This is the year that we get to see plenty of new firsts –the first Google branded smart phone, the first standalone touch screen tablet device, the first commercial 3D display screens, and many more. 2010 has always been a favorite setting for some science fiction writers and while we may have not found the ultimate in renewable power sources or commute in flying cars there are still plenty of things that technology can astound us with.
Indeed, just a little over a decade ago, it would have been hard to envision the social networking site Facebook and microblogging tool Twitter as easy and accessible web services. The average high end smart phones are capable of running 3D games, augmented reality apps and of course, take videos in HD format.
Google’s Android mobile platform is an advancement that has not been talked about much in science fiction, but it does enable people to achieve a close result. This open source platform gives developers the freedom to play around with whatever functions they can think of –giving the device an almost unlimited degree of versatility (limited only by the hardware’s capabilities). Even Google’s very own apps are already awe inspiring. Take the Google Goggles for example; it is practically a device that precedes Star Trek’s translations devices (just point the phone camera at text written in a different language and the phone will translate it to English).
The tablet has also become a major figure in the tech industry. For now, circulation of the device is still limited as only Apple’s iPad is available and it has yet to be launched worldwide. But if the US sales are to be measured, at least a million units of the tablet was sold in the first month of sales alone. It will not be long before a touch screen tablet is a common household commodity –and with the upcoming Android tablet, we can expect to see more of their technology in use.
Posts Tagged ‘Google-Nexus-One’
Future Forecast: Androids, Tablets and More
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010HTC Phone Lineup: Recap and Rumors
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
HTC is making plenty of waves recently and their latest line of smart phones is certainly a big reason why.
The list starts off with none other than the HTC Desire. This Android smart phone is the best in the line, in fact, it can even be said that this new phone is one of the best Android devices out in the market. So far, it is only matched by the Nexus One –and the two phones share the same manufacturer. This device comes packed with a 1GHz CPU, a 5 mega pixel camera and a 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen.
Along with the HTC Desire, another handset was launched, the HTC Legend. This new device did not have the same edge as the Desire, but it still packed some pretty practical features. The display is smaller at 3.3 inches (but at least it was AMOLED) and it had a much slower 700MHz CPU. Like the Desire, this phone comes with a 5 mega pixel CPU.
New to the HTC smart phone line is the addition of the newly launched HTC Wildfire. This little Android smart phone is specs-wise inferior to the Desire and the Legend, but it still gets the job done. While the other phones as more expensive, the Wildfire’s cheaper hardware focuses more on the social networking aspects –providing users with plenty of coverage and of course Facebook and Twitter integration.
Next up on HTC’s to do list is the Mondrian. This smart phone is still pretty much unknown in terms of specs. But rumors that it could possibly be running on a much newer Snapdragon processor has placed the estimates that the device’s CPU might be clocked at 1.3 GHz. It has also been reported that the new phone will have a 4.3 inch touch screen or larger.
Apple Feeding on Adobe’s Little Mishap
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
We all know the issue, during a presentation by Ryan Stewart of Flash on the Google Nexus One Android smart phone, the device failed to load the Flash heavy Eco Zoo website.
Seriously, what was he thinking? Even some netbooks have problems running that site. He could have had a better shot at demonstrating the power of Flash by loading some impressive animations or games from Newgrounds or other Flash content websites. It also did not help that somebody requested that Hulu be tried. The suggestion was a trap, since Hulu, by default, does not support access (an issue completely unrelated to Flash). Ryan’s reply to the request was a somber “Hulu is not supported” but failed to explain that the issue was not with Flash.
So, the question still remains, was the presentation a failure? Considering that Flash Evangelist Ryan was out to woo the crowds then it would be just proper to say that it did not turn out quite how it was supposed to be. But if this was simply a matter of proving that Flash works well on the Android operating system, then we can also say that it has been a resounding success.
The Nexus One is one of the best phones available today. It has 1GHz Snapdragon processor which means that even Flash should be loading fast. Still, there are some sites that are clearly meant to be accessed with more powerful desktop computers.
The bad thing is that many Apple fans are having a field day with the presentation. Many are claiming that Steve Jobs was right all along about Flash being unstable which would apply if only the demonstration was constantly crashing due to Flash on all websites instead of just one.
Any software issue can be worked on and fixed, something that Google and Adobe are certainly working on –and this could have been a situation that Apple could have enjoyed with Adobe if they only chose to be more cooperative.
Google’s Nexus One Comes to Phones4U
Friday, May 7th, 2010
The UK is going to get a whole load of Google’s Android this month as the Nexus One hits the shelves.
Yes, the elusive Google branded smart phone has finally arrived in the UK. It was delayed for a month, but people are still very excited about the device since it will be delivering the Android mobile platform in an entirely new way –Google’s way. First off, the handset features all new functions that are centered on the phone’s ability to recognize speech.
It was demonstrated early on that the phone is able to use voice to text services which means that you will be able to dictate your messages while driving or while engaged in other activities. The phone is also able to use voice input for queries on the internet –you can have the phone look up specific places using Google Earth or Google Maps (this has been integrated into the recently announced sat nav services as well).
Anyway, Phones4 U has announced that they are going to have the device available and will be offering it directly and on various plans. Russell Braterman is excited about the device and has stated that: “As a leading UK mobile retailer we are continuing to seek the best handsets and mobile packages to offer our customers. We are extremely excited about Google’s introduction of such a state of the art device into the market, which will no doubt have a significant impact on the mobile space from here on out. We’re really proud to be one of the first mobile retailers to stock Google’s Nexus One and we anticipate a rush of customers to be the first to get their hands on the phone.”
This is officially the first time that an independent retailer will be offering the Android smart phone (it was originally exclusive to the Google Online store).
Intel’s New Weapon Against Arm: Better Power Management
Friday, May 7th, 2010
When it boils down to it, no manufacturer really needs to worry about being able to have the best speed –they all have the capacity to shrink down desktop hardware technology. The real problem is being able to design a chip that is able to minimize the power usage.
Right now, the mobile phone industry is pretty happy with the QSD8250 1GHz CPU, since there are very few other 1GHz processors around, nobody really bothers to compare how long the battery of the smart phones will last. Intel is going to change just that. According to reports, the hardware manufacturer has announced that their latest Z-series Atom CPU is able to keep a device running for a full ten days on standby.
We are undoubtedly impressed. After all, they demonstrated the chip on a phone by running a live game of Quake III on the device. Sure the graphics are much smaller, but all the details are rendered in full 3D and the device never as much had a hiccup in terms of performance. You could probably hook up a keyboard and mouse on the mobile phone and play a quick game over local WAN without worrying about the device hampering your frag count.
Of course, Google is already taking first dibs on the new technology. The company has made no move to conceal the fact that the new Android handsets that are coming out might be using the new Atom CPU. Many are betting that the Motorola Shadow/Milestone 2 will be the first device to make use of the processor (which is also rumored to be running much faster than 1GHz), thought there have also been some rumors that HTC might have a new Android device of their own as well.
The new hardware is expected to become available soon, which means that we should be expecting the first handsets to utilize this chip to come out by the second half of 2010.
Vodafone UK Places Nexus One on Pre Order
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
The first batch of Nexus One shipments to clients will be coming this May 5 so if you want to get your hands on the Google phone early, you might want to sign up for one of the last few pre-order slots of the Android handset on Vodafone UK.
In a move that is surprisingly wonderful to Android fans in the UK, the local launch of the Nexus One will not be exclusive to the Google online store. Instead, interested buyer can order directly from Vodafone UK –this also means that existing clients get to order the device straight away.
Many consider the move by Google to be a very sound marketing move. With the original US launch of the device having shown that a Google Store exclusive would result in low sales, the UK release will come in a more standard operator based approach. The news comes as a great sigh of relief for many as the original announcement from both Vodafone and Google was that the device would still be a Google store item when it comes out.
This Android smart phone is officially the first Android device to use the Snapdragon 1GHz processor to its’ full capacity. Acer came out last year with the Liquid Android smart phone which also used the QSD CPU but at an under clocked speed. The HTC Desire and the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 smart phones are the second batch of commercially available devices to run the Android OS on the 1GHz processor.
Aside from a high speed processor, the Nexus One has a 5 mega pixel snapper, a 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen display and advanced voice recognition software capabilities.
Get to know the full details about the Google Nexus One smart phone pre-order offers under Vodafone UK at Softpedia.
Vodafone to Ship Nexus One Locally
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
Pre orders for the Google Nexus One smart phone has finally been opened on the official Vodafone website.
Okay, this is where you can take a couple of minutes to process that last statement.
Yep, Google is finally breaking away from their previous decision to keep the Nexus One smart phone as a Google Online store only exclusive and you can buy the device directly from the official Vodafone UK website. For a 24 month plan with a 35 GBP tariff, you can get the Android smart phone for free and ordering as early as now would also net you an additional 1GB of web and mail along with the unlimited texts and 600 minutes of calls that are given.
This move is surprising, but definitely something that would help bring the Nexus One to more users. It has already been shown in the US release of the Nexus One last January that the device’s exclusivity to the Google Online store was a pretty bad decision by the folks at Mountain View. Since the phone was not being sold by regular operators (US operators had to refer customers to go to the Google store) this has led to a very low sales performance by the otherwise impressive smart phone.
The first week of sales saw only 20,000 devices being sold (in comparison, the Apple iPhone was re-launched by Vodafone UK last January and sold over 100,000 units in the first week).
The Nexus One Android smart phone comes with a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, a 3.7 inch AMOLED touch screen display and a 5 mega pixel camera. The device also comes with enhanced voice recognition software that allows for voice activated queries and speech to text features.
Google’s Nexus One Still Headed to the UK
Monday, April 26th, 2010
We are pretty surprised to hear from Vodafone that the Nexus One would actually still be making it to the UK sometime this April. With the month almost over and the device pretty much over a couple of weeks late for availability, it is a surprise that they even bothered to make an announcement now.
In any case the question now is, is the Nexus One worth it?
For any pure Android smart phone fan, there is a definite thrill to the Nexus One –after all, it is the very first time that Google has been able to place their brand on the phone and despite the fact that it was HTC that produced the phone, it was still the development team of Google that decided on the final looks and features to be included in the device.
Hardware wise, the device is considerably high end. Running in the core of the device is a 1GHz Snapdragon processor. Not so surprising since we already know that Microsoft has some pretty close ties with Qualcomm in the development of the OS. It is not surprising that the QSD processor has been chosen for the mobile platform.
Due to the fact that the Nexus One can only be bought online, the sales figures of the new device suffered badly. In the first week of sales, Google has only managed to sell 20,000 units a far difference to the large amount that usually accompanies the launch of a brand new device. In comparison, the Apple iPad touch screen tablet has managed to sell over 300,000 units in the first day alone.
Expect to see more of the Google Nexus One in the coming months once the device is finally available in the UK.
Read more about the Google Nexus One and its availability in the UK at Softpedia.
Can Google Save Adobe?
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
Adobe’s stock’s took a major downturn when Apple’s new SDK agreement included a clause that tells developers to not use third party software for developing applications –a major feature in the new Flash Professional CS5 program.
Some people might say that Apple does not control the internet, and that is in many ways, quite true. But at the same time, it is also undeniable that many people use Apple products to browse the internet, and the iPod Touch, the iPhone and the iPad devices do not support Flash. That may not seem like a big deal, but there are already plenty of internet websites that are now creating Apple-friendly pages that have substituted Flash elements with HTML5 and more.
Google, like the bright shining vanguard of the internet that it is, has stepped in to aid Adobe (as they say, the enemy of your enemy is your friend). It has just been announced that the latest Flash version 10 will be supported by the Google Android.
The move comes as no surprise as everyone knows that Apple and Google share a very fierce rivalry with each other. It was only just a month ago that Apple filed a patent infringement lawsuit against HTC –a known developer for the Android, a founding member of the Open Handset Alliance and of course, a manufacturer of many Android smart phones. With Apple now taking aim at Adobe, it is only natural for Google to side with the Flash developer.
Flash is not exactly everyone’s favorite web feature, since the most prolific use of it is in those annoying pop-up ads that take forever to load and are almost impossible to remove. But Flash is also used to run many browser based games as well as to create some of the most impressive website layouts ever made.
Read more about Flash coming to the Android at GSM Arena.
T-Mobile’s Early HTC Desire Offer Gets Delayed
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
According to reports, a software glitch has been plaguing HTC Desire smart phones from T-Mobile.
With the HTC handset already having passed the usual quality checks, it is assumed that it is the software from T-Mobile that is causing the unexpected errors. So far, no word has been given as to what the phone problems actually are, but it is assumed that T-Mobile is already working on a solution and that the phones will be available in shops by the 7th of April.
Aside from T-Mobile, there are two more UK based network operators that are offering the Android handset this month, Vodafone and Orange Mobile. T-Mobile originally had the advantage of time by having their offer available as early as last week; however, this latest delay has set them back quite a bit.
For those wondering why people would be so excited about the Desire, it is because this Android smart phone is the basis for the Google phone, Nexus One. The Desire, originally known as Bravo had been announced as early as late last year (actually, it was leaked). The phone’s specifications were a very close match for the Nexus One; many even assumed that the two devices were one and the same.
In any case, the Desire comes with a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, a 5 mega pixel camera and a 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen display. The device is also able to record videos in 720p HD quality. All in all, the Desire and the Nexus One mirror each other in specs –though the N-One does not have 720p video.
Instead, the Google phone comes with advanced speech recognition software that speech to text functions. Both devices use the latest version of the Android OS.
Find out more about the HTC Desire smart phone launch delay under T-Mobile at Stuff TV.