But the one flaw is the big-G’s plan for world domination is their willingness to let either the phone makers or airtime providers like Sprint decide when users get updates to new versions. According to the Wall Street Journal, that’s finally about to change.

In a wise move, clearly intended to put a united brick-wall in front of Apple’s dreams of regaining the top spot, Google will give the phone makers each new version of Android, then sell the phones direct to the users.

It’s a simple plan, but it’s so searingly obvious you have to wonder why the G didn’t do it that way from the start. Keep your fans happy and they’ll stay loyal and tell all their friends to use your product, not the other guy’s. Leave them stranded with outdated systems and you’d have to be medicated to believe they’ll tolerate it.

The guys at Mountain View finally get it right. My guess is this change got delayed by the suits in the boardroom. With a unified roll-out the road ahead for Android should be smooth – with only a glimmer of Apple in the mirrors.

What do you say, guys?…

According to the article, OEM’s like Dell have been trying to crack this very desirable market for ten years. Now, in collaboration with the Ubuntu team, they reckon they’ve found the combination.

Sadly, they’re only planning to do it for six months.

Overall, this is a good idea, if overdue, and should be applauded. But when will we see the same tech offered to the mass market? FOSS will never achieve the world-enhancing potential that’s clear to everyone who already uses it until the OEMs openly offer – and fully support – a viable option to the Redmond virus.

Photo by: Bob Merhebi

All Argan oil sold in western stores is sold by one small co-operative that shares the profits among women who work in the area of Morocco where production is centered. Producing the oil creates thousands of jobs, the profits provide health care and education, and the group who own the rights to sell the oil also plant new trees to maintain production and keep the land green.

If you wanted an example of creative endeavor that improves lives without ruining the Earth, you couldn’t do much better than this one. So the question is, why don’t we do something like this here?

It’s true that bills like gas and food have gone up, and a lot of people have seen their monthly mortgage rate increase, but other things like clothes, life annuity rates and tuition have stayed almost flat. This nation needs a new direction and less paranoia, but which side can really bring that?

And how do we tell them apart…

Firms like posiflex have been at the forefront of the touch-screen consumer hardware field for ages. Just try imagining a shopping trip if they weren’t around: Checks would still be the high-tech watermark. You’d still be shopping with paper.

And if that doesn’t depress you, you need to get out and shop more…

The incisive reporters at RedmondMag bring us news that MS has signed a licensing deal with Pegatron Corp, in which the Pegatron people will pay royalties to cover apps they produce for eReaders, smartphones and tablets. That run entirely on Android or Chrome.

Last year, MS also inked the same kind of deal with more than half the other firms who design for the same, non-MS platforms.

So if I read this right the Redmond people will get money they don’t need, for software they don’t sell, which runs on systems they don’t make, that are sold to users they’ll never even see.

Am I missing a memo or this is basically thinly-disguised, legalized extortion – Your call?…

Those of school age have always resented being told the value of studying and getting high grades. Perhaps the withering redundancy rate now affecting so many of those giving the advice will be enough to inspire the students to listen. And learn.

It’s good to know that, despite a widespread and consuming obsession with electronics and social networking, the most widely popular indulgence on Earth hasn’t changed in decades. But with all those moms primed to pop at the same time perhaps we should consider moving Labor Day to June?

That probably describes most jobs these days – if you’re lucky enough to even have one – but the urge to just put all the accounts files in a dumpster, get a good deal on a trip from someone like Orlandovacation.com, zoom over to the east coast and take in some sun for two weeks is making me crazy.

Probably wouldn’t have the job when I got back, though, huh?