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Have you heard? In a rather surprising and unseen move Apple has dialed back the Big Brother effect on developers and the tools they use and implement in their applications for iOS, and Google couldn’t be more pleased. That is because the revised restrictions once again allow for developers to use AdMob after new guidelines laid out with the release of iOS 4 effectively banned all third party advertising from applications made for iDevices.
Google — who owns AdMob and stands to lose or rake in profits depending on the whims of Apple (just like overpowering sales of Android smartphones /sarcasm) — stated in a blog post reacting to the news, “This is great news for everyone in the mobile community, as we believe that a competitive environment is the best way to drive innovation and growth in mobile advertising.” And it is all well and good for Google, but what about their Android OS?
By in large it will remain unaffected, though some developers who defected from Apple and moved to Android, a system that many call easier to work with, may return to devoting some time towards iOS apps. Many of those who do so may fall into the camp of those who quit iOS development when Apple refused to support applications developed using tools provided by Adobe. The newly revised restrictions once again allow for developers to use tools to convert Flash applications into iPhone-ready software. Given Android’s forthcoming ability to run Flash application packages through AIR, this should open up cross-platform development quite a bit. Adobe has not commented specifically on the news.
Either way it’s nice to see Apple beginning to buckle under outside pressure from critics of their closed system as Google’s developer-centric approach has been quietly whisking away promising software engineers from iOS. Will there be a day when Apple’s App Store is completely free and open? Yeah, and someday Steve Jobs will stop wearing a black turtle neck. Read: not likely by a long stretch. Then again, Google could stand to do a bit more policing around their own borders.
[via CNN]
hmmm interesting
It’s plain and simple, Apple is threatened by Android.
so is this way of indirectly saying Flash is okay?
I am pretty much worried about Android or Chromium with such deals from Google! I am almost ready to look toward other open source platforms without Google’s dilemma! I just wrote couple of comments on the Google blog :
3 comments:
sathya said…
I sure hope this announcement from Apple doesn’t come at the expense of Android! (Reminds of the time when Google and Apple had an understanding about not using pinch-to-zoom in Android and how it showed up in Android soon after Steve Jobs called Google evil!!)
We, the users, understand that from Google’s perspective Android has a purpose (mobile ad) but we, Android fans, “love” Google for Android and its strength in openness, not in ad revenue!
I know its all in the balancing act, but who knows what the future holds? Maybe some other open platform (Meego?) not so much worried about ad revenue but can take Apple head-on with technology? What do you say Google?
September 9, 2010 8:58 AM
Bill said…
@sathya
I believe that was just a rumor… I don’t remember every seeing anything concrete about such an “agreement”.
In any event, I’m really glad to see Apple make this move. Should have been before the SDK even came out.
September 9, 2010 11:01 AM
sathya said…
@Bill
I understand I might have “jumped the guns” with “agreement” but everyone knows the ultimate motive with Android or upcoming Chromium OS is the “ad revenue” for Google, which I don’t blame as it is their core business but as an end user and an avid follower of the platform, myself along with thousand others, get concerned knowing there is a possibility that “ad revenue” can hinder the “technological” progress of Android platform or any other Google OS platform!
Just in a nutshell, if Google can sacrifice few competing features of either existing or upcoming platform for millions of ad revenue from iOS, the platform won’t go down but sure will hurt the end users that trusted and followed Google like sheeps!
Also, if there is nothing in it for Apple why would it open the ad platform for everyone (Google/Admob) when basically they chose to lock it down few months ago with their own ad platform?
Bottom line is, can Google play a true win-win game with end users of their mobile platform?
September 9, 2010 11:30 AM
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The funny thing is that Apple couldn’t see the benefit in profiting from *their* competitors. After taking the reins from QuattroWireless, which they purchased earlier this year, they immediately choked android apps of add fill, and after a few weeks announced that they would be cutting off the QuattroWireless service altogether in order to focus on iAd.
Oh well, their loss.
Wow that techcrunch article about how Android is surging only because Apple lets it is complete shat.
How do people come up with crap like that?
Looks like Uncle Steve buckled. Probably because his attorney’s said that when the FTC was done with their investigation they were going to own his ass in court. Couldn’t imagine any other reason other than a monetary loss and egg on his face. His ultra ego wouldn’t allow either, particularly the egg on the face due to his big mouth and megalomania. All in all it’s awesome news for devs. Simply because now App written on one platform can be easily ported to another using the right environment. YAY!
Imagine apple made an android phone for Verizon that’ll be to sickkkkk!!
I wonder if Jobs new approach is a result of shareholder pressure. It’s hard to ignore the stats, Apple is in decline for mobile devices. If Apple keeps acting like ass-hats publically, the finances aren’t going to be what they normally thought them to be.
Ha! Black turtleneck!!!! As in http://mrbesilly.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341bfa6953ef0133f27d571f970b-500wi
I am an apple developer, not because I like apple, because im 15 and need money (And it seemed easier than Android). They accepted my app that is like the android app Tanning Bed that just flashes and looks like tanning lights, but they didnt accept a RSS reader that had the options to share, open in browser, and save for later. I am glad they are letting up. Now if they could just completely remove the review process, 2-3 weeks is RIDICULOUS. Especially if we are paying 100$ a year.
Apple is DONE… There is no way that Apple can compete while it’s product is only available through one network, whereas all their competition enjoys an open market. Then they go an close off those who are supporting their product in the form of software availability… lol, it was only a matter of time till this happened. doesn’t really matter much, give it another year and Apple will be sitting by the roadside waiting to get on the Android Bus, lmao…
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:)
Sounds good. They are a large market and deliberately cutting themselves off is not good for devs. Making them choose one platform over the other hurts users. This is a good development because it would seem easier for a dev to write an app and then more easily port it to multiple mobile OSes. This means more buyers for the dev and the users have less cases where there is only an iOS version or an Android version but not both.
And this ladies and gentlemen is the reason competition is always good – the consumer (and ecosystem) benefit in the end.
-B
Jobs is a control freak. He wants to control everything to protect you.
* control what apps you can develop
* control what apps you can buy
* protect you from pr0n
* control what languages/tools you may use to develop
* control what app store you can use to sell your wares
* protect you from using anything but iTunes to load content onto your own device (that’s why you’re NEVER going to see an iPhone/iPad with an SD card or USB storage).
* control what cellular network you use
* control the shape/size/style/color of your cell phone. One size fits all. No flip phones, side keyboard, bottom keyboards, etc. Just the one holy design given by god thrugh Jobs.
* control what ad networks you can see
* protect you from the evil of Google Voice
* control what network connectivity can be used by certain special classes of apps such as Skype
* control the laws of physics when they conflict with the style that Jobs wants and it affects antenna design
.
I have a theory. You’re never going to see an AT&T Android phone with front facing camera. This will remain exclusively an Apple innovation. (Please don’t try to suggest that other cellular networks have Android phones with front facing cameras — it just isn’t so.)