General Motors Company

I've talked quite a bit before about the growing "second screen" phenomenon, where iPads and other mobile devices are used as a second screen while either working on another computer or watching television. And with the biggest event on television yesterday, there was likely a lot of "second screen" viewing going around. ZDNet's James Kendrick says his was one of three iPads around the coffee table at his Super Bowl party, and with tens of thousands of tweets per second going out during the most interesting parts of the game, Kendrick's experience was undoubtedly not unique. Car maker Chevrolet actually participated in the event with the Chevy Game Time app, which not only posted ads available on the iPad the second they went live on the TV, but also offered up contests and more interactivity during the show. And the NFL and NBC famously streamed the whole event live on the Internet for the first time this year -- while I didn't get a chance to pull the game up myself yesterday, I heard a few people say that it was in fact available to stream on the iPad. The commercials weren't available on the stream, though, so it'll probably be a few years before people learn the stream is out there, and before it becomes a better substitute for the TV experience. Still, the Super Bowl certainly showed off a few major trends that we're seeing in entertainment consumption lately. Apple's devices especially are providing ways for both consumers and brands to interact and extend the "watching" experience, even outside of a standard TV broadcast. Read More

If you’re itching to get a new Chrevrolet but don’t have time to mill around the showrooms, you’re in luck because the company has released an app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. The Chrevrolet Showroom app allows users to view the lineup of cars and trucks. You’ll also be able to check out the different interiors you can get. There’s also location-based services, as you can find the nearest dealership and you can also save recently-viewed cars. “The Chevrolet Showroom app allows customers to shop nearly anywhere and share their virtual vehicle with their friends,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president, Chevrolet Marketing, in a prepared statement. “This is a natural addition to the ways people shop online for vehicles today.” This isn’t anything too crazy or innovative but it could be a useful app for Chevrolet fans. It’s also a good sign to see these companies understand the importance of mobile apps. Download Foursquare for iPhone (Free) [iTunes link] Marin Perez has torture tested cell phones and smartphones for industry leaders like CNET and InformationWeek. He remembers when 4G was just a screen on PowerPoint presentations and is fascinated with the amount of innovation out there. Marin has spent a lot of time with BlackBerry and Android but he finally broke down a bought an iPhone to see what all the hype's about. He also has too many tablets. Read More