Hasta La Gadget!

Android may be climbing the charts when it comes to market share, and the Market may be quickly approaching the 100,000 apps mark, but the whole thing is hardly a global proposition. As of earlier this week, paid apps were able to be purchased in just 14 countries, submitted by developers of just nine nationalities. That changes now, with Google adding 20 countries to its list of approved submitters, meaning developers living in 29 nations are eligible to submit paid apps to the Market. Over the next two weeks the purchasing of those apps will be flipped on for users in 18 countries, 32 in all that will have the “buy” button enabled — music to the ears of Java app developers everywhere. Which flags are newly embracing app capitalism? We have the lists waiting for you below.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Google expands Android’s reach, accepting paid apps from 20 more countries, selling to 18 more

Google expands Android’s reach, accepting paid apps from 20 more countries, selling to 18 more originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 08:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Android Developers Blog  | Email this | Comments

We’re loving this new, slightly more liberal wave of App Store approvals (aren’t we easily pleased?), and it looks like PlayOn drew the lucky number today. After waiting in vain for an app approval, PlayOn actually developed a fairly sufficient HTML5 solution to its streaming-web-video-to-your-device problem, but there’s nothing quite like the sheen and polish of a bonafide app. Unfortunately, PlayOn’s desktop software, which is required to make this Netflix / Amazon / Hulu / ESPN / CBS / etc.-beaming possible, is still PC only.

[Thanks, Corey]

PlayOn finally gets its iPhone app approved, HTML5 lets out a sigh of resignation originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 22:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  App Store  | Email this | Comments

It’s been forever and a day since Amazon first offered its users access to the opening few pages of a book on its web store, but now that feature is being codified under the Kindle umbrella as a new Kindle for the Web service. It’ll allow external sites to embed book samples right into their content stream, while users get a new Share button for spreading the good word about Chuck Palahniuk’s visionary writing across their social networks. Font sizes, line spacing, and even background color are adjustable too. Hit up the source link to try it out for yourself.

Continue reading Kindle for the Web overhauls Amazon’s online book previews, adds sharing and embedding features

Kindle for the Web overhauls Amazon’s online book previews, adds sharing and embedding features originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 08:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Amazon  | Email this | Comments

Fancy the idea of having Big Brother track your handset if it goes missing, but aren’t so keen on owning an iPhone, ponying up for MobileMe and signing a deal with AT&T? Fret not, fretful one, as Verizon Wireless has just launched an extension of its Total Equipment Coverage program that essentially provides the same services, but for VZW-branded BlackBerry, webOS and Android phones. The full list of compatible phones is down there in the source, and the best news is that the Mobile Recovery app is offered free of charge to those already ponying up $10 per month for TEC. When enabled, it will allow users to remotely lock the device, sound an alarm (solving the infamous “couch cushion” dilemma) and wipe contacts from the phone. If a recovery proves unsuccessful, the carrier will supposedly provide you with a next-day replacement, but we’ve got an idea that there are quite a few lines of fine print to read beforehand. At any rate, it’s a lovely option to have — particularly if you’re already paying for TEC — and it’s available to download and activate as we speak.

Continue reading Verizon’s Mobile Recovery: like ‘Find my iPhone,’ but for VZW Android, webOS and BlackBerry handsets

Verizon’s Mobile Recovery: like ‘Find my iPhone,’ but for VZW Android, webOS and BlackBerry handsets originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 02:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Appolicious  |  Verizon Wireless  | Email this | Comments

If you think there’s something in the air, you could know for sure by just pointing your Android phone at it.

An Android app called Visibility, developed by researchers at University of Southern California, lets users take a photo of the sky and get data on the air quality.

The free app is currently available for phones running Android 2.1 version of the operating system.

“Airborne particulate matter is a serious threat to both our health and the environment,” say the researchers on their blog. “We are working towards an optical technique to measure air visibility, and hence an estimate of some kinds of air pollution, using cameras and other sensors available on smartphones.”

It’s a neat idea and it’s interesting to see how smartphones are giving rise to the trend of citizen science and crowdsourced data.

As smartphones become ubiquitous and increasingly powerful, researchers are increasingly using the devices to do complex computations and use it for crowdsourced data gathering. For instance, as part of a project called ‘Common Sense’ Intel’s research labs developed sensors that could be attached to GPS-enabled phones and measure air quality.  The data gathered from these sensors would be brought back and processed to help researchers understand pollution levels.

The Visibility Android app hopes to offer something similar but make the process more user friendly.

With the Visibility app, each user photo of the sky is tagged with location, orientation and time. The data is transferred to a server where the calculations take place. The level of air quality is estimated by calibrating the images sent and comparing their intensity against an existing model of luminance in the sky, say the researchers.

The result is sent back to the user and the data is also used to create pollution maps for the region. An iPhone version of the app is in the works.

See Also:

• Social Networking Meets Apps in New Android App Store
• Independent App Stores Take On Google’s Android Market
• Hands-On: Android App ‘Layar’ Brings Reality’s Unique Snowflakes
• Indie Coder Proves Android Apps Can Make Money, Too

Photo: Mobile Sensing/USC Robotics
[via TreeHugger and Gizmag]