Hasta La Gadget!

Amazon’s always worked hard to make sure it’s in the digital goods business as well as its obviously successful physical one, but this might be one of its boldest steps yet: another app store for Android. We heard the rumor a couple weeks ago through TechCrunch, and The Wall Street Journal is now claiming to have proof, including an Amazon document explaining some of the terms to the developers. It’s apparently still unclear when the store will be launched or even what it’ll be called, and since so far it seems like Amazon is mainly talking to developers about this behind closed doors, some of the specifics might still be in the air. According to the WSJ, Amazon stipulates an app can’t be sold for less anywhere else (which was hinted at in the earlier leak), and there’s a stranger requirement that the app can’t be on offer anywhere else for more than two weeks before it’s given to Amazon. We’re guessing that’s an Android only stipulation — or else a bit of a high barrier for iOS ports — but that just brings up more to worry about: is Amazon building a store just a first in an onslaught? And is this indeed part of an Android tablet launch for Amazon?

Amazon app store for Android confirmed by WSJ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android may be climbing the charts when it comes to market share, and the Market may be quickly approaching the 100,000 apps mark, but the whole thing is hardly a global proposition. As of earlier this week, paid apps were able to be purchased in just 14 countries, submitted by developers of just nine nationalities. That changes now, with Google adding 20 countries to its list of approved submitters, meaning developers living in 29 nations are eligible to submit paid apps to the Market. Over the next two weeks the purchasing of those apps will be flipped on for users in 18 countries, 32 in all that will have the “buy” button enabled — music to the ears of Java app developers everywhere. Which flags are newly embracing app capitalism? We have the lists waiting for you below.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Google expands Android’s reach, accepting paid apps from 20 more countries, selling to 18 more

Google expands Android’s reach, accepting paid apps from 20 more countries, selling to 18 more originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 08:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DigiTimes reports can be shaky at the best of times, but this one takes the digi-biscuit. Reporting on an apparent order by HTC with Pegatron for the production of a new Android-based “tablet PC,” DigiTimes claims the new development will help Pegatron achieve its goal of being one of the top four global notebook manufacturers. So is this a tablet or, dare we say it, a smartbook? Nobody clarifies that point, but specs are said to include a 1280 x 720 widescreen display, a 32GB SSD, 2GB of RAM, and Tegra 2 under the hood. Android Market support is also expected (huzzah!), though pricing might be steep at around $790 unsubsidized. At this stage, we’d be more surprised if HTC doesn’t bring out a tablet in the next few months, but we wouldn’t invest too much of our emotions into this report just yet. Maybe once Mr. Blurrycam decides to join the fray and give us something to look at.

HTC said to have placed production order with Pegatron for mythical ‘tablet PC’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 09:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re guessing Verizon has been pretty happy with the results of its V Cast App store for BlackBerry, as it looks like the carrier’s now accepting submissions in the Android category for software that’ll propagate its eventual marketplace on that mobile platform. According to a purported letter obtained by Android and Me, Big Red has been sending out letters to developers extolling the virtues of using its store in lieu of Google’s: no testing fee, 14-day turnaround, carrier billing (with the promise of an eventual subscription billing option), 70 / 30 split favoring the developer, etc. Froyo is the flavor of choice, and the only version of Android that’ll be supported from the onset — so that includes both flagship Droids, Droid Incredible, and Droid X. Verizon’s Developer Community Conference is the end of this month (21st and 22nd, to be exact), and we imagine the skinny will be gotten by then.

[Thanks, Ryan]

Verizon gearing up for Android V Cast App store? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 03:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earlier tonight our friend Michael Gartenberg tweeted that when he went to the Android Market to search for the word “Jewish,” a number of Nazi and Hitler themes turned up. Of course, we had to take a look for ourselves, and sure enough, the search for a fairly innocuous word related to a religion and culture turns up skins which are disgustingly, hatefully pro-Nazism and pro-Hitler. That’s a problem, no matter how you look at this.

In the past, we’ve railed against Apple for its confusing, unfair, and often absurd App Store policies, particularly when it comes to the policing of applications based on content, not code. Steve Jobs has made a point during press conferences to say that the Android Market allows porn apps — which of course set off a furious debate. Sadly, what Jobs should have pointed out was that the Market allows something far more insidious and damaging than even the hardest-core pornography — apps that spread hate and propagate the views of a movement that is pretty much universally reviled.

Continue reading Editorial: Waiter, there’s a Nazi theme in my Android Market (updated)

Editorial: Waiter, there’s a Nazi theme in my Android Market (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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