Apple to give away $10K

Apple will reward the customer who downloads the 10 billionth app from the iOS App Store with a $10,000 iTunes gift card, the company said today.

The company’s e-mart for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch applications is nearing the 10 billion download mark, according to a live counter that Apple has posted on its site.

“As of today, nearly 10 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store worldwide,” Apple said on the site hosting the flickering counter. “So we want to say thanks.”

Apple has touted App Store download numbers numerous times since the marketplace went live in July 2008 alongside the debut of the iPhone 3G. Currently, the App Store offers software for the iPhone and iPod Touch, as well as Apple’s iPad tablet.