Google Play gets serious about content rating

And introduces global age based app rating system.

Google has announced the introduction of a new rating system for games and apps on Google play. This rating system is set to kick in by May 2015. All the developers are expected to update their apps with this new rating system else their apps will be marked as unrated and may not reach the intended audience.

According to the tech giant, Google Play's new rating system will also include official ratings from the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) and its participating bodies, with territories not covered by a specific ratings authority to display an age-based, generic rating.
Google Play, Google's marketplace for Android application reaches over a billion people in 190 countries. Google began reviewing the apps a long pending demand by its users. Apple in turn has always been reviewing apps however google left it open for developers that came in for criticism from its users. This has come just a month after it was forced to pull down handful of apps for spreading adware and malware. However it been a trigger for tremendous increase in the number of apps listed in Google Play. How this new rating system will effect the developers is to be seen.
Even if you have some apps already in the store, you need to fill in a questionnaire. Apps that are unrated wont be displayed in stores requiring age ratings. So its in the best interest of the developer to rate their apps before May 2015.

The rules of the game are being changed. Its best to be prepared. We will review the rating system once again in May after it kicks in to explain its effects.

Extracting APK from device

Extracting an APK file from your android device is very easy. However if you check the android forums then the method mentioned there will ask you to root the device or install custom apps.

Here I explain a method to extract APK from your un-rooted device directly without the need to download any app. You just need to download the SDK and use adb (android debugger) present in the platform-tools folder.

1. First step is to connect the device and make sure it is recognized. If the device is not recognized then the device driver has to be installed. Run adb or the command adb.exe devices and make sure it is recognized.

2. List the apks present in the device by running the command mentioned below.
"adb.exe shell pm list packages"

3. Get the exact path of the app you are interested in by running the command
"adb.exe shell pm path com.example.someapp"

4. Using the exact path of the app
"adb.exe pull /data/app/com.example.someapp-2.apk C:/Users/.../Desktop/myapp.apk"

This will copy the apk directly to your desktop.

android platform mobile handsets - experience publising your first android app

Publishing a new android application on google play is very simple.

1. write your application. There are already may blogs and ready documentation on this so wont go into the details here.

2. Generate the signed APK. If you are using eclipse this is pretty straightforward. You only need to export the application using a keystore (for the first time you need to generate it).

3. Test the APK generated on the device.

4. Go though the publishing checklist. This will help you decide on ithe various publishing options.

5. Create the publisher account (if you are going to publish in google play). To register as a publisher you need to pay $25. This can be done through your visa/master credit cards.

6. Submit the application: After creating the account you can give the description of the application and submit it within the publisher account. The application will go live within a matter of few minutes.

 Link to my first android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=myfone.vishnu.sahasranama

These are the minimum list of the things that you need to do to publish your app. However there are other features like IP protection, app statistics, future support etc that you need to think about before publishing your app.

There are some android tools that are useful like this one for image processing asset studio

App statistics: Google has the google analytics that available for free by google. This can be integrated with your android app to get the app statistics.

Also for submitting the app you need to publish some screenshots. Capture screenshots instructs you how to capture screenshots from your android phone.

Marketing: When you publish your app you also need to think about how would you like to market the application. Option to rate your app is a must as this will definitely drive more people into your application. Also if you have a link to provide feedback you can get inputs as to how to improve your app.

Advertizing: If you would like to place some advertisements then you can sign up for admob or other advertising solutions.  

Android platform mobile handsets - Google Glasses - augmented reality internet connected glasses

Google is working on its augmented reality based internet connected glasses. Augmented reality is a feature where virtual things are posted on top of real world like the ones seen in futuristic robotic movie. This can now become a reality in not too distant a future.

Google released a video indicating its intentions of what it would like to achieve in the near future. The project is still in the preliminary stages and it looks like google was trying to see the market reactions about it.

Wait a minute. Its not only goggle which is trying to enter this business. Apple is not too far behind either.

Augmented reality was introduced way back in 1990s. Earlier augmented reality was only about capturing pictures and video and feeding it to specific software. The internet connectivity wasn't that fast and good as it is now. However when virtual world and real world meets the internet it can come up with cool applications like the one shared with the goggle video. In this video goggle is trying to help the user take the best route to his destination, give up different nearest outlets to eat a burger, video chat on the move etc. All these applications look very cool.

Should you be all excited about goggle glasses. The main target of these applications is obviously the money that goggle earns in terms of advertising. Google already knows what kind of mails you read (if you use gmail), what videos you watch (you tube), where you are heading (google maps) etc. It uses all these informations to provide targeted advertising. Recently they even modified the privacy policy which allows it to provide these data to its services. 

Android platform mobile handsets - Monetizing android application developer options

After developing the application on android the question that haunts everyone's mind is what is the best way to monetize the app.

First lets explore the different ways to monetize the apps.
1. free application with advertisement.
2. Paid application without advertisement
3. Mix of the previous two.
4. Free application with advertisement and provide in app payment facility to upgrade to app without ads.
5. Block some features available only through in app payment facility.

Providing only paid apps may actually not give much of a visibility to the end user to judge the product. So the combination of the two works the best for most cases. However finally its upto the developer to decide which works out the best.

For providing the ads in android application google has come up with admobile. Signing to admobile is very easy.

For paid apps you can make use of google wallet. As of now it is operation only in US and a few other location. However it is soon expected to be opened in India.

Which of the above options do you prefer and why? 

Android platform mobile handsets - worlds cheapest tablet

India is set to launch the world cheapest tablet at $60. Initially it will be available at the mere price of $35 at the government subsidized rate. The tablet was under discussion from the last two years however it was shelved at not being practical. With the reduction in the prices of the computer parts it has finally found the light of the day.

The reach of the internet in India is still only 8% which is very less compared to other countries like china which has 40% internet users. This initiative by the Indian government for encouraging the students to go digital at a very early age.

These tablets are WiFi capable and runs android platform.

Android platform mobile handsets - Beware!!!!!!!!!!! security issues haunts both Google Android and Apple Iphone !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After a series of malware haunting the android phones now its time for the secret data that is stored inside these phone that has come to haunt both android.

Both android and Iphone stores the geo information of the phone. However, there have been loop holes in the data that is stored in the phone. In case of android its what the data is used for while for Iphone its the way it is stored (without encryption) that is causing a furore among the users of these mobiles.

In Android, the data stored in the phone is transmitted to the computer whenever it is synchronized. An application has recently surfaced that gives out details on the map along with timestamps where that phone has travelled. On the face of things it looks like this feature can be disabled only if GPS is disabled in the Iphone, although there has been no official communication on this by Apple whether it can disabled at all or not. The most important flaw with the information being stored is that the data is being stored without encryption.

Once the security flaw in Iphone was exposed, similar concerns started flooding the android phones as well. In case of android, the concern was for what purposes the data collected was being used. It was initially thought that the data is being used for google analysis. However, recently it is being claimed that it is used for better advertising. Do you think this is right, using your location data for advertising purposes without your permission.

In an official communication apple today clarified that location data is tracked not of the phone itself but the base station that provides the connectivity and the software has some security flaws.

Related Posts:


Google TV vs Apple TV

Android vs MeeGo

CDMA Iphone

Android vs BMP

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Google Android vs Nokia Intel Meego

Here I would like to present the comparison between the two mobile platforms Android backed by Google and the other is MeeGo which is backed by a Mobile Giant Nokia and chipset manufacturer Intel. I would like to go ahead with the comparison even though Android has already established itself and MeeGo is yet to make a début in the market.

First lets take a look at the architecture of the two mobile platforms.

Meego: MeeGo is based on linux. This is the purest form of linux that one can see in the mobile platforms. Most of the modules are taken directly from linux. For application development it makes use of QT like all other Nokia based platforms. Since it is pure linux the applications running on linux will directly work on MeeGo with minimal changes. The customizations made on Linux for MeeGo are minimal.


MeeGo runs on mobiles, netbooks, tablets , connected TVs and in-vehicle infotainment system.

In 2010 February Intel and Nokia merged their open source projects together and formed MeeGo Project. Maemo was an open source project carried out by Nokia and Moblin was an open source project carried out by chip manufacturer Intel. Primary reason for merging Intel’s Moblin and Nokia Maemo is to unify the efforts of both projects and communities and enable a next generation open source platform for smartphones, tablets and other capable devices.

MeeGo Architecture – MeeGo provides a full open source software stack from core operating system up to user interface libraries and tools. Further it offers user experience reference implementations and allows proprietary add-ons to be added by vendors to support hardware, services, or customized user experiences.

Android: Android also has the underlying kernel based on Linux. Android is an open source operating system for smart phones and tablets initially developed by Android. Google took over this company in 2005. Android is developed on Linux kernel. Android has several versions and the latest version as of today is Android 3.0 (Honeycomb). The first android phone was introduced to the market more than 3 years back.


Android has a application market with more than 200,000 applications to run on Android devices. These devices are of different manufacturers like Samsung, Motorola, HTC, LG. All the major manufactures have already released a phone on Android with the major exception being Nokia.

Both are based on Linux so there are a lot of similarities between the two. However you can see the difference when it comes to application level. The core powering two is the same Linux kernel. Android has a custom Dalvik virtual machine which supports Java at the application level and has easily pulled all Java developers into android. MeeGo is based on Linux so most of the linux applications would work on it. Also it has QT framework for developers.

Application development platform:

Android has gone with Java as the development platform and has quickly captured all the java developers and turned them into android application developed. This has been clever move by Google. However, initially to attract developers into Android Google had to come up with Android developer challenge.

Java is a good development platform but it does come with it own disadvantages. The biggest impact is that of performance. This is the reason for android to be launched as a platform for smartphones and doesnt suit meidum range phones.


MeeGo has gone with QT as the development platform with the intention that applications written in QT works in all plaforms like Mac, linux, Symbian, MeeGo, windows etc. Whether MeeGo will come up with similar challenge or make applications developed for other platforms directly available remains to be seen.

QT is developed in C++ and comes with better performance and more suited to low-end and medium range phones as well. It doesnt remain a platform for high end smart phones.

Application Distribution: 

MeeGo is yet to come up with the complete details on the application distribution mechanism since its platform is still under development. However, initial feeling is that the distribution will be similar to the current Moblin platform. Not sure about how the MeeGo plans of Nokia surface out.

In Android, the application distribution is very simple. Within two days of application submission you can find the application being listed in the market. There are not many stringent security mechanisms in place unlike that of apple market. If  any of the applications in the android market causes harm to your personal data etc then nobody can be held responsible for it. This has been a big issue that has surfaced recently in the android phones. Now that you can use your mobile as your credit card this is all the more important.

How Open is the platform:

Android is the first open mobile platform to be launched in a big way. However, it is still not completely open, in the sense that if you want an update to your mobile then you need to wait for the update to be made available from the particular OEM from whom you have picked up the phone.

In MeeGo, since this is a completely open platform any mobile image that is openly available with compatible hardware can be easily be installed in your phone. This makes you compeletly independent from the phone maker and the support given by the OEM.


Linux Operating system:

Both Android and MeeGo are linux based. The kernel and drivers, middleware etc are based in Linux. However the virtual machine that Android employs is Dalvik virtual machine to support Java development platform.

MeeGo doesnt require any such virtual machine making the platform much better in terms of performance.

Development Support:

For development in android the application developers can make use of eclipse and it comes with a range of tools that makes the life of developers very easy.

In MeeGo for developing in QT the tools available nowhere comparable to android. Only if the set of tools for developers is improved we can expect apps to developed for it. Plans are there to have many tools released soon.


Related Posts:


First MeeGo Phone

Nokia adopts WP7

MeeGo struggles

Android Beats Symbian

Interesting Posts:


Android vs BMP

Google TV vs Apple TV

CDMA Iphone

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Android platform mobile handsets - Android moves to the top, beats Symbian

Android has beat Symbian as the most popular smartphone platform in the last quarter of 2010, ending a reign at the top ruled by Symbian. Since the takeover of Symbian by Nokia the market share of Symbian has been decreasing and that of Android increasing. The market share has seen intense competition from Apple's iOS and recently by Google Android. iOS market share seems to be constant over the last couple of years, however android has seen a steady increase in the market with more and more people jumping into android.

Android platform mobile handsets - Verizon launches CDMA IPhone

Verizon has announched the launch of the most awaited CDMA version of the IPhone. Till date only AT&T was allowed to sell IPhones. Now that the contract comes to an end Verizon has come up with CDMA version of the IPhone.

CDMA IPhone will be put on sale in the first week of Feb. The pricing is expected to be on similar lines as offered by AT&T. Whether this would affect the sales of AT&T remains to be seen.

The price $199 - 16-GB version
               $299 - 32-GB

Ofcourse, this would also come with a 2-year contract. The exact plans for subscription is expected shortly.

With the CDMA IPhone out in the market the battle for larger market share would be renewed between Android and IPhone. Android phones have steadily flooded the market especially in the last two seasons. Their market shares have been increasing at a tremendous pace. With CDMA IPhone Apple is entering the CDMA market. Android already has both GSM and CDMA handsets. The success of this phone also depends on how well Verizon is able to upgrade its network expecting a huge sales of IPhone.

Google TV Vs Apple TV

sRecently Google announced the launch of Google TV in response to Apple TV which is available for just $99.

Apple TV: The latest product from Apple stores which has already become a rage across US. It goes along with the other Apple products. Instead of concentrating on the hardware market of TV's Apple TV instead has put its focus more on the streaming content. It comes up with services like movie rentals, show rentals, watching you tube videos on TV instead of the computer screen etc. This is a kind of new strategy coming from Apple. Till now it was coming with products mainly related to hardware products. Now it has shifted focus to providing rental shows etc. There are many similar products out in the market with even better features, however when Apple comes with such a product its something to watch out for. So in the future you can expect apple TV to support gaming applications and replace DVD player etc.

Google TV would be based on Android and would support google chrome and hence you could watch you tube and other videos just like the way Apple TV does. Mobiles usually have to restrict to smaller screens. However, Google TV gets away with this disadvantage. This means Google tv treats TV just as another device to display its content. So google has announced it will come up with google TV SDK which the developers needs to use to use the TV for their application development. Soon we may expect apps that confine to google TV standards.

Apple announced that Apple TV would be in the stores very soon and it was immediately followed with the announcement of Google TV to be released in fall 2010.

For google TV a new SDK for the developers will be announced soon. That will pull the android market and the developers into Google TV. So very soon you can expect applications games based on Google TV. Will this try to capture the market of playstation, nitendo etc only time will.

However the strategies of the two companies seems to be different. Apple TV seems to be centred around streaming video content where as Google TV seems to bring together internet space and TV into a single device. Apple TV is trying to tap its loyalists and get them to fetch revenue constantly using rentals. This is a new strategy coming from Apple. However, google TV is aimed at increasing internet usage and effectively its presence in the form of advertisements etc.

Which one of the them do you think has come up with a better strategy? Share your thoughts.

References: 

Apple TV

Google TV

android platform mobile handsets - HTC Evo 4G phone

HTC does it yet again. It has become is the first phone maker to come out with a handset that can access the 4G network. In fact, 4G is so new it still isn't available in many parts of US. Sprint is expected to roll out its 4G network in other 24 US cities later this year.

The Evo is powered, like many HTC phones, with the Android operating system. In 2008, HTC produced the first phone to use the Android system which was called the G1 or the HTC Dream.

Android, which is gaining popularity this year, has for the first time outsold iphones.

It hosts a 4.3″ capactive LCD display that is quite stunning.

The EVO have a nice, large 8MP camera that is capable of some pretty decent shots. Both have It has the 3X digital zoom with a ton of extra settings made available from HTC. The EVO has the front facing camera which is quite useful in the 4G network.

The EVO has the capability of 720p video output with the HDMI type D micro connector on the bottom of the phone.

HTC Smart - Worlds First BREW Mobile Platform (BMP) phone

HTC has launched the first BMP phone in the market. After being the first to bring Android into the market it has now launched the first BREW mobile platform mobile phone.

HTC is trying to diversify its business. Over the last few years it has been mainly focussing on Windows mobiles. However, now it seems to be interested in other mobile platforms and being the first in launching any platform always helps. HTC has already lauched quite a few android phones already and now the first BMP phone. BMP is the lastest version of BREW, a properitery of Qualcomm.

'Smart' as its called is aimed at the entry segment of the smart phones market.

Good features:

Multiple home screens

touch screen

Stylish

very similar to the android phone

Facebook

Messaging

Drawbacks:

Auto focus in camera is not there

No WiFi

No GPS

Since this is the first BMP phone on the market have to see how it fares. Android took about 2 years to pick up (since it was launched during the global slowdown) but now its seems to take up a huge market share. We are yet to see how BREW will fare in the market. BREW was mainly focussed on CDMA mobiles till now, however with the launch of BMP it seems to make an entry into the GSM, 3G market as well.

HTC smart didnt make news in the market since its launch and even the platform BMP seems to be going down with no new phones being launched even after a year since the launch of its first phone

Google Voice - A challenge to telecom companies???

Google Voice is all set to change the face of communication. This is a free service that uses VoIP calls to interconnect phone numbers.

Google Voice is a google's version of GrandCentral which was acquired by Google in 2007. “One phone number for all your phones, for life" is the basic idea behind GrandCentral. GrandCentral was launched in 2005 but once it was aquired by Google all its operations were suspended. It took a long time for google to relaunch it as Google Voice, ofcourse with a lot more features.

Google Voice was launched in March 2009, and as of now, its in the invite only mode and only introduced in USA. All the previous members of GrandCentral were given an account along with the users queued for Google Voice service.

Users of Google Voice are able to select a single phone number, from various area codes. When a Google Number is called, any phones set by the user will ring. The user can set a particular phone to ring based on the caller, time of the day etc. The user also has the option for voicemail, block calls, call forwarding etc.

Microsoft's OneApp a challenge to Google Android ???

After google, now Microsoft also made it way into the mobile market. Microsoft launched its new program for mobiles "OneApp". Intrestingly this is also based on Java just like Android but more specifically for emerging markets. ie. for feature phones.

Android didnt make a huge impact on the market. Need to see if OneApp makes any impact on the mobile market.

The OneApp Development Kit expected to hit the market at the end of the year 2009. Taking a dig at the android market OneApp maintains that there is no need to search for new apps in the web and download them. OneApp maintains a client server architecture wherein there is no need to download or install instead there is constant interaction with the client handset and the OneApp server.

Understanding the sample hello world android app

Development Environment

The Android SDK supports several different development environments. I have experimented using Eclipse, so I will be talking about it in this blog. Also, it is very well integrated with the android SDK, and it’s free :-).

To start developing with Eclipse you will require these tools:

Sun’s Java Development Kit (JDK)

The Android SDK

Eclipse (I have been using Eclipse Ganymade)

A special Eclipse plug in: the Android Developer Tool (ADT)

Starting a New Android Application: HelloWorld
Several components are needed to build an Android application. Fortunately, the Eclipse IDE with the Android plug-in automates a lot of the work needed to create and maintain these components. We will start by using the IDE to create a project for our application. Start up Eclipse and select “File -> New -> Project…” from the menu bar (be sure to select “Project…,” not “Java Project”).

Select “Android Project” and click “Next” to get the “New Android Project” dialog box.
We’ll use “HelloWorld” as the name for both the Project and the Application. You don’t need to change the button or checkbox selections, and we’ll use the package name com.myapp.helloworld as shown.

Every Android application has to have at least one Activity (an executable that usually has a user interface), so let’s say we’re going to include an Activity called HelloWorldActivity, Click “Finish,” and the Android Development Kit does a number of things for you, to make your life easier as a developer. In the Package Explorer window you will see some of the files and directories that the ADK created.

The ADK created a HelloWorld directory in the default Eclipse workspace for your project. It also created subdirectories for your source files (.src), references to the Android Library, assets, resources (.res), and a manifest file (AndoidManifest.xml). In each of the subdirectories it created another level of subdirectories as appropriate. Let’s take a quick look at them:

Sources (under .src)

Contains a directory structure that corresponds to the package name you gave for your application: in this case, com.android.helloworld.

Contains a Java template for the Activity you indicated was in the application (HelloWorldActivity) and a directory of resource references (R.java).

Android Library
This is where your application will go for Android library references.

assets
Files you want to bundle with your application. We won’t have any for HelloWorld.

Resources (under .res)
Drawable resources are any images, bitmaps, etc. that you need for your application. For HelloWorld, the ADK has supplied us with the default Android icon, and that’s all we’ll need.

Layout resources tell Android how to arrange items on the screen when the application runs. These resources are XML files that give you quite a bit of freedom in laying out the screen for different purposes. For HelloWorld, we’ll just use the defaults generated by the ADK

Values are constants, strings, etc. available for use by your application. Keeping them outside the sources makes it easier to customize the application, such as adapting it for different languages.

Manifest (AndroidManifest.xml)

This is an XML file that tells the Android build system what it needs to know to build and package your application so it can be installed on an Android phone or the emulator. This file has its own specialized editor, which we’ll describe as we get to more complicated applications.
Double Click on HelloWorldActivity.java

Looking quickly at the template code that the ADK has provided for us, we can note several things:

The ADK has included the package reference we asked for, which is consistent with the directory structure it created.It has also created a (collapsed) set of imports for the library references it knows we need.It created a class definition for the Activity we said we wanted (HelloWorldActivity) including a method called OnCreate.

For the moment, don’t worry about the parameter passed into OnCreate. The Bundle is a way of passing data between activities and storing data between instantiations of the same Activity. We won’t need to use this for HelloWorld.

One special line of code has been included in OnCreate:setContentView (R.layout.main);
Remember that Android uses layouts to define screen layouts on the target, and that main.xml was the name of the default layout file that the ADK created for us under .res/layout. The R.java file is generated automatically and contains java references for each of the resources under .res. You will never need to edit the R.java file by hand— the ADK takes care of it as you add, change or delete resources.

Android Racing ahead

HP is evaluating Google's open-source Android operating system for use in some its PCs and mobile devices. A spokesperson for HP said that the company is "studying the Android operating system". However, HP stressed that it remains open to considering various operating system options.



Asus, meanwhile, has already announced plans to port Android to its netbook range.





















Commenting on the reports, Google said that it designed Android to be open and scalable for precisely this type of application."Android is a free open-source mobile platform, so anyone can take the Android platform and add code or download it to create a mobile device without restrictions," said a Google spokesman.

LG Electronics has already announced its plans of going to equip two new smartphones with Android, following the footsteps of Samsung and Motorola.

Brew Mobile Platform (BMP) Vs Google Android

Qualcomm's brew mobile platform (BMP) the latest version of brew has a lot of modifications compared to its previous version. The changes seem to be mainly targeting the challenge given by android, the open source platform from google. Qualcomm is a member of the OHA, a partner in the development of Android as well.

Programming support:
BMP has some unique featues like it supports lua scripts, flash programming, trigML, lua and trigML debugging capabilities. The combination of such powerful programming languages in one platform is a boon the developer.

Android on the other hand is programmed in java. In java you have libraries for all functionalities which make programming easy. The wide range of tools available to the developer makes application development a piece of cake.

Platform structure:
Brew platform is open which allows a wide range of applications to be developed. Even though the platform is open, the source is still not open. A lot of code is made open to the OEM's and not to the developer. Android code is also not completely open as well but comparatively this is more open.

Application Market:
One of the biggest disadvantages or advantage in being a BREW developer is that for the developer to post any application in the server and to be downloaded by the user the process is very lengthy and expensive. With the introduction of BMP Qualcomm claims that the certification process is greatly simplified and takes less than 2 days. But yet for the application to be available to the user it needs to be uploaded by the operator/carrier. This process may take lot of time. The same in the case of android market is very simple. The developer just needs to upload it in the market and the user can directly download it from there. The only difference is that the applications can be bug prone and its not certified. You may not get tech support for these apps.

Overall Result:
This has resulted in the google market having many app and very popular whereas the brew application market is closed and completely controlled by Qualcomm though its certification process.

Since many parts of BMP is closed there is only one BMP phone that has come into the market whereas it is now crowded with android phones everywhere. Surely it looks like time for open source...

What do you feel about BMP and android. Which platform do you prefer.

Related posts:

First BMP phone

Android phone

Possibly related posts:
Google TV vs Apple TV
Android vs MeeGo
Nokia adopts WP7
CDMA Iphone
MeeGo struggles

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Evaluation of android platform

The android platform is a mixture of Linux kernel and a Java application interface. Evaluation

The Linux kernel is very well tested over the years. In android, this has been slightly modified to suit the embedded / mobile environment. Linux as a OS is the most stable. So having the same as a mobile OS is also good.

For the developers the Java platform is most suitable for developing applications, since you don't have to worry about pointer and OO language increases the usability and maintainability of the system. Java forms one of the largest developer communities. So this combination is ideally suited for a mobile platform. Since java runs very slowly on a mobile, the virtual machine is modified. The Dalvik virtual machine is register based instead of the usual stack based VM's. This supposedly runs much faster.

Overall the platform looks very well organised and suits the mobile environment. Now after making this a open source we need to see the role of google in promoting and maintaining this platform.

Performance of android market

The android application market is quite similar to apple store, the main difference being that the applications are not controlled by google.

Anybody can register as a developer with a nominal fee of $25 and post their applications into this android market from where the users can download their applications. Presently only free applications are allowed to be posted and hence the market is given the name beta. Quite a good number of application are available now for free.

The rating system is same like that of you tube. How good this system will be only time will tell. Nonetheless its very easy for developers to post their applications onto this market. This should attract a lot of developers to post their applications in this market. As the number of applications increase how google manages it remains to be seen. It should have a mechanism to discourage apps that have bad rating.