Google Play Store update brings in-app purchase markers and a touch of social networking

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Google has just pushed out an update to the Google Play Store app that can turn out to be a mixed blessing to users. While it does offer a few new conveniences, it also now integrates a bit more with Google’s social networking ecosystem.

The new Google Play Store will feature an indicator telling users if an app, whether free or paid, has in-app purchases or IAP. The indicator doesn’t offer anything more than that, unfortunately. It should, however, give users a heads up that the free app they’re downloading will have some strings attached.

The other new major feature for the Play Store app is an activity feed. Those familiar with digital distribution systems like Steam will be familiar with how one can opt to show others latest purchases, played games, and other forms of activity. That will similarly be the case here to some extent. Users will be able to view and share with others a stream of their activities, though it is not clear whether those will be limited to +1 or reviews only. There is also an amount of integration with Google+, allowing users to view a user’s Google+ profile directly from the Play Store app. It is also unknown if one’s Google Play Store activity will automatically be mirrored on one’s Google+ feed as well, or if there will be certain filters and switches that can be applied.

Google is really playing up the social aspects of Play Store even in its review and rating features. Google has improved the interface to make this communal part of the app ecosystem more prominent and is trying to make it easier for users to leave reviews or star ratings. At the same time, Play Store will be pushing apps and content highly recommended by your contacts in search lists, just in case you happen to enjoy the same things they do.

Google Play Store 4.5.10 is already rolling out to some users, but, as always, it will take some time to reach everyone in all markets.

VIA: Android Police

Amazon launched WorkSpaces, brings Android app with it

The new Amazon WorkSpaces was quietly introduced yesterday to little fanfare. Essentially, it’s a virtual machine for an existing for existing environments. Users can access their stuff via the Amazon cloud, and work remotely. It’s a very sneaky B2B service, and one that could garner Amazon a lot of enterprise customers.

One way users enjoy working when mobile is via their mobile devices. With Amazon being the more widespread interface, Amazon was smart to release their Amazon WorkSpaces app for Android. It’s free to download, and from what we can tell, looks the part. The interface looks clean, and appears simple to use with a touchscreen device. It mimics your desktop, on your Android phone or tablet, from anywhere.

This doesn’t quite make much sense for the consumer, though. You’ll have to be running IT on a corporate scale, and the service is said to run between $35 and $75 monthly. Of course, if you’ve already got a system in place and want to use an Amazon WorkSpace, the utility becomes sublime. Amazon is touting that the service works on any mobile device, and even hints that it could work with wearables in the future.

Between an Amazon WorkSpace and various mobile devices, we see this as something that could catch on widely. With BYOD becoming a popular option for employers, and tablets catching on in the workplace, it’ll be exciting to see just how services like Amazon WorkSpace catch on.

Distribution of Android may 2013: jelly bean reached 33% and almost brings gingerbread!

By Gabriel Manceau 4 June 2013

The distribution of the versions of Android our is still a good possibility, development and modernity mobile OS prefers to see. Like every month, Google provides numbers in his possession based on the devices that play connect to Google. There are jelly bean is now almost at the level of the gingerbread 2.3!

If the views of the mountains-giant communicates these numbers, it is first and foremost for developers know the distribution of Android and their applications and their capabilities to adapt that to the largest number of possible binding foot. We can say that our OS needs which gradually gaining ground on the old, but very popular for some track to the proposed versions.

The distribution of Android is for the benefit of jelly bean!

Jelly bean contains 4.1.x and 4.2.x versions, the obvious the nexus Terminal, but all current devices of different brands. It is for example the case of the popular smartphones Galaxy, but the HTC and Xperia Tablet Z, to name a few. Google updated policy and manufacturers who play the game are the stepper motors. Gingerbread 2.3 rest still leading with 36.5% versus 38.4% in the past month are almost jelly bean and his 33% vs. 28.4% 30 days before.

The distribution of Android for may 2013

The distribution of Android jelly bean rose 5% in just one month! Ice cream sandwich comes with 25.6% of the devices. The other versions are now marginal with only 4.9%. The other version of jelly bean should gingerbread, as soon as next month exceed... Which version of the operating system you have on your Smartphone or Tablet?

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