With the exception of a brief mention in Google Play for Education, Mountain View's book platform was all but absent from its Google I/O presentation. Still, the service is getting updated with a significant new feature: user uploads. It hasn't rolled out to all users yet, but those with access are now able to add up to 1,000 PDF and EPUB files to their Google Play online library. Both the Android and iOS versions of the app will be able to read these files starting today. The update brings a standard assortment of stability and performance improvements too, and Android users will see a few minor visual tweaks. Check out the source link below to see if the feature has rolled out to your account, or click here to peek at Google's biggest I/O announcements.

Filed under: Software, Google

Comments

Via: Android Police

Source: Google Play, App Store, Google Play online library

It looks like you'll soon be seeing more comments from app makers on Google Play. According to a post on the Android Developers Blog today, all developers can now reply to user reviews via the Google Play Developer Console, with responses showing up publicly below the user's original comment. The feature had previously been in trial mode, and devs have reportedly enjoyed a stronger relationship with their users -- not to mention a surefire system for discovering bugs and other app glitches. Hit up the source link for more info.

Filed under: Software, Google

Comments

Source: Android Developers Blog

Having crushed its $400K funding target on Kickstarter last year, Stainless Games has now ported its resurrected vehicular combat game to Android. This latest mobile version of Carmageddon can be had on Google Play for $1.99. Show sufficient disregard for pedestrians, however, and you might get there in time to download it free.

Update: For those on iOS, the game -- which is normally $3.99 -- is free for the taking today.

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Tablets, Mobile

Comments

Source: Carmageddon free promo (Google Play), Carmageddon (Google Play)

Barnes & Noble's refusal to open its ecosystem has long been one of our primary complaints about the company's tablet offerings. The Nook HD and HD+ are extremely nice pieces of hardware that have been held back by their own walled software offerings -- having a fast device with a nice screen only gets you so far without the proper apps. The company line up to now has been that walling off content allows for a sort of quality control, assuring that apps are developed specifically for the unique form factor of its devices. And while there's perhaps something to be said for that sentiment in the sometimes-fragmented world of Android devices, it was hard to ignore the fact that offering up exclusive access to content through your own marketplace assures better cash flow. It also, unfortunately, means that without extensive developer outreach, there are sure to be plenty of popular apps that just never make it over to your side of the fence.

With its announcement tonight, B&N acknowledges that, in this case, open is better. The company has responded directly to user feedback and will be issuing a software update to its Nook HD and Nook HD+ devices (sorry Nook Tablet and Color owners) that brings Google Play directly to the desktop. The software will come pre-loaded on new devices and will be available as an over-the-air update. If you can't wait that long, you'll also be able to download it directly from the bookseller's site. The update also brings a few other tweaks to the system, but this is far and away the biggest news. The first question we asked upon getting a quick demo: will you be able to buy content like books, magazines and movies through Play? Yep, that's coming too.

Gallery: Google Play comes to Barnes & Noble's Nook HD and HD+

Filed under: Tablets, Software, Google

Comments