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posted by Fnord666 on Friday December 22 2017, @06:33PM   Printer-friendly
from the making-the-garden-walls-a-little-higher dept.

Google fights fragmentation: New Android features to be forced on apps in 2018

While Apple's app store is heavily regulated, the Google Play Store has mostly lived its life under Google's laissez-faire attitude. As long as you didn't get caught by Google's malware scanning, your app was free to do just about anything.

But lately, Google's hands-off approach seems to be changing. The company tried to restrict Android's powerful accessibility APIs only to accessibility apps, but after a power user revolt, Google is currently rethinking that plan.

The Play Store's biggest change is coming in 2018, though. Recently Google announced it will start setting a minimum API level that new and updated apps will be required to use. This is a technical change but a massive one. Basically, Google will stop accepting old app code from developers. The move won't harm support for devices running old versions of Android, but it will require developers to adopt new Android features and restrictions as they come out.

Previously: Google Pauses Crackdown on Apps That Use Accessibility Features


Original Submission

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Google Pauses Crackdown on Apps That Use Accessibility Features 1 comment

Submitted via IRC for Fnord666_

Google will take 30 days to gather feedback on 'responsible' uses of accessibility code before cracking down.

Almost a month ago, Google cracked down on developers that used Android's accessibility features for apps that weren't expressly created for people with disabilities. The company told developers that they had to show how their code actually helped those with a disability or face removal from the Play Store within 30 days. Now, however, Google is pausing that final solution for another month to consider "responsible and innovative uses of accessibility services."

[...] In the current email, Google asked recipients to send feedback around their appropriate use of the accessibility features in Android: "If you believe your app uses the Accessibility API for a responsible, innovative purpose that isn't related to accessibility, please respond to this email and tell us more about how your app benefits users. This kind of feedback may be helpful to us as we complete our evaluation of accessibility services."

Source: https://www.engadget.com/2017/12/08/google-pauses-crackdown-apps-accessibility-features/

Also reported at https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/12/google-pauses-android-accessibility-app-crackdown-after-public-outcry/


Original Submission

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  • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @06:44PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @06:44PM (#613286)

    Oh joy oh joy I can't fucking wait for Soggy Blockchain to release highly anticipated app MDC Cocksucker Supreme in the app store.

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by frojack on Friday December 22 2017, @06:47PM (17 children)

    by frojack (1554) on Friday December 22 2017, @06:47PM (#613289) Journal

    I'd wager have the apps in the store get purged. Especially those with no visible means of support.
    Ether that of they hang one unnecessary api call in to satisfy the requirements.

    Everybody has realized by now that there is no money and little glory in shoveling out free apps.
      As a result a lot of them languished with no updates and few bug fixes for years.

    Yes, this helps to obsolete more devices. (However those continue to work as they always have, your apps just won't update).

    Dragging an artificially long compatibility chain around is not a great strategy.

    --
    No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
    • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @07:02PM (8 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @07:02PM (#613299)

      Dragging an artificially long compatibility chain around is not a great strategy.

      I know bro. Maintaining decades of backwards compatibility is the kind of dick move only Microsoft would do. We hate Microsoft and their ways. We are the Lunix weenies and Androod is one of ours. Compatibility is for old dinosaurs unlike us the young and hip.

      Delicious irony is: here in the real world, Soylent is News for old has-been Boomers.

      • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @07:13PM (4 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @07:13PM (#613305)
        damn son
        why you so hurtful
        • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @07:57PM (3 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @07:57PM (#613332)

          Why? Why? Why, I'll tell you why!

          You people organize yourselves into social cliques in which I am never welcome.

          Being systematically ostracized by absolutely everyone has made me bitter to the extreme.

          That's fucking why.

          • (Score: 2) by takyon on Friday December 22 2017, @08:03PM

            by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Friday December 22 2017, @08:03PM (#613338) Journal

            You need a VR headset for Xmas. ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)

            --
            [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @10:38PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @10:38PM (#613417)

            We have lots of assholes from lots of different RL cliques hanging out. Sometimes we're all on the same page, other times we are assholes to each other. But you won't be ostracized. Well, unless you're that Hebe guy who talks about a teenaged girl he's obsessed with all the time. Then you will be ostracized and either told to get help or go somewhere else.

          • (Score: 2) by stretch611 on Friday December 22 2017, @10:43PM

            by stretch611 (6199) on Friday December 22 2017, @10:43PM (#613425)

            You people organize yourselves into social cliques in which I am never welcome.
            Being systematically ostracized by absolutely everyone has made me bitter to the extreme.

            that's because you post as AC.

            --
            Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @08:29PM (2 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @08:29PM (#613352)

        I know bro. Maintaining decades of backwards compatibility is the kind of dick move only Microsoft would do.

        Oh, FFS. The device manufacturers abandoned the devices almost as soon as they shipped, so why should old, abandoned software gather dust on the Play Store's shelves?

        Google is not deleting the apps off of the devices. They're just saying "if the authors abandoned the title, and the manufacturers abandoned the devices, we don't need to hang on to these relics."

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 23 2017, @02:57AM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 23 2017, @02:57AM (#613505)

          Google is not deleting the apps off of the devices. They're just saying "if the authors abandoned the title, and the manufacturers abandoned the devices, we don't need to hang on to these relics."

          And Apple's only throttling iPhones to conserve battery life, right?

          This move gives Google a lot of control over apps by controlling the API, pushes you onto the update treadmill whether you want to be or not (which involves all the patches to make sure you've got the latest spyware/DRM/secure-the-machine-against-the-owner code. It also effectively makes any app a ticking time bomb if your only chance to continue to use it is to hit the used market, since app manufacturers go out of business, even if the software is still perfectly usable. Never mind the whole kettle of worms of having your data locked up in a format for an app that you can't get anymore, or ending up being strongarmed into buying a new phone after the old one has been abandoned by the manufacturer.

          Something people fail to understand these days is the longevity and versatility of the IBM PC was, in part, due to the fact that you didn't have to replace all your software every time you upgraded, and you could be reasonably sure that for the most part you could still run software that was quite old if you so chose. Furthermore, the updates weren't around so you didn't have to worry about your program being broken by it unless you wanted to do an upgrade (same with the OS). This "you must update every 3 hours" bullshit is preposterous and hands control of our computers directly over to the manufacturers. Why people don't see this, I don't know; I'd expect the non-techies to fall for it, but there are plenty of techies who seem to be falling over themselves to let Google do the thinking for them, and render their data inaccessible while they're at it, and simultaneously effectively requiring replacement phones whether you're ready for them or not.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 23 2017, @10:18AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 23 2017, @10:18AM (#613594)

            And Apple's only throttling iPhones to conserve battery life, right?

            Um, no? I think they may also be nudging owners of older phones to upgrade their devices. But, based on the "faster hardware results in bloated software" paradigm I would think the newer OS and/or apps would slow the phone down based on their "binary blobiness".

            This move gives Google a lot of control over apps by controlling the API, pushes you onto the update treadmill whether you want to be or not

            This gives Google the opportunity to clear tumbleweeds out of the Play Store. If the app hasn't been abandoned then the developer can touch up the paint to make Google happy.

            And let's not ignore the utter horseshit policy by most manufacturers of not pushing security updates to phones after [insert low number of months here, which may actually be zero]. Unpatched versions of Android and apps are very bad for the Android ecosystem - not to mention Android's reputation/marketing. Google should use its muscle to force manufacturers to patch security in older versions of Android.

    • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday December 22 2017, @07:28PM (2 children)

      by bob_super (1357) on Friday December 22 2017, @07:28PM (#613313)

      Thousands of apps are just pushed into the Stores just to get referenced on a resume.
      Now, they will only stay if the programmer spent at least five minutes checking API revs.

      • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @07:39PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @07:39PM (#613322)

        That's strange. I keep hearing this claim about putting a portfolio of original work on a resume, and yet, including my original apps on my resume has never gotten me a job.

        Oh right. You're a goddamned fucking liar. Fuck you.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @08:31PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @08:31PM (#613353)

          Could be ... or it could be the hiring managers looked at your (cr)apps and made the right decision.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @08:19PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @08:19PM (#613345)

      There's nothing in the release about purging them, they just won't be allowed to be updated.

    • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @08:34PM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @08:34PM (#613354)

      This is a user-hostile move, not a user-friendly one. Yes, Android 8 has better features and security than earlier versions. But since Google isn't doing anything to make device manufacturers or wireless carriers upgrade existing devices, this just make existing Android devices that will never get Android 8 suck more. "We're going to make things better for the people who are rich enough or stupid enough to get rid of their older gadget for a new one, and laugh all of the way to the bank."

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @09:19PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @09:19PM (#613369)

        Agreed.

      • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @10:44PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @10:44PM (#613426)

        I am still running a phone with 256 megs of RAM. Android 2.3 was perfect on it, Android 4.0 (but not 4.1+) could run on it but is laggy.

        As a result I have kept apps on all my devices limited to 2.3/4.0 API level support (excluding apps for overriding system features that need something specific. VPN apps for instance.)

        Any newer versions of android require at minimum 512 megs of ram, and depending on the app may need more, whether for AOT compilation or for the apps it is running.

        Personally though, F-Droid solves all those issues for me, and bonus:you can have whatever api feature versions you want available. Some people even keep forks running for 2.3/4/5/6 editions of their application.

        Maybe now is a good time for more people to start jailbreaking/sideloading, and get google apps off their phones.

        It worked for me and it can work for you too. Guaranteed Free, Open Source, and Spyware free, unless it has in big red letter THIS APP PHONES HOME!

    • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 23 2017, @12:25AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 23 2017, @12:25AM (#613462)

      Dragging an artificially long compatibility chain around is not a great strategy.

      Neither is letting your users control their own computing devices, which is probably the thing Google is more interested in here. Can't have people avoiding updates to dodge the latest DRM and/or spyware and/or rooting capability, ya know. Letting users actually own the device they paid for is bad. Also, keeping the handset makers happy by twisting the user's arm to upgrade is always a plus - Apple certainly seemed to stick with that strategy for quite some time, after all. Gotta love update throttling - hey, maybe that's another feature they're introducing! And let's make sure that we get rid of apps that don't have active producers, since, you know, Google can't twist their arms to force their changes in, and maybe we can monetize old app data being moved to new formats.

      Aren't upgrades lovely?

      (...before anyone asks, yeah, that's sarcasm, unless you want your device secured against you this is a fairly concerning move and one to make sure that you can't avoid buying into the upgrade treadmill and all of the "fixes" to rooting, DRM and the like, not to mention security fixes - which are designed to secure the device from you)

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 23 2017, @04:06PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 23 2017, @04:06PM (#613631)

    The real reason.

    Down the tubes we go..

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 23 2017, @04:10PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 23 2017, @04:10PM (#613632)

    Perhaps the alternatives will take over the slack, for those of us with older devices, that google seems to want to kill off, even tho they are functioning just fine.

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