Android accessories, touchable TouchDroids and patent power plays

Android accessorizes

Denizens of the Apple camp have a ton of accessories for their iDevices. Cases, charging docks, car thingies, speakers... even stereo systems are offering iPod docks. Android offers more handset choice, which is good. However, it also means fragmentation. It's not worthwhile for an accessory maker to outfit all the Android phones that are available on the market.

Thanks to the standard micro B connector though, we're finally starting to see some non-proprietary Android accessories roll out.

Take, for example, these spiffy Philips offerings. They look nice. The names, however, leave a little something to be desired. Even a name like "Android speaker dock - Expensive" through "Android speaker dock - not as expensive" would have more cachet than the current names: the AS851, AS351 and AS111. There's also a clock dock for Android phones called, wait for it, the AS140.

These docks feature a reinforced connector to bolster the flimsy micro B USB connector.

Naming aside, it's refreshing to finally see some universal Android accessories rolling out and, thanks to the fact that the Micro B USB connector is all but standard equipment on any recent Android phone, here's hoping we'll see more.

TouchDroid now with... touch

TouchDroid, the project to shoehorn Android Honeycomb onto HPs erstwhile webOS tablet, has made some impressive progress.

The webOS TouchPad firesale happened about two weeks ago, sparking interest in an Android mod for HP's tab. In the weeks following we've seen a group of developers rally around, we've already seen a proof of concept with CyanogenMod 7 running on a hacked TouchPad. Now, we're seeing the TouchPad running Cyanogen with the touchscreen working properly.

Next step: Figure out the Wi-Fi situation to get the TouchPad running Android connected and then, presumably, a little tweaking before releasing it to the public so they can hack their cheap-o HP tablets.

As soon as a working TouchPad Android hack is available we'll do a video tutorial walking through the process on butterscotch.com so stay tuned.

Patent war continues

We've covered Android's patent woes at length on this show. (Ad nauseum, my producer will contend.) While Android has long since passed its competitors to become kings of the smartphone castle, the rascals keep trying to knock it off. That would be rascals like Apple and Microsoft. The strategy employed by contenders to Android's throne has been to snipe Android allies... Most notably, HTC and Samsung.

We've reported that HTC already pays a royalty to Microsoft for every Android phone it makes. Apple was successful in at least temporarily blocking the sale of certain Samsung Android devices in parts of Europe.

Google has taken what it perceives to be the high road. Google is no fan of the current patent system arguing that it's hopelessly broken. Typically, Google sat on the sidelines, watching as its partners got hauled into court. Now, Google is turning its partners into mercenaries and showing its clout.

HTC is suing Apple for alleged patent infringement armed with, among others, patents it recently acquired from Google itself. These patent lawsuits always seem a little silly. The fact that companies have patent portfolios numbering in the tens of thousands mean there's almost literally no way to make an electronic device that doesn't somehow infringe on someone's patents somewhere.

Now, with Google buying up patents, as it did with its recent Motorola Mobility acquisition, and arming its allies with them, patent squabbles can continue to clog the courts for years and decades to come.

It's like a developed country supplying arms to mercenaries in an attempt to dispose of a despot. Except, you know, with lower stakes... and less moral turpitude.

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