You can then launch the software and run the Cotton Candy's Android environment in a secure window while you use your desktop OS outside the window. You can even transfer files between your notebook's native OS and the Cotton Candy's Android environment by dragging them off or on the USB stick's memory. We watched as FXI CEO Borgar Ljosland popped the Cotton Candy into his MacBook Pro and, within seconds, had the device's Android OS running in a full screen window and, though we didn't get to play with the device ourselves, we were impressed with how quickly it started up. HDTVs, monitors, and computers are just the tip of the iceberg for the Cotton Candy.
Borgar told us the device will be able to connect to tablets, smartphones, and even set top boxes via USB or Bluetooth. Imagine an iPhone running Android! Imagine walking into an Internet cafe or a business center, popping your Cotton Candy into a USB port, and having your own operating system and applications take over the device. Though the current prototype runs Android 2.3, Borgar told us that the ARM-based hardware can run Ubuntu Linux currently and future versions should be able to run the ARM version of Windows 8. Future versions of the device will have a USB 3 connector and faster processors.
Google has made no secret about its plans for Android. Smartphones and tablets are just the beginning — the company wants Android everywhere. And thanks to FXI Technologies’ Cotton Candy USB device, we may not have to wait long to see Android on more than just our mobile devices. FXI essentially built an ultra-lean computer inside a small USB stick. Stick it into any device that supports USB storage, and Cotton Candy will register as a USB drive. From there, you can run the Android OS in a secure environment inside your desktop, courtesy of a Windows/OSX/Linux-compatible virtualization client embedded in the device.
Stick Cotton Candy into a computer, and Android will appear in a virtualized window on your desktop. Cotton Candy is far more than just Android on a stick. For now, the Cotton Candy USB stick is a stopgap item — a small taste of what Android can be before it bursts outside its mobile boundaries. Unfortunately, since it’s not a proper Android device per se — i.e., it doesn’t comply with enough of Google’s--requirements to be considered “official” — you’ll be unable to access the Android Market from the device.--FXI’s Cotton Candy USB device might look like any other flash drive, but it packs smartphone parts like a dual-core 1.2GHz Samsung Exynos processor and its own ARM GPU for 1080p video playback. This Raspberry Pi-eqsue miniature PC comes with Android 2.3 (also known as Gingerbread).
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