Skip to Content

Free TUAW iPhone app -- try it now!
AOL Tech

AndroidMarket posts

Filed under: Mobile, Android

In pictures: the updated Android Market


As you may know, Google has updated the Android Market in the new 1.6 release (aka Donut), providing a brighter UI and more logical browsing of the catalogue (particularly necessary now that the market has grown to over 10,000 applications).

As you can see in the gallery below, users can choose among from 'Apps', 'Games' and 'Downloads' categories and within a category, applications can be sorted by paid, free and 'just in' (new). Finally, screenshots are now included in the market, a much requested feature!

Devices with 1.6 on board are expected to ship in October but thanks to the beauty of open source, if you own a T-Mobile G1 / HTC Dream or HTC Magic / Sapphire and are feeling particularly brave, you can have a play already courtesy of the unofficial 'Cyanogen ROM'.

Filed under: Mobile, Android

Google's Android Market now contains 10,000 applications


AndroLib, a website that provides the ability to browse the Android Market via your web browser, is now reporting that the Android Market contains in excess of 10,000 applications (10,434 applications at the time of writing to be precise)!

The impressive figure is a clear sign of the growing popularity of the Android platform and while the figure does of course include a large number of, er, 'substandard' applications (mitigated by the 'anything goes' approval process of Google's market) the number of high quality and must-have applications available is also growing considerably.

Although without doubt 10,000 applications is a considerable catalogue, 148apps.biz is reporting that 76,085 applications are currently available in the Apple App Store.

Microsoft's 'Windows Marketplace for Mobile' is expected to launch in the near future alongside the release of Windows Mobile 6.5, however these metrics show that the platform, historically well supported by developers, has a fair bit of catching up to do. With Microsoft's focus on 'quality rather than quantity', expedited by the considerable costs associated with publishing an application (even for free download), it seems likely that it will be a while before we see Microsoft's offering hitting the 10,000 application mark.

[via AfterDawn]

Filed under: Internet, Google, Social Software, Mobile

Facebook comes to Android

Oh look, more evidence that Facebook is slowly trying to take over the world. The popular social networking website is adding yet another option for its mobile users. Adding to the popular mobile platform that already has applications for iPhone, Blackberry, Palm, Sony Ericsson, Windows Mobile, Widsets, INQ and LG, today they announced the release of Facebook for Android.

According to the Facebook app's page, the Android version gives users much of the same functionality found in their other mobile versions. This includes status updates from your home screen, news feed, friends, walls and user info, photo sharing and easy phone number lookup.

From a quick first look, the application seems a bit basic, especially in comparison to the fully-featured 3rd installment of the iPhone version. Also, while the app is listed as having been developed by Facebook, it was actually engineered by Google with "some help" from Facebook.

After seeing how much is possible with Facebook's mobile platform, it's no secret that many users are dissapointed with the apps basic features and very "mobile-looking" interface.

The app is free is available through the Android Market.

[via CNET]

Filed under: Mobile Minute, Mobile, Android

Pandora Mobile application arrives in Android Market

Online music streaming / discovery site Pandora have released their 'Pandora Mobile' Android application in the Android Market (for U.S. users).

Pandora Mobile allows you to create a personalised radio stream to listen to directly on your device. Simply enter an artist name, track name or a classical composer and Pandora will create a virtual 'radio station' that plays matching music and music that it deems fit for your tastes.

If you already have stations set up via the Pandora website, they will also become accessible on your device. The application includes a homescreen widget for convenient control of your playback and convenient 'thumbs up' and 'thumbs down' of the current track.

As mentioned above, Pandora Mobile -- as with the web based version -- is only available to U.S. users at the time of writing. If you're in other countries and you're looking for an alternative, check out imeem or last.fm (also free on the Android Market) or the recently launched Spotify streaming service (premium subscription required).

The application is enjoying a very positive reception from users - the current rating on the Android Market is '4.54 out of 5' - a positively glowing recommendation! Have you installed? Tell us what you think!


Filed under: Web services, Google, web 2.0, Android

Android First-look: WikiMobile

If you had asked me yesterday if I thought I would get any use out of the WikiMobile Encyclopedia for Android, I probably would have rudely laughed in your face. The joke is on me, because WikiMobile is actually a pretty fantastic. It's also free -- something that cannot be said for the $19.99 BlackBerry version (and I'm not paying $19.99 to access a free website on my Curve).

Bonfire Media really did a bang-up job bringing WikiMobile to Android. Just looking at the BlackBerry screenshots (apparently, it is also available as a subscription service on some AT&T and Verizon phones), the Android version is much easier on the eyes.

I'm not a huge Wikipedia fan -- I tend to trust it as far as basic time and date skeletons and for information on popular culture -- but I can't deny having found the service helpful. WikiMobile really accentuate and captilizes on those features.

Read more →

Featured Time Waster

Graveyard Shift - zombie-busting Time Waster

With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet. They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

View more Time Wasters

Featured Galleries

Defective by Design, London: Protest Pictures
Microsoft Security Essentials
Chromium Pre-Alpha on CrunchBang Linux
Safari 4 Beta
10 Firefox themes that don't suck
IE8 RC1
Download Squad at the Crunchies After-Party
Download Squad at the Crunchies
WordPress 2.7
Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals
Windows 7 Hands On
Comodo Internet Security
Android First-look: Amazon.com MP3 Store
Android First-look: Twitroid
Google Reader Android
Android Hands-On
Twine 1.0
Photoshop Express Beta
Mozilla Birthday Cake
Palm stuff
Adobe Lightroom 1.1

 


Follow us on Twitter!

Flickr Pool

www.flickr.com

More Tech Coverage

AOL Radio