• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, May 22, 2013

Yes, apps are “bullshit!” -- or, at least according to Jason Baptiste, CEO of Onswipe, which helps publishers build Web sites optimized for iPads and other touchscreen gadgets. Bullshit? Seth Rogin, VP of advertising at The New York Times, begged to differ on an afternoon panel at OMMA Mobile. Sure, “Safari is a huge part of what we do,” Rogin said, referring to NYTimes’ reliance on Web browsers to reach readers. Yet, “There is value in a combined app experience,” he insisted. Backtracking a bit, Baptiste conceded: “Ok, We’re talking about the paper of record here” -- to which Rogin responded, “Now you’re talking!” That said, Baptiste said there are “no more brands than I can count on my fingers” that will succeed with apps alone.