This Hack Lets You Run Any Android App on Your Chromebook

Using a small JavaScript script, the hack, which is detailed in full on GitHub, allows any regular Android APK to be packaged up and, for want of a better term, side-loaded onto a Chromebook. It can then be run under the Android App Runtime in the same way as the ‘official’ Vine, Dulingo and Evernote. 

Restrictions mean that only one Android app can be run at a time.

To watch a Youtube video demonstration and the full original story follow this link to OMG Chrome.

Try It Out

If the thought of waiting for Google to partner up with the maker of your favourite app, game or utility is too much to bear, you could don your hard hat and try it out for yourself.

But be warned: it’s not a guide for the fainthearted or the technically averse. The developer behind the hack,
Vladikoff, cautions that his tool is for ‘proof of concept’ and is provided without any kind of warrant or assurance. The hack is also not endorsed by Google, Chromium or Android.

To follow along you’ll need a Chromebook with the Android Runtime plugin installed, the Android Vine app (which will be replaced during the course of the guide) and an OS X or Linux desktop from which to ‘package’ your app.

Applications tested and said to be working include Twitter, both tablet and mobile modes, and Flipboard (which was demoed running on a Chromebook at Google I/O).

Other apps tested but that crash include Google Chrome for Android (!), Spotify, SoundCloud and Swing Copters.

You can find more details and a download for the script on the project’s GitHub page, linked below.

‘Run Android APKs on Chromebooks’ Guide

Automotive Grade Linux Delivers Open Automotive Software Stack for the Connected Car

SAN FRANCISCO and TOKYO (AUTOMOTIVE LINUX SUMMIT), June 30, 2014 – Automotive Grade Linux (AGL), a collaborative open source project developing a common, Linux-based software stack for the connected car, today announced that its first open source software release is available for download, bringing the industry one step closer to achieving a standard Linux-based software platform for the connected car.

AGL is building the industry’s only fully open automotive platform, allowing automakers to leverage a growing software stack based on Linux while retaining the ability to create their own branded user experience. Standardizing on a single platform means the industry can rapidly innovate where it counts to create a safe and reliable connected car experience. Open collaboration within the AGL community means support for multi-architectures and features to bolster the in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) experience.

“Openness and collaboration are key to accelerating the development of a common, standard automotive platform so the industry can more quickly achieve its vision of delivering the connected car,” said Dan Cauchy, general manager of automotive, The Linux Foundation. “This AGL release is a great step forward and the community is already looking to build on its work to address a number of additional capabilities and features in subsequent releases. With AGL at the core, the industry will be able to more rapidly innovate and evolve to meet customer needs.”

AGL builds on top of Tizen IVI and adds key applications developed in HTML5 and JavaScript into a single open source reference platform. 

See slideshow of AGL key features including:

• Home Screen
• Dashboard
• Google Maps
• HVAC
• Media Playback
• News Reader (AppCarousel)
• Audio Controls
• Bluetooth Phone
• Smart Device Link Integration

Each component includes a detailed Design Requirements Document (DRD) with descriptions, use cases, HMI flows, graphical assets, architecture diagrams and more. AGL code, DRDs and more are all available on the AGL wiki to give anyone the background and tools needed to use the software and start contributing to the project.

“Using AGL means the industry benefits from the stability and strength of a common Linux distribution, Tizen IVI, at the core while bringing their own unique applications and functionality to market faster,” said Rudolf Strief, director of embedded solutions, The Linux Foundation. “Collaborating within the AGL community helps the industry avoid fragmentation that can waste time and R&D resources that could be put to better use innovating on safety and reliability for drivers.”

AGL is free to download and anyone can participate in the open source community. Learn more: http://automotive.linuxfoundation.org/

For more information follow the source link below.

Source: Linux Foundation

RIM Considering Selling Its Hardware Production Arm, Post BlackBerry 10 Launch

RIM CEO Thorsten Heins

Research In Motion is considering selling its hardware production arm after the launch of BlackBerry 10, as one of a number of potential actions. RIM CEO Thorsten Heins said that a strategic review could lead towards the sale, or potentially offering licenses for its software to other manufacturers, opening the door to non-RIM BlackBerry devices in the future.

In an interview with Die Welt, Heins confirmed the company was mulling over various courses of action it could take. When asked about licensing its software in a similar manner to how Microsoft licenses out its Windows Phone OS, Heins said that such a thing could only take place after their own products are released. “Before you license the software, you must show that the platform has a large potential,” said Heins, who also claimed the delay for BlackBerry 10 was due to the company building a platform “that is future-proof for the next ten years.” He also suggested that BlackBerry 10 could be used in devices other than smartphones, such as in cars and other vehicular systems.

The perception that BlackBerry was a tool for business was also attacked by Heins, referring to large consumer markets in Indonesia, South Africa, and the UK. While BlackBerry 10 will be launching globally, Heins will be looking at the less developed mobile markets for growth, as opposed to the US and Europe, which the company hopes will more than recoup the 1 million users that left the BlackBerry platform between the second and third quarters, leaving it currently at 79 million.

RIM’s most recent financial results saw revenues fall 5 percent to $2.7 billion, and an adjusted net loss of $114 million. The launch of BlackBerry 10 will see the company increase its marketing spending, and expects to still have an operating loss by the time the fourth quarter results are released.

Source: Electronista