Android

has been a pretty popular mobile OS for Google, and it’s been a hit with customers, developers and cell manufacturers, too. However, it’s hard to imagine that it’s this popular. Google CEO Eric Schmidt, giving a keynote at the Mobile World Congress in Spain, mentioned that Google and their OEM partners are shipping 60,000 Android phones a day.

Obviously, all those units aren’t Nexus Ones. In addition to the phone’s steep price, reports on the internet

say the phone is selling poorly. However, unlike the iPhone OS, there is a wide variety of phones shipping worldwide that carry the Android OS and some of them are pretty cheap, and appealing.

If you do the math, then by Eric Schmidt’s logic, you can expect 21.9 million Android phones to ship over the course of 365 days. While that may seem like a lot, it might not be. There were 8.7 iPhone sold in the last three months of 2009, which, would mean 34.8 million iPhones sold over the course of a year.

When comScore analyzed the smartphone OS marketshare earlier this year. They found that the iPhone OS made up 25%, while Android carried only 5.2%. You can expect this to change – though. Only one company sells and manufacturers devices that use the iPhone OS on a mobile phone. Multiple companies make Android phones and sell them at multiple price points.

Furthermore, a wave of “cheap” smartphones could be coming. We’ve seen Marvell and ST-Ericsson show off low-cost smartphone chipset platforms that are designed for Android. As you can imagine, these low-end handsets will only further expand Android’s marketshare.

If you haven’t seen it yet Verizon’s new Android commercial is awesome!

Check it out here

embedded by Embedded Video

This was on Android and Me:

“Apparently a hacker was able to obtain a leaked copy of a Cliq rom (which includes MotoBlur) and he ported it to the HTC G1. We saw how Google reacted to developers distributing their Android apps, so I can only imagine how Motorola feels about someone releasing their software for another manufacturer’s handset.”

Then at Moto Dev:

“Anonymous person at Moto Dev event showed a moto Exec the G1 with Blur and this is what happened: looked at the screen, said “I don’t want to see that” in a nasty tone, I asked “why? is that bad?” She said yes, blew me off and walked away”

On Twitter:
@androidandme Haha just found out that Motorola doesn’t want any press at Motodev. We were escorted out.

@csewell08 @androidandme don’t worry I’m probably next, they don’t seem to like that I have blur on my g1

Button down the hatches guys! Motorola is pissed about the leak…They are looking into how it was released and who leaked it!

Check Out This YouTube Video of a G1 running Blur

Cyanogen is now part of Android history making it in Wikipedia.

“There exists a thriving community of open-source enthusiasts that build and share android-based firmware with a number of customizations and additional features, such as FLAC Lossless audio support and the ability to store downloaded apps on the microSD card.

Those firmware packages are updated frequently, incorporate elements of Android functionality that haven’t yet been officially released within a carrier-sanctioned firmware, and tend not to have arbitrary limitations. CyanogenMod is one such firmware.

On the 24 September 2009 Google issued a cease and desist letter on the modder Cyanogen, citing issues with the re-distribution of Google’s closed source applications within the custom firmware. Even though Android OS is open source, phones come packaged with closed-source Google applications for functionality such as the application store and GPS navigation. Google has asserted that these apps can only be provided through approved distribution channels by licensed distributors. Cyanogen is complying with Google’s wishes and will continue to distribute his mod with alternative, open-source applications. He will provide a method to install Google applications for those who own them.”

Wikipedia Article

I am selling a very nice UNLOCKED & ROOTED bronze G1 on eBay if anyone is interested.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270465637189&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Thanks!

-Daryll

Cyanogen continues hacking away at the code to make a new ROM that is 100% Open Source. Cyanogen has got to be the most professional hacker I have ever seen. He’s keeping everyone up to date and is taking this whole thing like a champ!

This was posted on his site a little while ago:

“Just a quick update..

I’ve been working on getting my source trees on Github in shape so that anyone can build a basic CyanogenMod system. Some small parts still need added but things are looking good there.

I’m also continuing to examine the backup/restore option for the proprietary bits necessary to operate your device, so I can simply ship open-source code only. I believe this is well within the license and the spirit of the ADP1 and ION devices.

A lot of people are helping to work many of these issues out, notably the guys from Google (Dan and JBQ) who manage the open-source project. Some great discussion and initiatives are happening like the Open Android Alliance and the Replicant projects. As much as it sucks to be sort of the “fall guy” for this, I can take it. Let’s fix the problems and move on.

Expect more from me by the weekend!”

Cyanogen Website

http://www.cyanogenmod.com

Follow Cyanogen on Twitter

http://twitter.com/cyanogen

Support Cyanogen and keep the MODing alive by going to his site and click on the donate button!

[via GoogleAndroidBlog]

Mobypicture has just release a new Android app called Moby.  With Moby you can post photos, video and audio directly to Twitter or create a Moby account and post to over 25 different services and  networking sites including; Facebook, MySpace, Hyves, Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo, WordPress, Blogger, and more…

“Mobypicture focuses on helping you share your adventures with your friends in a simple, convenient and context rich way. Directly from your mobile phone you can share photos, videos, audio and text with your friends, family and contacts on all the major social networking sites and services. You can easily post your adventure to Moby using any of the over 300 different applications for all types of phones, or by just using e-mail or mms. “

QR Code for Download

The Android Community is in a shear uproar over Google’s Cease and Desist Letter to Cyanogen.  If you haven’t heard here’s a quick run down of what’s going on.  On Friday September 25th Google sent the developer that has been releasing the awesome Cyanogen ROM a Cease and Desist Letter.

The XDA-Developers immediately responded with a poll “Should Google leave Cyanogen alone?” With an overwhelming response.

• Yes (97.58% with 1,091 votes)
• No (1.61% with 18 votes)

They added a “Wait and see” option at the very end of the poll but it wasn’t a fair gauge, so I threw it out, because it only made up 0.81% of the total votes(9 votes).

This hilarious Hitler video was released on YouTube.

embedded by Embedded Video

Google then responded with a note on the Android developer community website basically saying that they approve of Android MODs but disapprove of the use of Google proprietary applications; Google Search, Google Maps, Google Voice, YouTube, etc. being distributed with the MODs or alternate Android builds.

Google’s own developers aren’t really happy with Google’s brash orders. One made a comment on twitter “To my Apple, Microsoft and Palm buddies: are you hiring to work on mobile stuff?”

Even with all this said and done the community does still realize that in the end we can continue to MOD the Android platform and enjoy the benefits from it. We just can’t go around distributing code that wasn’t meant to be Open Source. Google even says in their post that “we created Android because the industry needed an injection of openness. Today, we’re thrilled to see all the enthusiasm that developers, users, and others in the mobile industry have shown toward Android.”.  I for one definitely do not think anything is over for Android Mod’ers in general. Even Google said in their letter “We always love seeing novel uses of Android, including custom Android builds from developers who see a need. I look forward to seeing what comes next!” So as long as people do not include Google’s proprietary apps in their distributions everything should be just fine. There are already replacements to some of these apps and people from the Android community are already asking where they can help to make the rest of the necessary applications to make complete shipping MODs/builds.

Originally Cyanogen said “Yep, it’s over.”, but today released a statement that Cyanogen will continue.  He is going to release the next version as a bare bones version without Google Apps. He also says that he is going to be working on a backup tool which will allow you to backup the applications that shipped with your phone and then reinstall them. Cyanogen released this statement today on his website “The current state..” Please support Cyanogen and his cause by going to his website http://www.cyanogenmod.com and click on the Donate button.

Things are getting very interesting in the Android community right now and I am sure we will all see everything work out for the best. The real programmers will prevail with better ROMs and the warez kiddies will trade their appz underground, like on the torrent networks.

Stay tuned for more updates that are sure to come…

by Daryll Bennett

[via GoogleAndroidBlog]

Back in July, the FCC sent letters to Apple, AT&T, and Google asking about the rejection of the Google Voice for iPhone app.

Today Google released a statement saying:

“When we submitted our letter on August 21, we asked the FCC to redact certain portions that involved sensitive commercial conversations between two companies — namely, a description of e-mails, telephone conversations, and in-person meetings between executives at Google and Apple.

Shortly afterward, several individuals and organizations submitted Freedom of Information Act requests with the FCC seeking access to this information. While we could have asked the FCC to oppose those requests, in light of Apple’s decision to make its own letter fully public and in the interest of transparency, we decided to drop our request for confidentiality. Today the FCC posted the full content of our letter to their website (PDF).

We continue to work with Apple and others to bring users the best mobile Google experience possible.”

You can now read the full filing on the FCC website here.

Check Out The New T-Mobile MyTouch 3G Commercial With Whoopi Goldberg, Phil Jackson & Jesse James

embedded by Embedded Video