Netizen

Friday, May 22, 2009

Android Netbook

Android revolutionizing the mobile space and then sturdily moving into the Netbook space is kind of like Gmail coming offline into the Outlook space. The lines are blurring. The competition is heating up.

The Netbook space is not a subset of the PC space. While the PC space seems to have stagnated, the Netbook space has seen some action. The Netbook is half way between the PC and what I call the IC, Internet Computer.

The beauty of a free, functional operating system is it brings the price down, and so you have Dell running up and down the street.

Will Microsoft counter with a stripped down version of Windows, one that might go for $10? Since we know they don't do free.

If all the operating system needs to run is a browser, how much stuff do you need, really?

On The Web

Skytone Alpha 680 Android-powered netbook spotted | Google Android ... Chinese manufacturer Skytone. ...... The Alpha 680 is expected to retail for around $250 and be available sometime in Q3 2009. ....... nice to see what appears to be progress on the Android netbook front.
Android Set for Netbook Leap? sees Android making the jump off of smartphones and into the netbook arena in the near future ..... Android taking between 10% and 15% of the netbook market within two years ..... Netbooks and laptops are a big growth area; they have higher growth potential than smartphones even ..... certainly within Android’s best interests to find its way onto as many devices as possible ...... In time, it will be interesting to see how many different gadgets are hosting Google's operating system
Freescale Android Netbook for $199, Coming Soon? | Android Central a summer 2009 availability and a price point of around $199.
ASUS coming up with a Google Android netbook? | GadgetMix.com!::.. ASUS has already allocated a team of engineers to work upon an Android-based netbook and they will able to fully develop the Android-based netbook by the end of this year. It will be interesting to see the place for such a netbook, where 90% of the netbook market is using the old and trusty Windows XP as their OS. One reason that folks at ASUS may be looking upto the Android platform is the fact that it is free. ...... there are plenty of linux custom distros which offer full firefox even in the instant-on OS.
Android Netbooks Tested By Google | Android Phone Fans They were even testing out Android on a netbook… LAST YEAR! ...... back in the day somebody had almost got Android running on a mini PC - this was a year ago or more ..... I wouldn’t discount the possibility of seeing a gBook of sorts that comes with all Google products. That means based on Android, Chrome Browser, Google Gears for using Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets, Google Reader and all down the line. ....... who wouldn’t want a super cheap netbook running Android?
Dell Demonstrates Android-powered Mini 10v Netbook - Laptop News ... We've heard that many netbook manufacturers are planning to put Android on their netbooks, but Dell has gone a step further and proved that it's testing "something called Android." ..... three Mini 10vs running Dell's vanilla Ubuntu, Ubuntu Netbook Remix and, most interestingly, Android's Cupcake build. ...... Who doesn't want a "very nice, little, very small and very snappy little operating environment," which "actually runs very nicely," after all?

A sneak peak into Alpha 680, one of the first Android netbook ... Jan 2, 2009 Thought Android was just for mobile phones? Think again. Matthäus Krzykowski and Daniel Hartmann needed only four hours to compile Android for the Asus EEEPC 1000H netbook. .... The netbook market is one that Microsoft has not completely gotten seized, since most netbooks don't have the hardware to handle Windows Vista. .... leaves enough room for Google's Chrome and Android to make some noise ..... Google and Intel are already in cahoots in bringing Android to a netbook platform.
Android Netbooks on the Horizon? | Mobile Technology ...
The Coming Android Invasion the Linux-based Android could pose a real threat to Windows XP, which runs on the majority of netbooks, and to the forthcoming Windows 7

Donut Android: Android 2.0

Image via CrunchBase

Android
Taking The Number 2 Spot On Google Search For Donut Android
Hitting Number 4 For Google Search Results on Cupcake Android
Donut Android: Windows 95, Android 2009?
Cupcake Android Delay Reason: Donut Android
Google Analytics Says I Am Paul Krugman Friend, Cupcake Android Expert
Cupcake: Android 1.5

Sturdier build, richer experience, is that where we are headed with donut? I have been scouring for details, not many are forthcoming.

We don't seem to know when either. But the anticipation level is very high.

For me it is not just about the mobile phones, although Android seems to really want to open up the territory, for me it is even more about the Netbook space. I am eager to see how Android will reshape the Netbook space.

In The News

Sony Ericsson baking Donut Android phones Reg Hardware several Android phones based on the Google OS’ Donut edition ..... little’s yet known about the Donut update’s features. ..... Donut will feature greater multimedia support .... strong contenders in the entertainment category.

First Sony Ericsson Google phone to run Android OS 2.0 CNET News

Sony Ericsson Readying an Android 2.0 Handset Softpedia
A sneak peek at HTC Hero's software CNET News

HTC's 'Rosie' UI for Google Android operating system caught on video Mobile Burn

Android 'Donut' Build For HTC Hero Caught On Tape Gizmodo.com

HTC Hero: Android UI Customized By HTC Android Phone Fans - Phandroid.com
Samsung Bigfoot & Spico Android smartphones with OS 2.0 “Donut”? SlashGear

Android 2.0 “Donut” Android Phone Fans - Phandroid.com not only are these rumors, but they were Russian rumors translated into English and then went through my rough deciphering capabilities after a spin through the Google Translate machine ..... This would be hilarious if true considering the current version (1.5) has gained incredible popularity with the Cupcake name. ..... The radical difference, which is why everything is silent, that the new machines are built on the Android OS 2.0 code-named Donut. ..... “Acer” is mentioned as launching a Donut based Android Phone.
Google Groups: Android Platform

Samsung Spica and BigFoot Android 2.0 details leaked Slippery Brick

Samsung Prepping Two Smartphones Running Android 2.0 Brighthand The Spica ..... 3-inch QVGA touchscreens, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G, 3 MPx cameras, and microSD card slots ...... The release of the next version of Google's OS isn't going to happen for about 6 months ...... support for additional screen resolutions: WVGA and QVGA ....... Only HVGA displays are supported by Android 1.5, while both of Samsung's upcoming models will reportedly have QVGA ones.
T-Mobile Delays Android 1.5 Update, Android 2.0 Spotted InformationWeek a first look at Android 2.0 will make you want to skip 1.5 altogether. ...... Android is trading cupcakes for donuts. ...... an HTC-customized version of Android, and its very slick.

T-Mobile Delays Android 1.5 Rollout & Why CupCake Is Now Defunct Google Android Phone News - GAB

GoMo Buzzwatch: US rollout of Cupcake update to Android mobile OS ... GoMo News

T-Mobile USA: G1 Cupcake Update Delayed 1 Week Android Phone Fans - Phandroid.com
Updates on Acer, Sony Ericsson, and Panasonic Handsets AndroidGuys “We are seriously considering developing an Android-based handset and entering overseas mobile phone markets in fiscal 2010.” ..... The term ‘near’ future is subjective so don’t go thinking 2.0 is right around the corner just yet. ..... With 9 out of 10 upcoming handset running Windows Mobile, the smartest phone they’ll release in 2009 will be Android.
Motorola Morrison Android handset T-Mobile-bound T3 a Motorola Android phone, the Motorola Morrison. .... the scheduled launch date is down as the start of November ..... the version most phone makers have been gearing their handsets to using. ....... Motorola has promised Android phones before the year is out and has been reported as seeing Android as its last shot at sticking with the big boys. ....... the Morrison looks to be phone equivalent of its supermarket namesake, solid and dependable and possibly a little cheaper than the competition. But we'll reserve judgement until we see the full details, a bigger picture and ideally, get hands-on with it.
HTC Hero's Android Build Caught on Video Softpedia
Android Cupcake, Donut, Eclair and Beyond… Android Phone Fans - Phandroid.com

Homer Simpson Approves of Google Android 2.0 "Donut" Mobile Magazine

Google Android 2.0 dubbed Donut Details Phones Review

Stunning Growth (900%) Predicted for Android Dialaphone

Samsung Galaxy. i7500 Android phone gets a name. Will launch in ... Unwired View
Google's Android Gets A Cupcake Forbes

Android

Image via CrunchBase

Android: History

The beauty of going public and going big is, if you are a truly visionary company, you can start zapping up small startups that might fit into your vision. Android was not Google's in-house creation.

Android: Versions

Cupcake was a phase not a release.

Android: Functionality

It is revolutionizing the mobile space, and it is spilling over into the Netbook space.

The Android Ecosystem

And I don't mean just the Open Handset Alliance which is an impressive consortium.

Android: Buzz

Many have talked of 2009 as being Android's year. I guess we will just have to watch the drama unfold and see if Android will truly see a 900% growth. Even the naysayers say 400%. Once it takes off, the growth rate might hit four figures. Why not?

The Android Vision

There is openness and there is mobility. Those two values stand at the core of the vision.

Android Future: Let A Thousand Flowers Bloom

Once the genie is out of the bottle, who knows what all that will lead up to. This is the new wild, wild west.

Taking The Number 2 Spot On Google Search For Donut Android
Hitting Number 4 For Google Search Results on Cupcake Android
Donut Android: Windows 95, Android 2009?
Cupcake Android Delay Reason: Donut Android
Google Analytics Says I Am Paul Krugman Friend, Cupcake Android Expert
Cupcake: Android 1.5

On The Web

Android | Official Website
Android (operating system) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Broadcom Corporation, Google, HTC, Intel, LG, Marvell Technology Group, Motorola, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, and Texas Instruments ...... ARM Holdings Plc, Atheros Communications, Asustek Computer Inc, Garmin Ltd, Softbank, Sony Ericsson,Toshiba Corp, and Vodafone Group Plc ....... Since 21 October 2008, Android has been available as open source. ....... Android had been criticized for not being all open-source software despite what was announced by Google. Parts of the SDK are proprietary and closed source and some believe this is so that Google can control the platform. ......... Google has since announced that all parts of the Android will be released under the Apache License where applicable and under the GPL elsewhere ....... In order to bring this software into public view, a read-only mirror branch has been created, known as cupcake. It is thought the name comes from Marissa Mayer, who has an obsession with cupcakes. ...... a development branch, not a release ...... Uploading videos to Youtube and pictures to Picasa directly from the phone

Google Code : Android Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications.

Open Handset Alliance built to be truly open ...... an application can call upon any of the phone's core functionality such as making calls, sending text messages, or using the camera, allowing developers to create richer and more cohesive experiences for users. Android is built on the open Linux Kernel........ Android is open source; it can be liberally extended to incorporate new cutting edge technologies as they emerge. ...... Android does not differentiate between the phone's core applications and third-party applications. .... a developer can combine information from the web with data on an individual's mobile phone ...... allows devices to communicate with one another enabling rich peer-to-peer social applications.
Welcome ‎(Android Open Source Project) Android is the first free, open source, and fully customizable mobile platform. ...contains a rich set of APIs that allows third-party developers to develop great applications.

Android Community - Tracking the Android Platform
Google Mobile | Android Never worry about losing your contacts or emails, they are all automatically backed up.

Android Developers
Android | Market
Gizmodo - HTC's Android Interface Makes Us Temporarily Forget All ...
Android Developers Blog
Android Phone
Google Projects for Android
Hello Android | Android OS news, tutorials, downloads
Electronista | Dell shows Mini 10v running Android 1.5 describes the mobile OS as "small and snappy" ...... Other companies, such as Acer, have experimented with Android and are typically drawn by both the relative ease of use compared to regular Linux distributions as well as the light demand on processing performance and storage compared to desktop operating systems. Android runs on as little as a 200MHz ARM processor, making it particularly responsive on netbook-class chips.

Android Company Profile
Google Buys Android for Its Mobile Arsenal The search giant quietly acquires the startup, netting possibly a key player in its push into wireless, "the next frontier in search" ........ 22-month-old startup .... brings to Google a wealth of talent, including co-founder Andy Rubin, who previously started mobile-device maker Danger Inc. ..... In a 2003 interview with BusinessWeek, just two months before incorporating Android, Rubin said there was tremendous potential in developing smarter mobile devices that are more aware of its owner's location and preferences. ....... Rubin isn't the only well-known Silicon Valley veteran joining Google via Android. Others coming over include Andy McFadden, who worked with Rubin at WebTV before helping develop the all-in-one set-top box for Moxi Digital; Richard Miner, former vice-president of technology and innovation at telecom outfit Orange before joining Android; and Chris White, who spearheaded the design and interface for WebTV in the late 1990s, before helping to found Android.
Android (1982)
Android Developers Blog: Android Market: a user-driven content ...
Android -- Engadget Mobile you can now part with some cash and cobble together a bunch of modules to create a do-it-yourself Android phone called FLOW
Android News - Android Google Phone Forums
Official Google Blog: Where's my Gphone? Posted by Andy Rubin, Director of Mobile Platforms ...... Despite all of the very interesting speculation over the last few months, we're not announcing a Gphone. However, we think what we are announcing -- the Open Handset Alliance and Android -- is more significant and ambitious than a single phone. .......... new applications and new capabilities we can’t imagine today. ....... all of the software to run a mobile phone, but without the proprietary obstacles that have hindered mobile innovation ...... the Open Handset Alliance, which consists of more than 30 technology and mobile leaders including Motorola, Qualcomm, HTC and T-Mobile. Through deep partnerships with carriers, device manufacturers, developers, and others, we hope to enable an open ecosystem for the mobile world by creating a standard, open mobile software platform. .......... partnerships with handset manufacturers and mobile operators around the world. ....... some of our partners are targeting the second half of 2008 to ship phones based on the Android platform

Android - Openmoko
Android reviews on blippr.com
Android Central | Android Central
Android - Gizmodo

An Introduction To Android

View more presentations from GoogleTecTalks.

Analysts clash over android growth figures - The Inquirer a whopping 900 per cent ...... Apple's Iphone operating system will be the next fastest-growing smartphone OS in 2009, citing a predicted 79 per cent growth rate. ........ buffed up support from telco operators, developers and retailers alike ....... seeping through Europe and Asia ...... puts Android "in a good position to become a top-tier player in smartphones over the next two to three years." ....... Android based smartphone shipments will perk up dramatically once Motorola, HTC, Samsung and T-Mobile have all released their promised devices ......... "IDC expects Android to grow around 420 per cent to a total of 3.6m units worldwide in 2009" ........ the industry is looking for a way to alleviate Symbian - and by proxy, Nokia - dominance ........ IDC believes the market will consolidate around six major operating systems over the next three years, namely Symbian, Blackberry OS, Windows Mobile, Mac OS X, Android and Linux.
Android: Google's Dream, Apple's Nightmare? - TIME while it won't look as sleek as the iPhone, it promises to give mobile-phone users a lot more freedom and flexibility. ...... run multiple applications at once and more easily share contacts and data among them ....... mobile-phone users will finally be able to cut and paste text in e-mails — a function that's frustratingly absent on the iPhone. ......... The sweetest part of the Dream is the Android Market — Google's answer to the Apple App Store. ........ at launch all Android Market apps will be free. ...... Android is better than the iPhone at running multiple programs at once ........ While Apple takes a top-down approach to app development — the company must approve every program that makes it into its App Store — Google will allow creators to upload any application to the Android Market without its review. ........ users will not be limited to a single phone or carrier for long. ........ Google is inviting all carriers to develop handsets for the platform ..... other features are expected to go toe-to-toe with the iPhone, including built-in GPS, a tilt sensor for gaming and a camera .....no one can turn on the hype machine quite as well as Steve Jobs

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Google: Tweet Me Baby One More Time

http://twitter.com/paramendra/statuses/1876809838

And I thought publishing many times a day was a good thing.

I Talked To Google Through Twitter And It Worked Like Magic
Blog Daily
Blogging Several Times A Day

Real Time Search: Twitter Is Not Doing It

Real time search would be if I took my website public right now, and it would show up in your search results right now, if I put out a blog post right now, it would show up in your search results right now. That would be real time search.

But that is not what Twitter does. What Twitter does is this. If you created a website two years ago, but I only discovered it today, and it moved me enough that I tweeted a link to it, and once my tweet has been published, then my tweet would show up for someone doing a search on the key terms in my tweet if my tweet is not too old already. If I am 20 seconds too late, my tweet is not going to show up in Twitter's so-called real time search. And the Twitter search engine is really bad at digging into the Twitter archives, so if my tweet on that hot webpage from two years ago is not going to show up in the first 20 seconds, that tweet is pretty much buried.

Even by its own paradigm - as in, they don't claim to be indexing webpages created in real time - Twitter is not really doing real time search.

The online population is not representative of the global population.
The Twitter millions are not representative of the online population.
There are no guidelines to tweets. They can be about links, they need not be about links. They need not be about links to fresh websites, blog posts.

Twitter is useful, and I am a fan and an avid user. But the Twitter way of exploring the web is niche, it is you saying show me what others are seeing and saying right now. I guess that fits some people's definition of real time search, not mine though.

My blog posts get indexed by Google not in real time, but it does not take them long at all. I have not conducted experiments, but I doubt it is more than an hour. Maybe it is less than 30 minutes, less maybe, I don't know. It might even be minutes. If it is minutes, that is fast enough for me. That is real time search right there.

Of all the companies in the game - Google, Twitter, Wolfram Alpha, Yahoo, Microsoft - the one most likely to deliver real time search - my definition - is Google, because they have the most sophisticated algorithms, they have the largest database of web content, they focus on search like a laser beam like no company does.

So I am not counting the big dog out yet, although I am keenly interested in niche developments like Twitter and Wolfram Alpha, and I think it is good for the consumer that Yahoo and Microsoft harbor ambitions of competing with Google. I like the idea.

Distributed Search
Wolfram Apha Is Cool
Google Falling Behind Twitter?
Taking The Number 2 Spot On Google Search For Donut Android
Google Is Working On Search
Ggoats
Stream 2.0: The Next Big Thing?
Microfinance, Nanotech, Biotech, Software/Hardware/Connectivity
David Gelernter: Manifesto
Twitter Is Not Micro
Cupcake: Android 1.5
Skype: Hub

Google's Newest Venture: Google Ventures

Image via CrunchBase

Google's Newest Venture: Google Ventures young companies with truly awesome potential ...... finding and helping to develop exceptional start-ups. We'll be focusing on early stage investments across a diverse range of industries, including consumer Internet, software, clean-tech, bio-tech, health care and, no doubt, other areas we haven't thought of yet. ........ times are tough, but great ideas come when they will ...... the current downturn is an ideal time to invest in nascent companies that have the chance to be the "next big thing," and we'll be working hard to find them ...... If you think you have the next big idea

http://jyoticonnect.googlepages.com

Google Ventures seeks to discover and grow great companies - we believe in the power of entrepreneurs to do amazing things. ....... We invest anywhere from seed to mezzanine stage and embrace the challenge of helping young companies grow from the garage to global relevance. ..... we're out to build great companies, period.

http://jyoticonnect.googlepages.com

First and foremost, we're looking for entrepreneurs who are tackling problems in creative and innovative ways. ..... amounts ranging from seed funding to tens of millions of dollars