Software : Amazon cites Steve Jobs as defence in Appstore court case |
- Amazon cites Steve Jobs as defence in Appstore court case
- OAuth tools coming to Android through Google Play Store
- Google releases Field Trip, a new guidebook app that tips you off
| Amazon cites Steve Jobs as defence in Appstore court case Posted:  Amazon has requested that Apple's false advertising claim against it for use of the term 'Appstore' be thrown out of court. Apple reckons Amazon calling its app, er, shop the Amazon Appstore is false advertising because silly little consumers like thee and me will think it's somehow Apple-related. But in a filing this week, Amazon requested that the judge chuck the false advertising claim out because "app store" is a generic term, not just an Apple term. Apoplectic AppleAmazon's lawyers contended that, "The word 'Appstore' is part of the name of Amazon's store; it is not a statement about the nature, characteristics, or qualities of Amazon's store, much less a false one. "What Apple is actually contending is that the use of 'Appstore' may confuse consumers into believing that the Amazon Appstore is related to or sponsored by Apple. "Leaving for another day whether that is a reasonable contention, it is clearly one that sounds in trademark, not false advertising." That means Amazon thinks 'app store' is now an everyday term for a marketplace where you exchange money for apps, and isn't thought by anyone to specifically refer to Apple's App Store. Amazon even points out that Steve Jobs and Tim Cook have both used the phrase 'app store' to describe Android's app retailer, now known safely as Google Play. Apple hasn't responded to the barbed request, but the courts will rule on Amazon's motion at the end of October. You'll be on tenterhooks until then, no doubt. |
| OAuth tools coming to Android through Google Play Store Posted:  Google has released tools to allow developers to begin integrating the OAuth user authorisation technology for Android apps. The tech, also used by Facebook and Twitter to allow users to connect with external apps and services, may eventually replace the need to type in multiple passwords for apps on Android devices. The OAuth 2.0 tools, available for developers from the Google Play Store starting Thursday, will eventually allow users (on Android v2.2 and higher) access to many services, simply through their Google account password. Access tokensOnce developers, whose apps require access to Google's APIs, have integrated the OAuth tools, it will enable "access tokens" to be sent between the device and the app. This will replace the need for a user to create a new account or enter a complicated password, while also giving the service provider access to the user data it requires. Users will then stay signed into that service, and then rely on the various types of password protection on the handset itself to stay secure, rather than an individual app password. Too many passwordsGoogle first announced its intentions to integrate the OAuth tech within Android back at I/O earlier this summer. The company said the driving force behind the tech is to trim the number of passwords each user has to remember and to remove the hassle of typing convoluted passwords on a virtual keyboard. "The internet already has too many usernames and passwords, and they don't scale," wrote Tim Bray on the Android Developers Blog. "Furthermore, your Android device has a strong notion of who you are. In this situation, the industry consensus is that OAuth 2.0 is a good choice for the job, offering the promise of strong security minus passwords." For more information about OAuth and what it could mean for the ongoing security of your mobile device, check out our OAuth: What you need to know feature. |
| Google releases Field Trip, a new guidebook app that tips you off Posted:  There are dozens of apps that individually inform users of good places to eat, where a movie is playing, if a band is jamming in town tonight, or where the best places to shop are located. But what if there was one single app that did all that, while also providing interesting and unique information about the local surroundings? That's just what Google is hoping to accomplish with their new Field Trip app. Arriving on the Google Play store Thursday, Field Trip is described as the "guide to the cool, hidden, and unique things in the world." Local flavorCulling information from places like Thrillist, Food Network, Sunset, Cool Hunting, Atlas Obscura, and Songkick, Field Trip analyzes the surroundings to provide an insider's view of what's hot and happening in a given locale. All the info is pulled from Google's sources, and pushed through seven filters: architecture, historic places and events, lifestyle, offers, food and drink, cool and unique, and outdoor art. The app does all of this work in the background, and informs consumers when they arrive near a destination deemed popular on Field Trip. A simple little information tab will pop up, alerting users to the details on the wheres and whys a certain location has been singled out. It's all about connectingJohn Hanke, vice president of product at Google, spoke with the New York Times about what Google hoped to accomplish with Field Trip. "The idea behind the app was to build something that would help people connect with the real, physical world around them," Hanke said. "It's always running in the background, so it knows where you are and is always looking to see if something interesting is in your immediate physical environment." Users will of course be able to determine what types of alerts Field Trip sends, as well as the frequency of those alers. Anyone using the Field Trip app will also be able to have the information appear on-screen, or have it fed to them in an audio feed via Bluetooth. Field Trip will also be able to determine whether or not a user is driving, and will inform them of nearby points of interest without any need to access the smartphone. Android and US only... for nowField Trip is currently only available on Android devices right now, but Google does have plans for an iOS version of the app. Hanke explained that with Field Trip, Google was looking to evolve apps beyond where they are now, and wants to "move the device out of your way and put the information front and center." Like the iOS version of the app, an international version is also in the works, but for now Field Trip only works in the U.S. There is currently no date in sight for either release. |
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