Archive for August, 2008
Google Android Mobile Platform
Aug 10th
Google Android mobile platform is a software platform and operating system for mobile devices based on the Linux operating system and developed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance. Android in the near future will make mobile’s cheaper and more affordable as handset manufacturers like Samsung, Sony and Motorolla will not need to pay licensing fee to Symbian or Windows Mobile for using their operating system.
Google Android Mobile Platform Logo
In July 2005, Google acquired Android Inc., a small startup company based in Palo Alto, CA. At the time, little was known about the functions of Android Inc. other than they made software for mobile phones. This began rumors that Google was planning to enter the mobile phone market, although it was unclear what function it might perform in that market.
The unveiling of the Android platform on 5 November 2007 was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 34 hardware, software and telecom companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. Google has pledged to make most of the Android platform available under the Apache free-software and open-source license, once it is released in 2008.
Android mobile has had its share of criticism 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. The Android Software Development Kit License Agreement states that:
3.2 You agree that Google (or Google’s licensors) own all legal right, title and interest in and to the SDK, including any intellectual property rights which subsist in the SDK. Use, reproduction and distribution of components of the SDK licensed under an open source software license are governed solely by the terms of that open source software license and not by this License Agreement. Until the SDK is released under an open source license, you may not extract the source code or create a derivative work of the SDK.
Google has since announced that all parts of the Android OS will be released under the Apache License where applicable and under the GPL elsewhere. Google’s applications that interact with Google’s systems, such as their email service, are not open source.
Most of us are eagerly awaiting the release of mobiles based on the Android Mobile Operating Platform, however I’m still not sure whether it would be for the good or bad. Afterall, how much power do we want to see in the hands of Google?
Parts of this post have been sourced from Wikipedia
Most thought provoking questions
Aug 9th
There are a lot of thought provoking questions that I have come across over the years, some have been answered and some not. In this post I plan to share some of them and will add more, when something new comes up.
Thought Provoking
For now:
- If not us, then who? If not now, then when? If not here, then where?
Do post your answers to these questions, in any context you see fit.
Image: Courtesy Rodney Smith
Cuil
Aug 4th
Cuil.com – The Latest Search Engine
Cuil.com is the latest entrant to contest for the coveted top spot for search engines. The founder of Cuil.com claim it searches more pages on the Web than anyone else—three times as many as Google and ten times as many as Microsoft. Now Google no longer discloses its index size, so how has Cuil come up with the three times figure?
The search space definitely needs some competition for big brother Google, and I think Cuil will eventually do just that. Cuil does provide a fantastic user interface (UI) which really makes going through your search results a breeze. I don’t see Cuil taking the top spot, but it most certainly will take the second.
FYI: Cuil is an old Irish word for knowledge. For knowledge, ask Cuil.
To read more about Cuil.com you can head to my friends post on the same here.
