CyanogenMod started as a hobby, with one guy trying to offer a customized version of Android. Now there are millions of people using the software on dozens of phones and tablets, and the Cyanogenmod team has announced the formation of a company.
Next week we could hear about the first phone that will ship with CyanogenMod software preloaded, and the company plans to offer an app in the Google Play Store that will make installing CyanogenMod easier than ever.
It’s not all hugs and puppies though: Some volunteer contributors haven’t been thrilled with the new licensing terms CyanogenMod is using in order to ensure that it can work with hardware partners… or what that could mean for compensating people for their time (it’s one thing to volunteer for an all volunteer effort — it’s another thing to find out someone is making money from your volunteer work).
Whatever the future holds for CyanogenMod, it’ll be even more interesting… and complicated than the past few years of development of this open source operating system.
Here’s a roundup of some of the most popular Liliputing articles from the past week.
- CyanogenMod goes pro: Raises $7 million in funding, makes CM easier to install
The makers of one of the most popular custom ROMs have formed a company and may even be getting ready to announce a partnership with Chinese phone maker Oppo to pre-load CyanogenMod on the upcoming Oppo N1. - Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series is a $349 portable notebook with long battery life
Dell’s latest low-cost ultraportable laptop offers a heck of a lot of power in a rather attractive case. Prices start at $349 for a model with an AMD chip, or $379 for a model with an Intel Haswell chip. - Surge Tab PH-101 Bay Trail tablet dual boots Windows, Android
Like the idea of a Windows tablet with an Intel Celeron processor, but want to run some of the million or so tablet-friendly apps available for Android? This tablet dual-boots Windows and Android. - AMD introduces A4-1350 quad-core chip for tablets, notebooks
AMD rolled out a new line of processors a few months ago, but now there’s a new low-power chip for tablets and notebooks that should give a little more performance than the AMD A4-1200 dual-core chip. - Why the 64-bit chip in the iPhone 5s matters
Apple’s iPhone 5s features an Apple A7 chip. Not only is it the first smartphone with a 64-bit processor, it’s the first with a chip based on ARMv8 architecture. It’s somewhat more future-proof than most phones on the market, but this isn’t all about the future. The iPhone 5S is blazing fast today. - Android is ready for 64-bit processing
Apple may have beaten Android device makers to the punch, releasing the first mobile phone with a 64-bit chip. But Android is already pretty much ready for 64-bit processing. - GOsingGO unveils Android TV Stick with an Ethernet port
Android TV sticks are virtually a dime a dozen. But this is one of the models I’ve seen featuring a full-sized Ethernet jack. Unfortunately is also has a rather old, slow processor.