Why Google Android software is not as free or open-source as you may think

Posted by Rochmad Sasono Aji on Sunday, January 26, 2014

The idea that Google’s automaton mobile code is each “free” and ASCII text file is thus usually recurrent that it's nearly a commentary of religion on-line. There’s just one problem: neither is strictly true.

While the essential automaton code is so offered for free of charge, and might be downloaded, compiled and adjusted by anyone, it doesn't’t embrace the apps that compose Google’s mobile services - like Maps, Gmail, and crucially Google Play, that permits folks to attach to the net store wherever they'll transfer apps.

Without them, a tool has solely lowest practicality.

To get the key apps, a manufacturer desires a “Google Mobile Services” (GMS) licence. GMS licences ar issued on a per-model basis. whereas Google doesn't charge a fee for the licence, one in all the integral steps within the licence-application method needs payment to authorised Android-testing factories. These factories, that embrace Foxconn and Archos, charge a fee for completing the testing needed to get a GMS licence, that the Guardian understands is negotiated on a item-by-item, per-manufacturer basis.
Google activates quite one million devices with GMS licences each day

The Guardian understands that in one example, testing prices $40,000, collectable five hundredth up front associate degreed five hundredth at the completion of testing for a model with an expected run of a minimum of thirty,000 units.

The source said Google and its testing partners were being intentionally vague about the very fact that a value is related to acquisition of a GMS licence, though the licence itself is free. “It could be a heap of cash they create, however you can’t see it anyplace as a result of that will tarnish their ‘Android open-source’ fate,” the supply same.

However, there’s no definitive list for GMS licence process; the authorised testing factories ar understood to vary this counting on the quantity of devices being ordered and also the size of the manufacturer or distributor. “Deals ar done on a personal basis and ar terribly opaque,” one supply within the automaton device community, UN agency didn’t need to be known, told the Guardian.

Google didn’t reply to an invitation for info regarding GMS rating, and there's no in public offered list on-line.
Haphazard and long

But the method of obtaining GMS licences seems to be haphazard and long.

“Installing Google Play without a GMS licence is prohibited,” the supply same. But, they explained, Google “don’t have the inner workforce to police it properly. It’s a volume game. massive OEMs [device manufacturers] pay. Smaller OEMs don’t register in Google’s microwave radar, and that they [Google] tend to show a blind eye. Retailers get pressured by legal OEMs to create positive bootleg installs of GMS ar weedless out. It’s nearly like crowdsourcing.”

That “crowdsourcing” looks to own been KMS Components’ downfall. Argos complained to the Welsh company that the MyTablet that it had provided didn't have a GMS licence. This was once Argos had in public promoted the pill as excitement a couple of “tablet Christmas” ramped up following Tesco’s announcement in Sep that it'd sell its Hudl 7in pill.

Although Google might get rid of injunctions to stop retailers commerce unaccredited tablets that embrace GMS, there’s no record of it ever having done thus. but in August 2010 Augen physics, the maker of a $150 pill being sold-out through the enormous yank distributor Kmart, dead withdrew it from sale there as a result of it enclosed “unauthorised versions” of the GMS suite.
Compatibility club

Separately, trial documents free from a dispute between Google and Skyhook, a supplier of location services, in 2011 disclosed internal emails within which Dan Morrill of Google told another staff member that it’s “obvious to the OEMs that we have a tendency to ar victimisation [GMS] compatibility as a club to create them do what we wish.” Motorola, then associate degree freelance company, told Skyhook that automaton devices ar “approved primarily at Google’s discretion”. Skyhook had wished automaton device manufacturers to use its location service instead of Google’s.

Android compatibility testing could be a key precursor step to being awarded a GMS licence. however such testing, and after obtaining a licence from Google, are often a take a look at in its claim, sources say. One represented having to require the matter up with a senior Google vice-president to urge the GMS licensing approved. “Smaller OEMs lose out, as they need a tough time obtaining the GMS licence, and thus have very little various however to travel while not it,” the supply same.

Yet it is doable to bypass that. End-users will de jure install the GMS suite of apps if they savvy to.

The idea that automaton is “open source” is partly true: the ASCII text file for the code is offered on-line, via Google’s servers, and anyone will transfer it and create changes - as Amazon, for instance, has done to form its own version for its Kindle line of tablets.

But unlike the vast majority of widely used open-source projects such as Linux, MySQL, PHP or Python, that welcome outside contributors, solely folks operating within Google will create changes that may become a part of the long run direction of the code. Device makers UN agency need to urge the future version of automaton ought to stay up for it to become offered from Google’s servers.
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It's Facebook vs. Princeton in study smackdown

Posted by Rochmad Sasono Aji

It's a web feud between polar opposites: geographical area vs. West Coast, old-fashioned vs. new media, conference mien vs. geographical region geekery.

In one corner is Princeton University. within the different, Facebook.

At stake is that the quality of Princeton's analysis and -- gasp! -- the longer term viability of Mark Zuckerberg's network. Or, at least, the hearts and minds of the thousands of observers taking sides on social media.

It all started last week once a bunch of Princeton researchers revealed a paper that urged Facebook may lose a walloping eightieth of its users by 2017. They based mostly their projection on epidemiologic models, usually accustomed chart the unfold of unwellness, victimization the ending of Myspace as a case study.

Data "suggests that Facebook has already reached the height of its quality and has entered a decline section," the researchers wrote within the paper, that has not been peer-reviewed.

Recent analysis has urged, and Facebook has admitted, that younger users square measure abandoning Facebook for different social platforms. Even so, several observers were skeptical of Princeton's methodology.

"It's Associate in Nursing recent print media trick: simply add the words 'research' or 'study' to a sensational claim for immediate quality," wrote Slate's can Oremus, UN agency criticized news shops for news uncritically on the paper. "Best of all, you are exculpated of any responsibility for corroborative its truth, since everybody is aware of journalists are not qualified to dispute scientific findings."

On Th, Facebook dismissed back. however rather than a canned statement or a point-by-point renunciation of the researchers' ways, they took a a lot of puckish tack.

"Using identical sturdy methodology featured within the paper, we have a tendency to tried to search out out a lot of regarding this 'Princeton University' -- and you will not believe what we have a tendency to found!" Facebook knowledge individual microphone Develin wrote during a web log post on his page.

An examination of Facebook and Google patterns spells unhealthy news ahead for the university, Develin aforesaid, tongue firmly planted during a barbed cheek.

"This trend suggests that Princeton can have solely [*fr1] its current enrollment by 2018, and by 2021 it'll haven't any students in the least, accepting with the previous graph of intellectual scholarliness. supported our sturdy scientific analysis, future generations can solely be able to imagine this now-rubble establishment that after walked this earth," he added.

"Although this analysis has not nevertheless been peer-reviewed, each Like for this post counts as a referee. begin reviewing!"

By Fri afternoon his post had attracted over eight,100 likes and comments like "well played!"

"You return at the king of social media, you best not miss," wrote Chris Taylor on Mashable. CNET referred to as it "the comeback of all comebacks."

The smackdown conjointly spilled over to Twitter, wherever the Huffington Post referred to as it a "nerd brawl" and most observers gave credit to Facebook for having a way of humor.

A Princeton University interpreter didn't right away respond Fri to CNN's request for comment.

In reality, neither establishment is at risk of atrophy any time before long. Princeton received twenty four,498 candidates for its current freshman category and accepted solely seven.4% of them, making certain its standing together of the nation's elite universities. And as of Sept 2013 Facebook had one.2 billion monthly active users.


Source : cnn.com
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Apparently This Matters: A ghost ship with cannibal rats

Posted by Rochmad Sasono Aji

The kind you watch once it is a Friday night, you are feeling lazy, and, American state look! A bucket of hummus!

That kind of moving-picture show.

A ship. Lost embarrassed. Abandoned by all humans. Floating unbound into the fog. plagued with many anthropophagus rats. Slowly and hazardously drifting toward shore.

But, you see, this is not a moving-picture show. this can be extremely happening.
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"Apparently This Matters" Is Jarrett Bellini's weekly (and somewhat random) examine social-media trends.

Maybe.

The big concern is that this fully real ghost ship may really be able to hit land and unleash rat-feces-palooza on the individuals of eire or the united kingdom, who are, no doubt, simply innocently going concerning their day, doing no matter it's those individuals do. Like building pretty stone fences and contention with sheep.

(By the way: If Rat-Feces-Palooza is not already an enormous concert event, it ought to be. Tweet your decide for headlining band with #RatFecesPalooza.)

So, here's what happened.

Back in 1976, a 4,200-ton liner referred to as the Lyubov Orlova was in-built Yugoslavia and was specially designed to sail Russia's elite travelers round the coldest regions on Earth.

Because, you know ... Russia.

Why head to the Greek Islands after you will pay seven days floating next to Associate in Nursing iceberg lined in seal turds?

Eventually, though, the personal homeowners of the ship racked up an excessive amount of debt, and, in 2010, Canadian authorities condemned the vessel, that had been docked in St. John's, Newfoundland wherever it absolutely was, presumably, quite bored.

Two years later, the Canadians sold it for scrap and commenced transportation the recent lady right down to the land therefore it can be razed and probably was steel drums.

But then, only 1 day once deed port, the line snapped in significant seas, and also the Lyubov Orlova determined to piss off across the Atlantic. together will after you don't have anything higher to try to to and you are a boat.

"(Sigh) i'd wish to have seen MT."

Eventually, another Canadian ship was sent bent on corral the contrary vessel in what will solely be delineated because the slowest, crappiest, worst-attended rodeo of all time. however once captured, the Lyubov Orlova was safely hauled farther bent on ocean, far from Canadian oil rigs.

And then they merely style of cut it loose in water. Because, hey, what is the worst that would happen?

Transport North American nation, the govt. department chargeable for roads and planes and trains and SHIPS you only LET get lost INTO THE OCEAN, assured its voters that the Lyubov Orlova "no longer poses a threat to the protection of [Canadian] offshore oil installations, their personnel, or the marine setting."

As for everybody else and also the many pathological anthropophagus rats floating round the Atlantic?

"Soory 'boot that, eh."

And, so, the 295-foot ship goes slippery by. Free!

But then, in March 2013, 2 lifeboats suddenly fell off the ship and landed within the water. This mechanically triggered warning signals that alerted authorities that, holy crap, this issue had floated common fraction of the approach across the Atlantic and was heading straight toward Great Britain|kingdom} and Ireland.

So, measuring device operators and pilots went craving for the ship. and that they could not realize it. And, now, months later, many news agencies ar news that the Lyubov Orlova may really still be intact and obtaining nearer to land.

Probably with rats.

Canada's National Post explained that the vessel just about Sabbatum on it's fat, metal meddle that dock in Newfoundland for over 2 years, "virtually guaranteeing" that the ship is plagued with many these very little bastards. And since there isn't any food on board, the rats have possible turned on one another.

"Damnit, Reggie!"

"Soorry."

The big concern, now, is that a monster storm may provide the ship the additional push it has to finally create landfall. However, individuals ar still hopeful that they'll corral it embarrassed long before that truly happens. within which case, scrap haulers can have to be compelled to jump on board and subsume the rats. that looks like a stunning thanks to pay a day.

But it is also doable that none of this may happen.

The Irish Coast Guard recently discharged a press release saying: "There isn't any additional action needed by eire and there are not any reports and sightings."

And the GB Maritime and armed service Agency pointed out: "We have received no according sightings of the vessel since April last year."

Helping to calm fears even additional, the BBC reports that maritime analyst Richard Hurley believes the vessel has most likely capsized and is currently resting at very cheap of the ocean.

(Where, I'm told, rats cannot live.)

"There was a report of a EPIRB signal from her," Hurley same. "That's Associate in Nursing emergency beacon that ordinarily solely activates once the ship has really washed-up."

And if you are still involved, simply recognize that the official voice for British Prime Minister, David Cameron, says that this threat is not a government priority. once asked if the Navy ought to intervene, he merely same, "Gosh, we're virtually during a B-movie script development meeting here."

Pass the hoummos.


Source : cnn.com
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Apple: We're fixing the 'white screen of death'

Posted by Rochmad Sasono Aji on Saturday, January 25, 2014

Since Apple free iOS seven, its fully revamped software for the iPhone, reviews are mixed however largely positive. However, a fault that has quietly overrun iPhone users — the "white/black screen of death," a bug that dead soft reboots the smartphone — can finally be addressed in a very future iOS seven update. "We have a fix in Associate in Nursing forthcoming computer code update for a bug which will often cause a home screen crash," Apple interpreter Trudy Muller told Mashable. Some of the primary reports of the fault began to turn up as early as Gregorian calendar month on Apple's discussion forums, and after appeared on numerous social media channels like Twitter. Based on numerous reports, the colour of the boot-up screen depends on the colour of your iPhone's face. A white iPhone face produces a white boot up screen with a black Apple brand, whereas a tool with a black face produces a black screen with a white Apple brand. The fault seems to have an effect on any iPhone running iOS seven, with some users reportage that the fulminant movement off happens once the iPhone's battery dips down into the half-hour level. The update is reported to land aboard iOS seven.1, that is presently in its fourth beta with developers. additionally to fixing the "white screen of death," iOS 7.1 is anticipated to bring some minor UI and style changes.
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Posted by Rochmad Sasono Aji on Friday, January 24, 2014

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