Android and Me » complaints

Google wants to monitor your phone calls’ background noise to better serve you ads

Dustin Earley — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:08:57 +0000

Google is no stranger to collecting your information in order to better serve you advertisements, but if a recently filed patent ever comes to life, the company will be taking it to the next level.

Google has made a fortune out of organizing information. They’ve created algorithms and catalogued the Internet. They’ve taken pictures all over the globe and used them to create an accurate ground-level map of the world. They’ve charted the seas and skies, handed out alternatives to expensive software and created an open source operating system, just to give it away to manufacturers for free. Why? To serve you ads.

That’s how Google really makes money. Their ads are everywhere. And more often than not, they’re tailor made to the things that interest you. By looking at the things you search for and look at online, Google can serve you ads that should be of more interest to you. In theory, that’s supposed to make you click on more ads. “Oh hey, I was just searching for this type of product, and here’s an ad for one! What luck!”

Apparently, the current methods of information collection are not fast enough though. Google needs to know how to better serve you ads based on the here and now of what’s going on around you. But it’s not like Google can place some sort of monitoring device on you that would tell them if you’re stuck in the rain, right? Well, wrong.

Google has recently filed a patent titled “Advertising based on environmental conditions.” Google wants to monitor your phone calls, and listen for things to pick up on that could be of use for advertising. Like rain, so they can sell you umbrellas. Of course, it wouldn’t be a human tapping into your phone calls, filling out information on you. It would be a robot. Which makes it totally not creepy.

It doesn’t stop there though. Google would also like to analyze the pictures you take. If you take some pictures in the snow, for example, Google could send you ads for snow shovels or other snow related products.

This is absolutely terrifying.

Google released a statement on these patent filings saying that not all patents signal a future product or service. Some of the technologies patented by Google do mature into final products, while some don’t. Either way, the fine folks at Google are not only occupying themselves imagining a world where companies get to listen to your phone calls to make more money, but they see themselves playing a key roll in it.

I’ve always been creeped out by personalized advertising, but this is taking it to a whole new level. Can you imagine every one of your phone calls being monitored to serve you ads based on what’s going on around you? Would you mind if your phone sent the pictures you take to a computer, where they’re analyzed for key information on your whereabouts?

If this is the future of products like Google Voice and Instant Upload, you can count me out now.

Bonus video: Thank you Javier for pointing out the hilarious video from fake news site The Onion.

Is it no longer convenient to be an AT&T unlimited data user?

Edgar Cervantes — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:52:58 +0000

Before AT&T tiered data plans started coming into effect, users were happy to be unlimited data subscribers. Once the changes went into place they would be grandfathered, allowing them to keep their unlimited plan. This was before AT&T started throttling its top 5% of data consumers. Grandfathered customers are now suffering from an interesting effect in the system.

AT&T throttles the top 5% of data consumers in their network, but this is not just an estimate. They literally throttle the top 5%, regardless of where that limit happens to fall, that month. This would mean that if AT&T managed to keep convincing subscribers to use less and less data, the limit would go down, along with the users’ habits. If the top 5% miraculously managed to use only 200 MB a month (or 20 GB), that is where the limit would hit.

The situation is not as critical yet, but “unlimited” data users are certainly experiencing a lower throttling cap. And it seems like tiered data plan subscribers also come into the equation, even though only unlimited users are being throttled.

After going about his business as regular, AT&T user John Cozen was notified that he was being throttled for falling under the 5% top users window. He had only used 2.1 GB of data in that month. After a series of e-mails, AT&T confirmed that this was not a mistake, and the top 5% was being throttled after using just a bit over 2 GB of data.

AT&T’s new smartphone data plans include:

AT&T Data Plus 300MB: $20 for 300MB
AT&T Data Pro 3GB: $30 for 3GB
AT&T Data Pro 5GB: $50 for 5GB, with mobile hotspot / tethering

It might no longer be convenient to be grandfathered into those unlimited data plans (unless you don’t mind the slower speeds). Of course, tiered data plans are not affected. If one pays the equally priced $30 plan, you get 3 GB of data, which is about an extra GB compared to unlimited data subscribers (before being throttled).

The tables have turned around, and unlimited data plans might not be as great as we thought. At least with AT&T. It just might be time for power users to start saying goodbye to their grandfathered plans. They could be getting a better deal with the 3 GB tiered data plan.

Have any of our readers experienced a similar problem? Would you rather leave your grandfathered plan to get that tiered 3 GB plan?

Brick and mortar retailers complain about the drawbacks of brick, mortar

Anthony Domanico — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:02:29 +0000

Amazon is running a timely promotion this weekend, providing a discount for shoppers who use Amazon’s Price Check app in brick-and-mortar stores, and then order the eligible product through Amazon. Shoppers who do this can perform up to three price checks and score a $5 discount each time they then order that product through amazon (total of $15 savings).

As you can imagine, retailers are none too happy about Amazon’s holiday promotion. In an official statement, the Retail Industry Leaders Association’s spokeswoman Katherine Lugar stated:

Retailers compete on price 365 days a year, and at no time is that competition hotter than during the make-or-break holiday shopping season. However, by continuing to evade collecting state sales taxes, Amazon’s exploitation of a pre-Internet tax loophole is resulting in a 6-10 percent perceived price advantage over their competitors on Main Street.

Amazon’s aggressive promotion of its Price Check App shows the lengths they are willing to go to exploit this tax loophole, and is a stark reminder of why Congress needs to act to protect retailers on Main Street. A failure to act is an implicit endorsement of a subsidy of Amazon, a subsidy that distorts the free market and puts jobs on Main Street at risk.Katherine LugarRetail Industry Leaders Association

It’s pretty obvious that the Retail Industry Leaders Association is using Amazon’s move to promote their own political agenda. I think it’s safe to assume that Amazon would likely run this promotion even if it did charge its customers a sales tax, and nowhere in Amazon’s promotion does it detail the fact that most people who shop Amazon don’t pay sales tax. This promotion is no different than what all retailers do; you sell something for $60, I’ll sell it for $55. Though sales tax is certainly on people’s minds when they buy from Amazon vs. a brick and mortar store, it is not what is at the center of this promotion.

Along similar and more staunchly derogatory lines, in a post entitled “Amazon’s Latest Dick Move,” The Stranger states:

An online retailer convinces customers to do product research for them while simultaneously using small businesses as unpaid showrooms. Someone must have had a huge laugh in the South Lake Union conference room where that idea was brought up. Let me be clear: If you do this, you're a f!@*%&@ %$!hole.Paul ConstantThe Stranger

It’s clear that Amazon is taking significant heat from it’s holiday promotion, something anyone with a brain saw coming the minute the promotion was announced. The Stranger, though presented in a much more lewd fashion, have a bit of a point: Amazon’s Price Check Promotion is hurting small business. I don’t think anyone can dispute that. But just because these businesses can’t fully compete in today’s retail landscape with online-only retailers doesn’t mean that Amazon shouldn’t be allowed to do what it wants to gain business.

Is this a douchey move by Amazon to gain more customers? Definitely. Telling people to go into stores to test out what they want to buy, then giving them an incentive to turn around and buy it on Amazon is a bold slap in the face to brick-and-mortar retailers. But let’s face it; we’re all doing that already anyway.

What do you guys think? Whose side are you on in this debate? Do you think this is as big a deal as people are making it out to be?

Android users complain that Sprint iPhone 4S makes their 3G network even slower

Taylor Wimberly — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:17:32 +0000

What happens when you add thousands of data-hungry iPhone 4S devices to America’s slowest 3G network? Surprise! It gets slower. Many Sprint customers are experiencing slower-than-normal 3G speeds after the iPhone 4S joined the Now Network, and they are not happy about it. A quick scan of a comment thread on reddit shows many users are only seeing download speeds of 200-500 Kbps, compared to normal download speeds of 1 Mbps.

If you have an Android phone on Sprint, we encourage you to download the Speedtest.net app and share your results. Have you seen decreased download speeds during the last week since the iPhone launch? Be sure to include your location and let us know in the comments below.

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Anthony Domanico’s Complaint Department: Carrier Limitations

Anthony Domanico — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:54:22 +0000

The Complaint Department is once again open after a brief hiatus! This week, targets are locked on mobile cloud computing. The quantity and variety of things being stored in the cloud is increasing, but carriers are continually decreasing the amount of bandwidth mobile users are able to consume. The end result will be a system in which tons of information is stored outside the normal channels — channels we may not be able to use on our mobile devices.

With the recent releases of Google Music, Amazon Cloud Storage and Apple’s iCloud, it’s clear cloud-based computing is becoming a big trend in the technology industry and will certainly become more prominent in the mobile arena. Experts suggest expandable storage devices (such as external hard drives and micro SD cards) are headed towards extinction, particularly when it comes to smartphones and tablets. Though we certainly hope the lack of expandable memory won’t soon become the norm, cloud computing pushes that notion within the realm of possibility — something that gets extremely problematic in light of carrier limitations on data usage.

Carriers

But one large piece of the puzzle is missing. In the telecom industry in particular, there’s a strong and significant movement towards tiered (or flat-out capped) data plans, where users incur expensive overage charges for exceeding a certain level of monthly data usage. This is true of phone and tablet plans alike, given current offerings. With these caps being set as low as a measly 2 GB with $10/GB overage charges, the costs of cloud computing from mobile devices could quickly become astronomical.

Sprint is boasting that it’s the only carrier left to offer a truly unlimited data plan; however, recent comments by CEO Dan Hesse lead us to believe that they, too, may succumb to capping mobile data in the not-too-distant future.

It gets really problematic considering how little bandwidth is actually allowed under these caps. Yes, I understand mobile is a different ballgame, but I have a 250 GB cap at home. Some hardcore users can easily exceed even those high broadband cap levels. With mobile broadband caps falling at 2-5 GB (a paltry 1-2% of broadband caps), we can and are seeing more and more users complaining about hefty data bills or abysmal dial-up throttled speeds.

Cloud Computing Requires More Data

With greater amounts of information being stored in the cloud, users who want to stream music or access files on the go are using more data than they ever have. But with heavy carrier restrictions on data usage, users will potentially be left out in the cold once they hit those data caps.

Aaron Baker from Phonedog said it best in this tweet from Apple’s iCloud launch:

So with AT&T's 2 GB data plan, you'll be able to take advantage of iCloud for approximately seven minutesAaron BakerPhonedog

Though the seven minute figure applies if you could achieve AT&T’s current ~6Mbps max download speeds, that we’re even talking minutes and not days to reach the cap really highlights the problem with carrier data plans. The amount of data we consume is growing at an exponential rate, while the amount of data telecom companies are allowing us to consume is ever-shrinking. I just don’t see mobile cloud computing taking off unless the carriers have a significant change of heart.

Unfortunately, the likeliness of this happening appears bleaker by the day. AT&T has recently announced that they will soon start throttling data speeds for the 5% of customers who use the largest amounts of data. Verizon and T-Mobile have both recently revamped their data packages, bringing either higher costs, lower bandwidth caps or both. All in all, it’s not looking like carriers are going to be on board with more progressive and lax data limitations anytime soon.

Solutions/Conclusions

Could Wi-Fi potentially be the answer? Several users will posit that most of us have constant access to Wi-Fi networks wherever we happen to be. Though in my opinion, that kind of defeats the purpose of “mobile.” I buy a smartphone because I want the ability to handle my basic computing needs. I don’t really want to worry about whether or not a Wi-Fi connection is readily available. I sign a contract with a carrier like T-Mobile or Verizon Wireless with the understanding that they should be able to deliver on all my mobile needs. Sadly, with hefty overage charges and data throttling, this just isn’t the case today.

There are several questions that remain unanswered and will play an instrumental role in the future of cloud computing.

How long will carriers be allowed to set such minimal data caps on their customers?
What actions can companies such as Google, Amazon and (dare I say it?) Apple take to ensure cloud computing takes off?
Is unlimited data truly a relic of the past, or will it rear its head again sometime soon?
Is the future made brighter with Wi-Fi and not cellular networks as we know them today?

Please keep in mind that these are my opinions and thoughts as I try to understand the future of cloud computing. These ideas are in no way meant to be construed as fact. Have a different opinion? Think I’m spot on? We definitely want to hear from all of you on this important issue. Sound off in the comments below, where you’ll earn double points.

Anthony Domanico’s Complaint Department: App Fragmentation

Anthony Domanico — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:39:56 +0000

Hello newsfans! We at Android and Me are trying to shake things up a little bit and thought it would be cool to bring you guys some regular posts that are a bit off the beaten path. In addition to the regular coverage we know you all love, we’ll be writing a few standing weekly columns on various topics related to your favorite mobile operating system. Now, I can’t let you in on what we’re planning on doing just yet (mostly because the column you’re about to read is the only one we’ve settled on at this point). But be sure to stay tuned to Android and Me for further weekly column announcements.

The Android and Me staff would like to introduce to you our newest weekly column, “Anthony Domanico’s Complaint Department.” Let’s face it: No matter how much we love Android, there are some things out there that really drive us nuts. After all, it can’t be all good, right? Each week I’ll write about something that really bothers me, or we’ll scour Twitter and Facebook comments for a topic. Our staff will investigate things that are bugging the Android community and provide a more in-depth post explaining the issue and what we’d like done about it (if we can think of any good solutions, that is).

Without further ado, the first (of many) in the Anthony Domanico’s Complaint Department series:

You know what really grinds my gears this week? Fragmentation. And no, I’m not talking about operating system fragmentation, I’m talking about the potentially worse kind. There has been an increasingly troubling trend of late, catching the eye of many in the Android community. Increasingly awesome and must-have applications are becoming handset specific, leaving users who don’t happen to own the exact right piece of hardware out in the cold. At least OS-specific fragmentation made a bit of sense; some software just depended on advancements that were only allowed by the most recent Android operating system. Froyo (Android 2.2) offered significant performance improvements and features that weren’t found in Eclair (2.1), which in turn had significant performance improvements and features that weren’t found in Donut (1.6), and so on. What I really don’t understand is that I can have two nearly identical phones sitting next to each other, running the same version of Android, and one of them can’t run an application because of device or chipset fragmentation.

Netflix/Hulu

Before we walk down the Netflix/Hulu path, I must fully disclose that the main reason Netflix/Hulu is available only on certain devices is due to DRM issues that Netflix must account for before they allow a device access to their instant streaming capability. This is a known (and indeed necessary) evil, and one that shouldn’t really affect our thinking about this type of fragmentation.

That being said, try telling that to people who own devices that don’t happen to currently be on the supported devices list. Even worse, one thing we can be sure of is not all devices will ever end up supporting Netflix and/or Hulu, even some of the higher end devices just hitting/about to hit store shelves. Will the upcoming Droid Bionic ever see support for these services? How about the Galaxy S2? Or, gasp, the Nexus 3/Prime/Unicorn phone that is supposed to be the flagship device for the impending fall of the OS-fragmentation empire?

The announcement of Netflix HD for Texas Instruments OMAP4 processors adds another level of complexity to the puzzle, as who knows whether or not viewing Netflix in High Definition will come to non-TI chipsets, or how long it will take.

The very fact that the fate of these (arguably) essential services is unknown, that the inclusion of these types of applications can make or break the purchasing decision for a vast number of consumers, makes a strong case for the potential issues with this new type of fragmentation.

Chipset-specific applications

Chipset-specific applications is the area that really tends to leave a bad taste in the Android user’s mouth. Netflix once fell into this category when it announced it would be available exclusively on devices featuring Qualcomm’s snapdragon processor. The inclusion on the Samsung Nexus S (Hummingbird), as well as the announcement that NVIDIA is working with Netflix to bring this service to Tegra devices, quickly remedied this problem.

Where individuals seem to be the most frustrated with chipset-specific application fragmentation has been with games that have worn the “Tegra-only” tag. There have been many games released recently that play extremely well on the Motorola Xoom, G2x or other Tegra-toting devices, but owners of HTC’s Sensation/EVO 3D or the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S2 series won’t be able to enjoy them, even though their devices can certainly handle the extra graphical strain these games require. In fact, some of them have been hacked to run on the now year-old HTC Nexus One.

We reached out to NVIDIA for comment as to whether or not they are forcing developers to enter into exclusive relationships, and received this official comment.

It's completely up to the developer what platforms they release games on. They tend to focus on Tegra due to the graphics capability and familiar graphics architecture, which makes it easier to bring console-quality games to mobile. Developers also tend to focus on a single platform to ease debug and support requirements.Official StatementNVIDIA

Though it appears NVIDIA is not currently targeting exclusive deals with developers, is this tactic one that NVIDIA or other chipset makers will revert to as a means of convincing handset manufacturers to use their products in future devices?

If things continue in this direction, I believe it paints a very dark future for Android. Though we can all probably think of a million negative things to say about iOS, the fact is releasing only one iPhone every year prevents this problem from occurring. And since Microsoft and RIM have a pretty solid death grip over Windows Phone 7 and Blackberry OS, this problem seems to be Android-specific. At least for the foreseeable future.

Solutions?

Assuming this is even remotely as large a problem as I have made it out to be, what can be done about device/chipset fragmentation? Should we reach out to the likes of NVIDIA and Qualcomm and TI to let them know that we don’t approve of the direction they’re headed in this respect? Should Google step in and put the kibosh on it?

Unfortunately, unless Google has something up their sleeves when it comes to Ice Cream Sandwich, I don’t see a solution to this issue presenting itself anytime soon.

Feedback

With these weekly columns, we want to be more interactive with our readers. As such, we always want to hear from you and will do what we can to carry on the conversation in the comments. This is also an opportunity for you to tell us what bugs you about Android. We may explore your gripes for future stories. To get this process started, I’ll pose a couple questions for you to wrestle with.

Have you experienced chipset fragmentation? How/in what ways?
Is chipset-fragmentation as big of an issue as I’m making it out to be?
What potential solutions do you see for chipset fragmentation?
Does having an application such as Netflix, Hulu or Galaxy on Fire 2 influence which Android smartphone or tablet you’re going to purchase next?
What grinds your gears about Android?

Sound off on these (and more) questions in the comments. See you next week.

Android moving forward, Market left behind

Justin Shapcott — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:16:19 +0000

Anyone who follows Android knows that it is moving forward at an unbelievable pace. In just over a year, we have seen four versions of the Android OS (1.0, 1.1, 1.5, 1.6) and a fifth is only days away (2.0).

In that time, however, we have only seen minor changes to one of the core pieces of the Android experience, the Android Market. Here we look at some of our perceived problems of the Android Market and try to offer our suggestions for how to improve it. Of course, this is not a new discussion, but rather one we have discussed several times here at Android and Me, and is a popular complaint around the web.

So, what’s so wrong with the Android Market?

Take a look at this list, which we published all the way back in February 2009, where we outlined some of our biggest complaints with the Android Market at that time. Now compare those complaints the Android Market today. The list is pretty much the same, regardless of which version you are running (which is another discussion altogether).

So, how is it that in eight months and through several versions of Android we have yet to see any of these (except for clearing the cache) hit the Android Market application? Granted, it is possible that these suggestions never made it to Google, but many of them are just common sense. But these are not the only complaints that we’ve seen floating around the web, and most of those changes have not yet made it into the Market.

For the sake of currency, let’s create a new list of complaints:

1. Allow URLs in description to launch browser

As was previously mentioned, it is incredibly cumbersome to retype links included in descriptions to be launched in the browser. Granted there is a Website field that should be used for that, but sometimes there is another link that is included in the description that should be clickable.

2. A popularity list for daily, weekly, monthly

This is a topic which has been discussed time and time again at various places including the official Android groups at Google Groups. While we do have a popularity sort in the Market (now called Top Paid and Top Free in Android 1.6) this doesn’t cut it because this appears to be all-time popularity so those at the top generally stay at the top. We need to be able to tell what is new and hot.

3. Sorting (and filtering) reviews by star rating

The ability to sort and filter reviews of products is very common in online marketplaces. The Android Market, however provides no such functionality to let a user decide how they want to view comments so that they get the most out of them.

4. Long press options on user reviews

As was mentioned before, we’d like to be able to see all reviews by a certain reviewer. This functionality could lead us to better app discoverability if we find a reviewer that offers meaningful reviews. And discoverability is something that the Market severely lacks.

5. Support for tagging applications

One of the foundations of a thriving virtual marketplace is discoverability, and the Android Market fails here at every turn. The current categories do not allow developers to accurately describe their application in many cases. Developers should be able to add tags for their applications and users should be allowed to add their own tags to increase the discoverability of applications and games.

6. Favorite Developers

The Market should provide a way for the user to “watch” a developer for new applications rather than resorting to following external news feeds such as Twitter and blogs to be notified of new applications by a developer they like.

7. Easy way to recommend applications

Again, we find ourselves discussing discoverability of applications. Right now, we have only the popularity sort and comments by which to get recommendations about other apps. What would work better is a “people who like this also liked…” function that is extremely common in online marketplaces. One Android developer (I4 Feet Software) has implemented a recommendation feature in their application My Market, but this feature should be available in the actual Android Market.

8. Bookmarking Applications

There are plenty of times where we install applications that are intriguing but they are not quite “there” and we’d like to bookmark those applications so that we can uninstall them and watch for updates. Why we must install and keep an application in order to receive update notifications is a mystery.

9. Better Search

Why, oh, why is it so hard for the search giant Google to adequately provide a search function in the Android Market? As it stands, the search feature of the market does not gracefully accept typos or other misspellings of application names, it does not allow boolean queries, and it does not allow you to limit your results to a certain type or category. So basically all of the features we know and love in Google search are absent in Android Market search.

10. Filters

A common complaint amongst users comes in the form of filterable market data. For many of us, there are certain types of applications and/or developers that we simply have no desire to ever see. This has even driven the development of the previously mentioned application My Market which implements this feature. The problem with My Market though, is that it relies on unsupported web calls that Google could change at any time, and it depends on the developer name and/or application name for its filters. All a developer has to do to avert being ignored is change the developer display name. If Google implemented this, the filters could be based on developer account as opposed to developer name.

11. Analytics For Developers

Developers need to be better able to gauge the successes and failures of their applications. Currently developers are only provided with the total downloads and the number of active installs of their applications. This information, while mildly useful, does not give enough to know how our applications are doing. Things like Android version, and region would help to troubleshoot issues. Being able to access comments from the Developer Console (along with extended information such as app version and Android version at time of comment) would also help. The “Reason for uninstalling survey” that users must fill out when uninstalling applications is never presented to the developer, so one can only guess why one’s users are uninstalling the application.

12 Inability to load multiple versions of the same app in same space

With multiple versions of Android being active, and such different functionality provided by each version, developers have a difficult task of keeping support for prior versions yet still updating to include new features. The current options for developers include upload a new version to a new space on the Market, use reflection to hack new features into older versions (and fail gracefully when those new features are not present), forget about new features, or forget old users. Developers should have the facility to upload a new version of an app into the same space but requires a certain version of Android. The Market would then determine the appropriate version to distribute to the user.

13. An official web-accessible version

While we have enjoyed having Cyrket and AndroLib, Google should provide an official web accessible version of the market for locating and viewing applications while not on the device. Ideally, this would provide real-time access to the same information as the on-device client. This would make it so that users wouldn’t have to rely third-party sites using unsupported web service calls and caching of information previously collected (and potentially not updated).

14. Other issues presented by top Android developer Larva Labs on their blog:

a. Limitation of Application Description to 325 characters

This is simply not enough space to accurately describe an application or game in many cases.

b. Applications not listed (without apparent reason) for some users.

For no apparent reason some users simply don’t see certain apps. To make it worse, sometimes applications seem to come and go, again for no apparent reason.

c. Download failures.

We’ve all seen this happen, where we go to download an application or game and it simply doesn’t work.

d. Refunds

Refunds are good, and bad. They are good for those cases where you simply don’t get what you thought you were getting but, for certain types of apps (markedly games) 24 hours is simply too long. As Larva Labs quotes: “Great game, loved it. Beat it in an hour – refund.” is a relatively common comment.

For the sake of being fair, some things we like:

1. Screenshots for Applications and Games.

With Android 1.6, Google introduced screenshots to the Market. This is great for both users and developers because it allows the Developer to better communicate his/her application to the user, and the user can make a better decision about that application or game before downloading it. Unfortunately, the number of Android devices running 1.6 as disappointing, with many new phones still being released with 1.5.

2. Promo Graphics and Text.

Also with Android 1.6, Google introduced another opportunity for developers to reach their audience with promo graphics and text to be displayed (at Google’s will) in featured apps areas of the Market. Again, this requires the user to be on Android 1.6, and many are not.

3. Update Notifications.

It’s great to be notified when there are updates to applications you have installed. In the early days of the Market we had to physically look for updates to applications. It wasn’t hard, but it was an extra step we had to take to remain current. The notification system needs some work as there are numerous reports of false notifications and missing notifications, but overall this feature is good and we can still fall back to manual checking.

4. Openness.

The openness of the Android Market is one of its greatest features both for users and developers. With this openness, Users get a wide variety of applications, and developers can release updates and fixes without having to jump through hoops and approval processes.

So Where Do We Go From Here?

We think that Google must take a more active interest in the Android Market if it is to succeed.

The fact that so little of the user complaints have been addressed in the past year is very disheartening and is a shame considering the great potential of Android and the Market to bring new and exciting applications and games to users. This is especially important as Android gets more and more exposure, such as with the release of the Motorola Droid on Verizon this week. PC World has even gone so far as to say that the Android Market is holding back the success of the Droid even before it has been released. And with further pressure being added by the announcement that Palm will be opening up its market for Web OS, we think that the time is now for Google to make waves and improve on this key piece of the Android ecosystem.

For even more Market gripes check out these discussions of the official Google groups for Android here, here, and here.

Market Gripe #461 – Removed Apps Still Hanging Around

Clark Wimberly — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:16:27 +0000

Lately the iPhone App Store has been all over the blogosphere for the removal or rejection of various apps. Another thing I noticed was Android users teasing the fanboys because Android doesn’t have to deal with problems like this. Or does it? While it may be easier to get into the Android Market, getting removed still seems to be a huge headache.

Cubik still listed

When a program is removed, remnants are left behind for any user who had previously downloaded or purchased the app. For example, months back, I purchased Cubik, a pretty rad Tetris clone. Since then, Cubik was removed from the Market (I assume due to copyright infringement but I can’t say for sure). To this day, when I load the market and click My Downloads, I still find Cubik listed, teasing me with its Tetrisy awesomeness.

It gets weirder, though. You can still click on the app, see the description, the ratings, even an Install button. There is no warning or message that the app has been removed or is no longer included in the Market. When you click Install, the confirmation page displays, and the download tries to start.

Install?

After a few seconds, you get a notification saying the download has been declined. Clicking the alert gives the extra info The download of “Cubik – Tetris® Clone” was declined because it was removed from the Android Market. When an app or game is removed from the Market, why isn’t it actually removed? Seems like a logical question…

I know its a pretty minor annoyance to have some unavailable apps in My Downloads list, but its just another example of the poor housekeeping going on in the market. At the very least these ghost entries should have a warning displayed that what you are viewing is not available in the Market. Last week, Jean-Baptiste Queru tweeted “Wanna work on #android market and make it great? We’re hiring!” With any luck they’ll find some skilled devs who can beat this unruly market into submission.

Download Declined

Removed from Market

7 Complaints About Android Gmail

Taylor Wimberly — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:10:23 +0000

Gmail is the most used feature on my Android phone. For years I have wanted instant access to my email, but this is the first phone I have used that supports Gmail. At first, I was put off by the interface because it was different from my desktop. After I used it for a few months, it began to grow on me. Now that I am comfortable with all the features offered, there are a few things missing I need to point out.

1. No Multiple From Field. I use my main Gmail account to manager several others. I often receive emails from my other accounts that I wish to reply to, but I’m only offered the default email. This is major annoying and I hope a high priority.

Limited Sync Options

2. Select Multiple Emails. In the web version of Gmail, you can select multiple emails at once to perform a single action on them. For example, I sometimes mark a group of emails as read or move several emails to a folder at the same time. This would not be hard to implement in Android and I want to see it.

3. Improved Home Screen. I have a lot of custom filters and folders setup on my web Gmail. When I login, I can instantly see what new emails are waiting for me in different folders and accounts. On Android, I have to hit menu to browse lables and then drill down. It would be nice to have an improved home screen that display more information. A simple top row that display stats would be great.

4. Fix Sync Problems. Often when I view my folders, it says I have “-1″ or “1″ unread emails when there is nothing new in the folder. Emails sometimes get stuck in the draft folder. Other times, emails will not send at all. I have a lot of problems when I attempt to send an email to myself. I’m also dissappointed with the sync options for each folder; its either 4 days or all.

5. Download Attachments. Why can’t I download certain attachments? If I can download the file on my pc, then I want to be able to download it on my Android. I do not want any restrictions place on my downloads.

Gmail Labels

6. Attachments Preview. Also related to attacments are document previews. Most documents will not preview on Android. If you attempt to preview certain docs, then Gmail will force close. I would like to see the same functionality of the web client.

7. Label Options. When you have a lot of email to keep track of, labels are very useful. I tag most of my emails and I like that Android will allow you to select multiple tags. We are still missing some options though such as the ability to create, rename, or remove a label.

What bugs annoy you most? Are there any features you found lacking? What fix is your top priority?

7 Complaints About The Google Android Browser

Taylor Wimberly — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:52:33 +0000

The Google Android Browser is the most powerful mobile browser I have used, but it is far from perfect. Some fanboys refuse to complain about their phone, but I like making lists I think should be improved upon. It is also nice to look back at these complains when new releases come out to see which things were addressed. By continuing the discussion we can move the platform forward.

1. Control Over the Browser Cache. With the limited internal storage space on the G1, most users have noticed the large amount of space the Browser application can take up. I learned the hard way, that when you go to clear data, it also wipes out your bookmarks. Android users with root access can move the cache to their SD card and I think Google should allow us that option.

Taking up space..

2. Management of Bookmarks. Most of the Google services offered for Android are automatically backed up online. Why is it then that we can not backup our bookmarks? This would allow us to easily transfer favs between our PC and phone and allow us to share them with contacts. I would also like to see a better way to manage your backups. You should be able to create folders and arrange them.

3. Multitouch Support. I don’t care about reports that Apple nixed the multitouch feature. It is a feature that users want and needs to be turned on. Currently people who hacked their phone(root users) have the ability to try out the feature. I’m am running one of JF’s builds with the feature turned on and I find it useful. There are many times when the little plus/minus will not do and its easy to pinch and pull to zoom.

4. Autorotate. It is annoying having to make 3 clicks to flip screen orientation. I don’t see how this feature was left off. Alternative browsers have the option and there are tools like Droidsans which allow you to turn it on.

5. More YouTube Options – So it might not be till 2010 when we finally see Adobe release Flash 10 for Android, but we can still play Youtube movies inside the browser. There are other apps to allow this as well as download YouTube clips to your phone. Make those features standard.

I'm starting to like Steel

6. Upload Support – Opera Mini supports this feature. Is there some reason the Android browser does not?

7. Touch Shortcuts – I want to see more innovation with the touch and gesture controls. Steel is doing some interesting things with their control options. I want to use more gesture motions to jump to the bottom of a page even reload the current page.

What else would you like to see in future updates to the Android Browser? Would you like to submit your own lists of complaints about anything Android related? Contact us and we may publish your entry.