Tech QQ

For those following the Windows mobile scene the changes to the marketplace policy might not be news. A quick recap for those who missed it:

• Yearly fee for developers of 99$
• You get to publish 5 apps for free
• Earlier 5 apps was a cap, now it you can submit as many as you like but for a cost of 19.99$ for additional apps after your first free 5
  
• Marketplace will take 30% of the earnings
• You will only be available to get your apps to other users via marketplace
  
• There will be a way to give access to your beta testers without having them pay for the app, but it will be just for a small limited amount of people
• The yearly fee and registration will let developers unlock up to 5 devices for side loading apps
• For Windows Phone 7 there will be a trial API available, enabling developers to let customers download and sample the application before buying it
• There will be several different business models - free, ad-funded, fremium and paid
  

A small tidbit that I haven't seen published before is - what about updates?
A developers will be able to publish updates for their apps, and the users will see in the marketplace hub on the "search page" that they have apps installed that have pending updates (see screenshot below).


I asked Ben Riga during the Windows Phone 7 Developer Hub in Stockholm, and he confirmed that since updates of your app will go through the same rigorous review as all apps, it will count as one of your 5 free app submits. It will also cost you 19.99$ to release an update given that you used your 5 free already.

Microsoft has published their Windows Phone 7 Application Requirement sheet, available here, and they have seen the debacle Apple had when pulling all adult themed material. So they are stating directly that no adult material will be allowed. In the document it states:
3.6 Adult Related Content
Content not allowed:

• Sex / Nudity – Images that are sexually suggestive or provocative (e.g. sexually provocative touching, bondage, masturbation); provocative images that reveal nipples, genitals, buttocks, or pubic hair.
• Content that a reasonable person would consider to be adult or borderline adult content (images, text, or audio).
• Content that generally falls under the category of pornography.
• Content that depicts or suggests prostitution.
• Content depicting sexual fetishes.
• Content of a sexual nature depicting children or animals.

Good news for all us parents, now we don't have to fear our kids can get access to smut when we buy them 700$ business phones!