There’s now little doubt that Amazon — for reasons that may or may not be borne of sound mind — is hard at work setting up its own app store ecosystem for Android devices. We’ve got a tiny bit more evidence of that today in the form of the complete welcome kit being sent out to prospective developers; there’s not anything too mind-boggling in here, but let’s break down some of the key points: From the wording, there’s no question that the system is exclusive to Android — at least initially. Amazon is already accepting submissions, but only of promotional materials and other non-app assets; presumably, they’re trying to make sure they’ve got critical mass before deploying. Oh, and here’s another reason they’re only taking non-app assets right now: the “App Packaging Tool” that binaries will need to be run through prior to submission isn’t yet ready. The nuts and bolts of the tool aren’t yet clear, but Amazon says that it will “ensure that the apps will install properly on customers’ devices and… enable the digital rights management (DRM) policies outlined in the developer agreement.” Speaking of DRM, turns out it’s not required. It’s up to the developer whether to enable it. Developer-submitted videos will be supported in the app product pages, which is kind of nice — neither the Android Market nor the iOS App Store support that. Naturally, it’s at Amazon’s sole discretion what will be allowed and disallowed in the store; “offensive content” won’t be permitted, and the company says that “what [it deems] offensive is probably about what you would expect.” Neither pornography nor “hard-core material” are cool. So there you have it — Amazon is expecting to ingest actual app binaries “in a few weeks,” so it looks like this will be ready in time for the holidays. App store fragmentation seems like the last thing any mobile platform needs right now, but we’re sure that these guys — with the huge opportunity for showcasing apps on a site network that gets tens of millions of views per day — would just love a slice of that multi-billion dollar pie. [Thanks, anonymous tipster] Gallery: Amazon sends ‘welcome packet’ to prospective app store devs Amazon sends ‘welcome packet’ to prospective app store devs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 02:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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(CNN) — Members of the U.N. Security Council Thursday wrapped up their visit to southern Sudan, underscoring support for the January referendum vote that could lead to the region’s independence. According to a Security Council diplomat, the 15 members are making the trip at a critical juncture. U.S. President Barack Obama recently implored Sudanese officials to…
Continue reading …In a private conversation that was inadvertently taped by a voicemail machine, an associate of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown can be heard referring to his Republican opponent Meg Whitman as a “ whore ” for cutting a deal … Months earlier, Whitman had agreed to exempt public safety officials from key parts of her pension reform plan. “Do we want to put an ad out? … That I have been warned if I crack down on pensions, I will be – that they’ll go to Whitman, …
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Watch The Big Bang Theory S4E3: The Zazzy Substitution The gang are now getting too worried about Sheldon, as he is now searching for a way to have an alternative companion from humans, after he “breaks up” with Amy. The latest installment of our favorite physicists
Continue reading …PCD’s $99 wireless streaming adapter will beam iOS or older-gen iPod nano content onto your TV
October 8, 2010 No Comment
In case you’ve got some fundamental issue with Apple’s upcoming AirPlay , or just a fifth-gen iPod nano you’re unwilling to part with, here’s a handy little adapter for you. Produced by Cywee and likely to be sold for around $99 by PCD in the US, this RF streamer plugs straight into your iDevice’s dock connector and then beams video, pictures, games and the like over to its nearby base station, which in turn hooks up to your television by a set of RGB cables. Any app that utilizes Apple’s video output API is a candidate for having its visuals sent over, though resolution is unfortunately capped at 480p and you’ll need line of sight at a distance of no more than 15 feet for everything to work correctly. Just to make sure we’re all appropriately underwhelmed by its current product, Cywee promises an 802.11n WiFi variant that’ll handle 1080p and output via HDMI for next year. Great, we’ll just wait for that one, why don’t we? Continue reading PCD’s $99 wireless streaming adapter will beam iOS or older-gen iPod nano content onto your TV PCD’s $99 wireless streaming adapter will beam iOS or older-gen iPod nano content onto your TV originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 01:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Friday, 8 October 2010, 4:38 pm Press Release: United Nations UN Gathering Urges Global Cooperation To Fight Human Trafficking New York, Oct 7 2010 10:10AM With human trafficking knowing no borders, anti-trafficking experts from regional and sub-regional organizations have met for the first time in a United Nations-backed forum to discuss how to join forces to counter the scourge. “Effective coordination of the various anti-trafficking initiatives and enhanced cooperation among all actors involved in combating trafficking is essential to maximize available resources, minimize duplication and address States’ fatigue vis-
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The Japanese cabinet has approved a plan to pump more than $60bn (£38bn) into the country’s struggling economy. The aim of the plan – which still needs approval from parliament – is to boost growth, jobs and spending. The Japanese…
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KARACHI ‘ Two bombs ripped through a Sufi shrine in Karachi killing at least eight worshippers, including two children, as Pakistan battles a wave of violence linked to Taliban and Al-Qaeda extremists. Senior police official Hamid Parhial said 65 people were also wounded in the suspected suicide attack late Thursday in Karachi, a teeming port city that is a maelstrom of communal and criminal violence. The bombs exploded at the entrance of the shrine to Abdullah Shah Ghazi, a saint in the Sufi mystical strain of Islam, as devotees packed it for a weekly gathering in the city’s seaside Clifton district. Witness Gul Mohammad said he was outside the shrine when…
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In a private conversation that was inadvertently taped by a voicemail machine, an associate of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown can be heard referring to his Republican opponent Meg Whitman as a “whore” for cutting a deal protecting law enforcement pensions as the two candidates competed for police endorsements.
Continue reading …UPDATE: At 6:22pm, the Los Angeles Times published an article titled “An associate of Jerry Brown calls Meg Whitman a “whore ” over pension reform ( AUDIO ).’” At 10:58 PM, the Times published another article with the headline “Brown or …
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