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Google’s Dan Morrill Talks Android

Speaking on behalf of the Open Handset Alliance at the ETech conference in San Diego yesterday, Google’s Dan Morrill gave a brief Q+A regarding on the Android platform along with a quick application demo.

Using a mock-up application called Google Grapes, Morrill managed to fetch the prices and ratings of several wines direct from a Google Doc spreadsheet. More impressively, he typed a new wine listing into the web-based spreadsheet, and almost instantaneously, the entry popped up onto the Android display.

So along with being a phone, he explained, this is kind of functionality Android will provide: web-like applications that fit in your hand, optimized to a mobile platform. “We want people to think of the web as someone that’s always with them,” he said.

Here’s some snippets from the Q+A:

Will Android be imported to the iPhone?

“We’re not paying any attention to existing devices,” Morrill answered, suggesting that’s it’s up to someone else to do that.

How does Google make money off Android?

Right now that’s not really a high priority, said Morrill. Instead, Android is strictly about getting an open platform out there.

What’s the maturity level of the SDK?

Very early load. “We’re not even calling it Alpha or Beta,” he said. They believe it’s more important to get developers working on it now.

What if carriers create locked-down versions of Android?

Morrill argued that there’s no incentive to make incompatible models. Regardless they plan to make as high a quality device as possible, which should hopefully eliminate incentive to create alternate versions, especially locked-down ones. Once the handset is available, he added, the Alliance will shift to being more like an open-source team setting a development road map.

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Google Android SDK Update Contains Passwordless Root Account

According to security vendor Core Security, the latest Android SDK version m5-rc15 update arrives without a root password by default, “Unprivileged users with shell access can simply use the su program to gain privileges,” said Core.

Since the end of January Google have received numerous reports about it’s Google SDK possessing a number of security flaws and vulnerabilities.

Bug detection is obviously an important part of the development process thanks to it’s release within the open source community.

Core Security provided Google with a detailed lengthy advisory regarding the Android SDK, detailing the number of security related issues. the vulnerabilities discovered by Core all concerned the processing of images by Android’s web browser. Core said the flaws in processing GIF, BMP, and PNG images could have enabled a malicious website to attack the platform and ultimately execute arbitrary code.

Google made the following statement in response to Core’s initial advisory:

“The current version of the Android SDK is an early look release to the open source community, provided so that developers can begin working with the platform to inform and shape our development of Android toward production readiness. The Open Handset Alliance welcomes input from the security community throughout this process. There will be many changes and updates to the platform before Android is ready for end users, including a full security review.”

Google’s latest Android SDK version m5-rc15 does fix these noted image vulnerabilities - just be sure to set yourself a root password.

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Android SDK Security Upgrade Released

A new Android SDK update has been released to fix a minor security issue involving handling of images files. Android SDK version m5-rc15 doesn’t include any new features or changes to the API but it is recommended users upgrade.

The update doesn’t change any of the Android APIs or introduce any new ones. Eclipse users don’t need to update the ADT plug-in either. Once you’ve unzipped the file on your machine, you will want to update things like your PATH variable and, if you’re using Eclipse, the SDK location setting for ADT (hint: Preferences > Android).

If you have yet to upgrade from M3 to M5 you can find the relevant upgrade instructions here

[via Android Dev Blog]

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Intel ‘Atom’ To Power Android Phones?

Intel have today unveiled the new ‘Atom’ brand range of low-drain processors. Previously running under the codname ‘Menlow’, the newly branded ‘Centrino Atom’ range will use the Core 2 Duo instruction set and get clock speeds up to 1.8GHz.

The processors, which use an architecture completely revamped for efficiency, are designed for PDA-sized Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and what Intel calls a new class of affordable, infocentric mobile computers Intel is calling netbooks.

It is purely speculation at this point as to whether these new chips will be used in Android hardware, but with Intel not currently working on any other mobile chip sets and given their position in the Open Handset Alliance it doesn’t seem too unlikely does it?

[via ComputerActive]

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6 Of The Coolest Android Applications

Ever since the release of Android SDK developers have been in a frenzy dreaming up and developing all kinds of applications for the Android platform.

Ranging from simple ports of the mobile game Snake, to more complex and challenging applications.

Here’s a small compilation of 6 of the coolest Android applications we’ve come across to date, if you’d like to add any to the list feel free to drop a message in the comments.

6. KudoStar

KudoStar is basically a mobile rating system which allows you to connect your contacts and favourite locations together.

The app then gives people and places either a positive and negative ‘KudoScore’. Using this correlated information KudoStar can tie the data in with other Android devices alongside popular social networking websites.

Facebook’s F8 and Google’s opensocial platforms can be used in order to virally spread the collected data to a multitude of users.

http://code.google.com/p/kudostar/

5. City Audioguides

By using the Android framework positioning tools and other technologies the developers City Audioguides are aiming to improve your travel experiences by deliverying relevant audio content information for whatever holiday destination/historical venue or museum you travel to.

“Turning streets into museums and creating an enviroment where it’s easy to learn and share and to get the most out of our travels. This project is based on the belief that access to culture should be freely available to everyone.”

“Bringing museum-like audioguides to a larger scope.”

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pounamu/

4. Parallel Kingdom

Parallel Kingdom is one of the first GPS powered Role Playing Game applications developed for Android. Parallel Kingdom uses real world prompts as its basis for the virtual world, giving users the ability to attack, dance, hug or team up with anyone around then.

Parallel Kingdom allows you to mine resources, build buildings, craft items, trade goods, meet new people, found kingdoms, lead wars, and explore the real virtual world around you.

http://www.parallelkingdom.com/

3. TwitterDroid

Twitterdroid is an Android based Twitter client that lets you read and publish your twitters to the online web application.

Current features of TwitterDroid include:

• Log into any Twitter account and save preferences
• Display expanded tweets of your friends timeline
• Post a tweet to your timeline
• Display a waiting spinner when sending and fetching tweets
• Refresh the tweet list
• Catch connection errors and display an alert
• Use the black theme of Android

http://fredbrunel.com/journal/2007/11/twitterdroid-public-alpha-released/

2. Metosphere

Metosphere is a simple Android based browser that allows users to view virtual objects and information centred around their location.

Explore virtual objects around your physical location like messages, emergency alerts, news, events, reviews, games.

“The general concept of having virtual objects all around us in the physical world lends itself to some very interesting applications. People are getting accustomed to various virtual worlds out there, so why not have a virtual world that coexists in the same space as the real one?”

http://metosphere.com/

1. Elimatta - Location Blogging

Elimatta is simply just a location based blogging tool. The idea behind the application is that people should be able to communicate with other in a shared location - in an adhoc fashion.

Elimatta centers around the basic concept of channels which are specific for a given geographic area, large or small. Channels permit postings, (similar to blog postings), by individuals located within the bounds of the channels geographic active region. Individuals outside the active region are only permitted to view the channel.

the following are usage examples for specific situations:

• Amateur fishermen in the bay could use a fishing specific channel to notify other fishermen of schools of fish, or maybe just boast their catch of the day with a ‘picture post’.
• Tourists could use the a landmark specific channel to exchange experiences and make recommendations.
• A Hiker exploring Yosemite National Park could post a ‘placemark post’ (a post with location metadata attached) with the details of a sick sequoia tree. Park Rangers could then monitor the channel for such information. Network connectivity is not required for post creation as they will sync with the network when next available.

http://blog.elimatta.com/?page_id=2

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5 Greatest Androids In Sci-Fi Classics

Well Google Android news is pretty slow round these parts so i decided to keep myself busy by combining my love for classic sci-fi with the upcoming mobile platform Android, well sort of…

Below is a compilation of my personal top 5 favourite Android appearances in some very early classic sci-fi tv shows and movies.

For all you Android purists please feel free to berate me in the comments over the technicalities between Androids, robots, cyborgs, simians, replicants and the like. Alternatively you could just suggest your own favourites.

So without further adieu here’s the top 5 greatest Android parts in sci-fi.

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Android Alpha OS Hand’s On Video With BBC Reporter

Google and the Open Handset Alliance’s Android OS gets a thorough going over by BBC tech journo Darren Waters alongside Andy Rubin (Google’s director of mobile platforms).

The video shows the operating system running on an unknown 3G touchscreen prototype model with trackball. The overall look of the updated ‘Alpha’ OS is very impressive and clean. Along with a brief Quake demo Rubin also unveiled a version of Street View for the device.

Rubin talks about how the lack of oppeness in has stifled progress and innovation in the cellphone space and goes onto talk about how Android will give developers the tools and scope to really innovate and push boundaries.

“What Android enables for third party developers is the kind of programming we see on the internet,” he says.

“What it enables is agility and rapid innovation and the same kind of innovation that happens on the internet.”

You can read the full interview with Google’s director of mobile platforms, Andy Rubin here

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Google Android Forums Now Open

The Talk Android community forums are now up and running, so you guys dont have to wait for updates here to get your daily Android fix. You can visit the forums here:

http://www.talkandroid.com/android-forums/

With forum sections to cover Android development, the sdk, software, hardware and all kinds of android chat it should prove to be a pretty useful addition as we head closer to the release of the mobile platform.

Anyway registration only takes a few seconds so get yourselves in there!

Visit Google Android Forums

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Google Android SDK Downloads Break 750,000

According to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald, downloads for the Android Software Development Kit (SDK) have broken some 750,000 downloads since its release in November 2007.

Given that many early news reports slammed the SDK as being ‘too clunky’ for keen developers to get stuck into, these download numbers are made to seem even more impressive.

With the recent release of the updated Android SDK you can expect this number to greatly increase over the coming months, surely surpassing the 1 million downloads mark.

[via Sydney Morning Herald]

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Google Considering Using Floating Cell Towers

Recent speculation from Wall Street Journal suggests that Google may be looking into using floating cell towers rather than conventional cell towers.

The cheaper hydrogen filled balloons containing wireless technology are lofted some 20 miles above the earth’s surface with just one balloon offering the same range as some 40 cell towers.

Space Data Corp is currently using such a method to provide rurar parts of the Souhern States with wireless cell and data services.

A major downside to using flaoting cell towers however is that the average balloon only stays up about 24 hours, after which the balloons plumet to ground with $1,500 worth of electronics still contained within the unit. Space Data Corp currently have to launch around 10 balloons a day to keep up support for those Southern rural area.

[via WSJ]

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