In the vast majority of instances where an application is removed from Windows Marketplace for Mobile, users of this application will continue to be able to use these applications on their phones. In the rare event an application from Marketplace exhibits harmful behavior or has unforeseen effects, Marketplace has the capability to remotely uninstall these applications. While we hope to avoid this scenario, we will make refunds available in such cases.

The initial worry was that whenever an application is removed from the Marketplace, as happens somewhat frequently in the iPhone App Store and Android Market, it would be pulled from all handsets. This isn't quite it: The kill switch will only get flipped when something is dangerous, illegal, or in some other way a Thing That Microsoft Shouldn't Have Sold You. The rest of the times, the app should be left on the handset. It's CYA for MSFT, more or less.

But yeah, this capability—which remember, both Apple and Google basically have—is sort of disconcerting, since it means that Microsoft can exert immediate control over what apps you have on your phone, without your approval. Well, sort of: Marketplace for Mobile, like the Android Market, is non-exclusive—you can still sideload unlisted or delisted apps without Microsoft's blessing, just like always. [Ars Technica]

According to Boy Genius Report and PPC Geeks, "Microsoft has confirmed the existence of a ‘kill switch' for apps." The current explanation is that if at any point in time an application is unapproved and removed from the store, it'll also go bye-bye from your handset. This is a bit disconcerting when we think about some of the things we've seen with Apple and what we know about Google. Hopefully Microsoft will play nice and have a reasonable process. Like letting us keep the apps we download. [PPC Geeks via Boy Genius Report]

While Apple reluctantly acknowledged the existence of their kill switch only after it was discovered by developers, Google has been relatively upfront about Android's. They've even laid out plans for reimbursing users whose paid apps (which aren't even available yet) are recalled. And as ComputerWorld notes, a kill switch makes a little more sense for Android, as their applications aren't really vetted in any meaningful way before showing up in the app store.

Retroactive vetting, though, is still vetting, so Android's App Market may be a little more like the App Store than we originally thought. As before, we'll just have to wait for the final verdict on this one from preeminent kill switch expert Stephen Colbert. [ComputerWorld]

And in a slightly unusual candid comment, for Steve anyway, he's admitted that the apps won't be making Apple much profit—instead future sales hopes are pinned on the applications tempting people to buy more iPhones and iPod touches. "Phone differentiation used to be about radios and antennas and things like that," he argues, suggesting that now the differentiation is about software.

Clearly the app store has been a success so far for Apple and the developers: The top 10 made close to $9 million in one month. What about the infamous "I Am Rich" app? Apple decided to pull it as the result of a "judgment call."

Steve also confirmed the existence of the kill switch for malicious apps, despite last week's news to the contrary. "Hopefully we never have to pull that lever, but we would be irresponsible not to have a lever like that to pull." And you can't argue with that logic. [WSJ]