The VAR Guy

Once upon a time, Intel created a mobile OS called Moblin. At the time, Nokia was also creating a mobile OS it called Maemo. Intel and Nokia then merged their resources and built MeeGo, the unified answer to both mobile operating systems. After delays and a completely unenthusiastic release of the one and only Nokia MeeGo phone, the Nokia N9, MeeGo was usurped by Tizen, which, as you may remember, is a new mobile OS venture by Intel that incorporates MeeGo technology. Now, Tizen is going to be merging with Samsung’s mobile OS “bada.” So, now what?

Back in March 2011 we wrote about Polycom and Motorola teaming up to bring Polycom’s UC Intelligent Core to the Motorola Xoom, making the Xoom an instant group video device. Jump forward to today, and Polycom is continuing its relationship with Motorola by including the RealPresence Mobile application with the new Motorola Xyboard (the spiritual successor to the Xoom). Here’s the scoop …

F5 Networks isn’t putting a lock on your freezer, but the company is looking to lock up Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and maybe put the freeze on a would-be hacker. Thanks to F5′s BIG-IP Edge Client for Android, F5 says it’s the first to put a feature-complete SSL VPN client solution on a mobile device. Interested?

Google wants to make sure Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) is as tasty as possible, and has instituted a policy that all Android devices accessing the official Google Marketplace must be running an unmodified Android 4.0. So say goodbye to custom GUIs and modified launchers. Why? According to Google, it’s all about consistency. Read on for the details …

If you could really use a hug, look no further than Samsung’s latest Android-powered robot that gives out — you guessed it — free hugs. Designed specifically for the Holiday season, Samsung calls the robot “Galaxy X’MAS Hugs.” Does such a robot actually have real world implication? It could …

RIM is showing love to its competitors as it tries to stay afloat with its new Mobile Fusion Management Suite, which essentially expands the Blackberry Enterprise Server platform. RIM hopes as MDM need ramp up, its familiar name and offerings will find favor with IT admins. But what is RIM bringing to the table? Here’s the scoop …

The concept of a bootable USB drive running Linux is nothing new. But what if you had a bootable USB drive that was literally an entire mobile device, simply lacking a screen? That’s what FXI has imagined with its “Cotton Candy” device. Details follow …

Finally, Google has publicly admitted Android has some graphical issues. One of my biggest pet peeves with Android has been Android’s inability to render graphics smoothly despite the speed or heft or the mobile CPU — it always produced a choppy interface. It’s jarring and it’s especially unattractive when compared to iOS. So what is Google doing to fix the solution?

It’s the buzz heard around the Internet, Ubuntu’s evangelist and founder Mark Shuttleworth has made a bigger push at the Ubuntu Developer Summit to put the Ubuntu Linux operating system on mobile devices, from phones to tablets. But is this realistic talk or just hypothetical hype? Here’s why I think this idea is already dead in the water.

As Motorola Mobility gears up for a complete acquisition by Google, it’s undergoing a few housekeeping measures. Sadly, that includes putting 800 jobs on the chopping block. Here’s the rundown on the future of Motorola Mobility, and Google’s new mobility arm …

Today, Steve Jobs’ biography “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson hits the shelves and the digital iBooks representation of a shelf. But in the past week, there have been some juicy leaks about the book’s contents. The most interesting of them all? Steve Jobs hated Android with a passion and felt he finally figured out how to reinvent TV the way he did personal computing …

ShoreTel recognizes one glaring byproduct of the consumerization of IT and the bring your own device (BYOD) movement is the need by companies to support a mishmash of devices and OSes. That’s why the company has upgraded ShoreTel Mobility to support the three major mobility platforms and an expanded number of devices.

That was fast. Just last week we covered how Android Ice Cream Sandwich was likely slated for an Oct. 11, 2011, release, according to the YouTube Android Developer account. Now Samsung has released an official statement telling us to hold our horses. Android dessert is coming soon, but not quite yet …

With so much focus on Apple, the iPhone 4S and Steve Jobs’ unfortunate passing this week, we almost neglected Android-related news. Here’s the lowdown on two interesting rumors about Google’s latest Android phone and the latest version of the Android operating system …

Remember way back in August 2011 when Google purchased Motorola Mobility? Fears about how Google would use the phone manufacturing arm of Motorola swept the ‘net, setting the stage for internal competition between Google and other Android OEM partners. Despite the very real potential of this happening, Google’s Eric Schmidt says to not worry. Should we believe him?