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Re:New Android Maps API around the corner? by lutusp on Friday October 12, 2012 @02:03PM (#4646163)
> Decompiling Field Trip reveals some secrets about the new Maps API. The application tag in the app manifest references “com.google.android.maps.v2.API_KEY” ...

I can't believe this person didn't realize the key he published in his blog (the part I didn't copy) is a particular developer's unique API key for Google Maps access -- and now it's been made public.

Requiring a developer-specific API key to access Google maps is hardly a "secret". And now there's one more non-secret.

Re:New Android Maps API around the corner? by datahoarder on Friday October 12, 2012 @02:11PM (#4646197)
The key is linked to the signing key of the app. So even if they have the key they still need the signing key to use it.
Re:New Android Maps API around the corner? by lutusp on Friday October 12, 2012 @03:40PM (#4646516)
My point is there's a reason for the key's presence in the app, and making it public undermines its purpose.

In the general case (not necessarily for Android), having a Google Maps API key is enough to gain access for anyone's online use of GM. The keys can be gotten easily enough, but each has a traffic cap and a few other constraints. Publishing a key undermines the system.

Re:New Android Maps API around the corner? by saurik on Friday October 12, 2012 @04:17PM (#4646652)
If the key is distributed in the app, it is already public and certainly cannot be secret.
Re:New Android Maps API around the corner? by truebecomefalse on Friday October 12, 2012 @02:07PM (#4646181)
The Field Trip app belongs to Google right? So that would be google's api key then?