Today’s news that the Android Market is now home to over 400,000 apps isn’t good for everyone. While consumers enjoy a wide variety of apps in just about every category imaginable, developers are stuck with the headache of trying to get their app noticed. Google has recognized some of the problems associated with app [...]]]>

Today’s news that the Android Market is now home to over 400,000 apps isn’t good for everyone. While consumers enjoy a wide variety of apps in just about every category imaginable, developers are stuck with the headache of trying to get their app noticed. Google has recognized some of the problems associated with app discovery in the Android Market, and is continually working on a system of sorting and promoting apps that deem worthy of a moment in the spotlight. But does Google’s system of app promotion really work? According to the developers behind the fitness app RunKeeper, it does indeed. Being promoted by the Android Market has given them a significant boost.

In a post on the RunKeeper blog, it was revealed just what kind of effect getting your app promoted can have on downloads and Android Market rankings. Since being featured as a promoted app in the health and fitness category of the Android Market on New Year’s Eve, RunKeeper has seen a 637% increase in average daily downloads. In just three days, RunKeeper has vaulted to the number three app in the health and fitness category, and 288 in the Market overall.

So just how does one go about landing a spot in the featured section of the Android Market? Google Product Manager for the Android Market Fernando Delgado revealed that Google has a team of “editors and category managers” that are constantly looking at apps in the Android Market, and seeking out which ones deserve to be featured. “If an app is determined to have high potential, it is thoroughly reviewed to make sure it meets the high bar for being featured,” said Delgado.

If an app is determined to have high potential, it is thoroughly reviewed to make sure it meets the high bar for being featured.Fernando DelgadoGoogle Product Manager for the Android Market

When it comes down to it, there’s only one sure-fire way to make sure your app receives the attention every developer desires. Always work on making your app the best it can be. Be innovative and creative, and strive to keep your customers happy. If you maintain a good product, with a little bit of luck you just might find your app in the featured section of the Android Market. And if that happens, well, just know you’re in for a wild ride.

RunKeeper FitnessKeeper, Inc. PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

During the Le Web technology conference held recently in Paris, France, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt took to the stage to lay out some predictions on how developers will favor Android over iOS before 2012 is finished. He said that within six month’s time, developers will be releasing apps for Android before iOS due to the sheer volume [...]]]>

During the Le Web technology conference held recently in Paris, France, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt took to the stage to lay out some predictions on how developers will favor Android over iOS before 2012 is finished. He said that within six month’s time, developers will be releasing apps for Android before iOS due to the sheer volume of Android devices out there. Flurry sees it differently.

Flurry is a mobile app analytics firm that has their hands on data from just about every popular smartphone OS on the market. So far, over 55,000 companies have used Flurry Analytics across more than 135,000 applications. Developers use Flurry’s analytical data before apps are initially shipped (for a number of reasons), so the company has a good idea of what platforms developers are going to be supporting out of the gate.

Flurry has collected the data from 55,000 apps that were started in 2011 and organized which platform they were developed for by quarter. While Android developer support has steadily declined (save for a small 2% uptick in Q4) throughout the year, iOS development has exploded. In Q4 2011, 73% of developers using Flurry were making apps for iOS first.

Of course this data comes from developers using Flurry, not all apps in general. Still, Flurry Analytics “powers approximately 25% of all apps downloaded from the App Store and Android Market combined.” There’s good reason to believe that Flurry’s data is an accurate description of the market. Especially once you factor in money.

Schmidt’s prediction that developers will support Android first is related to how many Android devices are out there. Not how much money apps are making. By taking a look at in-app purchases in some top apps across Android and iOS, you can see just how much more money iOS users are putting into their apps. According to Flurry, iOS developers make around three to four times as much money with iOS apps. On average, “for every $1.00 generated on iOS, the same app will generate $0.24 on Android.”

Google is certainly headed in the right direction with the Android Market, but it’s going to take a lot more than sheer volume to secure immediate developer support. Until the money is on Android’s side, iOS is going to stay the go-to platform.

App reviews have always been some what of a sore spot for developers and users alike. Reviews are an essential tool in deciding if an app is worth purchasing or not. But without a whole lot of rules behind them, it can be a pain narrowing down relevant reviews to see who had real problems [...]]]>

App reviews have always been some what of a sore spot for developers and users alike. Reviews are an essential tool in deciding if an app is worth purchasing or not. But without a whole lot of rules behind them, it can be a pain narrowing down relevant reviews to see who had real problems on what devices, or who was just blowing off some steam. Thanks the the Android Market’s new advanced app review filtering system, finding trustworthy reviews just got a whole lot easier.

By clicking on an app in the web-based Android Market (sorting isn’t available in the mobile app yet), and then clicking on the “user reviews” tab, you can now sort app reviews in a number of different ways.

Version number is the first option on in the list, allowing you to look at reviews for all versions of the app, or just the latest version. Sorting by version is helpful for seeing if a new version got rid of any nasty bugs stopping you from purchasing.

Next up is devices. By using the device filter, you can see reviews from people using your device. Or any device registered to your account. Unfortunately, you can’t just look at reviews for any Android device out there, but sorting reviews by your phone or tablet model is certainly helpful for narrowing down any compatibility errors.

Finally, the last feature in the new filtering options is the ability to organize reviews by helpfulness. App reviews can be sorted by the date posted, the rating and helpfulness.

These three sorting features along with in-depth review details (reviews say the device and app version the review is tied to) and the option to sort reviews by their star rating and are going to be a huge help in finding reliable information on an app.

The Android Market is the number one source of apps for most Android users. Its great variety of applications, integration with Google Apps and simplicity makes it unbeatable by any other third-party Android app store, for now. There’s always room for improvement, though, and while users are generally happy with the Android Market, there [...]]]>

The Android Market is the number one source of apps for most Android users. Its great variety of applications, integration with Google Apps and simplicity makes it unbeatable by any other third-party Android app store, for now. There’s always room for improvement, though, and while users are generally happy with the Android Market, there is one issue most of us have been complaining about.

After Google switched the refund period from 24 hours to 15 minutes, customers believe that this time-frame gives no chance to really take a look at what the app has to offer. Most glitches/problems will not be noticed until long after the 15 minutes have passed. Needless to say, certain apps (especially games) take that much time just to be installed (if not longer).

This morning, our friends from Droid-Life reported something that sparked a small fire in our hopeful hearts. It seems people have been reporting longer refund periods, something Google never announced. The guys from Droid-Life decided to test this. It seems they were able to get a refund up to 1.5 hours after the purchase. Just to make sure, we decided to make the test before reporting on this, and the results were not as awesome as we hoped they would be.

The Experiment

In an effort to find out what exactly was going on, we went ahead and purchased some apps. At 10:32 am, Zenonia ($0.99) and Shadowgun ($4.99) were purchased. The order receipts still confirmed that the refund window was only 15 minutes long. After installing the games, we were consistently checking the Android Market, to see if the “Refund” button was still present (about every 5-10 minutes). Shadowgun was left unopened, while Zenonia was opened and played with for a while (people were suspecting this had something to do with opening the app after the purchase).

We went from doubt to excitement, as the “Refund” button continued to be there after 15 minutes. But we started getting suspicious after we realized that over an hour had passed and the “Refund” button was still present. Just to see what would happen, we decided to try to refund one of the purchased games, and that’s when something weird went down.

After tapping the “Refund” button in the Android Market, it would instantly turn into the infamous “Uninstall” button. After tapping what had transformed into an Uninstall button, the app simply got uninstalled. No order cancellation email was sent to our inbox, making us realize that the app wasn’t actually being refunded, just uninstalled and ready for installing again later. The same process was applied to Shadowgun with the same results.

After that, we decided to purchase Cut the Rope ($0.99) and attempt get a refund before the 15-minute window. As expected the button did not turn into an “Uninstall” button. It simply uninstalled the app on its own, and an order cancellation hit our inbox soon afterwards.

Conclusion

While the “Refund” button was showing up for over an hour, it disappears when trying to get a refund after the 15 minutes have passed by. We did not get our money back, but at least these games are good.

This seems to be an extraneous glitch, either in the system or the Android Market app itself. For now, we still have to suffer from the headaches of not having enough time to test out apps before handing over the cash. Just be sure not to go crazy buying apps, thinking that you have a longer time to return them, and let us know if you have experienced the same issue.

For now, we will have to keep complaining and hope Google will make some changes soon. What are your views on this issue? Do you think 15 minutes is a fair amount of time to get a refund? What would be the ideal time-frame, which would benefit both the consumer and the developer?

If you just so happen to be a Redditor, or user of social media in general, then you may have heard of an app known as BaconReader. It is a Reddit client that has been in the works for almost a year now. It has gone through multiple stages of alphas and betas, and [...]]]>

If you just so happen to be a Redditor, or user of social media in general, then you may have heard of an app known as BaconReader. It is a Reddit client that has been in the works for almost a year now. It has gone through multiple stages of alphas and betas, and today it finally makes its official debut in the Android Market.

Nearly one year ago, when BaconReader was first introduced, the Reddit client options on Android were incredibly slim. Since that time more developers have opened shop and released apps into the Market, but none of them are quite as nice as BaconReader has turned out to be. The app is plenty functional, with features like full profile support, color coded comments, full featured inbox, one-tap access to your favorite subreddits, Rageface and look of disapproval support. But that’s not where BaconReader excels. BaconReader blows the competition out of the water when it comes to design.

BaconReader is not only the best looking Reddit client available on the Market, it’s one of the best looking apps period. A lot of time was put into the design and user interface of BaconReader, and it really shows.

Also announced along with the release of BaconReader is a glimpse into the app’s future. BaconReader has been acquired by OneLouder Apps, the developer behind FriendCaster and TweetCaster. Chris Arvin, the original developer of BaconReader, has said that there will now be an entire team of devs working on bug fixes, but he will continue to stay with the project and still lead design.

You can try BaconReader for free by using the Android Market download widget below. If you’d like to get rid of the ads in the app, you can do so for $1.99 as an in-app purchase. If you happen to give it a shot, let us know how you like it.

BaconReader for Reddit OneLouder Apps PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

In a move to further unify and consolidate their services, Google has announced that they are officially transitioning Google Checkout to Google Wallet.

From here on out, YouTube, Google+ Games, the Android Market and any other Google sites will use Google Wallet instead of Checkout. For other business partners still using Checkout, payments made with [...]]]>

In a move to further unify and consolidate their services, Google has announced that they are officially transitioning Google Checkout to Google Wallet.

From here on out, YouTube, Google+ Games, the Android Market and any other Google sites will use Google Wallet instead of Checkout. For other business partners still using Checkout, payments made with Wallet will be processed as normal. Beginning next year, Google will start transitioning merchant accounts over to “the Google Wallet logo,” along with giving them access to new and upcoming features.

By going to wallet.google.com/manage, you can move your Google Checkout account to a Google Wallet account right now. Once inside your Google Wallet account, you’ll be able to manage your payment methods, change your shipping address and view any previous transactions. I took a moment to convert my account earlier tonight, and things appear to have gone off without a hitch.

The differences between the two services are relatively minute, but it’s nice to see Google working to keep things organized. With so many services under their belt, Google will need to keep things tidy in order to create a connected feeling experience.

When I was younger and wanted to play a video game outside the luxury of my living room, there was only one device to grab: the Nintendo GameBoy. I’m talking about the huge gray slab of plastic that featured one tiny 160 x 144 monochromatic display, some of the best music the world has ever [...]]]>

When I was younger and wanted to play a video game outside the luxury of my living room, there was only one device to grab: the Nintendo GameBoy. I’m talking about the huge gray slab of plastic that featured one tiny 160 x 144 monochromatic display, some of the best music the world has ever had to the pleasure of listening to and hours upon hours of fun. Long gone are the days of the Game Boy, though. Androids, iPhones, Vitas and DSes rule the portable gaming world in full HD glory. But that doesn’t mean you can’t honor the good old days with a throwback every now and again. Game developer OrangePixel is famous for this.

If you take a look at the developer hub for OrangePixel, you’ll see plenty of titles celebrating the blocky nature of 8-bit graphics and pump out jams that would make Anamanaguchi proud. Their latest title, Stardash, fits right in.

With monochromatic graphics, chiptune music and a three button control layout, Stardash really makes you feel like you’re playing Game Boy again. The premise of the game, much like many of the games of yesteryear, is incredibly simple. Run from the left side of the screen to the right side of the screen and collect coins the entire time. Sound familiar? It certainly doesn’t offer anything new in terms of gameplay, but that’s not what OrangePixel is going for here. Just read the Market listing.

Right now there’s four different worlds to play through, with some nine levels in every world. Also in every world is an unlockable temple, for a total of 40 levels of gameplay. That’s quite a lot for now, and OrangePixel says they’ll be updating with even more levels as time goes on. For those of you who don’t want to use your touchscreen to play, Stardash works with the GameGripper, hardware keyboards, the Xperia Play and WiiMotes. There’s also OpenFeint support for keeping track of how well you’re doing compared to your friends.

To download Stardash and give it a shot, simply use the download widget below.If you can’t decide whether or not $2.18 is worth the nostalgia, you can find the free-with-ads version of the game here. What do you guys think? Are you gonna try it out or pass this one over? Let us know in the comments below.

Stardash OrangePixel PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

The ever-popular measurement gurus at Nielsen have released a new study today that provides an in-depth look at Android app usage among men and women. By measuring “active reach,” Nielsen was able to pinpoint exactly who uses what on a monthly basis.

Before we go much further, you may be wondering exactly what “active reach” [...]]]>

The ever-popular measurement gurus at Nielsen have released a new study today that provides an in-depth look at Android app usage among men and women. By measuring “active reach,” Nielsen was able to pinpoint exactly who uses what on a monthly basis.

Before we go much further, you may be wondering exactly what “active reach” is. According to Nielsen, active reach is obtained by looking at “the percentage of Android owners who used an app within the past 30 days.” Nielsen analyzed “the data from on-device meters on thousands of Android smartphones” to determine the active reach of applications. So how did the study turn out?

The numbers are broken down into three categories. Overall active reach, male active reach and female active reach. When looking at the top five apps across all three categories, nothing drastic changes. The application with the most active reach among men and women is the Android Market–the app to get apps. Unsurprisingly, the Market is followed closely by Google Maps, Gmail, Facebook and Google Search. For men, the order of the top five apps is only slightly changed. Market, Maps and Gmail still take the top three, but Google Search is used more than Facebook. The only difference in the female top five is the second place usage of Facebook and fourth place usage of Maps.

Rounding out the top twenty in the overall list is YouTube, Advanced Tasks Kill Free, Angry Birds, Quick Office Pro, Pandora Radio, Weather Channel, Amazon App Store, Words with Friends, Talk – Text To Voice, Twitter, Barcode Scanner, Adobe Reader, Angry Birds Rio, Kindle and Google+.

If you’re an active Android user, then this list probably looks eerily familiar. With the exception of the task killer, I use all of the apps listed in the top twenty at least once a week. And the apps in the top five are easily my most used apps. What are your most used applications? Notice anything that didn’t make the list? Let us know in the comments below.

Now normally people would probably just say forget it and not [...]]]> Gameloft has had a shaky relationship with Android users due to their refusal to simply launch all of their titles in the Android Market and opting instead to sell most of their apps exclusively via their own frequently problematic system.

Now normally people would probably just say forget it and not deal with the company at all, but the problem is they make some really good games. While there is no sign that Gameloft has seen the light and is opening the floodgates they have at least given us one more top tier title in the Market in the form of Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus which is available now for $6.99.

Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus Gameloft PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

As you can probably guess the game is a first person shooter in the vein of the Call of Duty series. We reviewed the game when it was first released in January so you can go ahead and check that out before you have to throw down your own hard earned cash. In our initial review we noted that there were some device compatibility issues and based on the first couple reviews coming in those problems seem to persist so if you have something below a Samsung Galaxy S class phone you should probably steer clear despite the fact that Gameloft lists it as good for anything with Android 2.0 or above.

The game is of course still available on Gameloft’s site and if you don’t mind dealing with all of the sordid issues associated with purchasing directly from them it is still available there for $4.99.

4shared music for Android let you get an instant access to all music files at 4shared and your account. You can search for music [...]]]> Following 4shared Mobile, the chaps at Russian Internet Solutions (why does that name sound scary?) have also released 4shared Music to the Android Market. The mobile app allows you to:

4shared music for Android let you get an instant access to all music files at 4shared and your account. You can search for music you like and access it anytime and from anywhere with your mobile device. Manage your playlist option let you add favourite tracks into playlists. Thus you dont need to perform search everytime you want listen to music. Just open playlist with your favourite tracks and music starts playing.

With the expulsion of Grooveshark from the Android Market, we really have to wonder how long until Google starts kicking out these kind of apps as well. However, you can always download the app straight from the developer — unlike that other phone that starts with “i”. It goes without saying that we do not condone digital piracy of any kind, and you should only use this app for legal purposes.

4shared Music New IT Solutions PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE