GetJar is second only to Apple’s iTunes in the world of mobile app providers. And as of this summer, the independent online store boasts just over 1 billion app downloads for the iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and other smartphones.

GetJar’s web site claims the store owes success to its open market approach. That is, the company supports 2,147 different devices and has sold apps to people in 200 different countries. GetJar seems quite aware of their position, too. The company blog revealed that mobile app revenue is on track to reach $17.5 billion by 2012.

In the meantime, GetJar has been expanding its own operation to prepare for this app explosion. A series B funding round just provided GetJar with an additional $11 million from backer Accel Partners, and the company tripled its number of employees in the past year. The most straightforward sign of the store’s success? The fact that each year, GetJar has also tripled its overall number of downloads.

GetJar was originally founded as a feedback site for app developers. Six years later, the site has accomplished a review process of 70,000 apps to identify consumer patterns. The most popular mobile apps that people download from GetJar are Facebook Mobile, eBuddy Messenger, and Nimbuzz. Their Facebook app alone exceeded 50 million downloads by last spring. The Yahoo, Google and YouTube apps are also in the Top 10.

A new project is gathering information to find out who is gathering information about you. Lookout, a company that specializes in mobile security, has launched the App Genome Project to expose which Android and iPhone apps can tap your personal data.

Lookout plans to unveil its research at the Black Hat Security Conference on Wednesday. The project has fully mapped 100,000 Android and iPhone applications and has scanned an additional 200,000. So far, their findings are inconclusive as to whether one phone or the other is safer overall.

About 29 percent of free Android apps can find out where their users are located, and 33 percent of free iPhone apps have the same capability. Another danger of apps? The ability to access your contact lists. Again, free iPhone apps make you the most vulnerable, since 14 percent of them can download this data compared to 8 percent of free Android apps.

But in another, more nebulous category, the iPhone seemed to win. Forty-seven percent of free Android apps contain third-party code that can access an array of sensitive data on your smartphone, roughly double the number of free iPhone apps in that category.

Just 28 percent of iPhone apps are free, but 64 percent of Android apps have no charge, which may end up having greater implications for mobile users who download free apps exclusively.

The project was begun by the founders of Lookout, John Hering and Kevin Mahaffey. Their research not only positions Lookout as the good guys helping smartphone users to navigate their threatening downloads, but also goes to show just how explosive the app world is becoming. As their infographic advertises, the average smartphone has 22 apps, and by 2012 the world population will be downloading apps at a rate of 50 billion per year. In fact, Lookout’s conference speech is entitled, “App Attack: Surviving the Mobile Application Explosion.”

Ultimately, the App Genome Project will yield a real-time database that can help both smartphone owners and developers become aware of the privacy strings attached to apps. And ironically, one of Lookout’s implied solutions is a download: their mobile antivirus system.

This week, Google divulged its latest conception for the Android world: App Inventor, which allows anyone to design their own app for the Android smartphone. The program represents an attempt by Google to increase the number of Android apps (still about half the number of apps available for the iPhone and iPad) and possibly to entice the public towards Android by putting the power of creation in their hands.

App Inventor does not require that its users know how to write code. Instead, inventors use “blocks” that correspond to app behavior thanks to inspiration from MIT’s Lifelong Kindergarten Group and Scheller Teacher Education Program, who have worked to develop codes and programming that allows kids to create technology. App Inventors choose such elements as the titles and background colors for the buttons of their apps. Google offers a series of four basic and three advanced tutorials that teach inventors how to make increasingly complex apps.

Google has also listed several sample apps to give people an idea of what App Inventor would allow them to do — like DrumKit, which allows users to play around on a virtual drum set and ParkIt, which allows users to relocate their car in a parking lot. Indeed, Google made a big point of advertising that App Inventor allows access to a GPS sensor that users can take advantage of.

A Google Group enables App Inventors to toss around their app ideas, ask questions about the program, and troubleshoot about usage. The group has 706 messages so far.

But though Google has tested the program on kids in classrooms and intends to make the invention process as easy as possible, actually getting started necessitates an extra step. Wannabe creators must submit an online form before Google grants them the ability to download App Inventor. But whether or not the program launches a new league of high-tech pioneers, App Inventor marks another attempt by Google to widen the scope of the Android Market.

Comparing the findings of this May 2010 data with results of a similar study conducted about a year ago, overall consumer interest in such programs increased with “somewhat interested” consumers growing by two percent to 28% of all mobile phone owners. As in the first survey, interest is most pronounced among the youngest cell phone owners: 42% of those ages 18 to 34 are at least somewhat interested. Interest levels between men and women are now about equal overall, due, in large part, to the growth by six points to 40% among women ages 18 to 34 from the survey conducted in 2009.

Interest in food dominates. Groceries (68%), national restaurant chains (64%) and fast food items (50%) took three of the top four most popular segments for those who are at least somewhat receptive to overall opt-in mobile marketing. According to the study, women, perhaps reflective of their role as primary household shoppers, are both the most promotionally sensitive and most interested in grocery, beauty and apparel marketing alerts. Men are most interested in electronics and sporting goods.

An average of 40% of all cell phone owners say that texting is “extremely” or “very important” to them. The survey also delved into consumer attitudes about using the location of their phones to trigger opt-in marketing messages. 37% of those who have opted to receive text alerts thought location-based texts could be useful, 29% thought they would be interesting and 24% thought they could be more relevant and innovative.

“Our findings demonstrate that if done correctly and on an opt-in basis, location-based mobile marketing is resonating with consumers,” says Placecast CEO Alistair Goodman. “I think now that more data is becoming available to retailers, more exciting and valuable programs will be created now that the technology and market receptivity is there.” Placecast a location-based platform designed to use digital marketing on mobile to drive consumers into physical environments.

The survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of 1020 INC. from May 17-19, 2010 among 2,046 U.S. adults ages 18+ of whom 1,710 own a cell phone and/or a Smartphone. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. More survey details can be found on Placecast’s blog.

According to Compete’s findings, 33 percent of smartphone Twitter users primarily send tweets via their smartphones, and 33 percent of these consumers prefer to read tweets on their phone. Of those accessing Facebook from their smartphone, consumers are increasingly using the device to read news feeds (66 percent), post status updates (60 percent), read/reply to private messages (59 percent) and post photos (44 percent).

iPhone owners are particularly heavy gamers, with  51 percent of iPhone users having five or more games loaded on their smartphones. In contrast, 46 percent of BlackBerry users have no games on their devices. Not only do iPhone owners download more games, they play games more frequently than do owners of other smartphones. Of the consumers surveyed, 37 percent of iPhone users report playing games on their smartphones at least daily and puzzle games seem to be capturing the majority of this attention.

Compete found that one in three smartphone owners has called or stopped into a local business after finding it using a local search application. In Q1 alone, close to a third of Android and iPhone owners discovered at least two new businesses that they were not previously aware of as a result of using local search applications.

Danielle Nohe, director, technology and entertainment for Compete, has three sets of recommendations for marketers:

Based on our findings, I recommend marketers start thinking about new ways to maximize consumers use of smartphones on social sites, as mobile adoption will likely only increase with time.

It’s evident that iPhone owners have embraced mobile gaming. Developers should turn their attention to targeting other smartphone users in an effort to even out the discrepancies in mobile gaming adoption.

Making it easy for consumers to discover businesses via their devices opens local companies up to a whole new customer demographic, and savvy businesses should make sure they’re maximizing this opportunity.

Compete’s Smartphone Intelligence combines consumer insights (through surveys) with behavioral data (through online click stream data) to reveal how smartphone owners are using their devices, the sites they visit on the mobile Web and what they like and dislike about their phone and experiences. Smartphone Intelligence subscribers receive comprehensive quarterly reports, as well as actionable recommendations tailored to their business.

Know Your User (Quality vs. Quantity)

When Pandora launched its iPhone application in early 2008, there were more installs in the first 24 hours than the last 18 months on feature phones.  This despite the fact that feature phones outnumbered iPhones by an enormous margin.   After witnessing a similarly high adoption rate on the Blackberry Storm relative to other Blackberry models, it became clear to the Pandora team that it is much more efficient to target types of users rather than deploying on phones with the highest unit sales.

Free Matters

Conrad also attributes Pandora’s pricing model as a fundamental factor contributing to their success on mobile devices.  The company was forced into a subscription model by ATT&T and Sprint for their launch on feature phones and received only a lukewarm response.  People simply weren’t willing to pay for the application.  Using a free, but ad-supported application on smartphones contributed to a dramatic increase in installs.

Good User Experience (The Post-iPhone World)

Ease of access and usability were critical to the success of Pandora on mobile.  Conrad credits Apple as a “game-changer” because of its app store and the simplicity with which users could download and install applications on their devices.  Prior to the iPhone, mobile user interfaces were notoriously difficult to use, creating a major barrier to adoption.

First Mover Not Necessarily a Factor

Despite being relatively late to the Android game, Pandora was still a massive success on the platform, closing in on Blackberry for the number two spot in terms of installs.  Conrad is careful to point out that this may have been due to Pandora’s success on other platforms at the time, so being a first mover might play a more important role to a less popular application.  However, he maintains that resources would be more efficiently spent on other aspects of the application such as targeting demographics and user experience.

Focus On Device Hardware (i.e. Regular Headphone Jack)

Conrad credits the regular sized headphone jack as a major factor contributing to Pandora’s adoption on many smartphones.  These devices are simply better suited for multimedia.  He believes that in order to have a successful mobile app, it’s imperative to understand not only the software limitations of each device, but the hardware as well.  Does the app require a physical keyboard?  What about screen size? Hardware limitations play a crucial role in application adoption.  Since there are so many different types of devices on the market, it’s critical to target devices which best suit the application.

Whrrl Society Rewards is prize-based. Consumers have an opportunity to win prizes when they check in to participating retail locations and earn additional opportunities to win as they achieve higher levels in Societies — which happens as others act on their recommendations. Because the rewards are prizes of chance, the program can be started and stopped easily and quickly, without the long-term financial liabilities that come with traditional transaction-based loyalty programs.

Whereas traditional programs are based solely on transactions, Whrrl’s Society Rewards is based on a person’s ability to inspire friends to try new ideas. When a user recommends an idea, they earn points and can level up in a Society. Users receive additional points when others “Want To” try that idea, actually do try the idea or pass on the recommendation to their friends. Users also earn points by getting others to join the Society and by checking in at qualifying locations.

Retailers and brands can have their own Societies on Whrrl. Societies are passion groups for the real-world, bringing people together to motivate each other to try new things in a vast array of topic areas, including live music, fashion, food, shopping, outdoor activities, “follow in the footsteps” groups and more. Retailers and brands can create their own Whrrl Societies and motivate their customers to join.

Whrrl Societies are viral. There are many opportunities for Society members to share out to their friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter, from check-ins and recommendations to prize win moments, which organically grows the Society.

“Traditional loyalty programs can create the wrong expectations with customers, because discounts based on transactions don’t always lead to a deeper relationship,” said Casey Petersen, Social Media Marketing Manager for Murphy USA. “We love our customers not only for their business, but positive word-of-mouth and influence on others to try Murphy USA gas. Whrrl’s Society Rewards program is the perfect way to reward them for their loyalty.”

A StarStar Code, serving as an 800-number, URL and/or text short code, helps facilitate mobile direct response. The double stars may be followed by almost any combination of two to 12 letters and/or numbers. Brands can use these codes on TV, print, radio and outdoor signs to increase the likelihood that consumers will recall them until they get to their phones. When delivered by social network, such as Twitter, or the web, the codes’ virality is increased by being more likely to be spread by word-of-mouth.

What happens when a user dials a StarStar Code? There are lots of choices for the brand. The most frequent applications are likely to be content delivered to the dialing phone such as a coupon, web page, video, text message or application. The code can also be forwarded to a call center or automated voice system.

Brands can use codes for communications and promotions that are static, changing or one-shot. **YourRestaruantName can be a dedicated telephone number. **NameOfPopularSinger can be Tweeted by an artist to fans who would be returned access to a song of the week. **WhateverYouWant can, well, be just that. Brands may want to use different codes based on delivery media to take advantage of the platform’s reporting functions.

Zoove’s National Mobile Dial Code Registry is the only source to obtain a lease on StarStar Codes and the registry is accessed from the company’s website. Punch one in and, if the code is not already reserved, you’ll discover one of two things. Codes are leased by the year and are not inexpensive. You also might find that the code is “available by special order only.” This occurs when the number combination spells a known brand name, you’ve entered a ten character phone number or another code that Zoove is monitoring.

The process is limited a bit because a dial pad number combination can spell a variety of words. According to Zoove, the platform’s geolocation capabilities can, in many cases, accommodate that issue for regionally-based brands. Also, users of smartphones with fixed keyboards, such as some BlackBerry models, may not be aware that they can dial their phones with the letter keys.

StarStar Codes currently work on AT&T’s network and the company advises that Verizon and other carriers are to follow soon. Zoove has been working with the carriers for several years to have them enable their switches for the service, motivated by the additional revenue the carriers will get from the messaging.

Early users include Clear Channel’s iheartradio.com — dialing **IHT returns an SMS with a link to download the application. Marci Weisler, Digital Business Director of Time Out North America, another user, said, “Through our unique StarStar Code, **TONY, Zoove gives our users a really simple way to access and download our mobile application without searching and seeking. Quick access is important if the user needs information immediately to decide where to go. StarStar Dialing is the first that allows us to secure easy to remember, branded Mobile Dial Codes.”

Several application examples, including a poll to vote for one’s favorite social media network, may be found on Zoove’s website.

Protect your Bike with a Mobile Phone

Bike Revolution offers mobile-owning cyclists a way to protect their bikes through an innovative tagging and reporting system, all done on the mobile phone. Users can add a tamper-proof scan bar to their bike, and anyone purchasing a bike can scan these codes with a smartphone to see if the bike was reported stolen. If the bike was reported as stolen, the recently scanned information will be uploaded to Twitter and Facebook so that volunteers can get the information to law enforcement, pawn shops, bike shops and others.

Protect your Car with a Mobile Phone

Toyota has been installing its Toyota and Lexus brand cars with innovative G-BOOK technology for years. While this offers many neat features (like a touch screen dashboard, a network accessible from the car, phone, PC, laptop or PDA and an open source development platform), it’s the security feature that really stands out. G-BOOK connects to the Toyota owner’s cellphone and notifies her about her car alarm going off via SMS. If it is a real break-in attempt, she will again be notified that her engine has started and she will be kept up to date on the car’s location via the built-in GPS. With one SMS reply, she can send a signal to the -BOOK to shut down the engine and lock the car – much, we’re sure, to the dismay of any would-be thieves.

Protect your Livestock with a Mobile Phone

Mobile phones don’t have to be super high tech for them to be useful for theft prevention. Kenya’s pastoral communities have been using phones to prevent cattle theft across a large geographical range. Using simple cell phones – in areas often without even basic landlines – means that a community can notify members of another community if thieves are spotted. This type of mobile communication across distances might not be new, but it is certainly a deterrent against theft, especially in remote and disconnected areas.

In the Future, Protect your Home with a Mobile Phone

It’s not too hard to imagine a home security system that sends a direct SMS to your phone if your home is being broken into. Combine this with the possibility for security cameras to capture an image of the intruder and instantly email it to your phone, and you’ve got a nearly-instant way to identify a break-in and the intruder in one go. Imagine being able to rush to the police station fully equipped with an image of the thief and the exact time your house was broken into. And if you’re out of town, you could even email this information to your local police station to aid in the investigation.

In the Future, Protect your Family with a Mobile Phone

If mobile technology can protect inanimate objects, it’s natural to think of how it can be used to protect those nearest and dearest to us. What if your child had a “panic button” of sorts that would alert you via SMS if he or she was in danger? Or even a collar on your retriever that would send a text if he broke free from his leash and wandered off the yard? These uses of mobile technology to protect against theft and loss would need some serious fine-tuning to ensure that they don’t cause more panic than they prevent, but the possibility is there.

Ubiquitous in hotel breakfast rooms, but recently surpassed by The Wall Street Journal as the US newspaper with the highest print circulation, USA TODAY is considered by many as the newspaper they read when they are on the road. The publication has a substantial web-based travel section and links within Gowalla can strengthen the USA TODAY brand as a go-to source of travel information.

Users of Gowalla have an incentive to turn to the USA TODAY content from within the mobile app, as it is a relevant read after having “checked-in” at their location, “checked-out” user content and determine which other users are nearby. With Gowalla as a gateway to additional travel content, users may be more likely to turn to the application on their mobiles.

“USA TODAY has always been a traveler’s companion. We can’t think of a better way to reach our core audience than to offer our valuable content while they are in the process of traveling,” said Victoria Borton, general manager of USA TODAY Travel.

One of three USA TODAY travel features will be presented to Gowalla users when they are located at one of the more than 40 of the busiest US airports:

“Today in the Sky” Content — USATODAY.com’s popular online air travel community, moderated by Ben Mutzabaugh, offers the latest in airline, airport and air travel news.

USA TODAY Airport Guides — Information on the cheapest place to park, the quickest way to get through security, the best options for dining and shopping, real-time flight information and more.

USA TODAY Trips — Curated by USA TODAY Travel’s team of reporters and editors, these trips provide travelers with eight to 10 recommended places to visit in 10 U.S. cities. Anyone who visits all recommended sites on a USA TODAY Trip will receive a USA TODAY Jet Setter Pin for their Gowalla Passport.

As an added incentive, travelers who check-in at the most unique airports between now and Labor Day may be invited to be highlighted in USA TODAY’s “Today in the Sky” community.

“This partnership allows us to bring USA TODAY’s award-winning travel content to our service, offering timely and relevant information to our community as they go out with Gowalla this Summer,” said Andy Ellwood, director of business development for Gowalla.