Hasta La Gadget!

Verizon Wireless has announced plans to begin closing down its app store starting in January. Presently, Verizon’s marketplace is available on BlackBerry and compatible Android phones. The shutdown process will begin early next year, and is expected to be finished by March 27, according to the Verizon press release.

Verizon Apps was launched back in March 2010, back in the days of yester-year when app popularity became a sort of frenzy. Over time, however, the nature of apps and smartphones has shifted, and “there’s now a whole new tech landscape in which both consumers and developers can interact like never before.” This change marks a shift in Verizon’s business strategy.

Verizon reassures users that the majority of the apps available via Verizon Apps are also available elsewhere on the web, including the Google Play Store. The only exception to this upcoming change are business applications that were submitted to Verizon’s Private Applications Store for Business. These apps will still be available to enterprise customers.

According to Verizon’s published timeline, come December, monthly subscriptions “will end on the customers [sic] renewal anniversary date.” Then in January, the removal of Verizon’s marketplace will start. VDC Go To Market will shut down, but access to VDC activity and Portal Developer Registrations will stay available. The complete removal of Verizon Apps is then expected by the end of March.

[via CNET]

Verizon will begin shutting down its app store in 2013 is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Apple may have a lot of iMessage users, but it has also had its share of teething troubles as the chat service (and iCloud) grows. That’s certainly been true this month: Apple has confirmed that, for the second time in a week, iMessage is down for at least some users. There’s a real chance those conversations won’t go through unless it’s between iPhone users that can try SMS. More pressing for anyone in the UK is a wider iTunes outage, as we’ve heard multiple reports of the app and media repository being inaccessible in the country no matter what device they use. We’ve reached out to Apple and will update if there’s an explanation or a repair schedule for either outage. For now, we’d suggest that iMessage lovers communicate through social networks and passive-aggressive word choices in Letterpress.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: And no sooner than we post than Apple has iMessage back up and running. Let us know through tips if you’re still having iMessage or iTunes UK trouble, however.

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

Apple iMessage sees second outage in a week, iTunes UK follows suit (update: back up, in theory) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Oct 2012 18:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook took to a San Jose theater stage today to unveil a new version of the company’s literature-based digital storefront, iBooks. Cook says it integrates better with iCloud, allows for quote sharing on Facebook and Twitter, and has support for “over 40 languages.” Beyond the app update info, Cook touted iBook’s sales exceeding 400 million books worldwide — not too shabby! The updated iBooks app should be available today on the iOS App Store, though it’s not there just yet.

Update: It looks like iBooks Author is also getting an update today, as Cook says new templates, fonts, and user-created fonts are now supported. Additionally, mathematical equations can now be inserted directly, and multitouch widgets will also work.

For more coverage, visit our Apple Special Event hub!

Filed under: Apple

Apple unveils new version of iBooks with continuous scrolling, iBooks Author also updated originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Monday, Adobe dropped details for an update to its iOS and Android versions of Reader. The most noteworthy enhancement here is the introduction of cloud file storage with Acrobat.com, which allows users to view and edit documents seamlessly across mobile and desktop devices, à la Google Docs Google Drive. Reader Mobile has also gained FormsCentral data support, improved selecting and highlighting of Asian text, and mobile document rights management with secure watermark support. If Android is your mobile platform of choice and you’d like to give these new features a spin, head on over to Google Play to claim your prize. iPhone owners, on the other hand, have a bit of a wait ahead of them. The update is still awaiting Apple’s approval before hitting the App Store.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

Adobe Reader for iOS and Android updated with cloud storage support originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 22:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ping wasn’t the only Apple service to go offline at the tail end of September. Chomp, an app search engine purchased by Cook and Co. earlier this year, also closed up shop. In the spring, the service discontinued support for Android apps, and now its entire website and iOS application have been shuttered. Folks who still have the app installed are greeted with the bad news upon launching it: “Chomp has been discontinued as of September 30. Thanks for being a loyal user.” If you’re mourning the loss, we hear Yahoo would be delighted to make your acquaintance.

Filed under: Software

Apple’s app search engine goes dark, Chomp joins Ping in obsolescence originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 13:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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