Mobile software

Yandex targets Google, Amazon with new Android app store

Google Play will soon have another competitor.

Russian search engine Yandex announced today that it will soon launch an "alternative" application marketplace for Android users. Dubbed Yandex.Store, the marketplace will offer nearly 40,000 applications and allow vendors to bundle another app store into their devices.

Yandex.Store is also a white-box offering, meaning vendors can place their own branding on top of it. According to Yandex, Russian carrier MegaFon has already signed on to the service.

As with other application stores, Yandex's option takes 30 percent of the revenue generated from apps. In addition, Yandex.… Read more

Open WebOS 1.0 arrives for those who dare to port

Call it the ghost of Palm past. Today the once-lauded WebOS, originally a smartphone operating system, lives on once again in the form of Open WebOS 1.0.

Issued by Hewlett-Packard (HP), the first open-source version of Open WebOS is now ready for developers and others in the open-source community to port Open WebOS to any number of devices.

In a demo video, HP Chief Architect Steve Winston shows how the operating system works on an HP desktop.

The full version of Open WebOS 1.0 follows a pair of beta releases made available earlier this year. While HP is … Read more

Oops! Anti-Apple Maps ad reveals Google Maps' own failing

Everyone knows that Apple is dealing with a firestorm of criticism over problems with its new iOS 6 Maps feature, but a new ad for Google-owned Motorola Mobility's Droid Razr may have crossed the line.

The ad, which appeared on September 21 on Motorola's Google+ site, shows a Razr alongside an iPhone 5, and reads, "Looking for 315 E 15th in Manhattan? Google Maps on Droid Razr M will get you there & not #iLost in Brooklyn."

The post shows the Razr displaying the proper address in the middle of a grid of Manhattan streets, while … Read more

Rumor Has It: Will iOS 6 get a real Google Maps app soon (please)?

If you had trouble finding this post, that's probably because you were using Apple's new Maps app. With the release of iOS 6, Apple replaced the awesome Google Maps with an app of its own. The result? A lot of frustrated, lost iPhone users.

Also this week, we check out a rumor that the Wii U will be region-locked, just like all the previous Nintendo consoles, and Nuance may be developing software that will allow you to wake up your phone by yelling at it. Great, just what we need.

Thanks for watching!

Heard a tech rumor you … Read more

Safari on iOS favored among 85 percent of users

Apple's iOS users seem more willing to try new things than those running Android.

Advertising network Chitika yesterday released the results of a report on browser usage across mobile platforms. The company found that Safari, the default browser in iOS, is used by 85 percent of the folks running that operating system. Chrome, which sat atop the App Store's listing of free applications for several weeks over the summer, took 3 percent of the iOS market. All other browsers, including Dolphin and Atomic, combined for 11.9 percent share.

Interestingly, Android users are less likely to branch out. … Read more

Google hasn't 'done anything yet' with Maps for iOS 6, Schmidt says

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt is sure to make iOS 6 users a tad bit unhappy today.

Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Schmidt said that his company has "not done anything yet" for Google Maps on iOS 6. He didn't quite go as far as saying that Google Maps won't be coming to Apple's latest operating system, but seemed to indicate that so far, his company is holding its mapping application close to the vest.

Both Reuters and Bloomberg attended at the press event and reported on the story.

Opinions differ on whether Google has submitted its Google Maps application to Apple … Read more

How to add almost any gift card to Passbook

Do a quick search on Twitter and you'll find many iOS users sending request after request (or in some cases, demand after demand) to retailers, airlines, and merchants for Passbook integration. Passbook is clearly one feature iOS users are eager to use, but the delay in adoption is driving them mad.

Enter Gyft.

Gyft is a gift card app for iOS that allows you to store gift card information in a single, easy-to-access place. Sound familiar?

As TechCrunch pointed out this morning, Gyft received a big update last night, bringing with it the ability to add any gift card … Read more

Reserve game or movie rentals with Redbox for Android

In the past, it was easier to load the Redbox Web site and reserve copies of movies or games there. The reserve feature is especially useful in heavily populated cities, where something might be gone by the time you make your way to the physical Redbox. With access to this same functionality on your mobile device, you can easily reserve a rental during (provided you're not driving!) or before your commute home from work or school.

Grab a copy of the new Redbox app for your mobile Android device. You will need Internet connectivity to use the … Read more

Nokia: Hey, Apple, our mapping is better than yours

Nokia has found a vulnerability in Apple's armor, and it's taking advantage.

The mobile company yesterday posted a blog on its site discussing the value of its mapping applications. Although some gloating might have been warranted, Nokia just couldn't help itself from taking a few swipes at Apple and Google.

"Unlike our competitors, which are financing their location assets with advertising or licensing mapping content from third parties, we completely own, build and distribute mapping content, platform and apps," the company wrote. "In other words, we truly understand that maps and location-based apps must … Read more