Yes, that says Billion.

There’s been a total of over 40 Billion iOS apps downloaded in total, with almost half of those coming from 2012. These shockingly huge numbers start to paint a picture of how big iOS really has become — and how huge growth is still happening.

Scott Forstall has left Apple. Gruber's entire piece about the departure is worth reading; as ever, it contains smart points. This part resonates with me the most:

No one is more excited than I am to see Jony Ive’s design taste spread to Apple’s software, but under Forstall’s leadership, iOS has been an unprecedented success.

We got to where we are today at least partially thanks to Forstall. Now he's gone. Will the rest of the team be able to take us further?

Other questions and points:

• Forstall was pushed out; he didn't decide to quit on his own. This is important because it's the biggest shake up since Tim Cook became CEO.

• How will the design aesthetic behind iOS change now Jony Ive is at the helm? I have great hopes that it'll become more like Safari and less like Find My Friends. I believe this is a good thing.

• How much was this to do with Maps? How much was politics?

Welcome to Tim Cook's Apple, ladies and gentlemen.