Episode 8 – Beauty is the Only Cure for Piracy

By | September 7, 2010
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Show Notes

  • Listener comments
    • Jason commented, “Errrr, you’re afraid to make a left turn but you want a phone with an easier method to answer calls while you’re driving?”
    • “Hello gentlemen, I am trying To find an app to play video files on my phone over an wifi network file share without copying them to my phone first. Thanks for providing an excellent. Podcast you both have given me many great ideas. Brian. greetings. from my phone”
    • “Hey guys. You mentioned Aldiko a few times as an ereader. I’ve been using it too and enjoy it. Have you tried using it to read books from a library using the Overdrive service? As best as I can tell, the only way to do this is by removing the DRM. Do you know of a better/legit way?
      Thanks!” – From Josh Pollard
  • Analytics
    • App store analytics company Distimo reported its July results. 60% of all apps in the Android market are free, an increase of 3% from May. That compares to 29% on the iPhone, 26% on the iPad and RIM.
    • Quantcast reports on Mobile web consumption: In August, iOS has 56%, Android 25%, RIM 9%, Other 10%. For Android, that is up 17 percent in the last year, and 5.5% since last quarter.
  • Privacy
    • Google is simplifying, not changing, its privacy policy to make it easier to understand. It will eliminate redundancies in product-specific policies and make its privacy center more user friendly.
    • Meanwhile, Consumer Watchdog is trying to ‘protect’ us from Google gathering information, advocates a national “Do not Track” registry and has spent millions on an ‘avatar-style’ animation video to “draw attention to Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s lack of regard for online privacy.” The video, pictured above, paints Schmidt as some sort of deranged pedophile, and will be showing 36 times a day on a jumbotron in Times Square. Personally, if you want amusing Google satire, try Google Home View(hope you like subtitles)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYMGkQTpODY

  • Stack Exchange for Android Enthusiasts
  • Talking Blogs
  • Vlingo Updated to Hook into Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare. If you haven’t already, install it via AppBrain.
  • Android Police did a roundup of Hurricane Apps for the Android.
  • Skype for Android gets an update. Still no wi-fi and Verizon only, but now it won’t make you turn off the wi-fi when it is enabled. Calls are carried over the Verizon network and use minutes.
  • A new GMail app update is making the rounds online. The reply buttons have been moved to the top, among a few other fixes and peformance boosts. Unsure when and if Google will push this out via the market.
  • Android Central Sideload Wonder Machine – for those of you on AT&T who want to sideload apps.
  • Official CNET application(Install via AppBrain) – Lacks a specific Android section. But a good addition to the news apps section.
  • Popular mobile game Angry Birds Lite Beta is out for Android(Install via AppBrain) – A new obsession for Jere?
  • No Lock – Disables Lock Screen on Android (Install via AppBrain)
  • Overdrive Media Console(Install via AppBrain) – Used by libraries to lend e-materials. MP3 audiobook support only. Most of the DRM-audiobooks are WMA and the e-books require DRM support not enabled in Android…yet.
  • Don’t normally add hardware stories, but quickly, Verizon Wireless has announced that their entire line of Android products will be available under their prepaid data plans. Previously, it was near impossible to get a decent Android phone on any prepaid wireless network in the United States. The prepaid data cost will be the same for Android phones on their contract plans, at $30 a month.
  • Developer’s Corner
    • QR Codes – Google Chart Tools
    • QR Code Generator by ZXing
    • Brace for the Future – Dan, Morrill, Open Source & Compatibility Manager, posted on the Android Developer’s Blog, about new tablets coming to the Android platform. He points out that Android lets you provide versions of your UI optimized for various screen configurations, and each device will pick the one that runs best, and that Android Market will make sure your apps only appear to devices that can run them, by matching those features you list as required (via tags) only with devices that have those features. They will be putting out a series of tips and tricks on how to get the most out of developing for these gadgets.
    • Securing LVL Applications – As promised, Google is writing up documents with tips on how to better use their licensing server.

Sound effects may be attributed to the FreeSound Project. Attribution page found here.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 50:49 — 26.2MB)