For Android tablet owners, shopping the Google Play Store can sometimes be a pain, with tons of scaled-up phone apps hiding among the truly tablet-optimized. Sure, there's always the curated Staff Picks for Tablets section, but that offers only a tiny taste of all the delicious HD goodness that's really out there.

Enter Tablified Market--a curated market just for tablet-specific apps. The people behind it have a strict set of criteria that an app must meet in order to be included in the database, which to us means no more phone apps in search results. For one, an approved app must be distinguishable from its phone-specific counterpart (if it has one). This means it has to take full advantage of the larger screen somehow. Also, the Tablified gatekeepers are specifically on the lookout for apps that incorporate Android's Action Bar and use the tablet-specific Fragments API.

Using Tablified is as intuitive as using any other market. It lets you search for apps based on keyword, browse by category, or sift through lists like Editor's Choice and Recently Added. Each product page then brings you to a description, screenshots, and comments, along with a link that leads you directly to the download from the Google Play Store. So, Tablified itself is not an actual market. Rather, it merely acts as a... [Read more]

OPSWAT's bar chart shows worldwide market share by percentage for security suites. Not surprisingly, free suites dominate.

While Avast dominates worldwide security suite usage, and Symantec leads in North America, Microsoft Security Essentials is rising fast, says a new study by OPSWAT, a software development tool and data service company in San Francisco.

OPSWAT's numbers confirm that free suites drive personal computer security, not surprising given the non-existent cost. From March 2011 to February 2012, Avast, AVG, Avira, and Microsoft combined for nearly half of the worldwide security suite market. While it's true that Avast, AVG, and Avira all have paid upgrades, and those companies won't reveal how many people use their free versus paid products, it's commonly believed that the vast majority of the people running them are running the free versions.

Avast clocks in with 16.26 percent, Avira at 11.65 percent, AVG at 10.96 percent, and Microsoft at 10.08 percent. The only paid suites that reach similar market share were ESET (10.06 percent) and Symantec (9.97 percent).

This pie chart shows the relative differences in North American security suite market share, according to OPSWAT.

North American market share reflects ... [Read more]

See this? Not for much longer, Firefox users on Windows.

Firefox 12 beta makes more than 85 changes to its developer tools, Windows users will no longer get pestered by a User Account Control pop-up every time the browser updates, and the HTML5 media controls have been updated

Updated today, Firefox 12 beta (download for Windows | Mac | Linux), pushes the browser closer to some of Google's notable achievements with Chrome. However, Mozilla's renewed focus on Web developers is a clear indication that it sees value in paying attention to the relatively small but hugely influential developer communities.

A Mozilla representative told CNET that Firefox 13 Aurora is due sometime on Monday, while the company has certified that this week's Firefox stable release has been moved to automatic updates. It had been restricted to manual updates until Mozilla could determine that Microsoft's major Patch Tuesday security update wouldn't interfere with the browser.

As explained when the feature came to Firefox 12 Aurora, the ... [Read more]

Though not as graphically rich as the desktop versions, Mass Effect: Infiltrator will be a hot title on iPad launch day.

After new iPad owners get acquainted with Apple's latest tablet, one of the first things they'll do is head to the iTunes App Store. As more news of Retina-ready apps continues to come in, EA has added its own contribution for those ready to start downloading apps on launch day.

EA already has almost 50 games currently available for the iPad, but today the company has announced three popular titles optimized for Apple's Retina Display: Flight Control Rocket, Mass Effect: Infiltrator, and Real Racing 2.

Flight Control Rocket keeps the same line-drawing premise, but adds several new features.

Flight Control Rocket capitalizes on the success of line-drawing air traffic control game Flight Contr... [Read more]

Dropbox makes storing and syncing files a breeze from your Android device. However, easy access to all of your private information is not such a good thing when a nosey person is looking through your device, or worse, you lose your device out in the wild. Instead of worrying about your precious files, why not enable one or two of the security features built-in to the Dropbox app? Here's how to get started:

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)

Step 1: Open the Dropbox app on your Android device. If you're new to Dropbox, you might have a small tutorial you can read through (or skip).

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)

Step 2: Press the Menu button and then Settings. For Ice Cream Sandwich users, this will be the small three dots in the corner of the screen.

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)

Step 3: Scroll down to Passcode lock option and press on the check box next to it.

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET) ... [Read more]

Google Earth image with Wikiloc trail overlay

Released today, the newest version of Google Earth for Android and iOS adds a long-awaited feature that should make the mobile mapping experience more like that on the desktop: KML file support.

KML, or Keynote Markup Language, is a file format used to display geographic data in the Google Earth browser. The format can be used by anyone to create and distribute custom map overlays on the Web.

With the new addition, you can now, from your Android device, iPad, or iPhone, click on any Google Earth file from around the Web to display custom elements like place marks, image overlays, and text descriptions on your Google Earth screen. This opens up a world of possibilities to your mobile mapping experience.

And to take full advantage of the added KML support, the updated app can now tap into the Google Earth Gallery and search through a collection of custom maps from all over the Web. Some of the more popular items from the gallery include a real-time Earthquakes map, which pinpoints the world's seismic hot spots, and Wikiloc, which plots outdoor trails on 3D terrain.

The Google Earth Gallery is now accessible directly from the mobile app.

In addition to KML, Android users also g... [Read more]

Possibly the best online multiplayer first-person shooter on iOS is now ready for high-resolution gaming on the new iPad.

Though many developers were initially tight-lipped about when they would release optimized games for the new iPad--now that the device is here--the news has started rolling in.

Gameloft announced today that four popular games, Order and Chaos Online, Modern Combat: Fallen Nation, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline, and Gangstar Rio: City of Saints, are now optimized for Apple's Retina Display and ready for the new iPad.

Coming from four different genres, the four games now updated for the iPad have already seen huge success in the iTunes App Store. Order and Chaos Online is an expansive MMO that strongly resembles Blizzard's World of Warcraft. Modern Combat: Fallen Nation is a first-person shooter with online multiplayer, and already looked great on older devic... [Read more]

Mmm, pizza.

You could pick up your phone and, uh, call the pizzeria, but that's so old school. Instead, use apps from Domino's, Pizza Hut, and Papa John's, to order your food. Using the apps should also help prevent mistakes on your order, since there's no chance they'll mishear your order.

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Domino's Pizza The Domino's Pizza app lets you place an order for delivery or carry-out. You can select from its specialty pizzas or build your own. You can even order other items from the menu, like sandwiches, pasta, sides (wings), and desserts. When you get to checkout, you'll be provided an estimated wait time. You fill out your personal details then choose whether you're paying by cash or credit card. The most interesting part of the app is that it has a pizza tracker, to check where your order is in the delivery process. It goes from order placed, to prep, bake, quality check, then carry-out.

Available for ... [Read more]

Did you head out to Wal-Mart last night to score a new iPad at midnight? Now's the perfect time to stock up on some games to show off that drool-worthy Retina Display.

For a limited time, Gameloft is offering some noteworthy iPad games (along with one for Mac) for 99 cents. Regardless of which iPad model you own, these dozen titles should keep you gaming happily for weeks, if not months. (The iPhone versions are on sale as well.)

(Caveat: As Jason Parker pointed out a few days ago, not many apps are optimized for the new iPad's screen--yet. Thus, while these titles will no doubt look great, don't expect the full Retina experience. Here are 20 apps that will be ready for the new iPad.)

Here's a rundown of the games on sale (in no particular order), along with some notes and links where applicable:

• Silent Ops
• BackStab I originally described this ... [Read more]