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?

.XAP Marketplace apps free (illegal) downloadable?

According to WPcentral:
Sounds like an innocent blog that reviews apps right? Well the concerns from the Twitter posts is that not only does the site review apps but it also contains download links for the .xap file that is residing on Microsoft's servers.
Even if you download the .xap file, it's going to take some effort to get it installed to your Windows Phone 7.
You will need the developer tools and device that is unlocked for development. While the developer tools are free, you have to be a registered developer to get an unlocked device. You CAN however download the .xap and rename it as a .zip and look at the structure of the app, though we're 99% sure that the real "code" of the app is compiled/encoded/encrypted.
Not many will be able to do much with this downloadable file. That is unless you're a developer looking to download free apps from other developers. Still, one has to wonder why it's so easy for a third party site to provide download links to Marketplace apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are talking about the website: http://winmobile7.apphab.com/
Kind of a strange site. They are offering free downloads of paid marketplace applications. Unless you are a developer, you can't do anything with it. But it's still strange...

This sounds like a good way to get in a lot of trouble. I would bet Microsoft can see what apps are installed when the phone checks for marketplace app updates even if you side load it as a developer.

And its still live and offering files to download. Shoddy MS security on display, extremely troubling for devs.

Hopefully Microsoft will look into that site and any similar sites.
We cant have developers loosing money because of these people.

I can't see where you download apps - if its real why not post a link on http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsphone7/threads ?

It says it's for free and trial versions. Isn't it pointless to provide download files anyway since you can only install apps via the Marketplace?

****, they have my app on there, not happy

my app does support trial, I'm not seeing anything about xap downloads, hopefully this means the breach has been fixed and not that I'm looking in the wrong place
I don't mind free publicity, but I put many hours into that and don't want it spread around in such a way (free, unauthorized downloads, raw code)

Definitely not cool for developers. One issue is that all the apps are silverlight and are only compiled to MSIL. Pop open the binaries with Reflector and you've basically got the source code. All devs should utilize Dotfuscator to at least help with this.
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_...-with-preemptive-solutions-for-analytics.aspx

ckacey said:
my app does support trial, I'm not seeing anything about xap downloads, hopefully this means the breach has been fixed and not that I'm looking in the wrong place
I don't mind free publicity, but I put many hours into that and don't want it spread around in such a way (free, unauthorized downloads, raw code)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It looks like the site that had the links (http://winmobile7.apphab.com) took down the link to the XAPs but I bet the issue is still there. It was a pretty simple URL to the Microsoft server. You just had to know the application's GUID and you could download the XAP.

I don't see how this makes them free... you can easily see you need a registered dev device, I doubt it makes the app "free" because there is a fee you must pay.

efjay said:
And its still live and offering files to download. Shoddy MS security on display, extremely troubling for devs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Microsoft can check your device and see if you have pirated software on it, just like they do for XBox live. They already have the infrastructure in place and if you pirate be prepared to have your phone banned from Marketplace, Zune, XBox Live, etc.

RustyGrom said:
Definitely not cool for developers. One issue is that all the apps are silverlight and are only compiled to MSIL. Pop open the binaries with Reflector and you've basically got the source code. All devs should utilize Dotfuscator to at least help with this.
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_...-with-preemptive-solutions-for-analytics.aspx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any decent develper will Obfuscate the code. If they didn't, they were kind of asking for it since it's hot hard to intercept data being downloaded over WiFi, etc. The fact that it can only come from the market was never enough to stop people from getting their hands on the files downloaded from said market.
It's no different than any other platform that uses a VM architecture (Android, WP7, WM 6.x .NET CF, Java ME, etc.).

I found my own app there. I don't however see a download link?
--edit: Nvm, should've read the thread to its end.

What is the URL? To replace with GUID or XAP filename? Could always use archive.org.

i guys!i have a mega pack xap installers with games and apps.
i poste for everyone previous.
sorry bad english...
cmpts

is a method to decrypt files xap
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=34246750&postcount=3

[Q] Need to create an apps that is for or agents, and not for everybody else

Is there a way of creating and deploying an wp7 app that would be only available to our company agents.
As far As I understand this you can only deploy any app via the Market Place - this is useless for any internal business application.
Do I need to wait for better mobile device management or is there away around this ?
Any pointers appreciated guys.

Two ways to do it, the way I see it...
1. Add the program to marketplace, but require an registration number to be inputted in the program for it to work.
2. Side-load it

tiwas said:
Two ways to do it, the way I see it...
1. Add the program to marketplace, but require an registration number to be inputted in the program for it to work.
2. Side-load it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2 won't work, as it could be redistributed.
1 might, but we all know how well registration models work (cracks)
this might be a job for phone-home drm.

tiwas said:
Two ways to do it, the way I see it...
1. Add the program to marketplace, but require an registration number to be inputted in the program for it to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This would probably be the best, especially considering that your agents probably need to login anyway.
But I think that you won't pass certification if they can't test the app.
I don't know what your company does, but maybe you could release an app that is many targeted at your customers and everyone could use. This app could then have a hidden setting to enable special functions after a agent has logged in.

Microsoft are planning on supporting this in the future, their current suggestion, IIRC, is to use some sort of login though.

Image Sizes and Costs

I downloaded somewhere some image sizes - below are two. I am not too sure which one I downloaded these for / from. But can these icon information be used for Windows Mobile 7, Android, and iPad / iPhone?
From what I think I remember speaking with one developer helping him with testing his game, I think he said it was $99.00 a year for 100 applications. If I only wanted to submit one (free) application, would it be better to find someone that already has the feature to develop this application? The application is very small - mainly to read one specific RSS feed.

Hey
the developer account costs are not connected to the image license price. If you want to submit a WP7 app to the marketplace, you have to own a developer account, that costs $99/year. But this price does not grant the permission to use these pictures. You have to ask the creator whether you're allowed to use them.
Regards
Chris

Thanks - sorry I did not mean to imply I would use these images, I just did not know if it was these image (sizes / quality) that was needed.
If the developer has an account though and he develops the app that I need, can he use that account to upload the app?

Hey
For the licensing procedure and requirements you should visit this link:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh184843(v=VS.92).aspx
But I don't get your question. If you're asking wheter you could have another developer programming and submitting the application you need the answer is yes. Every developer that has an account can send apps in. You just have to find someone that wants to create your application. Another possibility would be to program your app yourself and send the compiled version to a developer, so that he can pass it to the WP marketplace...
Regards
Chris

If you need an app built for something easy like an RSS feed, check this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=941248
it discusses a build your own app website.
http://thirdlabs.com/
I have never used it and have no afiliation with the site, but it looks easy enough...
Anywho, once the app is made, you can
sideload it (if you're unlocked)
pay for a dev account and submit it ($99 a year)
try to get a free student account and submit it (see here )
find someone with a dev account that will submit it for you
good luck

Thanks for the links! I have run into the RSS feed link - but it was not that site.
Yes, Chris - that answers that question. I thought as much but wanted to make sure. (Sorry it is difficult for me to sometimes get my point across due to my health).

[Q] Merging Apps From Multiple Countries

Hi all,
Now that Amazon Fire TV is launching in the UK and Germany, I am very keen to be able to merge apps from different countries.
I guess to be able to do this, I would first have to either:
a) Switch the device to a different region and then install an app, then go back to my main region and somehow sideload it or install it in.
For example, if I choose the US version as my main hub, I would also like to copy UK apps and German apps across to the US hub (say Demand 5 from the UK, and Zattoo from Germany).
Would this be possible to sit side by side with the US apps then? (I am talking about official Fire TV apps, not standard Android versions designed for mobile phones).
or would I need someone who has the UK version to copy the app out and send it to me?
I guess many people may not have been able to test this yet since the German version will not launch until the 25th of this month, and the UK one next month, but perhaps people know already if apps can be saved and copied.

OVBG said:
Hi all,
Now that Amazon Fire TV is launching in the UK and Germany, I am very keen to be able to merge apps from different countries.
I guess to be able to do this, I would first have to either:
a) Switch the device to a different region and then install an app, then go back to my main region and somehow sideload it or install it in.
For example, if I choose the US version as my main hub, I would also like to copy UK apps and German apps across to the US hub (say Demand 5 from the UK, and Zattoo from Germany).
Would this be possible to sit side by side with the US apps then? (I am talking about official Fire TV apps, not standard Android versions designed for mobile phones).
or would I need someone who has the UK version to copy the app out and send it to me?
I guess many people may not have been able to test this yet since the German version will not launch until the 25th of this month, and the UK one next month, but perhaps people know already if apps can be saved and copied.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think another problem will be geo block, so even if we as a community share the apk's, they still might not work unless the connection is pushed through a proxy from that country.
What I would love to see is a addon where FireTV (or wider xbmc) users can allow to share their connection with the rest of the community as a proxy, this has to be under certain time and bandwidth parameters and only for known geo blocked URL's. (needs to be very clear what acces is given to other users using your IP)
This would allow world wide content for everybody, having a US IP myself, would love to have acces to the UK BBC media.
Some automated addon to select tor exit nodes might work too, but think the performance would be way better if this is done within the FireTV/XBMC community.

Hi Userr12,
The geo-blocking part should not be a problem. The key is using something like Smart DNS (google eyeondemand) which should work for most services.
The beauty about smart DNS is that unlike a VPN, it can unblock any country (A VPN will just work for one at a time), making this perfect for mix and matching apps on the Amazon Fire TV. So, you could switch say from Hulu to Demand 5 or Zattoo etc.

Never heard of that option before, that's great though, direct it on DNS level, will look into it.

OVBG said:
Hi Userr12,
The geo-blocking part should not be a problem. The key is using something like Smart DNS (google eyeondemand) which should work for most services.
The beauty about smart DNS is that unlike a VPN, it can unblock any country (A VPN will just work for one at a time), making this perfect for mix and matching apps on the Amazon Fire TV. So, you could switch say from Hulu to Demand 5 or Zattoo etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you give me some more advice on how to do this, for a total n00b? My fire tv is coming shortly, and I'd like to access US Netflix but still have UK apps like Demand 5 and iPlayer. I was planning on buying unblock-us but I'd much rather get something like what you mentioned above.