mobile app

When you see a photo, article summary, or video in a tweet from a Web site, it most likely was done with a feature called Twitter Cards. The social network announced today that it's expanding this feature to include "deep-links" to mobile apps and also offer up some new Cards, such as product information and photo galleries.

"We first introduced expanded Tweets with three card types: summary, photo, and player/video," Twitter's head of platform, Jason Costa, wrote in a blog post. "Since then, we've heard that publishers want to be able … Read more

Television network ABC is said to be in the works of creating a mobile app that would live stream its TV programming, according to The New York Times. If ABC does come out with such an app it will be the first U.S. broadcaster to embark on constant live streaming for smartphones and tablets.

ABC, which is owned by Disney, is known for shows like "Good Morning America," "Dancing with the Stars," "General Hospital," and "Grey's Anatomy." The live streaming app would supposedly bring all of these shows to users … Read more

Over the last few months, Yahoo has been talking about plans to beef up its mobile unit, and now it's making good on the promise. The Web giant announced today that it has acquired Alike, a company behind a mobile app for recommendations.

"The Alike team created an app that focuses on personalization -- using the restaurants and places you like to find the ones you'll love," a Yahoo representative told CNET in an e-mail. "We were very impressed by the team and their approach to building personalized experiences. The entire Alike team will join … Read more

A new draft bill published today aims to increase privacy for mobile app users.

Led by U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), the bill aims to legally require app developers to publicize how they gather information and also let users request deletion of their stored data.

To create the draft language for the bill, Johnson and his Web-based initiative, AppRights, held meetings with members of the Internet community, public-interest groups, app developers, and other industry stakeholders. Dubbed "The Application Privacy, Protection, and Security Act of 2013," or the APPS Act, the bill "addresses the public's growing … Read more

Think that going on a blind date is weird enough, how about one set up by a mathematical algorithm?

That's exactly what online dating site OkCupid is doing with the launch of its new app called "Crazy Blind Date." This app for both iPhone and Android uses mobile technology to set singles up in near real time.

"People will say that Crazy Blind Date is too crazy," OkCupid co-founder Sam Yagan said in a statement e-mailed to CNET. "But for a whole generation of young singles, it's going to be a great adventure, … Read more

An Irish startup is looking to disrupt the greeting card industry with the launch of a mobile app that allows people to quickly create and send printed birthday cards to friends and family without making a visit to the greeting card aisle and post office.

Dublin-based Cleverbug announced today the availability of its iPhone and iPad app, which allows users to send personalized cards with photos from Facebook from the palm of their hand. Available for download at the Apple App Store, the app harnesses Facebook's social graph to select relevant photos and card designs for the recipient.

The … Read more

Bakery Story (iOS, Android) is a cute and simple interactive social networking game along the same lines as FarmVille. It's part of a series of "story" games made by the same studio (TeamLava), and just like FarmVille, it can become extremely addicting.

In Bakery Story, players open their own bakery where they can create and sell an assortment of sweets, desserts, and beverages in exchange for money (coins). The process of creating a confection is nothing more than a few taps, after which the player must wait a certain amount of time before the item is ready. … Read more

In February 2012, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a report titled Mobile Apps for Kids: Current Privacy Disclosures are Disappointing (PDF) that pointed out that there was "little or no" privacy information available to parents in the Android Google Play and Apple iOS app stores prior to download and scarce data in the apps themselves or on the app vendors websites.

And on Monday, the FTC issued a follow up report, Mobile Apps for Kids Disclosures Still Not Making the Grade that complains that "despite many high-visibility efforts to increase transparency in the mobile marketplace, little … Read more

It looks like a four-year-old industry is hijacking one that has been around for six decades.

According to mobile analytics firm Flurry, the time people spend on mobile apps is now nearly neck-in-neck with time spent watching television.

"With new content released via thousands of new apps each day, we expect this trend to continue," Flurry CEO Simon Khalaf wrote in a blog post today. "In fact, we ultimately expect apps on tablets and smartphones to challenge broadcast television as the dominant channel for media consumption."