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    <title><![CDATA[Discussion on The dirty little secret about Google Android ]]></title>
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        <title><![CDATA[Interesting Possibility]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3645862]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[DARPA recently had a discussion about High Assurance systems and in the meeting this came up. The private conversations were about the trade-off. The NSA version (Distribution?) could be free of CarrierIQ, but what other baggage would one be picking up?The answer is beginning to look like we really need a fully visible open source distribution not controlled by any one party that can be easily customized. Android is really a faux open source, especially one the hardware vendors and carriers add their &quot;secret tweeks&quot; to the sauce you finally get as a &quot;open source&quot; solution. Better than an  Apple closed product, but not ideal at all.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3645862]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sensor Guy]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:00:47 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[The chances of using NSA's Hardened Android instead?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3645280]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Not that it will necessarily keep you free of issues like CarrierIQ, but you won't have to worry about scheisse like FourSquare or SprintZone or what-have-you always starting up...So, what do you think the chances are that the carriers will allow you to use Hardened Android over their bloated offerings of Android?]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3645280]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[B.Kaatz]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:42:30 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[The problem is...]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3636977]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[that those of use who do not want this expensive garbage on our phones don't have the option of just taking it off.  You have to root your phone to remove this nonsense, all of which costs more to use.  If it was about usability, it would be one thing.  It's not about usability, though, and saying otherwise is disingenuous at best.  The fact that you have to pay more to actually use each of those &quot;extra&quot; apps, and you cannot remove them in any standard way, looks like nothing less than a scam to me.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3636977]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[az_nemesis]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:13:17 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Yes, Apple is the evil empire]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3637005]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Which is why I won't have a single Apple device in my home.  I have far more control over my Droid and my PC than any Mac/iPhone user has over their device.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3637005]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[az_nemesis]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:10:02 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[carriers are used to it]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3515210]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[carriers are used to control their devices as much as possible, and they will continue to do so, they have their own flavor embedded in their devices]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3515210]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[gdibello@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:37:56 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[flashing]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3435836]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Check out xda developers site to get control of your phone.  Make sure you make backups so your phone can be &quot;restored&quot; to original for warranty service.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3435836]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[radleym]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:04:11 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[RE: The dirty little secret about Google Android]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3405161]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[i dont think so...]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3405161]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[alalalalalalalalal]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:13:01 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[RE: The dirty little secret about Google Android]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3404604]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[&quot;However, freedom always comes with price....&quot;  Freedom is not the issue, the converse of freedom, &quot;control&quot; is the issue.  You should have written: &quot;However, control always comes with price, and often results in unintended consequences.&quot;  The problem is that Google, just like Apple, AT&amp;T, Verizon, Microsoft, etc-ad-nauseum steadfastly want control of their respective empires.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3404604]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[LinuxKing]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:41:20 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[RE:]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3400760]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Agreed... y give us discounts on the phones in the 1st place rite?Anyway... despite google's dirty little secret... i still love it... freedom FTW!!!not to mention diversity and sense of uniqueness unlike the 1 and only exclusive uniform iOS... LOL]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3400760]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[t3chn0m4nc3r04@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:36:04 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Freedom versus Convenience - depends on circumstance]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3394957]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Sometimes convience means easier and less wasteful of time.  Other times freedom can have the same meaning as you are not tied down to crap built into the system. Growing up we only had a choice of Bell Phones (leased) from Bell Atlantic.  As an adult, Bell was broken up and I had a choice of Bell, GTE-Sprint and MCI.  I switched to GTE to get away from Bell and then MCI when I didn't like terms of GTE.  I am now with Verizon for land line and Tracfone (T-Mobile) for cell coverage.  Our state government wants us to choose our electric generator supplier.  The deals are almost the same, I just want to stay with the same company and not play this game.  I want a tablet similar to ipad but for less money.  I just bought a Coby Kyros with Android 2.1 OS.  It won't let me use Yahoo free email account on Wi-Fi at home.  I can get the Yahoo free email account on Wi-Fi on both a tablet pc (Windows XP) and an Apple iMac (Snow Leopard 10.6).  Since the Coby device is not a phone but is still on Android does the problem of Yahoo email lie with Coby, Android 2.1 OS or Yahoo or a little of each?]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3394957]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[user support]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2010 10:38:52 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[RE: The dirty little secret about Google Android]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3394920]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[My wife and I tried the IPhone for 30 days, we liked it but AT&amp;T wanted to charge for every little thing. We previously had Sprint and we liked their plan much better. So we returned the IPhones and got the Evo 4G. They have theory quirks but Bing back with Saint is much better. Besides the phones come preloaded with navigation and other apps that AT&amp;T charges for.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3394920]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[rpgies@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2010 09:26:27 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Diffrent perspective]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3388935]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Interesting that you had the experiene in the UK.  I bought the G1 a year ago and it was the first phone I was ever happy with.  I had tried PALM, Blackberry and plenty of Windows phones but none of them ever did what I wanted.  The G1 was very reliable, it didn't have crashes, dropped calls and there was no problem finding free apps for it, unlike the windows phones that if I wanted anything useful I had to pay for it.  Yes it only worked on T-Mobile which I was already using so that worked out for me.  The only issue I had was after about 18 months the battery started going out.  I bought a new one for $10 on Amazon and it's still ticking.  Eventually I'll be looking to upgrade but right now there isn't anything out for T-mobile that is calling to me.I agree you can't expect consumers to be experts.  I think a big part of the iPhone's success was from marketing.  The fact that it sold out made it even more desirable.  Create what appears to be a shortage of something and demand goes up.  Just look at the Flu Shot in the US.  Nobody cared until there was a shortage, now there are lines all over the country to get one.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3388935]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Greenman76]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:01:26 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Benevolent Fruit Dictator vs Stealth Privacy Theft Bankster]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3378665]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[This is a dirty little secret, and it does have problems, but it's part of the game of taking value from the consumer into corporate coffers.Apple has taken the traditional brute force market approach to sucking value out of the market. Theirs is the approach of the traditional benevolent dictator. They are the monopoly, they control everything and dole out opportunity as they see fit. Very much like Microsoft and the IBM of the past. Nothing new here, except that they have provided an excellent product image and somewhat better quality than most technologically based consumer products in exchange for a serf oriented and controlled market for you as a provider to profit from. As long as you pay the premium tax to Cupertino and remain within the bounds that Apple deems appropriate (and can change at any time), life will be good. That means that as a consumer you pay a premium, and as a providing member of the Apple ecosystem (application developer, accesorizer or consultant) you pay a royalty for the privilege of being part of the market ecosystem. As a consumer, you get what you are told is good for you as determined by Apple and as a provider of the Apple ecosystem you get dictated what technologies you are allowed to use since you are deemed to be a solution serf to Apple. In exchange, as a consumer you are given an image and brand you can use in a sexy box with a well designed and controlled interface, and as a ecosystem provider you get a chance to make money in a controlled market with a predictable set of technologies. Like I said, nothing new here. Traditional heavy handed marketing and brute force methods of consumer and market control. Apple dictates the revenue flows from developers, and if any one solution looks good, they just put them out of business and do it themselves. Nothing can stand in the way between Apple and the consumer. The ecosystem provider is just a necessary evil  accessory that's incidental to the relationship between Apple and the consumer. That's why Java and other technologies are &quot;deprecated&quot; and deemed unacceptable by the mother ship Apple. They have the potential of creating an abstraction layer between Apple and the consumer. In the case of Android, we see a new method to sucking value out of the market. It also shows that for Google, despite all the hoopla, is still focused on the information and search business and Android is just a tool to improve on it. Very savvy strategic thinking. The solution, in addition to helping their core business, also has the additional value that it disrupts a competitor in the Web 2.0 market by creating a good alternative to the Apple consumer product business. Brilliant strategy.Just like the banksters at Visa do on a daily basis, Android sucks the value in a stealth mode. Visa tack on the charges for using a credit card to the sale via a charge to the merchant, not the user of the card. That's why you rarely see the cost in using a bank credit card. It's built into the sale price of the item you are buying. In only a very few places has the merchant chosen to break the cost out, because it starts a consumer complexity and negotiation process they don't want to start.The royalty fees to Google for Android are just to pay for the cost of implementation and support, as well as marketing costs. Google may even make some money on the royalties, but that's just icing on the cake. The real gravy, hidden in the use of the device, is the mining of your privacy for their financial gain. Thanks to their core business, they know how to package and sell it and make it into a steady and increasing revenue stream that further enhances their already successful search engine business. They are into a different business than Apple, maybe one that will outlast Apple, but that's a topic for another column.So the answer is one takes money from you up front. Cold calculated brute force market control forcing cash payments and market slavery up front and in the open. The other, on the other hand, just charges the minimum if anything to cover costs but extracts the value from your privacy in a stealth manner and sells it.They are both just as bad and dangerous for the consumer. It's just a matter of time as to when the consumer pays tribute and homage to which market master. The interesting part of this market is how both models work inside a much larger brute market model, that of the the telecommunications providers. But that's the stuff for another column as well.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3378665]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sensor Guy]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 30 Oct 2010 09:05:41 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[RE: The dirty little secret about Google Android]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3378242]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Its true, I hate all things Apple, and I have to admit that they have really knocked one out of the park. They fall behind only to Blackberry, who still leads the smartphone market.When the telecoms allow Android to become what it was intended to be, I will purchase one. Until such a time, I will stick with Blackberry, tried and true!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3378242]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[richie3po]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 29 Oct 2010 04:43:46 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[RE: The dirty little secret about Google Android]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3375149]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[But this will eventually backfire on the Open Handset Alliance players OTHER than Google, as the de-centralized Android community is both flexible and eager to devise both hardware and apps that run independently of Google's oversight.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3375149]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[AndroidGold.com - Best Android Tablets and Phones]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 22 Oct 2010 02:38:46 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Apple is not the problem....]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3361879]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Apple the Company, is made up of thousands of people all of whom have different opinions on matters of company business, wouldn't you think?So, when one employee speaks &quot;for the company&quot;, you can either accept that as the only, everlasting, opinion/policy, or you can believe that money, walking feet, and blogs/voices count.People are finding value in what Apple is providing in their products, or else they would not be in the position they are in.  Like it or not, that is the way it is.Microsoft slyly, covertly, blatantly, illegally and by any means possible has worked to make sure that their market share was dominant, mostly by making other choices inaccessible.They've bought up technologies and buried them, and torn apart rebellious software communities with threats and outright force.In the world, what counts is what people will pay for.  It's really that plain.  People who don't know about &quot;open source&quot; could care less about that as a &quot;reason&quot; to purchase a particular device.People who I know switched to iPhone, did so for numerous reasons.  One that comes up again and again, is the simplicity of use of the device.  Another one that ranks near the top, is the fixed monthly cost for data in U.S. market.There may be things about Apple, &quot;the company&quot; that are not so palatable.  But, there are plenty of things about the devices that they sell which people find valuable and they thus pay for them.The Android market place must stare into every corner of Apple's marketplace to see, and understand how important the customers are finding the things that they are doing.It seems to me that they've found a group of test consumers that are providing exactly the right feedback on product ideas, because the products are ending up as the key to Apples success, more so, than the things which many people who don't like Apple say, are the only reasons they will not buy any Apple products.As a minority member of the &quot;market&quot;, they only had one direction to go, and that was up.  People who've never interacted with Apple or owned Apple products before, seem to be the ones that are buying the most Apple products.  Steve Jobs said that new customers where a big part of the business.A lot of people that I've told about Google being behind the Android OS, have told me that they would not buy an Android device then, because Google already has too much information about them.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3361879]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[greggwon@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:15:21 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[I have rebeled]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3359794]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I have enough internet portals so I dumb down one phone.  Saves $240/yr !]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3359794]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[adc.services@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 18 Sep 2010 17:23:12 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[If the iPhone came out on Verizon originally]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3359583]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[You might be right, of course, but consider how many different operating systems from the 90's lie buried in Windows' dust.  Some of them were reputed to be awfully good but it's not just the technology that determines the winner...]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3359583]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lazarus439]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:05:26 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[RE: you only have Verizon. - Not]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3358891]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Part of the reason AT&amp;T's network is so lousy with the iphone is because it was really the first phone to push the capabilities that much. Since it shows a weakness in the network itself, they've been playing catchup while more and more users purchase contracts.While Verizon might have the best network, I really wonder how it would be if they had been the ones to get the iPhone as opposed to AT&amp;T.I've been with T-Mobile since it was Voicestream, have used AT&amp;T, Verizon, and Sprint as well at times, mainly through work, and still haven't found reason to switch from it myself. If the iPhone came out on Verizon originally, it may have slowed the growth of Android but it wouldn't kill its chances of success.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3358891]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[marcinmk]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 16 Sep 2010 05:52:41 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[you only have Verizon. - Not]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3358368]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[In the USA, AT&amp;T has sole rights to the iPhone.  If it were Verizon, Android might not have had a chance.  AT&amp;T is reputed to have a lousy network, but Verizon is equally reputed to have one of the best. From what I've read, there are a lot of people who would jump on an iPhone if it didn't come with the AT&amp;T anchor.  Verizon has been rumored to be getting an iPhone variant (different network technology than AT&amp;T) but that's not happened yet.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-335035-3358368]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lazarus439]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:50:05 -0700</pubDate>
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