Apple has press briefing to showcase new iPhone apps

According to Macworld, Apple held a brief, impromptu press briefing earlier today to show off some cool stuff going on in the world of iPhone apps.

Apple's senior director of iPhone product marketing, Bob Borchers, told the crowd that the reason for the event was that much of the work being done by developers has been:

“incredibly engaging” and delivering new capabilities to the platform on a regular basis. “It shows what a fun end to end experience can look like."

The event showcased a great deal of games from such industry heavyweights as EA, Gameloft and Ngmoco.  It also featured an iPhone version of the Zagat guide that will surely end up on some Christmas lists.

The big deal of the event, however, is that retail chains are getting in on the App store madness.  Creative agency AKQA created a mobile app for Target that will likely be a big holiday favorite.  The free app built for Target allows the user to enter in their demographic information (and takes core location?).  Then the user can shake the iPhone and the snow globe interface will spit out some gifts.  If the user likes the gifts, she can find the closest Target to pick it up.  Sounds like a winner. 

GAP's application has six Christmas carol videos that stream over the Internet (easy!) as well as the ability to dress up an avatar in GAP clothing.

I think this last push into the retail market is a big change in the app landscape.  Together with movie apps like for the new Bond box office hit, the App Store is going where few applications have gone before and changing the role of Internet enabled apps on these portable devices.