mblapps

Here goes a fun project I thought up after being asked for lists of cool apps.

Sure I’ve used a slew of apps, but who am I to be the best source of the best mobile apps? What would be best is if any one could add to one central list the best apps. And, let’s do this for journalists specifically (though others are free to use this list as well).

Thanks for joining in this fun mobile journalism project!

Used a smartphone for a while?

Pick a form and fill it out for an app other journalists should use. Explain why. If you have lots of apps to suggest, fill out the form several times – once for each app.

Did you just buy a smartphone?

Pick a results page and browse to find cool apps you should check out.

ANDROID

Form: http://bit.ly/journappsandroidform

Results: http://bit.ly/journappsandroidresults

BLACKBERRY

Form: http://bit.ly/journappsblackberryresults

Results: http://bit.ly/journappsblackberryresults

IPHONE

Form: http://bit.ly/journappsiphoneform

Results: http://bit.ly/journappsiphoneresults

PALM

Form: http://bit.ly/journappspalmform

Results: http://bit.ly/journappspalmresults

WINDOWS

Form: http://bit.ly/journappswindowsform

Results: http://bit.ly/journappswindowsresults

If you haven’t already heard, Google announced today that it will acquire AdMob – a mobile advertising company.

Such a significant investment ($750 million to be exact) is a significant sign that mobile is the present, not just the future.

In a letter about the acquisition by AdMob Founder Omar Hamoui, he writes that “until now, it has always felt like those of us involved in this space played second fiddle to our online brethren. I believe that time is over.”

After spending some time with the Adobe Photoshop app for the iPhone – it leaves a strange taste.

Yes, the app is simple enough that users can edit photos quickly. The app has replaced my other photo editing apps – but I’m still using ToyCamera for most of my photo purposes.

What I like:

Simple, but effective photo editing options.

I love, love, love the ability to tint my photos – a very cool way to take a simple photo and really make it pop as though it was taken with a color flash.

What I don’t like:

Overall – I really don’t like that Photoshop for iPhone tries to be an all-in-one. Why should Photoshop try to be what it is not? Photoshop for the desktop is used for editing images. The app tries to also be a place for taking photos (but offers nothing beyond the normal camera) and for sharing photos (why go up against all the other sharing apps).

And, just a simple thing, but why does Adobe offer a different icon for the mobile Photoshop – I miss the opportunity to have a beautiful, aqua-styled icon like the feather icon used for desktop app.

In conclusion:

Adobe’s app should be an extension of itself. Why go up against photo-taking apps? Why go up against photo sharing apps? That’s more to worry about. Adobe should focus on what it does best – elegant and complex, yet simple to use image editing.

Mobile phone users talk and share more often with friends than people using traditional media, says Pew’s latest research on tech and social.

And that’s just one bit of interesting stuff I discovered in this recent Pew report “Social Isolation and New Technology.”

Here’s an excerpt on mobile versus traditional communication:

• Traditional media: The average person sees each member of their core network 210 days of the year, talks to them using a landline telephone on 125 days, and sends each core network member an average of 8 letters or cards.
• ICTs: If they have a mobile phone, the average person talks to each core network member by mobile phone on 195 days. Email users send messages to each core tie on 72 days of the year. If a person uses text messaging (SMS), on average they send text messages to each core network member on 125 days. Those who use instant messaging contact core ties by IM on 55 days of the year. Of those who use social networking services (SNS), SNS are used to message each core tie an average of 39 days each year.

Mobile phone software developers are slow to add social network links into address books while Facebook can (and is) running towards the end zone with the social football.

While companies like Apple have not included social links into address books – Facebook (in its v3.0 app for iPhone) makes it quite easy to call your fellow friends, follow their tweets and see other social activities (which will only develop further given Facebook’s recent acquisition of Friendfeed).

iTunes 9 arrived this week and did not offer as many social features as people were guessing would arrive. While Apple’s address book remains social-less, Palm Pre has a pretty social rolodex.

And, here’s some recent research about social + address books + cell phones:

• Thomas Hussen, a researcher at Forrester, writes more questions than information as he discusses social address books and the connection of those friend lists to mobile phones.

He writes, “It is not clear yet who is best positioned to tap into consumers’ social address books but it is quite clear mobile phones offer a great potential as they are not only communication devices but increasingly consumption and creation tools.”

• Now we have VisionMobile contributor Florent Stroppa also tackling mobile social books.

His premise: “For years, mobile network operators have invested billions of dollars in networks, subsidized phones and targeted marketing campaigns. Yet they have neglected one of the most used applications on the mobile phone: the address book.”

• And, in related social address book news here’s a Wall St. Journal article about Yahoo! adding social features to its e-mail.
• Don’t forget, Google Wave (an attempt at creating a new mode of social connecting and messaging) comes out later this month.