Google continues to upgrade its Android Market application storefront, enabling developers to add YouTube-hosted promotional videos as well as improved promotional graphics. Google outlined the improvements in an email distributed Wednesday to Android developers--while YouTube videos are an optional feature, devs are now required to upload one 1024 x 500 "feature" graphic in a landscape aspect ratio alongside a 512 x 512 high-resolution icon. For now, Android Market allows developers to include two screen shots (one required), but Google adds that number will increase to eight in the near future.
The improvements follow on the heels of Recent Changes, a new Android Market feature giving developers greater flexibility to alert consumers of application updates and enhancements. According to Google, the changelog is a platform for developers to add notes about tweaks specific to the newest version of a given app: "Recent changes are linked to each app version, so with each update, you must submit items to the recent changes field," reads a post on the Android Market Help website. "We recommend that each recent changes update is specific to the app version; previous changes will not be displayed to the user at this time, but may be visible in the future. Furthermore, the recent changes field (unlike the app description) [has] no impact on the search index, i.e. it will not impact the search results for your app."
Also new: A "draft upload" option for application updates. "This feature enables you to edit your app listing and upload a new version without affecting the version live in Market," reads the Google email sent Wednesday. "Your app listing edits will not change your live listing until you select 'Publish.'"
For more:
- read this Droid Life article
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