Google takes on the Apple Store. Photo: Google
The world’s first Google-branded store has today opened its doors in London.
Officially dubbed The Google Shop, it’s an Android lover’s alternative to the Apple Store, offering Android-powered phones and tablets, Chromecasts, and Chrome OS notebooks and desktops — as well as a variety of courses and events.
“Give me that Lollipop.” Photo: Samsung
Samsung has only gotten around to bringing Lollipop to two Galaxy S5 variants in the U.S. so far — the ones connected to Sprint and Verizon — but there may be a way to get it on other handsets early.
According to one Samsung staffer, your local Samsung Experience Shop can flash the company’s latest Lollipop software onto almost all Galaxy S5 handsets, but there are few caveats.
Just a couple of days after its press conference at CES 2014 in Las Vegas, Acer unveiled its latest ultra-affordable Android powered tablet, the Tab 7, as a cheaper alternative to its mid-range Iconia A1-830, which was showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show. However, unlike the latter, the Tab 7 is already on sale in China with a price tag of around $99 — that’s a whopping $50 cheaper than the A1 is expected to cost when it finally hits the shelf.
The Google Play Store has gotten a nice new update this week that makes it easier for tablet owners to find apps and games that are properly optimized for their device. A new “designed for tablets” section is now displayed by default when browsing the store, while apps that aren’t optimized for larger displays carry a “designed for phones” label.
Last night saw the release of Google’s official Cloud Print app on Google Play. Google Cloud Print is a handy tool to have on your Android device, enabling you to print anything from anywhere using Chrome, with your own computer and printer.
