Android phones, apps and tablets

Carelessphoneywhorehounds should be avoided.

Android Army Pumped for All-Out Attack on iPhone
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/10/phones/

Wired has gone downhill;

*"Soon, you’ll need more than two hands to count the number of Android phones on the market. At this rate, it seems inevitable that the number of phones running Google’s open source operating system will eventually outnumber the number of iPhones, which run Apple’s proprietary (and closed) operating system."

*Android is using open source licensing development, whereas Apple's iPhone platform is proprietary, although it's based on Linux, but both platforms are open, i.e. you can download, install and run apps on them.

I can't believe Wired are making mistakes like that in 2009.

andyp, Apple will sue anyone attempting to "open up" their OS for purposes of manipulation.

At the very least, they will void all warranties on the user's iPhone.

Linux is open, and so is Android (so to speak, insofar that public input is encouraged), but the iPhone OS is not. The public charters that cover Linux and to a lesser extent Android (as it is owned by Google, but publicly licensed) allow freedoms not possible with the Apple variant. There are enough changes in Apple's OS to allow them to not be part of the public charter, and to register their OS as being theirs alone.

I don't think WIRED failed on this occasion.

GA2G - no offense, but I've forgotten more about open source licensing than you'll ever know.

There are two kinds of open that they've muddled here;

1. An 'open' OS which allows applications to be downloaded, installed and run on the device. Symbian, Android, iPhone OS and Windows mobile are all open in this sense. Nokia's S40 and Sony Ericsson's OSE are not.

2. An 'open source' OS. This is licensed under a permissive software license that allows for access to, and modification of, the source code. Android is open source, using the Apache license, and Symbian is on it's way using the Eclipse Public License. Neither iPhone OS or Windows mobile are licensed in this way.

You've confused the latter with the former, as has the Wired journalist.

GA2G - no offense, but I've forgotten more about open source licensing than you'll ever know.

I like this. I like this very much. ;)

There are two kinds of open that they've muddled here;

1. An 'open' OS which allows applications to be downloaded, installed and run on the device. Symbian, Android, iPhone OS and Windows mobile are all open in this sense. Nokia's S40 and Sony Ericsson's OSE are not.

2. An 'open source' OS. This is licensed under a permissive software license that allows for access to, and modification of, the source code. Android is open source, using the Apache license, and Symbian is on it's way using the Eclipse Public License. Neither iPhone OS or Windows mobile are licensed in this way.

You've confused the latter with the former, as has the Wired journalist.

I'd love to say that you had cleared things up, but.............

"At this rate, it seems inevitable that the number of phones running Google’s open source operating system will eventually outnumber the number of iPhones, which run Apple’s proprietary (and closed) operating system."

Google's Android is "Open" in the sense that USA service providers are readying phones with their own flavour of android on them, that will NOT run certain other android specific software. This then "closes" the OS somewhat, even though the licensing says otherwise.

Am I wrong in saying that no service provider, or user, can alter the Apple iPhone OS in anyway at all? Is this not what the Wired journo and I were referring to? This then is the opposite of what is possible, and indeed allowed by the Android OS.

I love learning, so I am here to be taught.

Now, where's hippy?

What are you trying to get it to do? It seems to work for me. I only do simple stuff with it though, like turn the sound off between 11pm and 7am or set it to connect to work wifi when I'm at work and home wifi when I'm at home while leaving it off at other times to save battery power.

Cheers Hippy. Yeah I can get it to do the simple stuff fine as you say and for that it's pretty good. Thing is I'm working a lot abroad and what I really want to do is create manual sitations whereby I can say for example I'm in the Netherlands and it switches on wifi, changes the calendar settings and brings up a different set of widgets (e.g. weather). Weirdly I'm fairly sure an earlier version of it allowed you to do just that but they then simplified it.

Anyone know an app that can do what I'm asking?

I left the office at 12.30 last night.. got to bed at 2 and I'm back in front of the screen.. I'm not in a fit state to debate the nature of open/closed phone OS's. I can see where andyp is coming from but the quoted sentence initially speaks of "open source" versus "closed", so they could in fact simply mean "closed source" and don't feel the need to print the whole lot. I guess if you were an Apple dev who had your app rejected from the Apple app store.. you would consider their OS closed.

But anyway.. two double's in and I'm no more awake.

goodhead: Fixed locations abroad? Can't you do something like: "when in range of AmsterdamRedLightDistrictADSL do Dutch config stuff"?

If you're moving around all the time, then can't you use a radius on the map to set a group of policies?

I don't know about changing calendar settings or widgets, never bothered with that.

Also, check to make sure there's not a 'paid for' version that does more stuff.. they might've removed functions from the free version to make some cashola.

no one mentioned the motorola droid yet? It's getting a lot of attention at the moment (how much of that is due to the hardware and how much is due to android 2.0 i don't know)

An 'open' OS which allows applications to be downloaded, installed and run on the device. Symbian, Android, iPhone OS and Windows mobile are all open in this sense. Nokia's S40 and Sony Ericsson's OSE are not

Even in this definition of 'open', apple are pretty closed. Making app developers go through a strict vetting process and only allowing apps to run with-in their own sandboxes with a limited set of API's.

ps. I can download and install apps in my s40 nokia just fine.

Yes it was mentioned but VB threw a hissy fit and deleted a glorious week of posts..

Yeah, I could run Java apps on my Sony phones.

Please don't make me explain the difference between native environments and runtimes.

Come on, Andy. Do it. It'll be like you're working. But on the forum.

andyp, i am so glad that you are in this thread :)

what do you do for earning money?

all very well but where do you get the Belgian race car horn style ring tone?

the wat?

you know the car horn that race cars use in the TdF and all the big continental races...if you've been to one you'd know....it is availabke as ring tone...but I don't know where..

you know the car horn that race cars use in the TdF and all the big continental races...if you've been to one you'd know....it is availabke as ring tone...but I don't know where..

If it's the sound I'm thinking of, tow trucks in Quebec make the same one.

I'm not gonna do a textual phonetic impression, would be too embarassing, who's got it (sort of thing Hippy might have)...where do you get it?

Do it!

Does it sound like a klaxon for a clown's car?

Mmmm... Not out 'til early next year... Dunno if I can wait that long... :S

YouTube - Montreal snow removal - tow truck warning siren

similar...but not quite

andyp, i am so glad that you are in this thread :)

what do you do for earning money?

I work for a new open source foundation. You can work out the rest. :-)

http://www.sound-fishing.net/bruitages_klaxon.html

klaxon polyphonique à l'italienne 1
klaxon polyphonique à l'italienne 2

Hmmm....now I've heard these it's clear there is more than one...though these are incredibly evocative of continental bike races, not the one I had in mind....

http://www.klaxauto.com/3-trompes-tour-de-france-p-28.html

can anyone rip that?

also:

http://www.universal-soundbank.com/mp3/sounds/1807.mp3