Android Vs. Apple: Another War Wages On

  Oh yes, another war has started! Surely there is room for two mobile OS's (Operating System)?? 

                         ........Oh no, both are fighting for the #1 spot in superiority in mobile technology!

   I can remember when phones were like bricks, yes I'm 19 years old, so not like this:

A possibly lethal
weapon

                                                      

 ..........but more like this:

Small and Ugly
GREAT!

  Back then was a time where mobile phones were just used to call and text people, crazy I know, but now they are utilized as a gaming platform via things called applications or 'apps'. These apps are small programs which are downloaded and installed onto your phone. In the good-old days you would navigate your phone via endless menu lists, now in the 21st century you navigate via a graphical user interface covering an OS. These OS are very similar to ones that work on a laptop or desktop computer and are the ones that are in battle with each other. But this battle has been seen before, on computer OS's MacOS (Apple) and Windows (Microsoft). Now it is the war of the phones, Apple's iOS and Google's Android!

   In this blog post I will be focusing mainly on the difference in the two OS's because they are basically opposite in how they function in terms of sharing with their users making this war very interesting.

'The Tech Herald'

  I will begin with Android first. This relatively new mobile OS has taken the world by storm, mainly because there was a gap in the market. The phone universe needed a new OS, I mean, there was Apple but nothing else really that captured the attention of the customers. The thing is that it is not restricted to only one type of phone, unlike iOS, Android can be installed and used on Samsung's, LG, Motorola, and HTC's. This allowed the customers to keep to their preferred phone make while still making use of the Google OS. Another thing to why it has been attractive to these phone manufacturers is that they can put their own slant on the OS, for the Samsung Galaxy S, the phone is run by Android but Samsung have added their own menu system to keep it their own.

See the video above? Android was released in 2008 and the video clearly shows how popular the OS has become. One of the main reasons why it has become so successful is because of its Open-source software. This kind of software is the tipping point to who will eventually win this OS war because Apple doesn't use this, they are all corporate like. The term Open-source will be explained more later. 

  Now its Apple's turn! Apple are know for their uber-cool designs and unique products and their software is similar. Apple's iOS was first seen on the original iPhone and nothing has really changed in terms of looks. Today some people are becoming a bit bored of the same look on every software update, compared to Android, who updates regularly with alphabetically organised software names such as Froyo, Gingerbread and Honeycomb (yea! their cool!). But mentioned before, Apple do not support Open-source software. Ok, now I will talk about it...

Open-source is a term used to describe the allowance of the final programming code to the public. It is allowed to be altered and used to structure other creations. From the website, How Stuff Works I think they explain it very well:

"Most software that you buy or download only comes in the compiled ready-to-run version. Compiled means that the actual program code that the developer created, known as the source code, has run through a special program called a compiler that translates the source code into a form that the computer can understand. It is extremely difficult to modify the compiled version of most applications and nearly impossible to see exactly how the developer created different parts of the program. Most commercial software manufacturers see this as an advantage that keeps other companies from copying their code and using it in a competing product. It also gives them control over the quality and features found in a particular product.

Open source software is at the opposite end of the spectrum. The source code is included with the compiled version and modification or customization is actually encouraged. The software developers who support the open source concept believe that by allowing anyone who's interested to modify the source code, the application will be more useful and error-free over the long term."

  With Android using this they encourage the users of this code to experiment, but what is to stop them from creating something completely different and compete with the platform? On their website they describe their Governance Philosophy, in it they state:

"Uncontrolled customization can, of course, lead to incompatible implementations. To prevent this, the AOSP also maintains the Android Compatibility Program, which spells out what it means to be "Android compatible", and what is required of device builders to achieve that status. Anyone can (and will!) use the Android source code for any purpose, and we welcome all such uses. However, in order to take part in the shared ecosystem of applications that we are building around Android, device builders must participate in the Compatibility Program.

Though Android consists of multiple sub-projects, this is strictly a project-management technique. We view and manage Android as a single, holistic software product, not a "distribution", specification, or collection of replaceable parts. Our intent is that device builders port Android to a device; they don't implement a specification or curate a distribution."

  Now that the source code has been released the community can begin to change and alter it, the community can download the Android Software Development Kit (SDK) allowing them to use the tools to create their open Apps (Applications are one of the main factors to a successful mobile OS). The users of this require no skill at all and once created, can be placed onto Android's Marketplace. This is at the other end of the scale for Apple. Apple as I have mentioned before is a very very corporate business and expects only the best content for its customers. With this in mind your average, Tom, Dick and Harry can't get creating. A subscription charge must be paid ($99 yearly) to get use of the development tools that Apple provide. This allows only the more dedicated developers to get creating leaving all the novice's out in the cold. In my opinion this is a good filtering system. Now, I own an Android phone so I'm entitled to say this, the market place is clogged up with poor amateur apps that are not worth downloading. Whereas on Apple's App Store there is rarely a very poor game mainly because they have experienced developers working in their circle. Oh but you may be thinking surely any novice can pay the $99 and get going, well no. Apple have a rigorous application process. This process can take up to months and even then, the app may still get rejected. The rules are also tightly adhered to, a submitted application is tested and each rule is applied, if it fails it does not get onto the app store - simples!


Here is an example*: A man called Nick Bonatsakis submitted his 'DuckPhone' to the popular fruit business. His app was tribute to the phone seen in Jersey Shore. After a wait the app creator received this:

“Dear Atlantia Software LLC,

We’ve reviewed your application DuckPhone and we have determined that this application contains minimal user functionality and will not be appropriate for the App Store.

If you would like to share it with friends and family, we recommend you review the Ad Hoc method on the Distribution tab of the iPhone Developer Portal for details on distributing this application among a small group of people of your choosing or if you believe that you can add additional user functionality to DuckPhone we encourage you to do so and resubmit it for review.

Sincerely,

iPhone App Review Team”

*Example from crunchgear.com

  Notice the reason to why this was rejected: 'Minimal User Functionality' - Whaat!? This is coming from a store that has accepted the app getting the user to hold a button for as long as possible, this to me is minimal user functionality! Later on in the source from crunchgear.com the words, "Apple wants a pristine App Store and will get it at any cost". This summarises their system very well in my opinion.

   Their not going easy on Android too, they don't want anything to do with them at all, the word 'Android' has been banned from their store and could result in your application being banned - wow, vicious. 

   The war will continue I'm sure for years to come, with two very strong competitors in the ring it is hard to tell. Apple with their design and marketing skills and Android with Google as their daddy.

Gamers Rewarded Through Faulty Games

  If you have ever played a video game then you will have come across multiple glitches I'm sure, you know the ones, your walking around and suddenly you get stuck on something invisible? Or you can't advance any further over the map because of the 'invisible wall' or 'pipeline'? These are all typical when playing, but can some glitches be used to give the player rewards?

  A glitch is simply a programming error that is hard to troubleshoot because it is not apparent to all players and may not happen all the time. Players can use these errors in the computer code to access areas that may be difficult to get to or to get an unfriendly advantage on other players - these people are know as 'Glitchers'. Although most glitches are unintentionally in the games code the developers may put some in on purpose, these give the players some sort of reward, not to help them advance in the game, but just some sort of 'thanks for playing our game and exploring the boundaries, here is a little prize' sort of thing. These are know as Easter Eggs in the video game community.

  The first evidence of an in-game Easter Egg is in Atari's retro game "Adventure", it it the player's reward for experimenting with the game. To get this egg the player must:

1. Get the bridge 

2. Take it inside the black castle 

3. Find the central room that causes the screen to flicker. You must have an object with you to see the flicker, as it takes 3 game sprites to cause flicker (you, the "dot" and the 3rd object, in this case the bridge) 

4. Use the bridge to get into the secret chamber in the middle of that room 

5. Inside that the secret chamber there is a "dot" -- pick it up by pressing into the lower right corner of the chamber. 

6. Take the dot to the main hallway (below the golden castle) 

7. Once there the dot will cause one of the hallway barriers to disappear. Note that you need to have another object in the room (key, sword, duck, etc.) to make the barrier disappear. You also usually have to have the "dot" in front of you to go through. 

8. You can then enter a hidden chamber that lists a message from the programmers

  The history behind this first Easter Egg is that the creator, Warren Robinette, didn't like the fact that Atari did not allow its programmers to get credit for making the game. In his frustration he altered the code allowing people to discover who the talent really was. The message from the programmers mentioned in point 8 is simply his name:

The message: "Created by Warren Robinette"

  Ever since, game developers have been doing the same, rewarding players for simply exploring the boundaries of the game. Some examples are shown below:

In this Easter Egg notice how there is no glitch. This is the case in some games, instead of using a fault in the game the developers just place funny events into hard to reach areas, almost all the time they are funny. It is a surprise to the gamers because they are out of place and often link to other popular games, in this case: Portal developed by Valve.

  This next one is from Halo: Reach on the Xbox 360, check it out:

This sort of Easter Egg is one that provides the most reward sensation in my opinion. It is hard to get to firstly, the switch placed at the very edge of the map and then the spawning into an unknown tunnel. This egg really keeps the player guessing into what is happening.

  One from Assassins Creed 2:

This similar to the Fable 3 one above rewards the player for being curious.

   GTA4:

  I find Easter Eggs a really interesting point to look at because the developers harness glitches and turn them into something entertaining. They can also just put random things into its structure to make it more interesting too. In an interview from VideoJug they ask a game developer a series of questions, one being, "Why do developers put easter eggs in games?"

His answer:

"I think developers put Easter eggs into games just for fun. It's a nod and a wink to the fans; it's a nod and a wink to the players. An Easter egg is usually a little bit cheeky, but it's good fun and they're always meant in good humour."

  So, they are Easter Eggs in video games...

ILOVEBEES: A new way to game?

  With the release of the highly anticipated 2004 Halo 2 game there was something new that had never been tried before. An Alternative Reality Game (ARG) acting as a world wide interactive treasure hunt that was used to promote and advertise the Bungie release.

  For the hunt to begin small hints were needed to be planted for this revolutionary game to proceed. There were two main hints used. Firstly, through the game's trailers. As they were released  something was discovered that left fans and the gaming community baffled. At the end of the advert was a message or indeed a web link, www.ilovebees.com was shown that flashed over Mircrosoft's own resulting in thousands of fans rushing to their computers to divulge into this mysterious website.

  Secondly, a handful of ARG gamers were secretly selected to receive small jars of honey in the post. Suspended within this honey was a letter and all together spelt 'ILOVEBEES'. With the advert and secret honey pots used; the online community flooded with activity in an attempt to understand what this was all about. The ilovebees website seemed a normal site about a person's avid (but strange) love for bees but later looked as if it were under attack from hackers as messages and codes appeared. Again as time progressed the internet forums erupted into cracking these codes and satellite images until collective knowledge revealed that they were coordinates for specific phone boxes around the US.

A phone box sat image 

A woman answers a designated payphone as
crowding fans show the Master Chief Salute

 These phones rang at stated times releasing a certain part of spoken dialogue. Once all the extracts were put together a story into Halo 2's history was created involving all of the loved characters and those who took part were able to join an exclusive screening and online play of the game before its initial release under a condition that they could recite a codeword released over the payphones.

For a video explanation of the ARG: The ILOVEBEES Phenomenon

  This had never been attempted before, an ARG within another game. It re-mediated not only advertising; but gaming as a whole. In terms of advertising, typically the audience is being bombarded on TV, on computers or even now on mobile phones but with ILOVEBEES the audience were actually chasing after the advertiser and because they want to, not like an unknown number beginning with '02...' ringing you up and leaving a message saying that there have been some 'financial issues' with your bank in which you ring up to question this only to find its an advert for another bank that could offer you better interest - this specific example has happened to me! In terms of  re-mediating gaming it changed the way people interacted with games and the idea of games as a whole. Normally with a new game's release the gamer travels to the store to buy the game and then spends the next few weeks chained to the screen in isolation forgetting the key elements of time, sleep and the natural impulse of hunger. An ARG pulls in all players from around the world to communicate and get on one specific goal together which is similar you may think to how Xbox Live or PSN (Playstation Network) works today but it is not. With the online community on consoles it's more about your personal gain, you 'killing' and American kid named 'XboxAddict' gets you 50XP and a new gun or you reaching a specific point gets you this unlocked. In an ARG it uses the same idea of involving countries together and solving a problem i.e. in ILOVEBEES forums were flooded with comments from all around the world that used information from another forum-er, or forum poster? or is it user? I'm not sure what the term is but you get the idea - I hope. This information sparks another idea and so on and so on until the final objective is achieved, in this case: co-ordinates to a phone box or a piece of audio.

   On the other hand you could argue that ARG's are moving away from the idea of what games are. Games allow you to take control of a character, usually much more powerful and capable of completing tasks than yourself, and wander in an alternative world where you can create the rules and control how the game unfolds. In an ARG you are the character and your not in another world fighting monsters and gaining x amount of gold, credits, chips whatever, you're just you.

  This whole ARG idea has re-mediated gaming, changed how we interact with games and has also converged different media types together. Gaming, email, telephones and the internet are all used to portray the game onto the game-field - the world. by providing hints, obstacles and sometimes other players that have to be overcome by the community.

  So there you have it - ARG's. Are they a new way to game? They are growing in popularity as they provide a different perspective on traditional gaming of just sitting in front of a tv and are more communal. But with the release of the Playstation Move and soon Xbox Kinect will it stay or just become lost in its own alternative reality when technology leaves it behind?