Android apps on Windows? Microsoft might let it happen

Microsoft may have a solution in the works for its Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 app deficit, but some inside the company reportedly aren't on board yet.

It's simple: Microsoft's desktop, tablet and smartphone operating systems lack the bustling app ecosystem of a platform like, say, Android - so why not enable Android apps to run on Windows and Windows Phone devices?

That's exactly what the company is considering, according to The Verge, which spoke with "sources familiar with Microsoft's plans." But these sources report that Microsoft executives are torn, with some of the mindset that the long-term risks might outweigh the benefits.

Besides, as The Verge points out, this has been tried before - by BlackBerry - and it didn't work then. Why would it now?

Forking Android over

Of course, Microsoft is not BlackBerry. That much is obvious.

And if Microsoft is really letting Nokia, which it bought in 2013, go ahead with the Finnish phone maker's "Normandy" Android device, then the Windows company is clearly not totally repulsed by the idea of using Android for its own means.

Of course, the most recent report suggests that the Nokia Android phone will ship without many of the Google apps and services typically found on Android devices - including the Google Play Store itself - in favor of Nokia- and Microsoft-built alternatives.

But The Verge's sources say Microsoft doesn't want to deal with the hassle of creating its own "fork" of Android, and that simply enabling Android apps to run on Windows might be an easier solution in the short term.

To that end the site suggests Microsoft might work with BlueStacks, a company that for years has been enable Android apps to run on Windows devices.

Whatever happens, it seems Microsoft is at least considering taking drastic measures to solve its app deficit, which may be a sign of just how desperate things have become for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.

• Here's what TechRadar thought of Microsoft's latest OS update, Windows 8.1.

Android apps on Windows? Microsoft might let it happen

Microsoft may have a solution in the works for its Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 app deficit, but some inside the company reportedly aren't on board yet.

It's simple: Microsoft's desktop, tablet and smartphone operating systems lack the bustling app ecosystem of a platform like, say, Android - so why not enable Android apps to run on Windows and Windows Phone devices?

That's exactly what the company is considering, according to The Verge, which spoke with "sources familiar with Microsoft's plans." But these sources report that Microsoft executives are torn, with some of the mindset that the long-term risks might outweigh the benefits.

Besides, as The Verge points out, this has been tried before - by BlackBerry - and it didn't work then. Why would it now?

Forking Android over

Of course, Microsoft is not BlackBerry. That much is obvious.

And if Microsoft is really letting Nokia, which it bought in 2013, go ahead with the Finnish phone maker's "Normandy" Android device, then the Windows company is clearly not totally repulsed by the idea of using Android for its own means.

Of course, the most recent report suggests that the Nokia Android phone will ship without many of the Google apps and services typically found on Android devices - including the Google Play Store itself - in favor of Nokia- and Microsoft-built alternatives.

But The Verge's sources say Microsoft doesn't want to deal with the hassle of creating its own "fork" of Android, and that simply enabling Android apps to run on Windows might be an easier solution in the short term.

To that end the site suggests Microsoft might work with BlueStacks, a company that for years has been enable Android apps to run on Windows devices.

Whatever happens, it seems Microsoft is at least considering taking drastic measures to solve its app deficit, which may be a sign of just how desperate things have become for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.

• Here's what TechRadar thought of Microsoft's latest OS update, Windows 8.1.

Nokia could have more Android phones coming this May

Rumors of the Nokia Normandy are really heating up and soon it might just be the first of a whole pack of Android-powered phones.

Phone Arena posted a new report talking with an Artesyn Technologies source that says the Finnish phone company will have more Android phones coming this year including several higher-end models.

Supposedly this new slew of phones powered by Google's mobile OS will be revealed sometime between May and June. The source says the phones will come at different price points but there's no word if it will be able to reach the Play Store unlike the Normandy.

Shuffling technology around

The Phone Arena report goes on to say that Microsoft has put Nokia through the chop shop, leaving its new acquisition with the low-end Asha and feature phone departments.

Meanwhile, teams involved with Nokia's more notable hardware bits including PureView Cameras, HAAC microphones, and ClearBlack displays have been moved to Redmond.

Taking these technology shifts into account, its possible that a majority of Nokia's Android phones could come as budget handsets with the Asha overlay – essentially a faux-smartphone tiled, touchscreen interface.

Nokia's Android pathfinder

Thus far, the only Android Nokia handset we know about is the Normandy. The phone set to make its debut at MWC 2014 and its already shaping up to be an abnormal little droid.

Instead of accessing the Play Store, Microsoft plans to supply the handset with their own apps such as Here maps and Mix radio, and Nokia's own shop of Android apps.

Its already odd enough to see the Microsoft-owned company putting anything but a Windows Phone OS on just one of its handset, but we'll let you know if we spot any other goodies from Nokia featuring Google's green bot.

• Nokia might have some kind of Android, but the Motorola Moto G has KitKat, check it out in our revie

Wozniak pitches an Android iPhone, hell reports zero snowball sightings

Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak has suggested a novel way for the company to combat the march of the Android army ... start building Android phones!

Speaking to Wired, the outspoken computing whiz Wozniak said there's nothing keeping Apple from making Android phones that would out-style options from best-selling manufacturers like Samsung.

"There's nothing that would keep Apple out of the Android market as a secondary phone market," he said.

"We could compete very well. People like the precious looks of stylings and manufacturing that we do in our product compared to the other Android offerings. We could play in two arenas at the same time."

Being Steve Wozniak

Naturally, there's no chance of that ever happening unless things take a serious turn for the worst at Cupertino, or Eric Schmidt totally Malkovich's Tim Cook. It's also unlikely the brazen statement will bother too many folks at Infinite Loop.

Wozniak, whose only real involvement with Apple these days is collecting his dividends cheques, is known for his occasional jaunts to the other side of the tracks when it comes to toeing the company line.

In the past, he's urged Apple to bring iTunes to Android, criticised the new range of iPads, asserted that the iPhone had fallen behind the competition and called Windows Phone 'more beautiful' than iOS.

Beyond his latest wind up, Woz was super positive about the company's recent times, refusing to criticise the company's decision for the slow bleed of new iPhone features, amid Samsung's desire to cram their handsets with everything but the kitchen sink.

"If you have something really good, don't change it; don't screw it up. You pick up a Samsung phone and say, 'Smile' and it takes a picture, but how much innovation is that? That's just throwing in a lot of features," he said.

• Woz loves a wind-up. Here are six of the best we pulled together way back in 2009.