Episode 66 - We all Scream for Ice Cream Sandwich

Image by abulhussain via Flickr

ICS is announced.

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Show Notes

Ice Cream Sandwich will enable use of USB Gamepads and Controllers.
Interview with Matias Duarte on the philosophy of Android – Google studied users to see how and why they used their smartphones.

“With Android, people were not responding emotionally, they weren’t forming emotional relationships with the product. They needed it, but they didn’t necessarily love it.”
“We’ve taken what Honeycomb has done and pumped up the snooty design quotient, and we’ve toned down the geeky nerd quotient. We’ve made it a lot more accessible. But we haven’t taken it in a new direction.”

Contextual menus instead of hidden menus(with menu buttons)
People App, replacing the traditional address book with links to social network activity, with open API to link in additional items.
Android Beam – NFC sending of files and links
Data Usage controls
Hiding of bloatware apps
New APIs

Google redesigning Reader, bringing it closer to Google+.
Android Open Source Project(AOSP) back with a new home, source for ICS will drop shortly after first device delivery
Android Market changes calculation methodology to remove installing an app update as an active install.
AT&T announced that sales of Android phone in the past 3 months more than doubled from same period last year, half of them on tiered data plans
Google Street View Explores the Swiss Alps by Rail
Google is ‘Close’ to launching digital download store
Steve Jobs vows to destroy Android with last dying breath
Steve Ballmer claims Android is for computer science geeks. “You don’t need to be a computer scientist to use a Windows phone and you do to use an Android phone.”
Google explains online safety and privacy at google.com/goodtoknow.
Cyanogenmod won’t work on CM9 till ICS source is released
A research project proves that your smartphone’s accelerator could uncover your passwords by picking up keystrokes through vibrations when placed on a desk
2nd Annual AnDevCon coming to San Francisco November 6-9
Google I/O 2012 set for April 24-25
NSA and Google developing hardened Android kernel for Government communication

Lemon launches with Android app, lets you organize and store your receipts in the cloud. (Market Link)
Expensify (geared toward business) – All services free for individual use except automatic receipt scanning. Allows import from credit or bank account, guaranteed eReceipts for amounts under $75, reports. (Market Link)
Shoeboxed – Free for self-data entry, charge for their processing of the information, or mailing it to them. Can’t seem to find free way from Android app (Market Link)

Dolphin Browser 7.0 launches on GetJar with 5 day exclusive. Dolphin Connect offers bookmark and preference syncing.
Verizon releases MyFIOS app, allows users to remotely access movies, Flex View TV shows and home automation and monitoring systems directly from their handsets, while managing their accounts and billing via the provider’s built-in customer service tools. (Market Link)
Netflix now supports Honeycomb tablets
Enterproid– Currently in beta, enables work and personal profiles on Android devices that remain separate.
Remember The Milk gets updated interface, now free with more features. (Market Link)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:16 — 26.7MB)

Episode 66 – We all Scream for Ice Cream Sandwich