Google AppEngine: My other computer
That notwithstanding, they have likewise created a platform for developers to use the same technologies that power Google to create awesome applications which run in the cloud. Whats more, you get to store all these data in the cloud and forget about management of the application on the server.
With App Engine and the Google Cloud Platform applications, you have a new computer either than your physical computer. Hundreds of developers have and are using the power of he cloud platform applications to build more scalable applications which gives their application the power to do what they are suppose to do and also remove server management burden from the developers. The nicest thing about this is that you are not exempted from it.
Google App Engine which is a free part of the cloud platform technologies is so easy to use even for a beginner who just started programming in Java, Python, Go or PHP. To get started make sure you have a gmail account and follow this document.
The Google Developer Community at the University of Cape Coast, UCC, wish to also invite you for an event which climaxes their series of events around Google App Engine this year. Register for the event here or here. Very soon a brand new blog post series will also be started on this very topic. Keep reading.
Ubuntu smartphone offers alternative to apps....
Ubuntu smartphone offers alternative to appsBy Leo Kelion
An Ubuntu-powered smartphone is coming to the market a year and a half after a previous attempt to launch a model via crowdfunding failed.
The Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu edition relies on a card-like user interface that is not focused on apps.
Unlike the original proposal, the handset does not become a desktop PC when plugged into a monitor.
It is initially being targeted at "early adopters", who developers hope will become advocates for the platform.
The British company Canonical, which developed the Linux-based operating system, said it hoped to emulate the success of Chinese companies including Xiaomi with its launch strategy.
This crowdfunding campaign raised nearly $13m but still fell short of its target
This will include holding a number of "flash sales" in Europe beginning next week, in which the device will be sold for short periods of time - giving the developers an opportunity to gauge demand and respond to feedback before committing to a bigger production run.
"It's a proven model - we're making sure that the product lands in the right hands," Cristian Parrino, vice-president of mobile at Canonical, told the BBC.
"We are way away from sticking this in a retail shop in the High Street. [But] it's where we want to get to."
Millions of PCs used by schools, governments and businesses already run the desktop version of Ubuntu.
"The Ubuntu fan base will clamour to buy the phone just because they will be curious to see what it is, how it works and how they can develop for it - they'll want to be one of the few that have it," said Chris Green, from Davies Murphy Group Europe.
"But for the broader, more mainstream, early adopter market, I think demand will be constricted because people are more app-focused."
Scope cards
The Ubuntu handset can run apps written in either the HTML5 web programming language or its own native QML code.
However, its operating system effectively hides them away. Instead of the traditional smartphone user interface - featuring grids of apps - it uses themed cards that group together different facilities.
Canonical calls these Scopes, and they are reminiscent of the swipe-based card system used by the Google Now personal assistant.
Device owners can configure the Scopes to add the services they prefer
The phone's home screen is the Today Scope. It presents a selection of widgets based on the user's most frequent interactions on the phone.
These can include the local weather forecast, the headlines of the day from third-party news services, Twitter trends and a list of the owner's most commonly contacted friends.
By swiping to the right, the owner can make a call or access some of the other default Scopes, including:
- A Music Scope, with favourite tracks sourced from Soundcloud and other streaming music providers, as well as offering details of forthcoming concerts via Songkick
- A Video Scope, which presents clips from YouTube and other services
- A Photos Scope, which collects together images stored on the phone as well as pictures stored on Flickr, Picasa, Facebook and elsewhere
- A Nearby Scope providing location-specific details, including traffic conditions, public transport options and restaurant recommendations
- An Apps Scope, which provides access to the camera, calendar software and programs from other companies
Users can create and configure their own Scopes, and individual services can also be set to have Scope cards of their own.
Third-party services can be set to have separate cards to themselves in the user interface
Mr Parrino suggested that the benefit to the user was an "unfragmented" experience, while developers would gain by being able to make their products available via Scopes at a fraction of the cost of creating full apps.
"If you come out with a new [OS] that's based on apps and icons then you're just a 'me too' platform," he said.
"You'll only be as relevant to developers as the number of users you can bring to them, because you're adding the burden of supporting a new platform. And for users you'll only be as good as the apps that you have.
"We've had to switch that model around and deliver an experience that is valuable in its own right - clearly the more services that plug into it the better it becomes, but it's not fully dependent on them from day one, and for an early adopter audience it's a great product."
Certain services will, however, be missing at launch, including Whatsapp, Skype and several of Instagram's core features.
'Stopgap' features
Canonical makes money by charging organisations for support services.
The phones themselves are being made and sold by a Spanish company, BQ, which already has an Android variant of the hardware.
They include an eight-megapixel rear camera, a 5MP front one and one gigabyte of RAM memory. They will cost about 170 euros ($195; £127).
"It's a good-looking device and a very slick interface at a realistic price," commented Mr Green.
"Scopes are an interesting stopgap between a full third-party app environment and a fixed feature phone.
"However, they are just that - a stopgap. They will interest very early adopters and the Ubuntu faithful in the short term. However, it won't take long before people start wanting a full add-on app experience akin to the other existing platforms on the market today."
Android adware 'infects millions' of phones and tablets.
Android adware 'infects millions' of phones and tabletsBy Leo Kelion
Google has suspended access to Durak card game among other titles
Android users are being warned that several popular apps that were on the official Google Play store appear to have contained hidden code that made malicious ads pop up.
Security firm Avast said that one of the apps involved - a free version of the card game Durak - had been downloaded up to 10 million times, according to Google Play's own counter.
Google has now blocked access.
But one expert noted that the problem might be less widespread than feared.
Avast said that it first became aware of the issue after a member of the public contacted it after carrying out his own investigation into how his Nexus 5 smartphone had come to be infected with malicious code.
The "adware" was causing spurious pop-up messages to appear that had been made to look like system notifications. These told him his phone was running "slow" and that he needed to install new software to fix the problem.
If he followed the on-screen prompts he was then directed to download other apps, only some of which were legitimate.
"You get re-directed to harmful threats on fake pages, like dubious app stores and apps that attempt to send premium SMS behind your back or to apps that simply collect too much of your data for comfort while offering you no additional value," wrote Avast's malware analyst Filip Chytry.
The adware brought up a range of fake warning messages
The original apps were said to have held off showing the pop-ups until seven or more days after being installed, which the analyst suggested was intended to mask the fact that they were responsible.
"Most people won't be able to find the source of the problem and will face fake ads each time they unlock their device," he wrote.
"I believe that most people will trust that there is a problem that can be solved with one of the app's advertised 'solutions' and will follow the recommended steps, which may lead to an investment into unwanted apps from untrusted sources."
In addition to the Durak card game, other apps alleged to be involved include:
- A Russian language IQ test, which Google Play indicates had been downloaded up to five million times
- A Russian history educational tool, which Google Play indicates had been downloaded up to 50,000 times
A search by the BBC for other apps made by the same developers revealed dozens more apps, including video games, a psychology guide, wedding planning software and cookery tips - all of which have now been blocked.
A wedding planning app is among the apps that are currently blocked
The publishers involved have not replied to requests for comment.
A spokesman for Google said: "We're just confirming that all of the apps in the report have been suspended and nothing more."
Inflated numbers
Although Google Play's own site indicated the software had been downloaded many millions of times, one security researcher was cautious about the figures.
"I would take the numbers with a pinch of salt because one thing that malware authors might do is deliberately up the amount of downloads in order to make an app appear more popular than it really is," said Dr Steven Murdoch from University College London's information security research group.
"Google does scan for malware that it knows about and it also has some more advanced techniques to detect malicious behaviour.
"But these don't work 100% of the time and some apps do slip through the checks - and there is a continual cat and mouse game of people looking for malware and the authors trying to bypass the checks."
Several of the apps involved have a Russian themeAlthough Avast is using the publicity it has generated to promote its own security software, Dr Murdoch noted that it too would fail to identify all new types of malware.One alternative, he said, was to check reviews.
Several people who had downloaded the Durak card game had posted warnings on Google Play as far back as November 2013, that they suspected it was forcing pop-up ads to appear.
"But that's still not going to catch everything," Dr Murdoch added.
"Phone users ultimately have to trust the operating system vendor - whether that's Google or Apple [or someone else] to protect them."
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