9to5Google

In 2019, Google asked the Supreme Court to review Oracle’s long-running lawsuit over whether Android’s usage of Java was fair use. The Supreme Court this morning sided with Google and overturned Oracle’s win following a lower court ruling three years ago.

In 2010, Oracle sued Google over alleged Java infringement during the development of Android. Appeal courts have repeatedly overturned lower court decisions that sided with Google. This legal case is now going to the Supreme Court in what could be a landmark decision.

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Andy Rubin may be the co-founder of Android and the head of Essential, but he’s been under scrutiny for the better part of the last year. This week, unsealed documents have revealed further alleged sexual misconduct from Rubin, as well as a complaint from his wife that he hid the $90 million exit package provided by Google.

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Last October, an investigative report detailed how Google shielded top executives like Andy Rubin following accusations of sexual misconduct. Instead of being explicitly fired, their departures included massive compensation packages. Alphabet shareholders today filed suit against the board of directors claiming “breaches of fiduciary duties.”

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Last week, details emerged of how Google shielded Andy Rubin and other prominent executives accused of sexual misconduct. CEO Sundar Pichai and co-founder Larry Page have since responded internally, but Googlers are planning to further voice their discontent at the golden parachutes often given to these ex-Googlers with a women’s walk.

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The New York Times today published a long report into a pattern of high-profile Google executives accused of sexual misconduct quietly let go from the company, but retaining massive payouts. Named former Googlers include Andy Rubin of Android and Amit Singhal of Search.

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The Essential Phone found success only after various fire sales and price cuts that made the device a true bargain. It comes as the company reportedly canceled development of its second phone in May and paused its smart home product. A new report today reveals that the Andy Rubin company is cutting 30% of its staff.

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Essential, a company created by the co-founder of Android, Andy Rubin, wanted to create not only a phone but also an ecosystem that would best any smartphone manufacturer out there. Unfortunately, likely due to poor sales, a report has emerged that states the second-generation Essential Phone has been canceled and the company might be up for sale.

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Australia’s ACCC is using information from Oracle to investigate Google and Android’s potential privacy issues and excess mobile data usage.

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Back in 2016, it seemed that the long-running Oracle vs. Google trial over the use of Java in Android was coming to a close. Google won a resounding victory with jurors ruling that the Android usage was fair use. Unsurprisingly, Oracle appealed and today won that decision, with wide-ranging applications for the tech industry.

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Andy Rubin, most notably known for being the co-creator of Android, made headlines back in 2013 when he left the mobile OS project as well as when he left Google entirely in 2014. While most have believed he left to start other ventures such as Essential, according to a report from The Information, Rubin departed from the search giant shortly after an internal investigation found evidence of him maintaining an “inappropriate relationship” with a female employee who worked for him…

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Earlier today, Andy Rubin and several executives from Essential hosted an AMA on Reddit to primarily discuss the Essential Phone. Notable highlights from the session include when the Android Oreo update is coming, as well as when the phone will be supported on Verizon, as well as European availability.

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This past Wednesday at WIRED’s Business Conference, Andy Rubin took the stage to share more about his new company, Essential. Having begun teasing various products over the previous months, we were eager to hear more.

After his on-stage appearance, 9to5Google got time to sit down with Rubin. We discussed how AmbientOS plans to play well with others, what his vision for the company is, and consumer walled-gardens.

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It’s just over two months since we got our first peek at the Essential Phone – a new smartphone from father-of-Android Andy Rubin – and we how have our first full look at the device and its specs.

Despite the name sounding like something basic, it’s a flagship device, priced at $699, having a near-bezel-free design, constructed from titanium and ceramic materials, and with an impressive spec …

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Essential, Andy Rubin’s upcoming smartphone startup, has just teased an announcement for next week on May 30th. Matching earlier reports of a mid-2017 launch, this is likely the reveal of the teased bezel-less device made by the creator of Android.

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With earlier confirmation that Andy Rubin’s next smartphone will run Android and be bezel-less, we now might have a general idea of the device’s specs. A purported benchmark from GFXBench paints a picture of a phone in line with 2017’s other flagships.

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Update: Eric Schmidt confirms that the Essential phone runs Android.

Phenomenal new choices for Android users coming very soon. An example! https://t.co/3fwvYl6vlu

— Eric Schmidt (@ericschmidt) March 29, 2017

A report from January told us that the father-of-Android Andy Rubin’s hardware startup “Essential” has been working on a bezel-less smartphone for its first consumer product launch. Today, Rubin took to Twitter to provide our very first look at (just a tiny corner of) the forthcoming phone.

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According to a report today out of The Wall Street Journal, SoftBank has pulled out of a deal to provide Essential with $100 million in funding. Essential reportedly plans to launch a premium smartphone to go head-to-head with the iPhone, and was founded by the father of Android, Andy Rubin…

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In late 2015, a report alleged that Android creator Andy Rubin was planning a return to the smartphone market after leaving Google and founding a startup incubator. Bloomberg now has details of a device expected to launch later this year with a premium build and third-party accessory ecosystem.

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After closing arguments wrapped up in the Google vs. Oracle case on Monday, the jury has come to a decision over the use of Java code in Android. Announced moments ago, the jury sided unanimously in Google’s favor.

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Before former Android head Andy Rubin left Google, he headed up Google’s robotics efforts. In 2013, Google acquired numerous companies and added 300 robotics engineers. The crown jewel was Boston Dynamics, already known for their animal- and human-like robots. However, Bloomberg is now reporting that Alphabet is selling Boston Dynamics.

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Wired has an excellent profile on Andy Rubin and his latest ventures post-Google. As creator of the original Android operating system that Google would eventually acquire and later a long-time Google employee on various Internet efforts at the company, a lot of people are waiting to see what Rubin does next since leaving Google over a year ago. 

In 2013, Rubin discussed his restlessness with Larry Page, and—as Rubin recounts it—the two men agreed it was time for a change. That March, Rubin stepped down from Android… For a year, Rubin spun up Google’s new robotics division, but he quickly realized that Google’s goals, which reportedly involve creating humanoid assistants, would take a decade of basic research.

We already knew that Rubin’s new company, Playground Global, would provide support and hands-on engineering assistance to hardware tech startups it’s investing in, but Rubin elaborated on the company’s plans, including describing what he hopes will eventually become an open platform for all companies building AI into their products:

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