Google Play Store tosses third party Reddit app for sexual content

Google Play Store has removed the app Reddit is fun for having explicit sexual content. The app brings the user stories from the Reddit web site where users post stories for others to respond to. The language is uncensored with plenty of four letter words flying around. That is why app creator Andrew Shu was surprised about Google's action. "I’m not sure how to go about appealing this," said the developer. "After all it’s true that Reddit content includes NSFW (not safe for work) content. Not sure exactly why my app was singled out and the other reddit apps weren’t, though." Both the free and paid app were given the boot by Google. You would think that since the content did not come from the app developer, Shu would have received a pass from Google especially since other third party Reddit apps remain in good standing on the Google Play Store. Has Google changed more than just the name of the Android Market? After all, it has been Apple in the past who has removed apps that seemed a little too risque.

The latest word on the whole affair is that Reto Meier from the Android Developer Relations team has contacted Shu and will guide him through the appeal process. This will probably not be the last word on this matter.

source: VentureBeat via SlashGear

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Check out the re-designed UI on these Nokia Windows Phone models

What have we here? Why it's a few pictures of a Nokia Windows Phone model with a re-designed UI. Gone are the Live Tiles, replaced with a scattering of photos, clocks and what can only be described as whimsical imagery. One of Nokia's Senior Graphic Designers is responsible for the work and he has already been shipped to Accenture to work on things for Symbian.

According to the deal it has with Microsoft, the Finnish based manufacturer has the right to change the UI, but Nokia's CTO says that the company will not change it because it doesn't want to make things difficult for those switching from another device to a Windows Phone flavored Nokia model. Another reason why you won;t see this special UI on a released unit is that they were designed by the designer on his own and not as a part of any official Nokia project.

What do you think about any of the re-designed UI shown in the pictures? Would you prefer to see any of these on your Nokia Lumia home screen or do you favor the Live Tiles? Let us know what you think by dropping a comment in the box below.

source: PocketNow

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Company behind 'Draw Something' could be sold for $200 million

Zynga, the company that bought Alec Baldwin's favorite runway pastime Words with Friends developer New Toy for $50 million in December 2010 now has its eyes on OMGPOP. The former dating-gaming app company is the owner of one of the hottest properties on smartphones today, Draw Something. This is a Pictionary inspired game that can be played against one friend at a time in different parts of the world and currently has an inventory of 900 things to draw. Talk is that Zynga will pay $150 million to $200 million for OMGPOP with Japanese firms DeNA and GREE also interested.

Draw Something has exceeded 30 million downloads and is actively used by half of those users on a daily basis. 2 billion drawings have been made and 2,000 to 3,000 drawings are exchanged per second. According to OMGPOP, more than 1 million users are added daily and the app generates revenue in the low six figures a day from upgrades and in-app payments. There is an ad-supported free version and an ad-free download that costs 99 cents. Draw Something is available for both Android and iOS and OMGPOP says it is the the number one free app, number one paid app and the number one word game in over 80 countries and the cash flow is growing by the minute.

A success story like that is what drives developers to keep searching for the one app that will make them fabulously wealthy.

source: GigaOM

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