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Game and app developers have a lot to consider when choosing to market their products through in-game/app advertising. Which advertising networks reach the most users? Who gives developers the best deal? If a developer decides to use multiple ad networks, tracking and comparing the results of each network becomes a time consuming task of its own.

San Francisco-based startup Grow Mobile seeks to reduce all those headaches with the launch of their new mobile app marketing platform. Grow Mobile’s platform has just completed a successful closed beta, and today it becomes publicly available to Android and iOS developers. By providing a single cohesive dashboard and single integration for developers’ apps, Grow believes that developers who sign on will be able to market their products more effectively and with fewer resources than before.

Third-party group of educators to review each educational app submitted

Google announced on its Android Developers Blog that it is now accepting submissions for its Google Play for Education platform, which will bring education- and age-appropriate apps to schools. The system, which was announced last month, is a subset of the main Play Store that allows bulk purchasing and content curation of apps, books and movies for K-12 schools. Developers who have an age-appropriate app can now mark it for inclusion, where it will then be reviewed by a third-party group of educators.

This third-party will go through each app and determine its subject, grade level and whether or not it meets a set of development guidelines that have been set for the education system. The guidelines (found at the second source link below) indicate that apps, among other things, must not collect personally identifiable information or use student data for any noneducational purposes. Google also has strict guidelines for in-app purchases and advertisements, and encourages developers to submit apps that are either paid or free without ads.

The approval process is expected to take 3-4 weeks for any given app, and Google says that it is currently piloting the Google Play for Education program in schools across the country.

Source: Android Developers Blog; Developer Guidelines

Latest update hitting multiple models in different markets around the world.

Coming in just fashionably late behind its sibling the Xperia ZL, the Sony Xperia Z is receiving an update to Android 4.2.2 starting today. According to reports from users to XperiaBlog, the update is rolling out to several different regions already for the C6603 LTE model, and in Taiwan for the C6602 HSPA+ model. While the official support page hasn't been updated to reflect the newest build, the build number is reportedly the same 10.3.A.0.423 as the Xperia ZL. If you have your hands on an Xperia Z, you may want to download Sony's PC Companion (or Bridge For Mac) for the earliest shot at the update.

This also leads to a few questions about what version of Android will land on the Xperia Z when it hits T-Mobile in short order. Let's hope it's the same updated version as is rolling out worldwide today.

Source: XperiaBlog

More: Sony Xperia Z Forums; Sony Support

OK, folks. This is gonna be fun. We're teaming up with Qualcomm to give away a pair of Mobile Development Platform devices with Snapdragon 800. That's the latest and greatest Snapdragon that you're going to start seeing in retail devices in the coming months, in Android smartphones as well as tablets. 

And that's what you'll be entering to win here. We've got one smartphone and one tablet to give away.

Keep on reading for the full rules and details on how to enter.

HP is adding another device to its expanding Android lineup today by announcing the Slate 21, a large "all-in-one" tablet-desktop hybrid device. As the name would suggest, this device has a 21.5-inch display putting it squarely in the market of HP's current line of all-in-one Windows desktop devices. The Slate 21 is running just Android 4.2 though -- there's no operating system switching or virtualization going on here. HP is pitching this as a media consumption device for current Android users that have built up a library of Android apps to have around the house, taking place of having additional tablets or mobile devices.

The Slate 21 stands on an adjustable kickstand in the back, which can pivot the screen to any angle between 15 and 70 degrees, giving a wide range of viewing options. As for specs, we're looking at a 21.5-inch full-HD IPS display, a Tegra 4 processor, Bluetooth 3.0, a front-facing camera and 8GB of internal storage (expandable by SDcard). The absolute specifics of every internal isn't yet known, but we'll surely have a better idea once we get closer to the September launch window where the Slate 21 will be available for $399.