In 2013 analysts predict that one billion Android devices will have been activated. Android is by far the most popular smartphone operating system on the planet, but how is it changing the way we see the world? Android Mandroid is an attempt to grapple with the shifts that Android is making in our day to day lives. How have smartphones and tablets altered the world we live in? How do they affect our relationships, our psyches, and our politics? By critically examining the many “overlays” that Android adds to our daily lives, Android Mandroid will guide you through the confusing passageways of our networked world and offer a consideration of our emerging smartphone culture. Written in a style reminiscent of Malcolm Gladwell or AJ Jacobs, Android Mandroid isn’t a guide for dummies –it’s Android for the curious! Table of ContentsA Preface for a Book on an Unfinished SystemAndroid for the Curious1. A Free, Open Source Dudedom? - Gender and the Smartphone - Walking a Fine Line - The Gaming Fallacy2. Androidified Text, Sex, and Religion - From Scroll to Scroll - Stuck in the Middle with You - Perfect the Tech3. Android and Your Psyche - Self-Consciousness - Androids Appeal to the Inner Toddler ... - Atomistic Individualism 2.04. Android and Politics - “...let them tweet, and they will tweet their way to freedom” - SS - How Private is Your Privacy? - Twitter Revolution RevisitedThe Future is Open-Ended - Having peered into the Abyss...
I downloaded this book free off Amazon when my friend recommended it a couple years ago. Having the same phone as the author (Samsung Galaxy S3), and using some of the same apps (Endomondo, in particular), I really can relate with some of his beliefs.
It's a short read, starting with a very brief history of Android. He then discusses how the Android phone changed humanity in different ways, citing personal experiences. The story then turns philosophical, drawing references from historical events. Finally, he talks about political change at the hands of your smartphone. Well worth the read.