Webtide has announced a port of its open source Jetty webserver to the Android mobile phone platform. The i-Jetty technology allows mobile phone users to set up AJAX- and Comet-enabled websites on their Android phones for access via desktop PCs over the web, says Webtide.
Jetty is a lightweight, open source webserver implemented in Java and released under the Apache 2.0 license. Webtide is the principle maintenance developer for the software, it said.
Jetty is designed to work as a standalone webserver or as a dynamic content server behind a dedicated HTTP server such as Apache. The Android-based i-Jetty version is loaded as a servlet on Android, says Webtide. Once loaded, it enables remote access to phone functions from desktop PCs.
The i-Jetty port to the Android open source software stack for mobile devices is billed primarily as a matter of convenience for cell phone users, who can use it to make calls from their PCs, or to access phone-based content such as address books and calendars using a familiar browser interface. According to Webtide, users will be able to view, create, and save changes to files from remote PCs, including address lists, system settings, call logs, and multimedia files.
Two years ago, Nokia touted similar benefits when it ported Apache to Symbian with its Raccoon project. So far, there has been little evidence of major developer support for Raccoon, yet with mobile phones far outnumbering PCs, the potential for changing the nature and scope of the web is intriguing.
Beyond convenience, Nokia promoted the Raccoon technology as something of a paradigm shifter for the web, especially for mobile webcam-based website projects or for personal web servers. In particular, said Nokia, the amount of personal information stored on mobile phones makes it easy to "semi-automatically generate a personal home page." Other applications touted by Nokia included finding the location of other mobile web sites in the proximity, mobile weblogs, and IM messaging.
i-Jetty users can also build publicly accessible mobile web servers said Adam Lieber, CEO of Webtide, in an interview. In fact, he said, the potential might be greater with i-Jetty compared to Nokia's technology. "I-Jetty is more of a full-featured Java application server as opposed to being just a page server," he said. For example, i-Jetty supports web services technologies such as AJAX (asynchronous Javascript and XML), which speeds up interactive processes on AJAX-enabled applications like Google Maps.
Beyond mobile phones: routers with webservers
Yet, mobile phones are not sufficiently powerful for most web-serving applications, Lieber noted. "Right now, the devices still don't have the processing power and connection speed to handle more than a small population of users," he said, quickly adding, "i-Jetty-enabled Android phones could certainly syndicate to a larger landed service."
A potentially larger new market could emerge, said Lieber, if Android takes hold in larger-format devices such as network routers. "Android-based networking devices such as routers and access points could host web-based services," he said.
A month-old blog from Chief Engineer Jan Bartel reveals some of the project's final struggles in making the port. According to Lieber, however, the porting process was "really fast" compared to typical ports to commercial Java servers. "Android is much more adaptable to projects like this. Instead of, okay, you can add your server to our application, it's like we'll adapt our environment to your server." The biggest challenge, said Lieber, was in "getting used to the Android emulators."
According to Lieber, the code is stable enough for productive use now. "It's posted, it's freely available, and it's good to go now," he said. One potential area for improvement will occur, he added, if Google decides to enable "dynamic adding of Java classes in runtime" in the next Android release. "Right now, there are a couple facilities that are not available in Android, but we're hopeful that they will make the change so more Java components can be added into an application while it's running," he said.
Availability
i-Jetty is now available for free download at Google Code. Webtide is demonstrating the technology this week at Eclipse.con 2008 in Santa Clara, Calif.
[Via LinuxDevices]
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Monday, March 17, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Android Will Outsell iPhone
Google (NSDQ: GOOG) has not released sales predictions for devices based on its mobile operating system Android. But that doesn't stop Rich Miner, group manager for mobile platforms at the search giant, from being confident.
After his presentation on Thursday at the Emerging Communications Conference at the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley, Miner said he expects Android-based devices to outpace sales of the popular iPhone.
"Once you have devices out there from Motorola (NYSE: MOT), HTC, Samsung, and so on, there's a much larger potential market on Android than for the iPhone," Miner said. Despite the runaway success of the iPhone, which sold 4 million units in its first seven months of release, "there's a single manufacturer, it's targeted at a particular demographic, and it falls far short of the 1 billion mobile phones sold every year worldwide," added Miner.
Introduced last November, Android is a "complete open-source [software] stack" for mobile devices, not just an operating system," Miner said during his eComm presentation. Trying to stimulate application development for Android devices, Google is offering $10 million in prizes in its "Android Developers Challenge" for innovative and useful apps.
Opening the iPhone platform to third-party apps, Apple earlier this month released the software development kit for the popular consumer device. Apple said this week that the SDK has already been downloaded more than 100,000 times. Miner, however, pointed out that significant restrictions will still limit the creation of rich and useful applications for the iPhone.
"There are things I saw people doing with the first version of the Android SDK that it seems like you can't do with the iPhone at least at the moment," he says.
Google said last month at the 3GSM conference in Barcelona that the Android SDK has been downloaded 750,000 times. "That's for a device that doesn't even exist yet," remarked Miner.
Motorola, Samsung, HTC, and LG all belong to the Open Handset Alliance, which was formed last year by Google to promote open platforms and open networks in the mobile and wireless industry. All four are expected to release devices based on Android in the second half of this year. Miner indicated on Thursday that he expects one of the handset makers (most likely Taiwanese manufacturer HTC, according to industry reports) to reach the market before the other three.
Android and the iPhone, Miner adds, are aimed at different markets.
"It's not a competitive thing -- it's great that people are finally building tools so all of these third-party applications can be built and get out there," Miner said. "[If I were a developer] I'd certainly be looking at the iPhone, and if you believe there will be lots of Android phones out there, as we do, I'd be developing for both platforms."
[Via InformationWeek]
After his presentation on Thursday at the Emerging Communications Conference at the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley, Miner said he expects Android-based devices to outpace sales of the popular iPhone.
"Once you have devices out there from Motorola (NYSE: MOT), HTC, Samsung, and so on, there's a much larger potential market on Android than for the iPhone," Miner said. Despite the runaway success of the iPhone, which sold 4 million units in its first seven months of release, "there's a single manufacturer, it's targeted at a particular demographic, and it falls far short of the 1 billion mobile phones sold every year worldwide," added Miner.
Introduced last November, Android is a "complete open-source [software] stack" for mobile devices, not just an operating system," Miner said during his eComm presentation. Trying to stimulate application development for Android devices, Google is offering $10 million in prizes in its "Android Developers Challenge" for innovative and useful apps.
Opening the iPhone platform to third-party apps, Apple earlier this month released the software development kit for the popular consumer device. Apple said this week that the SDK has already been downloaded more than 100,000 times. Miner, however, pointed out that significant restrictions will still limit the creation of rich and useful applications for the iPhone.
"There are things I saw people doing with the first version of the Android SDK that it seems like you can't do with the iPhone at least at the moment," he says.
Google said last month at the 3GSM conference in Barcelona that the Android SDK has been downloaded 750,000 times. "That's for a device that doesn't even exist yet," remarked Miner.
Motorola, Samsung, HTC, and LG all belong to the Open Handset Alliance, which was formed last year by Google to promote open platforms and open networks in the mobile and wireless industry. All four are expected to release devices based on Android in the second half of this year. Miner indicated on Thursday that he expects one of the handset makers (most likely Taiwanese manufacturer HTC, according to industry reports) to reach the market before the other three.
Android and the iPhone, Miner adds, are aimed at different markets.
"It's not a competitive thing -- it's great that people are finally building tools so all of these third-party applications can be built and get out there," Miner said. "[If I were a developer] I'd certainly be looking at the iPhone, and if you believe there will be lots of Android phones out there, as we do, I'd be developing for both platforms."
[Via InformationWeek]
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Google Officially Acquires DoubleClick
Posted by Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO:
[Via Google Blog]
I'm pleased to share the news that we completed our acquisition of DoubleClick today. Although it's been nearly a year since we announced our intention to acquire DoubleClick last April, we are no less excited today about the benefits that the combination of our two companies will bring to the online advertising market.
Because we have been waiting for regulatory approval for our acquisition, we've been limited by law in the extent to which we could conduct detailed integration planning to map our way forward. That work will begin in earnest now. Although we don’t have detailed plans to announce today, we will communicate regularly with you about our progress in integrating our two companies.
An immediate task we’ll undertake over the next few weeks is matching and aligning DoubleClick employees with our organizational plan for the business. This will involve determining the right staffing levels for all functions and will ensure that we have the right people assigned to the right responsibilities within Google. We plan to complete this process in the U.S. by early April.
Outside the U.S., the steps we will propose are subject to consultation with employee representatives where applicable, and of course any decisions will be made in accordance with local law. The exact timing of the process outside the U.S. will vary based on the needs and requirements of each region.
As with most mergers, there may be reductions in headcount. We expect these to take place in the U.S. and possibly in other regions as well. We know that DoubleClick is built on the strength of its people. For this reason we’ll strive to minimize the impact of this process on all of our clients and employees.
Advertisers and publishers who work with us have long asked that we complement our search and content-based text advertising with display advertising capabilities. DoubleClick gives Google the leading platform for display advertising, enabling us to rapidly bring advances to the market in technology and infrastructure that will dramatically improve the effectiveness, measurability and performance of digital media for publishers, advertisers and agencies.
As the combination of Google and DoubleClick delivers better, more relevant display ads, we're also looking forward to delivering an improved online experience to users. Because user trust is paramount to the success of our business, users will continue to benefit from our commitment to protecting user privacy following this acquisition. And our scale and infrastructure mean that users will also be spending less time waiting for web pages to load. Ultimately, we believe that by combining our advertising network with DoubleClick's display ad serving products, and by investing resources in the display ad business, we will be able to help publishers and advertisers generate more revenue. That in turn will fuel the creation of even more rich and diverse content for Internet users everywhere.
[Via Google Blog]
Monday, March 10, 2008
Google Announce Apps For Android
Google have recently launched an open source collection of sample Android Applications under the name ‘Apps For Android’.
The aim for Apps For Android is to share some sample applications that will help to demonstrate the different aspects and possibilities of the Android platform.
The first available application included is called Wikinotes, “a wiki note pad that uses intents to navigate to wiki words and other rich content stored in the notes.”
WikiNotes for Android was written to demonstrate a number of core concepts in Android, including:
* Multiple Activities in an Application (View, Edit, Search, etc.)
* Default intent filters for View/Edit/Search based on MIME types
* Life cycle of Activities
* Message passing via Bundles in Intents
* Use of Linkify to add Intent-firing links to text data
* Using Intents within an application
* Using Intents to use an Activity within another application
* Writing a custom ContentProvider that implements search by note title
* Registration of ReST-like URIs to match titles, and do contents searches
* SQLite implementations for insert, retrieve, update, delete and search
* UI layout and creation for multiple activities
* Menus and keyboard shortcuts
[Via TalkAndroid]
The aim for Apps For Android is to share some sample applications that will help to demonstrate the different aspects and possibilities of the Android platform.
The first available application included is called Wikinotes, “a wiki note pad that uses intents to navigate to wiki words and other rich content stored in the notes.”
WikiNotes for Android was written to demonstrate a number of core concepts in Android, including:
* Multiple Activities in an Application (View, Edit, Search, etc.)
* Default intent filters for View/Edit/Search based on MIME types
* Life cycle of Activities
* Message passing via Bundles in Intents
* Use of Linkify to add Intent-firing links to text data
* Using Intents within an application
* Using Intents to use an Activity within another application
* Writing a custom ContentProvider that implements search by note title
* Registration of ReST-like URIs to match titles, and do contents searches
* SQLite implementations for insert, retrieve, update, delete and search
* UI layout and creation for multiple activities
* Menus and keyboard shortcuts
[Via TalkAndroid]
Monday, March 3, 2008
Google Gears Goes Mobile
Charles Wiles is the product manager for Mobile Gears, and in this video he introduces us to the release, and the big picture on where this is going, and how exciting it will be to develop applications on the phone using Web technology.
T-Mobile: Stabbing Google In The Back?
Based on expert analysis, the Mobile Advertising industry is expected to reach 250 BILLION dollars by the year 2010… give or take 230 Billion Dollars.
Yup, you read that correctly. The GSM Association predicted that the Mobile Advertising Industry could be worth 250 Billion dollars a year, coming to this optimistic conclusion after learning the details of a Vodafone, T-Mobile and O2 partnership that would make putting ads on mobile devices easier than putting them on television or print mediums.
According to Mobile Entertainment, “Many pundits have viewed the project as a defensive move against Google.” With Android set to debut in upcoming months, this strategic move shouldn’t seem all that shocking - but wait! We could swear that T-Mobile is a member of the Open Handset Alliance?
T-Mobile is indeed a member of the OHA but Vodafone (who owns Verizon) and 02 are not. Is T-Mobile getting bullied into betraying Google and the Open Handset Alliance in order to build a system that competes with Android? We’re not sure… but if this IS the case… things might start to get ugly.
We almost forgot, what happened to that $230 Billion dollar discrepancy? In October 2007, only 6 months ago, The Economist published an article that placed the most optimistic estimates of the same figure at $20 Billion dollars by 2011. Ummm, is George Bush doing somebody’s math? The difference in these forecasts is simply unexplainifiable.
So what in the world is happening?
Google has already entered the “traditional” advertising space by allowing their advertisers to place print and radio ads through what started as an exclusively PPC internet advertising program. Perhaps the mobile executives saw Google’s shift and predicted their entrance into the mobile market, launching a partnership to speed the process of bringing ads to mobile devices BEFORE Google could set precedent.
So is this when Google started planning Android, a master plan to supercede other partnerships by leveraging the “OHA” as a tool to float it’s own Android platform to the top of the mobile idea pool?
Or, after Google planned and announced Android, did the mobile giants get together with other buddies in their industry and decide, “Why should the new kid on the block just come in and steal advertising dollars of an industry that WE built?”
Sure… they humored Google by joining their precious Open Handset Alliance, but all the while, their goal was to force feed their own advertising systems and implementations down Android’s throat upon release.
Neither of these theories are likely “correct”. And lets face it, any idiot could have predicted that mobile would be the next big leap for the advertising industry. But the point here is that the Open Handset Alliance attempts to be the “lets all hold hands and sing Kum Ba Ya” poster boy while each individual member is a company with investors who are scraping and clawing to get every penny of the mobile dollar that they possibly can.
There is no doubt that Android is an amazing concept with unlimited potential. There is no doubt the synergy of unified goals and objectives will help the mobile industry move light years faster than each company could alone. The question is, do the OHA members view the alliance as a transparent institution created by Google to passive-aggressively force them to surrender their mobile advertising leverage to the big G?
There are so many different stakeholders and there is so much at stake. We don’t know the relationships with individual companies and executives. We don’t know the plans and secrets of each business and the direction they will go to achieve competitive advantage. As consumers, we get excited about Android and the opportunities it will bring to us but as businesses, they are still competitors competing for the same piece of the pie.
Hopefully they can realize that right now, they are all fighting for pieces of a $1 Billion Dollar pie. If they work separately with the goal of protecting their knowledge, they’ll be competing for pieces of the $20 Billion Dollar pie. But if they truly work together, embrace the OHA concept and push the potential of Android to its limits… they’ll be competing for pieces of the $250 Billion Dollar pie within 5 years.
Mobile phones have the potential to overtake the vast majority of traditional advertising streams because of their undeniable ability to hone in on who is using it and exactly (within feet) where that person is. Not to mention the fact that mobile phones are becoming small computers with the ability to do basically anything that a Laptop can.
So which would you prefer… Kum Ba Ya or Celebrity CEO Deathmatch? Or maybe a mix… Hey T-Mobile, your shoe is untied…
[Via Phandroid]
Yup, you read that correctly. The GSM Association predicted that the Mobile Advertising Industry could be worth 250 Billion dollars a year, coming to this optimistic conclusion after learning the details of a Vodafone, T-Mobile and O2 partnership that would make putting ads on mobile devices easier than putting them on television or print mediums.
According to Mobile Entertainment, “Many pundits have viewed the project as a defensive move against Google.” With Android set to debut in upcoming months, this strategic move shouldn’t seem all that shocking - but wait! We could swear that T-Mobile is a member of the Open Handset Alliance?
T-Mobile is indeed a member of the OHA but Vodafone (who owns Verizon) and 02 are not. Is T-Mobile getting bullied into betraying Google and the Open Handset Alliance in order to build a system that competes with Android? We’re not sure… but if this IS the case… things might start to get ugly.
We almost forgot, what happened to that $230 Billion dollar discrepancy? In October 2007, only 6 months ago, The Economist published an article that placed the most optimistic estimates of the same figure at $20 Billion dollars by 2011. Ummm, is George Bush doing somebody’s math? The difference in these forecasts is simply unexplainifiable.
So what in the world is happening?
Google has already entered the “traditional” advertising space by allowing their advertisers to place print and radio ads through what started as an exclusively PPC internet advertising program. Perhaps the mobile executives saw Google’s shift and predicted their entrance into the mobile market, launching a partnership to speed the process of bringing ads to mobile devices BEFORE Google could set precedent.
So is this when Google started planning Android, a master plan to supercede other partnerships by leveraging the “OHA” as a tool to float it’s own Android platform to the top of the mobile idea pool?
Or, after Google planned and announced Android, did the mobile giants get together with other buddies in their industry and decide, “Why should the new kid on the block just come in and steal advertising dollars of an industry that WE built?”
Sure… they humored Google by joining their precious Open Handset Alliance, but all the while, their goal was to force feed their own advertising systems and implementations down Android’s throat upon release.
Neither of these theories are likely “correct”. And lets face it, any idiot could have predicted that mobile would be the next big leap for the advertising industry. But the point here is that the Open Handset Alliance attempts to be the “lets all hold hands and sing Kum Ba Ya” poster boy while each individual member is a company with investors who are scraping and clawing to get every penny of the mobile dollar that they possibly can.
There is no doubt that Android is an amazing concept with unlimited potential. There is no doubt the synergy of unified goals and objectives will help the mobile industry move light years faster than each company could alone. The question is, do the OHA members view the alliance as a transparent institution created by Google to passive-aggressively force them to surrender their mobile advertising leverage to the big G?
There are so many different stakeholders and there is so much at stake. We don’t know the relationships with individual companies and executives. We don’t know the plans and secrets of each business and the direction they will go to achieve competitive advantage. As consumers, we get excited about Android and the opportunities it will bring to us but as businesses, they are still competitors competing for the same piece of the pie.
Hopefully they can realize that right now, they are all fighting for pieces of a $1 Billion Dollar pie. If they work separately with the goal of protecting their knowledge, they’ll be competing for pieces of the $20 Billion Dollar pie. But if they truly work together, embrace the OHA concept and push the potential of Android to its limits… they’ll be competing for pieces of the $250 Billion Dollar pie within 5 years.
Mobile phones have the potential to overtake the vast majority of traditional advertising streams because of their undeniable ability to hone in on who is using it and exactly (within feet) where that person is. Not to mention the fact that mobile phones are becoming small computers with the ability to do basically anything that a Laptop can.
So which would you prefer… Kum Ba Ya or Celebrity CEO Deathmatch? Or maybe a mix… Hey T-Mobile, your shoe is untied…
[Via Phandroid]
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Latest on Google Android From MWC’08
One of the potentially hottest and most important upcoming technologies posing a challenge to Microsoft’s Windows Mobile is Google’s Android operating system. Google, along with the “Open Handset Alliance,” announced in November the upcoming platform, and that many of the largest handset manufacturers and most important cellular service providers in the world are supporting it.
Although nowhere near as polished as the offerings from Sony Ericsson, Samsung and the rest, a number of Android prototypes and reference designs are on show here at the Mobile World Congress. Android is different from most existing smartphone platforms such as Windows Mobile and Palm OS because it’s “open source,” meaning the code is being made freely available to anyone interested in seeing it in a completely transparent way. As a result, third party software developers and handset manufacturers have tremendous flexibility in writing add-on applications and creating enhancements to it. In some instances, users won’t even be able to distinguish between native and third party programs as a result.
There is good reason to expect the platform to take marketshare. Besides being supported by the multi-hundred billion dollar powerhouse Google, the Open Handset Alliance includes multi-billion dollar powerhouses such as HTC, Motorola, LG and Samsung. In the United States, Sprint and T-Mobile will offer Android devices. An early look at the Android SDK was released in November, and Google announced $10 million in prizes for the best third party software applications developed for it.
[Via Linux and Open Source Blog]
Although nowhere near as polished as the offerings from Sony Ericsson, Samsung and the rest, a number of Android prototypes and reference designs are on show here at the Mobile World Congress. Android is different from most existing smartphone platforms such as Windows Mobile and Palm OS because it’s “open source,” meaning the code is being made freely available to anyone interested in seeing it in a completely transparent way. As a result, third party software developers and handset manufacturers have tremendous flexibility in writing add-on applications and creating enhancements to it. In some instances, users won’t even be able to distinguish between native and third party programs as a result.
There is good reason to expect the platform to take marketshare. Besides being supported by the multi-hundred billion dollar powerhouse Google, the Open Handset Alliance includes multi-billion dollar powerhouses such as HTC, Motorola, LG and Samsung. In the United States, Sprint and T-Mobile will offer Android devices. An early look at the Android SDK was released in November, and Google announced $10 million in prizes for the best third party software applications developed for it.
[Via Linux and Open Source Blog]
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Samsung to release a "high end" Android powered phone in September
Robert X. Cringely is claiming that he has information on two upcoming Android powered devices. Both of them are made by Samsung, but are actually Google branded. The "high end" model is supposed to come out in September with a sub $100 (with or without contract?) model expected after Christmas. He goes on to say that both have WiFi built in and might actually come with a built in VoIP client.
[Via IntoMobile]
[Via IntoMobile]
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Google releases new Android SDK
Google released a new version of the software developer kit for its Android mobile open development platform on Wednesday.
The new SDK has a new user interface, a geocoder that lets developers search for businesses as well as translate an address into a coordinate and vice versa, support for new media codecs, and code that lets developers create layout animations.
One thing missing is change to the telephony package, laments one developer on the Android Developer discussion on Google Groups.
"This is very disappointing, especially because we were told in the Android coding day in Israel that the telephony package will be updated soon," the developer wrote. "We still cannot detect the ingoing/outgoing call number or send DTMF tones properly." Prototypes of Android phones were shown at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Monday. Google launched Android in November along with and the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 34 handset manufacturers, carriers and chipmakers that have said they plan to support Android products and services. Products are due out later this year.
Source: CNet News
The new SDK has a new user interface, a geocoder that lets developers search for businesses as well as translate an address into a coordinate and vice versa, support for new media codecs, and code that lets developers create layout animations.
One thing missing is change to the telephony package, laments one developer on the Android Developer discussion on Google Groups.
"This is very disappointing, especially because we were told in the Android coding day in Israel that the telephony package will be updated soon," the developer wrote. "We still cannot detect the ingoing/outgoing call number or send DTMF tones properly." Prototypes of Android phones were shown at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Monday. Google launched Android in November along with and the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 34 handset manufacturers, carriers and chipmakers that have said they plan to support Android products and services. Products are due out later this year.
Source: CNet News
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Android is Fast
Quote from InformationWeek:
The one thing I will say is, Android is fast, fast, fast. Like, OMG fast. Faster than any phone UI I've had a chance to play with before.
Android Not Ready for Prime Time
Parse the onslaught of announcements streaming out of the Mobile World Congress confab in Barcelona and it's clear that Google phones aren't ready for prime time.
Though this year's show had been widely seen as the global launching pad for the Internet giant's mobile developer platform, Android, the few handset prototypes on display from chipmakers ARM, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments lack sophistication.
ARM's model resembles a plain, clunky smart phone. Qualcomm's is an ungainly mélange of circuit boards and screens. TI's boasts a large screen full of square icons for one-click access to messaging, videos, lists and maps. All are somewhat speculative test models, however, as Google hasn't yet released specifications for Android phones. Nevertheless, a Google representative at the show confirmed that Android handsets will hit the market in the second half of the year as planned.
The threat of Google appears to be inspiring some match-ups between Microsoft and other mobile firms. Microsoft announced Monday that it agreed to acquire Danger, the maker of Sidekick phones, which have been a hit with teens. The move could bolster Microsoft's mobile business against Android by broadening its reach and appeal beyond Windows Mobile-powered smart phones. In an interesting twist, Palo Alto, Calif.-based Danger was founded by Andy Rubin, who now heads Android.
Sony Ericsson, which holds a 16% stake in Symbian, the company that produces the mobile operating system of the same name, announced Sunday that its flashy new smart phone, Xperia X1, would run on Windows Mobile, a key Symbian rival. Microsoft has hinted that Nokia, which owns half of Symbian, will also start licensing Windows Mobile.
Other open-source alliances are also battling Google. LiMo, a global consortium of mobile companies, is working overtime to release an open-source mobile platform before Android gets more traction.
Those at the Barcelona conference searching for sleek phones have been rewarded with dozens of new playthings. Beyond its flagship Xperia X1, Sony Ericsson, a joint venture of Sony and Ericsson, demonstrated several touchscreen handsets and some Cyber-shot-branded camera phones. Nokia unveiled four new multimedia mobile phones, including a successor to its best-selling N95 phone, which plays TV shows. LG also debuted four handsets, including an advanced version of its famous Prada phone. Samsung showed a dozen handsets that filled every market niche, from high-end smart phones with 5 megapixel cameras to simple, $200 candy bar-style phones.
The conference itself is undergoing a transformation. Formerly called 3GSM World Congress, in a nod to the mobile technology that's dominant in Europe, it was long viewed as a European-focused trade show. This year, the show, which expects 50,000 attendees, is more globally focused. CEOs from North American tech giants Cisco Systems, Qualcomm and Research in Motion are scheduled to give keynotes alongside executives from China Mobile, Finland's Nokia, Korea's SK Telecom and the U.K.'s Vodafone.
Source: Forbes
Though this year's show had been widely seen as the global launching pad for the Internet giant's mobile developer platform, Android, the few handset prototypes on display from chipmakers ARM, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments lack sophistication.
ARM's model resembles a plain, clunky smart phone. Qualcomm's is an ungainly mélange of circuit boards and screens. TI's boasts a large screen full of square icons for one-click access to messaging, videos, lists and maps. All are somewhat speculative test models, however, as Google hasn't yet released specifications for Android phones. Nevertheless, a Google representative at the show confirmed that Android handsets will hit the market in the second half of the year as planned.
The threat of Google appears to be inspiring some match-ups between Microsoft and other mobile firms. Microsoft announced Monday that it agreed to acquire Danger, the maker of Sidekick phones, which have been a hit with teens. The move could bolster Microsoft's mobile business against Android by broadening its reach and appeal beyond Windows Mobile-powered smart phones. In an interesting twist, Palo Alto, Calif.-based Danger was founded by Andy Rubin, who now heads Android.
Sony Ericsson, which holds a 16% stake in Symbian, the company that produces the mobile operating system of the same name, announced Sunday that its flashy new smart phone, Xperia X1, would run on Windows Mobile, a key Symbian rival. Microsoft has hinted that Nokia, which owns half of Symbian, will also start licensing Windows Mobile.
Other open-source alliances are also battling Google. LiMo, a global consortium of mobile companies, is working overtime to release an open-source mobile platform before Android gets more traction.
Those at the Barcelona conference searching for sleek phones have been rewarded with dozens of new playthings. Beyond its flagship Xperia X1, Sony Ericsson, a joint venture of Sony and Ericsson, demonstrated several touchscreen handsets and some Cyber-shot-branded camera phones. Nokia unveiled four new multimedia mobile phones, including a successor to its best-selling N95 phone, which plays TV shows. LG also debuted four handsets, including an advanced version of its famous Prada phone. Samsung showed a dozen handsets that filled every market niche, from high-end smart phones with 5 megapixel cameras to simple, $200 candy bar-style phones.
The conference itself is undergoing a transformation. Formerly called 3GSM World Congress, in a nod to the mobile technology that's dominant in Europe, it was long viewed as a European-focused trade show. This year, the show, which expects 50,000 attendees, is more globally focused. CEOs from North American tech giants Cisco Systems, Qualcomm and Research in Motion are scheduled to give keynotes alongside executives from China Mobile, Finland's Nokia, Korea's SK Telecom and the U.K.'s Vodafone.
Source: Forbes
Monday, February 11, 2008
Android software debuts in Barcelona
The first mobile phones fitted with Google's Android software platform made their debut at an industry trade show on Monday, a key advance in the struggle to bring the power of desktop computing to handsets.
Google launched Android last year, hoping to establish its software as the dominant operating system for mobile phones and to improve the quality of web-browsing for handset users.
"What is happening with Android today is that we are seeing a number of technology companies demonstrating how Android will operate on their technology," Google spokesman Barry Schnitt told AFP on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress.
Although the technology on display Monday is in prototype form, experts and journalists were so eager to witness its demonstration that all places for private displays were booked out on Monday within the first hour of the show.
"It's definitely very promising," an analyst for technology research firm Gartner, Carolina Milanesi, told AFP. "This means that we should be on track to see commercial devices in the second half of 2008."
She stressed however that "the road between a prototype and commercial handset is a long one."
Google announced a broad 34-member group called the "Open Handset Alliance" in November last year to develop Android, including China Mobile, HTC, Intel, Motorola, Qualcomm, T-Mobile, Telefonica, LG and eBay.
The demonstrations Monday were by a handful of chip makers -- ARM, Marvell, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, NEC and ST Microelectronics -- which showed Android working in prototype form, the companies and sources confirmed.
"We're demonstrating a prototype of Android," a spokesman for ARM told AFP.
US chip maker Texas Instruments is to demonstrate another prototype phone later Monday in public.
Android is open-source software, meaning its code is available to other developers for free allowing them to build applications and features that can function on the operating platform.
The idea for Google is that Android will lead to radically improved functionality, notably for web browsing, meaning more people will use their mobile phones for Internet surfing.
Currently, surfing the Internet on a mobile phone can still be a frustrating experience, with clunky software and slow download speeds.
"There are few phones that provide a compelling web experience," explained Google's Schnitt.
"As people use the web more, they'll use Google more, and we'll be able to sell more relevant advertising."
Milanesi said that the ultimate test of Android's success would be how easily applications could be used.
"It should have everything that we see on the PC, not just shrunk down to work on a mobile phone but really being optimised for a mobile phone," she said.
Android faces competition from the world's biggest mobile phone maker, Nokia, and its Symbian system; US software giant Microsoft, the maker of Windows; and a separate consortium working on an open-source Linux solution.
The interest in a new software platform from Google stems from the company's desire to establish its brand in emerging markets.
"If you look at emerging markets, people are more likely to have their first browsing experience on a phone not a PC (personal computer)," said Milanesi.
Google surprised analysts when it unveiled Android last November. They had expected the Internet giant to announce the launch of its own gPhone to compete against Apple's popular iPhone.
"Imagine not just a single Google phone, or G-phone, but thousands of G-phones made by a variety of manufacturers," said Google chief executive Eric Schmidt at the time.
This could be Android's weak spot, however.
Taiwan's HTC and ailing US manufacturer Motorola are the two main handset manufacturers in the Open Handset Alliance.
"For it to become a worldwide platform and drive uptake, they need more manufacturers onboard," said Milanesi.
Source: Yahoo News
Google launched Android last year, hoping to establish its software as the dominant operating system for mobile phones and to improve the quality of web-browsing for handset users.
"What is happening with Android today is that we are seeing a number of technology companies demonstrating how Android will operate on their technology," Google spokesman Barry Schnitt told AFP on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress.
Although the technology on display Monday is in prototype form, experts and journalists were so eager to witness its demonstration that all places for private displays were booked out on Monday within the first hour of the show.
"It's definitely very promising," an analyst for technology research firm Gartner, Carolina Milanesi, told AFP. "This means that we should be on track to see commercial devices in the second half of 2008."
She stressed however that "the road between a prototype and commercial handset is a long one."
Google announced a broad 34-member group called the "Open Handset Alliance" in November last year to develop Android, including China Mobile, HTC, Intel, Motorola, Qualcomm, T-Mobile, Telefonica, LG and eBay.
The demonstrations Monday were by a handful of chip makers -- ARM, Marvell, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, NEC and ST Microelectronics -- which showed Android working in prototype form, the companies and sources confirmed.
"We're demonstrating a prototype of Android," a spokesman for ARM told AFP.
US chip maker Texas Instruments is to demonstrate another prototype phone later Monday in public.
Android is open-source software, meaning its code is available to other developers for free allowing them to build applications and features that can function on the operating platform.
The idea for Google is that Android will lead to radically improved functionality, notably for web browsing, meaning more people will use their mobile phones for Internet surfing.
Currently, surfing the Internet on a mobile phone can still be a frustrating experience, with clunky software and slow download speeds.
"There are few phones that provide a compelling web experience," explained Google's Schnitt.
"As people use the web more, they'll use Google more, and we'll be able to sell more relevant advertising."
Milanesi said that the ultimate test of Android's success would be how easily applications could be used.
"It should have everything that we see on the PC, not just shrunk down to work on a mobile phone but really being optimised for a mobile phone," she said.
Android faces competition from the world's biggest mobile phone maker, Nokia, and its Symbian system; US software giant Microsoft, the maker of Windows; and a separate consortium working on an open-source Linux solution.
The interest in a new software platform from Google stems from the company's desire to establish its brand in emerging markets.
"If you look at emerging markets, people are more likely to have their first browsing experience on a phone not a PC (personal computer)," said Milanesi.
Google surprised analysts when it unveiled Android last November. They had expected the Internet giant to announce the launch of its own gPhone to compete against Apple's popular iPhone.
"Imagine not just a single Google phone, or G-phone, but thousands of G-phones made by a variety of manufacturers," said Google chief executive Eric Schmidt at the time.
This could be Android's weak spot, however.
Taiwan's HTC and ailing US manufacturer Motorola are the two main handset manufacturers in the Open Handset Alliance.
"For it to become a worldwide platform and drive uptake, they need more manufacturers onboard," said Milanesi.
Source: Yahoo News
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Up To A Dozen 'Gphone' Prototypes Expected At GSMA
As many as one dozen handset makers and chip companies are expected next week to unveil mobile phone prototypes designed to operate with Google Inc.'s (GOOG) new Android software platform, a source familiar with the situation said Friday.
One analyst said the number companies preparing to show off their wares at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona amounts to "a small but symbolic step" forward for the Internet search and advertising giant, which has set it sights on the nascent but potentially lucrative mobile ad market.
"Having prototypes is a signal, but not a promise, that the phones will be out there," said Bill Hughes, analyst at In-Stat consultancy.
Hughes said the success of Google's effort to develop a next-generation mobile phone will largely depend on convincing independent developers - whom Google is counting on to add all the bells and whistles to its mobile phone software - that there will be a broad market for their applications.
Without evidence that the Android project has momentum, developers will be unlikely to spend time designing applications for Google's mobile software.
Google is hoping its mobile phone initiative will one day enable wireless subscribers to easily surf the Internet without restrictions - and allow advertisers to reach consumers through their handsets.
Google declined to comment on a recent report that it planned show off a prototype of its own so-called "Gphone" next week, but a spokesman noted the company has been working with a number of partners to develop handset prototypes.
"We're very excited about the momentum building behind the platform as demonstrated by the number of companies that are supporting it with their technology," the spokesman said.
One prototype will belong to ARM Holdings PLC (ARM), a British company that develops architectural designs for chips and sells them to semiconductor manufacturers such Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN), NEC Corp. (6701.TO) and Samsung Electronics Co. (005930.SE).
The company has said it will next week demonstrate a prototype of an ARM- powered handset running the Android platform. An ARM spokesperson declined to provide more details but cautioned that the prototype would not have all the features, or the final look and feel of a production device.
The Internet giant last November announced that month it had cobbled together an alliance of carriers, hardware makers and software companies to develop mobile phone software that it hopes will be the foundation for an industry based on open standards.
The announcement was seen as a disappointment, coming after months of speculation that Google was poised to unveil a handset that would compete with Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) popular but expensive iPhone.
It was not clear which other companies plan to demonstrate prototypes next week. Handset makers High Tech Computer Corp. (2498.TW), LG Electronics Inc. ( 066570.SE), Motorola Inc. (MOT) and Samsung, as well as chip makers such as Intel Corp. (INTC), Broadcom Corp. (BRCM) and Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) are all part of the Open Handset Alliance.
Google said last November that it expected the first Android phones would hit the market in the second half of 2008.
Source: CNNMoney
One analyst said the number companies preparing to show off their wares at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona amounts to "a small but symbolic step" forward for the Internet search and advertising giant, which has set it sights on the nascent but potentially lucrative mobile ad market.
"Having prototypes is a signal, but not a promise, that the phones will be out there," said Bill Hughes, analyst at In-Stat consultancy.
Hughes said the success of Google's effort to develop a next-generation mobile phone will largely depend on convincing independent developers - whom Google is counting on to add all the bells and whistles to its mobile phone software - that there will be a broad market for their applications.
Without evidence that the Android project has momentum, developers will be unlikely to spend time designing applications for Google's mobile software.
Google is hoping its mobile phone initiative will one day enable wireless subscribers to easily surf the Internet without restrictions - and allow advertisers to reach consumers through their handsets.
Google declined to comment on a recent report that it planned show off a prototype of its own so-called "Gphone" next week, but a spokesman noted the company has been working with a number of partners to develop handset prototypes.
"We're very excited about the momentum building behind the platform as demonstrated by the number of companies that are supporting it with their technology," the spokesman said.
One prototype will belong to ARM Holdings PLC (ARM), a British company that develops architectural designs for chips and sells them to semiconductor manufacturers such Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN), NEC Corp. (6701.TO) and Samsung Electronics Co. (005930.SE).
The company has said it will next week demonstrate a prototype of an ARM- powered handset running the Android platform. An ARM spokesperson declined to provide more details but cautioned that the prototype would not have all the features, or the final look and feel of a production device.
The Internet giant last November announced that month it had cobbled together an alliance of carriers, hardware makers and software companies to develop mobile phone software that it hopes will be the foundation for an industry based on open standards.
The announcement was seen as a disappointment, coming after months of speculation that Google was poised to unveil a handset that would compete with Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) popular but expensive iPhone.
It was not clear which other companies plan to demonstrate prototypes next week. Handset makers High Tech Computer Corp. (2498.TW), LG Electronics Inc. ( 066570.SE), Motorola Inc. (MOT) and Samsung, as well as chip makers such as Intel Corp. (INTC), Broadcom Corp. (BRCM) and Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) are all part of the Open Handset Alliance.
Google said last November that it expected the first Android phones would hit the market in the second half of 2008.
Source: CNNMoney
Thursday, February 7, 2008
ARM Google phone platform demo due Monday
British chip designer ARM will demonstrate a prototype of Google Inc's Android mobile phone platform in action next week at the world's biggest wireless fair, a source close to the company said.
It was not immediately clear on Thursday what the working model that ARM plans to show at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona would look like or who would supply the parts.
Google plans to deploy phones and services using the Android platform commercially in the second half of this year.
Google and ARM declined to comment on the report.
Google established an alliance of more than 30 carriers, handset makers, software firms and chipmakers in November to develop Android, which is based on open-source software and designed to make the Internet work better on mobile phones.
Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile and Taiwan's High Tech Computer Corp (HTC) have said that they plan to offer phones based on the Android platform this year.
Internet search leader Google's entry into the wireless industry will upset established relationships between carriers, cellphone makers and customers and could challenge Nokia, Microsoft Corp and Apple Inc, among others.
Google is also bidding for wireless spectrum in the United States in a move that pits it against entrenched carriers like AT&T and Verizon Wireless.
Its operator partners in the Open Handset Alliance include China Mobile, NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Telefonica -- all of which have said they are working with handset makers to develop Google-based phones.
Research firm Strategy Analytics has estimated that Android will be in 2 percent of smartphones this year.
Source: Reuters
It was not immediately clear on Thursday what the working model that ARM plans to show at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona would look like or who would supply the parts.
Google plans to deploy phones and services using the Android platform commercially in the second half of this year.
Google and ARM declined to comment on the report.
Google established an alliance of more than 30 carriers, handset makers, software firms and chipmakers in November to develop Android, which is based on open-source software and designed to make the Internet work better on mobile phones.
Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile and Taiwan's High Tech Computer Corp (HTC) have said that they plan to offer phones based on the Android platform this year.
Internet search leader Google's entry into the wireless industry will upset established relationships between carriers, cellphone makers and customers and could challenge Nokia, Microsoft Corp and Apple Inc, among others.
Google is also bidding for wireless spectrum in the United States in a move that pits it against entrenched carriers like AT&T and Verizon Wireless.
Its operator partners in the Open Handset Alliance include China Mobile, NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Telefonica -- all of which have said they are working with handset makers to develop Google-based phones.
Research firm Strategy Analytics has estimated that Android will be in 2 percent of smartphones this year.
Source: Reuters
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Android and the Mobile Advertising Market
Even if the way “how Google will really profit from Android” still a mystery until today, the answer is certainly around advertising. The mobile advertising market is really booming, even if some market predection are confusing, for example according to ABI research Mobile Marketing revenue will hit the $24 Billion in 2013, jumping from just $1.8 Billion in 2007, while consultancy Forrester in the other side predict revenue under $1 billion by 2012. Open Handset Magazine asked the emerging players in the mobile advertising market about Android and mobile marketing. Admob and Millennial Media accepted to answer our questions.
OHM: What do you think about Android Mobile Platform?
Eric EllerEric Eller, SVP Products and Marketing at Millennial Media
With good reason, there is lots of excitement surrounding any open initiative. It provides increased opportunity for developers to be creative and innovative while taking an active role in the future of consumer applications and services. More mobile applications mean more choices and more compelling content for users, which will lead to higher mobile usage - obviously a positive thing for the industry.
Jason SperoJason Spero, VP Marketing at Admob :
The launch of the iPhone and the announcement of the Android project are about users. The potential of the mobile ecosystem has been well documented (and well marketed). Many blame the Operators for the perceived lack of progress toward this potential, but a variety of forces have constrained the user experience on the mobile device. These include: device form factor, text entry and capabilities, network speeds and capabilities, billing mechanisms, discovery mechanisms, non-commerce monetization mechanisms, fragmentation of application platforms, fragmentation of browser platforms and more. Each of these needs to be addressed for mobile to achieve its promise. Apple and Google recognize the opportunity and have grown frustrated with the pace at which the obstacles are being address.
Android is a market development effort. Google understands the opportunity for its business model once the mobile internet takes off. Google is now working actively to accelerate that takeoff. Android addresses some (but not all) of the ecosystem needs. In theory, the availability of a robust underlying software platform will reduce fragmentation for application developers, decrease cost and time to market for device manufacturers and spark a new wave of competition in device form factors that will deliver better user experience for mobile data. This will drive use of the mobile internet. In theory. What remains to be seen is how manufacturers will leverage and extend Android to their needs and whether this will undermine the core goal of decreasing fragmentation. But we remain hopeful that Android will deliver on its promise.
AdMob has had a front row seat for the acceleration of the mobile internet in 2006 and 2007. We see dramatic progress against the constraints to mobile web usage.
* Devices are dramatically improved even before the impact of iPhone and Android
* Increases in network speeds have improved the mobile browsing experience
* Simpler data pricing models have made mobile internet more accessible for all
* Content providers have a viable means to monetize their offerings via advertising
* Discovery is being addressed via search, directories and advertising
The launch of the iPhone gave the market a picture of what a mobile data experience could be. This is an example that has catalyzed investment against all of the requirements for mobile data. The iPhone and Android have accelerated something that was already happening.
AdMob is pro mobile internet for all the same reasons that Google is pro mobile internet. AdMob is device agnostic and can benefit from any and all improvements in the mobile web experience. The launch of Android devices in 2008 and beyond will drive increased usage of the mobile internet. Google has said that it will keep separate its market development efforts via Android from its search and AdSense businesses. AdMob believes this ensures fair competition. So AdMob, awaits the arrival of Android devices in the same way we anticipate innovation from Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and others. Improvements in user experience will drive usage, which is all we can ask.
OHM: How could Google Android change the mobile advertising market?
Eric E.: “Google is obviously a major player in online advertising and anything they do in the mobile space will have an impact. What remains to be seen is the nature of that impact. On the one hand, by enabling developers to quickly create new innovative mobile applications, Android could help increase the availability of mobile content that is available for free using the ad-supported model. On the other hand, if developers are compelled to preferentially utilize Google advertising services versus other opportunities in the market, the perception of openness will disappear.”
Jason S.: “The mobile ad market is already growing rapidly.
If Android delivers an improved user experience this will drive usage of the mobile internet. This will further accelerate the growing interest in reaching users on their mobile devices and will motivate more and more content providers to invest in mobile. User experience improvements will drive both supply of and demand for mobile advertising.”
Source: Open Handset Magazine
OHM: What do you think about Android Mobile Platform?
Eric EllerEric Eller, SVP Products and Marketing at Millennial Media
With good reason, there is lots of excitement surrounding any open initiative. It provides increased opportunity for developers to be creative and innovative while taking an active role in the future of consumer applications and services. More mobile applications mean more choices and more compelling content for users, which will lead to higher mobile usage - obviously a positive thing for the industry.
Jason SperoJason Spero, VP Marketing at Admob :
The launch of the iPhone and the announcement of the Android project are about users. The potential of the mobile ecosystem has been well documented (and well marketed). Many blame the Operators for the perceived lack of progress toward this potential, but a variety of forces have constrained the user experience on the mobile device. These include: device form factor, text entry and capabilities, network speeds and capabilities, billing mechanisms, discovery mechanisms, non-commerce monetization mechanisms, fragmentation of application platforms, fragmentation of browser platforms and more. Each of these needs to be addressed for mobile to achieve its promise. Apple and Google recognize the opportunity and have grown frustrated with the pace at which the obstacles are being address.
Android is a market development effort. Google understands the opportunity for its business model once the mobile internet takes off. Google is now working actively to accelerate that takeoff. Android addresses some (but not all) of the ecosystem needs. In theory, the availability of a robust underlying software platform will reduce fragmentation for application developers, decrease cost and time to market for device manufacturers and spark a new wave of competition in device form factors that will deliver better user experience for mobile data. This will drive use of the mobile internet. In theory. What remains to be seen is how manufacturers will leverage and extend Android to their needs and whether this will undermine the core goal of decreasing fragmentation. But we remain hopeful that Android will deliver on its promise.
AdMob has had a front row seat for the acceleration of the mobile internet in 2006 and 2007. We see dramatic progress against the constraints to mobile web usage.
* Devices are dramatically improved even before the impact of iPhone and Android
* Increases in network speeds have improved the mobile browsing experience
* Simpler data pricing models have made mobile internet more accessible for all
* Content providers have a viable means to monetize their offerings via advertising
* Discovery is being addressed via search, directories and advertising
The launch of the iPhone gave the market a picture of what a mobile data experience could be. This is an example that has catalyzed investment against all of the requirements for mobile data. The iPhone and Android have accelerated something that was already happening.
AdMob is pro mobile internet for all the same reasons that Google is pro mobile internet. AdMob is device agnostic and can benefit from any and all improvements in the mobile web experience. The launch of Android devices in 2008 and beyond will drive increased usage of the mobile internet. Google has said that it will keep separate its market development efforts via Android from its search and AdSense businesses. AdMob believes this ensures fair competition. So AdMob, awaits the arrival of Android devices in the same way we anticipate innovation from Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and others. Improvements in user experience will drive usage, which is all we can ask.
OHM: How could Google Android change the mobile advertising market?
Eric E.: “Google is obviously a major player in online advertising and anything they do in the mobile space will have an impact. What remains to be seen is the nature of that impact. On the one hand, by enabling developers to quickly create new innovative mobile applications, Android could help increase the availability of mobile content that is available for free using the ad-supported model. On the other hand, if developers are compelled to preferentially utilize Google advertising services versus other opportunities in the market, the perception of openness will disappear.”
Jason S.: “The mobile ad market is already growing rapidly.
If Android delivers an improved user experience this will drive usage of the mobile internet. This will further accelerate the growing interest in reaching users on their mobile devices and will motivate more and more content providers to invest in mobile. User experience improvements will drive both supply of and demand for mobile advertising.”
Source: Open Handset Magazine
Monday, February 4, 2008
Deadline Extension for the Android Developer Challenge
Google is extending the submission deadline for the first Android Developers Challenge to 14 April 2008. They've made significant updates to the SDK that will be released in several weeks. In order to give you extra time to take advantage of these forthcoming UI and API enhancements, they've decided to extend the submission deadline. In addition, a fair number of developers have also asked for more time to build and polish their apps.
Here is the updated time line:
April 14, 2008: Deadline to submit applications for judging
May 5, 2008: Announcement of the 50 first round winners, who will be eligible for the final round
June 30, 2008: Deadline for the 50 winners of the first round to submit for the final round
July 21, 2008: Announcement of the grand prize winner and runner-up
Here is the updated time line:
April 14, 2008: Deadline to submit applications for judging
May 5, 2008: Announcement of the 50 first round winners, who will be eligible for the final round
June 30, 2008: Deadline for the 50 winners of the first round to submit for the final round
July 21, 2008: Announcement of the grand prize winner and runner-up
Thursday, January 31, 2008
MIT Offering Class Geared Towards Android
This semester 25 students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will gather in a classroom with one particular purpose: playing with cell phones.
The students are taking a class geared around Android -- the first fully open mobile operating system developed by Mountain View, Calif.-based Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG). The class will cover the ins and outs of the Android platform and build applications to run on the operating system.
The class, which at least 50 students tried to enroll in, is being offered to students in the computer science major at MIT and is designed to give them an early edge in what could soon become a dominant platform among cell phone operating systems. As smart phones and cell phones with Web functions have grown in popularity, there is growing interest among computer science pupils to learn how to create and launch applications and software for mobile operating systems, said Andrew Yu, mobile devices platform coordinator for MIT.
"It's definitely something that captures students' interest," he said. "Given the fact that they actually have the devices, they want to do something with it."
Source: Boston Business Journal
The students are taking a class geared around Android -- the first fully open mobile operating system developed by Mountain View, Calif.-based Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG). The class will cover the ins and outs of the Android platform and build applications to run on the operating system.
The class, which at least 50 students tried to enroll in, is being offered to students in the computer science major at MIT and is designed to give them an early edge in what could soon become a dominant platform among cell phone operating systems. As smart phones and cell phones with Web functions have grown in popularity, there is growing interest among computer science pupils to learn how to create and launch applications and software for mobile operating systems, said Andrew Yu, mobile devices platform coordinator for MIT.
"It's definitely something that captures students' interest," he said. "Given the fact that they actually have the devices, they want to do something with it."
Source: Boston Business Journal
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Deadline extension for the Android developer challenge
Message from Quang Nguyen, Developer Advocate:
Source: Android Developers Blog
We'd like to let you know that we are extending the submission deadline for the first Android Developers Challenge to 14 April 2008. Based on the great feedback you've given us, we've made significant updates to the SDK that we'll be releasing in several weeks. In order to give you extra time to take advantage of these forthcoming UI and API enhancements, we've decided to extend the submission deadline. In addition, a fair number of developers have also asked for more time to build and polish their applications.
Of course, you can stay the course and submit your applications using any version of the SDK that you'd like. We're looking forward to seeing some great apps, especially after we've had a chance to incorporate some of your feedback into the Android platform.
Here is the updated time line:
April 14, 2008: Deadline to submit applications for judging
May 5, 2008: Announcement of the 50 first round winners, who will be eligible for the final round
June 30, 2008: Deadline for the 50 winners of the first round to submit for the final round
July 21, 2008: Announcement of the grand prize winner and runner-up
For additional details on the Android Developer Challenge, please visit the ADC page.
Good luck and good coding!
Source: Android Developers Blog
Dell to reveal Android-based handset next month?
Dell has long been rumored to be working on a handset, and the latest speculation is that Google will be part of those plans.
MarketingWeek reported Wednesday that the two companies are teaming up on a handset based on Google's Android mobile platform, and the official announcement will come at next month's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The report cites "senior industry sources," but notes that Google insiders are denying any such announcement is imminent.
Dell isn't talking either. Company spokesman David Frink told CNET News.com that the Marketing Week report is "speculative" and that the company has "no comment at all."
While rumors about a possible Dell handheld have been swirling since the hiring of Ron Garriques from Motorola a year ago, Google's name hadn't yet been thrown into the mix. Dell and Google do have an established relationship through the Google Toolbar that's available on Dell PCs, notes industry analyst Roger Kay. "Google has already done the work on Android. A more formal partnership would certainly be easy enough to establish," he said. Considering that, Kay says he judges the likelihood of a coming Google/Dell announcement to be "fairly high."
Dell hasn't done anything in the red-hot handheld market since it killed its Axim line of PDAs last April, and its recent moves toward a flashy design of its PCs and putting its products in retail outlets show it wants to court consumers. A nicely designed handset with multimedia functionality would do more to achieve that goal and show what kind of technology the company has up its sleeve.
Source: NewsBlog
MarketingWeek reported Wednesday that the two companies are teaming up on a handset based on Google's Android mobile platform, and the official announcement will come at next month's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The report cites "senior industry sources," but notes that Google insiders are denying any such announcement is imminent.
Dell isn't talking either. Company spokesman David Frink told CNET News.com that the Marketing Week report is "speculative" and that the company has "no comment at all."
While rumors about a possible Dell handheld have been swirling since the hiring of Ron Garriques from Motorola a year ago, Google's name hadn't yet been thrown into the mix. Dell and Google do have an established relationship through the Google Toolbar that's available on Dell PCs, notes industry analyst Roger Kay. "Google has already done the work on Android. A more formal partnership would certainly be easy enough to establish," he said. Considering that, Kay says he judges the likelihood of a coming Google/Dell announcement to be "fairly high."
Dell hasn't done anything in the red-hot handheld market since it killed its Axim line of PDAs last April, and its recent moves toward a flashy design of its PCs and putting its products in retail outlets show it wants to court consumers. A nicely designed handset with multimedia functionality would do more to achieve that goal and show what kind of technology the company has up its sleeve.
Source: NewsBlog
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