IphoneApps

Okay, so it seems like Christie's is looking for any way it can to get into your wallet. Can you blame the auction house? Even with the occasional touch of good news, 2009 has generally been a dismal year, thanks to a global economic crisis that has brought the art market back down to Earth (hell, some would say six feet under it). Any business guru would tell you that when the market sucks, you need to find a new revenue stream. And, iPhone apps offer a brand new bandwagon to jump on, so why not?

This is a pretty wild development for a company that celebrated its tenth anniversary when the colonies declared independence (Christies was founded in 1766, if you couldn't figure it out). The iPhone will stand alongside the gavel, if all goes well, as the implement by which an auction is defined.

Christie's hopes that the bidding application will attract new money bidders to the auction house, ideally to pick up some of the lots that aren't moving and to possibly push prices up a bit. Think about it: if you're not into the auction scene, going to one of those things is a friggin' drag. Unless you move heaven and earth to get "approved," you're stuck in the back with the prolies – standing. That's no way to spend money! And, the dress code? If I hit it big, my first move would be to never wear a suit again. My jeans would lead to discrimination, so the iPhone app makes sense ... as long as there are wealthy versions of me out there (and I think there are).

Obviously committed to promoting how brilliant this idea is, Christie's draws a parallel to bids from its Christie's LIVE website, which accounted for 11 percent of the lots sold last year. There's no comment on what the website's been worth this year. But, let's be fair. The auction house is having trouble selling through any channel, so we can't blame innovation.

These days finding a great wine is as easy as heading to your iPhone or Blackberry. There are apps that offer wine information, ways of tracking your cellar and finding out what wine to drink with what food.

One of the most interesting wine pairing apps comes from noted wine author Natalie MacLean. Her Drinks Matcher from Nat Decants doesn't just tell you whether you should choose white or red wine. Her app is far deeper and lets you either start with the food or with the wine. You've got to love an app that includes pairings for over 200 cheeses and over 100 desserts. Ever wonder what goes best with roasted marshmallows? The answer is a German Late Harvest Riesling.

The app also includes pairings for other drinks including beer, coffee and tea. It also links to the mobile version of her website so you can access wine reviews and other information. Overall there are over 380,000 pairings, with new ones added daily. The app sells for $2.99 for iPhone or BlackBerry.