Hasta La Gadget!

After cluing us in on the state of its ever-stuffed coffers, Apple’s given us a quick progress report on its App Store, noting that it’s reached a total of 45 billion downloads — a 5 billion jump since the end of its last quarter. Cook’s crew also divulged that they’ve doled out $9 billion to developers who’ve sold their wares on the digital storefront, and they’re paying out $1 billion every quarter. Cupertino gave a quick nod to iCloud too, revealing that the service now has 300 million users under its belt, 50 million more than it claimed at the end of the firm’s last quarter. By the sounds of it, Apple’s data centers are being put to good use.

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As a part of a sweep that cited some 198 websites, China government officials directed Apple to remove obscene content listed in its App Store in the country. Apple recently faced criticism about, and eventually apologized for, its warranty policy in China. The Financial Times reported an app was pulled earlier this month for providing access to banned books, just days after the warranty issue surface. A report by Bloomberg suggests Apple includes a quote from research firm owner Mark Tanner suggesting Apple needs to do more to enhance its relations with the government to curry favor with consumers. Whatever the case, the listing on state-run news agent Xinhua does not specify the banned content, although it’s probably still available on App Stores in other regions.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile, Apple

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Source: Bloomberg, Xinhua News Agency

By now you may have heard that Apple removed the popular app discovery deal app AppGratis from the iTunes App Store after the Cupertino-based company cited that the app went against the guidelines for iOS apps — namely push notifications that featured “advertising, promotions, or direct marketing.” AppGratis CEO, however, has spoken out about the issue.

In a lengthy blog post on the AppGratis website, CEO Simon Dawlat expressed his frustrations with Apple and the removal of the AppGratis app from the iTunes App Store, saying that he is “stunned that Apple took the decision to destroy so much value within their own ecosystem,” and goes as far as saying that the iTunes App Store is a “broken App Discovery world.”

Dawlat notes that the app has had run-ins with Apple’s guidelines in the past, but the two were able to solve all issues to keep the app in the iTunes App Store. However, Dawlat says that Apple pretty much “changed their minds overnight” and removed the app due to not following a couple of the app-submission guidelines.

However, Dawlat notes that the app’s current 12 million users have nothing to worry about, and the AppGratis service will still work as normal since all the features work off of the company’s own servers. Dawlat says that even though the iOS app is out of commission, “it’s business as usual” for the company, and AppGratis “will keep updating everyday with new free apps and cool discounts.”

AppGratis CEO: Apple is destroying value within its ecosystem is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

In what may be a move as a result of mature content showing on the new Vine app a while ago, Apple has updated its App Store to show age recommendations for each app. If you fire up the App Store app on your iOS device and search for an app, you’ll now notice that a hard-to-miss age rating is placed right below the name of the app.

The move could also be a response to the growing number of reports that young children keep accidentally purchasing in-app content without their parents’ permission. Either way, the new age rating system should help parents judge more accurately how appropriate a certain app is for their children, especially those who have a heavy finger for in-app purchases.

It’s not known how the age rating is calculated for each app. The developer of the app itself may choose the age that’s appropriate for the app, or Apple may also have a say as far as what age group is best suited for apps. Either way, this should eliminate any future controversies and debates over age-appropriate content for mobile apps.

If you remember, Vine was one of the biggest controversies we have seen a long time. Users kept complaining about the amount of adult content that was present on the app — something that anyone could access, even young children who get their hands on the app. However, Vine was updated to include a 17+ age warning to users who first download the app.

Apple adds age recommendations to App Store is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Did the word free in the headline grab your attention, or was it the cake? Either way, Amazon’s Appstore is throwing a party to mark its second birthday, and there’s a goody bag of software for anyone who attends. It’s been a good month for Android users, as Google’s Play store had its own shindig recently, and like last year, Amazon’s been treating Appstore patrons to discounts all week. For its official anniversary today, though, a tray-full of apps can be downloaded gratis. Admittedly, the selection isn’t fantastic, but you should find one or two things worth at least the time it takes to click ’em — Chu Chu Rocket, may we suggest (long live Dreamcast!). Remember, you’ve gotta be quick, as the offers expire at the end of the day. But enough from us. Head to the source link for cake and more.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Amazon

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Via: PhoneArena

Source: Amazon