[1812dave]

They did. A security firm created an app that is advertised as one thing in their Android Market but really just collected information about who ever downloaded the app and sent it back to the firm without the user knowing it, in fact when the user opened the app, it really didn't do anything.

Google caught wind of this, sent out warnings to users, and remotely deleted any instance of the app on every Android device for their own personal safety.

Google released an announcement saying that they hope to never have to use it again but stated that that's the reason why they created the functionality.

It's not really scary, Google is usually a pretty good company when it comes to not being very controlling and imposing limits on what it's users can do.

I agree with you, that in this instance it was wise (and consumer friendly) for Google to zap those apps. It's hardly like when Amazon deleted some books a year or two ago. Now THAT was BEYOND TACKY, sneaky, and anti-consumer. It was a PR disaster, as well it should have been. AAMOF, I argued with some diehard Kindlers on the Amazon forum, right after it happened, that Bezos would have to backtrack on his actions, which he ultimately did, but not after damaging Amazon's rep.

[fecurtis]

I agree with you, that in this instance it was wise (and consumer friendly) for Google to zap those apps. It's hardly like when Amazon deleted some books a year or two ago. Now THAT was BEYOND TACKY, sneaky, and anti-consumer. It was a PR disaster, as well it should have been. AAMOF, I argued with some diehard Kindlers on the Amazon forum, right after it happened, that Bezos would have to backtrack on his actions, which he ultimately did, but not after damaging Amazon's rep.

Yeah I remember that.

The whole thing with Google does beg the question...why was this app in the Android Market to begin with?

[1812dave]

Yeah I remember that.

The whole thing with Google does beg the question...why was this app in the Android Market to begin with?

well, without knowing the particulars, isn't it because Google doesn't exert the iron-fisted control over the process, that Jobs (and his minions) does for the App Store?

[EnergyPlus]

Google may not be as "controlling" as some, as you said, but they are NOT known for their privacy policies, so I'm always conscious of that issue.

By the way, I was thinking about the iPhone 4 and the antenna issue. Can someone please help me to understand WHY/HOW such a thing could get past quality control? Surely, Alpha and Beta testers must have known this...even the guy in the bar who lost the phone...hadn't he made some phone calls (was it activated?) and discovered the issue? Where the **** is quality control going?

[aboutDbuzz]

Yeah I remember that.

The whole thing with Google does beg the question...why was this app in the Android Market to begin with?

For all the security concerns about Android, Google actually did better than Apple on iOS4. Android uses 'Sandboxing' which isolates all third party app. It will be harder to have a malicious app that will cause a system damage in Android OS than in iOS4

[aboutDbuzz]

Google may not be as "controlling" as some, as you said, but they are NOT known for their privacy policies, so I'm always conscious of that issue.

By the way, I was thinking about the iPhone 4 and the antenna issue. Can someone please help me to understand WHY/HOW such a thing could get past quality control? Surely, Alpha and Beta testers must have known this...even the guy in the bar who lost the phone...hadn't he made some phone calls (was it activated?) and discovered the issue? Where the **** is quality control going?

Remember Apple tests their device in 'secret'. RIM releases are always leaked and tested extensively in the wild sans 9800 or the Droid X whose video is all over the place as we speak. The only leaked iPhone 4 resulted in an arrest.

[tack]

Remember Apple tests their device in 'secret'. RIM releases are always leaked and tested extensively in the wild sans 9800 or the Droid X whose video is all over the place as we speak. The only leaked iPhone 4 resulted in an arrest.

I am still surprised this got past Apple testing. Apple usually does a good job of testing devices until the iPhone series. In some cases I believe they just decided to let the pizazz and hype overcome a known issue. I see no other way it could get outside of a beta cycle. They had to know.

My Mac's have always been industrial design wonders, and in many ways the iPhone's have been as well. It just seems the signal issues on all gen's of iPhones just don't matter to Apple. It certainly has not hurt their business. I for one won't own a phone that is a crappy phone, no matter the features.

The iPhone 4 is quite impressive in many areas. I hope RIM builds that type of screen and speed into the Storm3 for sure. I hope they don't build it with glass that breaks on a 3 foot fall!

[joe_fresh]

I was going to get a spare for my phone, until I realized that neither myself or my wife have trouble getting through one day, even with moderately heavy use. Therefore I figured why bother with spending the extra cash and keeping up with a spare.

i myself bought a spare, original ran dead, so i switched out, havent had to go the original yet, i guess my original was bad, but i wasnt going to leave my phone with vzw for 3 hours to have them test it

[EnergyPlus]

Understood and agreed, but surely, SOMEONE HAD TO NOTICE this particular issue, lol...c'mon now...were all the testers holding the phone in their right hand?

I'm a righty, but most often hold the phone in my left hand/ear to free up my right hand for screen navigation.

Remember Apple tests their device in 'secret'. RIM releases are always leaked and tested extensively in the wild sans 9800 or the Droid X whose video is all over the place as we speak. The only leaked iPhone 4 resulted in an arrest.

[1812dave]

I am still surprised this got past Apple testing. Apple usually does a good job of testing devices until the iPhone series. In some cases I believe they just decided to let the pizazz and hype overcome a known issue. I see no other way it could get outside of a beta cycle. They had to know.

My Mac's have always been industrial design wonders, and in many ways the iPhone's have been as well. It just seems the signal issues on all gen's of iPhones just don't matter to Apple. It certainly has not hurt their business. I for one won't own a phone that is a crappy phone, no matter the features.

The iPhone 4 is quite impressive in many areas. I hope RIM builds that type of screen and speed into the Storm3 for sure. I hope they don't build it with glass that breaks on a 3 foot fall!

This is hardly the first Apple hardware snafu!! Geez, remember the Nano screens that scratched if you looked at them wrong? That resulted in a settlement (of about $40 or so, IIRC) off the price of Apple product.

There are plenty of other examples.

AppleDefects.com - Customer Complaints & Issues - Defective Apple Products, iPod, MacBook, iMac, Mac problems

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377

Even the shiny backs of the Touchs & iphones shouldn't have made it out of the labs, IMO.

[aboutDbuzz]

I am still surprised this got past Apple testing. Apple usually does a good job of testing devices until the iPhone series. In some cases I believe they just decided to let the pizazz and hype overcome a known issue. I see no other way it could get outside of a beta cycle. They had to know.

My Mac's have always been industrial design wonders, and in many ways the iPhone's have been as well. It just seems the signal issues on all gen's of iPhones just don't matter to Apple. It certainly has not hurt their business. I for one won't own a phone that is a crappy phone, no matter the features.

The iPhone 4 is quite impressive in many areas. I hope RIM builds that type of screen and speed into the Storm3 for sure. I hope they don't build it with glass that breaks on a 3 foot fall!

My theory is that the released iPhone was not the version Apple planned for the public but after the leak, the realese of HTC EVO 4G and the Google I/O that showcased the wonders of Android 2.2, Steve Jobs needed a wow-factor for iPhone 4. This probably made him release a half-baked product. It is totally unlike Apple to do this!

[Seymour324]

i could never use the droid x its just too huge im sure it will be a great phone but thats a deal breaker for me, i'd rather have a smaller screen with a higher resolution s**t id even take a lower resolution that that mammoth. i know i couldnt deal with such a huge phone i dont expect many to agree but the size alone kills it for me

[1812dave]

i could never use the droid x its just too huge im sure it will be a great phone but thats a deal breaker for me, i'd rather have a smaller screen with a higher resolution s**t id even take a lower resolution that that mammoth. i know i couldnt deal with such a huge phone i dont expect many to agree but the size alone kills it for me

ah, my wife agrees with you! her hands are too small (as is her overall size) for her to consider such a large phone. She already nixed the idea of one of the previous large phones that sprint started carrying last year. Maybe it was the Nexus One?

[EnergyPlus]

My lady-friend's small hands have always had trouble holding large things <cough>. Seriously though, I have LARGE hands and the idea of a super-sized display has some appeal (especially since I'm a professional photographer who liked to be able to display samples). The jury is still out though of course, until I get to actually play with one. Also, it is an Android UI, so that may keep me away as well.

[mpaquette]

i could never use the droid x its just too huge im sure it will be a great phone but thats a deal breaker for me, i'd rather have a smaller screen with a higher resolution s**t id even take a lower resolution that that mammoth. i know i couldnt deal with such a huge phone i dont expect many to agree but the size alone kills it for me

And what's up with the hump? Specs aside, the D-x is a fugly phone. The Hunchback of Notre Droid.

[1812dave]

And what's up with the hump? Specs aside, the D-x is a fugly phone. The Hunchback of Notre Droid.

yup--just a moment ago, I nearly mentioned the hump in a Droid X news story's comments section, but after seeing over 150 comments, my little nit would have gotten lost in the noise.

and my previous vote for fugliest smart phone? The Droid. too retro...in a BAD way.

[spyderman09]

Surely, Alpha and Beta testers must have known this...even the guy in the bar who lost the phone...hadn't he made some phone calls (was it activated?) and discovered the issue? Where the **** is quality control going?

My guess, and in no way am I defending Apple, is that the guy who lost his phone (and I'm sure most others who were testing) had to have the 3G 'case' to make the phone look like an ordinary 3G/3Gs, so I'm guessing that maybe they never noticed because they always had to have a case on it?

Still unacceptable, especially since the essence of a phone is to make phone calls...

[aboutDbuzz]

yup--just a moment ago, I nearly mentioned the hump in a Droid X news story's comments section, but after seeing over 150 comments, my little nit would have gotten lost in the noise.

and my previous vote for fugliest smart phone? The Droid. too retro...in a BAD way.

The phone is really crisp and snappy;

[TheScionicMan]

They should have included the Bumper cover in every box and most people would never have noticed this antenna issue, but they wanted their $14.95 per unit additional...

[1812dave]

The phone is really crisp and snappy;

I JUST read a review that stated the phone is laggy! I'll find the link in a moment.... "Blur may also be a drag on performance; I had occasional freezes and slowdowns using this phone, and I didn't see faster Web browsing speeds on the Droid X compared to the Incredible. "

that's from here: Motorola Droid X (Verizon Wireless) - Full Review - Reviews by PC Magazine

[Joel S.]

By the way, I was thinking about the iPhone 4 and the antenna issue. Can someone please help me to understand WHY/HOW such a thing could get past quality control? Surely, Alpha and Beta testers must have known this...even the guy in the bar who lost the phone...hadn't he made some phone calls (was it activated?) and discovered the issue? Where the **** is quality control going?

Lab testing likely doesn't take into account hand placement, just reception and radiation. The test handsets were just the hardware crammed into a 3G case, so they wouldn't have the same issue. It's possible very few final hardware testers made it out, so the few that had issues were just written off.

[SA13]

I've always maintained that Steve cuts the pinky and ring finger off all employees to prevent them from asking for more mouse buttons.
It now seems to have created a little problem with the iphone.

[EnergyPlus]

It's all very interesting and it would be cool to know what the beta testing process consists of. Personally, if I were Steve Jobs (HA! I wish), or a big cheese at any manufacturer, I'd want to take 25 or so units that were production samples, and put them in the hands of testers to do everything with them for a week (I know, the leak potential is huge, but if you pay these testers enough to keep their mouths shut, it just might work). Only then would I release the factory production line to crank up (assuming such obvious and serious errors did not crop up, of course). But hey, I'm NOT Steve, nor Mike L. nor even involved in manufacturing, so anything I have to say is basically.............worthless

Lab testing likely doesn't take into account hand placement, just reception and radiation. The test handsets were just the hardware crammed into a 3G case, so they wouldn't have the same issue. It's possible very few final hardware testers made it out, so the few that had issues were just written off.

[pyrus]

i just bought my storm 2 like 2 weeks ago and i love it

[aboutDbuzz]

Lab testing likely doesn't take into account hand placement, just reception and radiation. The test handsets were just the hardware crammed into a 3G case, so they wouldn't have the same issue. It's possible very few final hardware testers made it out, so the few that had issues were just written off.

The new iPhone is radically different from previous models viz-a-viz, camera flash, front facing camera, larger size battery, glass back cover, etc. If the testing involved just cramming the iPhone 4 innards into a 3GS body, then that is a big failure on their part. It is even worse to imagine they will do something that stupid.