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Google's director of Android user experience Matias Duarte just stopped by The Verge trailer here at CES to make a special announcement, and we've decided to try something new — we're streaming the interview live. We'll be kicking things off in just a moment, and Matias will be taking viewer questions for a while after the announcement.
Update: We've now uploaded our recording of the live interview for you to enjoy below.
Comments
hmm what could this be?
Savitt - January 12, 2012
New version of Android that will fight fragmentation, oh wait that was the LAST release.
BoringCode - January 12, 2012
You clearly do not understand what the point of Android is.
freyberry - January 12, 2012
To make money by getting their OS on as many devices as possible, regardless of user experience, by getting those users to sign up for ad-supported google services?
TheDewd - January 12, 2012
Too true.
BoringCode - January 12, 2012
http://advertising.microsoft.com/mobile-apps
http://advertising.apple.com/
etwashoo - January 13, 2012
Who makes their money from advertising. Google. MS makes it from software, Apple from hardware.
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
And that’s all there is to know about money in the technology industry of today!
lap.felix - January 13, 2012
Fragmenting the market away from iOS to /anything/ else means the web will survive on mobiles & it won’t all be parcelled up & hidden away in Apps that Apple sell.
cc_star - January 12, 2012 via mobile
You forget that the web is HTTP, you don’t need a browser to view the “web”. I don’t care if the data is tunneled through to an app, as long as it’s using HTTP.
BoringCode - January 12, 2012
Google care though because half the was only accessible on mobiles via an app where is their revenue opportunity
By launching a rival OS & giving it away Google have ensured that no one mobile platform therefore another company won’t control the gates too the web
cc_star - January 12, 2012 via mobile
Bloody missing words, way past my bedtime
Because *if half the web…
That no one *will become too dominant therefore….
cc_star - January 12, 2012 via mobile
Partially true, but why do we care about helping a “poor” advertising company? Besides there would never be one company controlling the web, the web can’t work that way.
BoringCode - January 12, 2012
Well mobile web is very much geared towards iOS now, just like websites were “optimized” for IE6 not that long time ago.
Do you remember the stagnation of the web and the resulting ascent of Flash? Or do you want to forget the lessons of history?
jalexoid - January 12, 2012
Good thing google contributes to webkit now too, right? ;D
JesseDegenerate - January 12, 2012
Irrelevant, resurgence of third party(other than IE/Trident) layout engines resulted in standardization not only of layout markup, but of content too.
jalexoid - January 12, 2012
you refer to non MS rendering engines as third party?
JesseDegenerate - January 12, 2012
At the point in time when IE6 stagnantly dominated, yes.
jalexoid - January 12, 2012
Yeah. Gonna stop right there.
JesseDegenerate - January 12, 2012
Woah dude, iOS follows official standards set by the W3c, same as Android. Let’s not go making comparisons that don’t exist.
BoringCode - January 12, 2012
And what can other mobile web browsers do that iOS Safari can’t?
WayAway - January 14, 2012
Whoever controls the access to the internet (telcos/Cable companies/ISPs) control the web. If you go over their pipes to get to information they control the information in a sense. What you see today at least in the US is a power grab, that is the same as what happened to radio, telephones, television, and movie and music companies. To say it can’t be controlled is to show ignorance of history.
chesterharry - January 13, 2012
Is that why Google doesn’t play ball with Facebook and Twitter and instead pushes their own competing service into their search results?
chaddaddy - January 12, 2012
Twitter and Facebook DO NOT allow Google to index their pages. What choice do they have. Please, for the love of God do some research.
reverend_t - January 13, 2012
That’s because Twitter and Facebook don’t want Google to embrace, extend and extinguish them. Do some more research into history.
For Twitter and Facebook to open things up to Google for free would essentially help Google make their websites irrelevant. Google wants to be the first (and possibly only) stop on the Web for just about everything you need.
Take a look at what they are doing to Mocality in Kenya:
http://blog.mocality.co.ke/2012/01/13/google-what-were-you-thinking/
These guys actually wanted to work with Google, but instead Google is trying to put them out of business in a very underhanded way.
In many ways, Google is the new Microsoft and that is why they have so many “competitors”. Its really hard to partner with Google because anything that anybody does to make money is something that Google wants to do themselves. Their new Search “Plus Your World” is just another example of wielding monopoly power to push your other products.
When Google says “we would certainly show Facebook and Twitter content in search if they would only let us index it” they are actually saying “we are leveraging search in a way to try to force Twitter and Facebook into irrelevance since we could not do it by indexing their content”.
Personally, I wish Google would pick 3 things and focus on them instead of competing with literally everybody (including their partners and ex-partners like Apple, Amazon, and Samsung).
BC2009 - January 13, 2012
No, that’s bullshit. It’s obviously because Google didn’t get what they wanted.
chaddaddy - January 13, 2012
Google should pay to access their data. They operate a search engine and apparently seek to ensure no one owns the web – pay up for the data and keep the web diversified.
AFAIK, Bing indexes Twitter. Why isn’t there a conflict there?
chaddaddy - January 14, 2012
Have you been under a rock? Facebook doesn’t allow Google to Index and Twitter was the one that ended their relationship.
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
Have you been under a rock? If Facebook and Twitter let Google index their content then Google would be able to force them into irrelevance far quicker. Search “Plus Your World” is a power play from Google, but it is one that leverages a monopoly in search to push Google’s other properties.
Microsoft paved the way with this kind of behavior years ago. It was called “embrace, extend, extinguish” and they were very good at it. Google has modified the game slightly, but the rules are mostly the same and it only plays out well the biggest kid at the table.
You believe Google is so righteous in all things? Check out what they are doing to Mocality in Kenya:
http://blog.mocality.co.ke/2012/01/13/google-what-were-you-thinking/
BC2009 - January 13, 2012
I don’t know the details of Google-Facebook, but I call bullshit on the Twitter statement. Twitter profits from the control of its search and data, and therefore Google should pay them. It’s their data, and if Google is about leaving the web open to everyone, they should be playing ball with Twitter.
Also, are you telling me nothing on Facebook and Twitter can be indexed? That’s seems like bullocks to me.
chaddaddy - January 14, 2012
One of two things happened here. Twitter got greedy and tried to flex negotiating muscle and Google balked, at their demands.
Or MS made an exclusivity deal with them that locked Google out of a deal. My theory is the first.
Does Twitter really want to be indexed or do they want the scores of millions they were trying to charge Google for the luxury of doing so? I wish they would stop whining that Google doesn’t want to pay them what they want to be indexed then pouting about it, by saying it isn’t fair.
chesterharry - January 13, 2012
Twitter got greedy? what are you smoking.
puzzlepunk - January 15, 2012
So…. You don’t care that the data might be is some proprietary, encrypted or otherwise obscure format?
jalexoid - January 12, 2012
Hmm, is that what I said? Nope.
BoringCode - January 12, 2012
He asked you a question which you dodged by answering with your own question. Stay classy.
marm0lade - January 13, 2012
You seem to have barely any idea as to what you’re talking about. MS and Apple control default search on their platforms, they police their app stores heavily and HTML5 apps are purposefully restricted in their functionality.
Now do you see why Android was/is/will continue to be vital to the future of free flow of information. Or are you just rather simple?
reverend_t - January 13, 2012
How does MS or Apple control default search? I don’t know how it is in the states but when you buy a Windows PC, or even install Chrome you get the option to pick your search provider.
To make such accusations when neither company has even remotely committed such a crime is absurd. And don’t think for a second that Google can’t exert control with Android. They have and they will do it.
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
He is wrong about Apple but Windows Phone doesnt let you change the default search engine.
However, carriers have the option to change the search engine on WP, but the users do not. You can use either a separate search app, the search button, or whatever your browser is configured to use as search that is out of your control. Changing it requires developer unlock and registry hack.
NothingUnknown - January 13, 2012
Wait, default search on iOS is Google, everyone wins! HTML5 apps restricted in functionality? HOW? I can do anything that HTML5 can do in Mobile Safari. MS and Apple policing their app stores heavily? Well maybe that explains why Android is the one with malware…
BoringCode - January 13, 2012
Google says they made Android so one company would not control the future of mobile. The truth is that Google would have no problem with it being one company, so long as it was Google.
I would trust Apple in a dominant position far more than Google in a dominant position. Google has repeatedly abused their power and search monopoly. But truthfully, a two-horse or three-horse race would be best for consumers. I just wish Google was not getting so much control of the data on the Internet. They currently have the power to sway public opinion by merely modifying search results for specific terms. They claim that is against their policies, but they have violated their own policies and “Don’t Be Evil” mantra time and again.
I’d much rather have one company controlling what native apps I could run (since Apple never restricted web-based apps) than controlling what information gets returned to me and my fellow citizens on an Internet search. The amount of information that Google currently has on people in addition to the number of people they can influence daily is very scary.
I know this is a bit of an exaggeration in the “conspiracy theory” area, but for illustrative purposes imagine a Google that contacted a Gmail user, pretending to be somebody who hacked their account and blackmailed that user over something they read in their email (and yes, Google has the tools to sift email to find the relevant accounts to bother with). Then imagine that somebody was a Congressman or Senator. Then imagine searches for “Google Blackmail” turning users towards content that emphasized Google’s strong ethics and protections for their users privacy.
No one entity should ever have too much power. Not Apple. Not Google. But it makes me laugh that folks think that “what apps are approved or not approved” is more vital than what information is known about them and what information is disseminated to them. Also, in regards to Apple, a jailbroken iPhone can run any app you want — so you can always escape the dictator that Apple is made out to be.
BC2009 - January 13, 2012
“MS and Apple control default search on their platforms”
iOS gives you a choice, Google, Bing or Yahoo…. or did you want AskJeeves?
“HTML5 apps are purposefully restricted in their functionality.”…elaborate. What can Androids browser do that iOS Safari can’t?
WayAway - January 14, 2012
oh yeah the BGR/allthingsd. apple trolls are out.
boswd - January 12, 2012
yeah, i hate people who think differently then me!
JesseDegenerate - January 12, 2012
“think differently”
Very nicely done.
chaddaddy - January 12, 2012
then you aren’t an iPhone owner then I presumme.
boswd - January 13, 2012
Epic Win.
itomi - January 12, 2012
How dare you!?
Android was created – nay.. artisan crafted – to be an extension of all that is wonderful and great about technology.
In-between drum circles and robot fighting competitions, Google smartest, hippest, open-source-iest engineers were told to simply build the best, non-evil OS ever and christen it with a cute little mascot and candy-coated build names. Then give it away to the world for free — no strings attached!! Google hates money, after all… ‘technology is for all of us’ they say.
nothingreal - January 12, 2012
“Google hates money”
This is true, Eric Schmidt recently dropped this bomb in an interview with Gizmodo.
chaddaddy - January 12, 2012
Tried googlin’ it, do you have a link to that? :/
Denis Jelec - Sharkaat - January 13, 2012
whooooosshhh
JesseDegenerate - January 13, 2012
*sigh
chaddaddy - January 13, 2012
Love you!
puzzlepunk - January 15, 2012 via mobile
you forgot to mine all the user data, so they can give it to me to make more ads to show you and make money
MiroM - January 13, 2012
BURN!
TCrimson05t - January 13, 2012
so you proved freyberry’s point.
phantomash - January 14, 2012
fragmentation is fragmentation fragmentation. think about it.
brentcas - January 12, 2012
Ads?
21tiger - January 12, 2012
Quite honestly at this point I don’t care what the “point” is for Google. I care that Android’s existence has allowed the carriers to continue calling the shots.
jj3 - January 12, 2012
You mean the same carriers that told Apple to code CarrierIQ into iOS? Yeah, the carriers do call the shots.
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
Carriers didn’t tell Apple to do that. Apple wanted the diagnostic info. Apple fundamentally changed the way carriers operate. Carriers don’t tell Apple what to do.
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
Of course Apple did it on their own accord. Sad spin story. They were told to do it.
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
Really?
Google Voice on iOS rejected at the behest of whom Apple or AT&T.
Tethering.
Apple has a strong hand with the carriers and more so now due to market penetration, but to say carriers don’t have a say in iOS is like saying that the RIAA had no say in iTunes choice to use DRM.
chesterharry - January 13, 2012
Doesn’t make sense. AT&T already denied involvement. And iPhone is sold on multiple carriers across the world. Carriers have no control over the functions of the iPhone. Apple wants to control that experience.
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
Hmm, AT&T denied responsibility and Apple denied responsibility. We should probably flip a coin on who to blame.
Codernaut - January 14, 2012
Enlighten us.
rickr - January 13, 2012
Fragmentation is not avoidable in the current Android model. It comes with its pain but this model took Android from 0% to about 50% of the smartphone marketshare, so somehow it must have some pros.
MrLos - January 12, 2012
Being a cheap alternative?
NicholasNavarre - January 12, 2012
What exactly is wrong with being a cheap alternative? Do you want everything to be expensive and out of reach of people who live in developing countries? You clearly do not understand android.
ZTEfan - January 12, 2012
I’m just saying that’s how it got where it is. It IS a cheap alternative to the iPhone. I like there being cheap alternatives, but Android just isn’t for me. I don’t have an iPhone either, though. I use Windows Phone, but I do have an iPad.
NicholasNavarre - January 12, 2012
Cheap?? There are a lot of not cheap android devices. Actually I beleive that is what Microsoft is doing now with the market making cheap devices for people because I haven not seen one high end device from the microsoft front. I think every microsoft phone that comes out it reads this is a mid end device that is 50 dollars on contract yet you call android the cheap device??
binglut9 - January 13, 2012
Samsung Focus S – $199.99
HTC Titan – $199.99
Yep, that sure is $50.
Paperclips - January 13, 2012 via mobile
What are you talking about? You can get free android phones on contract all the time. Do you know which android phones sell the most? I’m willing to bet that the cheap and free ones are.
NicholasNavarre - January 14, 2012
It’s called choice. Where as Apple offers one device at one price point, the benefit of Android is the option of offering many devices at many different price points.
Unfortunately, Apple seems to consider choice a privilege, not a right. Clearly, the choice to offer one device isn’t really what I’m talking about. Apple seems to think that they should have totalitarian control over everything that you buy from them, and that’s why I’ll never own an Apple product.
Niksko - January 12, 2012
Oh pleeeeeeeeezz, not that choice crap again. Why all android fanboys think choice = android???
Yes Apple offers only 1 iphone. That can be because they have limited resources and they want to offer the best experience to its customer. Consumers always have choice, its just not all choices are apple devices.
javalin - January 12, 2012
Apple have limited resources? Bullshit.
They offer one device because they want to make money. As soon as you start offering a smaller device at a lower pricepoint, there goes half of your revenue. And don’t try and tell me that they couldn’t have a consistent user experience over two devices, because they’ve already demonstrated they can with their three iDevices.
But that wasn’t really my point. My point is that overall, Apple likes to control what you do with your device. That’s what I object to. Cory Doctrow put it perfectly in his keynote, where he spoke about how computers are becoming more and more part of our day to day lives.
Apple are setting a dangerous precedent that I fundamentally don’t agree with. They only allow you to do what they think is best for your user experience, regardless of what you as the consumer may think. What Doctrow said was that in 5 or 10 or 20 years when nearly everything is run by a small computer, we will NEED to have fine control over what processes and applications run on our devices, and when and how they run.
Niksko - January 12, 2012
and i bet you call iOS users sheep. Your just throwing up distorted facts.
Apple could care less what i do with my device, they won’t however, let Apps or Carriers mess with the experience.
JesseDegenerate - January 12, 2012
Why would they fight jailbreakers so hard? And yes Apple does care what you do with your device, even for a simple fact that they want to maintain a proper level of experience.
jalexoid - January 12, 2012
funny how awesome they treat me for that then. When my wife broke my iPhone 4’s screen and they replaced it free, while running a WP7 dreamboard theme.
evil bastards.
And ask the jail breakers, pod2g, saurik, comex, etc if apple is hard on them. They aren’t.
JesseDegenerate - January 12, 2012
They cant do anything now legally. But before the copyright board decided otherwise they were all too determined to have DMCA anti circumvention provisions applied to jailbreakers.
jalexoid - January 12, 2012
you mean can?
and lawyers wanting the option, does not equal doing anything. They literally had years. I know. I was alive in 2007.
JesseDegenerate - January 12, 2012
They no longer can.
jalexoid - January 12, 2012
sorry, don’t know how i read that wrong.
JesseDegenerate - January 12, 2012
i guess your suggesting they leave the holes in the platform open?
JesseDegenerate - January 12, 2012
I was referring to the legal matter, not technical.
jalexoid - January 12, 2012
I don’t blame them since I only know about two people who aren’t jailbroken, and of those who are, I don’t know a single person who isn’t doing it for piracy. Jailbreaking brought dead-easy piracy to the masses.
Running cracked apps (or homebrew for that matter) can always create the risk of security threats either opened up by the app, or present in the app itself.
chaddaddy - January 12, 2012
i’ve spent probably $70 in the android market and $120 in the app store.
I jailbreak for smaller things, like zephyr, haptic pro, and maybe a different bluetooth stack. I’ll probably install Dreamboard for old times sake, but never use it.
It’s probably age difference however. When your in your 30s you tend to want people who have worked hard on stuff to be compensated, unless you just an asshole. Teenagers on the other hand, are far to self absorbed to care.
JesseDegenerate - January 13, 2012
I know not everyone does it but my nephew who is 12 years old all he wanted was an ipod touch…. I asked him why and he said becasuse all of his friends jailbreak and get games for free the whole market he said for free thats insane and if I was apple I would try to block that too since it only hurts the developer platform.
binglut9 - January 13, 2012
exactly.
now get off my lawn.
JesseDegenerate - January 13, 2012
Choice is a not a real argument. There is a choice with the iPhone, you can get one or not get one. Pretty simple choice.
Apple isn’t forcing anyone to purchase their products or use their services, and there is a common misconception that current users of Apple products are “stuck” within their ecosystem and can’t get out. It’s completely false and has no grounds.
Also this idea that Apple wants to control it’s users is completely illogical. If Apple is so totalitarian, why do they sell DRM free music that can be used on any device? Why would they open source Webkit? Why would they allow users to access the unix terminal?
These are common talking points that are always used, but they aren’t even real arguments. It’s hate mongering based off ignorance.
MrSeanWashington - January 13, 2012
Because they are required to, because it is based on / derived from an open source project?
Default User - January 13, 2012
Pretty poor argument sir. What are you trying to insinuate? That Apple would make it closed source? You no idea of the open source projects Apple does.
http://opensource.apple.com/
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
I’m simply countering the insinuation that Apple is open-sourcing Webkit out of anything other than being obligated to.
Apple uses open source projects like Webkit and X11, it’s not like they started it.
Default User - January 13, 2012
Did Google start Android? I don’t see the issue here. They continue to contribute.
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
For the discussion here, for all intents and purposes yes Google did start Android. Google certainly had freedom to decide whether to open-source the bulk of Android’s software stack and what license to use.
hackbod - January 13, 2012
Nope. They bought it, spin it however you want.
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
Did I say Google started Android? I never even mentioned Android. I never said there was an issue either. Just don’t try to portray Apple as being some Open Source advocate, when they clearly aren’t. Otherwise they would have open sources OSX. And no, Darwin != OSX.
Default User - January 14, 2012
They offer the same device because that is the strength of iOS. Product lines must be simple enough for the user to understand.
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
No Android is not choice, but it is a viable alternative. That is the difference between choice and Android. If you want to see lack of a viable alternative, see desktop OS market. (For all my praise of OSX and it’s polish, it’s nowhere near being a viable alternative to Windows in most cases)
jalexoid - January 12, 2012
“In most cases” really? The average consumer needs something OS X can’t give them?
All other things being equal, this argument holds no water today.
jj3 - January 12, 2012
you should be taken to task for this. As someone who has run entire businesses off OS X, i object.
If you get big, you need help from others, (not just apple) but you can 100% do it sans MS.
JesseDegenerate - January 12, 2012
Where am I saying that it can’t be done? Hell, even Linux can be used without issues. (My 7 y/o niece and my very much non-techie sister have no issues at using my Linux only desktop)
Viable as in: XOOM on Honeycomb isn’t a viable alternative to iPad.
The more we move to the cloud, the less Windows keeps its status quo.
jalexoid - January 13, 2012
that’s what i’m responding to. (as well as 2 other people) Maybe that’s not the way you meant it.
JesseDegenerate - January 13, 2012
This quote right here is the most unbelievable thing I’ve ever heard:
“For all my praise of OSX and it’s polish, it’s nowhere near being a viable alternative to Windows in most cases”
This can’t be a real talking point here. It’s an extremely absurd statement.
MrSeanWashington - January 13, 2012
Replace OSX with webOS and Windows with iOS, then you’ll get it.
jalexoid - January 13, 2012
OS X is more functional, more powerful than Windows. That’s not an opinion. It’s a fact. I use Windows more than I use OS X but I can admit that.
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
You do realise that viable is not a synonym of functional? Do you?
Personally if it weren’t for the games, I would switch to OSX or any other Unix system. (The only thing keeping me from OSX is it’s lack of support for ext2/3/4 filesystems.)
jalexoid - January 13, 2012
Read what I said. I meant that not something else.
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
Oh… I though you were countering to my viability statement, by pointing out that OSX if more functional.
jalexoid - January 14, 2012
if your willing to have a 2-5gb file on your machine specifically for using that drive, virtual box and your choice of distro will work, and then allow you to mount it as NFS to the mac. There are guides available. Not the best work around tho.
JesseDegenerate - January 13, 2012
It’s almost inexcusable not to have many ext2/3 support in XNU. Bad Apple, bad Apple….
jalexoid - January 14, 2012
there are a few drivers for ext2/3, and people have got them working through lion, I was talking ext4, which is just easier to use the NFS method.
But i completely agree. For how close the two OS’s are, it’s a disgrace there’s not better support.
JesseDegenerate - January 14, 2012
Oh pleeeeezzzz, Apple has limited resources? You are completely clueless here. We’re way past Apple being able to play the underdog card.
No matter how you put it, Android does give people a choice. Choice in brands, choice in price classes, choice in form factors, choice in customization. You can call it crap as many times as you want, but it’s simply a fact that Android offers people more choice to people who want to have it.
Default User - January 13, 2012
Again, not a real argument. The iPhone does offer a choice, buy one, or don’t buy one.
What you are describing isn’t choice, it’s an alternative. People purchasing different phone brands, sizes and forms are alternatives people can choose. Choice is not a feature that Android provides exclusively.
No choice is a monopoly.
MrSeanWashington - January 13, 2012
You’re playing a semantics game here.
Android provides choice based upon several criteria on it’s platform that the iOS platform does not. Better?
Someone might prefer a physical keyboard, with Android there’s possibilities for that, with iOS there isn’t.
Nowhere did I say Android provides choice exclusively. The iPhone however provides little to no choice. Saying that buying it or not buying it is a choice is totally reaching for an argument.
Default User - January 13, 2012
The choice argument is a logical fallacy.
Argument: The iPhone provides no choice.
Conclusion: Therefore you must choose an iPhone.
Correct argument: Android provides a viable alternative for the iPhone with many more alternate devices that have different forms.
Conclusion: Android platform provides lots of alternatives.
Learn what a logical fallacy is, then maybe people will take your arguments more seriously.
MrSeanWashington - January 13, 2012
You’re talking about choice between platforms, I am talking about choice within a platform. iOS provides little choice within it’s platform, Android provides a lot of choice within it’s platform. Therefore, Android provides more to choose from. It’s really not that complicated.
Default User - January 14, 2012
Apparently the argument is complicated because it took you 3 replies just to create a clear thought out conclusion for your poor argument.
Learn to argue better, it makes you looks stupid when you fall back on fallacy’s like “Apple doesn’t offer choice”
MrSeanWashington - January 14, 2012
Apparantly it took you three replies to understand what I am saying quite clearly. Apparantly, you aren’t able to argue in a civilized manner andyou have to resort to calling people stupid when they don’t agree with your point of view. That doesn’t only make YOU look stupid, it also makes you pathetic and below my level. Goodbye.
Default User - January 15, 2012
No I understand perfectly. Your a online poster who’s never taken any instruction in debate, philosophy or even put any thought about the things you type.
You refuse to realize your lack of skill in arguments and in return you find retorts as an attack on you. That makes you look stupid.
Are you actually stupid? I don’t know, nor do I care. Your lack of logical treatment in your arguments though make you appear so.
Logic doesn’t drive you, pure sensational posting does. You believe that the things you say are just supposed to make sense because it makes sense to you. That isn’t the case and it allows for people like me to point out obvious flaws in your argument.
MrSeanWashington - January 15, 2012
yeah I want an iphone with a 4.3 inch screen im going to go bu…….wait I cant because i only can choose one size and basically two phones (beacause anyone that wants an iphone should at least get the ip4) So yes android does give choice…Your trying to over think something that is fairly easy. just stop
binglut9 - January 13, 2012
Logical fallacy.
MrSeanWashington - January 13, 2012
This is like looking for a 21in monitor and then complaining that it’s a 21in monitor.
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
No. Being able to rapidly develop and deploy new ideas.
Groupers - January 12, 2012 via mobile
Cheap, but better? Cheap and hence better? Cheap, Value for Money?
devajyotibarman - January 13, 2012
even iOS has fragmentation. Some App run on all iPads, some only on iPad 2. Only 4s has Siri although it would run pretty fine on other too. Fragmentation on Android isn’t a much bigger problem than on other OS. It’s just about the developer and how good they do their job. There are many who do a pretty good job, and many who fail.
Leif81 - January 12, 2012
Loads of apps have that issue, yes.
Camera apps and two games, that is.
Coptician - January 12, 2012
siri is still in beta. There are mentions of iPads getting it in 5.1 so why don’t we see before saying.
If you think fragmentations is the same on iOS, your a funny funny guy!
JesseDegenerate - January 13, 2012
Still not as bad as a Windows HDD
/Troll
Tj00139 - January 12, 2012
When did Google ever say that?
Bostwickenator - January 12, 2012
At&t galaxy nexus pleaseeee
Caio - January 12, 2012
i hope
Savitt - January 12, 2012
That’s not “special”.
jagger27 - January 12, 2012
I want you to change your username lol.
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
His taste in shirt is reflective of his taste in Android OS design.
Super Tino - January 12, 2012
so, awesome?
Caio - January 12, 2012
lol I have to admit that is an ugly shirt.
clay113 - January 12, 2012
At least he’s got humour about his taste in shirts:
That’s a pic from the website he came to annouce: http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/app-structure.html
;-)
supercopter - January 16, 2012
Well, it’s probably more expensive than what you’re wearing.
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
What is he your boyfriend?
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
Sounds like you’re looking for one.
Codernaut - January 14, 2012
seriously?
/picard moment.
JesseDegenerate - January 13, 2012
AWESOME
drumdbeat - January 12, 2012
Maybe it’ll be the Nexus tablet!
Aesir - January 12, 2012
no
Supuki - January 12, 2012
Excited!
Parker731 - January 12, 2012
<3
cybik - January 12, 2012
I’m excited!
rickbutterfield - January 12, 2012
Ohhh…I’m a bit giddy!!
timking3 - January 12, 2012
ICS on Nexus s i9020a !!!
Azzoth - January 12, 2012
When is the official ICS coming out for the i9020a? I’m currently using NexusBeam 4.1.0 because I was impatient, but I would really like to have the vanilla ROM on. Any news would be appreciated. :-)
Zudeo - January 12, 2012
Android on MARS!
dg4free - January 12, 2012
or Toasters and Microwaves?
TheDewd - January 12, 2012
everywhere. that’s the point. everywhere. even Nasa ae using it on the ISS.
reverend_t - January 13, 2012
Yes! I’m so stoked for yet another Matias Interview. I absolutely love this guy and his work. Can’t wait to hear what the announcement will be. Hopefully an update for the Galaxy Nexus?
Eggoespada - January 12, 2012
Matias seems genuinely a “good and honest” guy. I wish I could comment his work on ICS, but my Desire has no stable port yet!
MrLos - January 12, 2012
Not true, there are very good ports in the xda forums, for example sandvold’s port. check it out, youll be surprised.
adbird - January 13, 2012
Boo, blocked by our IT department :(
rhughesjr - January 12, 2012
I have the same problem, damn IT
BasilHaydens - January 12, 2012
Why is Josh giving us the FU gesture?
SpeedVX - January 12, 2012
He’s drunk and high
TheDewd - January 12, 2012
Galaxy Nexus on T-Mo.
Minker17 - January 12, 2012
All Verge readers get a free Galaxy Nexus!
Dylan Spronck - January 12, 2012
This guy for mayor.
Oraj - January 12, 2012
This guy for the ‘assistant to the mayor’
brockorr - January 12, 2012
not sure what this could be what I do is that it will be awesome .
MarcusHoare - January 12, 2012
I really don’t like this guy for some reason. The whole white suit made him look like a prick.
jreed91 - January 12, 2012 via mobile
Who do you think you are? Elvis?
TheDewd - January 12, 2012
He’s cool therefore he stands out.
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
You’ve never met the guy and you are saying he is prick for wearing what he wants? Are you certain you know the definition of the word prick?
chesterharry - January 13, 2012
I didn’t say i thought for sure he was a prick I said he looks like one. And in the sense of prick I meant someone who is rich and thinks he is better than everyone because he a sense of “style”. Kind of like when you drive down the road and someone in really nice car revs his engine and thinks he’s cool because he’s rich. But that’s just my opinion.
jreed91 - January 19, 2012
WebOS skin for Android?
Pangy - January 12, 2012
ICS for the Nexus S 4G????
thebasedgod - January 12, 2012
Awesome…gogogo =)
j.k - January 12, 2012
“We fixed the lag in Android!!”
“Yes, again. I’m serious. We did it, I swear. Stop laughing.”
nutbunnies - January 12, 2012
A new protocol droid announcement? Perhaps I underestimated this planet…
Lord_Vader - January 12, 2012
I hope it comes out in six months! Everything good in Android is just half a year away!
sigmafactor - January 12, 2012
Lots of scared/jilted/dispirited fanboys on this site knocking Android for no reason. It’s cute.
reverend_t - January 13, 2012
Matias Duarte: “I just wrote my own burning platform memo; we are going to be building Windows Phone Devices!”
MetroStylePerson - January 12, 2012
Windows Phone has had design guidelines since day 1
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh202915(v=VS.92).aspx
MetroStylePerson - January 12, 2012
Troll !
MrLos - January 12, 2012
Where are the Windows Mobile design guidelines?
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
Exactly. That’s why Windows Mobile was hideous, and why Android thus far (until now) has been hideous.
Why wasn’t this released earlier? How can Google release an OS without specific design guidelines for developers; it’s clearly sprung from their lack of interest in creating a good user experience.
coffeecoffee - January 13, 2012
Plain and simple, Google’s goal was to make money with advertising. Android is just a huge data mining operation. Every added app that Google develops is another way to get different information from the user. I’m ok with this because it allows some great things to be developed without financial risk and has moved the industry forward at a much faster pace. Unfortunately, this also means that their focus is on function and not the UI.
The way I see this is that it is a direct move to counter their competition. Both iOS and WP7 are much better designed than Android. With those platforms nearing competition on features, Google doesn’t want UI to be the thing that tips the scales in another companies favor. Just like Apple and Microsoft are reacting to Google’s added features, Google had to react to their user experience…and we all benefit!
wodin - January 13, 2012
And every WP7 device with Bing is just another way for Microsoft to mine d customer data and make money from advertising.
Codernaut - January 14, 2012
Windows Phone 7 was created to sell software licenses, not to attain mass user proliferation for services by providing a product to OEMs for free.
coffeecoffee - January 16, 2012
He will officially announce Android 5.0’s name – MY GUESS
Joe Caiati - January 12, 2012
Please let it be the next version of Android is called Jungle Juice…. Come on Matias you know it makes sense!
T1nman - January 12, 2012
Matias will announce his plans to avoid fragmentation of Paul, Nilay and Josh. Joanna will probably be able to swipe through them from a netbook or android tablet…
Todoleo - January 12, 2012
The Style Guide for ICS is out. Stop the presses!
mistermix - January 12, 2012
The Style Guide for ICS
is outthat will be immediately ignored by all manufactures is out.Fixed it for ya!
KillPrius - January 12, 2012
You clearly have no idea what a style guide is,
freyberry - January 12, 2012
No, I have a pretty good idea what a style guide is and why it is what it is used. My point is that manufactures are under no hard and fast rules to follow a guide. Past experience has shown that they do not with Android, so I see no good reason for manufactures to begin following a guide now.
Microsoft has requirements that must be followed in order to get a license to build and distribute phones. The rules are the guidelines and vice versa.
Google is only making the recommendations optional.
And for the record, a) I develop Windows Phone apps, so I understand and know how to follow a style guide and, b) I think Matias is a douche.
KillPrius - January 12, 2012
Yeah… Right. Developing WP7 apps makes you a designer at the same level as Matias… And if you actually had the interest in Android at all, you would know that manufacturers augment, not rewrite, the UI components. Basic elements are all there as is.
jalexoid - January 12, 2012
“Past experience has shown that they do not with Android, so I see no good reason for manufactures to begin following a guide now.”
Maybe ‘cos there wasn’t one before. Fool.
reverend_t - January 13, 2012
First off this isnt for manufacturers and this is for developers
binglut9 - January 13, 2012
The reason why manufacturers didn’t follow Android’s styling before was because it was crap. Things rarely had their logical place and some UI features were missing. If I were them, I wouldn’t have followed it either. ICS brings a lot of improvements to the UI, but still has a long way to go. I think the real problem here is that Duarte wasn’t brought on years ago, so he just has to tweak an already flawed system or risk alienating the users.
Btw, I am not a fan of OEM skins because they always have issues, just saying why they had incentive to do it.
wodin - January 13, 2012
Forget about style guide – he has no idea what a style is.
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
styles for ICS interesting
MarcusHoare - January 12, 2012
Haha, a style guide? Really?
sigmafactor - January 12, 2012
Android is Open
21tiger - January 12, 2012
HTML is open. I demand a HTML style guide!
javalin - January 12, 2012
Dude, seriously? Seriously?
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
Wow, this just makes Josh and company look silly.
MartinJohnson - January 12, 2012
he wears horrific shirts. all the time.
Supuki - January 12, 2012
“The problem with ________ is they just have no taste….”
21tiger - January 12, 2012
Shorter Android team: “We had no idea how to set a style guide, but now we TOTALLY GOT THIS”
sigmafactor - January 12, 2012
Disappoint.
/s
thebasedgod - January 12, 2012
Damnit. Needs an edit button. No sarcasm.
thebasedgod - January 12, 2012
http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/12/2703019/google-ice-cream-sandwich-style-guidelines
Thomas Houston - January 12, 2012
In other news, previous Android versions had no style guide. Hoocoodanode
mistermix - January 12, 2012
Yes they did for example check out the icon style guide maintained since 1.5
Bostwickenator - January 12, 2012
http://developer.android.com/design/index.html
Luigi Montanez - January 12, 2012
for a designer he dresses remarkable bad
fluxkompensator - January 12, 2012
SJ had proper style.
arnold - January 12, 2012
maybe, but he smelled!
fluxkompensator - January 12, 2012
Slick but a bit boring. Like iDevices. Oh wait.
MrLos - January 12, 2012
Unlike the style of Mr. Duarte… Tacky and overdone. OH WAIT! HERP DERP
TheDewd - January 12, 2012
Touché!
MrLos - January 12, 2012
At least Matias changes his clothes and showered. That fruit diet was in full force.
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
The only news is that this didn’t exist before… What an epic fail on Google’s part haha
incendy - January 12, 2012
How is that news? Why are you even here if you’re that uninformed?
freyberry - January 12, 2012
I can’t convey my disappointment.
Minker17 - January 12, 2012
B-b-b-b-but I thought Google was open? GUIDELINES?
sigmafactor - January 12, 2012
No Rules = Horrible UX
arnold - January 12, 2012
Eww. What is that top one?
urpert - January 13, 2012
but thats a home replacement I dont think those will use ics style anyway
binglut9 - January 13, 2012
So we’ve got 5 months left in Schmidt’s declaration of a reversal of developer support and so far they’ve put out a style guide.
MartinJohnson - January 12, 2012
He never declared a reversal…he said and I’m paraphrasing from memory, “In six months developers are going to develop for ICS whether they like ICS or not, perhaps even first.”
world of difference.
AbsoluteDesignz - January 12, 2012
What have you put out?
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
Question – Why was this considered important enough to be an announcement like this? Highly disappointing.
Minker17 - January 12, 2012
What were you expecting?
jonmilani - January 12, 2012
Because it’s in 3D and doesn’t require glasses.
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
He’s totally out of touch.
ultraviol3tlux - January 12, 2012
Cue the denial of any fragmentation line.
MartinJohnson - January 12, 2012
Cue the troll.
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
HAHA wife beating wtf
kaitlinduffy - January 12, 2012
Google will care about fragmentation as soon as it starts preventing people from seeing ads.
MartinJohnson - January 12, 2012
Exactly. They don’t care if some asshole makes a toaster with some horrible skinned version of Android. They still get that ignorant user addicted to their services, and hence, push more ads to end users
TheDewd - January 12, 2012
But think of the sharing possibilities
“2 slices of sourdough (mmmm) on medium with I can’t believe it’s not butter and orange marmalade
Like Comment Share Tuesday at 8:15 AM”
But there could be privacy concerns. We’re worried about them knowing where we are and who we’re texting, think of what they could do if they knew the kind of bread we use.
And it would have to have a QWERTY keyboard. You wouldn’t want streaks of butter on your HD display.
- Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S Toaster
lostinprague - January 13, 2012
“We have the word “fragmentation”, people throw it around and it could mean so many things."
So goes Google and its use of the word “open”.
hramos - January 12, 2012
Fragmentation in apps is a non-issue. “Advanced” users are worried about OS fragmentation. I don’t want my phone to get stuck in an older version, or even have to worry about a new phone that has just come out to be outdated from day 0 !!
nullpointer - January 12, 2012
Getting stuck on an older version means your device could be left inferior to devices on other platforms where updates are pushed through in a timely manner.
chaddaddy - January 13, 2012
“I’m not familiar with TweetDeck.” Are you freaking kidding me? Does this guy live under a rock?
ultraviol3tlux - January 12, 2012
Im not familiar with it at all. I use the Twitter App I know what it is but i dont use.. You can expect him to use every app out there.
BranFlake30 - January 12, 2012
Not using something != not being familiar with something.
jonmilani - January 12, 2012
It really is a fantastic Twitter app. Probably the best one out there for any platform. I absolutely love it.
Ambient80 - January 12, 2012
And some people could care less about Twitter, so the app is not relevant to us.
CroakVan - January 12, 2012
TweetDeck is probably one of the top 2 most well-known third party Twitter apps… if he isn’t familiar he isn’t paying attention
TheDewd - January 12, 2012
Maybe he was dogfooding his own app. You know, the one he styled.
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
I use the default client as well and it suits my needs perfectly. I hear Tweetdeck is supposed to be awesome and people addicted to Twitter like it, but I check my tweets maybe three times a week so the default app works just fine for me. Having said that I am not the head of design for Android. I’d expect that a man in his position will be at least slightly familiar with the most popular apps on the platform. And the ones on the competing platforms as well for that matter.
Urobulos - January 12, 2012
tweetdeck is still alive?
cybik - January 12, 2012
Sadly since Twitter bought up TweetDeck they seem to have pretty much abandoned the Android app, so I recommend this modified version: TweakDeck: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.modaco.thedeck.android.app&feature=also_installed
or also TweetDark, which looks awesome on AMOLED screens!
iamthecosmos - January 12, 2012
Sorry Josh, Plume is better than Tweetdeck.
jonesdavide - January 12, 2012
Dude has never seen TweetDeck? And he’s a designer? So he’s not looking to the rest of the world for ideas on design?
MartinJohnson - January 12, 2012
He should check out Tweetbot from iOS to be honest
arnold - January 12, 2012
Didn’t Rubenstein (also from Palm like Duarte) claim to have never used an iPhone? What’s with these guys?
MartinJohnson - January 12, 2012
If you are into design you should really own a device from each operating system (including webOS and Blackberry 7? or whatever is on the Playbook too) to see the positives in each implementation.
arnold - January 12, 2012
Why is Matais is sitting like that, it just looks weird….
BumpyClock - January 12, 2012
It’s making me really uncomfortable. Don’t look.
Sokhang Pan - January 12, 2012
His last tweet(the account that appears in google search and followed by joanna and paul) is in april. but he says he uses twitter.
Hidden account? go stalk and find his twitter account please.
Supuki - January 12, 2012
“That’s a terrible name”
Fantastic.
Minker17 - January 12, 2012
Dont get the Matias hate
BranFlake30 - January 12, 2012
He’s barely in touch with the product he works on. What is there to love?
ultraviol3tlux - January 12, 2012
I didnt see it that way. I saw it as Josh asking question that are probably more suited for Andy Rubin and Schmidt. Matias is important but I dont think he is the guy to ask questions about downloading something from the Android Market. When it comes to UI design, I like what he is doing with Android. I dont expect him to know everything about the OS.
BranFlake30 - January 12, 2012
He obviously offended the iOS, WP7 and webOS crowds by being born…
jalexoid - January 12, 2012
you do know he designed webOS, right?
urpert - January 13, 2012
that guy can’t dress to save his life. Can’t believe he’s an actual designer. I like his work though
matteib - January 12, 2012
missing turtleneck?
BumpyClock - January 12, 2012
haha, no, just you know, not that disgusting shirt. Nice, they’re talking about it now
matteib - January 12, 2012
It looks like someone took a shit on a dress shirt for a leisure suit from the 70’s…. If my only two options are turtleneck and that I will take turtleneck EVERYTIME
TheDewd - January 12, 2012
forget swiping, will matias adopt your new jogtouch™ technology in ICS!!!
faraz200387 - January 12, 2012
Headtracking™?
arnold - January 12, 2012
Is this lagging like crazy for anybody else?
DaGetz - January 12, 2012
Nope
dtmellinger - January 12, 2012
it was until i killed other tabs :P
arnold - January 12, 2012
Hah nevermind, google music thought now was a good time to update my music library
DaGetz - January 12, 2012
Nexus tablet? haha
MooseStuff - January 12, 2012
Style guidelines should’ve been introduced a long time ago, but better late than never, I suppose.
cguanche - January 12, 2012
Now maybe the netflix app and facebook will look passable .
Smerp - January 12, 2012
What happened to the Google Android Update Alliance? Or is everyone pretending that doesn’t exist anymore?
Ashley - January 12, 2012
Yup, I think they’re kinda hoping we’ll forget about that announcement.
“Stay quiet and we’ll pretend like it never happened!”
iamthecosmos - January 12, 2012
Good step forward for the platform. I hope devs actually use it.
jman1616 - January 12, 2012
The good ones will use it and the bad ones will stand out that much more because of it.
TheDewd - January 12, 2012
The more Matias speaks, the more I’m scared and disappointed in him… he doesn’t know competitors (Twitter), doesn’t keep up with the uptake of ICS by device makers, and now he’s saying the Android team is “extremely small”… wow, he’s really Schmidting it
Jon. - January 12, 2012
Meh. He’s paid to improve usability, and based on his past successes I have confidence in that. Nothing about his preparedness in an interview really changes that.
Derek Bodner - January 12, 2012
The all interview seemed totally improvised, Josh?
MrLos - January 12, 2012
When I keep hearing that the Android team is extremely small so as to be like some hungry young startup, I can’t help but think that Android has moved well beyond that point now, so please hire some new guys fast, because there are still a lot of basic stuff that needs fixing RIGHT NOW (such as Josh’s example of large download files etc)! I also think, thank god at least they have Matias now, otherwise we’d pretty much be stuck in Gingerbread-land forever!
iamthecosmos - January 12, 2012
He just took a Schmidt with his clothes on, you might say.
urpert - January 13, 2012
So not only is it just a style guide, its not a complete style guide?
MartinJohnson - January 12, 2012
What the hell is josh doing with his hand?
Kw3li - January 12, 2012
What’s up with the yellow lighting?
Bram Jetten - January 12, 2012
Touchwiz in the bin? :P
arnold - January 12, 2012
Jony Ive could break this guy in half ;)
MartinJohnson - January 12, 2012
That’s Sir Jony Ive to you!
TheDewd - January 12, 2012
Jony is a big man. He’s really let himself go. Looks like he’s pushing 240+
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
it’s probably the new android.com UI design guide they just put up…
kest009 - January 12, 2012
Question – Can you bring the WebOS backswipe gesture and cards to Android?
skealoha86 - January 12, 2012
Must be a tweak on the android marketplace.
Like on iPhone with Cydia, had this with multifl0w.
Now it is like exposé for apps
http://www.multifl0w.com/about.php
arnold - January 12, 2012
This is a horrible, unusable jailbreak. It’s all eyecandy but it’s less functional and slower than the native menu.
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
Not a jailbreak. That’s just a Cydia tweak.
Spike - January 13, 2012 via mobile
Yeah I know, I don’t know why I said that.
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
Like Touchwiz?
TheDewd - January 18, 2012
Sure sounds to me (from this and other interviews/announcements) that Google feels like all pre-ICS versions of Android are forfeit. They never opened Honeycomb and Duarte admitted it was a “crash landing”. No guides for HC or Gingerbread. Kind of a bummer for the 99.04% of Android users not on ICS yet.
MartinJohnson - January 12, 2012
The Android team have released HC as open source code. This guide is relevant to the majority of all phones coming out from this point forward, and the phones that will be ported to ICS. At some point you have to deprecate and move forward rather than stop progress for the sunk costs of legacy.
chesterharry - January 13, 2012
That’s a really strange comment. Each release by definition is a snapshot of the platform development in time. Once it is out there, it is done. And work progresses on the next version of the platform, which once it is out there represents the new state of the world, and supersedes what was before (of course there is still basic maintenance for older versions such as security patches, but they are feature complete and finished in that regard).
As far as HC, ICS is basically the HC UI slightly polished and adjusted to scale to phones. There would be no point in having a separate style guide for it.
Spending time on a GB or earlier style guide would be a big waste of time since, like the versions of Android before it, now that ICS is out each month that goes on it will become less relevant. And it would really be a waste of time for everyone to distract developers with trying to write apps meeting some significantly different style guide for GB while also needing to think about ICS becoming more widespread. In fact this would be a huge mistake because in a year from now you’d probably end up with a lot fewer apps running on ICS with a consistent style matching it. Instead, developers should consider the new design guide as applicable everywhere, and follow it. You already see this being the case in the apps Google is updating that still run on pre-ICS versions of the platform.
hackbod - January 13, 2012
http://developer.android.com/design/index.html
kest009 - January 12, 2012
Just hearing the way Matias talks about Android, there’s no way they’re gonna let Motorola continue with Blur the way it butchers the theming of ICS.
slinky317 - January 12, 2012
“I don’t know what apps are out there” ~Matias Duarte, Lead Designer for the Android platform.
MartinJohnson - January 12, 2012
lol, I was thinking the same thing. Kinda made me go “Whoa… ok….”
Ambient80 - January 12, 2012
Its cause he uses a Palm Pre.
pete42 - January 12, 2012
shit – that is just…. mind bottling
Evan Carrigan - January 12, 2012
I think the phrase is MIND BOGGLING… not bottling
TheDewd - January 12, 2012
i dont think you have seen zoolander
lilnatemc - January 12, 2012
LOL actually I have…. I guess i went to the Derek Zoolander School for Kids Who Can’t Remember Every Movie Line From Zoolander
TheDewd - January 18, 2012
I must say Josh looked visibly shocked at that comment!
iamthecosmos - January 12, 2012
Question – AT&T Galaxy Nexus?….DO IT.
BarbacoaBurrito - January 12, 2012
How about featuring Apps who follow the guidelines more in the Market?
Leif81 - January 12, 2012
They haven’t even thought of how to get devs to follow their guidelines? Really? This sounds like amateur hour over there.
MartinJohnson - January 12, 2012
Awwwkward!
MartinJohnson - January 12, 2012
That’s not funny anymore
madeincanon - January 12, 2012
F***balls, Josh is killin’ him!
backporchprophet - January 12, 2012
To be fair it doesn’t appear to be difficult. Duarte is surprisingly unprepared.
MartinJohnson - January 12, 2012
Some questions seem more suited for Andy Rubin. Dont forget Matias is just a UI guy.
BranFlake30 - January 12, 2012
But to be double fair. he DID agree to take questions from us on a live interview. That takes some balls fo sho.
backporchprophet - January 12, 2012
lol and you’re welcome for the shirt thing! :)
backporchprophet - January 12, 2012
Ouch.
Ambient80 - January 12, 2012
Josh’s Garageband comment was.. semi-unfair. Apple had built and perfected Garageband for years before they introduced it into iOS. Currently, Google doesn’t offer a suite with such depth. The only thing I could suggest would be maybe a massive rewrite and redesign of Google Docs that parallels the quality and beauty of Garageband on iOS.
Otherwise, great interview.
robot-shmobot - January 12, 2012
I tend to agree, but at the same time, customers don’t care. Joe Consumer doesn’t care if Apple molded that app over several years before putting it on iOS. He cares that it works, and works really, really well. He also cares that Google doesn’t have really anything that can compete with it.
Ambient80 - January 12, 2012
How is GargageBand on the iPhone? I know it’s good on the iPad but is it cool on iPhone?
Scape3d - January 12, 2012
Honestly, nobody gives a fuck about Garageband outside a very narrow sliver of the market.
As a practical matter, Garageband basically amounts to a technology demo.
heelo - January 13, 2012 via mobile
Which will run on an iPhone 3GS… a two year old phone running the latest iOS and apps. A phone that outsells the best selling Android phone.
Steve_C - January 13, 2012
OMG never played NOVA 2???
arnold - January 12, 2012
This explains sooo much about Android.
MartinJohnson - January 12, 2012
The number of distinct comments you’ve made hints that you have a problem holding a thought long enough or you are spamming…
jalexoid - January 12, 2012
Considering the amount of disparaging comments you’ve posted it also explains a lot about your life.
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
Look, this kind of interview (watching it live) is why I LOVE the Verge. That is all. Goodnight.
Scape3d - January 12, 2012
Shit I have just miss this completely my question got in too late
Angel Jimenez - January 12, 2012
I don’t get why Android doesn’t use themes instead of allowing partners to completly skin the OS. They could enforce them to have the default theme besides the custom one and everyone would be happier :)
pmarin - January 12, 2012
Some things arent just UI skins. OEMs mess with the Android code.
BranFlake30 - January 12, 2012
Yes, I know, but some compromise could be made by everyone involved in this, IMHO they would only benefit from something like that.
I also think that working with themes would greatly improve the time it takes to push upgrades to newer Android versions.
pmarin - January 12, 2012
Agreed.
BranFlake30 - January 12, 2012
That’s the downside of being “open.” I love the idea of that and while it works in most cases, design hasn’t been one of them. These new guidelines are definitely a step in the right direction.
Scape3d - January 12, 2012
yes, but in the end they are just that, guidelines, lets hope that developers adopt them…
pmarin - January 12, 2012
Agreed.
Scape3d - January 12, 2012
It does… However, some ODMs just think it’s OK to mess with the UI components.
jalexoid - January 12, 2012
(1) Just outright saying “you can’t modify this code” goes completely against being open-source.
(2) Not allowing deeper customizations would greatly reduce the types of Android devices available. For example, nothing with screen that isn’t completely product-level supported in the core platform — no Galaxy Note, no original Samsung Tab (until 7" screen support appeared in 3.2).
(3) Even for devices that could be shipped with this restriction, it can significant impact their experience. For example, when Asus did the transformer, there is a good chance they made some tweaks here and there to make the keyboard and track pad work well, since no device has shipped from the base platform with this configuration.
A key part of managing Android is finding a good balance between the pure open-source “anything goes” world, and a completely controlled world where only the creator of the platform can modify it. Neither extreme is good for the ecosystem, and there are always trade-offs being made, and what these are is being continually considered. An example is the change in ICS to have a stable theme that developers can rely on keeping the same visual look.
(I should probably also mention that Android in one incarnation is of course in one aspect a pure open-source “anything goes” platform, allowing things like the Kindle Fire. The control point for turning this into a more consistent development platform is through Market and the requirements to be able to ship Market on a device that are set out in the CDD.)
hackbod - January 13, 2012
I put my hands in front of my eyes when you asked him about his shirt :) That was soooo akward!
deuxani - January 12, 2012
lol I snuck that in there as a joke. I didn’t think they’d actually ask him!
backporchprophet - January 12, 2012
i just have to say wow, i am shocked at all of the comments in here. it’s really disheartening that the majority of the comments here are basically trashing Matias. you know, the guy that brought webOS design elements to your ICS. of course, that’s if you like and/or use it atm.
the man has eccentric taste in fashion. he’s not a clothing designer. it shouldn’t matter how he dresses if he can design a user experience that people will love and have an easy and enjoyable time using. really the bulk of the comments here are quite the departure from what i feel i’m used to seeing.
looking at the style guide breifly, it seems there’s a bit of webOS showing up more and more over in android. i for one like it because when my sprint pre- finally dies, i’ll be able to hop over to a nexus and hopefully not miss a beat.
shame.
_kevn_ - January 12, 2012
There’s a lot of Mathias trashing because he is completely out of touch with his product. Josh asked several totally reasonable questions that Mathias was completely unable to answer and he wasn’t even aware of extremely popular apps like Tweetdeck. Seriously?
ultraviol3tlux - January 12, 2012
unfortunately i didn’t get to watch it as my connection is spotty right now. i does seem a little odd not to have used it but, i think i saw a comment here that said he used twitter but hasn’t tweeted since april? well maybe that would explain not knowing about tweetdeck. he is deep in the user experience of the os, not all of the apps. while i don’t disagree that he should spend a bit of time understanding the major apps of the platform, his job is to clean up the ux of the os not to spend time playing with apps.
_kevn_ - January 12, 2012
Not everyone with a phone uses Twitter. Not everyone even sees the point to Twitter. Heaven forbid someone have different likes and dislikes than you.
Minjin - January 12, 2012
Dude, I’m a technophile commenting on a gadget thread. I make video games for a living. I’m online all day long.
But I’ve never seen Tweetdeck in person either. You know why?
I don’t use Twitter. And there’s more than a few people out there like me. Evidently, Duarte is one of them.
CroakVan - January 12, 2012
You are not head of design for the platform though. I think this is the point everyone is trying to make.
Urobulos - January 12, 2012
He probably still uses a WebOS phone. :)
DeanDMX - January 12, 2012
All I hear is kissing noises when I read this comment. Stop with the whole “I am so sad and disappointed” bullshit.
TheDewd - January 12, 2012
you’re on a role! quit being so mean! :-( :sniff sniff:
/s that’s how you interneters do the end sarcasm thing right?
Mwaah, that one’s for you
_kevn_ - January 12, 2012
catches kiss folds and puts in pocket
;)
TheDewd - January 18, 2012
Matias is really not a good designer, some of the things in ICS jive with eachother, but the icons are a mess, the font is weird and the marketplace looks like a wanna be Windows Phone Metro style. WebOS at least looked coherent across it’s font, icons and buttons, the new Android is a sad one.
Smerp - January 12, 2012
With WebOS, he had the major advantage of creating the entire experience from scratch. He was also designing for only two screen sizes, another major advantage. Major changes can’t be implemented on Android without clobbering existing developer support and reducing backwards compatibility…it’s a much harder design problem and exactly the type of problem Microsoft had (has?) with making the Windows UI better. I also realize this is the same argument Obama made when he got into the White House.
skealoha86 - January 12, 2012
backward* (speaking of UI design, where is the edit button?)
skealoha86 - January 12, 2012
He was NOT in charge of design on WebOS. He was just part of a team led by Nokia’s guy who designed the N9 MeeGo phone.
Leica_Virgin - January 12, 2012
i think you better go read his bio….. he was the VP, Human Interface and User Experience. at Palm, Inc.,
Azmuh - January 12, 2012
This is true, but it seems like it was a dotted line sort of connection: http://www.linux-magazine.com/Online/News/Palm-Design-VP-Joins-Nokia-as-VP-of-MeeGo-UX
He was the one to demo WebOS at CES in 2009 and Jon Rubinstein introduced him as “Senior Director of Human Interface & User Experience” and the one, who with his team “created our new platform”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pumpjr5YCO0#t=300
skealoha86 - January 13, 2012
Well, you know what opinions are like…
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
Josh, keep these coming! Call it: This Is My Next…Live Interview? Who’s next!?
backporchprophet - January 12, 2012
This is my next bad idea.
ranhalt - January 12, 2012
Doesn’t seem like he uses his own OS all that much. Wasn’t familiar with app downloading situation Josh described.
iDS - January 12, 2012
Maybe he has no time to play “serious” games on his phone. It does not make him an incompetent. I am a very heavy user, I experienced this issue more than 1.5 year after buying my first Android phone.
MrLos - January 12, 2012
Because he is the UI guy
Azmuh - January 12, 2012
I really hope Matias takes the questions asked by Josh and relays them to the corresponding managers over at Android HQ. They need to be on top of these things.
Soorms - January 12, 2012
No one seems to have notice that the article’s title has a mistake. It’s “interview”, not “interiew”. The “v” is missing…
javipas - January 12, 2012
It’s silent. And invisible.
ranhalt - January 12, 2012
I haven’t watched the interview yet.
But, come’on. This guy, Mathias, just joined Google after 2.2.x . And me think he has done a great job polishing Android OS.
Honeycomb and this great ICS release have much better UI than their precedents. The times of 1.x and 2.x have no doubt-able fugly UI, which they were required heavy skinning to prevent eyes from hurting.
But, man, you just cannot blame the eye candy of ICS. It just looks soooooooo great. much better than iOS and much improved of webOS. Since it’s so different from Metro, (different design approach), I don’t really compare them, I love them both.
Just note that Mathias is the UI guy, who are not mainly responsible for the fragmentation of Android!
And, sure, a design guideline is definitely going to help devs design acceptable UI’s. I don’t see the point of trashing……..
Noah Fang - January 12, 2012
I agree, ICS is brilliant. It’s unfortunate that the majority of the trolls posting haven’t used it. ICS was just the start and I can’t wait to see what Matais has in store for Android 5. We should see a glimpse of it at Google I/O this year.
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
Apple doesn’t own primary colours but…
Trollface ; )
DeanDMX - January 12, 2012
Who does?
Oh, that’s right… no one owns colors.
PS. Nice 30 year old Apple logo, bro.
21tiger - January 12, 2012
I’m going to give you a D- for that comment, because you clearly just saw the picture and hit reply. You didn’t read that I wrote, “Apple doesn’t own primary colours but…” which was the answer to your first question.
You also didn’t see “Trollface ; )” underneath the picture.
You did, however, say it was a nice logo though, which saved you from an F, “bro”.
DeanDMX - January 12, 2012
True story – the person that got rid of that colored Apple logo was Steve Jobs. Steve doesn’t seem to like colors, apparently.
Codernaut - January 13, 2012
Actually Steve PICKED the original colored striped logo to begin with.
http://creativebits.org/interview/interview_rob_janoff_designer_apple_logo
Metallic and solid colored logos always existed.
Steve_C - January 13, 2012
And then he killed it.
Codernaut - January 14, 2012
It looked dated with stripes.
Steve_C - January 16, 2012
Didn’t they stop using that logo long time ago?
jalexoid - January 12, 2012
that’s really funny.
urpert - January 13, 2012
Won’t play on my Galaxy Nexus. Just plays the Ford ad in the beginning twice.
HughHansen - January 12, 2012
Won’t play on my iPad either. Mobile fail.
HughHansen - January 12, 2012
How does Josh land so many Matias man-dates?
siphillis - January 12, 2012
Josh interviews Matias every time he releases him from his dungeon.
Marivs - January 13, 2012
Where is my ICS update for the Moto Xoom. This thing sucks…
oghowie - January 12, 2012
It’ll never happen, From what I’ve read very few of the Tablets at CES were even running ICS.
Steve_C - January 13, 2012
Galaxy Nexus on T-Mobile please, before the NEXT Nexus comes out.
AndroidShadow - January 12, 2012
I love how while Josh is doing an interview with Matias he only uses apple products and the iPad, Android’s big competition, doesn’t work. +1 for Matias.
gandreae - January 12, 2012
Well, Josh is using an Android Smartphone, but yea, of course he’s not a Windows user.
21tiger - January 12, 2012
Remind me again how much you hate iOS Mattias!! Oh? What’s this User Interface Guidelines?? What an original idea!
21tiger - January 12, 2012
These swipe panels, viewpage or however they call it. It’s just like windows phone!
FloGer - January 12, 2012
This has been in the Android UI since before windows phone ever appeared, such as in the News and Weather app. We just made them a lot easier to do with the ViewPager class because it was something app developers kept wanting to do (and often did poorly), and once it was easy it suddenly appeared in a lot of apps.
Plus the model behind it is quit different, which is that you are swiping through pages of content, not that you are scrolling across one larger space.
hackbod - January 13, 2012
Please put a mirror youtube link in the articles. The html5 video player is so laggy and unresponsive.
alcohol - January 12, 2012
Matias…lol
elcuby - January 12, 2012
wish there was something like YouTubeDownloader so i could pull your
video content locally for later off-line viewing (30+ min). maybe one day.
FurryFungus - January 12, 2012
Oh, how I wish they had mixed the audio better, the occasional peaks strike my speakers with fury!
NPfeifer - January 12, 2012
This is why I like The Verge. Instead of just reporting news that every site reports, they befriend people working in the industry so that these people voluntarily and happily come and do interviews, and share honest statements.
okungnyo - January 12, 2012
Yeah, it’s pretty awesome that The Verge seems to be getting exclusives with Matias Duarte. Hopefully this will be a bit of a trend considering The Verge has only been around in its current form for a few months.
Niksko - January 12, 2012
couple of things:
1. the mighty iPad didn’t work when interviewing the new Android designer. – kind of funny
2. Garageband was been a full-fledged application for years before it became an “app”, I’d say its better than most if not all iOS apps.
3. why would UI designer of Android know much about downloading games (did Josh say its was like 600MB? – that’s crazy)
4. the video played very poorly on my Mac Pro, so I missed this wonderful shirt.
ecny4 - January 12, 2012
How is it acceptable to work for the Android division and not know about apps.
jaggedspike - January 13, 2012
You people are being really horrible to the guy who seemed very open and honest about what he was trying to do, I think it was pretty cool of him.
Having said that, he has no business trashing Metro and then coming up with the new people “app” and “swiping screens” that are a big part of defining metro in the first place. Also a designer (and one that is specifically in the UX area) should be more informed about the metro design language then just merely calling it “airport signage”.
The design guide is a step in the right direction and contrary to what many think it will make a huge difference. There will be more and more good looking apps that will result in better downloads hence underlining the importance of this stuff in an explonantional this way. Like he pointed out, exposing the better apps in the marketplace would speed this up too. Don’t be so willing to dismiss this. I actually think that this being a guide and optional will do better good than trying to force guidelines, do the better reception apps get that follow it will make it successfull and not make devs and designers feel cornered and forced to di something they don’t feel comfortable with and maybe not even willing to do.
But, and this is a big but, the ice is still lacking consistency in a lot of places. Most of the stuff is good and they are already there but there are glaring misfits to the whole thing. I find it hard to believe that a platform that had its framework optimized to focus on better performance when designing third party apps would have this much incontinency.
Compared to older android releases? Its great and huge. Compared to more professional products (design wise), its not even in the same league.
Lastly, that shirt comment kind of got to the guy and was totally awkward, why would anyone even do that to someone that willingly came to announce news that obviously meant a lot for him (and is pretty significant imo)?
Disclaimer: im a WP person myself, love the metro UI since the first time I saw it, and I’m also a designer too (not on the UI field though). I have a strong bias against android. There, got that out of my chest.
osman.kalkavan - January 12, 2012 via mobile
I hope he does not design his shirts. He might know about software design but about clothes, this guy is, I dont know what to say.
Rod_Ramos - January 12, 2012
I’m sorry if this has been said (I’m not reading over 200 comments) but for a guy with a good eye for design, he has absolutely NO eye for style.
.jay - January 12, 2012
Video is not working on my iPod touch please help
i Have Met The verge - January 12, 2012 via mobile
It is currently broken on my desktop too. All across The Verge, in fact.
curtisas - January 12, 2012
What this tells me is that Android since the beginning is still a work in progress. Still in beta perhaps, at least the UI and UX departments.
peterson90210 - January 12, 2012
Every platform that isn’t dead is a work in progress.
hackbod - January 13, 2012
Is it just me or does Matias not look healthy?
gandreae - January 12, 2012
To everyone getting so heated about Android vs. iOS,
Remember stay calm,
Buy what you like no one is holding a gun to you’re head,
they are just cellphones
DokHolladae - January 12, 2012
just phones!!?
poppycock.
My life is defined by trolling comment threads defending or lambasting faceless companies that don’t know or care about me in any way.
it’s either this or get super dogmatic about some nutty religion, and this has more apps.
nothingreal - January 12, 2012
wow
DokHolladae - January 13, 2012
Commenting on 27 minutes in. The Style Guide will allow app developers to spend more time coding their ideas then coding the tools that manage their ideas.
People all use the same iOS look and feel because it probably reduces those SLOC counts by 80% allowing them to spend more SLOC on the idea i.e. controlling audio waveforms, manipulating the cameras and video wave form manipulating.
S4Rs - January 12, 2012
In all of your interviews with Matias, it frightens me how frequently he says “I don’t Know” or “that’s something I’m unaware of” in response to some of your questions regards core functionality/usability issues with the platform.
Sherwinator - January 12, 2012
I’m pretty sure Matias works more with the looks and feel (interface) and not the coding and networking aspect of things…
That would be coders/programmers
elijahblake - January 13, 2012
Josh clearly wanted to Matias at the end of that interview too.
And he ragged on Joanna’s crush on the Biebs. Ha!
S4Rs - January 12, 2012
“Josh clearnly wanted to hug Matias”
S4Rs - January 12, 2012
Sadly, this will be somewhat pointless, as developers don’t want to spend huge amounts of time integrating good UI enhancements into their apps with only ad-based monetary gain.
TylerMcFerson - January 13, 2012
Speak for yourself — some of us care about the user experience even if we aren’t getting paid to do so. For others, it’s the entire point of the application.
If you are a developer also, I pity your users.
erik_erikson - January 13, 2012
hilarious!
FalseAgent - January 13, 2012
good info
jayant.telang - January 13, 2012
why is Josh giving an Italian gesture of ‘screw you’ to everyone in the photo? :)
vmoose - January 13, 2012
Arguments about which company cares the most / mobile OS is best are fun and interesting.
Anyone actually watch the video?
nailerr - January 13, 2012
Android + The Verge, an amazing partnership. :D
Walmyr Carvalho - January 13, 2012
I really enjoy Josh’s interviews with Matias. I do think something has to be done with lighting on this set though.
polter - January 13, 2012
I like how they’ve already announced the OS, launched hardware with the OS, and multiple third-party manufacturers have announced that they’re going to bring it to their hardware….and NOW they’re putting out design guidelines for apps? Shouldn’t this have been out in October?
acslater017 - January 13, 2012
Matias is a very good spokesperson for android… How many guys do you know that would have sweated like that and stayed for that long… I think the Verge owes him some major props for that!!!
Cool interview
elijahblake - January 13, 2012
What a crap. A designer launching a new UI without a Designbook? What was he expecting? The Designbook is a mandatory part of any new UI-Version right before any Beta-Developer’s launch. So what he’s doing is fixing crap quiete late. One credit I gave him originally: to have thought his design and work through, I have to take, as it proves today.
Sorry for being harsh, but there’s so much money spent on this platform and making such basic mistakes, I’d fire him right away.
djodjo - January 14, 2012
1. don’t make it ass-ugly
2. don’t make it lag (note; SCROLLING).
sighclops - January 15, 2012
Does anyone work with a douche bag who knows how to talk the talk, to work his way up to the top, but when you scratch the surface you reaslise he/she doesnt know shit? = Matias Duarte
puzzlepunk - January 15, 2012
Isn’t it ironic that the man who made Android beautiful looks like he dresses himself in the dark ?
Dreal05 - January 15, 2012
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