With 10 billion downloads in the books, here are the most popular iOS apps (Appolicious)

When Gail Davis downloaded Paper Glider on January 22, she probably wasn’t expecting to make iTunes App Store history. The UK resident was awarded a $10,000 iTunes gift card for downloading the 10 billionth app from the App Store.

Apple (AAPL), of course, is the real winner here. In conjunction with the 10 billionth app downloaded, the company has taken the opportunity to release lists showing the most popular apps ever on both its mobile platforms. These lists show us some things about what interests iPhone and iPad owners individually -- and it shows some potential gaps in the kind of apps that are offered on the iPad, which savvy developers might be able to fill.

While there is some fuzzy math in Apple’s methodology - “paid” apps, for instance, can be titles that briefly had a price but were otherwise free - there are some insights to be gleaned from taking a look at the lists Apple has put together.

Here is how the rankings of the top free and paid iPhone and iPad titles look with 10 billion apps downloaded.

All-Time Top Paid iPhone Apps

Doodle JumpTap Tap Revenge 3Pocket GodAngry BirdsTap Tap Revenge 2.6Bejeweled 2 + BlitzTraffic RushTap Tap Revenge ClassicAppBox Pro AlarmFlight Control

All-Time Top Free iPhone Apps

FacebookPandora Radio Google Mobile AppShazamMovies by FlixsterThe Weather ChannelGoogle EarthBumpSkypePaper Toss

All-Time Top Paid iPad Apps

SoundHoundStickWarsFlightTrackBackbreaker FootballCalorie TrackerBlocksClassiciFart MobileGoodReader for iPadCro-Mag RallyAmbiance

All-Time Top Free iPad Apps

PandoraGoogle Mobile AppMovies by FlixsterGoogle EarthYelpFandango MoviesRemoteiBooksBibleSolitaire

Here are our takeaways.

First, take a look and compare the top paid iPhone apps list and the top paid iPad list. Now, we can’t get too speculative -- Apple’s fuzzy numbers preclude us from drawing too many conclusions from what we see here -- but there does seem to be a pretty big distinction between what people on each platform are downloading. The iPhone is littered with games, many of them highly popular, most of them made with a pretty high degree of polish. Rovio Mobile’s Angry Birds is a phenomenon, gets updated with extra levels, and regardless of exactly how fun it is, it’s a very well-made app. The same is true for the Tap Tap Revenge series (TapTapTap is actually owned by Disney, a name with quite some power and money behind it). The only app on the whole list that does anything but play is AppBox Pro, considered by us to be one of those apps you download first thing when you buy an iPhone for its high degree of functionality.

iPad owners have different interests. Weighed against the iPad list, it suggests people use the platforms for different things -- namely, e-reading on the iPad, not so much on iPhone (not really shocking when you hold the two products up next to each other). And while iPad has its gaming representation, they’re not big, well-known games. StickWars appears lower on the most-downloaded list for iPhone, and if it’s the most downloaded game on the iPad, that suggests the platform lacks a “killer app” when it comes to gaming. Seems iPad needs its own Angry Birds.

I’d say the issue comes down to control when you consider gaming on the iPad. The big plus of the iPhone is that it fits easily in two hands and you can reach all parts of the screen while you’re gripping it. That’s not the case with the iPad, and the lack of games on the list might suggest that developers looking to create more innovative, iPad-specific experiences are reaching into an untapped market.

Facebook to unveil financials, raises $ 1.5 billion (Reuters)

SEATTLE (Reuters) – Facebook is preparing to open its books this year or early in 2012 to give investors a glimpse into the financial workings of the world's No. 1 social network, after it sealed an oversubscribed $1.5 billion round of financing led by Goldman Sachs.

The financing, $1 billion of which is from Goldman Sachs' overseas clients and $500 million from Goldman itself and Russian investment firm Digital Sky Technologies, gives the company a projected value of $50 billion, setting the stage for what could be one of the largest initial public offerings next year.

Facebook, founded in a Harvard dorm room in 2004, said it would begin to file public financial reports no later than April 30, 2012, in a statement detailing the new investment.

United States securities regulations require companies with more than 499 shareholders to disclose financial information whether they are publicly traded or not. Facebook expects to exceed that number some time this year.

The new funding was organized by investment bank Goldman Sachs, which raised $1 billion from non-U.S. investors in a fund that Facebook said was oversubscribed.

Goldman Sachs originally pitched the investment to U.S. investors, but switched focus to overseas clients as concerns grew that intense media coverage surrounding the offering could run afoul of U.S. securities laws.

Initial projections from Goldman Sachs in documents circulated to potential investors earlier this month indicated it was looking to raise up to $1.5 billion.

Facebook said it made a "business decision" to limit the offering to $1 billion, without explaining further. It said it had no immediate plans for using the money raised.

The company earned $355 million in net income in the first nine months of 2010 on revenue of $1.2 billion, according to a document distributed by Goldman Sachs to potential investors earlier this month, the only source of financial data on the company.

In December, Digital Sky Technologies, Goldman Sachs and some funds managed by Goldman invested $500 million in Facebook.

Facebook has more than 500 million users and is challenging big Web businesses like Google Inc and Yahoo Inc for users' time online and for advertising dollars.

Investors are increasingly eager to buy shares of Facebook and other fast-growing Internet social networking companies on private exchanges.

(Reporting by Bill Rigby; Editing by Bernard Orr)

Apple's App Store hits 10 billion downloads (Reuters)

HELSINKI (Reuters) – Apple's App Store reached landmark 10 billion downloads on Saturday, further underlining the lead of the iPhone-maker in mobile online software battle, a counter on front page of the store showed.

Apple launched the iPhone store in mid-2008 and it proved to be an instant hit, driving sales of the smartphone and helping reshape the way mobile content is delivered.

The iPhone app store offers more than 300,000 programs, and there are also more than 40,000 apps available for the iPad.

Its closest rival is privately-held GetJar, which sells software for all platforms, and reached 1 billion downloads in June 2010.

Google's Android Market and Nokia's Ovi Store are among other larger mobile online stores.

(Reporting by Tarmo Virki)

Facebook Raises $1.5 Billion, at a Valuation of $50 Billion (PC World)

Facebook has raised US$1.5 billion in its latest funding round, putting its total valuation at $50 billion and leaving no doubt about its swift ascent in recent years to become a major Internet player and challenger to Google.

Facebook will use the money to boost its cash reserves and gain "financial flexibility" without significant dilution to current shareholders, the Palo Alto, California, company said Friday.

Not long ago, industry observers worried that Facebook wouldn't be able to turn its massive popularity into a business strong enough to withstand competition from Google and others, as well as acquisition attempts.

Facebook raised $500 million from Class A common stock in December, bought by Digital Sky Technologies (DST), The Goldman Sachs Group and funds managed by Goldman Sachs.

On Friday, Goldman Sachs completed an "oversubscribed offering" for clients abroad who invested in $1 billion of Facebook Class A common stock. The two investments together value Facebook at about $50 billion.

"Our business continues to perform well, and we are pleased to be able to bolster our cash position with this new financing," said David Ebersman, Facebook's chief financial officer, in a statement.

Initially, Facebook intended to let U.S. investors participate in the funding round, but Goldman Sachs decided later to limit it to investors abroad, afraid that the media attention might make it illegal under U.S. securities laws, the bank told the Wall Street Journal this week.

Because Facebook is exceeding the 500-shareholder mark, it plans to start filing public financial reports no later than April 30 of next year, Facebook said.