Android in My Pocket

Productivity Sauce
Being a proponent of open source software, I've always found it annoying that the device I use most of the time -- my mobile phone -- runs some closed source proprietary system. Moving to Nokia N95 that runs the soon-to-be-open-source Symbian OS improved things slightly, but I still wanted to have something more Linux-like, open, and tweakable. That's why I followed with interest the release of Google's Android platform. The system itself did look rather promising, but, as it often happens, the first Android-powered handset turned out to be a somewhat underwhelming device. Worse yet, it has never made it to our shores. So imagine my excitement when I saw that one of our local 3G carriers started to sell HTC Magic running the latest Cupcake 1.5 release of Android. Although the phone is tied to a pricey plan and parting with hard-earned cash is never easy, I thought investing in HTC Magic would be a wise move. So say hello to the proud owner of a swanky Android-based mobile phone. I won't bore you with yet another review of the phone: there are plenty of good reviews floating on the Web (check, for example, reviews from TechRadar and AndroidCommunity). I'll just say that despite a few shortcomings (applications cannot be installed on an SD card, a non-standard connector, no easy way to take screenshots, the SD card is hidden under the cover), it is a very nice phone, indeed.
You might be wondering what all this means to you, dear reader. First of all, it means that from now on this blog will be covering productivity tools for the Android platform as well as tips and tricks for getting the most out of Linux on a mobile phone (Android is based on the Linux kernel, after all). So if you own an Android-based device, stay tuned for more blog posts you might find useful. If you don't have an Android phone, Android-related blog posts might help you to get an impression of the platform's capabilities and decide whether you would want to join the growing community of Android users. And I'm not talking only about phones here. Several hardware manufacturers are expected to release Android-powered netbooks in the near future, so we can expect to see the new mobile platform on other hardware devices. In fact, you can try Android on your machine already now, courtesy of the LiveCD Android project.
comments powered by DisqusIssue 260/2022
Buy this issue as a PDF
News
-
System76 Teams up with HP to Create the Dev One Laptop
HP and System76 have come together to develop a new laptop, powered by Pop!_OS and aimed toward developers.
-
Titan Linux is a New KDE Linux Based on Debian Stable
Titan Linux is a new Debian-based Linux distribution that features the KDE Plasma desktop with a focus on usability and performance.
-
Danielle Foré Has an Update for elementary OS 7
Now that Ubuntu 22.04 has been released, the team behind elementary OS is preparing for the upcoming 7.0 release.
-
Linux New Media Launches Open Source JobHub
New job website focuses on connecting technical and non-technical professionals with organizations in open source.
-
Ubuntu Cinnamon 22.04 Now Available
Ubuntu Cinnamon 22.04 has been released with all the additions from upstream as well as other features and improvements.
-
Pop!_OS 22.04 Has Officially Been Released
From the makers of some of the finest Linux-powered desktop and laptop computers on the market comes the latest version of their Ubuntu-based distribution, Pop!_OS 22.04.
-
Star Labs Unveils a New Small Format Linux PC
The Byte Mk I is an AMD-powered mini Linux PC with Coreboot support and plenty of power.
-
MX Linux Verison 21.1 “Wildflower” Now Available
The latest release of the systemd-less MX Linux is now ready for public consumption.
-
Microsoft Expands Their Windows Subsystem for Linux Offerings With AlmaLinux
Anyone who works with Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) will now find a new addition to the available distributions, one that’s become the front-runner replacement for CentOS.
-
Debian 11.3 Released wIth Numerous Bug and Security Fixes
The latest point release for Debian Bullseye is now available with some very important updates.