Wednesday 25 May 2011

Android Market Movies a No go for Root

Now 'Rooting'* your device (hopefully a DHD :p ) has many many advantages and hopefully you have started to discover these or already have. And well, the disadvantages... there aren't really any except for the whole very very slight chance of a brick or 'voiding' warranty, which from I hear isn't that well enforced.

After reading this article on Engadget Google blocks Android market movies on rooted devices, turns out there might actually be a disadvantage to add to the list.

Now what ticks me off a little is at the moment these movies are only available on Google's Honeycomb 3.0 flagship device, the Motorola Xoom.




If your not update to the Motorola root and dev scene, motorola have been completely locking out their devices' bootloaders (The part of the device fundamental for allowing root) but it seems they did a U-turn on the Xoom and for once Motorola and the Xoom is metaphorically screaming 'ROOT ME!!' :p.

This plan of action is most likely because of Google's pressure to make this their flagship. But WHY!!!!!! do they 'light up the runway' for the android dev community and then take this feature away from a big chunk of their customers.

Of course its in a move to fight piracy, most likely pressured by the MPAA. But everyone knows this would never be prioritized as means of piracy, its more of a convenience especially when there is a much easier, versatile means of piracy.

* Root/Rooting - simply put gaining administrative permissions on system files of your Android device, similar to root on linux or administrative rights on windows

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