Good News VS. Bad News -- Features VS. Threats Of The Android System
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The Android is a breakthrough mobile device platform developed by Andrew Rubin, the man behind the T-Mobile Sidekick a.k.a. the Danger HipTop. Even back in his early years in IT, while he was still an engineer in Apple, he had already dreamed about creating mobile phone platforms that elevate these handheld devices to the functionality of computers. At the time he contemplated his dreams, the market still wasn't ready. But after a career pause which drove him to his refuge, the Cayman Islands, he finally hit paydirt in the form of the Android.
The Android is more than a smartphone platform. It is actually an operating system that happens to be an operating system for a phone. It was designed to be what would power a mini-computer, first and foremost; its use in mobile phone devices was almost incidental.
The Android is based on a Linux kernel. This open-source mobile OS is also based on an older open-source OS. The fact that it is based on the Linux architecture makes it a secure system, a contender for the iOS, and sets it a gulf apart from Nokia's Symbian OS.
However, malware and security threats are already on the rise. The problem is not in the mobile OS' kernel structure in itself. Rather, it is more about the fact that the Android Market is a free-for-all for developers; anyone can develop an app and put it out to pasture, so to speak.
The solution is for Google to keep a tighter rein on what apps make it to the Marketplace. However, the owner himself also has a part to play in keeping his Android device secure: by exercising caution on approving permissions by applications, even installing applications, an Android user will be able to keep a measure of security for his Android device. Just like you wouldn't approve pop-ups on your browser on a Windows computer, neither should you randomly approve applications' request for permissions. Most of the time, you really don't need to approve an app's request for premium functionality. Little things to keep your gadget secure will go a long way.
On the whole, the Android is possibly the fastest-growing platform as of the moment. Google currently boasts of 550,000 new activations daily. This means that 550,000 new users have opted to purchase devices powered by Android, and these are activated by Google upon the start of their use.
This is great news, indeed. The question is, would this info compel you to switch over to Android?
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