Android

People are often judged by their cars, jobs and houses, but can someone be judged by the mobile phone that he/she keeps? According to an Infographic published by Hunch, users possessing a specific smartphone (Android or iPhone) tend to possess certain traits. The Infographic also provides statistics on the ongoing battle between iOS and Android devices.

Tapjoy and PapayaMobile today announced that they are partnering to launch Social Marketplace that provides users with recommendations on which apps to download. Both companies have released a flurry of announcements recently and this particular news could be great for developers and users alike. More after the jump.

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Tim Devane (bitly), and SocialTimes' writer Devon Glenn.   Register now.

Mobile social gaming network GREE has recently announced its plan to launch a cohesive mobile gaming platform by mid 2012. In addition, the Japanese giant is also projecting net sales of around $1.7B, a 40 percent jump from the firm’s previous projections. This news comes at a time when DeNA is aggressively laying out its plans for Mobage Global after achieving a net income of around $105M for the quarter. More after the jump.

According to a recent SEC filing, music app developer Smule has raised $12M in another round of funding after having previously raised $13.5. Best known for its popular mobile apps such as the I am T-Pain autotune app and Ocarina, Smule will aggressively pursue the mobile social music market by continuing to innovate on its existing free-to-play apps. More after the jump.

When Pepsi introduced their social vending machines based on sending drink gifts via messages to a friend’s cell phone number, I wrote: I’m a little leery about the security issues related to having vending machines store people’s names and their cell phone number. I also think that this system would work better using NFC (Near [...]

In mid-August, Google announced the launch of Google+ games integrated directly into the search giant’s new social network. Silicon Valley consensus is that Google is finally making a direct attack at Facebook and that company’s commanding lead over social networking; the inclusion of social games, which comprise much of Facebook’s own user activity, seems confirmation [...]

Distimo, the app store market tracking service, continues to reveal the importance of the freemium model. Free app downloads have grown 34 percent since 2010 in contrast to paid app downloads which grew by 7 percent. In the past the firm also reported a 10x growth in freemium revenue from top releases on the App Stor. More after the jump.

As the lines between console and mobile continue to blur, Apple’s eyes remain fixated on conquering the living room experience. Its introduction of AirPlay Mirroring could be a key blow to console makers like Sony and Microsoft who are still trying to gain traction on the mobile frontier. The plethora of content on Apple’s App Store combined with portable devices could be the reason why Apple will be the first to deliver a seamless gaming experience. More after the jump.

OpenFeint has been the heartthrob of writers in the gaming space, notably for its departing personnel, as it navigates the murky waters of iOS. The latest news to come from the mobile gaming network is its launch of its app discovery platform Game Channel on Android. More after the jump.

Once again the popular social game discovery platform, Heyzap, is making the mobile gaming experience more even more user friendly. Today they announced the addition of a new ‘Play tab’ to its Android app. Conveniently located on the toolbar, the new feature makes it easier than ever for users to browse through their game library without having to search through their whole app library. The company assured us that an iPhone update will be coming soon as well. More after the jump.

Naoki Aoyagi, ex-head of GREE International, has just been named the new CEO of Openfeint. Aoyagi will be replacing Jason Citron as he moves on to pursue other endeavors. While sudden shifts to the chief executive role occasionally appear out of left field, Aoyagi has been with GREE, Openfeint’s parent company for 5 years, having joined in 2006.