Android Atlas Weekly 78: Results and predictions
We take a look back at last year's Android predictions and take our best guesses for what to look for in 2012.
We take a look back at last year's Android predictions and take our best guesses for what to look for in 2012.
Podcast
Subscribe: iTunes (MP3) | iTunes (320x180) | iTunes (640x360) | RSS (MP3) | RSS (320x180) | RSS (640x360)
EPISODE 78
Antuan’s 2011 Predictions List
Google will begin to work on better in-car connectivity for Android devices to help encourage use of its Maps app and to gain ground from Apple and its iPhone. They’ve already started taking jabs at in-car navigation, so maybe they want to move to replace it
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20025511-48.html
Chrome OS goes the way of Google Wave and doesn’t survive the year, gets absorbed into Android instead
Prediction: ChromeOS will be killed next year (or "merged" with Android) http://ff.im/vdmVs—
Paul Buchheit (@paultoo) December 14, 2010
Goofy longshot: Someone will build an android that runs on Android–because the world needs more robots… or at least we’ll start to see Android showing up in more non-smartphone/non-tablety devices
Justin’s 2011 Predictions List
Google TV will die as a standalone device
Android tablets will be even or above the iPad in marketshare by the end of 2011
http://blogs.computerworld.com/17554/android_tablets_will_almost_catch_the_ipad_by_2012_says_analyst
An Android based toaster will be released
Android UI fragmentation will persist
Google will release a music store competitor to iTunes for Android
Jason Howell’s 2011 Predictions List
Android & iOS app releases at the same time
Gaming big for Android that are ad supported
Gaming focused hardware
New Phone for Jason
2012 Prediction List
Antuan’s 2012 Prediction List
One or more worldwide automaker will adopt or announce the development of Android (or something heavily skinned and Android-based) as the in-dash OS for its infotainment system.
We’ll start to see more third-party devices (speakers, car stereos, etc.) that are labeled with something akin to “Works with Android” or prominently displaying the Andy logo, despite the fact that they likely won’t do much more than they already do (USB charging, aux or Bluetooth connectivity, etc)
We will see more prominent and in-depth integration of +1 and Google+ social networking elements into the core of Android OS as Google struggles to gain traction with the service while balancing its previous privacy faux-pas.
Instagram for everyone! This is sort of a cop-out because we know that it’s coming.
Armageddon caused by a resonance cascade created by interference between extraterrestrial GPS signals and the increased proliferation of 4G LTE radio signals combined with passive RF generated by the inevitable boom of quad-core smartphones and tablets and Mathias Duarte’s amazing technicolor socks: because, why not?
Justin’s 2012 Prediction List
A Siri Competitor will be released, but it won’t be as good
Google TV won’t die, and will be on another brand’s devices
All future Nexus devices will come from Motorolla
Android will have over 60% market share by end of 2012
There will be an Android based coffee maker
[other stuff cut] Last my predictions are not tosters or phones that teleport me…..lol
i predict more development on android as a potential desktop OS like a combination of chrome OS and android. I allready substituted my laptop with my transformer and love the battery life and synergy with my phone.
once again love the show and keep it up.
ps: totaly agree with you guys on looking at defects of our beloved OS thats how we improve it
Sincerely Robert
—–
Hey Antuan and Justin!
My 2012 dream headline I'd love to see would be:
Google announces Galaxy Nexus variant with a physical keyboard! YEA!!!!
I'd love to have a Nexus someday but I'm a "gotta have a physical keyboard" kind of Android user.
-Bob
—–
I’m a long time listener and love the show guys. Anyway I’m in kind of a bind. I can no longer afford my contract on verizon so I’m canceling my service. My wife said I can switch to T-mobile and I’m going to but I was desperately hoping if you knew of a cheap place to buy phones not on contract. Or if you could ask your amazing listeners if anyone would like to sell me a Galaxy S II. I’ve got about $200 to spend, $300 if the wife doesn’t notice, and it would really help me out financially in the long run. Sorry for the long email and keep up the awesome work. Jon Q, from Elma Wa
—–
hi guys,
I would like to know what the Dalvik cache actually is? Is it all important to wipe it when I flash a ROM? What exactly is the function of the Dalvik cache and will I accidentally erase important data by wiping it?
Thanks,
Pearlyn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalvik_(software)
dalvik cache is a program cache area for the program dalvik. Dalvik is a java based virtual machine that is the bases for running your programs (the ones that have the .apk extension). In order to make access times faster (because there’s not JIT (just in time) compiler installed by default), the dalvik-cache is the result of dalvik doing a optimization of the running program. Sounds confusing. It’s similar to the prefetch files in Windows.
—–
Hello Android Atlas team,
I noticed that in quiet a few shows you criticize the fact of the rear facing camera on tablets. You only note the fact of using it for the Camera app, but not for the use in other apps. One app I do use with the rear facing camera is the Barcode reader… Imagine scanning a QR code using a front facing camera. I scan the odd code from my computer monitor. The rear camera can also be used for other apps such as Goggles. I wouldn’t use the rear camera for these uses in public, but at home, it definitely makes sense. You can also use a QR code to transfer some data from say your Android phone to your Tablet very quickly. It’s like the new RFID in the new Nexus, but instead of smacking the phones back-to-back, you scan one with the others camera.
On that topic, I also find RFID on the Nexus kindof redundant(besides the payment options with Google Wallet), QR codes can transfer the same amounts of data just as quickly, and are supported on any device with a screen and camera… Which is every Android device on the market. Google should have build that nifty transfer technology using QR codes, then some uses would be universal for all smartphones. An android user can share anything on their device with another smartphone, market/app specific stuff would only share with another Android though. Standards needs to be embraced to benefit all smartphone users, and not only Android users. Our connected world is only more disconnected due to the diversity of Operating Systems on the market which do not talk nicely to each other. At least QR codes can be read on any smartphone… Bluetoothing data is still yet to be totally universal across platforms.
– Kevin.
—–
I think that you all should lay off the Motorola Xoom. Now I realize that it may not have held up to all of the ‘Gingerbread promise’ out of the box, but that is the past. If someone would purchase the devise now, I believe that on balance they would have an exceedingly pleasant and geektastic experience. I’ve had mine for about two months now and have nothing but a positive ownership experience. I know that I wasn’t an early adopter so my anticipation was greatly tempered, but it seems like you all tend to not let a device live down its past.
I greatly enjoy your podcast and wish to commend Cnet as one of the few places where I see geeky brothahs in the media.
Thanks,
The Big H. Aka .Dani Ortez
—–
BLOG cnet.com/android-atlas
STREAM cnet.com/live/
TIME Wednesdays @ 10am PT
EMAIL androidatlas@cnet.com
TWITTER @androidatlas
ANTUAN @antgoo
JUSTIN @notmyrealname
PHONE 866-344-CNET (2638)