Pinterest updates Android app, improves group boards

The popular photo sharing based social networking service Pinterest, which allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, hobbies and more has updated its Android app in order to improve group boards. This update on Android will upgrade the Pinterest app to the version 1.3.2 which adds better support for group boards.

Regular Pinterest users will surely appreciate the changes made to the app, as they improve the overall experience of the app and also add some functionality which was lacking previously. The newer features enabled by this update gives users the option to access or ignore group board invitations. It also includes a list of board contributors so that users can see who they’re pinning (or adding) their content with.

Strangely enough, on previous versions of the app, the option to leave group boards was not available, but the new update has seen to this and thus enables users to quit groups which they don’t need anymore. The group board invites now can be easily accepted or declined on the app itself thus making the app much more usable.

It must be noted that this update was only announced for Android users currently. Although, Pinterest was updated on the iPhone and the iPad a few days back, but as of now there is no news about when the iOS app will have the update which improves group board features. Pinterest also started redesigning their website last week in order to make it more dynamic and faster. Check out this update on the Google Play store here.


Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Apps/Pinterest-updates-Android-app-improves-group-boards_13426.html

Google brings new security features to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

The advent of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean brings new security features to the platform, features that have been required for a while to protect users from the many dangers associated with malicious apps.

The new security features are built natively into Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and the most vital of them, is in essence similar to the Bouncer feature rolled out for the Google Play store in February this year. While the Google Play store is now supposedly cleaner because this feature, Android users are still at risk when sideloading apps from other sources.

Completely opt-in, the ‘verify app’ feature can be toggled from the ‘Security’ section of Android 4.2 settings. Each time users download and sideload an app, it is sandboxed, with virtual walls put up between the app and other software on the device. A pop-up box will then ask user if they want to check the app for potentially ‘harmful behaviour.’ The device will then send information about the device to Google’s servers, and compare it with a database of known applications.

Even if the app is not also listed on the Google Play store, Google is confident it can detect if it is safe or not, as the company says it is constantly scanning the web for newly appearing APKs, and has a good understanding of how the ecosystem works. If the app under scrutiny is detected as safe, the installation will continue, if it is detected as dangerous, it will prevent you installing it. If however, the app is questionably secure, but not strictly harmful, the user will have the option to continue with the installation.

According to Google, the app installation process will not be greatly slowed down by the new security process, as most of the processing happens on the company’s servers, and the user device only has to send an APK signature onward.

As for the other new security features, Google has also introduced an improved app permissions screen, for sideloaded apps, which is apparently much simpler to read than before. Android 4.2 also brings a scanning feature, that detects any attempt by an app to send a text message to a known fee-collecting short code (premium number), and will alert the user. The user will have the option to then allow, or deny the app from continuing with sending.

For details on the interface changes that Android 4.2 Jelly Bean brings to the platform, refer to our previous coverage.


Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Apps/Google-brings-new-security-features-to-Android_11241.html

Google allows developers from India to sell paid apps on Play store

App developers in India can now also sell paid apps on Google's Play Store. Google recently included India in the list of the countries that may register as Google Checkout merchants and sell paid applications. Prior to this, Indian app developers were only allowed to distribute free apps on Google's app store.

The inclusion of India comes months after Google added countries such as Czech Republic, Israel, Poland and Mexico in that list. With addition of India, there are now 31 countries from where developers are allowed to sell paid apps.

Google has also listed a few pointers for developers looking to post a paid app on Play store, such as "Google Checkout account which you need to link to your Google Play developer account can only be linked once from within the developer account interface". Moreover, once accounts are linked, they cannot be removed, changed or updated. If you need to do this, you will have to sign up for a new developer account by paying the fee of $25 US. This is supposed to allow developers to launch paid apps, include in-app purchases and also launch a paid ad-free version for their ad-supported apps. Find out more here.

Google's move could provide a huge impetus to its app store, which according to a recent estimate has about 600,000 Android apps. As Android Police in its report points out “this is a big deal. Not only because India is the second-most populous nation on earth, but because mobile technology and software development have absolutely exploded there. Android is absolutely dominating the country thanks to budget handsets.”

Also, it would help the Indian developers make more money. So far the developers depended on advertisements as s source for revenue. We recently saw Microsoft attempting to tap the growing app developers industry in India for its latest Windows Phone 8 platform. Microsoft's coding festival held in Bangalore got itself into the Guinness Book of World Records for the maximum number of developers coding for a single event at a common location.


Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Apps/Google-allows-developers-from-India-to-sell_10849.html