If we all could just get along and get back to work…
On Friday, May 16th, Apple and Google (including the remains of its Motorola Mobility division) released a joint statement marking the end of all patent litigation between the two companies. The two companies have been in legal warfare for three-and-a-half years, now. The two companies will also "work together in some areas of patent reform". It is unclear what that actually means.
This decision does not seem to affect Apple's ongoing litigation with Samsung. Those two companies are still in a famous and fierce skirmish over mankind's greatest UX innovations, like slide-to-unlock and the little bounce that happens when you scroll to the end of a list too fast. Those are, honestly, the issues that we are facing. I have a suggestion for an area to reform…
… but that has been beaten to death for years, now. It, at least, shows a willingness to cooperate going forward. It also shows a slight bit more promise for products like Ubuntu on phones, Firefox OS, and even smaller initiatives. You can say what you like about the current litigation, but closing the road for independent developers with great and innovative ideas is terrible and bad for society. Unique smartphones could be made, each with slide-to-unlock, just like unique OSes can use icons and web browsers can use tabs.
Friday was the 16th, not the
Friday was the 16th, not the 17th… 🙂
Thanks, fixed. Little typo.
Thanks, fixed. Little typo.
HUGE!
HUGE!
Google, M$, and Apple are all
Google, M$, and Apple are all about closed ecosystems chained to app stores. To get full freedom on Phones/Tablets requires a Full Linux Distro, and with Google having less distractions in the legal area just means the they have more time to ensnare the Linux Kernel inside of Android more, with a locked down ecosystem. Have you seen any Full Linux tablets on the market from OEMs, OEMs who are recieving financial assistance and Contra revenue type of help to keep them locked into the Android system. Why is there not full Linux distros that come with the Android VM, to run Android apps on a full linux distro. Google and Android is no better than M$’s RT in this respect. With all the more powerfull Tablet SOCs, like Nvidia’s K1, Or AMD Beema, and Mullins, why are Tablets relegated to Android so much, and still no Tablet support for Full Linux Distros, and in the not to far future, Full Linux distros will be the only choice for Open Source software on tablets. The only reason the big intrests are defending Linux, is to get access to the Kernel, and then bind it up tightly in a closed VM(Android/etc) and milk it for a closed ecosystem windfall, Same with BSD and IOS/OSX, and RT! The Big Ad driven intrests want computing locked down to an old fashioned TV network BOOB Tube type of system with Ads for Eyes, as the only driving factor. I’ll only purchase tablet hardware that is free of the Ad companies’ subsidies, and only runs a Full Linux Distro(Debian, Mint, Steam OS).