Canonical puts Ubuntu on Android smartphones
Canonical has revealed Ubuntu for Android, a dual-OS concept that allows a smartphone to be used as a desktop when docked.
Ubuntu for Android features a full version of the open source desktop OS working alongside Google’s mobile OS.
When the phone is being used as a smartphone, it runs Android. When it’s docked into a laptop or a desktop setup, it automatically switches to Ubuntu, without user input or a restart.
With Ubuntu for Android, files and applications are shared between the two OSes. For example, calls and text messages can be sent and received via Ubuntu in desktop mode.
When in docked mode, Ubuntu fully syncs email, displays Wi-Fi and other connectivity just as a phone would - including offering 3G access should you want it - and pulls in Android contacts, music and apps.
Android continues to run in the background, with everything kept synchronised. For example, if you’re typing up an email in Ubuntu, but have to leave, picking up the phone from the dock will bring the message up in Android, allowing you to continue composing.
