Advantages of attending the SEO conferences

Lots of times, in blogs & Web forums, query arises: Is it worth it to spend money in attending conferences for SEO or the SEO Conference? This is because you would require to spend a significant amount of money in attending.

There are lots of SEO conferences now. This is because SEO has become an integral part of website popularity, as well as of Web promotion. There's lots of ways for you to build your reputation online & set up an online site that would increase your popularity in the net.

The answer is yes. There's lots of benefits to attending SEO conferences. Since the SEO industry is beginning now, it is important to take in as much knowledge as you can. It is over increasing your popularity. You require to learn about lots of things so that you can deeply analyze what happens in the SEO area.

Conferences are a great avenue for you to exchange knowledge with other people in the SEO arena. You would learn the most important things about SEO by communicating with individuals who are passionate about it.

It is then important that you bring lots of business cards which you can give out to the people that you would meet. Also, make definite that you are presentable, & be mindful of the way you over yourself. Most importantly, keep an open mind. Ask questions, be excited to exchange ideas & do not hesitate to share what you know to the people that you would meet there.

A conference is & a great place for you to start building working relationships. You might meet some SEO executives & have them work with you in the future. It is highly important for you be open about the opportunities that you require to grab. Connections & relationships are very important in the SEO industry, since it is a comparatively little area of focus.

You may even take some side journeys around the area of the venue. Enjoy your experience & maximize your stay in the conference venue. It helps you stir your creativity & keep a well-rounded point of view.

Being involved in SEO in lots of ways over the years I have been asked what is SEO? lots of times to count. I have even been asked this at SEO conferences. But without a doubt, every time I am at some non-work related social function & someone asks me what I do for a living & I say "I do SEO for companies & their websites", what is SEO? very always follows. Sometimes in an hard work to keep away from this query, if I basically say I do Net Marketing, people much assume what that is.

I need to tell people what SEO is, because the more people that know what SEO is the more people will understand the process & the more respect the industry will get.

Search Engine Optimization, at least the way I would put it, is the process of increasing a website's presence to the top of search engines when it is associated with a specific keyword phase.

Android (operating system)

Android is a adaptable operating arrangement (OS) based on the Linux atom that is currently developed by Google. With a user interface based on absolute manipulation, Android is advised primarily for touchscreen adaptable accessories such as smartphones and book computers, with specialized user interfaces for televisions (Android TV), cars (Android Auto), and wrist watches (Android Wear). The OS uses blow inputs that about accord to real-world actions, like swiping, tapping, pinching, and about-face avidity to dispense on-screen objects, and a basic keyboard. Despite getting primarily advised for touchscreen input, it aswell has been acclimated in bold consoles, agenda cameras, and added electronics.

As of 2011, Android has the better installed abject of any adaptable OS and as of 2013, its accessories aswell advertise added than Windows, iOS, and Mac OS accessories combined. As of July 2013 the Google Play abundance has had over 1 actor Android apps published, and over 50 billion apps downloaded.[18] A developer analysis conducted in April–May 2013 begin that 71% of adaptable developers advance for Android.[19] At Google I/O 2014, the aggregation appear that there were over 1 billion alive account Android users (that accept been alive for 30 days), up from 538 actor in June 2013.[20]

Android's antecedent cipher is appear by Google beneath accessible antecedent licenses, although a lot of Android accessories ultimately address with a aggregate of accessible antecedent and proprietary software.[3] Initially developed by Android, Inc., which Google backed financially and after bought in 2005,[21] Android was apparent in 2007 forth with the founding of the Accessible Handset Alliance—​a bunch of hardware, software, and telecommunication companies adherent to advancing accessible standards for adaptable devices.[22] Android is accepted with technology companies which crave a ready-made, bargain and customizable operating arrangement for high-tech devices.[23] Android's accessible attributes has encouraged a ample association of developers and enthusiasts to use the open-source cipher as a foundation for community-driven projects, which add new appearance for avant-garde users[24] or accompany Android to accessories which were clearly appear active added operating systems. The operating system's success has fabricated it a ambition for apparent action as allotment of the alleged "smartphone wars" amid technology companies.

Features

Notifications are accessed by sliding from the top of the display; alone notifications can be absolved by sliding them away, and may accommodate added functions (such as on the "missed call" notification apparent here).

Android's absence user interface is based on absolute manipulation,[51] appliance blow inputs, that about accord to real-world actions, like swiping, tapping, pinching, and about-face avidity to dispense on-screen objects, and a basic keyboard.[51] The acknowledgment to user ascribe is advised to be actual and provides a aqueous blow interface, about appliance the beating capabilities of the accessory to accommodate haptic acknowledgment to the user. Internal accouterments such as accelerometers, gyroscopes and adjacency sensors[52] are acclimated by some applications to acknowledge to added user actions, for archetype adjusting the awning from account to mural depending on how the accessory is oriented, or acceptance the user to beacon a car in a antagonism bold by alternating the device, assuming ascendancy of a council wheel.[53]

Android accessories cossack to the homescreen, the primary aeronautics and advice point on the device, which is agnate to the desktop activate on PCs. Android homescreens are about fabricated up of app icons and widgets; app icons barrage the associated app, admitting widgets affectation live, auto-updating agreeable such as the acclimate forecast, the user's email inbox, or a account ticker anon on the homescreen.[54] A homescreen may be fabricated up of several pages that the user can bash aback and alternating between, admitting Android's homescreen interface is heavily customisable, acceptance the user to acclimatize the attending and feel of the accessory to their tastes.[55] Third-party apps accessible on Google Play and added app food can abundantly re-theme the homescreen, and even actor the attending of added operating systems, such as Windows Phone.[56] Most manufacturers, and some wireless carriers, customise the attending and feel of their Android accessories to differentiate themselves from their competitors.[57]

Present forth the top of the awning is a cachet bar, assuming advice about the accessory and its connectivity. This cachet bar can be "pulled" down to acknowledge a notification awning area apps affectation important advice or updates, such as a anew accustomed email or SMS text, in a way that does not anon arrest or aggravation the user.[58] Notifications are assiduous until apprehend (by tapping, which opens the accordant app) or absolved by sliding it off the screen. Beginning on Android 4.1, "expanded notifications" can affectation broadcast data or added functionality; for instance, a music amateur can affectation playback controls, and a "missed call" notification provides buttons for calling aback or sending the addition an SMS message.[59]

Android provides the adeptness to run applications which change the absence launcher and appropriately the actualization and evidently arresting behaviour of Android. These actualization changes cover a multi-page berth or no dock, and abounding added changes to axiological appearance of the user interface.[60]

Applications

See also: Android software development and Google Play

Android has a growing alternative of third affair applications, which can be acquired by users either through an app abundance such as Google Play or the Amazon Appstore, or by downloading and installing the application's APK book from a third-party site.[61] Google Play Abundance allows users to browse, download and amend applications appear by Google and third-party developers, and the Play Abundance applicant appliance is pre-installed on accessories that accede with Google's affinity requirements and authorization the Google Adaptable Services software.[62][63] The applicant appliance filters the account of accessible applications down to those accordant with the user's device, and developers may bind their applications to accurate carriers or countries for business reasons.[64] Purchases of exceptionable applications can be refunded aural 15 account of the time of download,[65] and some carriers action absolute carrier announcement for Google Play appliance purchases, area the amount of the appliance is added to the user's account bill.[66]

As of July 2013, there are added than one actor applications accessible for Android in Play Store.[67] As of May 2013, 48 billion apps accept been installed from Google Play store[68] and in July 2013, 50 billion apps were installed.[69]

Applications ("apps"), that extend the functionality of devices, are developed primarily in the Java programming language[70] appliance the Android software development kit (SDK). The SDK includes a absolute set of development tools,[71] including a debugger, software libraries, a handset adversary based on QEMU, documentation, sample code, and tutorials. The clearly accurate chip development ambiance (IDE) is Eclipse appliance the Android Development Accoutrement (ADT) plugin. Added development accoutrement are available, including a Built-in Development Kit for applications or extensions in C or C++, Google App Inventor, a beheld ambiance for amateur programmers, and assorted cantankerous belvedere adaptable web applications frameworks.

It was appear in January 2014 that Chrome HTML5 web applications should become available, appliance a affinity band from the accessible antecedent Apache Cordova framework to acquiesce such applications to be captivated in a built-in appliance shell, enabling their administration over Google Play.[72]

Memory management

Since Android accessories are usually battery-powered, Android is advised to administer anamnesis (RAM) to accumulate ability burning at a minimum, in adverse to desktop operating systems which about accept they are affiliated to absolute mains electricity. If an Android app is no best in use, the arrangement will automatically append it in anamnesis – while the app is still technically "open", abeyant apps absorb no assets (for example, array ability or processing power) and sit idly in the accomplishments until bare again. This has the bifold account of accretion the accepted admiration of Android devices, back applications do not charge to be bankrupt and reopened from blemish anniversary time, and aswell ensuring that accomplishments applications do not absorb ability needlessly.[73][74]

Android manages the apps stored in anamnesis automatically: if anamnesis is low, the arrangement will activate killing apps and processes that accept been abeyant for a while, in about-face adjustment back they were endure acclimated (oldest first). This action is advised to be airy to the user, such that users do not charge to administer anamnesis or the killing of apps themselves.[75][76] However, abashing over Android anamnesis administration has resulted in third-party assignment killers acceptable accepted on Google Play store; these third-party assignment killers are about admired as accomplishing added abuse than good

Hardware

The capital accouterments belvedere for Android is the 32-bit ARMv7 architecture. The Android-x86 activity provides abutment for the x86 architecture,[9] and Google TV uses a appropriate x86 adaptation of Android. In 2012, Intel processors began to arise on added boilerplate Android platforms, such as phones.[78] In 2013, Freescale appear abutment for Android on its i.MX processor, accurately the i.MX5X and i.MX6X series.[79]

As of November 2013, accepted versions of Android acclaim at atomic 512 MB of RAM[80] (with 340 MB as a requirement[81]), and crave a 32-bit ARMv7, MIPS or x86 architectonics processor (latter two through actionable ports),[9][82] calm with an OpenGL ES 2.0 accordant cartoon processing assemblage (GPU).[83] Android supports OpenGL ES 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0. Some applications absolutely crave a assertive adaptation of the OpenGL ES, appropriately acceptable GPU accouterments is appropriate to run such applications.[83]

In accession to active anon on x86-based hardware, Android can aswell be run on x86 architectonics by application an Android adversary which is allotment of the Android SDK, or by application BlueStacks[84][85] or Andy.[86]

Android accessories absorb abounding alternative accouterments components, including still or video cameras, GPS, acclimatization sensors, committed gaming controls, accelerometers, gyroscopes, barometers, magnetometers, adjacency sensors, burden sensors, thermometers, and touchscreens. Some accouterments apparatus are not required, but became accepted in assertive classes of devices, such as smartphones, and added requirements administer if they are present. Some added accouterments was initially required, but those requirements accept been airy or alone altogether. For example, as Android was developed initially as a buzz OS, accouterments such as microphones were required, while over time the buzz action became optional.[64] Android acclimated to crave an autofocus camera, which was airy to a fixed-focus camera[64] if it is even present at all, back the camera was alone as a claim absolutely if Android started to be acclimated on set-top boxes.

Development

Android is developed in clandestine by Google until the latest changes and updates are accessible to be released, at which point the antecedent cipher is fabricated accessible publicly.[87] This antecedent cipher will alone run afterwards modification on baddest devices, usually the Nexus alternation of devices. The antecedent cipher is, in turn, acclimatized by OEMs to run on their hardware.[88] Android's antecedent cipher does not accommodate the generally proprietary accessory drivers that are bare for assertive accouterments components.[89]

The blooming Android logo was advised for Google in 2007 by clear artist Irina Blok. The architectonics aggregation was tasked with a activity to actualize a universally identifiable amount with the specific admittance of a apprentice in the final design. Afterwards abundant architectonics developments based on science-fiction and amplitude movies, the aggregation eventually approved afflatus from the animal attribute on bathroom doors and adapted the amount into a apprentice shape. As Android is open-sourced, it was agreed that the logo should be likewise, and aback its barrage the blooming logo has been reinterpreted into endless variations on the aboriginal design.[90]

Update schedule

See also: Android adaptation history

Google provides above upgrades, incremental in nature, to Android every six to nine months, which a lot of accessories are able of accepting over the air.[91] The latest above absolution is Android 4.4 "KitKat".[5]

Compared to its arch battling adaptable operating system, namely iOS, Android updates are about apathetic to adeptness absolute devices. For accessories not beneath the Nexus brand, updates generally admission months from the time the accustomed adaptation is clearly released.[92] This is partly due to the all-encompassing aberration in accouterments of Android devices, to which anniversary advancement accept to be accurately tailored, as the official Google antecedent cipher alone runs on their flagship Nexus devices. Porting Android to specific accouterments is a time- and resource-consuming action for accessory manufacturers, who accent their newest accessories and generally leave earlier ones behind.[92] Hence, earlier smartphones are frequently not adapted if the architect decides it is not account their time, behindhand of whether the buzz is able of alive the update. This botheration is circuitous if manufacturers adapt Android with their own interface and apps, which accept to be reapplied to anniversary new release. Additional delays can be alien by wireless carriers who, afterwards accepting updates from manufacturers, added adapt and cast Android to their needs and conduct all-encompassing testing on their networks afore sending the advancement out to users.[92]

The abridgement of after-sale abutment from manufacturers and carriers has been broadly criticized by customer groups and the technology media.[93][94] Some commentators accept acclaimed that the industry has a banking allurement not to advancement their devices, as the abridgement of updates for absolute accessories fuels the acquirement of newer ones,[95] an attitude declared as "insulting".[94] The Guardian has complained that the adjustment of administration for updates is complicated alone because manufacturers and carriers accept advised it that way.[94] In 2011, Google partnered with a amount of industry players to advertise an "Android Amend Alliance", accord to bear appropriate updates for every accessory for 18 months afterwards its release;[96] however, there has not been addition official chat about that alliance.[92][97]

In 2012, Google began decoupling assertive aspects of the operating arrangement (particularly amount applications) so they could be adapted through Google Play Store, apart of Android itself. One of these components, Google Play Services, is a closed-source system-level action accouterment APIs for Google services, installed automatically on about all accessories alive Android adaptation 2.2 and higher. With these changes, Google can add new operating arrangement functionality through Play Casework and appliance updates afterwards accepting to deliver an advancement to the operating arrangement itself. As a result, Android 4.2 and 4.3 independent almost beneath user-facing changes, absorption added on accessory changes and belvedere improvements.[3][98]

Linux kernel

Android consists of a atom based on the Linux atom abiding abutment (LTS) branch. As of January 2014, accepted Android versions are congenital aloft Linux atom 3.4 or newer,[99][100] but the specific atom adaptation amount depends on the absolute Android accessory and chipset.[101][102][103] Android has acclimated assorted kernels aback its aboriginal 2.6.25.[40]

Android's Linux atom has added architectural changes that are implemented by Google alfresco the archetypal Linux atom development cycle, such as the admittance of apparatus like Binder, ashmem, pmem, logger, wakelocks, and altered out-of-memory (OOM) handling.[104][105][106] Assertive appearance that Google contributed aback to the Linux kernel, conspicuously a adeptness administration affection alleged "wakelocks", were alone by mainline atom developers partly because they acquainted that Google did not appearance any absorbed to advance its own code.[107][108][109] Google appear in April 2010 that they would appoint two advisers to plan with the Linux atom community,[110] but Greg Kroah-Hartman, the accepted Linux atom maintainer for the abiding branch, said in December 2010 that he was anxious that Google was no best aggravating to get their cipher changes included in boilerplate Linux.[108] Some Google Android developers hinted that "the Android aggregation was accepting fed up with the process," because they were a baby aggregation and had added burning plan to do on Android.[111]

In August 2011, Linus Torvalds said that "eventually Android and Linux would appear aback to a accepted kernel, but it will apparently not be for four to 5 years".[112] In December 2011, Greg Kroah-Hartman appear the alpha of Android Mainlining Project, which aims to put some Android drivers, patches and appearance aback into the Linux kernel, starting in Linux 3.3.[113] Linux included the autosleep and wakelocks capabilities in the 3.5 kernel, afterwards abounding antecedent attempts at merger. The interfaces are the aforementioned but the upstream Linux accomplishing allows for two altered append modes: to anamnesis (the acceptable append that Android uses), and to deejay (hibernate, as it is accepted on the desktop).[114] Google maintains a accessible cipher athenaeum that contains their beginning plan to re-base Android off the latest abiding Linux versions.[115][116]

The beam accumulator on Android accessories is breach into several partitions, such as /system for the operating arrangement itself, and /data for user abstracts and appliance installations.[117] In adverse to desktop Linux distributions, Android accessory owners are not accustomed basis admission to the operating arrangement and acute partitions such as /system are read-only. However, basis admission can be acquired by base aegis flaws in Android, which is acclimated frequently by the open-source association to enhance the capabilities of their devices,[118] but aswell by awful parties to install bacilli and malware.[119]

Android is a Linux administration according to the Linux Foundation,[120] Google's open-source arch Chris DiBona,[121] and several journalists.[122][123] Others, such as Google architect Patrick Brady, say that Android is not Linux in the acceptable Unix-like Linux administration sense; Android does not cover the GNU C Library and some of added apparatus about begin in Linux distributions.[124]

Software stack

Android's architectonics diagram

[icon] This area requires expansion. (December 2013)

On top of the Linux kernel, there are the middleware, libraries and APIs accounting in C, and appliance software alive on an appliance framework which includes Java-compatible libraries based on Apache Harmony. Android uses the Dalvik basic apparatus with just-in-time accumulation to run Dalvik "dex-code" (Dalvik Executable), which is usually translated from the Java bytecode.[125][126] Android 4.4 aswell supports new beginning runtime basic machine, ART, which is not enabled by default.[127]

Android's accepted C library, Bionic, was developed by Google accurately for Android, as a ancestry of the BSD's accepted C library code. Bionic has several above appearance specific to the Linux kernel, and its development continues apart of added Android's antecedent cipher bases. The capital allowances of appliance Bionic instead of the GNU C Library (glibc) or uClibc are its altered licensing model, abate runtime footprint, and enhancement for low-frequency CPUs.[126]

Aiming for a added acceptable licensing model, against the end of 2012 Google switched the Bluetooth assemblage in Android from the GPL-licensed BlueZ to the Apache-licensed BlueDroid.[128]

Android does not accept a built-in X Window Arrangement by default, nor does it abutment the abounding set of accepted GNU libraries. This fabricated it difficult to anchorage absolute Linux applications or libraries to Android,[124] until adaptation r5 of the Android Built-in Development Kit brought abutment for applications accounting absolutely in C or C++.[129] Libraries accounting in C may aswell be acclimated in Java appliance by bang of a baby Java bushing and accepting of the JNI.[130]

Open-source community

Android has an alive association of developers and enthusiasts who use the Android Open Antecedent Activity (AOSP) antecedent cipher to advance and deliver their own adapted versions of the operating system.[131] These community-developed releases generally accompany new appearance and updates to accessories faster than through the official manufacturer/carrier channels, admitting afterwards as all-encompassing testing or superior assurance;[24] accommodate connected abutment for earlier accessories that no best accept official updates; or accompany Android to accessories that were clearly appear alive added operating systems, such as the HP TouchPad. Association releases generally appear pre-rooted and accommodate modifications clashing for non-technical users, such as the adeptness to overclock or over/undervolt the device's processor.[132] CyanogenMod is the a lot of broadly acclimated association firmware,[133] and acts as a foundation for abundant others.

Historically, accessory manufacturers and adaptable carriers accept about been unsupportive of third-party firmware development. Manufacturers accurate affair about abnormal activity of accessories alive actionable software and the abutment costs consistent from this.[134] Moreover, adapted firmwares such as CyanogenMod sometimes action features, such as tethering, for which carriers would contrarily allegation a premium. As a result, abstruse obstacles including bound bootloaders and belted admission to basis permissions are accepted in abounding devices. However, as community-developed software has developed added popular, and afterward a account by the Librarian of Congress in the United States that permits the "jailbreaking" of adaptable devices,[135] manufacturers and carriers accept ashen their position apropos third affair development, with some, including HTC,[134] Motorola,[136] Samsung[137][138] and Sony,[139] accouterment abutment and auspicious development. As a aftereffect of this, over time the charge to avoid accouterments restrictions to install actionable firmware has lessened as an accretion amount of accessories are alien with apart or unlockable bootloaders, agnate to Nexus alternation of phones, although usually acute that users abandon their devices' warranties to do so.[134] However, admitting architect acceptance, some carriers in the US still crave that phones are bound down, arresting developers and customers

Security and privacy

Android applications run in a sandbox, an abandoned breadth of the arrangement that does not acquire admission to the blow of the system's resources, unless admission permissions are absolutely accepted by the user if the appliance is installed. Afore installing an application, Play Abundance displays all appropriate permissions: a bold may charge to accredit beating or save abstracts to an SD card, for example, but should not charge to apprehend SMS letters or admission the phonebook. After reviewing these permissions, the user can acquire to acquire or debris them, installing the appliance alone if they accept.[141] The sandboxing and permissions arrangement lessens the appulse of vulnerabilities and bugs in applications, but developer abashing and bound affidavit has resulted in applications commonly requesting accidental permissions, abbreviation its effectiveness.[142] Google has now pushed an amend to Android Verify Apps feature, which will now run in accomplishments to ascertain awful processes and able them down.[143]

The "App Ops" aloofness and appliance permissions ascendancy system, acclimated for centralized development and testing by Google, was alien in Google's Android 4.3 absolution for the Nexus devices. Initially hidden, the affection was apparent publicly; it accustomed users to install a administration appliance and accept or abjure permission requests alone for anniversary of the applications installed on a device.[144] Admission to the App Ops was after belted by Google starting with Android 4.4.2 with an account that the affection was accidentally enabled and not advised for end-users; for such a accommodation Google accustomed criticism from the Cyberbanking Frontier Foundation.[145][146][147] Individual appliance permissions management, through the App Ops or third-party tools, is currently alone posssible with basis admission to the device.[148][149]

Research from aegis aggregation Trend Micro lists exceptional account corruption as the a lot of accepted blazon of Android malware, area argument letters are beatific from adulterated phones to premium-rate blast numbers after the accord or even adeptness of the user.[150] Added malware displays exceptionable and advancing adverts on the device, or sends claimed advice to unauthorised third parties.[150] Aegis threats on Android are reportedly growing exponentially; however, Google engineers acquire argued that the malware and virus blackmail on Android is getting abstract by aegis companies for bartering reasons,[151][152] and acquire accused the aegis industry of arena on fears to advertise virus aegis software to users.[151] Google maintains that alarming malware is in fact acutely rare,[152] and a analysis conducted by F-Secure showed that alone 0.5% of Android malware appear had appear from the Google Play store.[153]

Google currently uses Google Bouncer malware scanner to watch over and browse the Google Play abundance apps.[154] It is advised to banderole up apprehensive apps and acquaint users of any abeyant blackmail with an appliance afore they download it.[155] Android adaptation 4.2 Jelly Bean was appear in 2012 with added aegis features, including a malware scanner congenital into the system, which works in aggregate with Google Play but can browse apps installed from third affair sources as well, and an active arrangement which notifies the user if an app tries to forward a premium-rate argument message, blocking the bulletin unless the user absolutely authorises it.[156] Several aegis firms, such as Lookout Mobile Security,[157] AVG Technologies,[158] and McAfee,[159] acquire appear antivirus software for Android devices. This software is abortive as sandboxing aswell applies to such applications, attached their adeptness to browse the added arrangement for threats.[160]

Android smartphones acquire the adeptness to address the area of Wi-Fi admission points, encountered as buzz users move around, to body databases absolute the concrete locations of hundreds of millions of such admission points. These databases anatomy cyberbanking maps to locate smartphones, acceptance them to run apps like Foursquare, Google Latitude, Facebook Places, and to bear location-based ads.[161] Third affair ecology software such as TaintDroid,[162] an bookish research-funded project, can, in some cases, ascertain if claimed advice is getting beatific from applications to limited servers.[163] In August 2013, Google appear Android Accessory Manager (ADM), a basic that allows users to accidentally track, locate, and clean their Android accessory through a web interface.[98][164] In December 2013, Google appear ADM as an Android appliance on the Google Play store, area it is accessible to accessories active Android adaptation 2.2 and higher.[165][166]

The open-source attributes of Android allows aegis contractors to yield absolute accessories and acclimate them for awful defended uses. For archetype Samsung has formed with General Dynamics through their Open Kernel Labs accretion to clean Jelly Bean on top of their accustomed microvisor for the "Knox" project.[167][168]

As allotment of the broader 2013 accumulation surveillance disclosures it was appear in September 2013 that the American and British intelligence agencies, the National Aegis Agency (NSA) and Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) respectively, acquire admission to the user abstracts on iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android devices. They are reportedly able to apprehend about all smartphone information, including SMS, location, emails, and notes.[169] Added letters in January 2014 appear the intelligence agencies capabilities to ambush the claimed advice transmitted beyond the internet by amusing networks and added accepted apps such as Angry Birds, which aggregate claimed advice of their users for bartering and added bartering reasons. GCHQ has, according to The Guardian a wiki-style adviser of altered apps and bartering networks, and the altered abstracts that can be siphoned from each.[170] After that week, the Finnish Angry Birds developer Rovio appear that it was reconsidering its relationships with its bartering platforms in the ablaze of these revelations, and alleged aloft the added industry to do the same.[171]

The abstracts appear a added accomplishment by the intelligence agencies to ambush Google Maps searches and queries submitted from Android and added smartphones to aggregate area advice in bulk.[170] The NSA and GCHQ assert their activities are in acquiescence with all accordant calm and all-embracing laws, although the Guardian declared "the latest disclosures could aswell add to ascent accessible affair about how the technology area collects and uses information, abnormally for those alfresco the US, who adore beneath aloofness protections than Americans."

Licensing

The antecedent cipher for Android is accessible source; it is developed in clandestine by Google, with the antecedent cipher appear about if a new adaptation of Android is released. Google publishes a lot of of the cipher (including arrangement and telephony stacks) beneath the non-copyleft Apache Authorization adaptation 2.0. which allows modification and redistribution.[172][173] The authorization does not admission rights to the "Android" trademark, so accessory manufacturers and wireless carriers accept to authorization it from Google beneath alone contracts. Associated Linux atom changes are appear beneath the copyleft GNU General Public Authorization adaptation 2, developed by the Accessible Handset Alliance, with the antecedent cipher about accessible at all times. Typically, Google collaborates with a accouterments architect to aftermath a flagship accessory (part of the Nexus series) featuring the new adaptation of Android, again makes the antecedent cipher accessible afterwards that accessory has been released.[174] The alone Android absolution which was not anon fabricated accessible as antecedent cipher was the tablet-only 3.0 Honeycomb release. The reason, according to Andy Rubin in an official Android blog post, was because Honeycomb was rushed for assembly of the Motorola Xoom,[175] and they did not wish third parties creating a "really bad user experience" by attempting to put assimilate smartphones a adaptation of Android advised for tablets.[176]

While all of Android itself is accessible antecedent software, a lot of Android accessories address with a ample bulk of proprietary software, such as Google Mobile Services, which includes apps such as Google Play Store, Google Search, and Google Play Services—a software band which provides APIs that accommodate with Google-provided services, a part of others. These apps accept to be accountant from Google by accessory makers, and can alone be alien on accessories which accommodated its affinity guidelines and added requirements.[62][98] Custom, certified distributions of Android produced by manufacturers (such as TouchWiz and HTC Sense) may aswell alter assertive banal Android apps with their own proprietary variants and add added software not included in the banal Android operating system.[3] There may aswell be "binary blob" drivers appropriate for assertive accouterments apparatus in the device.[3][89]

Several banal apps in Android's accessible antecedent cipher acclimated by antecedent versions (such as Search, Music, and Calendar) accept aswell been finer deprecated by Google, with development accepting confused to newer but proprietary versions broadcast and adapted through Play Store, such as Google Seek and Google Play Music. While these earlier apps abide in Android's antecedent code, they accept no best accustomed any above updates. Additionally, proprietary variants of the banal Camera and Gallery apps aswell cover assertive functions (such as Photosphere panoramas and Google+ anthology integration) that are afar from accessible antecedent versions (however, they accept yet to be absolutely abandoned). Similarly, the Nexus 5 uses a non-free aberration of Android 4.4's home awning that is anchored anon aural the Google Seek app, abacus voice-activated seek and the adeptness to admission Google Now as a page on the home awning itself. Although an amend for Google Seek app absolute the accordant apparatus was appear through Google Play for all Android devices, the new home awning appropriate an added butt appliance to function, and was not provided in Android 4.4 updates for any added accessories (which still acclimated the absolute home awning from Android adaptation 4.3). The butt appliance was clearly appear on Play Abundance as Google Now Launcher in February 2014, initially for Nexus and Google Play Edition accessories with Android adaptation 4.4.[3][177][178][179]

Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation accept been analytical of Android and accept recommended the acceptance of alternatives such as Replicant, because drivers and firmware basic for the able activity of Android accessories are usually proprietary, and because Google Play can forcibly install or deinstall apps and invites non-free software.[180][181]

Leverage over manufacturers

Google Mobile Casework software, forth with Android trademarks, can alone be accountant by accouterments manufacturers for accessories that accommodated Google's affinity standards independent aural Android Affinity Definition Document. Thus, forks of Android that accomplish above changes to the OS itself, such as Amazon's Fire OS (used on the Kindle Fire band of tablets, and aggressive appear Amazon services), Microsoft's briefly accurate Nokia X Software Belvedere (a angle acclimated by the Nokia X ancestors and aggressive against Microsoft services, accepting its abutment catastrophe with Nokia X2) or added forks which exclude Google apps due to censorship issues (such as in China),[182][183] do not cover any of Google's non-free components, are adverse with apps that crave them, and accept to address with their own proprietary software exchange instead of Google Play Store.[3] In 2014, Google aswell began to crave that all Android accessories which authorization the Google Mobile Casework software affectation a arresting "Powered by Android" logo on their cossack screens.[62]

Members of the Accessible Handset Alliance, which cover the majority of Android OEMs, are aswell contractually banned from bearing Android accessories based on forks of the OS;[3][184] in 2012, Acer Inc. was affected by Google to arrest assembly on a accessory powered by Alibaba Group's Aliyun OS with threats of abatement from the OHA, as Google accounted the belvedere to be an adverse adaptation of Android. Alibaba Group dedicated the allegations, arguing that the OS was a audible belvedere from Android (primarily appliance HTML5 apps), but congenital portions of Android's belvedere to acquiesce backwards affinity with third-party Android software. Indeed, the accessories did address with an appliance abundance which offered Android apps; however, the majority of them were pirated

Reception

Android accustomed a blood-warm acknowledgment if it was apparent in 2007. Although analysts were afflicted with the admired technology companies that had partnered with Google to anatomy the Open Handset Alliance, it was cryptic whether adaptable buzz manufacturers would be accommodating to alter their absolute operating systems with Android.[188] The abstraction of an open-source, Linux-based development belvedere sparked interest,[189] but there were added worries about Android adverse able antagonism from accustomed players in the smartphone market, such as Nokia and Microsoft, and battling Linux adaptable operating systems that were in development.[190] These accustomed players were skeptical: Nokia was quoted as adage "we don't see this as a threat,"[191] and a affiliate of Microsoft's Windows Adaptable aggregation declared "I don't accept the appulse that they are traveling to have."[191]

Since again Android has developed to become the a lot of broadly acclimated smartphone operating system[23] and "one of the fastest adaptable adventures available."[192] Reviewers accept accent the open-source attributes of the operating arrangement as one of its defining strengths, acceptance companies such as Microsoft (Nokia X family),[193][194] Amazon (Kindle Fire), Barnes & Noble (Nook), Ouya, Baidu and others to angle the software and absolution accouterments active their own customised adaptation of Android. As a result, it has been declared by technology website Ars Technica as "practically the absence operating arrangement for ablution new hardware" for companies after their own adaptable platforms.[23] This artlessness and adaptability is aswell present at the akin of the end user: Android allows all-encompassing customisation of accessories by their owners and apps are advisedly accessible from non-Google app food and third affair websites. These accept been cited as a allotment of the capital advantages of Android phones over others.[23][195]

Despite Android's popularity, including an activation amount three times that of iOS, there accept been letters that Google has not been able to advantage their added articles and web casework auspiciously to about-face Android into the money maker that analysts had expected.[196] The Verge appropriate that Google is accident ascendancy of Android due to the all-encompassing customization and admeasurement of non-Google apps and services—Amazon's Kindle Fire band uses Fire OS, a heavily adapted angle of Android which does not cover or abutment any of Google's proprietary components, and requires that users admission software from its aggressive Amazon Appstore instead of Play Store.[3] Google SVP Andy Rubin, who was replaced as arch of the Android analysis in March 2013, has been abhorrent for crumbling to authorize a advantageous affiliation with corpuscle buzz makers. The arch almsman of Android has been Samsung, whose Galaxy cast has surpassed that of Android in agreement of cast acceptance back 2011.[197][198] Meanwhile added Android manufacturers accept struggled back 2011, such as LG, HTC, and Google's own Motorola Mobility (whose affiliation with Verizon Wireless to advance the "DROID" cast has achromatic back 2010). In 2014, in an accomplishment to advance bulge of the Android brand, Google began to crave that accessories featuring its proprietary apparatus affectation an Android logo on the cossack screen.[62]

Android has suffered from "fragmentation",[199] a bearings area the array of Android devices, in agreement of both accouterments variations and differences in the software active on them, makes the assignment of developing applications that plan consistently beyond the ecosystem harder than battling platforms such as iOS area accouterments and software varies less. For example, according to abstracts from OpenSignal in July 2013, there were 11,868 models of Android device, abundant altered awning sizes and eight Android OS versions accompanying in use, while the ample majority of iOS users accept upgraded to the latest abundance of that OS.[200] Critics such as Apple Insider accept asserted that breach via accouterments and software pushed Android's advance through ample volumes of low end, budget-priced accessories active earlier versions of Android. They advance this armament Android developers to address for the "lowest accepted denominator" to ability as abounding users as possible, who accept too little allurement to accomplish use of the latest accouterments or software appearance alone accessible on a abate allotment of devices.[201] However, OpenSignal, who develops both Android and iOS apps, assured that although breach can accomplish development trickier, Android's added all-around ability aswell increases the abeyant reward.[200]

Tablets

The first-generation Nexus 7 tablet

Despite its success on smartphones, initially Android book acceptance was slow.[202] One of the capital causes was the craven or the egg bearings area consumers were afraid to buy an Android book due to a abridgement of top superior book apps, but developers were afraid to absorb time and assets developing book apps until there was a cogent bazaar for them.[203][204] The agreeable and app "ecosystem" accepted added important than accouterments specs as the affairs point for tablets. Due to the abridgement of Android tablet-specific apps in 2011, aboriginal Android tablets had to accomplish do with absolute smartphone apps that were ill-fitted to beyond awning sizes, admitting the ascendancy of Apple's iPad was able by the ample amount of tablet-specific iOS apps.[204][205]

Despite app abutment in its infancy, a ample amount of Android tablets (alongside those application added operating systems, such as the HP TouchPad and BlackBerry PlayBook) were rushed out to bazaar in an attack to capitalize on the success of the iPad.[204] InfoWorld has appropriate that some Android manufacturers initially advised their aboriginal tablets as a "Frankenphone business", a concise low-investment befalling by agreement a smartphone-optimized Android OS (before Android 3.0 Honeycomb for tablets was available) on a accessory while apathy user interface. This approach, such as with the Dell Streak, bootless to accretion bazaar absorption with consumers as able-bodied as damaging the aboriginal acceptability of Android tablets.[206][207] Furthermore, several Android tablets such as the Motorola Xoom were priced the aforementioned or college than the iPad, which aching sales. An barring was the Amazon Kindle Fire, which relied aloft lower appraisement as able-bodied as admission to Amazon's ecosystem of apps and content.[204][208]

This began to change in 2012 with the absolution of the affordable Nexus 7 and a advance by Google for developers to address bigger book apps.[209] According to International Abstracts Corporation, shipments of Android-powered tablets surpassed iPad's in Q3 2012.[210]

Market share

Main article: Adaptable operating arrangement В§ Bazaar share

Research aggregation Canalys estimated in the additional division of 2009 that Android had a 2.8% allotment of common smartphone shipments.[211] By the fourth division of 2010 this had developed to 33% of the market, acceptable the top-selling smartphone platform,[212] overtaking Symbian.[213] By the third division of 2011 Gartner estimated that added than bisected (52.5%) of the smartphone sales belonged to Android.[214] By the third division of 2012 Android had a 75% allotment of the all-around smartphone bazaar according to the analysis close IDC.[215]

In July 2011, Google said that 550,000 new Android accessories were getting activated every day,[216] up from 400,000 per day in May,[217] and added than 100 actor accessories had been activated[218] with 4.4% advance per week.[216] In September 2012, 500 actor accessories had been activated with 1.3 actor activations per day.[219][220] In May 2013, at Google I/O, Sundar Pichai appear that 900 actor Android accessories had been activated.[221]

Android bazaar allotment varies by location. In July 2012, "mobile subscribers age-old 13+" in the United States application Android were up to 52%,[222] and rose to 90% in China.[223] During the third division of 2012, Android's common smartphone addition bazaar allotment was 75%,[215] with 750 actor accessories activated in total. In April 2013 Android had 1.5 actor activations per day.[220] As of May 2013, 48 billion apps accept been installed from the Google Play store,[68] and by September 2013, 1 billion Android accessories accept been activated.[224]

Android has the better installed abject of any adaptable OS and as of 2013, its accessories aswell advertise added than Windows, iOS and Mac OS accessories combined.[14][15][16][17] In the third division of 2013, Android's allotment of the all-around smartphone addition bazaar was 81.3%, the accomplished ever.[225] As of July 2013 the Google Play abundance has had over 1 actor Android apps published, and over 50 billion apps downloaded.[18] A developer analysis conducted in April–May 2013 begin that Android is acclimated by 71% of adaptable developers.[19] The operating system's success has fabricated it a ambition for apparent action as allotment of the alleged "smartphone wars" amid technology companies.[25][26]

Android accessories annual for added than bisected of smartphone sales in a lot of markets, including the US.[226] In the third division of 2013, Android's allotment of the all-around smartphone addition market—led by Samsung products—was 81.3%;[225][227][228] During this time aeon over 261 actor smartphones were awash globally, with about 211 actor of those active Android,[227] thereby outselling Windows, iOS and Mac OS accessories combined.[16]

Platform usage

Circle frame.svg

KitKat (17.9%)

Jelly Bean (56.5%)

Ice Cream Sandwich (11.4%)

Gingerbread (13.5%)

Froyo (0.7%)

The table beneath provides a breakdown of Android versions. This is based on accessories accessing Play Abundance as of July 7, 2014,[229] and accordingly it excludes Android derivatives that do not admission Google Play (for example, Amazon's crumbling book bazaar allotment from 14.4% of the Android-tablets in 2012 to 7.7% in 2013 (9.8% for both years combined)[230] while it had none of the abundant bigger smartphone market).

Version Code name Release date API akin Distribution

4.4 KitKat October 31, 2013 19 17.9%

4.3 Jelly Bean July 24, 2013 18 9.0%

4.2.x November 13, 2012 17 19.7%

4.1.x July 9, 2012 16 27.8%

4.0.3–4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich December 16, 2011 15 11.4%

2.3.3–2.3.7 Gingerbread February 9, 2011 10 13.5%

2.2 Froyo May 20, 2010 8 0.7%

Note: The aloft gives an inaccurate administration of APIs. E.g. advice from the Amazon Appstore would alone appearance a subset of the APIs/versions aloft - those acclimated by Amazon's tablets.

Application piracy

There has been some affair about the affluence with which paid Android apps can be pirated.[231] In a May 2012 account with Eurogamer, the developers of Football Manager declared that the arrangement of pirated players vs accepted players was 9:1 for their bold Football Manager Handheld.[232] However, not every developer agreed that piracy ante were an issue; for example, in July 2012 the developers of the bold Wind-up Knight said that piracy levels of their bold were alone 12%, and a lot of of the piracy came from China, area humans cannot acquirement apps from Google Play.[233]

In 2010, Google appear a apparatus for acceptance accustomed purchases for use aural apps, but developers complained that this was bereft and atomic to crack. Google responded that the tool, abnormally its antecedent release, was advised as a sample framework for developers to adapt and body aloft depending on their needs, not as a accomplished piracy solution.[234] In 2012 Google appear a affection in Android 4.1 that encrypted paid applications so that they would alone plan on the accessory on which they were originally installed from the Google Play Store, but this affection has been briefly deactivated due to abstruse issues.[235]

Legal issues

Both Android and Android buzz manufacturers accept been complex in abundant apparent lawsuits. On August 12, 2010, Oracle sued Google over claimed contravention of copyrights and patents accompanying to the Java programming language.[236] Oracle originally approved amercement up to $6.1 billion,[237] but this appraisal was alone by a United States federal adjudicator who asked Oracle to alter the estimate.[238] In response, Google submitted assorted curve of defense, counterclaiming that Android did not borrow on Oracle's patents or copyright, that Oracle's patents were invalid, and several added defenses. They said that Android is based on Apache Harmony, a apple-pie allowance accomplishing of the Java chic libraries, and an apart developed basic apparatus alleged Dalvik.[239] In May 2012, the board in this case begin that Google did not borrow on Oracle's patents, and the balloon adjudicator disqualified that the anatomy of the Java APIs acclimated by Google was not copyrightable.[240][241]

In accession to lawsuits adjoin Google directly, assorted proxy wars accept been waged adjoin Android alongside by targeting manufacturers of Android devices, with the aftereffect of black manufacturers from adopting the belvedere by accretion the costs of bringing an Android accessory to market.[242] Both Apple and Microsoft accept sued several manufacturers for apparent infringement, with Apple's advancing acknowledged activity adjoin Samsung getting a decidedly high-profile case. In October 2011, Microsoft said they had active apparent authorization agreements with ten Android accessory manufacturers, whose articles annual for "70% in the U.S.". and 55% of the common acquirement for Android devices.[243] These cover Samsung and HTC.[244] Samsung's apparent adjustment with Microsoft includes an acceding that Samsung will admeasure added assets to developing and business phones active Microsoft's Windows Buzz operating system.[242]

Google has about bidding its annoyance for the accepted apparent mural in the United States, accusing Apple, Oracle and Microsoft of aggravating to yield down Android through apparent litigation, rather than innovating and aggressive with bigger articles and services.[245] In 2011–12, Google purchased Motorola Mobility for US$12.5 billion, which was beheld in allotment as a arresting admeasurement to assure Android, back Motorola Mobility captivated added than 17,000 patents.[246] In December 2011, Google bought over a thousand patents from IBM.[247]

In 2013, Fairsearch, a lobbying alignment accurate by Microsoft, Oracle and others, filed a complaint apropos Android with the European Commission, alleging that its free-of-charge administration archetypal constituted anti-competitive bloodthirsty pricing. The Free Software Foundation Europe, whose donors cover Google, acknowledged the Fairsearch allegations

Use outside of smartphones and tablets

The accessible and customizable attributes of Android allows it to be acclimated on added electronics abreast from smartphones and tablets, including laptops and netbooks, smartbooks,[249] acute TVs (Android TV, Google TV) and cameras (E.g. Galaxy Camera).[250] In addition, the Android operating arrangement has apparent applications on acute glasses (Google Glass), smartwatches,[251] headphones,[252] car CD and DVD players,[253] mirrors,[254] carriageable media players,[255] landline[256] and Voice over IP phones.[257] Ouya, a video bold animate active Android, became one of the a lot of acknowledged Kickstarter campaigns, crowdfunding US$8.5m for its development,[258][259] and was after followed by added Android-based consoles, such as Nvidia's Project Shield — an Android accessory in a video bold ambassador anatomy factor.[260]

In 2011, Google approved "Android@Home", a home automation technology which uses Android to ascendancy a ambit of domiciliary accessories including ablaze switches, ability sockets and thermostats.[261] Prototype ablaze bulbs were appear that could be controlled from an Android buzz or tablet, but Android arch Andy Rubin was alert to agenda that "turning a lightbulb on and off is annihilation new", pointing to abundant bootless home automation services. Google, he said, was cerebration added ambitiously and the ambition was to use their position as a billow casework provider to accompany Google articles into customers' homes.[262][263]

Parrot apparent an Android-based car stereo arrangement accepted as Asteroid in 2011,[264] followed by a successor, the touchscreen-based Asteroid Smart, in 2012.[265] In 2013, Clarion appear its own Android-based car stereo, the AX1.[266] In January 2014 at Consumer Electronics Show, Google appear the accumulation of the Accessible Automotive Alliance, a accumulation including several above auto makers (Audi, General Motors, Hyundai, and Honda) and Nvidia, which aims to aftermath Android-based in car ball systems for automobiles, "[bringing] the best of Android into the auto in a safe and seamless way."[267]

On March 18, 2014, Google appear Android Wear, an Android-based belvedere accurately advised for smartwatches and added wearable devices; alone a developer examination was fabricated about available.[268] This was followed by the actualization of two Android Wear–based devices, the LG G Watch and Moto 360.[269]

On June 25, 2014, at Google I/O, it was appear Android TV, a Acute TV platform, is replacing the ahead appear Google TV. On June 26, 2014, Google appear Android Auto for the car.