11
Oct
google-play-logo

A new app update means a new APK Teardown here at AP. Today's victim is the Google Play Store, which was just freshly updated to 3.9.16. We've got all sorts of stuff to talk about.

A Built-In Malware Scanner

Yes, it's hard to believe, but Google is working on a malware scanner for the Play Store. The string file doesn't lie:

    <string name="package_malware_title">App Check</string>
    <string name="package_malware_consent_text">"Allow Google to check all apps installed to this device for harmful behavior?
To learn more, go to Settings > Security."</string>
    <string name="package_malware_banner_warning">Installing this app may harm your device</string>
    <string name="package_malware_banner_blocked">Installation has been blocked</string>
    <string name="package_malware_recommendation_warning">Google recommends that you do not install this app.</string>
    <string name="package_malware_recommendation_blocked">To protect you, Google has blocked the installation of this app.</string>
    <string name="package_malware_app_name">App name: \"%s\"</string>
    <string name="package_malware_checkbox_label">I understand that this app may be dangerous.</string>
    <string name="package_malware_consent_title">Verify apps?</string>

Apparently, there are two parts to this.

11
Oct
google_play_thumb
Last Updated: January 6th, 2013

Google just started rolling out an updated Google Play Store version 3.9.16 that follows the previous version 3.8.17 from August. Good news, everyone - we've already got our hands on the APK for you to install manually thanks to our loyal tipsters.

What's New

The most notable and immediately apparent new feature is the long overdue ability to remove apps you've previously downloaded from the All Apps list.

11
Oct
2012-10-11_14h19_08

One of the biggest drawbacks to buying apps on things like the Play Store is wondering if it does what you need it to do before you put your money on the line. AppSurfer, an India-based startup, is building a platform to alleviate this concern and give developers a web-based tool to let users test drive their apps before they buy. If this sounds familiar, it's because Amazon allows customers to do this very thing on its Appstore. The advantage here is that it would be open to the entire web and not just one market. You could even embed your fully-functional app in a website.

09
Oct
1

Back in May of this year, Google unveiled its in-app subscription service, which allowed developers to easily add an auto-renewing subscription into their apps. Fast-forward to today, and Big G has added another new feature to the service: try-and-buy. Beginning now, developers can let users try a subscription for a a predefined amount of time without having to shell out the cash first. Here's how it'll work.

Once the service has been set up, the end user must "purchase" a subscription in the app. The process will complete as normal - the "sale" of $0.00 must be confirmed, and an email confirmation will be sent out, just as if an actual transaction was made.

08
Oct
tv-logo-288x300-2

Google TV is about to get a whole lot more useful. As of today, Google is pushing Play Movies, TV Shows, and Music to GTV. The rollout is going to take a few weeks to complete, so don't stress if it's not available on your box just yet.

stvscreens

With this update, you'll be able to rent or buy content directly from the Play Store and stream it to your TV. You'll also be able to discover movies and shows via the TV & Movies app, which will also provide recommendations for content available on Netflix and Amazon, along with Google Play.

27
Sep
jetpackjoyride

Back in August, Halfbrick Studios brought their hit iOS game Jetpack Joyride over to the Android side. The problem was, though, you could only get it from the Amazon Appstore. That's not the case any longer, as the game has finally abandoned its exclusive period in the Appstore and is now available in the Play Store.

For those who may not have seen our previous coverage of the app or read Jeremiah's review (spoiler: he loved it), a little insight may be in order. For starters, there are only three words you need to know: Machine gun jetpack. If that's not enough, then here are two more: robot dragons.

26
Sep
unnamed

Just after initially unveiling Google Play Services, Google has made the APK installable directly from the Play Store.

For those who missed the announcement, Google Play Services is an APK rolling out automatically to devices running Android 2.2+ that will allow Android apps to easily integrate with Google services like Google+. At present, the app (which is in version 1.0 "Asiago") includes components and relevant client APIs for OAuth 2.0 authentication, Google+ sign-in, and Google+ +1 buttons. Google assures users that "we anticipate more Google services to be continuously added, so be on the lookout for these updates."

play-services-diagram

The Google Play Services app began rolling out through the Play Store automatically, primarily in order to keep updates to the service independent of carrier or OEM updates.

14
Sep
Screenshot_2012-09-14-15-30-36

Notice something new on the Play Store today? Google just added another featured area that should provide just a little more discoverability for apps with slightly narrower audiences, in the form of the "Apps Focus" section.

The first Apps Focus topic? Fashion and Style - bringing together a collection of some of the best apps for the chic-minded. While I can't say this one's up my alley in particular (seriously, what do I know about fashion?), I'm definitely interested in seeing where Google takes the Apps Focus feature in the future.

Screenshot_2012-09-14-15-30-36 Screenshot_2012-09-14-15-51-28 Screenshot_2012-09-14-15-31-07

I've long lamented the state of app discoverability on Android, especially when it comes to stuff literally hundreds of thousands of people haven't downloaded already.

06
Sep
avengersinitiative

It's difficult to put out a $1.5 billion movie and not expect a few major product tie-ins. Marvel, today, "released" (we'll get to that in a bit) a new game for Android called "Avengers Initiative." This $7 app stars the Hulk, as the green loose cannon battles some of his most notorious villains, including Wendigo, the Abomination, and even the infamous Skrulls. The game will only be available for select Android devices to start with.

avengers1 avengers2 avengers3

Curiously, though, despite the game being available on the Play Store, it doesn't seem to be active. There is a list of devices that will be supported (including the HTC One X, Galaxy S III, Nexus 7, and many other flagship phones and tablets), however it can't actually be installed just yet.

31
Aug
grooveshark

It's never easy to be a questionably-legal music streaming service on the internet. Grooveshark has had trouble with submitting an Android app in the past. A couple days ago, we thought the company had ironed out its problems with Google's ToS when it reappeared on the Play Store. Not so, it seems, as the app has now been pulled yet again.

2012-08-31_12h29_28

We haven't heard exactly why the app has been pulled this time around. No official word has been posted to Grooveshark's blog yet. Though, it wouldn't be hard to imagine the reason why. Grooveshark has always operated in a bit of a legal gray area.

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