Develop Bugs

Android Market separation?

Hi,
If someone can explain this to me ...
I found out that there is separation on Android Market, user from certain countries cannot purchase certain apps.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=6046360&postcount=4
Why is that?
So, if I am in the UK, I can only purchase apps that are available ONLY for UK market?
I could not think any single reason of this kind of decision will help the customers and the developers.
Why is it not just ONE SINGLE Android Market for EVERYONE?

Well. Nobody really knows. Its very annoying. Its the same story here in Denmark. No paid apps on non-rootet phones with Market enabler.
HTC and google can not give us an answer to why or when paid apps will be availble for us.

Indeed, this is very annoying and I could not think any benefit of it.
I am just wondering, is there anything like this on iPhone? There is in WM, but I believe Microsoft decided to change that on WP7.
I hope Google will change this decission to make Android more attractive to software developers.

I suspect that the country filtering is present for several reasons.
1. Country specific applications. There is no need for an app that only applies to i.e. the UK to be displayed in Asia or in the US.
2. Copyright and trademark issues. Arrangements needs to be done in each country as laws are different.
3. Localization. I assume that Google does not want to add paid apps support in countries not yet fully localized to the local language. This was the case when Android was initially released. The G1 was released in the UK and in the US, and paid apps did not become avaliable until Android had been localized to for example German or French. Once the translations were complete, paid apps followed shortly after.
While Android is currently localized to several other languages, Norwegian included, these translations are far from complete, and needs some additional work.
Hopefully it should not take so long, but hey, who knows.
I will download the localization strings in a short while, and try to perfect them a bit more. After all, Android is open source.

Actually it does make sense for some application to be available in only one country. To give you an example, why would someone in the UK be interested in an application about traffic in Copenhagen? When a developer publishes his app he can chose to make it available for all countries or just for specific countries. Blackberry App World has something like this and I'm not 100% sure but I think the iphone also.

And what if you want go to Copenhagen?
Are free aps also separated or is it just payed ones?

syd2o2 said:
And what if you want go to Copenhagen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly! Also, I don't think copyright would have anything to do with it. AFAIK, it wouldn't matter which country you made your app available to. If it's copyrighted and you disctribute it, you're in trouble.
I can't imagine google getting involved in copyright issues for each and every app. Im pretty sure they would shift liability to the developer/provider in their terms and conditions.

Localisation exists for the following reasons.
1. Language. You can make 1 app that supports all languages, but if there is a lot of text this would cause the app to bloat with unnecessary stuff. simpler to make apps for each language/region.
2. Localisation. The dev may decide there is no point in his app being available outside his particular locale. The first App i noticed this with was to do with the American Presidential elections. Of course I can still see a lot of US specific Transport Apps here in the UK, because the dev has decided it would be worthwile people from other regions having them (holidaymakers for instance).
3. Payment. If you set up an app for worldwide distribution it is priced in your own local currency. If you price an App for a specific region it is priced in that regions currency. This means the price of an app will not fluctuate with exchange rates, which may make people more likely to buy.

I live in Denmark, and as i understand it, the reason why we cannot have the payed apps here are because Google and the telephone companies have not agreed about how the payment modells are to work.
-They both want to big a cut of the cake.

Heh, the funny thing is that Google owns Admob, and their own Adwords service. They essentially makes a lot of money regardless of whether the developer chooses to support it through ads or through direct sales.

I stumbled across this website last night which lists (what looks like) every app on the Android marketplace, along with a QR Code (3D Barcode).
http :// www . cyrket . com
Could this be a workaround to be able to get hold of applications not available in certain countries? It's just that I can't help but notice japanese titles on there with a Yen price next to them.
I've just ordered my Desire today, but have been trying to find out which apps are available - I'm a little annoyed you can't just browse them on the android marketplace website!

Usually the QR code is just for a marketplace search, if it isn't available in your location or phone then you still can't download it.
The only way to bypass this is direct purchase from the developer or downloading the apk to install with an apkinstaller.

Then why there is not any alternative market?
You know, just a website which developer can submit their app there ... accessible via special app from the phone ... do the transaction via web
Like download.com Or cydia for the iPhone?
Microsoft will do it (single unified app market place) with WP7, why not Google? Strange ...

Ah I see, bugger... That's a shame.
Surely it's down to the developer to make it a global rather than a regional app on publishing to the marketplace?

[request] Adressbook Filter/Highlighter/App to highlight number prefix

Hello xda-forum members,
i am searching for a tool or app which can filter/highlight Names in the Adressbook.
Maybe its better to explain what for i want it.
There are so many numbers of Providers like AT&T, Verizone, Orange, Vodafone, T-Mobile... they all have a special prefix
in Germany
0151, 0160, 0170, 0171, 0175
D1/T-Mobile
0152, 0162, 0172, 0173, 0174
Vodafone, D2
0155, 0157, 0161, 0163, 0164, 0177, 0178
E-Plus, BASE, Simyo
0159, 0176, 0179
O2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I need an App or a plugin for the adressbook to Filter out the numbers from a Provider.
Ideas
1. just Filter it for the beginning numbers and Show Highlighted(other color)
2. an App where you can Select the Provider and then it shows the list of Contacts with this Provider
3. Just add the tag Provider to the adressbook (like the Filter looks for numbers in the beginning)
Maybe this App / Filter already exists, i didn't find it.
So if anyone knows about software like this let me know...
thanks
Edit: i am now at Android ;-) so this Tread can be closed and deleted

Korean HTC Desire Android Market

My mother purchased an HTC Desire in Korea on SK Telecom and unfortunately the android market is severely crippled. Only free Chinese and Korean apps can be downloaded. No games, paid apps, or foreign apps are available for download.
The reason there are no games is because the Korean government only allows the sale of games that are rated (ie. 12, 15, 18) which none of the apps in the android market are.
I was wondering if rooting and installing a different ROM would circumvent this issue and allow her to download other apps. Or if there is another way around this that would be great.
Also, will a different ROM cause problems such as no text messages or 3G service?
I know that all Windows Mobile phones in Korea have carrier specific ROMs that are different from foreign ROMs because the messaging/data service is different in Korea. Although this may not be the case with Android phones.
Thanks for all your help.

You need to root so you can use market enabler (app) then you can download from other countries markets. You don't need to flash another rom but you can do that if you want to, should not encounter any problems there.

Wow, thanks for the quick reply. I'll try it out and see how it goes.

To see all the regional markets

Hey guys
Is there a way to see all the regional markets in my Desire? So I'll see all the applications from all the markets?
Thanks!

Go here:
www.appbrain.com
Great site, and can install directly to your phone from the website (getting around any region locks in the process =D)

[Q] Chinese version of the Nokia 900

Hi everyone,
This is my first thread here (and also first post) so i want to say hello and also bring up a situation i have with my new mobile.
Its a "Nokia 900" i bought in China, Shanghai, at the Nokia retail store. Its nice because its unlocked. But it wasnt that cheap... it was cheaper if you compare the price in Brazil, where i live and where i'm using the device. Taxes here are insanely high.
So, the problem i have now is that this mobile is the chinese version. That means it doesnt come with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn set as default accounts. So i cant add facebook contacts for example and its totally killing the social appeal of wp.
If i try to add an account i'll find Weibo, QQ and Sohu, i dont even know whats that for but i believe its the chinese social networks. Since facebook, twitter and so are blocked in China...
Then i had a little research and found this forum. This specific thread is actualy my only hope: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1605144
Now my plan is to use the nokia care suite and try to up/downgrade the firmware/rom so i can have a euro/american like device...
Some information about the versions:
OS version 7.10.8779.8
firmware rev 2175.2101.8779.12201
hardware rev 112.1914.2.0
radio sw 2.1.75.20
radio hw 8055
bootloader 7.17.2.0
And since i couldnt post on the development forum cos i'm noob, here is the question
Do you guys think it could work? is it worth a try?
i can use everything else on the phone, including the facebook and twitter apps. everything works fine but lacking some features. I can't get the facebook chat working under the message tile for example... also the people tile only have the windows live contacts so no pictures... not cool D:
well, thank you in advance for any information!

Try this first:
settings / region+language / system locale (Try English (United states).
Hope it works...

tabraoui said:
Try this first:
settings / region+language / system locale (Try English (United states).
Hope it works...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea thanks for the repply but i've tryed this and it didnt worked out.
i even tried settings > email + account > add an account > other account / advanced setup and set the facebook domain with pw but it didnt worked also...

One reason I hate China is that they censor every goddamn social networking site.
Well, you could try flashing another ROM to it.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1605144

I got your PM, and I don't know for sure if it will work. I tried to flash the Rogers ROM to my ATT US Lumia and it would not flash. I was trying to take it from an RM-808 (ATT) to an RM-823 (Rogers). That evidentially does not work.
I think someone said that if the RM-??? number is the same, you can flash another ROM.
It's worth a try, but be aware that it might hurt your phone. I tried Rogers, and it simply gave me a message that it would not flash, but I cannot say for certain that another ROM will not do damage.
PS: I'm sorry I don't have better or more certain news.

this is going so damn wrong that i couldnt even know my phone RM model D:
i had my lesson, never buy mobile phone in china again....