Damn.
Category: Google
Verizon Phones 1¢ on Amazon
… with a two-year contract, of course. Oh, and the iPhone isn’t listed.
Google and the News
Google’s Larry Page, via Claire Cain Miller at the New York Times:
I see this as our responsibility to some extent, trying to improve media. If you ask anyone about how that information’s going to be propagated, what you’re going to focus on, I think it could work a lot better than it does now.
We as an Internet community, we have a responsibility to make those things work a lot better and get people focused on what are the real issues, what should you be thinking about. And I think we as a whole are not doing a good job of that at all.
Android Gets Firesheep App
Recipe for Any Android Phone Review Ever
Unlike Apple’s once-a-year release cycle with the iPhone, Android OEMs and carriers have gone crazy, releasing as many new phones as possible, as quickly as possible.
As a result, there are a ton of Android phone reviews written. I want to make it easier for tech writers, so I’ve created a list — a recipe, if you will — to help make this easier.
- The screen is better, brighter and bigger than on previous devices.
- It’s thin, but not iPhone-thin.
- The OEM’s Android skin isn’t awesome, but in some places, it could be.
- The new launcher comes with lots of widgets that do things.
- 4G is cool, unless you like battery life. But damn, those 28 seconds of browsing are fast!
- The camera software still sucks. Also, FRONT-FACING CAMERA! Note: This can be swapped for “3-D!!!!” if the review requires it.
- While Android is open, there’s lots of crapware on this phone. Hello, VZContact Manager FREE!
- This may be the best Android phone yet, but if not, just wait a week or two.
- The current version of Android lacks some polish, but the next version of Android will be the one to have, we promise. It’s going to rival iOS. Granted, this phone probably won’t ever get to run it.
Android Apps and Piracy
Piracy isn’t talked about a lot, but it has quietly grown into a major problem for many developers. It’s more of an issue in Android because its open nature and loose authentication tools allow pirates to rip off and distribute paid apps.
“This is one of those problems that seem to have been running under the radar,” said Carl Howe, an analyst at Yankee Group. “Every developer thinks, ‘it must just be me.’”
Lobbying
In the second quarter of 2011, Apple spent a whopping US$790,000 on lobbying. This is more than double what the company spent in the same quarter of 2010 and up $230,000 from the first quarter of 2011.
While $790,000 is a lot of money, it’s hardly “whopping” compared to the money Google spent in the same time frame — $2.06 million, a 54 percent increase from the same period in 2010.
Kindle Tablet
MG Siegler got his hands on the Amazon tablet. From what he describes, it sounds like a killer product. Thankfully, it is expected to be sold alongside traditional e-ink Kindle readers.
This part is especially telling:
They are not working with Google on this. At all.
It’s clear Amazon wants to control its own destiny here. Which is good.
Camera+ and Android
On the taptaptap Twitter account:
To all of you asking if we plan to make Camera+ for Android, we’ll consider it when Google stops being evil. In other words, slim chance.
Boom.
The Realities of Online Publishing
Joshua Schnell of Macgasm, discussing his struggle with Google Ad revenue falling off after a server move:
After four months of trying to wrap my head around the case of the missing ad-revenue I realized something, I probably rely more on Google than I do Apple for my daily business. Sure, Apple provides me with the news we cover on Macgasm, but Google makes the coverage possible with Google Reader. Our email … hosted at Google. Our analytics … provided by Google. Our ad-revnue … primarily courtesy of Google. My main IM client of choice for the website … Google Talk. Our number one source of traffic … Google.
‘Right up to the Creepy Line’
Eric Schmidt, back in 2010:
Google policy is to get right up to the creepy line and not cross it… We don’t need you to type at all. We know where you are. We know where you’ve been. We can more or less know what you’re thinking about.
Seems like Google’s already crossed it.
Google to Acquire Motorola Mobility
The acquisition of Motorola Mobility, a dedicated Android partner, will enable Google to supercharge the Android ecosystem and will enhance competition in mobile computing. Motorola Mobility will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. Google will run Motorola Mobility as a separate business.
Larry Page, CEO of Google, said, “Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.”