your unofficial guide to the google android
G1
RIP: Cellular Phone Plans, September 3, 2010
Sep 3rd
I mark today the death of regular cell phone plans. Well, the beginning of a long but certain process to see the end of mobile phone plans. Why now? Well, if not now, when? If now me, who?
So, let’s mark this day. And how?
By turning my G1 into mifi device. I’ve told everyone my T-Mobile number will no number work (which isn’t true) and they ought to call my Skype ID or Skype number or Google Voice number. I haven’t set up forwarding calls to my Google number to my Skype number yet but in time, I will.
Furthermore, starting today, I am going to truly go mobile and tethering completely via the G1 and T-Mobile 3G network. In the last week, the 3G speed has doubled most of the areas I frequent. I think HSPA+ has been turned on. Perfect timing for my little scheme.
While I’m very interested in the Samsung Galaxy S or the THC G2, I don’t know if I’m willing to pay an extra $50 a month for a voice plan that I use once or twice a month.
So, the death of the voice plan begins for me. And in the circle of mobile warriors I hang around with, they’re mostly headed down the same road I’m on. Right now, I’m at work, streaming “First Contact” on my iPhone via G1. I know, but it is Friday.
So this weekend, I’m gonna tether the heck out of my G1 and hope that T-Mobile doesn’t say anything. Otherwise, I’ll simply take my money and head over to Virgin Mobile and its $40 unlimited wireless access. It’s more than the $25 I’m playing for just data but less than the $85 I’m paying for data and voice with T-Mobile.
I’ll report back from time to time on how it goes. But i think I’m hardly going to to missing having a traditional cell function.
Google planning a Music Store to rival iTunes
Sep 3rd
As a new Android user I find rumours like these interesting but confusing. It seems to me that Google would be better off spending a bit of time enhancing their Android marketplace to make it properly useful.
Using marketplace on my G1 is painful, not to say that using Apple’s app store on an iPhone is too much better, but at least you can access it via iTunes on the desktop which makes it workable, and the iPad version is fine to use as well, so perhaps marketplace on a tablet will work ok too.
If Google do launch a service to rival iTunes for music I hope that they’ll consolidate marketplace into it as well.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 [Preview]
Sep 1st
Sony Ericsson has recently announced Xperia X8 smartphone based on android operating system Donut (1.6) for the mid-range market. Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 is quite lower in size as compared to Sony Xperia X10 with Timescape User Interface designed for Sony Ericsson smartphones.Processor and Memory:It is loaded with 600 MHz processor with only 128 MB internal storage available for the handset and up to 16GB expandable memory. Its processor is quite well, and speed is almost equals to android Google G1.
Internal storage is somewhat low as compared to other phones available in the market with the same range, but 2GB expandable memory card is included in package for extensive memory usages (depends on seller offer).
Display:
Its display is ready with TFT capacitive touch screen which is geared with 16M vivid colors in the size of 320
The Android Phone Available in the USA and Canada
Aug 28th
by William Grant
There are many android phones available throughout the world. Many of them have not appeared in North America, however. The mobile phones using this OS in the US and Canada are found mostly locked into a contract with particular carriers.
Low-end and Midrange Android Phones
Many individuals over look the lower end Android phones but anyone that desires a a smart phone on a budget might consider purchasing one of these phones. These phones range from android 1.0 to android 1.5
The Dream G1 is the first android operation phone to be released. This release was achieved on October 22, 2008 and while they aren’t as easy to find currently as the more up-to-date phones they are a definitely bargain at their price range. The Dream G1 is an HTC phone that is available on T-mobile’s network.
The Magic MyTouch 3G is an Android phone that is also available from HTC. It was initially released in May of 2009 and comes with the android 1.5 OS. The carriers that allow this phone for usage are T-mobile, Vodafone, and Orange (UK). This is also a lower priced smart phone with many smart functions that are considered vital in current models. Just like the Dream G1 this phone comes will a pull out qwerty Keyboard.
The HTC Hero carried by SPRINT is one of the most remarked upon smart phones in North America to date. It utilizes the HTC sense UI architecture which some labeled as android to the next level when it was first released back in October of 2009.
The LG Eve is one of the most sought after phones in Canada currently due to the exceptionally low price for locked in service. Rogers of Canada is the locked in carrier of the mobile device currently and many individuals see this as a good thing. While all other smart phones listed with the android 1.5 operating system are typically one hundred to two hundred dollars with a locked in contract this phone is notable in that it sells its locked in version for only forty nine dollars Canadian.
Recently Released High-end Android Phones
Motorola’s Droid Milestone is one of the most talked about phones in existence. The hype surrounding it before its release caused a great deal of rumor and intrigue to be manufactured. Verizon has this particular phone locked down via contract and it has maintained its popularity since November of 2009. The Droid is the phone that managed to invade many people’s minds and convince the individuals that were sitting on the fence to purchase a smart phone in the first place due to an interesting ad campaign. The Droid was known primarily for having the first stock version of android 2.0 available on any system. As many know Verizon has this
The Samsung Moment, on the Sprint network, is considered a solid mid-range phone that currently comes with the android 1.5 architecture. It is included in the high-end section of this information article solely because it is slated to upgrade to version 2.0 of android in the next few months. This will mean that an affordable solution to the smart phone community will be available with close to current programming technology.
The Eris crafted by HTC and released in November of 2009 uses what is known as the HTC Sense UI architecture that many consider a notable side step of the typical android OS. The operating system version known as “cupcake” makes itself known on this device and for many individuals in North America this is the most purchased smart phone option. This smart phone is carried by Verizon and can be found in most upperscale electronics shops and all Verizon stores.
Some consider the Google Nexus One to be the current Holy Grail of smart phone technology. This mobile device is manufactured by HTC and was the first cell phone in existence to be released with the android 2.1 operating system. This meant that technologically it was cutting edge in comparison to its closest rivals and business partners. As a Google phone it is completely unlocked primarily with the option for carriers to have locked in contracts to be available as more of them join up. Currently T-mobile carries the Device in the US with Vodafone and Verizon expected to join in shortly or to reformat their pricing plan as they go along.
No matter what smart phone option seems best for people there is still one key thing to take into account. It isn’t the bells and whistles of the phone but how and where the owner can use it. 3G connectivity is spotty with many smart phones and the best purchase isn’t always the lowest price. The best purchase is a phone that can be used frequently in the area the owner will be primarily living in. Luckily there are many slated to be released in North America in 2010. The numbers some individuals cite seem to relate to at least fifty being available from a wide variety of companies.
Apple Set to Dominate Tablet Market Through 2012
Aug 25th
Even through the storm of coming tablets, iSuppli sees Apple with 74% market share
G1 Promoted on Google’s Homepage
Aug 25th
Is this the first time when Google promotes on the homepage a gadget? Some users from the US spotted an interesting line below Google’s search box: “New! G1 is available now. Learn about the phone.”
The landing page links to t-mobileg1.com and features Google’s homepage on Android’s WebKit-based browser and a Street View image from New York.
G1 is more than just the first Android-powered phone, it’s a true Google phone. It comes preloaded with everything that’s necessary to enjoy Google’s services on a mobile phone: it’s easy to search on the web using Google, YouTube and Google Maps are ubiquitous, your contacts, emails and calendar events are synchronized to a Google account.
Ten years after making the web searchable, Google brings the web into your pocket. A web that’s more personal and more relevant to your life.
Related:
G1 launch event in San Francisco
The first Google Phone
Aug 24th
David Pogue run throws a look at the G1 from T-Mobile's first phone with Google software.
My Links : NIKON D90 INDIA cellphones The Smartphone Source for Smart Phones Software Find the best price
Motorola’s Android tablet a direct Google project?
Aug 23rd
Motorola’s 10-inch Android tablet could be Google’s officially chosen flagship device, Digitimes Research analyst Mingchi Kuo claimed to know on Thursday. The project has been likened to the T-Mobile G1, where Google had a direct hand in designing the hardware and insisted on pure Android for the OS. Google may consider it a representative of what Android 3.0 could do…. Google – Motorola …
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do androids dream of greg’s pocket?
Aug 21st
This god damn choice has been plaguing me FOREVER. It’s such an ordeal making a decision that is going to affect you over the next two years, and I had been talking way to god damn much about this to everyone, so I figure I’ll post up the conclusions I’ve came to to help anyone make their own decisions. A lot of reviews tout a bunch of tech bullshit (like AMOLED screens, retina displays, wimax antennas, antennagate, whatever) but I’ll give my real-life thoughts on the two phones and then get to my decision. (don’t peek at my bullshit twitter feed on the right if you wanna be surprised, I still talk about my stupid phone way too much)
iPHONE4 – When I saw the design for this thing, I fell in love with the iphone 4. Whereas the 3 was a sleek, curved creature, the 4 was squared off and precise. I like 80s sports cars much more than your curvy, sexy sports cars of today, and the iphone reflected that. The plusses were:
*higher resolution display than Droid X or Evo
*solid apple reliability
*syncs beautifully with my mac laptop
*iOS4 is really nice
*great selection of time-wasting apps like words w/friends
The negatives:
*bullshit AT&T network that would RAAAAAAPE me of money ($100 bucks a month, fucking ridiculous)
*bullshit Apple lockdown (don’t feel like jailbreaking a device I can’t afford to replace)
*bullshit looking like a fucking hollywood douche by having the same phone as all the other morons
*bullshit everyone asking me “hey is that the iphone 4? can I see?”
*bullshit 2 gig data cap with stupid god damn AT&T
HTC Evo – It was actually my 19 year old sister who told me about this, to which I of course scoffed and wrote her off for being stupid. I had no idea who the hell HTC was, but then I found out that they make Google’s G1 and Nexus one, so I took interest. I love Google’s open source-ness; I like the idea of a collective group of fucking nerds improving the shit I use on a daily basis, rather than a bunch of D&G glasses-wearing tech snobs jerking eachother off. So I looked into the Evo. Plusses:
*bigger screen (though lower resolution, whatever)
*”better” camera
*it’s not a fucking iphone
*nobody cares what it is when I pull it out
*it has a god damn kickstand!! So COOL, man I love gimmicks
*4G network is sweet
*I’d pay $70 a month, 750 minutes, unlimited text/internet
Minuses:
*unproven brand (in my mind)
*Sprint network is supposedly spotty
*battery life sucks
*didn’t know shit about Android
So it pretty much JUST came down to the fact that I cannot afford a hundred god damn dollars per month (what a GOD DAMN JOKE, I hate you AT&T and Apple by extension for allowing this bullshit to happen) so I got the Evo.
Now, anyone can look at a list of stats and make decisions based on that, but the real reasons why I’m totally happy with this purchase are much less tangible. You can’t quantify this shit, but it really comes down to these:
LESTANGIBLES:
I love way the Android OS works. I have 7 screens that I can fill up with apps, and the apps that I don’t give a shit about get hidden in a list somewhere (easily accessible). You get sweet widgets that you can put on any one of these seven pages. You scroll through the pages simply by swiping the screen, or you can pinch to zoom and see all the windows, like Apple’s F3 button on a macbook (it’s called exposé in apple, for those who care). EVERYTHING is customizable, from the background to where any of these widgets and apps go to the sounds everything makes to the type of keyboard or text messaging systems you want. You’re not stuck with the way Apple wants you to view things. If you have a brain, and if said brain thinks, you don’t need to be locked into the way a bunch of asshole engineers think you should do something.
Then there’s all of the awesome google applications. Google voice is SWEET, you can make free phone calls and texts through the internet. It will transcribe your voicemails for you, i.e. they come up in a list like visual voicemail, but the TEXT of what someone SPOKE is there. It’s the fucking future. Google goggles is so cool, you take photos of artwork and it tells you who the artist is. You photograph text, it can translate. It’s out of control.
If you’re a god damn nerd, there are emulators for all the old video game systems. I have nearly every NES, SNES, and Genesis game playable on my phone. It’s tite.
There are usually excellent substitutions for anything Apple has as well. If it doesn’t exist, it WILL inevitably because fucking nerds love Android and they’ll make it happen.
And best of all, you don’t own an iphone like every other god damn high-brow asshole. Granted, all of my friends have iphones, and I suppose they’re cool. But look around coffee shops in hollywood and see every stupid actress whore and producer piece of shit pecking away at their iphones and you just feel better knowing that you have a superior, more open piece of technology three inches from your balls. Or cooter.
In conclusion, it’s not the Evo so much as Android that is tite. There will be better phones soon. The Droid X, Droid 2, Google G2, HTC HD2, and Samsung Galaxy are nearly the same bullshit, it really depends on which one you think looks coolest and which one is at the provider that will give you the best service and price for said service.
I should add, thank you sister, the Evo is great, apologies for doubting you.
Hopefully y’all skipped to the end of this bullshit review, because this sums it up and you just wasted your time otherwise: