Posts Tagged: freedom

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25
Jun 10

Google flicks Android remote kill switch for apps.

We knew Google had the power to remotely remove Android apps — Microsoft and Apple have backdoors into their mobile operating systems, too — but

…We knew Google had the power to remotely remove Android apps — Microsoft and Apple have backdoors into their mobile operating systems, too — but it’s always a little disconcerting to see a kill switch used. Such is the case today, as we’ve just heard Google unleashed the hounds this week, siccing bits and bytes of remote deletion power on a pair of “practically useless” but still Terms of Service-infringing apps. Curiously enough, Google admits that most who’d downloaded these programs had deleted them already, and that this “exercise” of the remote application removal feature was merely a cleanup operation. Google says users will get a notification beamed to their phone if an app is removed, however — so as Big Brother as that all sounds, at least the company’s being nice and transparent about the whole matter, eh?

Update: To be clear, the developers of the offending apps had already removed them from the Android Market, so this was technically a cleanup. The only question is why Google would go out of…

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Google flicks Android remote kill switch for apps.

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3
Apr 10

Spring Design Alex E-Reader Review

The Spring Design Alex eReader provides takes dual screen electronic readers to the next level. It will be sold in April for $399 and it is available in black or white. The Alex is powered by Google Android and will have many fine applications available.

…The Spring Design Alex eReader provides takes dual screen electronic readers to the next level. It will be sold in April for $399 and it is available in either a black or a white case. The Alex features combines dual screens, one of which is a full color touch screen to navigate the menus and a separate E-INK screen to read E-Books. The bottom color touch screen is 3.5 inches while its top screen to read books is 6.5 inches.
The Alex doesn’t come with integrated 3G wireless. Instead, you can connect the device to your PC via USB or to the Internet via 802.11b/g wireless. Spring Design has announced they are working on a 3G model out later in the year.
The content distribution system is not in place yet, they are working on offering their own bookstore. Spring Design has in the last few months signed a deal with Boarders and Kobo Books. An executive at Boarders had this to say Our agreement with Spring Design represents another step in our digital strategy, which continues to focus on offering book…

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Spring Design Alex E-Reader Review

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23
Jan 10

Google: Android will be 100% open source

Contrary to some reports, everything that makes Android “Android”, including all the core platform components and libraries needed to port Android to new devices will be open sourced under commonly used, industry standard licenses, says Google.

…Remember that up to now, all the software on your typical cell phone has been proprietary. With Android, carriers like Sprint and Cingular are free to use either open or closed source for any custom applications they install on their new Android phones. And of course, third party programs (like the ones you write) can be open or closed. It wouldn’t surprise me to see completely free/open distributions of Android which eschew any proprietary add-ons in favor of open source alternatives.
posted by Ed Burnette
June 2, 2008…

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Google: Android will be 100% open source