Bonum Certa Men Certa

Apple Feels the Pinch of Linux

Whitney umbrella
Section of the Whitney umbrella, an example of pinch point singularity



Summary: Android pinches to unzoom Apple's hypePhone, which was all about hype after all; competition within Android is growing

According to analysis from a Nokia observer [1], Apple is affected profoundly by the rise of Android, which is based on Linux as its kernel. The Nexus 5, with version "KitKat" of Android, is just one of the products that make hypePhone ('iPhone') seem overpriced and technically inferior [2]. Hardware support for Android is improving [3] and so are the applications [4,5] and functionality [6]. Security is reasonably strong [7] and Samsung, based on reports [8,9] wants to take Android to another level because there's increasing competition (Samsung's Ballnux has become quite expensive and Google helps partners like ASUS or its own Motorola). Little by little, as Android becomes the primary game in town, Apple is becoming the next Nokia. The big competition these days is among brands that sell Android, not between proprietary operating systems (definitely not as they are in the minority).



Related/contextual items from the news:



  1. Bloodbath Results, Latest Apple Quarter - More evidence of Peak iPhone


  2. Nexus 5 may be announced on 31st October
    The much hyped 24 October Google Play event turned out to be hoax by some blogger from Geek.com, but there is no doubt the next upgrade to Google’s Nexus phone is due. KitKat is already in work and this is that time of the year – just before the festival season when Google announces its new phones.


  3. Next-gen Cortex-R chips to run full Linux and Android
    ARM announced an embedded version of its ARMv8 architecture that will add virtualization and lightweight Linux support to the next of generation Cortex-R processors. The ARMv8-R architecture is 32-bit, but borrows features from the 64-bit ARMv8-A such as hardware-based virtualization and a more advanced MPU, enabling safety-critical embedded applications like automotive computers to run RTOSes, bare metal code, and Linux and Android on a single processor.


  4. Koush teases again: mirror your Android device in your browser (video)


  5. The 100 Best Android Apps of 2013


  6. 5 crazy things you never knew you could do on Android


  7. Contrary to what you’ve heard, Android is almost impenetrable to malware
    Until now, Google hasn’t talked about malware on Android because it did not have the data or analytic platform to back its security claims. But that changed dramatically today when Google’s Android Security chief Adrian Ludwig reported data showing that less than an estimated 0.001% of app installations on Android are able to evade the system’s multi-layered defenses and cause harm to users. Android, built on an open innovation model, has quietly resisted the locked down, total control model spawned by decades of Windows malware. Ludwig spoke today at the Virus Bulletin conference in Berlin because he has the data to dispute the claims of pervasive Android malware threats.


  8. Samsung seeking apps that are ‘more than just Android’
  9. Samsung wants Android apps that stand apart, starting now
    New software tools and a developer confab highlight Samsung's push to offer something different from all the other Android device makers. Think multiscreen.




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