Google going for the $$$$

Read:

• http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-07-2011/110721-tech-watch.html

Closing down Google Labs just for profits? Pretty shortsighted I guess. 

Google Internet Cenorship

Read:

• http://digitizor.com/2011/07/06/google-removes-cc-domains/
• http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/google-search-police-strike-again-send-cc-co-domains-into-oblivion/

For such practices and acts, the FCC and EFF should look into and investigate the actions of Google. If such acts violates the rights of the people, Google should be brought to justice and charged with the appropriate charges and face federal punishments. Such acts of censorship is against the spirit of Freedom of  Speech and is an act of controlling people's search information.

More anti-trust probes should be launched at Google to ensure it is operating within legal limits and not overstepping it's boundaries.

Oracle's Patents Invalidated

Read:

• http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Another-problem-for-Oracle-s-patents-1273038.html

It's interesting to note that the USPTO had to invalidate so many patent claims (24 of them) from Oracle. Why wasn't the patent application rejected before being approved ? If the patent vetting processes were carefully controlled, USPTO would not need to invalidate so many patents and the dispute between Oracle and Google may not have had any ground to begin with in the first place.

How efficient is the USPTO's patent vetting process, now we have seen some light of our own.

For Google, it would be great news that the 24 patent claims hold no grounds anymore as the USPTO invalidated all 24 of them.

Oracle would definitely be very upset and may try it's best to blow things up and make things worse as Oracle lost all 24 patent claims in one go and which corporation would sit back and allow all 24 patent claims it is using in a patent dispute lawsuit to be invalidated ?

The battle between Google and Oracle would be more heated and interesting to watch and for now, Google have the definite advantage on it's side.

Sickening Powers that Be

Read: 

• http://www.google.com/support/androidmarket/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1306490&topic=1100171
• http://www.osnews.com/story/24777/Google_Movies_Blocked_on_Rooted_Android_Devices

Click on the "Comments" button at the right side of that Google Support discussion and read it.

Didn't Google talk about openness and open source ? What is all these lock down going on onto rooted devices ? Maybe it's an error or bug ? Or maybe there's something really wrong about the "openness" Google sees and something we misinterpreted ?

Disorientating Blogger

I was intending to post a blog post and I logged in, Blogger told me about some dynamic feed feature and I was curious and clicked the usual "Learn More" link. It brought me to some Google page that is disorientating because all the squeezed words sucks and makes reading harder.

Google, redesign it for goodness sake. Shorten the amount of words used and make it easier to read and easier on our eyes.

Below is a screenshot showing what I meant:

Android with Secure Hashing

As we know, Android have a good amount of trouble with malwares and the primary reason is that the apps are taken from the unofficial marketplaces instead of Android's Marketplace.

Google should seek to quickly release it's protocols for accessing the official marketplace and make an app that anyone can download and install the official marketplace app. An example is the Android version of the Archos tablets where there is no access to official Android Marketplace but some other marketplaces.

Google should also see to provide SHA 256 and SHA 512 hash signatures for every application and provide a hashing tool that would show the users if their application's hash signatures matches.

Google should also consolidate and look over all Android marketplaces and may need to move in the direction like Apple's Appstore to establish a central final authority but Google should be like a benevolent dictator. This would solve most of the headaches of becoming splintered and allowing bogus apps or apps that have been deliberately modified from the original and pass off as a copy of the real app, to harm others, be nearly impossible with the use of a central authority.

Hosting hacking competitions and more open research and discussion that can be conveniently accessed by the general public would allow better discovery of bugs and exploits. 

By following Linux kernel development's footstep which actively exposes it's development in real time and allowing the community a piece of the pie to research and contribute would really enhance Android. 

The Android development team within Google would not be enough. Tapping into the power of community development and listening to the community would proof to be the wisest decisions.

In the end, Android's malware exploits are mostly caused by Google's own undoing for the above I have stated and partly caused by malicious minded people who are out to make a quick bug and harm others, not regarding the privacy and safety of others.

Google Loves Censorship

Read:

• http://www.osnews.com/story/24334/Google_Censors_BitTorrent_RapidShare_Others

Google frequently yield to many pressures by big companies and governments. How reliable is Google as a search tool that is unbias ? They even censor legitimate stuff.

When things get hasty and reckless

Read:

• http://www.zdnet.com/blog/burnette/oops-no-copied-java-code-or-weapons-of-mass-destruction-found-in-android/2162
• http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/21/oops-android-contains-directly-copied-java-code-strengthening/

Locked down Android

Read:

• http://www.androidcentral.com/moto-employee-confirms-locked-bootloaders-and-bad-attitude

Android is becoming a controlled platofrm like Apple's iPhone thanks to companies like Motorola who does not respect the consumers and their rights to modify and also the openness of Android which Motorola is delberately demolishing.

If Google doesn't squeeze phone makers like Motorola, to follow the openness of what Android should be, how would Google's fragmented Android platform be any better than iPhone's closed source iOS ?

FOSS or the open source community should create a list of non-open source compliant companies and rally a campaign in an attempt to change such a scenario.

UPDATE

Read:

• http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/21/motorola-ready-to-make-sweet-love-to-rom-devs-and-rooters/

Android's in a mess. Now it's hard to tell who to trust.

Google, Java, Oracle - messed up

Read:

• http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/367811/google_third_parties_liable_java_infringement_us/

Now Google's legal defense is in a mess, blaming third parties for not modifying their source and all other messed up arguments. Without a doubt, Oracle violated the trust and respect and caused the fragmentation of once the respect Sun and Java earned.

With a simple turn of a hand, Google, Oracle, Java is in a huge global mess. Java, threatened with splits in the community and forks from the main stream Java Oracle is now controlling.

Java Fork Predictions:

• http://java.dzone.com/news/scott-mcnealy-predicts-java
• http://gregluck.com/blog/archives/2010/10/is-it-time-to-fork-java/

Google indeed made a huge mistake, wading into a huge patent minefield without opening it's eyes and being careful. Oracle, as usual, always making situations difficult and always making people find a reason to hate Oracle and Larry, tries their very best to piss people off. Java, now in turmoil, it's fate is still undecied and gloomy, looms closer to destruction.

To stay clear of the Java Chaos, and from it's "polluting aura of madness", I would personally advise people to learn a language other than Java or JVM related (e.g. C++, C#/.NET, VB, PHP, Ruby, Python, Perl and many more...). I personally prefer Ruby for it's ability to quickly build and develop applications.

Here's Ruby's License which seems more clean and FREE (FSF definition of FREE) then Chaotic Java: http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/LICENSE.txt .

For those Java users who are on the fence, I guess it's time you take sides and it would be better to move away from Oracle's side. I dare say you would not get anything good out of Oracle and they would squeeze you dry like what happened to Sun.

Choose your sides well...

Is it going to be another wolf under sheep skin ?

Read: http://www.osnews.com/story/23861/EFF_and_Microsoft_Want_to_Invalidate_Software_Patents

If is a great news to hear that Microsoft has filed an amicus brief in an attempt to make invalidating U.S. patents that threatens open source developments on a very frequent and scary rate.

Read: http://www.osnews.com/story/23860/Microsoft_Slaps_Motorola_with_Patent_Lawsuit_over_Android

But apparently, Microsoft decides to slap Android, an open source mobile OS originally developed by Google, with patent lawsuits which is contradicting it's amicus brief as stated above.

What is this all about ? Wolf in sheep skin ? Can we trust Microsoft's open source friendly stance ? The amicus brief was a great benefit if it managed to get through but can we really trust Microsoft that they are really true hearted being open source friendly ?

Oracle - Now vs 1994

Read:

• http://www.bustpatents.com/articles/oracle.htm

As everyone knows, the current Oracle is tyrannical, sueing Google for it's Dalvik VM. Reading the 1994 statement Oracle had written to the USPTO office against software patents, Oracle now is not the same as it was in 1994 when it wrote the letter to the patent office.


Oracle...when are you going to realize your mistakes and negative impacts you have done to the open source and Java community ? It seems like we cannot trust Oracle anymore as it have decided to give up it's 1994 stance on software patents.