Category Archives: App stores
Beware January Bargain Android tablets
Rating: If it doesn’t support Android Market don’t touch it
GoMo News had a rude awaking when asked to configure an Android Tablet purchased in the January sales. Being handset orientated, this hack hadn’t noticed that not all Android Tablets are supported by the official Google app store – the Android Market. If you can’t get onto the Market then you can’t get access to the full range of apps available for such devices. It’s akin to purchasing a device running iOS that can’t access the iTunes App store. Our advice? If support for Android Market isn’t specifically mentioned on the box or the web site then don’t touch it. We made this discovery when handed a Coby Kyros touchscreen tablet purchased from UK electronics retailing specialist – Maplin. Our research shows that there’s no clear pattern to which tablets are Market compatible. Even Google’s own list isn’t definitive. Continue reading
Urgent: Absolutely last chance for 12 free BlackBerry apps
Rating: Thank You Gift from BlackBerry finishes today
Back in the Dark Days of October 2011, Research In Motion (RIM) – maker of the eponymous BlackBerry handsets – suffered a catastrophic outage at its NOC (Network Operations Centre) in Slough. In order to compensate its loyal customers for circa three days of chaos, RIM introduced its Thank You Gift from BlackBerry offering. From a consumer perspective, this equated to 12 free apps which for reasons better known to itself, RIM released in dribs and drabs. GoMo News spotted the last two remaining free apps – both games from Gameloft – finally appearing in the BlackBerry App World on December 3rd [2011]. However, today [December 31st 2011], is absolutely the last chance you have to download these apps for free. Continue reading
Apple loses interest in iOS 3.1.3 users
Rating: No news iOS apps for 8 days over Xmas
Speculation is rife that Apple may be unwilling to support existing owners of iOS devices which are still running version 3.1.3. The reason for this can be traced to problems those users started to experience when trying to access the iTunes App Store directly from their devices. Some users who contacted Apple claimed that they were advised to upgrade their operating system. Which is strange because iOS 4.x and 5.x support only newer devices and those with older iPhones and iPod Touches are stuck with version 3.1.3. As usual Apple has not seen fit to issue a Press release saying that it has fixed the bug – but that does appear to be the case. GoMo News was also intrigued to learn that the company rushed to fix the bug because it locks down the App Store over the Xmas holidays for eight days. Continue reading
Google’s Chris DiBona gets egg on face
Rating: No point in having antivirus software, eh Chris?
Talk about making comments that you’ll live to regret. Just a few weeks ago, Chris DiBona who is Open Source Programs manager for Google, alleged that no real mobile malware actually exists. He insinuated that anti-virus companies are playing on consumers fears to try to sell you security software for Android, RIM, and, iOS. GoMo News remembers a Psion executive making a similar claim about the OS which became Symbian. DiBona is going to have to eat his words because today [December 13th 2011], Google had to remove a set of malicious applications from the official Android Market. Why? Because they were blatantly malware. Continue reading
UK newspaper shows faith in W7 Mango
Rating: Sunday Times reviews 3 app for Windows Phone 7
It’s nice to see one of the UK’s most respected national newspapers buck the trend. But that’s what the Sunday Times has just done by reviewing three top Windows Phone 7 (W7 Mango) apps in its ‘Planet of the Apps’ regular feature. As reviewer, Matt Bingham, says, “WinPho mobile deserves to do better , being fast, competent and with 30,000 apps. It’s received a push with the launch of the first Windows Phone from Nokia … the Lumia 800.” Bingham goes onto review threw Mango compatible apps – Network Dashboard; Kinectimals and Send to WP7. Unusually for a publication connected to the News Corporation empire, you can actually get to these reviews online here. Continue reading
Apple’s in-app purchasing spirals out of control
Rating: Child lands £1,300 bill from free iPad app
Despite numerous precedents and calls from the US House of Representatives, Apple has demonstrated that – once again – it is permitting unscrupulous publishers to fleece parents. This time, in the UK, a seven-year old child managed to run up a £1,300 bill by making in-app purchases. He was playing a game called Tap Zoo from Pocket Gems – a San Francisco based developer. Although the game itself is free, players are encouraged to ‘collect’ virtual animals with golden coins whose purchase charges range from £1 to £79.99. Take a look at the game’s front page via iTunes on a PC and there’s absolutely no warning that such vast fees can be incurred. Continue reading
Two missing BlackBerry Thank You Gift apps appear
Rating: N.O.V.A. and Texas Hold’em Poker 2 available for free
Although they were all officially due to appear by November 30th [2011], the last two of the twelve apps provided for free as Thank You Gifts have finally appeared. They are both games from Gameloft – N.O.V.A. and Texas Hold’em Poker 2. Although it says N.O.V.A is free of charge for a limited time (and worth $4.99 ), while Texas Hold’em Poker 2 is also time restricted (and worth $2.99), RIM appears to have made a subtle change to its FAQ (here) concerning these apps. It now says, “they are yours to keep afterwards as well.” Continue reading
BBM Connected gets festive with Santa Dash
Rating: Great way to promote apps to 50 million+ userbase
Slowly but surely, GoMo News has noticed that more and more BlackBerry apps are cropping up boasting a facility which RIM is calling a ‘BBM Connected Application’. We decided to investigate and discovered that there is a very topical BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) connected app in the shape of Santa Dash. Naturally, this is an Xmas themed game and the good news is that it is entirely free. It also happens to be a good example of how BBM Connected works. That’s because you can select BBM contacts right from within the app and to invite them to download the app without having to quit what you’re actually doing. Continue reading
Tier-One app stores need better discovery to combat niche players
Rating: research2guidance highlights growth of niche app stores
Niche mobile app stores have existed since the early 2000s, but they have only become relevant after Apple disrupted the whole market with its iTunes App Store, says research2guidance.These findings are part of its latest report entitled ‘Smartphone App Market Monitoring Report – Volume 4′. This market watcher reckons that the mobile eco-system is shifting away from total domination by the Tier-One app stores (iTunes, Android Market, etc) towards niche app stores. This trend offers opportunities for publishers who spot the trend and seize advantage of it. Continue reading
Magazine empire expects to have 1m e-readers by 2013
Rating: Publishing on Apple’s iTunes ain’t so bad
In an interview with the Reuters news agency, Hearst Magazines‘ president, David Carey, claimed, “”We do expect in 2012 at some point to be able to have more than a million on e-subscriptions.” He also admitted that despite the publishing industry’s initial reservations, selling through Apple’s iTunes store isn’t so bad after all. “It’s a pretty efficient distribution for us to be honest,” he admitted. Continue reading
US operators sign up to ESRB mobile app vetting
Rating: But the system itself could be open to abuse
A very laudable initiative from the US-based wireless industry body – the CTIA has persuaded key North American mobile network operators to sign up to a new app vetting scheme. Actually it’s not very new because it is merely the mobile version of a ratings scheme operated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) . That body claims to already be the de facto ratings group for the majority of video games. It now wants to turn its attention to creating ’parent-friendly’ ratings for mobile apps – and games are the obvious worry here. The big snag is that neither Apple or Google has signed up to the scheme. GoMo News reckons that leaves a loophole for unscrupulous marketers. Continue reading
iBuildApp facilitates DIY mobile coupon building
Rating: It’s easy. Just add water & stir. [We're joking].
DIY app building specialist, iBuildApp, has created a service which will enable brands to jump onto the Mobile Coupons bandwagon. With this tool, anyone can create, customise and manage an application that contains mobile coupons and then upload it to an app store. It’s not just iPhone compatible as the name might imply. The company says its mobile app building solution currently supports all major mobile operating systems, including: – iOS (iPhone), Android, BlackBerry, Nokia and Windows. [Not sure whether that includes W7 Mango, though.] iBuildApp has also put together some very interesting stats about mobile, too. Continue reading
Apple brings in-app purchasing into disrepute – yet again
Rating: 4-year old Brit runs up £87 bill playing rogue game Smurfs’Village
Despite it’s protestations to the contrary, Apple is bringing the whole practice of in-app billing into disrepute. This is despite its protestations to the contrary. The latest incident involves a four-year-old Brit, Oliver Allen – who cannot even read or write – managed to wrack up a bill of costing £87.48. Oliver was playing a children’s game – Smurfs’ Village, and incurred the charges because his mother – Sam Allen, was still logged into the iTunes App Store. The App Store has a time-out of 15 minutes and the purchases were made within that time period. The amazing thing is that the USA’s FTC had been asked to investigate exactly the same kind of incident nine months previously. Continue reading
Nokia adds gig guide to Music for Lumia
Rating: We’ve no idea how you get the update, of course
Only days after the final release of its W7 Mango phones, Nokia has apparently created an update to its Music for Lumia app. The key addition here is a gig guide – Gigfinder. GoMo News has yet to discover whose technology powers this app. There are a few scant details on an official Nokia blog here. It says that the app, “Starts with your location and today’s date and lists the nearest, soonest gigs happening round you. Where available, you can click through to booking information. You can now also share the gig details with friends using SMS, email or social networks.” Great. But where do you get this update? The Mobile Indian here says, “Customers will get this update as and when they purchase and activate their devices.” Continue reading
LiMo Foundation hits out at app store duopoly
Rating: Web apps are prospective third ecosystem
The executive director of the LiMo Foundation, Morgan Gillis, has hit out at weaknesses in the existing app regime. He argued that, “There are still some drawbacks with the existing pair of dominant ecosystems.” Gillis was speaking at the recent GSMA Mobile Asia Congress 2011 in Hong Kong (see report). Gillis didn’t name names but he was obviously talking about the two dominant mobile app stores – Apple’s iTunes and Google’s Android Market. Significantly, Gillis hinted that there could be an alternative – web based apps are prospective third mobile apps ecosystem. We assume this is a reference to apps based on HTML5 in particular because they can potentially run on all the major mobile OS and so are effectively platform agnostic. Continue reading
