Roth, Daniel.  "Google's Open Source Android OS Will Free the Wireless Web."  Wired.  June 2008 Issue.  Conde Nast Publications.  New York, NY.

This feature article, printed in Wired a few months before the release of Tmobile's G1 - the first phone to run on Google's Android operating system, provides a comprehensive history of the development of Android and a summary of what's at stake and what Google hopes to accomplish with the OS.  The article begins by describing the first meeting between Android founder Andy Rubin and Google cofounder Larry Page in 2005.  Rubin, who had previously invented the Sidekick smartphone, had only hoped to acquire Page's moral support - even just an email saying Android was a good idea - since Page's seal of approval could help Rubin get more funding for his start-up.  Yet, by the end of the meeting - and much to Rubin's surprise - Page decided he wanted to buy Android and make it a Google product.

Since that meeting, Android has gone on to gain the support of a number of major mobile industry players - including Tmobile, Sprint Nextel, Motorola and HTC - who have all named themselves part of the Open Handset Alliance and Google managed to stir up considerable buzz with its developer challenge - a contest with a prize of $10 million to anyone who could develop the best Android application.  But, as the article points out, making Android work has not come without its challenges, and remains to be seen if the OS will gain the popularity that Google wants.  For instance, mobile phone companies are wary of the fact that, by creating a perfect and complete mobile web surfing experience, Android could make it harder for companies to differentiate from each other.  Networks would become "dumb pipes" that would merely deliver data and not play a part in building individualized mobile internet capabilities, thus making the choice between networks a matter of which one has the most towers.  For this reason, Google still lacks the support of the two biggest mobile carriers: Verizon and AT&T, who together control 54% of the US market.  As the article points out, Android needs their support to succeed. 

The article does an excellent job of summarizing Google's strategic goals with Android as well as the potential shortcomings of the OS.  Reading this article almost a year after its initial publication (and almost 6 months after the release of the G1) makes it clear just how apt it was in pinpointing the challenges to Android's market success.  The article mentions how Google has a tendency to release its applications as sort of beta models, with the hopes that they can be developed and improved down the line for future success.  The problem is that Google in a way took the same approach with Android, which made it a much more difficult sell based upon first impressions.  Considering the sleek presentation of Apple's iPhone, the "unfinished" look and feel of Android has likely worked against the success of the OS.  While success may come down the line as developers become more adept and creative with the Android code, Google's laissez faire attitude has likely slowed widespread adoption of the OS.

Gardiner, Bryan.  "Google's Latest Efforts Test the Open Waters."  Wired.com.  November 9, 2007.

This article discusses Google's forrays into arena of open source technology and places them within the context of past open source endeavors by other companies.  The most revelatory aspect of this article is the emphasis on the fact that open source technologies are not unfamiliar territory for media companies.  In fact, the article describes Google's strategy with Android as a "classic move," that is, a big company taking on a collaborative project in a market where it has little presence.  While, in the short term, it may seem Google has little to gain by partnering with Android, there could be huge gains in the long term.  The best case scenario for Google would be dominance in the mobile market, which is currently up for grabs.

Although Google hasn't won over Verizon or AT&T, and it has some stiff competition from companies like Microsoft over domination of the mobile market, the article notes that networks would benefit from partnering with Google, since Google is known to drive data usage rates, which could in turn lead to more money for networks.  Ultimately, the success or failure of Android will not be evident in the short run, since domination of the mobile market is likely to be a long process.  However, even if Android does ultimately fail, it will still likely cause mobile web technology to evolve, and any impovement to mobile internet surfing is a boon for Google, meaning Google's investment in Android is essentially a win-win situation for the company.

Krazit, Tom.  "Google restores tethering app for Android users outside U.S."  CNET.com.  April 2, 2009. 

This article from technology web site CNET presents a news story about Google's pulling an application from its app market due to a violation of Tmobiles terms of service.  The app, which was a tethering app - an app that can be used by Mac and PC users to gain access to the internet through their phones, was banned by Tmobile and was subsequently removed from all app markets by Google.  The problem was that the terms of service violation only applied within the United States and with phones that were locked.  Google quickly remedied its universal takedown by putting the app back up on app markets outside the U.S. and by restoring access for unlocked phones. 

The news story is not so much notable for the tethering app in particular, but rather because it presents an instance in which Google's open access software comes into direct conflict with the network operator on which it runs.  The article notes how "It appears Google's commitment to making Android a completely open operating system will be tested by the reality of how wireless carriers have traditionally controlled the applications that run on their network."  This is an important point because it highlights an inherent contradiction in the ways open source software and mobile network operators function.  This contradiction will likely prove to be one of Google's primary challenges in establishing Android as a widely used operating system in the mobile market.

"What is Android?."  Android.com.  Retrieved on April 7 from http://www.android.com/about/.

This introduction to Android, as presented by Google on the Android web site, provides a brief explanation of what Android is, with an emphasis on the capabilities and potential for innovation that the operating system provides.  The introduction is written in relatively simple, non technical language, and is broken down into four sections: one describing how Android is "open," another describing the equal status among applications, another describing the breakdown of barriers between applications, and a final one describing the fast and easy development of applications. 

This introduction does a good job of breaking down some of the basic capabilities of Android and it gives the reader an idea of the core philosophy behind Android.  The language is mostly in layman's terms, suggesting the intro is written for a general audience.  The page is notable for its lack of Google branding.  Instead, the page describes Android as being developed by the Open Handset Alliance (the consortium of Android supporters gathered by Google).  Although Google has been the primary player in developing Android, the decision to present Android as a product of an alliance seems to be in line with Google's attempts to market Android as a non-proprietary piece of software.