Absolute Software (nothing to do with Absolute Poker) conducted a survey of 1,200 IT managers at private companies with over 500 employees as to which apps they were least enthused about their staff downloading, and gambling apps topped the list. Some 58% of respondents cited gambling as their number one downloadable bugaboo, topping file-sharing apps (51%) and social networking apps (42%). Security was the IT managers’ biggest concern, followed by lost productivity.
Despite being nearly three years old now, Zynga Poker has topped Apple’s highest grossing iPhone app charts of 2012 in both the US and the UK. Zynga will likely take the enduring popularity of its poker product in the UK as a hopeful sign for the company’s real-money tie-up with Bwin.party, but the accolade is a lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal year for the social gaming outfit. We’re now just a couple days away from the first anniversary of Zynga’s initial public offering, which saw shares begin trading at $10. Despite the iPhone chart accolades, Zynga’s stock closed out the day down a penny at $2.62.
The fact that Zynga’s top product is several years old and based on a game that has existed for centuries won’t do much to stem Zynga’s creatively bankrupt reputation. If you’re looking for something a little more innovative, you could do worse than the new Bold Poker app for iOS (available for $1.99 via the App Store). Essentially, it allows you and your poker buddies to play a face-to-face game of Texas Hold’em using your iOS devices and a WiFi connection, with the community cards appearing on an iPad and your individual cards appearing on your own iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. No shuffling required. The one thing the app lacks is chips (unless you count the big one you press to deal new cards), presumably to avoid any issues with Apple’s anti-gambling stance. But it’s an interesting technological twist on your next home game. Check out the video below for a demo.
