droidstone.com | Android, iPhone, Windows, Linux, WebOS » android market

Top Android Market Movie Rentals Just $0.99 for the Holidays

Ahmet — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:15:57 +0000

The holidays are here, and with them comes plenty of folks traveling far and wide to visit friends and family. Google is hoping to make long trips by car and plane a bit more bearable with top movie rentals in the Android Market getting a price drop to a mere $0.99. Considering most usually sell for $2.99 or more, a deal is to be had indeed. Which brings me to a question: are many people using the Android Market to rent and watch movies? Or are sources such as Netflix and Amazon still the primary choice?

[via Twitter]

360 Panorama app now available for Android users, no gyroscope necessary (video)

Ahmet — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Looking to capture panoramic photos on an Android handset? Well, you’ve certainly got plenty of options — including, as of today, Occipital’s 360 Panorama, which just hit the Android Market. Compatible with devices running Android 2.3 or above (with the exception of Honeycomb), the app offers much of the same functionality you’ll find on the previously released iOS version. Just tap a button, pan your handset across any given area and watch your photo come to fruition before your very eyes. The tool also allows exposure to fluctuate as a user pans his or her device, thereby creating the potential for HDR panoramic shots during transitions from dark to bright areas. Interestingly enough, this version relies not upon an actual gyroscope, but a “simulated” one, created from motion-tracking algorithms (that’s how it works on older 3GS handsets, as well). Users who already have a 360 Panorama account can still use it on their Android handsets, allowing them to upload and store all their photos in one place. Eventually, this storage system will allow for syncing across both iOS and Android hemispheres, though at the moment, it’s a strictly web-based affair. Pan past the break for a brief demo video, or check out some sample shots in the gallery, below.

Gallery: 360 Panorama for Android

Continue reading 360 Panorama app now available for Android users, no gyroscope necessary (video)

360 Panorama app now available for Android users, no gyroscope necessary (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | 360 Panorama | Email this | Comments

Tiny Tower breaks ground on Android

Ahmet — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 06:07:00 +0000

Android takes another step closer to iOS’s arguably superior gaming offering, adopting cult low-fi sim Tiny Tower. Froyo is the minimum requirement for the game run, but given the very dominant status of Android 2.0 and up, most won’t find it an issue. This management sim lets you create a mix of businesses and attractions to draw Bitizens (the pixelated chaps you see above) to come live, work and play in your property. There looks to be some kind of smartphone game exchange going on, with this not-so-tiny timesink transfer following the recent appearance of Minecraft on iOS. Those willing to write off the rest of the weekend can download it now at the source below.

[Image credit: Box Brown]

Tiny Tower breaks ground on Android originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Central | Android Market | Email this | Comments

Show off your smartphone photog skills with Sony Ericsson’s vscreens

Ahmet — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:55:00 +0000

Have you been jonesin’ to show off those Epic 4G Touch camera skills on a bit bigger screen? Sony Ericsson has you covered with vscreens, a website / app combo that gets your trip to Everest on your flatscreen to secure bragging rights. Once you install the app from the Android Market, point your internet browsing screen — PC, Google TV and PS3 included — to the vscreens website. From there, you simply scan the QR code that appears on your display and presto, you’re showing off that trip to the Adirondacks like it’s your job, sans cables or Bluetooth. If you’re looking to give it a spin, you’ll find all you need via the links below. And pretty soon, you’ll be able to showcase those Galaxy Nexus panoramas at your next dinner party. Pretty sweet, huh?

Show off your smartphone photog skills with Sony Ericsson’s vscreens originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch | Sony Ericsson Blog, vscreens.com | Email this | Comments

Show off your smartphone photog skills with Sony Ericsson’s vscreens

Ahmet — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:55:00 +0000

Show off your smartphone photog skills with Sony Ericsson’s vscreens originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch | Sony Ericsson Blog, vscreens.com | Email this | Comments

Android Market Refund Policy Redux: 48 Hours to Get Your Money Back?

Ahmet — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:01:26 +0000

UPDATE: According to one developer responding to Android Central‘s initial report, the 48 hour refund window may have been misinterpreted. The text of the distribution agreement still maintains the 15 minute time frame for a user to request a refund. The 48-hour period apparently refers to the amount of time Google has to actually replace the funds in the buyer’s account.

The Android Market’s original refund policy of 24 hours was more than a generous amount of time for users to decide whether or not an app was worth their cash. Then it was reduced to a mere 15 minutes, barely enough time for users to explore their purchases fully. Despite outcry from many Android Users against the changed policy, Google seemed set in their ways. Today a new version of the Android Market’s Developer Distribution Agreement has been pushed out, and a stipulation laid out in Section 3.4 tells the whole tale:

“Products that cannot be previewed by the buyer (such as applications): You authorize Google to give the buyer a full refund of the Product price if the buyer requests the refund within 48 hours after purchase.”

Yep, looks like we are now getting a full two days to toy around with app and game purchases before deciding if the money is better spent elsewhere. While some developers could argue that the window for refunds is now a bit on the long side, it’s hard to imagine any Android smartphone owners complaining about the change.

[via AndroidCentral]

Google rolling out music purchases to some Android phones, Music app to Google TV

Ahmet — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 01:14:00 +0000

Just as Google promised, the Android Market is now slinging the tunes on select devices. Our OG Incredible’s already received the update and we’ve received multiple reports from folks rocking HTC’s EVO 3D. Just to give it a spin, we downloaded Busta Rhymes’ Why Stop Now — one of many exclusive free tracks — and in seconds it popped up in our Google Music app. We’ve also received word that the Google Music app is now available for Google TV, allowing you to stream your music from the cloud. If you’ve been granted the ability to download your favorite tunes from the Android market, hit us up in the comments below and tell us what phone you’re hollering into.

Google rolling out music purchases to some Android phones, Music app to Google TV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Google TV | Email this | Comments

Android Malware Instances Spike, Up 472% since July

Ahmet — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:49:59 +0000

You can turn a blind eye to it all you want, but malware is becoming a serious problem for Android users. After registering steady growth since the launch of the OS, instances of malware have spiked over the past several months as the Android continues to expand as the leading mobile platform. Since July of this year, malware has seen a 472 percent increase, according to Juniper Network’s Global Threat Center. Juniper notes that not only has the volume of malware increased, but so has its level of sophistication.

As Android gains prevalence, hackers are shifting their focus from older platforms and taking advantage of the Android Market’s lack of screening to quickly upload bogus apps and trojans. These malicious apps mostly focus on mining personal data, but some can go so far as to root a user’s device or even give a hacker remote access.

The good news is that despite the increase in malware, protection is still fairly simple — users need only be more observant of the apps they are downloading from the market by thoroughly checking out the description, permissions, and comments/ratings. With many apps often spoofing popular offerings from trusted brands, this admittedly isn’t as easy as it sounds. Click the infographic to the left for the more interesting details of their report.

[via Juniper]

Google Checkout merges with Google Wallet, completing the inevitable

Ahmet — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:44:00 +0000

In a move that has “common sense” written all over it, the folks over at Mountain View have decided to merge Google Checkout with Google Wallet. The marriage hardly comes as a surprise, considering the fact that both services serve essentially the same purpose — namely, storing all your payment information in one neat little package. To make things even tidier, Big G has just folded Checkout into Wallet, which will soon be integrated within the Android Market, YouTube and Google+ Games, as well. As a result, the Checkout moniker will vanish from the Earth, but current users will be able to seamlessly switch over to Wallet the next time they log in to their accounts or make an online purchase. For more details, check out the source link below.

[Thanks, Samer]

Google Checkout merges with Google Wallet, completing the inevitable originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Google Commerce | Email this | Comments

Amazon releases Kindle Fire source code, devs figure out how to install Android Market

Ahmet — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:57:00 +0000

The Kindle Fire‘s nascent hacking community is heating up, now that Amazon has released the source code for its new Android tablet. Homebrewers, of course, will first have to root the device before tweaking with the Fire’s Gingerbread-based build, but fortunately for them, there’s already a guide for that. Once that’s taken care of, you can also load the Android Market and a slate of other Google apps, using a handy how-to guide published on xda Forums. It certainly doesn’t seem like the simplest of processes, but several xda users have posted successful reports. Check out the links below for the full guide, along with the source code download.

Amazon releases Kindle Fire source code, devs figure out how to install Android Market originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Brief Mobile, Netbook News | Kindle Source Code (Download), Xda Forums | Email this | Comments