Do NZ Developers need to register for Android Market?

Forums › Android › Do NZ Developers need to register for Android Market?

3g

341 posts

Ultimate Geek

#58685 17-Mar-2010 09:22

Note: Tried this question on the Android marketplace help forum, but got no joy.
So coming back to my "friendly place", where I know I'll at least get some direction 8-).

I've read a lot of the articles, FAQ's etc and realise that currently developers from New Zealand cannot sell paid for apps in the Android Market.

However, it appears that they can "sell" free apps.
Q1. Is this correct?

It still appeared (and I'm now thinking that I'm wrong) that developers from New Zealand still needed to register.
I went through most of the registration process (gave my cc details etc) but then reached a point where I had to agree to some T&C's that primarily related to issues around selling paid for apps in the market place - and as expected, there was no option for "I'm from New Zealand".

Q2. Assuming that NZ developers don't have to register, how do they put their free apps onto the marketplace?

Q3. If that assumption is wrong (and they do need to register), how do we register when the agreements are all not applicable?

Thanks so much for your help - really appreciated.

Nigel H.

3g

341 posts

Ultimate Geek

#309138 19-Mar-2010 14:03

Additional questions:

(1) Does anybody know if you can put apps you've developed directly onto a "retail" android device (versus downloading them from the market place)???

Reason I ask is that I'd like to buy a phone (potentially even a cheaper android device from China - eg the Sciphone N19) and I'd like to know if I can test on that platform - or whether I need to get the official Android development phone from Google (via a US colleague of course).

(2) Are there any Android developers lurking around this place?

Nigel H.

VFNZPaulBrislen

970 posts

Ultimate Geek

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One NZ

#309149 19-Mar-2010 14:38

As I understand it, Google doesn't allow NZ developers into the Android Marketplace at this point - something about needing to have NZ added to the Google payment gateway system.

I've asked Google for clarity around it but they can't say anything locally so not sure if this is accurate or just something someone thought sounded good.

but that's as I understand it.

cheers

Paul

Paul Brislen
Head of Corporate Communications
Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz

gcorgnet

1078 posts

Uber Geek

#309153 19-Mar-2010 14:58

3g:
Additional questions:

(1) Does anybody know if you can put apps you've developed directly onto a "retail" android device (versus downloading them from the market place)???

Reason I ask is that I'd like to buy a phone (potentially even a cheaper android device from China - eg the Sciphone N19) and I'd like to know if I can test on that platform - or whether I need to get the official Android development phone from Google (via a US colleague of course).

(2) Are there any Android developers lurking around this place?

Nigel H.

Hi, started recently looking as Android development and here is what I discovered:

- the Android SDK comes with a device emulator (search for AVD). This means that you potentially don;t even need a device to start developing you applications. The emulator runs the actual OS, so it's just as if you were working on a real device (even data is being persisted, etc...)

- With the Android SDK come a few tools, including one (called adb.exe) which lets you do operation on your physical device via USB. This includes installing a non-market application (*.apk file)

I suugest you have a look at the Android developer center (http://developer.android.com/index.html) which has loads of very useful resources.

Guillaume

3g

341 posts

Ultimate Geek

#309241 19-Mar-2010 18:56

PaulBrislen: As I understand it, Google doesn't allow NZ developers into the Android Marketplace at this point - something about needing to have NZ added to the Google payment gateway system.

I've asked Google for clarity around it but they can't say anything locally so not sure if this is accurate or just something someone thought sounded good.

but that's as I understand it.

cheers

Paul

Thanks for the feedback Paul.

Where I get confused is that New Zealand is listed on the "Supported locations for free publishers", but where I'm having trouble is how to register as a publisher!
http://market.android.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=136758

Nigel H.

Linuxluver

5828 posts

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#309295 19-Mar-2010 22:13

I think anyone can put a free app on the Market. I've downloaded a couple of free NZ apps just in the last few days.

One model people use - PDAnet is an example - is put the free app in the Market and have a link to an off-market web site where people can buy the full app. The Market entry will have say: "Developer's web site: realcoolapps.co.nz".

The user just has to touch the text and the browser opens up and goes to your web site. Easy,.

Android does not restrict where you can install an app from. Yes, by default the phone has external apps turned off, but it is easily turned on in Menu -> Settings -> Applications -> Unknown Sources. usually if you try to install something unknown Androiod will notify you and offer to take you to settings so you can turn it off. It isn't at all cryptic or obscure.

You can download apps it from any of several alternate Markets (like Slideme).org) or just copy an app a mate wrote to the sdcard and install it directly via one of the many app managers or file managers in the Market (or from elsewhere).

If you want your app included on a phone, the you'd need to get together with a phone maker / vendor and put together a "ROM" to be flashed on the phone for sale.

Otherwise, if you want to make your app it a system app, you use the Android SDK to "adb push" your app into place on the phone...being sure, of course, to put it in the correct place and set any required permissions. You may need to root the phone first for complete access. This usually takes about 2 minutes......with an hour or two up front to get your head around the tools and files for rooting any particular phone. This will have no serious effect on the system or your app.....other than not being possible to install it there unless the user also has a rooted phone. There are loads of apps that require root and many have well over 50,000 downloads clocked up.

Root Explorer
SetCPU
Drocap2
Shootme!
TetherWifi

....and so on.

The Android Market isn't the be-all and end-all of Android as the Apple Store is for Apple. It certainly is a convenient starting place.....and a free app there with a link on the Market page to the full app is good enough for me, personally.

If you just want to test your app, get your head around how to use "adb" and fastboot. Or use ddms to create emulators with the phone characteristics you'r writing for. There are loads of options available in ddms for defining the attributes of your target device(s) in every respect: radio capabilities, screen resolutions, trackballs or pads...and so on.

You could also just use pretend to be in another country, perhaps using the address of a friend overseas to establish a virtual presence there. For a free app it shouldn't matter as there is no money involved. Link to nz-based web site form the free app entry.

_____________________________________________________________________

I've been on Geekzone over 16 years..... Time flies....

3g

341 posts

Ultimate Geek

#309303 19-Mar-2010 22:51

Thanks so much for the info Linuxluver - REALLY appreciated.

Was having a look at your blog - might have to see about getting one of those Acer Liquids - look very cool and an ideal unit to demo software on (that's what I'll tell my wife anyway).

Nigel H.

Linuxluver

5828 posts

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#309539 21-Mar-2010 16:22

Nigel

My post was to some extent conjecture based on observation over time.....plus I've got the SDK installed and have some idea how it all hangs together.

I have not signed up as a developer because I'm not a developer. But I can see myself and couple of others clubbing together to put some simple things on the Market soon.

_____________________________________________________________________

I've been on Geekzone over 16 years..... Time flies....