Really Want Nexus One And This Might Help

I really want the Nexus One but I hate getting burn. G1 is a good device but let's be honest, it's a beta device seeing what Droid can do. Here's a video of the Nexus One in action. I think this is gonna tip me over.

Still, I won't made a clear decision until next Tuesday when Google officially gives us the word on this. I don't like the T-Mobile terms or having to shell out $530 for it.

Anyway, enjoy the video and I'll be back over with comments and drool...



More at Droid Dog.

Nexus One And Other Android Rumors

White spaces? Check.

Free or $99 for the Nexus One? Definitely. Check.

No multi-year contracts? Sure. Check.

No voice plans. All data? Thanks. Check.

That's what some of the crazy things going on in the world of tech blogs surrounding Nexus One and what Google will do to change the competitive mobile landscape. I've got some thoughts on tech rumors that we all enjoy.

I'm just saying: enjoy the rumors but reality will set in on January 5th. More at Onxo. But hey, Christmas was just around the corner. Maybe some of the magic of the Holidays will last until next Tuesday.

TMo-News Confirm Nexus One On January 5th

The good folks at Tmo-News hae been able to confirm that Nexus One is indeed going to be available through our favorite carrier (unless you've got an Android device with Sprint or VW).

• Available for order January 5th
• Starting at 9am
• Only through Google.com
• No pricing yet.  

That's it for now. I'm torn. Upgrade and pay penalty or wait until my contract runs out!?

Now a word about pricing. Smart money is on $199. It's possible Google might subsidized it further with T-Mobile's help and drive it down to $99. I know some of would like to hear the word "free" with ad support but I doubt that'll happen this time around.

We're a week away so I'm sure rumors will start flying and leaks will get lost in the mix. Just fire up your browser and sit tight next Tuesday and wait.

More at TMo-News

qik: Live Video Streaming For Mobile Warriors

Qik. I like you to meet the company that’s going to be on the forefront of mobile video streaming. And it’s not just ordinary stream I’m talking about here.

With the Qik app for the iPhone and Android devices, any mobile warrior can become a broadcaster.

Qik has been around for a bit now but it was only recently when Apple allowed Qik to stream live video from the iPhone app that it has suddenly gained a lot of attention in the media and blogs.

For instance, I was able to provide a live stream from my iPhone 2G tethered to the G1 via Wi-Fi Tether and show off a couple of minutes of video from last night’s dinner to a friend overseas.

There is a wide range of implications for this new mobile app. Forget citizen journalists providing near instant updates with still pictures, now folks can report on news right from their mobile device.

How about for folks who can’t make it birthday parties and weddings? No problem if someone at the event is kind enough to provide some live video of the vow or candles being blown out.

The video quality for Qik was good enough consider where we are today with streaming technology and I’m confident that we’ll get to play with better quality videos as mobile devices become apt at handing the load and wireless speed improve with additional 3G upgrades to 7.2mbps or 4th generation wireless. Keep in mind that I was streaming through a tethered iPhone over 3G.

But there is something that I have to come back to: battery life. Wow, did Qik kill my battery on the iPhone. It wasn’t the app’s fault. It’s a fact of life, you know? If live user-provided content are to make inroads, battery life has to improve vastly. I’m going to try this weekend to see what kind of battery life I’ll be able to get out of this.

I’ve got an external battery glove for the iPhone and I’m also able to stream directly from the G1. And I’ve got an extra battery for the Android phone.

Note: You'll noticed that I've mentioned WiFi Tether in this post. If you are brave and are willing to try, go for it. I use it occasionally and I don't see many folks abusing the wireless bandwidth much because of it.

Droid Killer: Sony's XPERIA X10

There are plenty of iPhone killers on the market.  How about Pre killers?  Blackberry killers?  Well, I think I've found a Droid killer, and it happens to be another Android device.  Sony's Xperia X10.

While there is no doubt that the iPhone and Android devices are competing devices, they are radically different as far as the basic mobile cultures from which they were developed.  Apple is very walled off while Google is trying to create an open network based on its webapps.  iPhone "just works" while Android devices try to appeal to a wider audience.   One particular group are those who wishes to tinker with their devices more than iPhone would allow (unless you jailbreak it). 

Droid has gained a wide following and seems to be doing better against the iPhone than other flagship devices such as Storm and Palm Pre.  But instead of gunning for the iPhone, Droid ought to be watch it back as more enticing Android devices come onto the market.

I was especially excited when I learned over the weekend that Sony's Xperia X10 is coming to the US as a subsidized device.  Initially, word was that it will be available to T-Mobile but now there is word that ATT might be the one to get the X10.

Right now, I'm digging this.  Nexus One is also one to watch but I think X10 will appeal to the same Droid crowd with its pullout keyboard.  As a T-Mobile subscriber, I can't be happier with this latest development.  In a few weeks, I may have trouble deciding which Android device (provided that the these devices live up to the hype) to get:  Nexus One, Google phone that may be free, or the X10 which has one of the best specs I've seen for anything on the market.

So, you've read about the Nexus One but what is the X10?  Here are a few details you ought to know:

• Snapdragon 1Ghz CPU
• 4" screen with 854 x 480 
• 256MB of RAM
• Memory card expansion
• 8MP camera - 8MP!  You read it righ!
• aGPS, and all the other wireless connectivity.  
• About the size of the iPhone but a tad bit thicker and taller, 135g (same as the iPhone, Droid weighs in at 169 grams)
• 10m0mAh battery

More at Wiki, Phandroid, Android Guys

Nexus One: Will You Be Getting One?

I'm considering it.  Up.  I've passed up Droid.  I've passed up myTouch.  HTC's Hero.  But after using my G1 for more than a year now, I think N1 (Nexus One) is the one.  I totally dig the form factor.

But I made a mistake with the G1.  It was after all the original Google phone and while I felt like I paid to be a beta tester, I think Google has finally got Android right with version 2.1, the rumored Android version that is suppose to ship with the device.

At the same time, I like the fact that it'll be unlocked if we buy it from Google directly.  No contracts.  The number that's being thrown around on the Web is that it'll be around $200 unlocked but I think that's highly unlikely.

Here are what I think are the likeliest scenario as far as prices are concerned:

• $400 unlocked right off Google's website - there will be no need for contract
• $199 for a subsidized N1 from T-Mobile.  I'm not sure ATT will be carrying despite what the media is yapping about it.  It's only because it's a GSM phone and ATT has the only other large GSM network in the United States.
• $99 is also possible but I'm not sure that'll happen.  At this entry point, Google maybe taking a bit of a hit in its profit.    I only mention it because it isn't out of the realm of possibilities for N1 to be subsidized to $99.

There is one unlikely pricing model that I want to throw out there:  Google will sell the N1 at a loss hoping to drive large scale interests in an attempt to shift the mobile market to its favor.  In order to do this, Google will try to recoup the initial through advertisement.  Essentially, users will be asked to view ads in order to get the N1 cheap or free.  And for those who would rather do without the ads, they can pay for the phone outright.

We'll know in a few weeks whether Google is going to really release N1 for the general public.  I think after my G1 experience, I'll probably be a week or two behind everyone else to make sure that the N1 is going to provide me with the the Google mobile experience that the G1 should have been.

Google's Phone Is Real

I hesitate to call it the GooglePhone or gPhone because anything with Android on it is a mobile device with telephony functions.

With that said, you might know by now that Google unleashed upon its workers the official Google phone. There is a lot of vagueness that about it so far.  I am hoping to get my hands on it (I know folks in Google).  But so far, the hype is real.

I repeat: all the hype you're reading about the Google phone is real. It's awesome. It's a good iPhone substitute.

Here's what we know:

• Fraking awesome!
• It's officially called Nexus One
• When this is released, we won't know if this is the form factor it'll come in.
• It's Unlocked!!!  That means T-Mobile, ATT, and other GSM networks will be able to use it.  I don't get quite how the different in frequencies used by networks will allow the device to take advantage of the 3G networks.
• Nexus One is already being logged on multiple sites.
• Runs on Android 2.1

Personally opinion?  I'd drop my G1 in a heartbeat and pay premium for this.  Wait, I'm gonna want to know about the battery life and then decide whether I need to get one or two extra ones because I'll be using the hell out of it.

Another thing I like to know is what the insides are.  What CPU is being used and what graphics capability does it have.  I'm not looking for PSP caliber but I want to be able to use all the candy-eyes without any slowdown or lags.

Having said that, yeah, I highly endorse getting this when it's out.  I'm not big on the Droid because of the keyboard but this is a totally differently creature, the Nexus One.  It looks like the HTC Passion as much folks have pointed it out.  It was already the one I've been eyeing for a long time.

So what is the Passion?  It's a 1Ghz Snapdragon CPU with a 5MP camera, 3.7" screen, scroll wheel, and with all the bells-and-whistles that comes with a modern mobile device these days.

So, why is google offering this now?  It's called eating your own dog food.  And this is on a massive scale.  Here's Google's official word on the matter:

At Google, we are constantly experimenting with new products and technologies, and often ask employees to test these products for quick feedback and suggestions for improvements in a process we call dogfooding (from "eating your own dogfood"). Well this holiday season, we are taking dogfooding to a new level.

We recently came up with the concept of a mobile lab, which is a device that combines innovative hardware from a partner with software that runs on Android to experiment with new mobile features and capabilities, and we shared this device with Google employees across the globe. This means they get to test out a new technology and help improve it.

Unfortunately, because dogfooding is a process exclusively for Google employees, we cannot share specific product details. We hope to share more after our dogfood diet.

There you have it.  You interested in upgrading your Android phone now?

More at the following sites:

• TMo-News
• WSJ - Nexus One should be available to the mass market in 2010.  Early 2010.  
• Official Google statement on the Nexus One
• Phandroid
• Phandroid - iPhone on Steroids!
• Phone Report
• Techcrunch

I do have one major concern.  While I applaud Google's entry into the mobile market, I am concerned about what this will do to the Droid (meaning VW and Motorola), Samsung, and all the rest who will have to compete with not just the rest of the market but now with Google.  I suppose we'll know in due time.

Meanwhile, I am looking forward to Nexus One in 2010.  Also, look for a lot of back-and-forth between tech pundits, Apple and Google fans, and dumbass Wall Street analysts who will chime in on the matter.  Be sure to come back for the opinions from On Android, a real user from day on

Our Favorite Wireless Provider T-Mobile Set To Take Speed Crown

T-Mobile is by far the best wireless provider if you take it as a whole package.  I don't want to start some Android sibling rivalry here but our Droid cousins over at Verizon Wireless might have better coverage but you can't call and surf the Web at the same time on a CDMA network.

And to show that T-Mobile is committed to a wireless future, Android And Me is reporting that T-Mobile will flip on the HSPA 7.2 switch by year's end.  What does that mean for T-Mobile and , more specifically, Android subscribers?

Speed, speed, speed!  That's right.  This is the response Android and Me received from T-Mobile:

Thanks for checking in on this. HSPA 7.2 will be enabled across T-Mobile’s entire 3G network by year-end.

• T-Mobile’s 3G network currently covers 250 U.S. cities, reaching approximately 180 million people. T-Mobile will continue to strengthen and grow its 3G network to reach approximately two-thirds of the U.S. population by the end of the year (more than 200 million POPs).
• T-Mobile will integrate HSPA+ into its 3G network in the next several months with broad national deployment anticipate for mid-2010. With HSPA+, customers will experience network throughput speeds that are three to five times faster than today’s 3G networks – with theoretical peak download speeds of 21Mbps (depending on device and other factors).

You read it right.  Speed of 21Mbps.  And more than that, it also mean better coverage.  VW can't make this claim today nor can ATT.  For the Android platform, T-Mobile has been a godsend.  It was not VW who first endorsed Android.  It's only after years of being pummeled by ATT and the iPhone did VW decide it needs something viable.

But back to T-Mobile's HSPA 7.2.  Currently, we're at HSPA 3.6, which is very good considering that T-Mobile only launched its 3G service a little more than a year ago.

However, T-Mobile has to continue working hard.  LTE should be coming online for VW in late 2010 and ATT in 2011.  Regardless, Android now has three of the four major US carriers supporting it.  Yup, Android's future looks secured.

Whether it's the iPhone or Android, I've got both and I'm loving it!

More at Tmo-News and Android And Me.

Note:  For some reason, Android And Me's post has 2008 but the date in the post specifically mentioned 2009.

Android's Future - Looking Great If A Bit Cloudy Now

As a G1er, I feel like I'm being left out in the cold as the rest of the Android brethren gets new and exciting features.  Of course, having Google Navigation does make things better on that front.

But I'm very curious about the future of Android.  From what I can see, Google's future plans for Android is looking more and more murky.  I don't think that is a bad thing though.  Yes, Chrome OS has really make things less certain for Android.

I think in some circles, COS has really confused both hardware and software developers.  Particularly, mobile device makers like HTC.  We'll continue to see new Android devices but it'll be interesting see what new features Google might quickly port over from COS.

COS is a year away from a formal debut with hardware but Android will be in its 3rd year of existence.  For this reason, I am likely to wait it out and see where things go before I upgrade.  I've got a couple of reason to way.  My G1 is still going strong even if it's going to be left behind in the Android 2.0 upgrade.  As for the hardware, Droid is great except the keyboard is really it's biggest weakness.

I'm sure in another 9-12 months, provided my will power stays strong, I should be able to upgrade to an Android device or tablet that is more closely aligned with what Google envisions for the future of cloud and mobile computing.  

New Droid Commercial Aims To HIt the iPhone Where It Matters

This is getting good.  Very good.  Here's a new Verizon Wireless commercial aiming to hit the iPhone at the heart of the matter.

I can't wait to see what the response to this from the Apple camp's gonna be.  I love this!

More at CNet News.

Gearhack Trying To Install Chrome OS Diet On Netbook and XO

The publisher of popular sites, Cynosure, Gearhack, and Camerahacker, is trying to do us a favor and spead some of the Chrome OS love.  I've know Mr. Chieh Cheng for a long time. Going back to when he helped me passed high school physics.

So, dude's pretty smart.  So, he's been in a mission to try to get COS (Chrome OS) Diet working on his MSI Wind and his XO.  I spoke to him about it at length and he's quite knowledgeable with the in-and-outs of these things. Dude's pretty relentless when it comes to these things.

Hence, the word "hack" in his domain name.  Anyway, he's posted some progress he made and roadblocks he hope to overcome.  Let him know what you think and what you might be able to offer him.

Yeah, Android and COS will merge as Google founders have confessed so we might as well start talking about COS too.

The immediate issues are as follows:

• Getting Wi-Fi to work.
• Getting the XO to book from the SD expansion slot.

Any help from 'Droid fans and Linux masters appreciated.