Barnhart

The app industry has exploded. With Apple’s iPhone dominating the market at figures as high as 99.4% of app sales, and Android coming on strong, the world is changing. While fart noise apps are fun for a minute or two, there are apps being put to better use. The disaster in Haiti has brought personal giving to the forefront of many people’s minds. And, no surprise, there’s an app for that.

CauseWorld is available for free at Apple’s App Store. And it’s not hard to find because it’s on the front page, at least for today. Launched by a startup called ShopKick and sponsored by Kraft, Citibank and others, it’ll make you feel better about buying that eighth pair of re-issued Air Jordans. And really, you don’t have to buy anything, you can just window shop if you want. Just check in with the retail outlet and you’ll get karma points. When you’ve collected enough points, one of the sponsors donates cash to your chosen cause. Choose a different cause with every donation if you wish – there are plenty to choose from. It’s a philanthropy game and it’ll be interesting to see how much good can be done when the numbers come in.