12 ms·

Microsoft to invest in Cyanogen

434 points by pluc 12y ago

melling 12y ago
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend_and_extinguish http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend_and_extinguis...
- Sven7 12y ago
  It's 2015 Google is the new Microsoft
  - melling 12y 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.
    - kuschku 12y ago
      Android. Google builds an AOSP environment, as soon as everyone uses it, they move all the libraries into the proprietary Google Services Framework, and then they appended their contracts so that every manufacturer that produces "Android with Google Play" devices can’t sell pure AOSP devices anymore.
      - kllrnohj 12y ago
        No libraries have ever moved from AOSP into Google Services Framework. The Google Services library is exclusively made of APIs that use Google services that were never in AOSP, such as a Map viewer, push messaging, advanced location services, and games services. The vast, VAST majority of APIs that developers use and depend on are in AOSP either as framework APIs or in the support libraries (which are open source in AOSP as well). Second the contracts were always there. Hell, the contracts (Open Handset Alliance) came before AOSP.
        deleted 12y ago
        [deleted]
  - debacle 12y 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 12y ago
  Based on recent developments with both Google and MS in the past few years, I treat them with the same amount of trepidation.
- blumkvist 12y 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".
  - melling 12y 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?s=MSFT:NSQ http://markets.ft.com/research/Markets/Tearsheets/Financials... Microsoft is still an incredibly powerful company.
    - zues 12y ago
      Yep, and I still use my desktop once every day (or couple days at the very least).. Meanwhile I'm using my cell phone dozens times a day and a tablet at least 3-4 times a day. Man this must be terrifying for Microsoft. To have a dominant position on a form factor that is quickly becoming irrelevant.
      - blumkvist 12y ago
        Yeah, PCs are on the way out. Any day now. I suppose it will be the same year as Linux for end users.
alexggordon 12y 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 12y ago
  Thanks, we updated the title.
  - pluc 12y ago
    Thanks!
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
fnordfnordfnord 12y 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 12y 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-surprisingly-strong-windows-weak-as-microsoft-posts-solid-q2/ http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/01/hardware-surprisingl...
  - semi-extrinsic 12y 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.
    - cwyers 12y ago
      They don't just show up on Microsoft's balance sheet, the part of Nokia that makes them is now part of Microsoft.
      - ps4fanboy 12y ago
        No true Microsoft fallacy? Ha
Yhippa 12y 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 12y 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 12y 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.
    - kh_hk 12y ago
      Appeal to developers, that's all. If your brand is not used by developers, nobody is going to start writing apps for your platform just out of the hobby. Plus, it takes time. Just look at iOS (2007) and Android (2008). You can't have an ecosystem by just snapping your fingers in the air.
      - scott_karana 12y ago
        I dunno, Microsoft seems to have a phenomenal developer attitude these days. The marketshare is just too small to bother, in my opinion.
      - keerthiko 12y ago
        Microsoft cannot promise developer incentives that actually scale. They have run several "hackathons" and "app contests" and things with eye-popping prize money, like $100k and whatnot. But for most people, supporting an additional platform for any duration more than a year can quickly cost upwards of that amount. With the tiny marketshare today, and nothing but hope that it will ever grow - hope that has not come to fruition in 3-5 years - it will be a net loss very quickly and also have diverted resources from the other aspects of the developer's companies. If they could perhaps offer scalable incentives, like "support and consulting services worth $2000 per month" or "we pay you $0.05 per download (even if your app is free)" or "we'll market your app alongside WP marketing" then perhaps. Perhaps it might be functional developer incentive. Disclaimer/note: As a cofounder of a company built around an app that Microsoft tried to woo us to port. We toyed with their APIs for a bit, but it was going to be a support nightmare with our hardware and sensor requests and we decided against following through.
programminggeek 12y 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 12y 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 12y 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 12y 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.
  - numo16 12y 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.
  - AdeptusAquinas 12y 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 12y 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)...
joelthelion 12y ago
If only they could get Nokia to make phones with cyanogenmod pre-installed...
- wiineeth 12y ago
  i would later change that and install google rom and use the beautiful microsoft hardware
memnips 12y 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-forked-android/ http://venturebeat.com/2014/01/01/windroid-what-if-microsoft...
higherpurpose 12y 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).
jhou2 12y 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 12y ago
  I recall fiddling with an HTC HD2, able to run both WP7 and Android ROMs (Froyo I think?). What a great device.
  - semi-extrinsic 12y 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).
    - freehunter 12y ago
      Ugh I had a Touch Pro (the first one) on Alltel. It was a piece of junk. I ended up having four of them. Every time I took it back because something was broken, I waited for weeks to get a replacement to find out that the replacement had something else broken. Alltel was being bought by AT&T/Verizon at the time, so they weren't getting new phones and the Touch Pro was the best phone they had so they couldn't replace my phone with a new, similar phone. Sprint was giving everyone who had a Touch Pro a Touch Pro 2 for free, there were so many issues. When I finally was able to get a new phone, I got a Palm Pre which was (and still is) the best phone I ever used until HP ruined it.
    - CalRobert 12y ago
      An HTC Touch Pro 2 was my primary device for years. It had the best keyboard that I have ever used on a phone. I've been trying to get used to software keyboards for three years, and I still _HATE_ them. Modern phones are worthless, and it's the lack of any means of inputting (discreetly - I hate talking at my phone) more than a few sentences that makes them junk.
Danieru 12y ago
Microsoft just bought part of a linux company. Wow, things are not as I remember them.
- hookey 12y ago
  “I don’t want to fight old battles, I want to fight new ones.” - Satya Nadella
- bch 12y ago
  see also: http://wiki.netbsd.org/ports/emips/ http://wiki.netbsd.org/ports/emips/ Microsoft donated an entire architecture work to NetBSD...
- dragonwriter 12y ago
  They've done it before, with Novell. (And, arguably, Nook.)
  - SixSigma 12y ago
    Microsoft released a version of Unix when Linus Torvalds was 11 years old. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenix http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenix
    - dragonwriter 12y ago
      Sure, but releasing a commercial Unix is different than investing in a Linux company. The former is less inconsistent with popular anti-Linux perception of Microsoft than the latter.
Pxtl 12y 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 12y ago
  They aren't 'picking it up/buying it'. They're investing and according to the article will be a minority shareholder.
drikerf 12y ago
Android is heading in the wrong direction. Not much open source left in a couple of years. Too bad!
- shmerl 12y ago
  It was always heading in the wrong direction. Something like proper glibc Linux with Wayland is more interesting.
- bdcravens 12y 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 12y 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-ported-to-the-htc-g1-in-alpha-form 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-to-the-venerable-htc-g1 http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/9/3229163/android-4-1-ported-... [3] https://nextbit.com/about/ https://nextbit.com/about/
- INTPenis 12y 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 12y ago
    I'm actually planning on buying one and now you make me worried. What are the bugs you're encountering?
    - INTPenis 12y ago
      Ok get ready for a rant about 1st world problems. It seems confused about sound. I had to uninstall Google Play completely so my official JBL OnePlus headset wouldn't start playing music in Google Play instead of Spotify. These issues continued when I made my first audio recording. I was at the doctors and recorded the meeting, after that every time I try to play music from my headset it starts that audio recording. Even though the audio recording program is closed several reboots ago. Workaround is to open the phone, start spotify playing, pause, then I can use the headset as normal. The worst bugs in a phone are bugs in the actual phone feature, imo. And in my case CM seems confused about the screen when I'm in a conversation. It's supposed to darken when I move the screen to my ear but it never lights up again when I move the phone away from my ear. Often I have to unlock the phone to end a call. The headset also seems unable to end calls, only answer them. Waking up it's very sluggish, sometimes unresponsive. It has this "knock knock" feature where it wakes up if you tap the screen twice. This feature worked for a day or two when it was new, then stopped working for several weeks until I tried installing a stock android image on it and failed, reverted to CM and then the knock-knock worked again. Even though the knocking works to wake it up, it often will not accept input for those first few taps after it wakes up so you end up having to erase your unlock code and start over a lot. And speaking of stock android. Since none of my friends with stock android phones, nor me with my Nexus 7 at home, seemed to suffer these issues I decided to try the official stock android images from OnePlus. I ended up in a reboot loop issue that has been reported on the bug tracker and on the forums. The problem is that I can't have my sim lock on if I want to install the android image because then it keeps rebooting the phone as soon as I unlock it. So I had to revert back to CM because I didn't feel like disabling the sim lock was a good option. I could probably go on if you give me some time to think about it, there are definitely more bugs that I have experienced in my short time with this phone. On a personal note, I was intrigued by CM because I am a FOSS junkie and know that it's a fork of android. I've had phones like the N900, ZTE Firefox OS and Jolla in the past. I love ideas like Replicant. So you understand why I bought the OnePlus. But in retrospect I should have just gotten an Xperia or an HTC since they have both provided models with unlocked boot loaders and Sony have even opened up their Android source code.
shmerl 12y ago
May be instead of investing they could stop shaking down Android manufacturers with patent trolling? That would be way more useful.
- DrStalker 12y ago
  Their goal is to help themselves, not to help the greater phone-using community.
  - shmerl 12y ago
    Except they don't hesitate used crooked means for their goal.
debacle 12y 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.
- higherpurpose 12y 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 12y ago
    Why would they?
  - grrowl 12y 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+Corporation&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Microsoft+Co...
    - tmzt 12y ago
      And Nokia Here, presumably.
    - lmm 12y ago
      Bing Maps was very good the last time I used it.
  - sirkneeland 12y 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 12y 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 12y 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 12y 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.
  - Grazester 12y 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 12y 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.
drcube 12y ago
At this point MS hates Google more than Linux/Android. This doesn't surprise me at all.
- dirtyaura 12y ago
  It all started from Google. One could say that Microsoft hatred is built into DNA of the company.
  - endtime 12y 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".
    - jongalloway2 12y ago
      Stuff like this: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/15/google-blocks-windows-phone-youtube-app-again/ http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/15/google-blocks-windows-pho... http://www.windowscentral.com/new-policy-google-voice-means-end-metrotalk-windows-phone http://www.windowscentral.com/new-policy-google-voice-means-... I used to be a big Google fan (before and after becoming a Microsoft employee), but seeing Google continue to block WP apps actually made me decide to move to WP and off Google services as much as possible.
      - AnthonyMouse 12y ago
        I don't get the complaint. Google obviously doesn't want to be in a position that it can't change how its ads are served because it's hard coded into a third party app they can't change, so they require it be done with HTML5. The requirement isn't a secret or a surprise and I highly doubt that Microsoft lacks the technical expertise to comply with it. It looks a lot more like Microsoft refusing a completely reasonable requirement so that they can make a stink about Google blocking them. And complaining that there isn't an official version of some Google app for Windows Phone is like complaining there isn't an official version of Microsoft Office for Ubuntu or FreeBSD. Why would you even expect there to be?
DAddYE 12y 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.
- Grazester 12y ago
  Why not just make a POSIX complaint Windows in the future?
  - tjakab 12y 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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_POSIX_subsystem
    - lmm 12y ago
      Not only that, there was a buzzing community around it. I'm never quite sure whether geNToo was a joke, but if it was then I wanted to do it for real. But then MS killed the whole API.
- ktran03 12y 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.
  - tmzt 12y ago
    Supporting BSD rump kernels compiled against the NT api could be a good alternative.
markolschesky 12y 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 https://jira.cyanogenmod.org/browse/BACON-133
felixrieseberg 12y 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 12y 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 12y 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.incubator.callback-dev+microsoft http://callback.markmail.org/search/?q=list%3Aorg.apache.inc... [2] https://msopentech.com/what-we-do/ https://msopentech.com/what-we-do/ [3] https://msopentech.com/blog/tag/cordova/ https://msopentech.com/blog/tag/cordova/
    - goalieca 12y ago
      > I work on the team doing Visual Studio's Tools for Apache Cordova. Ten years ago my head would have imploded reading that. I remember distinctly balmer saying that linux was a cancer.
      - Max_Mustermann 12y ago
        What were his arguments against Linux? I've never anyone actually speak ill of the concept of GNU/Linux, aside from "cookiness" and so.
jackgavigan 12y 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-tablets-go-live-today/ http://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-office-apps-for-android-t...
- 72deluxe 12y 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.
parktheredcar 12y ago
So, can someone address the Nexus 4 no call audio issue? Because right now I can't make emergency calls.
- ac29 12y ago
  It was resolved for me when I moved to CM12. Zero problems in 2+ weeks, previously a daily issue.
  - parktheredcar 12y 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 12y 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 12y 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'.
  - 72deluxe 12y 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!
    - aaron_m04 12y ago
      Until Replicant is usable, Cyanogen is the best we got.
aquanext 12y ago
This is classic embrace, extend, and extinguish.
CmonDev 12y 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.
- tdkl 12y ago
  They "only" need to convince developers first. With Googles automatic banning from Play Store nowadays, that could even be doable.
ChicagoDave 12y 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 12y 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.

434 points by pluc 12y ago

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

Sven7 12y ago
It's 2015 Google is the new Microsoft
- melling 12y 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.
  - kuschku 12y ago
    Android. Google builds an AOSP environment, as soon as everyone uses it, they move all the libraries into the proprietary Google Services Framework, and then they appended their contracts so that every manufacturer that produces "Android with Google Play" devices can’t sell pure AOSP devices anymore.
    - kllrnohj 12y ago
      No libraries have ever moved from AOSP into Google Services Framework. The Google Services library is exclusively made of APIs that use Google services that were never in AOSP, such as a Map viewer, push messaging, advanced location services, and games services. The vast, VAST majority of APIs that developers use and depend on are in AOSP either as framework APIs or in the support libraries (which are open source in AOSP as well). Second the contracts were always there. Hell, the contracts (Open Handset Alliance) came before AOSP.
      - deleted 12y ago
        [deleted]
- debacle 12y 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 12y ago
Based on recent developments with both Google and MS in the past few years, I treat them with the same amount of trepidation.
blumkvist 12y 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".
- melling 12y 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?s=MSFT:NSQ http://markets.ft.com/research/Markets/Tearsheets/Financials... Microsoft is still an incredibly powerful company.
  - zues 12y ago
    Yep, and I still use my desktop once every day (or couple days at the very least).. Meanwhile I'm using my cell phone dozens times a day and a tablet at least 3-4 times a day. Man this must be terrifying for Microsoft. To have a dominant position on a form factor that is quickly becoming irrelevant.
    - blumkvist 12y ago
      Yeah, PCs are on the way out. Any day now. I suppose it will be the same year as Linux for end users.

alexggordon 12y 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 12y ago
Thanks, we updated the title.
- pluc 12y ago
  Thanks!

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

fnordfnordfnord 12y 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 12y 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-surprisingly-strong-windows-weak-as-microsoft-posts-solid-q2/ http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/01/hardware-surprisingl...
- semi-extrinsic 12y 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.
  - cwyers 12y ago
    They don't just show up on Microsoft's balance sheet, the part of Nokia that makes them is now part of Microsoft.
    - ps4fanboy 12y ago
      No true Microsoft fallacy? Ha

Yhippa 12y 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 12y 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 12y 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.
  - kh_hk 12y ago
    Appeal to developers, that's all. If your brand is not used by developers, nobody is going to start writing apps for your platform just out of the hobby. Plus, it takes time. Just look at iOS (2007) and Android (2008). You can't have an ecosystem by just snapping your fingers in the air.
    - scott_karana 12y ago
      I dunno, Microsoft seems to have a phenomenal developer attitude these days. The marketshare is just too small to bother, in my opinion.
    - keerthiko 12y ago
      Microsoft cannot promise developer incentives that actually scale. They have run several "hackathons" and "app contests" and things with eye-popping prize money, like $100k and whatnot. But for most people, supporting an additional platform for any duration more than a year can quickly cost upwards of that amount. With the tiny marketshare today, and nothing but hope that it will ever grow - hope that has not come to fruition in 3-5 years - it will be a net loss very quickly and also have diverted resources from the other aspects of the developer's companies. If they could perhaps offer scalable incentives, like "support and consulting services worth $2000 per month" or "we pay you $0.05 per download (even if your app is free)" or "we'll market your app alongside WP marketing" then perhaps. Perhaps it might be functional developer incentive. Disclaimer/note: As a cofounder of a company built around an app that Microsoft tried to woo us to port. We toyed with their APIs for a bit, but it was going to be a support nightmare with our hardware and sensor requests and we decided against following through.

programminggeek 12y 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 12y 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 12y 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 12y 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.
- numo16 12y 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.
- AdeptusAquinas 12y 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 12y 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)...

joelthelion 12y ago

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

wiineeth 12y ago
i would later change that and install google rom and use the beautiful microsoft hardware

memnips 12y 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-forked-android/ http://venturebeat.com/2014/01/01/windroid-what-if-microsoft...

higherpurpose 12y 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).

jhou2 12y 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 12y ago
I recall fiddling with an HTC HD2, able to run both WP7 and Android ROMs (Froyo I think?). What a great device.
- semi-extrinsic 12y 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).
  - freehunter 12y ago
    Ugh I had a Touch Pro (the first one) on Alltel. It was a piece of junk. I ended up having four of them. Every time I took it back because something was broken, I waited for weeks to get a replacement to find out that the replacement had something else broken. Alltel was being bought by AT&T/Verizon at the time, so they weren't getting new phones and the Touch Pro was the best phone they had so they couldn't replace my phone with a new, similar phone. Sprint was giving everyone who had a Touch Pro a Touch Pro 2 for free, there were so many issues. When I finally was able to get a new phone, I got a Palm Pre which was (and still is) the best phone I ever used until HP ruined it.
  - CalRobert 12y ago
    An HTC Touch Pro 2 was my primary device for years. It had the best keyboard that I have ever used on a phone. I've been trying to get used to software keyboards for three years, and I still _HATE_ them. Modern phones are worthless, and it's the lack of any means of inputting (discreetly - I hate talking at my phone) more than a few sentences that makes them junk.

Danieru 12y ago

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

hookey 12y ago
“I don’t want to fight old battles, I want to fight new ones.” - Satya Nadella
bch 12y ago
see also: http://wiki.netbsd.org/ports/emips/ http://wiki.netbsd.org/ports/emips/ Microsoft donated an entire architecture work to NetBSD...
dragonwriter 12y ago
They've done it before, with Novell. (And, arguably, Nook.)
- SixSigma 12y ago
  Microsoft released a version of Unix when Linus Torvalds was 11 years old. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenix http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenix
  - dragonwriter 12y ago
    Sure, but releasing a commercial Unix is different than investing in a Linux company. The former is less inconsistent with popular anti-Linux perception of Microsoft than the latter.

Pxtl 12y 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 12y ago
They aren't 'picking it up/buying it'. They're investing and according to the article will be a minority shareholder.

drikerf 12y ago

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

shmerl 12y ago
It was always heading in the wrong direction. Something like proper glibc Linux with Wayland is more interesting.
bdcravens 12y 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 12y 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-ported-to-the-htc-g1-in-alpha-form 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-to-the-venerable-htc-g1 http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/9/3229163/android-4-1-ported-... [3] https://nextbit.com/about/ https://nextbit.com/about/

INTPenis 12y 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 12y ago
  I'm actually planning on buying one and now you make me worried. What are the bugs you're encountering?
  - INTPenis 12y ago
    Ok get ready for a rant about 1st world problems. It seems confused about sound. I had to uninstall Google Play completely so my official JBL OnePlus headset wouldn't start playing music in Google Play instead of Spotify. These issues continued when I made my first audio recording. I was at the doctors and recorded the meeting, after that every time I try to play music from my headset it starts that audio recording. Even though the audio recording program is closed several reboots ago. Workaround is to open the phone, start spotify playing, pause, then I can use the headset as normal. The worst bugs in a phone are bugs in the actual phone feature, imo. And in my case CM seems confused about the screen when I'm in a conversation. It's supposed to darken when I move the screen to my ear but it never lights up again when I move the phone away from my ear. Often I have to unlock the phone to end a call. The headset also seems unable to end calls, only answer them. Waking up it's very sluggish, sometimes unresponsive. It has this "knock knock" feature where it wakes up if you tap the screen twice. This feature worked for a day or two when it was new, then stopped working for several weeks until I tried installing a stock android image on it and failed, reverted to CM and then the knock-knock worked again. Even though the knocking works to wake it up, it often will not accept input for those first few taps after it wakes up so you end up having to erase your unlock code and start over a lot. And speaking of stock android. Since none of my friends with stock android phones, nor me with my Nexus 7 at home, seemed to suffer these issues I decided to try the official stock android images from OnePlus. I ended up in a reboot loop issue that has been reported on the bug tracker and on the forums. The problem is that I can't have my sim lock on if I want to install the android image because then it keeps rebooting the phone as soon as I unlock it. So I had to revert back to CM because I didn't feel like disabling the sim lock was a good option. I could probably go on if you give me some time to think about it, there are definitely more bugs that I have experienced in my short time with this phone. On a personal note, I was intrigued by CM because I am a FOSS junkie and know that it's a fork of android. I've had phones like the N900, ZTE Firefox OS and Jolla in the past. I love ideas like Replicant. So you understand why I bought the OnePlus. But in retrospect I should have just gotten an Xperia or an HTC since they have both provided models with unlocked boot loaders and Sony have even opened up their Android source code.

shmerl 12y ago

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

DrStalker 12y ago
Their goal is to help themselves, not to help the greater phone-using community.
- shmerl 12y ago
  Except they don't hesitate used crooked means for their goal.

debacle 12y 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.

higherpurpose 12y 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 12y ago
  Why would they?
- grrowl 12y 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+Corporation&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Microsoft+Co...
  - tmzt 12y ago
    And Nokia Here, presumably.
  - lmm 12y ago
    Bing Maps was very good the last time I used it.
- sirkneeland 12y 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 12y 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 12y 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 12y 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.
- Grazester 12y 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 12y 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.

drcube 12y ago

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

dirtyaura 12y ago
It all started from Google. One could say that Microsoft hatred is built into DNA of the company.
- endtime 12y 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".
  - jongalloway2 12y ago
    Stuff like this: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/15/google-blocks-windows-phone-youtube-app-again/ http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/15/google-blocks-windows-pho... http://www.windowscentral.com/new-policy-google-voice-means-end-metrotalk-windows-phone http://www.windowscentral.com/new-policy-google-voice-means-... I used to be a big Google fan (before and after becoming a Microsoft employee), but seeing Google continue to block WP apps actually made me decide to move to WP and off Google services as much as possible.
    - AnthonyMouse 12y ago
      I don't get the complaint. Google obviously doesn't want to be in a position that it can't change how its ads are served because it's hard coded into a third party app they can't change, so they require it be done with HTML5. The requirement isn't a secret or a surprise and I highly doubt that Microsoft lacks the technical expertise to comply with it. It looks a lot more like Microsoft refusing a completely reasonable requirement so that they can make a stink about Google blocking them. And complaining that there isn't an official version of some Google app for Windows Phone is like complaining there isn't an official version of Microsoft Office for Ubuntu or FreeBSD. Why would you even expect there to be?

DAddYE 12y 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.

Grazester 12y ago
Why not just make a POSIX complaint Windows in the future?
- tjakab 12y 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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_POSIX_subsystem
  - lmm 12y ago
    Not only that, there was a buzzing community around it. I'm never quite sure whether geNToo was a joke, but if it was then I wanted to do it for real. But then MS killed the whole API.
ktran03 12y 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.
- tmzt 12y ago
  Supporting BSD rump kernels compiled against the NT api could be a good alternative.

markolschesky 12y 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 https://jira.cyanogenmod.org/browse/BACON-133

felixrieseberg 12y 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 12y 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 12y 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.incubator.callback-dev+microsoft http://callback.markmail.org/search/?q=list%3Aorg.apache.inc... [2] https://msopentech.com/what-we-do/ https://msopentech.com/what-we-do/ [3] https://msopentech.com/blog/tag/cordova/ https://msopentech.com/blog/tag/cordova/
  - goalieca 12y ago
    > I work on the team doing Visual Studio's Tools for Apache Cordova. Ten years ago my head would have imploded reading that. I remember distinctly balmer saying that linux was a cancer.
    - Max_Mustermann 12y ago
      What were his arguments against Linux? I've never anyone actually speak ill of the concept of GNU/Linux, aside from "cookiness" and so.

jackgavigan 12y 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-tablets-go-live-today/ http://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-office-apps-for-android-t...

72deluxe 12y 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.

parktheredcar 12y ago

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

ac29 12y ago
It was resolved for me when I moved to CM12. Zero problems in 2+ weeks, previously a daily issue.
- parktheredcar 12y 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 12y 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 12y 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'.
- 72deluxe 12y 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!
  - aaron_m04 12y ago
    Until Replicant is usable, Cyanogen is the best we got.

aquanext 12y ago

This is classic embrace, extend, and extinguish.

CmonDev 12y 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.

tdkl 12y ago
They "only" need to convince developers first. With Googles automatic banning from Play Store nowadays, that could even be doable.

ChicagoDave 12y 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 12y 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.