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Tech Report: Brick-And-Mortar App Store Opens

(CBS SF) – In what may be a first, a new company has opened a store in Colorado that is selling smartphone apps.

KCBS Technology Analyst Larry Magid said that he thought it was a rather strange idea at first.

"But then I thought about it, and the tens of thousands of apps that are on the iPhone and the Android. When I go into my phone, I look for apps and, half the time, I don't know what these things are going to do," said Magid. "I hate the idea of trying them out and paying when I don't know if there's going to be a refund. So maybe it does make sense in the future and going forward."

KCBS Technology Analyst Larry Magid:

Openspace, which opened recently in Boulder, Colorado, has app gurus who can help customers choose the right apps for what they are looking for.

Eventually, the company would like to partner with developers and take a percentage of the sales that are sold through the store.

Magid said that the physical aspect of being able to see what apps can do in person could eventually be appealing, although he's not sure if the idea will catch on.

You can hear Larry Magid's Tech Report Monday through Friday at 3:50pm on KCBS All News 740AM and 106.9FM.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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