G1 News

Rejoice! As we were drowning our sorrows that humble Android phones were unable to sample the delights of the new Google Maps Navigation in the UK, Electric Pig have a solution to get our handsets buzzing!

Simply follow this tutorial to get Google Maps Navigation on Android 1.6 handsets, from the HTC Hero to the Motorola DEXT, you’re covered with a great, and more importantly free turn-by-turn solution!

This solution is here, courtesy of Electric Pig (and friends)!

What you’ll need

• 1 Android 1.6 phone
• 1 microSD card
• 1 microSD card reader or USB cable

Preparation

• If it’s not updated, install the 1.6 Donut upgrade for your Android phone. The device should prompt you to do this itself, once it’s online.
• Download the ApkInstaller app from the Android Market (Search for “apk”).

Method

• You’ll need to download a specially modified version of Google Maps onto your PC, available here [Thanks to partypas for getting it working]. It’s a mere 2MB download so will take just seconds.
• Connect your phone via a micro USB cable, or slip the micro SD card into a reader and plug it into your PC. Copy across the file.
• Disconnect your Android phone from the USB cable, or insert the micro SD card.
• Install the modded Maps by firing up ApkInstaller and opening the file you copied across to the micro SD card.
• You might be prompted to give the phone the OK to install non-Android Market apps if you haven’t already. Do so.
• You’ll now have two Maps icons in your menu screen (See screenshot). Open the second one, and input your directions in Google Maps as you normally would.
• You’ll be given the option to “Show on map”, or “Navigate”. Press the Navigate option and, bingo, you’ve got Google Maps Navigation.
• Finally, download Nav Launcher from the Android Market to quickly jump to the Navigation feature in Maps.
• And that’s it: you’ve now got a free satnav app on your Android phone. Enjoy Google Maps Navigation in the UK!

There you have it! Maps on the cheap!

UPDATE: Ah. This is just for full-on Google experience phones, unfortunately…so the HTC Magic and T-Mobile G1 are the phones in question.

Flying in the face of recent statements, Gameloft have issued a press release unveiling plans to launch High Definition gaming on the new breed of Android phones including the Motorola DROID/MILESTONE and Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10, as well as cementing their support of current generation Google-powered devices.

Earlier this week, Gameloft’s finance director Alexadre de Rochefort spoke of scaling back investment for the fledgling platform, citing iPhone sales as being 400 times higher than on Android Market for their games in the last quarter, as well as a lack of assistance from Google in the promotion of titles.

Whilst the press release places a great deal of emphasis on referring to the ‘2nd generation’ of Android phones, it seems as though Gameloft are attmempting to clarify their intentions of maintaining a presence on the operating system, at present as well as in the future.

In that case, are they scaling back investment, or not?

This latest announcement does little to play down rumours that Gameloft may concentrate their efforts on iPhone in the meantime, with a view to ramping up Android development once the platform has a bigger slice of the smartphone market and a wider range of handsets available to consumers.

Today, Google announced that their new Maps Navigation system is now available for devices running the Android 1.6 operating system…provided you live in the U.S., that is.

As Android 1.6 is the build that all phones aside from the Motorola DROID (to be called Motorola MILESTONE if you call elevators by their real name, which is a ‘lift’) are running on, even the humble T-Mobile G1 and HTC Magic able to get a new lease of life and sense of direction.

Android 1.6 stops short of enabling full Droidery for Maps Navigation, leaving out the “Navigate to…” voice commands enabled by the 2.0 ‘Donut’ update.

US users can point your browsers to the Android Market, whilst UK users can make a gun using their thumb and forefinger and point at their temple in desperation…

Source: Android Release

Despite the Android platform bringing smart phone connectivity to the masses in handsets like the HTC Tattoo and T-Mobile Pulse, French developer Gameloft is finding it lacking for gaming, reporting that they are scaling back development for the fledgling operating system.

“We have significantly cut our investment in Android platform, just like…many others,” Gameloft’s Director of Finance Alexandre de Rochefort told investors at a conference.

The Android Market is said to be a major factor in this decision, with the service lacking the ’shop window’ browsing functionality of the App Store, as well as the absence of an iTunes-style desktop client for computers.

“[Android Market] is not as neatly done as on the iPhone. Google has not been very good to entice customers to actually buy products. On Android, nobody is making significant revenue. We are selling 400 times more games on iPhone than on Android,” Rochefort continued.

With Apple’s App Store contributing 13% of revenue into Gameloft’s coffers last quarter, and a steady stream of titles garnering both critical and financial acclaim on the iPhone, it comes as no surprise as they focus efforts on the more financially viable platforms.

If Android is lagging behind Apple’s App Store success story due to the iPhone’s huge existing install base of users, could impending high profile Google-powered phones such as the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 and Motorola MILESTONE redress the balance?

If so, it is likely that Gameloft, one of the largest and most prolific mobile game publishers, will return to this potential gaming goldmine at a later stage.

Source

Sony Ericsson’s Android-packing XPERIA X10 has just been unveiled for US journos to salivate over, and whilst the reception has been a touch less than rapturous, one real concern from Gizmodo is for the high-end handset’s pricepoint.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the phone will come in at £528 ($879.99) SIM-free, seemingly a huge deal on the side of the Atlantic accustomed to heavily subsidised handsets.

Networks over there are not as willing to take the hit on the cost of the smartest of smart phones, hence the occasional delay before reaching US soil at a reasonable price (see XPERIA X1, HTC Touch Pro etc.).

Still, the X10’s pricing really isn’t out of sync with devices residing in the VIP lounge of the mobile phone party…if anything, it’s a bit of a bargain.

A cursory glance over the eXpansys site has the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 available for £605, whilst the Palm Pre retails at a steep £499. The less said about the iPhone 3GS’ heart-stopping £879.99 ($1,463!) price on Play.com, the better…

The pricing for the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 seems entirely justified given the superfast 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 4.1″ capacitive touch screen, 8.1 megapixel camera and impressive user interface.

The X10 is the first phone from Sony Ericsson to sport their propietary new graphical overlay, now officially dubbed ‘Nexus’ and engineered to seamlessly work over a range of operating systems.

Nexus UI is a heavily graphics-driven amalgam of the best of a user’s on- and offline content, with SocialScape scouring tweets and status updates and presenting them on your home page, whilst MediaScape explores your movies, music and photos suggesting artists you might like.

The X10 seemed in better shape, with Nexus certainly working far smoother and more responsively than demoed at the initial announcement, but it still has a little ways to go before being ready for public consumption early in 2010.

For a more detailed explanation of the XPERIA X10, see Omio’s coverage from the UK event, as well as taking a gander at the video below.

After doing the rounds on operating systems from Symbian to Windows Mobile, fring has finally been made available for mobiles running Google’s Android platform.

fring is a great application which combines the best of both instant messaging and VoIP, allowing users to make calls on Skype, Google Talk and MSN over both 3G and Wi-Fi, as well as type away on AIM and Twitter through an integrated contact list.

Whilst fring is compatible with all versions of Android, there are already some teething problems as noted by Unwired View, even on the shiny new Motorola DROID.

The DROID cannot accept SkypeOut calls (those using credit to connect to landlines etc.), and ending calls on any Android phone might cause fring to go a little wild and repeat the ‘disconnection’ tone multiple times.

Point your phone in the direction of the Android Market to try it out now, and be sure to let us know how you find it.

Check out their informercial-quality video explaining fring on Android below…

Source

A European version of the Motorola DROID Google phone revealed last week in the US has also arrived on retailer sites across Western Europe, now daubed with the name ‘MILESTONE’.

Available in November on the O2 and Vodafone networks in Germany and Italy respectively, the Motorola MILESTONE sports some interesting new features that separate it from the iPhone-botherer on the other side of the Atlantic.

The MILESTONE’s Android operating system seems tweaked to access features not found on the US DROID, namely pinch and zoom support.

Multi-touch is certainly a welcome function, and will certainly be put to good use when browsing the web on the 3.7″ TFT display.

However, Motorola’s new Android phone has been confirmed to not be shipping with the impressive Google Maps Navigation software that debuted on the DROID, instead opting for a proprietary MOTONAV service.

We hope that Maps Navigation for Europe is in the works and on the way!

Core features like the 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, slick slider form factor and push mail support remain intact, but the memory card included has been trimmed from 16GB to 8GB.

The price on O2’s German site is €481, but everything seems fairly quiet regarding a UK Motorola Milestone release date, let alone pricing…

What Moto giveth, Moto also taketh away. Which features would you prefer to see on the MILESTONE?