Google Music mobile landing page hints tunes are coming to the Android Market

Google Music Store?

Sadly, we weren’t able to replicate the screenshot above but, if it’s legit, it could mean that a Google Music store is right around the corner. Reports are coming in that visiting music.google.com on your Android phone brings up a page suggesting you, A, upload your personal music collection, and B, “shop millions of songs in the Android Market.” Clearly Google is tinkering away behind the scenes: the links on the earliest versions of the splash page were reported to be broken, then they led to the about page for Google Music Manager and the nonexistent market.android.com/music respectively. Now, all traces of it are gone. Add to this the familiar shopping bag-shaped music icon that popped up in the developer build of Chrome OS last week and it’s looking like we’re inching ever closer to a Google Music shop launch. Check out the full sized image after the break.

[Thanks, Tomer]

Continue reading Google Music mobile landing page hints tunes are coming to the Android Market

Google Music mobile landing page hints tunes are coming to the Android Market originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 08:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google TV 2.0: app developers get final add-on for Android SDK

If you hadn’t heard, Google TV is (over)due to get a major boost with Honeycomb and access to the Android Market. We’ve seen a few compatible apps leak out thanks to Google’s early efforts to woo developers, but it’s only now that we’re getting the final add-on for the Android SDK. It brings a couple of revisions, like better placement options for the action and navigation bars, but more importantly it delivers the message that two-point-oh is almost two-point-here.

Google TV 2.0: app developers get final add-on for Android SDK originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlueStacks App Player lets you run Android apps on Windows PCs or tablets (video)

If you’ve been dreaming of a world where Android apps are free to roam across your Windows desktop, you’re in luck, because BlueStacks has just turned your reverie into reality. Today, the startup unveiled an alpha version of its App Player — software that allows users to run a host of Android apps on Windows PCs, tablets or desktops, without requiring them to make modifications to their original OS. Available as a free download, this early test version comes pre-loaded with ten apps, and can support an extra 26, on top of that. BlueStacks’ free Cloud Connect app, meanwhile, allows you to port third-party apps directly from your handset to your computer, though some games, including Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja, are prohibited. Those, it turns out, will be included under a paid version of the App Player, which BlueStacks hopes to launch at a later date. You can take the free software for a spin at the source link below, or meander past the break for a demo video, along with a pair of press releases.

Continue reading BlueStacks App Player lets you run Android apps on Windows PCs or tablets (video)

BlueStacks App Player lets you run Android apps on Windows PCs or tablets (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink All Things Digital  |  sourceBlueStacks  | Email this | Comments

SlingPlayer app now available for Honeycomb tablets, priced at $30

It was teased back in September and now, it’s finally arrived — the SlingPlayer Android app optimized specifically for Honeycomb tablets. Available today on the Android Market, Sling Media’s latest app allows Slingbox owners to stream TV directly to their slates, and features a new program guide, designed to help users browse content and change channels with greater ease. The SlingPlayer app for Android handsets, meanwhile, will continue to function on tablets in “compatibility mode,” without exacting extra charges, though it won’t offer the same resolution quality you’ll find on a Honeycomb-laced device. Interested parties can grab the app for the familiar price of $30, at the source link below. Otherwise, click past the break for more details in Sling’s refreshingly brief press release.

Continue reading SlingPlayer app now available for Honeycomb tablets, priced at $30

SlingPlayer app now available for Honeycomb tablets, priced at $30 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 06:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SwiftKey X for Android hits v2.1, fingers party everywhere

Rejoice, virtual keyboard aficionados! SwiftKey X 2.1 for Android tablets and smartphones just became available today, and brings a bunch of new features and bug fixes to your favorite touchscreen device. Since our hands-on with v2.0, TouchType has updated its on-screen keyboard using the feedback it gathered from its 25,000+ VIP members. The new version of SwiftKey X adds blog personalization, insights about your typing (shareable with friends), heat-map visualization (see screenshot above), localization / language enhancements, and an auto caps toggle. We’ve been using the final build of SwiftKey X 2.1 on our Nexus S for the past couple of days and noticed some improvements in terms of typing speed and accuracy. Pricing remains $4.99 for SwiftKey Tablet X and $3.99 for SwiftKey X. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading SwiftKey X for Android hits v2.1, fingers party everywhere

SwiftKey X for Android hits v2.1, fingers party everywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google TV apps for TNT, TBS leak out briefly, reveal authenticated streaming on the way

We’re still waiting for Google TV products to officially get their big update with Honeycomb and access to the Android Market, but compatible apps are already leaking out. NewTeeVee points out a couple from TNT and TBS (which also allow Google TV streaming from their websites) that briefly appeared and will let pay-TV subscribers stream episodes directly over the internet, similar to the iOS apps both networks have already rolled out. Turner confirmed the existence of the TV Everywhere apps, while Google expressed its hope to see more authenticated apps like these and the existing HBO Go access on the platform, as opposed to simply ending up blocked. That’s bad news for cord-cutters hoping for an online only machine, but with the majority of viewers still hooked into satellite, cable or IPTV it may be the only way to make Google TV a viable platform right now. All signs point to the update arriving at the end of this month, we should find out more about these apps and others like them then.

Google TV apps for TNT, TBS leak out briefly, reveal authenticated streaming on the way originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget giveaway: win one of five Nexus S 4G phones with $1,000 Google Wallet credit!

We’re pretty excited about Google Wallet, but the service is currently only available for Nexus S 4G phone owners, leaving most of you waiting for broader implementation. Well, how would you like to skip the line, getting to test it out on a Nexus S 4G of your very own? Google has supplied us with five phones to give away — the company is even throwing in $1,000 (yes, one THOUSAND dollars) of prepaid credit to help fund those first few dozen taps. There’s one catch: you’ll need to use your Nexus S 4G with a Sprint plan, though the carrier is throwing in one month of demo service to get you started. Check out our in-depth preview for a detailed look at the service, and simply leave a comment after the break to be entered to win — after checking that you meet the entry requirements, of course.

Continue reading Engadget giveaway: win one of five Nexus S 4G phones with $1,000 Google Wallet credit!

Engadget giveaway: win one of five Nexus S 4G phones with $1,000 Google Wallet credit! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A week with Google Wallet (video)

Contactless payments have been something of a curiosity in the credit card industry. MasterCard’s PayPass has been around for the better part of a decade, but merchants and banks alike seem hesitant to adopt the technology required to make the system work, and inconsistent implementation adds to the confusion — particularly for customers. Google’s new mobile phone-based Wallet service has the potential to transform the technology from its current status as a transaction turkey, to a future as a checkout champion. But will it work? We spent a week with a Wallet-enabled Nexus S 4G, using the device to pay whenever we encountered a MasterCard PayPass terminal. Unfortunately, that wasn’t often enough, limiting us to just a handful of transactions in the first week. Still, with Google just beginning to roll out the service and only a limited selection of launch partners ready to go, it’s impossible to deliver a complete verdict just yet. Jump past the break for an inside look at Google Wallet, including a video of the service in action, and a brief look at what the world of contactless payments may look like in the future.

Continue reading A week with Google Wallet (video)

A week with Google Wallet (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google expands Voice Actions across Europe, with multi-language support (video)

Android users across Europe are waking up to some bonnes nouvelles this morning, because Google has now expanded its Voice Actions service to France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Beginning today, loquacious smartphone and tablet users will be able to place calls, send texts and conduct Google searches by speaking into their devices. All you have to do is press the microphone button on your home screen’s Google search field and open the Voice Search app, or simply press the physical search button on your handset to bring up the “Speak Now” field. From there, you can begin chattering away in French, German, Italian, Spanish and real British English. Interested parties running Android 2.2 or above can get started by downloading the Voice Search app from the source link below, or by checking out Google’s demo video, after the break.

Continue reading Google expands Voice Actions across Europe, with multi-language support (video)

Google expands Voice Actions across Europe, with multi-language support (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGoogle Mobile Blog, Android Market  | Email this | Comments

Logitech Revue gets second Honeycomb leak, TV apps sneak into Market

Did you empty your piggy bank for a Logitech Revue after the first Honeycomb sighting about a month ago? If not, there’s new fuel for the Google TV set-top box hacking fire… so get your Hamiltons in order. Channel Android’s latest reel showcases a newer, more polished leak of Honeycomb that reflects the preview we spotted running on Sony hardware last week. It’s not without its fair share of bugs, and you’ll need to install the first leak to avoid turning your device into a paperweight (read: brick), so proceed at your own risk. Also of note: apps built specifically for TV have started to pop up in the marketplace — it seems devs have been busy since Google dropped the SDK a while back. For a closer look at the payoff straight from the hive, take a look at the video above or check out a slideshow of some Google TV apps that are in the Market now put together by NewTeeVee.

Logitech Revue gets second Honeycomb leak, TV apps sneak into Market originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Droid-Life  |  sourceChannel Android (YouTube), NewTeeVee  | Email this | Comments