There is no need to root or reinstall the entire system. You can just install a new launcher app.
I think it would be better to have tested against vanilla Android (The one that comes with the nexus). Probably more people has that system than a Windows Phone.
Go Launcher: 100-500mil installs
Nova Launcher: 5-10mil installs
Smart Launcher: 5-10mil installs
ADW.Launcher: 5-10mill installs
That's just the top 4 and makes it over 115 millions installs. Facebook Messenger has 100-500mil installs. So I think it's safe to say that there is plenty of people that install launchers.
But anyway, I was pointing out that you don't require to reinstall the system to customize the system. In fact, you can make an android look like any of the other ones any time and without too much tech savvy-ness
So which launcher should be used in the comparison? I just checked out Go Launcher and it doesn't look any better than Touch Wiz. Personally I prefer stock Android and got a Nexus 4 because of that. The fact is a large, maybe majority, of Android users are using TouchWiz so it seems fair to use that in the comparison. They probably should have included a few versions of Android (Sense, Stock, most popular launcher app) to improve the results.
If they where just telephones, Nokia would still be the biggest player in the mobile market. The whole point is that they are not just telephones, they're mini computers that you can occasionally use to make phone calls.
Not affecting Play Store apps so it's really irrelevant.
If you try to download an app without paying or knowing the source of it you probably deserve a virus. ;)
It's like if you get some knock off drug off the internet and gives you more trouble than gain... would you blame the pharma company?
Not entirely irrelevant. From what I've read, downloading directly from the Play Store has been taken care of. That probably also means the Play Store / Play Services verifier for sideloaded apps is checking for this exploit.
That being said people who use other app stores and don't have Play Services (e.g. Kindle Fires, Chinese devices, etc.) probably have some legitimate room for concern (at least until those stores are in the loop and are taking countermeasures). Of course that's nowhere near 99% of Android devices, but why let the facts get in the way of a good headline?
If the subject of perceptions of trust is of interest ... I've (mostly finished) a blog post about these trust perceptions which re-presents some of the Ipsos Mori stats in support of an attempt to plumb the implications for politics and the projection of power in the UK : https://www.bel-epa.com/posts/a-legislature-of-lemons.xml
Typical availability heuristic. We meet a couple of Jurassic programmers that are stuck on their old ways and we correlate those unrelated properties.
You'll be surprised of how many "young" developers are reluctant to learn a new language, tech or OS.
Why not create a P2P server that runs on something simple like a raspbery pi to provide supporting backbone for the network. They are cheap and small. This could make an awesome kickstarter project. Maybe make it like a keychain that wakes up every 5-15 minutes to update/broadcast messages
There is a project like that, in fact (full disclosure: I am the developer): https://github.com/danstaples/MediaGrid. I bet SplinterNet could integrate well with such a backbone network.
Did you mean the next esperanto? I don't think anybody thinks that English is going to be the next Latin, thanks to the internet, which is good though. A common language is useful for international relations. I usually call English a flapjack language because it was made from many others mashed up (quite badly sometimes). But the next Latin?
Arrogance and entitlement perhaps, however I'd argue that both are deserved. It's the international standard, it's not as if we are arrogantly feeling entitled to everybody speaking farsi or something.
However fear that english is on it's way to becoming the next latin? Whaaaat? I can't recall a thought like that ever coming to my mind nor ever reading somebody saying that and now that I've taken it in, I can't think of a single reason why somebody would fear that. If anything, the rest of the World should start fearing all of their languages are going the way of latin...
English probably is on its way to becoming the next Latin. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Latin remained the primary language across much of Medieval Europe. Over the long term, two things happened: its local use in various European districts drifted into separate languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, etc.), while the formal language ossified and died out.
That was a much different World where people only communicated with those who lived in their town. International travel and the internet have both made English much, much stronger and more important.
Because instead of spending research money into getting cheaper and more accessible healthcare, food and housing it is used to kill more efficiently, maybe?
Did you read the article? This isn't government funded. Does every private company that spends money on something other than healthcare/food/housing scare you?
Did you read my post? Did I say anything about government funds?
I'm talking about companies' priorities.
So someone talks about social things and you assume that they are talking about big daddy government? There are plenty of companies that make profit AND also make research for the common good and not how to kill each other better.
I mentioned those things because they are the most obvious and possibly important... but there are more subjects like environment, education, mass transport, open governments, factory automation, communications... that could do with more research.
Also, not all the profit should be monetary. Who are you gonna charge that money when there is no people left that can spend it?
No "social profit" -> no people -> no business. Your clients should be your interest not your product.
Ok, just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. You thini private companies should only do things that are directly humanitarian in impact. That's a bit of an uncommon position to take, and one I disagree with.
The profit motive is what drives private enterprise, and I have no problem with that. If something can be developed and marketed profitably, I think it's a stretch to call it a waste of resources.
