App-solutely fabulous?
Google has updated Android Market with a shiny new website to place more emphasis on gaming and how users can spend money within apps.
Extending its app store's online presence just like Apple, which recently launched the Mac App Store, Google has rolled out market.android.com so users can browse apps on their computer, not just their Android handset.
In a blog post Google said the website "makes it easy to discover great new apps with a bigger, brighter interface" and users can send apps to their Android devices wirelessly. There are built-in social features such as easy ways to share apps with friends via Twitter and post reviews to the Android Market.
Android customers can also sign in to the new website and click on ‘My Android Account' to see all the apps they have downloaded to make managing them easier.
The update also brings in-app billing to Android Market, a service that gives app developers more ways to make money from their creations through new billing models including try-and-buy, virtual goods and upgrades, according to the Android developers blog.
No doubt the increased flexibility for developers in how they can cash in on their apps is designed to attract more of them and continue to build the number of apps available through Android Marketplace.
Google said: "Helping developers merchandise and monetize their products is a top priority for the Android Market team. We will continue to work hard to make it the best marketplace for your to distribute your products."
The in-app billing service manages transactions between apps and users, "providing a consistent purchasing experience with familiar forms of payment across all apps," Google said. It also gives developers control over how their apps are purchased and tracked.
The new features will be rolled out in ‘the next few weeks' so developers can test the new service, which will go live for users before the end of Q1.
Here is an image of the website.
