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FTC issues warning to apps covertly monitoring TV broadcasts
It's like the those skeevy flashlight apps all over again. The Federal Trade Commission has sent out a warning to mobile software developers using the Silverpush framework that their applications could be invading the privacy of unknowing consumers. As Fortune notes, Silverfish and others of its ilk are why some apps that don't do anything in terms of voice transmission ask for permission to access your microphone. This alone sounds a bit creepy, but trust me, it gets even more gross.
Google wants you to livestream Android games
Google is about to introduce some behind-the-scenes frameworks that should make playing and sharing Android games considerably easier. On top of expanding Android game recording to let developers add the feature themselves (due in the "coming months"), it's adding a live streaming feature. If you want to share your Alto's Adventure exploits on YouTube as they happen, it'll be an option. Details aren't available as I write this, but it could do a lot to expand the live game streaming community beyond console and PC players.
Google helps Android app makers understand its rules
It's frustrating when a favorite Android app disappears from Google Play, but it's even worse when that happens due to a misunderstanding of the rules. Do you really want to lose access over an honest mistake? Google is taking steps to prevent that from happening in the future. It just overhauled its Developer Program Policy Center to make app guidelines easy to understand, reducing the chances that an app will get the boot.
Google Play Games ditches the Google+ log-in requirement
Your Google+ account continues to get a little less useful. The folks in Mountain View announced today that Google Play Games would not longer require the aforementioned log-in. Over the coming weeks, titles integrated with the company's gaming hub will transition to new Gamer IDs. You don't have to wait, though, as you can secure a handle with the Google Play Games app right now. Choose from over 40 avatars for your profile picture while you're at it.
Google will lay Play for Education to rest in March
Google is shutting down its Education initiative's curated app portal. The company launched Play for Education in 2013 to give educators in the US an easy way to buy apps and books en masse and push them to their students' Android tablets. It made its way to Chromebooks a year layer and headed to the UK and Canada in 2015. Now, Google has confirmed to both CRN and TechCrunch that it will stop selling Play for Education licenses by March 14th.
Google backs away from banning dedicated Android ad blockers
Google's tough stance on dedicated Android ad blockers might be softening a bit. The company has reversed its decision to yank Adblock Fast from the Play Store following an appeal from the app's developer, Rocketship. Google hasn't officially said what prompted the change of heart (we'll let you know if it has a comment), but TechCrunch understands that Google had originally wanted to limit ad blocking to browsers where it's an option -- any stand-alone apps were against the rules for interfering with other software. Our understanding is that Google is now concerned solely with banning those apps that interfere without permission. Given that Rocketship was working with Samsung, that shouldn't be a problem.
Google pulls Samsung-backed ad blocker from the Play Store
Samsung may have stirred up more trouble than it was expecting when it started blocking ads in its Android web browser. Google has pulled Adblock Fast, the app partner for Samsung's feature, from the Play Store. Allegedly, the title (made by Rocketship Apps) violates Google Play's policies by interfering with other apps and services. That's a bit baffling, since Adblock Fast uses Samsung's own code and had the Korean firm's explicit blessing -- Adblock Plus is using the same code and hasn't run into trouble. The concern, as you can imagine, is that Google might be retaliating against Samsung for daring to hurt its bread-and-butter ad business.
Podcasts are showing up in Google Play Music for some users
Yesterday, HBO's Bill Simmons tipped the arrival of podcasts in Google Play Music this month, and the launch appears to be close at hand. In fact, Android Police reports that podcasts are showing up inside the app for a few users. Google revealed its plans to bring the episodic audio content to its app back in October, but there was no word on a launch date or how they would work with the existing software. Thanks to an apparent server issue during the test phase, we now have a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Facebook backup plan would keep it running on Android
It won't shock you to hear that Facebook and Google are at odds with each other given their competing ad and search interests, but it now sounds like Facebook is ready if things ever really go down the tubes. The Information's sources hear that the social network has a years-old contingency plan should Google ever pull its Android app from the Play Store. To begin with, Facebook would replicate many of the services that you get through Google Play-enabled apps, like in-app purchases and updates. It has also explored ways to help people download its app outside of a store, and considered alternatives to Google Maps for location info.
Google Play holiday deals include three months of music for $1
Most big digital retailers do holiday deals, and Google Play is no exception. Google surely wants the recipients of new Android phones and tablets to get used to buying things through its storefront as quickly as possible. While that obviously benefits Google, that doesn't mean these deals aren't pretty solid this year. Perhaps the best deal is three months of Google Play Music for $1 -- a deal that'll also include commercial-free videos on YouTube Red and full access to the new YouTube Music app. That deal is comparable with promos Spotify has been running for some time (not to mention the free three months of Apple Music still up for grabs), but sadly you'll need to be a new subscriber to take advantage.
Word-puzzler 'Scribblenauts Unlimited' returns to mobile
Scribblenauts started as a handheld game, and now the adorable interactive dictionary puzzler is making its way to Android and iOS after an extended break from mobile. 2012's Scribblenauts Unlimited (which appeared on 3DS, PC and Wii U) is available right now on Google Play and as a universal app on iTunes for the cool price of $4.99. A version's heading toward the Amazon Appstore on Android as well.
Google Play Movies finally adds AirPlay support
Cupertino recently announced that the Apple TV has some 2,600 applications in its ecosystem and one of them just got a pretty major update. The app in question is none other than Google Play Movies and TV. The update? AirPlay support. No, you aren't misreading that. It actually happened. If you're heavily invested in Mountain View's entertainment ecosystem (but for whatever reason haven't added a Chromecast to your A/V gear), this should come as pretty welcome news.
Google Play Music's family plan goes live this week
Back in September, Google announced that it would offer a family plan for its Play Music subscription service, and today it's finally launching. Just like Apple Music, $14.99 every month will get you and up to five additional family members access to the Google Play streaming music library. That includes access to 35 million songs on demand, ad-free playback (naturally) and the ability for each family member to stream simultaneously on their own devices.
Google lowers minimum app prices in 17 countries
To many people around the globe, 99-cent apps might still be too expensive. In an effort to reach more people worldwide, Google has lowered the minimum app price in the Play Store for 17 countries, after a successful pilot in India earlier this year. Prices vary depending on location: Indians enjoy the lowest minimum price of 10 Indian Rupees (15 cents), while folks in Turkey and Ukraine will be able to buy the cheapest apps for 21 cents each. Poland is getting the smallest price cut of them all, but the minimum amount still costs less than half a dollar at 45 cents. You can find the full price list below the fold with their US dollar conversations. If you're a developer willing to sell at a lower price, you can adjust your apps' pricing scheme under "Pricing & Distribution" or "In-app Products" in Google Play's Developer Console.
LG's smart TVs will stream Google Play movies this month
Who said that TVs with Google Play Movies & TV had to be running Android? Certainly not LG. It just announced that many of its recent smart TVs (including both webOS- and NetCast-based models) will offer Google Play streaming this month. While it's not as if you've been hurting for viewing options on any of these sets, this could be extremely useful if you prefer to buy or rent movies and want to sync your viewing between your smartphone and a big screen. TV shows will only be available on launch in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US, but you'll find movies in a whopping 104 countries.
Google Play Books is more comic friendly thanks to vertical scrolling
Is Google Play Books your go-to app for reading comic books? If so, your digital page turning is about to get a whole lot better. While the app is getting a number of updates, the most notable is the introduction of vertical scrolling. Rather than having to flip to the next page, which can be a bit awkward when it comes to comics on a phone or tablet, simply turn your device to landscape mode and scroll vertically with a swipe. There's a curated series section too, organizing volumes, issues and editions of some of the most popular titles. To help you find new reading material, the app will also offer personalized recommendations based on what you're reading. Just as a reminder, Google Play Books houses comics from major publishers like DC Comics, Marvel, Image, IDW and Dark Horse. The update is rolling out to Android users "over the next few days" and iOS is said to follow soon after for users in the US, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, India, Singapore, Ireland, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Google Play Music finally gets into the podcasting game
For the plethora of musical choices offered on Google Play Music, one genre has been noticeably absent: podcasts. Not anymore! Google announced today on its Official Android Blog that the streaming service will soon offer a variety of popular podcasts including Nerdist, Earwolf, How Stuff Works and StarTalk Radio, to name just a few. A proper consumer-side service appears to still be a few months away so, for now, Google's created a portal for US-based podcasters to begin uploading their personal content.
Google's redesigned Play store starts rolling out
After being teased last week by Google engineer Kirill Grouchnikov, the redesigned Play store has apparently started showing up on some Android devices. Android Central says the new mobile shop for apps, books, music, movies and more, which features a simplified tab-based interface, hit one of its smartphones last night. We checked ours to no avail, so you shouldn't freak out if it's not on yours either. Now that it's out there for certain people, it won't be too long before everyone can begin using it. Patience is a virtue.
George Harrison's solo catalog is available at most streaming services
If you enjoy listening to solo work from members of The Beatles, the library of options just got larger. The solo catalog of guitarist George Harrison hit most music streaming services today. This means that you'll be able to access the musician's tracks on the likes of Apple Music, Deezer, Google Play, Rdio, Spotify, Tidal and others, including albums like Living in the Material World. If you aren't familiar with Harrison's solo music, now's a good time to get acquainted. The newly-posted albums join those of former bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr on streaming services, but the music of the group as a whole remains off limits there. To make things easy for you, we've embedded All Things Must Pass on the other side of the break. [Image credit: AP Photo/Brich]
Google Play's pending redesign gets an early tease
While an app store redesign may not be the most exciting update, there are some pending tweaks to the Google Play store app that tidy things up a bit. Thanks to Google software engineer Kirill Grouchnikov, we have an early look at a few of the changes. Aside from some aesthetic polish and scrolling animations, Google is dividing the store into two main parts: Apps & Games and Entertainment. Google Play is currently divided into six categories that appear when you first open up the app, so reducing those down to two seems to simplify matters a bit. There's also support for languages that read right to left, based on some of the screenshots Grouchnikov uploaded to Google+. Unfortunately, there's no indication as to when Android users will receive the update. For now, you can see how the Google Play has evolved since its early days as Android market on the other side of the break.
