The next-generation iPhone is rumored to bring some radical changes for users, and it will also mark a very public break-up between Apple and Google. Much-loved Google products on iOS will now disappear or be replaced with Apple variants, while hardware design changes will bring long-term improvements, but short-term headaches for some users.
The latest beta releases of iOS 6 are now giving a clearer indication of which of Google’s services Apple will drop or replace with its own, with several reports indicating upcoming design and hardware changes that you’ll have to keep in mind. Until the new iPhone is announced on September 12, as reports indicate, here are the changes being discussed and what they mean. (via Four things Apple will eliminate with iPhone 5 and iOS 6 | Macworld)
iGoogle will be retired in 16 months, on November 1, 2013. The mobile version will be retired on July 31, 2012.
Google is taking over the world, one city, one nation at a time. “Here on Google Island, we strum rubber guitars…”
Google’s Android operating system is set to receive a massive boost in Taiwan with news that Japan-based Open Embedded Software Foundation is set to issue proposals detailing a concept of building the country as an Android Island, Digitimes reports. By educating and working with manufacturers and vendors in the country, the OESF hopes to paint Taiwan as Android Island, effectively promoting Android in devices other than smartphones, encouraging the development of Android-powered TV’s, set-top boxes, in-car computing systems and digital video recorders, building on the well developed technology supply chains in the country. The concept of painting regions as Android-focused areas is not a new one, the OESF has already successfully built a number of Android Cities in Japan and will present its new plans to Taiwan’s Industrial Development Bureau, which forms part of Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs. With microprocessing technology firm ARM, Fujitsu, Toshiba, NTT France Telecom, and over 70 supporting organisations, the foundation aims to help “jointly develop and promote standardization of common framework and platform among the participating members for various devices and systems other than cellular phones.” The OESF will submit its proposal in cooperation with Linaro, a non-profit software engineering company investing in core Linux software and systems running on ARM chips. (via Taiwan Set to Become an ‘Android Island’ in New Proposals)
What Schmidt and, presumably, Google wants is stable identities embedded in social networks. And it’s true such a platform requires effort and attention. However, a “real name” policy isn’t the way to get there. Neither is insisting that people use a more conventional name or their name on a government issued ID.
I suppose this is what is mean by “open.”
U.S. antitrust regulators are focusing their investigation of Google Inc. on key areas of its business, including its Android mobile-phone software and Web-search related services, people familiar with the probe say.
Six weeks after serving Google with broad subpoenas, Federal Trade Commission lawyers, in conjunction with several state attorneys general, have been asking whether Google prevents smartphone manufacturers that use its Android operating system from using competitors’ services, these people said.
Federal Trade Commission officials are focusing their antitrust investigation on several key areas of Google’s business, including its Android mobile phone software and Web search related services. Joe White has details from Washington.
They also have inquired whether Google grants preferential placement on its website to its own products, such as Google’s “Places” business listings, its “Shopping results” and Google Finance services above most other results.
And they’re looking into allegations that Google unfairly takes information collected by rivals, such as reviews of local businesses, to use on its own specialized site and then demotes the rivals’ services in its search results, the people said.
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