Why Are There No Apps for Android Tablets? (ContributorNetwork)

The iPad 2 has more than 65,000 apps for it, in the App Store. And that's not counting iPhone / iPod Touch apps, which can be scaled up to fit its display.

How many apps do we have in the Android world, for our tablets? There are only a few dozen in the Android Market's "Featured Tablet Apps" section. And while that's probably not all the tablet apps out there, not all of those are even designed for tablets; many are just Android phone apps that work OK on a larger screen.

It's clear that we're facing an app shortage, for people who bought an Android tablet like a Xoom or an Asus Transformer. But why, when there are so many for the iPad ... and when Android phones are catching up to the iPhone, app-wise?

To find out, let's look at two things: Who's writing the apps, and why they write them.

These are the developers in your neighborhood

Imagine, if you will, that we're watching an episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and he's going to take us on a tour of where our apps are made. (Which, he totally would've if he were still alive today.) Where do you suppose we'd end up?

Apple answers that question on its website, profiling indie, academic, and corporate app developers in an entertaining video tour. Some were Mac app developers, who found that writing for iOS was a natural use of their talents. Some worked for a company like AOL, which decided it had to have a presence in the App Store. And some were drawn in during the iPhone's Gold Rush, looking to sell apps right when the App Store opened.

I have a feeling that if you profile Android developers, you'll see basically the same motivations. Some like the technology, and enjoy making it do stuff; some work for a company that tells them to; and some simply want to make money. The problem is, the differences between the App Store and the Android Market make the latter much less appealing to many of those developers.

This is why we can't have nice things

Android apps are written in Java, which is an easy programming language that's often taught in college. Add to that how it's just a $25 flat fee to put your apps on the Android Market (compared to $99 per year on the App Store), and you see why Android beats out iOS in its number of free apps.

So that's your "like the technology" contingent, right there. But what about the people who see the design possibilities? Who see a tablet's screen as a canvas, and want to create their masterpiece? Which platform do you think they'd like better, the quirky one with the ugly apps or the shiny, pristine Apple one?

People like that write apps for the devices they have, and they're buying a lot more iPads. Add in the fact that there's less money being made on the Android Market, and that doesn't leave too many developers who aren't writing the official CNN app (or something). The problem is even worse with Android tablets than with Android phones, because fewer people are buying them and buying apps for them.

What are people buying? iPads ... and the Nook Color, which doesn't even run the tablet version of Android. Maybe things will pick up once Amazon releases its rumored tablet, but I won't be holding my breath.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

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What are they building in there? Speculation on the Apple Store birthday mystery (Appolicious)

With all the chatter about Apple’s super secret sweet 10th birthday party for the Apple Store, what better time than now to engage in some trivial speculation?

There’s just something about new tech that’s much more fun when it’s shrouded in mystery and built up like some sort of Secret Service need-to-know business, isn’t there? Whatever Apple has planned for this big 10th birthday party for the Apple Store seems likely to be much more iPhone 3G than iPhone, given that it probably won’t change the very idea of shopping, whatever that would mean.

Instead, there’ll be some cool feature added to the store, possibly something to do with NFC Scanners or a separate NFC device, if you can believe the speculation from FastCompany.com.

The point is, all of this is much more fun and interesting because of the mystery. If Apple just rolled this thing/idea be into stores Thursday and nobody had bothered speculating, how many people would notice? I’ve lived with people who re-arranged the furniture in my living room and it took me weeks to figure it out.

But making employees come in for a mysterious overnight shift, covering the windows and collecting everyone’s phone so they don’t ruin the surprise? Like Tom Waits, I just want to know what they’re building in there. Unfortunately I don’t have a mole on the inside of the operation, so unless someone contacts me beforehand, I’ll have to wait it out like the rest of you. And waiting, especially waiting on something involving secret NDAs and zip-drive memos, is arduous. Waiting on something like this can make a day feel like a year.

To help pass the time let’s break down some of the loudest bits of speculation and see if we can’t tire ourselves out at least.

NFC Scanners: I’ve always thought those custom iPhones that the Apple Store uses to check people out were really unique and inventive. I guess If you use them every day they’re probably a lot more boring, so this rumor might be the most fun for Apple Store employees.

Without NFC technology in the iPhone, however, I’m not too sure how it would impact the consumer. Even if that tech arrives in the iPhone 4G or 5 or whatever it will eventually be called, I’m still not sure providing me with a new way to blow large amounts of money in short time is worthy of an NDA.

A standalone NFC-enabled device: This certainly gets the juices flowing a little more, but adds its own set of questions or concerns, at least for me. Apple has already segmented the portable market once, between the iPhone and iPad. Is a third device really a smart business move? What could it possibly accomplish, other than its inclusion of NFC technology, that couldn’t also be done by either the iPhone or iPad?

If we’re talking about something that literally does nothing but act as a mobile NFC-enabled device, that’s still intriguing but wouldn’t it need to be about the size of a credit card to make any sense? While I realize NFC can be used for much more than transactions, that’s its most obvious primary use at the moment. In my mind then, it has to be at least as convenient in size to make me want to stop bringing my wallet everywhere.

A new paint job!: All right, no one has actually mentioned this, but wouldn’t it be the most surprising? What if you walked into the Apple Store on Thursday and saw a rainbow of colors on the walls and the floor? I would not have seen it coming had I not speculated about it right here, first.

Whatever the case, we’ll all find out together tomorrow, but for now I’ll enjoy the speculation and the thought that there are a number of Apple Store executives and employees who are operating on a very 007 frequency right now. It’s hard not to be jealous! If you’ve got your own ideas for what you think the big surprise is, leave them in the comments below.

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