In late 2007, there were rumors of Google working on the GPhone, a smartphone design with their own OS, which was supposed to compete with Apple's iPhone and Nokia's new smartphone series. What we got instead was the revelation of the Google Android operating system as an open source platform for developers and the Open Handset Alliance, which then consisted of 34 members, including mobile handset makers, application developers, mobile carriers, and chip makers.
THE OPEN HANDSET ALLIANCE
The Open Handset Alliance, with Android as its flagship software, is a business alliance that now consists of 80 firms that aim to pioneer Android and open standards for mobile devices. What this means is that Android as an open source platform could be modified and tweaked to suit hardware and handsets manufactured by multiple mobile phone manufacturers, thereby exponentially increasing the presence of Android as an operating system in the mobile phone market. The compatibility of the Android platform to run on different chipsets with different hardware is the prime attributer to its flexibility.
FREQUENT UPDATES
Google has set a trend of frequently updating its Android platform, with the four latest versions being released within the span of just over a year. Each update differed slightly from its predecessor, but the hardware requirements remained almost the same, giving manufacturers the ability to provide OS upgrades to handsets with older versions. Initially created for touchscreen smartphones, Google has now moved on to tablets with Android 3.0 Honeycomb being their first tablet-specific operating system with support for high performance hardware.
OPEN SOURCE
By providing the source code of the operating system to manufacturers and also designing a software development kit (SDK) for application developers, Google has sort of outsourced its tasks and still pleased developers by giving them the freedom of personalizing and customizing Android. They have gone a step further by letting users "root" their Android device, which gives them superuser privileges like access to administrative rights, system changes and running scripts that would generally be blocked for the standard user. This allows developers and coders to run their apps even if they require elevated privileges.
THE GOOGLE CLOUD
Along with the ability to customize almost everything, Google has integrated its operating system into the Google cloud. With default apps for Gmail, Google Maps, Google Docs and other Google features, users are able to view and edit their tasks and work on their handset, which then automatically syncs with their Google account. What the end user gets is a simple, easy-to-use interface which accompanies them wherever they go and omits the need to manually transfer files and other data. In addition to these default apps, the Android market has been flooded with apps from developers that can do almost anything. Some of these apps are dependent on the Google cloud as well and others have syncing abilities of their own, making both Android phones and tablets the most sought after devices in today's market.
A LITTLE TOO FLEXIBLE?
While the fl exibility of Android has been its biggest selling point, the openness does bring with it a few drawbacks. Manufacturers have taken advantage of Android's minimal hardware requirements and developed smartphones and tablets with varied hardware performance to suit all budgets. While Android might run smoothly on a cheaper phone, it is hard to tell how some apps with a higher CPU load or power requirement would perform. The Android market limits the installation of certain apps based on the device being used, but third party apps can still be installed without any regulation. There is also the risk of security, which is perfectly exemplifi ed by the Soundminer app. Security researchers developed Soundminer as a working spyware app that is disguised as a voice recorder. Soundminer runs silently in the background and listens for PIN or Credit Card numbers during your phone calls. The application records this information, converts the recording into a number and relays it over the network to the developer. It can even recognize numbers typed on the virtual keyboard and voice-activated IVR systems. Another instance of the gaping hole in the Android Market is the Angry Birds Viral app. A mobile security expert used the popular Angry Birds game to disguise a Trojan virus and had no trouble getting it onto the Android Market. Although it was only developed to demonstrate to Google the gaps in their security, the app brings to light how easy it would be for third party developers to access personal information.
OTHER DEVICES
Along with its widespread presence in smartphones and tablets from manufacturers like Motorola, LG, HTC, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, Android has also been adapted to run on e-readers, netbooks, portable portable media players and even TVs. Barnes & Noble, Entourage, Spring Design and PocketBook have all used Android to power certain aspects of their e-readers such as Wi-Fi or 3G technology. Acer and Toshiba have already manufactured netbooks that are powered by Android and Samsung and Philips have used Android 2.1 on their music players. There is also speculation about Android-powered Internet televisions from Sony and NCPG.
SOMETHING FOR THE FUTURE
The acquisition of a small Californian start-up called Embedded Alley Solutions by Mentor Graphics has raised a few eyebrows. Embedded Alley Solutions specialize in Linux and Android tools and have developed the Embedded Alley Development System for Android-based devices. What this means is that the Android platform could possibly be tweaked to run on home appliances, such as telephones, navigation systems and even Internet refrigerators. Only time will tell how far Google's Android net will eventually spread.
THE OPEN HANDSET ALLIANCE
The Open Handset Alliance, with Android as its flagship software, is a business alliance that now consists of 80 firms that aim to pioneer Android and open standards for mobile devices. What this means is that Android as an open source platform could be modified and tweaked to suit hardware and handsets manufactured by multiple mobile phone manufacturers, thereby exponentially increasing the presence of Android as an operating system in the mobile phone market. The compatibility of the Android platform to run on different chipsets with different hardware is the prime attributer to its flexibility.
FREQUENT UPDATES
Google has set a trend of frequently updating its Android platform, with the four latest versions being released within the span of just over a year. Each update differed slightly from its predecessor, but the hardware requirements remained almost the same, giving manufacturers the ability to provide OS upgrades to handsets with older versions. Initially created for touchscreen smartphones, Google has now moved on to tablets with Android 3.0 Honeycomb being their first tablet-specific operating system with support for high performance hardware.
OPEN SOURCE
By providing the source code of the operating system to manufacturers and also designing a software development kit (SDK) for application developers, Google has sort of outsourced its tasks and still pleased developers by giving them the freedom of personalizing and customizing Android. They have gone a step further by letting users "root" their Android device, which gives them superuser privileges like access to administrative rights, system changes and running scripts that would generally be blocked for the standard user. This allows developers and coders to run their apps even if they require elevated privileges.
THE GOOGLE CLOUD
Along with the ability to customize almost everything, Google has integrated its operating system into the Google cloud. With default apps for Gmail, Google Maps, Google Docs and other Google features, users are able to view and edit their tasks and work on their handset, which then automatically syncs with their Google account. What the end user gets is a simple, easy-to-use interface which accompanies them wherever they go and omits the need to manually transfer files and other data. In addition to these default apps, the Android market has been flooded with apps from developers that can do almost anything. Some of these apps are dependent on the Google cloud as well and others have syncing abilities of their own, making both Android phones and tablets the most sought after devices in today's market.
A LITTLE TOO FLEXIBLE?
While the fl exibility of Android has been its biggest selling point, the openness does bring with it a few drawbacks. Manufacturers have taken advantage of Android's minimal hardware requirements and developed smartphones and tablets with varied hardware performance to suit all budgets. While Android might run smoothly on a cheaper phone, it is hard to tell how some apps with a higher CPU load or power requirement would perform. The Android market limits the installation of certain apps based on the device being used, but third party apps can still be installed without any regulation. There is also the risk of security, which is perfectly exemplifi ed by the Soundminer app. Security researchers developed Soundminer as a working spyware app that is disguised as a voice recorder. Soundminer runs silently in the background and listens for PIN or Credit Card numbers during your phone calls. The application records this information, converts the recording into a number and relays it over the network to the developer. It can even recognize numbers typed on the virtual keyboard and voice-activated IVR systems. Another instance of the gaping hole in the Android Market is the Angry Birds Viral app. A mobile security expert used the popular Angry Birds game to disguise a Trojan virus and had no trouble getting it onto the Android Market. Although it was only developed to demonstrate to Google the gaps in their security, the app brings to light how easy it would be for third party developers to access personal information.
OTHER DEVICES
Along with its widespread presence in smartphones and tablets from manufacturers like Motorola, LG, HTC, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, Android has also been adapted to run on e-readers, netbooks, portable portable media players and even TVs. Barnes & Noble, Entourage, Spring Design and PocketBook have all used Android to power certain aspects of their e-readers such as Wi-Fi or 3G technology. Acer and Toshiba have already manufactured netbooks that are powered by Android and Samsung and Philips have used Android 2.1 on their music players. There is also speculation about Android-powered Internet televisions from Sony and NCPG.
SOMETHING FOR THE FUTURE
The acquisition of a small Californian start-up called Embedded Alley Solutions by Mentor Graphics has raised a few eyebrows. Embedded Alley Solutions specialize in Linux and Android tools and have developed the Embedded Alley Development System for Android-based devices. What this means is that the Android platform could possibly be tweaked to run on home appliances, such as telephones, navigation systems and even Internet refrigerators. Only time will tell how far Google's Android net will eventually spread.
