According to the report published by Arrington, Google has been in the process of making a smartphone that follows the company’s directions to the T. That basically means they have a handset manufacturer who is working with them and following their specifications. In fact, the latest buzzword there is probably ‘Google Says’. So what does Google say?

That is something we don’t know yet but we do know that this new phone is not going to compromise on anything at all. It is being made to deliver what Google thinks a modern smartphone should be like. So this is not just a Google Experience phone but the true Android vision that Google has. It is meant to show their customers exactly what Google means by a smartphone.

But therein lies a problem. Google is not supposed to make an Android phone. They have too many partner companies who are making their own Android phones. Google’s handset would compete with theirs and that is not how you maintain a healthy relationship. So how do you maintain it and still get what you want?

Arrington has an idea. He suggests that the device will not be a true phone but merely a VoIP device. That way, it will get to have everything awesome that Android has to offer and yet will not compete with the offerings from their partner companies. If they are really making such device, why not just make a tablet? I am sure they see the vast potential in that. What is the use of giving someone a phone shaped MID that has VoIP instead of GSM or CDMA?

May be this is Google’s idea of the future – everything based on the Internet. It does tie in with what Google has to say about practically everything that involves technology and communication of some sort – move it online! Case in point – the Google Chrome OS. It takes your standard Linux OS and turns it into a mere client for all sorts of cloud services. As a result, you get to forget about backing up, maintaining, cleaning and generally thinking about how to get it to work and stay working.

However, the viability of such device depends greatly on one thing. This is that one thing that Google cannot move online – the very means to get online! You have many other carriers all over the world who have the fasted 3G network just like AT&T does and also the spottiest coverage, against just like AT&T does! And worst of all, they may be the best carrier in some countries! What use will be the phone then? We are still far away from a truly global coverage on mobile data networks, especially in countries that are no fully developed.

The current Android Super phone

However, if Google chooses to work with an existing partner who agrees to play ‘Google Says’ – will it harm them all that much? We already have Google Experience phones. So now we can have the Über Google Experience phone. In any case, Google has at least realized the age old truth – if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. Dear old Steve knew that decades ago and now look where he is. Google has done things their own way so far (Search, Ads, Mail, Wave, etc.) and that has led to exponential growth. So why stop now? They have done it with the Chrome OS, where they will be strictly controlling what hardware it is running on. And I am sure they have been disappointed with some of the recent Android phones. So it makes sense logically to make their own version of the Android phone. Wouldn’t you agree?

Related posts

• T-Mobile myTouch (5)
• The HTC Dragon Exists And Google Has It! (2)
• Of Cracks, Hacks And Jailbreaks (2)
• Motorola Sholes/Droid Rumor Round Up: Is there no end to the wait? (5)
• How To Make Free Calls From Your Computer With Google Voice (17)

The HTC Dragon AKA HTC Passion, is going to be the toast of the Android community if it really has everything that it seems to have. Even though details have been scanty, imaginations speculations have been running pretty wild after the screenshots and live shots were revealed.

Now, Techcrunch claims that the phone has been on the prowl at Android headquarters for quite some time now and top Android people are already using it. It has been undergoing a lot of testing and it is likely that a release is imminent.

It is said to be a lot slimmer than either the Droid or the iPhone. Of course, it won’t have a keyboard so being slimmer than the Droid is nothing to talk about. But the 1GHz Snapdragon processor is. It will blaze through everything that the OS has to offer and will certainly help you with multi-tasking. HTC has recently shown with the HD2 that they are really good at making phones. If they can make Windows Mobile into that good a phone, they should logically be able to make a killer Android phone.

So Techcrunch is of the opinion that this is the next super phone that will carry Android and we agree. If Google is taking a personal interest in it, it has to be something special. I don’t think the top Android players carry and test every Android phone that comes out.

Related posts

• The Snapdragon So Far: Big Phones (2)
• Motorola Sholes/Droid Rumor Round Up: Is there no end to the wait? (5)
• The Plot Thickens Around The Google Phone (2)
• T-Mobile myTouch (5)
• 5 Must Have Google Android Applications (2)

Overall, the reviewers have liked it and from what I have seen of it, I like it too. But whether that liking will germinate into a purchase is completely up to the individual and I can’t really advise for or against it. To me it is a mixed bag and you have to take your pick.

Here are reasons for choosing it.

That Display

You gotta admit it, that 854×440 display looks really great compared to the iPhone’s puny 480×320 display. And the screen looks positively gorgeous. If I wanted a great smartphone to watch movies on, I would definitely choose this.

Google’s Got Your Back

When you have a company like Google making applications for you, you know you will have things to like. Google’s minimalist approach, tight online integration and great web presence makes it the perfect giant to have backing you up in your connected life.

One of the main features of new Android OS is the Navigation feature on Google Maps. People liked it so much that everyone predicted it being the future and the death of all standalone devices and expensive apps. Best of all, the service is free and integrated with Google Maps. It does have some hiccups but I am sure they will be cleaned out soon enough.

iPhone’s lack of an integrated Instant Messenger app really lets it down and the presence of the very same thing lifts up the Droid. From what I read about the user experience on the Droid regarding this and other Google apps, you folks are going to love ‘em to death.

And if there’s one thing that we all love about Google, it is Gmail. It is what I use for my personal account and it is also what I use on my own domain through Google Apps. Gmail on the Android 2.0 is like a perfect little version of the actual Gmail, complete with full labels and threaded emails. If you like Gmail, you will like it on Droid.

Also, the Wave is coming and the Android might have something special for the Surfers.

NOT AT&T

Not having to put up with AT&T’s finicky (and frustrating) network and working on the best network in the country will really help you love the Droid. Imagine a (almost) headache free network experience… makes me feel all fuzzy inside.

It’s Android!

Some people will choose it simply because it is the first Android 2.0 phone and has the best Android experience so far. Some will also choose Android because of Android’s (mostly) open source philosophy. But that is not a very practical reason. The multi-tasking however, is a very practical reason and Droid does it quite well thanks to Snapdragon and Android.

-

And now for the other side of the debate.

Multimedia Meh

If you want agreat multimedia experience, stay on the iPhone. It’s not like the Android cannot play media but the experience is just not the same. It’s like the latest Linux and the Mac OS. One does it and the other does it well.

iTunes Baby!

I refuse to believe anyone who claims that they have it better without the world’s largest mobile app and digital music store. Not to mention movies and the other things that are rumored to be coming. If you have used it, you will miss it on Android and there are no comparable replacements for this. Nothing compares to iTunes.

Show Me 10,000 Apps And I Will Show You 100,000

The Android Marketplace over 10,000 apps and there are quite a few apps there which the iTunes Store does not have. But the iTunes has ten times as many apps at over 100,000. Do you still need me to spell it out for you?

Also, since the Droid runs a standard Android install, it does not do much out of the box You will have to download various apps for doing things like viewing PDFs and different mail attachments, etc. Sure the apps are free but you have to find them and install them. With the iPhone, you can hit the ground running.

Other customized Android phones come with these apps pre-installed though.

Security

You cannot lock the screen with a pass code. There is also no support for a remote wipe. You can get that through another app but nothing as integrated as the Find My iPhone Feature. Plus, you can install apps from sources outside the Marketplace.

That’s a good thing right? Yes but you will also be vulnerable to malicious apps that can cause some serious damage. You will receive a warning if you try to install from outside the Marketplace but it can be done.

Tough Keyboard, No Multitouch

One of the few complaints with the physical parts of the phone is the keyboard. Reviewers and users have been reporting having a tough time with the keyboard. As for the virtual keyboard, it is all good except for the fact that there’s no multitouch. Multitouch has been intentionally disabled on the Droid as per agreements between Motorola, Google and Verizon.

-

So there you have it, the most popular pros and cons laid out for you. Choose for yourself and choose wisely.

-

If you want to know more about the iPhone, head over to this week’s Saturday Apple Pie at Otaku Gadgets.

Related posts

• Moving With Motorola Motus: The Leaks And Rumors So far (0)
• Motorola Sholes/Droid Rumor Round Up: Is there no end to the wait? (5)
• Wordpress For iPhone Is Not A Killer App (7)
• Why you should not be an early adopter (23)
• Why Dedicated Media Players are still cool (3)

So here we have some of the more high profile Snapdragon phones that are coming our way.

HTC HD2

After that big a whispering campaign courtesy of the leaks and the high anticipation during the launch, there is no way you can forget this mobile phone. Arguably the first device to bring the processor to the limelight, this is the phone that in a way started it all.

If you are not too impressed by the 4.3inch screen, then you might be impressed by the custom UI made by HTC. The UI has been demoed on video and it looks really great and responsive. The acceleration, the transitions and the rendering – all look smooth and fast. That is definitely where the Snapdragon shines its brightest.

But the phone might fail to generate the traction and sales that it deserves simply because of its platform. It is a Windows Mobile device and it runs Windows Mobile 6.5 underneath that great UI. What that means is a (ridiculously) low number of apps and low third party interest, which again translates to a not-so-good user experience when compared to the fast-moving Android or the trend-setting iPhone OS.

HTC Dragon/ Passion [?]

This was rumored to be the Android version of the HD2 but now it has been (almost) ID’d as the new HTC Passion. This would be more like a CDMA version of the HTC Dragon, which is a GSM phone. It has also been revealed that the HTC Passion is heading for Verizon and we could be seeing it in the flesh metal by the end of this year. Well, if they want to sell something this year they have to bring it out before Christmas.

But if this phone does materialize, this would be another Android phone that will be jostling for space at the top rung of things. Now that we have the Droid and the X10, this would likely become the third super-specc’d Android phone. [read]

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10

If you still do not know about the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10, you are clearly not coming out from underneath your rock often enough. The XEPRIA X10 was leaked and discussed frenetically before it was finally unveiled on November 3^rd.

It features a custom UI on top of Android and it is know as the ‘Open OS’. The features to be highlighted are the Timescape and Mediascape features, that give you smarter ways to stay connected with your contacts, communications and media. If you want a hands-on review of a pre-production unit, you can check out this post. Over all, Sony Ericsson has something that is pretty sleek and stylish. If they can deliver on their promises (Timescape and Mediascape), this might become THE Android phone to get. Hopefully it will be up to Android 2.0 when they finally get around to selling this phone in the first half of next year.

Acer Liquid A1

Acer’s Liquid A1 is the company’s venture into Android smartphone field and it has so far received a lukewarm response at best. After announcing the Snapdragon processor and the Android OS base, it became the first phone to bring those two together.

However, as we have seen and heard from the folks who got their hands on the device  – Acer is clearly lacking on the UI development. Plus, the physical design of the phone leaves much space for improvement. Acer’s inexperience in the smartphone category shows through too clearly for this to be a compelling device. Sorry Acer but it looks like you need to step up your game here. [read]

Unnamed Nokia Smartphone For AT&T

Nokia is rumored to be making a new smartphone for AT&T that will be powered by Snapdragon. It is not the N900 and it is something that will be up against the likes of the Droid, the HD2 and the X10. This is a little sliver of a rumor, so more details are currently unavailable. [read]

Related posts

• The HTC Dragon Exists And Google Has It! (2)
• Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X10: Review (9)
• Skype releases mobile client (1)
• Microsoft Phone Data Manager (1)
• Europe To Get Standard Phone Chargers (2)

Do check out the XPERIA X3/Rachael rumor round up while you wait for SE to release the thing already.

Related posts

• Sony Ericsson XPERIA X3 AKA Rachael AKA X10 AKA Coming November 3 [?] [Updated] (9)
• New HD-Capable Sony Ericsson Phone Leaked (Twice Already): Kurara (2)
• Windows Vista Codec (12)
• Why DRM is not consumer friendly (3)
• Use Worldcat to Search Libraries Worldwide (1)

So you know, the fact that we are almost completely skipping the X2 in our minds is probably a really good thing. We get to ignore the flashy, not-so-useful phone and get to something that will be as powerful as the HD2 (Snapdragon FTW) and will be running a mobile OS that is leagues ahead of the Windows Mobile OS that is found on the XPERIA X2.

Yes, I am talking about the XPERIA X3/Rachael/X10 – basically the next full touchscreen phone in the XPERIA line by Sony Ericsson. It is rumored to be powered by the industry’s current favorite powerhouse – the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. And SE has itself declared that the next XPERIA may not be running Windows Mobile. In corporate speak, that is almost like saying “well, we don’t want to raise your expectations but we too are tired of Windows Mobile.”

There was this leak early in July this year that raised the issue and called our attention to this mysterious SE phone that didn’t look like any of the current phones. Not fully anyway. Those who leaked it said that the internal code name is Rachael. The photos showed a sleek phone with a minimalist face – a dead giveaway that the entire focus is on the touchscreen even if they don’t show you the side. [read]

There was that leaked live image too. That was pretty interesting. That showed us that the phone is further in the development cycle than we thought it was. [read]

So far, we know very little about the device but we do have some pictures as you can see. These were leaked thanks to a prematurely posted expansys product page. That is also the source from which we get the specifications of the phone. Here’s what we know so far: -

Display – 4”, touchscreen, capacitive, WVGA (800×480)

Camera – 8 megapixel, autofocus, LED flash, image stabilizers, smile and face detection

Networks – Quadband GSM/EDGE/GPRS, HSPA/HSUPA (900/2100 MHz)

Connectivity – Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi b/g, aGPS

OS – Android (probably 2.0/Eclair), Custom UI

Processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz

Colors – Full black exterior and full white exterior (from the photos)

[read]

Okay, so may be we know a bit too much for something that has not been made official yet.

The expansys page was obviously taken down after that. And then we had the UI demoed for us. The UI definitely looks like a custom job and it does look like it is Android. The focus of the UI is mainly online communication and networking, which are major parts of what we do with our phones these days. The other major part is talking to a person over the cellular network, that obsolete thing that we still do. [read]

Initial reports pegged it at January 2010 but that was probably an estimate because now we have this suspicious looking product launch page that has the mysterious stylized infinity symbol and talks about something magical. This was announced just a day back and the Internet is buzzing with it. [read]

The infinity symbol is (believed to be) associated with the custom in-house UI that we saw in the video earlier. And hence, we all think that this upcoming event is going to be the official launch of Rachael/X3/X10. In the meantime, we have another leak and this is purported to be the brochure of the device. It does feature the Snapdragon but then anyone can print something out and take a grainy video of it. So take these things with a nice helping of salt. [read]

Update: Sony has posted a teaser video for the November 3 event. Check it out.

Related posts

• XPERIA X3/Rachael/X10 Media UI Video Leaks (2)
• Sony Ericsson’s Kurara Is More than What You Think It Is (0)
• The Snapdragon So Far: Big Phones (2)
• The HTC Dragon Exists And Google Has It! (2)
• Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X10: Review (9)

Banshee is strongly tied to the GNOME desktop manager. These two together make managing your Android phone music as simple as it gets. Now, Banshee is not a complete replacement for iTunes. There is no way to purchase music through Banshee (which is fine because most Android phones can purchase music straight from the Amazon MP3 market). But Banshee does a bang up job of managing your music – and a simple job interacting with the Android phone. Now, let’s take a look at how this is done.

Installing Banshee

If you don’t already have Banshee installed you will need to do so. And you will need to make sure you have a version >= 1.4. To install go to your Add/Remove Software tool and follow these steps:

1. Search for “banshee” (no quotes).
2. Select Banshee for installation.
3. Click Apply to install.

That’s it.

Now that Banshee is installed, you are ready to have Banshee and your Android working together.

Connecting your Android

Figure 1

When you connect your Android phone to your Linux machine you will be asked (on the phone) if you want to mount your SD card. Go ahead and do that so your Linux machine can see the SD card on the phone. This SD card will show up in the Nautilus file manager (shown in Figure 1) as a 2.0 GB Media. You can actually drag and drop files to this directory – but we’re managing music, so we’re going to use Banshee and not a file manager.

Now open up Banshee and your Android phone will automatically show up (see Figure 2).

As you can see, the interface gives you a clear view of the space

Figure 2

available on your phone’s card. You can also see that there are two options:

Manually sync

Automatically sync

Most likely you will want to manually sync your phone. If your Banshee library is like mine there is WAY more music than will fit on a 2 Gig card. of course you can replace that 2 Gig card with a much larger card and then have Banshee automatically sync.

For manually syncing all you need to do is navigate through your music collection and then drag and drop the files you want to put on your phone.

Upon completion of the music management you can then click the Eject Android G1 Phone button in the upper right corner of Banshee. Now, before you actually unplug your phone from your computer you need to turn off USB storage on your phone. Once USB storage is off you can then unplug your phone and check to make sure your new music is present and accounted for.

Final thoughts

I certainly hope the Linux community and the Android community can work together further so that the Linux operating system can enjoy a complete sync. Once this happens wireless companies can be sure that Linux users/fans will flock to their Android offerings.

Related posts

• The Plot Thickens Around The Google Phone (2)
• The HTC Dragon Exists And Google Has It! (2)
• T-Mobile myTouch (5)
• Spring Design’s Alex And B&N’s Nook (6)
• Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X10: Review (9)

It is with this success and support that T-Mobile announces the details regarding their much anticipated follow up to the HTC G1. In case you’re wondering, this phone has been around for some time (over in the UK where it sells under the name of the HTC Magic). But the device is finally coming statewide. The myTouch operates off of Android v1.5 and promises to fix a lot of the problems people had with the first device.

The phone is thinner and lighter then its predecessor and as we said before carries the same hardware found in the HTC Magic (also known as the Google Ion). The feature list sounds pretty impressive also:

Powered by a Walcomm MSM7200A™ chip, this little bad boy pumps out 528MHz of power. As said before the phone is running on the x1.5 build of Android. ROM is set at 512MB and RAM is 288MB. Dimensions are pretty slim with 133 x 55.56 x 13.65 mm (4.45 x 2.19 x 0.54 inches). The phone weighs only 4.09 ounces with the battery in so you have a device that is a little smaller then the iPhone but bigger then the Pre.

One of the major differences between the myTouch and the G1 is the keyboard. While the G1 has a full QWERTY keyboard, the myTouch lacks that and instead has opted for a virtual one with haptic feedback. From using the iPhone, Instinct, HTC Touch, Storm and many other phones, I can assure you that technology hasn’t advanced to the point where a virtual keyboard will give you everything you would require from a QWERTY keyboard. That said, haptic feedback does lessen the blow a bit so we’ll just have to see how this fits into the whole stage.

Those buying the T-Mobile myTouch will also get a 4GB microSD card, so all your tunes will be available to you. You will also be able to expand the memory though the limits are yet to be made clear by either HTC or T-Mobile at the moment.

The T-Mobile G1 will be available on T-Mobile’s U.S network come late July. Customers of T-Mobile will be able to pre-order the device 4 days after Independence Day though. Price is set at $199 with a two-year contract so this falls right in line with the Blackberry Storm, iPhone 3GS, Palm Pre and others.

While a lot of the applications are unchanged, T-Mobile does have a hand in some of them. An example of this is the Sherpa application which was created by Geodelic. This location based application allows you to find restaurants, theaters, stores, businesses, banks etc nearby. While those features have been available for ages on other apps this one adds to it by collecting data about where the user has been, searched for etc. and incorporating this into the search results. It is also able to make recommendations based on the data collected as well as offer advice to events happening locally. This app will be exclusively available to T-Mobile so other Android users around the world will have to wait says Geodelic.

Other then that there are 5,000 other apps currently available on the Android marketplace so while the device may be new, its coming to an already matured platform as well as app store.
While I am quite excited to see the device I cannot help but notice that out of all the networks T-Mobile is one of the worse to be having such a good operating system locked into. It’s quite understandable though as Sprint has the Pre (at least for the next six months) Verizon is in love with Blackberry (and rumored to be playing around with an LTE version of the iPhone), and Apple seems to have had a lock on AT&T for some time now as to prevent any further competition with its beloved iPhone.

That said, most of the U.S carries have expressed interest in Android, but due to politics Google is stuck with T-Mobile. We’ll just have to wait and see what the myTouch can do for them. Hopefully they will be able to move at least a million of these devices like what they did with the G1.

Related posts

• T-Mobile G1: A Closer Look (8)
• Android Phone Emulator (5)
• The Plot Thickens Around The Google Phone (2)
• Of Cracks, Hacks And Jailbreaks (2)
• Google Android Application Store Browser (6)

T-Mobile G1 users can access the Android Market to download additional applications for their cell phone. One of the interesting applications is the PC remote access software Android Remote which makes it possible to access and control music and videos on the Android phone from any computer system running the server application. To achieve this the Android Remote software has to be installed on the Android cell phone and the Gmote Server application on the PC that the user wants to access remotely.

The Gmote software can be downloaded directly from Android Market to the cell phone. Users can perform a search to find the application which is located in the Multimedia category. The second required step is to download and install the remote server application (from here) to the computer system that should be accessed by the Android phone. The remote server application is available for Windows, Macintosh and Linux operating systems.

A window will show up after execution of the server application asking for a password that is used to protect the contents from third parties. The very same password has to be entered on the Android phone on first usage.

The user can then add files and folders to the server so that they can be accessed and controlled from the Android phone.

The Gmote application can establish a connection over a wireless network or cellular network’s data connection.

Music can be streamed from the computer system to the Android phone. Everything else, e.g. playing movies, controlling PDF or PowerPoint presentations, is happening on the server system while being controlled from the Android phone. The Gmote application on cell phone can be used as a wireless touchpad and keyboard which extends its functionality further. All in all a very interesting application that might come in handy in many different situations.

Related posts

• QR Code Generator (4)
• Google Android Application Store Browser (6)
• Download All Applications From Android Market For Free (9)
• Connect Bot SSH Client For Android Phone (3)
• 5 Must Have Google Android Applications (2)

The requirement is a rooted or developer phone. Rooting an Android phone is not a difficulty process so it basically means anyone with an Android phone can do this. It is possible to download all applications from Android Market for free because of the inefficient application protection and the return policy. A user downloads an application from Android Market. He might need to purchase it first but should not worry about that as he will get a refund if he returns the app in the next 24 hours after download.

The only protection that the Google Android team has implemented is the location of the Android apps. Users without root cannot access this location on their Android cell phone. But everyone with root can. There is no other protection in place which means that it is possible to copy the Android application to another location, return the application and install it again from the new source.

All protected Android apps are located in the folder /data/app-private/ which can be accessed on rooted Android phones. It is therefor theoretically possible to purchase, install, copy, return all Android applications to get them all for free. It should also be noted that the copied versions of those protected Android applications can be installed on all Android phones, even non rooted ones. Will probably not be long before the first Android app packs hit the dark side of the Internet.

The only difficulty that arises is that the applications will not be updated automatically as Android Market does not recognize them. Be sure to check out Androideka if you are interested in Google Android news.

Related posts

• Connect Bot SSH Client For Android Phone (3)
• Google Android Application Store Browser (6)
• Android Phone Emulator (5)
• Android PC Remote Access (3)
• 5 Must Have Google Android Applications (2)

Connect Bot is probably the number one must have application for webmasters who operate their own servers. It can be used to log into the server using the phone. For those who do not know what SSH is, it basically allows a user to exchange data using a secure channel between two network devices.

Some examples where this could come in handy would be to restart the web server, configure services or monitor the connections, processes and resource usage while on the road.

The application can be installed right from the Android Market. Must have for any webmaster and admin with their own servers.

Related posts

• Download All Applications From Android Market For Free (9)
• 5 Must Have Google Android Applications (2)
• Google Android Application Store Browser (6)
• Android PC Remote Access (3)
• T-Mobile myTouch (5)

The Android application store got some great feedback last year when the application competition ended which produced more than 1000 different applications for the Android phone. It is usually not possible to see what the Android application store has to offer unless you already have an Android phone. Not very practicable for evaluation.

That’s why the guys over at Cyrket have implemented the Android application store on their website.

The Android store mirror divides all Google Android applications into categories. The main page is divided into games, applications and newest contents. A click on games or applications will load a new directory level displaying subcategories. For Android applications those are Communication, Finance or Travel among others. A click on any subcategory will display a file browser (like in the image above) that will list ten Android applications per page. Applications can be sorted by popularity or date. The ratings, names, developers and versions of the Android applications are displayed in each line.

A click on a line will open a detailed view that contains a short description of the application, user comments and additional information about the selected Android appl.

Impatient users can use the search on top to see if the Android application store contains an application or game with the functionality that they need. The Cyrket website provides a great overview over all Android applications for non-Android users.

Related posts

• T-Mobile myTouch (5)
• Of Cracks, Hacks And Jailbreaks (2)
• Download All Applications From Android Market For Free (9)
• Connect Bot SSH Client For Android Phone (3)
• Android Phone Emulator (5)

Phoload makes your search for quality mobile phone applications much easier. In the site’s own words, they are “a community website based on the idea that it should be simple, easy, and fun to discover and download free mobile phone games and applications”.

Downloading any application from Phoload is quite simple. You have an option to select your phone and then view the applications available for it. Alternatively, you can browse through application categories and select the one that appeals to you. Each application is labeled as to whether it’s free, a trial version, ad-supported, etc. While downloading an application, you can either download it to your phone directly or save it to your computer.

Downloading apps isn’t the only thing you can do at Phoload. You can choose to rate and review different applications and thus help out the community. Phoload is also a good place for developers looking for a platform to release their phone applications.

Phoload is still a young site but it is already proving to be a decent resource for mobile phone apps. New software is regularly added to the site. Also, the site’s grouping of applications makes it easy to find what you are looking for.

What do you think of Phoload? Is it worthwhile using the site to find applications for your phone? Let me know in the coments.

Related posts

• No related posts.

Taking those limitations aside the Android phone emulator does provide a good overview of some of the functions that the Android phone will offer. It is possible to get a first impression of the Google browser, Google maps and other functions like receiving calls, sms or mms. There is no real interaction with the emulator though. It is for instance not possible to use it to open any websites or actually call someone.

The flash based website about the Android phone contains two additional sections that are important if you want to get an impression of the phone’s dimensions because they seem to display the phone in the correct size.

The above screenshot has been taken from the Android phone emulator while the screenshot below was taken from the 360 view option. The screenshot from the Android phone emulator had to be reduced in size to fit on the screen while the screenshot below depicts the actual size of the original screenshot.

It would have been better if T-Mobile would have used the correct Android phone dimensions for the emulator as well so that potential buyers and interested users would get a real feeling for the phone’s dimensions which is especially important for tasks like web surfing, emails and the phone’s qwerty keyboard.

Related posts

• T-Mobile G1: A Closer Look (8)
• T-Mobile myTouch (5)
• T-Mobile G1 First Google Android Phone (2)
• Of Cracks, Hacks And Jailbreaks (2)
• Google Android Application Store Browser (6)

There is however one fundamental difference between Apple’s marketing strategy and Google’s. Android is an operating system and several companies are developing mobile phones based on the operating system which means more choice for consumers eventually.

The G1 is just the first phone based on Android and receives coverage because of that. Not everything is perfect yet though and the article tries to look at some of the functions and features that are missing or inferior to today’s standards.

It basically comes down to the user and the things that he might want to do with the phone.

A few problematic elements can be identified by simply looking at the announcements that have been made:

• No support for Microsoft Exchange Active Sync.
• Uses proprietary headphone connection.
• Access To Amazon MP3 store only over WLAN.
• Media player seems to be incapable of playing videos, only Youtube supported
• No Multi-touch.
• Only 1 Gigabyte of Flash Memory, maximum of 8 Gigabyte supported
• No video recording.
• No virtual keyboard

Every user has to make the decision on his own if any of the missing features is a criterion to pass and wait for the next Android phone.

Related posts

• Android Phone Emulator (5)
• T-Mobile myTouch (5)
• T-Mobile G1 First Google Android Phone (2)
• Of Cracks, Hacks And Jailbreaks (2)
• Google Android Application Store Browser (6)

Users should be aware that the Android Marketplace will host free and commercial applications just like the Apple iPhone App Store. Most of the applications listed below have been taken part in the first ever Android Developer Challenge.

This Challenge pushed the development of many Android applications and was an important step for the plattform.

Compare Everywhere: Compare Everywhere, formerly known as Android Scan, could be the killer application for Android. It uses the digital camera of the mobile phone to scan the barcodes of products to identify them. It offers then options to compare prices online, read product reviews and even sample music or video content. An alternative seems to be GoCart which basically does the same.

Cooking Capsules: The idea behind Cooking Capsules is simply. Let the user watch a short cooking video, show him the locations of the next grocery stores to shop for the items and give him a step by step instruction on how to cook the meal once he’s back home.

My Closet: The dream application for women. Take pictures of your clothing and the application keeps track and suggests outfits based on weather information and items chosen in the past.

Share Your Board: Jigsaw is an Android application to share, process and capture data on a whiteboard.

Wertago: An interesting application for nightlifer enthusiasts that makes use of Google Maps to show the hottest locations in town and provides means to coordinate with friends.

Got any other applications not in the list? Let me know about them. I did not include applications that would track friends and family members. This had various reasons, one being that every family member would need an Android phone for this feature to work.

Related posts

• Connect Bot SSH Client For Android Phone (3)
• T-Mobile myTouch (5)
• Google Android Application Store Browser (6)
• Download All Applications From Android Market For Free (9)
• Android Phone Emulator (5)