EA Sports has decided to reduce the price of Madden 12 for Android ahead of the Super Bowl. It’s usually $4.99, but if you go the Android Market right now, you can grab it for 99 cents. That’s a pretty good deal for the Android version of one of the most popular gaming franchises in all of gaming, though some have reported bugs with it.

The game has more 5 star ratings than other ratings on the Android Market, though its average is 3.3. Of course a $4 dollar discount can be more persuasive than negative reviews.

The app is now optimized for Android tablets.

If you’re watching the Super Bowl alone and you don’t care about Madonna, perhaps this will give you something to do during half time.

“Our plan is to keep moving, to keep innovating, and to continuously measure and scrutinize what’s working and what isn’t – so we can make room for great new products,” said the Yahoo Mobile team in a blog post.

“We’re moving forward with a ‘mobile first’ mindset,” the team said. “You can expect to see more new Yahoo! mobile products in 2012, especially in areas ripe for innovation that build on Yahoo!’s strengths, such as companion experiences for TV like IntoNow, new ways to experience personalized media like Livestand, and some of our most popular and useful mobile apps like Yahoo! Mail, Messenger, Sportacular and Flickr, which are already being used by millions of people around the world. And we’ll be building these experiences with disruptive technology that’s going to change the mobile game well beyond Yahoo!.”

It’s worth noting that some features of some of the apps that are going away are being integrated into other Yahoo experiences. Features from AppSpot and Sketch-A-Search, for example, are being integrated into the Yahoo Search App.

It looks like the company is cleaning house with its new CEO on board.

Will you miss any of the apps that have been shut down?

The publication announced that it will come pre-loaded on the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and other tablets, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, after that.

Devices will also get the app with an update to the software.

A message on The Daily’s site says:

The Daily comes loaded on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, with more tablets to come. If you own one of these devices you’ll find The Daily in your apps—just open it to enjoy a free week for free. Choose between monthly ($3.99/month) or annual ($39.99/year—a 15% savings) subscriptions, conveniently charged directly through your Verizon Wireless bill.

“Verizon Wireless has been a key partner since we launched on iPad, and we’re thrilled to now be available to Android customers as we continue to expand and grow throughout the mobile space,” says publisher Greg Clayman.

The Daily was the number 3 top grossing iPad app in 2011.

Just because it’s funny, here’s the entire press release:

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it’s true. Shake Weight might be out-stroked by the iPhone app “All Jacked Up.”
You, too, can have all the benefits Shake Weight offers with added bonuses:
1) Fits in your pocket without the bulge
2) Let your date use it to see if there’s any chemistry and favorable techniques
3) Keep your boss busy while he waits for you to finish off the TPS reports
4) Easily performed while waiting in line behind an old lady who is writing a check for a pack of gum
5) Shareable in a “circle” of friends – sometimes not socially acceptable
But wait, there’s more ….
Cost for the Shake Weight – $30
Cost for the “All Jacked Up” app – 99 cents
Cost for getting the same sensation – PRICELESS!

So join the craze and shake it up and get jacking – “Do not go gentle in that good night” without using “All Jacked Up.”

There’s even a “funny video contest”. The deadline for entry is 03/01/12. More on that here.

In an announcement on the company blog, Snaptu writes:

On Dec 26th we will be closing the Snaptu service.

We hope that you enjoyed Snaptu and we thank you again for your support.

Basically, Facebook for Every Phone is for anyone who doesn’t have an iPhone, Android or BlackBerry.

Last month, Snaptu had already discontinued support for Twitter, Cricinfo and LinkedIn.

Brick and mortars were and continue to be furious, but Amazon maintains it actually helps small businesses.

The categories available within Price Check include: Books, Textbooks, Movies, Music, Video Games, CDs, Electronics, Home & Garden, Automotive, Baby, Beauty, Camera & Photo, Cell Phone & Services, Clothing, Computers, Grocery, Health & Personal Care, Home Improvement, Industrial & Scientific, Jewelry, Kindle, Kitchen & Dining, Magazines, Music Instruments, Office Products, Patio & Garden, Shoes, Software, Sports & Outdoors, Video, & Watches.

User reviews in the Android Market are pretty positive. The average rating is 4.3 out of 5. At the time of this writing, it has 120 5-star reviews, 32 4-star reviews, 15 3-star reviews, 9 2-star reviews and 8 1-star reviews.

Here’s a sampling of what people who have rated it 5 stars had to say:

Brilliant.

A very simple and easy UI. Allows you to make quick comparisons, so you can make the best decisions when out shopping.

Will definitely find a better price.

Here’s a sampling from the 1-star and 2-star reviews:

This doesn’t benefit the user any more than any barcode scanner. All it does is turn users into tools of amazon researchers.

Everything it does, the original Amazon app does as well, including barcode & camera search, and wishlist & account management. Completely redundant.

I hate the limited interface. I am used to reading reviews and comparing similar products. This app feels like a small prison. The bar code scanner is waaaaaay too finicky, unlike other android scanner apps. Overall 2 stars rating from me.

Some other ones indicate there are bugs and crashes.

Again, however, the majority seem to be pretty pleased with it. And why not? Really, what’s not to like from the user perspective? Especially in this economy. Consumers want to save a buck wherever they can.

But that doesn’t mean small businesses are pleased. There has been outcry about this from businesses since it was introduced.

Republican Senator Olympia Snowe, recently spoke out about the app in favor of small business’. She is quoted by Bloomberg BusinessWeek: “Amazon’s promotion — paying consumers to visit small businesses and leave empty-handed — is an attack on Main Street businesses that employ workers in our communities. Small businesses are fighting everyday to compete with giant retailers, such as Amazon, and incentivizing consumers to spy on local shops is a bridge too far.”

As previously reported, the Retail Industry Leaders Association’s VP of public affairs, Katherine Lugar, said:

“Retailers compete on price 365 days a year, and at no time is that competition hotter than during the make-or-break holiday shopping season. However, by continuing to evade collecting state sales taxes, Amazon’s exploitation of a pre-Internet tax loophole is resulting in a 6-10 percent perceived price advantage over their competitors on Main Street.”

“Amazon’s aggressive promotion of its Price Check App shows the lengths they are willing to go to exploit this tax loophole, and is a stark reminder of why Congress needs to act to protect retailers on Main Street. A failure to act is an implicit endorsement of a subsidy of Amazon, a subsidy that distorts the free market and puts jobs on Main Street at risk.”

“Main Street retailers have been forced to compete on an uneven playing field for too long. Retailers cannot afford another holiday season where they are forced to compete on an uneven playing field.”

Obviously, Amazon doesn’t think it deserves all of this harsh criticism. The New York Times shared a statement from Amazon spokeswoman Sally Fouts this week, who said the controversial app was “primarily intended for customers who are comparing prices in major retail chain stores,” and that Amazon’s third-party sellers, which she says includes “more than two million individuals and businesses of all sizes that sell on Amazon” benefit from the app as well.

The promotion in question may be old news at this point, but the app is still fresh, and has received a lot of attention. Clearly, based on the reviews above, users like it. Combine that with the brand power of Amazon, and one has to assume that this thing is going to be on a whole lot of smartphones, being used by a whole lot of consumers in a whole lot of stores.

Just because the that promotion is over, doesn’t mean people won’t be tempted to look for cheaper prices on Amazon. Of course they could’ve been doing this already, but having an app specifically for this purpose makes it more convenient than ever. And it’s not as if Amazon can’t launch similar promotions in the future.

“As you know, Urbanspoon has always been a great way for you to find your next favorite restaurant,” a spokesperson for Ubranspoon tells WebProNews. “Now, we’ll help you remember all of the places you’ve eaten — the epicurean adventures, the everyday neighborhood lunches, and even the terrible dives.”

“Dineline lets you quickly and easily record your dining history,” she explains. “You can add as much or as little information as you want. You can keep it as simple as noting the time and place. Or you can capture what you ate, take pictures, and leave notes. Your information stays private unless you choose to share it.”

“Dineline’s more than a way to help you remember where you’re eating,” she continues. “We’ll also compile interesting statistics for you. What’s your favorite cuisine? Your most popular restaurant this month? Dineline can show you this and more.”

For now, it’s only available on the iPhone version, which can be updated/downloaded from the Apple App Store. No word yet on the Android version.

The new features include: continuous mode, improved text recognition, and contributed results.

“Continuous mode is a quick and easy new way to use Goggles,” says Google software engineer David Petrou. “You can now get results instantly without having to take a picture – no shutter press required! Goggles will scan the scene continuously so you don’t need to worry about taking multiple pictures. The new continuous mode works best with books, products, artwork, and landmarks. Snapshot mode is still available, and has some tricks that aren’t in continuous mode yet, including translating text and adding a contact. Also, images recognized in continuous mode sessions won’t show up in your Goggles Search History, so if you’d like to refer back to something, such as a painting in a gallery you should use snapshot mode.”

“Starting today, when Goggles recognizes a portion of text, you’ll get results that have a close match to the text you’ve scanned,” he continues. “Let’s say you’re reading a magazine article you really like and want to share it with your friends. Just point Goggles at a part of the page, and instantly find a link to an online version to share immediately or read again later. You won’t even need the entire article in the frame. Goggles will also pull up more information from pages around the web where that text is mentioned, so its easier to learn about what you’re seeing.”

In terms of user contributions, Google says hundreds of thousands of submissions have already been made to Google Goggles. With the update, if you suggest a better result for something, it could become a result for the next user who searches for a similar object, the company says.

Not much more info is given on how this is policed for abuse.

Note: the continuous mode doesn’t work in versions of Android older than 2.3.

We are continuing our commercial discussions with Google on this issue.

Google Wallet is shaping up to be a potentially very important product for Google. Last month, the company even announced that it was shutting down Google Checkout, its payments product, in favor of Google Wallet. Google’s goal is to build “one wallet”.

Well, if that’s the wallet you want to use, you better not get a Verizon Galaxy Nexus, because Verizon won’t allow it. JR Raphael has confirmation from a Google spokesperson that the device will not include Google Wallet because of Verizon, which is working on its own NFC-based payment service. He notes that this may or may not be the reason.

Based on a report from Amir Efrati at the Wall Street Journal, it sounds like Verizon may not want to preload the app on the phone, but isn’t opposed to letting users download it in the future. Google told the WSJ that users won’t be able to download it through the Android Market on the device, but Verizon said that it’s working out “security and other issues around mobile payments,” with a Verizon spokesperson adding, “”We’re working to provide expanded services that will provide the best security and user experience in the market around m-commerce. “We expect to provide access to an open wallet when those goals are achieved.”

Efrati cites a “person familiar with the matter” as saying Verizon won’t prevent users from downloading Google Wallet when it’s cleared.

So far, the Google Wallet can only be installed on the Nexus S 4G from Sprint, according to the product’s FAQ page. It says that “potentially over time” it will be available for other mobile devices and platforms. Thanks to Verizon, it looks like the ambitious product might get off to something of a rocky start.

Google hasn’t been shy about getting Google Wallet merchants on board, despite the products lack of compatible devices. Places that already accept Google Wallet include: American Eaagle, Macy’s Champs, Bloomingdales, Banana Republic, Foot Locker, Old Navy, Toys R Us, OtficeMax, Guess, Jamba Juice, and others. Chevron and Subway are among merchants listed as “coming soon”.

The Galaxy Nexus is expected to be released this month. It looks like Best Buy will have it in their hands on December 11. Some rumors have its release as soon as this Friday.

In this announcement for the app on the Yahoo Mail blog, there is only mention of an Android version, and no mention of an iPhone version, though an iPhone is shown in the image provided (above) – I guess to just show that iPhone users can still get text messages from it.

“For those heavy texters out there, we are excited to introduce Hub, a fast and easy-to-use mobile messaging app that allows you to send text messages and have group conversations for free,” says the Yahoo Mail team. “Hub allows you to easily add participants to any conversation thread so it’s easy to switch from private messaging to a group conversation. Whether it is just keeping up with a close group of friends or making spontaneous plans, you no longer have to deal with scattered messages.”

“What’s more, Hub allows you to send messages to anyone without incurring any text messaging fees,” the company adds. “Yes, you heard us right. There are no text messaging fees – messages are sent over WIFI or using your data connection – and Hub is device agnostic, which means you can communicate with anyone on any mobile device as long as you have their mobile phone numbers. Your friends are not required to download the app in order to reply to your messages although they are strongly encouraged to do so in order to enjoy the full feature set!”

This isn’t the first app to to offer free text messaging, but the Yahoo brand probably won’t hurt in it getting some downloads. It has group messaging, and support for local and international SMS messages.

You do have to have a Yahoo ID to use the app from the looks of it.

Earlier this week, Yahoo launched a new version of Yahoo Messenger (11.5). Yahoo lists the highlights as follows: