geekosystem

It's the Google Play store's first birthday today, but don't feel bad if you forgot to get it anything. Google knows its better to give than receive, so they're celebrating with a huge sale offering free and discounted apps and media. There are even a lot of in-app goodies specially created for some of Android's top games. The designers of those games even put together a special Google Hangout birthday message for the Google Play team.

In an age where the ownership of mobile devices such as iPhones, iPads, and BlackBerry smartphones is becoming more commonplace and, somewhat proportionally, used at the workplace for various job-related purposes, the IT departments of most businesses are constantly developing and offering in-house apps to their workers as opposed to relying on similar ones created by third-party developers that may or may not be up to par in relation to the needs of the business. Sometimes, however, these developers lack a proper channel to offer these apps and are forced to distribute them on app marketplaces open to the general public. Internet powerhouse Google declares "no more" with the unveiling of Private Channels on Google Play.

As we're almost certainly all aware, anonymity and the Internet tend to go hand in hand, but it also allows for a vast amount of people to be horrible to others with almost no culpability. There's no guarantee that removing anonymity would actually stem the tide of trolls, but it's an argument folks make on the regular. Thanks to a recent update, Google Play is no longer a haven for such activity. In order to post reviews, users now have to do so with their Google+ account. Bummer.

Because you can't have enough services that offer movie streaming or rentals, Paramount Pictures has struck up a deal to offer around 500 of its movies for rental on YouTube and Google Play. The offer will be available for U.S. and Canada residents. The movies on offer aren't exactly fluff either, as hit films like The Godfather and Ferris Bueller's Day Off are ready to roll.