The biggest news at honeycomb Google event last week was not UI honeycomb, but rather as the Android Market Update. The market is now on the web, making it totally convenient to install applications on all of your devices Android, from a PC or one of the devices. Sophos Security (and AppleInsider with undisguised joy) says, in fact, it's a little too convenient.
The idea is that, with devices iOS, you that either need to be accessing iTunes your device, or the iTunes application related to a particular device to install applications. With the new Android market, however, you do need is a web browser and be connected to your Google account. AppleInsider makes
Unlike iTunes Preview Apple's Web site that allows users to browse for applications on the web, but directs then to iTunes finally firmly their purchase on the web market Google Android allows users to select and buy applications directly on the website and then applications remotely installed on their device, something which is touted as a unique feature. [But...]
And if someone installs an application on your account?
If someone were able to compromise your Google account (say that thanks to a phishing scheme or brute force attacks, even though they could not only potentially register a new device with your account and purchase countless copies of fruit Ninja, but could also have rogue software automatically installed on your device without your consent.)
The solution is to use a password on your Google account. Most of us, however, which is invested in the Google ecosystem should have a password strong mighty anyway. "I know, I know, most people do, but given that the scope of Google in our personal and professional lives tend to be large enough, there's no excuse for"12345?"password" or "googleisawesome."
Jason Perlow recommends biometrics and he is probably right. However (and it has always been the rub with the company), Google makes things so devilishly convenient and easy, most of us is willing to relinquish some privacy, safety or another bit of our Internet soul in exchange for this service a web for all rule.
Similarly, imagine what could be enterprise applications with the Google approach to deploying applications. Acme Widgets buys 200 Android tablets to his sales personnel. It buys also 500 phones Android for the rest of the organization. Every phone gets fees and management of project accounting apps while tablets Docs to Go as well. Although we're not quite there from the business perspective, the last incarnation of Android scene for web remote software market sets installs globally. Have you tried deploying applications to hundreds of iPads?
And as heck as angry birds has to do with it? Well, Rovio Software, creator of the popular game, announced new features that allow angry birds be installed across a wider variety of Android devices. Ultimately, the company hopes that even Android 1.6 humble users will be able to play angry birds. Or angry birds will work on Google TV. Or that it will leverage the best features in Android 3.0. Rovio is at the forefront of making the problem of fragmentation of the Android platform moot, paving the way for the sort of massive deployments described above across heterogeneous devices.
Of course, new market on the Google web has the potential for users to be stupid and wrong people to do bad things. It also has the potential for households to manage all their facilities app easily and economically, for companies to be really able to manage deployments Android really forcing ways. Change your password, folks. It will be useful for 30 seconds to be able to use Android unique functionality and its app model.
Chris Dawson is a freelance writer and consultant with many years of experience in web-based systems and educational technology.
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