Android smartphone users have waited over four months now since the release of Jelly Bean, and only a few smartphones have been upgraded. Still, today’s announcement is better than the wait Droid Razr and Razr Maxx customers had for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. That upgrade only just took place back in June – a full eight months after Ice Cream Sandwich was released.

I’t easy to see why Google is now pushing its Nexus lineup of products, featuring Jelly Bean and fast upgrades whenever a new Android OS is released. For years now, the developers of Android have been upgrading the mobile OS with features and capabilities, only to see manufacturers and carriers themselves take months to heavily modify the OS to suit them. These modifications often take out features (such as Wi-Fi hotspot and tethering) and arrive just when new versions of the OS have made them dated.

The latest Android distribution numbers from Google show that Android 2.3 Gingerbread is still on over 50% of Android devices. Jelly Bean, since its release at the beginning of July to the beginning of October, only managed to get onto 1.8% of Android devices. That’s less than the percentage of devices (1.9%) that the number show are running a version of Honeycomb, the now-defunct Android version for tablets.

The committee voted 9 to 6 to recommend Kynamro, and Isis will include the recommendation in its application for FDA approval. Though the vote will be considered when the drug is reviewed, the FDA is not bound by the recommendation.

“We are very encouraged by the support for Kynamro at today’s Advisory Committee meeting, which marks a significant and positive step in our efforts to bring this important new therapy to patients and families affected by this often unrecognized genetic disorder,” said David Meeker, President and CEO of Genzyme, Isis’ marketing partner for the new drug. “There is still a great need for the HoFH patients, who have exhausted conventional medications and still have LDL cholesterol levels 2 to 4 times above normal. Genzyme looks forward to working with the FDA as it completes its review of the Kynamro application.”

In making its decision, the committee reviewed data from a phase 3 study of Kynamro in HoFH patients, three other “supportive ” phase 3 studies of high-risk hypercholesterolemia patients, and and ongoing long term extension study

According to a Mobileburn report, the service is only available to a very specific few mobile subscribers. First, the app is only available to T-Mobile customers who have a Samsung Galaxy S III or Galaxy Relay 4G. Second, the app requires a special SIM card and the device must not be rooted. Of the subscribers who meet all of that criteria, only those living in Salt Lake City, Utah or Austin, Texas can get the app. These are the two cities in the Isis pilot program.

The Isis mobile app is AT&T’s, Verizon’s, and T-Mobile’s answer to Google Wallet and PayPal mobile payments. The service will allow users to complete purchases at participating retailers using their smartphone.

Though the iPhone 5 did not include NFC capabilities as expected, the mobile payment investments were already in place and multiple services (including one backed by Walmart and Target) will debut over the next year. T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom has been leading the push for mobile payment investment in Europe.

In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, Target said: “We are exploring potential solutions that would help us to deliver the fastest, most secure mobile-payment experience possible for our customers.”

No details have been released about when it will launch, but they will have to move quickly to compete with Google Wallet. The company has grown by leaps and bounds since it launched last September on the Sprint Nexus S. Since then they claim support from 22 of the largest U.S. Retail chains, allowing users access to over 300,000 MasterCard PayPass-enabled terminals. Just this week they have announced ten new phones that will support the app.

Isis, the mobile payment system offered by Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, has already announced plans to launch its service this summer. Isis, like Google Wallet, will enable consumers to conduct point-of-sale transactions and use loyalty cards via their mobile device carriers.

More and more retailers are looking for the inside track in an industry that is expected to double or triple in next few years, potentially reaching $670 billion transactions by 2015.

Bedier, speaking at the “Mobile Money: Delivering Innovative Mobile Payment Services” segment, added that Google Wallet will support the new LG Viper, along with other smartphones later. Bedier added that Google is in talks with other carriers, device manufacturers, point-of-sale tech vendors, and various financial institutions in regards to expanding their Near Field Communications system.

“We believe the ecosystem has taken off,” Beier stated, according to Fiercemobile Content, adding that “tens of thousands of transaction terminals supporting Google Wallet are joining the network every month.” Fiercemobile also cites 22 U.S. retail chains that support Google Wallet – these include Jamba Juice, OfficeMax, American Eagle and Foot Locker, to name a few. There are also 300K Mastercard Paypass terminals, and Bedier pointed out that service is good in convenoence stores, but Google hopes to hopes to expand to more fast food restaurants.

Isis, the NFC “mobile wallet” joint venture between AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile will go up against Google Wallet later this year, when trials commence in Salt Lake City and Austin, TX.

Sprint currently affords Google Wallet to Samsung’s Android-powered Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus users.

The UI looks simple enough, with a list of your current payment options (Chase, Capitol One, and Barclay were the first to sign up for the service). Along the bottom we have “Isis Feed” (most likely a payment history page), “Directory” (a list of shopping outlets that will accept the Isis payment system), and “More” (settings).

The NFC-based mobile payment system was created by Verizon, T-mobile and AT&T to try and make mobile payments a common practice.

Verizon came under fire late last year when it was discovered that Google Wallet was not supported on their version of the Galaxy Nexus phone. Critics claimed it was intentionally blocked to prevent customers from using Verizon’s soon-to-be competitor.

Isis will go live this summer, starting in Salt Lake City, UT and Austin, TX as a test run, then nationwide access soon after.

Now, Isis is getting a new injection of funds to the tune of $100 million from the three mobile carriers, as it aims to take on Google Wallet, according to a report from Bloomberg.

“Our mobile commerce network, through relationships with merchants, will provide an enhanced, more convenient, more personalized shopping experience for consumers,” Isis CEO Michael Abbott said back when it was announced.

“While mobile payments will be at the core of our offering, it is only the start,” he said at the time. “We plan to create a mobile wallet that ultimately eliminates the need for consumers to carry cash, credit and debit cards, reward cards, coupons, tickets and transit passes.”

Google introduced Google Wallet in May as an app that turns your phone into your wallet:

“A key benefit to retailers will be the integration of coupons, or offers, into Google Wallet. We’ve been testing a variety of offers – from discounts directly within search ads to check-in offers to offers in Google Places,” said Google Director of Commerce Partnerships, Spencer Spinnell. “Over time, consumers will be able to save each of these offers directly to their Google Wallet. That means consumers will get the benefit of carrying their offers with them at all times, bringing retailers targeted foot traffic.”

With Google trying to acquire Motorola Mobility, it will be quite interesting to see how all of this plays out. Remember that Google Wallet will likely be integrated with Google Offers and Google+.

Discover Financial Services and Barclays Plc are also participating in the joint venture which will allow people to pay for purchases with their smartphones.  ISIS is expected to be introduced in larger markets during the next 18 months.

Michael Abbott has been named as Chief Executive Officer of Isis. Formerly with GE Capital, Abbott is a veteran financial services executive with experience in the payment and technology industries.

“Our mobile commerce network, through relationships with merchants, will provide an enhanced, more convenient, more personalized shopping experience for consumers,” said Michael Abbott, Chief Executive Officer of Isis.

“While mobile payments will be at the core of our offering, it is only the start. We plan to create a mobile wallet that ultimately eliminates the need for consumers to carry cash, credit and debit cards, reward cards, coupons, tickets and transit passes.”

There are many similarities between ISIS and OSPF, but one major difference is that ISIS has three different types of routers – Level 1 (L1), Level 2 (L2), and L1/L2.

L1 routers are contained in a single area, and are connected to other areas by an L1/L2 router. The L1 uses the L1/L2 router as a default gateway to reach destinations contained in other areas, much like an OSPF stub router uses the ABR as a default gateway.

L1 routers have no specific routing table entries regarding any destination outside their own area; they will use an L1/L2 router as a default gateway to reach any external networks. ISIS L1 routers in the same area must synchronize their databases with each other.

Just as we have L1 routers, we also have L2 routers. Anytime we\re routing between areas (inter-area routing), an L2 or L1/L2 router must be involved. All L2 routers will have synchronized databases as well.

Both L1 and L2 routers send out their own hellos. As with OSPF, hello packets allow ISIS routers to form adjacencies. The key difference here is that L1 routers send out L1 hellos, and L2 routers send out L2 hellos. If you have an L1 router and an L2 router on the same link, they will not form an adjacency.

An ISIS router can act as an L1 and an L2 router at the same time; these routers are L1/L2 routers. An L1/L2 router can have neighbors in separate ISIS areas.

The L1/L2 router will have two separate databases, though – one for L1 routes and another for L2 routes.

L1/L2 is the default setting for Cisco routers running ISIS. The L1/L2 router is the router that makes it possible for an L1 router to send data to another area.

In the next part of my ISIS tutorial, we\ll take a more detailed look at those ISIS hellos!

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Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage (www.thebryantadvantage.com), home of FREE CCNA and CCNP tutorials and daily exam questions, as well as The Ultimate CCNA and CCNP Study Packages.

For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, “How To Pass The CCNA” or “How To Pass The CCNP”, and for free daily exam question, visit the website and download your copies!

To pass the BSCI exam and earn your CCNP, youll need to know these differences! Today, well take a look at ISIS Hello types and the adjacency types that form through the use of these Hellos.

Hello packets have been mentioned several times with ISIS, and with good reason. Hello packets are the heartbeat of OSPF and ISIS when heartbeats are no longer heard from a neighbor, that adjacency will be dropped. A major difference between OSPF and ISIS is that OSPF has one type of Hello packet, where ISIS actually has three!

An ES Hello (ESH) is send by all End Systems, and all IS devices listen for this Hello. This is how a router (IS) discovers a host (ES).

An IS Hello (ISH) announces the presence of an IS. An IS Hello is sent by all IS devices, and End Systems listen for these hellos.

An IS-to-IS Hello (IIH) is used by an IS to discover other ISes and to form adjacencies with them.

An interesting side note: A router will send an IIH to another router on the link to form or maintain an adjacency, but it will still send an ISH as well in case there are end systems located on that segment.

ISIS and OSPF both create and maintain adjacencies with the Hello packet. Lets take a look at the rules regarding ISIS adjacencies as well as the adjacency types.

L1 and L2 Hellos are different messages, so an L1 router must exchange Hellos with another L1 router to form an adjacency, just as L2 routers form adjacencies with L2 routers. L1 routers can only form an adjacency with an L2 router if one of the two routers involved is actually an L1/L2 router.

L1 routers must be in the same area in order to form an adjacency. The Hello timers, as well as the MTU, must match between the interfaces used to form the adjacency.

Thats a lot of L1, L2, and L1/L2, isnt it? Lets review the adjacencies each router type can form:

L1: Can form adjacency with any L1 in the same area and any L1/L2 in the same area.

L2: Can form adjacency with any L2 in any area, and with an L1/L2 in any area.

L1/L2: Can form adjacency with any L1 in the same area, L1/L2 in any area, and L2 in any area.

Knowing the similarities and differences regarding ISIS and OSPF is vital for CCNP exam success. Take your time, master the fundamentals, and before long the magic letters “CCNP” are behind your name and on your resume!

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Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage (www.thebryantadvantage.com), home of FREE CCNA and CCNP tutorials and daily exam questions, as well as The Ultimate CCNA and CCNP Study Packages.

For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, “How To Pass The CCNA” or “How To Pass The CCNP”, and for free daily exam question, visit the website and download your copies!