Sunday, March 6, 2011

Android Community

Android Community

Amazon Appstore Promises Security for Android Devs

Posted: 05 Mar 2011 06:56 PM PST

All developers of applications on the Android platform hoping above all else to keep their applications secure might have a shining beacon of light coming in from Amazon’s Appstore. With what they’re calling Digital Rights Management, they’re offering a soft of lock on any app you sell through Amazon Appstore that would require anyone who hopes to access an app to have installed and signed-in to the Amazon Appstore client as well as have verification from the user who original purchaser of the app in order to download. How is this different from what the Android Marketplace offers? Let’s talk about it.

First of all, not much. In order to download apps to your Android device that you’ve purchased, for instance, using the browser-based Android Marketplace with your desktop computer, you’ve also got to have the Android Marketplace downloaded and you’ve got to be logged in with your matching account. What this appears to be on Amazon’s part is an additional assurance that their Digital Locker (essentially the same sort of cloud access to apps as the Android Marketplace has) is just as secure for developers hoping to have close control over how paying customers download their apps to their devices.

Have a look at the full text as presented by Amazon Appstore and see if you can parse how the wording is any different than what you’re currently experiencing with Google’s Android Marketplace. Pay special attention to the wording around what they note as being the “biggest concerns developers have.” You can also access this information by following the official Amazon Appstore Developer Blog. Have a peek at their wording here:

Amazon Appstore Digital Rights Management simplifies life for developers and customers 3/3/2011 –

If you own a Kindle, you've experienced the power of having a Digital Locker and the ability to download your purchased content to just about any device. The notion of "buy once, read anywhere" will now also apply to your Android apps purchased through the Amazon Appstore. 
 
Customers who purchase an app will retain an entitlement to their app even if they decide to replace their current Android device and/or purchase new devices, as long as the new devices meet the installation requirements of the app. This provides insurance to customers that their purchased apps will be available for use on all supported devices, even if the customer has uninstalled or otherwise removed those apps in the past.
 
The digital locker service combined with a robust Digital Rights Management (DRM) solution not only make managing apps easier for customers, they also address one of the biggest concerns developers have:  unauthorized copying and distribution. An authorized user can now install your app on any of their supported devices; however, if you chose to apply DRM on your app at submission time, your app will not run on unauthorized devices.
 
Any app that has Amazon DRM applied to it will require users to have installed and signed-in to the Amazon Appstore client to access the app. When an app is accessed by the user, it will verify with the Amazon Appstore device service as to whether the user has an entitlement to the app. If the user does not sign in or does not have an entitlement to that app, then the app will not be usable. However, any user can gain an entitlement by purchasing the app through Amazon.

Seem like a better deal to you than the Android Marketplace? We’re not so sure. Seems like very similar stuff to the main Google outlet.

[via Amazon Appstore Developer Blog]

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Asus Quad Core Tablet with 3D display hinted

Posted: 05 Mar 2011 04:01 PM PST

Fresh off the news that Asus is coming out with three new tablets running Honeycomb, comes the news that 3D may be a feature on a future tablet which also has a quad core processor. The hint comes from a chat with CEO Jerry Chen where he claims that part of the company’s plans for 2011 is to introduce a 3D tablet with a Quad-core processor. The tablet is rumored to be made by the same company that builds the LG Optimus Pad since it will have a 3D screen. And since Asus is wall to wall with Honeycomb now, there’s not need to assume they will change course unless Google releases a new OS flavor by then.

As reported here, NVidia announced Quad Core chips at Mobile World Congress. Dubbed “Kal-el,” a reference to Superman, the first generation promises to be five times faster than the current Tegra 2 chip. Video quality will leap as well, going to 1440p resolution, double that of 1080p. Toss in 3D and you’ve got quite a screaming media platform there.

No word on when, or how much, but rest assured, we’ll be paying plenty attention to it.

[via Unwired View]

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Droid X2 getting evaluated by the FCC?

Posted: 05 Mar 2011 03:37 PM PST

It’s always entertaining when those on the web stalk the FCC and the patent office for sneak peaks as to what gadgets are coming. But often, there’s some useful intel that comes as a result. The latest listing on the FCCs website that the Droid X2 may be coming is a case in point. The listing, which has a 180 day confidentiality letter, included tells of a Motorola CDMA phone that handles EVDO, BLuetooth, and wireless bands b-n. Since it’s CDMA and Motorola, that usually points to Verizon’s way, but is it really the Droid X2 that everyone is talking about? Inquiring minds want to know.

The Droid X2 is rumored to have a dual core 1ghz Tegra 2 processor, a smaller QHD LCD display, and just one 8MP rear facing camera. So video chat via Skype is out for it. Even sadder is that it will be 3G only and is currently listed to be stuck with Android 2.2 Froyo. So, it’s 3G only and you can’t do video chat? Then it would seem to me that the dual core is a bit of overkill for what is obviously meant to be a a more budget minded smartphone.

There’s also the notion of the attached 6 month confidentiality letter, meaning that it won’t be out until the late fall, how does that jibe with what we reported last month about Amazon clearing out their Droid X stocks by offering them for $19.99? Stay tuned as the story develops.

[via Droid Life]

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Motorola XOOM Stock SBF File [LEAK] [RETURN YOUR DEVICE TO STOCK]

Posted: 05 Mar 2011 02:19 PM PST

So you’ve rooted your Motorola XOOM and you’re having an awesome time doing everything you’ve ever wanted to do on a giant screen. Then it hits you – a post saying that in order to grab yourself a [4G LTE upgrade from Verizon], you’re gonna have to return that tablet back to stock. Oh noes! Your life would be ever so much more simple if you just had an easy-to-use file that’d essentially do it with a single click — oh my goodness, that’s what we’ve got right here.

This whole situation is made possible by Motorola’s generous unlockable boot loader on the XOOM – now that everyone is rolling around with spikes all over their hands and feet inside their devices, it’s very VERY nice to be able to have what we’ve got here: the stock SBF file. With this file, you’ll be able to use RSD lite to move your device back to the original factory settings. Has this file been send unto the world by Motorola or Verizon officially? No way. Will it be released officially sometime in the future? Possibly, but probably not.

A much more likely situation is that this file has indeed been released accidentally – even though Motorola has allowed you to unlock your device whenever you like, this sort of file is not oft let loose on purpose – guarantees, and all that.

To grab the files you need to bop your device back to stock, head over to the following multi-upload site: [AYQMI1KXLU] or for RSD 4.9 head to this Megaupload instead: [N1MPCX1U]. Then feel free to go back on over to the original XDA thread for further details from the folks that originally discovered this awesome situation.

[via XDA Forums]

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Motorola XOOM will Receive Verizon 4G LTE Upgrade, Root or Not! [OFFICIAL]

Posted: 05 Mar 2011 12:28 PM PST

Will my XOOM be able to be upgraded to 4G LTE if it’s rooted? That’s the question being asked by owners of the brand new Motorola Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet after a story flew around the net saying that the answer was no, no way! Our own Cory Gunther had reservations about the whole situation and what do you know? He was totally right to raise a few questions – today, according to Support Forums over at Motorola, rooting your device and even having any number of oddity on it won’t void your ability to upgrade to LTE at all – with a couple stipulations, of course.

As it should be apparent, it’d be quite a bit of work for Verizon to be assure 4G LTE support for devices that they can’t guarantee are in total working order – i.e. every rooted device that people have messed with in one way or another. On the other hand, what they’re saying now is that if you’ve unlocked and rooted your device, all you’ve got to do is reset it to “original factory settings” and they, they being Verizon, will add 4G LTE support, no questions asked – just like a mafia meat market.

On the other hand, if you return your XOOM to Verizon for the upgrade in an unlocked state, Motorola will still attempt to complete the upgrade, but because it wont always be possible, they wont agree to certainly upgrade the software. No matter what, though, your device will be returned with a 4G LTE modem installed.

Great and super news! Below you’ll find the official set of words from Matt (Forums Manager at Motorola) right here, courtesy of Motorola Support Forums :

42. Mar 4, 2011 6:27 PM (in response to camblue)
Rooting the Xoom – will this make it ineligible for 4G upgrade?
Hey hey! Check it out.
 
All  Motorola XOOM tablets on the Verizon Wireless network are eligible to  receive an upgrade to support 4G LTE. This includes those that have been  unlocked; however, those units must be submitted for upgrade with the  original factory software reinstalled and the device relocked in order  to receive the upgrade. 
 
For  devices that are returned unlocked, Motorola will attempt to complete  the upgrade, but may be unable to update the software. In these cases,  the device will be returned to the consumer with just the 4G LTE modem  installed.
 
More details on the process will be available closer to the upgrade availability.

For all sorts of additional information on the XOOM head over to our [Motorola XOOM] portal. Then of course we encourage you to take a part in our burgeoning XOOM Forum in the also relatively new tablets category. Talk and talk!

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