Hasta La Gadget!

Shortly before the expected arrival of the NOOK HD and NOOK HD+, Barnes and Noble has updated its free NOOK reader apps for iOS and Android. Both updates are now live on their respective app stores, and each brings a significant amount of new functionality – comic fans reading on Android will probably love this update, for instance.

That’s because with this update, Barnes and Noble has given Android users the ability to zoom in on a single frame when reading a comic or a graphic novel. This new feature, dubbed “Zoom View,” is only available on phones with a HVGA+ screen that are running Android 2.2 or later. Other new features in this update include the addition of a full dictionary, improved font and margin sizes, and a few enhancements to the way Barnes and Noble delivers pre-ordered content. Other than all of that, we’ve got the expected general bug fixes, with Barnes and Noble instructing users to sync their library before updating to version 3.2.

Looking at the iOS side of things, we again have the addition of a full dictionary, and those using an iPhone or an iPad can now use the app to view PDF files and PagePerfect NOOK Book content. Users can also access sideloaded PDF and EPUB files after installing update 3.2, and Barnes and Noble says that it has made a number of “other quality enhancements,” though doesn’t really delve into specifics.

There you have it, folks – just like that, your reading experience should be at least a little bit better if you’re using the NOOK reader app on your mobile device. As stated above, the updates are now live on the Google Play Store [download link] and the iOS App Store [download link]. Go and get ‘em, and be sure to check out our story timeline below for more posts on NOOK!

NOOK apps for iOS and Android get updated is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

There’s a clause in the iOS developer guidelines listing that has reportedly been added on the 12th of September that may well have far-reaching effects on the way game and app creators find cash outside the iTunes app store. This note says that “Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store will be rejected.” Bad news for those that come in to the iTunes app store with a free offering hoping to spur purchases for themselves in stores outside Apple’s own.

With this ruling, Apple is attempting to stop users from working with the free app model only to lead users away from iTunes to purchase other wares. This solution has critics suggesting that Apple will stop at nothing to keep their ecosystem in-house. This solution also has detractors saying that such a rule will not serve Apple well, saying that anyone who was already set up to work with non-iTunes apps would already also have been looking outside the app store for their own content one way or another.

It’s been suggested that this rule will shut down services such as TouchArcade because of their presentation, showing apps in a manner similar to iTunes. It would seem though that the rule instead suggests that developers not try to trick users into believing that purchases from their own site are actually from iTunes when they’re not. TouchArcade shows apps in a way that iTunes would have a problem with – but only if they didn’t link directly back to iTunes, not another shop.

The folks at Pocketgamer.BIZ suggest that the rule was put into place on the 25th instead of the 12th – we shall see! For those of you wondering how this will affect the non-developers of us out there – it will likely only have a good effect, especially if you’re not a jailbreaking citizen. Those of you outside the traditional Apple-approved system of app distribution will be having to use those un-official search engines for real this time around.

[via Daring Fireball]

Apple axes in-app ads for non-iTunes stores is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Rovio is well-known as the developer and publisher of the insanely popular video game Angry Birds. This week, the company launched a new game called Bad Piggies that is told from the pigs point of view.

The game launched for the iPhone and Android platforms. The game proved so popular on iOS, that it only took three hours for Bad Piggies to take the top spot in the United States App Store. The game is really amusing and has players attempting to build contraptions to help the pigs escape the wrath of the Angry Birds.

If you want to try this game out for yourself, there are versions of the app available for download on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, and Mac as well as on Google Play for Android. It’s a very fun game, I gave it a try yesterday and it’s surprisingly challenging.

[via TechCrunch]

We’ve been writing a lot about new updates for iOS apps lately, but for the first time in recent memory, we finally have more to talk about than the fact that an app has been updated to support iOS 6 and iPhone 5. Google has unleashed a new update for Google Voice on iOS, and though the changelog is still painfully short, it does come with a pair of exciting new features in tow.

For instance, users can now begin a text directly from their inbox, saving a step or two when it comes to firing off a new message. Users also have the ability to designate a fall back number to use if Google Voice ever fails. We use Google Voice a lot around here at SlashGear Towers, and though we love the app, we can tell you that it doesn’t always work as intended. Therefore, it’s definitely a good thing that Google has implemented this new feature.

Aside from those two new additions, Google has also included a big fix for those dialing on an iPad or iPod Touch. A number of “minor text-related” bugs have also been quashed in this latest release. That’s it as far as additions and fixes go, so as you can see, it’s a pretty light update. Don’t get too excited though, iPhone 5 users, as it seems that this latest version of Google Voice doesn’t take full advantage of the new handset’s larger screen.

Yesterday, Google delivered an update for the iOS version of Chrome, bringing it up to date with support for iOS 6 and iPhone 5. Google has also been busy launching updates for its apps on Android, so it seems that the big G has been going big on the updates lately. Since Google’s apps are loved by many, we doubt we’ll be hearing many complaints about that. The latest version of Google Voice for iOS is now live on the app store [download link], so go and check it out.

Google Voice update lands on iOS is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The iPhone 5 has only been available for a few days, but some iOS developers have wasted no time in pushing updates for their apps. Of course, all iOS apps are compatible with the iPhone 5, but some developers are releasing updates so their apps can take advantage of the extra screen space. Some of these developers delivered their updates on Friday, the day the iPhone 5 was released, while a steady stream of iOS devs have been launching updates throughout the weekend and into this week.

Mashable reports on 20 apps that have been updated to take advantage of the iPhone 5′s screen, including Instagram, Tumblr, Foodspotting, and Color Splash. A number of games have been given updates as well, with titles like Infinity Blade 2, Temple Run, and Minecraft Pocket Edition all ready to go with your iPhone 5.

On the flip side, Engadget reports on a handful of apps that received updates on the iPhone 5′s launch day. A number of apps from major companies are there, including Facebook, Kindle, Evernote, and Flipboard. Twitter and Tweetbot have both been updated as well, with Tweetbot actually beating Twitter to the punch in this particular update race. These just scratch the surface, however, as a ton of developers are racing to get their updates out for iPhone 5 users.

The nature of these updates range – for instance, some are just small, simple updates, while others have a little more heft to them, adding things like a new UI or all new functionality. Over the coming days and weeks, we’ll be seeing many more developers push iPhone 5 updates for their apps, so if your favorites still haven’t been updated yet, it’s likely only a matter of time. Have your go-to iOS apps been updated for the iPhone 5 yet? Also, be sure to have a look at our iPhone 5 review to find out if the latest iDevice lives up to the hype!

iOS developers deliver app updates for iPhone 5 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.