Posts Tagged ‘android’

All My Data Are Belong to Google

I just got my Google Voice invitation today. It’s pretty sweet. It allows you to give out one phone number and configure it to ring multiple phones depending upon who is calling and when they are calling. It also packs voicemail and SMS into a convenient place along with a host of other features. The other thing that it does is it completes the communications circle of products that I use from Google.

After thinking about it for a few minutes, I use Google for everything. It knows my web searches, my web site’s stats, and manages my ads. I also use Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar, Google Reader, now Google Voice, and occasionally Google Docs. When I get lost I pull out the Google Maps app on my phone. I’m even playing around with their Android operating system and am considering buying a phone based upon it when Verizon gets a model. Wow. That’s one heck of a list when I fire them off one at a time. I’m not even using all the services available to me.

It’s no wonder Microsoft wants some of Google’s search market share. Whenever I search I come up with new Google services to sign up for. One of the biggest advantages for Google up to this point (at least for me) as been the fact that Google didn’t have an operating system. This caused them to have to integrate and build tools for other operating systems. Microsoft has the luxury of building its own OS plus its online offerings so it can integrate easily into its own products. We’ll see what happens when Chrome OS comes out, but that’s a long way out. For now I guess Google’s got all my data..

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Filed under Tech Trends : Comments (2) : Jul 20th, 2009

Asus Embarrassed by Linux Netbook?

At the Computex trade show, Qualcomm showed off an Asus Eee running Google’s Android OS. We’ve been hearing about Android as a possibility on netbooks for a while now, but haven’t seen a vendor who’s done it until now. Asus should be proud. Instead, Asus chairman Jonney Shih has apologized for the showing, saying:

“Frankly speaking … I would like to apologize that, if you look at Asus booth, we’ve decided not to display this product. I think you may have seen the devices on Qualcomm’s booth but actually, I think this is a company decision so far we would not like to show this device. That’s what I can tell you so far. I would like to apologize for that.”

Why is Asus so scared of showing off a netbook with Android as its base? I’m guessing Microsoft has something to do with it.

So far Linux has been met with very little success on the netbook — just like the desktop. This should be expected as netbooks are suppsed to be just a smaller version of laptops and I would expect that people would prefer the same operating system on both. Why should Microsoft be stiff-arming Asus like this? In a word: Google. Microsoft hasn’t had to play catch up to anyone for nearly as long as they’ve been chasing Google. Obviously, Google has a long ways to go (in fact, they have hardly gone anywhere so far), but Microsoft appears to be a bit nervous and trying to keep its friends in close check.

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Filed under News : Comments (0) : Jun 3rd, 2009

Could Google Be Linux’s Ticket to the Desktop Market?

Last week, Google CEO Eric Schmidt let us know that there’s a good chance that Google would be entering the netbook market soon. We’ve already seen Google’s Android OS on its new smartphone and have seen a working model on a netbook. It’s likely that if Google enters the netbook market either itself or with a partner, the netbook will be using the Linux-based Android OS.

Linux has seen some success in the desktop market with the Ubuntu distro backed by a large and ever-growing community. However, a large corporate backing could be exactly what Linux needs to be pushed over the edge. Of course, this argument has been made in the past, but at no other time in history has a corporation as large as Google hinted at pushing a Linux-based OS into the PC market. If anyone’s big enough to go toe-to-toe with Microsoft, it would be Google.

So what does Google need to make Android on the netbook a success? It needs the things any good Linux distro needs to succeed: a good community, package management, and hardware support. Android already has a pretty good amount of enthusiasm as a mobile phone (which is the only real option right now). Google also already has the Android Market which allows easy distribution of software for the platform much like the Apple AppStore for the iPhone/iPod Touch. The last is hardware support. This will have to be taken care of by the netbook device itself. However Google chooses to make the netbooks, flawless hardware support is going to be essential to the platform’s success.

A success for Android in the netbook market would mean better support from hardware makers for Linux. Giving better hardware and driver support to Linux will help it grow its user base as a lot of converts struggle with getting some hardware devices working with their chosen Linux distro. Ubuntu also already has a great community and a killer package management in aptitude. Hardware support has been all right so far, but leaves a lot to be desired. Given some more hardware support, Ubuntu (or any other popular distro) could be put in a much better position to compete with Windows on a more level playing field.

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Filed under Tech Trends : Comments (2) : Mar 10th, 2009

Googles Do It Too

Silver bullet syndrome has struck again. This time in the form of Google Android fans. Apple has taken a lot of flack from the media and blogosphere lately over its attempts to control what applications can be installed on its devices. Of course, this all comes just before the release of the Google Android-based phone. For months we’ve been listening and reading about how the Android will be an answer to the iPhone after all this controversy. It would seem, however, that Google either hasn’t learned from or drinks the same Kool-aid as Apple. The Register points out that Google states very clearly in the terms and conditions that Google has the capability to remotely remove applications from the phones:

Google may discover a product that violates the developer distribution agreement … in such an instance, Google retains the right to remotely remove those applications from your device at its sole discretion.

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Okay, so Google was a bit more open about its policies. I’ll give them that. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter if you walk in to a bank with a gun in plain sight or steal the money secretly over the web: you’re still guilty of the crime. I’m tired of hearing about the Android as the answer to everyones woes. Please don’t take this as an anti-Google entry.. I am simply becoming tiresome of people claiming the Android as the iPhone but without the limitations. Just like the Apple iPhone, yes the Google Android is less than completely open. I’m sorry to those who thought the grass was going to be greener on the other side.

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Filed under Tech Trends : Comments (1) : Oct 16th, 2008