02/08, 2:50pm
Vonage Mobile app undercuts Skype in calling
VoIP provider Vonage has just released a new Vonage Mobile app that will allow for free calling and texting between users who have it installed on their smartphones, as well as discounted calling rates to those who don't. It uses Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G data networks and is now available for iOS (free, iTunes) and Android (free, Android Market) devices. The app is meant for frequent travelers, or those who have friends or family abroad and want to use their phones to contact them.
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02/07, 8:35pm
Office continues to reach new mobile platforms
Microsoft announced that it has finally released its mobile productivity app, OneNote, for devices running Google's Android OS. The Android Market debut marks the company's latest expansion onto popular mobile platforms, following equivalent releases for Windows Phone, iPhone and iPad.
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02/07, 7:50am
RIM talks App World growth relative to rivals
RIM's Developer Relations VP Alec Saunders made aggressive claims about the state of BlackBerry App World at his company's DevCon Europe keynote on Tuesday morning. He contended that the store was the second-most profitable mobile app store after Apple's own and that Android lagged behind significantly. Along with having more overall paid downloads than the normally larger Google shop, BlackBerry titles typically made about 40 percent more revenue than their paid Android counterparts.
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02/02, 8:00pm
Free app guides attendees around Indianapolis
The NFL has released its official app for Super Bowl XLVI. The app provides fans attending Sunday's upcoming contest between the New England Patriots and New York Giants a guide to Lucas Oil Stadium and the surrounding areas of Indianapolis (free, App Store, Android Market). The app provide viewers with a virtual 3D view of the stadium as well as a guide to nightlife and official NFL events.
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02/02, 4:50pm
Google details Bouncer and says
Google's Android engineering VP Hiroshi Lockheimer has detailed a process of screening for malware at Android Market that it has quietly been running for the past year. Known as Bouncer, it automatically scans both incoming and existing apps for recognizable malicious code. The routine also runs the apps themselves and checks for hostile behavior in practice, hoping to catch apps with suspicious behavior.
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02/01, 6:20pm
As expected, doesn't support flash
Mozilla has released the latest mobile version of its browser for Android devices. Firefox 10 is now available for download (free, Android Market). As expected, the new version offers enhanced HTML5 support, but doesn't support Flash.
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01/30, 7:55pm
Fire app different than Android variant
Sling Media is reportedly set to launch its SlingPlayer app for Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet. Although the device is powered by Google's mobile OS, the new app is said to omit the remote control interface and SlingBox guide that can be found on its standard Android Market counterpart for Honeycomb-based tablets.
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01/26, 7:25pm
Wide gaps exist in mobile app placement, price
Distimo has taken a fresh look at mobile app promos that has shown a sharp contrast in their effects on Android and iOS apps. Being featured in the official store has the most impact on Android, the research found. An Android developer typically jumps 42 spots in the popular rankings in the first three days after it's highlighted in Android Market, where iOS App Store titles jump a relatively small 27 spots on the iPad and just 15 on the iPhone.
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01/25, 4:00pm
EFF seeking petition to keep jailbreaking legal
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is lobbying users to sign a petition in its quest to convince the US government that jailbreaking smartphones and tablets is legal. Back in mid-2010, the Library of Congress ruled that the act is legal, provided it doesn't violate copyright laws. That ruling will soon expire, some believe, and doesn't cover tablets; the EFF is concerned that both need to be address.
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01/24, 1:10pm
Skitch, Evernote extension arrive on Dolphin
The upgradeable Dolphin browser for Android devices has just received two add-ons from its makers. It now supports Skitch and Evernote browser extensions. The Skitch extension (free, Android Market) is a byproduct of the Skitch app and lets users make sketches on any web content found in the browser. It can be used to make notes on a map, text from a web page, classified ad, or more.
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01/15, 10:45pm
Android Market still out in China due to policy
Android Market isn't likely to come to China despite claims to the contrary, a source reportedly outlined Sunday. The tip described talks to Inside Mobile Apps as "exploratory," not a definite plan of action as suggested by the Wall Street Journal. "It's not really happening," according to the claimed insider.
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01/09, 4:00pm
Slacker Plus and Premium to get more live coverage
Slacker will debut live streaming of ESPN Radio programming tonight with the BCS Championship title game. The live ESPN Radio stream will be available through the Slacker web app. The company says it plans to add the live streaming feature to its mobile apps soon. The ESPN Radio station is available at no charge to all Slacker users.
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01/04, 6:55pm
Faster uploading, browsing also added
SugarSync has updated its apps for both iOS and Android devices. The new releases provide enhanced backup, synchronization and access of photos, videos and files across multiple platforms (free, Android Market, App Store). SugarSync offers the apps in conjunction with its cloud storage service.
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01/04, 8:25am
Android Market accelerates in just five months
Unofficial Distimo tracking has shown Android Market already at over 400,000 active apps. The figure comes just four months after it reached 300,000 in August. Nearly 100,000 publishers are in the store, each of which posts about 4.1 apps on average.
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12/31, 12:25pm
Google takes down fake Siri app but leaves Speerit
Google has partly reacted to the presence of cloned Siri apps on Android by pulling one of the titles. The "Siri for Android" app has been quietly pulled from Android Market about a day after it was first discovered. The developer, operating under the deliberately misleading company name Official App, has also had its only other app, a fake Pinterest app that only linked to the website, pulled from the store.
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12/28, 4:35pm
Dell Venue gets approved for use by DISA, DoD
Dell's Venue Android smartphone has followed in the footsteps of the discontinued Streak 5 tablet from the company in earning US government approval for use by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). It has thus become the first Android phone to get the honor following RIM's BlackBerry devices, as revealed by a DISA document. Department of Defense employees will get limited access to the device's features however, with no access to the Android Market and web browsing done only through a DoD proxy server.
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12/22, 5:10am
Kindle Fire users can now browse Android Market
Amazon has stopped blocking Google’s Android Market on its Kindle Fire. The 6.2.1 software update released on Wednesday now allows users who navigate to the app market to view and browse apps. Prior to the update, Amazon’s browser blocked user attempts to visit the site, hijacking it and sending users back to its own AppStore.
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12/15, 2:55pm
Microsoft claims big takeup of free Windows Phones
Microsoft's Bill Cox said Thursday that over 3,200 Android users had taken up company Windows Phone evangelist Ben Rudolph's challenge to describe their virus "horror stories." As a challenge, Rudolph had offered a free Windows Phone to those who could recount the most convincing stories of Android malware instances. He didn't say how many of these would be getting devices.
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12/13, 8:25pm
SMS code spotted in five new apps
Mobile security company Lookout has continued to expand its list of Android Market applications that have been found to contain malicious code known as 'RuFraud'. Researchers spotted 22 malicious apps by the start of the week, prompting Microsoft to offer victims free Windows Phone handsets, while five more have been discovered since then.
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12/13, 2:15pm
Flurry shows Android dev ratio still low
Despite increases in device share, iOS app development is still three times larger, Flurry said Monday. New app starts on Android had actually declined in ratio from the start of 2011 to the end, shrinking from 37 percent to 27 percent in a fall estimate. iOS development had grown by an equal number of points and was now up to 73 of starts.
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12/12, 11:35pm
Company takes dig at Google for platform security
Microsoft has offered to provide free Windows Phone 7 devices to individuals affected by malware targeted at Android devices. The promotion takes a dig at Google amid reports that the search giant was forced to remove 22 more Android Market titles that were found to contain malicious code.
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12/12, 6:45am
Google updates Android Market with review filters
Google has tweaked the web-based version of its Android Market. Among the changes is the ability for users to filter reviews by ‘helpfulness,’ ‘newest,’ and ‘rating.’ The function makes it a lot easier for users to make an informed decision about whether to part with their cash, or bother with a free download. Google has now also added the ability to sort through reviews to see the version of the app, or which device the user was using for the review.
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12/09, 4:30pm
Software glitch clogs T-Mobile's data network
YouMail and T-Mobile have apparently resolved their differences, and the visual voicemail app is once again available from Android Market (free, Android Market). It had been pulled by Google yesterday at the carrier's request. Both YouMail and T-Mobile are blaming each other for letting a seemingly simple situation escalate out of control.
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12/08, 4:55pm
South Korea tops Android app downloads list
Google has decided to reveal which countries download the most apps on account of its recent 10 billion downloads milestone. Along with some other numbers, it was revealed that among the 190 countries that download apps every day, South Korea downloads the most, followed by Hong Kong and Taiwan, while the US sits in fourth. The popularity came in spite of the US' reputation as Android's biggest country.
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12/06, 3:45pm
Google marks milestone at billion apps per month
In sync with its 10-cent app promo, Google has confirmed that Android Market has cracked 10 billion app downloads. The figure comes just over three years after the store opened. Nearly all of the growth came in just the last year, about four billion of which came in the past six months.
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12/06, 12:30pm
Promo to last for ten days
Google is currently offering ten Android apps for just $0.10 each, kicking off a new promotion as the search giant counts down to 10 billion app downloads. The '10 Billion Promo' is expected to offer a range of different premium apps for the $0.10 discounted price over the next ten days as the company closes in on the milestone.
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11/28, 2:30pm
Lack of oversight lets fake Rovio exploit Android
Google's strategy for Android Market may have come to bite it after a scam developer successfully made it to the store. Misleadingly named Rovio [now pulled] instead of the real Rovio Mobile Ltd., the developer published non-functional apps made to look like legitimate games. A large number of these were iPhone games that Rovio didn't make and which other developers so far had no intention of porting to Android, such as Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift and Tiny Wings.
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11/17, 10:35pm
Google Music app comes to Google TV
Google in a late night update brought its Google Music update to the TV, giving it access to the service for the first time. The new TV app hinges on Google Music's cloud storage to stream the user's collection with an interface identical to that seen on smartphones and tablets, optimized for the ten-foot TV distance and larger screen. It includes playlists and other extras, although the lack of permanent storage means it can't pin tracks for offline listening.
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11/16, 11:35pm
Android malware becoming significant issue
A new Juniper Global Threat Center study has pointed to Android malware possibly becoming a serious issue in just the past four months. The incidence in viruses, trojans, and other strains has jumped 472 percent since July, most of which has appeared in just the past two months. About 55 percent were spyware apps scraping and sending information in the background, while 44 percent were SMS trojans that send messages to premium numbers that put the bill on the caller.
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11/16, 4:20pm
Qualcomm set to bring GameCommand app in 2012
Qualcomm to launch games, dedicated app for Snapdragon devices
Mobile device chipmaker Qualcomm on Wednesday said it would soon launch a flagship gaming app for devices that run on its Snapdragon chips. Dubbed Snapdragon GameCommand, the app will be accompanied by additions to the more than 100 games specially made for the mobile devices. All are expected to come to the Android Market early next year.
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11/15, 1:20pm
Adobe launches six apps in Android Market
Adobe has posted its promised Touch Apps in the Android Market for Android tablets. Introduced at the MAX conference early last month, the apps include Photoshop Touch ($9.99, Android Market), Collage ($9.99, Android Market), Debut ($9.99, Android Market), Ideas ($9.99, Android Market), Kuler ($9.99, Android Market), and Proto ($9.99, Android Market). Each is meant to help creative or business types accomplish different tasks, and all require Android 3.1 or later.
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11/11, 6:45pm
RIAA unhappy with Google stance on music app
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) claims that Google is refusing to pull MP3 Music Download Pro (free, Android Market). The app is the fifth most popular free app on the Android Market and offers the ability to “search and download free music & lyrics.” According to RIAA, the app is being used to promote the illegal distribution of copyrighted music.
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11/03, 2:20pm
Strategy Analytics says app market uncompetitive
Apple's iPad currently has the most competitive mobile app ecosystems, Strategy Analytics outlined in a new App Store Competitive Index. Its subset of the App Store is deemed the most likely to give newcomers and recent launches the best chances at success. Amazon's Appstore was lowest-ranked and more likely to let apps occupy the same positions or otherwise take attention from newer titles.
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11/01, 11:45pm
Android Market 3.3.11 to auto-update all apps
A new version of Android Market (APK link; warning, unfinished) has leaked that suggests Google is both getting more aggressive on updates as well as borrowing a cue from Apple. The upgrade has options to automatically update every app that could allow it, not just one at a time, and will optionally notify the user when updates are ready without having to go to the Market. Similar to iOS and Android 3, apps can now automatically add a home screen icon and update only over Wi-Fi.
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10/31, 11:25am
Free Verizon UpNext app offers 3D city views
Those with an Android tablet from Verizon Wireless can now download the UpNext HD Maps -- Verizon Edition app (free, Android Market). The app gives users interactive maps, 3D views and a detailed look at roads, road signs and buildings for 55 large US cities, 22 of which have Enhanced 3D viewing for more detail. Users can explore recreation choices, restaurants and local stores and access reviews from sites such as Yelp.
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10/28, 11:30am
Google TV Android 3.1 goes live
Google on Friday posted its long-in-waiting Google TV update. First shown back in May, the update runs on Android 3.1 and adds support for downloadable apps for the first time. While it already had built-in apps before, it now has access to new video apps, games, and other titles optimized for the TV in Android Market.
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10/27, 3:05pm
Logitech Revue box hints Google TV revival soon
An unnamed electronics store has obtained updated Logitech Revue boxes hinting that the Google TV revamp is underway. The sighting by someone visiting an electronics retailer showed Engadget a new box touting Google TV, but "now with Android 3.1 and Android Market." None of the boxes have been opened yet to see if it has the new Google TV interface already installed or if it will need to get a post-sale update.
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10/26, 10:15pm
Google Music store may give hundreds of free songs
Google may have given out its own clues that its own music store is imminent. Trying to visit music.google.com from an Android phone or tablet produces a splash page that, along with promoting the existing cloud storage service, it mentions the option to "shop millions of songs" that would be available directly from Android Market. Giveaways would play a significant role, as there would be "hundreds of free tracks," Google says.
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10/26, 2:45pm
Skifta Android app lets users stream to devices
Qualcomm Atheros just announced the release of the Skifta 1.0 Android app (free, Android Market) that will allow users to stream content from their Android devices or saved on the cloud to any DLNA-compatible device. It will offer a Channel library, that will let users access content from their Picasa, Photobucket, Soma.fm, Napster, ShoutCast, Revision 3 and TED Talks accounts or service, among others, without launching those apps separately.
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10/21, 11:10pm
Android hits 500K in theory, but has mass exits
New analysis from research2guidance on Friday showed Android passing 500,000 published apps but with signs that it had trouble sustaining apps as well as Apple's iOS App Store. Although it had hit the milestone as of September, a considerably smaller 319,161 apps were still live on the store. About 37 percent of apps have been voluntarily pulled or forcibly removed.
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10/21, 6:55pm
Joins Apple, Amazon and Sony in offering movies
Google has expanded its film rental service for Android devices to the UK. Android phone and tablet owners can now rent movies from Android Market. Initially, Google will be offering Britons a selection of 1,000 titles.
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10/10, 5:20pm
Apps distributed in secure environment
Verizon has announced plans to launch a private app portal that can be utilized by businesses. The Private Applications Store for Business is designed to work across a variety of platforms, enabling companies to securely manage app distribution to mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, without relying on public app stores.
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10/06, 1:15pm
Update also allows instant "+1" approval
Google has released a new update for its Google Books app (free, Android Market). Key amongst the changes is better support for seven-inch tablets. Readers can also now give their +1 approval while reading a book.
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09/30, 3:45pm
New features improve efficiency and predictability
TouchType has released a new update (free, Android Market) for its SwiftKey X and SwiftKey Tablet X apps. The latest version has added several new features including blog and RSS learning, heatmapping, and language layout switching. TouchType has also enhanced the way the app toggles to alternative characters.
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09/13, 5:40pm
Android Market top choice above all other apps
Consumer preference research house Nielsen has published findings from audience measurement data collected from Android smartphone users. The company found that Android Market was the top ranked app, followed by Google Maps, GMail, Facebook and Google Search. Nielsen also found that there were some gender differences with Google Maps having the second greatest reach for men after Android Market, while women preferred Facebook.
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09/13, 12:15pm
Verizon Apps takes second shot at carrier store
Verizon on Tuesday hoped to return to the days of controlling app distribution with the relaunch of its native app store. Now just called Verizon Apps, the store will drop the BlackBerry and focus solely on Android. The store is now being pitched as a way for developers to get exposure without the discovery problems of Android Market.
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09/12, 4:40pm
One developer misrepresented scientific study
The US Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement in the case of two mobile apps claiming to cure acne, reports say. In each instance, the apps pretended that colored light could be used to remove pimples and blemishes. The FTC has called the claims "baseless," and moreover accused the creators of one of the apps, AcneApp, of misusing a study on light-based acne therapy to claim scientific support for the app's concept. The AcneApp development team includes a dermatologist.
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09/01, 2:25pm
Lodsys aims at BlackBerry devs after iOS, Android
Lodsys has widened the scope of its patent trolling to include BlackBerry developers, new accounts revealed late Wednesday. At least Lonely Turret developer Rotten Ogre has been targeted for selling apps in the US with in-app purchases. It hasn't been sued but has faced Lodsys' common strategy, where it offers a licensing deal knowing that the developer can't afford to challenge the legitimacy of the patents in question, the Globe and Mail said.
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08/23, 1:05pm
Quietly releases 3.1.3 update
Google has quietly released an update to its Android Market store interface (APK download at Mediafire). Key features of the new version include improved security through the option of requiring a PIN code to make a purchase and a +1 option to recommend an app both in Google searches and in Google+.
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08/22, 8:00pm
Google TV Add-on clears devs to write own apps
Google late Monday took the redesigned Google TV an important step closer by posting a preview version of the Google TV Add-on. The extension gives Android developers a way to optimize phone and especially tablet apps for the Google TV interface without having to change their tools. Along with supporting TV screens, it adds extras like hooking into a TV's channel lineup and other elements specific to the remote-control interface.
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