Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft's SmartGlass For Android Reviewed
An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft has released their much anticipated SmartGlass application for Android, allowing the Linux-based mobile OS to act as an input device for their Xbox 360 game console. While the app has its share of annoying problems, it does offer a glimpse into a possible future where consumer electronics are no longer crippled by the artificial barriers of manufacturer or operating system."
glimpse into a possible future where consumer electronics are no longer crippled by the artificial barriers of manufacturer or operating system.
Does it deal with rooted phones intelligently by assuming the device is malicious or does it deal with rooted phones stupidly by assuming the device is perfectly trustworthy?
I don't have a xbox 360 so it doesn't matter for me, but if I did I'd probably have the sniffer up and sniffin already. Unless it uses bluetooth somehow instead of wifi. of course there are sniffers for BT but it takes some specialized hardware.
"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
the Wii U tablet-based controller?
No. This is Microsoft trying desperately to stay relevant.
They have two major cash cows: Windows and Office. Windows is becoming increasingly threatened by Linux and OSX on the desktop and Android/iOS tablets and smartphones on the mobile side. For Microsoft that's a big deal.
They tried viewing GNU/Linux as "the enemy" and failed - remember the Halloween documents? They can't fight what they can't buy out or embrace-and-extend so their usual tactics don't work there. Android is the same deal. Anyone familiar with Microsoft knows they are not stupid (they're assholes but not stupid assholes). They aren't going to waste time and effort repeating that mistake and fighting a fight they cannot win.
Sometimes staying relevant means admitting you can't beat something so you might as well accept the reality and be a part of it. Microsoft is the kind of dick-waving company that would much rather just dominate. This being a part of it is a very distant second-best for them, but it beats irrelevancy. Irrelevancy is what a corporation fears the most, more than any fine, more than any customer backlash, more than any bad PR.