Android operating system

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Draft

This article or section is currently under construction

In principle, someone is working on it and there should be a better version in a not so distant future.
If you want to modify this page, please discuss it with the person working on it (see the "history")

Introduction

“Android is Google's operating system for mobile devices based on ARM architecture. It is a competitor to the Symbian platform, Apple's iOS for the iPhone and Microsoft's Windows Mobile and Windows Phone for mobile devices all based on ARM architecture. Technologically, Android includes middleware and key applications, and uses a modified version of the Linux kernel” (Wikipedia).

Why use Android as opposed to an iPhone:

  • Apple controls the applications through a single market place
  • Apple excludes certain technologies (e.g. banned the "save as iPhone" functionality in Adobe CS5).
  • Connectivity is restricted, i.e. you can't tether and iPhone to an Ipad (at least in some places)

As general principle, people in education always should support totally or at least relatively open technology since that way you improved chances to be able to move contents to other infrastructures in the present and the future ....

(Some) technical information

Tip: Upgrade the OS whenever a new version is available for your phone

Version 2.1 includes:

  • WIFI and WiMaX support
  • Be able to turn data download off when roaming, vendors typically only offer free data download schemes for the resident country :(
  • USB PC connectivity
  • USB tethering (i.e. you can use the mobile as a modem for your PC laptop on vacation), may not be available in some countries like the US.
  • Good support for google applications (Calendar, google world, etc.)
  • Support for 3D capable GPUs, i.e. OpenGL ES
  • Default webbrowser: Based on WebKit + the Chrome JavaScript engine
  • Applications are programed in Java, but compile to Dalvik (so there is no Java J2ME VM currently)
  • Support for typical smartphone features, like GPS, multi-touchscreen, acclerometers, magnetometers.
  • Multitasking

Version 2.2 (not available on many phones as of June 2009) will include several improvements, e.g. Flash 10.1

Security

  • Carefully read the list of authorizations an application requires (capabilities) before you download from the market. Most applications should not need make phone calls nor send SMSs and consult your contact list. Many should not be authorized to download/upload data.
  • Only download software that is rated and includes comments. Additionally, check the developers web site and try to find reviews from web sites that seem to be serious.
  • To see the permission given to an application after installation, go to the market, press menu, downloads, then select the application, press menu again, then press security.

Read for example How to be safe, find trusted apps, & avoid viruses - A guide for those new to Android. This forum article has a long list of issues you should be familiar with.

Applications

Android does have a central applications store like the iPhone, i.e. the Android Market, but you may install anything you like by your own.

To promote Android, Google initiated the Android Developer Challenge

The Android Market

An Android mobile includes an Android client. It has some deficiencies:

  • The category system isn't good enough (about 18 categories)
  • Search doesn't offer completion
  • you only can see comments from "your" market
  • It's a pain to enter credit card information with google checkout. There ought to be some paypal-like facility.

The official web site is also fairly useless for finding and evaluating software, e.g. user comments are not included and there is no search facility.

There I suggest goin through other web sites, see [ below].

Useful applications

(not complete at all, does not include standard stuff like default browser, e-mail client, MP3 manager, etc.)

Phone management

Advanced Task Killer

Office

Astrid - Todo list manager
home page

Maps and GPS

Google Earth
Needs a good GPU
Will cache maps (browse the location before you leave your country or find a WIFI spot...)
Maverick
GPS and location sharing tool
Share Your Board
capturing, processing and sharing whiteboard data
works under good lightning conditions
Trip Journal
(not tested)
Google Sky Map
not tested
Celeste
Identify stuff in the sky by pointer the camera

Readers

FBReader
Free e-pub reader (best Linux program)
tested, works fine.
PDF reader (from Adobe)

Finding information about

(old style and/or using camera or voice input)

WikiMobile Encyclopedia
Based on wikipedia, reduces download (network data) a lot
Shazam
Identify tunes
Shazam (service) (Wikipedia)

Edutainment

Word Puzzle
Edutainment
SongDNA
The light version is ok
Solo
Pocket guitar (play and chord diagrams for most important chords)
The light version is ok, the pro version does more
Rhythm Guitar
Pocket guitar

In education

We didn't find any interesting application that targets the education market and that do not fall in the category edutainment, reference and quizzing (but didn't do any exhaustive search). See for example 101 Best Android Apps in Education

However:

  • There are many games that are somewhat educational (so-called edutainment)
  • Many applications (e.g. google earth, office programs, communication programs, interfaces to popular webservices and reference) that can be used in educational scenarios).

Links

Android OS and hardware

Android OS
Hardware

Indexes of applications

(there are dozens of such .... the ones below were randomly chosen)

General
Specialized

Help

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