How Apple and Google's Fortunes are linked

Apple, which until a few months ago was the star of Wall Street on the back of the massive sales success of its iPhones and iPads, has seen a significant dip in its stock-market fortunes. Google, meanwhile, seems to be taking on the mantle of a company that can do little wrong in the eyes of investors.

Apple's shares fell to their lowest level in more than a year on 5 March, and have barely recovered since, reflecting a trend that has seen a whopping 40% of the company's market value wiped out in the past six months.

Google Launches Animated GIF Search

Google is making it easier to search the web for animated GIFs, the latest proof that the rudimentary image format is making a comeback. The search engine giant has added new filters to its Image Search page, including clip art, line drawings, photos and faces. But the option to search for animated GIFs caused the most buzz among advertisers and Internet users alike.

Once thought to be a relic of the early Web 1.0 era, the crude animated images have returned to the spotlight thanks to sites like Reddit and Tumblr, where GIF memes like Grumpy Cat and Infomercial Failsfirst went viral. “GIFs have been around since 1987 and have become the de facto standard for short animations on the web, from pony glitter text to grumpy cat memes” the company wrote on its Google+ page.

Google removes AdBlock Plus app from Play Store

Google has removed AdBlock Plus, an app that lets users block advertisements while browsing the web, in addition to other similar apps such as AdAway, from the Play Store.

In an e-mail to the developers of AdBlock Plus, Google has said that it found the app to be violating section 4.4 of the Developer Distribution Agreement as the app interferes with or accesses another service or product in an unauthorized manner. It has instructed the developers to revise and upload a new instance of the application that is compliant with the developer terms.