Google revamps Play Store developer rules, looks to banish intrusive advertising

Google has tweaked the developer policy for the Play Store with an eye on reducing intrusive advertising, spoof apps and clarifying subscription cancellations. Apps that pass themselves off as others, or are "confusingly similar" will now be pulled, so say goodbye to those thousand instances of Angry Byrdz. Adverts that pop up in your notifications window, like Airpush and KDDI's au one now make their way onto the verboten list. It's also clarifying that when users cancel their subscriptions, they won't be refunded for the current billing period, but will continue to receive what they'd paid for until the term expires. Developers now have 30 days to comply with the changes, after which point apps that are found to be in violation will be pulled by Mountain View's overlords.

Yelp iOS app updated with lots of 'awesomeness'

 

iPhone and iPad users who tap into Yelp will find a few enhancements in the latest version.
Rolled out yesterday, version 6 of the review site's iOS app has revamped its business pages. Click on the name of a business, and you'll see the location, contact info, photos, reviews, and tips all on one single screen.
Beyond reviewing a restaurant or other business, you can add tips to advise people on what to buy or what to avoid. You can compliment other people on their reviews of the business. And you can add photos of the business to provide some helpful visuals.
You can also add and edit information on a business, such as its location, hours of operation, and Web site. The folks at Yelp then verify the new information before posting it live.
For other mobile users, Yelp has updated its mobile Web site to let people log into their accounts, add tips, and view and create bookmarks of their favorite businesses.
Yelp revealed that around 40 percent of its searches come through its mobile apps. The folks behind the iOS app clearly think highly of the latest update, writing that "this update is literally filled to the brim with awesomeness. We're not joking -- we had to get an intern to stand on the top of it just to get it zipped up and shipped to the App Store."
Not sure what they're doing with those interns, but the updates do enhance the usefulness of Yelp. We'll have to see if the app's array of users share the same excitement as its creators.