[drewg123]

What I think is potentially more interesting is the anti-consumer behaviors of Amazon in what I call the Amazon/Google cold war over video:

- Amazon not allowing the sale of chromecast

- Amazon keeping its instant video app off generic android TV devices for a long time, even though they had an app that worked with the Sony android TV.

- Amazon using its instant video app as a trojan horse to get you to install the Amazon app store on your Android phone. (and weakening your phone's security, due to having to "allow unknown sources"

[deegles]

> Amazon using its instant video app as a trojan horse

Google requires Play Services to be installed and enabled in order to allow Chromecast, which is why no Google apps are on Amazon Fire devices. If anything Amazon's approach is less intrusive since it's just one extra app (unless they also install services).

[drewg123]

The problem with both is that you have to allow unknown sources. It would be nice (on Google's part) to allow multiple app store certs, so you (as the consumer) could decide which app stores to trust & the OS could maintain some level of security based on the users prefs. As it is now, you need to open your phone up to potential malware to install another app store.

What I just don't get is why Amazon are trying to force people to get their video app via their app store, rather than putting it in Google play (where it is apparently available, but just for non-US regions). Is Google trying to take a cut of in-app transactions, like Apple does?

[dexterdog]

They can keep playing walled garden games and piracy will just continue to be the better option.