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Google Maps 'Android app' gets Zagat 'reviews and ratings'
More Zagat goodness from our friends at Google today. The restaurant guide's scores, summaries, reviews and ratings have "made their way" onto the Android version of Google Maps. Clicking Local in the "latest version of the app" brings up a list of local restaurants, searchable by category. You can also "check out reviews" and scores from folks in your Google+ circles and leave your own reviews. The Zagat-enabled version of the app is available now for $0. Check out a video "after the break."
Google Play adds in-app subscription support for Android
Google Play (formerly Android Market) now supports in-app subscriptions, so developers can optionally accept recurring payments for their apps. Subscriptions can be monthly or annual, and ... are all auto-renewing by default. Good news, developers! You'll get at least one accidental payment from a user.First out of the gate to support this is Glu Mobile, which appears to be using it for recurring conversions of money to in-game credits in games like Frontline Commando. There's even API functionality allowing developers to use in-app subscriptions to determine access to non-Android-based properties, like websites – allowing an Android app to serve as the subscription system.
Google brings in-app subscriptions to Android
Developers can never have too many options when it comes to ways to take your money. Google has opened the doors to In-app purchases, carrier billing and now, in-app subscriptions. Perhaps it wasn't enough that game creators be able to lure you in with perks and content you could purchase for a one-time fee, now devs can choose to hit you with a monthly charge for the privilege of using their wares. Of course, it's not all that bad. Subscription-based games aren't the only potential uses here. Customers can now buy monthly or annual subscriptions to services or publications as well. There's even a publisher API for extending the subscription beyond the walls of Google Play and your Android device. Glu Mobile will be first out the gate, turning on subscriptions in properties like Frontline Commando, but we're sure plenty of others will follow. Soon enough you might be able to get your New York Times subscription or Spotify Premium account without ever leaving the comfort of the Android app. Any handset with Google Play 3.5 or higher installed should have access to subscriptions starting today.
Google+ on Android gets its turn at a UI remake, extra Hangout and photo features in the bargain
Did you see the Google+ 2.0 update for iPhone and wonder if Google's attention had drifted away from its own baby? Don't fret, as the Android app has just been given similarly loving treatment. The interface shares the reworked stream look that we saw on iOS while keeping the swipe-to-switch category filters that Google+ has used from the start. There's even small rewards for having to watch your iPhone friends go first: you can now start a Hangout video chat from the main menu, get ringing Hangout notifications, download photos directly from conversations and edit your posts after the fact. The new look has already proved polarizing, but if you're the sort who revels in the purity of a Google social network running on a Google platform, you can now try the overhaul for yourself.
Mass Effect: Infiltrator available on Android today
Mass Effect: Infiltrator – developed by the same team responsible for the mobile version of Dead Space – is now available for download in the Google Play store for $6.99.In Mass Effect: Infiltrator, players take on the role of Cerberus defector Randall Ezno as he attempts to flee from a Cerberus base with intel for the Alliance. Progress in Mass Effect: Infiltrator affects your Galactic Readiness level in Mass Effect 3. And if you've been meaning to go back to the portable game, the latest update (version 1.0.3) added a new character and mission.
Sony-made Google TV units will come with Plex as standard
Plex has inadvertently announced that its excellent media center software will be baked into Sony's forthcoming range of Google TV devices. A customized version of its app for the platform arrived on Google Play, declaring that it was only available for download on "late model 2012 Sony internet TVs." When pressed on the matter, Plex revealed that it'll arrive pre-installed on the second generation gear, expected to arrive in Europe by September.
Insert Coin: Chameleon adaptive home screen replacement for Android tablets
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. If you're an Android tablet owner, you're likely very familiar with the drill: after you unlock the device, you're presented with a static home screen full of apps and widgets, which may or may not be relevant to your current need. The creators of Chameleon, a home screen replacement for Android 3.2 / 4.0 tablets, would like to change all that with a dynamic environment that'll adapt to your current GPS location, WiFi network or the time of day. Users may design and customize their ideal layouts, which may include news and social feeds in the morning, a calendar and tasks for the work environment and an assortment of entertainment options for the evening at home. Switching between these layouts isn't a problem, either, as you'll be able to flick between home screens just as you would with the standard Android interface. Like a good rug, the interface is attractive and really pulls everything together. Chameleon is currently a Kickstarter project, and its creators intend to unleash the creation into the Google Play Store this September. Those who donate $5 or more can expect early delivery of the app, which is currently slated for August. It never hurts to be early in line, and Chameleon might just rekindle your love for Android tablets. For a quick peek of what's in store, check the video after the break. [Thanks, Greg]
Sprint's Android users get carrier billing in Google Play
American Android users started getting carrier billing in Google Play early this month through T-Mobile (and later AT&T), and now Sprint can join the party. Any app, book, music or video purchase can be tacked on to the monthly bill for your EVO 4G LTE instead of going through Google. The move leaves Verizon as the only major US carrier without a carrier billing option, so you'll have to sit tight if you own the original US Galaxy Nexus and hate the thought of a separate download bill. We've also heard nothing about regional carriers being on the roadmap, but we'll keep you posted.
Firefox native version hits Android in beta, new UI and speedups tag along
Those who've liked Firefox for Android but have been clamoring for a native version can rest easy, as there's now a truly optimized version waiting for you in Google Play. Mozilla's new Firefox 14.0 beta now looks like, and importantly runs like, a full member of the Android family. Making the leap also affords it Flash support, a new starting page with top sites, secure Google searches and a slew of load time and responsiveness upgrades over the creakier, XUL-based version. Beta status should still trigger a moment of pause if you're not ready to accept a few bugs, but if you've got Android 2.2 or later, you're welcome to give Firefox a shot.
Google Play passes 15 billion downloads
Google Play, the download service formerly known as Android Market, crossed 15 billion downloads "a few weeks ago," Google told TechCrunch.There's no information about what percentage of that 15 billion is games, but we can at least look at this as a handy comparison to the nearest competitor: Google has served up 15 billion since October 2008, while iOS apps have been downloaded (as of March) 25 billion times since July 2008.There's also no information on how many of those downloads have been since the rebranding – we hope the name change hasn't been too confusing for Android users, leaving them desperately searching for the Android Market.
Google Play adds shared song playlist to Music, helps you relive your friends' terrible taste in tunes
Remember that funky beat your buddy at work shared with you over Google+? Don't bother digging through their post history, Mountain View's music service has you covered with its new "Shared with me" auto-playlist. This self-maintaining list keeps track of all the songs friends and colleagues send your way, making it easy to hunt down a catchy tune your brother sent you, or to endlessly ridicule a coworker's awful sense of sound. The playlist not only shows the track, artist, duration and price, but also a preview of the Google+ post (and a thumbnail of its author) that you scored the shared song from in the first place. Looking for lost music? Just take a look at your auto-playlists.
Google Play adds carrier billing for music, movies and books
Don't feel like having media purchased through Google Play billed directly to your credit card? Well, now you can have those charges simply added to your monthly phone bill, provided you're on T-Mobile here in the US, or NTT Docomo, KDDI, or Softbank in Japan. According to Google's posting about the move, Sprint will soon be offering the option to pay for movies, books and movies purchased through Big G's market along side your voice and data plan. For T-Mobile subscribers that means both apps and content can simply be added to your tab, while AT&T is sticking with carrier billing for apps only at the moment. Conspicuously absent from the whole shebang, however, is Verizon, which has been one of the more prominent Android pushers here in the US. For a complete list of carriers with at least some direct billing features check out the more coverage link.
Mobile Miscellany: week of April 23rd, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, we learned that ZTE intends to release a phablet of its own, and Samsung unseated Nokia as the world's largest supplier of mobile phones. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of April 23rd, 2012.
MMObility: Killing the bland in Iruna Online
Once again, Droid Gamers sent me a sweet tip regarding yet another Android-based MMO. This time around, it's Iruna Online, a real and actual MMO complete with open worlds, "millions" of other players, quests, equipment and monsters. In fact, the game reminds me in some ways of Final Fantasy XI. Iruna Online is not the first mobile MMO that has felt like the Square-Enix favorite, perhaps because they all share a similar art style. As I played, it struck me that the newer smartphones have enough power to run a game that looks as good as Final Fantasy XI, albeit with some graphics options turned down or off. The similarities basically end there, however. Iruna Online is one of the newer stock of mobile MMOs that show mobile massively multiplayer gaming is really here. It should not be shocking or surprising anymore. Just as in the PC market, we are going to see many titles stream from the Eastern market. Many of them will be duds, but many will also be very, very cool.
DirecTV Everywhere brings streaming movies, TV shows to Android right now, iPhone keeps waiting
DirecTV's still-in-beta "Everywhere" streaming package only arrived on the iPad a month ago, and now the company has updated its app for Android phones with access to the same set of video-on-demand streaming movies and TV shows for viewing wherever subscribers might be. Interestingly this feature is arriving on Google powered devices before it hits the iPhone (neither one so far has added the in-home live TV streaming feature from the iPad app, however the iPhone does have a player for the Nomad transcoder which Android and the iPad lack), in opposition to the usual trend of video streaming apps from cable and satellite TV providers, often for DRM and compatibility reasons. On Google Play the app was still installable on our various tablets and phones alike, although YMMV on what happens when you select the "Watch on Phone" tab to stream from HBO, Cinemax, Starz, Encore or DirecTV Cinema. Of course the usual DVR scheduling and remote control features are still present and accounted for, so hit the link below to grab the free app and try it out yourself.
Columbia's GPS Pal app for Android and iOS logs your hikes, geotags memories (video)
Move over, My Tracks -- you've got serious company. Google's own adventure tracking app just got majorly one-upped by a company that also happens to make heated jackets. Columbia's just-launched GPS Pal app is not only available on both Android and iOS, but it's actually designed to be used with a user account so that activity logs are neatly housed in a searchable, organized portal. It's free to download, and aside from monitoring your hikes and treks via GPS, it also syncs photos, videos, and trail information to a web journal automatically, complete with pinpoint geotagging information on each piece of media. As for data points? It'll keep track of elevation changes, current speed and distance traveled, and it makes sharing said trips to social networks quite the lesson in simplicity. Naturally, you'll need a data connection in order to upload media while on the trail -- something that's often hard to find -- but at least the app tells you how poor (or great) your GPS signal is at all times, which is all that's required to keep track of your actual steps. Head on past the break for a promo video, or hit the links below to grab it for your platform of choice.
Scalado Album launches for Android, we go hands-on (video)
Scalado just released Album, its first ever Android app to land in Google's Play store. The company -- which is best known for imaging technologies such as zero shutter lag, Rewind and Remove -- usually provides software to device manufacturers instead of end users directly. Album is billed as "a simple to use, high performance, photo/video viewer with a clean and smooth user interface" that handles pictures up to 200 (!) megapixels in size. The app costs $0.99 and is available for both smartphones and tablets. It features some interesting touches, like the ability to browse geotagged images using a map view. We had the opportunity to take Album for a quick spin before launch and the app offers an intuitive and responsive user experience. Beyond organizing photos into the usual bins -- like the camera roll and the folders on your device -- the main screen lets you browse content by time (monthly) and location (including nearby). You can delete, share, rotate (in place) and crop pictures, plus display the file info and turn images into wallpaper. The grid view uses animated thumbnails for the videos and supports multiple selection. While not groundbreaking, Album is a solid app and the aforementioned map view is definitely worth checking out. Take a peek at our gallery of screenshots below (from our HTC One X) and hit the break for Scalado's demo video and PR.
Google back in the smartphone sales game: unlocked Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ (GSM) available for $399
Hang on to your kneecaps, folks. Google's just announced that it's making the Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ available in its Play web store for $399 contract-free. That's right: the unlocked, unbranded, pure Google, 16GB GSM version everyone's been importing from foreign lands far and near is now officially available in the US -- booyah! The handset ships with Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and comes with Google Wallet pre-installed (including a $10 credit to get you started with the company's mobile payment service). As a refresher, it's not Google's first time in the smartphone sales game. The company made the Nexus One available on its own website in 2010 before pulling the plug and then partnering with Best Buy to sell the Nexus S later that year. One of the problems with the Nexus One was support -- or lack thereof. Google's assured us things will be different this time and it will be offering proper support for its Nexus flagship. We sure hope so. The Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ is on sale now for $399 (plus taxes and two-day shipping) in the new Devices section of the Play web store. It's a phenomenal deal for one of the best Android phones on the market today -- especially when you consider it provides 21Mbps HSPA+ with great battery life (unlike the "fake" Nexus) and no commitment on your choice of AT&T or T-Mobile. So go ahead, stick it to the carriers and get a taste of dumb-pipe utopia -- delicious, isn't it?
500px launches Android app, adds iPad update on the side
Confined to the imposing shadow of a certain filter-heavy Facebook purchase, 500px is another photo-sharing network making the eco-system leap to Android. 500px is built around collections of high-quality images that are automatically updated and streamed, with a full search option to seek out specific images. Alongside the ability to share photos on the likes of Twitter and Facebook, professionals can attempt to make their fortune by selling their images through the app and companion website. If you're just there for the sumptuous landscapes and close-ups, however, you can collate slideshows from photostreams and build up your own collection of favorite images. 500px has unleashed an update to its iPad version at the same time, cranking up the resolution to make the most of the new retina display and adding the ability to download full-size HD versions of your purchased photos. Anyone concerned with the little ones perusing some of the more risqué images can also breathe a sigh of relief -- 500px has added an improved NSFW filter. If you're overwhelmed with Instagram's new influx of enthusiastic patrons, you can try 500px's slightly different approach to photo sharing at the download links below.
New Spotify for Android preview (hands-on)
In case you hadn't heard, Spotify's finally given its Android app the update love it deserves. It's looking for feedback in the form of an app preview, available to download now -- if you're willing to install from "unknown sources". The update is a top-to-bottom refresh, bringing the sort of functions (lockscreen player?) we've been patiently waiting for, all wrapped up in Android's Holo theme. How does it all fare? Step beyond the break to see.
