Its totally useful to all of the other market providers, actually. (Assuming non-rooted devices, etc, the user does not in fact "already have the apk" because of the UID separation. For the record, I'm personally not a fan of "we decide what parts of their data the user can access" but this is a fairly strong argument in favor of that separation. Or would be if the API wasn't secret..)
For that matter, maybe you don't want every other app on the system to be able to read the apk. (Not sure what the goal/problem there would be, but I'm sure there's a protected app out there thats protected for just that reason..) On Thu, May 20, 2010 at 1:01 PM, a genius <[email protected]> wrote: > They aren't SECRET though, and that's the point. Everything part of > the platform that anything can use under any circumstances is visible > in source form. Just because you can't use something doesn't make it a > secret. Also, in this particular example, there is nothing > particularly USEFUL that this API does since if you are installing an > application outside of the market, then by definition, you already > have the .apk file to begin with, which means that copy protection is > irrelevant. > > On May 19, 10:50 am, Disconnect <[email protected]> wrote: > > Actually, market does use several secret APIs - protected apps, install > > without multiple prompts, etc. > > > > Overall I agree though, "google account info" is not (at least in 1.6) a > > "secret" api, its just something they did mostly-legitimately within the > > existing signing infrastructure, and something you could do (with or > without > > root/system signing keys etc) for a different provider if you were > > motivated. > > > > > > > > On Wed, May 19, 2010 at 10:33 AM, a genius <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > You have failed to understand the distinction between ANDROID and > > > GOOGLE APPS. > > > > > These are quite different. > > > ANDROID, the PLATFORM, does not have google apps. Yes, Market/Maps/ > > > Signin/etc. are private closed source stuff. That doesn't mean that > > > ANDROID has private/hidden/inaccessible APIs. It means that some stuff > > > added in ON TOP of android does. > > > > > I realize that it is difficult for one to rationalize the fact that > > > google is behind both sides, that doesn't mean that Android itself is > > > so disabled. > > > > > In fact, ANDROID is OPEN SOURCE! You can't have a private/hidden API > > > in something that is open source! > > > That, of course, doesn't mean that everything there you can "just > > > use"... for some of the security sensitive things, you need to sign > > > your APK with the sake key as the rest of the platform. This is just > > > to ensure that malicious applications don't go stomping around with > > > what amounts to root access. > > > > > If you want access to EVERYTHING, then you just need to get your hands > > > on the applicable signing key, or resign the whole platform with YOUR > > > key. > > > > > On Apr 28, 12:22 pm, GodsMoon <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > The google account thing I was talking about is detailed here: > > >http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=1073 > > > > > > 3rd party apps do not have permission to call that Intent but apps > > > > like Google Maps are. > > > > Sounds like a private API to me... > > > > > > David Shellabargerhttp://www.goldfishview.com > > > > > > On Apr 28, 7:05 am, Mark Murphy <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > GodsMoon wrote: > > > > > > I'm not saying that Google is malicious, but if this NY Times > article > > > > > > is true that it is pure spin. > > > > > > > Most articles are. Heck, nowadays, most "news" is. In a world of > blogs > > > > > and video and stuff, I take things that come from intermediaries > with a > > > > > large grain of salt, maybe 12 inches (30.48cm) on a side... > > > > > > > And note, I used physical dimensions for my salt! Screen density > > > > > independence, FTW! > > > > > > > :-) > > > > > > > > Andy Rubin is VP of Engineering at Google and he started Android. > > > > > > > Like I said, he's an executive. > > > > > > > > I think this is much less a threat then allowing > > > > > > apps to send SMS messages. > > > > > > > Which is why there's a rate limiter on that API. One that others > have > > > > > complained about, I might add. > > > > > > > > If timing is really the only issue here, then just let developers > > > know > > > > > > when the feature is coming in the interest of being "open". We > can be > > > > > > patient; just let us know when. > > > > > > > No quibbles here on that point. OTOH, I wouldn't hold my breath if > I > > > > > were you. :-( > > > > > > > > The fact that you can't turn the screen off based on the > proximity > > > > > > sensor is ridiculous. This use-case is obvious and you should be > able > > > > > > to do that the completely open system that Andy is describing. > > > > > > > Limiting the screen-off stuff to this -- say, a > > > > > setProximityScreenOffEnabled() method somewhere, perhaps > PowerManager > > > -- > > > > > would help to clear up some of the security issues a well. It might > > > make > > > > > a useful first step towards making it more generally available. > > > > > > > > PS The Gmail account authentication API is private as well right? > Did > > > > > > I just make that up? > > > > > > > Beats me -- I'm not sure what you're referring to. I haven't fussed > > > with > > > > > anything regarding Gmail on the device, largely because I don't use > > > Gmail. > > > > > > > -- > > > > > Mark Murphy (a Commons Guy)http://commonsware.com| > > >http://twitter.com/commonsguy > > > > > > > Android Training...At Your Office:http://commonsware.com/training > > > > > > > -- > > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > > Groups "Android Discuss" group. > > > > > To post to this group, send email to > [email protected]. > > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > [email protected]<android-discuss%[email protected]> > <android-discuss%[email protected]<android-discuss%[email protected]> > > > > > . > > > > > For more options, visit this group athttp:// > > > groups.google.com/group/android-discuss?hl=en. > > > > > > -- > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups > > > "Android Discuss" group. > > > > To post to this group, send email to > [email protected]. > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > [email protected]<android-discuss%[email protected]> > <android-discuss%[email protected]<android-discuss%[email protected]> > > > > > . > > > > For more options, visit this group athttp:// > > > groups.google.com/group/android-discuss?hl=en. > > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups > > > "Android Discuss" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > [email protected]<android-discuss%[email protected]> > <android-discuss%[email protected]<android-discuss%[email protected]> > > > > > . > > > For more options, visit this group at > > >http://groups.google.com/group/android-discuss?hl=en. > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Android Discuss" group. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<android-discuss%[email protected]> > . > > For more options, visit this group athttp:// > groups.google.com/group/android-discuss?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Android Discuss" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<android-discuss%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/android-discuss?hl=en. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Discuss" group. 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