Microsoft to invest in Cyanogen

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/01/microsoft-to-invest-in-cyanogen-hopes-to-take-android-away-from-google/

by pluc • 11 years ago

434 205 11 years ago

arstechnica.com

melling3• 11 years ago

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend_and_extinguis...

Sven7• 11 years ago

It's 2015 Google is the new Microsoft

melling3• 11 years ago

That's not true. If you make your case for it, I'll gladly explain where you're wrong. But FFS, stop spewing bullshit.

Android: Doesn't have the dominance that Windows has had for two decades, thus limiting the power of Google. Also, there is much less lockin for phones.

debacle3• 11 years ago

While I don't disagree with you, Google is far more benevolent. They'll either stuff your pockets with cash or graciously stamp you underfoot like you weren't even there.

delsalk• 11 years ago

Based on recent developments with both Google and MS in the past few years, I treat them with the same amount of trepidation.

blumkvist2• 11 years ago

All those tears, from hipster boys pronouncing Microsoft dead, will be delicious!

"Microsoft has no marketshare", "Microsoft just doesn't get it", "Microsoft lost the war", "Microsoft is dead".

melling3• 11 years ago

Microsoft still has about 90% desktop market share. In the Office document market, they're even stronger. Microsoft simply came a little late to improving their mobile product, which left the door open for Google, thus missing out in an important new market. Their revenues have constantly increased over the last decade. They have close to $100 billion in cash reserves.

http://markets.ft.com/research/Markets/Tearsheets/Financials...

Microsoft is still an incredibly powerful company.

alexggordon• 11 years ago

This article title is incorrect. The correction at the bottom of the article reads:

  Correction: This post originally said Microsoft would be investing $70 million in Cyanogen, but the company will be taking part in a $70 million investment round. It's unknown how much Microsoft is investing.

sctb• 11 years ago

Thanks, we updated the title.

pluc• 11 years ago

Thanks!

fnordfnordfnord• 11 years ago

If Microsoft can stop themselves from another Sidekick episode, they might actually manage to make a phone for once. (Assuming they're trying for a phone) But having lived through the Ballmer years (WRT Linux/FOSS), I remain skeptical of any Microsoft participation in Android.

pavlov• 11 years ago

Did you know Microsoft sold over 50 million phones last quarter [1]? They know how to make phones...

[1] 10.5 million Lumia smartphones, 39.7 million Nokia-branded dumbphones -- http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/01/hardware-surprisingl...

semi-extrinsic2• 11 years ago

So you really mean that Microsoft sold 10 million phones last quarter? Nokia knows how to make dumbphones, nothing new there. That those appear on MS's balance sheet does not imply anything about the capabilities of MS.

Yhippa• 11 years ago

I wish they would take the money they're investing in this and figure out how to bring more apps to Windows Phone.

psaintla• 11 years ago

Why throw good money after bad? It's not like people are going to start suddenly using windows phone, that ship already sailed.

c0wb0yc0d3r• 11 years ago

Just about the only complaint I hear from from WP users is that it doesn't have the apps they would like to use. If MS could prove that their phones had similar app support that Android and iPhones have many more people would be open to using them.

untog• 11 years ago

Maybe they will. Cross-platform Android/Windows Phone apps...

josefresco• 11 years ago

How would they do this? Pay developers to create apps for their own brands? They could make their own versions, but that's not going to sit well with .. anyone.

Curious how such a small investment would make a dent in the seeming lack of apps for the Windows Phone platform.

LukeB_UK• 11 years ago

I remember when blackberry had a promotion to get a PlayBook for free if you submitted an app. I'm sure they got loads of apps, if only to get the free PlayBook to sell.

I know that's what I did.

tartuffe78• 11 years ago

They approach their partners and try to convince them with either cash, marketing, or other benefits to make apps for Windows Runtime and Windows Phone.

Source: They did it at my company

wideroots• 11 years ago

I believe they are already throwing a lot more money to bring more apps. The investment in Cyanogen would be very small compared to how much they throw into app developers and companies to bring more WP apps.

chiph• 11 years ago

If they could solve the "race to 99 cents" problem, they'd get developers.

walterbell2• 11 years ago

How should they solve this problem - market a tier of higher priced apps for SMB and enterprise, rather than consumers? There would need to be at least one wildly successful app, in functionality and sales at a higher price point, to convince developers to chase the dream.

programminggeek• 11 years ago

This makes sense. I can see Microsoft offering Cyanogen and other OEM's a suite of Office apps as a way to sell more Office 365 subscriptions. It's really, really smart.

Zigurd• 11 years ago

For a brief shining moment, Microsoft sold an Android with a Nokia/Microsoft ecosystem behind it. It wasn't a bad idea. It could have sold better than Windows Phone handsets because it would have apps.

As Amazon knows, it's owning the ecosystem that matters.

devindotcom• 11 years ago

That was the Nokia X series right? I'm afraid it had the rug pulled out from under it.

I think this is a smart investment but the handling of the Nokia brand has been pretty bad if you ask me.

lostgame• 11 years ago

Am I the only person who actually likes WP8 as a platform?

Seriously, my Lumia 520 is the best cheap phone I've ever bought.

AdeptusAquinas3• 11 years ago

They're nice phones :) Though the lower cost ones are missing a few sensors that make app dev a little unpredictable. Correct if I'm wrong, but you cant use apps on the 520 that require a compass right?

candl• 11 years ago

No, you are not alone. I recently got a LG G3 with Lollipop. This is my first new Android phone in 2.5 years and I think it's going to be the last. It can't even compete performance wise with my older Lumia 920 in day to day tasks. Can't say the hardware is bad on the phone, but the software is underwhelming (typical Android laginess that makes it annoying to use)...

LLWM• 11 years ago

I like it and used it for a while, but ultimately its lack of certain killer apps like Puzzle and Dragons sent me back to iOS.

jbigelow76• 11 years ago

My HTC 8X is getting pretty long in the tooth but I still like it. I'm still a fan of WP and trying to decide if my next phone will be the HTC M8 Windows variant or the Lumia 1520.

mobiplayer• 11 years ago

Love my 930 and just got a 1520.

numo16• 11 years ago

Love my 928. Still runs as smoothly as the day I got it (1.5 years ago). Haven't had an android device that has competed performance-wise for the same duration. Having used the big three platforms for several years now (and still developing for all of them), Windows Phone is still my favorite, by far.

outworlder• 11 years ago

Not alone indeed. I've got a 635.

Battery life is stupendous compared to the Nexus 4 (even when it was brand new), or any iPhone prior to the 6 (which I lack first hand experience), even before the battery saver triggers. That's considering a pretty heavy usage (lost in a foreign country and using the GPS a lot) under the sun, so brightness to the max.

Cheap, the touchscreen is ok, gorilla glass, cell reception is good. Crappy camera without a front camera or flash though.

The bundled 'Here' apps are great and saved my bacon several times over due to the easy and accurate offline maps.

Removable battery, sim, the back is plastic so it survived several falls.

Basically, if you want a phone to (gasp!) make phone calls, which also has good navigation capabilities (specially offline) and to use 'mainstream' stuff such as whatsappp or facebook, then you don't really need much else.

Or if you want a backup phone that WILL have battery left when your iPhone dies. You can even carry spares, which is something you don't see often nowadays. If I ever go on a camping trip, that's the phone I'm taking.

kbart• 11 years ago

Nope. I always recommend Windows phones for my not-so-technical friends, especially for entry level prices, because they offer much better out of the box experience than stock Android IMHO. Of course, if friend in question had enough skills to install CM, that's another talk..

pjmlp• 11 years ago

No you are not alone, I got a Lumia 630 as secondary phone and find the OS very good.

joelthelion• 11 years ago

If only they could get Nokia to make phones with cyanogenmod pre-installed...

wiineeth• 11 years ago

i would later change that and install google rom and use the beautiful microsoft hardware

memnips• 11 years ago

I look forward to seeing Android devices powered by Microsoft apps/services in the future just so Google has a wee bit of competition!

We (at SweetLabs) have been proponents of this "Windroid" concept for some time, and I think Cyanogen is a very smart way for Microsoft to move forward. Our "Windroid" thoughts were written up last year if anyone is interested: http://venturebeat.com/2014/01/01/windroid-what-if-microsoft...

higherpurpose2• 11 years ago

This leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Yesterday, all sites reported it as Cyanogen wanting to take Android away from Google "to make it more open", as in Google has too much control over it.

And today we learn that it's actually Microsoft pulling the strings and "taking Android away from Google". That changes things quite a bit.

Microsoft will only keep it "open" as long as it benefits them (yes, kind of Google - which is precisely why I don't see any benefit in this for the user, just the major downside that will come with such a fork - Fragmentation).

jhou22• 11 years ago

I scrolled through the comments looking for the obligatory hell freezing over snark remark.

Cyanogen is arguably the only creditable opposition to the Google Android hegemony. It's nice to see MS recognize that and support it. Too bad MS shut down the Nokia Android fork in its nascency.

It would be interesting to see if they can get more windows and windows phone compatibility into Android.

bentcorner• 11 years ago

I recall fiddling with an HTC HD2, able to run both WP7 and Android ROMs (Froyo I think?). What a great device.

semi-extrinsic2• 11 years ago

Back in 2010 I was given an HTC Touch Pro 2 that ran the positively ancient Windows Mobile (hence "given"). Someone had ported both Android and Ubuntu to it, and I used it with Android as my primary phone for some months. The hardware was great, the UX on Android was OK, but had enough quirks that it was replaced with an LG P500 (which lasted for 2.5 years; now that was a great phone).

fredgrott2• 11 years ago

no you clearly do not understand AOSP..

Cyanogen follows Google AOSP rules and thus doe snot oppose Google in anyway shape or form..

and despite MS actions Nokia, the other part MS did not buy is going ahead with an android fork.

soapdog• 11 years ago

despite MS actions Nokia, the other part MS did not buy is going ahead with an android fork.

Can you provide a source for this please? I remember reading about the new Nokia N1 tablet but it was built and designed by foxconn and just branded by Nokia so I am not aware of any Android fork there...

Splendor• 11 years ago

I think that's been true up until now, but Cyanogen has recently announce intentions to move away from dependence on Google.[0]

[0] http://www.androidauthority.com/cyanogen-google-kirt-mcmaste...

fredgrott2• 11 years ago

sources are: AOSP source agreement....the Android CTS which covers google OHA partners,etc..

But no one engages critical thinking and reads here

Apocryphon3• 11 years ago

Just because both vanilla Android and Cyanogen follow AOSP doesn't mean they can't compete. Just look at Samsung and Touchwiz.

Brakenshire2• 11 years ago

I think you're mixing up AOSP and Google Apps / Play Services.

AOSP is available under a standard open source license, and can be used by anyone under those terms. It's the use of Play Services and Google's Apps that requires specific permission and has relatively onerous terms. CyanogenMod can use Play Services, but it doesn't have to, and seems to be moving away from it entirely.

BigChiefSmokem2• 11 years ago

The new Nokia N1 uses Lollipop: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_n1-6814.php

Sales: http://www.ubergizmo.com/2015/01/nokia-n1-doing-extremely-we...

Nokia Android fork lives. Stay tuned.

sirkneeland4• 11 years ago

Hi, as a PM on this Nokia project, I want to point out that it's not a fork. We use vanilla Android Lollipop and our Z Launcher addition is entirely optional.

abrowne• 11 years ago

That's the company that still exists called Nokia, not MS Mobile, the hardware arm that Nokia sold, which until recently still sold phones as Nokia.

reddotX• 11 years ago

there is also Ubuntu Phone

Danieru• 11 years ago

Microsoft just bought part of a linux company. Wow, things are not as I remember them.

hookey• 11 years ago

“I don’t want to fight old battles, I want to fight new ones.” - Satya Nadella

bch• 11 years ago

Microsoft donated an entire architecture work to NetBSD...

dragonwriter2• 11 years ago

They've done it before, with Novell. (And, arguably, Nook.)

SixSigma• 11 years ago

Microsoft released a version of Unix when Linus Torvalds was 11 years old.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenix

Pxtl• 11 years ago

I'm surprised it took this long for a big phone player to pick up Cyanogen, but disappointed it's MS - I mean, obviously they could have use for Cyanogen, but it will never be part of their core business. Lenovo should have thought of it first.

k-mcgrady• 11 years ago

They aren't 'picking it up/buying it'. They're investing and according to the article will be a minority shareholder.

drikerf• 11 years ago

Android is heading in the wrong direction. Not much open source left in a couple of years. Too bad!

shmerl3• 11 years ago

It was always heading in the wrong direction. Something like proper glibc Linux with Wayland is more interesting.

bdcravens• 11 years ago

Because of Microsoft's investment? Microsoft has been open sourcing things in a pretty shocking manner (.net), supporting open source projects (embracing Node.js), and doing things in line with the open source community (repos on Github)

chambo622• 11 years ago

I've been a fan of CyanogenMod for years. My brother and I ported ICS [1] and Jelly Bean [2] versions of CM back to the original HTC G1. I've run it on every phone I've ever owned, and even had my parents running it for a time.

But it's hard to reconcile some of the public blunders that Cyanogen has made since becoming a company. Their OEM relationships with Oppo, OnePlus and Micromax seem haphazard and volatile, and it's not clear they present any real advantages to the consumer. As far as I know, the Oppo N1 isn't supported anymore, and while the OnePlus One is theoretically still supported at least in some markets, Jelly Bean is nowhere to be found, and OnePlus is off doing their own ROMs now.

Distractions like Nextbit's "Baton"[3] (a risky bet on an idea that doesn't appear to work with the majority of apps) leave me wondering what Cyanogen's real value proposition is.

It will be interesting to see where this is headed, and I hope CM remains faithful to their core community and support the maintainers that keep bringing to CM to the masses.

[1] http://www.theverge.com/2011/11/24/2584340/android-4-0-aosp-... [2] http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/9/3229163/android-4-1-ported-... [3] https://nextbit.com/about/

INTPenis3• 11 years ago

Well put.

Stock android is actually much more stable than the CM that ships with OnePlus. At least imho.

A friend is already selling his, after about 6 months with the phone. I haven't had it much longer but long enough to clearly see that stock android up to 4 offered much better usability.

The bugs I endure in the OnePlus just because I am sick of switching phones every year are borderline insufferable.

Cyph0n• 11 years ago

I'm actually planning on buying one and now you make me worried. What are the bugs you're encountering?

drobati• 11 years ago

I'm running CM12 on my OnePlus One right now and it's fantastic but I totally agree. There are a few other roms out there that I'm thinking about flashing.

I guess I should mention that I did have lots of bugs with CM11 but CM12 is running really stable for me. It's touch is way more responsive.

I also used Lollipop on Nexus 5 before I bought my OnePlus One and that was a bit more solid of an experience.

cbd1984• 11 years ago

CM also phones home on an opt-out basis, and they even wanted to remove the option to opt-out. They also still give data to Google.

https://blogs.fsfe.org/torsten.grote/2013/04/03/cyanogenmod-...

Brakenshire2• 11 years ago

I'd say it's more important that most CM installations include play services, which is doing who knows what in the background.

But at least the changes above are open source, and you can see what's going on. Or if they go too far, someone else can pick up the baton and move on. It's becoming more difficult for that to happen from stock Android, as more functionality and applications become reliant on play services, which can ultimately only be installed on terms set by Google.

72deluxe5• 11 years ago

I hadn't even heard of those devices. I used to use Cyanogenmod on my G1, as 2.1 wasn't officially supported. I also put it on my HTC Desire but the need to do it became less when newer devices properly supported WiFi and Bluetooth tethering. I do not see how further fragmentation of the Android system (that is, additional markets) is a good thing when Amazon market / Google Play / endless Chinese markets are all around. Given the scope for malware in unchecked markets, another market and distributor surely isn't a good thing.

Additionally, what major phone manufacturers and carriers are going to go with this? If Android devices do not come with Google products (GMail / YouTube / Maps / Hangouts), are the devices as useful? I think not.

shmerl3• 11 years ago

May be instead of investing they could stop shaking down Android manufacturers with patent trolling? That would be way more useful.

DrStalker• 11 years ago

Their goal is to help themselves, not to help the greater phone-using community.

shmerl3• 11 years ago

Except they don't hesitate used crooked means for their goal.

debacle3• 11 years ago

This is a very minor investment, and won't give MS any sort of controlling stake. It's very likely that they want to use this to keep a better feel for the pulse of the direction the Android ecosystem is going in than any sort of power play or to adapt technologies.

higherpurpose2• 11 years ago

If we won't see Microsoft apps and services start popping up in Cyanogen 6 months from now, then I'd agree with you, but I think that's exactly what's going to happen.

Microsoft may not get a "controlling stake", but it will probably have a huge influence in the development of Cyanogen from now on.

emodendroket• 11 years ago

Why would they?

grrowl• 11 years ago

Microsoft already publishes heaps of android apps[1], but there's no way Cyanogen would drop Google apps (leaving ASOP) to pre-install a suite of unrelated, relatively useless apps (drop Maps, gain Office Suite?)

[1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Microsoft+Co...

sirkneeland4• 11 years ago

I think the whole Cyanogen thing is that they make these services optional. If this means Cortana can be an optional service in CM (and not to the exclusion of others), I see zero downside.

Lewisham• 11 years ago

I can't help but think that between this and the Android Visual Studio integration, we might see Android app compatibility on Windows Phone, much like the Blackberry app play a couple years ago.

It would certainly put the jumper cables on Windows Phone.

glhaynes• 11 years ago

It seems to me at least as likely to have the "Win-OS/2 effect" of putting a bunch of apps (most of which feel really out of place and none of which feel great) on the platform while causing even fewer developers to target it natively because, hey, why not just invest all the extra effort a native version would take into the Android version since it "runs" on both platforms?

Edit: Which isn't necessarily to say that wouldn't be Microsoft's best option for Windows Phone right now. Especially since games and entertainment apps are such a big part of the app market and their "nativeness" tends to be less important.

Maarten88• 11 years ago

That's what I think too. I see few other options for Microsoft to rescue WP. They should add Android app compatibility to Windows Phone and invite Android App developers to the Windows Store. And then hope for the hacker community to unofficially add the Play Store and/or unofficial ports of Android apps.

Maybe WP can regain some interest that way. Being close to Cyanogen makes a lot of sense in that scenario.

Grazester6• 11 years ago

Having Android app compatibility isn't saving Blackberry and Microsoft would gain nothing from people installing Google's app store where Google control ads and apps.

Someone• 11 years ago

Adding a compatibility layer for a large competitor means:

A) users will get the cool OS updates as soon as possible, but after the guys running the 'real' thing get them.

Guess what choice users will make?

B) developers who develop for your platform have to support the market leader, too; developers who develop for the market leader get your users for free.

Guess what choice developers will make?

This tactic killed native OS/2 apps and, subsequently, OS/2. The Blackberry plot didn't end that well for Blackberry, either.

asyncwords• 11 years ago

This is a good point. Few developers would care about Windows Phone if they can just build for Android and do a lazy port to WP (if they port at all). But what if Microsoft instead wants to make Windows apps work on Android? Microsoft is championing their "universal apps" now, where you build one Windows app and it runs on Windows 8/10, Windows Phone and soon Xbox One. Adding Android to that list would be big.

drcube• 11 years ago

At this point MS hates Google more than Linux/Android. This doesn't surprise me at all.

dirtyaura• 11 years ago

It all started from Google. One could say that Microsoft hatred is built into DNA of the company.

endtime• 11 years ago

Why do you say that? I've been at Google for three years, and the only strong negative feeling I've observed towards MSFT was over the Mark Penn campaigns. Even then the response was mostly that the campus store should start selling the ties the Google guy in one of the ads wore, and ironically using "Scroogled" similarly to "Thanks, Obama".

ahomescu12• 11 years ago

I'd throw Apple in there and call it a "hate triangle": MS hates Apple and Google, Apple hates MS and Google, while Google... I don't really know.

freehunter2• 11 years ago

Does MS hate Apple? I would wager they don't, since they have a patent cross-licensing deal with Apple and a couple partnerships (Apple uses Azure for iCloud and Bing for searching).

Google definitely hates MS, as evidenced by how childish they act when it comes to Windows Phone. Apple hates Google, Microsoft hates Google, Google hates Microsoft. I'd say that's likely how it goes.

apetrovic• 11 years ago

I don't think that MS and Apple hates each other (by MS and Apple I'm thinking about leadership and the general sentiment among engineers). But I'm pretty sure that MS and Apple hates everything Google.

Someone1234• 11 years ago

Google hates Amazon and Facebook.

Amazon has been expanding outside of their core retail space (e.g. AWS, advertising, services, etc) while Facebook has been eating Google's advertising dollars for a while.

I wouldn't go as far to say that Google doesn't care about Apple/Microsoft, but in both cases Apple has presents on their platforms and still makes money on them. They are only competitors if you view Android as something Google makes money with rather than something Google uses to advertise Google's services.

DAddYE• 11 years ago

I think the new Microsoft is becoming really cool. Now there is one step more to do.

Windows, I would like to see something like the project Spartan, a Windows based on unix.

I'm a dreamer I know but at this point I will not be surprised.

ktran03• 11 years ago

I think that's their goal, is to be accepted again. Their late rash of investments seem to insinuate that.

Back in the 90's, it was cool to be a Microsoft fan. Not so much over the last decade. They're trying hard to change that.

tmzt2• 11 years ago

Supporting BSD rump kernels compiled against the NT api could be a good alternative.

Grazester6• 11 years ago

Why not just make a POSIX complaint Windows in the future?

tjakab• 11 years ago

Ironically, Windows NT was certified as POSIX compliant because at the time it was a requirement for systems used by the US government: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_POSIX_subsystem

markolschesky• 11 years ago

Hopefully this means that CyanogenMod will get more bug fixes and resources so that it feels like a truly native Android experience. I didn't even know there were two different types of headphone microphone jacks (CTIA vs. OMTP) until I hit this fun limitation on my new OnePlus: https://jira.cyanogenmod.org/browse/BACON-133

felixrieseberg3• 11 years ago

I'm an Open Source Engineer, working for Microsoft, living in Cyanogen Inc's former hq/office.

I don't know anything about this deal, but I adore how small Silicon Valley sometimes is.

AceJohnny2• 11 years ago

I'm curious, what's does your job entail? This question partially stems from the obsolete understanding of Microsoft's relationship to open source, but also wondering how it compares to other open source business models that provide support for open source packages.

AdamTReineke• 11 years ago

I work on the team doing Visual Studio's Tools for Apache Cordova. While I don't work on the open-source side of the fence, we have engineers focused on contributing to Cordova.

Search the mailing list for "microsoft" (which picks up e-mail addresses) compared to "windows" to see where MS involvement picked up.[1]

A lot of Microsoft's involvements in open source are via MS Open Tech. See their website for more information about their contributions.[2] While this doesn't show checkins, here are their blog posts about Cordova.[3]

[1] http://callback.markmail.org/search/?q=list%3Aorg.apache.inc...

[2] https://msopentech.com/what-we-do/

[3] https://msopentech.com/blog/tag/cordova/

felixrieseberg3• 11 years ago

Happy to explain a bit! I work with developers out there, putting code on GitHub, contributing to other projects or making our own stuff work better with open source projects. I also "hack" on our new and upcoming products (we have a bunch of hardware announced and already out there where SDKs haven't been released yet), trying to see how well they play with "the open source world". I also visit dev conferences around the world, talking about the code we wrote and the lessons we learned.

My job is kind of awesome - I'm basically at a full-time hackathon, juggling my MacBook, Windows Notebook, a bunch Cloud solutions, some IoT devices and whatever our hardware teams come up with.

The team is brand new - and we're still hiring. Hit me up (felixrieseberg.com / @felixrieseberg) if you're interested!

jackgavigan• 11 years ago

Coincidentally, Microsoft released the final versions of Word, Excel and Powerpoint for Android tablets today: http://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-office-apps-for-android-t...

72deluxe5• 11 years ago

Thanks! I wonder if it'll make me switch from OfficeSuite Pro, that 25p app I bought and have used twice.

Does anyone do much work on tablets, out of interest?

My wife uses Google Sheets for a spreadsheet or two on her iPad but we're under no illusion that it'll replace a "proper" office package on the Mac/PC.

EDIT: Just noticed it'll need a subscription, so I am not their target market. Thanks for the info about the release though, I did not know about that.

parktheredcar2• 11 years ago

So, can someone address the Nexus 4 no call audio issue? Because right now I can't make emergency calls.

ac29• 11 years ago

It was resolved for me when I moved to CM12. Zero problems in 2+ weeks, previously a daily issue.

parktheredcar2• 11 years ago

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll have to consider it. That's definitely a workaround but I've had issues with instability on nightly builds in the past because... well... they're nightly builds. Could things be worse than having no phone functionality on my phone? Hmm....

eeeeeeeeeeeee• 11 years ago

Maybe this is cynical, but this feels more like Microsoft trying to further disrupt Google's control over Android. MS knows that Cyanogen is ultimately bad for Google's Android progress. Cyanogen is an attempt to regain complete control over the devices we own, away from Google.

Google wants standardization and consistency, Cyanogen wants an "anything goes" environment. I'm not saying Cyanogen's goals are not admirable, but Google wants control over the Android ecosystem and they definitely don't want someone else with that control.

This would be like Microsoft funding companies that make it easier to jailbreak iOS.

mirimir• 11 years ago

As a user, Cyanogen is a great improvement over stock Android, no question. But there is zero hope of "regain[ing] complete control over the devices we own" without open-source radios and firmware. Just sayin'.

72deluxe5• 11 years ago

I agree about the lack of complete control. I am not sure putting your device under the control of another company (Cyanogen) instead of Google is a way of getting complete control either!

aquanext• 11 years ago

This is classic embrace, extend, and extinguish.

CmonDev• 11 years ago

"The real challenge for the company will be convincing its hardcore Android user base to dump Google Play and use the Cyanogen app store."

Oh, so no Candy Crush Saga then? Well, that's OK. Better chance for everyone.

tdkl3• 11 years ago

They "only" need to convince developers first. With Googles automatic banning from Play Store nowadays, that could even be doable.

ChicagoDave• 11 years ago

The one thing I've read (don't remember where) that makes sense to me is...is it possible that MS is trying to figure out a mobile Docker system to allow Android apps on Windows Phone? With multi-core CPU's on phones and more memory, you could assume the capability is there.

But this would be more than Windows Phone...with Windows 10 merging into one store and Universal apps allowed, is it possible MS is telling everyone to build for Windows 10 and you'll get tablet and phone apps for free?

I'm a Windows Phone user (Lumia 1020) and really frustrated by the lack of a new flagship phone, but my feeling is MS is just waiting to leapfrog everyone else's hardware in 6 months. A lofty goal, but seeing the Surface Pro 3's success, maybe, just maybe they can do it.

But embedding Android inside Windows seems plausible to me.

what_ever• 11 years ago

If someone comes up with a version of Android with better privacy controls and a app store which has around same number of apps available. I will jump the ship. Google Apps are great but I am sure I can live without them.

Microsoft to invest in Cyanogen

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