Andrew "Andy" Rubin may be dubbed the "Father of Android". He is the founder of Android Inc., which was later purchased by Google and "explode" as the best-selling smartphone operating system.
Had become Chief Operating System Android at Google, Andy was given the task of developing a Google robot project.
Two years of working in the robotics division, Andy decided to resign from Google on Friday (31/10/2014). Rubin called the company will set up a mobile incubator in hardware.
One sentence Rubin on Android is the famous, "We're not making a Google phone; we allow thousands of people to make a Google phone!"
It seemed to confirm the philosophy behind Android phone. Evidently, there are now many types of mobile phones, tablets, and even cameras that run the Android operating system.
Rubin began his career at Google since 2005, when Android Inc. gobbled up by Google. However, before then, Rubin had already been in contact with Apple and Microsoft, the two giants are now also competing with Google in the smartphone arena.
Sign Apple from the beach
Since childhood, Rubin has been accustomed to seeing a lot of new gadgets. This was because his father, a psychologist who swerved into the direct marketing business, saving electronic products that will sell in the room Rubin.
He has a great interest in all things smelly robot. The Carl Zeiss AG, where he worked first time after graduating from college, Rubin was in a robotics division, on digital communications between the network and the measurement device and manufacturing.
After Carl Zeiss, he had worked in the field of robot in a company in Switzerland. Rubin's career in the field of robotics seems to be getting brighter. However, her life changed because of a holiday in the Cayman Islands in 1989.
While visiting the tropical island of Jamaica, Rubin accidentally met with a man named Bill Caswell. This man was sleeping on the beach, driven from a cottage after a fight with his girlfriend.
Andy offers him a place to stay. In reciprocation, Casswell offered him a job. Incidentally, he was working at Apple.
At Apple, Rubin having a pleasant time. At the time, Apple is still in good condition thanks to a Macintosh computer.
Apple also transmitted to cultural self-Rubin. There he could do such ignorance reprogram the phone system so that he could pretend to be the CEO, John Sculley.
Jokes like it might be preferable to Steve Jobs, the man who likes to make jokes over the phone. But when it is the Apple without Jobs.
"Thrown" to General Magic
From manufacturing, Rubin moved to the research at Apple. Then, in 1990, Apple did a spin-off to form a company called General Magic and Rubin participated in it.
General Magic focuses on the development of handheld device and communication. The engineer workaholic, including Rubin, of course, have developed a software tool called Magic Cap.
Unfortunately, the Magic Cap was not received from the handset and telecommunications companies. Some are applying Magic Cap only do a little. 'General Magic was finally destroyed.
Some developers at General Magic, along with several veterans of Apple, then founded Artemis Research. The company is developing something called WebTV, an early effort to combine the internet with television.
"Stop" to Microsoft
Rubin joined Artemis to participate in developing the WebTV. When Microsoft bought Artemis, in 1997, Rubin was joined by corporate giants.
Rubin typical crazy episode occurred at Microsoft. Rubin built a robot equipped with a camera to work on his colleagues. The crazy thing is, the robot is connected to the internet and in one incident had been compromised by outside Microsoft.
In 1999, Rubin out of WebTV (and that means it is no longer a Microsoft employee). He then rented a store in Palo Alto, California, and called the store as a laboratory.
The place is filled with a variety of robotic toys collection Rubin, was born of an idea for a new product. Together with several colleagues, Rubin founded Danger Inc.
Early success with the Sidekick
Success achieved through a device called the Danger Sidekick. Originally, this device is called the Danger Hiptop. However, in the market it is known as the T-Mobile Sidekick.
"We wanted to create a device, about the size of a bar of chocolate, with a price under 10 dollars, and can be used to scan an object and get information about it from the internet. Then, add the radio and transmitter, be a Sidekick , "Rubin said about the Sidekick.
Currently, the Sidekick is already look outdated. But in time, the Sidekick is an odd thing that goes beyond the concept of time.
The device, according to Rubin, a data access with phone capabilities. When it appeared on the market, the Sidekick must face the fact that the PDA is losing market share. However, Rubin asserts that the Sidekick is not a PDA.
"Supposedly, people do not ask whether this is a PDA or cell phone. They should ask, is this a platform for third-party developers? This is nothing new. It is for the first time a phone is used as a platform for third-party developers," said Rubin.
Now, what Rubin is not unusual anymore. Look at Apple with millions of third-party applications that are present in the iPhone.
Another thing that made Danger, who at the time was not yet occurred, is a bridge between handset makers and network providers. Danger decided to share the profits with the T-Mobile Sidekick in service.
Thus, do not rely on Danger handset sales as the sole source of income, but also of services. This makes the device manufacturer (Danger) have the same goal with the seller of the device (telecom operator T-Mobile).
Microsoft annexed
Rubin left Danger in 2004. In 2008, the company was purchased by Microsoft.
The Giants apparently keen to enter the mobile phone business more aggressively. Value offered was not half-hearted. According to news circulating, Microsoft bought Danger for 500 million US dollars.
However, the purchase of Danger by Microsoft does not bring results flowered. The remaining directors of Danger incorporated by Microsoft into the Mobile Communication Business, Entertainment and Devices division.
Then, they were asked to develop a mobile phone known as Project Pink. The target, this phone should be a competitor to the iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android.
Failure Project Pink
According to ComputerWorld, Project Pink classic disease in a large company. Because the project is prestigious, it is contested by several parties. Worse, growth continues to deviate from the desired.
For example, the phone will be initially developed with Java-based, but then asked to use the Microsoft operating system. Unfortunately, Windows Phone 7, which should be used for the Project Pink, is not yet ready.
As a result, when launched, the phone finally called Microsoft Kin uses the Windows operating system for mobile phones that "old". Cold market response was made Kin finally be closed, only a few months since launch.
The fate of the Sidekick, Microsoft inherited from Danger, also not too good. In one incident, which is still not known exactly what causes it, the Sidekick customers suddenly lost all their data.
One should note, all data on the Sidekick is stored "in the cloud" (in this case the Microsoft managed server and can be accessed via the Internet). Well, when the server is impaired, all Sidekick user data was lost.
Courting Google founders
In early 2002, Rubin was giving a lecture at Stanford about the Sidekick. The problem, though sales did not explode Sidekick market, it is considered good enough in terms of engineering.
A coincidence that Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google's founders, was present in the lecture. After college, Page found Rubin to see Sidekick close.
Apparently, Page to see the devices using the Google search engine. "Cool," said Page.
This is a starting point for the Page for an idea that within a few years will be realized: a Google phone.
establishing Android
Approximately two years later, Rubin has left Danger and try to do new things. Among others trying to enter the digital camera business before he founded Android.
Rubin incubating Android when they become entrepreneurs-in-residence with the venture capital firm Redpoint Ventures in 2004. "The Android originates from a simple idea: provide a robust mobile platform and open so that it can drive innovation more quickly for the benefit of our customers," said Rubin.
In July 2005, 22 months after the Android stand, the company was swallowed by the giant Google. Rubin also chose to join Google.
When buying Android Inc, Google did not mention in detail how the price paid and what she wants to do with the company. In fact, Google says the acquisition as the acquisition of human resources, and technology alone.
In addition to Andy Rubin, Google is making a lot of brilliant people from the Android Market. These include Andy McFadden (WebTV developer with Rubin, and developers Moxi Digital); Richard Miner (former Vice President of Orange, the telecommunications company); and Chris White (the founder of Android and interface designers WebTV).
Revolutionary "Green Robot"
With Google, Android given extra powers. Company from Mountain View, California, was later formed the Open Handset Alliance to develop for Android devices.
"Google can not do everything, and we do not have to. That's why we formed the Open Handset Alliance, with more than 34 partners," said Rubin.
Android devices are present in the market are not made by Google. Fighter Android heavyweights, including Motorola, Samsung, and HTC each threw their flagship Android phones to the market.
"Just throw the software is not enough," Rubin explained. "You need a handset that was developed for the software and network providers who want to offer it."
As Larry Page said while announcing his resignation Rubin, Rubin initially many people consider "crazy".
"It is believed, by utilizing standard open source operating system will drive innovation in the mobile industry. Most of the time people thought he was crazy. But we (Google founders Page and Brin) agree with the ideas," says Page.
Currently, Page said, Android is a mobile operating system most widely used in the world. "Achieving the ambitious than our crazy at first when developing Android," Page said.
Is gait "Mr. Android" next?
"I expect Andy to get the best for the future. Android created a really amazing - with a billion more users happy. Thank you," said the separation of Google CEO Larry Page.
