Want the inside scoop on what’s hot and trending today without having to spent too much time jumping from website to website? Check out the new TOPTEN app from Nielsen, the company best known for collecting statistical data and translating them into ratings. What the Nielsen TOPTEN app does is allow you quickly and easy see what people like you are watching, listening to, buying, what’s trending, and more based on actual ratings and sales data. That means you have a wealth of knowledge in the palm of your hands that used to only be shared with industry contacts, but is now available to you.

Upon first opening the app, you’ll be asked to log in with either Facebook, Twitter, or an email address. This is mainly to personalize your experience. You don’t have to sign in though and can continue on in guest mode.

once in the actual main menu, you’ll see that a large portion of the screen is taken up by the Featured Fre.sh banner, which is a list of the top trending topics as presented by Buzzfeed. Tap on this and you’ll see a list of what’s trending. You can then tap on each story and read about it straight from their sources.

Go back to the main menu and you’ll be able to view the top ten lists in the following categories: Television, Music, Movies, Video Games, Mobile Apps, Websites, Books, and Products. Within some of these categories, they are broken down into smaller sub categories for even more detailed information. What’s neat is that each item in the list can be clicked on to view an overview of the item, hot links associated with that item, and a live feed of that item being talked about on Twitter. You can even save individual items into a favorites section to view later.

For the most part, the Nielsen TOPTEN app will appeal to a specific type of user. Mainly those who crave statistical knowledge and for those who want to stay on top of all that is trending in the world. This would be great for those who are in marketing, social networking, and other industries where knowing what is popular is your bread and butter. Other than that, I can’t really see too many regular folks using this, though it is a neat app to browse through every now and then just to see if you are as trendy as you think you are.

App Store Link: Nielsen TOPTEN
Version: 1.0
Developer: Nielsen Company
Price: Free
Compatible Devices: (Universal All) Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Description

Nielsen TOPTEN gives you direct access to what’s hot in TV, movies, apps, products and more. Want to check out what people like YOU are watching and buying? It’s all in the app based on actual ratings and sales data. In short, this is your one-stop destination for what’s on everyone’s list.

This is a pretty big deal. Why? In Nielsen’s 90-year history, this is the FIRST time the public has insight into what’s trending today. After all, Nielsen provides ratings and sales data directly to TV networks, online companies, movie houses, music labels, and the world’s largest manufacturers and retailers. So in short, you are gaining access to some pretty awesome stuff.

TOPTEN Highlights:

• Categories include: Music, Movies, TV, Video Games, Books, Websites, Apps and Products
• Personalize lists based on age, gender, and location
• See hot links for all your favorite movies, TV shows and more
• View trending stories from all around the web thanks to BuzzFeed, our featured partner
• Browse special featured content for holidays, sporting events, etc.
• Save your favorite items for quick access

[via App Store]