For better or worse, Google owns the mobile app space

Android Central

Google has captured five of the top six spots in the mobile app space, and it isn't likely that they will be slowing down any time soon. That chart you see above is the number of unique (as in you only get counted once) users of the top 10 mobile apps on Android and iOS for the month of December 2012, and as you can see Google is just tearing it up. In fact, according to Comscore Google would have also grabbed the number one spot were it not for the maps fiasco in iOS 6.

That my friends, is a whole lot of eyeballs.

We created Android in response to our own experiences launching mobile apps. We wanted to make sure that there would always be an open platform available for carriers, OEMs, and developers to use to make their innovative ideas a reality. We wanted to make sure that there was no central point of failure, where one industry player could restrict or control the innovations of any other. The solution we chose was an open and open-source platform. -- Google

Google has consistently stated that one of Android's primary goals was to put the Internet, and their apps, into as many hands as possible. With upwards of 75-percent market share alone, and close to 95-percent when combined with the Google-friendly iOS, I think they've succeeded in a very big way.

But while you're cheering and bumping bro-fists over Google's triumph,  I'm thinking of all the great alternatives we'll never get to see because they can't gain a foothold against these kinds of numbers. I'm not talking about Bing, or other apps like it that we already know and find pretty useless, but I think we all can agree that somebody out there has an idea for a way to do things that's better than what we have now. I'm not necessarily knocking Google. I use all of their services and appreciate the hard work and innovation that brought them to me. I just don't want to miss something better. I hope they can find a way to show it to us in this one-sided landscape.

Source: Comscore

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/-Jw1dx6ZK-w/story01.htm

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BattlePaint is an addictive geometric shooter game

battlepaint
In BattlePaint, you play a cube. In fact, you're not even a cube -- just a square. But boy, are you fast! And you can shoot in all directions. That's important, because there are baddies coming in from all over the place.

The "baddies" are swarms of other squares, in all sorts of pretty colors. They track you all over the screen, and you run around very quickly and just shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. If that doesn't sound very emotionally deep, it's because it isn't. But it's fun!

After you shoot a baddy, it splashes paint as it disappears. You need to skate across this blob of paint and "eat it up" to get points. This game is fast. It clocked in at around 60-70 FPS on my system, and was loads of fun to play. It does tend to insult you when you die, though, but don't be offended -- I don't think it's personal.

BattlePaint is an addictive geometric shooter game originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/09/battlepaint-is-an-addictive-geometric-shooter-game/

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Would You Wear These Crazy Shoes?

These sneakers are, according to Reebok, the "the first all-terrain athletic shoe". They're supposed to echo the utility of an all-terrain vehicle, and take mud, snow, grass, and sand in their stride. But let's not ignore the fact that they look completely and utterly weird. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/wBv5w1MR-H0/would-you-wear-these-crazy-shoes

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How to publicly share a calendar on your iPhone and iPad

How to publicly share a calendar on your iPhone and iPad

If you use the default Calendar app on your iPhone or iPad, you probably created your own calendars in order to input events based on their type. If you have a calendar that you think others would benefit from or be able to make use of, you can choose to share it publicly. Good examples are sports schedules and calendars that contain common holidays or events.

Now sure how to share a calendar publicly? Follow along...

  1. Launch the Calendar app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap on the Calendars button in the upper left hand corner.
  3. Now tap on the blue arrow to the right of the calendar you'd like to share publicly.
  4. If you scroll down a ways, you'll see an option for Public Calendar. Tap it to turn it On.

That calendar will now be shared publicly on Apple's calendar site. Users will not be able to add to the calendar the way they can if you invite them to a calendar but they'll be able to load it into their calendar and view any events you add to it.

If at any time you decide you don't want to share that calendar any longer, you can repeat the exact same steps you performed above and just turn the public calendar option to off.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/6cUbR_qT9uc/story01.htm

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All Things Appy: 5 Top iOS Health and Fitness Apps

Many of us have got health and fitness on the mind as the new year gets under way, and the smartphone is proving itself to be a remarkable little healthcare provider. Among the useful apps in this vein is MyFitnessPal, which stores more than 2 million types of food in its database and provides a free barcode scanner to look up foods you've eaten -- or are about to. This app lets you take control of your chowing down without pedantic and punctilious prescribed diets. You know how many calories you're allowed, and you know what you've eaten.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/27d0c6d5/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C771430Bhtml/story01.htm

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Boomshine is a soothing-yet-frustrating time waster

boomshine
One click; just one single well-aimed click. That's all you get in Boomshine.

That single click triggers a chain reaction; circles start exploding, and other circles colliding with the shockwaves explode as well, creating their own shockwaves, which then catch other circles.

It's been done before, yes, but this one is a great iteration. The soundtrack is mellow, with lots of piano and some nice percussion (not electronic - it sounds like drums).

At each level you need to make a certain number of circles explode to go on to the next level. I got up to level 12, where you get 60 circles and need to make 55 of them explode. And then I kept trying and trying, but simply couldn't get it. I did get to 54 circles a couple of times, but as they say, you don't get points for trying.

There's no time limit, so you can carefully study the pattern of motion and place your click at the exact right place to create the best chain reaction. I've found that clicking near the middle of the screen works quite well, especially if the balls are slowly moving in that direction. By the time the first shockwave dies off, the oncoming balls usually hit it and the chain reaction continues.

What level did you reach? Screenshots please!

Boomshine is a soothing-yet-frustrating time waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/16/boomshine-is-a-soothing-yet-frustrating-time-waster/

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OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows

ommwriter
I have a thing for full-screen text editing. I use WriteMonkey for my creative writing needs, and VIM in a full-screen PuTTY session for my Web development work. That being the case, I'm all over the monospace, dark-background, focused editing scene.

OmmWriter attempts to take that aesthetic and make it somehow more spiritual, with three picturesque backgrounds and ambient background audio tracks (there are seven of each in the paid version).

I'm of two minds about this app. On the one hand, yes, it's beautiful. But if you want music as a background to your writing, why not pick your own soundtrack with Winamp or Foobar2000 running in the background?

OmmWriter also offers three keyboard-clicking sounds, which are kind of nice. None of these features are groundbreaking, really. OmmWriter could be seen as a way to gently ease into the world of distraction-free writing -- in case something like WriteMonkey's dark background is just too oppressive for you.

After the fold you can see a video showcasing several of OmmWriter's features and creative soundscapes.

Continue reading OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows

OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/01/ommwriter-brings-its-clean-calm-writing-interface-to-windows/

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Booq Bags Booqpad mini iPad mini case review

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The Booqpad mini iPad mini case from Booq Bags is the latest iPad mini case to show up on my door step.  This time it’s a folio style case complete with a notepad and pen holder. Let’s take it for a spin.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

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This  case is available in two styles: Black leatherette and Grey jute. I was sent the Grey version which has a tweed appearance.  The Booqpad mini is a play-through case with a non-padded but rigid front and back cover. The cover is held securely closed with a snap tab.

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When you open the Booqpad, you will find a suede lined interior with a holster to hold the iPad mini on the left side and a notepad on the right side. A holster is not one of my personal favorite ways to hold a tablet in a case. I’d much rather have a non-bulky plastic tray that the iPad mini can snap into like some of the other cases we’ve recently reviewed (see related links at the bottom).

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The mini slides into the holster with minimal wrestling required. Once seated, the pen holder tab slides under the mini.

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The pen loop can hold larger diameter pens like the one shown here.

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I don’t find holster style holders to be very attractive, but this one does line up well enough that the main cutout does not restrict access to the touch screen.

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The home button is accessible along with the front facing camera, earphone jack, volume buttons, sync/charge connector and power button. The only feature that is not accessible is the rear camera.

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Located under the 50 page unlined notepad are 2 card slots that can each hold several cards.

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The cover doesn’t fold flat under the mini, but you can use it as a pseudo stand if you need to angle the screen for typing or viewing.

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The Booq Bags Booqpad mini is not fancy or flashy. Some will say it’s boring due to its utilitarian style and function. Folio style cases are obviously bulkier than cases which don’t include a holster and/or a notepad. So you have to ask yourself if the added bulk is worth it to you. If the answer is yes, then the Booqpad mini might be your next iPad mini case.

Product Information

Price:$39.95
Manufacturer:Booq Bags
Requirements:
  • Apple iPad mini
Pros:
  • Combines a notebook and tablet case
  • Pen holder
Cons:
  • Holster instead of a snap-in tray
  • Rear camera covered

Filed in categories: Cases, Covers, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Reviews

Tagged: ,

Booq Bags Booqpad mini iPad mini case review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 23, 2013 at 11:00 am.

Burn Silicon Valley to The Ground (NSFW)

What you're about to watch is a real video advertisement created by a real venture capital fund in Silicon Valley, ostensibly a real place in the United States. If you didn't hate the startup world before, you'll now instantly die. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/PtYRHvxHPpU/burn-silicon-valley-to-the-ground-nsfw

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