posted Mar 2nd 2011 9:13AM 
It's not enough that you'll soon be able to make in-app purchases on Android, Google wants to give you an outlet for your app spending online as well. The search giant is hard at work turning last year's acquisition of Jambool and its Social Gold software into a web-based in-app payments platform it can call its own. Jambool's proprietors have word that Google's system is now in beta, which has led it to close new signups for the Social Gold offering, ahead of halting payment processing entirely on May 31st. That should serve as a pretty reliable guide for when to expect Google to flip the switch on its in-app purchasing service, which we're hearing will include some level of integration with Google Checkout and Google accounts. As TechCrunch points out, the next Google I/O gathering is scheduled for May 10th -- sounds about the right time for us to be introduced to this new, app-based way for separating us from our hard-earned cash. This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
We're sure that the debate of a carefully controlled and curated environment like Apple's App Store versus a free-for-all like the Android Market will rage on for years to come, but here's something to chew on: Google just removed some 21 apps from the Market in the last day from a publisher going by Myournet for doing all sorts of naughty things to your device. Offenses include attempting to root your phone, uploading phone information (including IMEI) to who-knows-where, and -- most egregiously -- adding a backdoor that allows additional code to be pulled down and executed. 
Samsung's been waffling on Google TV for quite some time -- prototypes aside -- and now Bloomberg thinks it might know the reason why. According to an anonymous source, Mountain View's been requiring that OEMs use Intel's CE4100 chip in their television products, and as any self-respecting chipmaker might be expected to do, Samsung declined. Now, with Google TV's efforts to break into the living room floundering, the search giant has allegedly lifted the restriction and allowed Samsung to use its own silicon, meaning we'll likely see Google TV running on a certain dual-core ARM in the months to come. Anything to save us from Smart TV, right? 
If you've been paying attention to the state of search as of late, you'll know that Google's between a proverbial rock and hard place right now. Some individuals and companies claim Mountain View's beloved search engine is losing to the spammers, squatters, scrapers and content farms by failing to weed them from the system -- though you can now do that on your own -- while others say it's squashing the little guy by unfairly downranking competitors in search results. We're not sure if either is truly the case, the company's made a mildly controversial move this week: it's tweaked the search algorithms to "reduce rankings for low-quality sites," and "provide better rankings for high-quality" ones. As ever, Mountain View's not talking about what that change mathematically entails, though it says about 11.8 percent of queries will be affected as a result. In short: some will be happy, some sad, some angry, and many won't notice at all. 
Looks like Apple isn't the only one wanting to make sure that app payments are being run through appropriate channels. The Visual VoiceMail app, which has been downloaded about a million times (literally), has just been pulled from the Android Market. When developers at PhoneFusion asked the reasonable question, "why," they were simply directed to section 3.3 of the Android Market Developer Distribution Agreement: 
Google's been talking up its Social Search function for sometime, but up until now your friends' tweets probably haven't made it to the top of your search results -- unless of course you're besties with TMZ, and you've been searching the Miley Cyrus 
We've already seen Sony, TiVo and others come out in support of the FCC's proposed CableCard replacement, known as AllVid, but it looks like they're now stepping up their game considerably. In a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, the group -- which also includes Google, Best Buy, Mitsubishi and others -- has announced that they've formed the "AllVid Tech Company Alliance" in a concerted effort to defend the proposed AllVid standard, and counter arguments from those opposed to it -- namely, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (or NCTA) and the cable companies that are a part of it. As you might expect, the Alliance isn't making a lot of new arguments, but it is stating its position pretty frankly, telling the FCC that "it is essential for the Commission to break down the wall separating the home network from MVPD [or pay TV] networks – not just poke a few holes in it, or rely on progress on the peripheries." You can find the complete letter (in PDF form) at the source link below.
Lookie here, digital bookworms -- Google has just refreshed its Google Reader app for Android, adding a couple of "your most-requested features" along the way. Things like a unread count widget and news ticker widget are coming to those with Android 2.2+, while a 'Mark Previous As Read' is making its way back to all users with v1.6 or higher. Oh, and if you're into reading Russian feeds, there's now official support for Russian translation. Head on down to the Market below to get the install going, and do your best not to be ashamed when the number in your unread count stretches three home screen panels.