Android's Uncurated App Marketplace Draws Criticism, Google Activates 'Kill Switch' on Two Apps

[MH01]

Has this been posted yet?

CNET retracts article on Android app privacy threat



I don't mind the ATT connection, but it's sad how many consumers are frightened by so-called "reports" from security firms. Heck, there were companies trying to sell iPhone owners anti-virus programs at first (and perhaps even now).

The daily mail here in the UK, posted a story yesterday that Steve Jobs twittered that there would be a recall on the iphones. The only problem was that it was a parody account on twitter, and the journalist thought it was the real Steve Jobs. Good to see media standards falling around the world

 

[ChazUK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 1.6; en-gb; Dell Streak Build/Donut) AppleWebKit/528.5+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Mobile Safari/525.20.1)

Has this been posted yet?

CNET retracts article on Android app privacy threat



I don't mind the ATT connection, but it's sad how many consumers are frightened by so-called "reports" from security firms. Heck, there were companies trying to sell iPhone owners anti-virus programs at first (and perhaps even now).

The daily mail here in the UK, posted a story yesterday that Steve Jobs twittered that there would be a recall on the iphones. The only problem was that it was a parody account on twitter, and the journalist thought it was the real Steve Jobs. Good to see media standards falling around the world

The Daily Fail don't have any kind of standards in the first place!

 

[Ed91]

Killswitch?? Wat exactly can they do to your phone (including Apple?)??

Turn it into an indiscriminate, heartless, killing machine.

 

[Digitalclips]

100% with you on this one... The exact same nerds who have been praising Windows OS and have been left out by Msoft are now polluting this forum touting on the advantages of a crappy Android App Store over Itunes Store and the "technological" advance Droid is vs. the Iphone... Same trolls, different times.

Agreed. I would guess they will be installing apps from Kaspersky, Norton et al on their Android phones soon and enjoying seeing the updates download hourly and the performance nose dive. Next we will see hoards of techie experts spring up and making a living getting Androids working again when they become unusable due to so much crap on them. The cost of this will be close to a new Android so users will be buying new ones every year just to have one that works. Google is truly replacing Msoft as you say.

I am glad to see this blog taking aim at Androids weaknesses and we Mac users should start trolling their blogs with some truths. The way the main street media so readily picks up trolls FUD reports on Apple blogs it is time to fight back. This isn't just academic for AAPL share holders!

 

[MacMan67]

This is a non-story, a few people shouting, thats all. Why?

Google denies it being a real issue, however, and points out that users must explicitly allow applications to get access to the data.

On OSX you need to authorize applications to access keychain. People have more sensitive data on their desktop's than phones.

If people are going to cry over Android then they should be crying over OSX too. But they are not.

People like to draw a distinctions between smartphones and PCs, but really there is little different: They are both computers.

Actually, this is not even the same comparison, you allow access to Key Chain which accesses information that was stored by that application only, it cannot access any other information than that. It is a password management solution as opposed to Android which if you allow it, grants access to a whole lot more.

I guess in my opinion, those techies who want to have an open system, get Android and stop bashing Apple, and don't bitch when your phone stops working because of something you installed or that was installed without your knowledge. For the rest of the folks who wants to know the app they purchased is the one they get and don't want to have weekly support calls when their phone won't do what its supposed to , there is Apple.

I really don't understand why people are so vocal. Is it because they want the iPhone and want the openness, well then Jailbreak it and be done with it, otherwise, let the iPhone be the mass consumer - it just works - easy to use phone that Apple intended it to be. I am not pro either, have both Android and iPhone, when I want to play , I play on a Android phone, but when I want to pick up a phone and use, or let my kids use, its iPhone all the way...

 

[jayducharme]

Maybe a $4.99 "Pro Mode Enabler" that you buy from Apple after signing away your liver and first born to confirm you know the risks. Most people can let Apple do the thinking for them and those of us who want to use the full power of our phones can.

Sounds like it would be cheaper to jailbreak. That IMO is the "Pro Mode."

 

[Digitalclips]

The daily mail here in the UK, posted a story yesterday that Steve Jobs twittered that there would be a recall on the iphones. The only problem was that it was a parody account on twitter, and the journalist thought it was the real Steve Jobs. Good to see media standards falling around the world

How can you mention the Daily Mail and Media Standards in the same post?

Seriously, what I want to know is what ever happened to checking journalist's stories for factuality? The speed main stream re cycles blogs is a joke. Snopes should be funded to take on main stream news as well as e-mail spam. It is becoming impossible to believe anything on the web or in print these days.

 

[*LTD*]

With freedom comes responsibility.

Having a more free ecosystem means users will have to exercise more responsibility in what they add to their devices.

Sounds like you're describing Windows, actually.

 

[Stella]

I guess in my opinion, those techies who want to have an open system, get Android and stop bashing Apple, and don't bitch when your phone stops working because of something you installed or that was installed without your knowledge. For the rest of the folks who wants to know the app they purchased is the one they get and don't want to have weekly support calls when their phone won't do what its supposed to , there is Apple.

I have an open system phone, I've never had it bricked due to software. So, yea, I'm not worried.

Another point: any trojan can be created for OSX which uploads data from ~/documents, contents from Mail.app, iCal or Addressbook. The user wouldn't be any of the wiser.

Sorry, but once again, I see no difference between that and Android. They are *computers*. The majority of smartphones have the capabilities that a computer from not so long ago had.

 

[blindzero]

yes i'm getting flash, divx player, google navigation and google voice on my phone =)

Flash isn't due to the store. Different issue.

Is Google Navigation or Voice better than any of the Apple alternatives? I haven't used them to know. Apple's built in navigation seems capable, and there are countless other apps for it.

But yeah, Divx or other video codecs would be nice (although potentially battery draining if not built to optimize on the chip). Having an all purpose media player would be nice for trips.

 

[gorgeousninja]

It's both a good thing and a scary thing. As of right now, even though Google has potential to be EVIL, I have more faith in them than Apple


If you read the news you'll know that as of right now Google is under investigation from GovernmentSSSSSS for collecting information including PASSWORDS of ALL unguarded networks it can get their mitts on, and now REFUSING to hand over the information they have stored.

This of course is in ADDITION to the fact that all Google-bot devices have purely cosmetic privacy controls, and already their apps have been banned by Apple for essentially spying and stealing from them.

Now, exactly which part of that gives you absolutely ANY faith in Google whatsoever???

 

[tibi08]

Killswitch?? Wat exactly can they do to your phone (including Apple?)??

Well, they can of course blow it up - thereby removing all your limbs and blinding you in one eye

 

[ctt1wbw]

With freedom comes responsibility.

Having a more free ecosystem means users will have to exercise more responsibility in what they add to their devices. I'd gladly take this over the Apple model.

People already have this decision. It's called a free market economy.

 

[blindzero]

Uhmm OK.. Fully integrated Google Voice app.. native Gmail.. Myriad of app allowing me to wirelessly download Music/Videos straight to my phone.. That enough for you?

So it's basically first party Google Apps vs first party Apple Apps? I don't see how that is any argument against regulation over 3rd party apps.

As far as music/videos - are you talking about the borderline illegal apps that Google seems to be removing from the marketplace now (iMusic/Music Junk)

 

[gnasher729]

I'm not arguing that point -- my question has to do with security specifically. E.g. "Does Apple's review process make iOS store more secure than other vendor's app stores?"

I haven't heard any convincing arguments that it does.

(Disclaimer: I'm an iphone fan and also interested in security. This is purely a mental exercise for me. I'm not trying to fan the flames.)

The review process may find applications that crash, or that do damaging things out of sheer stupidity. It will likely not find cleverly written malware. What really protects you is that Apple has the identity of the submitter of the application. You wouldn't write malware if your identity is known.

 

[yg17]

Is Google Navigation or Voice better than any of the Apple alternatives? I haven't used them to know. Apple's built in navigation seems capable, and there are countless other apps for it.

Google Navigation is actual navigation, complete with turn by turn, not just plain old maps with driving directions (which is Apple's built in navigation you speak of). And it's free. It's saved my ass a couple times when I was lost and needed directions.

What really protects you is that Apple has the identity of the submitter of the application. You wouldn't write malware if your identity is known.

So does Google.

 

[ChazUK]

So does Google.

Yup!

From kdarling's update:

A Google spokesman quickly refuted the claims made by SMobile Systems:

This report falsely suggests that Android users don’t have control over which apps access their data. Not only must each Android app get users’ permission to access sensitive information, but developers must also go through billing background checks to confirm their real identities, and we will disable any apps that are found to be malicious.

 

[Darkroom]

after suffering thru this biased rag of an article i'm beginning to wonder why i even come here anymore.

really, macrumors. you could afford to be a little more objective.

 

[dwd3885]

hey here's an idea: if you don't want to buy a phone with an android market, don't buy it. if you'd rather get a phone with the apple app store, buy the iphone.

 

[0dev]

That makes zero sense.

'Course it does. Apple check apps before they go into the App Store, Google don't check apps before they are released into the Android Market.

So, Apple shouldn't be able to kill apps since they should have already checked them. Google, however, needs to be able to kill spyware and trojans after the release to the Android Market, as they didn't have a chance to catch it beforehand with their system, therefore they have a vaild reason for a kill switch.

 

[yg17]

'Course it does. Apple check apps before they go into the App Store, Google don't check apps before they are released into the Android Market.

So, Apple shouldn't be able to kill apps since they should have already checked them. Google, however, needs to be able to kill spyware and trojans after the release to the Android Market, as they didn't have a chance to catch it beforehand with their system, therefore they have a vaild reason for a kill switch.

Apple's kill switch is to stop a grown adult from accidentally seeing a pair of tits missed during the approval process. Google's kill switch is to stop malware. That's the difference

 

[Bigdaddyguido]

Americans are so funny about freedom.

We're so brainwashed to just shout out our love of "freedom" at any available opportunity, no matter how absurd.

Personally, I don't want pure freedom on my cell phone. My cell phone has so much personal info on me, it's absurd. Every email, every text, every phone call, my location a lot of the time, my contacts, my web searches, my music, my photos. I'd much rather have a highly policed app store who pays professionals to ensure my apps are legit rather than putting that responsibility on me, just so I can have a tag line, "oh, but my store promotes freedom!"

Look if there were a proliferation of great apps existing on android and not in iTunes, then maybe there'd be a point. But there is not. There's better apps across the board on iTunes. My phone is here to provide me what I need at all times while requiring next to no maintenence so it can always do what I need when I need it. Thank you apple fir making this dream a reality.

Good luck, "freedom" fighters.

 

[yg17]

Americans are so funny about freedom.

We're so brainwashed to just shout out our love of "freedom" at any available opportunity, no matter how absurd.

Personally, I don't want pure freedom on my cell phone. My cell phone has so much personal info on me, it's absurd. Every email, every text, every phone call, my location a lot of the time, my contacts, my web searches, my music, my photos. I'd much rather have a highly policed app store who pays professionals to ensure my apps are legit rather than putting that responsibility on me, just so I can have a tag line, "oh, but my store promotes freedom!"

Look if there were a proliferation of great apps existing on android and not in iTunes, then maybe there'd be a point. But there is not. There's better apps across the board on iTunes. My phone is here to provide me what I need at all times while requiring next to no maintenence so it can always do what I need when I need it. Thank you apple fir making this dream a reality.

Good luck, "freedom" fighters.

I have more personal information on my computer (as I bet most do) such as financial information, my tax forms for the past several years, complete with SSN, my keychain with passwords to all sorts of stuff including bank websites, etc, and that's an open platform and it doesn't bother anyone. Someone who got access to all the data on my phone wouldn't get much beyond a glimpse into my rather uneventful life. My computer, on the other hand, I'd be ****ed if somebody got into that.

 

[MH01]

Sounds like you're describing Windows, actually.

Get over windows dude! Google is the new evil right?!?! Ahhh thats right, they do not have an OS to bash for a desktop, so might as well have a left field bash at M$ he he he. Though wait a sec, this thread is about Android... mobile OS, though would be totally incomplete without the random M$ bash

On a serious note though.

So who is the greater evil right now, M$ or Google? Microsoft has kinda faded away from the Media (and not to mention Apple is becoming less and less of a computer company these days), so is Google the main challenger to Apple? I would not mind your opinion on this.

 

[Darkroom]

Americans are so funny about freedom.

We're so brainwashed to just shout out our love of "freedom" at any available opportunity, no matter how absurd.

Personally, I don't want pure freedom on my cell phone. My cell phone has so much personal info on me, it's absurd. Every email, every text, every phone call, my location a lot of the time, my contacts, my web searches, my music, my photos. I'd much rather have a highly policed app store who pays professionals to ensure my apps are legit rather than putting that responsibility on me, just so I can have a tag line, "oh, but my store promotes freedom!"

Look if there were a proliferation of great apps existing on android and not in iTunes, then maybe there'd be a point. But there is not. There's better apps across the board on iTunes. My phone is here to provide me what I need at all times while requiring next to no maintenence so it can always do what I need when I need it. Thank you apple fir making this dream a reality.

Good luck, "freedom" fighters.

i guess you missed the whole Mobile Safari security blunder? you mindlessly buy into apple's walled garden, to only be told he's secure, to be as venerable as every other platform in the world but to believe otherwise. on top of all that, you are limited. disallowed. sent to your room by daddy steve without dinner.

you bottom boys love to be told what to do because you're not strong enough or far too lazy to make up your own damn minds.

good luck, fanboy.