The development of the Andriod OS is moving at the very fast pace. It began with the unnamed verson 1.1 in Feb 2009, Google then dropped the 1.5 version called Cupcake in late April. Andriods Cupcake only lasted 4 months, it was then replaced with Donut in September version 1.6. And that one really didn’t last long as it was replaced about 45 days later with version 2.0/2.1 known as clair (getting hungry?).

The wait between 2.0/2.1 and Froyo, version 2.2 was a bit longer, going from late October 2009 to late May 2010. this version was not brought out before Google announced in Feb 2009 they were on track to create a version called Gingerbread.

Android fans have shown confusion and dismay at the randomly changing OS landscape. App developers in particular are frosted that their apps can only be used with the most recent versions of the OS. Likewise with users who are creamed that they can’t get the app they just heard about because it’s not supported by the version of the OS that they currently have.

That said, as the OSs develop the features and benefits also increase. Users look forward to benefits such as:

· Increased performance capabilities

· Boosts in speed

· Faster browsing

· Ease of use

· Backups and restoring files

Despite the fact that most users are upset over the OS chaos, and their phone seem useless after 2 months, Google is still a success. It has only taken Googles Android 18 months to become an iPhone contender. This is quite possibly the reason why Android OS is just constantly moving. As the two battle it out for dominance over the smartphone world (Androids have recently overtaken Apple’s iPhones in the North American market), the rapid fire developments aren’t likely to slow down significantly.

That said, Google’s VP of Engineering for Android, Andry Rubin, has stated that in the near future, Android OS development will switch to a yearly cycle rather than the haphazard schedule it’s currently on in order to be much more sustainable: “Our product cycle is now, basically twice a year, and it will probably end up being once a year when things start settling down, because a platform that’s moving it’s hard for developers to keep up. I want developers to basically leverage the innovation. I don’t want developers to have to predict the innovation.”

One this is definate, Google has by staying open to the web and opening up it’s software to developers and handsets, has positioned itself to reaching a collosal potential audience. By maintaining its focus where it is already strong – in the world of search – Google is likely to continue to see success, despite its multiple dessert-like personalities.

The sources for the article are Virgin mobile USA and Virgin mobile.

In a League of Justice-like pile driver maneuver, corporate do-gooder Google hammered the capitalistic forces of darkness and boldly slashed it’s Nexus One mobile phone termination fees from $350 to a mere $150. The mind boggling awesome strike illustrates the search giant’s core values as embodied in their former corporate motto “Don’t be Evil.”

When the heroic Google launched the Nexus One phone the fine print of the user agreement revealed a cancellation fee that would cost customers $550. That included the courageous $350 equipment recovery which boldly matches the highest in the industry. While Google was well within the bounds of non-evilness for these minor fees because of the expense of there excellent and carefully planned customer service, the corporate overlords dictated that the fees be reduced.

Analysts speculate that this move was to counter the shadowy and nefarious group known only as “The FCC.” Two weeks before Google’s decisive blow The FCC issued a manifesto which claimed they were gathering “information about whether customers are adequately informed about Google’s Equipment Recovery Fee in connection with its offering of the Nexus One to customers who agree to a two-year contract.”

Although The FCC has been foiled again by our heroes, they escaped complete destruction and were heard to cursing our benefactor and vowing to destroy them and all other things good before disappearing into the night with a cackle of manically laughter.

Google’s stock, GOOG, traded at $532.75 a share at the time of writing this article.

photo credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfyoshi/

The developer of the popular Firefox browser, the Mozilla Foundation, has just announce the release of Firefox for Mobile. The newly released version currently exclusively for Nokia’s N900 smartphone/Internet tablet. Plans are in the works to release version compatible with Google’s Android mobile platform operating system and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system. None of Apple’s mobile devices (iPhone, iTouch, iPad) will be able to run the new browser because of the “inherent limitations” of Apple’s mobile operating system environment. Equally dissed  are Backberry users since their devices use a java based operating system incompatible with Firefox.

Firefox for Mobile sports bad ass Add-ons with names straight out of a 12-step program like: YouTube Enabler, Shareaholic for Facebook and Twitter abusers, and the Awesome Bar which apparently has nothing to do with alcohol (I checked).

But it does not run Flash.

This is the second poke in the eye this week for Flash whose owner Adobe claims to be the world’s most common software platform found on 99% of desktop computers. Early Steve Jobs was reported as saying Apple’s mobile platform will not support Flash because it too buggy.  At the same meeting anonymous sources reported Jobs said Google’s motto “Don’t Be Evil is bullshit.” Alternate anonymous sources report Jobs actually said “Don’t Be Evil is a load of crap.” Alternate, alternate anonymous sources report Jobs actually said “Don’t Be Evil is just the kind of pompous hubris that the sheeple love to eat up. I wish I had thought of it first.”

Google has issued a statement that it suspending the January 20 launch of its Android mobile phone products in China. The mobiles were developed in cooperation with Motorola and Samsung specifically for the China market and were to use China Unicom as service carrier. This leaves rival carrier China Mobile in position to expand it’s market advantage.

The phones use Google’s open source mobile platform similar to the Nexus One and Droid phones which marketed in the US. Google sources sated that it would be “irresponsible” to start service at a time when the company’s future presence in the country is in question.

Many commentators have tied Google’s threat to leave China with a corporate stance against government censorship and cite the company’s superseded motto “Don’t be evil.” Google has operated under censorship since starting operations in China 2005, and has been working with the government of China to restrict and filter search results in order to gain a foothold in this burgeoning market. Google has implied that the hackers who targeted the email accounts of Chinese dissidents were so sophisticated that they must have had support from some unnamed government.

In a bold act of commercial espionage, the hackers also breached Google’s source code repository, threatening the search giant’s core business.

The competition between Apple and Google is heating up. Apple has acquired Quattro Wireless for a purchase price of $275 million and they would now be building their own mobile advertising business for the iPhone and Apple tablet. This is a direct challenge Google’s mobile advertising business. On the other hand, Google has just launched its own Nexus One phone to much fanfare (and some might say typical Google hubris) and also opened its own new mobile store initiative.

In November Google acquired AdMob thus giving the pinch to Apple in the field of mobile advertising. This $750 million investment by Google is aimed at building up its a mobile advertising franchise on a large scale. Additionally Google’s Android platform is proving itself to be the most threatening competition for Apple’s hugely successful iPhone product line.

One reason for this is the potent software package that is Android. But another major aspect is that Google has decided to distribute Android freely to any mobile phone vendor. This strategy has consequences for all mobile carries such as Verison, Motorola, LG, Sony and Ericsson.

Apple is planning to announce the launch of its tablet computer in this month. Not so coincidentally Google’s Android would also be used as an operating system platform for tablet computers. Both Google and Apple want to convince game and application developers to invest their time and efforts in their own mobile platforms to increase the usability and options available for their users.

But in this area Apple has the upper hand. The strategy of both the companies is different. Google has adopted a policy of “openness” and free distribution, whereas Apple is following their corporate philosophy of very restricted and proprietary technological development. This conflict of strategies has fueled the cold war between the two tech giants, and is taking the shape of a direct head-on fight as Apple has fired a opening sdalvo by keeping two Google apps off its iPhone – Google’s Voice Phone Service and Latitude social networking service. This recent battle between the two companies led to the initiation of FCC investigation making the relationships between the two turning bitter.

Google is also adding fuel to the firefight with the launch of by Google of OS X via Chrome OS, a lightweight operating system for Web-focused computers. Additionally, Google is rumored to announce the Video rental service, which would directly compete with Apple’s cash cow iTunes. Another front in the war is the arena of e-mail. Gmail is Google well known e-mail service. But for just $100 a year, Apple’s MobileMe offers free unlimited e-mails and Web hosting space and calendar syncing, and more. Whereas Google’s Gmail, Google’s Calendar and Picasa are available free of cost to its users MobileMe offers smooth integration with Apple’s large iPhone userbase.

Google hopes consumers will opt for its Android Phone platform, which tightly integrates with Google’s Gmail and Calendar services and will feed their advertising revues. These skirmishes are soon going to develop into a battle royale between the two giants of Silicon Valley, and when they start competing in many other areas in the who is going to benefit from the fight? The consumer, of course.

photo credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/woodpool/ / CC BY 2.0