This is a bit of a double-edged sword for Google, though. Steam-style online authentication isn’t exactly warmly embraced by the proponents of “open” systems, but given how easy it is to pirate applications downloaded from the Android Marketplace (and then return them for a refund!), it’s probably a necessary step to attract developers to the platform. Google has to at least look like they’re trying to stop the rampant piracy.

But here’s the thing: With an open source OS, I can think of a dozen different ways to try and circumvent something like this, and I’m hardly a 1337 hacker. Google can add complexity and make it harder to circumvent, but if someone with the right skills has full access and control over the hardware and software, you can’t stop them from getting around any kind of licensing authentication scheme you create. It’s like DRM. Within a few months (at most), there’ll be an exploit or hack to allow pirated Marketplace apps that use App Licensing to be run without a license. I can almost guarantee it. Google can keep changing the process to fight the pirates, but it’s a losing battle, and likely would entail a lot of inconvenience to developers in the process.

This is one area where a closed system has advantages. For us iPhone developers, only about 10% of our potential audience can possibly pirate our apps because pirating requires jailbreaking. That 10% is the starting point. The most it can be. Jailbraking is a quid pro quo, so 90% of our potential market can’t, won’t, or wouldn’t know how to pirate an app. But the real number is even smaller than that. Not everybody who jailbreaks their phone pirates apps – there are other valid reasons to jailbreak (so I’m told, I’ve never been tempted myself) – and I know people who have jailbroken their phones who are ethical and wouldn’t consider pirating an app.

There’s no doubt that there are advantages to “open” systems, but there are also disadvantages. In this particular case, one of the most major drawbacks of “open” doesn’t hurt Google or the Wireless providers, it hurts third party developers. If that wasn’t true, Google wouldn’t be devoting engineering hours to try and stop it with ‘app licensing’.

Life as an iPhone Dev has it’s problems, no doubt. When you have an app sitting in review for months, the way Briefs has been, when you get rejected on seemingly arbitrary or inconsistent grounds, or when you can’t implement something that would benefit your users because of a term in the license agreement, it sucks. But, when all is said and done, a good app on the App Store properly promoted can make enough money for a development team to live on. Until that can be said about the “open” Android Marketplace, I simply can’t buy into the “open is better” mantra.

If a curated platform offers a better user experience and allows third party developers to actually make money, I just don’t see “curated” as a dirty word, no matter how many times Google’s Android Evangelist tweets it.

application, such as the increasingly popular Google Calendar. However, there are several tools
available that provide a bidirectional sync between Google Calendar and Outlook (Windows)
or iCal (Mac). This means Google Calendar and your local calendar will always have the same
appointments as long as you run the sync. That also means that whether you update your calendar
online, on your computer, or on your iPhone, you can be sure you have the most up-to-date
appointments across the board. We recommend the following:

■ SyncMyCal (Outlook) This automatically keeps your Google Calendar and Outlook
calendar in complete sync. After you purchase and install the SyncMyCal plugin, your
calendars sync back and forth without any effort on your part. SyncMyCal has a free trial
version, but a fully−licensed copy will set you back $25.

■ Spanning Sync (iCal) For Google Calendar and iCal syncing, Spanning Sync is the
best option for Mac users. You can download a 15-day trial version to see how it works
for you. If you like it, a one-year subscription costs $25; and if you really like it, you can
pay a one-time fee of $65 for a lifetime subscription.

On the other hand, if you’re cheap like I am and/or you have some technical knowledge and
like rolling up your sleeves and getting to work on your computer, you can sync Google Calendar
with iCal using a free, open source application called GCalDaemon.

Invites for Google’s Android App Inventor Begin Rolling Out: ”

Google announced its App Inventor a few weeks ago with the promise to usher in a new era of Android software creation through their simplified, visual programming interface. At the time of announcement those interested in testing their hand at Android app development were only able to sign up for the opportunity to receive an invite to the service, and it now seems those invites are beginning to roll out. A quick scan of Twitter shows that quite a few would-be Android programmers are reporting that they can now download and begin toying around with the full App Inventor software.

One of our readers was kind enough to send in the full text of the invitation e-mail going out:

Welcome to App Inventor for Android!

The Google account that you are receiving this email on has been given access to App Inventor.

We recommend you start your app building adventures by working through the Getting Started material. You might also want to read more about App Inventor and take a look at some sample apps. Finally, you can ask questions and get help by signing up for the App Inventor Google Group.

Thanks!

Google’s App Inventor Team

Any other Phandroid faithful receiving good tidings from Google today? For those unfamiliar with the App Inventor check out Google’s demo video below and prepare for an onslaught of “Hello World” and “Pet My Kitty” apps.

[thanks to Bas for tipping us off to this!]

“

I have a G1 as some of you may well know. And currently, I’m in the market for an upgrade. Two years ago in September, I got the G1 and I’m already eligible for an upgrade. What will I pick as my next mobile device you may ask.

Here likes the brilliance of the Android strategy devised by Google. There are tens of models to choose from that span all four of the major wireless providers. If I go with Sprint and its WiMax network, I can select the HTC EVO. Verizon. Droids of course. ATT and T-Mobile, I can go with the Galaxy S from Samsung.

That brought us to the present. And the future?

Netbooks and tablets in the footsteps of Augen? Probably not. I’m sure HTC and Motorola will have compelling offers.

Hardware is one thing but it is all up to Google to offer compelling innovations going forward. And believe me, I’ve been watching what RIM and Microsoft are doing and a resurgence or two is coming. No one stays at the top for long. Since 2007, the iPhone has changed the mobile market and few thought Apple could have done what they did with the iOS ecosystem.

However, Android looks like it is gaining a lot of momentum for the moment. And it all started with the G1.

Share

Recently, committed to creating open application platform, telecommunications companies Union Wholesale Applications Community (WAC),

]]> http://androidboss.com/how-mobile-applications-against-apple-and-google-alliance/feed/ 0 http://androidboss.com/google-announces-licensing-service-for-android-apps/ http://androidboss.com/google-announces-licensing-service-for-android-apps/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:25:56 +0000 shadow http://androidboss.com/google-announces-licensing-service-for-android-apps/
Both Google and developers are probably unhappy with the current copy-protection mechanism that protects apps available in Android Market, so Google is releasing a new licensing service for applications.

Created for all paid apps in Android Market (Android 1.5 or newer), the licensing service allows developers to “query the Android Market licensing server to determine the license status of their users.”

Google plans to replace the current Android app copy-protection mechanism with the new, safer service in the next few months.

More on Google’s new licensing service (including how to implement it into your apps) can be found at the Android Developers website.

Google announces licensing service for Android apps

]]> http://androidboss.com/google-announces-licensing-service-for-android-apps/feed/ 0 http://androidboss.com/it-news-headlines-techweb-28072010/ http://androidboss.com/it-news-headlines-techweb-28072010/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:25:51 +0000 shadow http://androidboss.com/it-news-headlines-techweb-28072010/

Tripwire Adds Compliance Functionality With New Release
Tripwire, an IT security and compliance automation solutions provider, yesterday announced the availability of the latest version of its configuration control and file integrity monitoring solution, Tripwire Enterprise 8.0, which now includes Remediation Manager, a capability that automatically repairs configuration errors reported by Tripwire Enterprise’s Compliance Policy Manager. The new functionality is what Thelander believes will bridge the gap between security and compliance.
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FCC, FDA Partner To Advance Telehealth
Healthcare is one of the areas the Federal Communications Commission sees as benefiting from expansion of broadband in the U.S.
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Ask.com Betas Q&A Social Network
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WoW Expansion Closer To China Approval
World of Warcraft upgrade approved by Chinese regulators, awaits decision of Ministry of Culture.
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Citi iPhone App Stored User Data, Software Fixed
Citigroup’s mobile banking software for Apple’s iPhone improperly stored some users’ sensitive data in hidden files on the popular devices, but the bank said it has fixed the glitch.
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CBOE CEO Brodsky Keen on Organic Growth, not M&A
CBOE Holdings, the smallest publicly traded U.S. financial exchange even after its $339 million initial public offering last month, is not seeking to bulk up through a merger, CEO William Brodsky said.
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BofA’s Krawcheck Adds Shalett to Executive Team
Bank of America appointed Lisa Shalett, a former colleague of Sallie Krawcheck, as its Merrill Lynch global wealth management unit’s new chief investment officer.
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Banks Win Time But Not Respite From Basel
Banks will get more time and leeway to introduce Basel’s new global capital rules but calls to lend more freely may be harder to resist as a result and the new regime will still be far tougher than anything that exists now.
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U.S. Slips In Broadband Speed
Asia dominates global rankings of average connection rates, finds Akamai report.
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Google Cuts Ties With China Ad Agents
Baidu nabbed a record 70% of the Chinese search market, as Google’s share dipped to 24%.
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Starcraft II Reviews: 2.8 Out Of 5
Users impressed with graphics and gameplay, but slam publisher Blizzard for greedy pricing decisions.
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AXA Equitable Names David O’Leary EVP/Head of Financial Protection
Former American General executive’s responsibilities include oversight of operations, product design/manufacturing, and distribution management.
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Banks Win Time But Not Respite From Basel
Banks will get more time and leeway to introduce new global capital rules but calls to lend more freely may be harder to resist as a result and the new regime will still be far tougher than anything that exists now.
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T-Mobile Axes HTC G1, The First Android Phone
A quick scan of T-Mobile’s Web site shows that the HTC G1 is no longer available. The G1 was the first Android handset to hit the market, and started the Android revolution.
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NASDAQ OMX to Acquire Market Surveillance System Provider SMARTS
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SEC Chief: Should Not Re-Debate Financial Reform
The top U.S. securities regulator Tuesday said the regulatory process should not be used to re-debate the financial reform Congress passed, but pledged an open process.
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Quantifi Releases Basel III-Ready Risk Modeling Software
Takes into account recent market changes, tries to assess counterparty risk, automates mapping of loan information from trustee reports.
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Geminare Cloud Backup Adds Indexing, Auditing, Discovery
Cloud Storage Assurance 2.0 lets SMBs do affordable e-discovery, compliance auditing, and cloud migration, as well as for data backup and archiving data.
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Slideshow: Cloud Security Pros And Cons
Securing your business in the cloud can offer substantial savings and resources balanced by large and unexpected risks. In this review of cloud security silver linings and storms warnings, we look at some of the brightest and darkest security clouds.
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IP Addresses Predicted To Be Exhausted In 2011
The current IPv4 protocol has fewer than 231.5 million addresses left, but the industry has been slow to adopt IPv6, which accommodates virtually unlimited unique identifiers.
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Cloud Working Group Developing Standard APIs
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Khronos Announces OpenGL 4.1 Graphics API
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]]> http://androidboss.com/it-news-headlines-techweb-28072010/feed/ 0 http://androidboss.com/seriously-more-than-20-percent-of-android-buyers-would-buy-again-yankee-group/ http://androidboss.com/seriously-more-than-20-percent-of-android-buyers-would-buy-again-yankee-group/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:30:22 +0000 shadow http://androidboss.com/seriously-more-than-20-percent-of-android-buyers-would-buy-again-yankee-group/ Android users don’t dislike their devices quite as much as previous (and inaccurate) reports indicated, apparently. On Monday, the Yankee Group made sure to correct CNN Money’s interpretation of its data.

In fact, the earlier CNN Money story said that while 77 percent of iPhone owners said they would buy another iPhone, only 20 percent of Android customers said the same about another Android phone. That seemed strange to us.

The correction, via the source of the material, the Yankee Group, is that “32 percent of Google-branded phone owners intend to buy another Android phone.” Meanwhile, “36 percent of Google-branded Android phone owners say they plan to buy an iPhone.” Whoops.

Of course, Google-branded phone pretty much limits the data to the Google-branded and failed HTC Nexus One experiment. That is a pretty small sampling compared to the overall set of Android phones, and considering the satisfaction around other devices, like the hit Motorola Droid, probably misleading.

This is a more telling statement:

Yankee Group still believes that Android will become the next breakout mobile phone platform, making it the third most popular platform behind iPhone and RIM’s Blackberry in installed base for at least the next five years.

We’d actually say that Android has already reached that point, given the 160,000 device activations a day Google confirmed recently.

]]> http://androidboss.com/seriously-more-than-20-percent-of-android-buyers-would-buy-again-yankee-group/feed/ 0 http://androidboss.com/developing-for-android-with-eclipse/ http://androidboss.com/developing-for-android-with-eclipse/#comments Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:45:10 +0000 shadow http://androidboss.com/developing-for-android-with-eclipse/ Same days ago I created my first Android application.

Android is an operating system for mobile device based on Linux with a Java programming interface. It provides tools: a compiler, debugger and a device emulator and Java Virtual machine (Dalvik Virtual Machine – DVM).

Android is created by the Open Handset Alliance which is lead by Google. Android uses a special Java virtual machine (Dalvik) which is based on the Apache Harmony Java implementation. Dalvik uses special bytecode. Therefore you cannot run standard Java bytecode on Android but you have to use the Android compiler to create Android specific byte-code.

Android supports 2-D and 3-D graphics using the OpenGL libraries and supports data storage in a SQLLite database.

For development Google provides the Android Development Tools (ADT) for Eclipse to develop Android applications.Every Android applications runs in own process and it isolated from other running applications. Therefore on misbehaving application cannot harm other Android applications.

Here you find a demonstration how you develop an Android application with Eclipse.

For summarise an Android application consists out of the following parts:
• Activity – A screen in the Android application
• Services – Background activities without UI
• Content Provider – provides data to applications, Android contains a SQLLite DB which can serve as data provider
• Broadcast Receiver – receives system messages, can be used to react to changed conditions in the system

]]> http://androidboss.com/developing-for-android-with-eclipse/feed/ 0 http://androidboss.com/psx4droid-1-0-running-on-google-nexus-one/ http://androidboss.com/psx4droid-1-0-running-on-google-nexus-one/#comments Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:27:06 +0000 shadow http://androidboss.com/psx4droid-1-0-running-on-google-nexus-one/ Psx4droid 1.0 running on Google Nexus One

]]> http://androidboss.com/psx4droid-1-0-running-on-google-nexus-one/feed/ 0