UPDATED: In an apparent attempt to quell concerns from parents, regulators and legislators, Apple has moved to require password entry on every iOS in-app purchase, closing a 15-minute grace period that some children used to inadvertently rack up pricey charges of virtual goods. Read more »
The first iPad 2 reviews are out, and by all accounts, Apple’s lead in the tablet space is likely to continue for some time. Does iPad 2 have the right specifications and software or is this a device that evokes emotions? The answer is both. Read more »
GigaOM recently sat down with ngmoco CEO and co-founder Neil Young to talk about the future of gaming and mobile apps. While he loves Apple’s platform, he’s not so keen on its own efforts to connect its gaming user community through Game Center. Read more »
As Apple delivers its iOS 4.3 update, some Windows Phone 7 users are still waiting their first update, which only allows them to receive the next update. Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer said it would appear in the first two weeks of March. Isn’t that about now? Read more »
According to the latest comScore report, Android has overtaken iOS in the U.S. when it comes to smartphones and taken the lead in overal market share. iOS shows flat growth compared to last quarter, but a few new moves could turn things around. Read more »
Does iPad 2 live up to the enormous amount of hype surrounding it? The answer is yes, and this research note explains why. We examine new features on the device and how they will help Apple grasp an even tighter hold on the tablet market, what that means for competitors like Google and Samsung and why the device could be the best example yet of computing in what Steve Jobs calls “the post-PC world.” Companies mentioned in this report include Apple, Motorola, Samsung and Google. For a full list of companies, and to read the full research note, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Amid all the fanfare over the iPad 2, Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs boasted that the company has paid out $2 billion to developers for apps sold in the App Store. This comes just eight months after it announced developers had made $1 billion on downloads. Read more »
Steve Jobs introduced Apple’s iPad 2 today and says the new tablet will launch on March 11. A few external updates along with a slew of internal changes make the iPad 2 a solid upgrade. Here’s a listing of what’s different in Apple’s newest tablet. Read more »
The iPad is great, but it has problems Apple could fix in future releases. The unveiling of the next generation of iPad Mar. 2 is a perfect opportunity to see some of these dreams realized. Here’s what I’d love to see, from a business user’s perspective. Read more »
The FTC is reviewing Apple’s in-app purchase system because of concerns about the ease with which children are buying virtual goods without realizing the actual cost. FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a letter the commission would examine the way Apple markets its apps to children. Read more »
This week Apple caused a storm by announcing their new iOS App Store terms and conditions for publishers. In a nutshell; long-awaited in-app subscriptions are here, and publishers are worried about their bottom lines. But maybe what they should be thinking about is content. Read more »
Dat from a British analyst firm shows that the fight for e-book buyers and readers has two main contestants: Amazon and Apple. When it comes to the UK, Apple is winning. But with its new subscription plan, the market could suddenly shift. Read more »
In an apparent response to rising concerns about children buying costly virtual goods in freemium apps, Apple is reportedly discussing the possibility of reducing a 15-minute purchase window for users to make purchases with only one password sign-in. Read more »
Amazon’s Kindle app got an update overnight, bringing some useful new features. But what’s more noteworthy is what it didn’t bring, in light of the recent rejection of Sony’s Reader application, and the introduction just this morning of a new in-app subscription system for iOS. Read more »
Apple today finally released official details regarding App Store subscriptions. The system is the same one that launched alongside News Corp.’s “The Daily” on Feb. 2. Subscriptions in the App Store will be sold using the existing in-app purchasing system found in iOS. Read more »
New evidence has emerged suggesting that games could be added to the next version of Apple TV’s operating system. That’s good news for Apple fans, who have already shown interest in gaming across other iOS devices. But with limited storage and a limited controller, questions remain. Read more »
Skype announced on its blog today that it now supports the H.264 video format on iOS devices, a change that will allow users to chat across multiple platforms, since H.264 is now the de facto standard for video playback on connected TVs and other devices. Read more »
Parents and one lawmaker are raising questions about the way Apple handles in-app payments for children. Rep. Edward J. Markey on Tuesday urged the FTC to review the way Apple markets its apps because of questions about the ease with which children are buying in-app items. Read more »
New information from comScore shows Android extending its lead over Apple’s iPhone during the three month period ending in December 2010. Google’s mobile OS is now within close striking distance of Research In Motion (RIM), the U.S. smartphone market leader. Read more »
Getting paid on Android has been a touchy subject for developers, who have had trouble turning their apps into big money makers. But now Google has rolled out a new web store for Android Market and in-app purchases for apps that developers are hoping will kick-start revenues. Read more »
Apple today introduced in-app subscriptions alongside newspaper app The Daily. No details about subscriptions were revealed at the announcement event for the app, but luckily Apple’s own updated terms of service for the iTunes Store shed some light on what to expect. Read more »
As the world moves to browsing the web from mobile devices, iOS jumps in market share again, but Android is coming on fast, and unlikely to slow down any time soon. How long can Apple hold the lead, with Android phones selling so robustly? Read more »
It may surprise you to find that iOS does not support email distribution lists, since they’re fully supported by Mail on the Mac, and you can sync your mail settings to your iOS device. Luckily, there are ways around this particular omission. Read more »
Android may have done much in the past year to catch up to, or even surpass Apple’s presence in many smartphone markets, but the enterprise is one key area where Apple’s mobile OS still has a strong lead, thanks largely to the iPad. Read more »
Google’s Cloud Print functionality finds its way into handsets today, enabling smartphone users to remotely print Google Docs or Gmail messages. Why is Google bypassing laptops for now? The answer is two-fold: which devices are outselling others and the growing mobile app economy. Read more »
Beta testing iPhone apps has been described by some developers I know as the least fun part of the whole process. That’s something TestFlight aims to help improve upon. The service provides free, over-the-air app beta distribution, and it’s now available to all. Read more »
Join Matt and Kevin live for this week’s mobile tech podcast where they’ll discuss Google Voice number porting, new iOS gestures and what that could mean to new iOS devices, and the return of the Sidekick! Participate in the show via the live chat room. Read more »
Some of Apple’s technologies stop just a little short of greatness. That’s where third-party applications come in to complete the picture (and the sound). Airfoil helps extend Apple’s AirPlay on Macs and iOS devices, and a brand new app called AirView improves AirPlay’s video playback abilities. Read more »
Google Voice has long been tied to Android devices, but now a free iOS app I’m testing on my iPod touch brings voice calling to contacts over Wi-Fi or 3G. Talktatone is also a multitasking Google Talk chat client and allows location sharing with your friends. Read more »
iPhone owners are the most satisfied with their mobile platform, but Android owners are the most likely to stick with their handset OS for their next phone. Better Google apps may be the reason, but regardless, it’s potentially bad news for Apple and Google smartphone competitors. Read more »
MG Siegler notes that few Android handsets run version 2.3, the most current version of Google’s mobile platform, but the argument is disingenuous when he says that nearly 90 percent of iPhones are current. You can’t count minor versions for one platform and not the other. Read more »
Discovering music with Shazam was always magical, but it gets even better today with Spotify integration on Android and iOS handsets. Shazam is used in 150 countries while Spotify is only available in a half-dozen, so does this mean Spotify availability is about to expand? Read more »
Android has finally surged past iOS in ad impressions on Millennial’s ad network for the first time, breaking a two-month tie. The numbers reflect the obvious growth of the Android platform and solidifies the idea that Android has become the top platform for mobile advertising. Read more »
Vevo’s music videos are coming to Android phones, thanks to a dedicated app released this week. The music video site has had huge success with iOS apps, clocking 3 million installs on iPads, iPhones and iPod touch devices. Connected devices haven’t shown any similar interest yet. Read more »
If you acquire television shows from sources other than the iTunes Store for enjoyment on your iOS device, some of that enjoyment may be frustrated by a bug that inexplicably missorts shows and episodes. Luckily, the fix is simple, if a little illogical. Read more »
Watching the launch of the Mac App Store, I am struck by the change in the way people buy software. Much like primitive societies evolved from the hunter-gatherer model of resource collection to an agrarian civilization of cultivated farming, so has shopping for software changed. Read more »
App analytics firm Distimo reported that 49 percent of the revenue on iPhone apps came from in-app purchases in both free and paid apps. The news underscores the importance of in-app payments and the emergence of the freemium model as a revenue driver for app makers. Read more »
You can now get video on your iPhone or iPad from many sources, but grabbing over-the-air local TV directly, which is still the best (legal) way not to pay for TV hasn’t been a possibility. That’s going to change, thanks to iOS-compatible mobile DTV receivers. Read more »
While Android surges among new smartphone buyers, Apple iOS continues to hold on to the overall marketshare lead, though still within spitting distance of a fading BlackBerry OS and a hard-charging Android OS, according to the latest figures from the Nielsen Company. Read more »
Skype’s new mobile video chat support for iOS just arrived, but how does it compare to Apple’s FaceTime? I tested the new version of Skype on a Wi-Fi call between two iPod touch devices and have favorable first impressions although both solutions have unique advantages. Read more »
