Microsoft Can Remotely Kill Purchased Apps 389
Meshach writes "The terms of service for Microsoft's newly launched Windows Store allows the seller to remotely kill or remove access to a user's apps for security or legal reasons. The story also notes that MS states purchasers are responsible for backing up the data that you store in apps that you acquire via the Windows Store, including content you upload using those apps. If the Windows Store, an app, or any content is changed or discontinued, your data could be deleted or you may not be able to retrieve data you have stored."
Re:And? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:And? (Score:4, Informative)
And Google for Android too. They've used it before to kill malware apps. It's a good feature to have, exactly for that reason.
The difference is,
1) you are not 100% reliant and bound to Google for Applications, if you find their "controls" (mocking voice and air-quote) too restrictive, you can simply select "allow unkown sources".
2) Google are yet to use it to pull an application for offending their sensibilities or competes with them, unlike Apple.
Re:"And" ? what "and" ? This is the egg jobs laid (Score:5, Informative)
I have had Amazon delete a book I was in the middle of right off my Kindle (not in mid-read, when the kindle went to sleep). They did refund me, but that's not quite the point is it Amazon?
Re:doubt it (Score:3, Informative)
Re:And? (Score:5, Informative)
And? So can apple.
On one hand, that is so off-topic that you and all the people modding you should be ashamed.
A SELLER of apps on the Apple store CAN NOT cause their app to be removed. At all.
Apple can. The seller CAN NOT.
Of course Microsoft can. The point here that you completely missed is that individual sellers using the store now have this ability.
As an iApp developer, I simply do NOT have any ability to do as you imply and remove an app from anyone's device but my own.
Only Apple can do that.
So you are all of wrong, off topic, mistaken, and completely missing the point.
Comment removed (Score:4, Informative)
Re:And? (Score:5, Informative)
And? So can apple.
On one hand, that is so off-topic that you and all the people modding you should be ashamed.
A SELLER of apps on the Apple store CAN NOT cause their app to be removed. At all.
Apple can. The seller CAN NOT.
Of course Microsoft can. The point here that you completely missed is that individual sellers using the store now have this ability.
As an iApp developer, I simply do NOT have any ability to do as you imply and remove an app from anyone's device but my own.
Only Apple can do that.
So you are all of wrong, off topic, mistaken, and completely missing the point.
Whoa there, slow down cowboy!
The summary does say seller can pull apps but there's no mention of that whatsoever in the article or anywhere else. I am going to assume that 'seller' here means Microsoft and not the developer(since MS is the one selling the goods).
What would you rather trust, a Slashdot summary filled with typos trying to bash MS or TFA?
Re:And? (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.phonenews.com/did-apple-flip-the-ios-kill-switch-on-ndrive-11579/ [phonenews.com]
Here's one that they remotely killed.
Wrong (Score:3, Informative)
here's another from 2010 [phonenews.com]
So it seems your information is a bit out of date... and completely fabricated.
Re:And? (Score:2, Informative)
2) Apple has yet to remote pull anything.
This is wrong.
Apple first used it in 2009. [9to5mac.com].
here's another from 2010 [phonenews.com]
I aslo dont see why I should pay a ransom to be able to do what I want with my property, that is exactly what Microsoft is asking me to do.
Re:doubt it (Score:2, Informative)
Score 5, Informative?! Are you kidding me? (Score:5, Informative)
2009: Your article talks about people being able to run the app still. The app which therefore hasn't been remote wiped. It doesn't work because the head-end it talks to was taken down. That was owned and run by the app vendor, not Apple. This is clearly not remote-kill; this is the risk of any head-end reliant app from any vendor anywhere. See also: http://www.pcworld.com/article/167383/update_apple_pulls_hottest_girls_porn_app_from_itunes.html?tk=rel_news [pcworld.com]
2010: Note the "Update: No" in http://www.razorianfly.com/2010/07/08/did-apple-just-use-the-ios-kill-switch/ [razorianfly.com]
See? We can both cherry pick random unsubstantiated Google search results.
TTBOMK there has been not one single verified, independently documented, uncontested example of a remote-kill on iOS. Numerous apps have been pulled from the store, though.