Android Community |
- Metallica arrives on Spotify
- LG: High demand is to blame for Nexus 4 shortage
- DROID RAZR HD and MAXX HD Jelly Bean rolling out now [Download]
- Spotify hits 1 million paid subscribers in US
- Archos GamePad 7-inch Jelly Bean tablet available now
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City pulled from the Google Play Store
- Samsung Galaxy S IV may include an unbreakable screen
- MetroPCS launches Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G
- Apple and Samsung in court again over $1bn fine
- Nik Software and Google bring Snapseed app to Android
- Apple and HTC heavily redacted settlement agreement surfaces
- SwiftKey Flow beta keyboard available now [Fingers-on]
- Android Community Nightly: December 5th, 2012
- Jelly Bean update now rolling out to Archos 101 XS
- US Army brings SGT. STAR app to Google Play Store
- Rhapsody takes on Shazam with their new app ‘SongMatch’
- Google Voice and Authenticator also updated today in the Play Store
- Skype video messaging outed in updated Terms of Service
- Just 25 app developers took in 50% of revenue in November
- Verizon celebrates two year anniversary of 4G LTE launch
| Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:34 AM PST We already heard today that Spotify has hit 5 million paid subscribers worldwide, but this next bit of news might just be bigger, depending on your music tastes. It turns out that today is the day Metallica’s full music library goes live on Spotify. That means you can now listen each and every one of the legendary band’s songs for free.
Of course, Metallica will be getting a cut of the money from those advertisements that will play every once in a while as you’re listening, so this is a beneficial relationship for both the band and for Spotify. This is notable because of Lars Ulrich’s campaign against piracy, which was running strong back around the time Napster was at its peak. Interestingly enough, Ulrich and former Napster head Sean Parker appeared on stage today to announce the addition of Metallica to the Spotify library. Up on stage, Ulrich said that his battle against piracy wasn’t about the money, but rather about control. Just the same, Parker said that the idea behind Napster wasn’t simply “free music” but freedom in general. Parker reiterated that he never intended Napster to be about theft, despite the fact that many people used the service for music piracy. In any case, it appears that the two former enemies have since made good, and Ulrich appears very pleased with the fact that Metallica’s library can now be found on Spotify. The Spotify Android app is available now on the Google Play Store [download link], so be sure to give it a download if you haven’t already. Who’s ready to listen to some metal? [via SlashGear] |
| LG: High demand is to blame for Nexus 4 shortage Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:12 AM PST Today some reports and comments are coming out from the folks at LG regarding supply and demand for the hotly anticipated and selling like crazy LG Nexus 4. As you all know, the new smartphone has sold out in 20-30 minutes almost every time it has been available. Today CNET UK had a quick talk with LG and they had some rather bland and “duh” replies.
While talking about the Nexus with with LG UK the question came up regarding supply and demand and why they weren’t able to keep up. The phone has been rather elusive for all those people looking to buy one (myself included) and LG simply stated “high demand” was the problem. My first reply was: what did you expect? An amazing phone for $299 wouldn’t be in high demand? They must be taking crazy pills. Back in November the device sold out in about 25 minutes, then last week it went up for sale again only to completely crash the Google Play Store (which I still call BS on) and users have been trying their darnest to get their own. The smartphone has went from 8-9 week ship times, to sold out, to back down to shipping in 4-5 weeks. Basically it’s been a hot mess for Google and LG. Either they’re selling waaaay more than anticipated, or this is a clever trick to keep the smartphone in the limelight.
So far it looks like Google’s original estimates were way short of the actual demand. From what CNET is reporting LG supplied what was asked of them, so clearly something doesn’t quite add up. I’m not quite sold on the fact that the Play Store couldn’t handle the demand, considering millions and millions of smartphones access it every single minute. To me this sounds like a clever marketing trick to keep Google, Android, and the LG Nexus 4 in the news. I’m fine with all 3 of course because Android is boss, but still. I can’t help but wonder what the actual sales numbers would be if everyone that wanted one was able to purchase it already. Have you managed to get a Nexus 4 yet? Or are you still waiting for those long ship estimates, or for another chance at the Play Store order process? Let us know! Device Info
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| DROID RAZR HD and MAXX HD Jelly Bean rolling out now [Download] Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:47 AM PST Earlier this week the official update to Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean started rolling out to the Motorola DROID RAZR HD and MAXX HD. Sadly it appears to be a rather small group who got it and many users are still patiently awaiting its arrival. Today we can confirm Verizon and Motorola are pushing the update to users on a mass scale, and we’ve received multiple reports of users receiving the OTA this morning.
Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean for the DROID RAZR HD and MAXX HD brings tons of neat new changes. They’ve replaced the Motorola Blur on-screen navigation buttons and notification pulldown icons all with stock Android — which looks great — and you’ll be able to enjoy everything we love about Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Expandable notifications, Google Now search (which is awesome) project butter for a smooth and faster OS and much much more. You’ll get to enjoy the new Jelly Bean keyboard, and Motorola and Verizon have fixed some data connectivity issues, improved battery life and more. Then they’ve removed Verizon Video, the Color app, and a few other pieces of bloatware but replaced them with a suite of Amazon apps. If you don’t want to wait for the update don’t worry, because we have you covered. The update to Jelly Bean is about 276MB in size and should only take a few minutes to download and install. For those that don’t want to wait for the OTA to arrive we have it available below for download. Below is the official OTA update file for the DROID RAZR HD and MAXX HD to Jelly Bean. You’ll need to be completely stock, up to date with the latest OTA, and flash this in the stock recovery.
That’s it folks. You’ll now be enjoying the latest and official Android 4.1 JB for the DROID RAZR HD and MAXX HD. As usual proceed at your own risk, and you might want to run OTA Rootkeeper should you want to keep root access. Now if I could only have vanilla Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean on the MAXX HD, then I’d truly be happy. Enjoy folks! |
| Spotify hits 1 million paid subscribers in US Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:31 AM PST We have a feeling that some of you like Spotify just as much as we do, because today the company announced a rather big milestone for the music streaming service. Today Spotify CEO Daniel Ek announced that the service has 1 million paid subscribers in the US, which is a pretty big achievement. It gets even better though, as Ek also said that there are 5 million paid subscribers worldwide.
It would seem that Spotify has taken off in a big way, as those numbers mean that Spotify has doubled its paid userbase in just one year. That certainly isn’t anything to scoff at, and we can imagine that things will keep getting better for the service for some time to come. When everything has been added up, Spotify says that it has a total of 20 million users across 17 different markets, and those users have created more than one billion playlists. Of course, Spotify is bringing in money from each and every user, since those who are using the service for free hear advertisements occasionally between songs. It seems that Spotify has been good for artists too, as Ek said today that the company has paid out more than $500 million to the people who make the music. This seems to be a case where everyone wins in one way or another, which is great. Since Spotify offers so much music, you might be thinking that most of it never gets played by users. Actually, the contrary appears to be true, as Ek says that 80 percent of Spotify’s catalog has been streamed. Spotify is available on the Google Play Store [download link] as well as a number of other platforms, so if you haven’t given it a spin, it might be worth checking out. Are you one of Spotify’s millions of users, or haven’t you tried it out yet? [via SlashGear] |
| Archos GamePad 7-inch Jelly Bean tablet available now Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:00 AM PST Today the folks from Archos have announced their newest tablet is finally available for purchase. However, this isn’t any ordinary Android tablet. Instead Archos has released their brand new GamePad for Android. They’re calling this the first true Android game console. This GamePad is a perfect companion for ShadowGun: DeadZone, or the brand new GTA: Vice City. More details on this gaming device below.
We first mentioned the Archos GamePad back in August, and briefly managed to see a quick video of the tablet in October but starting today it’s finally available for all you Android gaming fans. Even better news is they’ve actually beefed up development and the tablet is launching with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
The Archos GamePad isn’t a top-tier device by any means, but Archos is aiming for the budget crowd here and have kept the price down. You’ll get a 7-inch 1024 x 600 resolution display, a 1.6 GHz dual-core processor, quad-core graphics for gaming, WiFi, Bluetooth as usual and then of course all those dedicated gaming buttons and joysticks. You’ll also get 8GB of internal storage, micro-SD for expanding storage, and mini HDMI-out to stream games right to your TV. This could be the ultimate gaming device for Android. Sadly this isn’t available in the US quite yet, and initially the launch is taking place in Europe, available today starting at 149.99€ or $199 USD. The GamePad has full support for the Google Play Store and Archos has developed an exclusive “game mapping tool” so users can quickly map on-screen keys to the dedicated GamePad for the best experience. I can’t wait to try one out with ShadowGun: DeadZone, and all the other awesome games for Android. We’ll update once we hear more regarding a US release. Archos states it will be available stateside early next year.       Device Info
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| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City pulled from the Google Play Store Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:38 AM PST Today was supposed to be an excellent day for Android gaming fans, especially those that enjoy Grand Theft Auto. Today was the official launch day for the iconic RockStar Games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, but sadly they appear to be having a few issues at the moment. After the game went live on the Play Store this morning, it has since been removed and many buyers are experiencing issues.
GTA III was delayed more than a few times, so it’s safe to say we might be having the same situation here on Android with Vice City. After multiple users purchased the new game this morning they were met with errors while trying to install, and eventually RockStar Games pulled the game from our store. XAPK validation issues are causing a bit of trouble for the gaming company, and now they’ve issued a quick statement claiming the game wasn’t actually supposed to be available yet this morning, and that GTA: Vice City will be back on the Android Play Store soon. Here’s their comment right from the Rockstar Blog:
Not sure how you mess up that bad and manage to publish a game to the Google Play Store without a complete validation in place, but what do I know. For those that managed to get the game and are enjoying it already, let us know how amazing it is in the comments below. For everyone else it looks like we’ll have to wait for it to return on the Play Store. We’ll update once we know more. |
| Samsung Galaxy S IV may include an unbreakable screen Posted: 06 Dec 2012 08:51 AM PST The rumor mill is hot with the latest rumblings about Samsung’s likely Galaxy S IV. We heard that Samsung may have three new devices in development, and the one that most people took notice of is “Project J,” which is likely to be the Galaxy S IV. The most recent rumor on the Galaxy S IV did not tell us any details about the device, just stated that Samsung is actually working on it.
If not the Galaxy S IV, the phone that comes after, which will probably be called Galaxy S V, will almost certainly include an unbreakable display which might even be flexible. Other than these screen, we’ve heard some reports of solid specs for the Galaxy S IV. It looks like it will come with a solid quad-core processor and some other slick goodies. Whether the screen is unbreakable or not, we’ve heard that it will most certainly be better than the screen of the Galaxy S III. It could have a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch, which is substantially better than the S III’s 306 ppi. We are quite sure we will hear plenty more rumors of the Galaxy S IV before it releases. Speaking of which, we’ve heard rumors that device could be announced as soon as April or May, so we may not have to wait all that long. [via Reuters] |
| MetroPCS launches Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G Posted: 06 Dec 2012 07:59 AM PST MetroPCS is adding a new device to its smartphone lineup. The new device is an upgrade to the Samsung Admire. It adds 4G LTE connectivity to the entry-level Samsung smartphone. Besides 4G connectivity, the device also comes equipped with some other upgrades and improvements, and it maintains an affordable price tag.
The new phone comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread installed, which seems to be one place the device was not moved forward very much. A front-facing camera was also added for video chatting and the like. With the 4G data, the device also gains access to MetroPCS Mobile Hotspot for an additional monthly charge. The device is available online starting today and at MetroPCS retail stores starting tomorrow, December 7 for $169. It is available with plans ranging from $30 to $70 per month. Users looking for an entry-level smartphone with 4G connectivity could have just found the perfect phone.     |
| Apple and Samsung in court again over $1bn fine Posted: 06 Dec 2012 07:30 AM PST Apple and Samsung are going to a place they both should be all too familiar with today; the courtroom. Samsung is hoping to fight off that massive $1bn judgement against them. Apple, on the other hand, is actually hoping to get another $535m tacked on to the judgement. Apple is arguing that because the jury ruled that Samsung’s infringement was willful, it should be required to pay an even higher penalty.
Samsung is claiming that the total was added incorrectly by the jury and is seeking a recount. The ruling was already changed slightly after it was first announced when Samsung pointed out that the jury had granted Apple money for a device that was not found to be infringing in the first place. Perhaps something similar will happen when Samsung presents these arguments today. The foreman of the jury for this case has presented some problems, and Samsung will surely be using the arguments against him today. He is responsible for guiding the jury punitively, instead of decided based on the value of each device. He also failed to disclose that he was sued by Seagate – a partner of Samsung – which may have made him biased in the case. Of course, today will not be the end, and regardless of the decision, plenty of appeals are sure to follow. [via Slashgear] |
| Nik Software and Google bring Snapseed app to Android Posted: 06 Dec 2012 07:05 AM PST Today, Google announced that it is bringing Snapseed to Google Play. The new app is available now on Google Play. You can head to Google Play, to get the app now, although some users are getting errors when clicking on the link.
The app includes basic adjustments such as crop, tune, and straighten. It also comes with plenty of filters to give your photos a more personal feel. Some included filters are drama, black & white, and vintage. Each can be applied individually or in combination. Another cool feature of Snapseed is what they call Control Point technology. This allows you to only edit a portion of your photo. For example, you could choose to only edit the face of a subject in the picture. As you would expect, you can share your creations to Google+ and other social networks. |
| Apple and HTC heavily redacted settlement agreement surfaces Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:40 AM PST Apple and HTC came to an agreement last month that ended a two-year battle between the two companies. At first, we heard that Apple was receiving $6-$8 for every phone HTC sold, but HTC has since shot that down. Shortly after the ruling, Samsung was given access to the agreement since it could affect its own patents and suits.
We know that Apple and HTC have settled on a non-exclusive, non-sublicensable, and non-transferable license for various patents between the two companies. There are provisions that exclude nine HTC patents and various Apple patents, and an arbitration process for any Apple product HTC decides to clone. Want to know what devices? Well that information, like much of the agreement, is covered. Another interesting piece of information is that both Apple and HTC have agreed to remain silent on the issue. This is quite a change of pace compared to what we are used to, with Apple and Samsung constantly at each others’ throats. While the document does not tell us much, at least we get a little something out of it. [via Slashgear] |
| SwiftKey Flow beta keyboard available now [Fingers-on] Posted: 06 Dec 2012 12:02 AM PST We’ve seen and heard a lot regarding the awesome upcoming keyboard from the folks at SwiftKey, but today it’s finally available. The next generation in keyboards is finally here and they’re calling it SwiftKey Flow. We first mentioned this back in October, and today they’ve opened up their public beta to all the members of the SwiftKey VIP community.
SwiftKey Flow brings the power of gesture based typing or gliding to the most popular 3rd party keyboard for Android. SwiftKey 3 has been the number one selling keyboard for a long time, and today it just got a heck of a lot better. Just like Swype and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean’s keyboard the folks from SiwftKey have added the element of flowing or gesture based typing. What makes this even more unique is we still get all the awesome features of SwiftKey with the benefit of gesture typing should you choose. You’ve probably seen plenty about SwiftKey already, especially their new Flow keyboard, but just in case here’s our quick hands-on video that should give you another idea of what to expect from SwiftKey Flow. Their AI prediction and “next-word” prediction is the best available, and now works seamless with flowing. For more details on SwiftKey you can look at our various hands-on and reviews in the timeline below. This is everything we already enjoy with SwiftKey 3, only now you can Flow. We still have the awesome prediction, themes and colors, 45+ language support, and the ability to learn from your previous typing habits. Add all that to gesture based keyboards and this is really the all-in-one keyboard for Android — just as we stated in the video. I personally really like the SwiftKey stats page in settings. It enables you to see just how impressive the keyboard really is, and how much faster and more efficient you’ve become as a typist. The stats show everything you’ve done, words saved, predictions made, and now how far you’ve been flowing. In less than two days I’ve been flowing for over 200 feet, or 66 meters. Neat right? Check out the stats and more in the gallery below. The all new SwiftKey Flow is available as a public beta starting today. It’s available as we speak for members of their VIP community so be sure and head over and sign up today by clicking here. Give the new SwiftKey Flow a try and let us know what you think. Enjoy!      |
| Android Community Nightly: December 5th, 2012 Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:39 PM PST Today was another fun-filled day complete with tons of Android news. Our good friends from Mountain View had a few software updates and their once CEO Eric Schmidt was even in the news talking about Apple and their lawsuits. For all the Android news that was worth a quick roundup today hit the various links below after the break.
To start things off Verizon and Motorola reminded us that the Jelly Bean update is rolling out for the DROID RAZR HD and MAXX HD, and did so by sending Android Community a bunch of Jelly Belly’s. I ate half the bag and now I feel sick. While we’re talking about hardware rumors are circulating about an HTC device with a 5-inch 1080p display, 13 megapixel camera, and quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro — similar to the DNA but probably for AT&T. Then Huawei’s 6.1-inch 1080p smartphone got confirmed by one of their execs, and Sony announced some new budget friendly phones. The awesome bamboo cases for the Nexus 7 are shipping today, T-Mobile got more Nexus 4 phones in stock but decided to be rude and jack up the price. It’s all about demand supply and demand folks! Then Samsung is continuing strong and have opened a new Samsung Experience Store in Paris. I want a ride in one of those Samsung scooter taxis.
Probably the most exciting news for us was the updates from Google. Both the talk from their once CEO on Apple and those pesky lawsuits, then the actual update to Google Search. They’ve updated their search for Android 4.1+ devices enjoying Google Now. The update brought more voice actions (post to G+ using your voice) you’ll get boarding passes for United Airlines right in Google Now, better suggestions while searching, traveling, and much much more. We’re loving Google Now and everything Google’s done to improve it. Dropbox updated their popular cloud service app with folder moving, almost like a file manager. Oh and Verizon was happy to celebrate the 2-year anniversary of 4G LTE today. Good stuff Verizon, keep it up! We learned that small developers don’t make much money, and 50% of revenue from the Play Store was split between just 25 developers. Google Voice got a much needed update to fix SMS delays and inbox syncing, and last but certainly not least Rhapsody launched their own music-tagging Shazam rival. Hit any of the links above for more details. Enjoy this Wednesday evening and we’ll see you tomorrow! |
| Jelly Bean update now rolling out to Archos 101 XS Posted: 05 Dec 2012 06:12 PM PST If you happen to own a Archos 101 XS tablet, then today is a good day. That’s because Archos has started rolling out updates to Android 4.1.1 to 101 XS users, so it shouldn’t be too much longer before you have Jelly Bean running on your tablet. No, it isn’t Android 4.2, but considering that this tablet has only been around for a few months, this is pretty great news.
Of course, this also means you get all of the benefits of Jelly Bean over Ice Cream Sandwich, which are plentiful. With this firmware release, Archos has also made an update to the Archos Video Player. Video information retrieval and media indexing have been simplified with this release, with Archos also implementing a new network shares infrastructure. Moving forward, Archos says that “Archos Video, Music, File Manager, System Monitor applications (embedded in the firmware)” updates will be occurring through the Google Play Store. Other than Jelly Bean, the new features for the Archos video player, and the news about future firmware updates, there’s nothing more to see with this update. You’ll have plenty to do with Jelly Bean though, so we doubt users will mind the fact that there aren’t many additional features with this update. When we reviewed the 101 XS back in August, we found that it was a pretty generic budget tablet but still a step in the right direction for Archos. This update to Jelly Bean makes the deal even sweeter, so if you’re looking for a wallet-friendly tablet that isn’t completely out of date, the XS 101 might be worthy of some attention. Have you already received your Jelly Bean update, or are you still waiting for it to arrive? [via Archos] |
| US Army brings SGT. STAR app to Google Play Store Posted: 05 Dec 2012 05:37 PM PST Joining the Army is a big decision and a life-changing event for many people, so it makes sense that you might have a lot of questions if you’re thinking about enlisting. Normally, heading off an Army recruiter is a good idea if you have some questions to ask, but starting today, you can get at least some of the answers you’re after on your phone. The US Army has released an app on Google Play called SGT. STAR, and it’s intended to help you get the answers you need about the Army.
SGT. STAR is a free app, and it actually seems to work quite well. We downloaded it and gave it a spin, asking the Sarge a number of questions to see his responses. The questions range from ones that a potential Army recruit might actually have to ones that no one would ever ask someone in the Army, and to our surprise, his responses were pretty solid each and every time.
For instance, when asked if basic training is hard, he said that while it is demanding and challenging, it should also be viewed as an opportunity to build strength and skill. When we asked how he felt about Pokemon, on the other hand, he told us about the different apps, widgets, and video games the US Army offers. In other words, this app at least knew that Pokemon was a video game, when Pokemon has nothing to do with Army whatsoever.
Another nice thing about SGT. STAR is that the app provides links to other resources, so if the answers given don’t completely satisfy, you can look up more information through one of the links offered. All in all, it’s a handy little app that should help you out if you’re currently deciding on whether or not to enlist in the Army. It’s available now on the Google Play Store [download link], so be sure to give it a look.    |
| Rhapsody takes on Shazam with their new app ‘SongMatch’ Posted: 05 Dec 2012 04:12 PM PST For all the music lovers out there we have a brand new song identifying or song matching app for Android available today, absolutely free. If Soundhound, Shazam, Google Ears and more weren’t what you’re looking for then give the all new app from Rhapsody a try. They’ve just introduced a new app neatly called SongMatch and it’s available right now.
Obviously they’ll be integrating this into their own Rhapsody music services, but they’re marketing their new song recognition app by saying “Hear it. Match it. Play it.” Just like all those other apps that are available (do we really need another) this will listen to the music, identify it, and neatly let you save and enjoy it for later.
The cool thing here that they have over the others is the fact that SongMatch won’t just tag and recognize the song, but your Rhapsody account will have a playlist dedicated to SongMatch tags. You’ll easily be able to fire up Rhapsody and stream all these awesome songs you’ve been tagging with ease. Here’s what to expect from their new app: ● Match any song against Rhapsody's library of 16 million tracks The service is absolutely free, but Rhapsody isn’t. Just like Spotify they offer a music streaming service that requires a monthly payment, but if you’re already into the Rhapsody music world this will be the perfect song recognition app for your Android smartphone or tablet. Give it a try today by clicking here. [via Android Police] |
| Google Voice and Authenticator also updated today in the Play Store Posted: 05 Dec 2012 03:55 PM PST Earlier today the folks from Mountain View updated Google Search, or Google Now as some like to call it, and while that update is awesome it wasn’t the only needed update today. Google has also issued updates to Google Voice as well as their Authenticator app. All these new versions are available as we speak but read on for more details.
Google Voice got a massive update today. While it isn’t visually different or improves with new features Google’s solved some bugs that needed serious attention. That delay in sending messages has finally been fixed, finally. The long and outstanding delay in SMS messages with Google Voice has finally been addressed today, which should make many users extremely happy. Google’s also solved the inbox sync issue that has plagued Google Voice for some time too. What this means is Google Voice inbox will now sync seamlessly between all of your devices, instead of being one hot mess if you have multiple phones and devices in which you use the service. Thanks guys! Google’s Authenticator app also received a few minor changes, and nothing too important but worth a quick shout out. It’s nice to see them still paying to an app such as Authenticator, and we’ll take what we can get. This update simply states “bug fixes in the account setup flow,” UI tweaks, and that’s all she wrote. It looks like Google Translate received a few new changes too for those in need of that app. Get the updates from the links below and enjoy! |
| Skype video messaging outed in updated Terms of Service Posted: 05 Dec 2012 03:20 PM PST We’ve heard that Skype is planning some kind of video messaging service a few times in the past, but today the rumored feature is rearing its head once again. This time around, it’s Skype’s Terms of Service that hold the details, confirming video messaging and going into detail about what users will be able to do. Needless to say, Skype’s premium members will enjoy more freedom when it comes to video messaging.
Specifically, the updated Skype ToS says that premium members can send and receive an unlimited amount of video messages. If you’re not shelling out $8.99 a month to be a premium member, the amount of video messages you can receive is unlimited, though the number you can send has a cap. We’re not quite sure what that cap is, but you can bet that Skype will probably make it just low enough to annoy you into buying a premium subscription. There are other limitations placed on free members – for instance, the video messages you receive will be deleted after 90 days. Of course, you can prevent that from happening by upgrading, but it’s also worth pointing out that messages sent by premium members won’t expire. For premium members, video messages don’t expire, which is yet another reason to upgrade that Skype account of yours. There isn’t any word on when this new feature will roll out, but with it popping up today in the Skype Terms of Service, it can’t be too far off. We’re assuming this feature will be available on all platforms eventually – which means sending video messages from your Android phone or tablet – but until Skype officially confirms video messaging, it’s hard to make that call. We’ll be keeping an ear to the ground for new details, and we’ll be sure to update you if we hear anything! [via IT World] |
| Just 25 app developers took in 50% of revenue in November Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:40 PM PST As much as we hate to say it, we’ve got some bad news for aspiring app developers: there may be 1.4 million apps between the App Store and the Google Play Store, but according to independent analyst firm Canalys, only a select few developers are truly making bank. According to a Canalys study, which took place over the first 20 days in November, just 25 developers pulled in 50% of app revenue between the App Store and the Google Play Store.
Even worse? The vast majority of these developers were making games, so if you’ve got an idea of an app that isn’t a game, it sounds like you may have a struggle ahead of you. Companies like Zynga, Disney, Rovio, Electronic Arts, and Gameloft all made the list, with Pandora being the only developer not putting out games. Just how much did these 25 developers take in during the month? A total of $60 million, a figure which include both “paid-for downloads and in-app purchases.” That’s a lot of dough for just 20 days, so it’s easy to see why there’s such a large number of developers eager to get their app seen. Unfortunately, this study tells us that getting noticed isn’t all that easy, which isn’t happy news for app developers. It probably isn’t going to be any easier either, Canalys says, since the gift giving season is coming up quickly and these major developers will likely be cutting the prices on their games for winter sales. That’s not something all indie developers can do, which is just another roadblock to success. The fact that new apps are always going up on these stores means it’ll be ever harder to get noticed as time goes on. In the end, this just shows that advertising is king even in the mobile realm, which is a shame considering it means some great apps don’t get the attention they should be getting. [via SlashGear] |
| Verizon celebrates two year anniversary of 4G LTE launch Posted: 05 Dec 2012 01:59 PM PST Mobile technologies advance at a pretty alarming rate, with some of them becoming more popular than others as time goes. One of the technologies that seems to have stuck is 4G LTE, with carriers racing to expand their 4G LTE networks to get an edge on the competition. One of the carriers that has been pushing for 4G LTE the hardest is Verizon, and today it’s celebrating the two year anniversary of its 4G LTE launch.
Yes, on this day back in 2010, Verizon launched its 4G LTE network, and in the time since then it has taken every opportunity it can to tell everyone just how great that network is. Of course, what’s a birthday celebration without a bunch of ridiculous statistics? Verizon shared some impressive statistics on its 4G LTE network today via a handy little infographic, which you can see above. As of today, Verizon has 4G LTE service in “more than 440 markets,” which goes to show just how seriously Verizon is taking this roll out. Since Verizon’s 4G LTE network launched, 46 compatible devices have been introduced, with almost 11 million people currently taking advantage of those super fast speeds. Verizon has more than 140 companies working with its engineers, and a significant 35% of the company’s data traffic comes from 4G LTE users. Those are some pretty healthy numbers, and they’re only bound to get better as Verizon continues its roll out. The company said a little while back that it plans to have its roll out finished by the middle of 2013, so it won’t be much longer before Verizon wraps things up in the 4G LTE space. In the meantime, we’ll keep bringing you information about new Verizon 4G LTE markets, so keep it here at Android Community.  [via SlashGear] |
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