27
Jun
transdroid

Transdroid Torrent Manager Removed From Android Market By Google

Posted by in Android OS, Apps/Games, News

I never know how to feel about torrent (in this case, management) applications. On the one hand, torrenting is a brilliant and efficient way to share information in a collective and low-cost (read: free) fashion. On the other, it's the single largest gateway to piracy in existence. And it could kill you.

But it's clear torrenting applications are very much legal. So why has Google removed a popular torrent management application, Transdroid, from the Android Market? There's a number of such apps on the Market, and Transdroid's competitors are still standing. TorrentFreak thinks they know what's up.

Transdroid's developer page featured a screenshot showing an obvious example of copyright infringement in action, seen below:

transdroid-screenshot

This could easily be seen as encouraging illegal behavior, which definitely violates the Android Market Developer Program Policies:

Illegal Activities: Keep it legal.

22
Jun
dev giveaway 3

[Book Giveaway #3] Getting Started With Flex 4.5? We're Giving Away "Developing Android Applications With Flex 4.5" To A Lucky Reader

Posted by in Contests / Giveaways, Development
Last Updated: July 7th, 2011

To help aspiring Android developers get off the ground and develop our next dream app, Android Police has partnered with O'Reilly Media, one of the largest technical book publishers, to give away a multitude of Android books to our readers. Each week or so for the next few months, we'll be giving away a different O'Reilly Android book, asking for nothing but a minute of your time in return.

Developing Android Applications with Flex 4.5

This time around, we're giving away Rich Tretola's Developing Android Applications with Flex 4.5, which was published by O'Reilly just last month (May 2011).

04
Jun
image

[Book Giveaway #2] Looking To Get Into Android Development? We're Giving Away "Hello, Android" To A Lucky Reader

Posted by in Contests / Giveaways, Development
Last Updated: June 22nd, 2011

To help aspiring Android developers get off the ground and develop our next dream app, Android Police has partnered with O'Reilly Media, one of the largest technical book publishers, to give away a multitude of Android books to our readers. Each week or so for the next few months, we'll be giving away a different Android book offered by O'Reilly, asking for nothing but a minute of your time in return.

Hello, Android (3rd Edition)

The second book in the list is Hello, Android (3rd edition) by Ed Burnette, released by Pragmatic Bookshelf in August 2010. Ed Burnette, who can be found at @eburnette on Twitter, is a software developer, analyst, one of ZDNet's Dev Connection bloggers, and a friend of Android Police.

25
May
swype

[Updated Again With Swype's Statement] Swype: Permission Spoofing Would Mean The End Of Swype Beta On Android

Posted by in Android OS, Apps/Games, Development, Editorials, News

Update 3: Swype has contacted us to clarify the following: 

Swype does not, and will not ever make money off of the data it collects from you.  They do not sell ads.  They do not sell information. The comment made on the CM review forum was a generalization about the larger Android app developer community, and in no way was intended to imply that Swype uses your data for ad revenue.

Update 2: Here's what Swype Community Representative Brian Resnik has to say about all this:

Swype Community Rep here (the guy who made the comments on Google Code).

Honestly, piracy is not our concern.

24
May
image

[Book Giveaway #1] Want To Get Started With Android Development? We're Giving Away O'Reilly's "Learning Android" To A Lucky Reader

Posted by in Contests / Giveaways, Development
Last Updated: June 7th, 2011

To help aspiring Android developers get off the ground and develop our next dream app, Android Police has partnered with O'Reilly Media, one of the largest technical book publishers, to give away a multitude of Android books to our readers. Each week or so for the next few months, we'll be giving away a different O'Reilly Android book, asking for nothing but a minute of your time in return.

Learning Android

The first book in the list is Learning Android by Marko Gargenta, released by O'Reilly in March 2011.

The book starts from the basics and goes into details of the Android user interface, preferences, Intents, options, file system, services, database, lists, adapters, broadcast receivers and listeners, content providers, system services, and even the NDK (native development kit for C++ development).

16
May
image

Samsung Launches Lab.dev Remote Device Testing Service For Developers

Posted by in Development, News, Samsung

File this under "super awesome developer things" - today Samsung launched its brand-spanking-new developer portal for Android, along with an awesome new service: Lab.dev RTL (Remote Testing Lab).

Basically, it gives you, the developer, access to any of Samsung's line of Android devices for remote testing of applications and other such developer-y things via your web browser and the Java plugin. Basic members of the developer portal receive 10 "credits" of testing time per day - or 150 minutes. Premium members get up to 100 times that much, but that program remains "invite only" for the time being.

You can, presumably, buy additional credits - should you so desire.

12
May
image

[I/O 2011] Q&A With Core Android Developers - Some Of Your Questions Answered

Posted by in Android OS, News

On the night before Google I/O 2011, I posted an open call for any questions you might have had for Google core developers. And you delivered - within a few hours, we had over 50 questions of varying complexities, and I realized I was in trouble. Office hours are meant for developers asking dev questions, whereas most of the ones you've asked were about policies and availability. Still, I proceeded to ask away at office hours and at the end of each session, fearing being shunned forever. Unsurprisingly, some devs would force me to move on after realizing the volume of questions, but some persistently tried answering, referring me to the right people along the way if they didn't know something.

09
May
andreddit

Facebook For Android Dev Team Stops By Andreddit, Asks How They Can Make The App Better

Posted by in Applications, News

We've all griped about Facebook for Android before, and rightly so. The app still trails the functionality of its iOS counterpart, and has had a string of compatibility issues. Just last week, Joe Hewitt - one of the developers of Facebook for Android - left the company. It appears that things are already being shaken up; the Facebook for Android team has taken to Andreddit to ask how they can make the app better.

Hello /r/Android,

We are the developers for the Facebook for Android app. We'd like to know what we can do to make the app better.

26
Apr
Motorola logo

Motorola Says 2011 Devices To Have "Unlockable/Relockable Bootloader"

Posted by in Development, Motorola, News, Rumors
Last Updated: April 27th, 2011

Motorola has had a dark past when it comes to bootloaders. Apart from a couple exceptions (most notably, the XOOM), all of the major Motorola devices have had locked bootloaders, and thus, Android customization enthusiasts have been shut out from such tweaks as custom kernels.

Recently, there has been quite an outcry directed at Motorola and their bootloader policy, in the form of petitions and hijacked polls, and it looks like they have heard users' requests. In response to questions from Irwin Proud, the man behind the petition, Motorola has indicated that they plan on changing their tune.

“In terms of your question – we completely understand the operator requirement for security to the end user, and as well, want to support the developer communities desire to use these products as a development platform.  It is our intention to enable the unlockable/relockable bootloader currently found on Motorola XOOM across our portfolio of devices starting in late 2011, where carriers and operators will allow it.”

*Hold for applause* Yes, it looks like the company notorious for their developer-unfriendly attitude has heard the requests of the Android community and is ready to embrace handset freedom.

19
Apr
baconreader thumb

Baconreader Alpha: A Stylish New Reddit App For The r/Android Army

Posted by in App Reviews, Applications, Reviews
Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

I love Reddit. Like, alot. I also love Android. So naturally, I get pretty excited about new Reddit apps for Android. There are quite a few of them out there to choose from, ranging from full-on Reddit readers like Reddit is Fun, to purpose specific apps, like RedditTV or Reddit Pics. The holy grail of Reddit apps is a browsing app that has all of the functionalities of the web Reddit experience, while being easy to use and good looking.

Reddit is Fun has been enjoying the position of top reader app for quite some time, but earlier this year there were rumblings of competition.

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