The Google Phone Revealed.

By Benedict Wee

TechCrunch has once again gotten the scoop on the details about the "Super" Google Phone we reported on late last month and the details are pretty exciting.

The first juicy piece of news comes in the form of Twitter updates by Google employees who've just received the phones. One of them described the phone he was just given as "an iPhone on beautifying steroids" after explaining that the hardware is provided by HTC and is running Android 2.1 while another employee elaborated that the new Homescreen has visual enhancements like animated desktop wallpapers.

Other hardware details of the Google Phone include:

• an OLED touchscreen
• two mics (one to eliminate background noise)
• runs a Snapdragon processor
• no physical keyboard
• come with a large 5MP camera on its back

As mentioned before, the phone's hardware will be provided by HTC but it will not carry the phone manufacturer's branding and will be known only as a Google-branded phone. Apparently, leaked shots of the HTC mobile code-named "Passion" that have been seen around the internet is the phone in question.

What sets this phone apart from the other Android phones in the market right now is the way Google plans on selling them. The Google Phone will not be tied to any carrier and will be sold unlocked, which means that we could potentially import them from the US if the frequency bands they use are the same as ours in New Zealand. If successful, this marketing strategy poses to upset the telcos which depend on handset exclusivity and subsidization to attract consumers to use their carriers. Bad news for them but really good news for us as the telcos here aren't very generous when it comes to mobile subsidiaries and their contract terms are one of the worst in the developed world's.

Of course most of the information given have yet to be confirmed by Google and thus should be treated as rumors. We won't have long to wait however as some have mentioned that Google was planning on launching the phone this holiday season but somehow it got delayed and will now be making a January appearance instead. And with their employees already using the phone as you read this post, you can be sure that an announcement is looming just over the horizon. Best start saving that Christmas money now.

Update:

More details of the Google Phone have been crept online. Here are the details complied according to their site they were taken from.

Engadget: The FCC has a filing for a "NEXUSONE" phone built by HTC. This should be the Google Phone we've been hearing about unless HTC was ambitious enough to come up with another mobile amidst all this Google hoo-ha. The tech sites have thus begun to call the mobile a combination of names which include the words "Google", "Nexus One" and "Phone". Feel free to come up with whatever name combo you want.

BGR, TechCrunch & Engadget: Photos of the Google Nexus One Phone have been tweeted, confirming that the hardware/design of the mobile is the early-on reported HTC Passion. A helpful equation of what the phone is like, tweeted by one of the employees goes:

"Google Phone = iPhone + a little extra screen and a scroll wheel. Great touch screen, and Android."

Engadget: Has gotten exclusive shots of the phone. Note the updated OS features like 3D elements to the app tray, more Homescreens (which can be navigated via the grid icon at the bottom), and a newly designed lock screen.

Sources:

TechCrunch - The Google Phone, Unlocked (Confirmed And More Details)

TechCrunch - ZOMG The Google Phone Is "Like An iPhone On Beautifying Steroids"

TechCrunch - Nexus One, The Google Phone, Captured In the Wild (Pictures)

Engadget - HTC Nexus One blessed by the FCC (updated)

Engadget - Exclusive: first Google Phone/Nexus One photos, Android 2.1 on-board

Google Powers Up Its Search Capabilities With Google Goggles

By Benedict Wee

One of the reasons why I prefer Android-run mobiles over the iPhone is because of the great software support Google gives to their mobile OS with useful apps like SMS Backup. And with today's surprise launch of Google Goggles it has made owning an Android smartphone just that bit more special.

Google Goggles is a visual search application that reads photographs of books, bar codes, art, products etc. and searches the web for information regarding the object you took a picture of. In addition to that amazing ability, it can scan printed text and numbers such as business cards, giving you an easier method to input contact details. They've also thrown in an augmented reality function to display information about surrounding businesses using the camera and GPS hardware built-into the phones for good measure.

How does that work? I don't know but I'm currently sticking to the: "my HTC Magic was magically made sentient" theory. Google Goggles is now available for all Android phones running firmware 1.6 and up.

Source:

Gizmodo - Google Goggles: Google's Scary Good Visual Search App.

HTC First Half-2010 Android Lineup Leaked, Looks Very Promising.

By Benedict Wee

Android and Me has gotten the scoop of HTC's newest mobiles, slated to be released in the first half of 2010.

The 5 android-powered smartphones, categorized into three categories -Design/Lifestyle, Performance and Social- come from a leaked brochure that was handed out in Vienna, Austria on October this year and though the specs and designs might be altered throughout the course of development, we at least have an idea of what HTC's got up their sleeves for the coming year.

DESIGN/LIFESTYLE

Phone code-name: Legend

Expected release date: March 2010

Processor: Qualcomm MSM 7227, 600MHz

Impressions: Looks like a slightly modified Hero. Not particularly interesting.

Phone code-name: Salsa

Expected release date: June 2010

Processor: Qualcomm MSM 7225, 528MHz

Impressions: The first Android phone to run on a QWERTY/bar model similar to RIM's BlackBerry models and the Nokia E-series mobiles. Perhaps this phone is an attempt at getting converts from the people who use such form-factors.

SOCIAL

Phone code-name: Tide

Expected release date: April 2010

Processor: Qualcomm MSM 7225, 528MHz

Impressions: A traditional-looking phone which targets the tweenies who still use numeric keypads. The "social" category and the slower processor (which means a lower priced phone) also leads one to believe that the Tide's for the younger generation .

Phone code-name: Buzz

Expected release date: May 2010

Processor: Qualcomm MSM 7225, 528MHz

Impressions: Also with a slower processor, the phone might end up in the budget section of phones and replace the position the Tattoo currently holds.

PERFORMANCE

Phone code-name: Bravo

Expected release date: April 2010

Processor: Qualcomm QSD 8250, 1GHz

Impressions: I guess the category says it all. This will be HTC's first 1GHz phone running Android and though its screen is smaller than the HD2, you can expect the Bravo to run the best video/music/games compared to the other HTC Android handsets as they've got DivX playback and Dolby-quality sound.

So there you have it. Looks like it's gonna be an exciting year for HTC (and Android). I've got my eyes on the Bravo as it looks much better than the Acer Liquid and has a more masculine-vibe than the Sony Xperia X10. Can any of the mobiles shown tempt you into trying out Google's mobiles OS?

Source:

Android and Me - HTC's 2010 Android lineup revealed.

Google Announces Android Developer Contest 2 Winners.

By Benedict Wee

After three months of writing code, designing interfaces and judging from a panel as well as Android users all around the globe, Google has announced the overall winners for their Android Developer Contest 2 held at the end of August.

The top prize of US$250,000 was given to the SweetDreams app which allows you to preprogram your phone to change its settings automatically and optimizing the system to save battery life when you sleep.

Second place was taken by What the Doodle!?, a real-time online multiplayer game in the vein of Pictionary. That app won US$150,000.

The third prize of US$125,000 was awarded to WaveSecure, a security app that allows you track your lost phone, lock it remotely and backup/restore the phone's data.

Other prizes were also given out according to their categories and you can find the list here.

Source:

Gizmodo - Android Developer Challenge 2 Winners: Grow, Marketplace, Grow

Creative Releases Concept Shots Of Zii Phone, All It Needs Is Manufacturers.

By Benedict Wee

Gizmodo's got the scoop on the Zii Phone by Singaporean tech company Creative as they display Zii hardware concept shots to hardware licensors in China today.

A pretty ambitious project, the Zii Phone -called the Trinity- hopes to run dual mobile operating systems (Google's Android and Creative's own Plszama platform), full 1080p HD video playback over HDMI, OpenGL 2.0 (the one the iPhone 3GS uses) for better graphics rendering and a 1GHz processor, which would make it the 3rd Android phone we currently know of that will run at that speed. The other two being the Acer Liquid A1 and Sony Ericcson's Xperia X10.

The pictures taken of the Trinity make the mobile seem a tad bland design-wise right now as it looks a whole lot like Creative's Android multimedia player: the Zii Egg. But like the Egg, Creative is hoping for hardware manufacturers to adopt the concept of the Zii Phone and put their own personal touch to their product.

Their approach to marketing the Zii-brand is confusing as I wonder why they don't just manufacture the gadgets themselves and cut out the middle man like they've done with the rest of Creative's products. The Zii Egg has been in stuck in developer hands for awhile now and there's no sign of a consumer version on the horizon and looking for a manufacturer would just take up loads of time, causing them (and us) to miss out on buying what seems to be very a promising line of next-generation gadgets.

On the bright side however is that at least Android's penetration seems to be gaining a lot of momentum and more developers are willing to give Google's OS a shot. Could 2010 be the year they beat the iPhone/iPod Touch?

Source:

Gizmodo - Zii Lives: First Look at the 1080 Android Powered Trinity Phone.

Another Tablet Running Android. Available Soon.

By Benedict Wee

Lining up in the queue of unknown China companies producing Android tablets, Camangi's WebStation offers a 7-inch screen, WiFi enabled, GPS built-in, glass touchscreen device running Android 1.5 (Cupcake) for a pretty steep price of US$400/NZ$553. Judging from the videos below it doesn't come with Google services either so that's a dealbreaker for me.

If you are thinking about getting the WebStation, Camangi's offering an early bird discount on their website if you sign up and leave your email address.

Source:

Engadget - Camangi's WebStation tablet ships soon, sports Android, loves early birds (video).

Rumor: Google Phone Coming Soon, Might Be VoIP Only.

By Benedict Wee

TechCrunch has it on good sources that senior Android guys over at Google are currently carrying and testing a "super" Android phone that might be unveiled as early as next year.

The stand-alone Google-made device is said to been planned quite some time ago when the Android OS was being adopted by the major phone manufacturers (HTC, Motorola, Samsung etc.) and that though the phone's hardware might be produced by one of the mobile companies, it will only have Google branding. Just like what the iPhone is to Apple.

In addition to that rumor, the Google phone is said to only use data for all forms of communication. That means calls are made through VoIP using their Google Voice service, which has already gained a high amount of adopters in the US because of their unlimited calls and voice forwarding services.

If this rumor proves to be true, we will soon see a new age of mobile communications which will free us from the expensive calls/data/text plans the telcos have pinned us under. Already in first world countries like the US and UK, most telcos provide contracts with unlimited data at a low monthly cost which is poised to drop even further without the need for calls or texts.

Source:

TechCrunch - The Google Phone Is Very Real. And It's Coming Soon.

TechCrunch - The Google Phone May Be Data Only, VoIP Driven Device.

Hands On: enTourage eDGe

By Benedict Wee

Gadget-site Gearlog has a hands on preview of enTourage's Android eBook reader and judging from the impressions they have, forking out US$490/NZ$650 doesn't seem too bad when you consider how much netbooks cost in New Zealand.

To refresh your memory, the eDGe is a dual-touchscreen device with a 9.7-inch electronic ink display on one side and a 10.1-inch LCD screen running Android 1.6 (though it might be updated to 2.0) on the other. This means all the standard Android features such as a web browser, media player and more importantly; the app market will be usable from the get go.

The eDGe is WiFi-capable and has Bluetooth but 3G access comes in a module which is sold separately. Its internal storage space is only 3GB though you can always expand it with a SD card and it comes with a standard headphone jack, built-in stereo speakers and a Lithium-ion polymer battery which will power the eBook reader for 16 hours on the e-ink display alone or 6 hours when both screens are in use.

To read more about the preview, hit the link below.

Source:

Gearlog - Hands On: enTourage eDGe eBook Reader Runs Android.

Specs Of The Xperia X10.

By Benedict Wee

Sony's first Android phone -due out first quarter of 2010- represents the next step in smartphones with features like a faster processor (1GHz Snapdragon) and a high megapixel count camera (8.1).

Shown here are the full specifications of the new handset which, when compared to the iPhone 3GS, indicate how fast Google's mobile OS will soon take over Apple's device in providing powerful mobile computing.

XPERIA X10 Specs:

Camera

• 8.1 megapixel camera
• Up to 16x digital zoom
• Auto focus
• Face recognition features
• Geo tagging
• Image and video stabilizer
• Photo and video light
• Photo and video upload
• Smile detection
• Touch Focus
• Video recording
• Recent shot tray

Music

• Album art
• Bluetooth stereo (A2DP)
• Media player
• Music tones (MP3/ACC)
• PlayNow
• TrackID

Web

• Bookmarks
• Google search (from standby)
• Web feeds
• WebKit web browser
• Sony Ericsson Timescape
• Speakerphone
• Vibrating alert

Messaging

• Conversations
• Email
• Microsoft Exchange Active Sync
• Picture messaging
• Predictive text input
• Text messaging

Design

• Auto rotate
• Gesture control
• Picture wallpaper
• Touchscreen

Entertainment

• 3D games
• Media browser
• Infinite button
• Video streaming
• Video viewing
• YouTube

Organizer

• Alarm clock
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Flight mode
• Infinite button
• Office suite
• Phone book with dialer
• World clock

Location-based services

• A-GPS
• Google Maps
• Wisepilot turn-by-turn (free trial version, available to certain markets)

Connectivity

• 3.5mm audio jack
• Bluetooth technology
• Micro USB connector
• Synchronization
• USB support
• WiFi

Preloaded applications

• Sony Ericsson Timescape
• Sony Ericsson Mediascape
• Sony Ericsson Home with clock widget
• Sony Ericsson Sync
• Android Market Client
• Gmail
• Google Calendar
• Google Maps with Street View
• Google Media Uploader
• Google phone-top search
• Google search widget
• Google Talk
• Google Voice Search
• Network Location Provider
• Set-up Wizard
• YouTube

Screen

• 262,144 color TFT touchscreen
• 4.0 inches
• 480x854 pixels (WVGA)
• Scratch-resistant

Accessories In-Box

• XPERIA X10
• Battery
• Stereo portable handsfree
• 8GB microSD card
• Micro USB for charging, synchronization and file transfer
• User documentation

Optional

• Hi-Fi Wireless Headset with FM Radio MW600
• Car Charger AN 300
• Screen Protector ET902

Facts

• Size: 119 x 63 x 13 mm
• Weight: 135 grams
• Phone memory: Up to 1GB
• Memory card support: microSD
• Memory card included: 8GB
• OS: Google Android 1.6 (Donut)
• Processor: 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250

Availability and versions

• UMTS HSPA 900/1700/2100
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
• Available in selected markets Q1 2010

Color

• Sensuous Black
• Luster White

Source:

Gizmodo - Watch the XPERIA X10's Rachael Interface in Action.

Sony's Android Phone Announced, Skips Nine Generations. (Update: with video)

By Benedict Wee

Sony has just announced their entry to the now-overflowing market of Android phones due out next year and tech-blog Engadget has an exclusive hands-on preview of the mobile.

The XPERIA X10 (what happened to X2-X9?) runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon (1GHz) processor on Android 2.0 topped off with Sony's beautiful Rachael UI. Other specs include a full-on 8.1 MP camera with LED flash, a 4-inch touchscreen, 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot (which you can use the prepackaged 8GB card for).

Pictures and hands on videos can be found on Engadget's article in the source link below.

Source:

Engadget - Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Announced, We Go Hands-On.

Sony's Rachael Android UI Shows Off Its (Concept) Media Capabilities.

By Benedict Wee

Gadget lovers in the US have been clamoring for a Zune phone based on the Zune HD UI while Android fans are asking for a more up to date media-friendly interface for Google's mobile OS and the answer might lie in Sony's (concept) build of the Android OS a.k.a Rachael.

A second video of Sony's Android UI has appeared on YouTube, showcasing its media navigation controls which might finally help Android get the edge it needs to be on par with the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The major features of Rachael's media interface include:

• A crossbar on the bottom of the screen to switch between Music, Video and Photos home screens.
• The top half of the My Music home screen has a similar layout to Zune's QuickPlay menu, displaying Favorites, Recently Added and Recently Played options.
• The bottom half consists of the Sony PlayNow store, showcasing a list of Top 30 and Recommendations tracks.
• When selecting an artist from the list, a photo of him/her is shown on the top of the screen and is replaced with the album's art once the album is picked. After a song a chosen the album art is displayed full screen in the background with the media controls in front.
• Thumbnails of music, videos and photos can be scrolled horizontally or vertically depending on which menu you're in and the transition between screens is smooth.

As mentioned before, this is a concept build which might not end up in the final UI of Sony's Android phones. I'm also not sure if copying another gadget's interface could land them in legal trouble but all I know is that I can't wait for something like this to hit soon.

Source:

Gizmodo - Sony Ericsson's "Rachael" Android UI: Android+Zune HD > iPhone.

LG's Android Smartphone Pics and Vids Revealed, Comes With Mascots.

By Benedict Wee

LG has just launched the official site of their first Android smartphone, complete with the company's own personal touch of the mobile OS. While HTC phones use Sense, Motorola's CLIQ has Motoblur, leaving LG with.. euro-centric puppet mascots, each representing a social networking capability.

Not much else is known about the LG Gw620 (a.k.a Eve) except it's a slide-out keyboard-type phone similar to Motorola's CLIQ, but I'm guessing that an official announcement can't be too far behind since the site is already up.

Source:

Engadget - LG Launches Official Site For Gw620 Android Phone, Sort Of.

Verizon US Unveils Motorola Droid And Its Sexy Android 2.0

By Benedict Wee

Well that didn't take long. Just after Google's official confirmation of the Android 2.0 update, US telco Verizon has announced its two firsts; their first Android smartphone available on their network and the first phone internationally to use Google's newest mobile OS.

The Motorola Droid is a slide-out QWERTY keyboard mobile which runs on an ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz processor and comes with 3G& WiFi connections, a 5MP Camera with DVD-quality (720x480 pixels @24fps) video recording and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Its 3.7-inch screen has a high 854x480 (267ppi) resolution which displays crystal clear graphics that beat the iPhone 3GS' 163ppi.

The Droid goes on sale on November 6th and will retail for US$200/NZ$275 with a 2-year contract after a US$100/NZ$135 mail-in rebate.

Source:

Gizmodo - Motorola Droid Hits Verizon On November 6th for $200.

RIP GPS Companies; Google Introduces Maps Navigation.

By Benedict Wee

Not content to rob large conglomerates of search engines (Google Search), email (Gmail), mobile operating systems (Android), browsers (Chrome) and mobile calls (Google Voice), Google has announced Maps Navigation; a turn-by-turn navigation add-on application for Google Maps.

Here are some of its major features -

* It's a Free Service: Where once you had to pay a subscription fee (around US$100/NZ$135) to GPS companies like TomTom and Garmin in addition to purchasing the GPS device, Google's Maps Navigation is not only free, but it doesn't use ad support for revenue as well.

* Text/voice input: You can either choose to type down or give voice commands to your destination.

* Traffic view: The ability to see which road is congested via green/yellow/red color codes.

* Offline support: Maps are cached along your route to the destination so there is no worry of losing your connection midway though the journey.

* Always updated maps: Map data is constantly updated automatically without prompt.

* Multiple views and layers: Being a Google Map application, you can switch between Street, Satellite and Terrain views while points of interests like landmarks will be visible with layer support. Expect to see Google Latitude integrated with the service in the near future, making it easy to pick someone up without them having to give you the exact location.

* Point to destination: If you spot a landmark or a specific place that you want to travel to you can just point to the location on the map without needing to reenter the address.

Google Maps Navigation is currently in beta and will only be available on Android 2.0 (for now) but seeing as the mobile OS appears on any gadget with a screen, expect to see budget GPS sets running Android popping up in stores in the near future.

Source:

Gizmodo - Google Maps Navigation: A Free, Ass-Kicking, Turn-by-turn Mobile App.

Android 2.0: Now With Video.

By Benedict Wee

Google has just released the official video of Android 2.0, showcasing features we already knew about in BGR's sneak preview as well as introducing new ones such as two-way sync support, a Bluetooth API for local connection activity like multi-player gaming and searchable SMS.

As we speak, the SDK for 2.0 is available for developers to tinker around with so expect to see Android's next major update hitting smartphones as early as december. Pretty awesome stuff.

Source:

Gizmodo - Android 2.0 Official: It's The Android We've Been Waiting For

Leaked Video Of Dell's Shiny Mini-Tablet.

By Benedict Wee

A leaked video of Dell's prototype Android tablet has made its way to Vietnamese tech site Tinhte.com. Calling itself the Streak, the device boasts a 5-inch touchscreen, 3G and WiFi connections, a 5MP camera with dual LED flash, a front-facing camera, microSD card slot and a 1300mAh battery.

Although not particularly pocket-friendly, the Streak looks portable (read: thin and light) enough to carry around with you, though its shiny finish does seem like it'll be fingerprint magnet. Something in matte might be nice.

Other details of the Streak remain scant, let's just hope it comes with an affordable price tag when it launches as the only other Android tablet in the market is pretty pricey.

Source:

Gizmodo -Leaked Video: Dell's Streak MID With Android 2.0.

Android-run Alex e-Reader Shown On Video.

By Benedict Wee

Right. So after getting burned by both Amazon and Barnes & Noble for not making their e-readers available to New Zealand we're left looking at the smaller companies to give us our e-book fix.

Spring Design's Alex is next in the line of e-readers that I'm hoping will reach our shores. Its specifications are pretty decent and judging from the video below it looks like Alex's bottom screen runs on a full Android OS which integrates with the top screen really well.

Source:

Engadget - Watch Spring Design Alex Push The Web To e-Reader Format.

Barnes & Noble e-Reader Called Nook, Costs US$260. We Don't Get It Either. (Update)

By Benedict Wee

Barnes & Noble have just revealed their e-reader in the US, joining the soon-to-be-over-saturated market of e-book devices announced in the past couple of weeks.

The Nook is equipped dual screens; a 6-inch E ink display for reading and a 3.5-inch touchscreen color LCD for navigation. Other specifications of the device include 3G & WiFi connections, 2GB internal memory, a microSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Unique features of the e-reader include bookmarking, highlighting passages and note taking support and the ability to lend books to other Nooks for up to 14 days.

Unfortunately, the lack of Android makes the purchase of the Nook a deal breaker for me as stuff like web browsing and video playback are features that I would like in my e-reader so currently my money is pointed at Spring Design's Alex at the moment.

Update: Hey it turns out it DOES run Android! Though it does not specifically mention what features (i.e. Market, browser, video player) of the OS it does.

Update 2: Just like the Kindle, the Nook isn't available to New Zealand either. Poo.

Source:

Engadget - Barnes & Noble Officially Launches Nook e-Reader: $259, Pre-orders Are Live.

enTourage eDGe: Dumb Name, Cool Netbook/e-Reader Hybrid.

By Benedict Wee

If you think a 3.5-inch screen is too small to run Android ala Spring Design's Alex e-reader then perhaps this portable is for you.

Part Microsoft Courier/part e-reader/part Android netbook, the enTourage eDGe looks like a giant Nintendo DSi, except both are touchscreens and one isn't in color. On the left of the gadget, we have a 9.7-inch screen e-paper display where PDFs and ePub files are automatically opened to and on the right, a 10.1-inch 1024x600 resolution screen with Android.

Other specifications of the eDGe include 3GB of internal memory, an SD card slot, WiFi & 3G connections, Bluetooh, 2 USB ports, audio (MP3)& video (MP4,3GP) playback and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The device gets shipped in February next year and will set you back US$490/NZ$650, unless you want a different color other than midnight blue then it's US$40 more.

enTourage eDGe website.

Source:

Engadget - Entourage eDGe Is The Red-headed Stepchild Of Two Over-Saturated Markets.

Android e-Reader Makes Its Debut, But It's Not From Barnes & Noble.

By Benedict Wee

Tomorrow's the day when book store/publisher Barnes & Noble announces its long (by long I mean 2 weeks) awaited e-reader, poised to compete against Amazon's "popular-but-unavilable-to-kiwis" Kindle. While we wait in anticipation for a confirmation of the rumored Android-run device the people at Spring Design have stolen their thunder by announcing their own Android e-reader a day before.

The Alex has dual-screens; a 6-inch E-ink Electronic Paper Display on top for reading and a 3.5-inch color LCD on the bottom which runs Android for web browsing and viewing video/audio/photos/notes. Other nifty features include a removable SD card slot, speakers, a headphone jack and WiFi & 3G connections.

There isn't any information on which publishers would be supplying digital books to the Alex but Spring Design will make the details available closer to its launch at the end of the year.

Source:

Engadget - Spring Design Alex: Dual-screen Android-based e-reader