Tech Blog

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The phrase "there's an app for that" has become as much a part of pop culture as "whaaaasssssuuuuup" from a few years back.

The notion that we can do anything with an iPhone or iPad with only a little help from an app is everpresent.  It has some pundits proclaiming the death of the web as we retreat from interlinked connections to little walled gardens to get specific tasks done.

But just as there is an app for that, there is a website for that as well and, more than likely, it's free.

I'm searching money apps for iPads and iPhones for a future post and while I was struggling to drop ip to $15 on some, I realized what I was looking for was right at my tips.  I wanted a simple app that would let me input the companies in my portfolio, the number of shares I own and the price I bought them at.  Tracking portfolio changes would be done within the app with a simple swipe or click.  Basically I wanted what you can do with Google Finance .

Then I remembered about the little "+" sign at the bottom of the iPhone and iPad screens.  The little button that lets you add bookmarks or your favourite websites to a your home screen.  A few clicks and you can turn your favourite website into an icon on your screen, essentially making it an app.

Now the drawbacks - apps are specifically designed to be viewed on these mobile devices.  They're formatted within iOS to look beautiful on your device and the functions are smooth and easy.  Websites you set to your desktop are sometimes not formatted specifically for your device and don't offer as smooth of a user experience.  Still, if you love clicking up Us Magazine , but are disappointed by the lack of app, a simple click gets the site on your home screen and the Hollywood nastiness is just a click away.

So I've done the same with Google Finance .  Instead of searching for an app that does what Google Finance does, I've just set the site to my screen and I'm good to go!

Steve Jobs wants us all to play in his sphere, but sometimes there's a website for that too.

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