For the Android Developers Challenge that is. Looks like Google pulled another winner out of the hat. Just looking at the top 50 winners shows a fair idea of where this is going — Place. Most of the entries were tied to geospatial themes. Here’s a partial list –

• AndroidScan - Jeffrey Sharkey
• Beetaun - Sergey Gritsyuk and Dmitri Shipilov
• BioWallet - Jose Luis Huertas Fernandez
• BreadCrumbz - Amos Yoffe
• CallACab - Konrad Huebner and Henning Boeger
• City Slikkers - PoroCity Media and Virtual Logic Systems
• Commandro - Alex Pisarev, Andrey Tapekha
• Cooking Capsules - Mary Ann Cotter and Muthuselvam Ramadoss
• Diggin - Daniel Johansson, Aramis Waernbaum, Andreas Hedin
• Dyno - Virachat Boondharigaputra

Probably the two most interesting in my view [A dumb male] are Dyno and AndroidScan. Dyno is a automotive status reader. AndroidScan is a full featured UPC reader. Slideshow of the top 50 entrants here.

Just think — this is just Round 1!!

Linky

At the Google I/O developers conference Android was part of the keynote presentation. Members in attendance indicate it stole the show. –

GoogleIOGoogle wanted to talk about software engineering on the open web at its developer event on Wednesday, but the demo of its Android operating system for next-generation mobile phones ended up drawing the most attention.

The company used the keynote address at the Google I/O developer conference to introduce the user interface and several key features of its upcoming Android mobile operating system for smart phones. The attendees, numbering over 3,000, were blown away by the slick interface which, even in its early stages, looks robust and feature-rich enough to challenge the iPhone.

One feature in particular — a compass and accelerometer-powered interface for Google Maps Street View that rotates the map on the phone’s display as you spin around — drew a big round of applause from the crowd. Other features, like the powerful web browser and iPhone-like customizable desktops were greeted with gasps of pleasure.

Ah, this summer could be interesting if Google pops with models from the OHA partners.

Linky

With Verizon’s announcement to join the LiMo group we have a battle royal starting to develop between them and Android. Ironically LiMo is the incumbent if you figure longevity. Now I could sit down and run off the TBar analysis but MobileCrunch has already done such a nice job why waste their thunder?

My only quibble will be point #3 on their hit parade. I don’t think it actually matters anymore as the underlying hardware the handset uses is doubling in power faster than Moore’s law. Given one more iteration of processors and I could make the argument that an embedded browser with XUL- Javascript might be a better development platform. Regardless the advancing hardware growth makes the issue moot over the long haul.

Verizon has made two decisons –

• Linux will be its handset platform of choice.
• The joined the LiMo alliance rather than the Android consortium.

Funny, Linux wins either way, which is good I guess. But this does put up an interesting twist to the argument for ‘open device access’ in the 700mhz space. Contrived I know, but VZ could turn and say hey we are open we use Linux and the LiMo product set. Hence freezing out Google. Yes its a stretch but that would be a way the game could be played. Nasty.

Verizon Wireless has chosen Linux as its “platform of choice,” it said. Starting with feature phones in 2009, followed by iPhone competitors, Verizon will offer Linux phones compliant with specifications from the Linux Mobile Foundation (LiMo), an industry group it and seven other companies joined today.

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In a press conference held by the LiMo Foundation, Verizon Wireless’s Kyle Malady, network VP, said his company chose LiMo over Google’s Android platform, due to LiMo’s open, board-run model, and its membership of companies that have already succeeded in shipping Linux phones. However, Verizon Wireless will continue to support RIM (Blackberry), Windows Mobile, Palm, and Brew operating systems, said Malady, and in the future will consider supporting the Linux-based Google Android platform pushed by the Open Handset Association (OHA).

Biggest losers? Any firm using a closed development platform, like Nokia.

Linky.

Android continues apace with develop on the software. As a open software stack for handheld devices it has a lot to offer. It also has teething prolblems –

While this all sounds like mobile computing nirvana, a number of challenges have already arisen. Last week US-based Core Security announced it had found multiple vulnerabilities within the Android SDK.

“Several vulnerabilities have been found in Android’s core libraries for processing graphic content in some of the most used image formats (PNG, GIF an BMP),” Core Security said in its advisory. The company also found problems with so-called heap and integer overflows that could be used to compromise a phone running the software.

Concerns that will have to be addressed. This kind of stuff is not a bid deal when its just a tethered PDA. But a network cell device, yeah its a big deal. Are we down on the beastie? No. The SDK will develop a following that over time will become dominant. If Google won’t or can’t fix the issues the user community will.

First models will see the light of day later this year.

Linky.

Android is not the only game in town for FOSS portable handset development. There is another called LiMo and it has a proven track record with NTT, Samsung and Motorola.

LiMo Foundation is an industry consortium dedicated to creating the first truly open, hardware-independent, Linux-based operating system for mobile devices. Backing from major industry leaders puts LiMo at the Heart of the Mobile Industry and makes LiMo the unifying force in Mobile Linux.

The mission of the LiMo Foundation is to create an open, Linux-based software platform for use by the whole global industry to produce mobile devices through a balanced and transparent contribution process enabling a rich ecosystem of differentiated products, applications, and services from device manufacturers, operators, ISVs and integrators.

If LiMo has any failing it is in the last chunk of the platform — UI. That is left up to the developer to finish. No really big deal but that is what differentiates Android from LiMo. Android is a full stack, top to bottom while LiMo is middleware for portable devices.

LiMo Website.

Microsoft makes a buy for Danger Inc., source for the Sidekick phone. Danger has about $50m in revenues and its biggest outlet is T-Mobile. For Microsoft this is small potatoes. Bill could have bought this firm out of his own petty cash fund. But it does signal a continuing effort by Microsoft to invest in the mobile space. Which tends to signal something I will get to after this –

Microsoft Corp. today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Danger Inc., the company responsible for the software and services powering many popular consumer handsets. The acquisition will align Danger’s nearly 10 years of expertise in the mobile consumer space with Microsoft’s vision to provide innovative and compelling mobile experiences to a growing base of customers.

“Microsoft is a global leader with our Windows Mobile software and expanding mobile services,” said Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “The addition of Danger serves as a perfect complement to our existing software and services, and also strengthens our dedication to improving mobile experiences centered around individuals and what they like.” The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company provides services that allow people to keep in touch, stay organized and keep informed while on the go through real-time mobile messaging, social networking services and other applications - all blended together on a single phone that is intuitive and customizable.

“Danger continues to provide an effortless and fun mobile experience for consumers,” said Henry R. Nothhaft, chairman and CEO of Danger Inc. “Now by combining our uncompromised application software and powerful back-end service with Microsoft, we can expand our innovative service offerings even further and take mobility to a new level.”

And…

Defining the Mobile Experience
Through focused efforts Danger has successfully delivered a software and services platform to the mobile mass market. Applications on Danger-powered handsets include HTML Web browsing, instant messaging, games, multimedia, social networking, Web e-mail and personal information management applications.

Related…

Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies of Campbell, said the acquisition provides further evidence that Microsoft is mirroring the thinking of Apple, which has married software and hardware to make simple, fashionable consumer products like the iPod and iPhone.

“Sometime in the last two years Microsoft fundamentally woke up and realized that even though they’re a software company, they had to use hardware to control their destiny,” Bajarin said. “That’s why it got into the X-Box, but also why it brought out the Zune even though 20 other companies are using Microsoft software on mp3 players. It’s becoming a very important part of Microsoft’s strategy.”

Microsoft’s Rockfeld downplayed that interpretation, saying that Danger doesn’t make hardware. He also deflected a question about whether consumers might one day see a “Zunephone.”

“We obviously will react if consumers ask for it,” Rockfeld said, “but at this time there’s no plans to make hardware.”

The deal is also a sign of the intense competition to provide operating systems for the next generation of smart phones. Symbian currently heads the field, powering all of Nokia’s smart phones. But many phones operate on systems based on Linux or software from Apple, Windows Mobile, Palm and Research in Motion.

First of all how quickly the drones assimilate. Did you catch the ‘Software + Services’ subdural pronouncement by Danger?

I am starting to notice some trends here that might catch the Telcos flat footed. That is the hardware device side is consolidating. Not only that but concentrating in companies that are not in the realm of a traditional Telco supplier. Given a couple of years the carriers just might find themselves at the mercy of the like of Microsoft, and Nokia as the only proprietary suppliers around. The carriers will adopt Android kicking and screaming. But their options on the other front might be just as limiting. Microsoft would love to be in a position to tell AT&T its $249 + 30% of message stream — And you will like it!

Danger Inc press release.
Mercury News article.

Android on the march again. At the Barcelona GSMA show several Android prototypes were on display. Like very geeky raw iron. Wired has the full story here. –

Several companies at GSMA are showing prototypes running the Google-backed open-source Android operating system (aka the “GooglePhone”), and judging by the crowd reaction, these “phones” are the hit of the show. The one above is Qualcomm’s effort, and there are also examples from ARM, NEC, Texas Instruments, Wind River, and Marvell.

It’s not fair to laugh at the huge circuit boards: These are design prototypes and will of course be shrunk down to a fraction of this size. But despite the fugly appearance, these Android phones are the buzz of the show. At the NEC booth, the guy pointed me straight past the other boards saying, “This one is the Android. That’s the only one anybody is interested in.”

Qualcomm’s 7201a has both ARM 11 and ARM 9 chips, built-in GPS, a couple of DSPs (digital signal processors) and 2D and 3D graphics acceleration. In the short video clip below you can see the result. A spinning globe, which could one day couple with the GPS to make a mobile Google Earth. The second part shows NEC’s implemention browsing the web with the Webkit browser.

Right now the UI is clunky and slow, but the fact that so many manufacturers are already on board means that Android is already a success. Qualcomm plans to have a shipping hardware platform in the second half of the year.

With this level of work going on, Google has a decent chance of making this happen. This many primary suppliers working on the OS indicates a good deal of interest.

Google, once you have Android off the group modify you Google Gadgets API to work on the phone. That way you can leverage all the effort in that body of work for Google Phone. Match made in heaven.

If geeky hardware with the wrappers off is your thing follow the link below for plenty of pictures.

Linky.

An irreverent look of a mash up between Google Android and AdSense as a voice service. In a different universe you would never think it could happen but….

Just remember this IS sarcasm. Have a great weekend all!

Google has released the equivalent ot its XPrize for Android. $10m is up for grabs for developers who have running applications for Android submitted by first week of March. No single entry to win more than $275k. –

he race to develop applications for Google’s new Android mobile phone platform is officially on after ‘cross-platform bugs’ in the submission system were fixed.

Google has allocated $10m to the competition which has been split into two parts. Challenge 1 will be accepting entries until March 3rd with a total prize pool of $5m.

The Android competition is designed to generate lots of apps, not just a few good ones, as the total prize available to any one entry is only $275,000.

A very interesting way to kick start a platform. Usually the IT industry does it by a lot of insider trading. Disciount dollars and free SDK’s and toolkits to committed firms to ramp up for a platform. First time I have seen it open to all comers. A hot shot coder could go from rags to riches with this kind of setup. [And I hope it happens!]

Linky.