T-Mobile G2 by HTC spotted in wild: no QWERTY, coming May
The first images of the T-Mobile G2 have emerged, showing another HTC-made smartphone that now lacks the full QWERTY keyboard of the T-Mobile G1. The G2 handset keeps the touchscreen and trackball of the G1, but tweaks the front-panel buttons and is, of course, slimmer thanks to the absence of a slide-section.
HTC have also given the T-Mobile G2 a 3.2-megapixel camera, though it’s unclear whether it has autofocus or not, and there appears to still be no flash. The casing has a high-gloss finish, but we’re not sure of measurements as yet.
The original source of the photos reports that the G2’s interface is “very similar” to that of the original G1, and that T-Mobile will be releasing the smartphone come mid-May. No spec details available as yet, though we’d presume an on-screen keyboard - something the G1 lacked as standard - has now been developed. Renders of the new G2 were among the leaked shots of HTC’s 2009 line-up.
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HTC have also given the T-Mobile G2 a 3.2-megapixel camera, though it’s unclear whether it has autofocus or not, and there appears to still be no flash. The casing has a high-gloss finish, but we’re not sure of measurements as yet.
The original source of the photos reports that the G2’s interface is “very similar” to that of the original G1, and that T-Mobile will be releasing the smartphone come mid-May. No spec details available as yet, though we’d presume an on-screen keyboard - something the G1 lacked as standard - has now been developed. Renders of the new G2 were among the leaked shots of HTC’s 2009 line-up.
Steven Horowitz says goodbye to Google
One of the original software engineers for Google’s Android platform, Steven Horowitz, has reportedly left the Google team for a position with Coupons Inc. This company designs software for creating, distributing and tracking coupons on the move.
Steven Horowitz was recruited to the Android staff by Andy Rubin back in 2006 where he has helped make Android such an amazing platform. After spending so much time on Android, Horowitz believes that it is a good time for him to move on as right now is the beginning of the transformation of the mobile industry.
Steven Horowitz hints that there are many good things to come and that he is aware that any other companies are porting the Android platform to devices other than mobile phones. We would like to thank Steven Horowitz for his contribution to this platform and we wish him good luck with Coupons Inc.
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Steven Horowitz was recruited to the Android staff by Andy Rubin back in 2006 where he has helped make Android such an amazing platform. After spending so much time on Android, Horowitz believes that it is a good time for him to move on as right now is the beginning of the transformation of the mobile industry.
Steven Horowitz hints that there are many good things to come and that he is aware that any other companies are porting the Android platform to devices other than mobile phones. We would like to thank Steven Horowitz for his contribution to this platform and we wish him good luck with Coupons Inc.
WikiTap allows Wikipedia searches and contribution on the go
Veveo has announced the launch of their own WikiTap application for both the iPhone and T-Mobile G1. Now G1 owners can contribute to Wikipedia anywhere from the vtap TM web video service. WikiTap allows you to quickly search Wikipedia to find multimedia content such as pictures and video.
This is the first application that allows people to not only read articles, but also make immediate multimedia contributions on the go. WikiTap also enhances the Wikipedia experience on the G1 by bringing up relevant videos from vtap’s video index. You can also rate the relevance of the content for other WikiTap community members.
“WikiTap gives iPhone and Android users a unique way to discover, enjoy, share and contribute to the already amazing amount of knowledge that exists in Wikipedia, all from the convenience of a mobile device,” said Murali Aravamudan , CEO of Veveo. “Built on vtap technology, which delivers over 250 million media search queries per month, the iPhone and Android community now have the ability to easily search through millions of Wikipedia documents, and micro-contribute by uploading videos on any topic, from anywhere, making it an even more powerful knowledgebase for other users.”
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This is the first application that allows people to not only read articles, but also make immediate multimedia contributions on the go. WikiTap also enhances the Wikipedia experience on the G1 by bringing up relevant videos from vtap’s video index. You can also rate the relevance of the content for other WikiTap community members.
“WikiTap gives iPhone and Android users a unique way to discover, enjoy, share and contribute to the already amazing amount of knowledge that exists in Wikipedia, all from the convenience of a mobile device,” said Murali Aravamudan , CEO of Veveo. “Built on vtap technology, which delivers over 250 million media search queries per month, the iPhone and Android community now have the ability to easily search through millions of Wikipedia documents, and micro-contribute by uploading videos on any topic, from anywhere, making it an even more powerful knowledgebase for other users.”
Loopt will soon allow you to spy on your friends with Android
Loopt has just announced the development of their social networking application for Android. They are very excited to be able to bring this service to other platforms. Many of you may have had your first encounter with Loopt on the iPhone.
Loopt keeps you in the loop when it comes to knowing what your friends are up to. Looped has released two teaser photos of the application to spark interest. On the left you will see a map that displays all of your friends locations, on the bottom of the photo are pictures of your friends that are displayed. Just select a friend’s image and it will take you to where that friend is located.
The photo on the right shows you where your friends are, how far they are from your location, and what they are currently doing. With Loopt expanding from the iPhone to other platforms it shows great promise. We are excited to see it come to Android, This not only helps them but allows Android users to connect with a wider range of people.
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Loopt keeps you in the loop when it comes to knowing what your friends are up to. Looped has released two teaser photos of the application to spark interest. On the left you will see a map that displays all of your friends locations, on the bottom of the photo are pictures of your friends that are displayed. Just select a friend’s image and it will take you to where that friend is located.
The photo on the right shows you where your friends are, how far they are from your location, and what they are currently doing. With Loopt expanding from the iPhone to other platforms it shows great promise. We are excited to see it come to Android, This not only helps them but allows Android users to connect with a wider range of people.
Labels: Social
Mozilla’s mobile browser Fennec won’t be coming to Android any time soon
Mozilla’s mobile browser, Fennec, is currently in the alpha testing stages. This Browser will no doubt be one of the leading mobile browsers out there. One question that has been running through everyone’s mind is, will it eventually come to Android?
Fennec is said to be showing competitive JavaScript performance with Android and mobile Safari JavaScript, which also means in speed. There are also rumors that Fennec will eventually have voice control. Finally the question we have all been asking for a while now, will Fennec ever be on the Android platform?
Mozilla’s Jay Sullivan said it will not be on Android, at least not until Google accepts programs that are not written in Java for Android. Android does not support applications that run directly on the operating system itself without the need to be written in Java. Sullivan says that Android is “interesting for us. We’ll have to see which direction Google goes with that.” We are a bit upset that there will be no Mobile version of Firefox on Android, at least in the foreseeable future. We want to know how you guys feel about it. Is Fennec that important to you?
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Fennec is said to be showing competitive JavaScript performance with Android and mobile Safari JavaScript, which also means in speed. There are also rumors that Fennec will eventually have voice control. Finally the question we have all been asking for a while now, will Fennec ever be on the Android platform?
Mozilla’s Jay Sullivan said it will not be on Android, at least not until Google accepts programs that are not written in Java for Android. Android does not support applications that run directly on the operating system itself without the need to be written in Java. Sullivan says that Android is “interesting for us. We’ll have to see which direction Google goes with that.” We are a bit upset that there will be no Mobile version of Firefox on Android, at least in the foreseeable future. We want to know how you guys feel about it. Is Fennec that important to you?
Labels: Android, Android phone
Huawei will release an Android-powered handset in first half 2009
According to James Chen, Director of Marketing for Chinese network company, Huawei Technologies has announced plans to launch smartphones based on both Android and Symbian, in the first half of 2009. Huawei is planning to expand mobile and broadband devices in 2009.
Huawei is not looking for a partnership of any kind, Chen said, “Our business model is proven and successful. Huawei doesn’t need a partner for its expertise — we only needed funding.” Huawei deals in mainly in lower-end phones, but they realize that they need more complex phones to deliver more valuable services. “Huawei has had a late take-off in smartphones, but our focus on customization means we can still take the lead and achieve our targets,” said Chen.
Huawei is a member of both the Symbian foundation and Android’s Open Handset Alliance (OHA). Huawei’s smartphones will be sold through other companies, not being branded with their logos. Huawei, unlike Nokia, will not be offering content to users. “We will stand firm in the camp of the operators. Although we will customize phones, we will never directly sell services to the end user.” It sounds like China will be getting plenty of Android-powered handsets in 2009, when will we get more?
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Huawei is not looking for a partnership of any kind, Chen said, “Our business model is proven and successful. Huawei doesn’t need a partner for its expertise — we only needed funding.” Huawei deals in mainly in lower-end phones, but they realize that they need more complex phones to deliver more valuable services. “Huawei has had a late take-off in smartphones, but our focus on customization means we can still take the lead and achieve our targets,” said Chen.
Huawei is a member of both the Symbian foundation and Android’s Open Handset Alliance (OHA). Huawei’s smartphones will be sold through other companies, not being branded with their logos. Huawei, unlike Nokia, will not be offering content to users. “We will stand firm in the camp of the operators. Although we will customize phones, we will never directly sell services to the end user.” It sounds like China will be getting plenty of Android-powered handsets in 2009, when will we get more?
Labels: Android phone
Meebo instant messaging hands on
Today Meebo announced that their Android application is now available for download in the Android Market for free. This is the application counterpart to Meebo’s famous web app. Meebo brings instant messaging to Android-powered handsets without the need to have the browser open.
After playing around with the application for a few minutes, we found it to be very simple and exactly what we were looking for. There is no lag in the application making it far more easy to use than the native IM application that comes with Android. The menus are very simple and far from cluttered. Just sign in using any popular messenger information such as AIM, MSN and Yahoo. This is by far the best instant messaging application we have seen on Android so far. We would like to know what you think about Meebo for Android.
Here is the press release:
Meebo Launches Messaging Application for Android
Company releases instant messaging application for the Android Market
Mountain View, Calif. – November 6, 2008 – Meebo, the Web’s live communications platform, today announced the launch of Meebo for Android, an instant messaging application that brings free and open communication to T-Mobile’s G1, the world’s first Android-powered mobile phone. Meebo for Android provides a simple “on the go” instant messaging experience for anyone with a Meebo account, or an account on one of the popular IM services. The application will be available as a download through the phone via the Android Market (http://www.android.com/market/).
Meebo for Android includes:
* Access to all of your IM accounts through a single login and single buddy list.
* A fun and simple IM experience that’s similar to using meebo.com on your PC.
* Real-time notifications! Alerts of new IMs are pushed to the status bar even when Meebo runs in the background.
“We are excited to provide Meebo users and Android enthusiasts with a new way to connect live with their friends,” said Seth Sternberg, founder and CEO, Meebo. “Enabling access to Meebo on the go means that more and more people will think ‘Meebo’ for open communications whether they are at their at home, work, school or none of the above!”
The T-Mobile G1 is the world’s first Android-powered mobile phone. The T-Mobile G1 combines full touch-screen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience. With a fun and intuitive user interface and one-touch access to Google Search, the T-Mobile G1 is also the first phone to provide access to Android Market, where customers can find and download unique applications to expand and personalize their phone to fit their lifestyle.
Meebo serves 40 million people and handles over 5 billion messages per month. The company has raised $37.5 million from investors Sequoia Capital, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, JAFCO Ventures, Time Warner Investments, and KTB Ventures.
For information about partnering with Meebo, please visit meebo.com/partners.
About Meebo, Inc.
Meebo is the Web’s live communications platform. Founded in September 2005, Meebo provides instant messaging and group chat to 40 million people at meebo.com and via partner sites across the Web. Meebo’s investors include Sequoia Capital, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, JAFCO Ventures, Time Warner Investments, and KTB Ventures. Visit meebo.com to connect with friends live on the Web.
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After playing around with the application for a few minutes, we found it to be very simple and exactly what we were looking for. There is no lag in the application making it far more easy to use than the native IM application that comes with Android. The menus are very simple and far from cluttered. Just sign in using any popular messenger information such as AIM, MSN and Yahoo. This is by far the best instant messaging application we have seen on Android so far. We would like to know what you think about Meebo for Android.
Here is the press release:
Meebo Launches Messaging Application for Android
Company releases instant messaging application for the Android Market
Mountain View, Calif. – November 6, 2008 – Meebo, the Web’s live communications platform, today announced the launch of Meebo for Android, an instant messaging application that brings free and open communication to T-Mobile’s G1, the world’s first Android-powered mobile phone. Meebo for Android provides a simple “on the go” instant messaging experience for anyone with a Meebo account, or an account on one of the popular IM services. The application will be available as a download through the phone via the Android Market (http://www.android.com/market/).
Meebo for Android includes:
* Access to all of your IM accounts through a single login and single buddy list.
* A fun and simple IM experience that’s similar to using meebo.com on your PC.
* Real-time notifications! Alerts of new IMs are pushed to the status bar even when Meebo runs in the background.
“We are excited to provide Meebo users and Android enthusiasts with a new way to connect live with their friends,” said Seth Sternberg, founder and CEO, Meebo. “Enabling access to Meebo on the go means that more and more people will think ‘Meebo’ for open communications whether they are at their at home, work, school or none of the above!”
The T-Mobile G1 is the world’s first Android-powered mobile phone. The T-Mobile G1 combines full touch-screen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience. With a fun and intuitive user interface and one-touch access to Google Search, the T-Mobile G1 is also the first phone to provide access to Android Market, where customers can find and download unique applications to expand and personalize their phone to fit their lifestyle.
Meebo serves 40 million people and handles over 5 billion messages per month. The company has raised $37.5 million from investors Sequoia Capital, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, JAFCO Ventures, Time Warner Investments, and KTB Ventures.
For information about partnering with Meebo, please visit meebo.com/partners.
About Meebo, Inc.
Meebo is the Web’s live communications platform. Founded in September 2005, Meebo provides instant messaging and group chat to 40 million people at meebo.com and via partner sites across the Web. Meebo’s investors include Sequoia Capital, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, JAFCO Ventures, Time Warner Investments, and KTB Ventures. Visit meebo.com to connect with friends live on the Web.
