WILT: NullPointerException when calling startActivity

That’s such a beginner error but I have no shame posting about it because I AM a beginner with Android 

When trying to start a ListActivity from my main Activity, I kept on getting a NullPointerException. The code to launch my activity looked like this:

myActivityInstance.startActivity(new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW));

Well, the problem was that I forgot to set the content view at the beginning of my launched activity. All I had to do was add this line at the beginning of my onCreate event handler:

setContentView(R.layout.tasks_list);

[Via http://benoit808.wordpress.com]

Pluto: Volume 2

Is it bad that I didn’t want to pick up anything else? At the time, I had to consider reading the rest of Barefoot Gen and To Terra. Pluto is too good.

Second volume deepened the suspense. More robots and robot activists die and the killer’s identity is close to being revealed. More super robot beings are introduced into the story as pieces to the puzzle. When Atom comes into the picture (see cover above), the story consists a chunk of emotion that was personally appreciated. Gesicht is living a “human” life with a wife at home and even discusses kids with Brando but he doesn’t fully understand or feel anything in response. When he sees Atom (who looks like a young boy) enjoying icecream, he asks him how he can eat it and act satisfied. This was a slight reminder that Gesicht was a robot, despite his appearance and personal life. The fact that these robots are existing to surpass human capability, they still lack what humans possess.

Later in the story, the investigation gets heated as another robot is killed while trying to kill the assassin called “Pluto”. I’m excited to see what happens.

[Via http://kawaiiuguu.wordpress.com]

Seattle Bus Finder - a promising Android app

Open Seattle Bus Finder, enter the bus route that you want to track, and the GPS function actually pinpoints where the buses are at that very moment. I stand at the bus stop for the #18, for example, look at the app and see a map with my current location at the center. On the map I see that the 18 is just four blocks from where I’m standing and heading my way. Cute little bus icon. All is revealed. The bus arrives shortly thereafter. I love this.

The next time I use it, however, the map shows no buses in my vicinity. I look forward to a long wait. But to my surprise the bus arrives at that very moment and there’s no sign of it on my app map. I hate this.

I don’t know if the inconsistent performance has to do with unreliable performance of the GPS on the bus, in my phone, in the sky, or what. The app is free so I have nothing more to say except that I hope the next upgrade can deal with this. If it worked consistently, I’d definitely pay for this app. I could reliably stand on my front porch and know whether I can stroll to the bus stop or whether I should run.

[Via http://dangblog.wordpress.com]

Android This Week: Nexus One Dock Arrives, ARCHOS Tablet Specs Revealed

Those who have deemed the Nexus One the best Android phone yet may like it even more now that the dock is available from Google. Not only does the phone charge while sitting in the dock, but cradling it there will automatically fire up the clock application, complete with local weather. You can even use it to run a slideshow of the pics you have stored on the phone.

But the really cool feature is the integrated Bluetooth, which allows the docked Nexus One to stream music wirelessly to the dock. Plug in some external speakers and the set-up becomes a full-fledged entertainment system. At $45, the Nexus One Dock isn’t cheap, but all those features make it worth a look.

Speaking of music, personal media player maker ARCHOS, which already has a 5-inch tablet based on the Android platform for sale, this week leaked details about its forthcoming 7-inch model . This new web tablet adds a web cam to the mix, and is expected to sell for just $245.

In the meantime, a netbook running Android has been sent to the FCC for review prior to launch. The new netbook is being produced by none other than HP, making this the company’s first foray into the Android space. The FCC filing is seeking approval for the netbook’s use on AT&T’s (s t) 3G network. So far, there’s no detailed information available as to when we might expect this to hit the market.

[Via http://gigaom.com]

Android Love

Ok I stole that title from an awesome blog that I just discovered (check her out here http://www.brendacarescorner.com/mytouch3g-and-android-love/)

Thought I might kick off the blog with a post about my current passion, my Android phone!

Whats an Android phone you ask?  Well probably not but I’ll tell you anyway LOL  It’s a smartphone running the Android OS (operating system) by Google.  Android OS is a true multitasking OS (joining Windows Mobile, WebOS, Blackberry).  This is the main separation between Android phones and the IPhone.  The IPhone is so far really just an application launcher rather than a true OS.  Not that I’m knocking the IPhone; physically is is arguably the best built touch screen phone on the market.  And so far, Apple has the best Apps Store and apps.  Time will see if that continues.

Meanwhile, I decided to invest in the Android platform.  The item that caught my immediate attention is that it is Linux based.  Now I know you fellow computer heads know what that means.  Linux is HUGE.  And easy to develop.  As evidenced by the tremendous growth of Android applications so far.  Up to over 10,000 in the Apps Market to date!  The other fact that drew me in is that Apple cant control it!  As much as I love Apple products (most), I HATE the way they insist on controlling the way I use them!  I mean, who really likes ITunes?  It’s a resource hog and bloated.  I would love my ITouch so much more if I could get music from whatever source I desired.  But I digress, this isnt an Apple rant.  That will come later LOL

So I’ve had my SPrint HTC Hero for nearly a month.  I love it!  I’m all about customization and Android lets me do it to my hearts content.  Had an initial issue with bad battery life, but I found lots of fixes for it online (google it) and now its a non issue.  Still dont get as long as I did with my BlackBerry Curve (my previous phone) but its decent.  Hopefully the 2.1 update will fix that.  Currently running 1.5 btw.

My next decision is whether or not to Root. Here’s an excellent explanation of what Rooting is [http://www.brendacarescorner.com/2010/01/what-does-it-mean-to-root-an-android-device/] .  Right now I dont really see the need, but the geek in me wants to tinker LOL  I’ll update with what I decide.

[Via http://adonistech.wordpress.com]

Saygus Vphone V1

Saygus plans to release the VPhone V1, a video transmitting and receiving phone that runs on Android and will be available from Verizon. As it is, it has a 5 Megapixel camera, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, and 3.5-inch touchscreen. It should have four hours of video chatting, and seven hours of talk time.

Saygus Vphone V1

Saygus Vphone V1 Specification Release Date: January, 2010

59.5×116.5×20.3mm, Google Android 1.6 , 32bit Marvell PXA310, 624MHz CPU, 256MiB RAM, 512MiB ROM, 3.5″ 480×800 color transflective TFT LCD, mini-USB audio jack, CDMA800, CDMA1900, cdmaOne, CDMA2000 1xRTT, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rel. 0, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev A, microSD, microSDHC, TransFlash, SDIO, mini-USB port, Bluetooth, WLAN, GPS, A-GPS, FM radio, Slide-out QWERTY-type keyb., accelerometer, 4.9MP cam., AF, macro, flash, sec. camera, 1500mAh removable battery

[Via http://onopc.wordpress.com]

HTC HERO

So.. I never thought something like a fancy cellphone could change my life. Yet here I am today talking about my HTC HERO from Sprint has aided me to see the world in a different light. I am even composing this blog from my phone now! This device keeps me informed of EVERYTHING that I hold dear in my life. All accessible with a swift flick & tap. Jealous? I seriously urge everyone to get their hands on one, or at least some sort of Android capable phone. G1, MyTouch, Hero, Droid, Eris, Nexus, Cliq, etc…

[Via http://cajonas.wordpress.com]

Skype on Android? Try Fring!

Well finally!!! God damn it I’ve been looking a long time for such an app, and here it is!

Fring is my new favourite. Just tested it a couple of minutes, but it seems to be working just fine, except for a little lag, but you just have to deal with it.

Download from Android Market or at Fring’s website for free and log in to your GSM, Skype, Google, ICQ, MSN, Twitter, AIM or Yahoo! account through Fring.

Still lack some testing against other mobile fring users, but that’ll be soon

Please add a comment about your experiences with Fring.

[Via http://wilhelmsen.wordpress.com]

Watch your Security Cameras on your Android PDA Phone

Remotely view your security cameras with an Android phone

   The new Google Android operating system phones have become a popular choice for PDA phones.  However, even though there are many apps that can be downloaded to these new phones, there are still very few security camera systems that are compatible with these new PDA phones.

   However, our Alnet PC-Based DVR systems and our H.264 Standalone DVRs both offer remote viewing from an Android PDA phone. 

   Our H.264 Standalone DVRs provide Basic remote viewing from any PDA phones, and is also compatible with the Google Android operating system phones.  This type of DVR system allows you to see a basic view of your security cameras while you are anywhere in the world.  This basic system allows you to open the browser of your PDA phone and will show a snapshot of up to 4 cameras at once.  The snapshot can be refreshed up to 1 time per second depending on internet connection speed.  This PDA remote viewing is compatible with all of our H.264 Standalone DVRs.

Android Alnet Remote Client Software for Security Cameras

   For more advanced remote viewing, providing streaming video from your security cameras, and support for viewing IP cameras remotely as well, our Alnet Systems DVR Cards/Software and NVR (Network Video Recorder) software is a great choice.  This system has an app that can be installed directly on your Android 1.6 Operating System PDA phone.  This application allows you to view 1 camera full screen with streaming video, or view up to 16 cameras at once.  This application is a much more advanced remote viewing option, and only works with our Alnet DVR Cards or Alnet Netstation NVR Software.

[Via http://platinumcctv.wordpress.com]

Http Basic Authentication On Android

The following show how you can do http basic authentication on android.

public static String httpAuthUrl(String url){

String result = null;

DefaultHttpClient client = new DefaultHttpClient();

HttpParams params = new BasicHttpParams();

HttpProtocolParams.setVersion(params, HttpVersion.HTTP_1_1);

HttpProtocolParams.setContentCharset(params, “UTF_8″);

HttpProtocolParams.setUseExpectContinue(params, false);

client.setParams(params);

HttpGet get = new HttpGet(url);

String credentials = getCredentials();

if(credentials!=null){

get.addHeader(“Authorization”,”Basic “+credentials);

ResponseHandler responseHandler=new BasicResponseHandler();

try {

result = client.execute(get, responseHandler);

} catch (ClientProtocolException e) {

e.printStackTrace()

} catch (IOException e) {

e.printStackTrace()

}

}

return result;

}

The function getCredentials() return the username/password as a base64 encodes string. Example – return Base64.encodeBytes((username+”:”+password).getBytes()) something like this.

[Via http://josnidhin.wordpress.com]

T-Mobile to get HTC Supersonic with Android 3.0 with Nvidia's Tegra Chipset

A screen shot of a purported new HTC phone named Supersonic is headed to T-Mobile. According to BGR, a screen shot sent to them anonymously shows a firmware of Android 3.0 and shows the carrier being T-Mobile. Not much else is known of the device but we can say that T-Mobile has been the go-to carrier of choice for Android handsets (probably because they are the nicest and easiest carrier to work with when releasing new devices).

T-Mobile so far has five Android handsets in their line up so far: HTC G1, HTC myTouch, Motorola CLIQ and Samsung Behold II and of course Google’s Nexus One, making it the leading carrier of Android handsets. The launch date and specs of the latest Android handset built by HTC are not known, but if the firmware gives us any indication, this could possible be another device running a Snapdragon processor or perhaps this could very well be the first phone on Nvidia’s Tegra powered platform. Why you ask? Simply because evidence supports this possibility due to ICD’s Tegra tablet “Vega”,  a 15-inch Android-based tablet, which was finally announced and is headed to T-Mobile UK. Also, in an interview with the TheStreet.com, Mike Rayfield, the general manager of Nvidia’s mobile unit said the we can expect “the company’s Tegra chip to debut in a phone from one of the top five cell-phone makers”. Although this reported to be in Q4 of 2009, the evidence is still clear that a new handset will be coming out soon.

Some reports have estimated the following specifications:

• an APX 2500 or 2600 chipset which could provide significantly accelerated 3D and decode 720p video
• 25 days of music or 10-hours of 1080p video playback on a single charge
• video games play at up to 46 frames per second
• GPU accelerated Adobe Flash animations
• always-on processors for instant access to the network
• 3G, WiFi, and WiMax solutions support
• to includes an HDMI port

The possibility of an HTC built, Tegra powered device running Android 3.0 is stunning and very likely, but we’ll just have to wait and see, once again.

[Via TheStreet.com, Engadget, BGR]

[Via http://fonefrenzy.com]

OverDrive Media Console Updates - Android v1.0 & Windows v3.2.0.4

Have you typed “OverDrive” into Android™ Market search today? Notice anything new?

Friday morning, OverDrive went live with OverDrive® Media Console™ for Android v1.0, making the audiobook app for Android available in the Android Market for the first time. Now you can wirelessly download MP3 audiobooks from our library’s eBooks to Go mobile optimized download website directly to your Android device. OverDrive’s audiobook app for Android has the same superior listening features as the desktop version OverDrive Media Console, including resume from furthest played point and custom bookmarking.

OverDrive Media Console for Windows® v3.2.0.4 is also out now. With this version, the Transfer Wizard now provides full support for transfer to Android devices. The latest version of OverDrive Media Console for Windows also displays a title’s description through the “Properties” screen and higher-quality cover images (if available).

[Via http://librarianbrain.wordpress.com]

Android Now At 25,000 Apps...

Well guys it seems that the push of android is making a huge splash in the app world. We are now just under 25,000. Thanks to the guys at androlib we have a great graph on how many free apps and how many paid apps. This has been a pretty significant jump sense we just reached the 20,000 app marker about 2 months ago. We can only hope to see even more apps in the coming.

What would you guys like to see come to the Android Market? More Games, More Entertainment? Let us know and Check out the graph.

[Via http://androidfeens.com]

My Newest Love

Yes people, my heart has grown a little and let in something new…

…my HTC Hero from Sprint.

We picked it up a few days ago, and I adore it.  I was a bit sad because I ended up not getting the Google Nexus One I was dreaming of, but now that I have this thing in my hot little hands I can’t imagine not having it!  This phone is amazing.  I’m loving the Android platform so much.  I had a Blackberry Pearl and then moved to a Samsung Instict (which fell way short of what it was supposed to be) and now this amazing new love!  I think we must name her immediately (and yes I’m taking suggestions!).

Now for those of you looking at buying one of these awesome phones.  Here is some super non-technical, gadget loving mommy, review stuff!

I love

• That I have 7 screens to place my widgets and shortcuts on.
• I have a whole screen for Twitter, ohh Twitter how I love you!
• 5 Mega Pixal camera (I take a ton of pictures on the go, and don’t always have my camera)
• It moves so smoothly between screens and apps.
• The MP3 player is nice, and easy to use.  That’s huge for me because I use it when I run for music.
• Super customizable, this phone is made for you, and you, and you and even you!
• I’m loving the Android Market.  I have this awesome new app for runs.  It maps where I am, tells me my pace and my speed.  I can’t wait to break it out after this silly rain stops.

Things I’d like to see

• Flash for the camera, if I’m not mistaken the Google Nexus One is the only Android phone with a flash, that’s not cool!
• The curse of every awesome phone, I wish it had a better battery life.  Especially since my last phone came with a spare battery, I’m not used to being attached or even worrying about charging it.

The size of this phone is great you can check out Cnet’s review for official specs but simply put, it fits nicely in my hand and i don’t feel like I’m carrying a brick it’s super light.

Now let’s name this beauty asap, suggestions from the class?

**By the way this is in no way a sponsored post, I bought the phone and paid for it and am just sharing my new love with you!**

[Via http://saysomethingstacey.wordpress.com]

Fanboys make me giggle

Who would have thought that in a day could be so up and down on the emotion scale. You see Monday we were to have a security audit…the security people never showed up. Well today my boss comes back to my hole in the wall and says “Are you ready for the audit?” I simply replied…”I can be.” She then informed me I had 5 minutes before they were in the building. I wasn’t worried to much, like I said the audit was schedule just two days ago, and I was ready then. Nothing major had changed. I did a quick walk through and boom I was ready.

The auditors came back asked me some questions about the project. I explain we support the MVNO clients of the client. Explained we support from the basic $10 throw away phones to the higher end smart phones. He then starts asking my agent some questions and then it happened I found out the head auditor (the VP of security) was not only an Iphone user, but an Iphone fanboy.

He tells me that AT&T would be stupid to let the exclusivity with Apple end. And that if the Iphone goes AT&T will fall. It was hard but I managed to resisted  the urge to call him an idiot. And instead commented on the way the Iphone has changed the mobile phone market, and how AT&T is getting some really nice Android devices. It was at this point I think I came the closest to ever being fired in my life…this intelligent man said the stupidest thing I had ever heard. “Android will be dead in less then a year. Google killed it. They upset all the manufacturer by making there own device, and all the providers by selling it unlocked. At least that is what I am predicting.”

I was lucky his attention then turned another way, as I was about to say, are you stupid? Do I really work for a company that would promote such a narrow mind nitwit to your position? No I get it you killed the real guy and you are some psycho path that gets distracted by shiny things. Thank goodness I have my keys to shake in front of you to distract you and make you forget what I just said.

The auditors left shortly after going off to other projects in the building. And I calmed down realizing that this man was most likely who he said he was and if he was this person he was not as stupid as he just sounded, and I doubt he is as narrow minded as he sounded. He was just an Iphone Fanboy.

He is unable to see the greatness of his own device (and the iphone is great it changed the mobile landscape forever) while seeing its short comings (MMS still sucks on the Iphone) Not to mention the idea that another device may be as good as the Iphone ( I personally do not think that any device is mind blowing better then the Iphone is every way)

It was at this point I realized that I could have just as easily been talking to a Android Fanboy, who ranted about how the Iphone is pure evil  and Jobs was out to take over the world and knock up our daughters (I once had someone tell me that no joke)

Neither of the mobile OSes are perfect and both are great. Android is not going away in less then a year nor is it going to kill the Iphone (although I do see Android taking market share from the Iphone)

The simple fact is when we get these people ranting about how what ever they do nothing more then make the other side look better until such time as you run into a ranter for that side and then you don’t know what to do.

So what ever you do don’t be that guy that people hate to talk to about cell phones. Know why you like and why you don’t like the device. There is nothing wrong with sharing your feelings, just don’t think the other person is an idiot because he disagrees.

[Via http://tagon42.wordpress.com]

Fandango Waives Convenience Charge For Android Users

Fandango released a beta version of their Android application last month and has steadily been improving it with recent updates. It now appears the app is ready for primetime because Fandango will be waiving all service fees for ticket purchases through March 7, 2010. The company normally has a convenience charge of $1 per ticket, but users can purchase tickets for free for the next few months.

Fandango

Purchase tickets in a flash

• Purchase tickets seamlessly without leaving the app
• Buy tickets for more movie screens – 16,000 and counting! — than on any other app
• Sign into your Fandango account to purchase tickets with your credit card stored online
• Or securely store credit card information to your device – it’s your choice!
• View your purchase history to access ticket details

From Fandango: Get movie and theater listings with the flick of your finger. Watch trailers. View fan ratings. All while your device’s GPS feature finds the theaters closest to you and the movies playing at them. And when you’re ready to buy, it’s as simple as, well, 1-2 with our super-quick purchasing that secures your tickets fast and drama-free. Enjoy the show!

[Via http://fiercetechnology.com]

Hands On With Verizon's Android App for FiOS TV

Over the weekend, I caught wind of a new Android application from Verizon. The free app is in the Android Market and allows remote access to a FiOS TV box, local listings and more. Since I’ve been known to leave home without scheduling the DVR, I had to grab the free download. Activation was pretty straightforward on my FiOS box. I simply had to enter the phone number of my handset, although I vaguely recall some wording about using a Verizon (s vz) phone. I registered my Google Nexus One (s goog) on T-Mobile’s network with no issues, however. One slight caveat — I couldn’t register with my Google Voice number. I had to use the number provided by T-Mobile for my phone.

Seconds after the activation steps, I had full remote access to my FiOS box. Although I don’t watch much Video on Demand, I was able to browse through the offerings and bookmark content of interest. The DVR functions include the creation of new recordings, list the currently recorded programs, view the upcoming recording schedule and see how much disk space is used or free on the DVR. TV listings are also available, with full details of the programs, plus a one-touch button for recording. Although Verizon has offered a web-based solution with similar functionality for nearly a year, the Android app is far more elegant and snappy.

[Via http://jkontherun.com]

Motorola Set To Launch The Nexus Two?

So it seems that the new Motorola Phone that leaked a couple of weeks ago, Is now making its way back to the front of the news stand. When we first heard about this new device we thought that it would be called the Mirage.  Then it was leaning more towards the Shadow. Now we are seeing this as the Nexus Two.. Wow could this be the next device in the Google lineup? I guess only time will tell, but I must say that I am excited to hear more. Even if it does look like it is aimed towards the teenager more then the power user of Android.

[Via http://androidfeens.com]

Project52 Plan or How this might pan out

So we’re over two weeks into 2010 & this is only post two. Smooth Doug.

One of the main things that will happen as part of Project52 for me is I will be moving away from a hosted wordpress.com blog to my own self-hosted blog & website.

Subjects for blog post / tutorials / essays that I hope to publish over the next 50 weeks:

• My faith – I want to write about what I believe, maybe change peoples perceptions of me / my faith & also allow me to develop it further.
• Web development / design – Not photoshop tutorials, but code, I can’t make something look pretty but I’ll discuss how it works.
• Mobile / Android – applications I use, general thoughts and my hope to code & release an Android application.

Also anything else I happen to think of, there will more than likely be the usual “What have I been doing” posts but for more of that get on my twitter: @dougaitken

– Doug

[Via http://takealeft.wordpress.com]

ASU grad launches iPhone app for Phoenix light rail riders

[Source: Arizona Republic Light Rail Blog] — An Arizona State University grad has launched a free iPhone application to help people ride Phoenix’s light rail system.  For each station, it features a map, bus connections, a train schedule and travel times to other train stops.  The app also has “how-to” information for riding the system and using fare machines.  Since he launched the app on Dec. 8, Mitch Karren says 750 people have downloaded it.  The curious come from 25 different countries, from China, which has the most subscribers outside the United States, to Mid-East minnow Qatar.

Karren graduated in June 2008 with a degree housing and community development, the exact worst time to jump into Arizona’s turbulent real estate industry.  A week later he was laid off from his real estate related job.  He decided to enroll in a class to learn how to write iPhone apps.  “I noticed other cities had pretty well established iPhone apps for their transit systems,” he said.  “I wanted this to be a service to Phoenix.”

The service has been well received.  Thirty-three people posted reviews, mostly giving it five stars.  Comments range from “wicked, awesome,” to the one critic who calls it “predictable.”

Karren is seeing a steady 22 downloads a day, with only word-of-mouth for marketing.  About 500 users have accessed it 1,500 times.  His analytics data tells him Saturday is the busiest day people use the application and the 8 p.m. hour the busiest hour in each day.  People are most interested in information for the end of the line stations.  In the spring, Karren plans to update the app with information about surrounding businesses.  Ultimately he wants to give people real-time information about where the trains are.  In time, he’s hoping to expand the service to Blackberry and Android phones.

[Via http://downtownvoices.org]

Why Business Models Matter: Foursquare

by Christopher Buck

Evaluating:   Mashable, “5 Ways Foursquare is Changing the World” (Jan. 16, 2010) (available at http://mashable.com/2010/01/16/foursquare-world/).

Joan Magretta’s “Why Business Models Matter” (HBR, 2002) highlights the distinction between the “business model,” which was a fadish concept during the internet boom, and “strategy,” which is the differentiating factor in a business that compliments the business model and helps it succeed.  Even though the internet bubble has burst, business models are not irrelevant – indeed a good business model is fundamental to entrepreneurial success – but, they need to be grounded by realistic expectations.  As Magretta explains, “A good business model answers Peter Drucker’s age-old questions: Who is the customer? And what does the customer value?”  The strategic analysis, “explains how you will do better than your rivals.”

Foursquare is a relatively young mobile application company which is “fueling the location-based mobile space with unique creativity that competitors can’t copy fast enough.”  (Mashable, “5 Ways Foursquare is Changing the World”).  Foursquare’s business model is to produce a free mobile application for iPhones and Androids that allows users to gain “social currency” by updating their locations each time they visit local businesses.  The company plans on making money off of advertisements and revenue sharing arrangements from the businesses that benefit from the service.  Tasti-D-Lite, a New York ice cream company, recently allowed customers to earn rewards points towards ice cream purchases by posting Foursquare updates.  The company is the first to do so, but will likely not be the last.

Strategically, Foursquare differentiates itself from competitors like Loopt by injecting a competitive element into the update process.  Users can become “mayors” of their respective cities by posting the most number of updates there.  Foursquare is more than a geo-location aware social networking service, it is a game as well.  That difference has made it the leader in this relatively new type of social/mobile business space.  The adoption of Foursquare by local companies as an advertising outlet, and by users as a type of review service akin to Yelp, speaks to the service’s powerful ability for both businesses and customers to instantly share information about their hometown experiences.  Foursquare’s business model and strategy are well aligned to provide the company with future success.

Editor’s Note:  The preceding is an application of Harvard Business Review’s “Why Business Models Matter,” by Joan Magretta (HBR R0205F, 2002) to a current business article.  The “Why Business Models Matter” series on the WSBE Business Blog are original articles from MBA students at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics, reprinted with the authors’ permissions.

Christopher Buck, Esq. is an MBA candidate at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at UNH, founder of NHCaseLaw.com and co-author of “Civil and Criminal Contempt in New Hampshire” (New Hampshire Bar Journal, Fall 2007).

Related articles by Zemanta

• 10 Foursquare Apps You Can Use Right Now (mashable.com)
• Now you can play Foursquare anywhere (news.cnet.com)
• Yelp iPhone app gets Foursquare-style check-ins (downloadsquad.com)

[Via http://wsbe.wordpress.com]

Android This Week: Is the Bloom Already Off the Nexus One Rose?

Just a week after the Nexus One launched, the bloom seems to be off the rose, as reports are starting to appear in customer support forums that the phone has problems consistently accessing the T-Mobile 3G network. Users claim that the phone is prone to switching back and forth between the 3G and the slower EDGE network, for no apparent reason. Kevin over at jkOnTheRun talked about having such a problem with his own Nexus One as part of that site’s most recent MobileTechRoundup podcast. So far, neither Google nor T-Mobile has acknowledged the issue. Owners of the iPhone 3G may remember how that phone had a similar problem, which was fixed with a firmware update.

Many were also chagrined to discover that the Nexus One does not have multitouch enabled. Indeed, as more Android phones have come on the scene, the lack of multitouch support on many of the devices is proving to be confusing. Especially with the Nexus One, as HTC has enabled multitouch on some of the other Android handsets it’s produced. In an interview with Laptop Magazine this week, Motorola (s mot) CEO Dr. Sanjay Jha said that his company will include multitouch support in handsets going forward.

In the meantime, Om reported that Google only sold 20,000 Nexus One handsets in the first week after the launch — a surprisingly low figure for such a hotly anticipated device, and perhaps the result of the phone only being available to buy online. We may see the phone start appearing for sale in T-Mobile stores in the U.S., but likely not until the network issue is sorted out.

[Via http://gigaom.com]

Nokia Android [mobile phone runs on Coca-Cola]

This is the client project for designing an eco friendly phone for Nokia. Through my research, I found that phone battery as a power source, it is expensive, consuming valuable resources on manufacturing, presenting a disposal problem and harmful to the environment.  The concept is using bio battery to replace the traditional battery to create a pollution free environment. Read More [link]

[Via http://jezzbean.wordpress.com]

16 Things I Like about the Google Nexus One (and 8 I don't)

I’m still getting acquainted with the unsubsidized Google Nexus One (s goog) I bought last week, but I’ve spent enough time with it to share my likes and dislikes. Since there’s only a 14-day return period and plenty of return fees — especially if you went the subsidized path — I figure some prospective purchasers might benefit from these thoughts. In no particular order, here’s what I’m really enjoying about this phone, and what I’m disappointed in. Bear in mind that not everything in my list is specific to the Nexus One and I expect other current Android handsets to gain some of these features through software upgrades in the future. But these features are a part of the current Nexus One experience, so I’m including them in my list.

1. The device starts up fairly quickly. In about 33 seconds or so from a cold start, you’re up and running. The near-two minute boot time of my Pre (s palm) has turned me off.

2. The same holds true for turning off the device. It completely powers down — not into sleep mode, but actually off — in under six seconds.

3. I like how the phone doesn’t have to be on for charging. My iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre are “on” when charging. That annoys me at night as the phones — mainly the Pre — are glowing while I’m trying to sleep. Or they might ring or pop up a notification during the night. A silly little thing, yes, but I still like how it’s handled on the Nexus One. There is a very small LED indicator to tell you the device is charging or fully charged.

4. Blinking notifications are great. With my iPhone (s aapl), I was constantly waking it and unlocking it to see if I had any emails. No need for that now. I just glance at the scroll ball to see if it’s blinking. I have it set up for various notifications — email, direct messages and replies on Twitter, etc….

5. Although it’s taking me time to get used to, multitasking is awesome. I’m pre-conditioned by 2.5 years of iPhone use to hit the Home button before moving to another program, but I’m slowly learning to hold the button and choose an already running app. Oddly, I used to flick cards to close apps on the Pre all the time for the very same reason. Anyway, when I remember that previously used apps are still running, I can move around quite quickly.

6. Gmail is heavenly, especially with multiple accounts. (Seriously — have you ever described an email client as heavenly? It has to be that good for me to call something as mundane as email ”heavenly!”) For a Gmail user, there’s little doubt in my mind that Android should be near the top when choosing a mobile platform. The native client is far more robust and easier to use than on any other device I’ve touched in the past few years. And Android 2.1 adds support for multiple Gmail accounts within the one mail application. I have both my personal and my work mail going side-by-side in the one app. It’s not a unified Inbox, mind you, but it’s a quick menu tap to switch accounts. Plus there’s starring, labels, a button for Older mail and so much more. New email also arrives on my phone faster than on the web too  Sorry to gush over this one, but again: if you use and like Gmail on the web, odds are pretty good that you’ll like it on this device. Ditto for the Google Calendar app.

7. Voice to text might not be as heavenly as the Gmail experience, but it’s pretty darn close. The feature is usable with nearly every text field on the device. I can speak emails or text messages — even tweets — and the phone will process the speech into text. And it’s pretty darn accurate too. Even in very noisy environments, I’ve had fantastic results thanks to the secondary microphone used to cancel out background noise.

8. I love the level of integration Google adds with some third party apps. For example, when you take a picture, you can share it via Picasa, Gmail, text message, Facebook or over Bluetooth. But you can also Tweet the picture right from the camera app. And the phone is smart enough to realize which Twitter app you have installed. When I first got the device, I installed TwiDroid and it magically appeared in my sharing list for pics. I thought that was pretty cool, but I later removed TwiDroid to install Seesmic. Lo and behold, Seesmic now appears automatically in my sharing options. That’s intelligent — not rocket science — but intelligent.

9. Speaking of image sharing reminds me of the camera. The 720 x 480 videos aren’t bad at all, nor are the still images from the 5 megapixel camera sensor. I didn’t think I’d use the digital zoom because they’re typically not all that great, but I’ve gained usable results in the rare instances I’ve used it. The camera is quite good, the interface is intuitive and the new Gallery app is well polished.

10. The overall speed of the device is very snappy. After hearing more about the Qualcomm Snapdragon platform at CES, I expect you’ll see many devices using it, just as the Nexus One does. And you’ll be happy with the performance when compared to the ARM processors of yesteryear. Everything on this handset seems to fly, although it starts to bog down a little when bunches of apps are running. One of the first things I did was to install a task killer, which I use a few times throughout the day. I haven’t used a faster feeling phone. The HTC HD2 uses this same CPU, so I can see why folks are buzzing about how well Windows Mobile runs on it. My expectations of Snapdragon are the reason I haven’t moved to an Android device in the past few months, and those expectations have been met  – and in some cases, exceeded — by the Nexus One.

11. Google Maps is stellar. The app is actually really good on other Android devices as well, and the navigation isn’t unique to the Nexus One. But when paired with this fast running hardware, the performance of Maps makes it feel like the entire globe is within the device, not on a server somewhere. There’s very little lag when panning, zooming or rending. In some cases, there is no lag. The GPS location fix is almost instantaneous as well. All of that combines for a great Maps experience.

12. Google Voice integration isn’t specific to the Nexus One at all, but it’s well done and completely integrated to the contacts and phone apps. It’s working so well that I’m going to look into canceling the unlimited text messaging portion of my monthly plan. From what I’ve heard, that can be done to save $10 a month. There’s simply no need for such a plan or function if you’ve embraced Google Voice.

13. Speaking of contacts, I like the integration with Facebook, which is similar to Synergy on the Palm Pre. And at any point, I simply tap and hold on a contact to get a touch menu of how I want to interact with that person: phone, text message, mail, Facebook or Google Talk, for example. And the phone is smart enough to only show me the available options. If I don’t have someone’s IM handle, it won’t show me Google Talk as an option.

14. Although voice-to-text related, I love how I can tap and hold the search touch button at any time to search by voice. It doesn’t matter what app I’m in — the function is always there.

15. The overall feel of the device has one of those “just right” attributes. It’s thin but easy to hold. It’s not slippery. And it feels well built. It’s hard to describe but if you’re worried about a shoddy, plasticky device, you needn’t worry about it with the Nexus One.

16. The onscreen keyboard is better than I expected once I made a minor adjustment — see item #3 in the “not so hot” list below. I’ve tried the options to add noise for key clicks and also for haptic feedback, but once I got used to the keyboard, I turned both off. What really makes input great is the predictive text functionality. Within two to three keypresses, I can often find the word I want to type in the predictive text area. And in many cases, the proper word is already highlighted in red, so I simply tap the space bar to choose it and I’m on my way to the next word. I find this better and faster than the iPhone, mainly because I have to type more letters on the iPhone in most cases.

What’s not so hot:

1. It’s far too easy to turn the phone on accidentally. I noticed this when leaving Las Vegas on my plane from CES. I had just turned on the Airplane Mode and then shut the phone down. I placed it in my pocket and a few seconds later, I felt the vibration made when the phone begins to power up. HTC and Google should adjust the power-on function so that you have to hold the button for a good second or two. As it is now, a brief, inadvertent tap will fire up the device.

2. Radio reception isn’t what I had hoped. I realize that there may be a widespread issue as Nexus One owners are reporting a signal bouncing from EDGE to 3G and back. I saw that behavior while at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas. I expect that issue to be fixed through a software update, but that’s not the problem. I’m not getting any 3G signal at my home. I checked the coverage maps and I should be getting one, although I am about a half-mile inside the cut-off, per the map. Here’s the thing though: with the same SIM card and exact same location, the Nokia N900 I’m evaluating pulls in 3G loud and clear. A speed test on that device netted me a 2.1 Mbps download. The Nexus One right after that? Not even 200 Kbps, thanks to the lowly EDGE signal. I’m not sure if the Nokia radio is that much better or the Nexus One is simply not as good, but at the end of the day, I really don’t care what the reason is. The result is more important and I’m not thrilled with it. I really don’t need 3G coverage in my house since I gravitate towards a faster Wi-Fi signal anyway, but this radio sensitivity — or lack thereof — has to be pointed out.

3. The touch experience in general is great, but less so with the four touch buttons at the bottom of the display. I’ve found that the touch sensors only respond when touching the top half of these buttons. It’s as if the sensors aren’t quite big enough. At first, this was a major hassle. Once I figured out what was going on, I adjusted accordingly and I’m fine now. But for the first two days, I really struggled. In fact, I’ve noticed that I do better with the touch keyboard by tapping the top half of those keys as well. Maybe it’s just me, but when I shift my touch input up about 1/8″ on either the keyboard or the four touch buttons, I can fly.

4. The screen is easily filled with smudges. There’s no oleophobic coating like Apple’s iPhone 3GS on this device. Seriously, you’ll be cleaning the screen every hour or two if you use this heavily. On the plus side, I have a perfect replica cheek-print on my device if anyone from the CSI set wants one. Maybe my print can make a cameo appearance in an upcoming episode?

5. Related to the screen smudge is challenge of using the usually beautiful OLED display in full sunlight. Even with the brightness up all the way, it’s difficult. AMOLED is great indoors and easier on battery life, but if you’re outside a bunch, I’d suggest caution.

6. I’m going to need a second battery. That’s becoming a common theme on many handsets as we start to use them more heavily as pocketable computers instead of occasional smartphone use. I’m also a believer in having two batteries for all of my devices, so going in to this purchase I figured to double down on power. But folks should realize that using this device often during the day will run the battery down in eight hours or less.

7. Many sites don’t render correctly in the browser in portrait mode. This is an odd and unexpected problem, but one I noticed right away. When I look at various two-column sites, the text column is squeezed in half. Yet when I rotate the device and move to landscape, the text flows across the column normally and is easy to read. It happens on our own site but many others that I’ve read as well, so I don’t think it’s anything specific to our CSS or anything. I hope this is addressed quickly with a firmware update — assuming it’s an Android issue, of course. Here’s an example:

8. The lack of multi-touch in native apps is disappointing, but expected. Since non-U.S. versions of Android devices offer multi-touch — and patent laws are different in those geographical areas — I can only assume that Google is avoiding a legal issue with Apple on this. Regardless of the reason, the end customer suffers. I really miss multi-touch in the browser because the native zooming functions are inferior to multi-touch. I may install the Dolphin browser which offers two-finger functionality.

I could probably go on and on with both lists, but after a week of ownership, I think I’ve hit the main points. Overall, I’m finding much more to like than dislike with the handset. $529 is the most I’ve ever paid for a phone, but I’m not having any second thoughts about the purchase. Aside from being very happy with the unit and having it meet most of my needs quite well, I figure that an unlocked device of this type has good resale value. I don’t anticipate replacing it with another Android unit in the near future, but if I do, I think I’ll recoup much of my investment. And I’ll have done so with what’s arguably the best current Android phone for me.

[Via http://jkontherun.com]

Android Platform Vs iPhone Platform

Over the last couple months there has been a flurry of blogs and news articles regarding the iPhone Vs. Droid or iPhone Vs. Android and while they do a good job of showcasing the good and the bad side of each mobile device, they are not really a fair comparison to either product.

The iPhone OS was developed by Apple, with the App Store created by Apple and the iPhone and iPod Touch hardware being designed by Apple. The iPhone when you stand back and look at it, is a complete platform created, developed and implemented by Apple.

Now let’s take a look at Google’s Android platform. The Android OS was developed by Google, the Android Market was created by Google and the phone’s hardware is created by several manufactures and distributed by several wireless carriers.

This provides both companies with a completely different platform for their mobile solutions. Apple has a controlled platform, one that gives them the greatest amount of security and control over what users can obtain and perform with their devices.

Google on the other hand has taken an open source approach and provided all of the manufactures with the source code to the OS, allowing them to edit the Android OS as they see fit to deliver a fully customized experience to their users when sold through the manufacturers selected wireless provider.

Until the release of the Nexus One by Google, the Android OS was only used by 3rd party companies. Apple’s iPhone OS is restricted to Apple. Any update to the iPhone OS can be pushed to users phones via iTunes and it’s guaranteed to work with each users iPhone provided the update supports the older generations of the iPhone or iPod Touch.

Google can release a new version of their Android operating system, but with so many manufactures designing custom elements to their handsets, the updates are not guaranteed to work with every mobile device on the market running the Android OS.

A tip of the hat must be given to Apple in this regard.

The other big thing I believe Apple has going in their favor is the App Store. Up until this past week I was leaning more towards the Android Market as being better than the iPhone, or at least having the potential to be. However, in light of the latest phishing scam released into the Android Market my opinions have swayed and I believe that Apple has the better solution in regards to Mobile Device Applications.

While many developers do not like the way Apple handles the App review process, it definitely works towards the consumers advantage. The mobile user can download an application knowing that they are safe from malicious hackers and that their private information is (in theory) protected from predators.

The other downside to the Android Market is the fact that an app is submitted and can be downloaded for all Android based devices. This creates more work on the developers end as they will have to test their app against several mobile devices now to ensure that any customizations done to the OS by that manufacture or wireless provider has not broken something along the way that the developers app will need to have working. While some developers are having to do this with 3G/3GS apps now, the developer can rest assured that when he tests the app within the Apple emulator, and it works, then it will work with the consumer once released. Android on the other hand does not guarantee that it will work, as what is represented in the emulator is not a good representation of the many different kinds of hardware on the market that the consumer might have and be running the app on.

What Google has created is the Windows Mobile scenario. You download your app and hope that your handset will be able to run it without glitches.

The iPhone does not suffer from this, and that is due to the fact that Apple is the sole user of the iPhone OS. If Google wants to make their Market a serious competitor against Apples app store, they will need to take steps to secure users data and ensure that all of the apps created will work on all Android based devices. Due to the fact that the OS is open source, Google has it’s hands tied and really does not have a way to ensure that each Android device released to the market will support every app and provide a solid way to protect users data. They can implement a better application review process to ensure users aren’t being victimized by a hacker, but stopping all of it will still be difficult.

Lastly I want to take a look at the hardware and software side of the Mobile Platform provided by both Google and Apple. Google’s OS is open source, which means every manufacture out there can provide users with a fully customized experience from the manufacture. This is perfect for hardware manufactures as they can ensure now that their device does not look and feel like the rest of the Android pack out there on the market. They can be different, and they can offer cool content that other devices don’t offer out of the box.

Apple’s iPhone OS is closed source and only Apple has access to it. The OS is really restricted in terms of customization, and limits users as to what they can do to it. It also means that consumers are forced to shell out the money to Apple, as there are no other hardware devices on the market that use the iPhone OS for consumers to choose from.

The Android OS currently runs on several hand held devices and provide consumers with a wide range of devices that they can choose from. The only downside to the Android OS from a platform stand point is that it is open sourced and thus there is no way to guarantee that the RSS Reader app i download on my Motorola DROID will run on my HTC Nexus One. Each device can in theory run a custom version of the OS that has the potential to break compatibility with various apps in the market place.

Apple’s iPhone OS does not suffer from this issue, as there is only one device on the market.

In terms of Hardware, Apple developed the OS and the hardware specifications for their iPhone. This gives them the upper hand as they can now produce a product that is highly optimized and get the best performance out of the device that’s possible.

The Android OS is developed by Google while Motorola or HTC create the hardware. When tested, the Nexus One was not all that much faster when processing Java and rendering HTML web pages on than the iPhone 3GS. The Nexus One has some killer specs with it, but wasn’t able to blow away a 1 year old iPhone. Third Party manufactures can create flimsy hardware, put the Android OS on it and push it out for a quick phone, and after I played with several Android based devices find myself disappointed.

Apple has control over the hardware that the OS will be installed onto, and take a lot of pride in it. Google’s OS has been put on some shabby hardware, and it tarnish’s some peoples opinions on the ‘Google Platform’ when they don’t really understand that Google’s Android OS is actually pretty solid. It’s the manufacture that drops the ball.

Now that the Nexus One is out, I’m curious how it operates. I would really like to purchase one to replace my iPhone, but I’m waiting until the 3G issue is resolved.

At the moment, I think that the iPhone platform is the better platform. Apple offers an all in one solution for themselves, developers and consumers. I think if Google wants to start competing with Apple’s platform, they will need to make some changes, and they will need to be made soon. Starting with their Android Market approval process, and enhancing the Market experience. The Android operating system is solid, all it needs to really give it a place in the wireless world is a solid piece of hardware. That’s what I was hoping the Nexus One would be, but it appears that after only selling 20,000 units, there is something else to be said regarding the device. It’s not the device that’s the problem, but the Android platform as a whole. Google needs to take a step back and consider it’s next steps for the platform carefully, because the way it’s running now isn’t going to steal Apple’s thunder away from the iPhone.

[Via http://scionwest.wordpress.com]

USB 3.0 -- Not Just Faster Data but Faster Device Charging Too

This morning I was double-checking on the Google Nexus One technical specifications and noticed the charging requirements. Per Google, the Nexus One “charges at 480mA from USB, at 980mA from supplied charger.” It’s really no surprise that it’s going to take longer to charge from a computer over USB than from the wall. USB 2.0 is the currently used specification in most devices and it tops out at 500 mA for supplying power. Of course, USB 3.0 is on the way, so I did a little digging into how it handles power. I thought I knew everything there was to know about USB 3.0 but I didn’t. Now I do and I like where this is heading in terms of recharging mobile devices.

There are a few factors that come into play here, so let’s start with “power loads.” USB 2.0 is restricted to five loads, while USB 3.0 ups that to six. OK, so that’s a 20 percent increase in how many loads a USB port can supply, but there’s more to it. Each load in USB 2.0 is 100mA of current. Simple math confirms the 500mA power supply for today’s USB interfaces — five loads at 100mA equals the 500mA that USB 2.0 can supply a device.

The specification for USB 3.0, however raises the not only the number of loads, but the current per load as well — 150mA, which is 50 percent more per load. Combining the six loads of USB 3.0 and its higher 150mA current per load nets you 900 mA for power supply with the new specification. Consequently, the current can be spread among multiple loads with USB 3.0, so more devices can be charged at the same time.

That 900mA for USB 3.0 is nearly equivalent to the wall charger my Nexus One came with and could theoretically charge the same device in half the time when connected to a computer. At least, that’s how I’m interpreting this data — aside from the faster data throughput, I expect to see my compatible mobile devices get more power in less time thanks to USB 3.0. I’m going to review the USB 3.0 specification to see if I’m off base, so don’t hesitate to chime in on this topic while I’m reading.

[Via http://jkontherun.com]

AziLink - Android Phone USB Tethering

AziLink is a software which allows Android phones USB tethering.

Its installation is described at:

http://code.google.com/p/azilink/

It took me a while to get it working on my Ubuntu 9.10 64bit.

0. Download required files listed in the AziLink home page.

1. Install OpenVPN.

$ sudo apt-get install openvpn

2. Ensure OpenVPN version is 2.1.

$ openvpn –version

OpenVPN 2.1_rc19 x86_64-pc-linux-gnu [SSL] [LZO2] [EPOLL] [PKCS11]

built on Oct 13 2009

Developed by James Yonan

Copyright (C) 2002-2009 OpenVPN Technologies, Inc.

3. Enable USB debugging on the phone, by checking the Home Screen ->

Settings -> Applications-> Development -> USB debugging.

4. Download alilink-2.0.2.apk from http://azilink.googlecode.com/files/azilink-2.0.2.apk

5. Run

$ ~/android-sdk-linux_x86-1.5_r3/tools/adb forward tcp:41927 tcp:41927

error: device not found

6. For this error,

http://groups.google.co.jp/group/android-developers/browse_thread/thread/8051fd516114c9e5?pli=1

had a solution.

7. Edit /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules .

$ cat /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules

SUBSYSTEM==”usb”, ATTRS{idVendor}==”0bb4″, ATTRS{idProduct}==”0c02″,

MODE=”0666″, OWNER=”ubuntu”

8. Vendor ID and Product ID can be found with:

$ lsusb

Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0bb4:0c02 High Tech Computer Corp.

9. Reboot both the host PC and the phone, and set Azilink “Service Active”.

10. Start Port forwarding.

$ ~/android-sdk-linux_x86-1.5_r3/tools/adb forward tcp:41927 tcp:41927

* daemon not running. starting it now *

* daemon started successfully *

11.

$ sudo openvpn –script-security 2 –config azilink.ovpn

12. DNS Setup

What I did was just edit /etc/resolv.conf, which I believe there are

better ways to do, just make this nameserver effective for the device,

tun0. This is what just worked for me.

$ cat /etc/resolv.conf

# Dynamic resolv.conf(5) file for glibc resolver(3) generated by resolvconf(8)

# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND — YOUR CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN

nameserver 192.168.56.1

13. Remark

I noticed an issue in using a home wifi to connect to the Internet.

I believe it has something to do with the home network’s private

network address of 192.168.1.*.

It typically took me 10-15 seconds to get the following command

returned. So the internet connection is very slow.

$ dig @192.168.56.1 www.yahoo.com

[Via http://marionote.wordpress.com]

Verizon Droid Eris Gets Another Update

Hey guys! I just received a new software update on my Droid Eris few mins ago. I quickly rushed to the Verizon Wireless Droid Eris support page to see which update it was. Well I’m sadly to inform that its not the 2.0 OS update. Its the Droid Eris software version

ROM: 1.17.605.1/ Radio: 2.32.40.11.09 update.

This update includes:

Rare instances where the display locked or

appeared to be in an out-of-service state when

attempting to wake up the DROID ERIS from

screen saver mode no longer occurs.

For more info you can go here: Verizon Wireless HTC Eris Droid Update, Verison Wireless HTC Eris Support page

I’m dying to get 2.0 OS update that VZ announced, that the Droid Eris would be getting during the 1st quarter of this year.

[Via http://fiercetechnology.com]

Mysterious new T-Mobile handset..

Hmmm what is that those sneaky little guys at T-Mobile are planing? Since 2010 has started we have seen T-Mobile start the New Year with a BANG!!! First they rolled out there HSPA 7.2 3G, Then the Nexus One, and the U.S. exclusivity on the HTC HD2, and now Boygenius Reports that there is a new Motorola device coming out with T-Mobile 3G band. Now the only thing to ask is what is the Mysterious Device? Is it a Tablet, is it a phone, hmm will it be sold through T-Mobile or will it be sold through the new Google Store? We have many things unanswered hear and we can only hope that we will see results sooner then later. As always stay tune to AndroidFeens for more information.

[Via http://androidfeens.com]

Smart Phones

I have a bit of a problem… For a person who does not own a smart phone, I seem to talk about them and read blogs about the subject more than what would be considered normal. On January 5th, Google released their new phone the Nexus One. Not really surprise, since the media had all the specs and pictures available from the phone’s release to Google employees as a holiday gift.

I think Android is a good platform, but hurt by it’s own strengths with so many options and varied user experience. The iPhone has a closed platform and Apple fiercely controls the user experience. All three generations of iPhone have similar features and the same OS, while there are many Android phones with different functions. The closed system of the iPhone helped create the atmosphere to enable the iTunes App Store have over 100,00 apps and 3 billion downloads, but the restrictions still leave you wanting more options. In the coming months, we’ll see if how the flexibility of Android 2.1 and the power of the 1st Google phone will have on the further development of Android.

An interesting issue to watch is how Google is going into being a hardware retailer. Another concern is how their relationships with phone companies(that have supported their mobile platform) will be affected. Imagine if you were Motorola and you just released the Droid and now a competing phone arrives about a month after your release. A friend of mine made the point, that Google is not a hardware company and they do not have a customer service to fix hardware. Unlike software, to fix a phone you cannot just send a new code to patch the bug. A blog has indicated early adapters are having problems with troubleshooting, and it does not surprise me since Google is new to supporting hardware.

Besides pissing off their partners (aka the phone manufacturers), the arrival of the Nexus One might also be used to help other manufacturers build Android phones with the features more akin to the Nexus One. In a sense Google is saying this is the perfect phone option for Android and it legitimize the features so consumers might expect the same level of performance on upcoming Android phones .The last stir caused by the release of the Nexus One is the fact that you are not sold a locked phone. Even if you sign a contract to get a subsidized phone, it is given to you unlocked. This is not revolutionary, but so far this model has not worked well in the US market. I’ll make sure to see what develops of this model and if Google becomes more successful than Nokia at selling expensive unlocked phones with high upfront coasts) Sooner or later the blogosphere predicts subsidies will be given on phones based on opening your phone to targeted ads. I guess we will see when this ends up taking off. Some people m

I find it amazing how Apple has created such a captive audience and fan base. They have reinvented the cell phone and the mp3 player in the last decade, so I guess that’s rule #1 to create a legion of avid and loyal customers. The founder of macrumors.com is a doctor by training, and after a few years of running the site stopped practicing medicine to focus on the site because he made more money running the Apple rumors blog. I am an avid reader of macrumors.com and judging by his career switch many people just like me go to the site. I do not understand the full reason why I am so interested in something that might not even turn out to be true, but some how Apple has me and many others hooked to them and I might spend some time in the future deconstructing how they do this. Weird, how I am a droid(like the pun) in Apple’s marketing and branding scheme.

[Via http://bryanwarsaw.wordpress.com]

The SUPERPHONE is here!

Yup, y’all heard it in the news! Google has dropped the bomb Nexus One, is here and the reign of Super Phones has begun!!! Way to go Google

http://www.google.com/phone/

[Via http://crazydq8.wordpress.com]

Android users, rejoice!

I am deeply in love with the Android OS, not only because of its open source nature (which is a breath of fresh air in comparison to Apple’s cool, but rigid model), but because of the community behind it.  There are about a million and one hacks for android devices (including how to get Android 2.1 before it’s officially released and multitouch), and the hackers have added some new tricks to their bag.  Namely, it’s overclocking (increasing speed beyond intended limit) the Droid Processor to 600 MHz, and the ability for wired or wireless tethering for rooted Nexus One phones.  I wouldn’t recommend these hacks to the average user, as they can decrease stability and require some rather technical know-how, but it’s still pretty cool, yeah?  Click the link to read the official Engadget post.

http://goo.gl/AbaK

[Via http://noclaim.wordpress.com]

Android This Week: Google's Phone Plans and Some Non-Phone Moves

There is still substantial buzz surrounding this week’s launch of Google’s Android-based phone, the Nexus One, which Om has found to be the best Android phone on the market to date.  And Andy Rubin, VP of engineering at Google, weighed in on Google’s strategy, making clear that — among other things — more Google phones from various manufacturers are on the way. We also took note this week of the potential disruption that could come from Google’s web store, which is targeted to put Android-based superphones and more in users’ hands. In addition, we noted comments from Google Open Source Program Manager Chris DiBona as to how the company intends to preserve a level playing field (which may not be perfectly level) for phone manufacturers and Android app developers.

Of course, Android was all over this week’s CES show in Las Vegas, evidence of the ongoing Androidification of everything. There were Android tablet devices from Dell, Motorola and others, found in a variety of form factors. MIPS also showed an Android-based set-top box, one of several types of consumer electronics devices that the company wants developed around the OS.  MIPS is joined on the Android bandwagon by fellow chip company ARM, semiconductor design firms like Aricent and Mentor Graphics, and others. Meanwhile Freescale Semiconductor is working on an Android-based netbook design, and HP and Qualcomm showcased an Android netbook. 

Among Android-based phones at the CES show, Motorola got a lot of attention with its Backflip QWERTY-keyboard-based Android phone. You can actually navigate the phone with a finger on the backside.  Taps and double-taps are supported, as is mouse-pad style navigation.  AT&T also made waves at CES, when it announced that it will support five Android handsets this year.

The Android action at CES made clear that the operating system is moving beyond just phones, and is having a widespread impact on handset makers, carriers and developers. It’s hard to believe that only nine months ago, Android seemed completely stalled.

[Via http://gigaom.com]

Microsoft & The Nexus One

I know the Nexus One is Google’s new phone but I’ve been most interested by the reactions of various ‘Softies.

As an item, I don’t the the Nexus One is anything special, the camera is the same as most other similar level phones such as the Droid and the Hero as are it’s supported formats, SD expansion, GPS etc. The software is great as Android is a brilliant mobile OS…but the software isn’t specific to the Nexus One so you can get that on the Droid and the Hero (once it’s updated to 2.0). This chart over on Gizmodo is a good comparison point:

http://gizmodo.com/5442459/nexus-one-vs-iphone-3gs-vs-droid-vs-pre-the-definitive-comparison

The fact that it’s a phone being released directly by Google is the most noteworthy thing about it but even that isn’t huge news, certainly not to general users.

The release of this device obviously draws comparisons to Microsoft and Windows Mobile 7, especially as a “Microsoft” phone has been rumoured for quite a while. There has been quite a lot of activity on Twitter regarding the Nexus One, much of it from Microsoft people and that’s has made me think a little…

Steve Clayton has a post over on Geek In Disguise with some of his thoughts on Google and Android. Usually I agree with Steve but I think this post, rather than defending Microsoft, actually highlights the biggest problem in the Mobile Device wars that are heating up.

He has a cartoon from Hugh McLeod:

and he says:

“Though people do still get excited about whether a phone has a 2mp or 5mp camera but the real differentiator these days is software”

and

“this battleground is software based I feel. We have a lot of to do. Software is our bread and butter.”

The main issue in this battle is, in my opinion, that the Windows Mobile software is not as good as Android (or Apple’s iPhone OS) and that is why Microsoft are losing. So, as much as I like Microsoft, pointing out that you’re a “Software Company” when you’re losing in the software stakes, maybe isn’t the best idea. I think a lot of people will look at this as:

“If Google aren’t even a Software Company and they can make something as good as Android, that puts Microsoft and their efforts with Windows Mobile in an even poorer light”

That’s certainly a thought I’ve had and I’m a big MS supporter. This seems like the kind of thing that people already Anti-Microsoft will latch onto big time…in a Google vs Microsoft “Mac vs PC” style.

The Future

Microsoft recently released Windows Mobile 6.5 but it hasn’t really made any difference to the balance of the market; thus most people are looking at Windows Mobile 7 as their last chance to take the mobile market back and make it theirs.

We know that Windows Mobile 7 is due “late this year (2010)” and LG confirmed at CES yesterday that they’re working on Windows Mobile 7 handsets this year. The rumours suggest that something Windows Mobile 7 related is going to be announced at Mobile World Congress next month in February so I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on that"!

The rumour is that Windows Mobile 7 will contain the Zune software and that would be a brilliant move. It’s cool, sleek and graceful and will open up the Zune Marketplace to people all over the world…or at least it should! If it does, it will make WinMo 7 equipped devices the best iPod alternative going…something that MS, and I, would love to have

The other big thing that Microsoft’s next mobile OS simply MUST have is a huge Marketplace full of cool, smart, web 2.0, neat apps…easily available. This is one of my favourite things about Android and it’s clearly proved very popular for Apple and the iPhone.

Another change needs to be the “Consumerification” of Windows Mobile. Version 7 needs to be smoother, sleeker, cooler, faster and more fun than ever before. HTC have done a great job with their TouchFlo on WinMo 6.1 but it’s needs to be done from the ground up, all the way through the OS. If they can make Windows 7-the greatest desktop OS of all time- they should be able to make Windows Mobile 7 what it needs to be!

I really want Windows Mobile 7 to be awesome and hugely successful and for me to rejoin the Microsoft Mobile fold with my next phone…but it has to be right.

As Steve Clayton says:

“The game is moving fast though so it’s time to write some of the smartest 1’s and 0’s of our lives. “

Go get ‘em Microsoft!

[Via http://richfrombechtle.wordpress.com]

Smartphone Owners Mobile Purchasing Behaviors Differ by Device

As consumers become more and more dependent on their mobile phones to assist them in their everyday lives, it’s inevitable that they will begin to make purchases via mobile.  In a transition similar to that of the Internet before it, consumers are now beginning to test the capabilities of their mobile device to become the ultimate tool of convenience allowing them to handle the purchase of items they need using mobile technology.  And as it was with the Internet, retailers are now playing ‘catch up’ to make that capability available.  However, as those retailers begin to develop their mobile marketing strategies they can now take advantage of the research offered below.

Therefore, we recommend that all retailers become familiar with the information below and then begin the process of optimizing their websites for mobile viewing. Should you elect not to optimize for all mobile devices, then use the information below to select the the device whose user-demographic profile best matches your target demo’s.

Retailers can learn more about the best ways to use mobile technology to promote their products and services by visiting our website, and if your firm would like to explore using mobile, we at Strategic Growth Concepts would be happy to assist you.  To schedule a free consultation regarding using mobile marketing for your firm, contact us via our website.

____________________________________________________________ 

Center for Media Research

According to the Compete quarterly Smartphone Intelligence survey, smartphone owners are more comfortable buying from their handsets, but still have some site functionality problems. 8% of smartphone owners that tried to purchase a product on their device were unable to do so. 45% of those that abandoned the process reported that they did so because the site would not load, and an additional 38% left the site because it was not developed specifically for smartphone users.

Danielle Nohe, director of consumer technologies for Compete, points out that “… smartphone use is no longer limited to an exclusive group of tech savvy consumers. As… people grow more comfortable transacting, site owners must redesign around mobile shopping ease-of-use… “

Nonetheless, says the report, mobile commerce (m-commerce) is ready to explode in 2010. But Nohe cautions that marketers recognize the differences that vary by individual and device. For instance, he says “We’re seeing notable behavior differences across devices… (as) users of the Android operating system share different characteristics than Blackberry and iPhone enthusiasts.”

Maximum Willing To Spend Purchasing on Smartphone (% of Owners by Type of Smartphone)   Spending Range (Dollars) Type of Phone <$10 10-25.01 25.01-50 50.01-75 75.01-100 100.1-25 250.01-500 >500 Android 40% 10 6 3 9 3 18 11 Windows 50 11 10 5 10 6 5 4 iPhone 28 10 14 6 12 11 9 9 Blackberry 51 11 10 6 8 7 5 2 Palm 55 11 7 4 10 4 4 5 Source: Compete Smartphone Intelligence Survey, Q3 2009

Key findings from Compete’s Q3 2009 Smartphone Intelligence survey include:

• 37% of smartphone owners have purchased something non-mobile with their handset in the past 6 months
• 19% of total smartphone owners have purchased music from their device, 14% have purchased books, DVDs, or video games and 12% have purchased movie tickets
• 40% of Android owners and 51% of Blackberry owners would spend $500 or more to buy a product from their mobile phone, compared to 9% of iPhone owners
• The most popular mobile shopping-related activities are research related: 41% of iPhone users and 43% of Android users are most likely to check sale prices at alternative locations from their mobile phones while they are shopping
• The second most likely activity is accessing consumer reviews, with 39% of iPhone owners and 31% of Android owners investigating reviews from their handset before they purchase
• While m-commerce is poised for explosive growth in 2010, consumers are still more likely to abandon mobile purchasing on sites that are not optimized for the on-the-go experience, similar to shopping cart abandonment in the early days of e-commerce.

Shopping Use of SmartPhone Away From Computer (% of SmartPhone Owner Respondents Using At All) Use of Smartphone % of Respondents Look up shopping info about item to purchase online 68% Find address & store hours of preferred store 68 Review a product description 52 Look at 3rd party or consumer review of product while in store 45 Check order status originally placed online 43 Look for retailer or product coupons 43 Check for availability of in-store pickup 40 Check price of in store item as “good deal” 36 Make purchase after seeing item in store 34 Make purchase if product not available in store 28 Make purchase without seeing item in store 28 Check status of rebate submitted 24 Source: Compete Smartphone Intelligence Survey, Q3 2009

Compete’s Smartphone Intelligence combines consumer insights with behavioral data to reveal how smartphone owners are using their phones.

For additional information about this study, please visit here.

[Via http://marketingwithnewtechnology.wordpress.com]

Motorola's New QWERTY Phone Can Do Backflips

Dr. Sanjay Jha introduces the Motorola Backflip

The newest Motorola phone might initially look like a Cliq, but the Backflip has a new trick behind it. Literally. You can actually navigate the phone with a finger on the backside of the Motorola Backflip (s mot). Taps and double-taps are supported as is mouse-pad style navigation. In fact, the entire phone has a backwards look and feel to it because the QWERTY keypad flips in the opposite way you’d expect — the keyboard is always exposed as a result.

The display looked vivid and the keys appear generous in size. But aside from the new navigation method, this largely looks like a modest refresh of the Cliq to me: Android 1.5, 5 megapixel camera, 528 MHz CPU, 3G, Wi-Fi and MOTOBLUR.

On a different note, Dr. Sanjay Jha stated that the Cliq would be updated to Android 2.1 (s goog), but no time frame was provided. If that’s the case, I expect the same upgrade to apply to the Backflip. No carrier partners were announced yet, but the price-to-be-determined phone will be sold in the U.S. as well as other countries around the world before April.

[Via http://jkontherun.com]

Google tuhosi Motorolan

Motorola parka. Razr-menestyshittinsä jälkeen se on kutistunut ja surkastunut. Vain tappiot ja ongelmat ovat kasvaneet. Googlen Android käyttiksellä sen piti päästä jälleen jaloilleen ja kiivetä takaisin TOP-3:een ja nousta voitolliseksi. Motorola saa nyt unohtaa moiset haaveet ja firma voi alkaa miettiä lähestyvää konkurssihuutokauppaa Nortelin tapaan. Millä se voisi pärjätä kisassa Googlea vastaan joka päättää Androidin sisällön ja aikataulut ja tuo uudet ominaisuudet ensimmäisenä omaan luuriinsa kuten nyt tänään julkistetussa ensimmäisen Googlen nimellä myytävässä Android-luurissa kävi. Googlen Nexus One on ensimmäinen Android 2.1 luuri joka tulee markkinoille. Miksi kukaan ostaisi Motorolan Droidia jossa on vanhempi versio käyttiksestä? Motorolan tilannetta olen käsitellyt mm. näissä 30.10.2008 ja 3.2.2009 päivätyissä kirjoituksissani. En enää usko että Google tulee ostamaan Motorolaa. Miksi se ostaisi? Ei se halua sotkeentua luurien valmistamiseen ja niiden perustekniikan suunnitteluun. Se määrittää ominaisuudet joita se haluaa, toimittaa siihen luuriin uusimman käyttisversion ja joitain applikaatioita ja hoitaa sitten markkinoinnin ja myynnin itse. Sinällään Motorolan CEO:n ensikommentti Nexus One luurista on aika urhea: “This expansion of the ecosystem is healthy for both of us, Jha says“

Google ottaa omalla luurillaan ison riskin. Suurin riski luonnollisesti on se että se suututtaa nykyiset kumppaninsa kuten jo joulukuun puolivälissä kirjoitin. Tappamalla Motorolan ja mahdollisesti SonyEricssonin (Se voisi tietty käyttää Microsoftin mobiilikäyttistä mutta uskon Microsoftin vetäytyvän mobiilikäyttisbisneksestä kokonaan ja liittoutuvan Symbianin ja QT:n kautta myös Maemon kanssa jonne se tuo sitten yksinoikeudella applikaatioitaan) ja iskemällä myös Samsunging ja LG:n bisnekseen sillä on lojaaleja tukijoita vähemmän. Pärjääkö se yksinään, en usko. Se tarvitsee kumppaneita mutta onnistuuko se pitämään ne? Yhtähyvin ne entiset kumppanit voivat hypätä open source Symbianin kyytiin jossa on enemmän ominaisuuksia, paremmat virransäästötoiminnot, isompi globaali kattavuus. Tai jos ihme tapahtuu hypätä Microsoftin kelkkaan joka ei olisi kilpailija vaan kumppani ja käyttistoimittaja. Riski voi tietysti kannattaakin ja Googlen brändi vahvistuu ja se nousee USA:ssa Applen ja RIMMin haastajaksi älyluureissa tosissaan. Tämä uutinen on erittäin huono myös Palmille.

Muutamia huomioita Googlen Nexus One luurista ja bisnesmallista. Se myy luuria USA:ssa pelkästään uudessa verkkokaupassaan. Puhelin on GSM/WCDMA-tekniikkaan pohjautuva ja tukee seuraavia WCDMA-taajuuksia: 2100 ja 900 Mhz eli T-Mobile USA:n käyttämiä taajuuksia. Luuri ei siis toimi AT&T 3G verkossa ja T-Mobile (TMO) on USA:n 4. suurin operaattori. Puhelimen voi ostaa lukitsemattomana 530 dollarin hintaan (N900:n hinta USA.ssa on 549 dollaria) tai sitten TMO palvelun kanssa (180 dollaria etumaksuhinta kahden vuoden sopparilla).Google siis yrittää USA:ssa samaa kuin Nokia eli myydä lukitsemattomia luureja ja ainakaan Nokia ei tuolla mallilla ole siellä oikein pärjännyt. Saa nähdä pärjääkö Google paremmin ja avaako se samalla ovea myös Nokialle. Google aikoo tuoda myöhemmin USA.ssa CDMA variantin luuristaan joka toimisi jo keväällä USA:n suurimman operaattorin Verizonin verkossa. Euroopassa Vodaphonen kanssa sillä on jo jonkinlainen sopimus ja varmastikin muitakin kiinnostuneita operaattoreita löytyy. Google pelkää selvästi Applen multitouch patentteja koska laitteesta puuttuu multitouch vaikka se on kapasitiivinen. Mitenkähän Googlen patenttineuvottelut Nokian kanssa ovat edenneet? Nokiahan omistaa mm. Proximity sensor-tekniikan patentin joka tässä luurissa on mukana. Saa nähdä toimiiko tämä yhtiö tässä asiassa fiksummin ja asiallisemmin kuin Apple, näin uskoisin.

Ominaisuuksia:

• Näyttö 3.7″ AMOLED kosketusnäyttö 800×480 resoluutiolla ja kapasitiitisella tekniikalla mutta ilman multitouchia. Ilmeisesti Google pelkää Applen haastavan sen oikeuteen Multi-touch patenteistaan. Resoluutio on sama kuin Nokian N900:ssa mutta se on hivenen suurempi (3.5″). Apple jää auttamatta kakkoseksi surkean resoluutionsa takia, N900 jää hivenen)
• Kamera on 5 Mpix kennolla varustettu (Apple jää kakkoseksi, tasoissa Nokian kanssa mutta uskon että Nokialaisessa on parempi linssi, kenno, optiikka ja softat. Sen verran hyviä kuvia tuolla saa)
• Videokuvaus 720 x 480 resoluutiolla 20 freimia sekunnissa. Voittaa Applen leikiten, häviää N900:lle “Video recording at up to 848 × 480 pixels (WVGA) and up to 25fps“)
• Tukee wlanissa uutta n-standardia. Apple ja N900 eivät tue.
• Maksiminopeus  HSDPA 7.2Mbps HSUPA 2Mbps eli Applen 3GS:n kanssa tasoissa (N900:lle ei pärjää 10Mbps/2Mbps).
• Sisäinen muisti surkean pieni:  512MB Flash 512MB RAM ja SD kortilla 32 Megaa lisää. (N900:ssa 32 GB sisäinen muisti ja muistikortilla 16 Megaa lisää. Applikaatioille 1GB muistia: 256 MB RAM, 768 MB virtual memory)
• Kooltaan laite on pieni ja kevyt ja aika näppärän näköinen
• Qualcommin 1GHz Snapdragon Prosessorissa riittää potkua
• Wlan paikannus sisäänrakennettuna mitä ei vakiona löydy Nokiasta eikä iPhonesta
• N900:n ominaisuuksista tuettuina eivät ole qwerty-näppäimistö, UpnP, FM transmitter, FM radio ja TV-Out pikaisesti katsottuna. Mahdollisesti muutakin puuttuu.
• Luuri tukee ääniohjattavaa näppäimistöä eli mihin tahansa tekstikenttään voi syöttää tietoa puhumalla. Hieno ominaisuus.  Olisi aika hieno sanella autoillessa tekstareita ja lähettää niitä koskematta luuriin. Ja että luuri lukisi ne tekstarit ja mailit ääneen.

Laite on siis hyvä mutta ei pärjää mielestäni ominaisuuksiensa puolesta Nokian N900:lle. Applen iPhonen se kyllä voittaa kevyesti ominaisuuksissa. Sinällään hauskaa on se että nyt kun Googlesta tulee Applen suora kilpailija laajentaa Apple mobiilimainosbisnekseen ja tulee sitä kautta myös Googlen kilpailijaksi.

Mielenkiintoinen liike Googlelta ja laittaa taas pelin sääntöjä ja asetelmia hieman uusiksi. Applen kilpailu kiristyy USA:ssa. T-Mobile voi voittaa uusia asiakkaita ehkä lähinnä AT&T:lta. Yleistyyko lukitsemattomien luurien myynti joka voisi avata ovia myös Nokialle? Kauanko Motorola räpiköi hengissä? Entä SonyEricsson? Entä Palm? Suuttuvatko Googlen kumppanit? Siirtyykö Samsung ajan mittaa enemmän oman uuden Bada-käyttiksensä puoleen? Saako Symbian tästä lisää potkua? Miten Androidin markkinaosuus kehittyy? Sinällään ei se Googlekaan kaikessa onnistu mitä se tekee. Googlen oma videojakopalvelu ei pärjännyt alkuunkaan Youtubelle ja G:n oli pakko ostaa Youtube. G:n Chrome selaimen markkinaosuus on jäänyt 3-4% nurkille eikä näytä juurikaan siitä nousevan. Kuluttajajärjestöt ovat yhä huolestuneempia Googlen leviämisestä joka puolelle, jopa internetin nimipalvelimiin. Yhtiö joka kerää dataa nimipalvelimiensa, selaimensa, mobiilikäyttiksensä, selaimensa, Gmailin, GTalk jne. kautta missä ihmiset surfaa, mitä mailaavat, mitä tsättäävät ja puhuvat ja kenen kanssa, mistä ja koska kuulostaa melkoisen Orwellimaiselta. Itse pyrin käyttämään nykyään mahdollisimman vähän G:n palveluita. Chromea en ole edes asentanut ja olen silloin tällöin käyttänyt Microsoftin hakupalvelua. Mikään mullistus ja vallankumous tämä luuri ei ole.

Googlen kurssi laski. Nexus One oli aika odotettu eikä julkistus tuonut mitään uutta. Jossain vaiheessa huhuttua mullistavaa bisnesmallia ilmaisina (mainosrahoitteisine) puheluineen ei tullut. Niin laski hieman Nokian kurssikin eilisen upean nousun jälkeen. Apple nousi hieman. Motorola laski yli prosentin, Palm jostain syystä nousi yli 2%.

[Via http://laimeasilli.wordpress.com]

Android Brand Guidelines Media Page

Great brand guidelines html page by Google just for Android.  

01/ Android Robot

Can be used, reproduced, and modified freely in marketing communications. Our standard color value for print is PMS 376C. Our online hex color is #A4C639. When using the Android Robot or any modification of it, proper attribution is required under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license.

[Via http://everythingdesigned.com]

TRUEcast Episode 16 - Happy New Year Edition

This episode we have cohost, Joel Johnson, and Edward J.R. from msmobiles with special guest Darren Mota. We discuss TRUEcast 2009 predictions, Year in review, 2010 Predictions, 2009 Chaps my hide review, 2010 pre-emptive chaps my hide, plus more. Show notes, and links after the break… Happy New Year! We’re back!

For those of you wanting to d/l directly you can do that HERE For iTunes, subscribe HERE

Show notes:

Shout outs:

ConvertCast: http://www.justanothergeeksite.com

The Simulcast: http://www.thesimulcast.com

GadgetGurus: http://www.thegadgetgurus.net

Supermarcey Superpodcast: http://marceyness.podbean.com

Married With Tech Podcast: http://marriedwithtech.com

Let us know how you like the show. Rate us here and in iTunes! Soon to be in Zune Marketplace!

[Via http://veracitynation.com]

How to set Default Actions for Activities

Hey everyone,

This example is about how to assign DEFAULT actions to various actions. For instance, if you want your home screen to be the default home screen, then in your manifest simply add:

To the activity that you want to be the default home screen. Another example involving the CALL_BUTTON (for instance, in my case I wanted to replace the dialer):

And if you want to replace the default dial action, then it will be:

So now if you start typing in a number from your home screen, your application will appear on the list of possible default behaviors.

Hope this was helpful. Happy coding.

- jwei

[Via http://thinkandroid.wordpress.com]

Android This Week: Nexus One Nears; Tablet Ships; New Motorola Phones

Google (s goog) is set to sell its own Android phone, the Nexus One, and jkOnTheRun this week collected all the details about it here. The company is holding a press event about Android next week that could include confirmation about the phone. The device is being manufactured by HTC, and while it’s not clear why Google would want to sell its own Android phone, that’s apparently the plan. The Nexus One is fairly typical compared to other Android phones, with the exception of the Snapdragon processor, which makes it the fastest of its kind out there.

Meanwhile, the Camangi WebStation, a web tablet based on Android, has started shipping to customers, and it looks to be a nicely constructed slate. The 7-inch screen should provide a decent web surfing experience and make for a good e-book reader. Initial reports state the Android slate is a bit slow, but it otherwise seems to be a solid tablet. The $400 price tag may give some pause before hitting the order button, but the device is a good first effort for this relatively unknown company. Given how quickly Camangi came out with its slate, getting a product to market just might be easier with Android than with other platforms.

Plus, an analyst who covers the Android market claimed this week that Motorola (s mot) will be introducing two new Android handsets next week at the Consumer Electronics Show. The phones will be for U.S. carriers AT&T (s t) and Verizon (s vz). No details about either phone have been revealed yet, but it’s a good bet the new designs will draw on Motorola’s first two Android phones, the Droid and the Cliq.

[Via http://gigaom.com]