The Android Market Webstore has got a new feature which allows users to know if a particular App will work on their handset or not.

Now, on the web page of every app, a list will appear on the left that will say which of the devices registered by users (via their Google account) are compatible with it.

This is a big help for people who find it difficult to know which apps will work with their devices. The Android Market has about 200,000 apps in the market all spread across different versions of Android. It’s obvious that the apps will not be compatible with all the devices so the new source of information will come in handy for users.

The Android Market Webstore allows users to discover and download apps from their desktop and install them on their Android devices.

The company has also added in-app purchase support and application download stats as improvements.

Apple’s App store is still way ahead in terms of number of applications and is generating a good amount of cash for iOS developers.

People can still use the 15 minute grace period within which they can get a full refund if they do not want an application they’ve bought.

However, there has been no official announcement from Google about the new Android Market feature.

The 3G bug has bitten BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) as well. The British news organisation is developing an application, to be used on iOS devices, which will allow users (BBC reporters only) to upload audio clips, photos and video to the BBC servers directly.

The App is likely to be in use within a month or two, and it will allow the reporters to broadcast live with the help of 3G signals.

In an interview with Journalism.co.uk, Martin Turner, head of operations for newsgathering at BBC, said the new app was a logical extension of what the BBC could do already.

Reporters have already started using smartphones while reporting, but it has not been of good quality. Smartphones were only used when reporters were working on a really important story, but it is becoming more realistic to use these phones for live reporting with the creation of new app by BBC. The app is only for the internal use of the news organisation and general public will not be allowed to use it.

There are numerous breaking news stories happening across the world which were first captured by amateur users and these might have inspired BBC to come out with this initiative. The BBC head of operations, however, clarified the company would not be restricted to iPhone only, but this was the best option for them at this point of time.

The cost, borne by the BBC, to develop the app was not divulged by Martin Turner, but he said, “Were it expensive, we wouldn’t be able to do it at the moment. It’s a question of getting more value out of something which already exists, which is obviously the watchword for the BBC at the moment.’

In order to keep the costs low, BBC is building the app over Luci’s existing software already available for iPhone. It will remove the need for cumbersome satellite or codex equipment for live news broadcasts.
Several US based news broadcasters have come out with iPhone apps which allow citizen journalists to record and broadcast multimedia content using their iPhones, but this is the first time mainstream journalists would be using iPhone app.

Tata Docomo has launched two new location based services called Route Finder and Smart Pilot. For both the services, Tata Docomo has tied up with Navteq, a digital mapping company owned by Nokia (all Nokia smart phones have Navteq maps).

Route Finder is accessible through SMS, and gives directions from the user’s current location, which is detected automatically, to the desired place though SMS or a link (as per the phone’s capability).

Customers with data-enabled phones will get directions via a link, by clicking which they will be able to see the static map indicating the route from current to selected location. Users without data-enabled phones will get directions as text messages.

To access Route Finder customers will have to SMS to 533331. The service will be charged at Rs 5 per successful query-response; there are no additional data charges for accessing maps. This service is available to all 3G customers and works on all handsets.

Smart Pilot, on the other hand, is a voice based navigation service, which offers information as well as navigation details to reach any destination across India.

Smart Pilot application helps customers to navigate with intuitive, voice guided, step-by-step directions. With this service, they can also avail options like setting destinations by address search, searching points of interest like ATMs, petrol pumps, railway stations etc. and they can also find places on interactive maps.

To use the service you have to download an application on the phone by sending ‘smart pilot’ to the toll free shortcode 53333.

“We collaborated with Navteq as they fulfilled our requirements for accurate mapping data while offering a robust points of interest (POI) database with millions of POI, including restaurants, places of worship, shops and hotels that we can utilize to create these applications,” Aditya Gupta, Hub Head, Punjab, Haryana and HP Tata Docomo.

The company claims that the Smart Pilot service is particularly useful for going to places with long and complex routes, multiple intersections and turns with the unnamed roads. It also offers total distance time; graphical and interactive icons for turns, manual navigation, the route plotted on a map, and it can simulate navigation to see all actual turns taken.

In addition, customers can save their favourite locations or routes and also share these with their friends.

Subscription charges of the Smart Pilot application is Rs 10 per day. There will be no data accessing charges after one has subscribed to the Smart Pilot service.

Customers can subscribe to the service by sending an SMS to 53333 (toll free). Or can call the IVR toll free short code 155223.

The service can be accessed on all GPS enabled handsets with activated internet.

Both the services are costly as these days even some feature phones come with free Google Maps. However, for those who do not have access to maps on the go, this service is very useful, especially in India where not many roads are marked properly for directions.

Aircel too has a similar service called Pocket Finder.