In its latest financial results released this week, Amazon revealed that the number of customers for the Amazon Appstore nearly tripled in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter.

In this rant, I am going to point out what many of you already know – that the iVerse is under attack. By whom, you ask? By a pairing of unlikely conspirators: Google and Amazon.

Retail giant Best Buy is placing an iPhone application at the center of its national Buy Back campaign that is intended to convince consumers to upgrade to latest and greatest consumer electronics products.

Investment banking giants Goldman Sachs and Oppenheimer are among the first brands advertising within the new Bloomberg Businessweek application for Apple’s iPad.

Texas-based restaurant chain la Madeleine claims that its overall takeout business has increased 6 percent, driven by opening up new customer touch points for placing orders across online, social media, a call center and mobile.

Bank of America’s Merrill Lynch has launched applications for Apple’s iPhone and iPad and Research In Motion’s BlackBerry devices for clients of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and Merrill Edge.

Omaha Steaks’ new commerce-enabled Steak Time application for Apple’s iPad is designed to keep the brand top of mind and influence the purchase decisions of affluent early-adopters.

Jewelry retailer James Allen’s new application for Apple’s iPhone and iPad lets consumers view more than 20,000 diamonds and browse engagement rings from their mobile devices.

Yahoo Inc. is courting an investment-savvy affluent demographic with the Yahoo Finance Marketplace featuring the ad-supported MarketDash application for the Apple iPad.

Utilities giant Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has launched a mobile bill payment application to enhance services for its customers in Northern and Central California with Apple iOS devices.