several of the large-cost alternatives. We’ve tested some of the most common in order to see which app is best suited for getting you back on track once you’ve lost your way.

1. Google Maps

Price: Free

Download: Preinstalled on your iPhone

Google Maps was likely your first foray into mobile GPS apps on your iPhone. Considering the power and resources Google has, its iOS app leaves much to be desired. You’re stuck with a top-down view of the route, even though we all know and love street view.

The biggest annoyance with Google’s Maps app is that there is no option to read the trip summary in one screen. In order to find out what to do next, you must push the arrow buttons on the top of the screen, which makes traveling without a passenger to help navigate just about out of the question. If you get lost or make a wrong turn, Google will not automatically reroute you, but you can press the edit button on the top of the screen and let Google start over from your current location.

Also, the overhead map will help you see your position in relation to your destination. If you’re familiar with overhead maps, you’ll find your way relatively easily, but if not, you want another option.

Pros

—Directions for driving, walking and public transportation

—Finds almost any business or address easily

—Detailed traffic info

—Navigate to contact

—Free

Cons

—Must manually advance the directions

—Top-down map view only — no street view

—No route summary

—Lack of voice guide

2. TomTom

Price: $39.99

Download: TomTom USA for iPhone or iPad

TomTom is one of the biggest names in GPS, and it delivers with a very solid app. In fact, most of the other GPS options base their features off of TomTom’s. TomTom offers voice-guided navigation assistance, 3-D maps, and our favorite feature, Lane Assistance. The Advanced Lane Guidance images help you discern which lanes to take at those complicated freeway transitions. When we intentionally got lost and opened TomTom to lead us home, it found our location and destination faster than expected. We even made several more wrong turns, and the reroute feature put us back on track in no time.

We do, however, have a few grievances with this app. The $19.99 per year charge for HD traffic info is odd, as it is a feature several of TomTom’s competitors provide for free. Also, the points of interest database is still very limited and won’t find many small businesses. We ended up using the included Google local search to find our destinations when we didn’t have an address.

The biggest issue we’ve found is that TomTom is simply too robust. In order to access its other useful features, you will have to navigate through several layers of menus — very difficult to do when you’re traveling alone. We’ve still got to hand it to TomTom here for releasing a sturdy and reliable app, though, that provides a model for the smaller brands to challenge. If you’re willing to spend the cash, this app is a solid buy.

Pros

—Lane selection assistance

—3-D maps

—Local search via Google (great addition)

—Fast and accurate rerouting

Cons

—Fee for live traffic info

—Full address required for default navigation (city, street, address)

—Included points of interest severely limited

—Can’t interact with map while driving (besides zoom)

3. Motion X GPS Drive

Price: $0.99

Download: Motion X GPS Drive for iPhone or iPad

Motion X GPS Drive is the most downloaded GPS app available, and it’s easy to see why. Not only does the price tag look amazing compared to the big names, upon opening it, you are greeted with a beautifully simple interface. All search options are displayed in a wheel with easy-to-recognize icons.

A cool feature not found with other apps is the Wikipedia button that will give you a summary of, directions to, and a link to an article about locations of interest that are near you — not so helpful if you’re lost, but great for learning more about the history around you.

When we intentionally got lost using MotionX, we found out about its limitations. MotionX has no live traffic data to speak of. It is something we didn’t think would be a concern for this particular test, but when it rerouted us to our destination, it directed us right into a traffic jam with no way out. We did look up and receive alternative routes, but MotionX failed to tell us that all but one way had been closed due to construction.

Pros

—Simple interface Wiki links

—Easy-to-search destinations

—Quick switch between maps and text direction summary

Cons

—Hidden fees (turn-by-turn navigation with voice guidance ends after 30 days; must make an in-app purchase for either 30 days or a year)

—Predictive traffic info

—Provides nonoptimal routes

—Limited local search results (fast food restaurant search displayed results for the McDonald’s 4.5 miles away but missed the In-N-Out half a mile away)

4. TeleNav GPS

Price: $0.99

Download: TeleNav GPS for iPhone or iPad

TeleNav GPS is another popular option people are using. Since most of TeleNav’s best features expire after 30 days on the free app, we’ll be reviewing the paid version. TeleNav includes some Facebook integration with its newest version, allowing you to check in to your wall and mark locations for your friends to meet.

The avatar representing your vehicle is way off scale, causing some difficulty recognizing the distance to the next turn while traveling. When we took a few wrong turns to see how well TeleNav would get us back on track, TeleNav gave us the option to reroute. This is where we found that the app lags a bit, and by the time it provided new directions to us, we were already off course.

One saving grace here is the a button on the navigation screen called Summary. It will provide you with the option to check either the text directions or an overhead map similar to one you’d find on Google. In summary, if you get lost using TeleNav, you must pull over for a moment to allow it to catch its bearings and get you where you need to be.

Pros

—Easy-to-read street names

—Voice-assisted turn-by-turn

—Auto rerouting

—Voice commands

Cons

—Auto rerouting lags

—Traffic guided routing is predictive, not live

—Price: $2.99/month $21.00/year

5. Waze

Price: Free

Download: Waze for iPhone or iPad

Waze 3.0.1 is another free option that is currently picking up a following. Waze seems to be attempting to revolutionize the navigation experience by adding a bit of social networking to the mix. We know, other apps link you into Facebook or Twitter to share your destination for meet-ups and such, but Waze takes it a few steps further. Instead of linking into an established social network, Waze is building its own.

With the exclamation button on the bottom right of the screen, you can report traffic accidents, speed traps, and more. The map on the navigation screen is clear and simple to read, allowing zooming, scrolling, and (unlike the others we tested) rotation. This helped immensely when we intentionally made wrong turns in an unknown neighborhood, as we were able to look behind us and see exactly where we had gone off route — not that that mattered much, as Waze rerouted us back to our intended destination in under five seconds.

Waze enables you both see and communicate with other people using it in real time. Just to see if it would work, we messaged a user in close proximity to our destination and asked if they would help us get back on track. The user replied by sending a snapshot of our destination as they drove by, so we were able to recognize the building when we got there. Super bonus points for that feature.

Pros

—Community-sourced traffic and road info

—Voice-guided turn-by-turn assistance

—Live, real-time rerouting

—Call from search feature

Cons

—No text directions summary

—Tediously repetitive voice assist (you’ll likely turn it off)

—Downloads map as you drive

—Road condition reports that pop up too frequently

Guiding you home

Every app we’ve listed has the ability to get you to where you want to go in decent time, provided you don’t miss a step along the way. In regards to getting you back on track after you’ve lost your way, both Waze and TomTom have to share the prize. Both reroute you quickly and efficiently without a hassle of menus and button pressing. We’re still sore about sitting in one-lane traffic thanks to MotionX. TeleNav is still a respectable competitor, but if you’re going to spend the money on a GPS app, you’re way better off with TomTom. Waze still has a way to go until it is completely on par with TomTom, but the community aspect makes it almost equal.

vi 5 great GPS apps for your iPhone – USATODAY.com.

Android vs iOS vs Windows Phone 7

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  Android vs. iOS vs. Windows Phone 7: A mobile showdown Total Devices Total apps Tablet-optimized apps Unapproved 3rd party apps 4G Cloud integration Voice control Multitasking Navigation Search Dual-core devices Custom firmware Third-party keyboard apps NFC Showcase phones Showcase … Continue reading →

2011 in review: The year in iOS

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In 2011, as in 2010, iOS received a lot of attention from Apple. Apple introduced significant updates to its flagship iOS devices—the iPad and the iPhone. It added a new buying option to the App Store, perhaps rescuing the magazine industry in the process. It premiered an insanely powerful and brilliantly designed piece of software that proved unequivocally that iOS devices aren’t just for consumption. And, of course, the company unveiled a significant upgrade to its touch-based operating system itself. And then a not-so-tiny upstart named Amazon tried to leap into the tablet computing fray, too.

iPad, tooFor fans of multitouch, 2011 was a big year. Let’s put our fingers on precisely why.

In March, Apple released the sequel to the world’s first successful tablet computer. The iPad 2 was acclaimed for what it added: two (admittedly mediocre) cameras, a zippier processor (the dual core, Apple-designed A5 chip), twice the RAM (512MB), and the magnetic appeal of the Smart Cover. But even as it added all those features, the iPad managed to take a couple significant elements away—namely, weight and thickness. The iPad 2 is just two-thirds as thick and 88 percent as heavy as the original.

In the fourth quarter of its fiscal year 2011 alone, Apple sold 11.12 million iPads. The product continues to do a brisk business, dominating the mind and market share for the still-developing tablet market. Of the iPad’s sales performance to date, Apple CEO Tim Cook said, “Some people are electing to buy an iPad rather than a Mac… A materially larger number are electing to buy an iPad instead of a Windows-based PC.”

Getting Siri-ous: The iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S became available in October. It scored the same speedy A5 chip that powers the iPad 2, a dramatically upgraded rear-facing camera, and an overhauled dual-band antenna design.

But the feature that got everyone talking was the feature that got everyone talking: Siri. With its still-in-beta voice-powered virtual assistant, the iPhone 4S can handle a multitude of tasks for you, based solely on the verbal instructions you provide it. Despite the fact that Siri was hampered by occasional outages, early 4S adopters loved its power, itssense of humor, and its uncanny ability to understand just what you wanted it to do.

Apple hasn’t said when or if Siri will come to the Mac, the iPad, or earlier iPhone models, but ask any iPhone 4S user who has come to depend on Siri for sending texts, setting reminders, and making appointments: The more ubiquitous Siri becomes, the better.

Carrier on, my wayward son

2011 was also the year the Verizon iPhone rumors were finally put to rest; Verizon got the iPhone 4 back in February. With the release of the iPhone 4S, Sprint became the third U.S. carrier, and regional carrier C Spire became the fourth.

iOS 5 is alive

October also brought iOS 5, the newest incarnation of the operating system that powers the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. With it came Notification Center, a smart solution for the increasingly invasive blue alert boxes that had come to characterize the iOS experience. But iOS 5 didn’t just make alerts more manageable; it also introduced long-awaited niceties like wireless syncing, over-the-air iOS updates, iMessage, Reminders, Newsstand, system-wide Twitter integration, AirPlay mirroring, and more.

GarageBand of brothers

Apple launched the iPad incarnation of GarageBand in March, alongside the iPad 2’s release. An update at the beginning of November brought the app to the iPhone as well. The app combines Smart Instruments, loops, a drum machine, and support for devices like electric guitars and USB keyboards and microphones. In short, it turns an iOS device into a portable music studio.

The app makes amateur musicians sound good, and it offers plenty of powerful performance for professionals, too. If any one app raised the App Store bar—and proved that iOS devices can and should be used for creation just as much as consumption—GarageBand was that app.

Renew my subscription

Speaking of the App Store, 2011 saw one significant addition: iOS subscriptions. Introduced in February, subscriptions afford developers the option of taking recurrent payments—on a weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or yearly basis—for digital services.

The first app to take advantage of subscriptions was News Corp’s The Daily, with its $1 a week issues (or $40 for the year). Subscriptions caught on, as a steady parade of major magazine publishers brought their publications to the iPad. Over time, Apple loosened its restrictionson how publishers could offer in-app subscriptions, allowing those publishers to offer free or discounted digital access to print subscribers.

Apple didn’t relent on some stricter policies, though; apps like Amazon’s Kindle were forced to remove links to their online stores to remain in compliance with Apple’s App Store rules.

Send in the clouds

October also saw the release of iCloud, Apple’s synchronization service for Macs, PCs, and iOS devices. With iCloud, you can backup your iOS device without needing a computer at all; sync iWork documents, contacts, emails, and calendars; locate your iOS devices; and more. With iTunes in the Cloud, you can re-download your iTunes Store purchases from your iOS devices, and newly-purchased apps download to all your devices automatically. And with iTunes Match, Apple’srecently introduced $25 per year iCloud add-on, you can store your music library in the cloud and wirelessly access it from your iOS devices.

Non-competes

Numerous iPad competitors came; most of them went. The RIM PlayBook was dead on arrival; theMotorola Xoom failed to catch on; and HP held a fire-sale to divest itself of its TouchPad inventory. The only device to make any major waves in the industry thus far is Amazon’s Kindle Fire, though reviews have been mixed at best. Some conclude that the Kindle Fire makes a great Kindle, but a lousy tablet. Perhaps that’s why Apple doesn’t seem that worried about it.

In the year 2012…

Predicting what’s next for Apple and the iOS ecosystem is never easy. And though the iPhone 4S was a zig when many expected an iPhone 5 zag, Cupertino spent much of 2011 ticking off long-rumored items on its list—new U.S. carriers, a new iPhone, and a new iPad. It seems certain that 2012 will bring another new iPhone and new iPad, but questions remain: Will the next iPhone sport a bigger screen? Will the next iPad score a Retina display? How many models of iPad should we expect? Is a 7-inch iPad in the offing?

There are but three ways to find out the answers: Get hired by Apple as a top-level executive; follow along with all the Apple news Macworld reports upon next year; or wait until the tail end of 2012 for next year’s roundup.

2011 in review: The year in iOS | Macworld by Lex Friedman, Macworld.com

Mobilewalla Ranks Users’ Favorites For Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Phone

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Best Apps 2011 Ios Iphone Android Blackberry Windo

A few days ago, we brought you a report on the most popular mobile apps of 2011, in terms of downloads. (Quick version: You all really love Angry Birds). Now, new research from mobile analytics firm Mobilewallalays out a different app landscape: The apps with the highest user ratings across iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone.

Before we reveal the list, let’s talk methodology: Mobilewalla didn’t simply look at the scores users gave to the apps in the Android Market, or the App Store, etc.; rather, it devised its own Mobilewalla score. Sarah Perez of Techcrunch defines it nicely and succinctly:

Instead of looking at raw user ratings, this scoring system is an algorithm that analyzes a variety of factors in addition to ratings, including an app’s position within its own category, volume, social media sentiment and more.

From there, each app is given a Mobilewalla rating from 0 to 100. Unlike in golf, it’s better to have a higher score.

And now, here are the top-rated apps on each mobile OS for 2011. We’ve split them up by OS, and by paid vs. free, for ease of reading. We’ve also included some brief descriptions for the apps whose titles don’t immediately make their purposes clear:

ANDROID (Free)

1. Pixlr-o-matic: 97.5 out of 100. 
“Add retro effects to your photos in a snap!”

2. Super Stickman Golf: 97.5 out of 100
“Swing your way through over 280 unique holes. Use all your special abilities to help you par the courses including sticky balls, ice balls, air brakes, and nitro balls!”

3. Smurfs’ Village: 97 out of 100
“It’s up to you to build a new village for the Smurfs to call home.”

4. Crime Story: 96.4 out of 100
“Crime Story is a game where you can narrate your own gangsta story. Your stairway up to the mafia boss position starts with searching of your kidnapped brother.”

5. Marvel Comics: 96.3 out of 100
“Download hundreds of comic books featuring your favorite characters -— including Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine and more — on your mobile device or tablet with the touch of a button.”

ANDROID (Paid)

1. MADDEN NFL 12, 93.6 out of 100
“BOOM! Feel the excitement of NFL Football, anytime, anywhere with Madden NFL 12 for Android. With hard hitting action and beefed up rosters, get the ultimate football experience – now fully optimized for Android Tablets!”

2. Dragon, Fly! Full, 92.9 out of 100
“Slide and fly over the beautiful hills in this fast paced one touch arcade game.”

3. Earth And Legend, 92.3 out of 100
“The most advanced full-scaled multiplayer 3D RPG for Android has arrived in HD! The time has come to call for a hero. Join the battle in this epic RPG adventure delivered in stunning 3D.”

4. Great Little War Game, 92.18 out of 100
“Take command of your army and battle the foe on land, sea and air but be sure to make wise decisions as you go. You want to deploy your soldiers to take full advantage of the higher terrain, natural choke points, ambush spots and defensive walls.”

5. SHADOWGUN, 91.8 out of 100
“Using state-of-the-art weaponry, ships, and the assistance of S.A.R.A.—Slade’s personal android assistant—SHADOWGUN combines intense tactical combat with 3rd person action.”

iOS (Free)

1. MLB.com At Bat Lite, 96 out of 100
News, scores and coverage of Major League Baseball.

2. My Horse: 95.3 out of 100
“Live the dream of owning and looking after a realistic horse, and share the experience with your friends!”

3. Family Feud® & Friends: 93.5 out of 100
The popular TV game show on iOS.

4. Funny Videos & Pics by Break.com: 92.8 out of 100

5. MetalStorm: Wingman: 92.3 out of 100
“Dominate the skies and master the world’s most advanced combat aircraft as you experience the best looking, most action packed jet fighting game for iOS.”

iOS (Paid)

1. Angry Birds Rio: 93.9 out of 100

2. Tiny Wings: 92.9 out of 100
“You have always dreamed of flying – but your wings are tiny. Luckily the world is full of beautiful hills. Use the hills as jumps – slide down, flap your wings and fly!”

3. Craigslist + Notifications. CraigsPro+ Craigslist + Photo Wall + Posting + Photo previews: 91.7 out of 100

4. Where’s My Water?: 91 out of 100
The popular puzzle game.

5. Lock My Photos – Password lock photos & picture data for peace of mind!: 89.7 out of 100

6. Bike Baron: 87.3 out of 100
Motorcycle racing game with user-made levels.

BlackBerry (Free)

1. Memory Booster Pro: 95.1 out of 100
“Memory Booster Pro will recover the lost/used up memory from the device making your applications
run faster and smoother.”

2. BlackBerry Protect: 95.1 out of 100
“BlackBerry® Protect is a free application designed to keep your information secure if your BlackBerry® smartphone goes missing.”

3. Memory Booster: 95 out of 100
“Memory Booster will recover the lost/used up memory from the device making your applications run faster and smoother.”

4. AppsLock – Password Protect Applications (Full Version): 94.7 out of 100

5. Slider Lock Free – slide to unlock your phone: 94.5 out of 100

BlackBerry (Paid)

1. Sea Storm Animated Theme 2.0: 94.7 out of 100

2. Love Is Love – Great Offer of Valentine’s Day: 92 out of 100
Valentine’s Day-themed live wallpaper.

3. Playboy’s Animated Luck O’ The Irish: 90.4 out of 100
“Enjoy 4 different St. Patty’s inspired Irish Playboy wallpapers along with custom color icons and an ANIMATED LOCK SCREEN!”

4. Underwater HD Animated Theme: 90.1 out of 100

5. Juicy Girl Theme – On Sale!: 89.5 out of 100

WINDOWS PHONE (Free)

1. TuneIn Radio: 96.7 out of 100
FM and streaming radio stations.

2. Penguin: 96 out of 100
“With your help, this Penguin can and does fly through a colorful, fun landscape.”

3. gMaps: 95.7 out of 100
Google Maps for Windows Phone.

4. PhotoFunia: 95.7 out of 100
Free photo editing tool.

WINDOWS PHONE (Paid)

1. Phone 8: 92.2 out of 100
Themes for the Windows Phone homescreen.

2. Weather Live: 91.7 out of 100
Robust weather app.

3. Fuse: 89 out of 100
Newsreader app for WP.

4. iFun: 89 out of 100
Transforms the Windows Phone look into the look of the iPhone, from homescreen to utilities to dialer.

5. SuperTube: 88.4 out of 100
“Enables you to play and download YouTube videos in HQ and HD by 3G or WiFi.”

—–

Boy, BlackBerry owners really like their animated wallpapers and themes, huh? A few other observations:

- Gamers on three of the operating systems rated games that could be placed in the “send an animal flying using slopes and hills” category — Penguin on Windows Phone, Tiny Wings on iOS and Dragon Fly on Android all have the same basic game play. 
- Photo editing and maintenance also won big across OS’s — Pixlr-o-matic for Android, PhotoFunia for Windows Phone, and Lock My Photos on iOS
- BlackBerry users hate fun. This was the only OS without a game in the top apps, either paid or free.
- iPhone envy? BlackBerry’s “Slide to Unlock” app mimics the unlocking mechanism that Apple owns the patent for, while Windows Phone’s iFun straight up replicates the iPhone’s interface. Android’s Pixlr-o-Matic is a take on iOS’s popular Instagram photo-filtering app. 
- Companies don’t always slum it when translating popular apps to mobile devices: Family Feud, Madden NFL ’12, MLB.com At Bat, and Smurfs’ Village all scored highly.

The Mobilewalla report isn’t available online, but you can browse around the analytics firm’s website here.

To view a more cut-and-dry list of users’ favorite apps this year, check out the most-downloaded free iPhone apps from Apple’s App Store, as well as Android users’ favorites.

via Best-Rated Apps 2011: Mobilewalla Ranks Users’ Favorites For Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Phone .The Huffington Post   

Microsoft Exec: We’ve Had Siri-Style Tech For Over A Year

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Software similar to the highly touted Siri voice recognition program featured in the iPhone 4S has been available in Windows-branded phones for more than a year, and is only being heavily promoted by Apple due to an alleged lack of other features in the company’s new smartphone, one Microsoft executive said during an interview last week.

In comments made to Eric Savitz of Forbes at the Techonomy Conference in Tuscon, Arizona, Microsoft Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie pointed out that a similar system, in the form of a TellMe app, has been part of the Redmond, Washington-based tech giant’s Windows 7 Phone “for more than a year.”

Mundie added that people were “infatuated… with Apple announcing it,” and while he admitted that it was “good marketing,” he said that Windows-branded smartphones have had the capability to issue a verbal command to write a text message to someone, then dictate what you want the message to say, or conduct a search through the company’s Bing search engine using only your voice, since the Windows 7 Phone was initially released in the second half of 2011.

“Mundie is right, and Microsoft has won praise for the latest advances in its mobile voice recognition,” Todd Bishop of Geekwire said in a story Friday. “But does Windows Phone really live up to what Apple is doing with Siri? Based on my own experience, at least, Apple seems to be closer to the goal of offering an intelligent assistant, not just a voice interface, with a wider array of applications and the use of location awareness to make Siri smarter.”

According to Chloe Albanesius of PCMag, Microsoft acquired TellMe in early 2007. The company then announced their first app, a downloadable program which allowed users to dictate text messages, search the World Wide Web, or place a phone call simply by speaking, for Windows Mobile in April of 2009. Albanesius added that Mundie believes the strong focus on Siri was due to a lack of other features with the most recent model of iPhone.

“In a sense, many people were disappointed with the newest (Apple) phone because it wasn’t a completely new thing, so the only thing they really had to hammer on was that feature,” Mundie told Savitz, according to Bishop. “Maybe we need to pick a feature and hammer on it harder.”

The Microsoft executive also claimed that the demise of the Windows 7 line of phones had been grossly exaggerated, especially in the light of recently formed partnerships with other firms.

“At the point Windows 7 Phones were being introduced many people wanted to write the company off as not a survivor in the phone segment,” he said. “In a sense we’ve had to overcome our errors in the transition from the old phone model to the new phone model. Hopefully now that people are giving us some credit for the quality of the execution on the phone itself — Nokia has come on line now, that’s a huge thing. HTC and others.”

via Microsoft Exec: We’ve Had Siri-Style Tech For Over A Year – Technology News – redOrbit.

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