Play Store

Despite trying to paint an image of being a serious, enterprise-friendly corporation, Google is still pretty much the stereotypical geek among the tech giants. It just loves to solve its problems with machine learning and AI, which is understandable given the amount of data it has to wrestle with. But while there are things that can be efficiently solved with advanced machine learning, some things, like recommending apps for users to install and use from Google Play Store, need a bit of human touch.

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Another day, another Android malware sighted on Google Play Store. Countless pieces and analyses have been written up regarding Google’s mostly hands-off approach to screening apps and it’s a bitter pill to swallow for Android fans and believers. But while there’s no denying that too many such Potentially Harmful Apps or PHAs have slipped through the cracks, there is also one thing that seems to escape notice: the hundreds of thousands of users that should have all been compromised by these malware-laden Android apps.

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Well, that was quick. Barely a week after the developer and fans of the Rootless Pixel Launcher celebrated its availability on Google Play Store, Google takes it down. But before you go thinking foul play, developer Amir Zaidi did issue a mea culpa over the incident. It all boils down to a policy on Google Play Store that disallows apps that download other apps that isn't also available on Google Play Store.

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In a battle of giants, it’s the little guys that get stomped on. There seems to be a revolution brewing in the mobile market, with key players no longer satisfied with the status quo that once made them rich. They’re seemingly flipping the finger at “The Man” and rallying in support of the common folk.

It isn’t a David vs. Goliath battle, though. More like Goliath 1 vs Goliath 2. And while many might not be so fond of the current in-app purchase trends and exploitation, users are likely to be on the losing end, no matter which side wins.

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Smartphones are built for the Internet. Almost every functionality and every app seem to be designed with the presumption of an Internet connection always available. Naturally, installing and updating apps also require that. Internet access, however, isn’t available everywhere all the time. And in some cases, it can even be expensive. Google Play used to be indiscriminate about Internet connections. Either you had one or you didn’t, end of story. Fortunately, now it will be more forgiving, allowing users to choose not to download or update apps unless they’re on Wi-Fi.

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Google is making a bit of noise about something that users may have presumed has actually been the case even when Wear OS by Google was known by a different name: Android Wear. The Android maker is now giving smartwatch app developers a heads up to tell them that starting next month, all new Wear OS apps are required to undergo a review process before being listed on the Google Play Store. This is to ensure the quality of apps that should really be a primary concern in the first place.

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It started innocently enough. Android users are no stranger to iOS getting first dibs on apps and games, as long as they eventually get their share. At first, it seemed that was what Epic Games was doing for Fortnite Mobile on Android. Instead, it turned into a rather complicated situation involving revenue sharing and security. But more than just potential security problems, Epic’s decision to shun Google could, if unchecked, undo many of the things the Android community have been working towards for the past few years.

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iPhones and iPads get the goods app first (or even only). It’s a sad fact of mobile life that Android users have accepted. Heck, even YouTube’s own dark mode only started rolling out to Android today. That’s also true for fans of the battle royale game Fortnite who have been waiting for the mobile version to land on Android. That day might be drawing near but if this latest tidbit is true, the game might cause some confusion and could be a security risk waiting to happen.

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Google has launched another standalone Android app on the Google Play Store — its simple stock clock app for Android, giving users another option for their time related activities. The app is available on the Play Store as of now, and it is called aptly enough just “Clock”. Anyone who has used the stock Android clock will find that it functions the same way with alarms, the stopwatch, a snoozing function, the ability to set a timer, and all those needed features.

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You have to hand it to the NSA and its allies. It would have moved heaven and earth to be able to spy on anyone and everyone. In the interests of national security, of course. The latest covert plans revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden strikes at the very heart of the Android world. According to leaked documents, the NSA and its counterparts in the "Five Eyes" alliance sought to ride on the traffic that connects smartphones with the likes of Google Play Store, in order to implant spyware on these devices.

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The pen is mightier than the sword, or so they say. And that holds true for some even in this digital age of cloud storage and note-taking apps. And thanks to Livescribe and its line of smartpens, you don't really have to make a hard decision between the two. And now, you don't have to turn into a green-eyed monster just because you root for the green robot. Yes, Livescribe+ is finally out of preview and now available to all on Android to take their scribbles to the digital frontier and beyond.

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If you've ever been in that situation where you failed to keep track of when an interesting app or game finally landed on Google Play Store, then you'll know how important this new feature is, both for users and developers. Now developers will be able to mark soon to be launched apps as "Coming Soon" and interested users can opt to be informed when that day arrives by pre-registering for the app. This enables both to squeeze out maximum engagement, and maybe even money, for the app.

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