Google Play - Not Pay for Indian Developers

Indian developers looking to release paid Android apps seem to be out of luck. Google has removed India form its list of supported countries where developers can release paid apps. This means that Indian developers can only release free Android apps. With over 500 million devices registered with Google Play - this is a real blow to Indian developers. Google hasn't said why they removed India from its list of supported countries.

Google News Celebrated a Birthday

On September 22, 2002 - Google launched Google News, which was inspired by the interest for news after the attacks on September 11th.  Today, Google News serves up in 72 editions in 30 languages and has over 50,000 news sources. Google news changed the way the world consumed news. Google made the world smaller and put a time stamp on content - People now knew that the content they were consuming was the most recent thing published and they were no longer limited by news sources. I was once told by someone, " I want my time stamp to read 2 minutes ago not 2 days ago."  - and I couldn't agree more.

Samsung Commercial Takes Aim at iPhone 5

Samsung has taken off its gloves in a presidential-style attack ad, that depicts the Apple faithful as clueless when it comes to why they select a smart phone. My personal favorite moment is when the young man who is using his Galaxy S III holds a spot in line for his retired-looking parents - But the clips of people aimlessly waiting in line rattling off new features without a clue of what any of it means is funny.

You'll Probably Get a Tablet for Christmas!

I'm a geek and I love MY gadgets. But I may be one of the few people who won't be getting a tablet for Christmas – no one in my family or Santa would dare buy me a piece of electronic equipment. For the rest of the merry masses, Santa is more likely to deliver a tablet under the tree for you this year than ever before. The products have matured and prices have dropped considerably. (see my earlier post http://mediamixmaster.blogspot.com/2012/01/where-are-99-tablets.html)
Google's Nexus is a great deal with performance to match. Amazon's Kindle line-up just got really interesting - its got a great price point ($199  for the small HD, don't buy the larger one) and the ultimate store - minus the apps. But if you have prime - a Kindle HD is a must have. Microsoft's surface looks like it will compete and Apple's upcoming Mini may still put a hole in your wallet.
But I will continue to hold out hope for faster and less expensive tablets - that won't fall apart after a few days or start displaying Chinese text while you use it.
Someone mentioned the  www.freebirdtablets.com to me - I may buy one to see if it holds up. Nevertheless, I expect Holiday season to bring tablets for the entire family from Grandma & Grandpa - down to the little ones.

iPhone 5 - It's Here.

After months of rumors and speculation the iPhone 5 is finally on sale. The Apple faithful camped out for days waiting in line around the world to be the first in line to get the much awaited iPhone. Sure its much cooler to get your iPhone at the Apple store - but some of Apple's less religious followers were at Target, BestBuy and Walmart - who also are selling the phone today. Prices for the new iPhone 5 are as follows: With a 2 yr contract - 16 GB/$199, 32GB/$299, 64GB/$399. Unlocked - 16 GB/$649, 32GB/$749, 64GB/$849.
According to analyst, Apple will ship as many as 10 million of the new iPhones by the end of September.