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Now that the first smartwatches featuring Google’s Android Wear software are shipping, you might want to try running some of the Android apps that support the platform. If you’re using a free app… no problem. But it turns out that a bug is preventing you from loading paid apps from the App Store onto an Android Wear watch like the LG G Watch or Samsung Gear Live.
Odds are that the problem will be fixed soon… but it’s the sort of kink you would have expected to have been worked out before the first devices went went on sale.
Here’s a roundup of tech news from around the web.
- Android Wear bug prevents you from installing paid apps (for now)
It looks like the problem may be the way that paid apps in the Google Play Store are encrypted. With free, unencrypted apps that support Android Wear, your phone will automatically send the wearable version to your watch over Bluetooth. That’s not currently happening with paid apps. [Android Police] - (mi)Display wants to build a modular Google Glass rival, attempts to raise $500k through Kickstarter to do it
In theory, the project sounds pretty cool. In practice, the prototype is pretty rough around the edges and this isn’t a team that’s ever delivered high quality hardware before. Don’t hold your breath. (As of the time I’m writing this article, the project had also only raised $73). [Kickstarter] - Dell Venue 11 Pro with a slightly faster Intel Atom Z3795 CPU shows up in Switzerland
The Dell Venue 11 Pro already had one of the fastest of Intel’s Atom chips for tablets. Now there’s a model with a newer, slightly faster Atom processor. [TabTech] - Apple launches iOS 8 beta 3 to developers
The final version won’t be available until this fall, but developers can grab the latest beta now. Here’s a list of tweaks and new features. [Redmond Pie] - Sony smartphone with a front-facing LED flash could be unveiled as soon as tomorrow
There may be a strong anti-selfie contingent on the internet… but apparently device makers feel the phenomenon of people snapping photos of themselves with arms outstretched is strong enough to start building phones designed specifically for taking self portraits. [Android Central] - Arrow Smartwatch will take aim at better photos… from your wristwatch
Some smartwatches have cameras. Others don’t. Generally those that do have cameras that are stuck in a fixed position. The Arrow smartwatch has a camera on a bezel that rotates around the screen, letting you position the camera at an angle that makes it easy to snap a picture. [Digital Trends] - Coming soon: smartphones with Nokia by Microsoft branding
No, this doesn’t mean the phones will have a Blue Screen of Death feature (at least I don’t think it will). It just means the label will reflect the fact Microsoft bought Nokia’s phone business and has licensing rights to use the name for at least a few years. [Windows Blog Italia]
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Ya I use free apps mostly but this paid app problem seems pretty crappy. Imagine paying for something and not being able to use it. There’s this awesome chat app that I downloaded for free from google store recently – its has all the great qualities of whatsapp, snapchat and facebook without any of their privacy issues. The best thing is it is always free to use! And that’s a yay for me!