We’ve been playing around with the Google Play Store and have stumbled upon something just a little interesting. It appears that unlike with applications - where you must download them before reviewing – you are actually able to review any song, movie, magazine or book before you purchase it. I’d have to assume the same goes for Google Play TV Shows but we’re yet to access the selection down under.

We first discovered this via +Linden Darling, who reviewed an album on Google Play Music without actually purchasing it. I went ahead and tried the same to find that it could easily be done, leaving the door open in Google’s content distribution stores open for anyone to review any …

Google’s application and content distribution network called Google Play has almost reached the elusive 50 billion app download level. Google has today announced that the Play Store has hit 48 billion downloads.

Hugo Barra, Google’s Android Product Manager also said:

Revenue per user is … two and a half times what it used to be a year ago globally.

Paid out more money to Android developers on Google Play than all of last year.

With the latest redesign of the Google Play Store app on Android, I’m sure Android app downloads on Play have skyrocketed and we’ll be seeing these numbers climb higher and higher.

Google’s Play Store was only just updated to bring users the new Holo look that came with the introduction of v4.0. The new version, which is currently rolling out, updates the client to v4.1.6.

Image source: AndroidOS

Appearance-wise, the main changes appear as soon as you open up the new application. The content button’s have switched from having a pure white (left picture) background, to a colourful (right picture) one, which matches its content. You will also notice that the old black background for the settings and menu items sections have changed to the holo design.

‘My Wishlist’ has become more consistent with the updated Play Store, in that it now displays all items in the card grid format, rather …

Just in time with the launch of Google Play Music in Australia (and a few other countries too!), Google has updated the Play Store for Android with a completely fresh look. It’s much nicer, cleaner and feels just a little bit more ‘Android-y’ than the last build. Much like Google’s other products, it has taken the ‘Cards’ design to heart. Cards are those white placards that sit hovering over the background which were first popularised in Google products with Google Now.

One of the major gripes with the Play Store is how many Android users actually purchase items from it. I too share this concern and believe that one of the major issues was the design. It felt just a …

There’s been a lot of big Android-related news arise as of late. We’ll keep you updated here!

Google Keep was in the news about a week ago, when it popped up for just a few hours. Google has now officially launched both the Chrome App/website and the Android application. It’s taking on Evernote at the helm and allows you to super quickly take notes which sync between devices. Read more over at The Verge.

Google Play for Android bogging you down? Don’t like the design? A recent leak which was uncovered by Droid Life has shown what seems to be the next Holo-themed styling of Google Play for Android. It looks much nicer than what we’ve had before …

Got a company and need to store your apps separately to the Google Play store itself? Google is now allowing companies to store their apps in a separate section of the Play store based on their use of the platform. If you are using Google Apps and have your email hosted on Gmail then you will have access to these services.

Based on the information in the Google Play Private Channel information page, companies will only need to pay a $25 registration fee to be able to use the enterprise private channels.

This is not only for companies and business, but also for educational institutions using Google services. This could be a great platform for universities and schools to …

Have you been waiting to bring out the inner hoon in Need for Speed Most Wanted?  Or are you the quiet productive type who values an office suite to keep up with some serious portable word processing, spreadsheets and presentations?  Perhaps you value a launcher that has big simple buttons to keep you from squinting at the screen or staring at it 5cm from your face?

Well, if you’re like me and like saving a quick buck, head over to Google Play today for a sale on a huge list of apps!

If you’re wondering why all the sales happiness, it’s because overnight the USA went into crazy Black Friday mode – a day when huge retailers put on …

There’s no doubt that the Nexus 4 and 10 are hot devices, especially given how quickly they sold out on Google Play earlier this week, but we weren’t expecting this. According to Android Police, some customers have received emails indicating that their Nexus 4 orders have been delayed “due to overwhelming demand”, and that their purchases were expected to ship “within three weeks”. It also appears that customers’ credit cards are still being charged prior to shipping, despite the delays.

Given that Google is sending backorder notifications to those who have already purchased, it’s clear that demand is far outstripping supply; what’s not clear is whether this is due to truly overwhelming demand or low initial supplies….

Ladies and gentlemen, today is the day. Today is the day that so many of us have been waiting for so very long to be at. Today is the day that our new Nexus additions finally go on-sale and we can move one step closer to pawing over these wonderful and mysterious devices.

But, just what are these devices that we are so eager to play around with. I’m sure you all know that Google recently announced the horribly hidden LG Nexus 4 and the Nexus 10.

You can grab the Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 from Google Play now from $349 or $569 respectively. If you’ve been in a hole for the last two weeks and need a bit …

The onslaught of Android-related news today just won’t hold back! According to Bloomberg Businessweek it appears as though the Google Play Store has hit the milestone of 700,000 apps! This brings Google Play up to the mark of the iOS App Store, making Android even more of a competitor than we already knew it was.

Anyway, the announcement of 700,000 apps is not coming through an official announcement from Google, but actually from Bloomberg. This is most probably due to Google’s Android event being cancelled. El Goog was most likely preparing to slip the announcement into the already start-studded new devices today.

Congratulations Google!

The Australian Google Play store began selling devices with the Nexus 7 (and accompanying accessories). Being a launch country of the N7, we were among the likes of the US who had devices being sold online via Google Play since the Galaxy Nexus a few months earlier.

While there’s still no physical differences to the store, it appears that the icon for the Devices section has had a minor revamp. Instead of just having a tablet there, the symbol has had a phone added to the small – but noticeable – icon. While this isn’t any proof per-say of phones coming to the online store, we can only hope that this is what it means.

To throw some speculation into …

Back in May Google announced that Android developers could offer in-app subscriptions within their numerous applications. This was a great way for developers to find the Android ecosystem to be more viable and a better source of income.

Google has now ramped up this service to include a new offering. Developers will now be welcomed to offer in-app subscription trials for Android users. It’s always good to test the waters before jumping in and Google has now allowed us to do this.

For the consumer to know – Developers will be able to offer a 7+ day free trial offering, with the time period decided on by the dev. To begin the trial, you’ll have to include your credit card …