Essential Official Android Thread

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Google Play Gets Real: Reviews Will Now Be Posted With Your Google+ Name And Picture | TechCrunch

Google Play Gets Real: Reviews Will Now Be Posted With Your Google+ Name And Picture

When you visit a review on Google Play for an app, book, song or movie, you won’t have to worry as much about whether someone is sheepishly hiding behind a computer firing off nasty words, as Google has now flipped on the switch to display your Google+ name and profile picture with all reviews you add to the store.

I’m not so sure this is the best thing in the world, 100%, as you don’t have an option to turn it off. I like the idea of inviting people to share their thoughts, and mixing in real names and pictures if chosen by the user. That way, people know what reviews they might want to trust over other ones that are anonymous and thus, perhaps shady. The company seems to be choosing quality over quantity, though.

Either way, Google is going all the way with its Plus initiative, as I’ve talked about before. Similarly, YouTube began this transition recently. This new initiative on Play is for both web and mobile reviews.

Signed out? No bueno:

Notice that it says “Reviews are powered by Google+”, which shows how far Google has taken its social approach to all of its products. This isn’t a short-term project, this is a long-term evolution for the company. Those who are praying for it to “fail” are ill-informed pundits, because this isn’t a Facebook competitor, it’s a shift in how Google’s products weave together. It just works. Speaking of Facebook, its own App Center relies on real identities as well, so lets call this a trend.

Apple’s App Store has a username system, which makes posting gnarly reviews almost a sport. I could see this as a way for Google to invite developers to interact with their users a bit more, rather than pay no mind to the reviews at all…as most developers do on Apple’s version. Apple’s attempts to go social failed. Ping, anyone? Google+ could liven up Google Play. Maybe. Remember, if you use Google products, you have a profile already.

Is anonymity dead on the web? Some would applaud if that were the case. I find that people who are allowed to hide behind false names and avatars are the ones that tend to be the biggest jerks for the most part. That’s not to say that everyone who enjoys anonymity is a jerk, but you get my drift. If you don’t, then read it again.

Jerks love anonymity. Nonjerks don’t mind being themselves. Google has picked a side. Too binary? We shall see. Long live accountability on the web.

 

[HARLEM AL]

Yo I did 73 gigs on Verizon one month using my shyt as a hotspot

 

[We Ready]

Still waiting for official JB update for GS3 on Verizon

 

[CTech83]

Still waiting for official JB update for GS3 on Verizon

Now you know they have to test to make sure their bloatware is compatible with the update.

 

[GoldenGlove]

Ya but why would you do that with your cell and he said he has wifi

Why you ask? Because we can if we want to.

 

[diggy]

Yo I did 73 gigs on Verizon one month using my shyt as a hotspot

your whole apt complex was eating good off your signal when you were home

 

[diggy]

I see they got cm 10.1 out for nexus 4

[ROM][Official][4.2.1] CyanogenMod 10.1 Nightlies for the Nexus 4 (mako) - xda-developers

 

[Prodigital]

Still waiting for official JB update for GS3 on Verizon

Might as well get a custom rom breh. Still, JB aint much of an update IMO, i got more option in the rom tho.

Not gonna lie, im missing those samsung goodies . I get some new shyt with the custom rom, but those motion controls were nice, and the floating video player ... For some reason, even after having the phone replaced by verizon once, i used to get sms send failed, has come back with the rom update tho.

 

[nyknick]

Great news! Your order on Google Play has shipped.

 

[the cool]

Still waiting for official JB update for GS3 on Verizon

we got the update on tmobile to jelly bean about 3 weeks ago. <------ the face i made after the update. i couldn't even tell a difference. nothing really changed so i rooted my phone and got a custom rom to expierence the real jb expierence.

now im

 

[We Ready]

I was heavy into the rooting/customizing thing when I had a droid x, but I haven't really gotten into it with this phone because I've had an iphone for 2 years and completely forgotten how to all the root related stuff and I just haven't sat down to refresh my memory yet.



I remember there was a one click app that rooted my droid x though. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore.



Someone put me on and tell me what I need to do to have the best GS3 experience.

 

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Report: Google Play revenues closing in on Apple&#8217;s App Store, up 311 percent

Report: Google Play revenues closing in on Apple&#8217;s App Store, up 311 percent

A sticking point for developers has long been the perceived notion that the Android Market/Google Play Store has never been all that profitable. Even with an install base that outnumbers that of Apple, the iOS App Store has always been the bigger revenue generator. According to a report from App Annie, the tides are starting to turn.

There is still quite the divide between the two platforms, with Apple&#8217;s marketplace generating four times the revenue of Google&#8217;s, but the Play Store has seen tremendous growth over the past year. Since January, revenues are up 311 percent. Overall downloads are up 48 percent.

In the past month Google saw a positive gain in revenue while Apple&#8217;s dipped slightly. It would appear Google&#8217;s time to overtake Apple is approaching, though a closer look at the data suggests another outcome. While the gap is narrowing, both companies have seen a drop off in growth. App downloads and revenues could be peaking. We could be watching the mobile apps and games bubble as it nears its bursting point.

Interesting to note is the fact that Japan, where Amazon recently launched their own Appstore, has overtaken the United States in terms of Google Play revenue. The US, however, remains a dominant force in the global apps market and still accounts for the majority of mobile downloads.

 

[Kartel13]

They need that multi-window option on that nexus 4. That's what's holding me back from koppin'.

 

[HARLEM AL]

the shyt yall nikkas find b

 

[CTech83]

I got it from the official web site. They said it should be here between tomorrow and Tuesday.

Zagg cover is being delivered to my office today.

Edit: Just as I posted this, the receptionist handed me it. I'll toss this on after lunch.