Google's AndroidOS, Trying to Right a Wrong While Stying Ahead

For years Google has been pitching Android as the yin to Apple’s iOS yang, in that Android is “open” software free from the types of “closed” restrictions that Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) places on iOS development.

Will the Internet Run out of Addresses? By Discovery News

The well of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses has run dry -- for the most part.

Rogue Android app texts humiliating messages Part 2 of 2

This is a continuation on a post published yesterday.
Tanmazov, Walk and Text's developer, has denied any connection to the Trojan, and has threatened to sue AVAST Software, a Czech Republic-based security company that first blogged about the rogue version of his app more than a week ago.
In a message posted on the Web, Tanmazov accused AVAST of publicizing the Trojanized version of his app to promote their mobile security software.
"We wonder why only anti-piracy companies have interest in writing blogs about pirated apps they find on illegal sources and are trying to spread fear among the normal 'Android Market' customers," said Tanmazov.
In an e-mail reply to a request for comment, Tanmazov again denied any link to Android.Walkinwat and elaborated on his frustration that criminals had hijacked his reputation. "This is not the way we fight against piracy," Tanmazov said.
"[And] we have absolutely no control over anything other than what is on the Android Market. This file is all over the place now, Torrents, forums, and there is nothing we can do about it," said Tanmazov.
The real Walk and Text app on the Android Market does not contain the malicious code and features of the Trojanized Android.Walkinwat, Google confirmed today.
This isn't the first time that malware-filled Android apps have cropped up. Earlier this month, Google was forced to yank more than 50 infected applications from the Android Market.

Zeichick’s Take: If you can’t innovate, litigate By Alan Zeichick

Zeichick’s Take: If you can’t innovate, litigate

 

By Alan Zeichick

  March 31, 2011 —  The lawsuits flying around Silicon Valley are getting ridiculous.

• Microsoft is suing Barnes & Noble because Microsoft says that Android infringes Microsoft patents, and B&N’s Nook e-reader is based on Android. Thus, B&N must be forced to license Microsoft patents.

• Oracle is suing Google because Oracle says that Android’s Dalvik Java Virtual Machine infringes some of Sun’s JVM patents.

• Apple is suing Amazon.com because Apple says that “App Store" is an Apple trademark, and thus Amazon must not use “Amazon Appstore” for its Android, well, app store.

• Microsoft is suing Apple because Microsoft says that Apple's “App Store” trademark uses generic English words, and thus shouldn’t be trademarked. Of course, Microsoft has rigorously defended its trademarks of Windows, Word and Office.

• And, yesterday, Microsoft filed a European antitrust complaint against—guess who—Google.

The latest Microsoft complaint is fascinating, as it reveals that as worried as the company's been about search, it’s also concerned about Windows Phone. According to this post by Brad Smith, Microsoft’s General Counsel, there are six allegations:

1. Google’s search engine has an unfair advantage over Microsoft’s Bing and other search engines when it comes to crawling YouTube content.

2. Google refuses to allow Windows Phone to access YouTube metadata, but allows Android and iPhone devices to do so.

3. Google is attempting to block access to content owned by book publishers by seeking exclusive rights to scan and distribute so-called orphaned books: those still under copyright, but for which the copyright owner can’t be found.

4. Google unfairly restricts its advertisers’ ability to use data and analytics in an interoperable way with competing search platforms, specifically Microsoft’s adCenter.

5. Google contractually requires European websites that use a Google search box from also using a competing search box. Microsoft says this not only freezes out Bing directly, but also blocks Web publishers from using Windows Live Services, which embeds a Bing search box.

6. Google discriminates against its own competitors (like Microsoft) by making it very expensive for them to buy good ad positions using Google’s ad tools.

Is there any truth to these allegations? That’s for the European Commission to decide. But what it all comes down to is: Microsoft can’t compete, so it’s going to the courts. The company has the right to sue, of course. But I hope that if Microsoft succeeds in overturning Apple’s “App Store” trademark, the decision is broad enough to overturn Windows, Word and Office as well. Fair is fair.


Written by:  Alan Zeichick; SD Times

Nokia bought out by Google???

After a turbulent ride for Nokia in recent months, with share prices falling rapidly due to uncertainty about its future, it seems the deal between Nokia and Microsoft is officially off.

And, in a surprising turn of events, the Finnish mobile phone maker that shunned Android in favour of Windows Phone 7 has opted to merge with Google instead.

The deal is worth ‘a lot’ according to a Nokia spokesperson, but it must be completed by no later than 12pm today in order to be legally binding. Otherwise Nokia will be left out in the cold with no smartphone strategy at all, forcing the company to return to selling toilet paper.

The combined company will become known as ‘Nookle‘, after threats of legal action from Gok Wan over the other possible name, Gokia.

It remains to be seen how long it will take for people to get used to ‘Nookling it’ or finding their way around with ‘Nookle Maps’. However one long-time Nokia fan told What Mobile that the name ‘Nookle Maps’ was a far better name than ‘Ovi Maps’, which according to him: “sounded like some sort of made up joke name”.

Microsoft vs. Google in...Belgium???? Part 1

At first, it's a bit jarring to see Washington-based Microsoft press its unfair competition claims against California-based Google in Belgium. But Microsoft picked Europe as the latest venue in its fight with Google for the simple reason that it's more likely to get quicker action from European regulators who've been more prone to reel in dominant companies.

Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith disclosed the filing with the European Commission in a blog post last night. Microsoft is alleging that Google is unfairly competing in European markets by rigging its search algorithms, ranking its own services higher than rival products, and impeding access to YouTube content, making it harder for alternative search engines to find videos.

Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith

(Credit: Microsoft)

There are plenty of reasons for Microsoft to press its case in Europe rather than the United States. To start, Microsoft filed its complaint there because European regulators have already opened an investigation into Google's conduct. In addition, Microsoft has learned from its own battles with European regulators that the burden to prove anticompetitive conduct is often lower in Europe than in the United States. That's particularly true with the kind of case Microsoft is hoping the European Commission will bring.

"Microsoft has a much better shot at this in the European market," said Herbert Hovenkamp, a professor of antitrust law at the University of Iowa College of Law. In Europe, companies with dominant market positions have a duty to share technical data that rivals need to compete. So when Microsoft alleges that Google won't share technical data to help it examine and index information on services such as YouTube, it may very well find favor with the European Commission, Hovenkamp said.

Firefox 4 vs. IE9

{Before you read the reviews, I have no personal experience with the new browser updates.  I have no intentions of ever updating my Internet explorer as I never use it.}  FireFox 4 beat IE9 in first day downloads this week.  Last week when Microsoft unveiled Internet Explorer 9, the company announced that the new browser was downloaded 2.35 million times.  Now that might seem like a lot but in FireFox 4's first 24 hours, Mozilla has reported that the new open-source browser was downloaded 7.1 million times.  Unfortunately for Mozilla, that is less than FireFox 3 had in its first 24 hours.  When Mozilla unveiled FireFox 3 in 2008, it was downloaded 8 million times.
You can find more information on the browser wars at http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/browsers/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=229400258&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All
{Even with the new updates, I am not persuaded to move from Google's Chrome browser as my main browser.  Although I am interested in looking at the new FireFox 4 just to see what it is like.}

Update on the Crisis in Japan

Japan's Prime Minister is saying that the situation with the nuclear reactor is 'very grave'.  http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/east-pacific/Japan-Raises-Severity-Rating-of-Nuclear-Disaster-118228669.html

Update on the Crisis in Japan

Japan officials have suspended helicopter operations that have been dumping water on the Fukushima Nuclear Reactor that is undergoing cooling problems.
Here is a link to ABC News:  http://abcnews.go.com/International/japan-nuclear-crisis-helicopters-operation-cool-fukushima-nuclear/story?id=13154536
Here is a link to howstuffworks.com:  http://science.howstuffworks.com/japan-nuclear-crisis.htm

Interesting News

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20043049-1.html

Update on the Crisis in Japan

A week after the 8.9 earthquake in Japan, there are now questions abounding about how safe the nuclear reactors are. We could very easily see a nuclear crisis unfold if the reactors take too much more damage.  Here is a link to the Huffington Post about the dangers Japan could be facing.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lloyd-j-dumas/shadow-elite-safe-nuclear_b_835820.html

Earthquake in Japan

Japan Tsunami Causes Major Damage After 8.9 Quake - ABC News