Alright, now it’s getting good. After a few days of Google uploading Nexus 7 tutorials on their YouTube channel detailing even the most mundane tasks, we’re now getting to Jelly Bean features. More like a commercial than an actual tutorial, the creepy dead-hand is back and in their latest video, Google highlights a few features found on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, that separate it from some of Google’s previous desserts. There was 3 main features shown off this time around: face unlock with blink security, Google now, Google Play widgets and enhanced notifications. Nothing new for us veterans, but once again, you can forward this video to some of your less tech savvy friends and family to help them in their Jelly Bean journey.

Alright, now it’s getting good. After a few days of Google uploading Nexus 7 tutorials on their YouTube channel detailing even the most mundane tasks, we’re now getting to Jelly Bean features. More like a commercial than an actual tutorial, the creepy dead-hand is back and in their latest video, Google highlights a few features found on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, that separate it from some of Google’s previous desserts. There was 3 main features shown off this time around: face unlock with blink security, Google now, Google Play widgets and enhanced notifications. Nothing new for us veterans, but once again, you can forward this video to some of your less tech savvy friends and family to help them in their Jelly Bean journey.

Another day, another security scare. I think it would be safe to assume that just about any OS is vulnerable in some area and it never fails, where’s there’s a hole, there’s a person who will find it and exploit it. Today, a security vulnerability was found in Samsung Kies — Samsung’s sync and update software tool — and could potentially allow for malicious applications to be installed on a user’s device.

Revealed in Andre Moulu’s blog post, a seemingly legitimate app could be downloaded from the Play Store (Angry Birds Cheats, Japanese Squid Girls, etc.) and once installed it could hijack the “install_packages” permission found inside the Samsung Kies application. From there, the malicious app could have a field day installing more applications without the users knowledge or input.

According to the the pentester who discovered the exploit, the vulnerability was easy to pull off using little more than a few lines of Java. Apparently, this is a common vulnerability found in many system applications that come pre-installed on users’ devices thanks to custom UI’s. Of course, something like this could be patched up in a simple over-the-air update, so let’s hope Samsung, HTC, Motorola and other OEM’s are listening. Proof of concept video shown below for those interested.

[Sh4ka.fr]

Another day, another security scare. I think it would be safe to assume that just about any OS is vulnerable in some area and it never fails, where’s there’s a hole, there’s a person who will find it and exploit it. Today, a security vulnerability was found in Samsung Kies — Samsung’s sync and update software tool — and could potentially allow for malicious applications to be installed on a user’s device.

Revealed in Andre Moulu’s blog post, a seemingly legitimate app could be downloaded from the Play Store (Angry Birds Cheats, Japanese Squid Girls, etc.) and once installed it could hijack the “install_packages” permission found inside the Samsung Kies application. From there, the malicious app could have a field day installing more applications without the users knowledge or input.

According to the the pentester who discovered the exploit, the vulnerability was easy to pull off using little more than a few lines of Java. Apparently, this is a common vulnerability found in many system applications that come pre-installed on users’ devices thanks to custom UI’s. Of course, something like this could be patched up in a simple over-the-air update, so let’s hope Samsung, HTC, Motorola and other OEM’s are listening. Proof of concept video shown below for those interested.

[Sh4ka.fr]

Grab your popcorn. The Apple vs Samsung patent trial just kicked off the first day of testimonies and Samsung may already be off to a bad start. Remember those images we posted earlier today showing you guys Samsung’s early prototypes? Well, it looks like Samsung is in a bit of hot water after those images were rejected as evidence in court, yet Samsung still felt the need to get word out, sending off the images to all the major media outlets. Judge Lucy Koh was not amused and now, she’s demanding answers.

While the information has been public for awhile now, Lucy Koh denied Samsung use the images as evidence because Samsung produced them too late in the discovery process. Samsung “begged” the court to reconsider and show jurors the images of its F700 phone (the one that went into development reportedly before the iPhone, yet looked eerily similar). Samsung then got a little more creative, appealing to “the court of the popular vote,” sending off the rejected slides to sites like AllThingsD for them to put on display for the world to see. Samsung will be heard.

This obviously didn’t sit too well with Judge Koh who demanded Samsung’s lead attorney, John Quinn, give her a declaration stating with the names of everyone involved and more importantly, who authorized it. Watch yourself, Samsung. If found in contempt of court, John Quinn could be faced with fines, jail time or both.

[TheVerge]

Grab your popcorn. The Apple vs Samsung patent trial just kicked off the first day of testimonies and Samsung may already be off to a bad start. Remember those images we posted earlier today showing you guys Samsung’s early prototypes? Well, it looks like Samsung is in a bit of hot water after those images were rejected as evidence in court, yet Samsung still felt the need to get word out, sending off the images to all the major media outlets. Judge Lucy Koh was not amused and now, she’s demanding answers.

While the information has been public for awhile now, Lucy Koh denied Samsung use the images as evidence because Samsung produced them too late in the discovery process. Samsung “begged” the court to reconsider and show jurors the images of its F700 phone (the one that went into development reportedly before the iPhone, yet looked eerily similar). Samsung then got a little more creative, appealing to “the court of the popular vote,” sending off the rejected slides to sites like AllThingsD for them to put on display for the world to see. Samsung will be heard.

This obviously didn’t sit too well with Judge Koh who demanded Samsung’s lead attorney, John Quinn, give her a declaration stating with the names of everyone involved and more importantly, who authorized it. Watch yourself, Samsung. If found in contempt of court, John Quinn could be faced with fines, jail time or both.

[TheVerge]

If full Onlive compatibility wasn’t enough to sway you into picking up the OUYA, maybe their all new buddy will. It looks like the OUYA console has snagged its first big fish, reeling in video game publishing giant Square Enix who’s now officially on board the OUYA-train. Square Enix announced that the recently launched Final Fantasy 3 will be the first title they’ll bring to the Android game console, and marks the very first time US gamers will have the opportunity to play FF3 on their television screens.

More than a mere port, Square Enix promises Final Fantasy will be given an HD graphical overhaul to take advantage of OUYA’s powerful hardware, and a free demo will be provided for those new to the franchise. What’s more, Android games are typical confined into using no more than 50MB of RAM at any point to keep from killing off too many background apps and to help save battery. Because the OUYA wont be battery powered and has no real need for multitasking, developers can finally take advantage of that full 1GB of RAM to use on their games. Let’s not forget the console will come pre-rooted at the users request. Hot diggity dog!

I was wary at first, but OUYA is shaping up to be a real contender in the gaming space. Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony better watch out. Hey, Kevin — you still have 8 more days to get in your pre-order. OUYA’s official Kickstarter page can be found below.

[Kickstarter]

If full Onlive compatibility wasn’t enough to sway you into picking up the OUYA, maybe their all new buddy will. It looks like the OUYA console has snagged its first big fish, reeling in video game publishing giant Square Enix who’s now officially on board the OUYA-train. Square Enix announced that the recently launched Final Fantasy 3 will be the first title they’ll bring to the Android game console, and marks the very first time US gamers will have the opportunity to play FF3 on their television screens.

More than a mere port, Square Enix promises Final Fantasy will be given an HD graphical overhaul to take advantage of OUYA’s powerful hardware, and a free demo will be provided for those new to the franchise. What’s more, Android games are typical confined into using no more than 50MB of RAM at any point to keep from killing off too many background apps and to help save battery. Because the OUYA wont be battery powered and has no real need for multitasking, developers can finally take advantage of that full 1GB of RAM to use on their games. Let’s not forget the console will come pre-rooted at the users request. Hot diggity dog!

I was wary at first, but OUYA is shaping up to be a real contender in the gaming space. Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony better watch out. Hey, Kevin — you still have 8 more days to get in your pre-order. OUYA’s official Kickstarter page can be found below.

[Kickstarter]

There’s always been a sort of love/hate relationship with Android and their exorbitant use of ads inside their apps. On a good day, they’re unobtrusive and give you the chance to experience apps you would normally wouldn’t because you’re too cheap to spend a buck on a theme (I’ve been guilty of this myself). On a bad day, they push ads to your notification bar, hound you about a free iPood you’ve magically won, and install shortcuts onto your homescreen that imitate a separate app.

If you thought Google needed to do something about this it turns out they’re on top of things. Aside from implementing a new feature in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean that allows users to “silence” app notifications (a simple long press on the notification will take care of that), Google recently updated their content policy for ads found inside apps and it looks like they’re cracking the whip on devs using sketchy ad services to pay for their apps. Check out the “Ads Context” description found in their Google Play content policy page:

Ads Context

It must be clear to the user which app each ad is associated with or implemented in. Ads must not make changes to the functioning of the user’s device outside the ad by doing things such as installing shortcuts, bookmarks or icons or changing default settings without the user’s knowledge and consent. If an ad makes such changes it must be clear to the user which app has made the change and the user must be able to reverse the change easily, by either adjusting the settings on the device, advertising preferences in the app, or uninstalling the app altogether.

Ads must not simulate or impersonate system notifications or warnings.

I would just like to point out that last line, “must not impersonate system notifications or warnings.” Sound a bit like those Airpush ads to you? Can’t be sure but developers found in violation of Google’s Play Developer Program Policies can have their app removed from the Play Store and frequent violations can result in their developer’s account being terminated.

The main problem I’ve always had with ads is that I feel like it “cheapens” the Android experience, making users feel like they have some 3rd rate mobile OS on their device. I think Google imposing stricter guidelines on ads inside Android will only help to mature the platform and make users feel more secure that they’re in control of their device, not some pushy app agency. Here’s the full email they’ve been sending out to developers. [Thanks, Steven!]

Hello Google Play Developer,

We are constantly striving to make Google Play a great community for developers and consumers. This requires us to update our policies when we launch new features, like subscription billing, and also when we see unhealthy behavior, like deceptive app names and spammy notifications. This email is to notify you that we’ve made some changes to our policies which are highlighted below.

- We’ve added clearer details to the payment policy, and guidelines on how we will handle cancellations in our new subscription billing feature

- We are restricting the use of names or icons confusingly similar to existing system apps in order to reduce user confusion

- We are providing more detail on the kinds of dangerous products that are not allowed on Google Play. For example, apps that disclose personal information without authorization are not allowed.

- We are giving more examples of practices that violate the spam policy.

Additionally, we are adding a new section that addresses ad behavior in apps. First, we make it clear that ads in your app must follow the same rules as the app itself. Also, it is important to us that ads don’t negatively affect the experience by deceiving consumers or using disruptive behavior such as obstructing access to apps and interfering with other ads.

Please take a look at the Google Play Developer Program Policy at http://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html to see all the changes and make sure your app complies with our updated policies.

Any new apps or app updates published after this notification will be immediately subject to the latest version of the Program Policy.  If you find any existing apps in your catalog that don’t comply, we ask you to fix and republish the application within 30 calendar days of receiving this email.  After this period, existing applications discovered to be in violation may be subject to warning or removal from Google Play.

Regards,
Google Play Team

There’s always been a sort of love/hate relationship with Android and their exorbitant use of ads inside their apps. On a good day, they’re unobtrusive and give you the chance to experience apps you would normally wouldn’t because you’re too cheap to spend a buck on a theme (I’ve been guilty of this myself). On a bad day, they push ads to your notification bar, hound you about a free iPood you’ve magically won, and install shortcuts onto your homescreen that imitate a separate app.

If you thought Google needed to do something about this it turns out they’re on top of things. Aside from implementing a new feature in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean that allows users to “silence” app notifications (a simple long press on the notification will take care of that), Google recently updated their content policy for ads found inside apps and it looks like they’re cracking the whip on devs using sketchy ad services to pay for their apps. Check out the “Ads Context” description found in their Google Play content policy page:

Ads Context

It must be clear to the user which app each ad is associated with or implemented in. Ads must not make changes to the functioning of the user’s device outside the ad by doing things such as installing shortcuts, bookmarks or icons or changing default settings without the user’s knowledge and consent. If an ad makes such changes it must be clear to the user which app has made the change and the user must be able to reverse the change easily, by either adjusting the settings on the device, advertising preferences in the app, or uninstalling the app altogether.

Ads must not simulate or impersonate system notifications or warnings.

I would just like to point out that last line, “must not impersonate system notifications or warnings.” Sound a bit like those Airpush ads to you? Can’t be sure but developers found in violation of Google’s Play Developer Program Policies can have their app removed from the Play Store and frequent violations can result in their developer’s account being terminated.

The main problem I’ve always had with ads is that I feel like it “cheapens” the Android experience, making users feel like they have some 3rd rate mobile OS on their device. I think Google imposing stricter guidelines on ads inside Android will only help to mature the platform and make users feel more secure that they’re in control of their device, not some pushy app agency. Here’s the full email they’ve been sending out to developers. [Thanks, Steven!]

Hello Google Play Developer,

We are constantly striving to make Google Play a great community for developers and consumers. This requires us to update our policies when we launch new features, like subscription billing, and also when we see unhealthy behavior, like deceptive app names and spammy notifications. This email is to notify you that we’ve made some changes to our policies which are highlighted below.

- We’ve added clearer details to the payment policy, and guidelines on how we will handle cancellations in our new subscription billing feature

- We are restricting the use of names or icons confusingly similar to existing system apps in order to reduce user confusion

- We are providing more detail on the kinds of dangerous products that are not allowed on Google Play. For example, apps that disclose personal information without authorization are not allowed.

- We are giving more examples of practices that violate the spam policy.

Additionally, we are adding a new section that addresses ad behavior in apps. First, we make it clear that ads in your app must follow the same rules as the app itself. Also, it is important to us that ads don’t negatively affect the experience by deceiving consumers or using disruptive behavior such as obstructing access to apps and interfering with other ads.

Please take a look at the Google Play Developer Program Policy at http://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html to see all the changes and make sure your app complies with our updated policies.

Any new apps or app updates published after this notification will be immediately subject to the latest version of the Program Policy.  If you find any existing apps in your catalog that don’t comply, we ask you to fix and republish the application within 30 calendar days of receiving this email.  After this period, existing applications discovered to be in violation may be subject to warning or removal from Google Play.

Regards,
Google Play Team