We commend Google for the wise use of the "kill switch."
The "Kill Switch," as we narrated the other day, is a remote admin functionality of Android for killing renegade apps that are data-mining malware in disguise. In short, the people in the Android labs in the Google campus have the power to uninstall malware from your Android gadget without your knowledge, and even without needing your permission.
So far, Google has exercised restraint on using the functionality, and only deployed it when malware apps and developers were found to be mushrooming in the Android Marketplace. So far, Google has been responsible and has displayed how it had its end users' best interests in mind. However, not a few people would be able to rest easy knowing that Google has all these "Big Brother" powers.
From Google Earth being able to take satellite photos so clear, burglars had been caught in the act, to your web history being stored in Google's servers indefinitely, and now, to this capability of the Android overlords to kill a few apps as needed on your Android device, how then would a security-needy individual be able to rest easy knowing that Google is truly capable of too much?
How about Google's motto?
Google has a corporate slogan, "Don't Be Evil."
It is what drives the company to create products and make corporate decisions with the end consumers ultimate good in mind. So far, Google has not been reported to abuse the data it has been a steward of.
Google's valor was shown in the case of Google user @thomasmonopoly's predicament. Dylan M., a.k.a. @thomasmonopoly on Twitter, had his whole Google Account locked. Data was thought to be lost as well when Google shut his account down. The reason for the lockdown was that one of the files in his documentary/research project was flagged by Google's algorithm for violation of the Terms of Service. Despite his initial outrage that created waves in Twitter and caught the attention of Google Senior Vice President of Social Vic Gundotra, his faith in Google was restored, as Google proved itself honorable when Google SVP Vic Gundotra personally called @thomasmonopoly and attended to the reinstatement of his Google Account.
This incident is one anecdote that shows that Google is committed to being responsible towards its customers. Despite the fact that user @thomasmonopoly did have a flag-able file, the purpose for which it was in his collection was for academic, documentary and clean reasons. After negotiation, Google showed itself honorable by reinstating @thomasmonopoly's account. Proof that Google is actively upholding its commitment to its motto, "Don't Be Evil."
Will this incident with a happy ending be enough to assure us that Google will not abuse its "powers"? Will the company's consistent exercise of good judgment, honor and commitment to its pro-user core values be enough to convince us that it won't turn into Big Brother anytime soon? Only time will be able to decide.
When the word "Android" is mentioned, all sorts of beautiful phones would probably pop up in your mind. Nowhere in your imagination might it occur to you about how it's made up of 11 Million lines of code, of how it is an open-source platform that's free and available online for download and customization, how it's developed by a tiny team of engineers in a sub-division of Google, or how it's an idea that was hatched on a beach in the Cayman Islands, by this guy named Andrew E. Rubin.
Andrew E. Rubin, or "Andy," as he is better known, had a distinguished career in the I.T. Industry. Not just a regular, ho-hum climb up the corporate ladder, mind you. He's worked with the best, as just his list of former employers and the positions he held will show:
- Carl Zeiss AG -- Robotics Engineer (1986 - 1989)
- Apple Inc. -- Manufacturing Engineer (1989 - 1992)
- General Magic -- Engineer (1992 - 1995)
- MSN TV -- Engineer (1995 - 1999)
- Danger, Inc. -- Co-Founder and CEO (1999 - 2003)
- Android, Inc. -- Co-Founder (2003 - 2005)
Today, Andy Rubin holds the title of Senior Vice President of Google, in charge of overseeing the Android project.
So he thought about the Android. So he co-founded the company behind the Android. So he had the guts to pitch the idea to Google and got more than the venture funding he wanted. Big deal. What's so special about this guy, aside from the fact that he did all that?
Maybe it's the fact that the Android had pulled the rug out of the major smartphone players, and like the proverbial dark horse that came up from behind and won the race, in less than 5 years, the Android, as a mobile device platform, has managed to wrestle 59% of the smartphone market share, helped resurrect dying companies (Motorola) and brought the smartphone and other "luxury" devices like tablets to a level that the Average Joe (or Juan) can afford, among other stunning accomplishments. How often does anyone obsess about creating a mobile device platform, dream about offering it as open-source software (meaning it's FREE and highly customizable), then revolutionize an industry, introduce a revolutionary, consumer-friendly business model, and change the world in the process? Not everyday, we bet.
But this is just the start. On Friday, we'll give you juicier trivia on the man behind the Android.
Resource:
Wikipedia -- Android
It started out as a dream hatched on a beach in the Cayman Islands.
Danger, Inc. had agreed with CEO Andrew E. Rubin that the company needed a new direction, and thus, a new leader. So what do you do when the company you helped build from the ground up fires you? You go clear your head in the Cayman Islands. It was there, on its beach, that the idea for an open-source operating system for mobile phones, came upon him.
Upon his return to Silicon Valley, Andy Rubin was on the lookout for investors who would be willing to provide venture capital for the new idea and the new company he was about to start. As he pitched it through his different prospects, he struck the mother lode when Google cofounder Larry Page not only loved the idea, he also bought Andy Rubin's new company.
What started out as a dream on a beach now translated into a 200-megabyte software made up of 11 million lines of code that now has a consumer base of at least 59% of the smartphone market share, with 550,000 new devices being activated every day, as of June 2011. More people are making their first smartphone an Android phone, and with the Android OS' seamless integration with all things Google, it's not hard to understand why.
One major draw of the Android is that its main kernel is based on Linux. Linux was the first user-friendly open-source operating system, and it has been known for its security and resistance to malware. Thus, unlike the Nokia Symbian platform, it will not be as vulnerable to mobile device malware. For those who have had horror stories of mistakenly downloading malware through bluetooth and seeing their smartphones be bricked thanks to that, this feature comes as a relief.
The second major draw is that the Android is not an operating system created for mobile phones; rather, it is an operating system created to power mobile phones and make them into handheld computers capable of surfing the Internet. Thus, the Android is all about multi-tasking and keeping a user connected to his online life.
And the third, and probably most important draw for the Android is its seamless integration with all things Google. More and more users have jumped on to Google because of its security and the applications and services it offers. With almost everything from bookmark managers to readers and even word processors and spreadsheets available as online apps from Google, there's no wonder why people are going on Google more and more.
From the OEMs' perspective, the major draw of the Android is that it is Open Source: free, and free for them to customize. This allows them to create devices without the need to develop their own platforms from the ground up, and therefore sell their devices at prices that consumers won't be able to resist.
The Android revolutionized how the Internet is accessed by the road warrior. More than that, they made the smartphone available to the Average Joe -- or Juan. An experience similar to the iPhone's iOS, at half, or even a third of the iPhone's price tag. With such pluses that are advantageous to everyone from the OEM to the consumer alike, you'd wonder why Andy Rubin didn't dream of this sooner.
Resources:
Ever wonder why the Android is named after such sinful goodies as "Cupcake," "Donut," "Eclair," "Froyo" (FROzen YOgurt), "Gingerbread," and currently, "Honeycomb"? Simple. It's in alphabetical order, just in desserts.
There's just something about avant-garde tech companies and their passion for all things unusual. Think Apple and its series of Operating System versions named after Big Cats (Cheetah, Puma, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Lion). And now, Apple-contender Google is following suit with an even quirkier series of OS version names.
The rumors are out: the next Android version will be named "Ice Cream Sandwich."
CNN Tech's John D. Sutter thought it'd be "Icee," but wethinks it was too corny for Google. Ice Cream Sandwich will not only make pundits, consumers, and even Google employees salivate with hunger, it also promises to set a new standard and direction for the mobile device platform.
Speaking of direction, one major concern for Andrew Rubin and his team was how the Android platform is fully customizable, the tweaks the OEM's developed on their OS may create icompatibilities between devices. Another concern was how the Android as a platform may degrade in quality thanks to differences between the companies' customization. Thus, there is a need for better quality control and compatibility standards.
Ice Cream Sandwich seeks to take steps in that direction, creating not only a set of compatibility requirements for companies to adhere to, but also to pose a formidable threat to the iPad and the iOS with its new features. After the big strides made by the Android from Froyo to Honeycomb, the Ice Cream Sandwich's new offerings is something we all have to see.
-"Ice Cream Sandwich" First Heard On Plurk.
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