Is Android Really Open Source?

Recently VisionMobile published a report called The Open Governance Index. It looked at the relative openness of Android, Qt, Symbian, MeeGo, Mozilla, WebKit, Linux, and Exclipse.  The report suggests that Android’s success has less to do with open source licensing and more to do with Google’s financial power.

In an almost conclusive tone, the report states that Google’s size, a huge amount of marketing dollars from carriers and vendors, and the need to counter Apple are all more responsible for Android’s success than the actual OS or the open source licensing.

“Android would not have risen were it not for the billions of dollars that OEMs and network operators poured into Android in order to compete with Apple’s iconic devices,” the firm wrote. “As Stephen Elop, Nokia’s CEO, said in June, 2011, ‘Apple created the conditions necessary for Android.’ (bgr.com, 2011).

Here is a copy of the infographic from visionmobile.com. Be sure to head over to BGR.com to read the entire article by Zach Epstein on December 13th, 2011.

5 Principals of Innovation

Read an article on digitalonto.com from December 11th, 2011. It addresses the question: Are innovators born or made? Surely there is something a bit “different” about the super-innovative people in the world. Often I have found that creative and artistic people see things differently and are sometimes seen as strange or quirky. Whether or not innovation and creativity can be taught is still a question, but here are 5 principals of innovation that are present in almost all successful innovations.




1. Think Small
A small idea has potential to grow into something phenomenal. Thinking too big can lead to enormous and daunting goals and wishes that never come to fruition.
2. Disruptive innovations are crappy
Disruptive innovations strive to change an entire industry or create a new market. The problem is, they often take something and simply dumb it down. It targets consumers who are looking for products that are superior to existing products in some ways while eliminating some of the ‘extra’ functionality that they may not need. Sometimes these innovations take products and make them “good enough”.
3. Innovation is combination
Innovative products usually take flight when they are coupled with or take advantage other products or services. The Apple eco-system is a great example of products that started with iPods and now stretches out to iPhones, Apple TVs, iPads, and more; all linked via iTunes and the Apple AppStore.
4. Passion and perseverance are key
People who introduce successful innovations have to be passionate about their ideas. To take something that is completely new and attempt to introduce it to people as something they need requires an amount of love and confidence in the idea. The fact that many other people will say it will never work or will deny the opportunity means that perseverance is crucial too. Without the will to persevere in implementing the idea a person is passionate about, innovation cannot survive.
5. The 70/20/10 portfolio
Simply stated:
-Put 70% of innovation efforts toward taking the competition’s money
-Put 20% of innovation efforts toward taking somebody else’s money (a customer or supplier)
-Put 10% of you innovation efforts toward creating something new and cool
Be sure to stop at Digitaltonto.com to read the entire article: 5 Principals of Innovation

Is the iPad the Most Hated Gadget Ever?

Mike Elgan from cultofmac.com seems to think so. In an interesting article on the cultofmac website he gives his reasoning for this suggestion.

Tablet makers hate the iPad because they can’t compete with the numbers unless they sell tablets for prices so cheap it comes as a loss. Other tablet markets like those found in aviation and medical industries hate the iPad because it costs a fraction of what their devices do and works far better. The toy industry hates the iPad because all the kids want one. And finally, the PC industry hates the iPad because more people are realizing that they don’t need a PC as much as they used to.

Elgan brings up some good points and even shares my feelings towards Amazon and their soon-to-be reasons for hating the iPad as well. With growing rumors of a 7.85-inch iPad replacing the iPod Touch, things don’t look so good for the Kindle Fire. About the only appealing thing about that device is the obvious low price point.

Head on over to check out the full article:
Mike Elgan - Why the iPad Is the Most Hated Gadget Ever

Hi Tech Lighting Display

This is a state-of-the-art showcase of 3D projection mapping and creativity. The show took place on August 24th, 2010 in Kharkov, Ukraine on the Kharkiv Regional Administration’s building to honor the city’s birthday and Independence day.

Source