As google are offering me 95% off a item from the play store, has anyone
got any recommendations for paid for apps (not games/films)?

I can't think of any I've been putting-off buying ...

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Andy Burns wrote on Mon, 30 Sep 2024 17:28:26 +0100 :

As google are offering me 95% off a item from the play store, has anyone
got any recommendations for paid for apps (not games/films)?

I can't think of any I've been putting-off buying...

Hi Andy,

I like to help people, especially people like you who help others.

The "Skyica App Finder" is, by far, the *best* Google APK search app.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=scadica.aq>

I can't even begin to list all the great features that the founder added,
some of which are because of me (e.g., you can put the entire URL in).

The regular expressions search is, for those in the know, excellent.

I worked intimately with the developer to test it for him a year ago.
It is, by far, the best Google APK search engine on this planet.

It used to be free; but I think it costs money now. Let me check.
Ah, I see what he did. He says "Some advanced features require a small
in-app purchase, a free trial is available" so we'd have to look to see
which those are because, I think, I get all the features for free.

I'm not really sure, actually, as I get my updates NOT from the play store.
<https://skyica.com/appfinder/get>

But that's because the "regular" app won't work for me, where this is the
note that the developer sent me when he first switched it to ask for money.

Since Google Play's billing system is not available
on your device, you can currently use all features
for free without ads.
However, if App Finder is useful to you, we kindly
ask for payment according to your means.
Please see the Settings menu to make a payment
at any time.
Thank you!
Konrad S.
Founder and CEO of Skyica LLC

Let me "think" of any other app I'd want to pay for (not that I can pay for
an app, since I turned off the Google Billing System)... as there are
plenty of payware apps (such as OSMAnd+) which are free on F-Droid.

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Andy Burns <[email protected]> wrote:

As google are offering me 95% off a item from the play store, has
anyone got any recommendations for paid for apps (not games/films)?

I can't think of any I've been putting-off buying ...

Is that Google offering the discount, or the app author(s)? Google only
gets a commission on sales. They cannot change prices the app authors
mandate. The app authors monetize their apps. A slice of that goes to
Google. Besides the initial $25 registration fee to get an app added to
the Play Store, Google's commission can be up to 30% which goes down to
15% after a year. Even if Google decided to momentarily drop their
commission on app sales, that would only drop prices to 70% to 85%, not
down to 5% (with a 95% drop).

https://play.google.com/store/

I didn't see a banner or ad from Google claiming they could undercut
prices asked by app authors. Google could work with select app authors
to get the app authors to momentarily reduce prices for some sale event.

Maybe there is some sales event hosted by Google where the app authors
still get their contracted price, Google temporarily discards their
commission, and Google temporarily refunds (subsidizes) the app authors
the difference in price.

App authors can run pricing experiments trying to find out how much the
market will bear, and determine a sweet spot on pricing. But that's the
app author's decision, not a global decision forced across all app
authors, and Google isn't involved other than to get their commission.

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/13343030?hl=en

So, where did you see Play Store apps were getting forcibly reduced for
all apps to 95% of their prior price? I'm sure other Android users
would like to know the official Google announcement or their sales
event.

Maybe it's just you they are offering a 95% drop in price, like they
sent you a coupon as a lure to buy more than the coupon offers. It's
why grocery stores and product makers offer coupons: they want you to
get lured to buying, and hope you buy more. If you got an e-mail saying
you get 95% off, you sure it came from Google?

Considering the apps for which I've paid are pretty cheap in price, like
a couple dollars, a 95% reduction wouldn't have much lure to me. I'd
save all of a nearly couple dollars. If I was that tight on money, I
wouldn't be buying any apps, and couldn't even afford the cellular
service for the phone.

Google's Play Store does not let you build a wish list of stuff you
think you might buy one day. So, sorry, I don't have a wish list for
you, plus what I'd want is not likely to match what you want.

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VanguardLH wrote:

where did you see Play Store apps were getting forcibly reduced for
all apps to 95% of their prior price? I'm sure other Android users
would like to know the official Google announcement or their sales
event.

They're not unilaterally changing the price of apps, but they can give
whatever discount they like (out of their pocket rather than the author's)

<http://andyburns.uk/misc/play-discount.png>

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Andy Burns <[email protected]> wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

where did you see Play Store apps were getting forcibly reduced for
all apps to 95% of their prior price? I'm sure other Android users
would like to know the official Google announcement or their sales
event.

They're not unilaterally changing the price of apps, but they can give whatever discount they like (out of their pocket rather than the author's)

<http://andyburns.uk/misc/play-discount.png>

Okay, for some apps Google reduces their commission. That means the
discount cannot be larger than Google's commission which ranges from 30%
the first year, and 15% thereafter. So, I can't see how Google could
discount an app more than 30% - nowhere near the 95% discount. They
could omit their commission, and offer the app author a payment for the
rest which what the coupon you show probably does, but only for 1 app,
and a max of 6 pounds total for the discount. That means you could get
one app that normally costs 6.32 pounds at the special 6 pound price.

I just checked my history of purchases (not many) which cost me (in US dollars):

Talented Apps ParKing ($6.98) - abandonware for a couple years now
Network Cell Info & Wifi ($2.14)
GPS Status Pro ($2.14) - they now want $13.99
Torque Pro ($5.32) - use with OBD2 in my car for diagnostics

That's it for paid apps. Since I already paid for them, I can't use
this 95% discount. When I have a need is when I hunt for an app. I
wouldn't know what to search for an app that I don't need just to save
some money on an unnecessary app.

Back when I bought those apps, I had to add money to my Google Pay
wallet. Google Pay died on June 4, 2024, and why my "Payments &
subscriptions" info on my Google Play account shows "Google Pay balance
- Unavailable". I would have to add one of the following payment
methods:

credit/debit card
Paypal
Cash App Pay
Redeem code

Well, I'd rather not let Google have any payment methods, especially
since they don't have payware in their Play Store that I need now.
Usually I can find freeware apps that are devoid of ads, or the ads are
hidden (you have to dig for them to explicitly view them).

The reason why you got the notice, and not I or others, is the following condition: "Open to select participants based on their purchase
history". My purchase history is so old and measly that Google will
never be sending me that discount. Interestingly it also says "Google
Payments account required", yet Google Pay is dead.

Trying to get suggestions on buying something because you might get a
big discount reminds me of the comedy skit where the husband comes home
to find bags of dry dog food in the kitchen, and asks why there are bags
of dog food. Wife says there was a huge sale on dog food. Husband
remarks "But we don't have a dog."

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VanguardLH wrote on Tue, 1 Oct 2024 02:06:37 -0500 :

Talented Apps ParKing ($6.98) - abandonware for a couple years now
Network Cell Info & Wifi ($2.14)
GPS Status Pro ($2.14) - they now want $13.99
Torque Pro ($5.32) - use with OBD2 in my car for diagnostics

I had already written up this note below for Andy, waiting for him to
respond but looking at Vanguard's nice list, I simply note we've discussed
some of those apps before & they all have free or open source alternatives.

Last time I mentioned that, Vanguard got into a fit of discomfort, trying
to say who copied whom in terms of source code so I will leave it at that.

However, one of those apps is on the list I was gonna send Andy, but it
assumes Andy works on his car (which we don't have any knowledge he does).

Here's what I wrote after I had posted my first response, which was waiting
for Andy to respond - but I'll post it here to help Andy out if I can.

Andrew wrote on Mon, 30 Sep 2024 20:17:35 -0000 (UTC) :

Let me "think" of any other app I'd want to pay for (not that I can pay for an app, since I turned off the Google Billing System)... as there are
plenty of payware apps (such as OSMAnd+) which are free on F-Droid.

Looking at my APK test log, there are second-phone-line apps that cost
money. For example Sideline apparently uses your carrier to give you a
second number somehow...(by magic?) without an Internet connection.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sideline.phone.number>

Looking at my log, the last time I tried chatgpt, it cost money to speak.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ai.chat.gpt.app>

Of course, there's PhoNews Pro but I think there's a free build somewhere.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cmgapps.android.phonewspro> But between you, me and everyone else, we know Android newsreaders suck.

Looking through my logs for "failed" APKs due to money, I find this one
*Torque Pro (OBD 2 & Car)* by Ian Hawkins, $5 payware
$5,noads,req gsf,rated 4.1star in 76.4K reviews w/ 1M+Downloads
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torque>
It's the canonical OBDII reader that almost everyone uses for their cars,
but of course, I use only the free version so I don't know pro features.
*Torque Lite (OBD2 & Car)* by Ian Hawkins, Contains ads
free,has ads,req gsf,rated 3.6star in 50.5K reviews w/ 10M+Downloads
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torquescan>

Unfortunately I don't usually log the failures, and a failure is anything
that asks for money to work, so I must have just accidentally noted those
apps that I tested needed money to work as advertised (without ads).

Given I've never in my life paid for an Android or iOS app, it will be interesting to see what apps people recommend that must be paid for, since
it's my current assessment that almost everything you want, will be free.

You just have to be intelligent about finding it (which I'm sure you are).

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On 2024-10-01 23:21, Andrew wrote:

Given I've never in my life paid for an Android or iOS app, it will be interesting to see what apps people recommend that must be paid for, since it's my current assessment that almost everything you want, will be free.

Sleep for Androids.

--
Cheers, Carlos.

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Carlos E.R. wrote on Tue, 1 Oct 2024 23:31:54 +0200 :

Given I've never in my life paid for an Android or iOS app, it will be
interesting to see what apps people recommend that must be paid for, since >> it's my current assessment that almost everything you want, will be free.

Sleep for Androids.

I'm completely different than most people because I care to help, so you'll almost never see me suggest an app without a URL to that app, not only
because I'm intelligent enough to know there are often duplicates, but also because I'm compassionate enough to realize doing so helps others find it.

Carlos is neither, but let's move forward and not let his rudeness stop us
from finding payware app functionality for Andy Burns that has no free APK.

Presumably that's an app functionality that's not free that is useful,
right? If so, then Andy Burns might want to know about it to buy it.

As for me, I never heard of it, so allow me first to google what it does.

I can't easily find in the first page of hits "Sleep FOR Android" but there
are plenty of hits for "Sleep AS Android", so I'll assume that's the app.

"Sleep as Android enables you to use the phone's microphone and
speaker as a sonar (for range and movement detection using ultrasound)"
<https://docs.sleep.urbandroid.org/sleep/sensors.html>

But wait a minute... it's also for "sleep tracking" from the same app!
"Sleep tracking is a way to objectively measure
the quality of your sleep."
<https://docs.sleep.urbandroid.org/sleep/sleep_tracking.html>

Since that's two completely different functionalities, and since I don't
want to waste my time finding the wrong app functionality, which is it?

Which of the features are you suggesting Andy Burns would want to pay for?
Or were you thinking of a different app?

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Carlos E.R. wrote:

Sleep for Androids.

Do you mean the sleep tracker "Sleep as android"?
It's mostly youtube on my tablet that keeps me awake half the night ...

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On 2024-10-02 06:06, Andy Burns wrote:

Carlos E.R. wrote:

Sleep for Androids.

Do you mean the sleep tracker "Sleep as android"?

Yes.

You can try it for some days (15?) for free, then pay for it if you like
it, or not.

It's mostly youtube on my tablet that keeps me awake half the night ...

You will sleep eventually :-)

--
Cheers, Carlos.

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On 2024-09-30 18:28, Andy Burns wrote:

As google are offering me 95% off a item from the play store, has anyone
got any recommendations for paid for apps (not games/films)?

I can't think of any I've been putting-off buying ...

Apps I have paid for:

OsmAnd+ — Maps & GPS Offline
Contour lines plugin — OsmAnd
The Photographer's Ephemeris (Crookneck Consulting LLC)
Simple Gallery Pro (Simple Mobile Tool)
Sleep as Android from Petr Nálevka (Urbandroid)


Yes, some of these apps have a free version in the Play Store, and some
times another one in F-Droid; but they are not the exact same one. And
people like OsmAnd deserve the contribution.


--
Cheers, Carlos.

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On 2024-10-02 03:49, Andrew wrote:

Carlos E.R. wrote on Tue, 1 Oct 2024 23:31:54 +0200 :

Given I've never in my life paid for an Android or iOS app, it will be
interesting to see what apps people recommend that must be paid for,
since
it's my current assessment that almost everything you want, will be
free.

Sleep for Androids.

I'm completely different than most people because I care to help, so you'll almost never see me suggest an app without a URL to that app, not only because I'm intelligent enough to know there are often duplicates, but also because I'm compassionate enough to realize doing so helps others find it.

Carlos is neither, but let's move forward and not let his rudeness stop us from finding payware app functionality for Andy Burns that has no free APK.

Any intelligent Android user knows how to use the Play Store to search
for applications, and any polite person will ask for further info if
this is not enough, without insulting.

Sleep as Android from Petr Nálevka (Urbandroid)

https://play.google.com/store/search?q=sleep%20as%20android&c=apps&hl=en

You can read the comments by other users in Google Play and find out why
this is a good app. And you can test it for free, for a limited time.

Presumably that's an app functionality that's not free that is useful,
right? If so, then Andy Burns might want to know about it to buy it.

As for me, I never heard of it, so allow me first to google what it does.

I can't easily find in the first page of hits "Sleep FOR Android" but there are plenty of hits for "Sleep AS Android", so I'll assume that's the app.

 "Sleep as Android enables you to use the phone's microphone and
speaker as a sonar (for range and movement detection using ultrasound)"
 <https://docs.sleep.urbandroid.org/sleep/sensors.html>

This one.

But wait a minute... it's also for "sleep tracking" from the same app!
 "Sleep tracking is a way to objectively measure   the quality of your sleep."
 <https://docs.sleep.urbandroid.org/sleep/sleep_tracking.html>

Same one.

Notice that tracking does not imply sharing with the cloud. That part is voluntary.

Since that's two completely different functionalities, and since I don't
want to waste my time finding the wrong app functionality, which is it?

Which of the features are you suggesting Andy Burns would want to pay for?
Or were you thinking of a different app?

--
Cheers, Carlos.

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"Carlos E.R." <[email protected]d> wrote:

Andy Burns wrote:

As google are offering me 95% off a item from the play store, has anyone
got any recommendations for paid for apps (not games/films)?

I can't think of any I've been putting-off buying ...

Apps I have paid for:

OsmAnd+ — Maps & GPS Offline
...

Yes, some of these apps have a free version in the Play Store, and some
times another one in F-Droid; but they are not the exact same one. And
people like OsmAnd deserve the contribution.

I thought the map data at OSM was crowd-sourced?

https://www.openstreetmap.org/about
"OpenStreetMap is built by a community of mappers that contribute and
maintain data about roads, trails, cafés, railway stations, and much
more, all over the world."

https://www.openstreetmap.org/communities

Those contributing to the map data aren't getting any part of the
donation (or is it a subscription?). However, OSMand did provide the
interface and server to access all that crowd-sourced map data.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand.plus
$39.99

Yowser, that is a very pricey app, and still has in-app purchases
(ranging from $0.99 to $74.99). With a 6 GBP ($7.97 USD) limit on the
95% discount that Andy got (he must buy a lot more at the Play Store
than me), the OSM+ app would cost $32.02 USD, and that would only be for
the first subscription period. Still very pricey.

At the above Play Store app page, after clicking "About app" to get more
info, it says:

Paid features:

OsmAnd Pro (subscription)
• OsmAnd Cloud (backup and restore);
• Cross-platform;
• Hourly map updates;
• Weather plugin;
• Elevation widget;
• Customise route line;
• External sensors support (ANT+, Bluetooth);
• Online Elevation profile.

Subscription? You have to pay $39.99 every year? Ouch!

For maps, I'll stick with Google Maps (which also has offline maps, but
only for a limited region) and Here [WeGo] offline maps (developed by
Nokia, sold in 2015 to a German automotive consortium). Both are 100%
free, and neither are subscriptionware.

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On 2024-10-02 14:19, Andy Burns wrote:

Carlos E.R. wrote:

some of these apps have a free version in the Play Store, and some
times another one in F-Droid; but they are not the exact same one.

I gather google is moving to enforce install of apps from the play store
if you try to sideload them, or load them from alternate stores?

Not exactly. What I read is that you can not install one way and update
the other. And developers can choose to block different install methods.

<https://www.xataka.com/aplicaciones/nuevo-android-duro-golpe-a-apks-instalas-app-google-play-store-no-usas>

It is in Spanish, so you need a translator tool.


*The new thing about Android is a hard blow to APKs: either you install
the app from the Google Play Store or you don't use it*

Play Integrity will allow the developer to verify whether or not
the app has been installed from the Google Play Store
The system allows you to block the use of the app until it has been updated from the official Android store

One of the things that has characterized, and characterizes, Android has
been the possibility of installing applications from third-party sources
. Simply install the APK file to have an application like WhatsApp
working normally. But like everything in this life, there are sources
and sources. Some are legitimate, others are not so much. An APK of
uncertain origins can work against both the user and the developer, so
Google Play has launched a function to put a stop to it.

The problem . There are several reasons why a user may prefer to install
an app via APK instead of through the Google Play Store. There are as
many reasons as there are reasons a developer can have for not doing so.
Let's think, for example, that an installation made via APK does not
count for the metrics in Google Play. Perhaps the user is installing an outdated version, not optimized for their device or, why not, a modified version to offer functions that, in another context, would be paid for.
This can harm both parties involved, user and developer.

... continues on link.

Not seen it in practice, because pixels haven't been given Android 15 upgrades yet :-(

--
Cheers, Carlos.

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On 2024-10-02 14:31, VanguardLH wrote:

"Carlos E.R." <[email protected]d> wrote:

Andy Burns wrote:

As google are offering me 95% off a item from the play store, has anyone >>> got any recommendations for paid for apps (not games/films)?

I can't think of any I've been putting-off buying ...

Apps I have paid for:

OsmAnd+ — Maps & GPS Offline
...

Yes, some of these apps have a free version in the Play Store, and some
times another one in F-Droid; but they are not the exact same one. And
people like OsmAnd deserve the contribution.

I thought the map data at OSM was crowd-sourced?

Certainly.

But the apps to view the maps can be payware. OsmAND limits the number
of maps to 10, I think. Or limits maps updates.

https://www.openstreetmap.org/about
"OpenStreetMap is built by a community of mappers that contribute and maintain data about roads, trails, cafés, railway stations, and much
more, all over the world."

https://www.openstreetmap.org/communities

Those contributing to the map data aren't getting any part of the
donation (or is it a subscription?). However, OSMand did provide the interface and server to access all that crowd-sourced map data.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand.plus
$39.99

I don't think I paid that much. Ah, google says I paid €8.99. Maybe it
is a different version, mine does not update the map until I manually do so.

Yowser, that is a very pricey app, and still has in-app purchases
(ranging from $0.99 to $74.99). With a 6 GBP ($7.97 USD) limit on the
95% discount that Andy got (he must buy a lot more at the Play Store
than me), the OSM+ app would cost $32.02 USD, and that would only be for
the first subscription period. Still very pricey.

At the above Play Store app page, after clicking "About app" to get more info, it says:

Paid features:

OsmAnd Pro (subscription)
• OsmAnd Cloud (backup and restore);
• Cross-platform;
• Hourly map updates;
• Weather plugin;
• Elevation widget;
• Customise route line;
• External sensors support (ANT+, Bluetooth);
• Online Elevation profile.

Subscription? You have to pay $39.99 every year? Ouch!

Mine is certainly not a subscription. One time purchase, update
(manually) for ever.

For maps, I'll stick with Google Maps (which also has offline maps, but
only for a limited region) and Here [WeGo] offline maps (developed by
Nokia, sold in 2015 to a German automotive consortium). Both are 100%
free, and neither are subscriptionware.

OsmAnd (not '+') is free.

--
Cheers, Carlos.

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Andy Burns <[email protected]> Wrote in message:

As google are offering me 95% off a item from the play store, has anyone
got any recommendations for paid for apps (not games/films)?

I can't think of any I've been putting-off buying ...

David Zemsky's Sheet Music Scanner is very good ... if scanninng
sheet music is something you want to do. I think that's the most
expensive app I have.

PlayScore2 is better but costs a lot more for the good features.
--
Remove numerics from my email address.

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Carlos E.R. wrote:

some of these apps have a free version in the Play Store, and some times another one in F-Droid; but they are not the exact same one.

I gather google is moving to enforce install of apps from the play store
if you try to sideload them, or load them from alternate stores?

Not seen it in practice, because pixels haven't been given Android 15
upgrades yet :-(

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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VanguardLH <[email protected]> wrote:

"Carlos E.R." <[email protected]d> wrote:

[...]

Apps I have paid for:

OsmAnd+ ? Maps & GPS Offline
...

Yes, some of these apps have a free version in the Play Store, and some times another one in F-Droid; but they are not the exact same one. And people like OsmAnd deserve the contribution.

I thought the map data at OSM was crowd-sourced?

Yes, the *data* is crowd-sourced, but how the data is used and
presented is up to the developer.

The data and presentation in OsmAnd[+] is a super-superset of what is available at the <https://www.openstreetmap.org> website.

[...]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand.plus
$39.99

Yowser, that is a very pricey app, and still has in-app purchases
(ranging from $0.99 to $74.99).

Yes, it has become much more expensive over time. Carlos mentioned he
payed way less (8.99 Euro). So did I, 5.99 Euro at the end of 2014.

With a 6 GBP ($7.97 USD) limit on the
95% discount that Andy got (he must buy a lot more at the Play Store
than me), the OSM+ app would cost $32.02 USD, and that would only be for
the first subscription period. Still very pricey.

No. The price is the purchase price, not the price of the optional subscription. Your mixing up OsmAnd+ - *Plus*, the product - and OsmAnd
Pro - *Pro*, the subscription.

As noted both Carlos and I - and probably the majority of users - use
the base (purchased) product, without any other in-app purchases or/and subscription. I use OsmAnd+ on multiple devices (only one purchase per
Google Account).

[Lots deleted.]

Subscription? You have to pay $39.99 every year? Ouch!

No. See above.

For maps, I'll stick with Google Maps (which also has offline maps, but
only for a limited region) and Here [WeGo] offline maps (developed by
Nokia, sold in 2015 to a German automotive consortium). Both are 100%
free, and neither are subscriptionware.

I mainly use OsmAnd+. For serious navigation, especially in remote
areas (in our case rural/outback/remote Australia), there's really no
feasible alternative.

But for most people, in 'civilized' areas, Google Maps and HERE WeGo
are perfectly fine as well. (I used Google Maps in urban areas of
Australia, to find certain shops, Maccas :-), etc.).

[...]

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On 2024-10-02 15:43, Frank Slootweg wrote:

VanguardLH <[email protected]> wrote:

"Carlos E.R." <[email protected]d> wrote:

[...]

Apps I have paid for:

OsmAnd+ ? Maps & GPS Offline
...

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand.plus
$39.99

Yowser, that is a very pricey app, and still has in-app purchases
(ranging from $0.99 to $74.99).

Yes, it has become much more expensive over time. Carlos mentioned he payed way less (8.99 Euro). So did I, 5.99 Euro at the end of 2014.

And really, the current price seems excessive to me.

...

[Lots deleted.]

Subscription? You have to pay $39.99 every year? Ouch!

No. See above.

For maps, I'll stick with Google Maps (which also has offline maps, but
only for a limited region) and Here [WeGo] offline maps (developed by
Nokia, sold in 2015 to a German automotive consortium). Both are 100%
free, and neither are subscriptionware.

I mainly use OsmAnd+. For serious navigation, especially in remote
areas (in our case rural/outback/remote Australia), there's really no feasible alternative.

But for most people, in 'civilized' areas, Google Maps and HERE WeGo
are perfectly fine as well. (I used Google Maps in urban areas of
Australia, to find certain shops, Maccas :-), etc.).

There are areas in Spain without phone coverage. Spain is very
mountainous, so a natural park, where few people live, gets little
attention from companies. And a natural park is an area one wants to go
with a map.

[...]

--
Cheers, Carlos.

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On 2024-10-02 15:09, Dave Royal wrote:

Andy Burns <[email protected]> Wrote in message:

As google are offering me 95% off a item from the play store, has anyone
got any recommendations for paid for apps (not games/films)?

I can't think of any I've been putting-off buying ...

David Zemsky's Sheet Music Scanner is very good ... if scanninng
sheet music is something you want to do. I think that's the most
expensive app I have.

PlayScore2 is better but costs a lot more for the good features.

I have scores I would like to scan, but they are difficult to read by
the eye. If the tool is expensive, then I'm not interested: I'm curious
about what music my ancestor wrote, but I can not play it myself.


He used this:

-o-
---
---
-------
-------
-------
-------
-------

It is difficult to figure out the number of extra lines, and whether it
is on a line, or below the line.

--
Cheers, Carlos.

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"Carlos E.R." <[email protected]d> Wrote in message:

On 2024-10-02 15:09, Dave Royal wrote:

Andy Burns <[email protected]> Wrote in message:

As google are offering me 95% off a item from the play store, has anyone >>> got any recommendations for paid for apps (not games/films)?

I can't think of any I've been putting-off buying ...

David Zemsky's Sheet Music Scanner is very good ... if scanninng
sheet music is something you want to do. I think that's the most
expensive app I have.

PlayScore2 is better but costs a lot more for the good features.

I have scores I would like to scan, but they are difficult to read by
the eye. If the tool is expensive, then I'm not interested: I'm curious
about what music my ancestor wrote, but I can not play it myself.

He used this:

-o-
---
---
-------
-------
-------
-------
-------

It is difficult to figure out the number of extra lines, and whether it
is on a line, or below the line.

Sheet Music Scanner does not work well with hand-written
(manuscript) scores. Can you post a link to a scan or photograph
of a sample?

I don't remember how much it cost. This is a 10" tablet, btw: it
probably wouldn't be much use on a small phone.
--
Remove numerics from my email address.

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Andy Burns wrote on Wed, 2 Oct 2024 05:06:39 +0100 :

It's mostly youtube on my tablet that keeps me awake half the night ...

Hi Andy,
On only *that* topic of "youtube keeping you awake half the night", I
presume that's because you watch a video and eventually fall asleep but the videos keep going (I may be wrong on that guess though).

If *that* is an issue, bear in mind that NewPipe will play the video
WITHOUT the screen being on (if that's what you want), so you can listen to
the sound but not have to see the light flickering about the bedroom.

That's what I do every night.

I create a nightly playlist of documentaries I want to listen to, and then
I play that playlist through NewPipe, and I never get through the whole playlist before I'm fast asleep - but the graphics are off so that's fine.

When the playlist ends (hours later) the playing just stops.

I apologize if that's NOT what you meant, but one thing you might want that costs money which is related to this is YouTube TV (although I don't know
if your discount applies to that as that is a 'service', not an app.

And besides, NewPipe negates most of the need for YouTube TV anyway.

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Carlos E.R. wrote on Wed, 2 Oct 2024 13:37:51 +0200 :

OsmAnd+ �X Maps & GPS Offline
Simple Gallery Pro (Simple Mobile Tool)

I have both of these, but from F-Droid but bear in mind Simple Tools was
sold, so the apps on F-Droid may or may not be updated anymore.

*OsmAnd+ Maps & GPS Offline by OsmAnd, FOSS
<https://f-droid.org/repo/net.osmand.plus_431203.apk>
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/net.osmand.plus/>
<https://github.com/osmandapp/OsmAnd>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand.plus>
<https://www.amazon.com/OsmAnd-Maps-Navigation/dp/B00D0SA8I8>
<https://i.postimg.cc/k440PXgJ/osmand01.jpg> OSMAnd+ manual map updates

*Simple Gallery Pro* by Simple Mobile Tools
free, ad free, gsf free, 4.3 star 118K reviews 1M+ Downloads
<https://www.simplemobiletools.com/>
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.simplemobiletools.gallery.pro/>
<https://f-droid.org/repo/com.simplemobiletools.gallery.pro_385.apk>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.simplemobiletools.gallery.pro>

Yes, some of these apps have a free version in the Play Store, and some
times another one in F-Droid; but they are not the exact same one. And
people like OsmAnd deserve the contribution.

Just for the record, Carlos and I have had this discussion before, and I
openly admit that Carlos is insistent that the OSMAnd+ on the Google Play
Store is materially different from the OSMAnd~ source on F-Droid.

I disagree.

So just for the record, I see what Carlos wrote above, and I understand
that Carlos feels the apps are materially different, but I do not.

As far as I'm aware, Carlos hasn't used the free version and I haven't used
the payware version - so we're both going only on what we find in print.

If someone *else* can prove either way, that would be a useful discussion,
but not Carlos, nor me, as we've more than once reached an impasse on it.

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Andy Burns wrote on Wed, 2 Oct 2024 13:19:14 +0100 :

I gather google is moving to enforce install of apps from the play store
if you try to sideload them, or load them from alternate stores?

Google is a monopoly on Android, so they "might" do that, but I think all Google is going to do is make it more steps to load apps from outside the Google Play Store repository.

Google wants to follow the (brilliant) marketing of Apple that if you only
load from the mothership store, then that's the *only* way to feel safe.

It's a brilliant marketing strategy because plenty of people want to feel
safe, and each time an app is installed from outside the mothership stores, they lose their commission (which is appreciable at something like 30% initially).

In summary, I do not predict that Google will *prevent* what you call side loading (I hate that term as it's just normal loading) - they'll just make
it more steps.

Time will tell...

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VanguardLH wrote:

Talented Apps ParKing ($6.98) - abandonware for a couple years now
Network Cell Info & Wifi ($2.14)
GPS Status Pro ($2.14) - they now want $13.99
Torque Pro ($5.32) - use with OBD2 in my car for diagnostics

Well, I'd rather not let Google have any payment methods, especially
since they don't have payware in their Play Store that I need now.
Usually I can find freeware apps that are devoid of ads, or the ads are hidden (you have to dig for them to explicitly view them).

I've bought several nexus/pixel devices from the play store, as well as
apps, so they have my details

The reason why you got the notice, and not I or others, is the following condition: "Open to select participants based on their purchase
history". My purchase history is so old and measly that Google will
never be sending me that discount. Interestingly it also says "Google Payments account required", yet Google Pay is dead.

Here is my list of app purchases over 13 years, doesn't seem that bad,
several no longer exist in the store and most I no longer have installed.

Ping £0.78
Button Mapper Pro Discount £2.39
Premium TVheadend TV £5.99
Ampere No ADs £1.09
Light Flow Pro LED Control £1.75
Cloud Backup Drive Connector £0.59
Call Logs Backup & Restore Pro £0.99
SMS Backup & Restore Pro £1.49
ownCloud $0.99
Invitation Processor Pro £2.38
Ookla Speedtest Ad Removal £0.64
XavyCloud £0.61
GPS Status PRO legacy key £1.44
3D Image Live Wallpaper £1.00
7notes with mazec £0.75
mSecure Password Manager £0.25
TuneIn Radio Pro Live Radio £0.25
AndroZip Pro File Manager £2.33
Tasker £3.99
FolderSync Pro £1.95
PocketCloud Remote Desktop Pro £6.46
SpeedView Pro £1.80
World of Goo £0.49
RealCalc Plus £1.99
ADW Theme Cyanogen Mod Pro £0.65
Angry Birds Space Premium £0.61
Cut the Rope Gold £0.62
Sonic The Hedgehog £2.35

Trying to get suggestions on buying something because you might get a
big discount reminds me of the comedy skit where the husband comes home
to find bags of dry dog food in the kitchen, and asks why there are bags
of dog food. Wife says there was a huge sale on dog food. Husband
remarks "But we don't have a dog."

I'm sure there are apps I've hummed and hawed about, then ended-up not
buying, was hoping for some brain joggers while I've got the discount offer.

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Andrew wrote:

On only that topic of "youtube keeping you awake half the night", I
presume that's because you watch a video and eventually fall asleep but the videos keep going (I may be wrong on that guess though).

No, I don't have it set to autoplay the next and the next
recommendation, I rarely queue-up a list of videos ...

I create a nightly playlist of documentaries I want to listen to

I find the Asianometery "videos" are good to listen to without actually watching.

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VanguardLH wrote on Wed, 2 Oct 2024 07:31:53 -0500 :

Paid features:

OsmAnd Pro (subscription)
* OsmAnd Cloud (backup and restore);
* Cross-platform;
* Hourly map updates;
* Weather plugin;
* Elevation widget;
* Customise route line;
* External sensors support (ANT+, Bluetooth);
* Online Elevation profile.

Subscription? You have to pay $39.99 every year? Ouch!

I wonder what they mean by "cross platform"?

And why would anyone need most of those things?
Cloud? For what?
Hourly updates? C'mon.
Weather plugin? Sure, but there are weather apps.
Elevation widget? Not sure what it does.
Customize route line? You can do that with other apps.
Online elevation profile? For what?

I'd use the free OSMAnd~ instead.

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Carlos E.R. wrote on Wed, 2 Oct 2024 14:51:43 +0200 :

On 2024-10-02 14:19, Andy Burns wrote:

Carlos E.R. wrote:

some of these apps have a free version in the Play Store, and some
times another one in F-Droid; but they are not the exact same one.

I gather google is moving to enforce install of apps from the play store
if you try to sideload them, or load them from alternate stores?

Not exactly. What I read is that you can not install one way and update
the other. And developers can choose to block different install methods.

The way it has been, for a while, but it has already changed a few times,
is that if you load an app from location 1, it's signed with a certain signature which is different than if you loaded that same app from location
2.

So if you loaded it from location 2, you have to update from location 2. Otherwise the signatures don't match.

However... that's only the most simplistic view as Google recently allowed developers to share the credentials among locations, so anything can be the case for any given app.

Safest way around all that complexity is to update from the same repository that you got your app from. I even have started inserting the repository
name into the download of the APK (since I do all my Android APK installs
from Windows).

fdroid_name.of.apk
github_name.of.apk
google_name.of.apk

Let's hope Google hasn't messed with this, as I don't even have the Google
Play Store package installed on my non-rootable Android user partition.

It's never needed.

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Carlos E.R. wrote on Wed, 2 Oct 2024 18:39:10 +0200 :

There are areas in Spain without phone coverage. Spain is very
mountainous, so a natural park, where few people live, gets little
attention from companies. And a natural park is an area one wants to go
with a map.

On that topic of offline maps for geolocating yourself in a national park,
here are about 250 state and national parks in the USA, where EVERY ONE has
a georeferenced PDF that you can download for free and load into a free
mapping and routing program such as Avenza or Paper Maps.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trailheadlabs.outerspatial

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Frank Slootweg wrote on 2 Oct 2024 13:43:28 GMT :

I mainly use OsmAnd+. For serious navigation, especially in remote
areas (in our case rural/outback/remote Australia), there's really no feasible alternative.

For anywhere other than the USA, I'm sure what Frank says is correct, but
for the USA, you cannot get better offline maps for backcountry hiking than
the USGS geoPDFs, which plenty of map programs (e.g., Avenza, PaperMaps,
etc.) treat just like the OSM database is treated by OSMAnd(whatever).

Specifically the isocline lines in the offline OSM maps are atrociously inaccurate, but if you're only following a trail, they'll work fine.

Conversely, the smaller creeks (the kind you can hop over) are MUCH BETTER shown in the OSM database than in the USGS geoPDF 1:24000 quadrangles.

Hence, when I'm backcountry hiking, I have to use *both* to navigate.

Also the spoken navigation for walking in the OSMAnd~ program is excellent.

But for most people, in 'civilized' areas, Google Maps and HERE WeGo
are perfectly fine as well. (I used Google Maps in urban areas of
Australia, to find certain shops, Maccas :-), etc.).

I agree with Frank that in the civilized areas, Google Maps is as good as
it gets, although you have to be careful to create one-tap shortcuts to
turn off all the location tracking that Google Maps forces you to turn on (which upload even when your wifi is turned off - which is sneaky of them).

In one case the offline OSMAnd~ program is BETTER than Google, and that is
when you're walking between buildings - such as apartment complexes or
shopping malls - where I find the offline OSMAnd~ does a much better job of directing a pedestrian than does even the online Google Maps tools.

The main reason not to use Google Maps is that you have to turn on precise location (even though it's not needed) and you often end up turning on
Wi-Fi Scanning for Google (which doesn't help you - it uploads to Google).

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Andy Burns wrote on Wed, 2 Oct 2024 20:32:37 +0100 :

Let's hope Google hasn't messed with this, as I don't even have the Google >> Play Store package installed

Seems sensible that they have side-loading turned off by default, but
beyond that I don't want google deciding what I can or can't install.

I agree, as I don't think Google will turn off what you call side loading
(and which I refer to as "normal loading"), especially as the phone works
just fine without the Google Play Store app installed (as I install from
the Google Play Store repository every day without the Google Play Store
app involved).

So I'm not worried that Google will make normal loading impossible; they'll just make it extra button presses so that it can't be done accidentally.

What I am worried about is Google wants developers to provide only the code
for a specific device and not for all devices, which bothers me because I
save all the APKs I download and re-use them on plenty of phones over time.

But if the package downloaded from the Google Play Store repository is only for, oh, say, a Samsung with the MediaTek CPU, it might not work on, oh
say, a Samsung with the Qualcomm CPU.

Since all my Android APK downloads and installs are done from Windows, I
have started to prefix each APK with the origin, e.g.,
google_app.name.apk
fdroid_app.name.apk
githug_app.name.apk

Where the Google ones will be suspect if they're only for my specific type
of phone. They may or may not work on, oh, say, a Pixel, whereas the other
two will work (as I always download the larger universal apk from Github).

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Andrew wrote:

Let's hope Google hasn't messed with this, as I don't even have the Google Play Store package installed

Seems sensible that they have side-loading turned off by default, but
beyond that I don't want google deciding what I can or can't install.

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On 30 Sep 2024, Andy Burns <[email protected]> wrote in
comp.mobile.android:

As google are offering me 95% off a item from the play store, has
anyone got any recommendations for paid for apps (not
games/films)?

I can't think of any I've been putting-off buying ...

I highly approve of "Podcast Addict", a very full-featured podcast
aggregator. Although you can run it with all features enabled (I think)
with a few unobtrusive ads, I wanted to reward the developer by paying
is small asking price.

Another of my most-used, most-liked apps is the audio player
"MediaMonkey". I like its interface a lot - it just seems to work in a
way that's compatible with my brain - but it also works with
MediaMonkey for Windows to allow me to pretty-seamlessly sync the music
library on my desktop with my phone. I payed for it to enable a couple
of features that are crippled in the free version, mostly the ability
to stream from a DLNA server on my network.

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In comp.mobile.android, on Wed, 2 Oct 2024 14:51:43 +0200, "Carlos E.R." <[email protected]d> wrote:

On 2024-10-02 14:19, Andy Burns wrote:

Carlos E.R. wrote:

some of these apps have a free version in the Play Store, and some
times another one in F-Droid; but they are not the exact same one.

I gather google is moving to enforce install of apps from the play store
if you try to sideload them, or load them from alternate stores?

Not exactly. What I read is that you can not install one way and update
the other. And developers can choose to block different install methods.

It seems fair to let them do that.


Carlos, of the people I know, you seem most likely to be able to answer
a personal question (about Spain and geography) and if you want, you
could send me your email address. (Delete NONONO from mine.)

Or I can just ask here. I don't mind that, but it is off-topic.

Micky

<https://www.xataka.com/aplicaciones/nuevo-android-duro-golpe-a-apks-instalas-app-google-play-store-no-usas>

It is in Spanish, so you need a translator tool.

*The new thing about Android is a hard blow to APKs: either you install
the app from the Google Play Store or you don't use it*

Play Integrity will allow the developer to verify whether or not
the app has been installed from the Google Play Store
The system allows you to block the use of the app until it has been
updated from the official Android store

One of the things that has characterized, and characterizes, Android has
been the possibility of installing applications from third-party sources
. Simply install the APK file to have an application like WhatsApp
working normally. But like everything in this life, there are sources
and sources. Some are legitimate, others are not so much. An APK of
uncertain origins can work against both the user and the developer, so
Google Play has launched a function to put a stop to it.

The problem . There are several reasons why a user may prefer to install
an app via APK instead of through the Google Play Store. There are as
many reasons as there are reasons a developer can have for not doing so. >Let's think, for example, that an installation made via APK does not
count for the metrics in Google Play. Perhaps the user is installing an >outdated version, not optimized for their device or, why not, a modified >version to offer functions that, in another context, would be paid for.
This can harm both parties involved, user and developer.

... continues on link.

Not seen it in practice, because pixels haven't been given Android 15
upgrades yet :-(

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In comp.mobile.android, on Wed, 2 Oct 2024 01:49:19 -0000 (UTC), Andrew <[email protected]> wrote:

Carlos E.R. wrote on Tue, 1 Oct 2024 23:31:54 +0200 :

Given I've never in my life paid for an Android or iOS app, it will be
interesting to see what apps people recommend that must be paid for, since >>> it's my current assessment that almost everything you want, will be free. >>

Sleep for Androids.

I'm completely different than most people because I care to help, so you'll

So you keep saying. Why this need to strut so much? But you are not completely different from most people. Almost everyone wants to help.

Many people also want to show how smart they are, how much they know,
but they do it by helping people.

almost never see me suggest an app without a URL to that app, not only

Most people include a url. Most people on Usenet go farther to be nice
than I thought they would, than I thought they needed to, when I started reading it, so I began to usually do the same. When people don't
include a url it's likely because they no longer have it handy. They're
talking about something they read days or years ago.

because I'm intelligent enough to know there are often duplicates, but also >because I'm compassionate enough to realize doing so helps others find it.

Everyone knows that giving the url is helpful and except for the easily identified trolls, everyone is helpful. Get over yourself

Carlos is neither,

Carlos is very helpful. I make a point to read his posts becasue they
are some of the best. OTOH, I haven't identified compassion in any
poster here. We don't discuss lost pupplies, sick babies, or any sort
of tragedy here, so I don't see any way to find compassion in a poster
here, including you.

And I wouldn't be crticising you above if you hadn't attacked Carlos for
no good reason. I've been tempted before but I always let it go. But
other times you were just strutting, not dumping on someone else for no
good reason. His post was only 3 words long and none were offensive.

but let's move forward and not let his rudeness stop us

Get it straight: It is not rude to give the name of an app without the
url. One could call it incomplete, but posting the name without the url
is better than not posting it at all. People don't have extra time to
hunt for urls. Would you rather someone not post the name at all if
they didn't know the url? I would not prefer no name at all, but that's
what you seem to be saying. It is rude to step on someone's foot
without saying "I'm sorry".

Micky.

from finding payware app functionality for Andy Burns that has no free APK.

Presumably that's an app functionality that's not free that is useful,
right? If so, then Andy Burns might want to know about it to buy it.

As for me, I never heard of it, so allow me first to google what it does.

I can't easily find in the first page of hits "Sleep FOR Android" but there >are plenty of hits for "Sleep AS Android", so I'll assume that's the app.

"Sleep as Android enables you to use the phone's microphone and
speaker as a sonar (for range and movement detection using ultrasound)"
<https://docs.sleep.urbandroid.org/sleep/sensors.html>

But wait a minute... it's also for "sleep tracking" from the same app!
"Sleep tracking is a way to objectively measure
the quality of your sleep."
<https://docs.sleep.urbandroid.org/sleep/sleep_tracking.html>

Since that's two completely different functionalities, and since I don't
want to waste my time finding the wrong app functionality, which is it?

Which of the features are you suggesting Andy Burns would want to pay for?
Or were you thinking of a different app?

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On 10/2/2024 4:37 AM, Carlos E.R. wrote:

On 2024-09-30 18:28, Andy Burns wrote:

As google are offering me 95% off a item from the play store, has
anyone got any recommendations for paid for apps (not games/films)?

I can't think of any I've been putting-off buying ...

Apps I have paid for:

OsmAnd+ — Maps & GPS Offline
Contour lines plugin — OsmAnd
The Photographer's Ephemeris (Crookneck Consulting LLC)
Simple Gallery Pro (Simple Mobile Tool)
Sleep as Android from Petr Nálevka (Urbandroid)

Yes, some of these apps have a free version in the Play Store, and some
times another one in F-Droid; but they are not the exact same one. And
people like OsmAnd deserve the contribution.

I've also paid for OsmAnd+.

Some other apps I've paid for:
• TorquePro $4.95 <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torque>
• Music Folder Player non-ad version $1.59 <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.zorillasoft.musicfolderplayer.donate>

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

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