Bleeding-edge Android

Yes, I'm slow at adopting new tech nowadays. Finally got updated to Android v7.x/8.x. Got my step-brothers' old Nexus 5X, and yes; I know this particular model has hardware-issues.

This one however has been fixed. Faulty components have been replaced and a new warranty issued.

I didn't really worry about using an outdated phone (Nexus 5), since I had secured it as much as I would "be allowed". Yes, allowed. Our corporate overlords control more than you might think...

New smart-phone

Due to certain circumstances (shattered my Nexus 4 :P), I had to get a new smart-phone. I had already pre-chosen my make and model after testing a buddy's Nexus 5.

:) Massively content with CPU and memory performance, coupled with 4G (LTE) network-capabilities; a definite must-have for superusers and devs :D

It is driven by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 2.26GHz Quad-Core processor coupled with an Adreno 330 GPU supplemented by 2GB of LPDDR3-1600 RAM, 16 or 32GB internal storage and an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and an 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera.

It is also a rather great smart-phone for those who are tired of the typical bloatware (mostly user interface additions / modifications / replacements, and some resource-heavy services) on manufacturer-branded sets (Samsung, HTC, Sony, etc.).

---

"About" menu-page on Android L.

I wasn't in any way disgusted when it got upgraded to Android 5.x "Lollipop", also known as "Android L". But the 5.0.1-bugfix was dearly appreciated after struggling with battery-trouble on 5.0.

Software update popup on Android L.

Additions and modifications:

• GUI-modifications (there were a few, notice the navigation-buttons on the screenshots)
• new and better security-features
• and function-rewrites (I'm used to it, been using Android since v1.5).

Actually I was really impressed by the speed and performance of the totally re-written runtime format : ART (AndroidRunTime), which replaced DALVIK (from earlier Android-versions 1.5.x to 4.4.x) in v5.x and up.

LG Nexus 4

Yes, I know I'm late in the game for once :P I just recently got my LG Nexus 4 Android-phone.

I have to say, I have never had a phone I fell in love with this fast :) if this one breaks, I'm surfing online surplus-stores to find the exact same model again (unless there's a new better Nexus-phone).

It has some pretty impressive specifications:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro (APQ8064, 1.5GHz quad-core)
• Adreno 320 GPU (OpenGL ES 2.0)
• 2GB memory
• 8GB / 16GB internal storage (I got the 8GB-version)
• True HD IPS Plus 4.7" 1280x768 px display

All-in-all a great developer-phone with exceptional performance and a bright, clear display.

Only caveats so far is that the battery is fused into the chassis, there is no way to change the battery, you have to get a new phone. And it has glass on both the front and back, so it's recommended to buy some kind of rubber-shielding or (as I bought) a bumper-case to click onto the edge of the chassis.

Samsung Nexus S

--// Samsung Nexus S \\--

My next tech-upgrade, is the cutting edge smart-phone Samsung Nexus S.

As a collaboration between Samsung and Google, it's the next-step innovation in smart-phone technology.

My first Android-phone was the developer-phone HTC Magic ( non-Google branded B-revision ). It was a barebones Android-system without any major UI additions like HTCs newer Desire-models  (Sense UI).

From what I can gather, Nexus S is like the previous Nexus phone with updated components and firmware. Pretty much an updated developer-phone for Google's latest Android-platform: v2.3 "Gingerbread".

With an up-2-date CPU of 1GHz, codenamed "Hummingbird" ( ARM Cortex A8 ), the Nexus S is multitask-capable. Making it the most powerful Android-phone at the moment. The ARM Cortex A8 chip includes a co-processor: the PowerVR SGX 450 GPU for OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0 for enhanced 2D/3D mobile graphics and animation.

As a superuser, my previous phones have all lacked enough memory-capacity for my userload. The Magic had 192MB of userland-accessible memory, my current Desire-phone has 150MB userland-accessible memory.

Both Magic and Desire has expandable storage by using a microSD memory card slot. Magic can handle cards of up to 16GB capacity and Desire can handle up to 32GB capacity. The only problem with external memory storage is read/write-times while using externally stored applications, which at times would entail a lot of loading-time when using data-heavy applications. Instead of just boosting and mostly utilizing the userland-accessible memory that is incorporated into the chipset.

With the Nexus S they have eliminated these problems as the userland-accessible memory is a 15GB iNAND-partition :D It really doesn't bother me that the memory is iNAND and that it doesn't sport a microSD slot, in my experience, phones and memory cards don't always work all that well together ( mostly because microSD cards doesn't handle rapid mounting/unmounting good at all in my experience ).

I'm looking forward to getting my new smart-phone, and can't wait to play with new features and functions :p

Addition, april 23rd:

I have now been tinkering with the Samsung Nexus S for a few days, and I am one happy techie :)

It is excactly like I imagined it to be by reading the published specs online. Allthough the user-land accessible memory-partition wasn't 15GB, it was more like 14GB. And with one 1GB user-land accessible system-partition to support the restricted 1GB nternal Android-system.

512MB of dedicated Mobile DDR with the PowerVR gpu really boosted the animation speed and look. Even the startup-logo is pure eye-candy :p Google-logo fading into a Nexus "X" symbol animated with colored spiral-lines, niiice! :)

I can even store all the games I've bought from Android-market without worrying about slowing the device down like I had to with the Desire. All apps are installed, all my games, utilities, etc. And I haven't even used one gigabyte completely yet :D

Yay! Woohoo! Awesomesauce! ^_^

Go-go Andy, GO! ;D

"Andy" has definitely had an international impact on the mobile device market the past twelve months. Google cites statistics gathered worldwide, saying they're activating around 160.000 handsets each day - with a little 'math-magic' this equates to 58 million sold Android handset devices. To compare, 4 months ago these numbers were 20.000 handsets a day - 22 million a year.

All of this is only statistics, however, keep in mind that the Android mobile platform ranked on the top-5 smartphone sales list in only a couple of years - not a bad feat at all considering Microsoft and RIM has dominated this market for quite a few years already, not to mention the arrival of Apple's (dreaded?) iPhone.

Cudos to Google and the Google Teams for bringing us an open-source based solution that rubs shoulders with the biggest, baddest boys in the biz'.

I know I'm more than satisfied with my HTC Desire Android-phone :P

Android vs iPhone OS patching

I just finished reading the changelog for iPhone OS 3.0 on the Apple support-pages, and after reading the Google Android changelog from my recent Magic-update, Apple does not impress me that much anymore.

iPhone OS 3.0 (rls. june'09) had 38(!) vulnerabilities, many of them quite critical, whilst Android had a grand total of 2 vulnerabilities (critical announced ones that I can find online), which were even spread across 2 update-intervals 3 months apart...

1 of the vulnerabilities in Android involved applications having CAMERA-privileges without the user explicitly allowing it, and the other one involved maliciously crafted sms-messages that could reboot the device.

Most of the 38 counted vulnerabilities on the iPhone were critical. Involving post-actions ranging from a device-reset, to arbitrary code execution. What made me re-act was where in the system the bugs resided, which was just about everywhere!

The following sub-systems on iPhone OS 3.0 had vulnerabilities announced on the changelog: CoreGraphics, WebKit, ImageIO, IC for Unicode, IPSec, libxml, Mail, MPEG-4 Codec, Profile, Safari, Telephony, Exchange.

I'm really, REALLY glad I chose a device running an independantly developed open platform :) instead of a closed-source license-hog of a proprietary mobile overkill-system :P

Link:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3639

Ny oppdatering fra HTC til Magic

Inkluderes HTC sitt brukergrensesnitt "Sense UI"?
Dessverre, nei...

Er HTC Magic oppdatert til Android versjon 1.6?
Nei igjen...

Er det store forandringer i denne plattform-revisjonen?
Ikke vesentlige, nei...

Latterlig. Rett og slett.

Det eneste merkbare denne oppdateringen gjør, er:

• å luke ut bugs
• heve revisjonen fra 2.17.xxx til 2.40.xxx.
• gjør det mulig å ha norsk som system-språk.

Samme Android-versjon (1.5) og samme UI.

Nei, det blir nok rooting og mod-ROM flashing på denne gutten.
Dette holder rett og slett ikke i forhold til det utlyste fra HTC.

Oppdatering kl.09:32:

Oppdateringen gjorde det mulig å skifte system-språk fra Engelsk til Norsk, men det den også gjorde, var å begrense hvilke programmer en kan søke etter og laste ned fra Android Market(!).

Jeg fant ikke programmet "Spotify", som jeg har brukt siden September. Og etter mye om og men, måtte jeg surfe til hjemmesiden til Spotify og innstallere programmet manuelt direkte fra nettleseren.

Nå begynner jeg å føle meg lurt, og er voldsomt irritert...

Oppdatering søndag 1. oktober:

Oppdateringen ordnet noen andre bugs jeg la merke til siden siste oppdatering (Aug'09):

• når man sendte melding til en kontakt man ikke hadde sendt sms til før, ble det sendt 2 stk.
• når man forandret favorittlisten brukte telefonen lang tid på å oppdatere dette dersom en benytter Google Sync via nettet.

iDon't - iLOL!

Brilliant anti-iPhone campaign from Verizon :P

Android OS & security

Ok, so I've been ranting on and on about Apple's and Microsoft's bad patching habits the last 6 months. There's a reason for my constant nagging, and that is: someone has to make everybody using these devices aware about the vulnerabilities and security-holes, and the procedures that are in pace to fix these issues.

The average user does not even recognize, much less read about and/or research about such things.

Then it is really up to the geeks and nerds (like myself) to try to convey a simplified explanation on these kinds of things. And the Android platform is no exception.

Google's Android OS has seen even MORE security-holes and vulnerabilities than both Apple and Microsoft since it's initial release, BUT, the Google-team developing and testing Android has direct communications with oCERT (the Open Source Computer Emergency Response Team) and so receives regular updates on critical vulnerabilities in Android, which are then rushed for patching.

Just recently, oCERT discovered two rather critical issues regarding custom-crafted SMS messages that results in a mobile-network disconnect, and another where malformed applications can generate a DoS-condition; actually rebooting the device Android is running on.

However critical these security-holes where, they have been patched since the first v1.5 service release.

Not only is the response team rapidly patching the platform, but it is even pushing out the updates only to devices that are affected by existing exploits, proof-of-concept attacks are even patched before they're exploited in RL.

Link:

http://www.informationweek.com/

Android -- niche-market or mainstay?

As a lot of news-agencies are catching up (veeeeeery slowly) on the mobile operating system market, Android seems to gain serious momentum with the big OEMs (LG, HTC, Samsung, Dell, etc). Which is a very good thing. The more in-house developers make applications for Android, the Android Market builds up a quite good variety of applications and suites for Android-based mobile phones.

Now, time will show if different vendor's apps will work on different vendor-hardware. Which was one of Google's main goals in developing the Android platform in the first place, in addition to provide their cloud-services on mobile devices that is... And it seems the apps developed with Android SDK are cross-compatible with different hardware that has been released thus far. Let's just hope and cross our fingers (fellow Android-users) that this trend will continue, to enrich and empower the Android platform as a standards-compliant major mobile operating system..., instead of it just phasing into oblivion as "one of those mobile platforms that just didn't evolve into something BIG".

From my talks and discussions with friends and fellow geeks/nerds, it seems Apple is catching the mobile market in Scandinavia, but not knowing how many techies sitting in dark, dimmed rooms.., tapping their Android-screens and maybe even developing the next major innovative application, it's not going to present any valid statistical numbers until Google has released their collected download-and usage-statistics of Android.

So for now, we'll just have to kick back, and enjoy our Android-powered smart-devices.., and wait...

Android 1.6 'Donut' SDK

Android 1.6 'Donut' SDK is out!

Watch out for new APIs, functions, sub-routines and more ;D

New features added to the framework:

• Re-designed search-framework (allowing searching within applications, etc).
• Integrated "Text-to-speech" function (instead of installing a third-party library).
• An updated user interface for Camera, Camcorder and Gallery.
• VPN configuration options (allowing VPN connections to be made).
• New battery usage indicator (presenting individual apps power-usage).
• Accessibility framework (allowing for easy download and installation of accessibility-functions).

Developer-features:

• Application-adaptation for different screen sizes.
• Integration with the new "Quick Search Box".
• Building gestures for your application.
• How to use the newly integrated "Text-to-speech" function.

Link:

http://android-developers.blogspot.com/

Facebook for Android™

Hei hvor det går! ;D Da var native Facebook applikasjon på plass for Google Android også :P testing viser at denne offisielle appen er MYE mer stabil enn både "Babbler Lite" (som jeg har brukt) og andre tredjeparts applikasjoner.

Funksjoner inkluderer:

• opplasting av bilder
• posting på vegg
• sending av melding
• "Live Facebook Folder" *
• status widget

* Live Facebook Folder - er en dynamisk mappe som du kan legge på skrivebordet i Android og bruke til å hente epost-adressene og tlf-numrene til dine Facebook-kontaker.

Alt-i-alt en veldig intuitiv pakke :) men alt kan forbedres, og de har opprettet en egen gruppe på FB hvor en kan sende inn "Feature Requests" til utviklerne.

Android Market v1.6

Misnøye for Googles "Android Market" har tvunget frem rammeverksforandringer.

Google har innrettet seg i forhold til utvikler-/bruker-feedback, og videreutviklet Android Market for neste utgivelse av Android plattformen (v1.6).

Anmerkninger om nåværende Android Market (fra Matt Halls blogginnlegg):

• ikke mulighet for skjermdumper av applikasjonene.
• lite intuitiv navigasjon i forhold til det som er mulig.
• programvare som koster penger er bortgjemt.
• dårlige betalingsmetoder for overnevnt programvare*.

Disse er nå utbedret i den nye versjonen.

* Betalingsmetoden for Android Market er i skrivende stund KUN Google Checkout. Yngre/vanskeligstilte brukere som av diverse grunner ikke har kredittkort, har foreløpig ikke mulighet til å kjøpe programvare via Android Market.

Link til digi.no-artikkel:

http://www.digi.no/

Spotify @ Android

Hellz yeeeeah ;D

Finally, Spotify for Android is out!

But alass, my phone gives me the error-message: "Download unsuccessfull" after trying to get it from Android Market.

F***ing Market...

Update, 09:00

Ok, I found a solution to my problem, since it seems a lot of ppl have had the same issue. I basically found a truncated URL-link, downloaded the APK package to my SD card, and installed it via "AppManager" (available at Android Market).

Update, wednesday september 9th

Seems this has been an issue for quite a few people, and on the download-page for android @ spotify.com, they've even put this in the introductory text, offering a manual download link to the APK package as of version 0.3.20 (telling developers and owners of the G1-version to proceed using this manual option. I suspect my troubles are caused by me updating the phone firmware with a minor version-update from HTC, but I really hope this gets resolved in the 1.6-release).

Google's Platform Standard Wizardry

As a lot of people are becoming aware about Android, and Android-based smartphones, I was keen on researching the platform and internals of my own HTC Magic.

What I found surprised me. Google, who has always been in the "Big Internet gadget/search-engine company"-stall, has now also moved over to the ISV-stall (Independant Software Vendor), this stall includes big names such as IBM, Novell, Microsoft, Sun, etc...

I knew they had based the Android SDK on Linux (which in itself is a giant leap for commercial ISVs in general), but that they actually developed an entire programming framework had eluded me.

Sun Microsystems has long been the de-facto standard supplier of development frameworks (read: Java MobileEdition) for application development on mobile and embedded devices. But this could soon change because of Google's smart thinking and legal trickery.

Put quite simply, Sun has (for years) reserved total rights to profit from mobile/embedded Java development by restrictively licensing it's Java ME framework and the source for it's Java compiler ("javac"). Thus, only letting vendors that agree to legal restrictions on Java compilation for mobile/embedded devices charge for their own implementations of either the framework or the applications made with the framework.

With this in mind, Google (with it's newly announced "Google Code"-division) started development on it's own implementation of the Java-standard compiler, code-named 'Dalvik'. By forcing the compiler to *not* use actual Java bytecode, but, rather utilize it's own type of bytecode, also freed it from Sun's proprietary restrictions. And with further legal re-routes and smart licensing-combinations, Google reserved the capital rights to 'Dalvik', and also it's Android SDK as a full-featured mobile platform, making it an "open platform", ensuring developers total freedom by utilizing the Android SDK.

By also announcing the opening of "Android Market", Google made it possible for application developers to offer their apps free of charge for everyone, or to limit usage by charging for it. Basically, giving developers final word on their own creation.

For more intricate specifics on the legal aspects, read this article.

Hail HTC! ;D

I've recieved my new mobile communicator device :) the HTC Magic! ;D

HTC Magic nå i Norge!

http://gps.no/?p=3112

Nå har HTCs Android-telefon blitt bekreftet å komme på det norske markedet i løpet av uken ;) og jeg har allerede forhåndsbestilt min egen fra NetCom, avsluttet mitt nåværende mobil-abonnement og fått bekreftet nytt abonnement med fri dataflyt ;P ;D

*Gleder meg!*

HTC Magic til Norge!

http://www.digi.no/813241/htcs-nyeste-android-mobil-til-norge

HTC har nå bekreftet at de vil være den første leverandøren av smart-telefoner basert på Android-plattformen i Norge. Dette gleder meg noe helt sinnsykt, da gjenstår bare å se hvilke operatører som subsidierer innkjøp og salg av enheten(e). Har selv NetCom som tilbyder, så håper de ikke har brukt opp alle ressurser på iPhone-kampanjen.

Samsungs Android-mobil

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Google/?p=1397

Official news coming from Samsung says that they are releasing a new phone (the I7500) that runs Android this June. So far, the only company with handsets that run Android is HTC, but it sounds like that won’t be for long.

Så med andre ord, stemte det ikke helt i min tidligere artikkel, at den slippes i september. Ikke at dette er noe negativt i-og-for-seg ;P

Kommer i september, dette var visstnok resten av Europa...typisk.