Bonum Certa Men Certa

Android Watch: Android/Linux Endorsed Again by Apple's Co-founder

Time is running out as Apple's share slides

Mexico



Summary: A lot of Android news from the past week, focusing to some degree on the effect on Apple and Microsoft

WOZ (Steve Wozniak), who is best known for his technical role in the early days of Apple (he is not a marketing charlatan like Steve Jobs), has just made headlines [1,2] because he wants an Android phone from Apple. This is not the first time that Wozniak is publicly endorsing Android. Apple must not like it.



It is evident that Android is taking over many areas, some of which Apple really craved (television, watches and so on). Now that there is Android consolidation [3,4] and some old FUD becomes obsolete, there is increased focus on Android at LG [5] (which Apple imitated when it made its first iPhone) and the Nexus 5 runs on LG hardware too [6,7], making a highly affordable phone like much of the Nexus series (subsidised to a degree). At MWC 2014 almost everything was Android based [8] and the growth of Android benefits/improves greatly the presence of Linux on the Web (client side [9]). It's not just about tablets and smartphones anymore. Android is now growing on desktops and all sorts of devices [10,11], including embedded ones [12]. Replicant is maturing [13], providing a freer and more privacy-respecting version of Android, perhaps obviating the need for a Linux-based Android counterpart [14]. Android has so many powerful apps [15,16] and such a huge developers base that other OSes try to latch onto (Sailfish for sure, maybe even Firefox OS and Tizen). Even Nokia, led by Microsoft, is trying to lean Android's way [17] (going further than what Wozniak suggested). The reality of the matter is, Android is doing huge financial damage to Apple [18] and to Microsoft's operating systems monopoly [19].

It oughtn't be too shocking that Microsoft and Apple increasingly turn to the USPTO and ITC, trying to simply ban Android devices or at least tax them. Recently, a patent troll which Microsoft passed patents to did some serious damage to Google and as TechDirt put it, "Company That Does Nothing May Get Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars From Google" (it should be noted that the one thing this company did was get patents from Microsoft).

To quote the article: "The patent system is completely broken. Towards the end of 2012, we wrote about how a patent troll named Vringo, using some patents (6,314,420 and 6,775,664), had won a lawsuit against Google. Vringo was a failed ringtone company that had bought those highly questionable patents from the failed search engine Lycos and then sued basically everyone who ran a search engine. Microsoft agreed to settle (with a bizarre stipulation promising to pay 5% of whatever Google finally had to pay), while Google agreed to indemnify a bunch of the others that were all using Google's search under their own. The jury found that Google's AdWords product infringed, and gave an award much lower than what Vringo had asked for."

What's missing from this analysis is the passage of patents from Microsoft to Vringo. There is a world war against Android, which has pretty much taken over the world.

Related/contextual items from the news:


  1. Steve Wozniak wants an Android Phone from Apple
    Now, Wozniak wants Apple to work with Google and make Android iPhones. He says,“We could compete very well. People like the precious looks of stylings and manufacturing that we do in our product compared to the other Android offerings. We could play in two arenas at the same time.”


  2. Steve Wozniak thinks Apple should build an Android smartphone
    Yes, folks, this is real life. In an interview with Wired, at the Apps World North America conference, Steve Wozniak revealed his belief that Apple should create a phone using Google's Android operating system. According to him, "There's nothing that would keep Apple out of the Android market as a secondary phone market ... We could play in two arenas at the same time." As Wired's Mat Honan notes, the idea of such a handset wouldn't be technically impossible, but anyone who's familiar with the Apple of today knows that the chances of this actually happening are slim to none.


  3. Jelly Bean spills onto 60 percent of Android devices
    Analyzing Google Play data from the seven days ending Tuesday, Google's Android developer dashboard pegged Jelly Bean's collective reach at about 60.5 percent. Breaking down those beans, 4.1.x held the highest share with 35.5 percent, followed by 4.2.x with 16.3 percent and Android 4.3 with 8.9 percent


  4. Android users running old OS versions? Not anymore, say latest stats
    On the contrary, fully 62.5 per cent of all Android devices are now running any of the three "Jelly Bean" iterations or "KitKat," the brand-new version of the OS that launched last Halloween.


  5. Sprint Announces LG G2 OTA Update Enabling Sprint Spark Bands And The Accompanying Spinning Status Bar Icon
    Sprint's mobile data is typically not the first, or the second, or even the third to come to mind when looking for a zippy connection in the US, but the company is looking to change this impression with its new tri-band LTE network, more memorably known as Sprint Spark. Unfortunately, only a limited number of the carrier's phones are able to take advantage of this new capability, with some of them requiring an OTA before they're ready. Today Sprint has announced that the LG G2's update is on its way.


  6. The Red Nexus 5 is here in all its glory (Edited)
    In a released a statement, LG stated; “The Nexus line has always been about doing things differently and consumers who share this philosophy have been among our most loyal fans,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “We’re carrying this thinking over to the red Nexus 5, which we think will catch the eye of consumers who want to make an even bolder statement.”
  7. Google Nexus 5 vs. Apple iPhone 5s
    The Nexus line, which evolved from a developer's device to a premium phone, is now a serious threat to iPhone. But, the consumers don't care about the smartphone wars as much as we do. For them, it's a lingering question as to which phone to invest their hard-earned money into given that both devices offer spectacular features. So, if you're confused as to which smartphone to buy, here's a quick comparison between the two giants.


  8. MWC 2014: What gadgets to expect at this year’s show
    After launching the super slim Huawei Ascend P6 all the way back in June 2013, the Chinese company may use MWC to showcase the Ascend P6S.


  9. Cambodia Is Rapidly Freeing Itself From Wintel
    Cambodia is an emerging market and that other OS is sinking into oblivion pretty rapidly. “8″ is already swamped by Android/Linux, XP too, and “7″ is sliding rapidly. There is just no way for Wintel to keep up with sales of small cheap computers. In January 2013, the entire share of page-views counting desktops, notebooks, tablets and smartphones was 64.4% Wintel. Now, it’s 51.7%. That’s a 20% per annum decline. The tax is too prohibitive. Bundling the OS with the hardware doesn’t hide anything when there’s competitive hardware and software in the market. The positive feedback that locked the world into Wintel is now pushing the world away from M$. A similar pattern is emerging in Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and many other regions although less dramatic. It’s all good.


  10. MOTA smartwatch goes on sale for $50 at Groupon
    Next week, the price of the MOTA returns to $80, which, considering the prices of other smart watches, is still a steal of a deal. At the moment, the MOTA does not support third party apps like the Pebble or the Gear but it will pair with your Android or iOS device over bluetooth, which is more than we can say for the Gear (the Gear only pairs with certain Samsung devices at the moment). The watch vibrates to notify users of incoming calls and can display the caller’s ID or the incoming number. As is expected, one may control media playback on a phone or tablet using the watch.


  11. Streaming speaker has built-in Android touchscreen
    Auris, which already sells an $80 “Skye” WiFi music receiver and a $50 “FreeDa” Bluetooth receiver, is now prepping an Android 4.2.2-based portable combination speaker and media-streamer called Wily. The Wily device is launching today on Kickstarter with pledges set at $149 for the 8GB version and $168 for the 16GB model, and will eventually move to a retail price of $239 and $269, respectively, once the funding round is over. The devices are set to ship in June.


  12. Can Android Challenge Embedded Linux?
    A line should be drawn between true embedded Linux distros and Android's solitary distro adapted for embedded consumer functions, said Suse's Matthias Eckermann. He does not see Android going into enterprise areas involving integrated systems. "With flexibility, Android is one stack and one purpose. That is not the case with a full-fledged embedded Linux used for multiple purposes."


  13. Fully Free Android ROM Replicant Advances to Jelly Bean
    The Replicant project, which builds open source Android ROMs, has reached a major milestone in releasing its first Android 4.2 ("Jelly Bean") version. Replicant 4.2 adds support for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and improves security, among other enhancements. Replicant is part of a larger movement to develop more open source smartphones, including the SHR mobile Linux OS project and the Fairphone and Neo900 hardware/software projects.


  14. Will Android lose market share to other versions of mobile Linux?


  15. Keep Tabs on Income and Expenses with My Expenses for Android
    There are several traits that set My Expenses apart from the myriad of other expense tracking apps for Android. Firstly, My Expenses is an open source app, and it's available on both Google Play Store and F-Droid. More importantly, though, the app strikes a perfect balance between functionality and ease-of-use.


  16. 10 cool Android apps to start the year


  17. Nokia X (Normandy) specifications reveal entry-level Android phone
    We have been hearing rumours about an alleged Android-powered Nokia device for a long while. Until now we just had few random pics of the device codenamed Nokia Normandy. Our trusted source @evleaks has however managed to provide us with some idea about the internal specifications we can expect.


  18. Apple Results Q4 - Wow this was far worse than I thought...
    Ok then we have Apple (Samsung released Q4 numbers on Friday but as usual, they didnt' give us their smartphone number other than the total smartphone shipments were up.. I am projecting over 90M but lets see what the big analyst houses count for our number in early February)


  19. Will Android PCs finally destroy Windows on the desktop?
    Android is going to become popular with home and SOHO users. It's going to enable all those users who love Android on their tablets and smartphones to enjoy the same apps on their desktops.


Recent Techrights' Posts

Before the OSI Was Bribed and Hijacked by Microsoft via GitHub and Compromised Management...
The OSI isn't even remotely "woke"
The OSI Has Been Silent for Over 3 Weeks, It Has a Severe Trust Issue After Promoting Microsoft and Proprietary GitHub
OSI took a lot of money from Microsoft to become a Microsoft lobbyist
Bribery is OK If You Work for Microsoft (No Punishment Expected)
It's very troubling and a symptom of a broken society/system when particular laws or rules are applied and enforced against some people but not against others
Someone Should Remind Microsoft Lunduke That Microsoft Hires Many Sexual Criminals and Pedophiles as Well
Microsoft Lunduke on an "expedition" to find one or more perverts, then generalise to everyone in the "community"
Cash Machines (ATMs) Make Mistakes and They're Proprietary Software
Correcting mistakes is a colossal challenge
Yes, Microsoft is the Problem
"I am no MS shill."
Another Failed Use Case for Chatbots (LLM): Legal Advice and Analysis
They're just some self-discrediting toy that costs way too much to operate
 
Gemini Links 29/07/2025: Wayland Unfit for Use and LLM Slop Faking One's Language Skills With Robot Communications
Links for the day
Nailing the "Hey Hi" (AI) Hype Bubble
So-called "hey hi" as they define it now is all about large companies or regimes remotely controlling the processes running on your machine and even your very own behaviour on your machine, which is in effect no longer your machine but some remotely controlled apparatus
"Four decades; Four freedoms; For all users" Now as a T-shirt
That's shown along the sidebar
Links 29/07/2025: Bad Climate and "Fair Software Licensing" Blasts Microsoft
Links for the day
Links 29/07/2025: Data Brokers Gone Wrong/Rogue and "Copyright Thicket"
Links for the day
Slopwatch: Linuxconfig.org, Linuxsecurity.com, Fagioli, The Register
Today's "Slopwatch" isn't the first article about LLM slop
We Cover Topics Other Sites Are Too Afraid to Cover (Even When They Know the Facts)
It's not that they doubt the truth, they just realise there may be consequences for talking about it
They Try to Tell Us the Free Software Foundation Inc is Dying, But Its Revenue Doubled Since the Dot-Com Bubble Burst
Being in "Activism" is never easy; but it does positive things for society
It's About the Cost of Workers, Not the Fictional Skills Shortage (That Does Not Exist, the Media Spreads False and Sometimes Self-Fulfilling Narratives)
This issue isn't limited to computing, some dub it "globalism"
Links 29/07/2025: More Pushbacks Against Slop and More Praises of Tom Lehrer
Links for the day
Gemini Links 29/07/2025: Purple Yarrow and Understanding Op Amps
Links for the day
This Monday WebProNews Absolutely Flooded the Web With Fake (LLM Slop) 'Articles' About "Linux", Google News Promoted Them as Legitimate
All of the following are fake articles attributed to pseudonyms or authors that don't exist; the images are also slop. Why does Google promote these?
Linuxiac is Not a Slopfarm, But at Least Some of Its Articles Are Machine-Generated Fakes
what we said about it was correct
Expect More Microsoft Layoffs
"Are more job cuts coming?"
Microsoft Behaving Like It's Running Out of Money to Pay Salaries
Does that seem like the behaviour expected from a company which claims it is "worth" trillions?
LWN Downtime Due to Linode, Not LLM Bots
"I’ve received an email letting me know that there is a potential for data loss."
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, July 28, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, July 28, 2025
Nonfree Software in My Bank, by Richard Stallman
Updated 8 hours ago
Links 28/07/2025: Science, Health, and Conflicts
Links for the day
Gemini Links 28/07/2025: Healthy Self-Image With Autism and a "New Life"
Links for the day
Links 28/07/2025: COVID-19 Sped up Brain Aging, "Circumvention is More Popular Than Compliance"
Links for the day
Richard Stallman is Usually Right Because He Thinks "Outside the Box"
he is able to observe society (mores and norms) as somewhat of an outsider
LWN Has Been Down for a Long Time, Another Casualty of LLM Bots?
Time will tell. How much time though?
Slopfarms Versus 'Linux' (and Against People Who Write Real Articles About GNU/Linux)
LLM slop in slopfarms by Brian Fagioli and Redazione RHC
Gemini Links 28/07/2025: Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray and Running pkgsrc in a FreeBSD Jail
Links for the day
Microsoft Turns News Sites Into Spamfarms
Is the site The Register MS the next IDG?
The Register MS/The Register US
On Saturday I contacted them for a comment (before issuing criticism)
Hacking revelations at Vatican Jubilee of Digital Missionaries
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, July 27, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, July 27, 2025
The Week to Come
Planning ahead
LLM Slop Has Only Been a Boon for Misinformation Online
The very same companies that were supposed to maintain quality (again, not limited to Google with PageRank) are now actively participating in generating and spreading slop
When They Tell You It's Free, Does That Mean No Charges (If So, Who's Paying and Why)?
there's "no free lunch"
We're Going to Focus Less on the Molotov Cocktail-Throwing Microsofters and More on Patents
We can get back to focusing on what we wanted to focus on all along
Just Trying to Keep Web Sites Honest (Journalistic Integrity)
the latest articles in LinuxIac are real
Links 27/07/2025: Political Affairs, Data Breaches, Attacks on Freedom of the Press
Links for the day
Gemini Links 27/07/2025: Hot in Japan and Terminal Escape Codes
Links for the day
Links 27/07/2025: More Microsoft Layoffs Coming, Science and Hardware News
Links for the day
Links 27/07/2025: FSF Hackathon and "Hulk Hogan Was a Very Bad Man"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 27/07/2025: DAW Mixer Chains and Simple Software
Links for the day
The Register MS is Inventing or Giving Air Time to New Conspiracy Theories so as to Distort the Narrative As High-Profile Agencies Fall Prey to Microsoft Holes
But the problem is holes, i.e. Microsoft making bad products; the problem is Microsoft
Most Editors at The Register Are American, Including the Editor in Chief, a Decade-Long Microsoft Stenographer (Writing Prose to Sell Microsoft)
It's not easy to tell where the site is based (we tried) because it's hiding behind ClownFlare and CrimeFlare hasn't been well lately
Pushers of systemd Rewrite History (Richard Stallman Said UNIX "Was Portable and Seemed Fairly Clean")
Unlike systemd
"New Techrights" Soon Turns 2 (A Few Days Before the FSF Turns 40)
We have a lot more to say about LLM bots
When Silence Says So Much
Garrett, a 'secure' boot pusher, will need to defend himself in the UK High Court
The Register in Trouble
There is not much that can be done at this point
Trajectory of The Register: From News Site/s Into "B2B"... and Into Microsoft Salespeople
Something isn't right at The Register
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, July 26, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, July 26, 2025
Misinformation in Social Control Media
Social control media passes around all sorts of tropes
Slopwatch: Fake Linux 'Articles' and Slopfarms With "Linux" in Their Names/Domains
throwing bots at "Linux" to make some fake articles