G1 News

Those new to Android might not realise it, but the Nexus One wasn’t the first Google-branded phone, that honour actually goes to the T-Mobile G1. So, it is with slightly misty eyes that we reveal T-Mobile have discontinued this landmark handset.

The G1 was the first mobile to feature Google’s exciting new operating system and the HTC manufactureed device set the pattern for future handsets, paving the way for later handsets such as the Milestone, Nexus One, HTC Desire and most recently the Samsung Galaxy S.

The build quality was slightly plasticy, but for its time, the G1 packed some decent specs: it had a 512Mhz processor, 192MD RAM and an excellent physical QWERTY keyboard which has proved hard to beat. Indeed, the idiosyncratic slide-out design made it a hit with anyone looking for a handset to set them apart from the pack.

Unfortunately, despite being capable in its time, it seems that the G1 couldn’t keep up with the slew of super powerful Android devices that followed and they didn’t follow in the 2.0 and beyond OS updates.

So, farewell, G1!

If you’ve seen the picture of a Nokia running Android, then don’t get your hopes up… it turns out the images are a marketing mistake. Billboards in central London appeared to show a Nokia 5230 and X6 running Android and were snapped by a Posterous user (one Mauricio Reyes) last Thursday.

Nokia have since identified the mistake in no uncertain terms however, with this statement from head of Mobile Solutions, Anssi Vanjoki:

“Despite rumours to the contrary, there are no plans to introduce an Android device from Nokia”. So Nokia will be sticking with Symbian for the foreseeable future.

Well, excuse us, but we don’t see the Apple store putting up pics on an iPhone 4 32GB running a competitors OS do we? Be more careful next time!

According to two recent reports Google’s Android platform is set to overtake the Apple iPhone in terms of downloaded apps.

The first report to suggest this trend comes from AdMob, a Google-owned source. Nevertheless, AdMob’s reports states that there will more Android users than Apple iPhone users by the end of 2010.

The second report to suggest the Android’s pre-eminence is perhaps more convincing, coming from independent telecoms analyst Ovum. Ovum expect that by 2015 Android will be responsible for 26 percent of all app downloads, while iPhone will see just 22 percent. That would be a huge shift from last year’s figures of 14 percent for Android and 67 percent for iPhone.

The reason for this trend? We expect is has everything to do with the large volume of low cost Android phones out there, and with an iPhone contract recall imminent, might Google have Apple on the run?

Google have just introduced a toolkit which makes it easy for newbies to computer programming to make their own apps. App Inventor for Android allows you to build just about any app you can imagine with a minimum of prior knowledge of code.

Instead of requiring written code, App Inventor allows you to design applications using a block-like graphical system. The App Inventor authors have created blocks for just about everything you can do with an Android phone, as well as blocks for doing “logic-based programmy” stuff, for instance, blocks that store information, repeat actions, or those that perform actions under certain conditions.

See the below video for a run-through:

If you’ve been looking at Samsung Galaxy S deals but haven’t seen the apps yet that you really want, programs like App Builder make it possible to go home and just make your own! Fantastic.

Android 2.2 has barely made it out of the blocks and already rumors of the upcoming Android 3.0 release have already started popping up.

Speculation on Google’s next major release of Android, code-named Gingerbread, comes from Russian website Unwiredview, which has the odd scoop before, but without any official word from Google yet it’s only speculation

According to the source, Android 3.0 could arrive as soon as mid-October, with the first handsets shipping in time for the festive season, around November or December.

Android 3.0 would also set a new set of minimum hardware requirements, including a 1-GHz processor, 512MB of RAM memory, and displays no smaller than 3.5 inches. Higher resolutions of up to 1280 by 760 pixels would also be available for devices with displays larger than 4 inches.

If true, the minimum requirements won’t mean that all new Android phones will be power-horses. Word is that Google intends to split Android into two branches: high-end devices running version 3.0, and low-end devices running 2.1/2.2.

Rumours also abound that Gingerbread would bring with it a much needed UI overhaul, which if good enough could help stem the fragmentation of the platform.

There aren’t any specifics on the improvements, but the site says that the interface across the OS would be similar to the Gallery app on the Nexus One.

Exciting news! Perhaps exciting enough to defer that purchase of that Nokia N8 or iPhone 16GB? We’ll have to wait and see!

Source

As part of its ongoing sponsorship of the Ladies Tennis Association, Sony Ericsson has got Maria Sharapova testing out the Xperia X10. Here’s how the champion looked as she tested out the X10’s compact chassis and four-corner UI. Do you think she’d rather have a iPhone 4 32 GB? What do you think?

Wanted to pick up an HTC Desire, but erred due to the lack of colour variants? Fear not…. UK based retailer Expansys is currently taking orders for the limited Silver edition of the HTC Desire with copies of the swish new colour way sent out in the next two days.

The new Silver livery certainly looks smart and even if getting a top-end smartphone like the Desire SIM free might seem like an extravagance, owning a smartphone outright certainly has it’s benefits in the longrun. For one, you aren’t tied to any network and can take advantage of the many SIM only deals offered by operators.

Overall, the Desire’s spec sheet is a marvel to behold and its 3.7″ AMOLED screen with 480 x 800 resolution combined with a 1GHZ Snapdragon processor means that you can enjoy the best of the web on the move. Sure, rivals such as the Android-based Motorola Milestone XT720 and the forthcoming Nokia N8 might be able to boast better on-board cameras, but as a multi-tasking communications device, the HTC Desire is certainly the pick of the crop of new smartphones.

Fring has just enabled free two-way internet video calling on Android based devices. The company already offers the same service to Nokia phones (on the Symbian S60) and iPhone owners, but this next step looks to be cementing Frig as a big player in the emerging mobile video app market.

With Android users on over 50 different devices logging into Fring everyday, CEO Avi Schechter was proud to announce that they had developed the first two-way video calls over the internet on Google’s mobile platform

Forthcoming devices such as the HTC Evo 4G feature forward facing cameras, so demand for this service is set to explode as people seek to use their phones for more than just voice-calls.

Schechter cited Android’s market reach, combined with the openness of the platform allowed the developers to swiftly create the pioneering application.

Meanwhile Skype, currently the most prominent brand in Voip services, announces that their two-way video call app was on it’s way sometime later in 2010. A little late though guys!- Fring seem one step ahead of the game!

Looking to the future though, it’ll be interesting to see when these data-hungry video call apps will be allowed to run over the network. Even the best mobile phone deals internet allowance would be eaten up in a snap using a service such as Fring and currently, they are only available over WiFi connections. Alas, it looks as if the days of 2-way video calling on the move is still a long way off, at least until the networks start tapping on the 4G standard.

Source: TGDaily

Google’s Android platform has spread with virus-like rapidity and version 2.2 is almost upon us, already. Codenamed FroYo (that’s Frozen Yoghurt – Google persisting in their food-related naming convention) Android 2.2 adds tethering, faster speeds, WiFi hotspot support and a whole host of other improvements that suggest Google has no plans to slow their pace.

According to Google, the Android 2.2. up date will be available later this year (Q4) and among the highlights that users can expect are the following improvements:

1. Faster Speeds – According to Google, Android 2.2. is up to five times faster than previous iterations.

2. Tethering – The hot rumour that 2.2 would allow you to use your mobile phone as a WiFi hotspot is confirmed as true! It’s still unclear whether Google will be charging for support services, however.

3. Flash Support – Android 2.2. is the first version of Android that can support all forms of Adobe Flash, so Android users get to enjoy the very best that the web has to offer. Thankfully, Adobe has a solid relationship with Adobe, which is more than can be said for Apple!

4. Apps on your SD Card –FroYo allows you to install Apps direct to your SD card, saving you precious space on your internal memory capacity.

5. Microsoft Exchange Support. In all the kerfuffle, it seems that many commentators have overlooked this super-useful addition to Android, which is sure to endear it to the business community who tend to use Microsoft packages.

What does all this leave other open-sourced platforms, Bada, for instance? Just ahead of the Bada launch, Samsung’s new platform is looking pale in comparison to the updates that Google has planned. Sure, the Samsung Wave deals some decent features to the affordable smart phone market, but surely nothing can stand in front of the lean, mean Android machine?

Google has just updated their Google Goggles application with the addition of a new feature – text translation. To translate text, just photograph the text you want translated with your Android smartphone’s camera, then the app translates the text into English.

Google Googles is available exclusively on Android devices and with no details on whether Google plans to roll this application out to other platforms, this is another solid reason why you’ll be patting yourself on the back if you opt for Android handset.

The service currently supports a number of languages including English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. However, Google intends to expand this even further.

So, if you’re linguistically challenged and headed for a European break this summer – make sure you snap up the latest version of Google Googles!

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