PC Tech World: Store

Showing posts with label Store. Show all posts

Saturday, January 26, 2013

First Ubuntu smartphone will keep things simple, launch without an app store

DNP First Ubuntu smartphone will launch without an app store

While RIM throws checks at developers, and Steve Ballmer invades other people's press conferences to shout about apps, the folks behind the Ubuntu smartphone project are taking a very different tack. According to Richard Collins, product manager at Canonical, the first device -- expected by early next year -- will target basic users and only run pre-installed software:

"In terms of our first go-to-market product strategy, the intention is not to have an application store full of ready-made applications that are there to download. We have a very definite approach in terms of addressing a very important part of the market where users are primarily interested in being able to use a core set of applications."

Let's be clear, though: this entry-level phone will be capable of accessing a storefront for third-party apps at some point in the future. A huge part of Canonical's long-term plan is to capitalize on its relationships with developers and the fact that existing Ubuntu desktop apps should be relatively easy to port to the new breed of phones and tablets. It's just that this isn't going to be the priority to begin with. Check out our full interview with Richard Collins for more.

By: Dilusha On 11:21 AM

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Sacrebleu: Armed robbers hit Paris Apple Store

With perfect timing suggesting a professional job, four masked and armed individuals broke into the Apple Store located behind the Paris Opera House. One report credits the thieves with getting away with loot worth 1 million Euros or $1.32 million USD, although Apple says it is still evaluating the loss. As the robbery took place on New Year's Eve, the majority of the cops were watching the celebrations taking place at Champs Elysees for New Year's Eve.

According to police, the four crooks left the scene of the crime driving a van in which they carted away their take consisting of Apple iPhones, Apple iPads and Macs. The quartet overpowered a security guard and left the janitor "slightly injured" during the commission of the crime ,which took 40 minutes to complete. The robbers avoided display items and instead, went for boxed devices. The theft took place at 9pm local time, three hours after the store had closed for the night.

source: CNET

View the original article here

By: Dilusha On 10:17 PM

Friday, December 28, 2012

Customer satisfaction with Apple online store falls

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Windows Phone Store boosted by 75,000 new apps in 2012

Are you any closer to going all in on Windows Phone?

Can we finally put to bed the old adage about Windows Phone not having enough apps? Microsoft thinks so after adding 75,000 new apps to its store in 2012.

In a post on the Windows Phone developers' blog, the company said it had scrutinised and published enough apps to double the pre-existing catalogue during this calendar year.

Microsoft said that it had also published 300,000 updates to existing apps, pointing out that Windows Phone users can now rely on having the latest, safest versions of the software faster than before.

Microsoft revealed that, on average, Windows Phone customers are downloading 54 apps to their handsets, aided by the improved catalogue and new Windows Phone Store shopping experience.

"Over the last year we've made a lot of discovery enhancements including Bing-powered search and smart lists, as well as new collections and recommendations for Windows Phone 8 customers," wrote Todd Brix, senior director of the Windows Phone app team.

Brix also mentioned that 85 per cent of Windows Phone users preferred applications with functioning Live Tiles, which bring information directly to the Start Screen, than those without.

This, or course, would make perfect sense as the presence of Live Tiles is perhaps Windows Phone's most convincing selling point, especially with their new, customisable sizes in Windows Phone 8.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Raspberry Pi launches Pi Store, free and paid apps available

The Raspberry Pi Foundation’s credit card-sized computer was born in an attempt to reignite programming in schools with a cheap computing platform that kids could buy themselves. But despite targeting students, the project captured the imaginations of tinkerers worldwide, and to foster the community around it Raspberry Pi has decided to launch its very own dedicated software store. The idea is to provide developers with an easy way share their creations and a one-stop shop for those new to the Raspberry Pi to get going quickly.

The store is accessible from the web or as a standalone application under Raspbian. At launch, 23 free titles are included along a single commercial app, the platform game Storm in a Teacup from Cobra Mobile which is selling for $3.18 (or £1.99). Free downloads range from utilities like LibreOffice and Asterisk to classic games like Freeciv and OpenTTD and Raspberry Pi exclusive Iridium Rising.

According to the announcement, developers are free to submit their own content for moderation and release. IndieCity is providing the payments system, and besides the option to charge for apps, there’s also a tip jar feature that lets users shell out a little cash towards the developers, even if their app is free.

“Our driving aim has always been to use Raspberry Pi to encourage and introduce a generation of children to programming and creative computer science. By now enabling Raspberry Pi users of all ages to gain critical and commercial success from their work through the new Pi Store we also believe it will be a powerful incentive for others to get involved and further spread the word,” Raspberry Pi’s Eben Upton told Eurogamer.

An updated Raspbian image with the built-in Pi Store is available for the foundation’s website. Raspbian users can add the Pi Store application to their existing install by typing the following command:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install pistore

View the original article here

By: Dilusha On 1:37 PM

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Microsoft adds SD card app installs plus other web store perks

Windows Phone 8 app management just got easier

Microsoft updated the Windows Phone store on Thursday to allow users to install Windows Phone 8 apps from an SD card, among other new and improved features.

The Windows Phone store update came on the heels of the first update to the Windows Phone 8 OS, called Portico, which improved the HTC Windows Phone 8X's SMS capabilities.

The latest Phone web store update also added easier app reinstallation, improving the functionality already available in the store's "My Phone" section.

In addition, the Windows Phone web store is now available in 37 more countries, bringing the total number up to 112 countries worldwide (the Windows Phone Store - the one you access on your device itself - is available in 191 countries).

Windows Phone 8 users whose devices support SD cards will now find it easy to install apps even when Wi-Fi and data connections aren't available.

Apps can be downloaded to a computer from the Windows Phone web store (using the new "download and install manually" option at the top of an app's details page), then copied over to an SD card and installed to a Windows Phone 8 device manually.

Unfortunately, those apps can't be run from the SD card, only stored there and installed directly to the phone; those with storage space issues won't find a solution here.

Luckily, thanks to the changes Microsoft made to the "My Phone" section of the web store, users' purchase histories now include a "reinstall" button next to each downloaded app, making it easier to delete apps when you need the space and reinstall them later.

In addition to the new SD card and re-installation functions added to the web store this week came a new universal search function, which allows users to discover apps, articles and more types of content with a single search query.

Microsoft Partner Group Program Manager Mazhar Mohammed described the Windows Phone web store update in a blog post on Thursday, writing, "The team worked hard this year to expand the Windows Phone Store to new markets and add improvements making it easier to find and download great apps and games."

"Our focus on improvement won't change in 2013, so please keep the suggestions flowing: we're listening, and looking forward to making the Store even better next year, " he added.

Microsoft adds SD card app installs plus other web store perks

Windows Phone 8 app management just got easier

Microsoft updated the Windows Phone store on Thursday to allow users to install Windows Phone 8 apps from an SD card, among other new and improved features.

The Windows Phone store update came on the heels of the first update to the Windows Phone 8 OS, called Portico, which improved the HTC Windows Phone 8X's SMS capabilities.

The latest Phone web store update also added easier app reinstallation, improving the functionality already available in the store's "My Phone" section.

Windows Phone 8 users whose devices support SD cards will now find it easy to install apps even when Wi-Fi and data connections aren't available.

Unfortunately, those apps can't be run from the SD card, only stored there and installed directly to the phone; those with storage space issues won't find a solution here.

"Our focus on improvement won't change in 2013, so please keep the suggestions flowing: we're listening, and looking forward to making the Store even better next year, " he added.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Windows Store crack turns trial apps into full versions

microsoft, tablet, windows 8, piracy, hacking, windows store, apps, exploits, windows 8 rt, windows rt, it security, vulnerabilities, crackers, cracks, wsservice_c

A tool of questionable ethical value has surfaced, allowing Windows 8 users to transform trial apps into their full-fledged, paid-for counterparts. Wsservice_crk has actually been available for at least a month -- most notably at the MyDigitalLife forums -- but only recently has the cracking tool garnered much attention from online news outlets.

Although developers aren't required to offer trial versions of their apps, Microsoft certainly encourages it and indeed, many developers do. Incidentally, the app cracker not only "upgrades" trial apps to their full glory, but allows users to sideload unsigned (i.e. unofficial) apps. This feature is likely to be useful for distributing homebrew apps, especially ones that would be turned away from the Windows Store due to Microsoft's developer guidelines. Like Apple, there are certain restrictions placed on what Windows apps are allowed to do and the content they contain.

Although wsservice_crk seems to have a number of satisfied customers, the app does not come without risk. First, there's the obvious issue of having to access the Windows Store -- if you're going to download a trial app yourself, you need a Microsoft or store account. For many users, this opens up the possibility of being personally identified be it through means of email address, IP address or even billing information.

Additionally, for the crack to work, several Windows system files need to be modified. Of course, this presents its own risks: third-party modified system files pose questions of trust, security and system stability.

Like Windows Store, Apple's own Mac App Store suffered a similar fate shortly after its debut. The hack only worked on apps which did not implement Apple's recommended security features though -- perhaps the same is true for Windows 8 developers? A Microsoft spokesman told Beta News that the software maker is looking into the matter.

View the original article here

By: Dilusha On 2:56 PM

Apple rolls out red carpet for top App Store apps and games of 2012

Apple's App Store has come a long way

Apple revealed its lists of the top-selling apps and games of 2012 Thursday, dividing the installations into top free and paid iPhone and iPad apps.

On the iPhone side, Google's YouTube was the most popular free app of 2012.

Given YouTube's popularity, maybe Apple shouldn't have dropped it from iOS 6?

Instagram and Zynga's Draw Something came in second and third place in free iPhone apps, respectively, while Angry Birds Space, WhatsApp Messenger and Draw Something (the ad-free version) were the top three paid iPhone apps of the year.

Skype took top honors in the category of free iPad apps, with Imangi's Temple Run and the Facebook app earning second and third place.

On the paid iPad side of things, Rovio scored again, with Angry Birds Space HD taking the top spot.

Disney's Where's My Water? and Apple's own Pages app followed up as the second and third most popular paid iPad apps of the year.

In addition to revealing the most downloaded apps of the year, Apple revealed its selections for the best App Store apps and games of the year on iPhone and iPad.

Apple's iPhone app of the year was J.J. Abrams' Action Movie FX, which lets users add explosions and other "Hollywood FX" to videos.

Apple's favorite iPhone game was Rayman Jungle Run, a spin-off of Ubisoft's popular Rayman Origins.

The mystery game The Room was Apple's favorite 2012 iPad game, while creativity app Paper won for non-game iPad apps.

Clicking on the link below will take you directly to iTunes, where you can check out the rest of Apple's "best of" categories, including "Fun Runners," "Photo and Video Magic," "Casual Games" and more.

Though 2013 hasn't started yet, we have a feeling there's already a strong contender for next year's list.

SkyDrive app arrives on Xbox 360, refused by iOS app store

apple, microsoft, xbox, ios, app store, skydrive, mobile, tablet, smartphone, gaming, xbox 360, windows store, apps, 30 percent rule, dan somra

Microsoft SkyDrive program manager Dan Somrack has informed blog readers that SkyDrive will be making an appearance on Xbox 360 consoles. Microsoft is slated to begin pushing the app to consumers after 10:00 AM PST on Tuesday, so by the time you read this, your Xbox 360 may already have access to SkyDrive.

SkyDrive is Microsoft's answer to cloud storage services like DropBox and Google Drive. It provides a centralized way to store and access files across many different computers and devices. Although native support remains absent from Linux, the service is currently available for most other platforms: Mac OS X, Windows (Vista and higher), Windows Phone, Android and iOS.

Somrack said the marriage of SkyDrive and Xbox 360 opens up numerous possibilities, but his team focused on user feedback to determine the most valuable features. One such feature allows photos -- when snapped with a Windows Phone -- to show up on an Xbox-equipped TV almost instantaneously. Another desirable feature to make the cut is the ability to create photo slideshows and have them play back on a television.

While Microsoft is no doubt pleased to offer SkyDrive on the Xbox 360, not everything is fuzzy puppies and colorful rainbows for the cloud storage service.

According to The Next Web, Apple and Microsoft are currently locked in a dispute over the 30 percent rule. Purportedly, Microsoft refuses to let Apple skim 30 percent of its in-app SkyDrive subscription revenue. As a result, Apple will not publish the latest SkyDrive app update which offers users a way to upgrade their SkyDrive's storage space at a premium.

The 30 percent rule is simple: Apple gets a 30 percent cut of any sales made through its app store. The same also applies to any purchases made within the app itself.

While not everyone agrees on how fair that revenue split is, it's essentially the same percentage and practice adopted by Android Market, BlackBerry World and even Microsoft's own Windows Store.

View the original article here

By: Dilusha On 2:25 PM

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Nokia engineer exposes Windows Store piracy problems

microsoft, nokia, windows 8, windows sto

A Nokia engineer working on Windows Phone 8 has posted details on how Microsoft's Windows Store approach to security can be bypassed to avoid paying for games and in-app purchases. The process involves things like injecting code into the purchase process, altering a few lines for security checks, and changing files associated with games. That’s probably more than the average user is prepared to handle, but it does highlight a potential threat to developers who have submitted their creations to the Windows Store.

Justin Angel, the engineer in question, points out that there’s a fundamental problem with Microsoft storing game data locally -- including encrypted files alongside the algorithm and algorithm key/hash for decryption. “If it’s stored locally, we can find it, read it and modify it,” he says.

Angel explains the process using a handful of games as case studies. In Soulcraft, for example, he was able to decrypt and edit XML files to gain 1,000,000 of gold for his first level character (worth over a thousand dollar on Android and iOS), while in Meteor Madness he was able to modify another file to turn the trial game into the full $1.5 version. There's also an example that ditches ads in Minesweeper and a workaround to unlock levels in Cut The Rope. Basically, if there’s a way for developers to make money, there’s a way to bypass it.

Angel says his findings are meant to be educational with the hope that “both developers and Microsoft can benefit from an open exchange of knowledge,” and that Nokia had nothing to do with the research. Justin Angel’s website is currently offline for some reason but the article is available through Google Cache.

View the original article here

By: Dilusha On 1:11 PM

Bing Translator gets updated for Windows Phone 8, available now in the Store

Bing Translator gets updated for Windows Phone 8, available now in the Store data = {blogUrl: "www.engadget.com",v: 220};when = {jquery: lab.scriptBs("jquery"),plugins: lab.scriptBs("plugins"),eng: lab.scriptBs("eng")}; var s265prop9 = ('20389729' !== '') ? 'bsd:20389729' : ''; var modalMNo = '93319229'; when.eng("eng.omni.init", {pfxID:"weg",pageName:document.title,server:"",channel:"us.engadget",pageType:"",linkInternalFilters:"javascript:,engadget.com,joystiq.com,massively.com,tuaw.com,switched.com,techcrunch.com",prop1:"Engadget",prop2:"",prop9:s265prop9,prop12:document.location,prop17:"",prop18:"",prop19:"",prop20:"",mmxgo: true,disablepipath:true,mmxtitle:"us.engadget" + " : "}); adSendTerms('1')adSetMOAT('1');adSetAdURL('/_uac/adpagem.html');lab._script("http://o.aolcdn.com/os/ads/adhesion/js/adhads-min.js").wait(function(){var floatingAd = new AdhesiveAd("10000657",{hideOnSwipe:true});}); EngadgetMenuReviewsEventsPodcasts Engadget ShowBuyers GuidesFeaturesVideosGalleriesTopicsHD Mobile Alt Announcements Cameras Cellphones Desktops Displays Gaming GPS Handhelds Home Entertainment Household Internet Laptops Meta Misc Networking Peripherals Podcasts Robots Portable Audio/Video Science Software Storage Tablets Transportation Wearables Wireless Acer Amazon AMD Apple ASUS AT&T Canon Dell Facebook Google HP HTC Intel Lenovo LG Microsoft Nikon Nintendo Nokia NVIDIA RIM Samsung Sony Sprint T-Mobile Verizon About UsSubscribeLike Engadget@engadgettip uswhen.eng("eng.nav.init")when.eng("eng.tips.init") onBreak({980: function () {htmlAdWH("93325870", "215", "35",'AJAX','ajaxsponsor');}});Bing Translator gets updated for Windows Phone 8, available now in the Store MobileBySarah SilbertpostedNov 27th, 2012 at 11:04 PM 0

The Bing Translator app has been helping Windows Phone users avoid cross-cultural mishaps since April of last year, adding augmented reality and offline capability along the way. Naturally, Microsoft has updated this utility for Windows Phone 8. The latest version of Translator supports six languages (Chinese, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish) and features a new "lens" for translating text via a smartphone's camera. The app is available as a free download in the Store. Head past the break to see it in action.

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Source: Windows Phone Blog, Windows Phone Store

Tags: Bing, bing translator, BingTranslator, microsoft, mobilepostcross, video, Windows Phone, windows phone 8, WindowsPhone, WindowsPhone8

when.eng("eng.share.init") Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5

Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5 7.8

Key specs Reviews • 48 Prices Type Mobile / embedded OS Source model Closed Architecture 32-bit Released 2011-09-27 see all specs ? 8.8average user rating Ease of use 9.7 Speed 9.7 Configurability 8.3 Ecosystem (apps, drivers, etc.) 7.5 Openness 7.7

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write a reviewsee all reviews ? Microsoft Windows Phone 8

Microsoft Windows Phone 8

Key specs Reviews • 1 Prices Type Mobile / embedded OS Source model Closed Announced 2012-10-29 see all specs ? 8.5average user rating Ease of use 10 Speed 10 Configurability 8 Ecosystem (apps, drivers, etc.) 8 Openness 8

Get better reviews from people who actually have this product!

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By: Dilusha On 11:14 AM

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Google Play Store update on Android brings post-install suggestions, translations

By Jon Fingas

posted Nov 17th 2012 7:01PM Google Play Store update on Android brings postinstall suggestions, translations

Google likes to stealthily roll out Google Play Store updates for Android users on a frequent basis, whether it's to add new sections or to encourage a little more impulse shopping. We'd put a brand new revision in that last camp. The 3.10.9 tweak no longer just leaves us lingering at an app's page during an installation: start the process and the store offers suggestions based on fellow adopters' habits as well as a shortcut back to the main portal. Language mismatches in the store could also be a thing of the past with an option to translate descriptions into the device owner's native tongue. Along with a quicker way to add Google+ friends and get better app recommendations, Google's refresh is clearly built to remove those last points of hesitation before trying something new; if the app drawer is looking a little bare, hit the source link (or wait for an automatic update) to fill up.

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By: Dilusha On 8:27 PM