And as the App Store continues to grow–they’re at over 1,000 apps now–we’re doing our best to keep up with the reviews. In fact, everything from games to useless little tools passed through our eager fingers this week. But a few highlights include free gems such as Pandora and Palringo and paid games like Lucky 7 Slots. Apps have been overall impressive this week, with just a few disappointments, Jott, namely. 

There were a few helpful how-to’s discussed, specifically, how to speed up that pesky back up process, how to share apps with those in your household and a especially helpful description of how to use Ad Hoc Helper for beta testing apps.

Several consumer alerts found their way onto iPhone Buzz as well, as many question the quality of their iPhone 3Gs. For instance, some 3G cases appear to be cracking, many aren’t getting 3G service (even in 3G areas) and others are concerned about the GPS and how it may provide malicious people with access to your personal information.

Finally, news was hot this week on all things iPhone 3G. We had several rumors about iPhone unlocking with YESSIM sim cards and the interesting revelation that Apple and AT&T had extended their exclusivity agreement until 2010. Plus, Apple retail stores have implemented a ticketing system that better streamlines the iPhone 3G purchasing process.

Well, it looks like Apple is doing its best to accommodate the massive demand for the iPhone 3G. And though stock is still dwindling, they are implementing new practices to make your trip to the local Apple retail store a little bit more manageable.

 For instance, the stores are now opening at 8 a.m. Monday-Saturday. Plus, workers are passing out tickets to people in line that are redeemable for the type of iPhone 3G they want. This way, you can leave the line and so long as you come back before 6 p.m., you’ll get your iPhone. Plus, while you’re waiting, you can go through the “pre-qualification” process, which allows you to do the paperwork and credit check prior to purchasing the phone. This way the counter area doesn’t get clogged up.

This is a pretty good way to help people go about their lives as normal without having to wait in line all day. But what about that dedicated community factor? There’s something about waiting in like for an iPhone that I just can’t describe. Whether it’s trying to figure out who’s buying them to hock on eBay or who really just loves the technology, the whole thing is an experience, to say the least.

[via MacWorld]