Google

&tWell, the speculation is over. Google announced today that it is in fact, not a physical phone they are launching, but a new way of bringing applications to your phone. Android: “he first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices” was announced today and it basically stands for everything Apple and the iPhone does not.

Our goals must be independent of device or even platform. For this reason, Android will complement, but not replace, our longstanding mobile strategy of developing useful and compelling mobile services and driving adoption of these products through partnerships with handset manufacturers and mobile operators around the world.

If Apple is Superman, Google is clearly Bizarro. Apple didn’t open up third-party software for the iPhone until just last month and still, the SDK is not going to be available until next year. Google will have an SDK available next week.

More info as we hear it. Until then, check out this video that talks about Android.

If the rumors are true and Google does release their very own handset in 2008, they will be using a play from Apple’s playbook by truly “Thinking Differently”. Google may launch a device that puts features and solutions first, all the while making money for themselves with their AdSense model. There is also great evidence to the plan to make the software completely open. All indications are pointing at a phone for the people: at a reasonable price, with really cool features.

Despite boasting an innovative design, user interface, and unique visual voicemail feature, Apple took 4 months before launching plans to allow for third-party app support.

Granted, Google had the luxury of watching Apple go through the launch process and impending backlash towards third-party apps and it could be argued that had Google launched a phone first, Apple may have done things differently.

What is very concerning for longtime Apple fans is that Apple is changing. Revisionist history aside, the issues of DRM and recent iPhone controversies with “diehard” Apple users, have left bitter tastes in the mouths of those who have supported Apple all these years.

No, I’m not an Apple… more...

So reports of the Google phone are popping up again. This time it is rumored that Google is ready to take on the iPhone as soon as next year. And better yet, we aren’t talking about $400-$600 iPhone pricing, we are talking about under $100 or possibly even free!

The rumor is the Google phone could be free with the revenue generated by advertising. This has been thought to mean advertising in the voicemail, after making calls, while checking email, and all over the internet browser. Is there even an appetite for such a device with all of these strings attached?

What if the situation was different? What if you could get an iPhone for free if it meant being subjected to advertising throughout the process of using it? If this was Apple’s business model, would you have taken a free iPhone? The answer is probably, “yes”. Very rarely do people turn things down when they are free. But would you keep using it? Take our poll and tell us.

The online competitor to iCal would probably be Google Calendar and while we could debate which is better for remembering your uncle’s birthday, picking up the dry cleaning or even Halo 3 Day let’s not forget that Google just pulled a quick update today, apparently gCal is now iPhone optimized!

I’m sure the many of you who long for calendar sync Google Calendar is up your alley and are probably thanking the heavens right now for this new update so I won’t keep you waiting any longer. Hit up http://calendar.google.com for your mobile calendar goodness and a pic of the new interface below.

Via: Mashable

I was one of the many people who complained about the lack of GPS in the iPhone. The phone I used to use was a Motorola Razr from Verizon. One of the very cool features on the Razr was the Verizon Navigator that essentially turned the phone into a GPS navigator (for a usage cost, of course). I used this feature a dozen times and each time it worked really well.

So when the iPhone was announced I, like many others, was astounded that GPS was not included. The iPhone has an accelerometer, something or other that detects when you move the iPhone to your ear, yet no GPS?

While I still think that GPS would be an incredible addition to the iPhone, allowing the device to compete with the ever-growing portable GMS market (aka, the Garmins, etc) Google Maps without GPS is still an amazing experience.

In the past when going somewhere new the drill was to go to the computer use Google Maps (or Mapquest in the days of old) and then print out the directions. Off to the car (hopefully remembered said piece of paper) and then reading the directions while driving.

Now with the iPhone it’s… more...

When a rumor comes back over and over again, does it become fact? The once rumored “GPhone” from Google has popped up again this time in the form of a Wall Street Journal report.

Apparently, prototypes of the Google phone has been shipped out to mobile phone manufacturers and network operators. The big news around this announcement, however, is not the hardware features. Rather, the big story, is the proposed subscription model that Google is rumored to be approaching mobile networks with.

If Google gets their way, it will not be a debate between the $600 iPhone and the $XXX GPhone. The proposal is for a free subscription model subsidized by paid advertising through web search, web browsing, and email.

But the article on Monsters and Critics takes it one step further offering up the possibility of paid advertising prior to each phone call. With all the hubbub Google raised with their ad servers mining keywords from email messages to deliver targeted ads in GMail, imagine the mass hysteria caused by phone call content triggering audio advertising!

[Via M&C]

It’s not often that you hear about common day gadgets saving our wildlife friends. Luckily my iPhone (but then again any Internet enabled Cell Phone could do this) was handy. A quick Google search gave me step by step instructions on just what I needed to do.

First off this wasn’t some dramatic rescue like you see on Animal Planet, there was no awesome background music or swooshing sounds as I pulled out my iPhone.

When I was riding my bike home I turned a corner and noticed a quiet chirping sound and saw what looked like to be a small potato in the middle of the road. I didn’t think much of it but it did look familiar. I backed up and saw what was making the sound, a fledgling bird. I stopped and rushed to get it out of harm’s way, luckily it was very peaceful street. Trying to scoop it up proved difficult but I eventually had to grab it (gently of course and it didn’t suffer from shock) in my hands and move it over to the sidewalk.

This little dude was freaking out, probably saw a… more...

Apple has today announced that YouTube will come installed on the iPhone.

YouTube’s content has recently been made available in H.264 encoding, meaning that AppleTV (read below) and the iPhone will be able to play the content without the need of Flash. Come launch day on June 29th, there will be 10,000 videos available in this format, with more following shortly after.

“iPhone delivers the best YouTube mobile experience by far,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Now users can enjoy YouTube wherever they are - on their iPhone, on their Mac or on a widescreen TV in their living room with Apple TV.”

Apple has also announced that from today, AppleTV will be able to play YouTube content.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt is a very smart guy. He’s is also absolutely giddy over his new iPhone. As a member of Apple’s board of directors, Schmidt got his very own iPhone and is anxious to show people. In this video (found via iPhone Alley), Schmidt shows off his iPhone at the World Economic Forum.

But besides his iPhone demonstrations to the audience, he also talks a lot about the new type of business, powered by phone technology. His so called: “Phone to phone to phone viral network” and the effects of emergent distribution markets is just another reason why Apple may have tapped into a market just at the right time.

[Via iPhone Alley]

We were thrown off by Apple’s latest iPhone Ad depicting the full featured Internet, on a mobile device. Hearing the latest report from Macrumors, Apple seems to contradict itself. How can you have the full Internet but not support Flash? Does Apple’s YouTube deal have anything to do with this?

It was speculated in January that Apple would offer Flash for iPhone, but learning that it’s support will be dropped brings up some issues. This isn’t the full Internet Steve Jobs was advertising, it’s more like the watered down version. However, Apple did strike a recent deal with Google to bring YouTube to AppleTV, this could be done for the iPhone as well. Sure we’ll get better quality and that’s what we need for AppleTV, high quality video, but going through the entire process of converting and creating a custom catalog for us? Jobs must have something else in store and if you haven’t got the hint yet, think about it. No Flash, H.264 videos, limited content. Duh, Apple wants you to buy videos for your iPhone from iTunes! Appease some of us by offering a limited catalog, but increase… more...