I was hoping he'd stay independent

[ardchoille]

In other acquisition news, it appears Android developer extraordinaire, Steve Kondik AKA Cyanogen, was picked up by Samsung Mobile for an undisclosed amount according the recent change in his

 

[_mw_]

I'm not really sure that would count as competition, ROM vs Overlay, but then I'm not a lawyer. On the issue of development, given the choice between being a starving artist and providing for my family, the decision would be pretty easy in my eyes. I have no idea what he was doing before Samsung though...

 

[ardchoille]

I'm not really sure that would count as competition, ROM vs Overlay, but then I'm not a lawyer. On the issue of development, given the choice between being a starving artist and providing for my family, the decision would be pretty easy in my eyes. I have no idea what he was doing before Samsung though...

Very good points. I'm sure this is a move up for him or he wouldn't have taken it.

 

[johnlgalt]

He states that he is keeping CM going, and that it is completely independent of Sammy.

 

[!on]

...But I would think the two could benefit from each other, considering they both have something the public want. Some of these mods are great but sometimes there maybe a slight trade off with a small bug still to be ironed out, or something ommited until the builds catch up.

I think yes, there is this demand for the uniqueness that a hacked / custom rom offers but tbh if some of that good work shows up at the 'retail' side then you're getting a more 'finished' product, no?

 

[ardchoille]

I can foresee one problem.. if Samsung ever decide to encrypt their boot loader or otherwise prevent root access.

 

[chanchan05]

If Samsung locks their bootloader, I dont think there'd be much problem if the brains of CM is behind their new OS, I mean he could use things he knows to make Sammy better.

 

[Gmash]

If Samsung locks their bootloader, I dont think there'd be much problem if the brains of CM is behind their new OS, I mean he could use things he knows to make Sammy better.

It's not about what he knows, it's about what he's allowed to do. I'm sure there's some heavy-duty small print in that contract. Hopefully he has a good lawyer...

 

[Slug]

Samsung gifted a Galaxy S2 to one of the CM devs a month or two back, remember? That isn't the act of a company hostile to developers. They're unlikely to lock bootloaders now anyway, not when their competitors are doing the exact opposite.

Steve Kondik is an incredibly talented Android dev, but he's only one of many involved with CM. Even if his role with Samsung forces him to take a back seat in CM development, that development will continue.

One thing's for sure, it's going to be fascinating to see what influence he brings to bear on Samsung's Android products in future.

 

[Yeahha]

Yeah I could see more of CM getting into stock Samsung phones than them deciding to go and cut off rom devs. I am sure it is a step up for Kondik no doubt and even if the lawyers at Samsung decide he must be forced out of CM to work there I still see CM living on. But I would imagine the contract he signed to work for Samsung not only included a clause for non-disclosure but also something for him that says Samsung can not interfere with he involvment in CM, if it doesn't he has some of the worlds worst lawyers

Not only is CM a rom that has been adapted to most phones but it is also a leader in development that has spawned many other roms based on it's code. I was actually surprised he was picked up by an OEM and not Google.

Now I wonder if we will see a CM phone in the future, I saw earlier they announced the first MIUI phones so maybe the tides are shifting away from OEM interlays of phone and into a new era where aftermarket rom devs will become contractors for the OEM and produce a more robust stock experience than what is currently offered.