Capt'n Corrupt | # 861 | 2010-10-30, 12:38 | Report

Canonical developers are aiming to make Android apps run on Ubuntu! This is something that I missed, but I sincerely hope that progress continues on this project.


http://arstechnica.com/open-source/n...-on-ubuntu.ars

I'm glad to see that there's work going on to link these two OSs together as there is much that can be learned from both platforms. I would also like to see Ubuntu apps running on Android in a more integrated way! But you knew that already...

One benefit to Android apps running in Ubuntu, is a very functional test environment for developers; similar to the SDK, though not emulated (I've only tested this in Windows but it is *slow*). Another is that it opens Ubuntu up to a plethora of games that it didn't have access to before -- though running said multi-touch games may not work that well.

Capt'n Corrupt | # 862 | 2010-10-30, 13:29 | Report

Here's a much more clear video of Itching Thumbs Palm Pre-like task switcher!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcN1Kji4lR8

nilchak | # 863 | 2010-10-30, 13:36 | Report

I installed Itching thumb (was itching to di it after seeing the first post) on my HTC EVO. While it does look good, I see that my version is quite different than the video one. Only 3 screens to add stuff, hence no place for widgets and then the webs like cards carousel look is great - but hi quality pics only supported on rooted device (mine is not). Overall nice, but not too functional for me. Again, maybe I am using an older version.

But these do show how different types of launchers are there for Android. Am liking it so far, even though there are some sticking points as well.

Capt'n Corrupt | # 864 | 2010-10-30, 15:13 | Report

Yeah, it seems as though these apps need to mature a bit before they're more useful, but based on early previews, they are quite cool! I really like that Itching Thumbs can be selected, not as default, but by double-clicking or long pressing of the home button.
This makes it a very nice auxiliary way to navigate if/when you need it.

I would really like to see Itching Thumbs (IT) as a widget rather than a separate app, as it would be nice to be integrated into one of the desktop screens. Additionally, a scalable widget, or one with vertical scrolling would be a nice touch! With a IT as a widget, it would combine the best aspects of PalmOS's task switcher and Android's multiple home-screens and widgets.

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Last edited by Capt'n Corrupt; 2010-10-30 at 15:55.

Capt'n Corrupt | # 865 | 2010-10-30, 17:21 | Report

Here's video of some Canadians enjoying the Tab in Toronto:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmEMKI01zaU

This showcases the Mario Bros live wallpaper.

They show the panorama camera, and people like it

Individuals really seem to like it!

Capt'n Corrupt | # 866 | 2010-10-30, 19:25 | Report

The GSMArena review of the Galaxy Tab is out!
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_p100...review-527.php

I have not read it yet, so I don't know the verdict. Anyhow, enjoy!

Capt'n Corrupt | # 867 | 2010-10-30, 20:01 | Report

I just read the review. It is resoundingly positive about the Tab experience, but being that it is a European review, takes away a major point based on the price -- and they're right to do it, the euro price is high enough in many places to make this device an automatic pass.

The review felt quite balanced and refrained from comparisons to the iPad every sentence, although it was mentioned somewhat regularly. I got the sense that the 'cons' (aside from the price), were minor nitpicks for the sake of filling this category. But the reviewer was quick to point out that the differences between the two devices were enough to have them coexist comfortably in the market by appealing to different users.

Thankfully, the North American price is quite reasonable (IMHO), which means that the Tab gets highest marks over here.

Capt'n Corrupt | # 868 | 2010-10-30, 20:43 | Report

Warning: This is not related to the Tab at all, but follows up on a previous post.

Following up my post about Rage coming to Android after the iOS demonstration, here's an article where John Carmack (the prolific coder) talks about some of the technical challenges of coding for iOS:
http://bethblog.com/index.php/2010/1...padipod-touch/

Basically due to the nature of megatextures, the undefined limits of iOS required exploration to determine code execution that would work reliably, namely preemptive texture management. A good read for the technically inclined.

I wonder what types of challenges he would bump up against with Android.... I would imagine that different handsets may be challenging to support and he most likely will have to set a RAM minimum (eg. 256MB). I also wonder if he will bypass the Dalvik runtime and use the NDK. Either way, his exploration into the operating system will be a treat and should reveal some very low level details that are rarely discussed and far less visited.

As an interesting aside, he also links to the same "don't start from scratch" article that I linked to some time back. Of course I suspect that Carmack's perspective is very different from the author's at the time of writing.

Capt'n Corrupt | # 869 | 2010-10-30, 23:36 | Report

The Tab reviews are rolling in! Next up is Tablet PC Review's review of the Galaxy Tab (phew!):
http://www.tabletpcreview.com/defaul...ung+galaxy+tab

The review is positive, listing the aft-mentioned shortcomings of viewing angles, jittery scrolling w/ flash, and non-user replaceable battery. But again, these seem somewhat minor complaints.

4 out of 5 stars.

Capt'n Corrupt | # 870 | 2010-10-31, 14:29 | Report

I'm very interested in the new power management features that are rumored to be included in Android 2.3. If Google engineers have dedicated themselves to improving battery life, I suspect that the change will be significant, as was the improvement in speed with the Dalvik JIT.



Battery life has been one area where Android has been lacking. More optimized code for battery life based on usage statistics could bring Android up to snuff with highly optimized devices like the iPhone or iPad. I suspect standby timings, default brightness settings, and pushing more rendering to the GPU may have a large effect on battery life.

I would *love* to see a 30% improvement in battery life. I'm sure this is just optimistic, though. Anyone want to take this bet?