Google Android vs. Apple iOS

Google's App Store has more free Apps than Apple iOS

Many of my friends turn to me as their all-knowing source of knowledge concerning mobile devices, apps, games, etc.  Admittedly, I don't know a lot more than most of you. A friend comes to me with a question: "Who has the better app store: Google Android or Apple iOS?"

I'm sure many of you have an opinion.  Your opinion probably lines up with the device you own because as consumers we love to justify our purchases.  I'll give you my opinion in a second, but first let's look at some facts that can help you form an opinion if you don't have one.

Google Android has more Free Apps
67% of the apps on the  iOS App store are paid apps compared to only 34% paid apps on Google.

iOS App Developers make more money
Apple iOS Developers made 700M in Q4 2011, whereas Google App developers made 210M. 

Google has higher Market Penetration
Google has a 2:1 market penetration lead right now over Apple, while Apple is only making about 30% more revenue. However, this ratio may be shrinking as the number of Google customers intending to purchase another devices is shrinking compared to Apple (47% Android, 42% Apple).

Apple and iOS Developers make a lot more money

Apple's Proprietary Stranglehold
Google's Android is available on far more devices including PC, Tablet, and mobile device.  Apple's iOS is closed and often apps are for specific devices.  I can play my Google apps on any computer by logging into a browser.

So it's obvious that Apple and its developers make more money.  At first glance you might think "so what?" because who cares if they're making money when all you care about are games?  Well the answer is simple:  Innovation will follow the money.

While the best games and apps will be available for both platforms (because they can be), in the off-chance that something new an innovative only comes to one of the stores, chances are it's coming to Apple.

This is why I believe that Apple has the better app store from an ideological standpoint.  I'm always thinking about the future and weighing the factors that will influence future app development.  However, right here and now, if you care about the most popular apps then you can't go wrong with either.  If you care about free apps, and being able to take them to other platforms easily, Google's Android is for you.

- Doug

Star Wars Angry Birds Already A Hit

You've been living under a rock for the past few years if you don't know about Angry Birds.  It was only a matter of time before a major licensing deal was struck, and what better way to start than with one of the biggest properties ever.

Star Wars Angry Birds

Star Wars Angry Birdslaunches across the world of November 8th for iOS, Android, Mac, and PC.  The actual game itself, however, is only the tip of the monetary iceberg.  Angry Birds merchandise accounts for a massive portion of their revenue, and Star Wars + Revenue = $$$.

From plushies and toys to clothing, Halloween costumes, and board games, Star Wars Angry Birds merchandise will be a best seller.


At this point, the app has already achieved pop-culture icon status. It's going to be a must-buy, and the merchandise is looking awfully tempting right about now.  I have a feeling we won't even need to review this one to know it's going to be a huge hit.

-Doug

MapMyRun Review

MapMyRun Review

Price: Free

Located: iPhone and Windows 

Overview: MapMyRun app is owned by the MapMyFitness Company. The MapMyRun app allows users to create a profile that records, and tracks the progress of, your weight, workouts, and nutrition to enhance their health goals. Not only can you log those accomplishments, but you can also share that information with your friends and family on Facebook.com. Also, the tracking of your workouts is real time meaning the app will tell you how far you've gone on a run and how fast your pace is. This is helping people achieve goals by celebrating successes and sharing with your friends and family.

Pros: Allows users to celebrate health successes and share with friends and family in one central location. The user interface is very simple and easy to use. This provides the much needed boost for those striving to live a healthier lifestyle. 

Cons: The app tells the user the progress of the workout during the workout, which is nice; however, if one is listening to music, or a book, then the voice disrupts the book or music. 

Store Rating: MapMyRun Review 4 stars out of 5

Blog Rating: MapMyRun Review 4.5 stars out of 5

- Josh Benson

Windows 8 Minesweeper

Minesweeper 

Price: Free

Located: Windows Platforms Exclusively

Overview:

Minesweeper for Microsoft has been around since 1985. We all remember playing it at work or school to help kill time. Today, Microsoft has unveiled their new and improved Windows 8 Minesweeper and is now officially launched in the Windows 8 Store.

Pro:

The New Minesweeper features more than just the standard version of the game. In this version, a player can change the theme of the layout, keep track of their personal stats, and see how they compare with their friends. Like Wordament, Minesweeper uses gamer tags to help connect everybody. This can be used to keep track of achievements and to see how you compare against your friends.

Con:

The only major con I see is that the Windows 8 Minesweeper takes up your entire screen, making it tough to conceal your enjoyment of the game during work or school hours.

Store Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Blog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary:

While the new Minesweeper has many "ooo's" and "ahhhh's" it failed to meet expectations. While it makes sense to keep it relatively the same, there could have been more theme modifications they could have offered. Otherwise, the Windows 8 game is a classic and will continue to be played by just about everyone.

SongPop Review

App Review: SongPop 

Price: Free

Located: iPhone, Google, and Windows Phones

Overview: Song Pop is a new Facebook game from FreshPlanet that challenges players to prove who has the best song-identification skills. SongPop is very simple, multiple choice game. When beginning a new challenge the player can pick from three categories (90's Alternative, Classic Rock, Modern Rap, 80's Alternative, etc.). Once the player chooses the category he/she goes through five rounds listening to songs from that category and try to guess the song faster than his/her opponent. These rounds continue for 20 rounds. 


As the game progresses you can unlock new categories and new songs that make the game more challenging.

This is entirely social, based on Facebook, and encourages interaction with the other opponents. According to AppData SongPop currently has over 18 million Facebook users and 4.2 million daily users.

Pro: One of the pros of this app is the competitive nature of it. You can challenge friends, or random people, for a fun, addicting game. The accomplishments along the way encourage people to continue to play.

Con: One specific con for me is that I can't play SongPop at work because it requires listening to music. Since I play most of my quick games during work breaks this feature makes it very difficult.

Store Rating:  SongPop Review 4 1/2 stars out of 5

Blog Rating: SongPop review 4 3/4 stars out of 5

- Josh Benson

WORDAMENT Review

Wordament

Price: Free

Located: Windows Platforms Exclusively

Overview:

The hit Windows 7 Phone app has made its way to the Windows 8 Store and will soon become one of the top Windows 8 games. Wordament is a game app that features a 4x4 grid featuring single (sometimes double) letters each square. As long as the square is touching an adjacent square, you can swipe your finger to create 3-16 letter words.

The neat thing about the game is that your score is compared nationally with other people playing the game. At the end of each round, scores are sent to Xbox Live to be ranked. After 10 seconds, you can see how you rank next to 300 to 1,000 people and more.

The game offers "Achievements" to unlock. Anyone familiar with the Xbox Live platform knows that Achievements are an integral part of the Xbox Live social experience.

Pro:

Wordament is a fun, addicting, and guilt-free-time-wasting game to play. It is also fun to beat friend scores and see where you rank against the world. Like the Sticker Tales app, Wordament makes great use of the finger-swipe function.

Con:

Available on Windows platforms exclusively. This game would catch fire rather quickly. The only issue for other platforms is to find a way to centralize the scores and then post them in a centralized way.

Store Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Blog Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars

This app is fun for people who REALLY like a challenge. However, unless you are an MIT or Harvard Graduate with a degree in English (or even Wordament) and a 5.0 GPA - you may never see your gamer-tag in the top 10 - heck - even 50 slots.

The saving grace is the connectivity it gives you to friends and family and how you rank against them. Thus I give it almost a perfect score and regard it as one of the best Windows 8 games.

-Sean