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Why Doesn’t Android Have 1 Million Apps Already?

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In March, analysts predicted that Android Market that Android had already passed the 250,000 app thresh hold, and Google was on their way towards swelling towards 300,000 apps.

Two months later Google revealed that Android Market boasted around 200,000 apps, which was a far cry from analysts estimates earlier.

While Google’s latest app stats may have surprised “phandroids,” the real question is why hasn’t Android shattered the 1 million app marker? (especially when developers lack an app tribunal courtesy of Steve Jobs). [Read more…]

Originally posted on May 17, 2011 @ 5:07 pm

Acer To Microsoft: Stop Micro Managing Me! (Tablets)

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Microsoft is apparently taking cues from Android, as the company is attempting to micromanage manufactures in order to produce a tablet that can contend against the mighty iPad 2.

Unfortunately it seems as if one company is not too thrilled about being controlled, and is already voicing their displeasure to the press.

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is putting “troublesome” restrictions on makers of processors used to run the coming Windows tablet-computer operating system, Acer Inc. (2353) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer J.T. Wang said.

“They’re really controlling the whole thing, the whole process,” Wang said at the Computex trade show in Taipei without identifying the restrictions. Chip suppliers and PC makers “all feel it’s very troublesome,” he said. (Bloomberg)

Acer (as well as other manufactures) are probably upset that Microsoft isn’t allowing them to customize the tablets in order to help differentiate them from the sea of Windows tablets that will hit stores in the not so distant future.

However the last thing Microsoft needs is to have their tablet end up being a flop (like Xoom), so it’s in Acer’s best interest to be micro managed as a successful Windows Tablet will help push the company to the forefront (or at the very least help them gain a foot hold in the US).

It’s still unclear what the price will be for Microsoft’s iPad challenger, but hopefully their Windows Tablet will not only match iPad 2’s “inexpensive price,” but battery life as well.

Originally posted on May 31, 2011 @ 5:09 pm

YouTube Still King, Leaps Past 3 Billion Daily Views

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After six years of existence Google’s social video king still remains on the thrown, as the YouTube team revealed a couple of impressive stats regarding the site’s popularity.

Today, more than 48 hours (two days worth) of video are uploaded to the site every minute, a 37% increase over the last six months and 100% over last year. […]

We’re amazed that over this last weekend, you drove YouTube past the 3 billion views a day mark, a 50% increase over last year. That’s the equivalent of nearly half the world’s population watching a YouTube video each day, or every U.S. resident watching at least nine videos a day. (Official YouTube Blog)

Note: Emphasis theirs.

Despite fierce competition from rivals like Vimeo as well as Facebook, users and businesses continue to flock towards YouTube to power their videos online.

While YouTube has pioneered the path towards making videos more social, the service has yet to embrace live streaming en masse (although they do allow select partners to broadcast videos in real time).

Note: It will be interesting to see if rivals like Microsoft (who just purchased Qik) will make a second attempt to challenge YouTube in the future, or leave it up to Facebook to steal Google’s crown.

Originally posted on May 25, 2011 @ 12:57 pm

Google, Facebook Crying Foul Over California Bill?

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Despite being bitter enemies, it looks like the search engine giant and the social networking king may have to form a temporary alliance in order to squash a California bill that can hinder both their businesses.

Web giants Facebook, Google, Twitter and Skype have banded together to oppose an online social networking privacy bill in California that would require users’ permission to display personal information such as home addresses and phone numbers. […]

The bill would also allow parents to request any personal identifying information about their children under the age of 18 be removed within 48 hours of asking. Violations of the bill would result in fines of up to $10,000 for each violation. (Washington Post)

While the bill seems like a great idea in theory, it would probably not help parents govern the digital lives of their kids (who would respond by simply lying about their age in order to avoid having their posts removed).

Even though I can not speak from personal experience, many of my friends who are parents with kids on Facebook, Google, etc. already have the ability to remove their children’s content due to the fact that they know their kids password (which they use as a prerequisite in order to use the internet).

Although the California government has good intentions, they should let the parents be parents in the lives of their kids, instead of trying to force companies to bend over backwards when simpler solutions are available.

Image via Sluggin.com

Originally posted on May 19, 2011 @ 3:43 pm