It’s no secret that mobile devices like smartphones and tablets have exploded in popularity over the last 3 years. Apple has sold nearly 30 million tablets in the last year and a half alone. As users get more accustomed to using the devices to make purchases, the promise of a strong mobile commerce system is finally starting to take form. Despite the speed in which it is growing, the industry was supposed to be moving faster. The release of the iPhone and Android phones marked a new venture for companies wanting to cash in on the technology by creating apps that could be universally used. Big dreams…

You don’t have to be a tech geek to know about apps. Just about anyone with a smartphone or a tablet has downloaded and installed apps onto their devices at one point or another. Some do it nearly every day. Gaming is the biggest category – we love our distractions – but business and productivity apps are starting to make a push and are being used by individuals and companies alike. This infographic by our friends at Intuit breaks down the boom of applications in the small business realm. As people become more accustomed to utilizing applications rather than websites and online resources, we can expect…

Since its launch in late June, Google+ has attracted 25 million unique global visitors. That ascent has far outpaced the growth of MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook, prompting many observers to wonder if Google’s new social network will eventually overtake Facebook in popularity. Although the unique visitor count slowed at the end of July, the network’s global adoption of has been steadier. The biggest growth for Google+ has been seen in the United States, followed by India and Canada. “Visitors is technically what ComScore reports,” explained ComScore analyst Andrew Lipsman. “If someone…

Our mobile devices have many uses to us, well beyond the talk and text functionality of the past. Millions of mobile apps are downloaded to smartphones and tablets every day. The types of apps we download are an indication of what uses we see for mobile devices. According to a recent study by Nielson, we want to have fun, know when it’s going to rain, monitor Facebook, and get directions. Over half of mobile device users have used apps for gaming, weather, social networking, and/or navigation in the last 30 days. Music, news, and entertainment follow. Perhaps more interesting is the fact that 93%…

For the first time, we’re spending more time in mobile applications than surfing the web via desktop or mobile browsers, according to a new report. It’s worth noting that this report comes from Flurry, whose business model rests on ever-increasing mobile app use. (From the company’s site: “Flurry increases the size and value of mobile application audiences, helping more than 40,000 companies in over 75,000 applications on iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone 7 platforms.”) But even so, the news is likely either true or pretty close to it. Consider that the sales of smartphones and tablets…

If the insinuation of this leaked video can be believed, Skype will soon be launching its very own iPad app. According to HotHardware, “If this proves true, avid users of Skype will no longer have to ‘double’ the iPhone version on their iPad to actually use it.” The iPhone app works well on the iPad 2, but it’s not as sharp, nor are the features up to snuff for a tablet. With Facebook rumored to be working on their own iPad app, there may be somewhat of a race going on from the two high-profile omissions from the Apple App Store. …

In the enterprise, technology often moves slowly. It’s not what most would expect – big business was once the first to adopt the latest and greatest technologies because of the cost associated with innovation. Today, technology is going bulk – apps are the perfect example. Taking advantage of and integrating apps into small, nimble business models is less challenging than it is for corporations. Still, the giants are catching up. They’re seeing that inexpensive technologies such as mobile and social media apps can have a significant effect on their bottom line. They get it, and now they’re…

The question often gets asked by businesses to their marketing firms, “Do we need an app?” The rise in popularity of mobile internet use has prompted the need for more easily accessible mobile functionality for websites. The real question is, “Do we need an app or a robust mobile site?” “We went with mobile sites,” said Jarvis Allison at Albuquerque Ford. “We considered an app but we just couldn’t imagine people downloading something that they’re only going to use every two and a half years.” Many business sites have a mobile variation of them. Web companies are making entire business models around…

Is your “app”etite getting quenched? Apparently not, as the growing world of mobile app development is creating a tremendous need for more powerful, faster mobile devices. From phones to tablets, we are watching the world shift to quick-delivery, multi-functional apps that harness the power of touch screens and ever-present internet connections in help us accomplish tasks, have fun, and learn. This infographic by ShoutEm breaks it down for us. Click to enlarge. Brought to you by ShoutEm – Mobile App Builder…

The Web browser has been a standard feature included with operating systems for years. Most of them look and act in a similar fashion, with the core behaviors being relatively similar. But the devices have changed, and now the browser is changing along with it. The 360 Web Browser is leading that change. Digital Poke’s tagline is “proving crazy concepts.” Well, 360 Web Browser truly is a crazy concept, but not only is it crazy, it is also amazing as well. It takes everything you know and love about the standard Web browsing experience and modernizes it for touch-based interfaces. Comparing…