Yahoo to boost online mobile video streaming with RayV acquisition

Yahoo is serious about getting more people to watch content on its portal with its recent acquisition. Online video streaming company RayV will help boost Yahoo’s tech infrastructure when it comes to video distribution, particularly with mobile devices. The move is intended to attract more people to use Yahoo’s Screen portal, which houses videos ranging from original news to content provided by partners such as BuzzFeed, Comedy Central, and Saturday Night Live. Most of the company’s employees will join Yahoo’s R&D center in Tel Aviv, Israel. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

The Apple Beat: 6 years on, the App Store remains the standard in curated ecosystems

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

It's hard to believe that the original iPhone didn't ship with any 'real' apps and that it took over a year for Apple to consider opening its device to developers and third-party applications. Six years on, the App Store has evolved into the best example of a tightly curated app ecosystem.

Apple's success with the iOS App Store owes a lot to Apple's experience with iTunes although apps and music and movies are fundamentally different, the way these were presented was familiar enough to users who were buying apps to enhance their mobile devices. The App Store was a quick success, it inspired the Mac App store and made it possible to buy applications directly from a Mac and, even better, application updates are now handled automatically in the background.

More importantly, the App Store has become a storefront for thousands of developers and their mobile apps. It is by far the most profitable platform for mobile developers. 75 billion app downloads have been made in the past six years. 

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Samsung renames app store as Galaxy Apps

Samsung is looking to make its app store more viable with its rebranding. Samsung Apps will now be known as Galaxy Apps and it comes with a new user interface and hundreds of Samsung Galaxy exclusive apps. The apps have been divided into categories such as Top, Best Picks, and For Galaxy. The For Galaxy category is divided further to sections including Galaxy Gifts, Galaxy Essentials, Galaxy Specials, and Apps for Professionals. The Specials apps have been made using Samsung’s SDKs. The new app store is said to give Galaxy users more options to help customize their devices and as a platform to announce promotions and deals.

Source: CNET

Motorola Moto E gets Android 4.4.4 update in Canada

Motorola has just announced on its blog that the Moto E is getting the latest Android operating system update pretty soon. The update is rolling out to Moto E devices in Canada, Brazil, France, and Asia. Those who are using the Moto G in Brazil and India will be getting the latest Android flavour as well. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for any more updates about the other Motorola handsets.