android 

Haier may not exactly be breaking any new ground with the outward appearance, but its new H7 handset is an Android phone (which still counts for something these days), and it's reportedly on track for a launch as soon as this September -- in France, at least. Unfortunately, the phone the company had on display at CommunicAsia 2009 was just a non-functional mockup, but the final model will apparently pack a 2. 8-inch touchscreen, along with a 2-megapixel camera, built-in GPS, WiFi, and, mos...

The T-Mobile G1's physical keyboard . The keys are oddly spaced, they're too depressed and the device's Leno chin makes for an overall awkward typing experience. The Google Ion (sometimes called the "G2" or the HTC Magic) offers a with its virtual keyboard, and is overall a much nicer device. I'm not sure why anyone would buy a G1, but to those that did, Google threw them a rather nice bone today: . If you have an Android phone with a physical keyboard (so, as of right now, the G1), you can...

Debby may be , but if you have an Android phone, you can join the fun too. The good: So cute. The bad: From now on, the Android mascot will look like a penis.


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Sony might be bringing Google's mobile operating system to its Sony Walkman music players. But is it really capable of capturing more market share by using Android?

First was the , and next came a slew of other cellphones. Now, we've got sashaying on over to netbooks, and just in case you're not really looking for that, there's 's 7-inch tablet. As the Google-sourced OS continues to show its versatility, the aforementioned company has thrown it onto a so-called thin client with a Freescale i. MX51 processor and WVGA display. From the video posted after the break, we'd say the system makes a good fit on this form factor, but feel free to hop on down ...

Wait, this thing's for real? Obviously so, else that's one awesome KIRF shown in the video just past the break. Sadly, it seems as if Samsung's AMOLED-equipped "Cubic" is still quite some ways from shipping to US soil, but those who need to brush up on their Spanish can tap the read link for loads of impressions.
Filed under: originally appeared on on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 19:34:00 EST. Please see our .  |  |  | ...

If you've a proven track record of delivering solid products to consumers (much like has), we'll cut you some slack for awhile if you happen to hit a snag or two along the way while bringing a completely new device to market. But after more than we care to and a 1. 5 year gap between and right now, the benefit of the doubt vanishes. To that end, we couldn't be happier to report that Garmin's president and COO Cliff Pemble feels that it's "getting very close" to a carrier launch (?) in the...

the service that lets you syndicate text, audio, video and image files to 80 different social networks, blogs and sites, has an amped up version of their Android app. Following the release of the Android 1. 5 "cupcake" that has video capture functionality, Pixelpipe's app lets you upload video and audio directly from the device to over 45 social media destinations. The new app, which previously let you send photos as your status update or blog/micro-blog post, will link to media and send out ...

Been thinking about settling down with an XP netbook but can't get the idea of an Android tablet out of your mind? We understand your pain -- and so does Taiwan's Institute for Information Industry, which is showing off the Mtube II netbook / tablet at . The slick remix of an HP Mini 1000 runs XP when in netbook configuration, but then switches over to Android on an unspecified ARM processor when the screen is pulled off and used as a tablet. Yes, it's basically the product most of us hav...

At first this seems like a good idea: A tablet that runs Android in stand-alone mode. Then you connect it to an HP Mini 1000 netbook and it will run Windows XP. Then I wonder how the data—the address book, the music, calendar, etc. —will be kept synchronized between its Android and XP personalities. Did they manage to share data structures between the two operating systems? Maybe. Or maybe it's just a funky prototype that doesn't really work at all.

said way back in February that it had no plans to in 2009, and from the looks of it, none of that has changed. It does, however, appear that the company will release one in 2010, and that handset will be of the Android variety -- in addition to an Android netbook. Yup, the company is jumping on the bandwagon, adding itself to the growing number of 'droid mobile makers, hoping to get itself back into the game with the new and ever more popular OS. currently run XP (some also boast a Linux opti...

When a company they're working on an , people make assumptions: they'll come up with a fresh UI; they'll cater the netbook's hardware to Google's lightweight OS; they'll make it cheap. Acer is doing none of these things. Their Android netbook will actually be an netbook, in that it'll ship in a dual-boot configuration. This sounds harmless enough, but it's not:
Wang pointed out that the dual-OS strategy is much safer for Acer since consumer acceptance of the Android platform is unclear f...

Ha, and you thought that you'd be getting away from the Microsoft tax. Sorry -- Acer chairman JT Wang says that the will ship with Windows in dual-boot configurations. While your first reaction might be to call JT a Microsoft patsy, he's not, it's smart to hedge, actually, since Android is unproven as a netbook OS and being surprised by computers that . Besides, these Android netbooks seem to be targeting carriers as resellers so you'll like get a big fat discount when you take one home on co...

said way back in February that it had no plans to in 2009, and from the looks of it, none of that has changed. It does, however, appear that the company will release one in 2010, and that handset will be of the Android variety -- in addition to an Android netbook. Yup, the company is jumping on the bandwagon, adding itself to the growing number of 'droid mobile makers, hoping to get itself back into the game with the new and ever more popular OS. currently run XP (some also boast a Linux opti...

It's no big secret that T-Mobile was going to get a version of the HTC Magic at some point, but this box art confirms a couple very important things for us. First, it's going to be called the -- not the , , or -- and the imagery conjured on the packaging is a good deal more exciting than that found on the . Second, it'll be available in three colors, just like its older, QWERTY-equipped brother -- but unlike the G1, the wildcard third color will be a dark red marketed as "merlot. " Of cou...

Can you feel the tingling in the air? If you haven't found it already,you will. This is going to be the summer of love. I am talking, of course, about smartphone love. The have already begun for the June 6 launch of the Palm Pre. Next week, Apple will reveal it's (you know ). Blackberry might come out with its . And the lovefest will continue throughout the year with of new Android phones as well. It will be practically nonstop. I hope you can handle it.

As if it wasn't clear already, are one of the big trends (if not the biggest) to emerge out of this year's Computex, be they or -powered. Just as interesting as the devices themselves, however, is the fact that a number of manufacturers are looking at using Android as an OS for 'em, including big players like ASUS, and now Compal. While's ASUS' was impressive enough, Compal looks to have slightly outdone it by adding a customized interface at start-up, which is apparently just a taste of ...

Google's vision for the future of Android evidently includes by which your phone adapts to whatever it thinks you're doing based on accelerometer data. Like a newer, more advanced , in your pocket. The outlines how an accelerometer-equipped device could monitor users' movements, and over time, build usage patterns out of the collected data. After it's created a user profile, it can then be configured to activate applications on your phone. I can't think of a single use for this. The problem...

Sigh. Where to begin? It looks like a , it smells like a , but the perfectionist in us fully understands that it's absolutely not a . The self-proclaimed followup to HTC's G1 has itself an impostor, and that very shammer is parading around on eBay for the low, low price of $122. 99. Granted, that doesn't buy you an HTC logo, Android or 3G, but hey, it just might fool a few folks on the subway. Take it from us, though, it's totally not worth the risk of embarrassment.
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It's hard to build a revolution with just one phone. But more Android phones are around the corner, says Google's Andy Rubin, and the door is open to more than just phones.

PARIS (Reuters) - Acer Inc, the world's third-largest PC brand, plans to introduce a phone model running on Google's Android software this year, the head of its phone unit said on Wednesday.

Japanese telecom carrier NTT DoCoMo has introduced the first cellphone  in Japan to run Google’s Android mobile operating system. The phone called HT-03A is expected to be introduced in June or July, said the company. It is part of NTT DoCoMo’s summer line-up of 18 new devices. The Japanese cellphone running Android OS comes nearly seven ...

Need some that Dell is working on an Android-powered netbook? How about a video featuring Doug Anson, Dell's Technology Strategist, sitting next to a that's running Android? And it's not just any flavor of Google's OS -- oh no, this is the frosting-covered goodness of Cupcake. Sadly the demonstration is nothing more than showing the desktop with that big, iconic clock, but it's proof enough that Round Rock's finest are working on something special. Also shown are 10v's running standard Ubuntu ...

The verdict is still out on whether is indeed some precursor to Android 2. 0 "Donut," or (more likely) some elaborate HTC skin designed bring HTC's Android home screen experience up to par with its extensive Windows Mobile reskinning. Either way, things are shaping up quite nicely for the HTC Hero, with another leaked build showing widget functionality galore, including weather widgets that actually show the weather. Interestingly, this isn't a complete replacement for the existing home s...

8 megapixel cameras and 3-plus-inch wide VGA displays are the order of the day in NTT DoCoMo's 18-strong summer 2009 range of phones from Panasonic, LG, Fujitsu, NEC, Sharp, HTC, and Toshiba, but a few are definitely standing out for us. First would be the unforgettable N-09A from NEC, integrating patent leather right into the phone's case; it's not often that you need to condition your handset with saddle soap, so that one definitely caught our eye. Next up, we have a couple smartphones ...

The , the company's , was recently approved by the FCC, which means we're that much closer to seeing the Android line fleshed out a bit. Like the G1, the i7500 is T-Mobile only for now, and the specs haven't changed from . Having passed this hurdle, the i7500 will likely start production soon, though who knows when it'll actually show up in stores—Boy Genius suspects it might be this coming November.

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Google’s mobile operating system, Android, has been confined to cellphones so far. But consumer electronics makers are looking to make the new OS part of other gadgets too, such as netbooks, digital photo frames and e-book readers. “We have seen a lot of original design manufacturers in Asia show prototypes of products that run Android,” says ...

Crave asks its readers what they want from the next Google Android smartphone.

We've gotten the lowdown on that HTC seen sporting Exchange support over in , and as many readers opined, it's indeed a custom solution rolled by HTC without any Google involvement. Of course, HTC is no stranger to customizing OS builds loaded onto its devices; it already does this with every single Windows Mobile phone it sells, so we shouldn't be surprised to see some tweaks on its Android wares, either. Here's where it gets juicy, though: it turns out that Google forbids user of the "w...

A lack of Exchange ActiveSync support has largely relegated Android to the enterprise sidelines since its commercial launch last year in the , and while third-party apps have attempted to come to the rescue, there's nothing quite like a little first-party love to instill confidence in the world's IT managers. Strangely, CNET Asia noticed that its seems to support Exchange -- indeed, it's listed right there in the mail setup and the reviewer reports that it works like a champ -- but a check with...

And why wouldn't they? As a concept, it's pretty sound. Android is relatively cheap—cheaper than making your own OS—relatively stable, and fairly full featured with proper support for everything you'd want to do (including internet + touch). Makes sense for us.

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We like Android. But let's be honest, even without that little "beta" tag, we know this is a work in progress. Having had a chance to use our Android phones regularly for several months now, we've come across all the issues one would expect in a massive rollout of a mobile OS. Sure, battery life is way better now than it was at launch, and I don't have to reboot my phone to free up memory any more, but there are still plenty of things we'd like to see added, improved, or fixed. With the lon...

Google has announced that Android handset owners can take advantage of barcode scanning support built into . Using the app, users can scan UPC/ISBN codes to pull up results on their browser. At the moment, Google claims that the service works best with "products like electronics, books, movies or video games," but they are working to bring more products on board. Hopefully the iPhone will be able to take advantage of this service sometime in the near future.

The guys at have put the and the G1 through its paces and have emerged feeling that the software is impressive, but overpriced. Indeed, while they felt that the software scored well in major categories like ease of use, routing, map quality and accuracy, the value factor struck a major blow to the final verdict. After all, it's hard to justify spending $10 a month, $99 a year or $249 for four years on a service for your phone when quality, dedicated GPS devices can be had for under $200. Stil...

Just weeks ago, Google unveiled a of for Android handsets. Near the tail-end of the post, we postulated that Google would add barcode scanning support to Product Search soon. Such services have already on Android already, with the success of applications like and . Sure enough, Google is this morning that Google Product Search for Android now has barcode scanning support. If you're looking to price compare a product that's right in front of you, why type out its name and dig through irrelev...

The Netherlands-based , which markets a comprehensive application that lets users handle multiple instant messaging accounts from the web or their mobile phones, is today releasing an application for the platform a couple months after made its similar product (November 2008). The eBuddy application for Google's open mobile OS is now available for free on the , and users can thus benefit from a single ID to chat with their friends on third-party communication platforms such as Facebook, Gtalk,...

Hey, if you can take Google's open source OS for mobile telephones and chunk it into a netbook, then why not ? Fujitsu and Japan's Macnica have teamed up on what they're calling a "Software Platform for Home Network Digital Photo Frames" based on Google's Android. In other words, it's a software platform for home network digital photo frames based on Google's Android. Uh, riiight. The prototype frame above was on display in Japan yesterday running slideshows off a standard network. Honestly,...

Worldwide sales of Android-based smartphones are expected to grow 900 percent by year's end, according to a report from research firm Strategy Analytics. Meanwhile, the Apple iPhone should continue to see strong sales but remain the second fastest-growing handheld platform.

Still think an is in your future? If the on video hasn't turned you off yet, maybe the fire-engine red paint job coupled with 90s-era carbon fiber accents will. What you see above is the first legitimate in the wild shot of Skytone's Alpha 680, and at a glance, we're marginally excited about the sizable trackpad and roomy keyboard. Oh, and the swiveling screen is a plus, too. Check the read link for a few more looks.
Filed under: originally appeared on on Tue, 12 May 2009 16:24:00 ES...

The London Times is that Google plans to release a mobile app called "", which uses a combination of GPS and the phone's camera to label the stars above your head. Once they've attained a GPS lock, users will be able to point their phones' cameras toward the night sky and have star data—probably pulled from the same sources as —superimposed over the image. The Times report doesn't mention which mobile OSes will get this app, and Google declined to comment about its very existence, ...