Android Honeycomb tablets

Marc de Courville

Director software engineering

2001 - JB Recorder 2002 - AV 1202000 - Jukebox 6000

Brief history: a culture of innovation

2004 - AV 4002003 - AV 300 2005 - PMA 400

2008 - ARCHOS 52007 – ARCHOS 6052006 – ARCHOS 604

1st MID on market!

Software strategy: the android way!• Goal:

– combine the best of Archos multimedia together with Android

Google OS and open application framework to release cost

effective tablet devices

• Migration to Android starts at Archos 7th generation of

products

– 2009: transition from in house Linux from scratch closed platform – 2009: transition from in house Linux from scratch closed platform

(Gen4-6) to open Android framework (SDK available and Apache

software license).

– September 2009 Archos5it. Still coexistence between two

independent worlds: Android and legacy Archos Multimedia

Center.

– September 2010 with 5 tablets: migration to Android is complete.

All the user interface is based on Android, one morphing firmware

for all the products.

The Android mutation

ARCHOS 5 internet tablet1st Android tablet

2009

2010: range of 5 Android Internet Tablets2.8’’

3. 2’’4.3’’

7.0’’10.1’’

Gen9 (r)evolution!• 3rd generation of android tablet!

• From a non-phone, non-certified device to a fully certified

honeycomb tablet!

• Only non-Tegra Honeycomb tablet on the market: a faster

CPU and faster GPU: dual core ARM cortex A9 OMAP4 and

SGX540

– 1.0GHz, 1.2GHz OMAP4430

– 1.5GHz OMAP4460

• Only tablet supporting a hard drive

• Removable full 3G support

• Uncompromised multimedia experience: true 1080p

support for all containers and codecs

3rd generation of android tablets

Flash up to 16GB

HDD: 250GB3mm thicker

Two versionsRemovable 3G

Android framework

• Network shares: UPnP and Samba made available

from any application:

– Samba: mix of nbtscan (discovery), fusesmb (mount) and

CIFS kernel to maximize throughput to support HD

– UPnP: based on djmount– UPnP: based on djmount

• USB host: add support on top of muSD of external

storage (HDD/USB keys)

• USB Ethernet dongle for 1080p video streaming

Easy 3G: removable/dynamic 3G

• One single 3G stick and data plan for PC/Tablet

• Removable 3G: 3G as an option• Removable 3G: 3G as an option

– Dynamic telephony support implementation with full RIL

(not a simple tethering) in Android framework

Archos media center

• A unified access to multimedia content

– Music and Video browser with cover flow and player

– Support file browsing mode in addition to library mode

– Favorites, Recently played, Recently added

– Local/network storage browsing capability

AVOS native multimedia engine• Containers and codecs: 10 years of

experience in catching up exceptions

from non standard compliant

audio/video stream to be able to play

anything!

– AVOS: native multimedia engine– AVOS: native multimedia engine

• Containers: AVI, MP4, MOV, 3GP, MPG, PS, TS, VOB, MKV,

FLV, RM, RMVB, ASF, WMV

• Audio codecs: MP3, WAV (PCM/ADPCM), AAC, AAC+ 5.1,

OGG Vorbis, FLAC, AC3* 5.1

• HD 1080p Video codecs: H.264 (HP@L4.2), MPEG-4

(SP/ASP@L6), WMV9/VC1 (AP@L3), MPEG2* (MP/HL)

Multimedia: subtitles

• Subtitles

– SUB/SRT/SMI/SSA format, SSA color tag support, SRT

color/styling support if they use html color tags

– Adjustable frame rate and time shifting

– Download with automatic best match support with

opensubtitle.orgopensubtitle.org

Media information scraper

• Archos media information scraper: video file

information and cover retrieval

• Based on thetvdb.com and themoviedb.org

respectively for tv series and movies: allows

hierarchical database representation of video fileshierarchical database representation of video files

• Archos TVout: ability to clone android UI on the TV

and display full HD video files through HDMI

• Archos universal Android remote application on

Android market

– Easy control of your Archos tablet through Wi-Fi to allow

TV out/Archos remote

– Easy control of your Archos tablet through Wi-Fi to allow

remote operation on TV

– Multimedia keys to control Archos mediacenter

– Works with any Android device

Archos multimedia widgets

• Two carousels for music and video with

resume/new/most viewed views

File manager

• Filebrowser supporting remote

network shares (samba/UPnP),

USB host and PTP (cameras)

• Enable apps installation

• Double panel

design with drag

and drop and

multi-selection

capabilities

System monitor and uninstaller• Archos system monitor

– Monitor alarms and wakelocks

including kernel ones that

prevent device hibernation

• Not possible in classical apk!

– Easy one click kill to free

memorymemory

Startup wizard & demo mode

• Assist the user to setup device

– Install 3rd party applications

– Easy Wi-Fi setup

– Calibration etc.

• Propose safe restricted demo mode for

in store display in store display

• Facilitate OEM customization

Memory management

• Gen9 has 512MB and

honeycomb runs fine:

– Android activity manager

adjustments in process

tagging and prioritization

– Dalvik memory management – Dalvik memory management

speedup

– Optimization of low memory

killer thresholds

– Reorganization of out of

memory adjustment levels

Low power and HDD management

• Real support for off mode with a

deep sleep option (no wake up) to

fit PMP usage model

• Storage: 10 years experience

integrating HDDs in mobile devices integrating HDDs in mobile devices

and clever low power HDD

management software techniques

– Fine tuning of multimedia buffers to

allow powering off of USB PHY and

HDD when playing multimedia

– Combination HDD with an EMMC as

application storage

Conclusion and what comes next?

• Gen9 key assets:

– Faster, Multimedia, Storage++, Easy 3G; Value

• Sneak preview on what is in preparation:

– DLNA server

– Parallel solution to MTP that is cumbersome– Parallel solution to MTP that is cumbersome

– Android 4.0 ice cream sandwich?

• No commitment since code is not published

• GED device is based on 4460… like gen9

• We are well positioned ☺

– And much more!