by Neil Lowe
13. June 2009 15:18
Here is the "technical" press release for OpenMarket. I hope it sheds some light on what we are trying to do here...
Recently two new mobile phones were launched into the South African market, the HTC Magic and HTC Dream. For the first time South Africans can enjoy the power of Google™ and freedom of Android™ on their mobile devices.
Android is not just any mobile operating system – it is an open source operating system built with the internet at its heart, that allows innovative and creative developers around the globe to write their own mobile applications for these handsets. Essentially, curious minds now have access to every part of the phone’s core functionality and their fresh, unique applications can interact freely with the operating system. Creative content authors can also create wallpapers, ringtones and video clips for their Android devices.
In the new internet age, an open mobile operating system needs an open market where people can show off, share and trade these creations. OpenMarket™, a new initiative from Leaf, is just such a place in the next-generation internet, or Web.2.0. According to Wikipedia, Web 2.0 is “characterized as facilitating communication, information sharing, interoperability, User-centered design and collaboration on the World Wide Web”. This is exactly what OpenMarket is about.
OpenMarket™ Beta has just made its appearance on local Android handsets and on the internet at www.openmarket.co.za. “Beta” acknowledges that it is a work in progress, and is far from complete. True to the spirit of collaboration, OpenMarket will be built in the public domain with the participation of its user community, harnessing the wisdom of crowds to create a better experience for all.
The vision for OpenMarket states that Members of the community will be able to
- share their creations for Android with other members
- rate, tag and classify items in the market
- collect kudos, or reputation points
- sell their creations to other members
- pitch to create branded content and branded stores for 3rd party companies
- create 3rd party content (and get paid for it)
- shape the future of OpenMarket itself
Open Market™ Beta is currently available to South African HTC Android users, content creators and developers.