Google Taking Back Control of Android Is a Good Thing; For Open-Source Guys, I Told You So

I totally expected Google's recent move to rein in Android development and keep fragmentation (yes, it is a major problem, why else would Google want to piss off the people who had made Android such a success and possibly have the Justice Department involved) from potentially damaging the mobile platform any further.  Am I upset?

Initially, I was a bit.  No any more.  Frankly, Google's move is a good thing.  Basically, Google opened up Android and gave it the perception of being an open platform and it worked.  It probably will have the biggest share of the mobile market in a couple of years.  However, it's how that market will look like that concerns Google.

Now that it has established Android as a dominant mobile platform, it can start making changes.  Open it was not and, as far as Google is concerned, who cares now that many of the device makers as well as users rely on Android for their businesses and mobile needs respectively.  Who else is Motorola going to turn to?  It's already said WP7 isn't an option for them.

Samsung has nothing but a struggle home-grown OS that will go no where  WP7?  Sure, with Microsoft's track record of updates?  HTC started off on Android and it's in the exact same shoe as Samsung.  Heck, this is the same for every other Android manufacturer.  They can complain to the Justice Department for all they want but at the end of the day, they want to stay on Google's good side.  

The wild wide West days in the Android market are over.  There's a new sheriff in town.  (I don't know if Schmidt leaving and Page as the new CEO has something to do with this or not.)

From now on, every change will have to go through Google. And Google has gone as far as to withhold Android 3 or Honeycomb, the tablet version of the OS because it didn't want 3rd parties screwed up it with tweaks.   As an Android fan, I think that's good thing.  

But let me be clear.  From the beginning, I knew the open-sourced crowd for suckered in by the claims of openness.  It was the undeniable walled garden of iOS that has this crowd foolishly and blindly think Android is anything but open.

 I'm not sure Google can continue falsely claim that Android is an open platform.  

As a developer, you like this. Probably.  Google has a good record on this and its latest move shouldn't change a thing for you.  

As a mobile warrior, if anything, this is a positive development.  Average Joe or Jane isn't going to notice a thing but maybe that he or she won't get fooled into buying a tablet installed with a smartphone OS rather than the tablet version in the first place.

It's going to be scary for some people.  Anti-Android/Google folks will get fuel and ammunition about this but at the end of the day, I like the notion that if I buy an Android phone or tablet, I can potentially get upgrades from Google in a timely fashion, a good thing.

Can Microsoft Own the High-End Range of the Tablet Market? It May Have No Choice But To Try

In a role reversal, are we looking at Microsoft and friends switching spaces with Apple in the tablet market as they now occupying in the PC market?  See if you follow me.

Apple is known for its "premium"Macs in the PC market where Microsoft and Windows PC makers generally own the low-end and mid-range parts of the market.  And despite Apple with only about 7-8% of computer market, it owns a large chunk of the revenues and profits.

In the tablet market, iPad competitors are struggle to compete with Apple on prices, often opting for the 7" screen sizes, versus the 10" iPad, subsequently with a much smaller screen real estate.  With a smaller form factor, rivals such as RIM are able to compete with the low end iPad.

But now, with Barnes and Noble's Nook Color doing very well at $250 and Amazon looking to jump into that market, possibly with its own Android tablet, may of the sub-$499 tablet market will be owned by Android.  

Where does that leave Microsoft?  Apple quite possibly will own a large chunk of the tablet market with models priced between $499 to $829.  I don't see Windows going anywhere lower than that.  And the tablet market isn't like the PC market.  If anyone thinks that, they are in for a rude awakening.  For the foreseeable future, Redmond's partners just doesn't have what it takes to take on Apple with a competing ecosystem and a natural ease of use.  

This is why HP bought Palm so that it can try to use Web OS to create its own market.  

That only leaves Microsoft to try to position the Windows tablets at the high-end, where there is quite a smaller market but potentially higher margin for device makers.  And until Windows 8 can run on ARM chips like the iPads and Android tablets, size, battery life, and specs will not be able to measure up with the low-end to mid-range tablets.  

There will be a market for the $800 and above range but it will be small.  Near term, that's the only part of the market that Microsoft can go after.

Food Inflation Means Smaller Servings - Can it Also Mean Leaner Americans?

Food is getting more expensive. Whether people want to hear about global warming or not, there is no doubt we have been experiencing extreme climates over the last decade that has caused food shortages or, at best, lower yields. And that has led some companies to drive cost down by packing small amount in each packaging.

For the tens of American families who are struggle even in this improving (but very slow pace) economic recovery, as well as millions of children living below the poverty line, food inflation just isn't something that is going to help at all despite the US having the biggest economy in the world. No, given the level of debt, both public and private, we are one of the poorest. Still, Can there be some benefit that might come from this for the general public?

Wasting food in the West is a big issue even as starvation and suffering persists elsewhere. Perhaps The smaller portions will yield some benefits and change our behaviors, particularly in the United States for the good.

We might actually end up being leaner. Better health as a result and less strain on the medical system.

And if smaller packaging is being used, it may also mean less resources committed to food distribution.

I reckon it'll be possible that a public media campaign might be created to convince us of the benefits despite it being more about the bottom-line. At some point, downsizing food portions will yield diminished returns and benefits.


More at MSNBC.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

Girl Scouts Use Mobile to Accept Credit Card. NFC Next?

While tech giants work out how they want to incorporate near field communication capability to allow mobile devices ranging from regular cell phones to high-end devices like iPhones and who has the final control over data, some folks just are not going to wait around until that day comes.

The Girl Scouts in Ohio are now accepting credit card payments via GoPayment from Intuit, the folks who brought us Quicken And TurboTax, a dongle that can be attached to the the iPhone.

This is just the beginning.  I wonder what'll happen once more devices like the iPhones become NFC-capable?

More at Greenjava.

Digitimes Wrong Most of the Times but Bloggers Will Not Call Them Out

So, DigiTimes, a Chinese tech publication that's often linked to by bloggers, especially Apple-centric sites for the claims itself and its analysts make that is wrong virtually every time.

Personally, I am still waiting for my 7" iPad that digitimes said was coming even after Steve Jobs dismissed such a possibility.

More often that not, I get the feeling that DigiTimes just goes around and time certain posts to generate traffic on Apple. Perhaps they have quotas they are supposed to meet for their advertisers.

The amazing thing is that some posts that link to DigiTimes also make a disclaimer that DigiTimes does not have a good track record regarding Apple products and plans.

And more than that, some of the things that DigiTimes come up with are so out there that not even Wall Street analysts dare put those things down on paper.

In the latest report, they claim that Apple is seeking to secure screens out of Taiwan due to the northeastern Japan earthquake even if it means a price nike.. Makes sense right? Sure until you read the little post that offered no sources whatsoever. It's always according to "this or that". Nothing to explain the nature of such a deal. Thing is, folks, that Apple has been sourcing from the Taiwanese for years. There really nothing new here. The rumor made it sound like this was the first time Apple is dealing with the tech folks there.

Now, don't get me wrong, I like Apple rumors. The best rumor so far this year is the one that we might get a 5" iPod touch. And it came from blogs that claim to have their own sources that they've used in the past. And that this will be a part of a greater fall surprise that Apple is planning. This latter part is also a rumor but detailed enough to be credible.

And how is this different from what Digitimes posts? Rumors from these blogs have a chance of actually being true whereas Digitimes offers nothing to suggest anything other than that Apple posts will generate links and traffic. Digitimes information never turns out to be true.

Knowing this fact as most bloggers do, that virtually everything DigiTimes reports are wrong, why share it with your readers?

Hit your regular sources for the juicy stuff. Because these days, I don't even bother reading your rumor posts if the source is DigiTimes.

Note: If you want to know more about the Digitimes post I referenced to above, you're welcome to Google it. I'm just not going to link to it.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

Creating a Mobile Warrior's Cafe

It's my dream that some day, I'll be able to own my own cafe. Actually, it had been a dream of mine to own a superstore like Borders but given how that has turned out, I've had to scale down my plans.

Nevertheless, I still have ambitions of coming up with a coffee shop of sort for mobile warriors to be able to "jack" in whenever they like and work on their homework, the next Google, or just want relax and leisurely enjoy their ebooks.

More at Greenjava.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

Macs: To Guard Against Certificate Attacks

I came across this post regarding digital certificates.  After Microsoft's trusted Comodo Certificate Authority issued fraudulent certificates that effected many top sites.

So here are some instructions that you can use to protect yourself if you're on a Mac and use Safari as your main browser.  Honestly, I don't know how serious this is but if it's got Microsoft's attention, I'd worried somewhat, enough to continue looking into it.

It's amazing this does not happen more often if you ask me.  So the instructions provided at Sophos basically enables certificate revocation.  

There really isn't much we can do about this.  We rely on a system that is based on an honor system and require these security and certificate companies to audit and continually beef up their protocols.  

More at Sophos and how this happened.

Note: Firefox and IE 9 users should be fine even though Microsoft has issued an update.  IE 8 users needs to act to protect themselves.