With the news that yet another malware infected application has hit the Android marketplace, we ask what the hell does a malware infected app look like and what are developers hoping to achieve by letting unwitting smartphone owners install such applications?

So how do you get a nasty app on your phone in the first place?

Most of the time users will be downloading a “repackaged” application. One that looks like another legitimate app but simply masquerades convincingly as this while actually being a nasty bit of stuff. This graphic shows the most recent repackaged apps that have plagued and infected the android marketplace and mobile devices of late:

The prize most malware developers are aiming for:

As with most blood sweat and tears, the reasons for the effort in the first place is usually monetary gain, but how can you monetize an infected app?

Simple, with the help of graphics from a mobile security firm called Lookout who specialise in stopping malware, viruses and loss and theft related to smartphones and mobile devices.

Here are the top methods explained:

Malvertising

Simply put this is where an application offers seemingly legitimate in app advertising to cover its free cost, but in reality clicking that link will cause the application to infect your device….they are not necessarily free apps though.

This graphic shows how this would work on a mobile device.

Spyware

Spyware is designed to use or collect data without a user’s knowledge or approval. This may include targeting a users call history, location, their browsing history, text messages etc and will be other targeted at an organization or individual(s) or non-targeted in a scatter gun approach where the developer of the spyware hopes for as much information as possible from a large set of people.

Not all spyware is bad, some parents use it to track their children to make sure they are safe based on location spyware.

In the event of nasty spyware, the developer may be selling the data obtained or be doing it for an unscrupulous business or person, or like in many hacker cases, simply making a point and exposing security flaws (often in search of a job!)

Malware

This is essentially software designed to engage in nasty behaviour on an infected mobile device.

Ways in which malware can manifest itself include: Remote control of a device, sending unsolicited texts and racking up huge bulls unknown to the owner are some of the ways that malware can be an issue if it finds itself on your mobile device.

Malware can also be used to steal sensitive information such as personal details that could lead to identify fraud or financial loss.

Privacy Threats

These could be within applications that you agree to legal contracts with but do put your privacy under threat when location based services are taken into account. These may not be illegal at all.

How to stay malware safe on your mobile device:

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• Only download apps that are trusted and have some history of trust associated with them, (its easy to set a site up with fake reviews) but less likely if their are multiple reviews form trusted sites.
• Set passwords for your devices.
• Check links go to where you expect and report or abort ones that do not.
• Keep firmware updated.
• Do not trust the Android marketplace as most of the recent nasty apps that have been found have been downloadable from here.
• Be wary of Jailbreaking your iPhone which can leave your generally safe Apple device open to malware and infected applications, or in Android world allowing “sideloading” on your Android device, where you can download apps from other markets, though why we are telling you this in the Android case is unclear when their own marketplace is riddled continually with malware!

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Estimated mobile malware infection rates globally in 2011:

As you can see from the graphic above the rise of malware is starting to really present issues in such a new marketplace, I wonder if things need to be done quick in the Android case in order to stop fear and doubt spreading quickly?

But the question I have is how come we are all not simply getting a mobile internet connection, and a device that can ACTUALLY do multitasking properly and sticking our fingers up to our mobile/wireless phone networks and all getting accounts with Skype and leaving this application running full time when we want to be contacted or call out?

Skype has a rival.

Having been a big lover of Skype of many years I can safely say something has happened in the VOIP arena that has change my relationship over the last 12 months.

Namely Google talk:

And as a user of Gmail along with many of my contacts, this has become the de-facto way to communicate ad hoc….why?

I am usually available as I like to check mail through the day and it is simply open in a tabbed interface on my browser….

Similar to multitasking, if I hear that familiar call tone I simply flip to my Gmail tab and see who it is.

Interestingly both products are totally free for end to end users on the same application and in the case of Google is offered as a loss leader to compliment their other cloud based applications that now come in subscription form.

Gmail more of a beast in the US than Europe:

I understand that Gmail has aggressively marketed the talk/chat service more in the US.

And also provides a free phone number to users as well as offering free calls to landlines as well as mobiles via its application so long as they are numbers in the US and you are also in the US making the connection.

In the case of Skype (newly acquired by Microsoft) revenue is generated by selling ancillary services/products and enhancements such as a Skype to go number or cheap minutes, that can be used to call numbers globally at reduced rates.

List of alternative free VOIP services and chat clients that allow phone or video calls:

Fring – VOIP (Chat Client)

With 1 Million new users a month reported in 2010 and over 91,000 apps downloads in its first 24 hours on Apples App store; Fring is a great VOIP chat client, giving you the option of bringing in many various chat accounts into one convenient application while your mobile.

Fring also allows you to connect using various accounts with the more basic Instant messaging (IM) applications for Windows live, Yahoo messenger, Twitter, AIM and ICQ.

Voice chat test:

Tested on a Samsung S2 over Wi-Fi, using Google chat/talk, was a relatively decent experience.

Fring: Watch this space:

There is a good chance that Fring could be on to something with the way they have brought in a decent client that integrates so many communication options into the mobile arena….watch this space!

iCall – VOIP

Visit: iCall

When trialled, this was not the best experience at all, but worth trying on a Windows machine as I suspect it was a conflict with Apple and the software it provides.

Summary:

iCall for the web lets you make free 3-minute phone calls to anywhere in the US or Canada.

iCall web phone gives you free calls by VoIP and is the most popular free call calling service on the planet. Free phone calls are finally here and brought to you by iCall.

Devices that iCall currently works on:

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• Windows desktop
• iPhone
• Browser (tested and not very usable, though was on a Mac)

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Tuitalk – VOIP

Visit: Tuitalk

An interesting option for Global calls with limits based on the location you are seeking to connect with:

Tuitalk works similar to EvaPhone. But they require you to download their application in order to make calls:

Summary:

Tuitalk lets allows you to make free phone calls to around 40 countries. Each country in which you make your free phone call is limited to a certain number of minutes per call and per day. For most countries, your free Internet phone call can be six minutes in length.

Before your free call with Tuitalk is connected, you have to watch several seconds of a high-quality video advertisement.

Devices that currently work:

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• Windows PC
• Windows phone
• iPhone

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So will mobile network providers have to change what they offer as more and more people value Internet data over minutes?

While I am sure none of the lesser known VOIP companies is going to be a threat to the likes of Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile or 02 etc.

Current experience leaves a lot to be desired:

The problem with most of the current VOIP offerings is they do not work as well as you would like on Smartphones.

Using my Samsung S2 I have to go through the Fring client currently in order to bring in my Gmail account as the Gmail talk facility for Android is not yet available on the S2 but on devices that support Google talk the application is seemingly superior to Apples “facetime” due to the ability to run on 3G, 4G and wi-fi.

This looks like it will change soon though.

How does it work?

Not bad, but far from good, though the Skype version did work quite well while out and about.

A question does pose itself…

If you can create a business model that works so the consumer has to pay nothing but their connection fee to a wireless network how do you justify the hefty prices that many networks charge for a mediocre connection and a handset.

Surely the handset is the only real value in the deal…..and the problem that huge networks may face is that Smart Phones will become common place in a couple of years!

What are your experiences of using VOIP technology, have you seen a shift to this type of communication over mobile phones in the last few year as much as I have?

With Nokia paying a Canadian company called polar to make 300 apps for Meego and Symbian it must be the season that the underdogs in Appland finally get some statistics worth shouting about.

Yes Windows Phone now has nearly 30,000 apps for download onto Mango and Windows Phone O/S’s and unlike Android they do not count wallpapers as apps.

Huge increase since march:

Back in March Windows were reporting a measly 11,500 apps for download so it is nice to see the amount more than double in a few months, but obviously a far cry from iOS and Android, who total a combined 675,000 + apps made up of 425,000 iOS and 250,000 Android but as we mentioned Android cheat a bit by counting wallpapers as apps.

Nice to see the Mango update will be compatible also:

Windows has also reported that all apps released for Windows Phone will be compatible with the update called “mango” due next month.

With over 300 new features, Mango will be an almost brand new mobile O/S and many believe will actually prove to be quite a success and a real alternative to iOS and Android.

The Windows Mango operating system will be featured in Nokia’s highly anticipated “Sea Ray” phone also due soon, so it is exciting times at Microsoft this next month or so.

Windows tweet for help in gaining even more apps now HP have made WebOS developers jobless:

In a remarkably opportunistic and open tweet, Brandon Watson the Windows Phone director made a plea to the stricken HP WebOS developers to come over to their own O/S with incentives for the already published:

@BrandonWatson tweeted 19/8/2011:

To Any Published WebOS Devs: We’ll give you what you need to be successful on #WindowsPhone, incl.free phones, dev tools, and training, etc

It was later stated that over 1300 developers made contact pretty much straight away, ah the power of social networking and free stuff.

Mango app submissions accepted from this week:

With the final SDK for Mango due for release in September, a new RC development kit has been provided that will allow developers to create apps in English and Japanese. Version 7.1 will include a “Go live” license that will allow developers to publish their Mango ready apps to the marketplace after being recompiled.

The Microsoft advertising SDK will also be included which will allow developers to include ads within their applications.

A test profile has also been provided to allow developers to test their apps before release and this should help to improve the approval speed of newly submitted apps.

It is nice to see that Windows will care about what gets into its marketplace unlike the Android alternative.

Users will still have to wait to use Mango apps:

Even though Mango apps will be able to be pre released into the Windows market place at the back end, people running the pre-release version of Mango will not be able to run them yet and so like the rest of us will have to wait for the final version due out in September, yep, its all moving very fast again in Windows world.

In a radical but quite amazing leap from simply offering VOIP, Skype with new owners Microsoft are now offering iPad, iPhone and iTouch users access to Global WiFi hot spots from as little as 6 cents, or around £0.04, €0.05 per minute.

Now this is very handy for anyone wanting to access emails while abroad via a fast Wi-Fi hotspot instead of over priced and dodgy 3G connections, and starts to open up the possibility that people will be ditching conventional mobile phone tariffs when wi-fi access and a multitasking smartphone is available.

How will this work?

Basically I envisage a point (and have talked about this before) when you will no longer need a traditional mobile phone call package, and simply go for a data package with an operator or in this case a company like Skype, so you can leave your Skype or Gmail chat facility on all the time very similar to simply having a normal mobile phone.

Skype’s current offering in detail:

Skype has launched the applications for the Apple range so far (iPad, iPhone, iTouch), kind of ironic considering that Skype are now owned by Apples original nemesis Microsoft (now most people who make any type of gadget appear to be Apples cupertienemy numero uno), such is life at the top.

The way it works will simply be to use your Skype credits on a per minute basis as and when you choose to access their WiFi hot spots that are globally based.

So its a pay-as-you-go internet access, pricing is set to be quiet standard though the actual amounts will depend on what ISP you are taping into at any given time via hostpots.

In order to access the service your Apple device will need to be running at least iOS 4.1 this ensures that your device can offer multitasking so you can run the Skype Wi-FI application while accessing the internet service you want on top of this.

No news on an Android equivalent just yet

I have heard of no Skype applications released just yet for the Android O/S, but will keep you all updated if and when this occurs.

With thousands of applications in both the App store and Android marketplace life becomes tough when you decide to search for a new game or news application when confronted by so much dubious variety.

Enter Discovr Apps:

A totally free application for both Android and the iPhone and created by Jammbox, this app has been developed to aid your search for new applications that are similar to ones you already enjoy.

So if your into the BBC app and want a news app that might be of a similar quality and in your language, then you are easily able to “discovr” other apps that fit into your search criteria, if you want to purchase the application then simply click on the link to the app store of your choice but before that you can compare and read descriptions and screenshots of the app.

Great for wasting time as well as useful:

The application has a novel way of providing you with six recommendations and when you click on any of these a further six based on that application so you are continually drilling down in terms of relevance and potentially of interest, a bit like stumbleupon. This app is great to beat the algorithms that seem to bring up the same old same old in both the android and apple app store, so you are sure to find some fresh new apps of interest and check out what they look like and sound like before you take the plunge to purchase.

Number 1 download in many countries:

The popularity of the application has meant that it has been number 1 in terms of downloads in 17 countries including Germany, so why not give it a try, at a cost of absolutely nothing you have very little to lose!

When will Google wake up to malware in its marketplace? The newest Trojan that is currently masquerading as a Google+ application has the ability to record your calls, answer your phone and execute remote commands via SMS to the handset, sounds scary?

The Trojan known as ADROIDOS_NICKISPY.C displays a Google + icon on your phone and is installed under the name Google++, like most android Trojans we have reported on, the variant in the name is pretty small and many would not suspect a thing before downloading and getting infected.

NickiSpy strikes again:

The online security experts Symantec have detected a new variant of the nickispy malware that could record calls, although according to Irfan Asrar analyst at Symantec security response, it was noted that the third party application would need physical access to your handset to retrieve the recordings.

Trend Micro’s Balanza says:

“What makes this particular variant different is that it has the capability to automatically answer incoming calls,”

So how does this trojan actually work?

Basically what happens when you receive a call is that the latest nickispy variant will intercept your incoming voicecall and once detected from the remote control number contained within the configuration file, the trojan has the ability to then put your phone on silent though it is noted that your phone needs to be in a rest state i.e the screen be turned off for it to work and the current screen be set to the homepage and not to display information about the incoming call, a fairly common set up I imagine.

Call intercept only works on older android phones:

According to Balanza in versions 2.3 + the android OS has modify_phone_state permission disabled which means that only 2.2 and earlier are susceptible to this part of the trojan.

What other services does this trojan access?

This trojan has the ability to gather GPS location data, text message and call logs, and can then with the aid of port 2018 transmit this data to a remote server.

The trojan actually has access to 19 separate services, with the ability to access alarms, read and send SMS messages, and lock your keypad.

Android users 2.5 times more likely to be infected that 6 months ago, with hundreds of thousands now reporting issues. A massive leap from 12 months ago.

“Attackers are deploying a variety of increasingly sophisticated techniques to take control of the phone, personal data and money,”

Alexandru Balan, senior product manager at BitDefender said:

“The Android platform’s popularity with developers and users makes it a prime target, both for thieves looking to steal devices and for those wanting to exploit it through malware and scams,”

Installing security applications

McAfee have recently teamed up with Sprint in the US to give there users easy access to mobile security to prevent users unknowingly downloading infected applications.

This seems like such an unnecessary shame when the whole issue could be resolved by simply having a more stringent vetting procedure in the android marketplace like Apple adopts. Is Google investing in security companies like the rumour that Microsoft did to capitalise on purposely shoddy holes in their operating system?

Security choices

A couple of worthy contenders to consider are webroot and bitdefender. Both have good reputations and keep getting updated to ensure they are ahead of the curve when it comes to offering some form of warning and hence protection against dodgy applications that keep becoming more and more prevalent in the damned android marketplace. Google for the third time wake up please! Your reputation is at stake here. It is no good buying patents and manufacturing prowess if users find your operating system sucks and dangerous!

Recycle Pix by Greenopolis offers its users a reward point system based on its photo sharing capabilities that allow you to upload images of your recycling efforts. These photos then get converted into reward points and can be redeemed in the form of dining out vouchers and such like. The US govt is doing a competition called Apps for the environment and welcomes entrants to submit their application on their EPA website. Other apps such as Yoink and litterbug are also designed to encourage being green. You can download them from the apple and android app store.

Apple app store legal battle: Are you confused yet?

We have already reported that Apple were in litigation with Amazon over the use of their own “App store”. The judge presiding over the case does however actually agree with Apple that the term “App Store” is not actually a generic term, as both Microsoft and Amazon have claimed. However, the real legal issue is related to a “likelihood of confusion” and the judge in this case has stated that the term “App Store” did not meet the required “likelihood of confusion” provision necessary to validate an immediate injunction against its use…note the term “immediate” however, time will tell what may happen in the future.

Apples new battle with GetJar a battle too far?

It would appear that Apple really do feel that they have some god given right to the term. They have cited earlier marketing efforts and huge expenditure as a reason to justify such claims be upheld and as a rational man I can understand them wanting to at least try to defend a term that does have a huge correlation to Apple. Though the truth is the claim can never really hold up currently as the term “App Store” is not a trademark, despite efforts to secure this by Apple.

Claiming that punters would get confused by the Amazon App Store and Apples App store for instance is just condescending to owners of mobile devices, surely?

GetJar still telling Apple to stick it up their Apps:

On a recent blog post GetJar have basically told Apple to sod off. And goes on to inform the reader that they stick by their position as they are not really competing with Apple, but are more like an affiliate who push visitors to the Apple App Store anyway.

I suppose Apple would say that they are pushing people to the Android market also, but without a trademark to the term App Store how can Apple get way with such a request and except this to be acted upon?

GetJar state that they have been running since 2005 (before the release of the iPhone) and that they have been operating while using the term “App store” since 2009 without any problems…..i.e Apple were very happy for GetJar to initially push their own applications before the release of competitor apps.

Apple lose face with too many Legal battles?

We reported the other week that it appeared that Apple were in a legal frenzy currently, with rifts between manufacturers, retailers, and god knows who else. Is Apple in danger of looking a bit like a sacred millionaire who has built his castle but now fears anyone who comes close to admire it?

Getjar Facebook group to help developers deal with Apple:

GetJar has now started a Facebook group called “The Open and Free App Movement,” and is aimed at helping developers understand and organise their efforts related to Apple when Apple send legal threats and people are unsure what to do and perhaps need some advice from their peers….they are quoted as saying; “people are sick of this crap”.

What do you think of Apples current legal battles, are they justified or do you think the are muddying Apples name?

Apple App Store Hits 15 Billion Downloads

With this huge amount achieved Apple have come out stating:

“In just three years, the revolutionary App Store has grown to become the most exciting and successful software marketplace the world has ever seen.”

And went on to thank the fans, developers and buyers of Apple product and applications:

“Thank you to all of our amazing developers who have filled it with over 425,000 of the coolest apps and to our over 200 million iOS users for surpassing 15 billion downloads.”

The App Store:

The Apple App Store now has more than 425,000 apps and 100,000 iPad apps.

In terms of a software marketplace not only has it revolutionized what was often a pirates paradise, it now become the most successful software marketplace the World has ever witnessed.

Games transform both iPhones and iPads into both wonder machines and also gold mines:

Mark Rein, vice president and co-founder of Epic Games states:

“iPad provides us with an unparalleled mobile device for creating gorgeous, immersive games,”

“Infinity Blade has been a runaway hit with customers around the world and we couldn’t be more excited about our success on iOS devices.”

With an enormous range of apps available in 20 categories, including games, business, news, education, sports, health, reference and travel.

Apple has paid developers over $2.5 billion to date, with developer getting a sizeable amount of the fee for any app, it can be assumed that an application such as Angry Birds has netted the developers somewhere in the region of $70+ million dollars with an outlay of only $140,000.

So well done to Apple for bringing a brand new marketplace and helping developers gain a profitable living, and bringing the man in the street some fun to his device!

App developers usually need to market more effectively:

With Rovio developing over 50 games and nearly going into bankruptcy before it hit the big time with the Angry Birds phenomenon, it is easy to see how the desire for riches is not as easy to achieve as t may seem.

The key:

The key for all marketplaces is actually hidden in the term, “marketing” and with developers usually not being the best at this activity, (too busy coding).

A real opportunity is present to aggregate reviews and help the purchaser find what they want within the 450,000 apps that currently swathe the market.

What do you think developer need to do to make sure their app is successful, and do only certain types of apps work in the mainstream market?

Apple versus Amazon app store claim – Rejected by District judge

U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton has stated yesterday that she is probably going to deny the motion on the grounds that Apple has failed to show how consumers would be confused by the term Appstore.

I personally could not agree more, and like many, find it patronising that people could potentially get confused, by a generic term for something that means application, though this is a term Apple have used over the term “software” for many years, it is not uniquely their own word.

Irreparably Damaged?…..My Apps!

Apple had claimed that they would be irreparably damaged as consumers of Amazons app store will be confused and this would inherently lead to a loss of revenue.

Apple legal team idiotic:

The case for litigation against Amazon does seem like a total punt really as it is wholly possible to state that Amazon will introduce apps to a new audience and could potentially lose their own revenue to Apples own app store.

And Apples arrogance on the basis that we can use a “Smart” Phone but are all way too stupid to know there is an Amazon app market and also an Apple app market for each device is very patronising….surely this would work both ways mitigating any loss!

Comparing the term “App Store” to a Michigan based company who use “honeybaked ham” as a form of trademark, (I am lost at how this works) the likelihood is that Amazon will be allowed to carry on as you would expect using their own slight variation of the term App Store.

I do feel that Apple may have some kind of case if Amazons app store ends up with poorly qualified apps such as from the Google Android marketplace, but in law there seems very little you can do about a term that is similar to using toy store, pet store, or clothing store….as part of your personal brand….the word “app” can not solely be Apples surely!

Do you find it confusing that two companies are now using the same term?

Will Android become the new Windows – Hell on earth?

As a recent Android convert (right now iPhones are over rated) I am relatively pleased with the Android market….however:

Talking to the European head of a leading News aggregation app News Republic the other day, I curiously quizzed him about his developers producing apps for both markets, and his response was along the lines of:

Android better to develop for:

“Android is much easier to develop for as Google allow you much more freedom of creativity and choice in getting apps approved.”

– Great news.

News republic app for iPhone and Android is a fantastic app by the way – tailor your own news and stop messing about going to all the rest!

But freedom can come at a price, and it seems this lack of control could be costing Android its reputation as a safe place to download apps to your mobile.

Quality of Apps:

Another slight issue I have with the Android marketplace as opposed to Apples is the quality of the apps:

I have only had my New Samsung S2 for two weeks now but the apps I now have are generally not as slick as the iPhone ones I was used to, yes the big ones are cool, and work better as my device is superior in almost every way, but the plethora of apps to choose from is woefully average and I can only put that down to a very weak editorial policy for new apps on Google’s Android marketplace.

i.e anything goes on Android until its an issue!…Very dangerous.

15,000 affected Android devices due to malicious Trojan apps:

F-Secure are reporting that a rogue Android developer has altered an essentially harmless app into one that covertly allows a simple mobile botnet to do the following:

“The added code will connect to a server and send details about the infected handset to the malware authors,”

With 25 apps found on the Android marketplace recently all containing a variant of the DroidDream trojan, Google have since rid their marketplace of these offenders but reports are that more infected apps have made their way into the Android app market yet again.

I am not a fear driven person but this does have me concerned.

The issues I have here are this:

For many years I chose macs to work on, mainly because over ten years ago I produced dance music on computers and Macs were the most stable operating systems to work with, I had no internet until early 2000’s and since then have no real idea what Trojans, Malware, etc really are at all as I stuck with my Apple mac, hearing reports from PC users but smuggly thinking; glad that is not a concern of mine….and for this I thank Apple and the hackers who have thought better than plaguing OSX (mainly, I hear due to market penetration being too small, and not that OSX is so robust, it is apparently not)

So anyway I thank Apple for keeping the iPhones app marketplace free of nonsense and danger.

But Google need to watch out; one major bad press release about how plagued the Android marketplace is could mean slow or immediate disaster for the Android O/S and related manufacturers, as people will simply not put up with something they used to feel they had no choice in (which PC operating system to use, Apple or Windows, with people sticking to familiarity over safety for many reasons in the past.)

in 2011 though a clear choice has emerged between Apple or Android.

If this then shifts to “Safe and unsafe” I know who will start winning the SmartPhone was yet again.

Sensitive information kept on your phone:

With so much sensitive information being stored on your phones memory, we do worry massively about these kind of issues not getting resolved and feel that Google need to step up their game immediately with regards to security and how they manage their own marketplace.

Creative freedom = security issues?

Google needs to more closely monitor its Android app marketplace before it turns into a junk yard and has users worried about downloading anything other than the supposedly trusted, well know apps, this would be a disaster for what many feel is Androids major plus point, more creative freedom.

So here are the graphical stats for Apple’s app market with a lovely looking illustration by 500K apps:

What are your thoughts on Google V Apple in terms of their marketplace for apps?

Do you have first hand experience of both markets, if so, which do you prefer? And is security a concern of yours while using Smart Phone applications?

Pizza Express Paypal App Review

Let’s first analyse how it works, here is the advert:

Crucially the main areas that are worth noting in relation to using the app are the following:

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• Ability to book tables via your app – Useful but hardly necessary in my personal experience.
• Ability to find local restaurants – Useful in unfamiliar areas.
• Ability to pay your bill at the end using your app using your bill identification receipt number (and apply voucher codes) – Not that difficult to pay via a normal terminal or in cash but useful for receiving an amended bill total using vouchers, and you look less cheap!
• View menu – Not a bad thing and quite good if you are in a rush and want to pre-book with friends or colleagues.

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The real value for retailers:

I could not agree more with Ewan at Mobile Industry Review when he mentions that the real value for retailers is the ability to collect personal details and build an actual relationship with customers who in the past would have simply booked, visited, eaten and left, perhaps picking up a coupon or bringing an offer from another source.

Having an app builds trust and relationships:

Not only does an app build trust, i.e the person using the app trusts the company providing it and provided it is done correctly this enhances an existing closed relationship.

The real power lies in the ability to segment and market to each individual app user, this has been tough for stores like Pizza Express to do before apps as people would have had to opt into clubs and memberships, and people simply can not be bothered as the reward is not there and then usually.

Having a free app that you can use to browse menus, book tables, pay bill and redeem coupons however adds serious functionality and that is what SmartPhone users want, ways to do things quicker and easier with more of a user experience.

Game changer for the High Street?

Just like when Marks and Spencers (UK up-market food retailer) struggled to overcome a serious image problem back in the early 2000’s; there adoption (finally) of an ability to pay for your goods using a debit or credit card, was one of the main reasons that the store survived and was successfully re-branded and ultimately continues to do well today.

Making payment options more personal helps with the flow of cash inwards, it really is that simple.

And the easier you can make that transaction the better for the retailer, couple this in with an ability to market directly to individual customers who you can profile and also help the client find their way to your store if you are lost and you have something very powerful indeed.

We look forward to seeing just how many more retailers think a little more forward and start waking up to the potential revenue generation of using apps to encourage paying customers in the doors, the benefits could be truly huge long term, if implemented well!

Would you be happy to pay for good and services using your app, or would you forget to do this by and large, do you think an app for a restaurant has merit, would you use it to search for coupons and also for the restaurant itself if you were lost?

With other options for all the apps cutesy features their is however still some doubt over its mass appeal.

Lets take a look at the Q1 highlights for HTC in 2011:

HTC Q1 Highlights:

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• Q1 after-tax profit was NT$14.83bn, up 196.8% year-on-year. EPS was NT$18.36.
• Total revenues grew for four consecutive quarters since 1Q 2010 and reached NT$104.16bn in 1Q, up 174.5% year-on-year.
• Handset shipment for 1Q was 9.7mn units, up 192% year-on-year, 6% quarter-on-quarter.
• 1Q gross profit margin in line with original guidance at 29.3%.
• 1Q operating expense ratio was 13.4%, better than original guidance; 1Q operating margin reached 15.8%.

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In May HTC said its sales reached over $1.4 Billion which is over 2 times 2010 figures.

With rumours that Microsoft are looking to acquire Nokia after there purchase of Skype last month, we can not help but wonder what all the Nokia team are thinking right now, after being word leaders in the very near past.

Android Marketplace Figures:

Source: AppBrain

With Google activating some 350,000 per day, the Android marketplace is now so well stocked that it fully rivals that of Apples App Store.

Here you can buy all the applications that make your phone unique and keep you connected with friends or simply amused.

Microsoft and Nokia a classic case of sleeping giants?

It is no wonder Microsoft and Nokia must be feeling a little peeved, when in Apples case you have control of hardware AND software (applications) you truly do have vertical integration and the profits just grow!

But at the present time the “quietly brilliant” HTC seem to be doing what Nokia did so well for such a long time.

How do you think the mobile wars will pan out, will Microsoft ever be successful in creating a useful mobile product that rival the Android SDK or Apples iOS SDK?

There are now over 500,000 applications to be bought or downloaded for free on the Apple App Store or Android Marketplace
Applications for these devices are so popular that the Apple App store hit 10 Billion downloads in just over 30 months, which took the music industry twice as long to reach for songs.

The problem many developers face is two fold:
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• How to get your App noticed with so many applications available.
• How to make people use your application beyond 90 days where only 1% of applications still get used.

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Social applications work better:

Arguably the leader in mobile apps design and development a company called Zynga do social applications really well.

Social applications work by allowing the user to interact with people online and through existing social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.

The popular Words with friends app is a shining example of how to use social networks to connect people and drive usage of an application that allows interaction on so many levels.

Making an application dynamic and changeable every time it is used is a sure fire way to create longevity of interest when it may well have waned minus these options.

Social connectivity:

Allowing people to share scores, messages, and updates on social networking sites means you also have a larger chance of free promotion long after you have released the app and the initial buzz dies down, this helps to increase the appeal to a wider audience for a longer period of time.

Mobile social media usage:

According to the influential Nielson group, a recent study has shown that mobile social networking (thanks to Ipads, Tablets and Smartphone’s) has increased by 240% in one year alone.

And over 60% of mobile Internet usage is on social networks.

With so many creative new applications being developed it will be the developers who pay particular attention to connectivity and social networking options that see the best returns and largest user base.

What are you favourite applications that have social aspects embedded in to the experience?