marketplace

Anyone with a Windows Phone that hasn't been upgraded to version 7.5 won't be able to use Microsoft's Marketplace app store as of today.

Microsoft announced today that in order to download, buy, update, or review apps in Marketplace, users have to be running Windows Phone 7.5. This change is required for both the phone and web Marketplace storefronts.

"Most phones are already running Windows Phone 7.5, which was released last fall, and so most of you won't notice anything different about how the Marketplace works," Microsoft's director of program … Read more

Nokia Lumia owners in Europe will soon be able to pick up and read some of their favorite books through their smartphones.

Like other online bookstores, Nokia Reading is part app and part service. Lumia users will be able to find, browse, buy, and download books written their own native languages along with a host of English-language titles. And thousands of familiar classics will be available for free, according to Nokia.

Owners of the Lumia 900, 800, 710, and 610 are eligible to use the new book service. The initial rollout is slated for users in France, Germany, Italy, Russia, … Read more

Nokia has cooked up deals with a host of developers to lure more apps to the Windows Phone Marketplace for Lumia smartphone owners.

Announced at CTIA Wireless 2012 today, the new partnerships with several leading app developers are aimed at offering more relevant apps for Lumia users.

Games are hot on the list, with Angry Birds Space soaring onto Lumia phones. Though no launch date was revealed, Nokia said it's working with Angry Birds creator Rovio to design games specifically for Lumia devices. Electronic Arts is also joining the Windows Phone party, slated to offer such games as FIFA, … Read more

It's been a busy year at the home of Firefox, as Mozilla went public with major developments meant to change the Web, but it's about to get much busier as it looks to make those initiatives a reality. A key step forward will be to unify its development schedules under a project named Kilimanjaro.

Oh, and it wants to have Kilimanjaro bagged by September of this year. The related bugs blocking Kilimanjaro have all been marked as "highest priority."

Damon Sicore, vice president of engineering at Mozilla, explained in a forum post that Kilimanjaro is about … Read more

Eight men have been arrested and charged with distributing more $1 million in LSD, ecstasy, and other narcotics through an online storefront that hid the identities of the service's users.

The online drug market -- known as "The Farmers Market" -- used the Tor Project to allow suppliers to anonymously sell their wares online to buyers in 35 countries, including the United States, according to a federal grand jury indictment unsealed today in Los Angeles. The store provided buyers with order forms, forums, and customer service, and accepted various forms of payment, including PayPal and Western Union, … Read more

Shopping on Craigslist is awesome, but sometimes it can be a pain to find the high-quality goods you're looking for. The hidden gems tend to be buried between listings for worn-down junk, and in many cases, it can be difficult to differentiate between the two. To solve this problem, the new Mint Market app promises a more targeted experience.

Much like Craigslist, Mint Market (download: Android | iPhone) covers everything from clothing and furniture to auto parts and event tickets. The difference, however, is that sellers on Mint Market only list items in new or like-new condition. What's more, … Read more

Mint Market is a mobile marketplace for preowned goods in mint or near-mint condition. Much like Craigslist, it covers everything from clothing to furniture to auto parts to event tickets, but what makes it uniquely useful, is that it focuses only on new or like-new products.

The first thing that struck me about Mint Market was its interface. While it may not be the most user-friendly thing in the world, it's certainly visually attractive. The Home screen features a long, vertical stream of listings, with each item displaying a large photo, name, and price. This layout makes it easy … Read more

Two of the largest accommodation booking sites used in the U.K. have teamed up for this summer's Olympic Games.

Airbnb--an online marketplace where travelers find and book places rented out by homeowners, renters, and landlords--announced today that it had acquired its largest U.K. competitor--Crashpadder. Rather than sleeping in hotels or couch surfing, travelers can short-term lease apartments, houses, condos, and even castles through these sites.

U.S.-based Airbnb launched in 2008 and has since grown to have an accommodation database that serves more than 19,000 cities in 192 countries and has booked more … Read more

There comes a point in every corporation's life when it's time to usher on steadfast loyalists into the brave new world of next-generation products. For Microsoft and Windows Mobile, that time is now.

On May 9, Microsoft will be closing down, boarding up, and never looking back on its Windows Marketplace for Mobile, an app store it launched in 2009 for Windows Mobile 6.5, the last iteration of its Windows Mobile OS.

The message to hangers-on is clear: Windows Phone Marketplace and the Windows Phone OS overhaul are Microsoft's OS future now--and there's no going back.… Read more