Amazon Appstore set to finally launch in Europe this summer?

We first got a hint of an International launch of the Amazon Appstore back in September of last year. Back then though, it turned out to be some kind of huge error on the part of Amazon, and access was soon revoked to anyone outside the US. If the latest rumors are to be believed however, Europe could finally be receiving official access as soon as this summer. 
Sources familiar with the matter have been speaking to the guys over at AllThingsD. And, while timing is a little vague at this moment in time, Amazon are apparently to announce plans next week over accepting app submissions from developers. 
The bigger question this poses -- will it be followed by a European launch of the Kindle Fire? While it is accepted that the Amazon Appstore monetizes well for developers, without the Kindle Fire following, many consumers will see little reason to use it aside from the daily free app. After all, Google Play offers up not only apps, but also books and movies too. Europe doesn't currently benefit from any of the Amazon online content services aside from the MP3 store, so we'll have to wait for the relevant deals to be done before there is any sniff of the Fire emerging. Bringing the Appstore could well be the first step though. 
Source: AllThingsD

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App Review: webOS App Builder

We have always wanted to be that guy that makes the next great app. The perfect app that takes you and your small company into the strastosphere. Look at Angry Birds, Instagram, and Words with Friends. The best thing about webOS if you don't know already, we have the most talented and creative developers. Developers like Inglorious Apps with Notes HD, Arthur Thornton with Sparrow, and James Harris with Flash Cards who have really inspired the next generation of app designers. Why? Because webOS remains one of the best platforms to develop on. When webOS goes fully open source in the fall its only going to get even better and easier. So... you want to get in on the game, but you don’t have the skills. No problem, because with the Science Apps' new app webOS App Builder you can start building your own custom apps in no time flat.

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CrackBerry Kevin World Tour: What accessories do I need for my Android phone?

While sounding off about my HTC One X experiences during Thursday's Android Central Podcast, I brought up the topic of accessories. When it comes to BlackBerry, I have my list of favorites, and usually go on a shopping spree after I upgrade to a new phone. A pair of charging stands (need for both nightstand and office desk), a case or skin or screen protector, car mount, spare batteries, extra chargers (I tend to leave them in hotels)... you get the picture, I'm a bit of an accessory junkie. For some items I prefer going OEM while for other items I prefer going third party.This is the first time I'm really going all-in on an Android phone, and it's a fresh start for me on the accessory front. I took a stroll through ShopAndroid.com today and loaded some items up into the cart, but figured before checking out I should check in with the Android Central community and get their input. I could tell from the comments to my Mobile Nations World Tour post that there are a lot of smart people on this site with a lot of strong opinions. So help me out here. What are the must-have accessories that will help me get the most out of the Android experience?Don't be shy. Let me know in the comments. I lucked in by already owning a matching pair of Beats for my One X, but that's all I've got

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Windows Phone Game Review: Flick Baseball

There's a simple baseball game over at the Windows Phone Marketplace that challenging enough to keep from getting boring, nicely animated and a decent way to pass short bits of time with. Flick Baseball is a pitch and hit baseball where you have five outs to see how many runs you can score.It may not be a game you'll play for hours on end but Flick Baseball is a decent option to choose when you need help passing short bits of time.

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No extra free storage for AT&T and Verizon Galaxy S III owners! The horror!

So if you get the AT&T or Verizon version of the Galaxy S III, you won't be getting a free extra 48 gigbytes of online storage on Dropbox. That sucks, considering that our European friends have it, and presumably Sprint and T-Mobile will as well. (And it's little toughter for AT&T fans to swallow since you can only get the AT&T GSIII in a 16-gigabyte flavor -- OK, throw a microSD card in there, but still.) But, hey, that's the carriers' right. They don't want to pick up the tab, Dropbox doesn't want to give it away for free (not that we necessarily blame them after what some folks did with the SGSIII promotion), and so we won't be getting the extra free space, a fact Dropbox has been happy to advertise in its help forums:

U.S. AT&T and Verizon customers Select carriers have opted-out of the promotion on phones otherwise eligible. Unfortunately, AT&T and Verizon are among these carriers not currently participating.

It's not like you can't get a buttload of free Dropbox space already, though, with the usual 2GB of initial space, plus another 500MB for each referral, up to 18GB. (And if you have a friend with an HTC One phone, you probably can finagle a bit more, too.) If it's not worth it to AT&T and Verizon in this case, them's the breaks. End of the world? Not hardly. And if you really do need that 50 gigabytes, you can always pony up the $9.99 a month (or $99 a year) in that old-fashion, capitalistic manner.
Source: Dropbox; thanks to everyone who sent this in!

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Android Central international round-up - June 9, 2012

The past week in international Android Central coverage has been dominated by two highly-anticipated new devices -- Samsung's Galaxy S III and Orange's new Intel-powered San Diego. We published our exhaustive review of the former, and a complete video walkthrough of the latter. And whereas the Galaxy S III may be the latest and greatest Android flagship, it's the San Diego which could be the true representation of the Android's future. We're sure plenty of consumers will find room in their pockets for Intel-powered Androids in the months ahead, and we found the San Diego to be a reasonably-priced handset that offers exceptional performance even on a single core. Stay tuned for our full review in the near future.In other news, we received the first word that the "pebble blue" Galaxy S III has started shipping in Europe and Australia, marking the end of the delays surrounding that model. And UK networks O2 and Vodafone announced an infrastructure-sharing plan that could help both networks roll out 4G LTE coverage to more Brits, more quickly.We'd definitely recommend you check out our full review of the Galaxy S III and walkthrough of the Orange San Diego, as well as the rest of the week's highlights linked below. (And watch out for our full review of the Sony Xperia P in the next week or so). If you've got international news, be sure to tip us at the usual address.Special features:
• Samsung Galaxy S III review
• Orange San Diego video walkthrough
News:
• Sony Xperia Neo L photos leak out online
• SK Telecom leak suggests quad-core 2GB Galaxy S III may be Korea-bound
• Vodafone UK pebble blue Galaxy S III now shipping
• O2 and Vodafone announce infrastructure sharing agreement in the UK
• HTC One V coming to TELUS on June 8
• Pebble blue Galaxy S III starting to arrive on Australian shores
• Intel-powered Orange San Diego going on sale today
• Korean language support added to Dropbox for Android
• LG Optimus L7 launches on Fido in Canada
• Verizon's Galaxy S III to support international roaming, eventually
• Pebble blue Galaxy S III arriving in the Netherlands
• Revised ICS update schedule from Canadian carrier TELUS
• Galaxy S III officially UK's most popular smartphone
• ASUS partnering with BlueStacks to bring Android to millions of PCs

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Android Central Editors' App Picks for June 10, 2012

We're a day late but worth the wait! Welcome to the latest iteration of our Android Apps of the Week, where we showcase apps that we find interesting. Have an app you think we should take a look at? Feel free to e-mail us and we'll give it a gander.And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, onto the show!read more

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Andy Rubin, rumor smasher: Not leaving Google; 900,000+ Android activations daily

Gotta love a good unfounded rumor on a slow Sunday afternoon. Or not. 
Regardless, Robert Scoble this afternoon set up a trial balloon to see what folks though about the possibility of Andy Rubin possibly leaving Google for a startup called CloudCar. Wrote Scoble on Google+

Today I heard that the head of Android, +Andy Rubin, will soon leave Google and head to a new startup called http://www.cloudcar.com/

Now, that rumor has two purposes: one, it might be true, in which case I start thinking about what that means for Android. I certainly will be looking for those signs when I attend the Google IO conference.

it didn't take long for Rubin to set the record straight, responding on Google+

How a rumor gets factualized: Cloudcar are a group of friends who I give free office space to in my incubator in Los Altos.  Revel Touch (Mar Hershenson's company: www.reveltouch.com) is another cool company that shares this space.  I'm not joining either one and I don't have any plans to leave Google.  See you on the 27th!

Roger that. Over and out. 
So in more Earth-based news, Rubin has also stated that there are over 900,000 Android activations daily -- up from 850,000 just a couple months ago at MWC. Before we delve into just how big that number is, let's revisit what each of those activations are. When a new Android device with a cellular radio has a Google account signed into it, it's counted as an activation. Each device only gets counted once -- not when you flash a new ROM, or when you sell it, just the first time the device is registered. This means that over 900,000 people are buying new Android devices every day. Or 27,000,000 every month. Or 328,500,000 a year at that rate. That's a lot of Android.
Looks like we'll be seeing plenty of Andy Rubin, and plenty of Android activations for the time being.
Source: +Andy Rubin. More: +Robert Scoble

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Start your week with the Greatest Android Podcast in the World!

It's a new day, a new week, and we're all about to get inundated by headlines proclaiming that Apple is still the Master of the Universe and that we should all just go out and buy iPhones. Well, screw that. Instead, pour a big ol' cup of coffee, put your favorite breakfast pastry in the toaster and listen to the sultry sounds of the Greatest Android Podcast in the World, now with more Galaxy S III banter than ever before. (That'll taper off at some point, but not yet.) Plus, we learn about the CrackBerry Kevin World Tour, and we take on more of your e-mails and voicemails!
The Android Central Podcast is your weekly peek into the world of Android, where we break down the news that really matters, and explain what's just a bunch of hype. Plus, we answer your e-mails and voicemails. You don't want to miss it. Check out the Android Central Podcast.

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