Twitter officially rolls out mobile app install ads

Get ready to see a lot more advertisements on Twitter promoting apps.

The social media company announced it is rolling out mobile app promotions. These ads will appear as normal tweets and include a link escorting users directly to the Google Play or iTunes App store.

This will make it easy for app developers, as Twitter illustrated, like Real Racing to promote its apps by including a link that automatically redirects user to buy the app. Users will still get the final say on whether or not they chose to buy the app, but any resulting downloads will put a little money into Twitter's pocket.

Alternatively, if the user already has the app installed it will launch the piece of software instead, which could be useful for any games with new updates bringing more levels.

While Android and iOS users will both see the ads, they won't be coming to either Windows Phone or BlackBerry devices. Twitter says it has no plans to add this functionality to either platform.

The "in" crowd

Although the promotional downloads just launched globally, they've been a part of Twitter since April starting off as beta test.

Twitter also joins the group of other sites that have employed mobile app promotions including YouTube and Facebook. The later company has enjoyed a swelling mobile ad business and now Twitter is looking to cash in on the same deal.

On top of app install ads, app publishers will get an expanded set of reporting and analytical tools to follow how well their promotions are doing. What's more, companies can target their ads to users based on interest, keyword, gender, geographic location, language, and mobile devices.

There's no way to escape advertisements even on Twitter, but on the bright side at least I will be easy to download that app if interests you.

• Ads also could make their way to everyday items

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Google Glass banned in UK cinemas over piracy fears

In a move that will surprise precisely no-one, the UK's cinema chains are banding together to issue a blanket ban on Google Glass headsets over fears they could be used to make pirate recordings.

Google Glass Explorers will be asked to remove their specs before entering the theatre or in the case of the Vue chain, when the lights dim prior to the start of the programme.

The headset, which only became available in the UK on July 23, is capable of recording video relatively discreetly, although a red light appears on the frame when capturing footage.

One moviegoer in Leicester Square, London was asked to remove his specs this weekend when staff were unable to discern whether recording was taking place.

Glasshole rule

"Customers will be requested not to wear these into cinema auditoriums, whether the film is playing or not," said: Phil Clapp, chief executive of the Cinema Exhibitors' Association.

An Odeon representative said the firm was requesting "guests and employees do not wear Google Glasses [...] capable of recording images and video within the cinema auditorium."

Google itself has requested users and cinemas to employ the same sense of etiquette as they do with mobile phones.

A Google spokesperson said: "We recommend any cinemas concerned about Glass to treat the device as they treat similar devices like mobile phones: simply ask wearers to turn it off before the film starts. Broadly speaking, we also think it's best to have direct and first-hand experience with Glass before creating policies around it. The fact that Glass is worn above the eyes and the screen lights up whenever it's activated makes it a fairly lousy device for recording things secretly."

• 2020 Vision: The future of Google Glass

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Apple is trying to make Maps app better... just one day at a time

Apple is now acting swiftly upon user-generated corrections for its Maps app for iOS and OS X, according to reports on Monday.

Apple Insider brings word the firm is updating the application every day at 3am EST to incorporate suggestions from users hitting the "report a problem" portion of the application.

According to one person who's been keeping an eye on Apple's activities, updates made in the last two weeks have exceeded those posted in the last two years combined.

"Over the past month, Maps were being updated once a week (every Friday) for me, but now, that has improved even further," the Reddit user known as heyyoudvd wrote.

"Over the past few days, I've noticed an update occur every single day at 3 a.m. Eastern."

Swift

Other posters within the Reddit thread have also noted issues they've raised have been addressed swiftly by Apple.

Apple has copped a lot of flak since launching the Maps app as part of iOS 6 back in 2012. It was largely mocked upon its debut as a replacement for the established Google Maps app.

However, the software has improved significantly since then and Apple now seems intent on making improvements and corrections as soon as they're raised by users.

• Better Maps in iOS 8? Don't get your hopes up

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Apple's iTunes U update lets teachers create entire lesson plans on iPad

Apple has updated the iTunes U education app to further enhance the ability for teachers to create lesson plans and instructional materials on the iPad.

iTunes U is now integrated with iWork, iBooks Author and all other Apple educational applications. In addition to more than 750,000 educational materials readily available in iTunes U, teachers will be able to pull content directly into their lessons from other applications.

The update also includes integration with the iPad's camera, thereby allowing teachers to take photos and record video, which can then be inserted into lesson plans.

Discussion groups

Another new feature is Discussions, which lets students and teachers communicate in self-created social feeds. Users can set up push notifications for new topics and replies. Teachers will be able to moderate discussions by removing any content they deem unsuitable.

Previous versions of iTunes U also included a glitch that made the playback button function at the wrong speed. This glitch has been corrected, according to Apple's iTunes U update page.

In January, Apple launched iBooks Textbooks and iTunes U Course Manager products in more than 50 markets. iTunes U is currently available in 69 countries.

The update will be available on July 8.

• What are the best apps available on the iPad?

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GameStop will buy your unwanted Kinect for $40

It's been almost two months since Microsoft announced that it would start selling the Xbox One without Kinect on June 9. Now GameStop is offering up to buy the peripheral from any one who didn't want it in the first place.

In a deal first spotted by gamers on Reddit, GameStop locations around the US are accepting Kinect trade-ins for $40 in store credit or $32 cash back starting today.

The extra money back hardly makes up for the $100 the Kinect added onto Microsoft's console. But for some Xbox One owners an extra bit of cash is reason enough to get rid of the motion sensing peripheral if it's been sitting unwanted in a closet for a while.

With the new option to trade it into GameStop locations, gamers will have another option in addition to selling it used on Amazon and eBay.

Dead weight

Despite the fact that Microsoft has answered gamers' pleas for an option to buy the Xbox One without Kinect, the software company is still adamant that its peripheral is integral to the console.

The Redmond, Wash.-based company still plans to sell Kinect sensor will be sold as a standalone accessory later this fall. At the same time it's more than likely GameStop will turn these used peripherals around and sell them for full price as they do with game.

As we've noted before the Kinect does more than motion gaming. It's an integral part of the console's voice controlled interface even if it does use up 10-percent of the console's graphical and processing power.

• The PS4 is fairing well with or without the extra camera peripheral

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Apple updates iTunes U to help teachers more quickly create content

Apple has updated the iTunes U education app to further enhance the ability for teachers to create lesson plans and instructional materials on the iPad.

iTunes U is now integrated with iWork, iBooks Author and all other Apple educational applications. In addition to more than 750,000 educational materials readily available in iTunes U, teachers will be able to pull content directly into their lessons from other applications.

The update also includes integration with the iPad's camera, thereby allowing teachers to take photos and record video, which can then be inserted into lesson plans.

Discussion groups

Another new feature is Discussions, which lets students and teachers communicate in self-created social feeds. Users can set up push notifications for new topics and replies. Teachers will be able to moderate discussions by removing any content they deem unsuitable.

Previous versions of iTunes U also included a glitch that made the playback button function at the wrong speed. This glitch has been corrected, according to Apple's iTunes U update page.

In January, Apple launched iBooks Textbooks and iTunes U Course Manager products in more than 50 markets. iTunes U is currently available in 69 countries.

The update will be available on July 8.

• What are the best apps available on the iPad?

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Google's Quickoffice productivity app pulled from Android and iOS

Google has announced that it will remove its popular Quickoffice app from iOS and Android two years after acquiring the popular Microsoft Office competitor.

In a blog post on its Google Apps updates page, Google wrote: "With the integration of Quickoffice into the Google Docs, Sheets and Slides apps, the Quickoffice app will be unpublished from Google Play and the App Store in the coming weeks."

The company added that existing users can continue to use the app, but no features will be added and new users won't be able to install it.

Expected end

Google's recent announcement - that it was bringing in some notable feature updates to Google Drive such as improved compatibility with Microsoft Office documents - has made Quickoffice all but disposable.

Its demise wasn't entirely unexpected. Google split Drive into Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, taking on Apple's Pages, Numbers and Keynote by providing a more coherent approach to productivity in a bid to take on Microsoft apps that also allow the editing of documents for free.

• Check out our review of Microsoft Office for iPad

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