Disqus
Just when you thought Android was all lollipops and rainbows, it turns out they’re still keeping some control of the G1. Some snooping around the Android terms of service has revealed a particular tidbit on what Google can do with the smartphone’s software:
“Google may discover a product that violates the developer distribution agreement … in such an instance, Google retains the right to remotely remove those applications from your device at its sole discretion.”
On the one hand, that does sound like a fair precaution to protect users from malicious or seriously buggy software while still leaving the Android Market open. On the other, it does show that Google doesn’t give developers entirely free reign. Maybe that’s a good thing, and a balanced approach, but there are bound to be people unhappy that Google is backpedaling just a teeny bit on their supposedly open platform. I guess the next thing to do is take a look at the developer agreement and see if there’s anything especially unreasonable in there that apps might get pulled for violating…
[via ComputerWorld]
About The Author
Simon Sage
Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement. With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out.
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Mary
