Hasta La Gadget!

Do you love the design that went in to the QLOCKTWO clocks, but don’t want to spend the big bucks to own one? Check out the QLOCKTWO app, that’s available for iOS and Android. It’s a lot cheaper and you can have it right on your phone, right now.

Just like its non-virtual brothers, the QLOCKTWO app tells the time with words, not numbers. It’s available in four languages, English, French, German and Spanish. The time is relayed in 5 minute intervals, like the physical QLOCKTWO clocks.

The QLOCKTWO app is available for $0.99(USD) at the App Store and at Google Play. And if you really like it, you can order yourself one of the real ones that start out at $599 and go up from there.

[via Gadgetose]

Google does seem to be more serious about its app store, at least this is what a mobile developer informed the BBC. To put it in a nutshell, Google intends to come down strong, hard and fast on rogue mobile apps that plague its Android platform, and this will be enforced by introducing a stricter set of guidelines for developers. Among the measures to be implemented include a blanket ban against the use of icons which are touted to be “confusingly similar” to current products. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it might help you end up in court like Samsung vs Apple that is ongoing right now. I digress, you can see many similar icons to famous apps just to take advantage of the unsuspecting or less than knowledgable user.

The new guidelines which were announced in an email that had already been sent to developers, giving those who would be deemed as “guilty” under this new ruling, will have a 30 day grace period to ensure their apps comply. As for developers who are adamant on staying the course with the current icon, the onus falls on Google who then has the authority to remove such apps from the store. Do you think that this is a good measure and a step taken in the right direction by Google?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Galaxy Nexus is nowhere to be found on Google Play, Google Play apps now support subscription billing,

Google just introduced new content restrictions for apps in Google Play in hopes that it can crack down on the malicious apps that pollute the Android ecosystem. More »

This week Google has released a set of updated policies for developers to follow for apps hoping to be part of their official Google Play app store. There’s a relatively short list of changes, but the rules have some far-reaching abilities to put it lightly. Developers are required to meet the listed policy changes as soon as possible, and any apps seen disobeying the rules will have 30 days to change or face the axe.

Developers can have a peek at the full rule set from Google if you’re a developer or head to the shortened list here, starting with Payment Policies and running all the way down to the dreaded Spam. Advertising and Personal Information / Privacy are also covered, as is a new set of rules on Naming and Icons for your apps. You’ve gotta be careful, everyone, but for the most part these rules are set in place to cut down on developers looking to get an easy buck off of unsuspecting newbies.

Icons / Naming

For those developers looking to confuse users who are new to the market, this is really going to bust some skulls. Google is making an effort here to cut down on similar-looking icons and similar-sounding names in the market. If you’ve got an app called Angry Birdz, you’re not going to be around for long. Similarly if you’ve got an icon that’s the same set of colors, font, and arrangement as eBay but have named your app oBay, you might be in trouble again.

Payment Policies

All transactions related to Google Play apps, that being either downloads or in-app purchases, must used Google’s own payment system. This does not include purchases of goods or content outside of the app, with physical goods also not being included. This part of the rules includes a bit that developers “must not mislead users” – rather general, but fairly clear at the same time.

Spam

The most evil name in web-based interaction, Spam, has once again been refined and defined as follows, per Google:

• Do not post repetitive content.
• Product descriptions should not be misleading or loaded with keywords in an attempt to manipulate ranking or relevancy in the Store’s search results.
• Developers also should not attempt to change the placement of any Product in the Store by rating an application multiple times, or by offering incentives to users to rate an application with higher or lower ratings.
• Apps that are created by an automated tool or wizard service must not be submitted to Google Play by the operator of that service on behalf of other persons.
• Do not post an app where the primary functionality is to:
– Drive affiliate traffic to a website or
– Provide a webview of a website not owned or administered by you (unless you have permission from the website owner/administrator to do so)
• Do not send SMS, email, or other messages on behalf of the user without providing the user with the ability to confirm content and intended recipient.

Personal Information / Privacy

Google has once again made it clear that they don’t want any “dangerous products” such as “viruses, worms, defects, Trojan horses, malware, or any other items that may introduce security vulnerabilities to or harm user devices, applications, or personal data.” Google does not under any circumstances want you to transmit such evil across their network. Of course that includes making sure you’re not pushing information out of the users phone when they’ve not allowed you to, and it should go without saying that Google doesn’t want you to make any phones physically explode.

Advertising

Here Google gets really specific with how the advertising world is to be integrated with the application universe. Just as much as you’re responsible as a developer for the content of the app, so too are you responsible for the content of the advertisements that run through your app. If your app does something evil, it wont just be the advertising network that gets in trouble for it – you will too (you meaning the developer of the application we’re talking about here.) Good news for everyone, yes?

Have a peek at our Android portal for more information on how the Google Play universe is expanding day by day and of course head over to Android Community to take on the greater galaxy by storm!

Google Play App Policy tightens up is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The game that made Squaresoft (remember back when it was called Squaresoft?) a famous name with gamers is getting a new re-release today. The first Final Fantasy has arrived on the Google Play Store, giving players young and old the perfect opportunity to travel into the past and see where it all began. The game itself is compatible with Android 2.1 and up, so this will work on a pretty wide range of Android devices, and it even comes with a fresh coat of paint too.

Yes, Android version features updated graphics, but not quite to the extent that we saw with the mobile re-release of Final Fantasy III. Instead of 3D textures and enviroments, we’re getting SNES-quality sprites. That isn’t a bad thing however, especially considering that Final Fantasy released on the NES way back in 1987, so any update to the graphics is a welcome improvement.

Like most of Square Enix‘s other games available on mobile platforms, you’ll be paying a fair amount of money for Final Fantasy. The 46.39MB game will set you back $6.99, and while that seems like a lot to drop on a mobile game, it’s far better than Final Fantasy III‘s $15.99 asking price. Hopefully this will prove to be something of an on-going trend for Square Enix – after all, we can name quite a few Final Fantasy titles we’d like to see release on mobile devices. Anyone else pining for a mobile version Final Fantasy VI?

[via Google Play]

Original Final Fantasy now available on Android is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.