Android Thoughts - Opinions, News, Advice & Reviews on Android Devices

Got a Hot Tip? We Want To Hear It! Use Our Contact Form


Apple Thoughts

Loading feed...

Laptop Thoughts

Loading feed...

Digital Home Thoughts

Loading feed...





All posts tagged "market"


Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Google Renames Android Market to Play Store

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 11:30 AM

http://www.androidcentral.com/googl...books-and-video

"Google's content portal for Android apps, music, books and video content has been consolidated under a new name -- Google Play."

If you haven't gotten the update you probably will very soon. Google is pushing out a new version of the Market called the Play Store. They are also replacing your current Books, Music, and Movies apps with Play Books, Play Music, and Play Movies. I think this move makes a lot of sense rather than educating people that they can use the Android Market on the web with their Windows PC to buy books, music, and video. It's a good time to check for deals too. There are apps for $0.49 and lots of other discounts as well.

Here is one thing to watch out for if you have a Motorola device. This update will cause your Market link at the top right of your app drawer to stop working. Hopefully Motorola will fix this soon on many of their devices. It's not a huge deal since you can still launch the new store using the Play Store icon but it's annoying.


Sunday, February 5, 2012

Install Carrier-Blocked Apps from the Android Market

Posted by Jon Westfall in "Android Articles, Resources & Developer" @ 11:30 AM

http://www.droid-life.com/2012/02/0...android-market/

"One of our readers discovered yesterday that through a loophole in the Android Market and browser, you could install Google Wallet. After the community got a hold of this method, they quickly realized that this not only works for Wallet, but just about any app that a carrier has blocked from your phone."

If you can't get a certain item in the Market due to a carrier restriction, here's one way around it!

Tags: market, android

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Install Android Market on Your Kindle Fire

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 02:30 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/17/...ure-out-how-to/

"Homebrewers, of course, will first have to root the device before tweaking with the Fire's Gingerbread-based build, but fortunately for them, there's already a guide for that. Once that's taken care of, you can also load the Android Market and a slate of other Google apps, using a handy how-to guide published on xda Forums."

Amazon released the source code for the Kindle Fire. That means we'll probably start to see all kinds of custom ROM's or other modifications coming out for it soon. One of the first things they did was figure out how to install the Android Market! They made a nice how-to in case you want to give it a try. The first step is rooting it but if that doesn't scare you go for it!

How do you like your Kindle Fire? Have you rooted it?


Saturday, August 27, 2011

Google's Newest Market Update Adds Several New Features

Posted by Karey Westfall in "Android Software" @ 03:00 PM

http://androinica.com/2011/08/new-a...android-phones/

"It seems like Google is constantly working on its suite of Android apps."

Google is staying on top of apps - they just released an update for the Android Market bringing it to version 3.1.3. The newest version is packed with new features, including the +1 button for market apps and new security features. Check out all the new features, then let us know if you like the update!


Sunday, May 29, 2011

Have you Bought an Android App Lately?

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android Software" @ 06:00 PM

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/05...gazines_fortune

"What Distimo discovered this time is that, for a variety of reasons, Android generates far fewer runaway hits. The most successful app in the Android Market, with more than 50 million downloads, is a Google freebie: Google Maps. Nothing else comes close."

This is an interesting article about how developers in general seem to have a much harder time selling apps on the Android Market than the Apple App Store. I don't disagree with their general conclusion or even doubt the different statistics they present but I do think there are a few additional points to consider that I think are note worthy and valuable even it they don't necessarily change the whole picture.

First, Apple sells things at premium prices. Apple customers are used to paying and, often times, paying a lot for what they get. While one can argue that they are getting a premium product for the money the opposite can also be argued fairly easily I think. The bottom line here is Apple customers are often ready and willing to pay. Second, with iOS devices you have no choice of where to buy from. The Android Market is only one of many places to buy Android Apps. Stores like PlayAndroid.com, AppBrain.com, and the Amazon Appstore for Android are great examples of Android app stores that filter what they allow in their store keeping quality higher. Besides having less apps that are not worth your time this also provides some price competition as well as giving you other ways to find new apps. Third, I don't have good data to back this up but I think I have heard that advertisements in apps for Android are more developer friendly then they are on iOS. That could be some of the reason for the sales gap between the two platforms. Maybe programmers are happy with their ad revenue and Android. I heard a number of months ago that Rovio, the company behind Angry Birds, makes over $1,000,000 a month on advertising in Angry Birds for Android. Forth, there are benefits to the fact that anyone can create an app for Android and make it available to the consumer right away at no cost to them. Sure, you'll end up with some extra fluff that way but it also means that a developer won't need to jump through hoops to get out a critical update in a timely fashion.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. I would especially be interested to here from any developers out there.


Friday, April 15, 2011

Google Sells Four Android Devices Every Second; More Apps Than You Can Shake A Forrest Of Sticks At

Posted by Jason Lee in "Android News" @ 10:00 PM

http://androinica.com/2011/04/googl...on-apps-served/

"How many Android phones have been sold? Google has never given a concrete number, but the company has revealed how many Android phones and tablets are selling: 350,000 units each day."

350,000 Android devices each day? That's a lot of droids runnin around out there. Google continues to impress with their rising global sales figures. On top of that it was also announced that more than 3 billion apps have been downloaded from the Android Market since launch. That's just nuts. We wouldn't have this problem if all you guys would stop playing Words with Angry Birds...


App Purchases Can Be Added Directly To Sprint Bill

Posted by Karey Westfall in "Android Mobile Operators" @ 01:30 PM

http://android-developers.blogspot.com/search/label/Android Market

"Since last year, we've been working to bring the convenience of Direct Carrier Billing to more Android Market users on more carrier networks."

Direct Carrier Billing has come to Sprint allowing Android Market users to charge purchases directly to their Sprint bills. This will make it easy for customers to track purchases and pay for them all at one time along with their bill. Using only a few clicks to buy apps certainly makes purchasing easier as long as you don't get carried away!


Thursday, March 17, 2011

AutomateIt for Android Does What it Says

Posted by Kevin Jackson in "Android Software" @ 05:00 AM

http://lifehacker.com/#!5782502/aut...automation-tool

"Using triggers and actions, you can save your battery from itself, make setting up your phone in your car far more convenient, and otherwise nit-pick things you wish your phone could do."

If Tasker is a bit too fussy (and expensive) for you, maybe AutomateIt will work better for you. All you need to do is set up a trigger which will launch an action and your in business. Easy automation of tasks like notifying you of events like loss of Wi-Fi signal, SMS-based triggers, battery-level triggers, and so on. It looks easy and useful and is free in the Market and works wherever you find our favorite little green guy.

I use Toggle Settings which has both a free and paid version, but I'd like to hear what you like to use? One of the above or something I haven't mentioned? Let us know at the "Discuss" link.


Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Success Story: Android Profits Beat iOS for One Developer

Posted by Kevin Jackson in "Android Software" @ 03:00 PM

http://blogs.computerworld.com/1794..._ios_app_profit

"Traditionally, Apple has been viewed as the top dog when it comes to pure app dollars; love it or hate it, the company's App Store generates plenty of dough and thus plenty of income for third-party programmers. Even so, Android is increasingly becoming a prominent part of the equation for many well-known developers -- and for some, it's actually starting to surpass Apple by a significant margin.

Today, we hear one such developer's story."

It's interesting to speculate what the cause of this difference may be. The CEO of Spacetime (the focus of the article) thinks that it could be due to the fact that there are fewer apps in the Android store. I wonder if it could have to do with the application in question, too. Pocket Legends is a 3D MMO, and while Apple has positioned the Touch, in particular, as a mobile gaming platform, this game seems like it would fit the perceived demographic of Android devices better than iOS devices.

Any other developers out there with similar experiences? Is the Android Market good to you, or do you prefer Apple's store? Is this a sign of great things to come or just an outlier in the world of Android development? Let us know at the "Discuss" link.


Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Google Gives Us An Update On Android Market Secrity

Posted by Jason Lee in "Android News" @ 07:00 PM

http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/20...t-security.html

"On Tuesday evening, the Android team was made aware of a number of malicious applications published to Android Market. Within minutes of becoming aware, we identified and removed the malicious applications."

It is very reassuring to see Google taking these steps after their little Market security oopsie the other day. My biggest concern wasn't removing the malware from the phones so much as cleaning up the rooting and other bad things the malware did to your device while it was installed. I'm glad they pushed out this security update and even more impressed that they are actually contacting affected users. It still doesn't excuse the fact that something like this should have never happened in the first place but definitely a good step in righting their wrong.


Thursday, March 3, 2011

Be Careful What You Install: Google Pulls 21 Malicious Apps From The Android Market

Posted by Jason Lee in "Android News" @ 06:00 AM

http://mashable.com/2011/03/01/andr...d-malware-apps/

"Google has just pulled 21 popular free apps from the Android Market. According to the company, the apps are malware aimed at getting root access to the user's device, gathering a wide range of available data, and downloading more code to it without the user's knowledge."

Eesh. One of the first things I tell/show my friends who get a new Android device is how to look at and read the permissions requested by an app when you install it. I know some are very misleading and vague so when in doubt, don't install. I'm not sure exactly what security permissions these apps requested but I would gather that they are not too out of the ordinary, especially if over 50,000 people had downloaded them. The real scary part is that these apps would attempt to root your device then have their way with it, installing apps or changing code at will. After this there is no guaranteed way to make sure your device is clean. Perhaps re-flashing your rom, bootloader and recovery might get you clean but most users aren't going to know how to do that. Even though Google has pulled these apps from the market and from users devices there are still thousands of compromised devices walking around out there. Not good. Not good at all. :(


Sunday, February 27, 2011

Bookworms Rejoice: Books Are For Sale In the Android Market

Posted by Karey Westfall in "Android News" @ 03:30 PM

http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/24/an...e-gets-bookish/

"...Now, Google has some good news for you bibliophiles out there: The Xoom's Android Market application includes Google Books, and now the web version does too."

Bookstores? What are those? Now you can shop for your favorite titles from the Android Market and have them delivered to your tablet or phone! The process is just like buying an app in the online market; easy and convenient! What can be better than shopping for new reading material in your pj's?


Friday, February 25, 2011

Amazon Appstore: Buy Before You Try?

Posted by Jason Lee in "Android News" @ 09:00 PM

http://emoney.allthingsd.com/201102...ice-even-ships/

"As Amazon nears the launch of its Android Appstore, it has provided an update to developers that focuses on a seamless buying experience for the customer."

One of the tidbits released by Amazon about it's new Android Appstore is that customers will actually be able to buy apps before they even have their Android device. So you can order your phone or tablet through Amazon then immediately start buying apps for your new toy. All you will need to do is sign into the Amazon Appstore when your new device arrives and all of your apps will download automatically. This is some what interesting but really not all the surprising if you consider how the Kindle works. Do you think the power of Amazon can sustain a third party app market or will the Amazon Appstore be DoA?


Friday, February 4, 2011

Browse And Install Android Market Apps Strait From Your Desktop Computer

Posted by Jason Lee in "Android News" @ 07:00 AM

http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/20...et-website.html

"Over the past two years, developers around the world have helped make Android Market the go-to place for more than 100,000 apps, games and widgets. Previously, you could only access Android Market directly from your device, but today, we are introducing the Android Market website that lets you browse and search for great apps right from your web browser."

This is another one of those things that falls into the "It's about time" category. The previous launch of the Android Market website was pretty lame. It only allowed you to browse the recommended or top apps in a category and that was it. You couldn't search, install or anything. Seemed pretty pointless. Well folks, that has all changed. The new Android Market website allows you to not only search for any app in any category but it also allows you to purchase and install right from your desktop machine. If you happen to have more than one Android device you can choose which one you install the app to. You can even give a custom name to a device or hide it from the install list. The new Market site has a very nice UI and it just work. I told it to install an app on my Nexus One and the app was already downloading to my phone before I could pick it up and turn on the screen. Very cool. Anyone played with the new Market site yet? What do you think?


Friday, December 31, 2010

Video Demos Coming to the Android Market

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android Software" @ 09:00 AM

http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2...ff-demo-videos/

"Right now, there are about 2,000 apps with newly-added videos in the Market but they aren't being displayed just yet. They're also available via the Market API, so some sites like Appsfire have already begun integrating the video demos into their own listings via the Market API."

Video demos will be a great addition to the Market. Especially since return time was shortened to 15 minutes. While I don't think this is a replacement for a longer return time this should help reduce the returns needed. Have you bought an app lately that you returned or wished you would have? Would a video have been enough to keep you from wasting time and/or money?


Saturday, December 4, 2010

Google Sneaks Similar/Related Tab Into Android Market

Posted by Jason Lee in "Android Software" @ 02:30 PM

http://androinica.com/2010/12/03/up...e-related-apps/

"When I went to the Android Market on my HTC Desire today to see what's new, I noticed that an additional tab called "Similar" had appeared next to the About and Comments tabs when viewing an app."

Well look at that. It appears that those code ninjas at Google managed to sneak yet another feature into Android Market without anyone noticing. *Poof!* This "Similar" tab is starting to show up an many Android 2.2 devices. Folks around the interwebs are reporting that if the tab isn't showing up for you yet that clearing the app data for Market will force it to show up. I found that simply clearing the app cache was enough to get it to show up. No need to blow away all the app data. One interesting thing to note, on my Nexus One the tab is actually called "Related". Regardless, it's nice to see yet another way to help us find really cool programs in the Android Market.


Thursday, October 14, 2010

Archos Android Tablets Now Have A Real Marketplace

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Android News" @ 10:30 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/12/...orks-as-promis/

"Our biggest complaint about the variety of Archos tablets? The lack of the Android Market, of course. But while you've been able to sideload the Market apk on lots of these devices, there were apparently compatibility issues with Archos' new Android 2.1 / 2.2 tablets (like the Archos 32 we reviewed just a few weeks). But fear not: ArchosFans to the rescue!"

There may be a huge range of Android tablets and phones out there right now, but a depressing amount of them have been castrated by the lack of access to the Android Market. Some companies have tried are are trying to go their own way, such as Archos, Verizon, etc. However, those attempts find a much more limited selection of tools and toys. Part of what has made the iPhone the success that it is now is the app store. A simple, central location to get new programs and games and a fart app for any occasion. Without the Market, I find any Android device a lot less compelling to own. How about you? Is access to the Android Market a consideration when you get an Android based phone or tablet?


Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Upgrade For Android 2.0 Market May Appear Soon

Posted by Karey Westfall in "Android Software" @ 06:00 AM

http://www.androidcentral.com/silen...features-eclair

"We've got reports coming in that users with some Milestones, Vibrants and Fascinates running Android version 2.1-update 1 are seeing a silent update to the Android Market..."

Looks like a rumor has been reported that a possible upgrade for the Android 2.0 market may be in the works!


Reviews & Articles

Loading feed...

News

Loading feed...

Reviews & Articles

Loading feed...

News

Loading feed...

Reviews & Articles

Loading feed...

News

Loading feed...

Reviews & Articles

Loading feed...

News

Loading feed...

Reviews & Articles

Loading feed...

News

Loading feed...

Sponsored links