The latest from TechCrunch
- Google Backs Its Boy, HTC, In The Apple Lawsuit Ring
- Google Handing Out Free Nexus Ones And Droids To Top Android Devs
- 'Boobie' App Slips Past Apple's Sex Ban, Scores $10,000 In A Week (Then Gets Pulled)
| Google Backs Its Boy, HTC, In The Apple Lawsuit Ring | Top |
| As you’ve undoubtedly heard by now, Apple has filed a lawsuit against device-maker HTC over 20 patents they control. As you might imagine, Google has something to say about it too. “ We are not a party to this lawsuit. However, we stand behind our Android operating system and the partners who have helped us to develop it ,” a Google spokesperson emailed us. A little odd that Google would proactively send us a statement for something they’re not technically involved in. But, as we’re all well aware, this suit is much more about Google’s Android operating system than HTC . And it seems that Google is well aware of that too. As we noted earlier, the clear focus of the suit centers around the HTC devices that are Android-based, including the Nexus One, the Magic/myTouch 3G, the Dream/G1, the Hero, and the Droid Eris. And in fact, with the Nexus One , Google worked closely with HTC to make the device, and is completely in control of selling it. Still, for whatever reason, Google is not named in the suit — at least not yet. You’ll recall that exactly one month ago, Google decided to turn on multi-touch support for Android users with Nexus Ones. As we noted at the time, Apple was probably not going to be too happy about that . After all, it had been previously reported that the reason Android phones in the U.S. didn’t support multi-touch up until that point was a gentleman’s agreement between Apple and Google when the two were still all buddy-buddy . And now we’re starting to see the fall-out. What’s odd is that these HTC phones have actually supported multi-touch (only one of the many patents Apple is disputing here), but it’s only now after Google just enabled it (specifically pinch-to-zoom) in the software that we’re seeing the lawsuit — of the hardware company involved. Still, this looks to be Apple multi-punching back. And Google doesn’t sound like it will back down. [image: warner brothers pictures] CrunchBase Information Google Apple HTC Android iPhone Information provided by CrunchBase | |
| Google Handing Out Free Nexus Ones And Droids To Top Android Devs | Top |
| Google has just sent out an Email to select Android developers informing them that they are eligible to receive either a Verizon Droid or a Nexus One, as part of its ‘Device Seeding Program’. The criteria for getting one of the phones is to have an application with 3.5 stars or higher and more than 5,000 downloads, which sounds like it could include quite a few developers. In an odd move, Google isn’t actually allowing the developers to pick which device they’re receiving — if you’re in the US, you’ll get a Droid or Nexus One, at random. If you’re in Canada, the EU, Norway, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Singapore, you get a Nexus One. If you’re not in any of those, you don’t get a phone at all (Google explains that the phones aren’t certified in other countries). So why is Google doing this? Android is already having to deal with fragmentation issues , as a large number of users (and developers) have older phones that aren’t running Android 2.0. Now that the Droid, which runs 2.0, comprises a big part of Android’s market share, it’s in Google’s best interest to make sure that Android’s best developers are building software that’s compatible with the latest devices. The free phones also serve as a nice carrot to entice developers to build quality applications. Here’s the Email Google is sending out: Due to your contribution to the success of Android Market, we would like to present you with a brand new Android device as part of our developer device seeding program. You are receiving this message because you’re one of the top developers in Android Market with one or more of your applications having a 3.5 star or higher rating and more than 5,000 unique downloads. In order to receive this device, you must click through to this site, read the terms and conditions of the offer and fill out the registration form to give us your current mailing address so that we can ship your device. You will receive either a Verizon Droid by Motorola or a Nexus One. Developers with mailing addresses in the US will receive either a Droid or Nexus one, based on random distribution. Developers from Canada, EU, and the EEA states (Norway, Lichtenstein), Switzerland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore will receive a Nexus One. Developers with mailing addresses in countries not listed above will not receive a phone since these phones are not certified to be used in other countries. We hope that you will enjoy your new device and continue to build more insanely popular apps for Android! Update: : And here’s a followup statement from Google about the program (it’s real, for those of you who are worried that it’s a scam): A thriving developer community is an important part of creating a better mobile experience for users around the world. We hope that offering devices to developers will make it easier for them to create and test great applications. This is inline with other efforts to support developers, which also includes our Android Developer Labs World Tour and our upcoming participation at the Game Developers Conference. CrunchBase Information Android Information provided by CrunchBase | |
| 'Boobie' App Slips Past Apple's Sex Ban, Scores $10,000 In A Week (Then Gets Pulled) | Top |
| Late last month, Apple made the abrupt decision to remove any applications it deemed to be ’sexy’ from the App Store, citing complaints from parents. But the process of removing applications was clearly imperfect, as Apple pulled down some applications only to restore them a few days later. And apparently they missed a few: we’ve gotten word from one app publisher that had a ‘boob’ application called Tubes! earn nearly $10,000 in the week following Apple’s sex ban. Not because it was an especially good application, but because it was one of the few left. Before Monday, February 15, when the Apple sex ban started going into effect, Tubes was only pulling in around $30 a day. A day later, that number had more than doubled. As the days passed (and more sexy apps were removed), the application climbed up to a peak of nearly $1,600 a day. And then at 5:30 PM yesterday, Tubes! had its rise to glory cut short. So how exactly did Tubes! slip through the cracks? The answer is pretty simple: it wasn’t available in the United States. The application was published by iPhone development house Mobile Simplicity , which generally builds more useful apps like CraigsMobileList (a mobile client for the popular classifieds site) and What’s Fresh (which tells you which fruits are in season). Mobile Simplicity built the Tubes! application at the request of a client, but under the condition that the application would not be sold in the United States, because the firm didn’t want the application to be listed alongside its more respectable (ahem) apps. Mobile Simplicity CEO Tony Lombardo says that application finally caught Apple’s attention when it started climbing up the top app charts (he thinks it got as high as #4 overall in Germany). Lombardo actually says he’s okay with the ban, but he does wish there was a way for Apple to allow these apps on the App Store under their own category rather than banning them outright. It’s worth pointing out that in an entirely hypocritical move, Apple has allowed some larger companies like Sports Illustrated and Playboy to keep their sexy apps, which gives them a monopoly on bikinis and cleavage on the App Store. And, as we can see from the chart above, that can translate to quite a bit of money. CrunchBase Information App Store Information provided by CrunchBase | |
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