Tag: google play

Logging Into Apps Will Soon Get Easier On Android

Google’s operating system for smartphones, Android is FIDO2 certified. This was granted to it by the FIDO Alliance, of which Google is a member. The newly granted certification will make logging into websites and certain apps much easier and will be in effect with a quick update of the Google Play Services.

What Is the FIDO2 Certification?

The FIDO Alliance was formed in July 2012 to provide strong authentication technologies. It is focussed on eliminating the need to remember multiple usernames and passwords. The Alliance certifies authentication through biometrics, security keys, clients and servers to comply with FIDO specifications and meet certified security profiles. Therefore, this allows logging into all FIDO-enabled websites using the certified devices for a seamless experience.

The FIDO2 certification on Android will only be available for devices running the Android version 7.0 Nougat and above. Interestingly, the version was released by Google back in 2016. This certification will allow users to log in to certain websites and apps that are FIDO enables with the help of the fingerprint sensor on the device. For devices without a fingerprint sensor, there will be support for PIN or Pattern just like one would unlock their devices. This is expected to make signing in an app or a website convenient, without the need for remembering any passwords.

Some Android apps already had a feature like this in action for a while. Many banking apps and wallet apps already allow logging in using fingerprint or using the screen lock for easier access. The FIDO2 authentication standard is supported by major browsers available on the operating system like Chrome, Edge and Firefox. But it may be a while when most apps on the Play Store support the feature, as the developers will need to adopt FIDO’s Android Programming Interface (API) to support the feature.

Also read: ZTE Launches The Axon 10 Pro 5G At MWC 2019

Unfortunately, only about half of the total Android devices currently active will receive the aforementioned update. As about 50 percent of Android devices still run a version older than Android 6.0 Marshmellow.

February 26, 2019
Microsoft’s New Alarm App Will Have You Clicking Selfies at Dawn

The desire to innovate and come up with new things is pretty much making everyone lose their marbles in the tech world, and we are definitely not complaining. Some of these innovations are useful, some redundant and some plain bizarre. We’ll let you decide which category this new Microsoft app should fall under.

The company has developed an alarm app called Mimicker Alarm which includes games and tongue twisters for the user to complete before the alarm can be turned off. The activities are divided into three categories -Express Yourself, Color Capture, and Tongue Twister.

https://youtu.be/VWJyCYkMc3Y

Once the alarm goes off, the user has thirty seconds to click a selfie or complete a tongue twister or find the right coloured object before the alarm goes off again. While answer to existence for some, the app has the potential of being super-annoying for others. Microsoft, however, has left no loose ends. The app is user-friendly enough to allow you to customize these games. You can still look for a red coloured object within the confines of your warm room without having to brave the cold.

“We’re a lot nicer than other alarms. You start with dismiss or snooze. If you snooze, the default is five minutes to delay the game. If you dismiss, we mute the alarm – but then you have 30 seconds to complete this challenge. And if you don’t complete that game in time, we assume you’ve fallen back asleep and then the alarm will start ringing again. You only need to complete one game to shut off the alarm. You can choose the sounds and which games you want to play,” says Allison Light, a program manager on the team.

Once you’re done looking pretty for your morning alarm, the app also allows you to share the “mimics” on various social media platforms. Share it around and get phones buzzing all over. Why should others sleep when you’re up, right?

Mimicker Alarm is up for free download on Google Play.

Source

[poll id=”40″]

January 22, 2016
Google Play Rolls Out New Gift Cards in India Starting at Rs.750

Here’s some interesting news for all you Google Play users. While, you already know that they had recently launched the Google Play prepaid vouchers in June, they’re now announcing the roll-out of physical gift cards in retails stores across the country.

Google Play is an pretty cool digital store where you can buy apps, games, e-books etc. The app is compatible with smartphones and other smart devices too. So, now the Google Play gift cards will help you purchase stuff on Google Play with much ease. They will be available at three different rates – Rs.750, Rs.1000 and Rs.1500, and can also be purchased via Snapdeal as COD shipments.

“We hope the increased availability of Google Play Gift Cards will make it easier for users to enjoy your favourite movies, books, magazines, apps, and games across all your devices” – says Saurabh Agarwal, Head of Retail Partnerships – Google Play, India

As mentioned above, these gift cards will also be available in retail stores such as – Spice Hotspot, Vijay Sales, Planet M, Planet Mobile and Sangeetha Mobiles.

If you avail of this new deal, let us know what you think of it.

September 16, 2015
Google Play To Feature “Designed for Tablets” Apps Section From November 21st

In an obvious move that should have coincided with the release of the Nexus 10 last year, Google plans to make ‘Designed for tablets’ the default view for tablet users browsing the Play Store.

Starting on November 21st, users will find their app selection limited to just those apps that have been optimized for large-screen usage. Non-tablet apps will still be downloadable, but will have the caption “Designed for phones” appended to its Play Store release.

Android tablet users can of course still switch views so they can see all apps or games. Yet Google is clearly confident enough now that there are enough tablet apps out there to make bring the section to the forefront.

Google claims that over 70 million Android tablets have been activated, though it’s unclear how many of them are still being used or capable of running modern apps and games. Many Android tablets have substandard hardware and older versions of Android that render them incapable of performing optimally with tablet-optimized apps.

At the same time, companies are weary of spending time and resources creating tablet-optimized apps. Though the number has exploded — 70 million activations sounds like a great number — substantive data continually shows Android behind iOS in terms of actual usage. Building great tablet apps should bridge that gap somewhat, but Google needs to ensure that the experience is consistent throughout its ecosystem, on any number of screen sizes and resolutions.

October 12, 2013
Google Completes Play Services 3.2 Rollout

Google just finished rolling out its Google Play Services 3.2 update, affecting anyone who uses a device running Android 2.2 Froyo or later.

You may recognize the container in your app drawer, the green Google icon with the cog on top, where within you can adjust settings pertaining to location, Play Games, Android Device Manager and more.

According to a blog post on the Android Developer Blog, the update also contains some important behind the scenes additions, such as hardware-based GPS geofencing on devices that support it. When paired with a location-based app, this allows apps to use far less battery when engaging the GPS, while maintaining a precise lock on a user’s position. Also included is the new Fused Location Provider, which also significantly boosts battery life when location is needed.

Google+ sign-in has been fleshed out to include something called simplified sharing control, which cuts the steps needed for a developer to share to Google+.

Photo Sphere now has a compass mode in the Play Services update that allows users to explore these images by moving their phone or tablet and the InstantBuy implantation has been improved with goodies to include increased efficiency, improved latency, a cleaner UI and more. Bottom line here, while some of these items are aimed more towards the developers — the end users should be happy to learn that Google is working to improve the battery life of your devices.

While these features may not matter to the average Android user, one universal benefit should be improved battery life across all devices.

To learn more about Google Play services and the APIs available to you through it, visit the Google Services area of the Android Developers site.

[Via]

August 21, 2013
Google Play For Android Redesigned with Cleaner Look, Rollout To Start This Week

Google has made many changes to Google Play since it debuted in 2008 under its former “Android Market” title. The latest update delivers an all-new design that aims to simplify the discovery process and more closely resemble Google’s changing aesthetics.

The company said in a blog post that the new format is rolling out Tuesday in the U.S. to Android smartphone and tablets running Android 2.2 (Froyo). International users should see the changes in coming weeks.

The new look also puts the mobile version of Google Play more in line with its Web counterpart. The older version of the Android store uses black as its main color and has an overall dark hue throughout. That is being replaced with a lighter set of colors, like the ones found when accessing Google Play through the Web. This should make Google Play for Android easier on users’ eyes.

Besides a redesign, Google also said it has sped up the checkout process so users can begin to enjoy their content more quickly. Users can purchase music, movies, TV shows, books and magazines from the digital store.

Apps are undoubtedly big business. Revenue for the world’s top app marketplaces hit $2.2 billion in the first quarter of 2013 alone, analysis firm Canalys firm said, with downloads across the major four app stores topping the 13 billion mark, reports Washington Post. According to the report, that’s roughly an 11 percent increase between the last quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013.

April 10, 2013
Google+ And Google Play Music For Android Updated
Google on Wednesday released updates to two of its Android apps, Google+ and Google Play Music. You can download the latest versions now directly from the Google Play Store: here and here.

The former now displays notifications in the top right corner, much like its web-based counterpart. This makes more sense when scrolling through the app, as Google+ relies so heavily on them. Google+ users can now also insert links into their posts, and Community Moderators have more options when administrating a page.

The Google Play Music update is more significant. This makes sense given that the service is even newer than Google+, if you can believe it.

Instant mixes finally go beyond 25 songs (an arbitrary limit that should never have been there in the first place) and the app now features new album art. As for new features, the homescreen widget has gained a previous button and you can now shuffle an album, artist, or playlist.

There’s a new widget design and, thankfully, freezing fixes for the Galaxy S III.

Changelog for version 4.5.910I:
- Instant mixes continue playing beyond 25 songs.
- Added ability to shuffle an album, artist or playlist.
- New default album art.
- Previous button added to widget.
- Pinning progress now shown on album and playlist pages.
- Fix for the Galaxy S3 freezing issue.
Again, neither of these updates are particularly breathtaking but they are part of what makes using Google’s apps so enjoyable. Everyone likes regular updates that bring in more functionality for free. In both the social networking and music streaming spaces, Google has to keep iterating to fight the competition.

[The Next Web]
February 1, 2013
Google Play Revenues Leap 311% In 2012, But iOS Apps Still More Profitable

Google Play seems to be going on one heck of a growth spurt. According to new stats, the Android app store is catching up to iOS fast.

Even though the Apple App Store is four times more profitable than Google Play, iOS can’t match Android’s revenue growth of 311 percent since January and 17.9 percent in the last month. These numbers are misleading, however, since Google started the year with next to nothing in its Play Store coffers, while Apple had already earned $4 billion from App Store revenue.

Most app revenue, on both platforms, unsurprisingly came from game publishers. Zynga and EA, along with Gameloft and Halfbrick (makers of Fruit Ninja) were among the top 10, but Japan and Korean owned eight of the top ten places for app revenue sorted by publisher on Google Play. iOS was more Western-focused, with Electronic Arts leading the way, though with over 950 titles on the App Store their lead is anything but shocking.

Though Apple still outstrips Google in terms of free app downloads by 10%, it’s interesting to see developers such as Go Launcher, makers of the insanely popular launcher alternative for Android, sitting at number four, ahead of big names like Twitter, Skype and WhatsApp.

Overall, the situation doesn’t look as grim for Google as it did a year ago. Users are paying for apps, although most are games, and total numbers of downloads are approaching App Store territory quickly. People are beginning to understand that Google has built itself a versatile and potentially profitable portal for app developers, and users are beginning to see the value in investing their money into it.

December 2, 2012
Google Play Store 3.10.9 Released With Post Launch Suggestions, Translate and More

It was only a month ago that Google updated its Google Play Store app to version 3.9.16, which brought along new features like improved notifications and a wish list function. Now, a new version of the app, 3.10.9, is being pushed out to select users.

There is a new screen that pops up after you start installing a new app. The screen is different than the one we are all used to seeing during app installation and it also displays a “Users Also Installed” list of apps that is handy for discovery. When the installation is complete a “Keep shopping” button pops up.

Also, there is now a “Remove” icon displayed in the Wish list that came in the 3.9.16 update of the Google Play. That is certainly a welcome update.

Finally, there is now a “Translate” button next to apps that include a description that isn’t in your native language. This is much the same as the translate option that appears under the menu bar when using Chrome to visit a foreign site.

APKs are available online which are signed by Google and install right on top of any other Google Play Store version. It is safe to install it if you don’t wish to wait for an automatic update to be pushed to your device on a schedule you don’t control.

November 18, 2012
Nexus 10 Tablet Now Sold Out on Google Play Store

November 13th saw the official release of the Samsung Nexus 10, at least for those lucky enough to actually order one before stock dried up. Within hours, almost every market was sold out of the Nexus 10, but the United States still managed to keep enough 16GB models in stock it seems. Until today, that is. The 16GB and the 32GB version of the Samsung Nexus 10 are now “sold out” in the Play Store.

The last things you can buy now are the 16 and 32GB Nexus 7, and the new $199 Acer Chromebook. Everything else in the Google hardware department is sold out. Hopefully Google can get things back in order and get devices shipping again soon.

Earlier this week, the Nexus 4 smartphone was sol out and some of those who ordered the smartphone received an email on Thursday, telling them that the device is on backorder and could ship sometime in the next 3 weeks.

Good times for Google!

November 16, 2012
Indian developers can now sell paid apps in Google Play Store

Google has now added India to the list of countries from where developers are allowed to sell paid apps on the Google Play Store. This move will allow individual app developers and development companies from India to sell their apps on Android devices and also enable in-app purchases.

Until now, developers were figuring out ways to circumvent the restriction. In some cases, this meant having to travel to the U.S. to create a local bank account there in the name of relatives and friends or even floating a company there for this purpose.

On its official Google Developer support page, Google listed India as one of the countries from where developers could register as Google Check-out merchants and sell paid Applications.

Next Wave Multimedia in Chennai, which has published more than 10 Apps each on both the Apple iTunes and the Android Marketplace over past three years, was one of the early entrants in the mobile Apps space.

September 23, 2012
Indian Company 7Seas Launches New Android Game

7Seas Entertainment Ltd today said its game ‘The Dark Man’ has been made available for Android-based mobile devices.

The Dark Man is an archery-based puzzle game that involves shooting apples placed as targets on a character’s head. If the player misses, he fails to clear the level. The game sports a classic black and white look. The levels start off easy but continue to become more challenging.

While the full version of the game priced at Rs. 55 in the Google Play Store, has 30 levels, the free version offers 10 levels. It will also be available in the Samsung App store, LG Store and other Android supported app stores.

August 17, 2012
Everything You Need to Know about the Google Nexus Q Media Player

Google has launched their first media player along with their new OS and Tablet at the I/O conference. Powered by an OMAP 4460 CPU. the Nexus Q is Google’s small, sphere-shaped device that will work with the Nexus 7 tablet and other Android devices to stream media from the cloud. The Player has 1 GB of Ram and 16GB Flash Storage.

Nexus Q streams your favorite entertainment directly from the cloud to your living room. Just use the Google Play and YouTube apps on your Android phone or tablet to surf an ocean of music, TV, movies and videos, and Nexus Q will play it all on the biggest speakers and screen in the house. The Nexus Q will stream your music from the cloud or your device, It will also playback YouTube content and movies directly on a Large Screen TV connected to it.

Multiple users can access and change the streaming media at a party, all they need is an Android Device, and a connection to the same WiFi Network. Get ready to fight over what music plays at the party.

Nexus Q has a audiophile-grade amplifier built in so you can hook your speakers right up, or use an optical or HDMI cable to connect Nexus Q to your AV receiver or HDTV. Once you’re playing, you can control the volume from your phone or tablet, or simply by turning the top half of Nexus Q. Just touch the top LED to mute the sound completely, Ingenious.

The 32 LEDs that ring Nexus Q shift and change color in time to your music. Choose your favorite effect and put your Nexus Q where it can be seen, and touched. You can connect multiple Nexus Qs to fill your house with sound. Select the devices you want to play on from within the Google Play apps or YouTube.

June 28, 2012
Sony’s NXT phones get Transparent Bar Notification Alerts – via third party app

If you are rocking one of the new Xperia NXT phones then you might like to know about this new app called “Illumination Bar Notification”. The app is meant only for Xperia S, P and U and allows you to set up notification alerts by making the light in the transparent bar flash.

The illumination bar can blink with different speeds or have a constant light depending on your preference. This app will only work on the latest range of Sony Xperia mobile phones that have the illumination bar (the transparent bar at the bottom of the phone). Currently this is the following models: Xperia S, Xperia P & Xperia U. On Xperia U multiple colors are available to choose from (Red, Green, Blue, etc).

Various Settings allow for custom notifications, including the light staying on till the SMS is read, or till the screen is unlocked. Go to the link below to download the app yourself.

[Google Play]

June 15, 2012
Is this the Google Nexus Tablet?

Most of the world is speculating that the internet search giant will enter the Tablet market this year with its own brand of Tablets, despite most tablets running their proprietary Android OS. It is believed that the above is an image of the upcoming Google Nexus Tablet, which will be a a 7 inch tablet holding the Google logo. Look closely and you will see a full sized SD slot, a microUSB connector and a micro HDMI port.

However this appears to be an old image, or an image of some other product all together, because its still carrying the Google Market icons vs the already available upgraded Google Play store.

Google is expected to launch their new tablet at the annual I/O conference on 27th June 2012. Another tablet that could enter the budget segment making it difficult for existing survivors.

April 4, 2012