Android fans will be delighted to hear that the long awaited Netflix app has finally appeared upon Android Market!

Unfortunately it looks like only HTC fans and those running the latest Google phone will be able to partake of the movie stream madness.

One of these challenges is the lack of standard streaming playback features that the Netflix application can use to gain broad penetration across all available Android phones. In the absence of standardization, we have to test each individual handset and launch only on those that can support playback. We are aggressively qualifying phones and look forward to expanding the list of phones on which the Netflix app will be supported. (Official Netflix Blog)

In order to install Netflix users need to be running Android 2.2 (or 2.3 on some smartphones), and be fortunate enough to own an HTC Incredible, Evo 4G, Nexus One, G2 or Nexus S (the latter which is made by Samsung).

Netflix is working on expanding the number of devices supported, although the company might want to consider allowing users to “beta test” the phones (which could reduce the roll out time for the rest of the Android population).

With Netflix embracing Google’s mobile OS, we may see other companies (such as Hulu) finally take the leap and hop on Android Market.

Hat Tip: Engadget

Originally posted on May 12, 2011 @ 3:53 pm

Android lovers, we have a problem. It seems that Google’s mobile OS, once heralded as being the “open platform” is starting to trend in the wrong direction.

It seems that for all of Google’s tough talk of Android being an open platform free from interference, it looks like at the end of the day the carriers have the last say.

After receiving a tip that Verizon may be blocking Wireless Tether from the market, I decided to do a little digging on the variety of devices I own.  Sure enough, from all of my phones, including the Nexus S I have running on AT&T, I was unable to find Wireless Tether in the market.  So to see what was really going on, I jumped into the browser-based Android Market to see if I could find the app and definitely did.  But what you are seeing, is my list of devices, all of which cannot accept this app. (Droid Life)

Apparently wireless carriers were becoming upset that users were turning their phones into portable hotspots without their approval.

So now with Google’s help they are blocking (or in some cases censoring) tethering apps from being installed from the official Android Market.

While its understandable why carriers are charging customers for tethering, receiving assistance from Google is a far cry from what Android was designed to be (which was “open”).

If Google continues to allow carriers to dictate app policy, they could end up not only alienating their developer community, but also giving iOS developers one less reason to leave Steve Jobs walled garden.

Image Credit: IntoMobile

Originally posted on May 3, 2011 @ 12:32 pm