Android G1 News: October 2008

Saturday, October 25, 2008

mocoNews.net - HTC Releases Its G1 Sales Forecasts, But Are They To Be Believed?

HTC is finally going public with the number of G1 phones it expects to sell by the end of the year?600,000 is the figure it is offering up. But is the company intentionally lowballing its forecast?

Sales projections are a tricky game for device manufacturers. It's an opportunity for companies like Apple ( NSDQ: AAPL) and HTC to boast about how well they plan their products to perform, but it's also a chance to appear surprised later when they outperform their own forecasts. Apple recently surpassed its long-stated goal of selling 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008. By year's end, the number could be closer than 15 million, in which case financial analysts would likely heap praise on the company.

Is HTC setting itself up for a similar power punch? Leading up to CEO Peter Chou's interview with the Mercury News where he first mentioned the 600,000 number, pre-sales estimates were all over the map from 70,000 to 1.5 million (although the latter was rightfully slammed for using tortured math). We called HTC for more elaboration on the 600,000 figure and will update this post when we hear back from them.

After spending more than $10 million and almost three years in development, HTC launched the first Google-branded phone with T-Mobile earlier this week. Leading up to its launch, HTC had a team of employees camped out at Google ( NSDQ: GOOG) headquarters for almost a year, Chou said. "Of course we are not de-prioritizing Windows Mobile by any means. However, with Android we can do more." He wouldn't dive into 2009 predictions, but said HTC is confident it can carve out its niche in a market that includes the likes of Apple and BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion. Apple has driven a lot of hype around the potential of smartphones, and HTC benefits from that as well, he said. But how can it steal potential iPhone buyers? "HTC products are very pragmatic and productive. We have spent a tremendous effort to make our product better? It may not be as sexy as others. But it's very nice, very mature and a very good experience." HTC also believes it can drive interest around the G1 because of its keyboard. Chou: "Americans are very keyboard-oriented."

Source: washingtonpost.com

T-Mobile employees clueless about the G1

It appears that many T-Mobile stores tell customers that they do not sell the G1 because they are out of the 3G coverage area. Although all of the stores may have the large posters of the G1 and even a demo model many are saying they don’t sell them, when in reality you can purchase one wherever you are located within the US.

Whether or not the employees are well informed or not, the store may not have them in stock, but they can order one for you. Many people have been turned away which in some cases persuade the customer not to even bother trying to get the phone when it is as simple as ordering it. Neil Gaiman was a victim of the ignorance of others, writing about it on his blog. It strikes us as odd to read that the employees did not seem to know what it was they were talking about.

“I opened the Google window and found myself looking at an advert for a G1 phone. A couple of clicks later I was on the T-mobile website, checking prices and thinking, “Well, I do need a new phone…”

But randomly buying a phone I haven’t even held seemed like, well, something that I couldn’t imagine myself doing. I wanted to hold it. I wanted to know the specs and such, so I put dog in the back of the car and drove to the local T-Mobile shop.

I knew I was in the right place because there were huge posters everywhere, some bigger than I was, all advertising the new t-Mobile G1.

“Hello,” I said, like a man entering a cheeseshop. “I’d like to play with a G1, please.”

There was a man and a woman behind the counter. They said they were sorry but they didn’t have a G1 for me to play with.

“When will you get them in?”

“We won’t get them in.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Look, are we talking about the same thing? G1 phone. The one on that poster. And that poster. And that one…” The posters were staring at me from the counter. They were all around me.

“No. We won’t sell it. We’re out of the range and the Google and things that the phone comes with, they won’t work on it.”

I pulled out my phone, a Nokia N 73, with a T-Mobile SIM card, that happily spends much too much time on the internet doing, er, Google and things. “But this works here…”

“The G1 won’t work. It won’t do the Google here. So we aren’t allowed to sell it.”

“But….” I tried to think with this. then I said, “But you have posters.” I gestured at them. All pictures of the phone in question, extolling its virtues and explaining that you could only get it here.

“We’re a T-Mobile franchise. They send them to us. That’s what we have to put up. The posters they send.”

“Well, can we talk about the G1 specs?”

“We don’t know them.” The man and the woman behind the counter seemed very sad about this. The man added, wistfully,”We don’t even know the price.”

I knew the price, from the website earlier, and I felt guilty about this.

“They have them in the Twin Cities,” said the woman. “You could buy one there.”

“But if I buy it there, it still won’t work here?”

“No,” she said, with sadness and with, I suspect envy in her voice. “but they sell it.”

There was a bit of a pause. I think I may have said, “Sorry about the posters,” as I went out, or I may have just thought it very loudly. They all had pretty pictures of the G1 on them, a phone I don’t think I’m going to bother getting.”
[Via Neil Gaiman's Journal]

Thursday, October 23, 2008

T-Mobile and Google roll out the G1 handset in the U.S.

TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) -- T-Mobile USA Inc. and Google rolled out in the U.S. the G1 mobile-phone handset, the first phone powered by the Mountain View, Calif., search-engine giant's (GOOG:

google inc cl a

News, chart, profile, more

Last: 354.00-8.75-2.41%
4:00pm 10/22/2008
Delayed quote data

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

BreadCrumbz G1 Android app plots Point A to Point B

BreadCrumbz (beta) is another one of the new Android apps I like. I got a run-through of the free multimedia directions app a few months ago with the developer, and I gave it a spin on my own here in San Francisco. BreadCrumbz uses GPS, Google maps, and the G1's camera phone to help you track a route, like directions from the train station to your house.

You essentially start a new route, take photos along the way to mark the path, and label everything with helpful hints. You can tag an image and annotate it with an arrow or other signs to show your viewers what they're looking at; for instance, the hidden staircase leading to that exclusive restaurant. Voice recording will come in time, but right now the button goes nowhere.

BreadCrumbz also clocks the distance and walking or driving time between points, to give whoever plays the route a gauge. The context menu pulls up more options to plot yourself on a map and get an animated compass. Mapped directions is another feature that's still to come.

You'll need to sign up for a BreadCrumz account to share the image, which is something you can do from the phone interface. Regardless, you can save routes to the phone memory or expansion card for later retrieval.

BreadCrumbz requires some effort up front to plot and annotate the route, but you or whoever you send it to will be happy for the detail when the route takes the ambiguity out of directions from Point A to Point B.

Read more about the Google Android G1 phone on CNET.

First impression of Android G1 phone with video

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The $179 T-Mobile G1 phone, officially released Wednesday (Oct 22), is the second truly compelling mobile Internet device I have seen, following the Apple iPhone.

I got a review model late Tuesday and it didn't take long to see it provides a really useful Web experience that, like the iPhone, is a quantum leap ahead of today's mainstream handsets.

The open source code for Android is now available for all takers. By next year many more cellphone makers will have devices on the market using Android including giants such as Samsung on down to the many local competitors of Taiwan's HTC which designed this phone.

In fact, that is the single most important take-away from this device and the point of the "first look" video below.

I'll be taking some more time to explore the handset in coming days and will post other observations. My colleagues from Portelligent and Semiconductor Insights are already at work on teardowns of the handset. Watch this space.

Source: eetimes.com

Google Android G1 is Open Source Cell Phone

As you might have heard, on the 22nd of October we will start to see the first deliveries of the T-Mobile G1, the first phone based on the Android mobile platform. This is an incredibly exciting time for us, the culmination of over three years of work done by hundreds of people at the companies that make up the Open Handset Alliance. All of us are waiting with bated breath to see how the phone is used and what its impact will be on the future of mobile phones and computing.

But that's tomorrow....

Today I'm very proud to announce that we are releasing the code that went into that same revolutionary device. Let me present Android: the first complete and highly functional, mass market, Open Source mobile platform. Built with and on top of a bunch of Open Source software, this is one of the largest releases in the history of FOSS. Our goal was to make millions of terrific phones possible, to raise the bar on what people can expect from any mobile phone and to release the code that makes it possible.

So check out the code, build a device, send in some patches and become a committer.

MobiHand Launching Android App Store, Colors Us Confused

Coinciding with the launch of the G1, mobile app seller MobiHand is putting up its own store dedicated specifically to Android apps, called OnlyAndroid.com. The company is touting it as the first store supporting both free and paid applications for the Android OS, which is a little funny considering that Google's widely rumored to be coming out with its own payment system AND at least one other third-party store's already been announced.

Both Mobihand and Handango are totally allowed to open their own third-party Android app stores, thanks to the “don't worry, you don't need to jailbreak anything,” position Google's taken. But you have to wonder if having a whole bunch of application outlets isn't a tad bit confusing. What does it mean to have so many parallel marketplaces? Will certain stores sell specific apps for cheaper? Can you bargain? With the minutes counting down to the G1 launch, it would be nice if we at least knew how buying things on the Android was going to work.

T-Mobile Launches the Highly Anticipated T-Mobile G1

T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced the national availability of the highly anticipated T-Mobile G1 with Google, the first Android™-powered mobile phone. The T-Mobile G1 combines full touch-screen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a rich mobile Web experience, dozens of Android Market applications, and popular Google products that millions have enjoyed on the desktop, including Google Maps Street View™, Gmail™, YouTube™ and others.

Beginning today, consumers can purchase the phone in select retail stores across the country and online at http://www.T-MobileG1.com.

“During the past month, we’ve seen unbridled excitement for the T-Mobile G1 and the positive impact it will have on the mobile lives of our customers,” said Denny Marie Post, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile USA. “In fact, among those T-Mobile customers who have pre-ordered the phone, roughly half have traded up from a basic handset, illustrating the leap many consumers are taking to a rich, accessible mobile Web experience. Its design, functionality and value make the first-of-its-kind T-Mobile G1 a truly approachable device for the masses.”

With a fun and intuitive user interface and one-touch access to Google Search, the T-Mobile G1 is the first phone to offer access to Android Market, which hosts unique applications and mashups of existing and new services from developers around the world. Customers can find and download a wide range of innovative applications—from games to social networking and on-the-go shopping—to personalize their phone and enhance their mobile lifestyle. Even better, for a limited time, the dozens of applications available on Android Market are available free-of-charge for T-Mobile G1 users.

“With new, high-value applications constantly being added to Android Market for customers to discover, the T-Mobile G1 is the phone that grows with you,” said Post. “And as the Market continues to grow and evolve, the possibilities are virtually endless.”

Customers can purchase and carry away the T-Mobile G1 at T-Mobile retail stores and select third-party stores in major cities where T-Mobile’s 3G service is currently available. T-Mobile 3G service is currently available in 95 major cities across top population centers. For a list of cities where T-Mobile 3G service is available, please visit http://www.T-MobileG1.com/3G.aspx or see T-Mobile’s Personal Coverage Check tool, available online at http://www.T-Mobile.com/Coverage. All T-Mobile stores across the country will have demonstration devices on-hand and can assist customers with ordering the device for delivery at a later date.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Samsung Epix i907 hot today T-Mobile G1 tomorrow

Today saw the launch of the Samsung Epix i907 and as such has been the hottest cell phone of the day, but all that will change tomorrow when we see the launch of the T-Mobile G1. It seems a shame that the Samsung Epix i907 will only have one day to itself.

The Samsung Epix i907has been launched by AT&T and has to be one of their thickest handsets. The cell phone comes with Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro as well as a QWERTY keyboard, and a touch-screen with haptic feedback.

All of that will be forgotten about tomorrow, all people will want to know about is the T-Mobile G1, the first handset to run on the Google Android software. You have to wonder why Samsung and AT&T decided to launch the Epix i907, just one day before the launch of one of the most anticipated handsets this year.

Source:product-reviews.net

Android G1 has data problem?

At least a few people who got their T-Mobile G1 in the mail today—one day before the official launch—are having issues activating the data plan with their SIM card. One person was told by customer service that they simply couldn't use it until tomorrow, although T-Mobile PR has assured us that's not the case, and that anyone having problems should try turning the phone off and back on. Failing that, hit up customer service, though it doesn't appear to have been too helpful in Andrea's case. Have any of guys been had data issues?

Source:[Android Forums]

Too early to start talking about Google Android T-Mobile G2?

T-Mobile is thinking considerably ahead. Consumers haven't even had the chance to get hands on and to grips with the first Google Android smartphone, evaluating whether they've made great purchase or a horrible mistake, but there are already talks of a successor. It's thought T-Mobile will apply a bit of logic to the name by naming it the G2 (so as not to confuse the simpletons), but it's not definitely the G2 you're seeing in the picture. It could be, but as it's just a mock-up it's not a good idea to get attached to its gorgeous (and possibly fake) design.

Like most successors, the next generation Google Android smartphone is tipped to be a huge improvement on the original. It'll provide twice the screen resolution, tilting screen, interactive high speed widgets and much more space.

Your guess is as good as mine as to when we're going to hear about the G2 again. Perhaps when the G1 dust settles? What is for certain though, is T-mobile employees are going to be a bunch of busy bees over the next few months.

source:shinyshiny.tv

Monday, October 20, 2008

Google Gphone Android's Life.

Despite all of the very interesting speculation over the last few months, we're not announcing a Gphone. However, we think what we are announcing -- the Open Handset Alliance and Android -- is more significant and ambitious than a single phone. In fact, through the joint efforts of the members of the Open Handset Alliance, we hope Android will be the foundation for many new phones and will create an entirely new mobile experience for users, with new applications and new capabilities we can’t imagine today.

Android is the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. It includes an operating system, user-interface and applications -- all of the software to run a mobile phone, but without the proprietary obstacles that have hindered mobile innovation. We have developed Android in cooperation with the Open Handset Alliance, which consists of more than 30 technology and mobile leaders including Motorola, Qualcomm, HTC and T-Mobile. Through deep partnerships with carriers, device manufacturers, developers, and others, we hope to enable an open ecosystem for the mobile world by creating a standard, open mobile software platform. We think the result will ultimately be a better and faster pace for innovation that will give mobile customers unforeseen applications and capabilities.

Three Hot G1 Android Apps Already Out

In June 2007, the world was eagerly awaiting a product that would turn mobile computing on its proverbial ear, the Apple iPhone. Comparisons between the days leading up to that launch and this week are inevitable, as we once again find ourselves anxiously awaiting a groundbreaking mobile product, the first Android-powered mobile phone, the T-Mobile G1 launching on Wednesday, October 22.

The makers of the "Google phone" - and the developers who hope to build apps for it - have had the opportunity to watch Apple over the past year, learning from their mistakes - and their successes. One of those lessons learned? People want apps. Let's take a look at three of the first Android apps out of the gates.

BooRah on the G1 The alpha release of BooRah Restaurant Search promises to deliver the power of the BooRah restaurant review service - which has been reviewed favorably by ReadWriteWeb - to the Android platform, giving G1 users access to search user reviews, types of fare, restaurant locations, and maps.

imeem on the G1 One of the leading streaming music services and a frequent subject of ours, imeem, plans to "make Android sing" with its streaming social music app that delivers the power of imeem's user recommendations to the mobile platform. According to imeem, the app will have seamless integration between the mobile app and the imeem site.

MySpace on the G1 Not to be outdone on the social front, MySpace has announced the MySpace Mobile App for Android which promises to bring a number of the site's features to the mobile platform, including providing status updates, uploading photos, and approving friends.

App store drama rears its head

Getting apps to users right of the gates was clearly motivated by the hindsight of Apple's reticence to do so. The Android team definitely made the right decision in that regard.

One of the mistakes that the G1 appears doomed to repeat, however, is the management of those applications in the Android Market, the distribution hub for Android applications.

Android Community reveals that the more than 50 apps which could appear in the Market have been whittled down to 13 lucky applications. According to Android Community, "many of the top applications that have been reviewed already will not be there."

Will this initial selection result in the same turmoil it has for Apple? Or was this simply a means of staging the rollout of apps? The answer to that question remains to be seen.

Surely more to come

While we're getting down to the wire, there's still a lot of time before the G1 comes out on Wednesday. No doubt, this is just the beginning of the information we'll be seeing on new Android apps. Stay tuned to ReadWriteWeb for the latest news as it becomes available.

Source: readwriteweb.com

Android-Powered G1 to Premiere in San Francisco

On Tuesday evening, a San Francisco store will be the first to sell the hotly anticipated Google Android-powered phone -- getting an 11-hour head start on the rest of the country.

The T-Mobile store located at 699 Market St. will begin selling the HTC T-Mobile G1 on Tuesday at 6 p.m. PDT. A T-Mobile spokeswoman is advising interested buyers to line up early, as supply is limited. She did not specify how many units the store will be carrying.

All other T-Mobile locations will open doors early at 8 a.m. PDT Wednesday (yes, 5 a.m. on the east coast) to begin selling the phone.

The G1 will be the first handset running Google's Android operating system. Though some early reviews express concerns about the handset's bulky, "fugly" aesthetic, consumers and developers are generally more excited about the implications of Google Android's open-platform market, which, in theory, will allow programmers to code any applications for the OS without restrictions.

Source: wired.com

Android?s SugarTrip Takes A New Approach To Dodging Street Traffic

With the impending release of the first phone to feature Google's Android platfrom, we're beginning to see a few of the first apps that will be available through Google's Android Market. Among these is SugarTrip, an application that takes an innovative approach to measuring street traffic by taking advantage of the GPS units that will be integrated into most Android phones.

As users drive their cars, SugarTrip will measure how quickly they're traveling and report their speeds back to a central server. The company says that while the traffic updates available on sites like Google Maps do an acceptable job, they are only useful on interstate highways and rely on computer models based on only a few datapoints. Conversely SugarTrip will be able to provide data on far more streets with many more data points (assuming the application can establish a significant user base).

Moto Android phone to carry touch, keyboard?

Motorola's social networking Android phone will promise to more directly compete against the iPhone and T-Mobile's imminent G1, a leak to BusinessWeek suggests. Although it will share the G1's use of a slide-out keyboard, the handset should have a significantly larger screen closer to the size of the iPhone's 3.5-inch display and will have styling cues somewhat like those of the Krave, positioning it as a more luxuriant alternative to HTC's phone.

Pricing would also be closer to the slightly less expensive Krave than the G1, which would supply the future Android hardware at $150 with a two-year contract. Although the cellphone designer is reportedly showing images and features for the system to carriers, an American release isn't anticipated until spring of next year, or several months after the G1's launch this week.

In addition to the social networking component, which will likely to tap into sites such as Facebook or MySpace, Android will give access to several Google-developed advanced features such as Google Maps and a full HTML web browser, both of which have been rare on Motorola's current phones.

The design recalls descriptions and early leaks for the Alexander but is unlikely to share much similarity with the already-shown handset, which has a smaller screen and is built around Windows Mobile. Either smartphone, however, is considered an important device for the company, which has struggled to hold on to market share without original RAZR-like success for any of its modern products.

Source: electronista.com

Motorola Springs For Android

After HTC, it's Motorola that is readying to jump on to the Android bandwagon.

Motorola is likely to launch a handset in the second quarter of 2009 that will be based on Google's newly released Android operating system, according to a report in BusinessWeek.

Motorola's phone will have an Apple iPhone-like touchscreen (which phone doesn't these days!), a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and "social network-friendly features," says the report.

It's no surprise that Motorola is taking to Android, the latest mobile operating system from Google. The first Android based phone, HTC & T-Mobile's G1 phone, has received positive reviews for the operating system though the hardware didn't meet with the same level of approval.

Source : wired.com

For Motorola which has been struggling to turn around its handset business, betting on Android could be the right move. The company is already one of the members of the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) which promotes Android.

"Motorola is pleased to see the industry enthusiasm and support of the Android operating system," said a company spokesperson in an emailed statement. "As a pioneer in mobile Linux and a founder of OHA, Motorola believes Android promises to be one of the most powerful, flexible and customizable open platforms, enabling truly integrated mobile hardware, software and web experiences."

"We’re excited about the innovation possibilities on Android, and look forward to delivering great products in partnership with Google and the Open Handset Alliance community," added Motorola.

Timing though will be the company's biggest challenge, says Michael Gartenberg, vice president of Jupitermedia on his MobileDevicesToday blog.

"In the past Motorola's shown off lots of cool stuff that took way too long to get to market," says Gartenberg. "It's likely we will see an next iteration of HTCs handset by the time Motorola ships."

That means Motorola will face have to compete against the second generation of Android devices and not what's on the market currently, he says.

Motorola will also have to contend with rivals LG and Samsung who are expected to release handsets based on the Android OS next year.

What Do You Want To Know About Google's T-Mobile G1 'GPhone'? (GOOG)

Google's (GOOG) first Android smartphone, the T-Mobile G1, finally goes on sale Wednesday. (Though supplies could be short -- new pre-orders won't be delivered until Nov. 10, T-Mobile warns

.) But we've got one now -- a review loaner from T-Mobile. Most formal reviews came out last week when we were on vacation -- see Walt Mossberg

, Gizmodo

, etc. -- so we'll opt out of that race, and crowdsource ours instead.

Motorola’s Android-based social-networking phone to be released Q2 2009

While other companies are busy perfecting their craft (read: making more and more touchscreen phones), Motorola is out to do something new with the recently unveiled Google Android smartphone platform. It’s now a known fact that Motorola is indeed working on something that’s going to use Android, and that it will have some sort of social-networking feature pre-loaded/built-in, but now we have even more info about it, with a little bit of preliminary specs, even.

If a report from Business Week is to be believed, Motorola is currently preparing a follow-up Android-based device to the T-Mobile G1, and that spec sheets and photos of the said phone are already making the rounds to carriers around the world “in the past two months.” It is also said that Motorola is likely to introduce this mystery smartphone “sometime in the second quarter of 2009.”

While we here at Unwired View have been unable to snag any live pics of Motorola’s upcoming Android-based smartphone, rumors put it on a more favorable position than the HTC made T-Mobile G1 in terms of design. Also according to Business Week’s report, it will “feature a touch screen about the size of those on Apple’s iPhone,” and “takes some of the design cues from Krave ZN4” (pictured) but comes with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

While no definitive launch date has been announced and its official selling price is still unknown, Motorola’s Android-based phone is believed to be on track for at least a Q2 2009 launch date, for a price that’s less like that of the T-Mobile G1, and more like the recently announced Motorola Krave ($150 on a 2-year contract).

Via Business Week

Google Gphone Android's Future Life!

Smart alerts: Your phone will be smart about your situation and alert you when something needs your attention. This is already happening today -- eBay can text you when you've been outbid, and alert services (such as Google News) can deliver news, sports, or stock updates to you. In the future these applications will get smarter, patiently monitoring your personalized preferences (which will be stored in the network cloud) and delivering only the information you desire. One very useful scenario: your phone knows that you are heading downtown for dinner, and alerts you of transit conditions or the best places to park.

Augmented reality: Your phone uses its arsenal of sensors to understand your situation and provide you information that might be useful. For example, do you really want to know how much is that doggy in the window? Your phone, with its GPS and compass, knows what you are looking at, so it can tell you before you even ask. Plus, what breed it is and the best way to train him.

Crowd sourcing goes mainstream: Your phone is your omnipresent microphone to the world, a way to publish pictures, emails, texts, Twitters, and blog entries. When everyone else is doing the same, you have a world where people from every corner of the planet are covering their experiences in real-time. That massive amount of content gets archived, sorted, and re-deployed to other people in new and interesting ways. Ask the web for the most interesting sites in your vicinity, and your phone shows you reviews and pictures that people have uploaded of nearby attractions. Like what you see? It will send you directions on how to get there.

Sensors everywhere: Your phone knows a lot about the world around you. If you take that intelligence and combine it in the cloud with that of every other phone, we have an incredible snapshot of what is going on in the world right now. Weather updates can be based on not hundreds of sensors, but hundreds of millions. Traffic reports can be based not on helicopters and road sensors, but on the density, speed, and direction of the phones (and people) stuck in the traffic jams.

Tool for development: Your phone may be more than just a convenience, it may be your livelihood. Already, this is true for people in many parts of the world: in southern India, fishermen use text messaging to find the best markets for their daily catch, in South Africa, sugar farmers can receive text messages advising them on how much to irrigate their crops, and throughout sub-Saharan Africa entrepreneurs with mobile phones become phone operators, bringing communications to their villages. These innovations will only increase in the future, as mobile phones become the linchpin for greater economic development.

The future-proof device: Your phone will open up, as the Internet already has, so it will be easy for developers to create or improve applications and content. The ones that you care about get automatically installed on your phone. Let's say you have a piece of software on your phone to improve power management (and therefore battery life). Let's say a developer makes an improvement to the software. The update gets automatically installed on your phone, without you lifting a finger. Your phone actually gets better over time.

Safer software through trust and verification: Your phone will provide tools and information to empower you to decide what to download, what to see, and what to share. Trust is the most important currency in the always connected world, and your phone will help you stay in control of your information. You may choose to share nothing at all (the default mode), or just share certain things with certain people -- your circle of trusted friends and family. You'll make these decisions based on information you get from the service and software providers, and the collective ratings of the community as well. Your phone is like your trusted valet: it knows a lot about you, and won't disclose an iota of it without your OK.

Now, if we can just train it to do your laundry ...

Read Full Article: Google Blog

World's First Google Android Prowered Gphone G1

2008.09.23, T-Mobile announced the world's first Android-powered phone. This marks an important milestone in the young history of Android. It was less than a year ago, on November 5, that the Open Handset Alliance, a group of more than 30 technology and mobile companies, announced plans to create a complete mobile platform that would facilitate the development of advanced mobile applications and give users the best the web has to offer on a mobile device.

Software developers are key to driving innovation on the web, and also for mobile. That's why, over the past year, we've released several early versions of the Software Developer Kit (SDK) and worked with developers from around the world to make it better and more complete. This has culminated in today's release of the Android 1.0 SDK R1. Through the SDK, developers have unprecedented access to the hardware and software capabilities of the device, enabling them to innovate freely. More than 1,700 applications were developed as part of the Android Developer Challenge. Google engineers have also been busy developing Android applications. Many of our products (Search, Gmail, and Maps, among others) are available on a wide range of phones such as the iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile devices, and many more. Today, they're also available on Android, and you can check out the Google Mobile blog for more details.

But there's more to the Android story. Not only does it allow all applications open access to the phone's functionality; the platform itself will also be open. The Open Handset Alliance has announced its intention to open source the entire Android platform by the end of the year. Along with the other members of the Alliance, we hope that Android can provide a meaningful contribution to all players in the mobile ecosystem: the developers, the wireless carriers, the handset manufacturers, etc. Everyone will be free to adopt and adapt the technology as they see fit. By doing so, we hope that users will get better, more capable phones with powerful web browsers and access to a rich catalogue of innovative mobile applications.

Developers will soon be able to distribute their applications to real handsets through the beta version of Android Market. Handset manufacturers and wireless carriers will be able to incorporate Android innovations into their own new handsets and service offerings. And users will get better handsets and more choice. We think it's another step towards realizing the full potential of the mobile phone.

Moto Android Phone… with WiMax?

Just reading the Bizweek story about Motorola’s plans to build a smartphone running Google’s Android mobile OS, and the first (unanswered) question that comes to my mind is… doesn’t it make sense to put a WiMax chip in this thing?

I mean, Google is a half-billion dollar investor in the nation’s soon-to-be biggest WiMax network… Motorola is the infrastructure supplier for the biggest soon-to-be-launched mobile WiMax deployment in the U.S. … just makes sense to think there will be a WiMax chip in there, no? Not that it would surprise us if we heard more about all this at CES.

No idea if it is true, maybe the Android guys know more?

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Google G1 Phone Coming Out Soon…

Google’s G1 phone will hit stores next week. According to early reviews, they have an uphill battle if they want to take market share from the Blackberry and Apple’s phenomenon, the Iphone. The device, manufactured by HTC, was called a “worthy competitor” to the Iphone, by the Wall Street Journal’s Walter Mossberg. Other reviews differ.

The New York Times’s David Pogue described the handset’s Android platform as “polished enough to give Windows Mobile an inferiority complex the size of Australia.” Yet Pogue’s scorecard similarly illustrated that the G1 isn’t perfect. He gave it an A-minus for software, a B-minus for phone capabilities and a B-minus for network capabilities.

Avi Greengart, mobile device research director at Current Analysis, came to a similar conclusion on the G1 — calling it an iPhone “challenger” that “falls short in every area.”

The early reviews come as the mobile phone industry is seeking to come to grips with an influx of powerful, new devices. That’s driven in part by competition: wireless carriers are finding themselves relying on increasingly advanced smartphones to woo more subscribers and increase revenue from lucrative non-voice services, like Web access. T-Mobile is the exclusive G1 carrier and AT&T is currently the exclusive iPhone network in the U.S.

Among those new consumer-oriented devices is the Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone, which has rocketed in popularity since its debut a year ago and sparked a trend in consumer handsets toward touchscreens and easy access to third-party applications.

Not surprisingly, the iPhone also spawned a slew of competitors, among which the Google-backed Android platform is one of the most closely watched.

Hits and misses

And despite some initial criticism, the G1’s early reviewers still find a good deal about it to praise.

“This is a competitive product,” Greengart told InternetNews.com, noting G1’s “beautiful” touchscreen. The G1 features a 3.2-inch LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 320 x 480 resolution. The iPhone has 3.5-inch widescreen, multi-touch display with 480 x 320 resolution.

Greengart also complimented the G1’s Web browsing capability — built off the same engine as the iPhone’s, he said — and its GPS application that provides real-time street views for navigation.

On the downside, Greengart wasn’t impressed with the G1’s girth, describing it as “heavier and bulkier” than the iPhone. The G1 weighs in at 5.6 ounces, and is 4.6 inches tall, 2.16 inches wide and.62 inches in thickness. Apple’s iPhone weighs 4.7 ounces and measures 4.5 inches in length, 2.4 inches wide and .48 inches thick.

Greengart also noted that the G1 offers no easy way to sync with non-Google mail applications, such as Microsoft Outlook, which enterprise users may find frustrating. The latest edition of the iPhone connects to Microsoft Exchange for access to e-mail, calendar and contacts.

“What Android does offer with the G1 is [smartphone development] potential, and some of these [downsides] will hopefully change with development going forward,” Greengart said.

It’s that potential that some say could result in Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) ultimately striding ahead of Apple and other smartphone players, such as Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM), Palm (NASDAQ: PALM), Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and Motorola (NYSE: MOT), in the battle for smartphone sales and mobile service revenue.

Experts have lauded Google’s Android platform for being one of the most open to date in smartphone development. Both the search giant and T-Mobile have promised they will not control third-party applications and development efforts — allowing even Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications such as Skype. In contrast, Apple’s iPhone is tightly controlled when it comes to application deployment, as is RIM’s BlackBerry platform.

“Google needs to nurture the development community and provide tools and support for Android [to be a smartphone leading platform],” Greengart said, adding Google “needs to stay true to its promise of complete transparency.”

In the meantime, the G1, the first of a slew of Android-based handsets expected within the next year, is the perfect smartphone for Google fans, Greengart said — given how it provides easy access to Google’s online services. In fact, G1 buyers must set up a Google account to activate the smartphone. Users of the current-generation iPhone, meanwhile, need to establish an account with Apple’s music store, iTunes, for accessing music, video and third-party applications.

In his review this week Mossberg said the G1’s physical keyboard — which the iPhone lacks — is the “biggest differentiator” between the two handsets. The G1 has a slide-out, five-row QWERTY keyboard, while the iPhone offers an on-screen keyboard.

Yet Mossberg called the G1 a “very good first effort” that will appeal to T-Mobile customers, as the carrier currently does not offer any other touchscreen smartphones.

The iPhone still reigns as the top multimedia smartphone, Mossberg added, noting the G1’s music player, “while adequate, isn’t as nice” as the iPhone’s built-in iPod functionality. He also noted the G1’s lack of a built-in video player, although a “rudimentary” one can be downloaded from the Android Market store for third-party applications.

Overall, Mossberg described the G1 as chiefly appealing to users who either want to stay with T-Mobile or who want a physical keyboard, “but want to be part of the new world of powerful pocket computers.”

In his review the Times’s Pogue also takes Google to task over the G1’s music features, writing that it’s where Android “really falls down.” To transfer music to the device, G1 users must sync the device to a PC and manually drag and drop files from their computers.

Pogue also called the G1 “homelier” than the iPhone, which — like many wares from the Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple — has received high marks for its sleek product design.

“Nobody looks at G1 and says, ‘Ooooh, I gotta have that,’” he wrote.

Give credit to www.InternetNews.com for this story.

Google, Android and The Not-So-Secret Plan

Android may be an open-source operating system (and has been widely celebrated as such), but Google isn’t shy about the idea that it hopes to profit by underwriting its development. And with Google’s first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, just about here it’s becoming clearer exactly how they want to benefit.

T-Mobile’s G1, otherwise known as the HTC Dream, is the first phone to go on sale with Google’s Android operating system built in.

Google executives have spoken about Android’s general benefits: the company wants to use it to accelerate the use and sophistication of mobile Internet browsing, and open the “hood” so to speak, for tinkering by outside parties. But judging from my testing of a G1 phone, it appears Google wants a more direct benefit for their own bottom line, too: more users of Google’s various online services.

Although there’s nothing stopping a G1 owner from using search engines and other services from Google rivals such as Microsoft and Yahoo (though most web users on PC/Mac desktop systems predominently use Google as their SE of choice), Google technology is built deeply into the G1 by design, and that trend will continue.

The hooks get a little more obvious when things get more personal. The Android phone asks you for your Google account information when you first start it up, and if you have a Google account, it immediately grabs your contacts, calendar appointments, and Gmail messages and loads them up for you. Convenient you might say, but very deliberate as well. This function does NOT exist for their rivals, such as Yahoo.

The tie-in to these personal services is telling. Google has dominated its competition when it comes to the search engine market, but it hasn’t been as successful when it comes to more more personal uses of its services such as e-mail and social networking. With Android, Google apparently hopes to establish more of this direct contact with Internet users and use the OS to leverage its position in the market.

And it’s still the very early days for Android. At the same time Google or others could write applications that dovetail with various services. And by the same thought process, given Android’s free software development kit and open Android Market for offering new applications, I’d expect mobile applications from Google rivals like Yahoo and MS as well. Whether they’ll be able to take center stage in Android is another matter.

Source: techslant.com

Handango Gives Android Developers Two Ways to Make a Buck

This week, consumers in the US in select cities featuring 3G support by T-Mobile will be able to step into the carrier’s retail outlets and fork over $179 to have, to hold and to own an Android-based G1 device. October 22 is the date set by the network.

Many prospective buyers are excited about the openness of the operate system on board the device. Similarly, there is ample anticipation over the third-party application platform. Yet it isn’t clear when Google will will be able to provide a payment system to enable financial transactions of applications. For several weeks already, the company has promoted the idea of free downloads to start its journey. That is unless developers choose to route their developments through Handango.

If you’ve been familiar with the mobile application market for any extended period of time - all the way back to the days of the Palm Pilot, really - you’ll know that Handango has evolved into a sort of mutli-platform storefront for applications both free and paid-for. So, given the open parameters of the Android platform, Handango is clearly taking the opportunity to piece together a formula for Android developers to market their items to any shoppers ready and willing to buy.

Through Handango, paid applications can be designated to be one-time purchases or subscription-based downloads, for monthly, quarterly, or annual revenue generation. Developers can sign up for accounts if they haven’t already. Existing registrants, such as builders of BlackBerry, Palm, and/or Windows Mobile solutions, can simply add Android apps to their accounts.

Some of the items expected to be delivered via Handango for Android users are EA Mobile’s “Tetris” and “Monopoly: Here & Now” titles; a Weather Channel application; Voice on the Go (email voice commands); ShopSavvy (barcode scanning); Par 72 Golf II; and Vegas Pool Sharks.

And not only will Handango provide the cloud space to deliver applications to site visitors. It also promises developers things such as search keywords, email marketing, and advertising. The company is even running a promotion for “the best free Android app and the best paid Android app” through to November 7, with winners receiving $25,000 in marketing credit, just to have things off to a running start.

For first-time buyers of the T-Mobile G1, Android Market is very likely to be the default venue for applications. That’s obviously enough. But as consumers recognize the option to venture outside that framework and instead search for applications from external sources (developer websites are a prime example), Handango will perhaps become increasingly noteworthy. If Handango had not taken the initiative to make this happen, it may well have lost out on the potential for a sizable portion of sales in the weeks and months to come. What’s more, it can position itself to cater to Android users with all manner of handsets as more and more choice of Android-enabled hardware arrives on the scene. It can serve users with special guidance and application review. With enough momentum, it could make for a surprisingly popular destination fairly quickly.

Source: buzzya.com

Add Gmail on your Android G1

The first Android-powered phone, the T-Mobile G1, is coming out on Wednesday. My friends know that I work on Android, and as you can imagine, I get asked about it all the time. I have a lot to say about the G1, but I always begin by telling them that lots of Google products, including Gmail, are available for free, on several mobile devices.

I've been using Gmail on the go for more than a year now and it's difficult to imagine my life without ubiquitous email access. It proves handy every day -- whether for keeping a close eye on a (very) busy inbox, finding the address of a party while already in the taxi, or sending out a spontaneous dinner plan while on the bus back home.

iPhone and Android keep software away, T-Mobile prices and dates UK G1, and LG sneaks in with Renoir work of art

After several weeks packed to the trumpets with huge software announcements and hot hardware releases, it's nice to get back to more mainstream mobile news. And there's no shortage of that this week, thanks to our gold mining Pocket Picks research leprechauns. So let's jump into their glistening horde of hot news riches with a look at one of this week's tastiest – and least likely to happen – stories.

In principle, this iPhone-powered 'netbook' is a blindingly awesome idea. Supposedly, the iPhone is plugged into this ultra mobile laptop peripheral where the touchpad would go and, as well as acting as a pointing device, provides the CPU brain for the system. Details are sparse enough to make us think that, at best, this is a concept rather than a product going into development. Apple is also notoriously strict when it comes to such uses of its darling handset, but who wouldn't sacrifice a limb to give this little beauty a test drive?

Until something like this unlikely device actually appears, at least we'll have the new Firefox mobile browser to help us surf. Still in development stages, some interesting WinMo screenshots have appeared to highlight a few functions we can expect to see. Along with tabbed browsing and a revamped interface more suited to the micro screen, Firefox Mobile apparently boasts some impressive benchmark tests – something which any mobile net surfer will be pleased to hear.

Also on the mobile surfing front is Adobe's confirmation that Flash is coming to the iPhone. But before we get too excited about the prospect of running browser based games and applications, Apple has potentially put the brakes on with a cryptic statement in its SDK prohibiting 'interpreted' code. On top of this intention to reduce the functionality of Adobe's Flash system, Apple has blocked Microsoft's little used equivalent, Silverlight, from access to the iPhone. Instead, Microsoft is attempting to open doors by turning its attention to the Google systems. It already runs inside the Google Chrome browser, and will hopefully be available for the Android OS pretty soon.

The continued obstreperousness of Apple is offering all kinds of opportunities for the more accommodating competition, though perhaps not quite so many as were initially reported for sales of the T-Mobile G1 handset. Originally reported as cahching 1.5 million units on pre-order, it seems the source of the figures wasn't especially reliable. There's still a pretty decent UK interest in the handset, however, following on from T-Mobile's announcement of the G1's release date and pricing structure. Get your order in now, if the somewhat tacky looking handset doesn't put you off (it's what's inside that counts, anyway).

True enough, Apple's copped its share of flak regarding its ham-fisted methods of dealing with developers, but it now seems the forthcoming Android Market has taken a leaf from the App Store's totalitarian regime. The online Android store is also set to incorporate a 'kill switch' function which allows it to delete applications from user's handsets. The insistence is that this will only be used to remove 'harmful' apps, which doesn't seem unlikely as Google will be far kinder than Apple when it comes to vetting software.

And finally, if all this talk of heavy handed manufacturer micro-management puts you off these big name handsets, LG might have quietly released an alternative just for you. The LG Renoir is a delicious piece of hardware that competes with the likes of the iPhone rather impressively. Focused more on the eight-megapixel camera side of things, the Renoir sports wi-fi, GPS, TV out, Dolby sound, face detection, a digital image stabiliser, xenon flash and a razor sharp Schneider-Kreuznach lens. With these kind of functions, this could well be the sleeper hit handset of 2008's fourth quarter, so don't overlook it when shopping for a next gen handset.
Source: Pocketgamer.co.uk

Friday, October 17, 2008

Enterprises need e-mail support to adopt Android

Of Android's barriers to adoption in the region, lack of enterprise e-mail support remains a significant one for companies, according to an analyst.

Bryan Wang, research director, connectivity, at Springboard Research, said the lack of support for enterprise e-mail platforms such as Microsoft Exchange on Google's newly released mobile OS will be a big barrier to its integration with companies.

"And I doubt if Google may integrate Exchange in their next release," Wang said in an e-mail interview with ZDNet Asia, adding that Microsoft competitor, Apple, has also chosen to support Exchange.

"I think Google needs to monitor [Android's] sales performance for the first 12 months before deciding," he said.

Furthermore, price--one of Android's touted selling points--may not translate to users in the region, as the devices go through the various channels before they reach users' hands, said Wang.

Google, several months ago, highlighted the price benefit to manufacturers of the free and open source OS, saying manufacturers stood to save some 20 percent--that would otherwise be spent on licensing a mobile OS--when building devices. Theoretically, this 20 percent could be passed on to end users, which would help lower device prices to appeal to the emerging markets in Asia, said Google.

However, Wang said this impact would be "minimal": "Android is still a smartphone OS," he said, quoting the recently-released HTC G1 Android device as being still a "costly" smartphone. He added that Microsoft's charges of approximately US$15 per device would therefore make a "minimal" difference to customers.

Wang said consumers in the Asia-Pacific region prioritize phone design, functions and branding when choosing a smartphone--above price.

Applications an open playing field
Mobile platform vendors have been focusing on making their OSes attractive to users via a rich variety of applications available. Apple released an SDK (software development kit) for its iPhone before the second version of the device debuted, Nokia recently announced a developer competition for its Symbian OS, and Microsoft is likely to open a mobile app "store" similar to Apple's and Google's app markets.

Android's open source nature is expected to help boost development on the platform, but Wang said volume is still the bottom line for developers.

"App developers will only develop applications for a given platform where there are enough customers. If Google cannot [attract] a large enough base of users in the next 12 to 18 months, open source as the selling-point alone cannot save [Android].

"Consumers do not care about open source or closed source; they only care about availability of applications," he said.

Wang agreed that it would be in Microsoft's interest to set up a central "store" from which users can browse and obtain apps, but also noted that "there are currently far more Windows Mobile apps available in the market place than [for the] iPhone or Android platform".

John Starkweather, Microsoft international director of marketing, mobile communications business, said in an interview with ZDNet Asia, the software giant has focused on making Windows Mobile a similar experience to the PC for both users and developers.

"Developers have the headache of dealing with differences among each manufacturer and device. The API surface from device to device is consistent [on Windows Mobile]...developers are not forced to learn new development paradigms or tools," Starkweather said.

Microsoft estimates some 18,000 Windows Mobile consumer apps available.

On the competition, Starkweather said: "With open source, it sounds great, but who’s going to ensure consistency, security and stability of apps? We think we have a good balance here, making it appealing for developers, and drawing users as a result with the number of great apps available."

Source: zdnetasia.com

Unlocked Android? Possible?

T-Mobile has said the buyers of the new G1 Android phone will be able to unlock it 90 days after purchase so it can be used on other networks. But U.S. buyers who think this will let them escape T-Mo’s shaky 3G service are going to be disappointed.

The reason for this is that U.S. carriers in general, and T-Mobile in particular, are in their own world when it comes to 3G technology. To understand what this means, you’ll have to put up with a lot of detail about who does what at which frequencies.

In countries where GSM technology is the standard, that is to say nearly everywhere except the U.S., Canada, Japan, and Korea, things are simple. Voice and low-speed data services are at 900 and 1800 MHz and 3G runs at 2100.

In the U.S., T-Mobile and AT&T both use GSM technologies, but there are fundamental incompatibilities in their 3G services. AT&T runs its 2G and 3G services at 850 and 1900 MHz. T-Mobile's 3G service uses 2100 MHz to transmit and 1700 MHz to receive.

The G1 can handle 2G service at 850, 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz, which pretty well covers the world's markets. But 3G comes only at 1700 and 2100 MHz. That takes care of T-Mobile in the U.S. and everyone else in the rest of the world. But it leaves out AT&T's 3G service.

So the bottom line in that you may be able to get your G1 unlocked, but using it for high-speed data in the U.S. on anything but T-Mobile is a non-starter.

source: businessweek.com

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

UK has first Google Android G1

Good news for all you guys in the UK. The Android-powered G1 phone is coming to you real soon. The phone is arriving in the UK in about two weeks, on October 30. Combi or Flext plans will be available to go with the G1.

The Combi plan will get you some 800 voice minutes, unlimited text messages and unlimited internet browsing via 3G HSPA. FlexT will get you 1,250 minutes of talktime or up to 2500 SMS messages per month. Or mix the two together. Unlimited but defined web browsing is also available.

For those of you who still don’t know what the G1 is, here is what it can do:

-Quad-band 850/1800 and 950/1900 network capability with 3G, HSDPA, UMTS, and SPL support.
-528MHz Qualcomm 7201 processor with 64MB RAM and 128MB ROM
-Touchscreen display
-Arc-sliding QWERTY keyboard
-WiFi 802.11b/g
-Google Maps (GPS?), StreetView, and YouTube support
-3.1-megapixel camera with no video recording
-MicroSD support with 1GB memory card preloaded

Source: camera-core.co.uk

Multimedia Software for the Android Platform

The debut of the much-anticipated first Android-powered phone represents significant strides in mobile multimedia innovation. The platform incorporates a high-performance, comprehensive multimedia subsystem from PacketVideo (PV) that the company has refined over the last decade.

PV delivered a portion of its CORE software to the Android mobile platform. CORE is the industry leading multimedia application framework that powers more than 260 million devices worldwide for tier one mobile operators. Working with the Open Handset Alliance, PV created an open-sourced version called OpenCORE which provides the power to run sophisticated audio, video and imaging applications, including several applications chosen as top award-winners in the recent Android Developer Challenge.

Android Accelerates Development of Mind-blowing Devices'

"Whenever the T-Mobile G1 plays music or video, it's using PV's OpenCORE software," said Jim Brailean, PV's CEO and co-founder. "This is software that PV has spent a decade building and refining to produce high performance and create the best multimedia experience in the industry."

PV joined the Open Handset Alliance, the industry consortium behind Android, to accelerate the development of myriad innovative devices, which Brailean sees as critical to the continued growth of mobile industry.

"Rich multimedia applications on these new Android-powered devices run fast and smooth and with the rapid growth in 3G networks, you'll see advanced new mobile music and video applications that include the best of web services such as YouTube or Flickr," Brailean said. "Everyone in the industry benefits from this kind of innovation."

Source: Geniusdv.com

T-Mobile Google G1 Android to be launched in 2 weeks

The T-mobile G1 Android-based from Google and HTC is launching in the market this 22nd. It is also reported the the claimed pre-orders for this device, have already hit 1.5 million and it is based on Google’s Android mobile operating system. The G1 is known to be a strong competitor of Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s recently announced BlackBerry Storm. T-Mobile has refused to confirm or deny the rumors about the first smart phone to be powered by Google’s Android operating system.

The prediction of T-Mobile’s is that it will sell more than 500,000 units by the end of 2008. HTC, which is manufacturing the G1, said it expects that T-Mobile will sell 600,000 to 700,000 units from late October to the end of the year also as many as 2 million by the end of 2009. Currently the pre-sale order to the T-Mobile consumers is limited and the order will place a day before the launch and be shipped in the first week of next months.T-Mobile is selling the G1 for $179 with a two-year voice and data service plan. The sales of the G1 will be compared tothe Apple iPhone, which sold 1 million first-generation iPhones in 74 days in 2007 and 1 million iPhone 3Gs in three days in July.

Source: thaindian.com

Motorola working on “Android Social Networking SmartPhone”

Motorola has released several phone models recently, and practically none of them have been able to pique the general public’s interest. But if you recall, it was revealed a few weeks back that the company was forming a 350-person team to work on Android, and now we finally have more info on that front.

Apparently, the people in charge of recruiting staff for Moto’s projects either have loose lips or its equivalent in typing, because according to a job posting found on Coroflot, Motorola is working on a “new Android Social Networking SmartPhone.” Yep, that’s about as much beans as one innocent staff recruiter can spill. But there’s more!

The posting goes:

As a Senior Staff Interaction Designer, you will be responsible for leading and actively participating in the concept, design, documentation and development of user interfaces for our mobile products including our new Android Social Networking SmartPhone. You’ll lead brainstorming and work sessions, usability and innovation reviews and other forums of design development. In addition to your primary responsibility in the delivery of great design, you will also be expected to mentor other designers, bringing your personal strengths to the rest of the team.

It’s nice to know that Motorola is actively working on one of the few viable alternatives to the iPhone, but social networking? That just doesn’t seem to fit Moto’s music-inclined ROKR and all business, all the time MING profiles. But oh well, at least they’ve got something up their sleeve.

Source:Android Guys

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Apple iPhone vs Google Android G1

The iPhone obviously had a huge impact on the smartphone market selling over 1MM phones on its opening weekend, but on top of that it also created buzz on the smartphone market and all those people who also wanted a smartphone but not necessarily an iPhone or switching to AT&T are looking around for alternatives… Blackberry stock doubled, Verizon came out with the Voyager, and now T-Mobile with the G1. So would the G1 compete with the iPhone? Experts say that the G1 will sell 400,000 phones before the end of the year … not an impressive number, but then again, t mobile is tiny compared to AT&T. The main difference with Android and the iPhone, and that Android has all its numbers combined — all carriers, all brands, all models — and the iPhone is just one.

5 G1 Pros

1. Keyboard
As proficient as we’ve become with the iPhone’s virtual keypad, tapping touchscreen keys has its limits. Physical keyboards, like those on BlackBerrys and Treos, are much easier to use. The G1’s little keyboard will become especially important as smartphone manufacturers increasingly market their devices as pocket-based PCs, and may give the G1 a clear edge when it comes to gaming.

2. Expandable and Removable Parts
The iPhone’s sealed battery is more of a metaphoric problem than a functional one. Sure, it’s a pain not being able to swap in a new battery for long jaunts off the grid (thankfully, plenty of accessories are designed to fix this problem), and nobody likes having to ship his phone back to Apple if his battery begins to lose its charge. But this problem has drawn as much fire as it has because it is symbolic of the closed, unmodifiable nature of Apple products.

3. Integrated Compass
Not only does the G1 have GPS, it has an integrated compass that can determine which way you’re facing and give you Google Maps StreetView images of the buildings around you. It’s not that useful on its own; after all, you could just look up to see what’s around you, but we’re interested in seeing what third-party developers can do with this functionality.

4. Offline Integration with Google Apps
You can access mobile versions of most Google applications on an iPhone, but with a few exceptions (such as the Google Maps application) you’ll need to do it through the Web. The Android phone’s calendar is an offline version of the much-loved Google Calendar online application. Enter dates into your phone, and they automatically show up on your online calendar. And while you can easily set an iPhone to sync up with calendars such as Google’s there is a beautiful simplicity with the way Android replicates the online programs you are used to offline, in areas where you don’t have service.

5. Multitasking and Copy and Pasting
The iPhone can do a lot, but it can’t do a lot at once. With the exception of the iPod music-playing program, which can run in the background while you do just about anything. This does not mean that the iPhone does not multitask, it does, but Apple does not want 3rd party apps killing the battery. With Android, you can easily swipe between programs. However, it must be noted that it is still to be seen what sort of effect this will have on the phone’s memory and performance (point to Apple or Google?) It must be noted that we really do appreciate that Android allows you to copy and paste text. Perhaps it will motivate Apple to finally bring that feature to the iPhone.

5 iPhone pros

1. The G1 does not have a Real Media Player
The iPhone doesn’t just play back video—it’s one of the best (and best-looking) portable media players on the market. While we’ll certainly see developers making video playback programs for the G1, there are none built into it.

2. The iPhone is Thinner
The G1’s slide-out keyboard may be useful, but it comes at a price: The G1 takes us back to the pocket-bulging smartphones of yesteryear, while the iPhone is svelte enough to fit in the front pocket of your Levis.

3. No Multitouch
The G1 uses a capacitive touchscreen. This is the same highly sensitive type of screen found on the iPhone (most touchscreen phones use mostly inferior resistive touchscreens), and should allow the G1 to compete when it comes to touch sensitivity. But the G1 does not have the iPhone’s multitouch capability. While the G1 attempts to make up for it by utilizing “long-touches” to bring up deep menus, it loses out on the huge amount of functionality (and coolness) that comes from the iPhone’s ability to sense two fingers at once.

4. Terrible Headphone Jack
The iPhone proved that people were willing to listen to music on their cellphones. Still, most manufacturers are reluctant to put a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack on their phones, forcing customers instead to use bulky adaptors or subpar bundled headphones. The 3G iPhone bucked that trend (the original had an annoying recessed headphone jack that could only take specially made headphones), but the G1 relies on an irritating proprietary plug. To make things work, early indications are that adaptors won’t even be available when the phone first hits shelves, making the bundled headphones the only choice.

5. Internal Memory
The iPhone currently comes in 8 GB and 16 GB varieties, and we’ll likely see a 32 GB version before long. The G1 has just 192 MB of onboard memory, and comes with a 1 GB micro-SD card. That’s not really enough memory for a phone that’s supposed to be full of music and downloaded applications. If you want an 8 GB G1, you’ll have to purchase an 8 GB micro-SD card, which will push the price of the phone from $179 above the iPhone’s $199 price tag. If T-Mobile, Google and HTC really expect us to use the G1 as a mobile computer, they’ll need to give us more memory.

Monday, October 13, 2008

A Great number of Pre-sale orders for Android phone take off

U.S. service provider T-Mobile reportedly has been swamped with 1.5 million pre-sale orders for Google's G1 Android phone, industry observers say.

Neither Google nor T-Mobile would not confirm the figure, which was reported first on Motley Fool, ChannelWeb reported Monday. But ChannelWeb said the G1 pre-sale orders are three times the number of phones T-Mobile originally ordered from Taiwanese manufacturer HTC.

The official launch for the phone is Oct. 22. But preference has been established for current T-Mobile subscribers.

Because of overwhelming demand, we're setting aside even more T-Mobile G1 phones as a special thanks to you, our loyal T-Mobile customers, a statement on T-Mobile's Web said.

Supplies are limited, so this is your chance to order yours today before it hits the streets and guarantee you don't go without, the statement said.

T-Mobile said orders phones will be delivered around Nov. 10 for orders made before Oct. 21.

Google was involved in designing the Android operating system that powers the phone.

Source: timesoftheinternet.com

Visa to Turn Android, Nokia Phones Into Credit Cards without wallet

Visa has become the latest player to try and start a fire under mobile payments and mobile commerce, a concept that in the U.S. has remained mostly in the imagination over the last decade. Visa’s first partners in its roll-out are Nokia and Google’s Android platform. Its partnership with a major credit company is a win for Google’s fledgling mobile operating system.

Visa announced plans Thursday to develop payment and payment-related services for both Nokia (NYSE: NOK) Latest News about Nokia mobile handsets and those running Google’s (Nasdaq: GOOG) Latest News about Google new Android platform. In addition, Visa announced a pilot program that enables U.S. Bank Visa cardholders to transfer money using a mobile phone.

The announcement looks to revive the efforts of credit card companies to push consumers toward mobile payments and mobile commerce, a concept that looked promising around the turn of the century but floundered in in the U.S. following the dot-com bust. Other efforts involving contactless payment devices in the mid-2000s also failed to gain widespread consumer adoption.

However, Visa’s announcement could mark a turnaround.

“I definitely see the value in this from a functionality standpoint. Visa has been very calculated in establishing a much more global strategy surrounding the mobile channel. Rather than looking at an individual market and latching on to what’s going on there, they are really trying to focus on the different things that are happening in different markets,” Bruce Cundiff, a Javelin Strategy analyst, told the E-Commerce Times.
Android and Visa

Developing applications for the Android platform is central to Visa’s mobile application push, the company said. The credit card company’s mobile applications will enable owners of mobile devices running the Google operating system to receive notifications about transaction activity on their accounts; obtain offers from a wide array of merchants; and use Android’s built-in location-based technology to map nearby merchants to redeem Visa offers as well as locate ATMs participating in the Visa network.

Chase Visa cardholders will have the first crack at the new mobile applications. Visa, however, said it will work to make the services available to account holders of other financial institutions. The credit card provider is also developing a payment application to enable Android device owners to make mobile payments at retail locations around the country and over wireless networks.

In its deal with Google, Visa is clearly banking on some level of success for Android, Cundiff said.

“[The Android platform] is still very new. There’s just one phone out there that T-Mobile Latest News about T-Mobile announced earlier this week, so that’s about it. It’s not as though Android has taken over as a viable platform. But, Visa jumping in at this early stage is definitely a leadership role that they need to take,” he explained.

Consumers come out on top with both services because they add layers of protection against identity theft and credit card fraud, according to Cundiff.

“The ability to detect fraud and fraudulent transactions or even prevent it before it happens — involving the consumer in that process is paramount. What Visa is doing is really working at the transaction level — has huge implications for mitigating identity theft and fraudulent transactions. It also gives consumers peace of mind,” he pointed out.
Mobile Money

Visa will debut its payment and payment-related services on the Nokia 6212 Classic starting in October. Consumers will be able to use their handsets to make contactless payments, remote payments, and money transfers to other Visa account holders; they will also receive near real-time alerts and notifications relating to activity on their credit card accounts.

Integrated Near-Field Communications chipsets (NFC) built into the Nokia 6212 make the contactless payment technology possible. To pay for a purchase, consumers will simply wave their handset within a few inches of a special point-of-sale reader to finalize the transaction.

“Nokia is doing a lot of near-field communication stuff. But contactless payment has to develop a bit [before it is widely adopted by consumers],” said Tole J. Hart, a Gartner (NYSE: IT) Latest News about Gartner Research analyst.

Credit card companies have to build use cases where it’s more convenient than using cash or a debit/credit card. With a mobile phone, it should help out because people carry their cell phones everywhere, he told the E-Commerce Times.

“This should help that, but there are other things that are more interesting that it can be applied to, like purchasing things from the Internet on a mobile phone. Receiving discounts is relevant, and the location thing will work. They are [reasons] for customers to adopt this. They will only do so if they are easy and more convenient to use.
Source:linuxinsider.com

Google maps on T-mobile Android G1 looks awesome

Have a look @ the video and see how cool the Map features are on Android. You can pan around and zoom in and out easily using just your thumb on the touchscreen and while in street view you can just turn around with the phone in your hand and the street view aligns itself to face in that direction. One other thing I noticed was that in the normal view the maps had more detail on on the buildings as shown in the screengrab this is not there on Windows Mobile.

googlemobile.blogspot.com