Given the increasing number of cyber attacks on web-connected devices, it makes sense to have quality anti-malware protections on your phone. However, some “antivirus” apps lurking in the crowded app marketplace are really just fakes waiting to infect your device. [More]
google play
Google Play Will Let Shoppers Try Video Games For 10 Minutes Before Buying
By 10.4.16
Sometimes, a video game might have gotten great reviews and heck, it might look really fun, but for whatever reason, you’re just not loving it, and regret having spent money on it. In an effort to ward off buyer’s remorse, Google Play will now let customers play some video game titles for 10 minutes before they decide whether or not to buy them. [More]
Pandora Replaces Ad-Free Tier With $5/Month “Pandora Plus,” Offering More Skips, Replays
By 9.15.16
Last month, it was reported that Pandora might be going head-to-head with Spotify, Google Play, and Apple Music with a fully on-demand, ad-free streaming audio service for $10/month. That service is still reportedly in the offing, but today Pandora unveiled a new offering that is only $5/month, but is more of an upgrade to its existing paid tier than a true on-demand service. [More]
Apple Music’s Real Android App Is Ready
By 8.4.16
Last November, Apple fulfilled its promise to bring its subscription music service to Android users. Only, that app was simply a beta of Apple Music. Today, the company unveiled its real app. [More]
Man Learns About Ex’s Pregnancy & Friends’ Erotic Reading Habits Via Google Play
By 3.11.16
Sharing your review of an app — for good or bad — can help others decide if they should spend the money to add the service to their smartphone or assist developers in fixing bugs and otherwise improving their product. While these are all commendable and expected consequences, there are some ramifications to sharing that info you might not think about: that the products you review will be showcased to your friends, and that can sometimes provide unexpected or unwanted details of your private life. [More]
Android Users Give Apple’s ‘Move To iOS’ App Bad Reviews For Some Reason
By 9.17.15
While Samsung is trying to recruit current iPhone users as customers with a free “test drive,” Apple also wants to recruit new users for the iPhone. To make the move easier for future customers, Apple introduced its first-ever Android app to help them transition. This app is available in the Google Play store, so you can guess what happened next. [More]
Star Wars Films To Finally Become Digital Downloads
By 4.7.15
While almost every important movie has long been made available as a digital download by now, the six films in the Star Wars saga have not (legally) been obtainable this way. But that will finally change starting Friday when all of the movies will be released online at the same time. [More]
Google Play Search Results Will Now Feature Sponsored Ads
By 2.26.15
The next time you visit the Google Play store to download an app, you’ll likely be greeted with an ad or two. [More]
Google Doesn’t Recognize Itself Anymore, Marks Own Email As Spam
By 12.19.14
Though it’s usually the place where fake Rolex offers, male enhancement drugs and princes from Ghana go to die, it’s always a good idea to check your spam folder. Because even Google will keep its own emails out of your Gmail inbox. [More]
Google Giving Away Free Stuff To New & Current Chromecast Users
By 12.8.14
In less than a year and a half, Google’s Chromecast has gone from nothing to being the #2 video streaming device sold to U.S. consumers, largely because of its $35 price tag. Now with Amazon — another newcomer into this market — rolling out its comparable $39 Fire TV stick, Google is throwing in freebies to new and current Chromecast users. [More]
FTC: Google Must Pay At Least $19M In Consumer Refunds For Unauthorized In-App Pruchases
By 9.4.14
Changes may have already been implemented to prevent kids from making unauthorized in-app purchases on apps from Google Play, but that doesn’t mean the company is off the hook for the huge bills some families faced. Google has agreed to provide full refunds – with a minimum payment of $19 million – to consumers who were charged for kids’ purchases without authorization of the account holder. [More]
Google Play Changes Purchasing So Kids Can’t Go On In-Game Shopping Sprees
By 3.17.14
Many smartphone or tablet owners have done it, whether we have kids of our own or not: handed our devices over to a youngster that we’re tasked with entertaining. Now Android users can lock kids and other guests out of accessing their real wallets with in-game currency purchases. [More]
Google Sued Over Kids’ In-App Currency Purchases
By 3.11.14
While the folks at Apple have already settled civil and regulatory complaints about in-app purchase policies that allowed children to run up huge bills on their parents’ accounts, the Google Play store has only recently come under scrutiny for its allegedly lax controls. Now, a mom in New York has filed a potential class action against the Internet giant, claiming its policies encourage kids to waste their parents’ money. [More]
EA Doesn’t Really Want People Sharing Negative Game Reviews Where Someone Might Read Them
By 2.10.14
It’s almost time to start thinking about this year’s Worst Company In America tournament, which can mean only one thing — two-time reigning WCIA champ Electronic Arts is once again making a final push to be hated by its own customers. This time, the video game giant has been caught apparently trying to game the Google Play review and ratings system. [More]
“Kid-Friendly” Plastic Surgery Apps Pop Up On Apple, Google Stores
By 1.16.14
Because there’s nothing children love more than animated fat-shaming and liposuction, a supposedly youngster-friendly plastic surgery app has popped up in various forms (and has also been taken down) on both Google Play Store the and Apple App Store. [More]
Google Play Saga Becomes A Cautionary Tale For Customer Service Staff
By 8.28.13
Tim put his faith in Google. He ordered up a Chromecast video streaming device and a Nexus 4 smartphone from the Google Play store, canceling his existing cell phone plan before a planned move. Then his package from Google didn’t come. The Chromecast was backordered, but his phone wasn’t. Still the package didn’t come, even though the phone was supposed to ship separately. [More]
Apple Inches Closer To Streaming Music Service
By 6.3.13
Given that Apple reshaped the music industry with the iPod, it’s still a bit of a surprise that it’s been so far behind the curve on launching its own streaming music service. But a new report claims that Apple is now closing deals that would clear the way for it to stream away, right into users’ ears. [More]
Google Thinking About How To Let Users Cherry-Pick App Permissions
By 5.20.13
When you download an app from the Google Play store — or when an update to an already downloaded app includes a change in permissions — users are required to accept those permissions before downloading. But there is no way to say no to any single permission, so users are either begrudgingly downloading apps with permissions they don’t want or not downloading otherwise acceptable apps because they are concerned about these permissions. But one Google engineer says there may be some hope. [More]
