Quantum – a UI Improvement or a Big Challenge for Developers?

Android OS does not require meeting UI standards strictly. It is convenient for mobile device vendors as they can customize layouts (Sense, TouchWiz, etc.). Thus they are able to provide unique solutions for their customers and keep those satisfied customers for a long time. The opposite is complete inconsistency in design of Android OS that is running on devices from different manufacturers and design variance in applications.

With Android 3.0 Honeycomb Google introduced Holo. Holo had to be a standard theme for Android application. The main idea of Holo was to unify the layout a nd provide the same user experience with all apps. In order to provide a bit of variety developers were given Holo Dark, Holo Light and Holo Light with dark action bars. Holo is supported even by earlier Android OS versions (2.x). This did not make significant effect. As a good example Google created Nexus smartphone and tablets line to show benefits of pure Android and its UI. Anyway Google requires manufacturers to include Holo files in their distribution regardless of customization to provide ability for developers to support Holo in their apps. Choosing Holo guarantees app to look the same on every compatible device.



 These days we hear a lot about upcoming big change – Quantum, the new unified design framework from Google. Taking in account not so much popular Holo, Quantum has to become something that is not just a UI standard.


The goal of Quantum is to provide completely new paradigm for interaction, motion and, of course, visual design. This will result in fresh and consistent design across all platforms. Let’s wait for release of Android “L” which has to come with Quantum Framework and guidelines for new design.

STT-MRAM /Spintronics-based technology may replace volatile memory

Most parts of present computers are made with volatile devices such as transistors and dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which loses information when powered off. So computers are designed on the premise that power is "normally on."

Back in 2000, the concept of "instant on" computers based on magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) emerged as a way to reduce that irritatingly long hang time associated with powering up – but it comes with a big tradeoff because it requires using volatile devices that continue to devour energy after the initial power up.

By 2001, researchers in Japan figured out a way to eliminate this pointless energy loss by using a nonvolatile function of advanced spin-transfer torque magnetoresistive random access memory (STT-MRAM) technology to create a new type of computer: a "normally off" one.

STT-MRAM no longer requires an electromagnetic coil for both writing and reading information. We're excited by this paradigm shift and are working on developing a variety of technologies for next-generation electronics devices."

The potential for redesigning present-day technologies so that computer power consumption is zero during any short intervals when users are absent is that may lead to extremely energy-efficient personal devices powered by a hand-crank or embedded solar panel. Such devices would find use in a wide swath of applications ranging from mobile computing to wearable or embedded electronics, and they would be of particular interest to the healthcare, safety, and educational industries.

We need high-performance nonvolatile devices that don't require a power supply to retain information to create 'normally off' computers while simultaneously guaranteeing sufficiently high-speed operation to manipulate information," Ando said. "The main memory, for example, requires performance as fast as 10 to 30 nanoseconds, and a density as high as 1 Gigabit per chip."

If STT-MRAM is to play a key role for "normally off" computers, it will first require the integration of a variety of technologies,