It seems that Google is looking after the Android community. In the recent months, many developers have aired their complaints and issues with the lack of security in the Android marketplace. Apparently, many are losing their apps to people who share and download content illegally. This means lost revenues for many developers and sadly, this is one of the reasons why a developer would still choose to work for the more restrictive Apple iTunes store despite Google’s more open environment.
Eric Chu of Google’s Android is aware of the issue and has announced that the Android market now has better security for the developers who contribute their works to the mobile platform. They have released a new licensing service, Market browsing enhancements (allowing users to easily access apps made for specific versions of the OS, such as apps for the Android 1.5 Cupcake) and most importantly, a method for the market to assess the license status for every user accessing the system.
While Google has not released any details on how the new licensing system actually works, it has been revealed that the system works in a real time basis –constantly checking users whenever they log into the Android market.
This level of security is pretty much on par with that the Apple iTunes store offers. However it has yet to be seen in action so we will have to reserve our judgment for later.
In other Android smart phone news, it appears that the Android 2.2. Froyo update has been leaked prematurely for the Samsung Galaxy S. Since this is an unofficial release, the update is not yet complete -though it is fully functional. According to Galaxy S owners who have braved the risk of trying out an update to the system firmware, the Froyo update is indeed as fast and efficient as Google claimed it to be.
