Monday, April 30, 2012

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Developers, what is your biggest complaint against Google?

Posted: 29 Apr 2012 11:04 AM PDT

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I love developing apps for Android. All the tech bloggers can say whatever they want, I’ve found it much easier to create an app for Android than I did during my brief tenure learning iOS development. However, nothing is perfect in life, and for the past few weeks I’ve been having a major complaint against Google, and their developer relations team and just about everyone involved with the Play store.

But before I get into my rant, I want to open up the comments to all developers who’ve been exasperated by anything for a long, long time. Maybe we get some good insight from others as to why things are the way they are, and if nothing else, the tiny bit of satisfaction that comes with getting things off our chests.

Primarily, I’m annoyed that as an Indian developer, I still cannot charge for apps. The issue is related to Google Checkout Merchant accounts, which a developer needs to sell apps. These accounts are not available in India, and several other countries.

My complaint is an old one: if you can’t pay us on Checkout, why not look for other ways? For developers in some countries, like Israel till until recently, payments were made to their AdSense accounts. That seems like an obvious way to go about it, until the issues are sorted out, right?

Not to Google, it isn’t. I posted the question to last week’s APAC Android Developer’s Office Hours hangout, and got the usual “we’re working hard on it, but cannot give any sort of time frame.” Nothing new there, we’ve been hearing this for years, and they even admitted it’s a very popular question. There’s no statement as to what the exact issue is. They’ve only stated problems with the government, but without giving any details it feels like a poor excuse: PayPal, which has a near identical system, have offered Merchant accounts over here for years, and they’ve never complained of any issue.

Because of this issue, I decided sell my recent app on Amazon. And despite a tiny sliver of users there, my earnings outweigh what I’ve got through my ad-supported version on Google Play. I’d love to be able to offer an ad-free, probably a fermium version on Play itself, but Google just won’t let me. And unfortunately, from experience, it feels like it could be a long, long time before they will.

So, developers, what are YOUR biggest complaints with Google. I’m certain there are more than a few, and having one doesn’t mean we love the platform any less. It’s just Google’s reluctance to look into a few issues can get extremely annoying.

ICS update now available for the Samsung I9100G

Posted: 29 Apr 2012 07:51 AM PDT

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Being the least popular amongst all the siblings can be unpleasant, to say the least. Take the Samsung I9100G for example, the other international Galaxy S2 variant. Already disappointed to get an OMAP processor instead of an Exynos, it never got the ICS update it so wanted when the roll-out for the original S2 began.

The wait has finally ended, though, as GSM Arena reports that seeding for the update is well underway and just about all of its users should now see the notification.

GameStop to begin trade-in program for Android tablets and smartphones?

Posted: 29 Apr 2012 07:29 AM PDT

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According to Gadget Experts, you could soon be able to trade-in your old Android devices at your nearest GameStop. Not much is known about the program, which currently seems to include only the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Nexus S and Infuse 4G, but the site says it should start some time this summer, rolling out to all locations countrywide by the end of the year. More devices would be added to the inventory, too.

[Gadget Experts via Engadget]

Acer releases app to assist A500/A501 tablet users update to ICS

Posted: 29 Apr 2012 05:08 AM PDT

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If you are a Acer Iconia Tab A500 or A501 user, you might want to download/update this app. As the rep from the manufacturer explains in the video below, the app will notify you when the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade is available for you.

[via PocketNow]
Posted by at 7:51 AM

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