Official Mobile Security & Innovative Technologies Blog
This blog is managed/edited by Eric Everson. The purpose of this blog is to discuss common threats and solutions that exist within the mobile community in addition to the intricacies of innovative technologies and the markets therein.
Thank you for taking the time to review my blog; I am Eric Everson the founder of MyMobiSafe.com. In addition to my duties at MyMobiSafe, LLC I am also a full-time graduate student and mobile industry researcher. As a mobile security expert and innovative technologies leader, I am glad to answer any questions you may have: EricEverson@Hotmail.com
Monday 5 November 2007, 11:23 PM
Google Android: Mobile Open Source Door Kicked Open
By Eric Everson, Founder - MyMobiSafe.com
At the Google press conference today, the Google team answered many questions that have been circulating throughout the internet regarding its Android initiative. The upcoming Android SDK (Software Development Kit) debut is about to kick open the doors of mobile open source.
According to Stephen Wellman of InformationWeek.com, “During the press conference, Google's representatives beamed that the upcoming Android SDK and terms of service would be among the "most broad and liberal" in the wireless industry. Android promises to provide developers and handset makers with an incredibly flexible and powerful mobile OS and development environment.”
The internet is currently abuzz with the potential that Android promises third-party developers. As Google eases into the mobile environment, many are wondering how the powerhouse company will redefine the standards of the mobile industry. There is definite potential for Android to become the next leading Operating System within the mobile industry. Could Symbian and Microsoft Mobile take a backseat to Google’s Android? Perhaps only the future will tell. The issues regarding the handset level security vulnerabilities that the Android open source Operating System introduce are just beginning to develop. As the Android SDK will make the debut well before the Google Phone, Google may want to consider the acquisition of a mobile security provider too.
Your friend and mobile security expert,
Eric Everson
Founder MyMobiSafe.com
PreviousComments on this post
Using linux as the operating system means only the lowest level commodity software is addressed. There are already many mobile linux kernels available for developers. So far, there hasn't been any news regarding higher level software such as: user interface, java support, graphics rendering, security, etc.
www.d2tech.com
Agreed. The bigger “news” is likely that Google entered the mobile industry with an OS before the “gPhone” debut. I do see big security vulnerabilities down the pipe though.
Good news, but there is very few details about the platform itself.
I see 3 options for Android on the table:
Option 1) a Linux kernel, with a native open source JVM. This is the Blackberry approach and the best scenario. It will enable running existing J2ME applications (thousands exist today) and Google will provide more powerfull APIs for their integrationg with their application suite, like GMail, Google Maps and YouTube. GPS APIs would be great too. They will also provide a custom Java based UI toolkit to make applications consistent with the phone UI. IDEs will be Netbeans and Eclipse. The low level access to the underlying Linux OS would be hidden from the developer. Millions of Java developers will be able to write Android apps quickly, as no new language and new IDEs will be required to learn.
Option 2) The JVM is not part of Android. This is Palm approach (IBM provides the JVM for Treos). In this case, Esmertec will likely provide a non open source JVM to run J2ME apps to each phone vendor. This is OK but not very good, as the JVM may or may not be present and they will be no integration with existing app or UI toolkit. Developer will have to code all apps running on Android with C or C++ APIs using Eclipse. the SDK will be very similar to the now defund Palm Foleo or the Nokia Linux Maemo platform. Look at the number of apps for it.....
Option 3) No JVM, but a powerfull mobile Web Browser ala Safari, based on the Safari WebKit, which is open source, to runn local mobile AJAX apps written in Javascript and DHTML. Google would provide in the browser custom APIs asmJavascript libraries to integrate with the platform and custon Javacript UI compomenents. This will be similar to the current iPhone development and also like the Google widget developement. This is ambitious and risky and will not work for mutimedia or game apps. This is not GREAT, but this is OK, specially if they can integrate some version of Google Gears, enabling mobile AJAX apps to run offline.
OR ... all 3 options ? Anyway we will know in 1 week time.
http://www.unyverse.com
Our story has a bit on the Java side of things.
PS - We'll be writing a lot more about Android in the very near future...
Hum, Java-over-Linux : interesting. I look forward to it.
What's funny is that Sun is not part of the Open Handset Alliance, and there is no mention of JavaFX mobile, the supposed next generation of Java for mobile....
Thierry Brethes, founder of Unyverse.com
