Smart phones are all the rage these days, but for many users, these devices aren't really about making telephone calls — the "apps" are what's important.

Novel apps bring more customers and can be the launching point for sales of spinoff products even when the app is free.
That's what led Gibson Guitar to team with Legacy Learning Systems — both are Nashville-based companies — to come up with a Gibson smart-phone app (short for application), first for the iPhone and this past week for the fast-growing Android mobile-phone operating system.
With the app called Gibson Learn and Master Guitar, beginners can teach themselves how to play the instrument with lessons on their smart phones. There are other resources on the app, as well, including a metronome and a guitar tuning aid — not to mention a direct link to Gibson's website.
The app was the idea of Legacy Learning Systems, whose main business is creating and producing compact disc- and DVD-based training programs, including one for the guitar.
Although the company already had a guitar course, founder and chief executive Gabriel Smith approached Gibson about an iPhone app that would feature Gibson guitars and tie in with a new Legacy guitar course.
"Gibson makes world-class instruments. and we make world-class instrument training," Smith said. "For them, we expose their brand to students as they're learning. For us, Gibson helps us put our brand in front of a lot more people."
The app is free, and available for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and a variety of phones running the Android system. Those include the new 4G models from Sprint (the HTC EVO and Samsung Epic 4G) and the Motorola Droid X sold by Verizon Wireless, among others.

Free lessons are limited

On the EVO, the app opens a menu of options, including the beginner lessons in high-def video with instruction by the course's author, Steve Krenz.
The free lessons are limited, however, and intended to direct the serious student to Legacy's two regular
guitar courses, Smith said, The standard course, $149, has 10 DVDs and five CDs; the expanded course, $249, has 20 DVDs and five CDs.