PALM DESERT, Calif.--How does one measure the effects of economic meltdown? At Demo 09 here, there are two ways, one that's obvious, yet hard to see, and another that is both obvious and visceral.

"Lite" apps have become a rage in App store. Demos offer customers a taste of a commercial application and hook them into buying full versions. From Spore to PacMan to Time Tracker and beyond, Lite ...