Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 15th Feb 2013 08:21 UTC
"Sebastian Holst makes yoga mobile apps with his wife, a yoga instructor. The Mobile Yogi is sold in all the major mobile app stores. But when someone buys his app in the Google Play store, Holst automatically gets something he says he didn't ask for: the buyer's full name, location and email address. He says consumers are not aware that Google Inc. is sharing their personal information with third parties. No other app store transmits users' personal information to third-party developers when they buy apps, he said." Oh Google.
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RE[3]: This is as it should be in all app stores
by bowkota on Fri 15th Feb 2013 12:17
in reply to "RE[2]: This is as it should be in all app stores"
Member since:2011-10-12
In the case of a purchase in a store, there is no need to pass on those details since the customer is given a receipt which proves what they purchased and when.
When you make a purchase of an app (even if it's free) you have the option to receive a receipt for it. There's no need for anyone to give away your personal info. Especially without your consent.
And if you want the correct analogy, Google in this case can be treated as the Retailer. When you go to Selfridges and you buy a Samsung TV, they are by no means entitled to pass along any information to Samsung without your consent. Why is Google doing it in this case?
RE[4]: This is as it should be in all app stores
by JAlexoid on Sat 16th Feb 2013 01:56
in reply to "RE[3]: This is as it should be in all app stores"
Member since:2009-05-19
When you download a free app from Play Store there is no receipt or anything. You're not buying it.
Your physical receipt is proof of purchase(goods exchanged for finances) with strict legal guidelines. There is no legal equivalent e-receipt. Your order confirmation from Amazon is not a receipt. Invoice/Order, delivery of that order and proof of payment make the legal equivalent of a receipt.
Google in this case can be treated as the Retailer
No they are not. They are a payment processor. Google does not handle returns or sell you anything.
Here is the actual order info from my Wallet page, to prove that you are actually mistaken in your assessment of the situation:
15 Nov Rovio Mobile Ltd. charged your **** for USD3.68. "GOOGLE *Rovio Mobile" will appear on your billing statement.
15 Nov Rovio Mobile Ltd. received your order.
15 Nov You placed an order with Rovio Mobile Ltd. on 15 Nov. Google Wallet sent a copy of this receipt to ***
Purchased from:
Rovio Mobile Ltd.
2275 E Bayshore Rd Ste 108
Palo Alto CA 94303
RE[3]: This is as it should be in all app stores
by siraf72 on Mon 18th Feb 2013 19:15
in reply to "RE[2]: This is as it should be in all app stores"
Member since:2006-02-22
If it is an online purchase, the retailer will usually require your address already, perhaps to deliver goods, to help validate payment details/identity, to determine warranty/support entitlement.
In my experience it's up to the payment gateway provider to validate the payment info, not the seller. Unless the seller is authorised to process payments themselves (which they tend not to be).
Any warranty or support is based on a transaction ID not the purchasers personal details.
RE[4]: This is as it should be in all app stores
by JAlexoid on Wed 20th Feb 2013 14:32
in reply to "RE[3]: This is as it should be in all app stores"
Member since:2009-05-19
Features
Linked by David Adams on 05/16/13 4:23 UTC
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/18/13 11:21 UTC
Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/16/13 9:29 UTC
The day has finally come: Google has started shipping Google Glass to the lucky few early adopters. Now that it's shipping, Google has also unveiled a lot more about the API and the specifications of the device itself. While the company had already given out substantial details at earlier occasions, there are still a few surprises here.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/15/13 22:44 UTC
Almost exactly three years ago, I wrote about why OSNews was no longer OSNews: the alternative operating system scene had died, and OSNews, too, had to go with the times and move towards reporting on a new wave of operating systems - mobile, and all the repercussions that the explosion of smartphones and tablets have caused. Still, I was wondering something today: why aren't we seeing alternative operating systems on mobile?
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/14/13 18:22 UTC, submitted by MOS6510
You can say what you will about Windows Phone and Windows 8's Metro interface (I refuse to drop that name) - it's inefficient, unpopular, cumbersome, beautiful, ugly, organised, clean, limiting - but there's one thing we can all agree on: it's unique and distinctive. CNet has published a profile of Microsoft's Albert Shum, the man behind Metro, and he highlights what I think is at the very core of Microsoft's problems in mobile right now.More Features »
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If it is an online purchase, the retailer will usually require your address already, perhaps to deliver goods, to help validate payment details/identity, to determine warranty/support entitlement.
In the case of a purchase in a store, there is no need to pass on those details since the customer is given a receipt which proves what they purchased and when.
I think Google ought to be mindful of what they send developers and how it is used (information provided should not be shared etc), but I do think they should send the something to the developer.