Android Developers Platform Versions page provides data about the relative number of active devices running a given version of the Android platform. This can help you understand the landscape of device distribution and decide how to prioritize the development of your application features for the devices currently in the hands of users.
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Tomi says:
Microsoft’s lucrative new revenue stream? Android.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-20066931-75.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
The irony’s enough to make your head explode: Microsoft makes more money from Android than it does Windows Phone.
This according to Citi analyst Walter Pritchard, who says $5 from the purchase price of every HTC Android handset sold ends up in Microsoft’s pockets.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-20066931-75.html#ixzz1NjA1RD9g
Tomi says:
Nokia’s Elop: Android is killing us in China, Europe
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/nokias-elop-android-is-killing-us-in-china-europe/49665
Nokia’s biggest profit margin killing headaches appear to be Android, China and Europe and the company is getting hit by smartphone and feature phone pricing and volume.
Android Smartphones Consume More Data. Here’s Why.
http://gigaom.com/2011/05/31/android-smartphones-consume-more-data-heres-why/
Android smartphones are the most data hungry, according to new statistics from Nielsen Co., blowing past the iPhone and other smartphones. But it’s still not clear why that is and whether or not this indicates more usage on the part of Android users or something inherent in the platform that lends itself to more data use.
Tomi says:
‘Dodgy Android apps are breaking our phones’ – Motorola
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/06/android_motorola/
Motorola’s CEO reckons 70 per cent of smartphone returns are caused by third-party applications dragging down their devices, thanks to the openness of the Android platform.
“Anyone can put an application on the Android Marketplace … without any testing process,” Jha told delegates, explaining that the ability to multitask is a blessing and a curse. “Seventy per cent of devices are coming back because they have downloaded a third-party application, and the effect that has on performance.”
Tomi says:
The security of Google Android has once again been called into question after an academic researcher discovered 12 malicious apps hosted in the operating system’s official applications market, some that had been hosted there for months and racked up hundreds of thousands of downloads.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/13/android_market_still_insecure/
Tomi says:
100 million Android fans can’t be wrong
June 16, 2011: 5:00 AM ET
The inside story of how Google conquered the smartphone world.
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/06/16/100-million-android-fans-cant-be-wrong/
When Google (GOOG) acquired a tiny wireless startup called Android in 2005, fewGoogle’s Android at the search giant had particularly high hopes for the deal — if they even knew about i
Today, of course, Android is impossible to ignore. It is the mobile operating system — the brains of a cellphone — that powers more than 100 million gadgets. (That number will be out of date by the time you read this: Every day another 400,000 Android devices are activated.)
Tomi says:
MIPS chip slips through Android compliance
Green robot no longer an ARM exclusive
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/21/mips_android/
A processor based on MIPS architecture has passed the Android Compatibility Test Suite, providing a welcome lifeline to the company whose share price has been in freefall lately.
The chip comes from Beijing-based Ingenic Semiconductor, whose MIPS32-based SoC (System on a Chip) XBurst has passed the 24,000 tests required before one can put the small green robot on the box.
Phones and tablets using Ingenic’s SoC are already on sale in China, but without the critical Android endorsement which passing the test makes possible. MIPS reports that a Froyo-running handset is already on sale in China for less than $100, and will be shipping into the US any day now.
Tomi says:
Baidu produces cloned Android, web apps etc
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/02/baidu_android_fork/
Baidu has forked Android, launching a mobile OS at its annual shindig which also saw the Chinese search outfit slotting web apps into its home page to go with its Chrome-alike browser.
Baidu Yi provides much the same functionality of Android, along with the single sign-in that ties the user to the search engine’s other services including mapping, cloud synchronisation, music download service and (of course) search.
Tomi says:
http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/09/14/044236/Intel-Google-Team-To-Optimize-Android-For-Smartphones
Intel, Google Team To Optimize Android For Smartphones
Posted by Soulskill on Wednesday September 14, @05:14AM
from the get-on-that dept.
angry tapir writes “Intel and Google announced on Tuesday that they would partner to optimize future versions of the Android OS for smartphones and other mobile devices using Intel chips. Intel CEO Paul Otellini demonstrated a smartphone with the upcoming Medfield chip running on Android during a keynote at the Intel Developer Conference being held in San Francisco. However, Otellini didn’t mention the version of Android running on the smartphone. Intel wants to make x86 the architecture of choice for smartphones, and porting Android will provide a larger opportunity to the chip maker in the smartphone market, Otellini said.”
Tomi says:
MOBILE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Google hasn’t launched Ice Cream Sandwich yet but already we’re hearing about Jelly Bean, the next installment.
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2108647/android-jelly-bean-follow-ice-cream-sandwich?WT.rss_f=&WT.rss_a=Android+Jelly+Bean+will+follow+Ice+Cream+Sandwich
Tomi says:
http://www.ausbt.com.au/boeing-chooses-android-for-787-dreamliner-s-entertainment-system
Boeing chooses Android for 787 Dreamliner’s entertainment system
According to Mark Larson, technical manager at Boeing’s Dreamliner Gallery, all 787s now in production will be fitted with Android-based servers and touchscreens.
“Those Dreamliners that are being configured right now can get (Android)” Larson told Australian Business Traveller.
Panasonic has already built the first 787-certified Android touchscreen, which is available in everything from economy seats to first-class suites.
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.edn.com/article/519337-Intel_Android_on_x86_phones_TK_in_2012.php
Intel: Android on x86 phones TK in 2012
SAN FRANCISCO — Multiple handset makers will ship next year Android phones using Intel’s x86 chips, vowed Intel chief executive Paul Otellini in a keynote speech at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF). Intel and Google expanded their collaboration to deliver optimized versions of Android on x86 to enable the handsets.
The pledge marks the latest twist in Intel’s long road to finding significant design wins in the booming mobile market.
Google’s vice president of mobile, Andy Rubin, briefly joined Otellini on stage here to discuss the company’s collaboration. There were few details given except to say the companies will deliver versions of Android optimized for the x86 from the lowest to the highest levels of the software stack.
Otellini also showed working versions of a smartphone reference design based on the Medfield version of Atom and a Medfield tablet running the Honeycomb version of Android. The company had shown the smartphone reference design at an analyst meeting.
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2111228/android-developers-blackberry-money?WT.rss_f=Home&WT.rss_a=Android+is+best+for+developers%2C+Blackberry+is+best+for+making+money
MOBILE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Google’s Android operating system (OS) is the best place for developers in general, while the Blackberry OS is the best place for developers to make money, according to a report by Evans Data.
Android also came out on top as the best app store for developers over the long term, with many believing that the Android Market will be the pivotal place to develop for within the next two years.
Despite Android’s success, developers can still make more money by opting to use Blackberry’s App World, which appears to be paying out more than both Android and Apple.
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/29/microsoft_extract_444m_android_payments/
A report from the technology analysis team at Goldman Sachs estimates that Microsoft will suck up $444 million in Android royalties over the coming financial year.
The group estimates that Microsoft will make between three and six dollars per device, after signing patent-protection deals with smartphone and tablet manufacturers, according to Business Insider. Samsung was the latest manufacturer to sign up with Microsoft, with HTC joining in April 2010. Now Microsoft is focusing its efforts on Motorola, which next year may be owned by Google.
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2113935/google-won-t-screw-android?WT.rss_f=Home&WT.rss_a=Google+won%E2%80%99t+%27screw+up%27+Android
INTERNET SEARCH GIANT Google does not intend to make a mess of Android after it invests billions in buying Motorola Mobility, according to its chairman.
“The Android ecosystem is the [number one] priority, and… we won’t do anything with Motorola, or anybody else by the way, that would screw up the dynamics of that industry,” Schmidt said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2115307/android-apps-ios-thanks-alien-dalvik?WT.rss_f=Home&WT.rss_a=Android+apps+work+on+IOS+thanks+to+Alien+Dalvik+2.0
Android apps work on IOS thanks to Alien Dalvik 2.0
SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Myriad has announced its Alien Dalvik 2.0 that enables Android apps to run on non-Android systems.
Alien Dalvik 2.0 apparently lets the majority of Android apps run ‘unmodified’ using standard Android Package (APK) files. The firm will demo the system working on an Ipad 2 for the first time as next week’s CTIA Enterprise & Applications conference in San Diego.
An advantage is that developers can create apps for the Android operating system without being limited to devices running on Android. Myriad sees it as “the first step towards creating a single app standard”.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Now Collects Royalties From Over Half of All Android Devices
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/24/1228232/microsoft-now-collects-royalties-from-over-half-of-all-android-devices
Microsoft has an explanatory weblog post; with this deal over half of all Android devices are licensing patents from Microsoft.
Microsoft’s New Patent Agreement with Compal: A New Milestone for Our Android Licensing Program
http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_on_the_issues/archive/2011/10/23/microsoft-s-new-patent-agreement-with-compal-a-new-milestone-for-our-android-licensing-program.aspx
Microsoft collects license fees on 50% of Android devices, tells Google to “wake up”
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2011/10/microsoft-collects-license-fees-on-50-of-android-devices-tells-google-to-wake-up.arshttp://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2011/10/microsoft-collects-license-fees-on-50-of-android-devices-tells-google-to-wake-up.ars
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android Patent Licensing and Litigation (picture on the article)
http://www.prosessori.fi/uutiset/uutinen2.asp?id=58538
Tomi Engdahl says:
Top 10 tasty treats in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2120521/tasty-treats-android-ice-cream-sandwich?WT.rss_f=Home&WT.rss_a=Top+10+tasty+treats+in+Android+4.0+Ice+Cream+Sandwich
“One of the key attractions of ICS is that it works on both Android smartphones and tablets. This will give firms selling tablets and smartphones running the OS a much better chance of tempting buyers to get both devices, as they can promise a unified experience across both types of devices.
It will also be a great boon for developers, who will no longer have to create tablet and smartphone versions of their apps.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android Orphans: Visualizing a Sad History of Support
http://theunderstatement.com/post/11982112928/android-orphans-visualizing-a-sad-history-of-support
Why Don’t Android Phones Get Updated?
That’s a very good question. Obviously a big part of the problem is that Android has to go from Google to the phone manufacturers to the carriers to the devices, whereas iOS just goes from Apple directly to devices. The hacker community (e.g. CyanogenMod, et cetera) has frequently managed to get these phones to run the newer operating systems, so it isn’t a hardware issue.
It appears to be a widely held viewpoint3 that there’s no incentive for smartphone manufacturers to update the OS: because manufacturers don’t make any money after the hardware sale, they want you to buy another phone as soon as possible.
In other words, Apple’s way of getting you to buy a new phone is to make you really happy with your current one, whereas apparently Android phone makers think they can get you to buy a new phone by making you really unhappy with your current one.
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/03/us-android-operators-cost-idUSTRE7A200720111103
Android’s share of the global smartphone market rose to 57 percent in the third quarter
Cheaper Android models, costing as little as $100 to make, have helped Android emerge as the dominant platform in smartphones, attracting dozens of manufacturers
Costly hardware failures are more common on Android devices than on Apple Inc iPhones and Research In Motion Inc BlackBerry phones, which have strict control over the components used in their devices, WDS data showed.
Fixing Android mobes costs telcos millions
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/03/android_costs_operators_millions/
Keeping up with repairs and returns on Android mobes is costing operators up to £1.25bn ($2bn) a year, according to a new study.
The very factor that’s making the platform such a success – its openness – is also what’s making its phones so expensive to support, wireless services firm WDS claims (PDF) in a report.
“One thing we must be absolutely clear on is that our analysis does not find any inherent fault with the Android platform,” Tim Deluca-Smith, marketing bod at WDS, said in a canned statement.
“Android deployments can never compete with the hardware consistency (or software integration) of some of its competitors,” the study said.
On top of that, the length of time it takes the mobe to get through the channel to the end-user can mean that someone who thinks they’re getting the latest and greatest ends up with a year-old processor and the previous iteration of the Android OS.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Eric Schmidt: Android will stay free
http://www.itviikko.fi/teknologia/2011/11/08/google-android-pysyy-ilmaisena/201116398/7?rss=8
Google will continue to offer Android for free
Motorola purchase won’t disadvantage other vendors, says Eric Schmidt
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2123397/google-continue-offer-android-free
Schmidt said at a press conference today, “We will run (Motorola) sufficiently independently so it will not violate the openness of Android.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android Ice Cream Sandwich Source Released
http://news.slashdot.org/story/11/11/14/2328232/android-ice-cream-sandwich-source-released
http://groups.google.com/group/android-building/msg/c0e01b4619a1455a
Over at our Android Open-Source Project git servers, the source code
for Android version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is now available.
Here’s how to get it:Follow the instructions at
http://source.android.com/source/downloading.htmlCheck out the
‘ics-release’ branch:repo init -u
https://android.googlesource.com/platform/manifest -b android-4.0.1_r1
That’s it!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Barnes & Noble Names Microsoft’s Disputed Android Patents
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/11/15/171201/barnes-noble-names-microsofts-disputed-android-patents
B&N is really blowing the lid off of what Microsoft is doing and how they are forcing money from Android. It has accused Microsoft of requiring overly restricted NDA agreements from those even entering into patent license talks. Because it is disputing Microsoft’s claims, and the restrictions of its own NDA signed with Redmond, B&N has gone public. It has named in detail six patents that it says Microsoft is using to get Android device makers to pay up.
Barnes & Noble Blows The Lid Off Microsoft’s Android Patent Squeeze
Nook maker says Microsoft’s “trivial” and “invalid” patents stifle open source innovation
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/79179
First, as to all of those who wondered about exactly what patents Microsoft claims they own that Android infringes upon, from B&N’s filings.
B&N claims that all of these are “trivial” and “insignificant” in terms of Android’s use. They claim Microsoft is using these patents for minor functionality to hold Android hostage. It is not just licensing fee’s either, though they claim is Microsoft is recieving anywere from $5 dollars to $15 dollars or more per copy of Android sold (which is equal to or more thanwhat they charge for Windows Mobile licenses). Barnes & Nobles claims that along with paying the blood money Microsoft demands, Microsoft also makes license holders sign an “oppressive” agreement which gives Microsoft say over future hardware and software configurations and innovations. This according to B&N is to ensure that they keep Android from advancing to far, to fast for Microsoft to keep up. That is in many ways worse than the licensing fees. Microsoft wants to control future Android development and innovation.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Downloading the Android Source Tree
http://source.android.com/source/downloading.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon Releases Kindle Fire Source Code
http://briefmobile.com/amazon-releases-kindle-fire-source-code
Developers looking to “hack it up” with Amazon’s latest, greatest, and only Android-powered tablet can now download the source code behind the Kindle Fire. In order to comply with Android licensing agreements, Amazon’s required to release this code for external developers.
You can download all 809 MB of it here.
http://kindle-src.s3.amazonaws.com/Kindle_src_6.2_11185402.tar.gz
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Overhauls Android.com With A Focus On Consumer Friendliness
http://techcrunch.com/2011/11/17/google-overhauls-android-com-with-a-focus-on-consumer-friendliness/
Android.com has been, for lack of a better word, dry. Primarily built as a landing pad for press, partners, and developers, it didn’t really do much of anything to sell Android.
The new Android.com distills the experience down to what matters: Android. Want an overview of whats new in Android 4.0? Bam!
Ice Cream Sandwich Prompts Users To Join Google+, Enter Credit Card Information
http://techcrunch.com/2011/11/17/ice-cream-sandwich-prompts-users-to-join-google-enter-credit-card-information/
Android is now activating over 550,000 devices per day, and that growth has been increasing steadily. This is going to result in a lot of new Google+ users, or at least people who are signing up for Google+ accounts.
And once Google has your credit card information, it’ll make it that much easier to get users on other premium services, like the Chrome Web Store and Google Wallet.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android’s a malware magnet, says McAfee
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57328575-83/androids-a-malware-magnet-says-mcafee/
Malware targeted toward Android devices continues to surge, says a new report from McAfee, pushing 2011 to become the busiest year in history for both mobile and general malware.
Phony antivirus products, AutoRun malware, and password-stealing Trojans were among the most common types of malware in the quarter
Tomi Engdahl says:
Orphan Android: Bit9 Announces the “Dirty Dozen” – Android Smartphones Security and Privacy Risk of 2011
http://www.bit9.com/orphan-android/
Bit9’s new research on “The Most Vulnerable Smartphones of 2011” lists the devices that pose the most serious security and privacy risk to consumers and corporations. In the Bit9 research report, Android phones overwhelmingly topped the list, accounting for the “dirty dozen” most vulnerable devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Despite Unproven Market, Facebook To Launch Custom Android OS Phone With HTC
http://techcrunch.com/2011/11/21/facebook-android-os/
Facebook has partnered to build phones in the past, but these have never been huge sellers, nor have they furthered its goal of reducing Apple and Google’s leverage in mobile.
By customizing Android, the Facebook phone might not be able to include some Google-developed apps like Gmail, Maps, or possibly even the Android Market. Instead, it could replace the Android Market with its recently launched HTML5 platform,
So though there’s no sure market for the device, still 1 to 2 years away, the potential gains of having a successful mobile operating system appear to have outweighed the risks.
The Facebook Phone: It’s Finally Real and Its Name Is Buffy
http://allthingsd.com/20111121/the-facebook-phone-its-finally-real-and-its-name-is-buffy/
After years of considering how to best get into the phone business, Facebook has tapped Taiwanese cellphone maker HTC to build a smartphone that has the social network integrated at the core of its being.
Code-named “Buffy,” after the television vampire slayer, the phone is planned to run on a modified version of Android that Facebook has tweaked heavily to deeply integrate its services, as well as to support HTML5 as a platform for applications, according to sources familiar with the project.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ice Cream Sandwich
Just how tasty is Android 4.0?
http://www.reghardware.com/2011/11/29/review_ice_cream_sandwich_google_android_4/
No new version of the Android mobile operating system has been quite so eagerly awaited as v4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich as it’s more colourfully known.
Honeycomb-like theme, ICS is a quantum leap forward over previous incarnations of Android.
With Ice Cream Sandwich Android moves it’s game on by the greatest degree yet. In terms of look and feel it’s now hard on the heels of iOS and well ahead of WinPho 7.5 and BlackBerry 7. The new look will also raise the question of do we need third-party overlays anymore? I’d argue 4.0 has made them redundant.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Network Effects: How Google & Apple Dominate Mobile
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/network_effects_how_google_apple_dominate_mobile.php
The mobile platform wars are in full swing. Android and Apple dominate the landscape but a new report from VisionMobile says that there will be no clear winner in the battle for supremacy over the mobile market. Android controls the numbers, Apple controls the profits and everybody else is fighting for scraps and third place in the ecosystem.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android 4.0 for x86 processors released to developers
http://9to5google.com/2011/11/30/android-4-0-for-x86-processors-released-to-developers/
Google’s Android development team has released Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0.1) for x86 chipsets as part of their promise to open up Android for Intel and AMD systems.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Follow up to “Android graphics true facts”, or The Reason Android is Laggy
https://plus.google.com/100838276097451809262/posts/VDkV9XaJRGS
It’s not GC pauses. It’s not because Android runs bytecode and iOS runs native code. It’s because on iOS all UI rendering occurs in a dedicated UI thread with real-time priority. On the other hand, Android follows the traditional PC model of rendering occurring on the main thread with normal priority.
This is a not an abstract or academic difference. You can see it for yourself.
If you repeat this exercise on Android, you’ll notice that the browser will attempt to both animate the page and render the HTML, and do an ‘ok’ job at both. On Android, this a case where an efficient dual core processor really helps, which is why the Galaxy S II is famous for its smoothness.
On iOS when an app is installing from the app store and you put your finger on the screen, the installation instantly pauses until all rendering is finished. Android tries to do both at the same priority, so the frame rate suffers.
Second, contrary to what I claimed earlier, garbage collection is still a problem, even with the work on concurrent GC in Dalvik.
Third, there are the hardware problems that Dianne discussed.
Fourth, Android has a ways to go toward more efficient UI compositing.
Fifth, the Dalvik VM is not as mature as a desktop class JVM. Java is notorious for terrible GUI performance on desktop. However, many of the issues don’t carry over to the Dalvik implementation.
Thankfully, each of the five issues listed above is solvable without radical changes to Android.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android users get screwed
Keeping a product up to date is tough, but is one sure way to market success.
http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-blogs/break-points/4231104/Android-users-get-screwed?Ecosystem=communications-design
In his October 26 post on The Understatement, Michael Degusta shows that many Android phones, even some actively for sale today, generally don’t have an upgrade path to the latest version of the OS.
The reasoning is understandable, in a way. I’m sure that once a device gets to market management tasks engineering with developing the Next Great Thing. Product support falls by the wayside.
This is hardly news to the embedded world. One of the best things about Linux is that it is constantly being improved. Of course, in a way that’s the worst thing about Linux, since many embedded systems must lock in a particular version long before the product ships. Then there’s the support conundrum: what is the cost, and risk, of upgrading to the latest distro when updating a product?
The implication for phones is that bugs don’t get fixed. New OS features never migrate to the installed base. Security holes remain open. And yet Android itself gets so much better from one release to the next.
tomi says:
Developer hits back at Intel’s Android fragmentation claims
http://www.edn.com/article/520261-Developer_hits_back_at_Intel_s_Android_fragmentation_claims.php
Last week Intel claimed Huang was fragmenting the Android platform by releasing code meant for x86 chips on his own Android-x86 group, which is not part of Google’s official AOSP (Android Open Source Project).
Huang vehemently denied undermining Intel’s efforts, saying he and a partner had been working on the project since June 2009, well before Intel’s involvement, partially for work and partially out of interest.
Huang explained he didn’t have an ARM development board, and therefore decided to experiment with Android using a more common platform, the x86. During his tinkering, Huang said he encountered some difficulties porting the Android code to x86 and wanted to share those with others, thus starting the Android-x86 project.
“People expect us to port each Android release to their favorite x86 tablet and netbook,” he said adding, “I don’t want to let them down.”
Tomi says:
Why Android Upgrades Take So Long
http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/12/09/1839223/why-android-upgrades-take-so-long
In an attempt to explain why it takes so long, Motorola and Sony Ericsson shed some light on the process. Motorola described the long testing process involved in getting the new code out there, whereas Sony focused on explaining the time-consuming certification process.
Why It Will Take So Long to Upgrade Phones to ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2397349,00.asp
Motorola Update on Ice Cream Sandwich
http://www.motorola.com/blog/2011/12/07/motorola-update-on-ice-cream-sandwich/
Ice Cream Sandwich – from source code release to software upgrade
http://developer.sonyericsson.com/wp/2011/12/07/ice-cream-sandwich-from-source-code-release-to-software-upgrade/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Renault has launched what it describes as a “tablet,” an integrated Android device built into its next range of cars, effectively opening the way to the car-as-a-platform.
The device, called the R-link, will be integrated into the forthcoming Renault Clio 4 as well as the Zoe electric vehicle
“The car is becoming a new platform,” said Mr. Hoffstetter. He said the seven-inch device can be controlled by voice recognition or by buttons on the steering wheel. “We need help now,” he said. “We need developers to work on apps.”
More information:
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/12/10/2312232/renault-opens-up-the-car-as-a-platform
http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2011/12/08/renault-opens-up-car-as-platform/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The automotive market is ultra-saturated, so car companies try to come up with any “new” concept to sell them.
Having computers with UIs in cars is well established.
Whilst they provide some useful features there are plenty of useful things third party app developers could supply; and you get car can get malware.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ice Cream Sandwich Previewed on the Archos G9
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5219/ice-cream-sandwich-previewed-on-the-archos-g9
Archos showed off a preview of the update, with an unfinished build of Android 4.0.1 running on the OMAP4-based G9.
The preview build shown off in the video appears to be pretty far along, with the OS seeming like it works quite well for an early build.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel, Google don’t support Android to PC port
http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4231083/Intel–Google-not-supportive-of-AMD-s-attempt-to-port-Android-to-PCs
A developer in Taiwan has been making internet waves with his new but unauthorized release of a Google Android Ice Cream source code for x86 devices, aimed specifically at PCs.
Chih-Wei Huang runs the Android-x86 group, which is not part of Google’s official Android Open Source Project (AOSP). Instead, Huang’s initiative is being funded and supported by Intel Corp’s chip rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD).
“If you pull the x86 version of Android down from the AOSP and compile it, it will run on any x86 device, but that’s not the intent, neither ours nor Google’s,” said Gefrides. “Our focus is to get phones and tablets on our Atom product line up and running on Android. That’s what we’ve been focused on, that’s what we’ve been working with Google on.”
“If you claim that a project like Android is entirely open source then, yes, Android should be able to run on everything from a PC to a smartphone to a toaster,” said Android expert and commentator RusselL Holly.
“The larger touch integrated devices, those are ideal for Android experience,” he said,
Tomi Engdahl says:
British Telecom sues Google over six U.S. patents allegedly infringed by Android and various Google services
http://fosspatents.blogspot.com/2011/12/british-telecom-sues-google-over-six.html
After Apple, Oracle, Microsoft, and eBay, British Telecommunications plc (commonly referred to as “British Telecom” or simply “BT”) has just become the fifth large publicly-traded company to bring patent infringement litigation against Android.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The security of Android devices has come under scrutiny in recent months. Android Market has been plagued with a number of trojaned apps, and researchers have identified various root exploits and permission leaks that can be exploited.
Now researcher Thomas Cannon of ViaForensics is demonstrating a method for setting up remote shell on an Android device without using any exploits or vulnerabilities. The security hole is not new, and it has been pointed out for a number of years, but Google has yet to fix it. The method works on various versions of Android, up to and including the newest Ice Cream Sandwich.
No-permission Android App Gives Remote Shell
http://viaforensics.com/security/nopermission-android-app-remote-shell.html
In this demonstration Android’s power and flexibility were perhaps also its downfall. Other smartphone platforms may not offer the controls we are bypassing at all, and the multi-tasking capabilities in Android allowed us to run the attack almost transparently to the user. This power combined with the open nature of Android also facilitates the customisation of the system to meet bespoke security requirements.
Source: http://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/12/21/0058235/gaining-a-remote-shell-on-android
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Starts to Face Pressure as Android Patent Rulings Roll In
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-20/google-starts-to-face-pressure-as-android-patent-rulings-roll-in.html
Google Inc. is facing potential setbacks in its efforts to get smartphone makers to stick with the Android operating system as legal rulings begin to roll in on patent-infringement claims by Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp.
A U.S. International Trade Commission ruling yesterday determined that Android phones made by HTC Corp. violate an Apple patent
criticisms that the operating system Google began licensing to handset makers three years ago is vulnerable to lawsuits
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google’s Chris DiBona Lashes Out Against Mobile Antivirus Developers, Calls Them ‘Charlatans And Scammers’
http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/11/18/googles-chris-dibona-lashes-out-on-mobile-antivirus-developers-calls-them-charlatans-and-scammers/
What happens when Google’s open-source program manager Chris DiBona reads one too many false claims about the nature of open source software? He takes to his soapbox on Google+ to put everyone in check.
No major cell phone has a ‘virus’ problem in the traditional sense that Windows and some Mac machines have seen. There have been some little things, but they haven’t gotten very far due to the user sandboxing models and the nature of the underlying kernels.
Yes, virus companies are playing on your fears to try to sell you bs protection software for Android, RIM and IOS. They are charlatans and scammers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smartphone makers optimistic about differentiation in Android camp
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20111226PD210.html
Since consumers are mainly using these customized systems instead of the native Android system, the smartphone makers are optimistic about the development direction and believe it should help differentiate vendors from one another in terms of content.
The smartphone makers pointed out that the customization in operating system is a necessary development for the smartphone market, which is experiencing rapid fluctuations in terms of consumer demand and competition.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What is an ‘Android device’?
http://www.theverge.com/2011/12/29/2668214/what-is-an-android-
Android boss Andy Rubin offered up a pretty impressive number yesterday, relaying on Twitter that some 3.7 million Android devices had been activated on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, roughly double the platform’s typical activation rate. But the question is, what constitutes an “Android device,” exactly?
It’s actually really simple: you need to activate Google services on the device. In all likelihood, Google’s counter actually jumps the moment you sign into your Google account on the phone or tablet, whether that be the first time you turn it on or when you’re prompted after jumping into something like Gmail or the Android Market. And as Rubin says on Google+, it only happens once per physical device.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google’s open marketplace will become a wasteland full of malware and worse. The nature of its openness acts like a magnet to con artists and thieves.
That was quick: Google pulls “Official” Siri for Android app
http://thenextweb.com/google/2011/12/31/that-was-quick-google-pulls-official-siri-for-android-app/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Android tablets failed: A postmortem
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/hiner/why-android-tablets-failed-a-postmortem/10011
Takeaway: Android tablets were expected to give the Apple iPad fierce competition in 2011. It never happened. Here’s why Android tablets flopped.
The tech world was all abuzz about Android tablets.
On smartphones, Android had just had a huge 2010 of its own. It went from virtually zero market share in January to a third of U.S. smartphone sales by the end of the year, leapfrogging the iPhone in the process. With so many of tech’s biggest hardware makers lining up behind Android tablets heading into 2011, the expectation was that Android tablets would likely leapfrog the iPad by the end of the year.
It never happened.
If we look at actual tablet usage, the numbers get really ugly for Android. Recent reports (like this one from ComScore) that track web traffic from tablets show that the iPad accounts for 95% of tablet traffic in the U.S. and 88% globally.
4. Google tried to get innovative with the form factor of Android tablets by giving them a 16×9 aspect ratio instead of copying the iPad’s 4×3 form factor. The problem is that when you put a 16×9 tablet in your hands, it feels awkward.
3. The enterprise doesn’t trust Android -> Good Technology showed that 96% of tablet activations in the enterprise were iPads.
2. The lack of tablet apps
Instead of building its own native Android tablet apps and firing up software makers, Google seems intent on focusing app developers on building HTML5 apps that work well across tablets, smartphones, and computers.
1. The price
but to the masses, that price tag was apparently still too much for tablets whose primary function is surfing the web.
Even Google’s own numbers don’t paint a pretty picture for Android tablets, and the release of Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich” is unlikely to help the situation much in 2012.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lenovo launches first Ice Cream Sandwich TV
http://gigaom.com/video/lenovo-android-tv-k91/
Lenovo is entering the TV business at this year’s CES, and it’s doing so with a splash: The company announced the world’s first TV set running Android 4.0, a.k.a. Ice Cream Sandwich, Sunday.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Google TV taps Marvell system-on-a-chip
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-57352637-64/new-google-tv-taps-marvell-system-on-a-chip/
Marvell’s ARMADA 1500 HD Media System-on-a-Chip (SoC) has been designed into the next generation of Google TVs debuting at CES 2012, the chip supplier said Thursday. That chip is based on a design from U.K.-based ARM.
“Marvell and Google have teamed up to…[transform] the TV into the command center for our connected lifestyle,” Marvell co-founder Weili Dai said in a statement.
That said, it is certainly a win for Marvell. An Intel Atom chip appeared in the first Google TV, but that platform never took off. Moreover, the Atom processor has been struggling to gain acceptance in any consumer device beyond the netbook, which itself is fading in the face of tablet competition.