Highly regarded mobile security firm Lookout Security has just released a "Push Ad" detector. The free app will detect any apps on your device that contain code to ad networks that can push ads to your Android notification bar, push ad-enabled search icons to your device's desktop, or make setting modifications to your mobile browser.
You might recall a story we recently published, detailing Japanese carrier KDDI's moves into pushing ads to the notification bar of Android devices.
Push Ad Detector currently detects the following six ad networks, which Lookout says are ther ones that use the most aggressive push ad techniques.
Airpush
Appenda
LeadBolt
Moolah Media
Startapp
TapIt!
Note: just because an app includes the code from one or more of these networks does not mean that the app is actually using the push ad technology. It will still be detected by the Push Ad Detector, however.
Once the Push Ad Detector finds an app that integrates one of these ad networks, if possible, it will display a link enabling an end user to opt out of the ad network. Note the words "if possible."
If there is no opt-out link for the network, a user will need to remove the app to effectively opt-out. Push Ad Detector also provides a shortcut to the Application Details page for the app, from which a simple "uninstall" tap can be used to remove the app manually.
Although Lookout is a security company, this isn't a malware detecting app. It could be categorized as an adware detecting app, instead.
Microsoft would be the pinnacle of their career. Watson’s new position at Amazon is working on Kindle apps, so it is almost exactly the same line of work, though now for what was one of his biggest competitors. It leaves a question mark about Microsoft’s future in the mobile space, though not a black hole. The software giant has actually done a formidable job at building the Windows Phone brand.
It got a much-needed boost from Nokia, which recently launched its Lumia 710 smartphone in the US. At $50, the Lumia 710 is seen as a great entry-level smartphone. But alas, selling Windows Phone as the “cheap” option is only driving a bigger wedge when it comes to the smartphone aficianados who simply don’t believe there’s a need for a third player in an iOS and Android duel. For Watson, that battle won’t be an issue anymore.
Amazon.com has promised to make a paid app free every day in the Amazon Appstore, and today's app is Glow Tic Tac Toe Ad Free.
Glow Tic Tac Toe Ad Free is priced at $0.99 in the Android Market. It is normally priced at $0.99 in the Amazon Appstore. As we've noted previously, prices sometimes differ between the two marketplaces.
Glow Tic Tac Toe Ad Free is described as follows:
It's glow time! Play an illuminated version of Tic Tac Toe with this classic game for your Android device. Glow Tic Tac Toe features smart, simple gameplay and a distinctive look that's easy on the eyes. Challenge a partner or take on the computer--you'll find yourself playing again and again.
Go With the Glow
You've played plenty of Tic Tac Toe in your life, of course, but not like this. Neon-like graphics make the game board seemingly leap from your screen, offering a fresh, newly entertaining experience with this age-old favorite.
What makes Glow Tic Tac Toe really stand out, though, is what's under the hood. The game's AI (artificial intelligence) adapts to your playing style and makes moves that are highly unpredictable. So even if you don't have a friend nearby to play with, you can enjoy a consistently challenging experience that evolves with each game.
In addition, the AI's skill level can be adjusted on the fly, in the middle of a game. There are three difficulty levels to choose from, so you can crank up the challenge while you're playing--or bring it down a notch if you get cornered.
Glow Tic Tac Toe Ad Free has no rating in the Android Market (no one has chosen to rate it) and is rated at 3.2 stars in the Amazon Appstore.
To be clear, while Glow Tic Tac Toe Ad Free has no rating in the Android Market, there is a free version with 156 ratings and 4.2 stars. The paid app was first posted in Dec. 2011 and only has 5 - 10 installs.
It seems that Amazon.com is continuing to pick up --- not necessarily low-rated apps --- but apps that haven't gotten any traction in the Android Market (or else, those developers are approaching Amazon.com). We'd like to see Amazon.com give us some "star" FAOTD selections for a while, to get the (we'll just say it) bad taste out of our mouths.
Those who are considering "buying" a Free Amazon Appstore app might want to consider what it means to developers.
Amazon.com opened up the Appstore despite a lawsuit by Apple, which has previously trademarked the term "App Store." Microsoft has filed an appeal against that trademark, saying the term is too generic. Amazon.com has responded to the lawsuit in the same manner.
If you're wondering how much of an effect putting an app on sale has on revenue, the answer is --- in general, but not always --- a pretty positive one.
App store analytics provider Distimo took a look at how price reductions by app developers can --- or can't --- pump up their sales.
Distimo took a look at the results of price reductions on apps that were already among the top 100 grossing apps in the iPhone App Store, the iPad App Store and the Android Market (no jokes about "how did they find 100 apps in the Android Market that anyone paid for").
For iPhone apps, on the first day of the sale, the the average revenue increased by 41 percent. After 15 days, the average revenue was up by 22 percent.
In the iPad App Store, app revenue was up 52 percent on the first day. By Day 15 it was up 19 percent, meaning the increase trailed off for iOS.
However, the Android Market showed a different curve. On day one, revenue was up only 7 percent on average. However, unlike the App Store, where the revenue increase trailed off, by day 15, Android apps were up 29 percent.
Remember, though, these are averages. Some developers lost money in the deal. Distimo said that 44 percent, nearly half, of iPhone apps lost revenue during the sale, and 23 percent saw a revenue drop of more than 20 percent. Distimo didn't drill down into similar details for the iPad or Android.
In general, Distimo said, the tipping point for gain vs. loss occurred when the app's price was cut by 50 percent, or if the app was offered in Tier 1 ($0.99) or Tier 2 ($1.99).
Distimo's conclusion for method one? Putting your app on sale once in a while seems to pay off for the majority of applications and their developers, but it is important to offer a "significant price decrease" to actually earn more revenue.
r" jailbreak for A4 devices running iOS5 was released in December, and since then a "dream team" of iOS hackers including the iPhone Dev Team, Chronic Dev Team and pod2G have been working to liberate iOS devices built around the more powerful A5 processor.
The site hosting the jailbreak has been very difficult to access this morning, but some people seem to be getting through, if you believe all the chatter on Twitter. For now, the jailbreak's only available for Mac OS X, with a Windows version available soon, according to a couple of the hackers.
In case you're not in the know, jailbreaking your iOS devices allows you to customize your gadget and to access Apple-unauthorized apps not found in the App Store, such as those available on Cydia.
The downside is that it's certainly not something Apple endorses and will likely void your device's warranty, and there's always a chance of the worst-case scenario happening--turning your device into a nice, shiny brick.
Check out this video from pod2G of a jailbroken iPhone 4S:
China's Communist Party members can now carry a tablet PC to verify identification cards, read the blogs of cadres, and manage state-owned firms without fretting that using a bourgeois iPad will ruin their street cred.
Enter RedPad No 1, an Android-based tablet computer filled with software applications that serve a party official's every need. Pre-installed apps that cater to bureaucrats and managers of state-owned companies include one that allows users to check the validity of a journalist's accreditation as well as read state-run newspapers and microblogs.
Delivered in a decadent leather case for 9,999 yuan (£1,000), it is twice the price of Apple's most expensive iPad 2. The eye-popping price has China's microblogs alight with chatter over just why this device is so expensive and who is footing the bill.
"Is it the god of toys? Why don't they throw in a free iPad with it," said Looperrr on Weibo, Sina Corp's, microblogging platform. But RedPad No 1 spokesman, Liu Xianri, said that sales were completely market driven.
China's Communist Party members can now carry a tablet PC to verify identification cards, read the blogs of cadres, and manage state-owned firms without fretting that using a bourgeois iPad will ruin their street cred.
Enter RedPad No 1, an Android-based tablet computer filled with software applications that serve a party official's every need. Pre-installed apps that cater to bureaucrats and managers of state-owned companies include one that allows users to check the validity of a journalist's accreditation as well as read state-run newspapers and microblogs.
Delivered in a decadent leather case for 9,999 yuan (£1,000), it is twice the price of Apple's most expensive iPad 2. The eye-popping price has China's microblogs alight with chatter over just why this device is so expensive and who is footing the bill.
"Is it the god of toys? Why don't they throw in a free iPad with it," said Looperrr on Weibo, Sina Corp's, microblogging platform. But RedPad No 1 spokesman, Liu Xianri, said that sales were completely market driven.
An enterprising developer has duplicated the facial unlock feature from Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) in iOS. From the video, embedded below, the developer says that he is going to attempt to submit the code to the App Store.
However, we know that Apple has already applied for a patent on facial unlocking for iOS devices back in 2010. Since the company doesn't tend to approve apps that duplicates features, either in or planned for their OS, it's unlikely that the app will see approval.
It's possible that Apple will approve the app for some time, and then boot it later, as a patent application doesn't necessarily mean if and when the feature will make it into the OS (although we'd bet on yes).
Notably, while Apple filed for a patent prior to Google announcing the facial unlock feature in Ice Cream Sandwich, the technology for Google's facial recognition software came from its PittPatt acquisition. While PittPatt has been working on that technology since 2004, and was issued a patent for facial recognition in 2007, that was not for mobile devices.
Although many apps for jailbroken iPhones and iPads are valid apps, ones that are simply not allowed in the App Store for various reasons, there are also a significant number of cracked pirated apps available, as well. Apple has finally begun taking notice, with one of its first targets being AppTrackr, the popular resource site for cracked iOS apps.
Apple has sent AppTrackr a large number of takedown notices, and AppTrackr has had to take steps to avoid the long arm of Apple's legal department. For one, the company has moved its servers to other countries. That's just the start, though.
In a note to users of Installous, which is a Cydia (the jailbroken App Store) app for downloading and installing cracked pirated apps, Apptrackr spokesperson "dissident" explained how Apple's attempts to halt piracy have affected the service.
In addition to moving its servers, CAPTCHA checks were added so that when downloading cracked apps Apptrackr is protected from the legal ramifications of hosting direct links to pirated software.
Also, the cost of doing business with internationally hosted servers means that Apptrackr has been forced to (gasp) introduce mobile ads to its software. Additionally, AppTrackr says that it can no longer survive solely on bread, er, donations.
AppTrackr has long said it's not a piracy site. It just points you to where you can get cracked apps, after all. Seriously, though, the sites message is this; "Please understand, however, that piracy is not the intention of apptrackr. While far too many people use apptrackr to this end, we do not condone their actions. Apptrackr is for application trials, and nothing else."
They also add something that's been said for a long time about pirates of other software: if they couldn't get it free, the pirates would never have purchased the software anyway, so they aren't lost sales: "Listen closely: pirates who do not choose to purchase the applications they install are not lost sales. They were very, very likely never potential customers in the first place."
Trial or not, unfortunately for AppTrackr, Apple doesn't necessarily agree, perhaps believing that the users of AppTrackr conveniently forget to end their trials ... we doubt we've heard the end of this story.
App store analytics provider Distimo reports that the Android Market has reached another 100K milestone, surpassing 400,000 apps over the New Year's holiday weekend.
Despite the fact that the Android Market took two more months to reach the 400K milestone when compared to Apple's App Store, which hit the 400K available apps in June 2011, the Android Market's growth is accelerating compared to the App Store.
The Android Market took 31 months to reach 200,000 apps, while the App Store only took 22 months. After that, though, the Android Market kicked into high gear, and needed only four additional months to add another 100K apps and surpass the 300,000 mark, while the App Store needed eight more months. Additionally, the time between 300K and 400K was only 4 months for Android and 7 months for iOS.
At this rate, the Android Market will eventually pass the App Store, despite Apple's head start into mobile applications. Distimo predicted earlier that the Android Market would pass the App Store in the August / September 2012 timeframe.
Google's Android Market is close to another milestone of the 100K kind: it has almost reached 100,000 active publishers.
Of course, the vast majority of these developers in the Android Market are making their apps free. In fact, the percentage has continued to increase; in April of 2011 60 percent of the Android Market apps were free, compared to 68 percent by the end of 2011.
Many of these are freemium apps, which rely on in-app purchases to garner revenue. That said, iOS still brings in far more money than Android. Apps for the iPhone alone, not counting the iPad, brought in about four times the revenue of the Android Market, according to Distimo's year-end report.
The iPad's revenue was also greater than the entirety of the Android Market's.
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