Hasta La Gadget!

Google occasionally updates its Play Store rules to weed out inconsistent or shady behavior in Android apps, and we’re witnessing one of its larger clean-ups today. The company’s new guidelines more explicitly ban device interference: titles in the Play Store can’t modify settings or other apps without permission, and they can’t install bookmarks or icons that pitch a third-party service. Google is also adamant that any in-game purchases of virtual goods must go through its billing system. As usual, new apps have to follow these guidelines right away, while developers with existing apps have a 30-day grace period to make any changes. The policies won’t necessarily stop rogue code from sneaking into the Play Store, but Google can at least say that it gave fair warning.

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

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Google Play Support

Google is clearly committed to education on mobile devices beyond Play for Education — it just unveiled Google Play Textbooks, a dedicated category on the Play Store for learning material. The section will offer titles from the top five publishers, and students will have the choice of renting books for six months in addition to buying them outright. Textbooks should be available this August, and they’ll sync across Android, iOS and the web.

Filed under: Tablets, Internet, Google

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If there’s a way to prepare for Active Time Battling, you should probably get on it — Final Fantasy IV is now available on the Google Play Store. That said, you may want to grab a Phoenix Down before we tell you the price: an ice cold $15.99. At very least, it’s the same price carried by its iOS counterpart, and a good bit less expensive than various Sony and Nintendo portable versions. It’s also got the upgraded graphics and new localization enjoyed by iOS players — as far as we can tell, it’s identical to other mobile versions. Grab your nearest chocobo and head past the break to see a trailer of the game in action.

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Mobile, Google

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Via: Pocket-Lint

Source: Google Play Store

Would news of an upcoming Google Play Store redesign completely blindside you? Of course not, but it’s great to see it come to fruition sooner rather than later. The oft-whispered 4.0 update has now been officially acknowledged by Google and is ready for digital distribution starting today. What exactly is fresh and exciting about the new look? According to a blog post written by Play group product manager Michael Siliski, it focuses on bigger images, grouping together similarly themed content and offering new recommendations as you move down the page. Checkout has also been simplified just a tad. The update will be available for any phone or tablet running Android 2.2 or better, and it will begin rolling out today worldwide — with such a hefty drain on Google’s servers, however, the company warns that it may be a few weeks before it arrives on your particular device.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Wireless, Mobile, Google

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Source: Android Blog

Did Google’s Larry Page get on the wrong side of Zuckerberg when he was less than complimentary about Facebook a couple of months ago? Maybe so, as the latest update to the social network’s app for Android appears to be ignoring the normal route of outing a new version through the Play store, using the app itself to push the update to users. We haven’t seen the prompt ourselves, but Liliputing has some screenshots of it (shown above) and is reporting the update auto-downloads and notifies you when its ready to be installed. The new version is said to allow profile picture changes within the app, make messaging easier and grant users the ability to flag spam and hide feed posts you don’t want to see. It also alters the app’s permissions, allowing it to update without your approval. However, The Verge spotted a thread on the social network’s Help Center which clarifies that’ll only happen when connected to WiFi. Maybe we’re out of favor with Facebook also, as we haven’t been offered the update on our phones just yet, but the comments on Liliputing seem to confirm its out there. Has Google already stepped in? Let us know how your app is reacting in the comments below.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Google, Facebook

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Source: Liliputing, Facebook Help Center