Windows Phone 8 gets Pandora Radio, Cut the Rope, Urbanspoon and more (update: full list)

Windows Phone 8 gets Pandora Radio, Cut the Rope, Urbanspoon and more

Microsoft knows that Windows Phone 8 is only as successful as its apps. To that end, it's blowing the doors open in terms of major app support. It's not only promising a Windows Phone version of Pandora Radio for early 2013, it's offering ad-free listening for the first year. How's that for strong out-of-the-box content? On top of this, Microsoft is vowing a slew of new apps and games that had previously only been available in the Android or iOS camps, including Asphalt 7, Cut the Rope, Temple Run, Urbanspoon and Where's My Water. By the time the expansion is done, Microsoft hopes to have 46 out of the 50 most popular apps onboard, making any platform switch that much gentler. Instagram is a notable omission -- still, it's a big leap in terms of equality.

Update: If you need even more detail, Microsoft has posted a wider list of new apps as part of its official Windows Phone 8 launch post. If that's not enough, you can catch a video overview of the platform after the break.

For more, check out our Windows Phone 8 event liveblog!

Continue reading Windows Phone 8 gets Pandora Radio, Cut the Rope, Urbanspoon and more (update: full list)

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Windows Phone 8 gets Pandora Radio, Cut the Rope, Urbanspoon and more (update: full list) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 13:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flipboard for Android gains audio, lets us tune into SoundCloud from our Samsung

Flipboard for Android gains audio, lets us tune into SoundCloud from our Samsung

Flipboard on iOS has had audio for some time, giving users the chance to go all high-brow as they listen to NPR while browsing the news on their iPad. It's Android's turn to adopt that cultured stance: an update to Flipboard on its newer platform includes the full, listen-in-the-background Audio category channel selection, whether it's thoughtful public radio snippets or spotlights on podcasts and artists. SoundCloud mavens get the biggest fill, both through a direct link to their account as well as a list of specialized channels. Anyone who can already use Flipboard for Android just needs to hit Google Play to add the new audio dimension; Kindle Fire and Nook owners should see a fully tailored experience in a matter of days.

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Flipboard for Android gains audio, lets us tune into SoundCloud from our Samsung originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 11:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook opens mobile ads for apps to all developers, keeps them on the money train

Facebook opens mobile ads for apps to all developers, keeps them on the money train

It's no secret that Facebook saw FarmVille for iOS as writing on the wall: it had to either tap into mobile app revenue or risk losing income (and marketing-savvy developers) whenever someone left the web. Following a beta this summer, the company's solution to its dilemma is now open to everyone. All developers on the social network can build ads that link from Facebook's Android and iOS apps to either Google Play or the App Store -- offering both an easy plug for their native apps and that all-important ad revenue for Facebook. The system currently takes a shotgun approach and may pitch social networkers for apps they already have or don't want, but it should be refined in the next few months to where some curious purchasers won't even have to leave Facebook to load that hot new title. Hopefully the increased recognition for mobile developers is worth sullying our once pristine news feeds.

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Facebook opens mobile ads for apps to all developers, keeps them on the money train originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Calendar for Android becomes stand-alone app

Google Calendar for Android becomes standalone app

Google has historically broken out preloaded Android apps like Gmail and Maps as stand-alone titles so that they don't have to be upgraded in lock-step with the main OS, but its Calendar app typically hasn't had that privilege. The isolation ends with a newly distinct Google Calendar that's treated as just another Google Play download. You'll need at least Android 4.0 or 4.1, which leaves relatively few differences between the download and what's already on your device, but that's not the point -- the change really lets Google move users on to the Jelly Bean app and beyond, even if their device makers aren't ready. Owners currently running Jelly Bean will still get a few extras, such as better support for non-Nexus hardware and a wider time range for calendar syncing. Hit the source link if you're game for that kind of futureproofing.

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Google Calendar for Android becomes stand-alone app originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rdio posts Android beta app with new sidebar UI, unified playback and remote control

Rdio posts Android beta app with new sidebar UI, unified playback and remote control

Rdio has spent a large part of 2012 revamping its mobile app, and a new beta shows that it's still full of ideas with two months left to go. The 2.3 test version makes the ubiquitous hidden sidebar even more unavoidable than we've seen before, but those not irked by UI homogeneity will be happy to see Rdio gain some multi-device harmony: along with syncing whatever's being played from desktop to mobile and back, the beta introduces a remote control that lets Android gear either serve as the remote or as a target for other devices. A play-later queue persists across devices, too. Although we haven't been given a timeframe for the finished version pushing out through Google Play, there's nothing stopping avid subscribers from taking a slight risk with the beta and getting a taste of their musical future.

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Rdio posts Android beta app with new sidebar UI, unified playback and remote control originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 21:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Isis Mobile Wallet app for Android surfaces in Google Play, you probably can’t run it

Isis Mobile Wallet app for Android surfaces in Google Play, you probably can't run it

Unofficial rumblings have pointed to Isis Mobile Wallet's trial getting close. If you've remained skeptical all the same, we're pretty sure that seeing Isis' Android app in Google Play will change your mind. The currently T-Mobile-only software confirms that pilot program members will tie their American Express, Capital One or Chase card (as well as a unique card) to Isis for paying through NFC at stores with a SmartTap terminal. We're also promised streamlined loyalty cards and coupons. Before anyone rushes to try the app at the local shop, remember that it's just one piece of the puzzle on top of the special SIM card, one of three NFC-equipped phones and that small matter of living in Austin or Salt Lake City when the service goes live. Having the official app at least lets those who qualify get a head start on what could soon be the only major alternative to Google Wallet in the US.

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Isis Mobile Wallet app for Android surfaces in Google Play, you probably can't run it originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google revamps Developer Console for Google Play, eases tracking Android app ratings over time

Google revamps its Developer Console for Google Play, eases tracking Android apps over time

Android developers need as much tender loving care for their interfaces as the users, don't they? Google thinks so, as it just reworked Google Play's Developer Console to offer a more direct, faster loading design. Along with scaling elegantly to let app writers see and manage many releases at a glance, the makeover gives developers a much more refined historical breakdown of app ratings. Creators can filter the star count through Android versions, carriers, countries, language, updates and even specific devices -- if you're convinced adding Kyocera Echo support was the ticket to improved ratings, you might have a chance to prove it. For anyone who isn't that determined to keep everyone happy, there's still a simplified publishing process and automatic translations for app descriptions in the store. Developers comfortable with a few limits on APK bundles can try the new console in a rough but mostly ready state ahead of its wider launch in the near future.

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Google revamps Developer Console for Google Play, eases tracking Android app ratings over time originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 04:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rogers, CIBC may launch Suretap NFC-based payments on October 15th, require a unique SIM

Rogers, CIBC may launch Suretap NFCbased payments on October 15th, require a unique SIM

Rogers and Canadian bank CIBC struck a deal for NFC-based mobile payments back in May, long enough ago that it was starting to fade out of the public consciousness. The alliance may be near refreshing our memory with a commercial launch in the cards. MobileSyrup has reportedly scored internal documents that has the two launching their e-commerce collaboration on October 15th under a slightly catchier Suretap name. Unfortunately, the text also suggests that the initial launch will require at least as much hoop-jumping from customers as for the original Google Wallet plans. Avoiding a traditional wallet will demand a BlackBerry Bold 9900 or Curve 9360 on Rogers, a CIBC MasterCard, nearby stores with PayPass terminals, a CIBC app and now a special NFC-enabled SIM card -- a set of criteria that disqualifies almost everyone, especially when there's supposedly a $50 ceiling on transactions. It remains a step forward for mobile payments in a country that has had very few options to start with, but we'd only anticipate widespread adoption once there's a much wider selection of devices and banks.

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Rogers, CIBC may launch Suretap NFC-based payments on October 15th, require a unique SIM originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM opens BlackBerry 10 app submissions

BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha B hands-on

Any BlackBerry 10 developers sufficiently entranced by their Dev Alpha units can now make good on the work they've accomplished so far. As promised, RIM is accepting app submissions for the platform ahead of its launch early next year. Fast-acting teams who jump in today should see their titles at the front of the queue when BlackBerry App World starts supporting the modern platform. They'll have to focus on full-touch hardware rather than mixed QWERTY and touch devices, however. There's no guarantee that RIM will see a flood of apps after opening its doors, but the company reminds us that there's incentives to move quickly -- 10,000 incentives, in fact.

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RIM opens BlackBerry 10 app submissions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google drafts checklist for making top-notch Android tablet apps

Google drafts checklist for making Android tablet apps

Google's Senior Mobile VP Andy Rubin has been cool towards tablet apps, arguing that mobile titles shouldn't be tuned to a specific form factor. Whether you agree with that assessment or not, his company has produced an (arguably overdue) tablet app checklist to help developers with big screen ambitions. The step-by-step walkthrough tells developers how to make the most of all that free space and optimize for the larger hardware, touch input targets and widgets. There's a difference between having guidelines and getting app writers to follow them, but the checklist is an important step towards keeping that Galaxy Note 10.1 or Nexus 7 well-fed.

[Thanks, Christopher]

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Google drafts checklist for making top-notch Android tablet apps originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 19:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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