Xbox SmartGlass now available in Google Play, brings console integration to Android

Hot on the heels of the Dashboard update for the Xbox 360, Microsoft's SmartGlass integration is now a reality for Android users. The companion app branches out from the earlier My Xbox Live app for Android and allows direct control of some console features from Google-powered gear. While Windows Phone users will find the tightest integration of all, the Android port still lets users steer through the Dashboard, input text, browse the web (with zooming), search for local content, and control media playback. Players can still chat with their friends and modify their Xbox profile if they're not planning to lurk around the system all day. The interface is strikingly similar to past releases (including Android) and still demands at least an 800 x 480 screen for admission -- sorry, Wildfire S fans. You'll find a full roster of features after the break, and can hit up Google Play at the source link below for your own remote.

[Source: Engadget - Click here to read more]

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

[Source: Engadget]

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.

[Source: Engadget]

TV Catchup for Android arrives on Google Play

TVCatchup, our favorite and most-used TV-watching service has brought its app over to Android. The service, which we've found to be much more reliable than the BBC's live streams on our flaky connection, lets you watch nearly 60 free-to-air channels available in the UK. The ad-supported app is available for free on Google Play right now -- as long as you've paid your license fee, folks.

[Source: Engadget]

Android Flash Player back in Google Play UK to support BBC iPlayer

After being unceremoniously dropped from the store earlier this month, Adobe's mobile Flash Player has returned to the Google Play store in the UK. According to BBC News, Flash's encore is the result of pressure from the BBC and "strategic partners" that rely on Flash for their Android apps. Perhaps the most notable app is BBC iPlayer, which requires Flash to play content.

The BBC says it's in the process of updating its app to stream video through other means, but until it does, Adobe will continue offering the download for UK customers only. Flash Player supports devices running Android 2.2 - 4.0, so users lucky enough to run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean will be unable to stream iPlayer content until the BBC gets up to speed.

[Source: The Verge]