Saturday 12 December 2015

Android (operating system)


                                          Android is a mobile operating system (OS) currently developed by Google, based on the Linux kernel and designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android's user interface is mainly based on direct manipulation, using touch gestures that loosely correspond to real-world actions, such as swiping, tapping and pinching, to manipulate on-screen objects, along with a virtual keyboard for text input. In addition to touchscreen devices, Google has further developed Android TV for televisions, Android Auto for cars, and Android Wear for wrist watches, each with a specialized user interface. Variants of Android are also used on notebooks, game consoles, digital cameras, and other electronics. As of 2015, Android has the largest installed base of all operating systems.[11]
Initially developed by Android, Inc., which Google bought in 2005,[12] Android was unveiled in 2007, along with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance – a consortium of hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices.[13] As of July 2013, the Google Play store has had over one million Android applications ("apps") published, and over 50 billion applications downloaded.[14] An April–May 2013 survey of mobile application developers found that 71% of developers create applications for Android,[15] and a 2015 survey found that 40% of full-time professional developers see Android as their priority target platform, which is comparable to Apple's iOS on 37% with both platforms far above others.[16] At Google I/O 2014, the company revealed that there were over one billion active monthly Android users, up from 538 million in June 2013.[17]
Android's source code is released by Google under open source licenses, although most Android devices ultimately ship with a combination of open source and proprietary software, including proprietary software required for accessing Google services.[3] Android is popular with technology companies that require a ready-made, low-cost and customizable operating system for high-tech devices.[18] Its open nature has encouraged a large community of developers and enthusiasts to use the open-source code as a foundation for community-driven projects, which add new features for advanced users[19] or bring Android to devices originally shipped with other operating systems. At the same time, as Android has no centralised update system most Android devices fail to receive security updates: research in 2015 concluded that almost 90% of Android phones in use had known but unpatched security vulnerabilities due to lack of updates and support.[20][21] The success of Android has made it a target for patent litigation as part of the so-called "smartphone wars" between technology companies.
      version histo
     The version history of the Android mobile operating system began with the release of the Android alpha in November 2007. The first commercial version, Android 1.0, was released in September 2008. Android is continually developed by Google and theOpen Handset Alliance (OHA), and has seen a number of updates to its base operating system since the initial release.
The most recent major Android update is Android 6.0 "Marshmallow", which was released in October 2015. Since April 2009, Android versions have been developed under a confectionery-themed code name and released in alphabetical order, beginning with Android 1.5 "Cupcake"; the earlier versions 1.0 and 1.1 were not released under specific code names:
On September 3, 2013, Google announced that one billion activated Android devices were in use worldwide.[2] In June 2015, Android devices that accessed the Internetaccounted for 59.1% of the worldwide smartphone and tablet market, 68.3% of the Chinese market, and 40.78% of the US market.[3]
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