3.8 billion apps downloaded in the first half on 2010 ~ po themes

Why it's so hard to find a McRib

Lovers of Elusive McRib Pork Patty Track Their SightingsBefore traveling to visit his parents in Nebraska last winter, Jeremy Duensing consulted what he always checks before a trip: the "McRib Locator" website.To his delight, he found a McDonald's (NYSE: MCD - News) restaurant near Omaha that, unlike most of the burger chain's 14,000 U.S. restaurants, had the McRib on its menu. He bought six of the pork sandwiches.

Five drinks that help you de-stress

Stressful day? Don't reach for a candy bar. Try one of these soothing liquids instead. © Michael Blann/Digital Vision/Thinkstock 1. Drink a glass of milk. It contains tryptophan, which as it is metabolized is converted to mood-boosting serotonin. Plus, its calcium, magnesium and potassium content may help keep blood pressure down.2.

10 dumb money moves to avoid

My 28-year-old niece and I were recently talking about money. She's (finally!) become interested in accumulating more and spending less, and because I've been in the personal finance business in one capacity or another since before she was born, she logically assumed that I've always done everything right and know exactly what to do at all times.

The fastest-growing American cities

The U.S.' emerging cities are not experiencing the kind of super-charged growth one sees in urban areas of the developing world, notably China and India. But unlike Europe, North America's population is slated to expand by well over 100 million people by 2050--much of this growth in the U.S. and much of it driven by continued immigration.

How to detect ATM skimming

Skimming devices placed over card-reader slots capture your information.The next time you pull up to an ATM, take a closer look at the machine. Does it look a little clunkier than usual?Look too at what's around you: Are there mirrors? Is there a brochure holder over your shoulder? Does it look like there might be a false panel or an extra light bar attached to the machine?If something looks or feels amiss.

The global applications market has surged by more than £1.4bn to £2.5bn in the first half of this year, according to new figures. Mobile application download numbers reached a total of 3.8 billion in only six months, compared with 3.1 billion in 2009, according to the figures from Research2guidance.

The momentum comes as more smartphone users have easy access to app stores, such as Google’s Android marketplace. Meanwhile, application stores founded in 2009 have increased the number of apps available, the company said.

Average app prices climbed to £2.32 per paid application in the first half. As of June 7 this year, Apple had more than 225,000 apps in its App Store, with over 5 billion downloads reported. However, Nokia and BlackBerry have started to use their global reach to increase the traffic on their app stores, Research2guidance said, adding that this will continue in the coming months and years.

The company said the next wave of application stores will be niche and specialise in business or mobile health applications.

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