Tag Archives: In-appPurchases

Parents who sued Apple over in-app purchases can now claim compensation

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Parents who sued Apple over inapp purchases can now claim compensation

Apple's dedicated "in-app purchases litigation administrator" has had a busy few days. According to CNET, he or she has been emailing some important news to the 23 million parents who've been involved in a long-running class action lawsuit over in-app purchases racked up by their kids. The email says that individual claims for compensation can now be sent to Cupertino as per the terms of the original settlement back in February. Disputed transactions under $30 will qualify for a nominal $5 iTunes voucher, while bigger bills may be fully refunded in cash -- but only for strings of purchases made within 45 days of each other, back when there were no repeat password requests or disclaimers to get in a seven-year-old's way. There's a deadline of January 13th, 2014 for at least some types of claim, by which point Apple's litigation administrator may well find themselves diverted to another urgent case.

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Source: CNET

UK investigates in-app purchases for possible consumer law violations

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App Store apps for kids

Suffice it to say that unmonitored in-app purchases by kids have proved problematic -- most of all for the parents who first learn about them through a gigantic bill. The UK's Office of Fair Trading is concerned enough that it's launching an investigation into whether mobile- and web-based games for the junior set are running afoul of consumer protection laws. Its six-month study will explore whether or not those games are "misleading or aggressive" when they goad kids into parting with real cash for virtual goods; the regulator also hopes to hear from game developers, app store operators and the parents themselves. OFT senior director Cavendish Elithorn tells the BBC that the investigation won't likely ban in-app purchasing when all is said and done, but we wouldn't be surprised if the outcome involves more than just a few app store disclaimers.

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Via: Electronista

Source: Office of Fair Trading, BBC

Apple adds in-app purchase disclaimer to iTunes App Store pages

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Apple adds inapp purchase disclaimer to iTunes App Store pages

iDevices make for great 21st century babysitters, what with all the free, kid-friendly apps. But that techno-garderie does have an unfortunate downside for distracted parents: unauthorized in-app purchases made by children. In response to lawsuits and a general brouhaha over unwittingly amassed charges, Apple is now including an "Offers In-App Purchases" disclaimer to freemium apps it hosts within the iTunes App Store -- not the storefronts found on iOS, the desktop app or web links. The Guardian was able to verify that the change is indeed new, but bizarrely enough it doesn't surface on the platforms where most users (read: children) would first download a game anyway. It's reasonable to assume the warning will extend to the rest of the company's platforms soon, but the safety of your wallet is still not guaranteed.

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Via: 9to5Mac

Source: The Guardian

BlackBerry PlayBook update adds BlackBerry World rebranding, puts SMS into Bridge

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BlackBerry PlayBook takes the App out of BlackBerry World, puts SMS into Bridge

It isn't all about the Z10, you know. BlackBerry just gave PlayBook owners some equal time in the sun with a new (if unceremoniously titled) 2.1.0.1526 update. The release puts the tablet through the same BlackBerry World rebranding we've seen on the Z10 along with truly functional improvements, such as support for in-app payments and the addition of SMS chats through BlackBerry Bridge. Less conspicuous audio and browser upgrades lurk underneath. While it's not the BlackBerry 10 upgrade that some would crave, the patch is proof the company still has love for its original QNX-based gadget.

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Source: CrackBerry

Spotify halts music purchases in the UK, says it’s ‘simplifying’ the service

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Spotify halts track purchases in the UK, says it's 'simplifying' the service

We're not sure how many Brits use Spotify to actually buy individual tracks, considering that the service is mainly known for streaming and "offline" playback, but the question has suddenly become academic. Anyone in the UK who tries to use the desktop app to buy new music will now be confronted with the message above. It offers little explanation of what's going on but does at least link to a help page that reassures those who already possess unused download credits or gift cards. Spotify sent us the following statement, which is pretty abstract but makes it clear this is more than temporary:

We recently updated Spotify to further simplify the service and pave the way for new features announced at the end of last year. In-app purchases aren't part of this update but we're not ruling out their return. Credits/gift cards already purchased are still redeemable.

Update: We hear from a reader in Sweden that the same thing has happened in that country -- so it probably applies internationally, wherever the download option was originally available. Spotify in the US was already streaming-only, so American users will likely notice no change.

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Source: Pocket-lint

Google announces seller support in India, now allows developers to monetize their apps

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Google announces seller support in India, lets developers monetize their apps

All Wall Street expectations aside, Google appears to be doing relatively well for itself. And while Android may not be the company's largest source of income, it is undoubtedly a primed possession to have around -- with that, it's only natural for the Mountain View-based outfit to extend a hand to the abundant amount of folks developing for its open-sourced platform. On this particular occasion, it's devs in India who are on the receiving end of a grand gesture, with Google announcing it's now allowing them to cash in on their applications by adding in-app purchases / subscriptions to ones that are currently free, or simply by selling new, paid app creations on the Play store. Google says the valuable move was driven by India now being the fourth-largest market for app downloads, and that this is a great way to "help developers capitalize on this tremendous growth."

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Google announces seller support in India, now allows developers to monetize their apps originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Play in-app subscriptions get free trial option

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Google Play in-app subscriptions get free trial option

In-app subscriptions found their way to Google Play this May, and now the folks in Mountain View are letting Android developers offer them with free trials. In order to make use of the freebie spans, you'll have to fork over your payment information to Page and Co. as if it were a run-of-the-mill purchase, but you won't get hit with the monthly fee until the dev-determined trial stretch is over. Developers looking to serve up samples of their episodic content can set a trial period that's at least seven days or longer right within the Developer Console, which means they can add the gratis option or alter its length without having to modify their apps. If the duration of the gratis subscription is changed, the tweak will only apply to new subscribers.

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Google Play in-app subscriptions get free trial option originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry PlayBook 2.1 update goes live with SMS, portrait email

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BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 with Bold 9930

RIM's attention around its QNX-based platforms might revolve around BlackBerry 10 as of late, but don't think that it's leaving BlackBerry PlayBook users behind. A PlayBook 2.1 update is rolling out today that fills in some of the gaps left by 2.0 earlier this year. Habitual messagers can now start SMS text messages directly from the tablet when tethered through BlackBerry Bridge; they also get overdue support for a portrait view in email, calendars and contacts. If communication isn't the cornerstone of your life, you'll still find a few niceties such as Android App Player support for the camera and in-app purchases, device encryption that extends to personal data and wireless printing beyond the local network. For now, you'll have to be an owner of the original, WiFi-only PlayBook to leap on the 2.1 train today -- those who sprang for the usually carrier-bound PlayBook 4G LTE should get their upgrade within a month.

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BlackBerry PlayBook 2.1 update goes live with SMS, portrait email originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 10:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mach inks carrier billing deal with Everything Everywhere, O2, Vodafone and Three in the UK

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Mach inks carrier billing deal with Everything Everywhere, O2, Vodafone and Three in the UK

Not a month after Mach's last carrier billing deal, UK network providers Vodafone, Three, O2 and Everything Everywhere are getting in on the action. The company's direct billing solutions will initially allow the networks to charge app and online purchases straight to your bill, with in-app sales joining them at a later date. Don't expect this to be implemented immediately, however, as the agreement covers the back-end processing -- the individual carriers will be responsible for turning it on customer-side. They'll likely inform you when they hit the switch and your phone bill becomes a monthly surprise.

Continue reading Mach inks carrier billing deal with Everything Everywhere, O2, Vodafone and Three in the UK

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Mach inks carrier billing deal with Everything Everywhere, O2, Vodafone and Three in the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 02:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype strikes deal with Mach to expand direct carrier billing for credit purchases

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Skype strikes deal with Mach to expand direct carrier billing for credit purchases

Skype is always finding new ways of making it easier for users to spend money, and now it's extending its carrier billing options in a new deal with Mach. From October, more users than ever will be able to buy credit for the VoIP service then forget about it -- at least until the phone bill arrives. Purchases will initially be available through a web browser, but in-app functionality is expected in the future, although there's no word on exactly which network providers will be involved. We hope, however, that sometime next month, at least a few of those who enjoy Skyping on the move will appreciate sending the bill to their carrier.

Continue reading Skype strikes deal with Mach to expand direct carrier billing for credit purchases

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Skype strikes deal with Mach to expand direct carrier billing for credit purchases originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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