Hasta La Gadget!

Nokia is still hammering out the hardware for its premier Windows Phone, but here’s a taste of what the beleaguered phone giant will be adding in the way of exclusive apps. Posted on the Zune marketplace, Top Apps turned up a few days ago and we managed to get a screen grab in case it disappears. It appears to be Nokia’s “fun and quick” interpretation of a curated app portal, all pretty similar to the stock Windows Phone offering. Looks like we’ll have to wait just a little longer to see exactly how much creative freedom Nokia manages to wring from Microsoft’s (previously stringent) Windows Phone UI.

First Nokia app appears on Windows Phone store, suggests you buy more apps originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista, Mon Windows Phone  |  Zune  | Email this | Comments

A key security feature of Apple’s in-app billing feature for iOS apps has been down since Thursday night, making it difficult for app developers to verify legitimate sales and leaving some of them worried they’re losing money.

Several developers have told Wired.com the verifyReceipt function, which ensures in-app purchases are valid, is showing an error whenever customers attempt to buy something through an app. Without verifyReceipt, faked purchase attempts could be made on iOS apps.

The problem started around 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time Thursday, according to several Tweets describing the problem, and had not been resolved by the time this story was posted. Apple has not responded to our requests for comment.

The Sandbox version of the site, used for testing, is up, but the URL used for real transactions shows a 404 error. With the page down, developers cannot verify that receipts are valid, and therefore can’t honor purchases because of the possibility the receipt has been forged.

The timing is especially problematic for developers because Friday is typically a busy day, said iOS developer Martin Nilsson. He estimates the problem has cost him between $900 and $1,500 in revenue. Nilsson’s app, a magazine aggregator called Paperton, is relatively new, and he feels the issue is particularly harmful because it could damage users’ trust of the app.

The iOS in-app purchasing feature is one of the best ways for iPhone and iPad developers to make money from their apps because it provides for continued revenue long past the initial app download. The function has been a cornerstone of Apple’s success in attracting developers to make apps for the platform. Apple’s App Store now boasts over half a million apps.

The in-app purchasing issue has recently come under fire for both iOS and Android developers with the aggressive actions of patent trolls like Lodsys. This summer, Apple also revamped its in-app purchasing policy regarding subscriptions.

With the verifyReceipt page out, Nilsson says he has had to develop a workaround to allow purchases to now go through. But Andrew Johnson, who develops an offline topographical maps iOS app, said the issue isn’t as critical.

“If this continued for an extended period, this would be problematic for anyone who’s using in-app purchases,” Johnson said. He said his revenue loss has been negligible because in-app purchasing isn’t a primary component of his product.

Nilsson noted that several applications that use in-app purchasing have not been affected. The inclusion of verifyReceipt is part of Apple’s In App Purchase Programming Guide, so this could mean that developers aren’t appropriately safeguarding against the possibility of forged receipts.

If you’re an iOS developer and the issue is affecting you, shoot us an email or sound off in the comments.

Image: m thierry/Flickr

Already in use on iOS, Card.io offers a lightweight alternative to Google Wallet, using your phone’s camera to glean payment details; and it’s now winging its way to your Android phone. It may not have that phone-tapping appeal of Google’s contactless payment system, but the app SDK (available now) skips the laborious process of entering your details number-by-number, booting up your camera and delivering your precious banking details to third-party merchants. You can check the video after the break for a (really brief) walkthrough, or click on the source below to give the Android demo a go.

Continue reading Card.io launches visual credit card scanner on Android, shares the mobile payment love

Card.io launches visual credit card scanner on Android, shares the mobile payment love originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 23:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink GigaOm  |  Card.io, Android Market  | Email this | Comments

Sick of your friends saying you look fat in those jeans? Apparently, NTT DoCoMo feels your pain and aims to swap out the peer criticism with smartphone objectivity. Shown off in advance of CEATEC Japan 2011 (an annual electronics trade show), the operator took the wraps off several mobile-based accessories, ranging from gamma ray and UV light monitoring phone cases to a breathalyzer-like add-on for measuring body fat (you paying attention, HTC Rhyme?). There were also a couple of applications on hand for checking photos of food against a calorie database à la Google Goggles, and an AR implementation for weather services on tablets. It’s not clear whether the Japanese carrier actually intends to release these innovations to the mass-consuming public, but as with all things tech in that corner of the world, they’re sure to get it before we ever do. Jump past the break for a video peek at Nippon’s creep towards a Hitchhiker Guide-style wireless world.

Continue reading NTT DoCoMo’s mobile accessories smell your breath, tell you to put the burger down (video)

NTT DoCoMo’s mobile accessories smell your breath, tell you to put the burger down (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch  |  Penn-Olson  | Email this | Comments

OpenMobile is a new company on the application compatibility scene whose primary product, the Application Compatibility Layer, promises to bring Android’s large volume of apps to smaller platforms. In the following video, ACL is shown running on MeeGo, where the creators promise full compatibility with every Android app — without the need for developer modification — by leveraging Google’s runtime environment and Dalvik VM. While support for Intel and Nokia’s misbegotten lovechild is first out the door (along with Linux itself), the company plans to introduce similar versions for Bada, QNX, Symbian, WebOS and Windows. Like its competitor, Alien Dalvik, OpenMobile is positioning its Application Compatibility Layer to OEM manufacturers rather than consumers. Unfortunately, this eliminates any hope you might’ve had for installing Hanging with Friends on that N9 you’ve pre-ordered — unless OpenMobile’s able to convince the folks in Espoo with a mighty good sales pitch, anyway.

[Thanks, Mikko]

Continue reading OpenMobile demos ACL for MeeGo, promises 100 percent compatibility with Android apps (video)

OpenMobile demos ACL for MeeGo, promises 100 percent compatibility with Android apps (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MeeGoExperts  |  OpenMobile  | Email this | Comments