• The New York Times, Monday, December 12, 2011 11:48 AM

Speaking of apps, The New York Times notes that the 1 millionth mobile app just went to market -- and then considers the implications. “Apps shrink the programs that were once available only on a desktop computer to make them usable on smartphones and mobile devices,” it writes. “The pace of new app development dwarfs the release of other kinds of media. “Every week about 100 movies get released worldwide, along with about 250 books,” said Anindya Datta, the founder and chairman of app navigator Mobilewalla. “That compares to the release of around 15,000 apps per week.”

Adds Dr. Datta, the surge in apps and the ability of almost anyone to bring an app to market is a chicken-and-egg story,  “Anyone with a good idea can outsource the code, and they own a new app.” Meanwhile, Brad Hunstable, a co-founder and the chief executive of live video app Ustream, tells NYT how the world has changed. Building an app for a phone five years ago meant going through the carrier, and contending with hardware and quality assurance issues, he says, adding: “Now anyone can build for a platform.”

Read the whole story at The New York Times »