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March 18 2010
Google Maps for mobile 4.1 for Android Goes Tab-less, Adds Latitude Widget, Live Wallpaper, & Ads!
Google updated its Maps for Android app:
Google Maps for Android: Search ‘n Swipe, Latitude Widget, and More
Version 4.1 adds:
- Updated tab-less search results page with buttons to see a result's map location, directions, voice call, and directions
- Swipe to see more results (see video demo above)
- Latitude widget
- Maps live wallpaper on Android 2.1 phones (like the Nexus One and soon the Droid)
- Ability to switch between different Google accounts
I also noticed a text advertisement across the top of the map page. If this isn't new, it is the first time I've noticed it.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Free Tumblr for BlackBerry App Available: Free & Easy Web Content Creation Tool
If Twitter doesn't give you quite enough expressive room and WordPress is too complicated to manage, you might want to take a look at Tumblr's tumblog concept that lets you easily communicate with text, photos, audio, and video with a minimum of hassle. I've been a big fan of their free service since I discovered it a years ago. Their free content creation app for the iPhone has been a favorite of mine too. And, now BlackBerry phone users will probably find the same easy web content creation power in:
Introducing: Tumblr BlackBerry App
Tumblr provides the downloadable installer here:
Tumblr for BlackBerry
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
HTC document innovation milestones in Apple legal battle
When someone accuses you of copying their ideas, you can either leave it to the lawyers to decide or you can come out fighting. In the ongoing legal case between them and Apple, HTC look to be doing the latter, and they’ve brought their diary along to flag up some key innovations – of their own doing – along the way.
Such innovations include the first Windows PDA and phone, in 1998 and 2002 respectively, along with the first Android smartphone and the first 4G WiMAX smartphone. In fact there have been more than 50 HTC smartphone models shipping since the 2002 O2 XDA by HTC.
Still, there’s plenty of room for the lawyers to make their money, with HTC CEO Peter Chou reiterating that “HTC disagrees with Apple’s actions and will fully defend itself.”
Press Release:
HTC DISAGREES WITH APPLE’S ACTIONS
Seattle – March 17, 2010 – HTC Corporation today outlined its disagreement with Apple’s legal actions and reiterated its commitment to creating a portfolio of innovative smartphones that gives consumers a variety of choices. Founded in 1997 with a passion for innovation and a vision for how smartphones would change people’s lives, HTC has continually driven this vision by consistently introducing award-winning smartphones with U.S. mobile operators.
“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
The O2 XDA by HTC was the first 3.5-inch color touch screen smartphone in the world in 2002. and T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition The T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition by HTC was the first 3.5-inch color touch screen smartphone in the United States in 2002., our first touch-screen smartphones, and they both shipped in 2002 with more than 50 additional HTC smartphone models shipping since then.”
The industry has recognized HTC’s contributions through a variety of awards including Fast Company’s 2010 Top 50 Most Innovative Companies and MIT Technology Review’s 2010 50 Most Innovative Companies. The GSMA also recently awarded the HTC Hero as the “Best Phone of 2009.” Some of HTC’s technology firsts include:
First Windows PDA (1998)
First Windows Phone (June 2002)
First 3G CDMA EVDO smartphone (October 2005)
First gesture-based smartphone (June 2007)
First Google Android smartphone (October 2008)
First 4G WIMAX smartphone (November 2008)
In 2009, HTC launched its branded user experience, HTC Sense. HTC Sense is focused on putting people at the center by making phones work in a more simple and natural way. This experience was fundamentally based on listening and observing how people live and communicate.
“HTC has always taken a partnership-oriented, collaborative approach to business. This has led to long-standing strategic partnerships with the top software, Internet and wireless technology companies in the industry as well as the top U.S., European and Asian mobile operators,” said Jason Mackenzie, vice president of HTC America. “It is through these relationships that we have been able to deliver the world’s most diverse series of smartphones to an even more diverse group of people around the world, recognizing that customers have very different needs.”
For more information on HTC’s history of innovation, please visit: www.htc.com/history.
[via Android Community]
Blockbuster Readying Movie Download and Viewing App for Windows Mobile
As a long time Windows Mobile user, it is good to see that some major players have not abandoned the platform. Video rental (formerly giant) Blockbuster is planning to launch their OnDemand digital video viewing service at the same time the HTC HD2 Windows Mobile 6.5 phone is launched by T-Mobile USA on March 24.
Blockbuster Brings New Releases to Android, Windows Mobile Phones (ReadWriteWeb)
Customers will be able to download and view recently released movies directly on their Windows Mobile phone. My guess is that only more recent reasonably powerful (processor-wise and graphics-wise) Windows Mobile phones will be able to comfortably view these videos. And, I suspect, you will prefer to or, perhaps, be forced to use a WiFi connection for the download process even if it is a streaming video.
Blockbuster says that an Android video viewing client is being prepared too.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Cloud Stored Apple iWork Documents Can be Viewed on an iPhone and Edited on an iPad
We are 16 days away from iPads magically appearing (but who's counting?) and bits and pieces of Apple's mobile game plan are being revealed while we wait:
Apple iWork.com News: Do More From Your iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch
Simply pointing Safari mobile on an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad at:
lets you view shared documents stored in the iWork.com cloud. If you have an iPad, you also get the ability to download and edit the document with Keynote (presentation), Pages (word processing), or Numbers (spreadsheet). Each of the iWork mobile components for the iPad will be sold separately for $9.99 each.
Via The Loop: Apple adds social networking, iPhone features to iWork.com
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Apple Says: iPhone/iPad Screen (film) Protectors Not Welcome in Apple Stores. Eh???
We've seen a lot of puzzling decisions from Apple over the years. But, this item reported by iLouge has to be one of the most unusual I've read in a while:
Apple bans protective screen film from Apple Store
That's right, those tiny thin and usually mostly clear pieces of plastic that causes your palms to sweat and beads of perspiration on your forehead as you carefully try to apply one to an iPhone screen without creating an air bubble or orienting it crooked is no longer welcome in Apple stores.
Of course, you can still buy these protective accessories from elsewhere. But, it is often convenient to pop into a nearby Apple store and pick one up when you current one starts to look a bit worn. On the bright side, you might save a few dollars by buying a screen film from somewhere other than an Apple Store.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Android Market 30K App Count Not Necessarily Good News
Mobile app store app count estimates are more art than science. However, MobileCrunch reports that their app count number comes directly from someone at Google. So, let's assume this is a correct count for this moment in time.
Google: Android Market now serving 30,000 apps
So, given some other estimates we've learned about recently, what do we know about the Android app story right now?
- AppShopper.com estimates there are currently 170,000 iPhone apps in the Apps Store. So, the number of Android apps is 17% of the available number of iPhone apps
Frank wrote less than a month ago that:
Android Market Has The Most Free Apps
In it he cites a report that pegs the number of free Android apps at 53% of the total. If this percentage is still accurate we can assume that:
- 15,900 Android apps are free
- 14,100 Android apps are paid ones
- 42,500 iPhone apps are free
- 127,500 iPhone apps are paid ones
So, while the total number of Android apps is only 17% of the total number of iPhone apps, the story is even worse in the paid apps category. The percentage of paid Android apps to paid iPhone apps is a mere 11%.
I noted earlier this week that:
Average Android User Spends 1/10th of What iPhones Users Spend on Apps
I cited a report that estimates 98.9% of Android apps installed are free ones. This collective information does not bode well for the overall health of the Android app market. Google really needs to get on ball and provide more support to developers to produce quality desirable paid apps or provide ways for free app developers to include non-annoying advertisements in apps. This is the only way Android will ever develop a healthy app eco-system and maintain a happy population of end-users.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Free Windows Phone Developer Tools (technical preview) Available
How-To-Geek provides an easy-to-read how-to article to let you:
Try out Windows Phone 7 on your PC today
I downloaded and installed the Windows Phone Developer Tools CTP on a netbook running Windows 7 Ultimate Edition yesterday. However, attempting to run the emulator failed with a cryptic "invalid command line" message. I didn't pursue resolving the problem since it may be something as simple as trying it on a more capable PC. I'll try that later when time permits.
In the meantime, it is interesting to note that this free developer download includes the following components:
- Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone CTP
- Windows Phone Emulator CTP
- Silverlight for Windows Phone CTP
- XNA 4.0 Game Studio CTP
FYI: CTP == Community Technical Preview
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Verizon Rolling Out Droid Android OS 2.1 Update Over the Next Week
If you, like me, own a Motorola Droid, one of the next couple of days may be a special one for you:
Android Central: Verizon posts Android 2.1 upgrade details for Droid
Android Central: Latest on the Motorola Droid Android 2.1 update
Phandroid: Verizon Posts Droid 2.1 Update Info
Yep, Droid owners will get some (but apparently not all) of the Android OS 2.1 goodness that Nexus One owners have been enjoying all by themselves. This update process starts slowly in just a few hours around 6am Eastern Daylight Time. If nothing goes terribly wrong with the first 10,000 updates today, Droid's will be updated in batches of 200,000 starting on Saturday.
There's a lot of good stuff in this update. And, I'm looking forward to seeing it something this weekend (or perhaps early next week):
- Pinch-to-zoom support
- Weather & News widget
- Voice-to-text entry
- Gallery (photo/video) app with 3D layout. Works with PicasaWeb
- Live Wallpapers
- Google Maps update includes night mode navigation color scheme
- Improved pattern lock
- Email accounts not wiped out after an over-the-air (OTA) update (yay!)
Verizon: Droid Android 2.1 Update Information (PDF)
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
HTC 'Disagrees with Apple's Actions,' Will Defend Itself
HTC has just issued a press release about that giant patent lawsuit Apple has filed against them. There's no details yet on how exactly they're going to respond legally, but from a PR perspective the key points are that they "disagree with Apple's actions" (uh, duh?) and will "fully defend itself."
“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.
HTC then delves into their storied history with smartphones, laying claim to a long list of firsts in the smartphone world that seem to be more about re-establishing their cred as innovators and not copiers than about hints at what sorts of patents they might counter-sue with. They note that they started designing the XDA back in 1999 and have delivered over 50 different smartphones to date. In other words, HTC has been in this game longer than Apple has and they won't let some pesky lawsuit prevent them from continuing to innovate.
Full press release after the break.
How Difficult Is It To Pick A Platform?
This is part three of five parts of my interview with Ellen Craw of Ilium Software. Click to read: Part One, Part Two.
We are continuing the interview with Ellen Craw of Ilium Software, which has been selling programs for mobile devices since 1997. Ilium's first programs were for Windows CE, the forefather of Windows Phone 7 Series, and they released versions of those programs for the Palm OS, which was the second major platform at the time.
One thing that may be overlooked in the consideration of how many mobile platforms a company supports is that it is not just about writing programs. To make money the company has to market their product, and additional platforms mean different marketing for each. Perhaps more important is providing support for the products. In today's world where it is so easy for people to air their complaints on the Internet, it is most important for small companies who mainly sell their products on the Internet to keep their customers happy. Answering phone calls and e-mails is a lot of work.
Today Ilium Software sells products for the iPhone, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, Palm OS, Windows PC and Macintosh. That seems like a lot of platforms to be supporting, how difficult has it been to support this many?
Very difficult. Not only is there development and maintenance, but also support, marketing and distribution for each one. Each new platform is a LOT of work.
One of the platforms you currently do not have a product for is Android, are there any plans to create versions of your products for Android? If not, why not?
At this point it still is not clear if Android is a viable platform for selling software. At the same time we know a lot of our customers want an Android version of eWallet. One thing we are working on right now is an eWallet Viewer application that will let owners of the full eWallet package view their wallets on their Android mobile device.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Google Gesture Search For Android 1.6
At the beginning of March Google released an application called Google Gesture Search that does a search using letters that you write on the screen. As you write letters on the screen your phone searches in Contacts, Browser Bookmarks, App Names, and Music for items that match what you write. Todd recorded a video showing how the search works in his post titled...
Google Gesture Search for Android 2.x Released: Seriously Amazing App
Unfortunately, at the time Gesture Search was only available for the Nexus One phone. Today Google released a version of Gesture Search that runs on phones with Android 1.6, such as the T-Mobile myTouch 3G.
Because you are writing on character at a time on the entire screen, recognition is very good. For now the program is a beta and in my opinion for it to be really practical it needs to either be incorporated right into Android, or be enabled when you press the search button. It will be interesting to see in what other ways Google may incorporate Gesture Search into Android in the future.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Does the iPad Need Login Profiles?
One of the debates about the soon to ship Apple iPad is how it will be used differently from the iPhone. While the device looks and functions very much like an iPhone, the larger screen will allow it to be used more like a computer. In a recent post on the SiliconAngle blog...
...Anton Wahlman makes an interesting point that the iPad is more likely to be shared amongst multiple people, unlike the iPhone which tends to be more personal. As such, imagine that you have an iPad with your information on it, and your daughter wants to use it to play a game. While she is using the iPad she has complete access to all of your information. If she goes in to your Calendar, deletes a meeting, you might not notice that happened. If the appointment was work related, you may be in for an embarrassing situation.
Now one could say the solution to the problem is to buy an iPad for your child, and while I have heard of people doing just that, how many parents are really comfortable with buying a >$500 item for their child? The solution, Wahlman says, is for Apple to add the ability for different user ids on the device to keep each user's data private. Or perhaps the solution could be to simply have a guest mode that locks applications like the Calendar and Address book or at least prevents data from being deleted from them.
I am a bit skeptical that the problem will be as dire as Wahlman predicts, but I do think his point that the iPad will be used differently from the iPhone is valid, and frankly, expected by Apple. The question is, in its effort to not have the iPad work like a computer, did it remove some basic functionality that people expect that will hinder sales of the device?
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Google Nexus One Coming To Sprint
It seems as though it is the week for Google Nexus One news. Yesterday Google began selling versions of the Nexus One that works on the AT&T and Rogers 3G data networks, increasing the number of carriers that the phone works with to three. Previously the phone only ran on T-Mobile's 3G data network and at the launch Google said that versions of the phone will be available for Verizon Wireless and vodaphone in the spring. Today Sprint announced that the Nexus One will be available for their network soon. If Google is literal with their spring announcement, we could see versions for Verizon, Vodaphone, and maybe Sprint by next week.
What we have yet to see is the exact sales model for all the carriers. Right now you can only buy the Nexus One via Google's web site, but it is possible the phone may be sold at carrier stores as well. Earlier this week we learned that the sales numbers for the Nexus One in the first 74 days are significantly less than sales of the Motorola Droid and iPhone for the same time span. Once Google's plans are complete, you will be able to buy a Nexus One for every wireless carrier in the United States, while the Droid and iPhone only work with one U.S. carrier. It will be interesting to see whether the increase in availability across the carriers will have any affect on sales. Clearly more channels will increase sales, but I don't think availability will be enough for significant increases. To see significant increases in sales of the Nexus One, there will need to be more marketing and ability for people to see the phone in person before buying.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Google Maps updated to Version 4.1, brings account switching, live wallpaper
Android 1.6+ Google Maps went and updated itself to Version 4.1 tonight, bringing with it an updated search page, support for multiple accounts, a Latitude widget and -- this is very cool -- the ability to make Google Maps your live wallpaper. Let's break it down, erm, after the break.
March 17 2010
Will Android win March Madness?
Our pals at LatopMag (hi, pals!) are getting way into March Madness this year, and they've got a 16-team smartphone tournament (not to be confused with the Smartphone Round Robin) to go with it.
Today features the Motorola Droid up against the BlackBerry Curve 8530. Other Android phones fighting for the Final Four are the HTC Hero vs. the LG Expo and the Google Nexus One vs. the Palm Pre Plue. And as an added bonus, there's Android-on-Android action when the Motorola Cliq goes up against the Samsung Moment. Check it out. [LaptopMag]
Google TV and Android Coming to the Living Room
Ever felt like you needed to be able to check Twitter from an easier source than, say, your phone? Or, how about that laptop you probably have dangerously close to you at all times? And, sure, some high-def TVs out there have widgets galore, and even your Xbox 360 can check the little blue bird’s site. So, what’s next?
Well, at this point, all we can really tell you is that it involves Google, Intel, and Sony. The New York Times has been talking to people familiar with the matter, so that’s about all the official word we have on the project for now. Google is bringing Android, Intel is bringing the chips, and Sony is hoping beyond hope that if they tag along, people will want their TVs again. What is the goal? They want you to be able to make it from Twitter, to Picasa, and back again, just by “changing the channel.” At least, they want the experience to be that easy. Yes, this is sounding dangerously like WebTV, but we won’t hold that against the companies. In fact, we’re interested in seeing just what Google’s Android would be capable of in a set-top box, or running behind the scenes on our TVs.
And we can’t forget Logitech in all of this. They’ve got the peripherals thing down, so, sure enough, they’re sticking with what they know best. Apparently the project has been going for several months now, but spokespeople from each refused to comment. So, what does all this mean? Just about nothing, right now. Until one of these companies actually comes out and drops a hint themselves, take this one with a grain of salt.
[via The New York Times]
Relevant Entries on SlashGear
- Estiluz Tovier Table Lamp
- HTC Desire Has a Desire To Be On Verizon with Google
- Official Google Phone supposedly spotted again: launch “a certainty”
- Google Earth is now available for Android 2.1
- Android 1.6 phones get Google Maps Navigation beta
Android Central Editors' Apps of the Week
We're back to bring you another round of our favorite Android applications. Find out what we like this week after the break.
Microsoft Xbox 360 Valhalla Redesign Pictured
The rumors about Microsoft updating their video game console, the Xbox 360, have been floating about for a little over a year now, and many people out there think that it’s about time the console of today be replaced with something of tomorrow. The Redmond-based company has said in the past, though, that with the upcoming Project Natal, there isn’t any reason for them to replace the console. That’s not stopping the rumors, though.
The Valhalla redesign is one of those rumors that won’t go away, and it doesn’t help when an image like this surfaces. So, what is Valhalla? It’s a new design that allows for the GPU and CPU to be on one chip, and therefore take less power and energy to cool and function. It will also reduce the cost of manufacturing, along with make the box a lot quieter while it’s running. The image is from China, where apparently the mainboard is being tested.
But, that’s not all. The rumor goes that this isn’t just a redesign of the motherboard. And the story isn’t about the combination of the GPU and CPU, either. The Valhalla redesign is apparently prompting Microsoft to redesign the console itself. From what we can tell, this means that the Xbox 360 might be getting . . . Slimmer. Similar to the PlayStation 3, perhaps. That means buying a new Xbox 360, if it comes down to it. And while revamping the console in time with releasing Project Natal makes sense to some, we can only hope that Microsoft does a pretty nice bundle, if that is indeed the case. Anyone going to start saving up?
[aConfirmed – No Blu-ray add-on for Xbox 360
Hands-on with the AT&T 3G Nexus One
Meet the new Nexus One, same as the old Nexus One. Only this one has AT&T's 3G bands built in. Otherwise, it's exactly the same hardware (so far as we can tell without a teardown) and software (Android 2.1-update 1).
Otherwise, all the usual bells and whistles are there, and I've already got CyanogenMod up and running just fine. Anybody else get theirs yet, too? Video hands-on after the break.
Maybe Soup is currently being updated? I'll try again automatically in a few seconds...
