Sorry if this has been asked...having some trouble with search on the XDA App.
What do you guys think is the likelihood of a WP7 version of Amazon's Cloud Player? I've personally read conflicting attitudes about it.
Some say Amazon will naturally spread to all platforms, while others claim that Amazon is specifically investing only in Android. What do you guys think?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
That app is based on Board Express which is... meh.
Amazon is investing a lot in Android. They also launched an App Store with a Web and App interface that rival's the Google offering. They just need more Devs to submit their app there. On my Vibrant I basically only use the Amazon Appstore app now. All the porn, bull**** in Chinese, trash apps that do nothing, apps that aren't even maintained anymore, etc. is instantly filtered out there... Plus, they give away one paid app per day.
Will it spread to WP7? Maybe. Is it really needed? No. Android needs something like that because it's a terrible media platform compared to iOS and WP7. I reckon WebOS may get it. But it really isn't needed on WP7 and iOS, IMO.
The only really good benefit would be the ability to save storage on your device and upload gigs of media to Amazon's servers and just stream it from there. I guess that's a big enough reason to want it for many people...
Yeah, that's a big reason for me.
Then again, I'm probably going to use Zune Pass once I'm on WP7 (I've used it off and on for several years otherwise). Since most of the music that I already own is on Zune Pass, I suppose that will eliminate the need for personal cloud storage. I can always just locally store the music from the few artists who aren't on board with Zune. (I'm looking at you, Tool.)
I think there is a great chance Amazons MP3 - cloud player will come to WP7. Amazon is first a content company. The more devices that can access and purchase content the better for them.
It's a win win with their push to android and also enabling content on other platforms. Plus they did provide WP7 with the kindle and shopping apps.
Have you tried Amazon Cloud Player in IE Mobile 9?
Yes, it works.
this is a 3rd party app in the works i think...
sayonical said:
this is a 3rd party app in the works i think...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you know its name?
Is there a way to sync the apps on both markets? If I buy an app on Amazon's market I can see it in my app list in App Brain...however if there is an update available it only takes me to the Android market and it doesn't recognize that I bought it already. It's not a big deal but I would like both markets to register the paid versions out of ease and streamlining.
zetterwing said:
Is there a way to sync the apps on both markets? If I buy an app on Amazon's market I can see it in my app list in App Brain...however if there is an update available it only takes me to the Android market and it doesn't recognize that I bought it already. It's not a big deal but I would like both markets to register the paid versions out of ease and streamlining.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't be done, unfortunately. As the Android Market and the Amazon Market are two individual stores, they take their own profit margins on sales through their respective stores. Moreso, I would avoid purchasing an app through Amazon, except for the free app of the day, as any app downloaded that way cannot be run without the presence of Amazon's App Store app.
A better solution to your problem would come from within Appbrain's service itself. As an app manager, and an effective online management solution for android apps, it would solve this problem if it could manage Amazon app accounts in addition to Google's.
That's what I thought. Fortunately I have only actually purchased one app from Amazon besides the freebies.
I've heard of several devices that are unable to access the android market. I was wondering if there is a way to simply have access to the APK files, essentially a market back door. I don't even know if this allowed because frankly, I don't understand how the market works. I'm focusing on the word, "open market".
Reason for the question: I may getting a Nook soon but I read that some of them can't access the market using honeycomb.
Thanks.
If it's a free app, that's fine. Many devs even make the apk available on their website. The market only serves as a convenient search engine and auto updater for free apps.
If it's a paid app, that's illegal and a violation of the forum rules - do not ask again. For paid apps, the market serves as a search engine, shopping cart / checkout, license validater, and auto updater.
In case you are asking about a paid app, i'll save you the effort... even if you did get your hands on the apk, most of them will fail to start or run b.c. the market will reject your phone when it tries to validate your copy of the app on app startup.
I thought I made it clear that I didn't know much about the market which is why I'm asking. I forgot that some apps are paid apps, simply an oversight. Your attempt to offer helpful advice was clouded by an unnecessary admonishment of my actions. I'm very well aware of the forum rules. Simply stated, you're making it sound like I'm trying to steal from developers, I'm not. I'm simply trying to find a way to get "free" apps that are listed as such on the market using a device that does not seem to have access to the market.
You could always grab the Amazon Appstore .apk and use that to search and download applications, too.
totalanonymity said:
You could always grab the Amazon Appstore .apk and use that to search and download applications, too.
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wow... that didn't even occur to me--thanks!
market enabler is a neat app too. It lets you fool the market into thinking you have a different phone.
http://code.google.com/p/market-enabler/downloads/list
There have been posts about this here and there, but most of them are just asking for advice on how to do it. I plan to follow through and document the solutions I find.
Why, you ask? I don't like Google having so much data on me. I used to not care but in today's environment with SOPA and new NSA data centers and whatnot, well... maybe I'm paranoid but I don't necessarily want anyone to so easily have such a complete profile of all my searches, contacts, location history, etc. Anyway, if you think it's dumb, ok, got it, move along please.
So if I don't like Google then why use Android? Well, a couple of reasons. First of all, Google is not Android. Android is maintained by the Android Open Source Project, which in turn is made up of members of the Open Handset Alliance. Yes, Google is the lead member of the Open Handset Alliance, and yes most of the developers working on the Android Open Source Project are Google employees. But I've been following Android for long enough now to know that Google and Android are for all practical purposes separate entities.
The second reason is because Android is simply the best mobile operating system on the planet right now, and it is free open-source software. I use Ubuntu on my laptop, and I'm not interested in switching to Windows or Mac, so that pretty much rules out iPhone or Windows Phone right there.
But isn't Android really Google's OS? Yes and No. As I mentioned, Google does pretty much run the AOSP, along with device manufacturers. But AOSP is very "provider agnostic." Much of what you see on your phone is not from AOSP. The Galaxy Nexus is a GOOGLE device, not an AOSP device. Gmail, Maps, Market, Location Tracking, etc are all GOOGLE ADDITIONS and are NOT a part of AOSP! When you build AOSP from source (or Cyanogenmod), you end up with an agnostic, neutral device that has practically no mention of anything Google whatsoever.
But what about what you DONT have in AOSP? No Market??? No Gmail??? How can you possibly use Android without these things? Well that is exactly what I intend to find out.
Please feel free to contribute to the discussion with ideas and questions. Hopefully this thread can eventually be helpful for someone else who comes along and wants to do something similar.
More posts to follow as I progress....
EDIT: I should add, I also will try to avoid other "free" services like Yahoo! and Hotmail-- basically anyone who wants to run bots through your mail to sell you ads or sell your data to others who want to sell you ads, etc. I will be trying to use open-source or for-pay services where possible (if it's "free" then YOU'RE the product!).
I commend your ambition, but this is nothing new. There are already non-Google Android handsets an tablets on the market. The Kindle Fire, for example, is non-Google.
You can do the same with a GNex. Just don't add a Google account or use a ROM without the gapps. Install the Amazon App Store, change your default search, and away you go.
please...stay safe
Personally the only Google apps I use are Gmail and the Play store, with an occasional use of maps and goggles.
Having a market is really just for convenience, you could install with APKs like on Windows you have to install from EXEs or MSIs. And if you're that against google you could just use the Amazon marketplace for stuff, though I've heard they take longer to receive updates.
In all honesty I don't know what to suggest except flashing 100% and not signing into Google services in any way or form. What you are asking is not possible unless you use apks from non market source and using Hotmail or something.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus expect possible typos.
If somebody figure out how to use Calendar, without creating google account for at least one time, or tell me the alternative calendar (not just widget) that will not sync with google, it would be nice. For example Smasung TW Launcher has it's own calendar, that you can choose, without google, but pure ICS does not have.
I have tryed many alternative, such as Jorte, Pocket Informant, etc, but they are far away from stock ...
I use:
1mobile.net
4shared.com (You also get 15gb cloud space free)
appbrain.com (get app from 4shared)
I absolutely love Google and all of their services. You're crazy! Good luck with it though.
Somebody needs to come out with a tinfoil hat edition ROM.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
sashavegas said:
If somebody figure out how to use Calendar, without creating google account for at least one time, or tell me the alternative calendar (not just widget) that will not sync with google, it would be nice. For example Smasung TW Launcher has it's own calendar, that you can choose, without google, but pure ICS does not have.
I have tryed many alternative, such as Jorte, Pocket Informant, etc, but they are far away from stock ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THIS is the point of the thread. Replacing Android Market with Amazon App Stores is completely simple and obvious. Getting contacts and calendar syncing, things like that are not so obvious. Mainly because I am not only going to avoid Google, but other services like Yahoo! or Hotmail, etc (anything that's "free" so they can monetize your data).
Stay off the grid bro
Sent from my francoPhone
ChongoDroid said:
Stay off the grid bro
Sent from my francoPhone
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Exactly! Lol.
Once you're connected to the internet, you're pretty much open to everyone... You can go offline if you don't want any of these... It's not only google... There's ways you can go anonymous like using proxy.... Using search engine that don't track search data... Google has an option for you to opt-in or opt out... Just like the previous responses, you can use amazon but don't think amazon doesn't track you also... How would they know what to recommend you... Google don't force users to stick only to them... And that's why I like google for this reason only...
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4g with Beats Audio
matt2053 said:
THIS is the point of the thread. Replacing Android Market with Amazon App Stores is completely simple and obvious. Getting contacts and calendar syncing, things like that are not so obvious. Mainly because I am not only going to avoid Google, but other services like Yahoo! or Hotmail, etc (anything that's "free" so they can monetize your data).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There should be some third party app that will do these things, well you use linux, you should know that there's a lot of alternatives... Try if the software you use in ubuntu are available for android
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4g with Beats Audio
Try this one, if you use thunderbird. Seems decent...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.callicia.birdiesync
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4g with Beats Audio
AndroidNeophyte said:
Once you're connected to the internet, you're pretty much open to everyone... You can go offline if you don't want any of these... It's not only google... There's ways you can go anonymous like using proxy.... Using search engine that don't track search data... Google has an option for you to opt-in or opt out... Just like the previous responses, you can use amazon but don't think amazon doesn't track you also... How would they know what to recommend you... Google don't force users to stick only to them... And that's why I like google for this reason only...
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4g with Beats Audio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The point isn't really to be 100% anonymous. That would require a dumbphone with prepaid sim or VPN/Proxy setups etc, and that's not what I'm look at. The point is to make an experiment and see how "non-Google" AOSP really is and how useful it is as a mobile OS on its own, without Google proprietary add-ons. Many people say you "have to have a Gmail account to use Android," or "you have to sync your contacts through Gmail" etc and I want to show people how they can do it without Google if they so choose.
AndroidNeophyte said:
Try this one, if you use thunderbird. Seems decent...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.callicia.birdiesync
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4g with Beats Audio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I saw that one and I plan to try it out. I do use Thunderbird, thanks!
AOSP + open source Exchange alternative for syncing Calendar/Email/Contacts hosted on your own server (ie Zimbra)
Sideload all apps
Voila!
matt2053 said:
THIS is the point of the thread. Replacing Android Market with Amazon App Stores is completely simple and obvious. Getting contacts and calendar syncing, things like that are not so obvious. Mainly because I am not only going to avoid Google, but other services like Yahoo! or Hotmail, etc (anything that's "free" so they can monetize your data).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
XDA monetizes your data. Every website does; that's how they pay for hosting and bandwidth.
Use a different calendar app and sync your contacts to Outlook, or just back them up somewhere.
Alright, but you should really start off removing the antenna from your smartphone. Then compile AOSP, don't flash GApps, sideload all APK files.
There, now you're off the grid. Enjoy boredom and next to no convenient functionality.
Let's face it, we all know that Google has a monopoly with its set of apps in the US. Why? Because all the popular manufacturers have made a contract with Google to include all of the gapps in their phones. What does that mean? It means that every phone you buy will include Google Play as the default appstore to buy all the software on your phone. There are no other alternatives installed by default.The good thing about Android is that it gives you freedom and with it comes option. These options are four alternatives you can install on your phone or tablet, where you can download all the apps you need.
f-droid
It is appstore that includes a repositorie of only free and open source (FOSS) apps. Does not need an account to work.
Amazon appstore
Amazon's own alternative to Google Play. Needs an Amazon account to work. Offers free and paid apps.There is also free paid app offer each day.
Yandex.store
Yandex known as the Google of Russia launched its own appstore to compete in select markets. Does not need an account to download free apps. For paid apps, you may need an account.
While the number of all these stores combined pales in comparison to Google's own. They are quite good alternatives for those who want to different options and do not want to depend only on Google.
+aptoide store
no registration needed
Awesome thanks cuatr0, I will have to give these a try .
Cheers
Quazza
THe issue is there are other app sites as well . But they come and go. Say you buy a bunch of apps from one of them . They useally do not track your apps and allow you to reinstall all with one push. And say you buy a 10.00 app then the site closes..
I think google and Amazon are only two i would trust at this time
wheres the 4th alternative?
Because of government rules and regulations, Google Play Store is not working in China. Therefore, there are many Chinese APP Stores such as Baidu phone helper, wandoujia and XX market as a substitution of Play Store. And some of these APP Stores such as Anzhi market may provide paied apps to you. Chinese is also a better option if you are less concerned about your privacy.
i often use the store on androidpit, but i still prefer the easy access to google play