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Minor Glossary Additions
2007-12-28 19:29:00
Another slow news day allows for us to add a few more items to the AndroidGuys Glossary . If you've never seen it, please stop by. Care to suggest an item? Leave it in the comments. We check them all the time. Today sees us adding words like 2G, 3G, 4G, GSM, GPS, and GPRS to the mix.AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion.
More About: Resources , Minor

Another Bold Prediction for Android in '08
2007-12-28 18:32:00
Here's one we haven't reported on yet. Although we've seen it pop up in one or two other places, this is the first time we've seen someone so sure about it. Google and Apple are getting in bed together. We told you it was bold! Just thinking about it gets us all tingly inside though. But alas, the future of the cell phone industry revolves around a partnership with Google and Apple that will probably be formed in 2008, but announced years later... Read the other 4 predictions from Don Reisinger including the one where he says the Wii will fall flat on its face!AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion.
More About: People , Links , Google News , Daydreaming , Discussion

OHA News (December 28 Edition)
2007-12-28 14:53:00
Japan's KDDI won a new WiMAX licenseInfoSync is excited to see LG's 2008 line, especially Android based.DoCoMo got into bed with Google. AgainHTC has some not-so-good newsOkay, so maybe they don't after all!NTT DoCoMo tore down a cell tower that was 'sickening people'T-Mobile is ending the year giving free activationsSamsung teased us with things to comeAndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion.
More About: Hardware , News , Google News , Carriers , Edition

John Bruggeman Talks $0 Phone Bills
2007-12-28 14:48:00
Swing by TechNewsWorld when you're done reading AndroidGuys this morning. There's a 33 minute podcast with John Bruggeman, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Wind River. In the event you don't already know, Wind River is one of the founding members of the Open Handset Alliance. John talks about Android being the game changer for the mobile industry. We've mentioned here before that he feels the potential for MID's is vast, but this podcast adds more to his argument. I don't think that the extreme is that improbable, that the actual connection price would go down to zero. I could have a mobile phone and pay a $0 monthly fee. The ad revenue is where the real dollars are here, as well as all the location-based value that you can do.If you are new to AndroidGuys, please be sure to check out some of our own podcasts and previous articles as we tackle the subject of free phone service and ad revenue. Very exciting stuff as John reminds us that we're not years away from thi...
More About: Software , People , Phone , Carriers

Just an Idea I Had
2007-12-27 19:55:00
I wanna share an idea with anyone out there looking for a program to write for Android. Well, not just developers. I had an idea today standing at Starbucks this morning and felt like sharing it with our readers. Imagine this scenario... For the purpose of this post, I will use Starbucks as the example company. Whenever you (and your Android phone) are within range of Starbucks, your phone vibrates and alerts you that "You may place your order with us now and avoid the line." An applet or API runs on your phone and communicates through the WiFi connection with full drink menus. Tap the button next to "White Chocolate Mocha" while sitting in that comfy leather chair you had to race towards. The barista calls out your name when it's ready. Your profile already has your name in it because you set it up on Starbucks' website. This is where you downloaded the program to begin with. And since your phone has oodles of hard drive space, you can set this up over and over again...
More About: Opinion , Idea , Daydreaming , Discussion

You're Kidding... Right?
2007-12-27 18:34:00
A piece written up this week in the New York Times tackles the subject of using a mobile phone for web browsing. There is an alarming statistic in it that says only 13% of Americans are using their phones for surfing the web more than once a month. Our first reaction to this was to lay into Yankee Group for not getting the survey right. Were they asking the questions wrong or were they skewing answers to meet some agenda? How could this figure be so low? Shouldn't that number be closer to 50% or so? Then we asked ourselves, realistically, how many cell phone owners do we personally know who use their device for web browsing? Truth be told, that stat is probably dead on. Outside of the few of us AndroidGuys running around using our phones for anything and everything, our family members and extended friends aren't tech savvy enough to want or use internet on their phone. Some of them don't even own PC's still. What reasons are there for this? Horrible configuration? Tin...
More About: Software , Kidding , Discussion

Looking Back, Looking Forward (Part 1 of 3)
2007-12-27 15:09:00
2007 will go down as a monumental year for cell phones and mobile devices. Whether you own a smart phone or not, you at least became more aware of them and their capabilities. Further, people were generally more informed and cognizant of the industry in general. Think about it. Did your local newspaper ever have pictures of people lining up for a 'phone' before? Let's take a look back at some of the bigger topics in the mobile industry from this year. After that, we'll use our magic powers to help predict how 2008 will go down. This is the first of a three part series to wrap up 2007.The biggest headlines of the year belonged to Apple. Hands down. We saw the iPhone revolutionize the way hardware manufacturers and network providers did business together. Never before was a carrier told how they were going to sell their own products and services. Never before was a company on board with something so quickly without even seeing a working prototype. When it came out, it ...
More About: Opinion , Back , Part , Forward , Looking Back

Android Among '80 Things to Watch in 2008'
2007-12-26 16:06:00
JWT released its list of 80 things to watch in 2008 . For those uninitiated, JWT is the largest advertising agency in the U.S. as well as the fourth-largest full-service network in the world. Also on the list 'mobile technology explosion', 'SNS (social network service) brand communities', 'Third screen (the mobile screen) rivaling the first screen (TV)', and 'Gphone.' Do these guys know something we don't? Or do we all know something that they don't? Android Guys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion.
More About: Watch , Google News , Things

Rumor Fueling Headline of the Day
2007-12-26 14:25:00
Google-powered mobile phones to make a February debut?Take it easy fanboy. That's a question up there, not a statement. Notice that funny looking thing at the end of the sentence? It seems like all you have to do is slap a questions mark at the end of a headline to keep yourself safe from scrutiny should your title prove to be wrong. On the other hand, if it pans out in your favor, then you can also say "We were the first to tell you..." So, take this article with a grain of salt.The Mobile World Congress expo starts February 11th in Barcelona and everyone expects Google to be there with some Android goodness as it's already confirmed that they have two stands booked on the floor. The good folks over at APC Magazine are conjecturing that Big G will show off some shiny cool device running Android to get people in a buzz.It doesn't take someone inside the Googleplex to be privy to information and speculation like this. Anybody who is anybody will be at this expo. All the car...
More About: Rumor , Rumors , Google News , Headline , Leaks

I Won an 8GB iPod Touch!
2007-12-24 22:30:00
Well, not yet. I sure hope so though. See, The Big Bald Blog is giving away all kinds of neat stuff right now including EntreCard credits, some schwag, and a blog review. Truth be told, We'd love the 8GB Touch , but the blog review would work wonders for us too. If you've been paying attention to our site for very long, you'll see we've experimented with a couple of layouts, designs, ads, etc. Right now, we've got a few sponsors listed over on the right, so to grease some palms, I'm gonna throw The Big Bald Blog up for a while. Stop by and tell him how much you'd really like to see Scott from AndroidGuys win.Here's the site! The Big Bald Blog ContestAndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion.
More About: Ipod

20/20 Podcast #5B
2007-12-24 04:02:00
The second podcast from Wednesday was Jamie, Scott and Lukai covering topics ranging from the Gizmodo photo of Android in the wild, to applications for Android. As always, the 20/20 is broken down into a pair of 20 minute segments covering an array of subjects.Android in the WildLukai finds the image to be faked.CallFreq program from Sadko Mobil. Potential for program as it is and how to integrate into other avenues such as social networking.How much would we pay for it as it stands?Hypothetical Android ApplicationsLocation based programs and speech to text.Digital camera technology in phones.Where they are now and where they should be.Jamie brags his Nokia n95 up. Again.Listen here! Don't forget to subscribe to our standard feed as well as the podcast only version..AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion.
More About: Links , Podcast

20/20 Podcast #5A
2007-12-24 03:47:00
The first podcast from Wednesday was Jamie and Scott discussing a handful of topics ranging from FCC Bidder List to Google & Motorola to Android SDK Issues. As always, the 20/20 is broken down into a pair of 20 minute segments covering an array of subjects.700MHz Spectrum Bidders List AnnouncementChevron, Paul Allen, GooglePotential of Google Buying MotorolaDelivering Handsets with AnroidHow would it affect other OHA partners?Article mentioned in podcast - This Christmas...Developers not Excited over Android Thus Far?AndroidGuys Site AnnouncementsListen here! Don't forget to subscribe to our standard feed as well as the podcast only version.AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion.
More About: Podcast , Carriers

AG5 - December 22nd Edition
2007-12-22 06:10:00
Another week has gone by so it's time for the AndroidGuys AG5! It was a pretty momentous couple of days for Google and the Open Handset Alliance. While mostly positive stuff, they did see a little negative press. To find out what went down, read the full post!#1 - The SDK was dragged through the mud a little bitA handful of sites picked up on the same article and each spun it slightly different. The bottom line was this; There are some developers out there complaining about the Android kit and Google's lack of willingness to help. AndroidGuys say relax though.Further ReadingWhen it Rains, it PoursDevelopers find Android SDK frustratingRespect knuckles go to the Wall Street Journal for picking up on our story and linking it on Wednesday!#2 - The FCC told us who was going to bid on the 700MHz spectrum.Although we're not surprised by most of the list, there were a few names on there which had us cock our heads a bit. Names like Paul Allen, Chevron, and the world's richest man...
More About: Edition , December

The 6th Percentile
2007-12-21 18:54:00
Are you running Google Docs? Oh you are huh? Liar.Download Squad has an eye opening piece up today about this application suite. Apparently, 73% of Americans have never even heard of Google Docs with only 6% of Yanks actually using it! Why is this the case? After all, the programs are free pretty much like everything else Google offers. I've got one reason in particular that I think makes all the difference. People are not in the mindset of being able to use applications such as a word processor, or spreadsheet without clicking on that desktop icon. Without any actual CD to install a program, many people just aren't aware that they could handle many of their business needs. Besides that, a lot of computers are coming preloaded with office programs from guys like Microsoft.With Google trying to help speed the transition from desktop to mobile device, they are going to want to get this unknown software bundle in front of more users. It is expected that Android based phon...
More About: Opinion

OHA News (December 21 Edition)
2007-12-21 16:11:00
Intel Readies Solid-State Storage for UltramobilesQualcomm Acquired SoftMaxSamsung got an A+ from Gizmodo for Mobile Phones & DevicesNTT DoCoMo spoke with Mr. Jobs about carrying his little phoneT-Mobile took a giant step towards acquiring SunCom (PDF)Sprint Nextel found their new President and CEOAndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion.
More About: Hardware , News , Carriers , Edition , December

Housekeeping Notice
2007-12-21 07:52:00
If you've been here before, you'll notice that our logo has changed slightly. Where it used to fit across the top of the page, now it only covers like 70% of it. It is not because AndroidGuys doesn't know what they are doing. You can blame this one on Blogger. Yep, that's right... Google did it. It started out like this. Scott went to upload the new, darker logo to the site, only to find it kept resizing it. After over 1 hour of pulling hair and blaming himself, he checked the Blogger help group only to find this message. To set the record straight,we changed the header image page element to automatically resize uploaded images. Now, the images fit the header dimensions. Have you ever tried to upload an image to your blog, but the image was just too big and took up the entire front page of your blog? Well now with the auto resizing, you no longer have to worry about this problem. Well, that was never really a problem for us to begin with. Reading further down, Blogger r...
More About: Notice , Housekeeping

Google Using the iPhone as Testing Bed for Android?
2007-12-20 22:22:00
Steven Wellman at the Information Week blog perked our ears up a little bit this afternoon with his latest post 'Are Google iPhone Apps Also Beta Apps For Android?' Citing blogger Jon Bradford's argument, Wellman reminds us that WebKit is the basis for both Apple's Safari browser and Google's Andrid SDK.This kind of changes things a bit for all of those who have been so worried about the alleged bug and flaws in the early release of the SDK. By letting those early adopting Apple geeks be the guinea pigs, Google can iron out and tweak applications. All the while, enhancing their own kit based on their findings.We at AndroidGuys think this is a very plausible situation. Why not test your stuff on products already on the market? If not for stability and ease of use, then for what kind of adoption rate and interest there is.AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion.
More About: Software , Iphone , Testing , Developers

Android Based Game: WiFi Army
2007-12-20 18:33:00
Imagine walking through the mall and your phone vibrates indicating you have a new message. Looking at the screen, it says something along the lines of "Here is your target, take him out." You have come within 300 feet of your opponent. Should you find your target, you will then engage them in a game of 'war.' This is exactly the scenario you are likely to find with WiFi Army . Props to Ubergizmo today for making us aware that such a game has come to fruition for Android . This could be a cool GPS-based game. Think of the possibilities! A central server with 'agent profiles' stored. You can also be alerted if you are compromised and in the vicinity of another agent. Assign each guy a code number that you can either SMS or email to let your enemy know you've spotted him. Upload a photo of the guy before he gets you. Do citywide and nationwide rankings. Perfect for all the guys who still want to play 'spy.'Currently, each city is listed with a maximum of 500 participa...
More About: Software , Wifi , Game

Microsoft Gets In On The Action
2007-12-20 18:15:00
Microsoft wants a slice of that mobile ad pie too! The "big M" recently began banner and text ads on its MSN mobile portal in the United States. This one was kind of a no brainer. I'm only surprised it took them so long to do it. You can read the full article here on eWeek.AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion.
More About: Microsoft , Action

Yahoo's Approach To Spreading One Search
2007-12-20 17:52:00
Yahoo is taking a different approach to the mobile phone search market. Rather than reinvent the wheel like Google's Android is attempting to do, Yahoo is striking deals with carriers that will make their oneSearch engine a part of their portal. In other words when you log on to search the web on your phone this browser will be the default search engine. According to an article on SearchEngineLand they have already inked deals in Asia, Europe and most recently Latin America. You can read the complete article here. Yahoo Go is already available on several platforms in the world, including Symbian, Windows Mobile, and RIM. I personally use it myself and I swear by it. While it does run better on handsets that feature decent processor speeds and memory it has become my ultimate all in one solution for checking email, getting directions, and finding restaurants. I fully expect Android based handsets to have Google's own version of Yahoo Go pre-installed. Google are you listenin...

Google Closer to Acquiring Double Click
2007-12-20 16:49:00
According to Google 's Developers Journal the FTC has ok'd Googles acquisition of Double Click . "The FTC's strong support sends a clear message: this acquisition poses no risk to competition and will benefit consumers," said Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO, Google. Google is still awaiting a decision from the European Commission before the deal can be finalized. You can read the complete article here.AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion.
More About: Google News , Discussion

Bold Moves In Google's Future?
2007-12-20 15:40:00
Computer World asked several analysts to predict some of Google's moves for the future. What's interesting is that Androidguys.com discussed some of these moves in our earlier podcasts. "They'll move into radio and television at some point," says Rob Enderle, principle analyst at Enderle Group in San Jose." You can read the full article here, but I have listed their predictions below.You're Watching ABC GoogleGet Your Free Google PCCome See The Softer Side of GoogleGoogle Buys An Ad AgencyGoogle Applications Finally Take OffGoogle Offers Local ReviewsGoogle Takes Another Stab At Social NetworkingGet Ready For The Google Operating SystemAndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion.
More About: Future , Opinion , Google News , Daydreaming , Discussion

Google's Android The One To Watch in 08'?
2007-12-20 15:19:00
DialAPhone lists their phones to watch in 2008 and Google's Android tops the list. "While many were disappointed not to see a shiny new piece of hardware to go face to face with the iPhone, for true mobile lovers Android represents something just as exciting. Seamless integration with Google?s maps, email, search and countless other applications, and an open source platform for developers to create their own mobile software." Expect Android based handsets to top many more lists such as this in the future. Rounding out the top 5 is a 3G Apple iPhone, the Nokia 8800 Arte Series, the Samsung Armani series, and the Nokia 3110 Evolve. You can check out the full article here.AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion.
More About: Hardware , Watch , Opinion , Discussion

20/20 Podcast (Secret Bonus Level Edition!)
2007-12-20 14:41:00
Thanks to everyone for being patient as we were getting our podcasts in place the way we wanted them to be. More importantly, they are the way they should have been set up all along. As a gift, we are throwing the standard 20/20 podcasts up with an an extra 20 minute segment. Sit tight for another day or so and you'll get three more by the end of the week as most of the AndroidGuys were able to get together last night and tackle a variety of subjects. Now that the podcasts/feed are working properly, you'll see the content more regularly.You can expect at least two podcasts a week, maybe more. Thanks to anyone and everyone for their help and patience!20/20 Podcast #4A - MP320/20 Podcast #4B - MP320/20 Podcast #4C - MP3Be sure to subscribe to both the standard AndroidGuys feed as well as the podcast only version!About the AndroidGuys 20/20: We feel that 20 minutes is a sufficient amount of time to cover one subject in depth, without beating a dead horse. At the same time, it a...
More About: Secret , Bonus , Edition

Android On RIM???
2007-12-20 07:27:00
Is this the Android OS running on a BlackBerry?! Settle down. The answer is a resounding "NO." To put it bluntly, Lukai, one of the AndroidGuys doesn't believe the photo on Gizmodo is legit enough to warrant all the recent hype. He is calling that image a HOAX. In fact, he said it would be easy to replicate that on any type of phone so he spent about 10 minutes in PhotoShop last night making it appear to run on his BlackBerry 8230. We want to see video of Android in the wild and not the same wallpaper/menu that has been showing up in pictures online over the last few weeks. So consider this a call to action. We want a video of someone running Android in whatever capacity. On top of that, we want to know how you got it and what you are running it on.What say you? Did Lukai shoot holes in the Gizmodo article or is he just being a Debbie Downer?AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion.
More About: Rumors , Discussion , Leaks

Sadko Mobile Says 'Get Your Freq On'
2007-12-19 18:55:00
Another new Android application has found its way onto the internet. CallFreq, is a new generation of a phone dialer that filters for user the most relevant contacts. At present CallFreq retrieves contacts based on frequency of incoming and outgoing calls over a period from one hour to one month. At least according to their site. It's a pretty cool concept when you think about it. Why scroll through all of your contacts when you only need around 5-10 of them on a daily basis?There is a flash demo that you can play with on their website. You'll also find a note stating "Unfortunately, we cannot actually dial the numbers yet - so the call will most likely not get through. If the call is dropped, you will see a prompt, and then you will return back to the dialer. However, keep trying and you will be rewarded!"Someone out there with plenty of free time on their hands?AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion.
More About: Software , Mobile , Rumors , Leaks

FCC Announces Full Bidder List... Chevron?
2007-12-19 17:47:00
Yup, Chevron has an intent to bid on the 700MHz spectrum come the end of January. Guess who else wants to own some airwaves? Paul Allen. If you're not familiar, he co-founded a little company called Microsoft. To be accurate, he is not bidding alone, but rather with an entity known as Vulcan Spectrum, LLC. Currently, Allen heads an investment company called Vulcan Capital. He's also a majority shareholder in U.S. cable operator Charter Communications.The FCC has accepted 96 applications and reported 170 as incomplete. The latter needs to be completed by Jan. 4. A mock auction is slated for January 22nd, with the actual one starting on January 24th and likely to take weeks to complete.Among the list of incomplete applications were smaller mobile operators Alltel and MetroPCS Wireless Inc. Cox Communications Inc., an archrival of the telecommunications companies, is also preparing an application as is cellular technology vendor Qualcomm Inc. who is already building a mobile ...
More About: Google News , Carriers , List , Full

When it Rains, it Pours
2007-12-19 16:11:00
Looks like the only news about Android over the last day and a half is only negative. It seems as if everyone wants to rip into Google for how bad their SDK allegdely is. We've seen more than a few sites this morning tell us how buggy and unrefined the kit is and how Google is not helping developers.Has Google stretched themselves too thin? AndroidGuys doesn't think so. Look, we need to remember that we're only one month in here. Props to Google for not slapping 'beta' on the end of the SDK version to get a free pass. We feel very comfortable with the direction Android is going and look forward to newer versions. Look at it this way, we're getting ready to see Windows Mobile 6.1 and yet people still complain about it. You know the adage; You can please some of the people...Nobody complains (as much) when a game comes out. People are eager to try it out regardless of glitches. You're five levels into a game and it locks up? "Oh well, I expected that. After all, it...
More About: Software , Rumors , Google News , Developers , Leaks

5 Megapixel Cameras Standard in Mobile Phones?
2007-12-19 15:12:00
We came across a couple of posts on some other sites this morning that mention Motorola's new line of phones for 2008 possibly having a 5MP camera. We also found an article mentioning phones in the near future with 3X optical zoom and we're all for that. Currently, most people are stuck with these 1.2 and 2.1 cameras that just don't seem nearly as nice as those 5MP+ cameras you can get for under $100 right now.This seems like a logical step to make as far as hardware is concerned. We're being told from all sorts of people that 2008 will be the year that people stop using 'phones' and start using 'mobile devices.' Shouldn't these people get something a little more comparable to a stand alone camera? Ever try to record a video of a child blowing out candles at a birthday party? With the lights out?For a brief period, the cameras in a smart phone were more than adequate as they weren't really being used by consumers so much as realtors taking pictures of that home they w...
More About: Hardware , Mobile , Mobile Phones , Phones , Rumors

Not Ready for Prime Time?
2007-12-18 23:02:00
According to developer Adam MacBeth, Android has so far brought nothing but headaches and frustration. He goes on to say that "functionality is not there, is poorly documented or just doesn't work." He's not the only one complaining either. Tim Wisniewski is one of the more outspoken coders and he finds it "shocking" that some of the "basic" platform architecture don't yet work. Is this the case for all developers? Hardly.Rick Genter, a professional software engineer who is writing an Android application in his free time, said that while Google's mobile software is buggy, it is not necessarily any worse than any other software at such an early stage. He said there should be plenty of time for Google to tidy things up before Android handsets hit the market next year. It's not uncommon to see the unhappy people being t loudest in the room. As with anything new, there are going to be plenty of people taking shots at the next big thing. Expectations are running especially ...
More About: Software , Time , Google News , Developers , Discussion