Hasta La Gadget!

AT&T launched its first Foundries primarily as mobile app incubators, but the carrier is switching focus tonight: it just unveiled plans to open more hardware-oriented Foundries in Atlanta and Dallas. Most Atlanta-based projects will expand AT&T’s Digital Life home automation service, with connected cars and U-verse also receiving a boost. The Dallas Foundry complements an existing presence in the city, but will pay attention to the internet of things and other forms of machine-to-machine chatter. In either circumstance, collaboration will be key. The Atlanta location will sit right next to Georgia Tech, while hardware makers at the new Dallas office can get software help at the original Foundry one floor down. The two new locations won’t open until a few months from now, but the Foundry program’s healthy track record suggests that patience will be a virtue for interested developers.

Filed under: Wireless, Networking, AT&T

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Source: AT&T

We spent some time benchmarking the Snapdragon 800 series processors and as a result, we were able to play with the MDP (Mobile Developer Platform) devices. Basically, these are the developer devices that are built to show off what these new processors will be able to do. We will say up front that they are

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It’s officially Apple day starting right now. Kicking off the WWDC keynote this morning Tim Cook is already off to a good start by talking numbers, and surely more will be coming. While we’re expecting tons of exciting news and updates on iPhone 5 sales, lets talk retail stores. Tim confirmed they now have over

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There’s no shortage of places to get Android apps, and while that can be confusing to users, it’s also frustrating for developers who have to manage multiple versions of their software depending on which of the 36+ download stores they’re distributing through. Into the fray steps the One Platform Foundation, with the backing of Yandex, Opera, and SlideME, with a new archive wrapper for Android apps – dubbed AppDF – that will, the goal is, eventually allow the same software to be submitted to multiple stores simultaneously.

The AppDF formate is basically a ZIP archive with the .appdf extension, created using a special HTML5 AppDF Editor tool. The archive contains not only the APK application file itself, but screenshots, graphics, video, price details, content ratings, customer support, and other media used for the app store listing.

According to Yandex, it takes roughly 30-60 minutes to package up an Android app to suit each different download store. The goal of the OPF is to standardize that process, something which Yandex claims could save developers 300 hours of work a year, excluding updates, if they wanted their app to be available through every store.

It’s still early days for AppDF, and that means right now there are only a few places that will actually accommodate the wrapper. That, unsurprisingly, consists of Yandex’s Yandex.Store, Opera’s Mobile Store, the SlideME store, and the CodeNgo self-publishing platform, though the OPF claims that “several other appstores are working on AppDF implementation” including Appland and Aptoide.

There are still some limits to what can be done, beyond the relatively small number of app stores that support AppDF. Potentially most limiting is the absence of in-app billing: OpenIAB (open in-app billing) is a work-in-progress, the OPF says, with the group currently working on a prototype system that supports Google Play, Amazon Appstore, Samsung Apps, and the SK T-Store. That’s not ready for deployment, however, and isn’t expected until the next version of AppDF.

Exactly when that version will arrive is unclear; v1.0 of the AppDF specification was only finalized on April 8. OPF also intends to add a tool that will pull app descriptions from Google Play, essentially using the official store as a master distribution hub.

The proliferation of app stores is the flipside to the oft-cited Android “fragmentation” issue. Just as the range of OS versions in use has grown, as Google releases new updates and manufacturers and carriers struggle to bring older phones and tablets up to speed, so software distribution has fragmented, with new stores springing up to get a slice of the app spend pie. OPF certainly seems to attempt to address that complaint, though whether it will succeed will depend on how quickly it can encourage third-party download stores to adopt the AppDF format.

One Platform Foundation targets end to Android appstore fragmentation is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Federal Trade Commission has begun warning app developers that they must bring their software in-line with the upcoming Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule, firing out letters highlighting new expectations for titles that can include multimedia of underage users. Over ninety letters have been sent, to both US and foreign developers, the FTC said this week, notifying them that if their apps can capture photos, videos, or audio of children, the amended COPPA may well affect them.

The new version of COPPA comes into effect on July 1, and impacts apps and services which could be used by those under 13. If the app has some sort of “persistent identifier” which is used to recognize that user, it will likely need to modify its privacy and permissions policies. Notably, that identifier need not be a username or involve active registration: a cookie or device ID will count as well.

“Companies whose apps collect, store or transmit this information, as well as other personal information previously covered by the rule like a child’s name or address, must get parents’ consent before collecting the information. In addition, companies must also ensure that any third party receiving the information can keep it secure and confidential, as well as abiding by new rules affecting how the information is stored and retained” FTC

Four different versions of the notification letter have been prepared, depending on whether the recipient is a domestic US or foreign firm, and the nature of the data collection. For domestic companies, there’s an images/sounds version [pdf link] and a persistent identifiers version [pdf link]; the same counterparts for foreign apps collecting images/sounds [pdf link] of children in the US, or assigning them identifiers [pdf link].

Actually receiving a letter doesn’t mean that the FTC has actively evaluated a company and found it wanting in terms of COPPA compliance, the Commission is keen to point out. Instead, they’re intended to prompt a “COPPA check-up” ahead of the new rules coming into effect.

The changes to COPPA were announced back in December, as a way to bring the Act up to speed with the changing nature of applications and the user-data they collect. Among the tweaks are a new requirement that developers not only be responsible for a compliant privacy policy that covers their own data collection, but of any data that’s collected by third-party services – such as ad networks – that are incorporated into the software.

The list of companies which have received the letters has not been revealed, though ustwo – developer of randomized photo-sharing app Rando – took to Twitter to confirm that it had been couriered one. There’s more on COPPA compliance at the FTC; violating the rule can result in civil penalties of up to $16,000 per violation.

VIA ustwo

FTC begins COPPA warning mail-blast as child app rules approach is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.