Windows 8 store has 450 Metro-style apps and counting
Windows Store also officially opens to businesses
Metro-style apps are making their markThough only released - and even then in a limited fashion - Wednesday, the Windows Store is burgeoning with Metro-style apps for Windows 8.
At
last count, the number had reached 450, and while that's still far
below the 500,000 found in Apple's store, it's not too shabby for an OS
only 24 hours old.
Metro-style, for those who don't know, are apps developed from the ground up using Microsoft's WinRT programming interfaces.
So far, most of the apps appear to fall into consumer-focused and games categories.
Microsoft's
been making efforts over the last few months to recruit a wide swath of
developers and is hosting a conference in October where its expected to
provide further guidance on creating apps for its newest OS.
The store's open
Microsoft
also announced the Windows Store is now officially open to qualifying
businesses looking to sell their apps. All a business needs to do is
have its account registered and verified by Microsoft.
Because
most developers won't be able to create Windows 8 apps until August 15,
when the system will likely be available to most of them, Microsoft is
encouraging developers to build apps in their Release Preview, which the
company opened up in May.
Individuals looking to submit apps will
have to wait for guidance on how they can do so as Microsoft has not
yet come up with a plan for non-businesses.
Ditching "Metro"
It
was also announced Thursday that Microsoft has started telling
developers to refrain from attaching the word "Metro" to their apps and
documentation if they refer to the Windows Phone or Windows 8.
Instead, developers are being urged to use "New User Interface" to describe Microsoft's unified design.
The change may be related to a dispute with a German company over Metro naming.
A
rep from Microsoft said "Metro" has been a code name throughout the
development process of it's products and the company plans to switch to a
broader consumer name when products - like Windows 8 - publicly launch.
In September 2011, Microsoft said only Metro-style apps would be available at the Windows Store.
Worth $8.5m?Ouya,
the $99 Android games console, has finished its funding run on
Kickstarter, and raised a phenomenal $8,596,178 (£5,483,862).
The console has 63,413 backers. It smashed its target of $950,000 by a whopping 900 per cent.
It reached its target just eight hours after appearing on the crowd sourced funding site.
Despite
the amount of interest it garnered, the $99 hackable console has had
plenty of skeptics as well. Critics doubt it will be able to launch by
its set date of March 2013.
In an effort to quell the skepticism,
Ouya brought onboard Muffi Ghadiali, who worked on the Amazon Kindle,
and announced games developers like Square Enix and Namco Bandai were
coming along for the ride.
Independent developers were also clamouring for some of the Ouya action. Cliffhanger productions will make Shadowrun Online for the console (providing the game reaches its funding goal, that is). And Rapture Games Studios will make Gunblitz an Ouya launch title.
Ouya specs
So
what about the hardware itself? Well the console will have a Tegra 3
quad-core processor with 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, an HDMI connection that
supports 1080p HD, and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
Connections-wise, it'll have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, and USB 2.0. A wireless controller will come as standard.
It's
expected to go on sale in March of next year, all being well. And at
$99, it'll undercut all the major console by quite some way. But with
online gaming havens OnLive and Gaikai (recently bought by Sony)
gathering strength, some would argue the future lies not in hackable
hardware, but in the cloud.
We'll have to wait and see.
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean release date: when will you get it?
Updated Is your device in line for the Jelly Bean upgrade?
Are we going to have to wait months again?Google has announced the latest version of its mobile platform, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, at its annual I/O event in San Francisco, with it appearing alongside the first device to run it, the Google Nexus 7 tablet.
However the Nexus 7
won't be the only device which will end up running the sugary named
update, with a host of phones and tablets set to receive the upgrade.
Google has also announced that it plans to have Jelly Bean running on
the Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus and Motorola Xoom in mid-July. Update: the Nexus S started receiving updates to Android Jelly Bean in Asia on 19 July, with more markets set to follow soon after.
The Motorola Xoom is an unusual choice, as it's already been usurped by the Xoom 2, and in the UK Carphone Warehouse claims that the Nexus 7 will be the only tablet running Android 4.1 for four months.
If the Ice Cream Sandwich
roll out is anything to go by, then manufacturers are likely to take
their sweet time about getting Android 4.1 out to consumers, and some
devices may miss out.
We've contacted all the major players in the Android market, to find out what their plans are for the Android Jelly Bean upgrade, here's what we've heard so far;
Android Jelly Bean: Samsung
Samsung
has already issued the following statement regarding upgrades to new
versions of the Android OS – although unfortunately it doesn't give us
any clues on when we may see Jelly Bean land on devices, or indeed which
ones will get it.
"In the case that a new version of an Android
operating system is publicly announced and released, Samsung will review
the possibility of implementation to existing Samsung products with the
Android operating system ('Update').
"Such a review will be based
on various factors including, the overall effect of the update to
Samsung products, the system requirements, the structural limitations,
and the level of cooperation from the component suppliers and the
software licensors.
"If Samsung decides to make the update available to the users it will be released upon successful completion of development."
Google though confirmed in its keynote that Android 4.1 would be coming to the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus in mid-July. Update: Apparently Samsung is currently testing Jelly Bean on the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S2 and is expected to roll the update out to customers in August or September. Update:
The latest line from Samsung is: "The rollout of Android 4.1, Jelly
Bean, has started with Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ and Nexus S devices. We will
announce updates to the rest of our Galaxy portfolio of devices in due
course." Update:Independent website Sam Mobile
claims it has word from 'inside sources' that Android 4.1 will be
rolled out to the Galaxy S3 at the end of Q3 or the beginning of Q4. It
goes on to say that the Samsung Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note are next in line for the update after the S3.
Android Jelly Bean: HTC
HTC has announced it will be bringing Jelly Bean to at least three of its models, which is good news for those that like newer handsets:
"We
know HTC fans are excited to get their hands on Google's latest
version of Android. At this point in time, we can confirm that we have
plans to upgrade our HTC One X, HTC One XL and HTC One S to Jelly
Bean," am HTC spokesperson told us.
"Please stay tuned for more updates regarding device upgrades, timing and other details about HTC and Jelly Bean."
Android Jelly Bean: Motorola
Motorola has confirmed that it has not released its plans regarding the Jelly Bean update yet.
However Google said it was planning on getting Jelly Bean onto the Xoom tablet in July.
Android Jelly Bean: LG
Back in February at MWC 2012, we spoke to LG regarding the Jelly Bean update and the manufacturer confirmed it would guarantee an upgrade to Android Jelly Bean for all compatible 2012 handsets.
We will have to wait and see if it delivers on that promise. Update:
A spokesperson for the firm has told TechRadar: "LG will continue to
support the latest android platforms, across LG devices however at
present an exact date is not yet confirmed." Update 2:
Sources at LG tell us the relevant phones in the range will be updated
to Jelly Bean by Q1 2013, with the roll out beginning in Q4.
Android Jelly Bean: Asus
During MWC 2012, Benson Lin, Asus' Corporate Vice President told TechRadar:
"Asus is very close to Google, so once they have Android 5.0 I think
there will be a high possibility that we will be the first wave to offer
the Jelly Bean update." Update: An official letter posted on the Asus Facebook page has confirmed that it will be bringing the Android 4.1 update to its Transformer Pad 300, Transformer Pad Infinity and Transformer Prime tablets in "the coming months".
It
goes on to say: "We are still investigating Jelly Bean updates for
other devices, but we are not in a position to confirm whether any other
products will be eligible for an update at the moment."
Android Jelly Bean: Sony
Sony has confirmed
that a host of Sony Ericsson Xperia handsets from 2011 will not be
getting an update to Android 4.1, which means the likes of the Sony Xperia Arc Sand the Xperia Mini Pro will miss out.
As
far as Sony's plans for Jelly Bean go Sony Mobile's UK product manager,
John Cooper said: "We currently don't have anything to announce
regarding Jelly Bean for the Xperia S." Update: However fear not, as Sony has now retracted this comment, posting the following response on the official Sony Xperia blog.
"A
quick note – during a Q&A session last week on our Sony Mobile GB
Facebook page, a local spokesperson gave information out in error on our
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean software development and rollout for 2011 Xperia
smartphones.
"We are actively investigating Android OS upgrades
for all devices, but in the meantime, our Ice Cream Sandwich rollout for
Xperia S and 2011 Xperia smartphones continues as planned."
Android Jelly Bean: Acer
According
to Dutch site Tablet Guide, Acer will be updating some of its Android
tablets to Android 4.1, although it was unable to say which models would
be lucky enough to get it and when it would start rolling it out.
Android Jelly Bean: Toshiba
Toshiba has confirmed that it will be providing Android Jelly Bean to its AT200 and AT300 tablets, although no time frame was given for the roll out.
We spoken to Toshiba, who said it was unable to comment on the Jelly Bean update at this time.
Android Jelly Bean: ZTE
A
ZTE spokesperson has told TechRadar: "Although Google has released
information about Jelly Bean, Google is yet to publish the source code
release date.
"Therefore it is currently impossible to estimate a
date for the ZTE Jelly Bean upgrade at this point in time. Based on
historical forecasts, Google requires 1-2 months to complete the source
code release before manufacturers can begin to develop Jelly Bean based
versions of devices." Not wanting to be left behind,
ZTE has launched the first Android Jelly Bean handset in China, and
third in the world, in the form of the ZTE N880E. It's unlikely to make
it to other territories, but it shows manufacturers can get Jelly Bean
out the door quickly.
Android Jelly Bean: Intel
Intel has confirmed
that it is working with Google on a Jelly Bean port for its Atom
processors, which will allow the latest version of Android to run on
handsets and tablets with Intel inside, such as the Orange San Diego.
There's
currently no sign of a release date, so we're going to have to wait for
more information on the progress of this project.
And the rest
We're stilling waiting to hear from other Android device manufacturers including Huawei and Panasonic.
Make
sure you bookmark this page, as we'll be updating this article as and
when we hear back from manufacturers regarding their plans for the
Android 4.1 update.
In the meantime, take a look at our hands on Android 4.1 review to see what the jelly Bean update will be bringing.
