Tethering Apps Being Banned From Android Market - So uh, this is what an open handset and network look like?

Tethering Apps Being Banned From Android Market
So uh, this is what an open handset and network look like?
(old news - 01:00PM Tuesday Mar 31 2009)
tags: business · wireless · hardware · networking · net-neutrality

According to developers, applications that allow tethering for Andriod-OS-based phones are being pulled from the Android Market for violating the Developer Distribution Agreement. That seems to run contrary to earlier comments by T-Mobile suggesting they wouldn't really care about tethering applications, and of course runs contrary to Google's claim of an "open" handset development system. This isn't that big of a deal, since users can still avoid the Android Store and install tethering apps on their own -- but the move does seem strange -- especially considering Google and company had been leaving the apps alone up until this point. Maybe T-Mobile had a change of heart, or perhaps Google lawyers are just worried about T-Mobile contract technicalities? Either way, banning useful applications doesn't seem very "open."

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Forums » Tethering Apps Being Banned From Android Market


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ninjatutle Premium join:2006-01-02 San Ramon, CA	ha So much for the android being the savior..
	permalink · 2009-03-31 13:07:35 ·

DataRiker Premium join:2002-05-19 Metairie, LA clubs:	Re: ha well, this is really a non issue since users can install any app they want as long as they do it themselves.
	permalink · 2009-03-31 13:11:06 ·

rmdir

join:2003-03-13
Chicago, IL

Re: ha

It's still pretty annoying. I was truly looking forward to the day when I'd be out of my contract with V* later this year, but after researching things like the lack of VOIP last night, and now this, I've pretty much given up on TMO having a desirable product. This smacks too much of the things I've already had to do with my V account. If I'm going to have to hack my phone, there's not much incentive to dump Verizon for a different carrier.

permalink · 2009-03-31 13:20:03 ·

tiger72
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Re: ha

said by rmdir

:

It's still pretty annoying. I was truly looking forward to the day when I'd be out of my contract with V* later this year, but after researching things like the lack of VOIP last night, and now this, I've pretty much given up on TMO having a desirable product. This smacks too much of the things I've already had to do with my V account. If I'm going to have to hack my phone, there's not much incentive to dump Verizon for a different carrier.

how is going to a website to manually download an apk "hacking your phone"? This aint an iphone, or a VZW stripped-down OS.

To get any of those tethering apps, all you need to do is find the installer and download it.
--
"What makes us omniscient? Have we a record of omniscience? ...If we can't persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we'd better reexamine our reasoning."
-United States Secretary of Defense (1961-1968) Robert S. McNamara

permalink · 2009-03-31 13:35:50 · Print ·

rmdir join:2003-03-13 Chicago, IL	Re: ha I don't mean hacking in the typical sense, I should have said attempting to use it in an unofficially sanctioned way. Instead of being the knight in shining armor, they are turning into another Apple with the IPhone. And they haven't looked at how Apple's hard line hasn't stopped people, it just pisses them off instead.
	permalink · 2009-03-31 14:09:41 ·

adisor19

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Re: ha

said by rmdir

:

I don't mean hacking in the typical sense, I should have said attempting to use it in an unofficially sanctioned way. Instead of being the knight in shining armor, they are turning into another Apple with the IPhone. And they haven't looked at how Apple's hard line hasn't stopped people, it just pisses them off instead.

This is NOT an unofficially sanctioned way. Jailbraking an iPhone IS an unofficially sanctioned way but this is completely normal and official. Choose your words wisely as it sometimes results in the spreading of FUD.

Adi

permalink · 2009-03-31 14:33:59 · Print ·

N3OGH Bear patrol must be working like a charm Premium join:2003-11-11 Philly burbs ·Verizon FIOS ·Verizon Online DSL	Besides, tether it to what? T-mobile's molasses slow data network. May as well Scotch tape a piece of string and a can to your USB port, I hear the downstream speeds are better... -- Petty people are disproportionably corrupted by petty power…
	permalink · 2009-03-31 13:17:48 ·

jesseb_66 join:2002-12-06 Tucson, AZ	Re: ha Your right their edge network is very slow. Coming from a t mobile BB user here. I don't tether often but it is a bare when I have to... Usable sorta enjoyable no.
	permalink · 2009-03-31 13:32:54 ·

bender Bite my shiny metal ass Premium join:2005-03-19 Evanston, IL clubs: ·T-Mobile US ·Vonage ·AT&T U-Verse ·AT&T Midwest ·Mediacom	i live in the suburbs and I get about 750 Kbit/s on my g1 and about 300 Kbit/s upstream. its enough for the g1 to work like its supposed to. I keep my phone on edge most of the time anyways (saves on battery life). I have tethered to my laptop when I'm out and don't have wifi access before too. its good enough to do business while comuting too.
	permalink · 2009-03-31 13:33:38 ·

tiger72
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1 edit

My power went out a few days ago when I was planning on working from home. My job is entirely web-centric. I have a laptop, but losing power meant losing my dsl connection. So I tethered my laptop to my G1 (VERY easy) and simply used the EDGE network, and I must say that it was more than sufficient for me to get my work done. Tethering to my TMO phone on EDGE saved my ass.
--
"What makes us omniscient? Have we a record of omniscience? ...If we can't persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we'd better reexamine our reasoning."
-United States Secretary of Defense (1961-1968) Robert S. McNamara

permalink · 2009-03-31 13:39:48 · Print ·

N3OGH
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Re: ha

FYI it might be a good idea to pick up a fairly robust UPS for just such a situation. I keep my DSL modem and wireless router behind a UPS and it rand for hours during our last power outage.

Might not be a bad idea, depending on how often your power goes out. I bought all of it when I was using VoIP to keep my voice communications up during outages. I'm back on POTS now, but I still have the equipment.
--
Petty people are disproportionably corrupted by petty power…

permalink · 2009-03-31 16:21:57 ·

GOLFnSUN
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Re: ha

said by N3OGH

:

FYI it might be a good idea to pick up a fairly robust UPS for just such a situation. I keep my DSL modem and wireless router behind a UPS and it rand for hours during our last power outage.

Might not be a bad idea, depending on how often your power goes out. I bought all of it when I was using VoIP to keep my voice communications up during outages. I'm back on POTS now, but I still have the equipment.

Good idea. I keep my cable modem & wireless router behind an UPS and that can let me use my laptop for about 3 or 4 hrs with power down.
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page

permalink · 2009-03-31 17:18:05 · Print ·

patcat88 join:2002-04-05 Jamaica, NY	Re: ha said by GOLFnSUN : Good idea. I keep my cable modem & wireless router behind an UPS and that can let me use my laptop for about 3 or 4 hrs with power down. Not when the cable HFC power injectors' batteries last 0-10 minutes since they are 2 decades old, or were stolen to be used in cars and motorcycles.
	permalink · 2009-04-01 01:10:34 ·

ropeguru Premium join:2001-01-25 Bridgeport, WV clubs: ·VOIPo	Re: ha said by patcat88 : said by GOLFnSUN : Good idea. I keep my cable modem & wireless router behind an UPS and that can let me use my laptop for about 3 or 4 hrs with power down. Not when the cable HFC power injectors' batteries last 0-10 minutes since they are 2 decades old, or were stolen to be used in cars and motorcycles. Maybe in your area but not mine...
	permalink · 2009-04-01 07:21:00 · Print ·

GOLFnSUN
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said by patcat88

said by GOLFnSUN

:

Good idea. I keep my cable modem & wireless router behind an UPS and that can let me use my laptop for about 3 or 4 hrs with power down.

Not when the cable HFC power injectors' batteries last 0-10 minutes since they are 2 decades old, or were stolen to be used in cars and motorcycles.

During power outages, the cable infrastructure in my area continued to work.
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page

permalink · 2009-04-01 08:48:49 · Print ·

tiger72
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said by N3OGH

I've never lived in a town where power outages happen on sunny days with no notice or reason. I may just have to invest in a UPS =\

said by k1ll3rdr4g0n

said by ninjatutle

:

So much for the android being the savior..

Are you even reading?
There's no kill switch on tethering apps. They're not killing the apps. They're just removing them from the market for violating the TOS. You can install them without the market very easily. Again, this aint the iPhone. You don't need to have root to install apps. You don't need anything special. I have the tethering app sitting on my phone right now. Essentially, this is NO DIFFERENT than installing an app on your winmo phone. You get the executable and install. Period.
Is that clear enough?

I mean I am all for a open source phone OS, but that is all it should be - if there is money to be made (such as through a "market place") you bet your bottom dollar that the honest customer will be the one to get hurt. We need a third party market place that isn't run by anyone with "interests" with the (I)SP or OS developer for the iPhone, Windows Mobile, and the G1...

Again, this aint the iPhone. You don't NEED a marketplace for the G1 to install apps. Find the executable (apk) and install. JUST. LIKE. WINMO.

Just like there are websites like getjar for the java files for dumbphones/featurephones, Android has a number of sites like »www.androidfreeware.org/ that have the apks available for download.
--
"What makes us omniscient? Have we a record of omniscience? ...If we can't persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we'd better reexamine our reasoning."
-United States Secretary of Defense (1961-1968) Robert S. McNamara

permalink · 2009-04-01 10:59:29 · Print ·

ptrowski Got Helix? Premium join:2005-03-14 Putnam, CT clubs:	Re: ha Have you ever lived in Florida? I used to have power outages on sunny days all the time when the DOT would dig first, look for obstacles second.
	permalink · 2009-04-02 13:06:09 ·

adisor19 join:2004-10-11	If you have t-mobile 3G coverage you wouldn't say that. By the sounds of it, you're probably using EDGE. Adi
	permalink · 2009-03-31 14:35:40 ·

biggbrother
Premium
join:2001-11-07
Providence, RI

From a business standpoint... I can understand how T-Mobile would want to try to limit people from using their network as a replacement for the cable of DSL ISP.

However, since Android is open-source, these tethering apps are easily available from reputable Market alternatives.
--
"Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them." -- George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four.

permalink · 2009-03-31 14:14:40 ·

k1ll3rdr4g0n

join:2005-03-19
Homer Glen, IL

said by ninjatutle

:

So much for the android being the savior..

We both know it was only a matter of time. Any service managed by a group of people who believe their sole purpose in life is to line their pockets with your money is bound to be a few "bumps". Yet another win for Windows Mobile, no kill switch, and completely customizable. What else do you need?

I mean I am all for a open source phone OS, but that is all it should be - if there is money to be made (such as through a "market place") you bet your bottom dollar that the honest customer will be the one to get hurt. We need a third party market place that isn't run by anyone with "interests" with the (I)SP or OS developer for the iPhone, Windows Mobile, and the G1. This way the company can be neutral and they must have the balls to tell the (I)SPs to eff off if they want a piece of software to be removed...simply because its none of their business (even if it violates the TOS - its not the retailer to make sure the customer follows the TOS, its the (I)SP).

permalink · 2009-03-31 19:23:14 · Print ·

bender Bite my shiny metal ass Premium join:2005-03-19 Evanston, IL clubs:	wtf tmobile?! wow. and to imagine that I was hoping that android would do well. you can't restrict innovation. if you do you will smother it. jackasses.
	permalink · 2009-03-31 13:35:18 ·

hottboiinnc ME join:2003-10-15 Cleveland, OH	Re: wtf tmobile?! it hasnt been said if this was a TMO move or Google. But Google is the ones that are removing the apps from the store.
	permalink · 2009-03-31 19:13:06 ·

bender Bite my shiny metal ass Premium join:2005-03-19 Evanston, IL clubs:	Re: wtf tmobile?! ah. good point. i guess that I shouldn't have thought that google was above such a low blow.
	permalink · 2009-03-31 22:19:24 ·

cdru
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said by bender

:

you can't restrict innovation. if you do you will smother it.

Yeah, because Apple/AT&T has never attempted to smother apps from their app store.

That's hurt the iPhone's popularity quite a bit.

Yes you can jail break your iPhone and get it to run what ever you want. But this isn't even at that point. You can still install whatever you want. It's just not on the official app marketplace anymore (for whatever reason).

permalink · 2009-04-01 08:47:12 · Print ·

bender Bite my shiny metal ass Premium join:2005-03-19 Evanston, IL clubs: ·T-Mobile US ·Vonage ·AT&T U-Verse ·AT&T Midwest ·Mediacom	Re: wtf tmobile?! yea but i can't see average joe/jane figuring out that you can install stuff other than the stuff in the marketplace. i don't know for sure what the long term vision is of Android, but I would like to see it become semi-mainstream (in every aspect). what would be sweet is if someone made an app called the "Black (Android) Market" and hosted all the "banned" apps on there.
	permalink · 2009-04-01 08:56:24 ·

cdru
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Re: wtf tmobile?!

said by bender

:

yea but i can't see average joe/jane figuring out that you can install stuff other than the stuff in the marketplace.

Being an average Joe/Jane hasn't stopped many from jailbreaking their iPhones. If they don't possess the skills themselves, they will just ask a friend that does. I just got my G1 yesterday so I took the liberty of installing PDANet for Android on my phone. It took less then 3 minutes start to finish to use my computer tethered and all it took is about a dozen clicks either on my computer or on the phone. If you have trouble doing that, you probably have trouble using the phone to begin with.

i don't know for sure what the long term vision is of Android, but I would like to see it become semi-mainstream (in every aspect). what would be sweet is if someone made an app called the "Black (Android) Market" and hosted all the "banned" apps on there.

There isn't a huge need for it. Sites I'm sure will pop up, but they will be more like the "shareware" sites for PCs. It won't be just for "banned" apps.

The whole deal is analogous to Microsoft having a "Windows Compatible" marketplace where softwhere developers can showcase their wares, but Microsoft gets the final say on if they allow a particular piece of software to be shown. If they don't allow it, it doesn't mean that the developer can't release it, it just means that they can't show it on Microsoft's app website. How many Windows applications do you get directly from your OS provider or a site directly sponsored by that that provider? None. You get Firefox from GetFirefox.com, you get iTunes from Apple, so on and so forth.

permalink · 2009-04-01 10:10:34 · Print ·

AVonGauss Premium,MVM join:2007-11-01 Boynton Beach, FL	Other Carriers I have no idea why they are pulling the tethering apps, but I do want to point out that T-Mobile is no longer the only carrier involved with Android and others may also be exerting their own influences and concerns.
	permalink · 2009-03-31 13:51:23 ·

tiger72
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Re: Other Carriers

said by AVonGauss

:

I have no idea why they are pulling the tethering apps, but I do want to point out that T-Mobile is no longer the only carrier involved with Android and others may also be exerting their own influences and concerns.

VERY good point.
I just checked, and Vodafone, Singtel, o2, TMO, etc ALL have no-tethering clauses in their TOS for phone broadband.
--
"What makes us omniscient? Have we a record of omniscience? ...If we can't persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we'd better reexamine our reasoning."
-United States Secretary of Defense (1961-1968) Robert S. McNamara

permalink · 2009-03-31 13:59:51 · Print ·

hottboiinnc ME join:2003-10-15 Cleveland, OH	T-Mobile is the only Android carrier (currently) in the US though.
	permalink · 2009-03-31 19:14:01 ·

AVonGauss Premium,MVM join:2007-11-01 Boynton Beach, FL	Re: Other Carriers At this exact moment and time, that is true, but right now there are also non-US carriers.
	permalink · 2009-03-31 20:02:51 ·

tiger72 SexaT duorP Premium join:2001-03-28 Saint Louis, MO clubs: ·T-Mobile US ·RoadRunner Cable	said by hottboiinnc : T-Mobile is the only Android carrier (currently) in the US though. The Android Market is open worldwide. So that is irrelevant.
	permalink · 2009-04-01 10:06:49 ·

hottboiinnc ME join:2003-10-15 Cleveland, OH	Re: Other Carriers it is open world wide but only one carrier in the United States. So your comment is irrelevant.
	permalink · 2009-04-01 17:27:53 ·

imanogre join:2005-11-29 Mcdonough, GA	DL App Anyone know of a good tethering app I can download for mine?
	permalink · 2009-03-31 13:54:36 ·

TomClancy Freedom isn't free join:2003-04-23 ...	hmmm... I guess I'll be sticking with S60 for now. -- Freedom isn't free!
	permalink · 2009-03-31 14:26:33 ·

hayabusa3303 Over 200 mph Premium join:2005-06-29 clubs:	So much for a open handset. EPIC FAIL.
	permalink · 2009-03-31 14:53:45 ·

See 6 replies to this post

compton join:2002-02-08 Brooklyn, NY	Hmmm! My guess is T-Mobile asked them to pull it. The data plan on the G1 has no limit (as I recall) or at least they don't enforce a bandwidth usage limit, and it's $39.99 per month. If I buy a data stick for my laptop it's $59.99 per month and 5 GB bandwidth usage limit per month. Now you can see why T-Mobile wouldn't want tethering software on the Android market place.
	permalink · 2009-03-31 15:38:58 ·

AVonGauss Premium,MVM join:2007-11-01 Boynton Beach, FL	Re: Hmmm! T-Mobile does have a 10 GB throttle threshold that does apply to the G1.
	permalink · 2009-03-31 20:03:42 ·

InfinityDev join:2005-06-30 Denville, NJ	Google can pull the app remotely. If push comes to shove, Google can remove the app remotely: "Google may discover a product that violates the developer distribution agreement ... in such an instance, Google retains the right to remotely remove those applications from your device at its sole discretion" »tinyurl.com/4ttrq2
	permalink · 2009-03-31 15:40:55 ·

hottboiinnc ME join:2003-10-15 Cleveland, OH	Re: Google can pull the app remotely. The same as their Google Voice's TOS says that nobody can leave you a voice mail on the system.
	permalink · 2009-03-31 19:16:11 ·

partysource join:2000-11-25 Phoenix, AZ	Wanna Tether Your G1 Follow The Link ;) »www.allshadow.com/2009/03/30/tet···ut-root/
	permalink · 2009-03-31 16:02:36 ·

technick Premium join:2000-12-16 Loganville, GA	G1 Tether App I've been using this application on my phone, haven't had any problems with it. »code.google.com/p/android-wifi-tether/ Its for WIFI tethering but does require root.
	permalink · 2009-03-31 17:39:54 ·

some dude @rr.com	gi tether They just pulled it from the market, you can still go on google developer page and download the APK to your G! and your good to go. still running on my phone, works great. its just to make tmobile happy, but i never understood why they dont allow it, i mean you pay for the data why does it matter if you surf on a bigger screen "laptop".
	permalink · 2009-03-31 20:43:50 ·

TechWhiz join:2004-10-30 Phoenix, AZ	Nice... Oops! Unlimited 3G without a bandwidth cap for $25 a month on any device within the wifi radius of the phone? (A bunch of the tethering applications turn the device into a 3G hotspot). Ya, removing them from the market just makes it so that users have use Google's other service (their search engine) to find and download the tethering apps.
	permalink · 2009-04-01 16:53:15 ·

VashTS @verizon.com	Man! What happened to you Google. U changed man, U used to be cool!
	permalink · 2009-04-02 12:06:53 ·

your comment..

Forums » Tethering Apps Being Banned From Android Market


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ha

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Re: ha

wtf tmobile?!

Re: wtf tmobile?!

Re: wtf tmobile?!

Re: wtf tmobile?!

Re: wtf tmobile?!

Other Carriers

Re: Other Carriers

Re: Other Carriers

Re: Other Carriers

DL App

hmmm...

So much for a open handset.

Hmmm!

Re: Hmmm!

Google can pull the app remotely.

Re: Google can pull the app remotely.

Wanna Tether Your G1 Follow The Link ;)

G1 Tether App

gi tether

Nice...

Man!