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Android Co-Founder Andy Rubin Leaving Google

Posted by Soulskill on from the so-long-and-thanks-for-all-the-droids dept.

An anonymous reader writes: The Wall Street Journal reports that Andy Rubin is leaving Google. Rubin co-founded Android in 2003 and stayed on when the company was acquired by Google in 2005. Rubin led Android through the acquisition of over a billion users, until 2013 when he moved to Google's robotics division. He was replaced in the Android division by Sundar Pichai, who continues in charge of that, Chrome, Google+, and many other products. Rubin's robotics role will be filled by James Kuffner. "Mr. Rubin's departure is a blow to Google's robotics efforts. However, Mr. Kuffner is experienced in the sector, having worked on human-like robot technology for over two decades, including seven years at Carnegie Mellon University and five years on Google's self-driving car project."

4 of 82 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Did he leave or was he invited to leave? by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Informative

    Given the fact that Android, despite its technical progress, is still playing catch up to mainstream iOS

    Wait, what?

    I have two Android devices, and an iOS device ... and I've only recently retired my iPad 1.

    In what way is Android playing catch up with iOS? Are they features people actually use or even know about?

    Because, I would say pound for pound, feature for feature, my Android devices do as much as my iOS devices.

    I don't pick up my Android phone or tablet and think "boy, if it only had this feature that iOS has, it would be a complete device".

    In fact, I'm not aware of a single feature I ever use or care about that iOS has which Android doesn't.

    For that matter, I'd be hard pressed to tell you a feature that either has that the other doesn't that I've ever wished was there.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  2. Re:Did he leave or was he invited to leave? by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Informative

    What was the last version of Android that actually let you do that?

    What was the first version that didn't?

    No, seriously ... my up-to-date Nexus 7 allows this.

    So, either you know something I don't, or you're making an unfounded accusation.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  3. Re:Did he leave or was he invited to leave? by 0123456 · · Score: 3, Informative

    In what way is Android playing catch up with iOS? Are they features people actually use or even know about?

    Well, let's see: how about not letting Facetwitterlinkbook have access to absolutely everything on your device because their app demands so many permissions and you can't deniy specific ones?

  4. Re:Did he leave or was he invited to leave? by tangent3 · · Score: 3, Informative

    kio-mtp
    make sure usb debugging is disabled under developer options, that stumped me for a while