Google In App Billing - A Royal Pain In The A**

So, I have played around with Google's In App Billing for a while, an here's why I will abandon it:

• You need to add a "developer payload" to each purchase to prevent piracy, which by the way is pretty widespread on the Android market.
• The payload should obviously not be tied to the device (the user might get a new one, but wants to keep the purchased items), but it must be tied to the user ID, otherwise hackers will just "replay" network traffic and get items for free.
• This means that I need to get the user's identity (additional permission required, which may scare off users), or I have to make users sign up on my own server (again, additional permission for networking required)

Google, through their Play Services, which handles the billing, already have the user's identity. So, in my view, their API should provide this kind of security. Why do they impose the burden on the developers, and force them to request extra permissions? This makes no sense at all!

So, I am going back to providing a free version and a "pro" version, thus avoiding the above hassle.

Why am I not using ads to monetize my app? Well, there have been too many malicious ads, and I do not want to put my customers at risk. I need their trust!

Trump is Indeed Creationg New Jobs

At first I thought he was killing jobs, namely those of comedians, whose jobs are now reduced to just repeating what Trump said - not very creative any longer.

So they lose their jobs, but on the other hand, less talented would-be comedians can now find employment. After all, the task has been made pretty simple.

In the end, even Trump could become a comedian - if he did not currently hold a positions as "president", and, of course, if he were not so full of self-importance. You could just add canned laughter to all of his speeches, and there you have a new sitcom. I would prefer him as a comedian, but I afraid, he remains dangerous.

Too bad. I continue to wake up each morning with a funny feeling in my stomach and the question in mind "What did he do now?".

Trump Has Been Treated So Unfairly

Trump, speaking to graduating Coast Guard cadets, said: "No politician [...] has been treated worse [...]". See here for a little whining video footage.

While Trump deserves credit for correct grammar  in this sentence, it is otherwise completely besides the facts. Let me try to correct with little changes:

• No politician has been treated worse. 
• No politician has been treated worse.
• No politician has been treateding the media [or truth, or whatever you choose ...] worse.

God has just been fired

Merci à la France

Dear French fellow-Europeans, thank you so much for voting pro-Europe!

While 35% for a far right nationalist party is still way too much, I am really glad that a majority voted for Macron, despite all the bogeyman vision that Le Pen tried to plant into people's minds.

This is a perfect first step to strengthen Europe, but there are two more that need to be taken:

• France will need to elect a parliament that will work with Macron, not against him - this may prove difficult
• And it will be even more difficult to get support from Merkel/Schäuble. They would have to give up their austerity politics, which would be great for both, Europe and Germany. The fetish of "zero debt" needs to fall.

I am afraid that the current German government is too stubborn to grasp this opportunity. We can only hope for a new, pro-European government after the upcoming elections in Germany. Not very likely though, I think.

So many "ifs" and too many stumbling stones. Making Europe stronger (should I say "great again"? ;-)) is currently not a safe bet, to say the least.

Big sigh! But never give up hope.