#29 Apps Get Real

Gravitytank, an innovation and growth consultancy based in Chicago, recently completed a comprehensive study on mobile apps - those bite-sized applications on smartphones that are changing how we interact with software, our phones, big brands, our health, and much more.

You knew this intuitively. But interesting to see the numbers: The more time iPhone users spend with their apps, the less time they spend watching TV, reading newspapers, using PCs and pretty much everything else.

W6M: iPhone Apps allow for a much more targeted audience. The are not only fun, but they are useful tools. Expect to see more apps in the future. Currently iPhone dominates the App arena, but expect to see Google, T-Moblie and BlackBerry catching up soon.

#24 Jailbreak your iPhone...You will love it.

The iPod Touch/iPhone hacking community responds to the newest vendor updates by creating new ways to enable third party apps almost immediately. It was only in the wake of the popularity of the iPhone that the term jailbreaking became well known in popular culture worldwide.

W6M: I heard about Jailbreaking the iPhone a while back, but never tried it out until now. It basically gives you access to tons of apps that have not been released by iTunes. If you Google "how to jailbreak iphone" and you can easily find directions on how to do it. Here are a few things that I quickly discovered. You can:

• Pick new themes that change up your icons
• Turn your camera into a video camera
• Change your background to more than just a wallpaper
• Have backgrounds on your text messages.
• Download Apps not found on the Apple App Store.

Let us know if you find any cool jailbreak apps that you recommend.

#4 My Top 5 iPhone Applications

I made a list of my Top 5 iPhone Applications. If you go on YouTube you can search for iPhone Applications and there are a ton of videos out there about other applications available, the above video takes a closer look at one of my Top 5 iPhone Applications.

• Urbanspoon - tells you what cool restaurants are available around town


• Facebook - lets you access your account on your phone. I have the Myspace application also, but I am not a big fan. Most of my friends seem to be switching over to Facebook.


• Sportacular - let's you get up to the minute scores on most major sports. This is a must have for sports fans.


• Marketing Profs - this application is a great source for marketing info. It's bascially cliff notes for marketing profesionals on popular articles, case studies and seminars.


• Shazam - Next time you are listening to the radio and want to know the name and artist that is currently playing, Shazam can tell you want the name of the song and let you download it from iTunes.

If anyone has suggestions on other cool applications, let me know.

W6M: iPhone and PDAs are becoming the norm. Marketers should attempt to take advantage of these and other new marketing mediums when they can. Do you have any clients that could benefit or take advantage of marketing on the iPhone?