Tag Archives: iPhone

Can Android be a Compliment to Chrome OS or Vice Versa?

Posted on 02. Aug, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments

News out today that the adoption of Android is up over a staggering 886% from last year is leading me to wonder: what place will cloud devices that run Chrome OS have in a future world where a smartphone operating system is so prevalent? Can Chrome OS and Android work together, or are they rivals being pitted against each other by a single company?

Remote Devices

Phones and tablets that run Android are remote devices, something that, in theory can be put into your pocket and taken anywhere.

We’ve seen in a demo how Android will work with Google TV – it can be used as a remote device that can control the set-top box controlling your television. Remember that while Google TV will run Android, it will also have the Chrome browser as the main application running video. Here is an example filmed by Phandroid on how this will work.

While this demo shows an iPhone, it’s clear that an Android phone will be able to do much more based on the open standards between devices such as the Chrome to Phone cloud platform.

Cloud versus Phone

People are still going to need devices that are bigger than what Android can provide, plus being able to offer a cloud interface where the web is a platform that everyone can develop on. Witness some of the games like Asteroid and collaborative drawing tools that are being made for the browser totally free for people to use in Chrome Experiments, a website that I admit I promote often here because of the potential it holds.

I’m fully convinced that Android can offer a cloud experience like Chrome OS can; there has to be a division between screens that are small and those that are larger. Perhaps Android running Chrome browser could bridge the gap, but that really goes against the convention of cloud computing at this point.

Conclusion

So where will these two operating systems fit in with each other? Perhaps it is best to think of Chrome OS as an experimental platform whereby the browser is all there is: a starting point, if you wish, on the future of computing.

Sergey Brin has already come out and said that webapps will replace native ones, but technological progress in speedy broadband technology is going to be required. Companies such as Clear, which is spending billions on a 4G rollout that Sprint is utilizing, will probably have a major role in this space as 2010 continues onward towards the holiday season.

Webapps Vs. Native Apps – A Battle of Control?

Posted on 08. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments

youtubemobileweb Webapps Vs. Native Apps A Battle of Control?Yesterday’s launch of the new YouTube Mobile site (just go to m.youtube.com) further reiterates something that has been in my thoughts ever since the explosive growth in mobile apps started. This has really led to another way for large technology companies to wall off their users, much like Microsoft has done over the years. Even though it’s great that you can have a mobile application for virtually anything that you want in your pocket, there are some inherent limitations to these native applications.

TechCrunch’s Jason Kincaid makes a good point in his look at YouTube Mobile that the video quality is fantastic – better, he says than the native application that came with Apple’s iOS for the iPhone and iPad. That may have something to do with the fact that the webapp is built in HTML5 and optimized for the current wireless networks that devices use.

“Video on the HTML5 app looked much better, and was snappier to boot”, remarks Kincaid in his write-up.

All the more proof that giving browsers the ability to use the web as a platform to utilize applications is the future of computing, whether it be via a smartphone or a laptop. The idea of Chrome OS or other web operating system simply doesn’t seem so far-fetched.

One of the reasons that web applications have a clear benefit over native ones is interoperability. On the web, diverse applications are able to access and communicate data between one another in order to provide a seamless ecosystem. Think about Twitter, where users allow web applications such as HootSuite access to their accounts to better understand the underlying data. Or, as Kincaid remarks, the simplistic convenience of auto-fill in the YouTube Mobile app.

But what’s wrong with the way things are done now? We’ve seen both Apple and Google take take direct control of users’ devices. Even Amazon has removed books from its Kindle e-reader, citing copyright problems with a publisher. With the new browser technologies like HTML5, a third party cannot take away something that is on the web; and no developer or group of developers is dependent on an outside partner for its applications.

Sure, there are motives behind the decisions above in the face of security and potential lawsuits. Possible hurdles abound with what could happen in a world where applications are easily installed with one click. But Microsoft led a tech space for years that allowed people to put whatever they want on their computers, and despite their flagging performance, they’ve been around for over thirty years.

Will Developers For Google Platforms Make Any Money?

Posted on 25. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments

smartphone Will Developers For Google Platforms Make Any Money?It was brought to my attention recently an article talking about overall dollar amounts that developers make for their applications that are sold in top mobile marketplaces. Basically, a huge amount of money has been paid out to developers for Apple’s iOS, while Android has seen very little in revenues to those who create for that platform.

The fact that so little apps have been sold in the marketplace, coupled with the fact that there are more Android phones now being outsold by iPhones, brings up a few thoughts.

One is a recent report that says developers are indeed interested in making apps for Android tablets and smartphones; the problem is that this may be true, interest is not turning into solid numbers for the Android Market. For whatever reason, the overall amount of money that is going to app developers for Android is still small despite the interest. That’s a problem. Is it possible that Android users expect all of their apps to be available for free? That is indeed a possibility.

That brings the Chrome Web Store into the picture here. Expected to be the way that users will be able to buy apps when Chrome OS comes to market, one has to wonder whether it will be a boon for developers or not.

One way to prevent the same problems that Android is now experiencing is to launch an incentive-laden paid advertising model for the Chrome Web Store, one perhaps not unlike AdSense for websites. This way, developers can see that they need to create applications that captivate a large audience. This way, popular apps are created for the mass market, and creators make money for doing so.

It may not work for all applications, but it is a great way to launch an app market until there is a diverse set of people using the platform, which may be the underlying problem that currently plagues the Android Market. Too many people with the same interests, and for whatever reason not willing to pay up for apps like those who use the iPhone do.

thechromesource Daily: Links for 6/23/10

Posted on 23. Jun, 2010 by Jason Horton. 0 Comments

The Beta channel of Chrome browser was updated today with security patches and a fix for a high memory error during video use.

Google announces the Droid X is coming to Verizon customers for $200 (with contract) on July 15.

Multi-domain support has been added to Google Apps; this had previously been a big problem for large organizations.

Froyo (Android 2.2) source code is available to developers today.

App developers focusing on the iPhone have been raking in cash. Android developers on the other hand, aren’t doing quite as well.

Does Android Have the Fastest Mobile Browser with Flash?

Posted on 24. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments

A comprehensive video showing the Flash elements of a Nexus One with Android 2.2 compared to the iPhone and HTC HD2 (Windows Mobile 6.2), which is very telling. The video also has a comparison to prove to whether Android actually has the fastest mobile browser as claimed by Google. So how does the mobile variety of Flash integrate with pages when you are on the web? You be the judge.

Gaming Could be a Possible Growth Area for Google

Posted on 17. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments

googlegames Gaming Could be a Possible Growth Area for GoogleLast week, TechCrunch deftly pointed out that Google is on the hunt for someone to fill the role of Product Management Leader, Games. Currently, Google really does have too much going in the gaming market. It did, however, recently purchase LabPixies which creates widget-like games for the iGoogle portal as well as making games for Apple products, Android systems and social networking sites.

So the gaming arena could in fact be another engine of growth for Google, one that diversifies the company from advertising and its stated goal of profiting from enterprise cloud applications. If they move aggressively in this space, they may find themselves at an advantage when you consider that the console industry is now experiencing an overall decline in sales. More often than ever, multipurpose devices such as the iPad and smartphones allow people more flexibility to play video games without having to pay a lot of money for gaming titles. This is also true when you consider how successful some companies have become offering games on social networks.

Even some internal Google employees have ported a first person game like Quake II to the browser as one of their projects. Games are now capable of being ported over to HTML5 and run in the current generation of browsers, such as the Asteroids port that is available at the Chrome Experiments site.

Even OnLive, which plans on streaming games to your PC or television, will be launching this summer, allowing gamers to play their favorite titles from top publishers in an entirely new way. Although the bandwidth requirements may be quite high, OnLive is dubbing their service as “the future of gaming” which is most likely true.

Bottom line? There is a lot of room for Google to grow in gaming since their footprint right now is nascent. I would not be surprised if they would go with the now-classic free model that is supported by advertising, expertise that a mobile ad company like AdMob can lend to Google’s wealth of knowledge from utilizing AdWords on web sites and Apps like Gmail. That is, if the Federal Trade Comission ever approves the Google-AdMob deal.

thechromesource Daily: Links for 5/10/10

Posted on 10. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments

Total sales last quarter for Android phones have topped Apple’s iPhone sales for the first time, according to Business Insider.

Conan O’Brien’s performance at Google HQ has been posted on YouTube.

Aaron West has an article showing you how to debug Flash in Chrome now that it has been integrated into the browser.

With the speculation persisting that Google may buy ITA Software, here are six things that Google could do in the travel space.

Google’s response, plus analysis by our friends at ReadWriteWeb about the recent privacy issues the company has faced, especially with Buzz.

Is Google’s Battle Against Apple Turning Towards Hardware?

Posted on 25. Apr, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments

appleagainstgoogle Is Googles Battle Against Apple Turning Towards Hardware?I don’t think that many people expected a battle pitting Google versus Apple a year ago, much less a rivalry that is based on hardware.

In that span of time, many things have changed. No longer is Eric Schmidt on Apple’s board and it is anyone’s guess how much longer Google branded services will be promoted on Apple devices. Acquisitions have been heating up between the two companies, with both of them sporting no debt and having large cash reserves.

This past week has seen Google purchase Agnilux, which is a start-up semiconductor company that was founded by some people who once worked for P.A. Semi, bought by Apple in 2008 and reportedly featuring some of the technology that is inside the iPad. You following this? I know, perplexing. There seems to be a rush for semiconductors in the hardware market to push the market past what we’ve been using for years: netbooks and laptops.

Case in point: the rumor that is going around whereby Apple plans on purchasing ultra-mobile chip developer ARM. While I’m sure Apple covets ARM’s technology (since it is used in the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch) it doesn’t sound as if ARM wants to become a part of Apple. That’s probably because even though they are ARM’s biggest customer, ARM would likely lose most of their other competing customers such as Samsung, Qualcomm and Google (now via Android and soon Chrome OS).

“Nobody has to buy the company”, is the quote from ARM CEO Warren East when asked about Apple buyout rumors. That may be true, but when you see that Chromium’s newest releases are showing that the hardware is being steered toward using ARM solutions for processing, this probably makes Apple a bit nervous because they already have hold of a nice niche with great margins.

It makes sense in that light why when they recently purchased chip designer Intrinsity, they decided to keep it quiet. Also kept silent is the fact that Intrinsity likely had more to do with Apple’s A4 processor than anyone inside the company wants to be known.

While we’re on the subject of hardware, expect to see a different platform model as Chrome OS progresses, one that blends Apple’s model with an open source software environment. In order to offer the best user experience the hardware requirements for Chrome OS are going to be dictated by Google. At the same time, they will allow developers to continue to work on Chromium in an effort to make it the best cloud platform out there.

Expect to also see an integrated store for apps that cost money with Chrome OS, with Google acting as the intermediary for billing and marketing of the marketplace. All other apps will be readily available on the web if they are free, allowing developers to focus on their craft and tipping their hats to Google for paid offerings and the platform that allows interoperability with other developers’ apps.

It’s a somewhat reverse model from Microsoft, which has in the past allowed for hardware manufacturers to develop for their platform, but keeping the operating system and tools to create applications under lock and key. Many times I have heard from developers how the methods by which Microsoft dictates its architecture causes problems in terms of software development; however these gripes seem to be declining.

Hopefully, Google will take caution to make sure that they do not end up with the same problems, but in opposite order. Hardware manufacturers may become exasperated by strong technical requirements needed for Chrome OS hardware, causing material costs to rise and thus margins to be much lower than is accustomed. Of course, one can also put into account the fact that the licensing costs that are associated with Microsoft’s operating systems will not come into play since Chrome OS is free.

At the same time, a hodgepodge of applications that run on Chrome OS are going to need to have a strong, unifying Google-like theme that will save the operating system from looking like a MySpace-oriented user interface. Apple has done this successfully, but of course at the expense of allowing an open environment and allowing some web functionality (Flash) to work properly on their devices.

Bottom line: Google bought a secretive hardware company, which has to mean something worthwhile for either the cloud or for mobile devices. Clearly this is a strategic move to compete with Apple, albeit in a different way than the iDevices. We shall soon see which way that is.

Apple’s Intro into Tablets May Mirror Same Path as Smartphones

Posted on 05. Apr, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments

ipadapple Apples Intro into Tablets May Mirror Same Path as SmartphonesRemember 2007? That summer was a magical time for smartphone enthusiasts. That was the summer that Apple introduced the iPhone, and while many said it wouldn’t work (marrying an iPod with a phone would be crazy) the exact opposite happened. Apple changed the smartphone market, created an application store that developers now salivate over and created an operating system platform that now extends to their newest product, the iPad.

It wasn’t too long after that Google announced it would lead a consortium to develop an open source platform for mobile phones called Android. Unlike the iPhone, however, Android took a different path to development into a highly touted architecture used by many smartphone manufacturers. The first phone with Android, the G4 manufactured by the little-know HTC with wireless service by T-Mobile, was a curious device and one that only captured the interests of the most early of the early adopters.

Now Android is a successful commercial system, but because of its open source nature it is not only in smartphones but also in netbooks, tablets and even cars. I can’t wait to run Android on my fridge. It’s so hard to keep organized right now.

Fast forward to today. I do apologize for being repetitive, but here’s the story so far.

Apple introduced the iPad, and while many said that it won’t work (supersizing an iPod Touch would be crazy) the exact opposite may or may not happen (600,000 sold already is not bad though). Apple potentially has changed the tablet market, with an application market that developers are salivating over and offering a device that is far cheaper and more widespread than any other tablet that is on the market.

You can fill in the rest for Chrome OS. I don’t have that information yet, but I would assume that the iPad is leading the way for some interesting open source development when it comes to tablets and other devices.

Comparison: iPad Performance vs. Nexus One

Posted on 04. Apr, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 3 Comments

jobsipad Comparison: iPad Performance vs. Nexus OneSo, how fast is the iPad? According to the hardware analysis site Anandtech not as fast as might have been expected. While the iPad’s custom designed A4 processor is faster than the Nexus One’s Qualcomm Snapdragon, the results don’t put the iPad that far ahead. Both the devices were compared with the iPhone 3GS and measured by how fast that each of them were able to load certain web pages.

The reviewer, Anand Lal Shimpi, writes that the “iPad loads web pages 10% faster than the Nexus One” and that “despite the early reports of the iPad being blazingly fast, I found it just “acceptable” in my limited time with it thus far”.

In fact, it may even be possible that with those results that the A4 is really not all that unique anyways. Regardless of that, if this chip were to be put into the next generation of iPhones, the Nexus One would be beat. Since the only way to compare the device is to load web pages, I wonder if Apple’s operating system with Safari is better refined and optimized than Android 2.1 and its namesake browser that is running on Nexus One.

So there you have it. Many reviews are glowing about the iPad being an amazing device, and I don’t discount that because of how profoundly different it is. And although the iPad and the Nexus One are hard to compare since they run in different segments (phone vs. tablet) speed is still a very important metric to measure in terms of user experience.

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