Tag Archives: Android

Editorial: Can RIM Save This Ship

Dear Reader:

Let me first introduce myself by a name that most of you haven’t heard in a long time. I’m Nic Ball the “Berry Guru”. Before there was a Gadget Gurus, before there ever was an Angry Guru and much before I secured my doctorate, I was simply a blackberry junkie. I walked around with my head held down and my thumbs busy typing away on a keyboard as I weaved through pedestrian traffic. It was the best of times. The smartphone market was on in it’s early childhood. We’d finally crossed over the threshold of Windows Mobile and the world was ours to take. Then the iPhone came along and started the downward slide. Android came on the scene and it was as if all the air in the room had been let out. Now here we are only a few years later but it seems like forever ago. Now here we are, RIM, the former king of the market is now the ugly red-headed step child of smart phones. What, if anything, can RIM do to save this ship?

The most obvious problem with RIM has been the total consumerization of IT. No longer are system admins able to keep everyone on an easy to manage and easy to control system without justification for that granular control. Now days CEO’s are demanding the use of an iPhone or iPad and the notion of using a BlackBerry is quickly fading away. RIM has missed out on consumer market in belief that there would always be a rock solid business market. As this layer starts to fade away we have to look at other solutions at RIM.

Google Publishes Android Style Guide for Ice Cream Sandwich

In yet another effort to streamline Android’s look and feel, today Google introduced guidelines for design within Ice Cream Sandwich. The guide is aimed to help developers and manufactures by giving them a point of reference when creating apps for Android Ice Cream Sandwich. Things like themes, patterns, typography, color and icon design can all be found in the guide along with instructions and samples to get you started. Hopefully OEMs and app developers will get to cracking with this guide and start making some really beautiful apps modeled after ICS. I’m so tired of seeing shit like this.

via [The Verge]

Ice Cream Sandwich is Not the Answer to All Android Tablet Problems

I keep hearing and reading people talk about ICS (Android 4.0) like it is the savior of Android tablets. Saying things like, “X tablet will be so much better when it has Ice Cream Sandwich”. I just don’t believe that. Granted it was a huge leap in UI for phones and brought a lot of much needed polish and consistency to the platform, ICS is not a stretch from Honeycomb (Android 3.0). When I bounce from using my Galaxy Nexus to a Honeycomb tablet, I feel like they are so close in experience that there isn’t much difference at all. Sure Ice Cream Sandwich will make it easier to develop apps that scale specifically for a phone or tablet, but that in itself doesn’t mean developers will flock to making apps.

What worked with Android on phones won’t work with tablets. Phones are disposable, cheap and for most, a necessity. Android tablets are the opposite. They are too expensive, most are tied to a carrier, and don’t offer any clear benefits over one another. Look at the Kindle Fire and Nook as proof. They are both under $300 with no type of contract and offer a very specific benefit and set of features to customers. They are winning because of price and strong ecosystem, same as the iPad.

Just like HTC and Motorola with their phones, Android has no “Halo Tablet”, no Nexus Tablet. It was supposed to be the Motorola XOOM but that was tied to carrier, too expensive and had shit software. It just was a botched launched and started Android tablets off in a bad direction. Apple has the iPad, Amazon has the Kindle, and Barnes & Noble has the Nook. They all have a single name to represent a unified brand. It’s easy for customers to understand and buy into. Samsung has come pretty close with their Galaxy Tab line and they are the most successful traditional Android tablet manufacturer, which isn’t saying much.

Android’s tablet problem is multifaceted. You need the attention of developers to make great apps, but for that you need a product that is interesting and shows promise. So far, all the manufacturers have given us is empty promises with nothing very interesting.

With CES upon us, I still don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sure there are some cool ideas from Lenovo and Asus, but it takes more than cool ideas. It’s about simplicity and mind share. Neither of which Asus and Lenovo are particularly known for.

I think Google realizes this and that’s why they may make a tablet themselves. Like the Nexus program for phones, Google needs to get some buzz around Android tablets. A “Google” tablet is what will catch people’s attention, and if it’s good, hold on to it.

So yes, ICS will help Android tablets,especially from an app development side, but it is not the cure all everyone seems to be making it out to be.

The Gadget Gurus Podcast Ep 144 – Donny and Vic Get Married, Awwww

The Gurus are back with another fun filled episode of tech greatness. So the week was a little slow for gadget related news, The Gadget Gurus didn’t let that stop them from putting on an awesome show! Oh and shout out to Nic for the lovely album art this week. What a lovely couple!

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The Samsung Galaxy Nexus – Android Refined

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus continues the trend of the Nexus lineup by showing the best of what Android has to offer with each launch, each time corresponding to the launch of a new version of Android. The Galaxy Nexus is the flagship device of Google to demonstrate their most recent Android version yet, 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. While it might not be perfection, it shows that Android has the ability to go head on with the best in terms of a beautiful UI and consistency. I have been testing the Galaxy Nexus for Verizon for a few weeks now and will provide a quick review of the device.