Android - How an OTA update occurs

Originally posted 11/21/18

Your on your couch and you've heard that Oreo is out and available for you phone. Awesome! You want to upgrade so you can try the new Picture In Picture, and New Settings Menu.

On your phone you click 'Check For Updates"....and then download Android 8.0.....but what happened months before that update was available?

When it comes to getting the latest and greatest version on Android for you phone, it's up to the manufactures (not the carriers) to release the OS upgrades.

At the starting line: Google
Android is a Google product....it's also open source.


So Google releases the latest version on Android on the AOSP site. This isually happens the same time a new Nexus or Pixel device is announced

OEMs grab the code
At the AOSP site, manufacturers access the source code, tweak and adapt it to their own devices.The manufactures HTC, Samsung, LG, etc determine what devices on their product line will receive the latest version of Android and which devices will not. Obviously newer devices have priority to keep customers happy and to promote sales. Plus the more recent devices have better compatibility with the latest version of Android.

The older the device, the less likely it will get an update. Manufacturers stop developing updates for older devices to drive sales for new hardware and to make the most efficient use of limited resources. But it’s also the case that the hardware in older devices eventually becomes unable to meet the demands of new operating systems.

Pushing to the carriers
The manufacture then sends their updates to the carriers where they test the update.
Whether it's AT&T, Verizon  or Straight Talk, testing is very time consuming at this stage.
This is due to many legal (depending on the country) and technical hurdles (depending on the technology) to overcome,
At this point, carriers may add or take out certain features, such as tethering capabilities.


Releasing the update to the masses
Finally, after carrier testing, the OEM/Manufacture releases the
update pertaining to your device on a server where it's available to download.

Next: Project Treble .....and how the OS framework will speed OTA updates.

The lowdown on lithium batteries..... the coolest, & hottest battery for tech

L-ion Batterys, (Lithium Ion Batterys), are a pretty amazing piece of technology and very popular. You can find them in cell phones, pdas, laptops, gps devices...etc.

They hold a "higher energy density" per pound. They pack more punch per pound more than any other battery type. Including Nickle Metal Hydide (NiMH) which can be found in hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight.
Because of that, the automotive industry is seeing l-ion batterys as a replacement for the NiMH batteries. Currently the Chevy Volt & the Nissan Leaf use the L-ion batteries. Other companies are soon to follow. One big issue they have to tackle is that lion batteries don't do well with extreme temperatures.

So how do they work and what is with them exploding in cell phones?

Background

Lithium by nature is an unstable metal however lithium ions are much safer. 

In 1979, solid state physicist John B Goodenough

discovered that by using lithium cobalt oxide as a cathode of a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, it was possible to achieve a high density of stored energy with an anode other than metal. His last name is certainly ironic! (are they "good enough"?)

In 1991 the Sony Corporation started commercializing lithium iion batterys and L-ion batterys started replacing nickle cadmium batterys (Nicad) in the late 1990s.

How they work

L-ion batterys work by the same principle as any other battery does. The transfer of electrons between a cathode (positive) and an anode (negitive). The only difference is the chemical composition within the cells. And the fact that with rechargeable batteries the charge is reversed as well.

They're also low maintenance which is a big advantage over other battery types. They require no memory so no cycling is required like the old Nicad batteries.

But they do have drawbacks. L-ion batteries have voltage protection circuits to prevent overcharging and prevent cell voltage from dropping to low during discharge. They contain temperature sensors for monitoring battery temp. If a battery gets to hot, the protection circuit sends a signal to the device to shut down to prevent damage.L-ion batteries prefer a partial discharge rather than a deep discharge.
If the voltage drops down to a certain voltage, the cells are ruined.

What's with exploding batteries?

L-ion batteries hold together positive and negative terminals (cathodes and anodes) along with a polymer that separates the two sides. This is all sandwiched together a tightly wrapped container, but instead of a paste which is found in normal batteries, it's a lithium ionized liquid which is extremely flammable. The manufacturing process creates small minute pieces of metal that float in the liquid. These pieces are removed but the manufacture can't completely remove 100% of these metal flakes.

As you may have seen on the news, Samsung recently recalled the ENTIRE production line of their Galaxy Note 7s due to exploding batteries costing the company over 5.3 billion.

There are two scenarios which can cause a L-ion battery to explode

Heat: The issue lies when the battery starts to get hot, possibly from being on the charger....in someones pockets,,,or left on the dash of a car on a summer day.
When that happens the fluid inside the battery becomes thinner allowing the small pieces of metal to move more freely. If a piece of metal comes in contact with the separator, a short circuit will occur. When a short circuit occurs in a flammable liquid it's not a pretty sight.

Aggressive technology design flaw: Or what you could call "pushing the safety boundary" - Cell phone manufactures are always seeking to push more power into smaller batteries and wanting a flatter battery in the design phase. The flatter the battery the thinner the components must be inside the battery.....to a point where the polymer separators may not be effective in separating the negative and positive sides.

This manufacturing error allowed the plates to make contact and a short circuit followed creating an enormous amount of heat to the point where the battery exploded.

If you have a Samsung Note 7,please contact your carrier directly or call Samsung Customer service at 1-844-365-6197 for assistance. Visit Samsung Note 7 recall for further information.

The hazards and issues with lithium batteries are rare. But for their small compact size, they pack a good punch and the tech industry sees anything smaller with more power a big advantage.

Tech History: Wireless charging....the history behind it....and is it worth it?

Your phones battery shows 5% left, so you head out to the living room and plop the phone down onto the wireless charging matt.

It's true...wireless charging has a real "cool" factor....but is it really worth it?....and how exactly does it work?

How it started

Wireless charging is not new, but the technology in in it's current (pun!!) form is. In 1831 Michael Faraday discovered electrical induction during an experiment using two wires wrapped around an iron ring. He expanded on the idea with the theory of "lines of force", but this theory was rejected by scientists of the day due to the lack of mathematical formulas.

Tesla demonstrating wireless transmission of electrical current

Soon after, Nicolas Tesla brought the idea further in 1890, lighting Geissler tubes and incandescent light bulbs across a stage during public demonstrations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_power_transfer#Tesla

Inductive charging works using an electromagnetic field between two objects. a coil in the pad creates a magnetic field which induces a current in another coil, in the phone, charging its battery. The stronger the magnet and the current in the first coil, the increase of the induction and power transfer. There are two different types of wireless charging standards today; Qi and Powermat. They both use the same inductive charging, however the charging rate and current are different.

Is it worth it?

So it's a real cool technology, but it's more like a *"proof of concept" than a major jump in technology where it can be used to a full potential. So before you plop $10-$30 for a charging mat, think about three main disadvantages which involve wireless charging.

1. The mat is the charging platform....so that still needs a source of electricity. But the phone needs to remain on the mat in order to charge......so much for true freedom.
2. The charge/current will still be weaker and slower than directly plugging in your phone to a charger. On the average wireless pads take 25% more to charge a phone than direct cords.
3. The charging mats create heat.....alot of heat. And heat is the evil enemy of cell phones.

The future of wireless charging

It's still in it's infancy, and wireless charging has a lot of potential, especially in the automotive industry.
Were not talking having your car charge on the driveway charging....we're talking about wireless charging your Tesla WHILE your driving!
The UK has already spent $300,000 investigating the feasibility of "Dynamic charging".....electric roadways which charge the car while driving on the roadway. The UK has setup an 18 month trial for the testing.

So wireless charging has alot of potential, and if you find you're walking down the street and you realize you only have 2% before your phone dies you can stop into a Starbucks for a quick charge (enough to get the phone usable), but in the long run.....you'll probably be better off carrying an extra battery and USB cord.

*Proof Of Concept is the realization that an idea, technology or otherwise, has practical potential, but yet the application of the idea or technology has yet to be feasible.

Tech News: Amazon makes it's first drone delivery in England

We've all seen the commercials.

Amazons cute little drones (I prefer the term quad-copter myself) delivering a package to an Amazon Prime customer within minutes of ordering on the company's web page.

The online retail giant conducted it's first drone delivery test on December 7th in Cambridge England. Delivery to the customer took just 13 minutes from the customer ordering online, and the drone flight from the company's fulfillment center, to the customers residence. The delivery falls under Amazons "Prime Air" trial.* In case you're wondering the order involved an Amazon Fire Stick and a bag of popcorn ;-D

Check out Amazons Prime Air Trial web page for more info on this cool delivery service.

* Amazon is only currently testing the drone delivery service in England. Currently FAA regulations prohibit commercial flights in the US, however Amazon is working with the FAA to seek it's approval in the US. 

How to: Erasing the past with CTL+Z in Windows

It's bound to happen. You just downloaded an important file and you move the file from the Downloads folder to your Documents folder.

Whoops...That wasn't your Documents folder! 

Instead of spending the next 15 minutes looking for that rascal. Use this rarely used keyboard shortcut that undoes your last action - CTL+ Z thereby "erasing the past".

Too bad there isn't a CTL+Z for things we've done in real life!