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Shares of GPS device makers Garmin and TomTom plummeted today through a combination of their quarterly results and the launch of Google Maps Navigation.

Our presentation was titled “Mobile Application Stores – State Of Play” and highlights some of our findings on the six largest device manufacturer stores; Apple App Store, BlackBerry App World, Google Android Market, Nokia Ovi Store, Palm App Catalog and Windows Marketplace for Mobile.

Web meets phone.

Need a closer look?

A start-up called Shopkick Inc., for example, has signed up Best Buy Co. and Macy's Inc. as launch partners for a new kind of app for iPhone and Android handsets that detects when shoppers are in or near stores and offers rewards targeted to them. Shopkick exploits the phones' location-sensing abilities—and cameras that customers can use to scan bar codes on items—to offer product information, coupons or other marketing offers when shoppers are in a convenient position to buy.

Motorola Droid makes an official appearance on Moto’s U.S. site. It just might be that we were sent this direct link which isn’t mean to be public, but… you know how that’s going to work out. In any case, the Motorola Droid, which we have torn limb from limb (check for our preview tomorrow) is indeed a bad ass mama jama, but if you don’t want to wait for our preview, hit the jump for some screenshots!

“Every Google phone works differently, and you have fragmentation,” he said. And indeed that is a common worry among developers who don’t want their applications to be incompatible with certain phones that have unusual screen sizes or features. But then again, Windows Mobile, which has been around for nearly 10 years, already has that same problem, and one of Microsoft’s chief goals in upcoming versions is to rein in the variations between Windows Mobile handsets.

Last week, we introduced expanded mobile reporting features in Google Analytics. To help developers, this launch includes features that make it easy to see how people are using specific parts of their iPhone and Android applications. The same Google Analytics reports that provide insights into website traffic and engagement are now available for mobile apps.

Droid vs. iPhone: Them's fightin' words

A couple of parting observations about the passion of the comments about this phone: They suggest the Droid has quickly emerged as the phone around which iPhone critics have coalesced. It's emerging as the preeminent un-iPhone or even anti-iPhone. The comments are further evidence that no community of observers takes a closer and more critical interest in how we test and assess than smart-phone fans. We've experienced that in the past, when we updated the methodology and presentation of our smart-phone Ratings (available to subscribers) in response to the changing nature of these devices.

According to Muse, ShopSavvy currently boasts over 3 million users who are on average performing 26 product scans per month.  These are impressive statistics when you consider that the application is available for only one platform at the moment.  But another interesting statistic, especially for retailers, is that 91% of scans are performed by users who are in a store and in “buy mode”.  

The application itself is compelling enough to the current crowd of Android owners - 75% of them have installed and used ShopSavvy.

is this the DROID you've been looking for?