operating systems

Android users: Don't fret over Google's fee battles

Handset makers using the Google Android mobile operating system may be slapped with additional licensing fees if Oracle and Microsoft have their way. But what might that mean for the average cell phone consumer? Would the price of Android devices go up?

It's not likely, say experts. There are several reasons to think that legal victories from Oracle or Microsoft would do little to move the needle in terms of pricing for consumers. What's more, whatever additional costs might be added to the phone would likely be offset by savings elsewhere, still guaranteeing that handset makers generate decent … Read more

Report: Alibaba planning Android, iOS competitor

There might soon be another company competing in the mobile operating system market, The Wall Street Journal is reporting.

China-based online-commerce company Alibaba is planning to launch a mobile operating system in the third quarter, the Journal says, citing someone "close to the situation." The operating system will reportedly have cloud-based elements, including allowing users to access applications over the Web, rather than download them to their devices.

The fact that Alibaba is considering launching a mobile operating system is somewhat surprising. Though the company has developed some software in the past, it's best-known as an e-commerce … Read more

Chrome OS has security flaws, claims researcher

Google may see its Chrome operating system as more secure than traditional alternatives, but one security researcher believes the cloud-based OS is vulnerable, according to a Reuters story published yesterday.

WhiteHat Security researcher Matt Johansen said he found a flaw in a Chrome OS application that he was able to exploit to gain control of a Google e-mail account. Though Google fixed the flaw after it was reported, Johansen claims to have discovered other applications with the same flaw, Reuters said.

In citing the security holes in Chrome OS, Johansen specifically pointed to the ability of hackers who can steal … Read more

Tired of paying for Windows? Try Linux instead

Surprising revelation: for the last month or so, I've been using a Linux-powered laptop as my primary work machine.

Linux, of course, is the free, open-source alternative to Windows and Mac operating systems. I've fiddled with it from time to time, but never considered it a viable replacement for either one. 

Mind you, I can't abandon Windows altogether. Not only do I write about it for a living, I also rely heavily on certain features and programs not currently available in Linux.

But this much I've learned: If you want to breathe new life into … Read more

Windows 8 to be released to manufacturing by April?

Windows 8 could be released to manufacturing by April, according to a "not so crazy" rumor offered by Mary Jo Foley of CNET sister site ZDNet.

In her column yesterday, Foley cited a "trusted source," who says that Microsoft is currently on track for Windows 8 to be released to manufacturing by April. RTM, or release to manufacturing, is the final version of a product just before it reaches consumers. For example, Windows 7 was released to manufacturing in July 2009 and then officially launched a few months later in October.

According to Foley's source, … Read more

Microsoft VP hints at Windows 8 release in fall '12

Windows 8 is scheduled to launch in fall 2012, according to hints dropped by one of the company's corporate vice presidents.

Speaking last week at an event at Microsoft's campus in Mountain View, Calif., Dan'l Lewin, Microsoft corporate vice president for Strategic and Emerging Business Development, laid out the likely scenario for Windows 8, from initial beta to final release, according to TechRadar and other sources.

Asking people to look into the crystal ball and assume that "what happened in the past is a reasonable indicator of what our forward looking timelines will be and just … Read more

IDC: Windows Phone to surpass Apple's iOS by 2015

Energized by the recent deal between Microsoft and Nokia, Windows Phone will grab the No. 2 spot ahead of Apple's iOS in the global smartphone market by 2015, according to IDC's latest Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

Releasing some slight revisions from a report issued in March, IDC expects Windows Phone to capture 20.3 percent of all smartphone users in just four years, up from a 3.8 percent share this year.

The research firm believes that by switching to Windows Phone as the core OS on its devices, Nokia will provide the kick that Microsoft needs, … Read more

Stable Chrome OS still limited by Internet access

The bottom line: If you like living your digital life in the browser, then Chrome OS could be a clarion call that's hard to resist. It's fast, it's geared for an Internet tether yet able to function on its own, and it's a bold step into the future of how operating systems work. However, it's untested on a large scale, and concerns about its effectiveness and utility are not without merit.

Review: Welcome to the Chrome channel. Available on laptops from Samsung and Acer, Google's new operating system is all Chrome, all the time. … Read more

The 404 819: Where everybody knows your name (podcast)

We had a quick olfactory disaster this morning, but we cleared the air and can get on with our regularly scheduled programming. There's more Google news following yesterday's I/O developers conference, and this time the search giant introduces Chromebooks and several new apps to its Chrome Web store.

In other Google news, the company is suffering from a smear campaign in the tech media that sources have traced back to Facebook, of all companies. Spurned from competitive tension in the social-networking space, the two companies are going head to head over growing privacy concerns.

You might've noticed a lack of audio and video voicemails lately, and that's because we haven't received any! If you want to make it on the show, let us know your comments/feedback/criticisms by calling into 1-866-404-CNET (2638) or record a video on YouTube and send the link to the404(at)cnet(dot)com.

The 404 Digest for Episode 819

Google debuts Chromebooks. Angry Birds for Chrome already hacked, unlocking all levels. Glympse.com lets people follow your every move for a given amount of time. Facebook hired a PR Firm to plant anti-Google stories in the media. Let's get a 404 ad on TV! Loser of the week: Mom gives Botox to 8-year-old daughter.

Episode 819 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more