Google Play

Barnes & Noble’s refusal to open its ecosystem has long been one of our primary complaints about the company’s tablet offerings. The Nook HD and HD+ are extremely nice pieces of hardware that have been held back by their own walled software offerings — having a fast device with a nice screen only gets you Continue Reading →

The number of device installs for free apps in the Google Play store is over ten times bigger than the Amazon Appstore in the United States, according to new research conducted by Distimo. The mobile app store analytics company found that the top 200 free apps in the Amazon Appstore were downloaded 16 million times Continue Reading →

When it comes to browsing the Google Play store for new apps to download, it can sometimes feel a little bit like the Wild West. Sure, there are the big names – your Angry Birds, your Evernotes, and so on – but there seem to be ten times as many apps you’ve never heard of Continue Reading →

App Annie’s Market Index for the first quarter of 2013 shows Google Play continuing to narrow iOS’ lead in app download volume and revenue creation. In fact, Google Play delivered nearly 90% Apple’s app download volume in Q1. The iOS platform is still generating 2.6 times the revenue of Google Play, but that gap is Continue Reading →

Between word that Explorer Editions are being produced, a reveal of spec details and documentation for the Mirror API being published, it’s been a busy night for Google Glass announcements. Now, Mountain View has pushed up the hardware’s Android companion app, dubbed MyGlass, to Google Play. Sure, you can download it on any device toting Continue Reading →

Google has stepped up its efforts to remove spammy or otherwise non-compliant applications from its mobile application marketplace, Google Play, in recent weeks. App deletions hit a record high in February, with 60,000 apps removed during the course of the month – the largest round of app deletions to date. The news of this massive Continue Reading →

Google has announced that its Google Play store app has been redesigned, featuring a cleaner look with emphasis on quick discovery, larger imagery and “simplified purchasing.” According to Google, the new look is rolling out today for Android phones and tablets running Froyo and above. In its typical style, the update should reach all users Continue Reading →

After months of speculation – and just about a week of more accurate guesses – Facebook finally unveiled its ‘Facebook phone.’ Except it’s not a phone. “We’re not building a phone and we’re not building an operating system,” Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at Facebook’s event on Thursday, “but we are building something Continue Reading →

If you can’t beat ‘em, copy ‘em. That seems to be the plan Verizon followed when creating the new version of its text messaging system, which now strongly resembles Apple’s iMessage system. Like iMessage, Verizon now lets you receive text messages not only on your phone but on your computer and tablet as well, making Continue Reading →

Apple may not have the best reputation for online services but that hasn’t stopped its iCloud online storage service from becoming the most-used cloud service in the United States. A new report from Strategy Analytics shows that 27% American web users user iCloud, giving it a lead of 10 percentage points over runner-up Dropbox, which Continue Reading →