Re: What if Android did not exist…?

I highly doubt iOS could ever become that deeply entrenched, their phones have such high price points. The vast majority of the world doesn't want to spend that kind of money on a phone.

Feature phones are still selling in the same number as smartphones, but dropping rapidly. This is mainly due to the swathes of sub-£100 Android phones.

Thing is, these budget smartphones don't run apps so well, yet they account for a huge portion of the market. People don't buy apps for them, because all they ever really wanted was a phone that did email with a touchscreen. They may as well be feature phones. Yet they are still classed in these smartphone figures, so it is somewhat skewed.

My guess is if Android didn't exist, Microsoft wouldn't have dropped Windows Mobile and they would have focused their efforts on developing it for touch screen.

Fact is, Windows Mobile died because manufacturers dropped it rather than users. It was very popular in 2007, almost 50% of the US market IIRC. But Android is a far more compelling OS for them, they don't have to pay Microsoft a $25 per device fee, so it means more profit in the low end market. They can brand it to give them USP.

"Google Sync was designed to allow access to Gmail, Google Calendar, and Contacts via the Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync® protocol. With the recent launch of CardDAV, Google now offers similar access via IMAP, CalDAV, and CardDAV, making it possible to build a seamless sync experience using open protocols."

Basically, "we're dropping support for old proprietary software and allowing support for open standards". Some would call this progress. This is a free to use open standard that anyone can build software for, licence free. Apple use this already, and i'm sure given some time and some pressure Microsoft will likely cave and build support in as well.

Re: Oh I do miss Apple at times...

Its pitched as a reference device, or a Google Experience Device. It just means all the software updates come direct from Google. Nexus devices use the same update model as iOS, or as close as is possible in the Android ecosystem.

I think a lot of people don't really understand how software and updates work on Android, if you buy a phone 'based' on Gingerbread. That doesn't make it a Gingerbread device, the manufacturer has likely removed features, added their own, ripped out the skin and replaced it.

When Google release the next version, the manufacturer can choose to take parts of that new code, features, bug fixes etc and try and roll them into their own version. It doesn't mean they take Googles version and start again with their modifications.

In ICS Google tried to limit what manufacturers could alter, by making them sign agreements, to try and limit the effect of fragmentation and make Android easier to develop for. But a lot of people are stuck on Gingerbread devices just because it is almost impossible for a manufacturer to update without a lot of effort they won't be rewarded for.

In short, if you care about having the latest and greatest from Google itself, you really should get a Nexus device.

Re: Oh I do miss Apple at times...

See, the iPhone is Apples hardware, they write the software for it which means they get the updates out as soon as they are baked.

Nexus phones are Googles hardware, they launch them every 12 months or so, like Apple, and they get the updates as soon as they are available.

All other Android phone makers hardware is their own, they take Googles software and make it their own, like a Linux distro. It uses the same core code, but they alter it and write their own drivers.

You made this choice when you picked a Sony or Moto phone, you trusted that manufacturer to keep you up to date. Truth is, they never promised to roll any updates onto your phone, your phone works as advertised when you bought it, they are under no obligation.

If you buy a Nexus phone Google promise prompt updates for at least 2 years, probably longer, but 2 years minimum. Seamless OTA updates that finish in minutes, don't even need to use Wifi.

Actually Webfonts were supported by IE in v5 IIRC. It was all the other browser vendors and the w3c that didn't adopt it as a standard for a long time. Shocker!

Anyway, that font is awful, it really doesn't alias well on Windows.

Also their attempt at responsive design is pretty half arsed, if that is even what it is. Have to admit it is a step in the right direction though.

HMRC website next please, that monstrosity was written in the dark ages.

Re: Is this really, actually happening?

When you install Facebook app, it asks you what you want to sync. Everything, just contacts or nothing.

This is the Android security measure, it is basically Facebook's app, asking for permission to access your and update your phone.

Anyone who chose anything other than 'nothing' deserves everything they get.

Re: Never felt the need to queue

But your iPad 2 is now obsolete, people will mock you in Starbucks! Things must be done, before its too late.

There were massive mills and water powered engines designed in Roman times.

The Spinning Jenny was designed/built around the same time as Darbys discoveries in iron production, 1720s. While the ability to weave cloth more efficiently is certainly important, it is not as important to the industrial revolution as the mass production of purified iron.

Re: Re: quick....

You should probably educate yourself on what P3P is before coming out with this.

I find it more amusing though that Microsoft are accusing Google of not following W3C standards.

Or, you know, you could just switch the function off like a normal person

http://lifehacker.com/5875156/how-to-turn-off-googles-annoying-new-personal-search-results

You can simply load an incognito window in Chrome which stores no data. Handy if you need to be logged into the same site under different names. Nobody tracks IP addresses, it's pointless because they change around too much. If you want to know what Google knows about you just visit: https://www.google.com/dashboard

This IS an Amazon tablet, it is all powered by Android so most Android apps will work, however, what isn't clear is if the Google integration is still in place. i.e can it still run Gmail, Docs etc?

Also if you have an Android phone can you transfer apps you bought from the Google Marketplace to this? Or would you need to buy them again on the Amazon market?

It is pretty important really, if they do insist on creating their own walled garden, it is pretty un-android, and a major downside to me.

That said, they do look awsome, and I wants one.

Install Chromeframe!!

In fact isn't this product basically the same as Google tried to do with Chromeframe, only Microsoft slammed them for it?

You should probably wait for the new Nexus, it will be Samsung hardware, pure Google OS (so it will be nice and open, and well supported in the custom rom scene).

There is a reason Android tablets are rubbish

Because they are running on software designed for phones, ice cream sandwich should be a giant leap forward in Android tablets.

I also don't buy that Android got popular because of price, almost everyone I know has moved to Android from Apple. Not one moved because of price, in fact in a lot of cases it wasn't actually cheaper, high end Android phones are often MORE expensive.

Things like Flash, background apps, more carriers, freedom to install what you like, customisability are what is selling Android phones.

There is only one infection vector

The only way you can get 'malware' on an Android phone is if you specifically install it, and knowingly accept the fact that 'Jiggly Boobies 3' app really needs to send text messages. You really have to be a special kind of stupid.

I would hardly call that being 'easily overrun by malware'

Android walled gardens exist already

Just use the Amazon app store, all apps are rigorously vetted, problem solved.

Scraping?

Google makes it's living by scraping and data mining the internet on an epic scale on a daily basis. Would be slightly hypocritical of them to stop others doing the same to their sites.

Google profiles are private unless you consciously make them public. If you don't want people to see it or scrape it why make it live?!

Honeycomb?

Ice Cream Sandwich you mean? Honeycomb was 'out' last year. Just not that many folks using it just yet, the Xoom is the only one of note at the moment.

Hm

1. Much of this is to do with the vendor you select, personally i'll wait till there is an official Google tablet before I consider it.

2. iOS has one major advantage over everyone else. Accessories. There is really something to be said for having a single handset, it makes it very easy for 3rd parties to make extra kit for it. Mainly things like docks, car kits and the likes. This is Googles answer to that.

If you move from a Samsung to a HTC you will be able to use the same accessories. There is a LOT to be said for that.

3. Again this is more to do with the vendor surely?

4. No, Android only just surpassed Apple in terms of phones. There are still more iOS devices out in the wild due to iPod Touch and iPad. The rate of uptake in Android is still accelerating way past that of iOS though.

5. You can always just download a 3rd party version, CyanogenMod is very popular, updates are almost constant.

Privacy

"I hope you know what Chrome is tracking about you...."

http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/privacy.html

Yes thanks

Ignorance?

This right here is a load of hate filled fanboi bile. People use browsers for different reasons, they all have their strengths and weaknesses.

I use Chrome because it ties nicely into Gmail (which I use daily) with desktop notifications, post count favicon etc. There are also a number of extensions that don't exist on Opera I use a lot. That's ignorance is it?

It's per minute

But it's a lie anyway, partial instance hours are billed the full hour.

Theoretically it's true but in practice it will be about $20.

P2P

P2P and Usenet is always throttled though at peak times. I'd much rather have a reliable and consistent 15Mb/s than a sketchy 100Mb/s that limits your options. Especially when it costs 3x as much.

I think what he was actually trying to say..

.. in some admittedly hate fuelled language. Was that having to download the entire OS in order to fix a security hole in a pretty small part of the software is backward and incredibly inefficient.

Much like *having* to install some horrible software on your machine in order to do anything at all with it.

..vs android which is the polar opposite, no software, no cables, all updates small and OTA.

It was due to a permission problem apparently..

..it's good that you can fix a root filesystem permissions problem by visiting a web page, i'm sure it makes many people sleep soundly.

Seriously, there is a security hole of epic proportions in Safari's native PDF handler. Shockingly not Adobes version but Apples own (pretty ironic). Yet for some reason the media is all over the fact that its a way to jailbreak your phone easily.

Anyway this is another software hack rather than a bootrom exploit so it will be patched out pretty rapidly. Nobody has managed a bootrom exploit since some time last year, meaning another one is increasingly unlikely.

Plus with an exploit this dangerous I can't see many people hanging on to 4.01 once the patch to plug it comes out, which will also plug the jailbreak.

It gets worse

Guy I know said he saw one running Windows 3.1.