Tag: Android


I Can Fix the Android Market


If you haven’t read the tech blogs recently, many people are frustrated with the Android Market. DVD Jon, the legend who first cracked the encryption key on DVDs, blogged about what is wrong with the Android Market.

What is wrong with the Android Market? JUNK APPS. I love how it’s open and anyone can develop anything for it without it going through Apple’s Nazi approval process. But, at the same time, I hate scrolling through the list and seeing this shit that’s completely useless:

There are a few different types of apps that should simply not be allowed. Firstly, ringtone apps. There is one exception – RingDroid. I don’t use it, but it lets you import mp3s, clip them or even search for songs and use those as ringtones. That is fine with me because it is a functional app that serves a purpose. Apps that do not serve a

Next on my list of flawed apps: joke apps. There are multiple apps for different jokes. You have driving jokes, South Park jokes, dirty jokes, blonde jokes etc etc etc. It goes on and on. Please explain why an app could list a bunch of jokes randomly without performing any function? I want my app to do something for me, not just cycle through the same 40 jokes. Newsflash – the phones have a browser. If I want to look up jokes, I’ll Google them. I don’t need an app per joke category.

Next issue: The same author can publish 200 apps that are all the same except one minor thing. For instance, some developer made a live wallpaper app with country flags for the World Cup. I didn’t feel like scrolling through them all. This is a waste of space and they all do the same damn thing.

Before I fix the Market, you need to understand how devs get their apps listed: To be published on the Android market, the developer pays Google $25 and then publish can do whatever he or she wants (as long as it doesn’t violate their terms of service). Anyone can install .apk apps if you allow the option to install from unknown sources, but I’m talking about over the air Market apps.

This is how you fix the Android Market, in simple bulleted form:

  • Google hires me to work in their Android segment
  • Revamp the Marketplace UI to sort better. Sort not just by type, but by popularity (number of users), and by “Google Verified” or “User Created” see next bullet
  • Segment the Market into two areas. Google Verified and All Apps. “Google Verified” means the app has gone through a quality assurance approval process similar to Apple’s. A developer will fill out an application for the app to become “Google Verified.” The app must be stable, perform a useful task or function and be updated frequently. This will eliminate soundboards, jokes and ringtone apps. At the same time, the user can also browse “All Apps” and open up the rest of the trash apps. There would be a toggle switch and it would default to Google verified, but the user would be aware that he or she can also browse other apps.

This will allow anyone to create any app, so there won’t be developer outcry. It will also solve the junk app issue / allow apps to be on the market that do not necessarily violate the TOS but aren’t Google Verified.

Sound good? Yeah it does. It needs some tweaking, but that’s my basic framework.

I do realize this was probably a boring blog entry, but fuck it.


Android App of the Week: GPS Status


This is part one of Wednesday’s weekly segment highlighting amazing Android Apps. This week: GPS Status.

This little app is amazing. It connects to your GPS and gives you your live coordinates, a compass, acceleration, altitude, pitch/tilt of the phone and speed. Those little green dots are the actual locations of GPS satellites in the sky.

You can share your location in GMail, twitter or Google Maps. You can also lock in your location and it will help you navigate back to it.

Very simple app, but it’s great for getting your speed and direction in a car or something. It’s also great to see how many satellites are visible / fixed to troubleshoot GPS issues (if it doesn’t connect).

To download, scan the following QR code, or search “GPS status” in the Android Market.


The Droid 2 Looks Kind Of Eh


EDIT: THIS INFO IS OUTDATED. The phone specs below were prototype and it’s not the official Droid 2.

Are the people at Motorola on crack? I’m reading articles on the Droid 2 and it looks absolutely no different than the original Droid. The “leaked specs” better be a joke, because it is a complete embarrassment. It’s original Droid with 2 minor hardware upgrades and no one in their right mind should pay to upgrade.

I mean are people at Motorola stupid? You don’t look at the HTC Droid Incredible specs, EVO 4G specs or iPhone 4 specs and try to beat them?I mean they took the original device, changed the keyboard, added a few hundred MHz to the processor. The Nexus One, Droid Incredible, iPhone and EVO 4G all have faster processors and have been out already (well not the iPhone 4 yet). And Motorola is going around releasing something worse than crap that’s been out for months. Awful.

Droid 2 Specs:

-Android 2.1 (really? no 2.2 froyo?)
-3.7″ screen
-750MHz OMAP processor (Big deal – the original Droid has a 550MHz processor)
-8GB internal memory
-8GB SD card preinstalled (Thanks, the Droid 1 came with double that)
-New keyboard
-5MP camera (no chage here)
-New version of Motoblur (What did I say about skinning Android? This sucks ass)
-No HDMI port
-No front facing camera

BIG DEAL… The processor gets upgraded from 550mhz to 750mhz and the keyboard changes a little. The camera is the same. They put that Motoblur swill on there to clog up the user interface. No HDMI or front camera. This is utter garbage and if it’s released, it’s dumb as hell.


Stop Skinning the Android


Look at this ugly ass screen. The time is already shown on the status bar. Why do you need a huge ass clock? It's a waste of app space.

You know what’s ruining the Android OS for smartphones? Custom user interfaces developed by hardware companies. I’m talking SenseUI and MotoBlur. Absolute wastes. What is wrong with the standard Android user interface? It’s fine. Anything to fragment the OS more…

So what’s so bad? 1)They’re ugly 2)They slow the phone down and 3)If Google releases an OS update, you can’t get it right away – either because it’s not compatable or because HTC has to tweak it before it gets updated.

Second of all, HTC is a hardware company – what do they know about software and UIs? This is why I hate the Droid Incredible. Hardware wise, it’s really good. But I’m just turned so off by Sense that I probably wouldn’t get it.

It’s bad enough Verizon has to mess around with the Android UI on the Droid. See, when 2.1 was released, Verizon took about 3 months removing features from it. Seriously, what the F? The original Android 2.1 OS was supposed to have a 3D app drawer and 5 homescreens. Verizon was like “nope” and kept the laggy assed app drawer and kept the three screens. The closest device to a pure Android experience is the Nexus One, which already got 2.2. I want 2.2 badly, but Motorola and Verizon devs need to probably strip all the cool shit out of it before sending it over. Mark my words, I won’t be seeing Android 2.2 on my Droid until next fall or later. (Such a shame because 2.1 is SO SLOW).

See I love Android to death and am not a huge fan of Apple, but I have to admit – having only one device helps. You release a new OS and everything updates at the same time. Not this notion that when a new Android OS is released every carrier and manufacturer needs to tweak it first before everyone gets it.

I was going to write lot more, but just read this Gizmodo article. It sums up my point to perfection.


Android 2.2 Froyo Just Took a Shit on the iPhone


At Google’s I/O conference, Android 2.2, dubbed Froyo was just announced and it looks amazing. iPhone OS 4, you’ve got nothing!

  • 2-5x faster than Android 2.1
  • Supports USB and WiFi tethering (using your phone’s 3G internet on your computer)
  • Exchange improvements
  • Update multiple apps at once
  • Task manager
  • stream iTunes library to your phone over WiFi
  • V8 javascript engine = fastest mobile browser ever (according to Google)
  • Flash support

Apple just keeps controlling everything and closing out developers. If you want all the tech details, I don;t want to write about them here, so check these links. But F Steve Jobs and his lame ass keynotes, Google is the shit (true dat, double true)

http://gizmodo.com/5543853/what-is-froyo
http://gizmodo.com/5543659/android-22-is-2x-to-5x-faster-for-apps-plus-so-many-more-features
Screenshots: http://gizmodo.com/5543323/