app store

Software
April 25, 2012
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‘HackStore’ brings Cydia-like app store to Macs

By on April 25, 2012 at 6:25 PM.

‘HackStore’ brings Cydia-like app store to Macs

A group of developers in Russia recently launched the “HackStore,” a centralized location for third-party OS X applications. Like Cydia on iOS, the HackStore is a software hub that allows developers to distribute applications without having to endure Apple’s approval process. The developers behind the project claim that piracy will not be tolerated in their app store, though it is unclear exactly what measures they are taking to prevent pirated software from being distributed through the HackStore. “The biggest Mac Appstore problem is that they limit their users in everything, without giving an opportunity to expand these limits,” HackStore’s creators wrote on their website. “This is not correct, because ONLY users should decide which applications they should install and which one do not. We think HackStore [will] break through the narrow confines of Mac Appstore.” More →

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Tablets
April 16, 2012
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Image of Spotify’s official iPad app leaks, launch is ‘getting closer’

By on April 16, 2012 at 10:25 PM.

Image of Spotify’s official iPad app leaks, launch is ‘getting closer’

While Spotify offers a native iPhone app, the company still doesn’t offer one for Apple’s iPad. According to a photo recently published to the web, however, that may soon change. A Swedish technology consultant posted the first image of what is said to be a beta version of Spotify’s official iPad app. The image was posted on Instagram and it featured the caption, “It’s getting closer!” The image has since been removed, but not before it began to spread across various tech blogs. Spotify on Friday sent out press invitations for a special announcement event in New York City. Could the event be for an iPad app? Perhaps, although a press conference dedicated solely to an app seems unlikely. Earlier reports indicated that the music streaming company may announce brand partnerships that will allow app and playlist recommendations from companies in an effort to make the platform more attractive to advertisers. More →

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mobile
April 11, 2012
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Instagram becomes No. 1 free iOS app for the first time ever after Facebook acquisition

By on April 11, 2012 at 9:35 AM.

Instagram becomes No. 1 free iOS app for the first time ever after Facebook acquisition

Facebook’s $1 billion acquisition of Instagram has had a great impact on the photo-sharing app’s popularity. Despite public outcry with some users looking to delete their accounts, Instagram continues to add users by the millions. The media coverage has benefited the company greatly and on Tuesday evening, Instagram became the N0. 1 free app in Apple’s App Store for the first time ever. The company recently revealed that it had surpassed 30 million users on the iPhone, and combined with the success of the Android version and Facebook’s user base, it won’t be long until the photo-sharing app surpasses 50 million users and beyond. More →

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mobile
March 30, 2012
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Amazon Appstore apps earn three times more than Google Play apps; Apple still No. 1

By on March 30, 2012 at 4:30 PM.

Amazon Appstore apps earn three times more than Google Play apps; Apple still No. 1

Earlier this month, Apple crossed a record 25 billion downloads from more than 550,000 available apps, while Google in December surpassed 10 billion downloads from 400,000 available apps. Analytics firm Flurry on Friday announced the results of a new study that examined various mobile app markets, and interestingly enough, the study found that apps in Amazon’s competing Android Appstore earns three times more revenue than those within Google’s own marketplace. Apple’s App Store took in the most revenue, with the Amazon Appstore earning 89% of the revenue Apple did and Google’s Play marketplace making just 23%. “Another way to interpret the results is that for every $1.00 an app generates in the iTunes App Store, it generates $0.89 in the Amazon Appstore and $0.23 in Google Play,” Flurry analysts wrote in their report. “These results mirror those of a similar analysis conducted by Flurry last December, where we found for every $1.00 generated in the iTunes App Store, developers generated $0.24 in the Android Market.” The statistics come from 11 million daily active users of top-ranked applications available on iOS and Android over a 45-day period between mid-January through the end of February. More →

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mobile
March 23, 2012
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Windows Phone Marketplace tops 70,000 apps

By on March 23, 2012 at 7:30 AM.

Windows Phone Marketplace tops 70,000 apps

Microsoft’s Windows Phone Marketplace has reportedly reached another milestone according to Chinese website Sina. The company’s chairman and chief executive officer for the Greater China region Simon Leung said that the mobile platform is now home to over 100,000 registered developers who have made more than 70,000 apps available in 63 different markets. The number of apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace, however, is still a relatively small figure when compared to Apple’s App Store, which boasts more than 500,000 apps, and the 450,000 apps in the Google Play marketplace. More →

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Gaming
March 22, 2012
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Angry Birds Space now available for $0.99 [video]

By on March 22, 2012 at 8:40 AM.

Angry Birds Space now available for $0.99 [video]

Rovio on Thursday released Angry Birds Space for iOS and Android devices, as well as OS X and Windows PCs. In the fourth major Birds release, users will get to fling birds on zero-gravity planets while utilizing new gameplay features such as slow-motion and lightspeed destruction. “This is Rovio at its finest, and we are more than excited to bring Angry Birds Space to all our fans worldwide,” said Mikael Hed, CEO of Rovio. “This launch marks a huge step for us as a company, and our whole team and partners have really pulled together to bring out a fantastic array of exciting products and experiences. We hope that our fans will find all things Angry Birds Space as delightful as the Rovio family does.” Angry Birds Space is available for $0.99 in the App Store on the iPhone and iPod touch, and Angry Birds Space HD is available for $2.99 on the iPad. The Mac version is available for $4.99 in the Mac App Store. The game is available for Android devices for free with advertisements in the Google Play marketplace, with an ad-free versions available for $0.99 and an HD version for Android tablets available for $2.99 in the Amazon Appstore. Read on for a video and Rovio’s press release. More →

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mobile
March 21, 2012
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Instagram and Hipstamatic to announce photo-sharing partnership

By on March 21, 2012 at 6:55 PM.

Instagram and Hipstamatic to announce photo-sharing partnership

Instagram, the increasingly popular photo-sharing platform for Apple’s iPhone, has always allowed users to export photos taken within the app to other social networks. The service has never allowed users to upload non-Instagram photos onto its platform, however — until now. Hipstamatic, a similar photo app that takes vintage-looking photos, is set to unveil a partnership that will allow Instagram photos to be uploaded to its service, Fast Company reported on Wednesday. ”When we launched, it was all about Facebook and Flickr and Twitter, and now we’re seeing a huge shift in our user base toward Instagram,” Hipstamatic co-founder and CEO Lucas Buick said. “We’ve never been a social networking company, but we clearly benefit from social networks. So this will be the first app outside of Instagram that lets you into their network. That’s pretty cool for us.” Hipstamatic is slated to issue an update on Wednesday evening that will bring Instagram integration to iOS devices. The app is available for $1.99 in Apple’s iOS App Store. More →

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mobile
March 15, 2012
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Sparrow launches email client for iOS with gorgeous UI, no push notifications [video]

By on March 15, 2012 at 8:50 PM.

Sparrow launches email client for iOS with gorgeous UI, no push notifications [video]

Sparrow’s desktop email client for OS X includes a great UI and a number of great features such as multiple accounts, a unified inbox and a user-friendly layout. The company on Thursday brought those same attributes to Apple’s iPhone, iPod touch and iPad with the release of its much anticipated iOS app. Much like the desktop version, Sparrow’s mobile app features a simple, Facebook-like design that is light, responsive and easy on the eyes. The iOS app supports iCloud, Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, and other IMAP services, however it does not support POP accounts or push notifications. “If Sparrow was to do Push today, we would have to store your credentials (login/password) on our servers to frequently poll your accounts, and send you notifications,” the company said. “This is a responsibility we’re not ready to take. As a startup focused on iOS/OS X development, we do not have the skills to secure your data on our servers and we do not want to put sensitive information at risk. That’s why Sparrow iPhone 1.0 doesn’t do push.” Sparrow’s mobile app requires iOS 5 and can be had for $2.99 in Apple’s App Store. A video of Sparrow’s new iOS app follows below. More →

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mobile
March 15, 2012
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Path CEO grilled by Tim Cook and Apple over privacy

By on March 15, 2012 at 5:00 PM.

Path CEO grilled by Tim Cook and Apple over privacy

Last month it was discovered that the popular social network Path was uploading entire address books — including email addresses, names and phone numbers — to its external servers. Path’s actions were a direct violation of Apple’s terms of agreement, and the Cupertino-based company was apparently not happy. Bloomberg’s BusinessWeek reported on Thursday that Path co-founder Dave Morin was hauled into Apple’s headquarters and grilled by CEO Tim Cook and other executives on the matter. Apple remained silent as other developers were called out for stealing users’ contact data, but the company finally issued a statement claiming that “any app wishing to access contact data will require explicit user approval in a future software release.” More →

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mobile
March 6, 2012
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Temple Run coming to the Android Market on March 27th

By on March 6, 2012 at 11:00 PM.

Temple Run coming to the Android Market on March 27th

Imangi Studios on Tuesday announced that its hit iOS game, Temple Run, will be coming to the Android Market on March 27th. Temple Run is an Indiana Jones-like ”runner” game that has users sprint through obstacles and escape the dangers of the jungle using gestures that make the character jump, duck and move from side to side. “We are excited to finally share the Android release date with our fans who have been so enthusiastic and supportive of Temple Run,” said Keith Shepherd, co-founder of Imangi Studios. “By expanding to more mobile devices, we hope to provide the same addictive and fast-paced gameplay to an entirely new group of players.” Temple Run is currently the top free app and top grossing app in the iOS App Store, with over 40 million downloads and 7 million daily active users. The game is free to play and features in-app purchases that allow users to buy different characters and power-ups for higher scores. The company previously announced the game would be available in February, however it was delayed for unknown reasons. Read on for the Imangi’s press release. More →

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mobile
March 6, 2012
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Angry Birds, Facebook rank as App Store’s most popular apps of all time

By on March 6, 2012 at 7:45 PM.

Angry Birds, Facebook rank as App Store’s most popular apps of all time

After delivering over 25 billion apps from its App Store, Apple has listed the top-25 free and paid apps of all time for the iPad and iPhone. To no one’s disbelief, Angry Birds appears on all four lists, topping the iPad’s free list and iPhone’s paid list. Facebook came in as the top free iPhone app, while Apple’s Pages edged out Angry Birds for the top paid iPad app spot. Other popular apps such as Words With Friends, Fruit Ninja, Pandora, Shazam, Cut The Rope and Netflix all made top-10 appearances on Apple’s various lists as well. More →

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mobile
March 5, 2012
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Apple’s App Store reaches 25 billion downloads

By on March 5, 2012 at 9:55 AM.

Apple’s App Store reaches 25 billion downloads

Apple on Saturday confirmed that apps in its App Store have collectively been downloaded more than 25 billion times. The Cupertino-based company will reward Chunli Fu of Qingdao, China with a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card for downloading the 25 billionth app. Apple also stated that there are now 315 million iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices in use around the world. “We’d like to thank our customers and developers for helping us achieve this historic milestone of 25 billion apps downloaded,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “When we launched the App Store less than four years ago, we never imagined that mobile apps would become the phenomenon they have, or that developers would create such an incredible selection of apps for iOS users.” Apple began the countdown in mid-February, and it took just over two weeks to complete. The iOS App Store opened its doors in July 2008 alongside the launch of the iPhone 3G, and the company unveiled the Mac App Store in October 2010. The App Store reached its 10 billionth download last year on January 22, 2011. More →

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Business
March 2, 2012
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Apple claims to have created or supported more than half a million jobs in the U.S.

By on March 2, 2012 at 6:15 PM.

Apple claims to have created or supported more than half a million jobs in the U.S.

Apple on Friday updated its website with a new job creation section detailing the company’s role in creating American jobs. Since its inception, the Cupertino-based company claims to have created or supported more than half a million jobs for U.S. workers across 50 states. “Throughout our history, Apple has created entirely new products — and entirely new industries — by focusing on innovation,” the company said on its website. “As a result, we’ve created or supported more than 500,000 jobs for U.S. workers: from the engineer who helped invent the iPad to the delivery person who brings it to your door.” Of the jobs created, 304,000 span engineering, manufacturing and transportation while an additional 210,000 have been created due to the iOS app economy. More →

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