Merry Christmas all

I'm currently on vacation in Hong Kong, that is why this blog has been silent for a while. I will be back next year. Until then, I wish you all a Merry Christmas. Hope Santa will bring some cool stuff to all of you.

I just got a tweet from Santa, and he's bringing me an iPad. I'm so excited.

Dear readers,  thank you for your Support and again, have a great Christmas.

I'm posting this from my Nexus One.

Facebook app for Android now supports chat.

Indeed, Facebook app for Android got a manual update this morning that brings the long awaited chat functionality. This update also contains push notifications and some bug fixes.  Unfortunately, push notifications only works with Chat and other functions of the app still relies on preset intervals.

Chat is a welcome addition and can be downloaded free from Android Market.

SPB TV 2.0 now free on Market.

You may now watch mobile TV on your Android phone with the free SPB TV, no subscription fee required. As is not quite the case with a lot of apps on Market, SPB TV supports all Android devices, including tablets.

Here's a list of features:

• Unique TV browser with quick channels preview for fast channel selection.
• Picture-in-picture mode.
• 150+ live and on-demand channels in over 20 languages.
• Integrated TV guide.

Check out the video to learn more:

Google introduces Nexus S with Gingerbread.

It's now official, Gingerbread is officially out on the Nexus S. Nexus One owners are still waiting for the OTA update and so far, no notifications have popup on my phone. The Nexus S has some nice specs, not specifically impressive:

A 1Ghz Hummingbird processor.
Front and rear facing cameras.
16GB of internal memory.
4" inch display.

"Gingerbread is the fastest version of Android yet, and it delivers a number of improvements, such as user interface refinements, NFC support, a new keyboard and text selection tool, Internet (VoIP/SIP) calling, improved copy/paste functionality and gyroscope sensor support."

I wonder why they did not just call the phone the Nexus Two? The new device will reach online store on December 16. Until then, here's a couple of videos until it becomes available.






Update (via Techcrunch): I found the answer to my question about the Nexus S name. While it was obvious at some point that the new Nexus would be the Nexus 2, Samsung chose to keep the Nexus but not the "2", because "We don't like being number two." Makes sense :)

Angry Birds Christmas edition released

The pigs thought that Christmas would bring them some much needed rest but that not counting on the bird's tenacity. Worst yet, the  pigs will will endure the pounding throughout every season now. This is what you get when you steal eggs.
Angry Birds Seasons is available free for download on Market and includes the Halloween edition.

Enjoy.

Flash Player 10.1 is ready for "future OS updates".

With the Android community all excited with the not-yet-officially-announced release of Android 2.3, Adobe posted an update for Flash Player to Market during the night. What's interesting here is the description as it starts with an all caps ATTENTION.

"ATTENTION: Please install the current Flash Player (ver. 10.1.105.6) to ensure that the runtime loads properly with future OS updates. By clicking "Install"..."

For sure, Adobe is ready for Android 2.3.

Angry Birds updated.

The update increases the number of levels up to 195. Wow, that's a lot and I doubt I'll ever go through them all as I haven't even finished the first release. Not that it's difficult or not fun, it's about the time I'm willing to devote to those cute Angry birds.

Besides the increase in the number of levels, Angry birds now supports QVGA devices running Android, obviously.

"We have fixed a number of issues that a lot of people experienced with Angry Birds on Android, including the lank screen issue on Android 1.6 devices, and the white textures appearing on certain devices."


Version 1.4.2 is available for download on Android Market and GetJar.

Facebook and Twitter gets updated.

A couple of updates have appeared for my Nexus One on Android Market today, among which are Facebook and Twitter. For the latter, the updates bring speed, a cleaner timeline, tweet details and Pull to refresh.
Facebook app for Android seems to bring some more features.

1. Groups: It is now possible to share posts with just a small group of friends.
2. Places: Share where you are with friends, see where friends are and discover nearby places.
3. Improved Notifications: View comments and updates within the app.

The forth item is the usual "various bug fixes".

Get Call of Duty Modern Warfare for Android free.

I saw this news on Androidspin this morning. The famous desktop warfare game is free for download on GetJar until the 29th of october. So hurry up.

Source: Androidspin
Download link: GetJar

Angry Birds leave beta. Still free.

Angry Birds for Android, the full version is now available for FREE.Yes for free. Download your copy from the link as it's not yet available on Market yet. The file is 12mb.
Got to fly after some pigs now :)

http://m.getjar.com/

Posted with my Nexus One.

Evernote 2.0 beta

Windows Phone 7 has OneNote built-in. Android has EverNote in beta on Android Market that you can now download for free. This version of EverNote has been almost entirely re-written and now provides a better interface, made browsing much easier.

Learn more at www.evernote.com/about/download/android.php

Firefox 4 Beta for Android released.

Previously known as Fennec, Firefox 4 beta is now available on Mozilla's website. Don't go look for it on Market, you won't find it and you'll get a "Fake Mozilla Firefox" in the results.

Firefox 4 beta includes Firefox Sync that lets you sync with your PC such items as bookmarks, history, passwords etc.

This release delivers a rich set of features, including pinch-to-zoom, which is now supported on multitouch-capable devices, and the Awesome Screen, which instantly gives you access to your recent history, bookmarks and tabs just by tapping in the Awesome Bar. See the release notes for a full list of features included in this release.


Download your free copy here.


Watch the demo.

Gameloft releases Avatar game for Android.

If you're a fan of James Cameron movie avatar, then I guess you'll love be the One to fight the human invasion on colorful Pandora. The game is not available through Market, so you have to try and buy it driectly from Gameloft at www.gameloft.com. Check out the video and see ya on Pandora.

Official demo of the Galaxy Tab by Samsung.

Samsung has posted a video of their tablet to YouTube. "The objective of the video is to objectively present key features and benefits of Samsung Galaxy Tab. The video doesn't contain any graphics effects", says Samsung. The device is fast and beautiful. Would you buy it?

SwiftKey now out of beta.

The last time I blogged SwiftKey was in August when it was in its first beta. I was amazed by the speed at which i was typing or not typing because Swiftkey is smart enough to guess my next words and most of the time, if not always, it is spot on. SwiftKey is out of beta and can be purchased for $0.99 on Android Market. It still shows up as a beta for me.

If you haven't tried SwiftKey yet, download it from Android Market. You won't believe how fast you can type.

Read my August article about Swiftkey here.

Read the press release here.

HTC Desire HD official video

Enjoy:

Samsung Galaxy Tab official commercial

Enjoy:

Nexus One gets new ROM leak, FRG33.

A new ROM update was posted yesterday on XDA forums which makes the Nexus One the most up to date device in the Android world. While the update itself does not bring much, maybe makes the device a little bit snappier. Hoever, there was a comment on the XDA forums that is noteworthy:

"I wonder what the classification in the letters mean? It seems Eclair ROMs had E's in them, Froyos had F's in them. This latest has gone from FRF to FRG? That would be a nice, EARLY leak if it were an initial Gingerbread ROM."


Wait, this is mere speculation, until an official announcement from Google.


Grab the update here.

Archos announces 3 new Android Tablets and two portable players.

Not one but 5. Impressive. Actually they are not all tablets as two of the announced devices have 2.8 and 3.2 inches of display and they are probably the first Android portable music players ever built. The players will be available sometimes this month at prices starting at $99. The other three devices are the ones that have our attention. Those are the real tablets with screen size from 4.3" to 10.1". The latter is more like a netbook, without Windows, Linux and a physical keyboard.

The Archos 43 is priced at $199. Powered by Froyo, the device sports a 1GHz processor, 8GB storage, a resistive touchscreen, WiFi, HDMI output, USB host etc.

The Archos 70 will sell for $274. Also powered by Froyo, it has more or less the same specs as the Archos 43, with the exception of a larger 7" inch screen which is also Capacitive; 16 & 250 GB and a webcam for video calls. Unfortunately, the Archos 70 is a WiFi only device.

The Archos 101 offers 8 and 16 GB of storage and a 10" capacitive. Here again, no other wireless connections besides WiFi. Price: $299.

These devices will reach online stores from mid-September to mid-October.

To learn more, read Archos press release here.

Source: Engadget

Bing for Android released for Verizon customers only.

Unless you live in the U.S. and is a Verizon customer, Bing is not yet available to everyone. Not that I need Bing on my Nexus One, but I will never understand such moves from Microsoft, Google and the other major players. Why not just make apps available to the world? Why is that the different app stores do not have a uniform view and offering? Why does it have to be location based?

That said, Microsoft Bing app "features the Bing image of the day, complete with clickable hotspots". Also included is the ability to do voice search, image search and more. No words yet from Microsoft as to when Bing will reach out to the rest of us non-Verizon customers.

Read more here.

Check out the StreamTV Elocity A7.

This is one cool of a device. The StreamTV Elocity A7 is the first Android tablet running Froyo scheduled to be released in October at the very cool price of $399. I'd love to get my hands on the Elocity.The device has a 7 inch screen, capacitive touchscreen, front facing camera, HDMI port, a 1ghz processor. Between a Dell Streak and the Elocity, the choice is obvious. Check out the pictures and short video posted on Engadget.


http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/28/streamtv-elocity-a7-tablet-packs-tegra-2-and-android-2-2-coming/

Try Fennec Alpha for Android.

Fennec Alpha has reached version 2.0 and is now available for download. Just visit this link on your phone. Since this is a beta version, you will certainly run across a few bugs. Don't keep them to yourself and let Mozilla know about them @ https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/.

Skyfire for Android updated

Skyfire Beta was updated yesterday to version 2.3.1. and is available free on Android Market.

Fixes for 2.3.1:

Fixed streaming performance issues for Droid X and Droid 2 devices
Proper streaming support for HTC EVO.
Improved overall streaming performance for all Froyo devices.

Go under water with Google earth 1.1

Yes, the new Google Earth 1.1 for Android lets you explore the oceans covering three quarter of the planet. Available free on Android Market, depending on your location. Google Earth is not available for me. I downloaded it while in Frankfurt earlier this year. However, I lost it after performing a hard reset of my Nexus One last month. Beside the under sea exploration, devices running Froyo offers Flash balloons so you can watch videos right in those balloons. I would love to try that to see how it affects my Nexus One performance.

"The “Explore the Ocean” layer, which features hundreds of photos and videos from more than 100 contributors who are excited to share their stories of sea."


Google Earth 1.1 runs on Android devices running version 2.1 of the OS. The Flash version works on 2.2 devices only. 

Flash Player 10.1 out of beta, available for Nexus One only.

This morning, my Nexus One  is showing an update available for Adobe's Flash Player 10.1. This update also puts Flash out of beta.

Flash Player lets you " browse the full web and access all your favorite online videos, games and apps."

According to reports on the web, this update is available to the Nexus One only. I think it should not take long to see Flash Player appear on other Froyo devices.

Flash Player is available free on Android Market.

Introducing Voice Actions for Android.

Yesterday I blogged about Swiftkey issuing an update that added voice support to its soft keyboard application. It's a great addition that lets you simply dictate your emails instead of  typing it. Now it's Google's turn to announce an application that uses a similar voice technology called  Voice Actions.

Voice Actions lets you control your phone using spoken commands. Want to send a note to yourself, say "notes to self" and Voice Actions brings up Gmail with your spoken words in the email body ready for you to send. To send a text message, speak the command "Send text to [contact][message]". You can also use Voice Actions to conduct a search, but that feature was already embedded into Google Search. With Voice Actions, Google is simply extending the service to other applications on Android phones running Android 2.2 (Froyo).

How to use Voice Actions? More after the break.

Flip phone to start Google Gesture Search.

Version 1.2 of Google Gesture Search was announced yesterday. The new version contains a new feature that lets you flip your phone to start Gesture Search. According to Google, "this eliminates the need to activate Gesture Search from a home screen shortcut." Sensitivity can be adjusted in the applications settings.

I did play with it a few minutes ago. So, in the settings you have the option to Disable, Hard to trigger, normal and easy to trigger. After a few seconds trying it, I've configured the "Double Flip sensitivity" to Disable.

See Double Flip at work:

SwiftKey Keyboard updated, gets voice recognition.

I have been using SwiftKey on my nexus one for a while now and it's there to stay. For those who know me are aware that I'm not a fan of on-screen keyboard. It took me some time to get myself acquainted to the default Google default keyboard. It was still a pain for me to type short emails or text. The default keyboard was not particularly good at guessing my next words; causing a lot of frustration. So I decided to start the hunt for a new and efficient keyboard. At that time I came across two, namely Swiftkey and Swype.

I tried the latter first and very quickly gave up. It was already hard for me to use a soft keyboard and Swype made it worst for me. With Swype you have to trace your finger across the keyboard to type and you don't even have to be accurate. That sounds cool, but I just could not adapt to it. So I gave up. But Swype is a cool product that I recommend you try.

Skyfire updated to version 2.3.

The folks over at Skyfire has released an update for the one browser that supports Flash on Android. See the list of enhancements below.

Enhancements in this release: Video playback: We improved our video streaming reliability, thus you should see a much lower occurrence of video timeouts with this new version. More enhancements are in the works, so video reliability will continue to get better.

YouTube: On July 23, YouTube changes many of its APIs and YouTube support on Skyfire became intermittent. Resolved.

Desktop/Mobile switch: When switching between Android and Desktop mode of a page we better preserve the original page URL to reduce confusion due to page redirects.

Video startup time: Video playback start time improved as much as 5 seconds.

Fixed in this release:
Startup Crash: For some users, Skyfire would intermittently force close startup. Fixed.

Battery optimization, especially when Skyfire is in background

Samsung Galaxy S: Better support for Flash 9 to co exist with Skyfire Toolbar.

Find on page: functionality fully working now

Exit Skyfire in Android 1.5: On Motorola Backflip a HTC Magic it is now possible to properly exit Skyfire a long-pressing the 'back' key.

Read more @ http://www.skyfire.com/skyfire-2-3-for-android-release-notes/

Skyfire 2.3 is available free on Android Market.

Posted from my Nexus One.

BlindType: Type anywhere on the screen. kind of.

BlindType is another soft keyboard being developed for Android that wants to improve your typing experience. As the name suggest, you could be soon typing on your phone without looking at the screen. Since the software has not been released yet, it's hard to tell how it really works. According to BlindType website:

  It is a revolutionary system that:

• Eliminates touch typing  frustrations 

• Allows for super sloppy typing 

• Helps you type easier and faster   

• Constantly adjusts to the user's "perceived" keyboard and typing style

• Just type the way you are used to - no gestures, nothing new to learn! 

Have you ever been able to type on any kind of keyboard without looking at it? I can't. It seems to me that you'll need to at least know your devices' keyboard layouts for BlindType to work efficiently. See for yourself:

Mediafly for Android gets updated.

During the week i had an issue with Mediafly. For some reasons, it refused to download videos. But it downloaded podcasts. I reported that to Mediafly support and they were kind enough to follow up on this and even reproduce the problem. After some attempt to resolve the issue, Mediafly has issued an update a few minutes ago. So, if you use Mediafly, go get it on Android Market. If you don't, download Mediafly. It's a great app for downloading and watching videos on your Android phone. It's version 0.60.

Thumbs up to Mediafly support.

Check out MediaFly website here.

Google starts rolling out App Inventor.

So, you would like to develop applications or have an idea for one but you do not have any developer skills. Sure enough, you could just start learning how to code. Well not necessarily. You can just use Google's App Inventor, an application that lets anybody build an app for the Android platform. You do NOT have to be a developer to use App Inventor, "you visually design the way the app looks and use blocks to specify the app's behavior." How simple is that.

App Inventor is not readily available for download. Like with any other Google apps, it is currently  in beta and access to download is by invitation only. For my part, I'm gearing up for an onslaught of "Hello World" app.

Watch App Inventor in action:

HTC Desire and Nexus One to get Super LCD screens.

HTC has announced that in order to cope with increasing demand for their phones, they will be fitting the Desire and the Nexus One with Super LCD screens. These devices were previously using AMOLED, but due to shortage of that type of screens, HTC had to resort to an alternative. Enter SLCD which, according to HTC, exerts less pressure on the battery.

Low cost VoIP calls with FriendCaller (Beta).

If you have been looking for a good VoIP client for your Android phone lately, I strongly recommend you try FriendCaller. Currently in beta version, FriendCaller offers very good over-the-internet calls and Instant messaging to anyone around the world. A really cool feature is the ability send a link to someone you want to call without that person having to download and install FriendCaller. The sound quality is very good compared to Skype, which at the time it was still available on Android required the use of a headset for a good listening experience.

Features:

• 
  
  
  Works in WiFi zone and over
  3G/UMTS connection!
• 
  
  
  Runs as a background service allowing anyone to reach you anytime
• 
  
  
  Instantly FREE VoIP calls to anybody on the Internet using our patented CallMe-Links
• 
  
  
  Easy import of your Android phone contacts

Learn more here.

Nook finds its way to Android Market.

You're an avid reader? Yes. Then you'll be glad to know that Barnes and Noble released Nook for the Android platform for free. With Nook on your device, you have access to million of titles and free eBooks online that you can carry anywhere you go.

Nook for Android also includes the LendMe technology which lets you share your books with friends.

Nook can be downloaded from the Android Market. Unfortunately, it was not there for me to download; same for Amazon's Kindle. Some are more equal than others...

Learn more here.

PhoneWeaver: Profile Manager for Android released.

I have used PhoneWeaver with Windows Phone and it comes in very handy for managing profiles. One of the features I liked most was the ability to mute  my phone when I was in a meeting. No big deal you might say. Actually PhoneWeaver does that for you by looking at your Calendar. Very convenient if you forget to turn off the sound on your device, thus avoiding embarrassing situations during meetings. It's great to see that PhoneWeaver has been ported to the Android platform and offering most of the same capabilities as the Windows Phone version.

"The ultimate profiles manager! Define smart profiles that are activated automatically based on time, agenda, power connection and even location! Each profile can fully control your phone sound settings, notifications, communication and much more! With PhoneWeaver, your phone status adopts to your lifestyle like a real smart phone should!"

PhoneWeaver is available on Android Market for $6.99. Scan the QR code below to download.

ZXing Barcode scanner updated

The ZXing team has published an update for their QR code scanner. The new features are:

1. Wifi base station in QR code
2. Bulk scanning mode
3. App on SD card for Froyo.

ZXing Barcode Scanner is available free on Android Market.

Update: Fring sends explanatory email to users about feud with Skype.

I'm publishing the email I just got from Fring about the issue with skype.

Hello fringsters,

As you may have noticed, Skype has blocked fring. We are very sorry for any inconvenience this Skype policy has unfairly caused you.

As loyal fring users, you deserve an explanation: Last week, following the surge in fring video calling traffic, fring service to Skype was temporarily reduced . Unfortunately, Skype and their legal team demanded not to restore your connectivity to Skype via fring.

Needless to say, we are very disappointed that Skype is now trying to muzzle competition, even at the expense of its own users.

While we regret Skype's decision to block fring, we are committed to continuing to provide you with market-leading innovation, to keep you in touch with your friends, wherever they are.

On fring you can freely use the best mobile over internet communication like video calling, calls and chat anywhere (3G/4G/WiFi) on any advanced Smartphone.

So, if you are frustrated like us with communication barriers, and are just looking for a fun and easy way to stay in touch with your friends on the go, tell them about fring and

invite your friends to join fring here

We appreciate your support and look forward to continuing to provide you with great mobile innovations.

Let freedom fring!

the fringTEAM.

How come Skype still does not have an application for Android yet? 

Opera Mini 5.1 for Android released.

Announced today, the popular Opera Mini browser is now out of beta and is available free on Android Market or at m.opera.com.

Opera Mini 5.1 is, according to Opera's press release, capable of compressing data by up to 90 percent resulting in a significant increase in page loading speed while reducing data costs. Opera says that "webpages such as BBC.com, a normal mobile web browser will display a BBC News page roughly 1 time, as compared to 9 times with Opera Mini for the same cost." Other than speed, Opera Mini 5.1 has tabbed browsing, password manager, speed dial etc

Watch the video:

Are the folks at Skype out of their mind?

I sincerely believe that the folks at Skype have gone out of their mind. Just look at the successive bad moves which resulted in users not able to use Skype anymore on at least two platforms: Windows Phone and Android. Skype for Windows Phone was decommissioned sometime back. Skype issued a statement at that time saying that the app did not offer the best user experience. Imagine Microsoft or Google adopting a similar practice with their software. At the same time, they failed to announce an upgrade. Windows Phone users are still in the dark. Those who already had Skype installed on their devices can still enjoy free internet calls. So, that was the first bad move from Skype.

The latest move involves a conflict with Fring. The latter is installed on my Nexus One and for some reason, Skype is not available anymore through Fring. Since Skype has never really offered an application for Android, there are no alternatives. According to Skype statement, "Fring is breaching our API Terms of Use and End User Agreement". I'm not sure whether to blame Fring or Skype but one thing I know is that Skype, once again, is showing that they do not care about users. As Avi Shechter, Fring's co-Founder and CEO wrote: "We are disappointed that Skype, who once championed the cause of openness, is now attempting to muzzle competition, even to the detriment of its own users".

Thumbs down Skype.

Google Voice: Open Invitation to all...in the U.S.

After a year, Google Voice is now open to all in the United States. Head over to the the Google Voice site to sign up. Watch the video below to learn more about Google Voice.

Google Maps Navigation in 11 more European Countries.

Google has released Google Maps 4.2 for 11 countries across Europe: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland for Android devices 1.6 and higher. If you live or are travelling to any of these countries with a Android phone in your pocket, you will easily find your way around with Google Maps. Just search Android Market to download your free copy and enjoy.


Read more here.

Swype updated

The folks behind Swype have released an updated version of the fancy keyboard for Android. To be able to use it, you must uninstall the current version before installing the update. The new version can be downloaded here.


Changes in this version of Swype--

• Added better context sensitivity for the "magic button" (go/search/enter/smiley)
  
• Added automatic apostrophe insertion for contractions (e.g. won't, don't, wasn't, etc)
  
• Added the Italian language dictionary
  
• Improved sensing of field type to prevent the display and addition of passwords to the UDB (user dictionary)
  
• Improved suppression of auto-spacing in fields such as URLs and email addresses
  
• Updated the built-in dictionary to include several common words that were previously missing
  
• Rewrote some settings descriptions to be more clear on their functionality
  
• Fixed licensing issue causing "Limited Functionality" errors when rebooting devices running Android 2.0 and later
  
• Fixed licensing issue causing some users to receive an "Incorrect ID" error when installing Swype
  
• Fixed a bug where manually typing some words with word-prediction enabled would cause Swype to crash
  
• Fixed a bug which caused some words added to the UDB to erroneously override other words when word-prediction is enabled
  
• Many other minor bug fixes!

Fring adds video calls to Android.

Checking my Nexus One this morning, I saw an update for Fring that brings video calls capability to Android devices. I think this is a great addition. No matter whether your device has a front-face camera or not, it just works. Obviously, not having a  front-face camera like the Nexus One requires flipping the device over. Now video calls is nice, but also resource intensive. The update won't even show up on your Android phone if it does not meet the minimum requirements.
The update is available through Android Market.

SBSH releases GoNews for Android free.

SBSH GoNews is a nice news reader that I have been using on my Windows Phone. No surprise here if I strongly recommend GoNews for Android, especially that it's free.

SBSH GoNews Highlights

• Channels List - The first thing you see when launching GoNews. Lists all the websites you've chosen for GoNews to track. Each Channel represents a website, and is accompanied with the site's logo.
• Articles List - All articles appearing on a single channel, with separate attributes for read and unread articles for easy browsing. Just click to read!
• Reading Display - Enjoy the best reading experience ever with a full screen article display!
• Adding Channels - Customize your news feed to your personal interests!
• Categories - Got too many channels to follow? Divide them into categories for easier, more efficient reading.

Scan the barcode with your Android phone to download.

Adobe Reader for Android released.

With all the attention focused on Adobe Flash 10.1 beta, the release of another great product from Adobe went unnoticed. Adobe PDF reader is now available free for download via Market. I just went to download it to my Nexus One and could not open a password protected pdf file. No support for such files unfortunately.

System Requirements

• Android v 2.1 and above
• 550 MHz processor
• 256 MB of RAM
• 4.3 MB of available disk space
• Currently Supported Devices: Motorola Droid, Motorola Milestone & Google Nexus One (While we have not yet tested against other Android devices, we expect they may also run the application just fine.)

Scan the the barcode to download Adobe reader to your Android device.

Manual FroYo update available for download.

Just finished installing Froyo on my Nexus One and as announced by Google, it is super fast. I am currently downloading Flash Player 10.1 from Market. If, like me, you cannot wait for the OTA upgrade, download the update from Google servers.

Update

Android 2.2 roll out has started.

MG Siegler from Techcrunch reports that his Nexus One got the OTA upgrade yesterday. This  is great news for N1 owners but I haven't seen any other reports from other owners in the US or outside.


Google, just wanted to let you know that my lovely Nexus One is craving for some Frozen Yogurt. Please help :)  


I'm a bit suspicious about this post though. How come only one N1 owner got the upgrade?


Update @ 22:43: it appears that only American reporters are getting the upgrade.


Read MG Siegler's report here.

Flash Player 10.1 beta to go public.

That is great news. As I mentioned in the previous post, Google and Adobe demoed Flash Player on the Nexus One at the Developer conference. I was particularly impressed at the speed and responsiveness of the updated N1 compared to the other N1 running Android 2.1. Flash Player 10.1 is not readily available until your device is updated to Froyo.

Read more here.

Android 2.2 (Froyo) official video

Yesterday, Google unveiled Froyo the codename for the new version of Android its mobile operating system. Android 2.2 is much faster than 2.1 based on the demo we saw yesterday at Google I/O. Support for Java comes as no surprise. However, one nice feature is the ability to install applications from the Android Market site to a phone; installing apps to storage card. The latter feature needs to be implemented by the developer in its application.

SFR brings the Nexus One to France.

Cheer up my French friends, the Nexus one is available through SFR. Since everybody already knows the specs of the device, I'll skip that and list the price listed on SFR's website. The Nexus one will be offered as from 129 with a 12 months contract to 419 Euros unlocked.

I do recommend this device. It's probably the best I've ever used.

Kindle ported to Android.

The application will be made available free of charge on Android MArket and will allow users to access more than 500,000 books online, including New York Times best sellers. This is great news. My Nexus One has been my main device since February and I was not able to find a decent book reader. Kindle for Android will be released in Summer (Winter in Mauritius).

Sign up here for status updates about the upcoming release.

First Flash-enabled browser for Android released.

Not that I watch that much video on my Nexus One, but I'm glad that Skyfire brings Flash support to my device. No more of those pesky messages that my browser does not support Flash and offers me to download the unsupported application.
That said, Skyfire is supposedly avalaible for download via Android Market. My last search there did not yield any result.  Or point your browser to HTTP://get.skyfire.com.

Recommended reading: Google's Andy Rubin on everything Android.

The New York Times has an excellent interview with Google's Andy Rubin about the Android evolution. The part I like most is where he seems to compare Apple to North Korea.

"When they (customers) can't have something, people do care.
Look at the way politics work. I just don't want to leave in North Korea."

Take that Apple.

Read more @ HTTP://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/googles-andy-rubin-on-everything-android/

Android 2.2 spotted in analytics data, running on Magic?.

Check out :"Android 2.2 spotted in analytics data, running on Magic?"

http://tinyurl.com/2ajjywd

Press Release: Learn in a flash with SPB Software

April 12th, 2010 - SPB Software, a leading maker of mobile applications, has announced the release of SPB Flash Cards for Android - a learning software tool created to help language students expand their vocabulary quickly and easily. The application, enhanced by smartphone technologies including photos, algorithms and detailed statistics, is supplementing existing teaching methods to create more flexible learning for language students.

Flash Cards, available for purchase from the Android Market, provides great assistance to those learning a new language. They offer a different and more varied way to learn, through the use of mental agility exercises and images. Available on all touchscreen phones running Google Android and OS version 1.5, the application provides over 1000 cards in 15 languages including Czech, German, English, French and Chinese, all dubbed by native speakers.

Seesmic for Twitter gets updated.

One of the fun thing with Android Market is the automatic notification about applications update. This morning, Seesmic for Twitter, my favorite Twitter app on my Nexus One has an update to version 1.3.

[Rumor mill]Nexus One update imminent.

Smartphone France reports that Google is getting ready to release an OTA update for the Nexus One that will be available in the days to come. The article does not mention the source of the news though. No way of knowing whether it's official or not.

The update will bring better memory management, fix some multitouch issues and activate FM radio on the device.

How true is that? Let's wait and see.

Source: http://android.smartphonefrance.info/actu.asp?ID=727

LG introduces the LU2300

With the LU2300, LG is finally joining the club of device manufacturers offering phones loaded with the 1gHZ processor. The device will sport Android 2.1. Check out the specs below:

Android 2.1
3.5inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
1GHz Snapdragon Processor
4 line landcape slide QWERTY keyboard
DivX support
Wi-Fi
DMB Tuner
5 megapixel camera complete with geo-tagging

More...

Nexus One car dock now available.

Google added another accessory for the Nexus One, a car dock that is available for $55 on Google's web store. That's not just a simple car dock designed to hold your Nexus One while driving. It also charges your device, lets you use your phone handsfree and provide easy access to voice and navigational apps.

"The dock’s built-in speakers and volume controls also enhance the in-car music and media experience. And the Car Home app, which loads automatically, makes it easy to access Maps and Navigation, Voice Search, Contacts, and Music."

Read more here.

Get your car dock here.

Samsung Galaxy S now official

Think of an Android phone with a 4 inch super AMOLED screen, a 1 gHZ processor, native GPS with 3d maps and you get the Samsung Galaxy S. Now, doesn't this phone makes the Nexus One looks like history :)

One more thing: This phone will be available worldwide.

Via Engadget - http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/23/samsung-announces-galaxy-s-android-smartphone/

HTC disagrees with Apple's action

HTC issued a press release outlining its disagreement with Apple's lawsuit over alleged patents infringement reminding us along the way that they have been in the business since 1997. HTC built and released the first Windows PDA back in 1998 and the first Android Smartphone ten years later. It comes as no surprise that HTC has amassed an impressive amount of awards. Not sure that will help fight back Apple though.
"HTC disagrees with Apple's actions and will fully defend itself. HTC strongly advocates intellectual property protection and will continue to respect other innovators and their technologies as we have always done, but we will continue to embrace competition through our own innovation as a healthy way for consumers to get the best mobile experience possible," said Peter Chou, chief executive officer, HTC Corporation. "From day one, HTC has focused on creating cutting-edge innovations that deliver unique value for people looking for a smartphone. In 1999 we started designing the XDA[i] and T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition[ii], our first touch-screen smartphones, and they both shipped in 2002 with more than 50 additional HTC smartphone models shipping since then."
Read the complete press release @ http://www.htc.com/us/press/htc-disagrees-with-apples-actions/10

Google announces Gesture Search for Android 1.6.

This is great news for device owners running Android version 1.6. Initially, Gesture Search hasard released for the 2.1. The application is available free from Android Market. With it, you'll be able to Search your device by simply writing on your screen. Gesture Search enables you to search for contacts, bookmarks and installed applications.

Android market now serving 30,000 apps.

Mobilecrunch reports that Android Market now hosts approximately 30,000 free and paid applications. Far from Apple's reportedly 140,000 apps.
According to Google, Android Market had 16,000 apps in December 2009. Meaning that Market got a 14,000 app surge in 3 months. How long will it take before Market catches up with the App Store.

Read more at www.mobilecrunch.com/2010/03/16/google-android-market-now-serving-30000-apps/

Sent from my HTC Touch Pro 2.
http://pocketpcmauritius.blogspot.com/
http://sanddroid.blogspot.com/

My daughter's vision of mobility's evolution.

You have been sent 1 picture.

IMAG0028.jpg

These pictures were sent with Picasa, from Google.
Try it out here: http://picasa.google.com/

Twitter is over capacity.

Yeah Twitter cannot support New tweets for the time being. Bummer!

Engadget reviews the HTC Legend.

What I like with this device is its aluminum body and according to the review "HTC convinced us of its unibody toughness by banging it against the wall". Would you do that with your phone?

Read the review @ www.engadget.com/2010/03/10/htc-legend-review/

No way to restart the Nexus.

Simple applications are most useful and the Nexus misses an important one: A way to reboot the device. While this is not built-in in Windows phone either, but there are multiple apps available on Marketplace.

I did find three applications on Android Market. Unfortunately, they have all been designed for rooted devices.

Microsoft publishes first Android app to Market.

Tag is the first application that Microsoft has made for Android phones. As of this writing, Microsoft Tag was already available for download on Market. Tag is already available on Windows Phones, Symbian, iPhone and Blackberry.
What is Tag? Basically, Tag turns your Android phone into a barcode reader using the built-in camera. The barcodes can then link people to websites where they get discounts or simple information.
If you have a need for Microsoft Tag, search the Market for "Microsoft Tag".

Search your phone with Gestures.

Google announced the release of a nice application called Gesture Search that is already available on Market.Designed for devices running Android 2.0 or above, Gesture lets you search your device for a contact, a bookmark or music by just drawing an alphabet on the screen. Upon installation, a shortcut is added to the homescreen for quick access.
According to the blog post on GoogleMobile, Gesture is available for the U.S. only. However, Itried my luck and searched the Market andfoundGesture Search available for me to download. If you get to try it, you will find in Gesture a quick and effcient way to search your device.
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/

Amazing that I can switch language si easily.

I am bilingual; speaking french and english. It's awesome how easily I can switch between the two on the Nexus. That cannot be done on any Windows Phone. This is very useful since I use french mostly when sending text messages.

Posted using my Nexus® One.

Day 2: The dual microphone is awesome.

The noise cancellation feature on the Nexus One is great. The phone has two microphones; one is at the bottom of the phone and the other on the back. How this works?
The microphone on the back cancels out inbound noise so you hear only the callers' voice. The callers also get a good quality call experience. I experienced that yesterday when I got stuck on M1 and calling my brother he did not hear the heavy traffic noise around me, nor did I hear anything on his side but his voice. This is a feature that should be made standard on all phones.
The Nexus One phone experience is not so different from other phones I've used, except for the loudspeaker. It's just not loud enough and you have to hold the phone somehow close to hear the caller. This same feature on the Touch Pro2 is excellent.

Change the trackball color on the Nexus One.

It is a fancy hack and one that some might find useful. As far as I'm concerned, it does not matter which color the trackball uses to diferentiate the notification type. If you do, then go to www.droiddog.com/android-blog/2010/02/n1-multi-colored-trackball-and-custom-live-wallpapers/ For instructions on applying this hack.

Google sells additional battery for Nexus One on web store.

As great as the Nexus one can be, the accompanying battery 1400mAH battery fails miserably to deliver. In response to the numerous complaints, Google is offering an additional battery a $25 on their web store.
Technical specifications:
·      Removable 1400 mAH battery
·       Charges at 480mA when installed in Nexus One phone connected to USB, at 980mA when installed in phone connected to charger
·       Talk time: Up to 10 hours on 2G, Up to 7 hours on 3G
·       Standby time: Up to 290 hours on 2G, Up to 250 hours on 3G
·       Internet use: Up to 5 hours on 3G, Up to 6.5 hours on Wi-Fi
·       Video playback: Up to 7 hours
·       Audio playback: Up to 20 hours
Unfortunately, there is no charger provided. Which raises the question: How do I charge this additional battery when the other dies on me on the road?
Learn more: https://www.google.com/phone/choose?locale=en_US&s7e=

Day one with the Nexus One: Mixed feelings.

A day has gone by since I got my Nexus One and I must admit that it has been a day with some disappointments. The Nexus One is a great device in terms of looks and performance, but there are some issues that are unacceptable on a device dubbed the “Super phone” by Google. I do not plan to write a lengthy review of the N1, instead I will write about how the device behaves as my main phone compared to my HTC Touch Pro2. Bear in mind that I had this phone for a day only; more mini-reviews will follow. Let’s get started.

Immediately after unboxing the phone and powering it up I went straight into the Settings to manually download the update that brings pinch to zoom functionality to the device. The downloading and installation of the update was fast.

Secondly I went to setup my Gmail and that, of course, requires that I use the on-screen keyboard. Those who have been following me know that I’m a great fan of hard keyboards. Until recently, I’ve been using the soft keyboard more often on my Touch Pro2. The keyboard was developed by HTC and has completely changed my perception since. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the N1 keyboard. It is awful; as simple as that. I have not been able to type a sentence without having to go backwards to correct mistakes. It is extremely difficult to use as it seems that the buttons are somehow misplaced. I find myself having to tap slightly at the top right of each buttons every time. So forget about fast typing. Again, the Nexus One keyboard is a pain.

The battery – It went down to 25% after a half day use. I won’t write much about this yet until I get all the settings right and download a decent power manager from Android Market. It’s currently 10:00am here and the phone is resting on my desk. Power has dropped to 50%. It was charged whole night and did not exert too much pressure on it this morning. Just downloaded my Gmails, visited some web sites; about half an hour use.

The built-in camera is good compared to 3.2MP of the TP2. However, I had an issue trying to send a picture as an attachment. Actually the Gallery gives me the option to share pictures I take with the phone. So I pick Gmail from the list of available options and doing that brings up the new mail window with the picture attached; enter the recipient’s name (my name; my work and personal address) and hit Send. The email reached the intended mailboxes without the picture. Thinking that I missed something, I started the whole operation again without success. Gmail does not want to send my attachments. Why is that? Ongoing investigation…

On the other hand, the device is very responsive; downloading applications from Market was very fast. What to say about the phone itself? It’s super thin, light, solid and beautiful. The screen is gorgeous.

That’s it for now.

Skype removed on Market?

"This isn't a decision we've taken lightly, but the reason is simple. Neither of these apps offered a great Skype experience." SO what is a great Skype experience? I find this decision strange for an application that has been in the mainstream so long. When software are outdated, you are usually offered an upgrade that fixes the bugs. They are not removed.

Imagine what life would be if Microsoft, Google, Apple and others just pulled out there software because THEY think the user experience is not good enough. If that was regular and accepted business practice, I guess we'd be running our gadgets without software. We'd be carrying bricks around pretending to make a call over IP; pretending to be enjoying a fabulous user experience on our phones that Microsoft and Apple developed and then pulled out.

Clearly this is a decision taken lightly. So long Skype.

Google Earth for Android released.

Google Earth has actually been released for the Nexus One phone. Which kind of makes sense since the Nexus is Google's flagship device that sports a 1gHz processor. I can well imagine that Google Earth can be quite resource intensive.

According to the team, "Ever since we got our hands on one, we have been putting it through its paces, drawing complex scenes of 3D imagery, terrain, roads, and other layers, and Nexus One never misses a beat."

Read more here.

Hands-on video of the Motorola Devours.

Via Engadget.

How to install non-market apps on your Android phone?

Pocketnow.com has an interesting how-to on their site that explains how to install an application that is not on Google Market on your Android phone.

Android applications are packaged as .apk files. This is a new file extension that I need to add to my "dictionary of extensions". So far, I had .cab only listed under mobile file extensions for application packages.

I strongly recommend you read this how-to at http://pocketnow.com/how-to/how-to-install-non-market-apps-on-your-android-phone

Sent from my HTC Touch Pro 2.
http://pocketpcmauritius.blogspot.com/
http://sanddroid.blogspot.com/

HTC Legend announced.

The Legend is another Android device announced by HTC at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
“At its essence, the mobile phone is the most personal item you have in your possession. HTC Sense was created to magnify your ability to create and define your own unique mobile experience,” said Peter Chou, chief executive officer of HTC Corporation. “HTC Legend and HTC Desire take Android to another level in both substance with HTC Sense and style with HTC Legend’s revolutionary crafted aluminum uni-body design.”

Read more here.

HTC Legend hands-on video: