The iPhone Vs. Android App Store War

I never met anyone with 250,000 apps on their iPhone. And when you realize that the App Store's app count includes:

• 741 flashlight apps that do the same thing
• 1915 battery meter apps that replicate the functionality of the little battery icon Apple was kind enough to place in the top right corner of your screen
• 910 mirror apps that don't do much more than the front-facing camera or the glass back of the iPhone body

etc., you'll see why the Great App War between Apple and Google is a farce.

Microsoft just announced it is offering incentives to woo developers to Windows Phone 7.

Microsoft, do yourself a favor and make fun of Apple for its giant, unwieldy app store instead of trying to catch up. It's an opportunity to change the dialog about apps from quantity to quality.

Build a couple of really good apps and show people that Windows Phone 7 doesn't stress you out with an overload of junk apps like Apple.

Gloat: World's Coolest iPhone App That Wouldn't Work on iPhone

I had a great concept for an iPhone App (though the iPhone platform can't fully support it yet). Maybe it could work on the Pre or Android. It's called Gloat (or maybe iGloat?), because it does just that. Although the programming might be a bit tricky, the end-user interface couldn't be simpler. The app just asks you which sports teams you follow. Then it gloats for you when they win.

• It looks up your team's schedule, sees when they play, and tracks when they win
• It looks through your contacts (Facebook friends, IM buddies, Email contacts, whatever it can get a hold of)
• When your team wins, it immediately messages whichever friends come from the losing team's hometown

Gloat 2.0 (available in time for 2010 NFL season - Sep 2010) can add more advanced features for the sports enthusiast. I figure we could have our software on about 50 million devices by 2013. Then we could add ticket sales, a tie in with a fantasy sports league, and record keeping so you can track who's getting top Gloating rights. It could even suggest which teams to follow (based on team record/standings/your friends' fave teams) to maximize your Gloats. iGloat can also be set to Tweet your Gloats automatically.

In iGloat 3.0 we'll expand it beyond sports. Remember the last time your uncle's neighbor dropped you a stock tip? Note it in iGloat, and she'll get Gloatted when the ticker falls.

Or how about how you have to sit through boring episodes of Runway, Idol, or SYTYCD... Tell iGloat who your favorite contestants are and it will let you know when to tune in (or maybe even serve up the video) and you won't even have to sit through the show to tell your friends all about it. Gloat loves elections, too!

A timetable for launch of iGloat might go something like:

• Beta version for late October 2009 (start of NBA season)
• 1.0 should be out 5 months later in time for the (April 2010) MLB season
• 2.0 coming 5 months after that (Sep 2010) in time for the NFL season
• 3.0 early 2011, maybe time it with the new season of American Idol
  

Think iGloat is mean? I kinda agree, but you know you do it anyway, so I might as well automate it (and sell it).

Mirror Free Does Nothing, But That's OK

In fact, it's even better since bored users are more likely to click on ads. (WSJ)