The final version of Android N was released in August 2016 as Android Nougat, and we’re looking at a similar time frame in 2017 for the release of Android O. But what will Android O be called? We round up the Android O name and release date rumours. Also see: Essential Android apps and Best Android games
Following Android Alpha and Android Beta, Google has always named its Android OS updates after sweet treats, and in alphabetical order. So far we’ve had Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, KitKat, Lollipop, Marshmallow and Nougat.
In 2017 Google will be looking for a sweet treat beginning with O. Trouble is, there really aren’t that many. The Tech Advisor team could come up with Oreo, Orange, Oatcake and Oh! Henry (the latter obviously being our favourite, given this ). It could even shake things up entirely and shock us all with something like Android OMG. (We’re joking, but we kind of like it.)
What do you think the next version of Android will be called? (If you choose Other comment below and let us know what you think.)
Given that Android Marshmallow was Android 6.0 and Android Nougat was Android 7.0-7.1, we would assume that Android O will be Android 8.0. But Google hasn’t always done things this way, and Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean and KitKat were all 4.x updates. Also see: Android Nougat review
Traditionally Google uses I/O to announce the new update to its Android OS. We’re still waiting to find out when is Google I/O 2017 (most likely in late May or early June), but we do now know that Google is returning to its usual home for the developer conference. In 2016 it presented Google I/O from t he Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View to mark the 10th anniversary of the company’s first developer day at its HQ, but in 2017 it will return to the smaller-capacity Moscone Center in San Francisco. We expect the exact date of Google I/0 2017 to be announced imminently.
Google surprised us in 2016 by taking the wraps off the Developer Preview of Android Nougat in advance of its summer Google I/O conference, and again by unveiling the final release with little fanfare and no new hardware in August. The new hardware came later, with the Google Pixel and Pixel XL unveiled in early October.
Up until now, Google has always announced the new Android OS and new hardware together. The change is most likely due to the fact it is now taking control over both the software and hardware in its own-brand devices in Apple-esque fashion, and the Google Pixel and Pixel XL were the first phones ‘Made by Google’ (even though they were made by HTC, but we won’t go there).
We can only assume this is how Google will treat its own-brand devices going forward: the hardware is no longer merely a vehicle to peddle its new software. With that in mind we’d expect to see the Android O Developer Preview again announced ahead of Google I/O, and the final release prior to any new hardware at the end of August.
However, it’s equally likely that Google did things this way as a one-off in 2016 to take the focus away from Android Nougat (which wasn’t a particularly big update) and move it on to its new phones.
Either way, our money is on an August/September release for Android O. Also see: Android Nougat vs iOS 10
Google phones and tablets are always the first to get new operating system updates, but even Google won’t support them forever. Security updates are provided for three years following the device’s release, or 18 months after it is removed from the Google Play Store (whichever is longer).
So, for example, the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P will be supported by Google until September 2017, which means they will get both Android Nougat and next year’s Android O. The Nexus 9 and Nexus 6 will both be supported until October 2016, which should mean they get an update to Android Nougat but not Android O. Older Nexus devices will not be upgraded.
Those with supported Nexus devices should find the update rolls out to their device following the launch of the new Nexus phones for 2016, or at least within a few weeks of launch.
If you have a recent flagship phone or tablet from a well-known maker such as Sony, Samsung, HTC, LG or Motorola, it’s likely you’ll see the update rolled out within the first few months of 2018. However, before you can get the update both the hardware manufacturer and mobile operator must be ready to roll it out, which can slow down things.
In its promotion of the Moto G4 Plus , Motorola has already said it will receive Android Nougat and Android O.
If you’e running a mid-range or budget model it’s likely that you will never get Android O. Android OS fragmentation is still an issue, and at the last count on 9 January 2017 there were still devices running Gingerbread (via Android Developers ).
Andromeda is a Google operating system that is in essence a mash-up of Chrome OS and Android and has been rumoured for about as long as we can remember. And when Hiroshi Lockheimer tweeted in late September that Google’s October event was going to be as memorable as the one in which Google announced Android (not his exact words – see below), the internet went crazy trying to guess what it is that could possibly warrant such hype. The only logical suggestion was Andromeda, but of course what we actually got was the first ‘Made by Google’ phones.
However, Andromeda is still allegedly on the cards, and Android Police assures us that Andromeda is an actual thing and not the figment of many Google fan’s creative imaginations. It points to a Wall Street Journal report that Google was intending to fold the two operating systems into one to better suit a range of hardware platforms. This would open the doors to a new market sector in which Google has previously tried and failed: the lucrative world of laptops.
According to WSJ Andromeda won’t see the light until 2017, which means we might not see Android O at all.
Read next: Best new phones coming in 2017
Follow Marie Brewis on Twitter.

© Source: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/new-product/google-android/android-o-name-android-o-release-date-rumours-3647595/
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IT’S NO huge secret that we don’t hold Microsoft’s methods of selling products in high regard.
Updategate was a complete shower , and with that over, we appear to have moved into the scaremongering phase of the operation based on comments from the company’s German operation.
In a blog post on Technet, we’re warned that Windows 7 « only » has three years of updates left, and even then it can’t hold a candle to Windows 10 in terms of enterprise features and security.
Tell that to the 40+ per cent of enterprises still using it.
« It provides for higher operating costs – for example, maintenance, lost working time due to increased malware attacks, or increased support requests. At the same time, many hardware manufacturers no longer provide drivers for Windows 7, which means that modern peripherals such as printers are no longer recognised.
« To give users a contemporary interaction between software and hardware, new processor generations only by the respective current Windows platform supports » explains Microsoft (via a Bing translation)
« So Windows 10 is the only version of Windows provides the appropriate support for the latest chips from Intel, AMD and Qualcomm. In addition, many programs are already written or developed for the newer versions of Windows.  »
This is, of course, blatant scaremongering. And notwithstanding that Microsoft has already made it more difficult for Windows 7 and 8 users by limiting compatibility with modern processors , the fact remains that many businesses aren’t able to update as there are compatibility issues with Windows 10 in much bespoke software.
Although it would be a foolhardy business that uses Windows Vista , it seems that Microsoft is keeping that, rather important end-of-life (in three months) on the down-low as they’re not going to make as much money from it, and despite Windows XP having a near ten per cent market share made up of some of the most vulnerable organisations like police and government, the Redmond machine is determined to go after the low hanging fruit.
« Thanks to the new principle ‘Windows as a Service’ is Windows 10 up to date and safe is the coming Creators Update Windows 10 from this spring is with intelligent security and efficient management capabilities expand. In addition to state-of-the-art security features, Windows 10 provides enterprise IT with a more flexible management and simplified deployment. For example, more than 96 percent of business customers worldwide are evaluating Windows 10.  »
Big whoop – we’re evaluating having a team holiday to Nassau, but it ain’t going to happen. It’s just more meaningless guff from a company desperate for your money. µ

© Source: http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3002683/microsoft-tells-enterprises-that-windows-7-isnt-fit-for-purpose
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Unigen’s Superposition Benchmark has been pulled from Steam Greenlight after three months of extremely positive voting, with Valve stating benchmarks are not eligible for listing. Game engine maker Unigen has announced that its upcoming gaming benchmark, Superposition, will not be coming to Valve’s Steam platform, despite having enjoyed considerable success over the last three months it has been on the Greenlight list.
Launched as an easier way for developers to get their software up on Steam, Greenlight serves as a pre-release interest-check system: developers pay $100 to activate Greenlight on their accounts and then upload videos and screenshots of their upcoming games, with Steam users voting on whether or not they would be interested in seeing the game’s full release. With enough votes, a Greenlight package gets listed in Valve’s Steam storefront for real – but not everything is eligible for the process, as Unigine has discovered to its cost.
Unigine’s Superposition Benchmark hit the Greenlight platform three months ago, and by late December last year had received 1,787 positive votes – around 96 percent of all votes – making it one of the most popular items on the list. This week, though, the company announced that the software would not be coming to Steam after all – and pinned the blame firmly on Valve.
‘ The first announcement in this year, unfortunately, won’t be very cheering. Superposition Benchmark was excluded out of the Greenlight [programme] after three months of active voting, ‘ the company’s Steam post explained. ‘ It was #1 recently, but was declined by Steam moderation team because ‘benchmark’ is not kind of software that allowed to take part in Greenlight at the moment. Well, this is the unpleasant surprise for us as well, but those are the Steam rules. ‘
The FAQs for Greenlight do indeed make clear that the service is only for selected software types: games, animation and modelling, audio production, design and illustration, photo editing, and video production. Despite their popularity among games, benchmarks clearly fall outside these categories – though you’d be forgiven for not realising this, given the long list of benchmarks Steam users can browse and install: Futuremark’s 3DMark, PCMark, and VRMark, Geekbench 3, Catzilla 4K, the Resident Evil 6 Benchmark Tool, and Valve’s own SteamVR Performance Test all appear following a cursory search for ‘benchmark,’ but Superposition will not be among them.
Unigine has indicated that it plans to launch the Superposition Benchmark as a standalone application some time this quarter, with more information available on the official website .

© Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bit-tech/news/~3/yzh5wkDNkmI/1
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APP STORES operating in mainland China must register with the government’s Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) this week in what the government claims is an attempt to clamp down on the spread of ‘illegal information’.
It follows the passage of a law in June 2016 that will also require mobile app developers to verify user identities with a real-name registration regime and to save user activity logs for at least 60 days.
In addition to helping the authorities keep their eyes on people and the kind of stuff being circulated across the internet in China, the new law is also intended to combat the proliferation of app stores that offer insecure or downright fraudulent apps, as well as piracy and apps bearing malware.
The situation has largely arisen because the Chinese government insists on blocking Google’s Play Store, forcing Android users to download apps from a cornucopia of third-party app stores.
The app stores will also be required to closely monitor users of their apps as part of a government push to increase online censorship and to « punish » people who spread what the CAC called « illicit information » on their platforms.
« A small number of apps have been exploited by criminal types to spread violence and terrorism, pornographic material, rumours and other illegal information, » the regulator claimed when the law was passed in the summer.
The new regulations were released suddenly on Friday and provided the first indications that the government planned to actually enforce the law.
Laws in China (like criminal justice acts in the UK) are often intentionally broad in order to give the authorities the widest possible range of action but, at the same time, are often not enforced.
The order from the regulator on Friday indicated that the authorities are planning to enforce the law, although forcing the real-names policy may take some time. µ

© Source: http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3002681/china-orders-app-stores-to-register-in-bid-to-crack-down-on-illegal-information
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I first saw Consumer Physics’ SCiO handheld scanner a couple of years ago and was impressed by its ability to identify materials by scanning and analyzing their chemical composition. In the intervening years, Consumer Physics has partnered with Analog Devices to increase the sensor’s accuracy and reduce its size, and at CES 2017, the company announced the first smartphone with an integrated SCiO sensor, making this technology even easier to carry and use.
The Changhong H2 has a 6-inch 1080p display and a 16MP rear camera. Inside is an octa-core CPU running at up to 2.0GHz paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, all powered by a 3000mAh battery. The H2’s standout feature, though, is the new sensor.
The SCiO sensor uses near-infrared spectroscopy to identify a material’s molecular content. By illuminating an object with a broadband light source and using the spectrometer, a type of optical sensor, to break the reflected light into its constituent components, SCiO’s signal processing algorithms compare the reflected light’s wavelengths to the original emission to create a spectral fingerprint. This technique works because molecules will only absorb photons at certain energy levels, which means specific wavelengths will be missing or attenuated in the reflected light.
The Changhong H2’s sensor allows you to virtually “taste” food, measuring the sweetness of fruit for example, or measure how ripe fruits and vegetables are. It can identify specific liquids, tell you if the pills in an unmarked bottle are vitamins or a prescription pain killer, or even tell you if the Viagra you bought online from that sketchy website is real or fake. You can even use it to measure body fat and analyze the nutritional content of food.
The SCiO sensor module sits next to the camera on the back of the Changhong H2. Scanning an object involves opening an app and placing the sensor close to its surface, within 0.5-2.0 cm. It takes about 1.5 seconds to collect data. The app then compares the material’s spectral fingerprint to thousands of others stored in a cloud-based database for identification, as shown in the demonstration below.
Consumer Physics is working with companies to integrate its sensor into other products as well, such as the DietSensor scale—it also makes an app for the Changhong H2—that scans and weighs food to determine the calorie count and ratio between carbohydrates, fat, and protein. There’s also an SDK for third-party developers to develop apps that leverage the sensor’s capabilities.
The Changhong H2 will be available in China for 2999 RMB starting in June 2017 and will come to the US and other regions later in the year.

© Source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/11022/scio-sensor-added-to-smartphone
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