I don’t understand why Google+ has to shout at me all the time.
I think it’s upset that I haven’t been there as often as I used to but this attitude isn’t going to win me back you know.
Dear Google, it’s 2012, stop asking people to install Flash. Yes, I’m in the HTML5 trial program.
Google Drive terms and conditions lets Google use your files even if you stop using Google's services
From the terms and conditions:
The rights that you grant in this licence are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting and improving our Services, and to develop new ones. This licence continues even if you stop using our Services (for example, for a business listing that you have added to Google Maps)
Zack Whittaker on ZDNet takes this paragraph to mean that Google may own your files. I don’t quite agree on that, but of course, terms of service documents can be as clear or vague as the reader makes it out to be. I think the key in the last sentence is the word stop. Does stop simply mean ceasing to login or does it mean after you delete the account? Even further, does it mean Google can use your files even after you delete them from Google Drive?
A statement from Google doesn’t exactly answer my questions.
New Google accounts now integrate Gmail and G+ accounts
Not sure what the big fuss is with Google’s new account creation.
When you create an Apple ID, you can use that for iTunes, iCloud, Apple Discussion Forums, and product registrations. When you create a Live email account with Microsoft, you get XBox live account, SkyDrive, device registration, etc.
So when you create a Google or a Gmail account, it makes sense to have all Google’s services tied into that one account. Makes it easier to remember login credentials. If you want to have separate logins for separate services, make separate accounts. Not hard and plenty of people do that anyway
Was searching on Google when it spewed that first notice and upon posting the screenshot to Tumblr, this happened.
Android fans wouldn't understand this reasoning
M.G. Siegler
I hate Android for the same reason that Severus Snape hates Harry Potter — the very sight reminds me of something so beautiful, that was taken from me. Except it’s worse. It’s as if Harry Potter has grown up to become Voldemort.
Why Android Tablets Failed
Jason Hiner for Tech Republic:
If we look at actually tablet usage, the numbers get really ugly for Android. Recent reports (like this one from ComScore) that track web traffic from tablets show that the iPad accounts for 95% of tablet traffic in the U.S. and 88% globally. That means that either Android tablet sales to paying customers are much lower than previously reported or the people who buy Android tablets aren’t using them very much, or a combination of the two. Whatever the details are, it’s an ugly scenario that means Android tablets have almost no traction in the market.
Samsung could be a threat to Google
Today’s Monday Note by Jean Louis Gassée sparked an interesting thought and possibility that Samsung is gaining a serious upper hand in the Android world and could use it as leverage against Google. Now why would Samsung do that?
At this point, Samsung probably wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the relationship with Google, after all, it’s selling tons of Android phones across the world and has become the number one smartphone maker on the planet because of it. Samsung owes a lot of that to Google.
On the other hand, it’s exactly this position that may allow Samsung to put pressure on Google. Samsung is large enough to dwarf its closest competitors and enough of an influence to pull off two of the three Nexus phones, the pinnacle and showcase of Android.
Holo or Bust
Holo is the name of the new interface for Android, introduced in version 3 (Honeycomb) and refined in version 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Apparently Google wants this made widely available across every Android device running ICS because since debuting in 2008, the interface for Android devices had been a mixed bag.
Every manufacturer pushes its own look, its own style, over the stock Android interface. Motorola has its Motoblur skin, HTC had Sense UI, SonyEricsson has Timescape, Samsung with its TouchWiz and so on.
Naturally every Android partner wants to have its own signature look to differentiate itself from its competitors aside from hardware specifications, designs, and features. What this brings about however is inconsistency across brands, although for the majority of consumers it might not matter too much. After all, how many people go through multiple Android devices in such a short time right?
Developers however, has had to make sure their apps work across multiple devices with multiple interfaces. Most of the time, this isn’t an issue but apparently some apps can experience glitches due to conflicts with the added skin.
Up to this point, only the Google sanctioned Nexus devices offer the pure unadulterated Android experience and interface. Those seeking to have this have been made to seek out Nexus devices which may not necessarily be available in their respective markets.
Now, Google looks to be taking a stand and trying to force partners to make the stock interface available on every device and those who are not willing to comply will have access to Android Market revoked. Quite a stance from Mountain View.
That’s not to say manufacturers all must abandon their own themes. All their standard variants can still be the default but Holo must be made available and usable by consumers should they choose to use it. In other words, stock interface will no longer be the domain of Nexus devices, which is great news.
Google released its latest numbers on Android distribution earlier this week and the numbers aren’t necessarily surprising.
Over 96% of Android devices are on Gingerbread or older. With 54% of Android devices running Gingerbread v 2.3.3 or newer, it may sound like a good news for Google but as it turns out, more than 40% are still on Froyo, or 2.2, or older, something from at least two years ago.
Android developers will therefore need to target v. 2.1 as the base OS for apps if they want to reach the largest potential user base, or 2.2 if they’re willing to cut 8.5% of devices still running Eclair.
The release of 4.0 back in October (which is really version 3 as far as handsets are concerned) means nothing to the greater Android installed base as it has not been made available for any Android phone aside from Galaxy Nexus. If you happen to have an Android phone from 2010, you may as well forget about 4.0 for a while as barely any of them will get it.
Corollary to what was discussed in my post on DailySocial the other day, there is simply no incentive yet for developers to target the latest version for the next quarter as handset manufacturers won’t have them distributed to their phones until then. That makes it five to six months since 4.0 was released.
API level is essentially the level of technological advancements that come with each version of Android. Version 2.1 has API level 7 while version 4.0.3 is on 15. That should give you some idea as to the limitations that developers will need to work with if they decide to target the older version.
On the other hand, since most devices won’t get 4.0 for some time, and that the majority are on 2.3.x, developers would be working with only two or three API levels behind. After all, levels 11-13 are reserved for tablets running Honeycomb (3.x).
Speaking of Android tablets, they make up only 3.3% of the active installed base in the last two weeks.
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