Social networking and the associated sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. have become a staple in many peoples’ lives so much so that they want constant access to said content while on the go. For over a year now, BlackBerries and iPhone’s have enjoyed two of the nicest Facebook apps released to the world. Android meanwhile hasn’t seen much Facebook love as Google and Facebook are sorta kidna competitors. Helping your enemy isn’t exactly the most talked about favorite topic at company meetings. It looks as if the two sides are at least coming together for a short time as evidence of an Android Facebook app has finally been given some screen time. Want a peek?
On device app stores while still all the rage are now coming off of their peak. Last summer with the arrival of the Apple App Store, several manufacturers and companies including RIM, Google, and Nokia just to name a few announced plans for their very own app stores. Carriers, the gatekeeper of the data pipe naturally want in on this extremely lucrative market. There’s only one problem, the innovation and features that keep customers happy and constantly purchasing never came from “the network” (carrier branded stores). Look at the small app centers that carriers have run for the last decade, from AT&T to Verizon to T-Mobile. You could access these pathetic excuses of WAP shopping goodness from practically any phone…but who actually did? I know I didn’t. The app selection was abysmal at the absolute best and apps and services were often overpriced. That isn’t exactly the best combination if you ask me. So, now that the App Store hoopla is starting to die down, who is trying to break in and steal the spotlight multiple months late?
- February 14, 2009 11:06 am
Now that the Android Marketplace will start taking on paid apps, many are fearing that all of the freebies will be quickly replaced by waves of pay applications that will cost an arm and a leg and at times part of a torso. Fret not as an emerging team of developers over at Froogloid (Frugal + Android…Get it!) who are bringing a level of affordability to the marketplace from the get go. They are a devoted team of developers who are looking to change the world and the Android Marketplace one impeccable application at a time. Currently Froogloid is working on two applications and getting them ready for the paid app release on marketplace next week. Come inside to find out what they are!
The first application, A2B is a very handy app that will help you at those most difficult times of your life. For instance, you’re in the big city, park your car. You laugh it up shopping all day, go to a party in the evening, have a few drinks and before you know it you might as well be in Africa because that’s about as far as you feel from finding your car. But the functionality doesn’t stop there. Use it to find a lost trail hiking. Can’t find a store your friend raved about…ditto. But they don’t stop there. Think how much easier it would be if you used a picture or audio message coupled with the GPS coordinates in order to make those coordinates actually mean something to you. That is exactly what A2B can do. It will definitely be one of the first great “location finder” paid apps to debut.
The second application is called Key Ring and is a little bit more of a surprise. The developers won’t release too much information other than “they don’t intend to change consumer shopping habits drastically”, however it isn’t out of the question. They also say that it isn’t a price comparison tool. What could it be? We’ll just have to wait until sometime in Q2 of 2009 as that is their current target launch date. Head on over and check out what they have to offer as well as leave a comment or two.
Source: Froogloid
- February 13, 2009 4:39 pm
If you are a consumer…the title makes you cringe slightly as no one likes to part with their hard earned cheese. If you’re a developer all you can see is big fat dollar signs in your eyes. For the developers, a whole range of possibilities will now come with economic rewards…apparently, people aren’t afraid to buy apps, and lots of them as Apple’s App Store has already proven. Next week it becomes Android’s turn. Until now, all of the Marketplace apps were required to be free by Google. Not a bad thing by any means, however it probably hampered developers in the sense that the more “serious” developers held out developing the downright jaw dropping apps until money started flowing in because it’s what they do for a living. People can’t work for free ya know! The US and UK are first up on the list of countries that will have access to the paid apps in the Marketplace with Germany,Austria, Netherlands, France, and Spain will join the party a little later in March. So Androiders, are ya excited yet?
Source: Mobile Burn, Android Authority, All Shadow *pic*
