"We know what Nexus means now. There can no longer be any doubt: a Nexus device is about openness first and foremost. That does not mean Google won't make compromises with the Nexus program. It simply means that Google will only make compromises when it comes to increasing openness. Why? Because Google benefits from open devices as much, or more than you do. Last year the technology sphere was busily discussing whether or not the Verizon Galaxy Nexus was a 'true' Nexus device. This year we have an answer: a Nexus controlled by a carrier is no Nexus. Rather than get in bed with Verizon, Sprint, or AT&T to produce an LTE version of the Nexus 4, we have HSPA+ only. Even the new Nexus 7 with mobile data is limited to this enhanced 3G standard." Interesting take on the whole thing - reeks a bit of finding a reason for a feature deficiency, but it does fit into the available facts.
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Member since:2007-11-11
There is a dark cloud looming that threatens Google though more than any, which is probably why they are afraid to get in bed with a carrier, and that is the ever nastier data caps. I have a feeling we are gonna see the whole "net everywhere" thing die a HARD death because in a dead economy you have the carriers getting well...just plain NASTY when it comes to prices, both on mobile and at home, and this is gonna seriously hurt Google's bottom line.
I'll never forget what one of the fund managers said on Money matters the other day "If I click on an ad on my tablet its completely by accident and I rush to close it, because every ad costs me money with my data cap" and from the looks of things its ONLY gonna get worse here in the USA.
So I wish Google luck but I hope they are willing to invest in backbone because nobody is gonna be clicking on any ads when charged by the Mb.
Member since:2005-06-29
The thing is, they are investing in backbone connections, at least they are trying to here in the US. They've rolled out fiber in select cities but it's far less than 1% penetration right now. And as fast and cheap as it is, and despite the fact that it's expected in my area within two years, I doubt I'll be on board. Believe it or not Comcast has actually started getting more consumer friendly over the past year. This past April they completely removed their already generous bandwidth cap, which opened the gate for us to start using Netflix and other streaming media exclusively and allowed my fiancée to cut her satellite service off for good. That alone gave us a $50/month net savings.
No, I'd rather have Comcast's ambiguous but improving stance on consumer privacy and friendliness than Google's "we give you cheap ungodly speeds, you give us your complete Internet history end-to-end". I'd rather not sell my soul just yet.
As for wireless backbone, well they didn't win their wireless spectrum auction but their actions made the process and results more open. They have also purchased the most aggressively marketed Android phone manufacturer in the US, and it just happens to be the biggest Android OEM for Verizon as well. I wouldn't be surprised if we see pressure from Google on the big V to start phasing out data caps. With LTE the caps are a joke anyway. I'm on Sprint so for me a data cap doesn't exist, but I'd like to think such a move would push AT&T back into the capless era. T-Mobile has already begun to remove caps for new accounts here as well.
Unfortunately for the rest of the world, Google remains a US-centric company. Most of the changes they will bring about will not make a dent outside our borders, and that's too bad. Then again, perhaps the world is better off if Google stays on a leash...
Member since:2009-05-19
On the other hand, it might drive up the value and price of a click. If your click is intentional then it's much more valuable than an unintentional click.
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"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.The day has finally come: Google has started shipping Google Glass to the lucky few early adopters. Now that it's shipping, Google has also unveiled a lot more about the API and the specifications of the device itself. While the company had already given out substantial details at earlier occasions, there are still a few surprises here.
Almost exactly three years ago, I wrote about why OSNews was no longer OSNews: the alternative operating system scene had died, and OSNews, too, had to go with the times and move towards reporting on a new wave of operating systems - mobile, and all the repercussions that the explosion of smartphones and tablets have caused. Still, I was wondering something today: why aren't we seeing alternative operating systems on mobile?You can say what you will about Windows Phone and Windows 8's Metro interface (I refuse to drop that name) - it's inefficient, unpopular, cumbersome, beautiful, ugly, organised, clean, limiting - but there's one thing we can all agree on: it's unique and distinctive. CNet has published a profile of Microsoft's Albert Shum, the man behind Metro, and he highlights what I think is at the very core of Microsoft's problems in mobile right now.
Member since:
2005-11-14
A more sensible explanation would be Google being allowed (by the manufacturers who also have competing products) to sell these things with very slim margins on the condition of those very significant annoyances, leading to people wanting a more costly upgrade if they actually like the thing. Not unlike Apple and the original iPhone sans 3G, except the slim margins of course.
This is to increase the demand of premium products, not for some communal wishy-washy feelgood nonsense.