I noticed that it had the ability add custom shortcuts to the home screen resembles the feature in the LG Dare. It is also cool how calls can be performed in the background, so if you are using a bluetooth headset you can, for example, check you're e-mail while you are calling your Mom. The browser looks pretty good, with the zoom and tabs (or windows) features like in the iPhone's Safari browser. The Goodle Maps feature is similar to the iPhone's maps, they are both from Google. Altough, the iPhone lacks the Street Veiw. There is nothing special about the messaging application.

One of the features not mentioned in this video is the recently announced Android Market (think App Store for Android). Anyone registered as a merchant can make thier software availible. Plus, all the downloads offered there are free. I take that back, think App Store on steroids.

From CNET:

Google on Thursday announced Android Market, an online center that will let people find, buy, download, and rate applications and other content for mobile phones equipped with the open-source operating system.

Attracting developer attention is a key part of the Google-led Android software effort, and those who produce applications will have an easy time getting them to the market, Eric Chu of Google's Android project said in a Thursday blog post.

"Similar to YouTube, content can debut in the marketplace after only three simple steps: register as a merchant, upload and describe your content and publish it," Chu said. "We chose the term 'market' rather than 'store' because we feel that developers should have an open and unobstructed environment to make their content available."

Though the first Android phones are planned to arrive later this year, Chu said to expect the initial phone-based Android Market application to be a beta version that might only support distribution of free applications. An update later will handle different versions of applications, support for different profiles of Android phones, and analytics to help developers track adoption.

From InformationWeek:

[The] Android Market [is]an open content distribution system that will help end users find, purchase, download and install various types of content on their Android-powered devices. The concept is simple: leverage Google's expertise in infrastructure, search and relevance to connect users with content created by developers like you.Developers will be able to make their content available on an open service hosted by Google that features a feedback and rating system similar to YouTube. We chose the term "market" rather than "store" because we feel that developers should have an open and unobstructed environment to make their content available. Similar to YouTube, content can debut in the marketplace after only three simple steps: register as a merchant, upload and describe your content and publish it. We also intend to provide developers with a useful dashboard and analytics to help drive their business and ultimately improve their offerings.

From ZDNet:

Google released early details yesterday about their plans for Android Market, an online bazaar for programs that run on Android phones. Essentially an Android version of the iPhone’s popular App Store, it offers three key advantages over Apple’s offering:

1. It will follow the YouTube model of instant gratification: just upload and publish. Your content will appear immediately in the Market. By contrast Apple requires each iPhone app to be vetted and approved. Android’s multi-level security model will help protect your handset from malicious or just plain broken programs.
2. It will provide developers with a dashboard and analytics to “help drive their business and ultimately improve their offerings”. All iPhone devs get right now is a daily count of downloads.
3. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to use it! Unlike the iPhone, if someone comes up with a better store interface with their own catalog they are free to do so. Of course the Google one will be pre-installed on phones, which gives it an immediate advantage. But in theory a 3rd party store could work out their own deal with carriers and have theirs bundled too.

Initially all content in the Market will be free, but the next phase will include paid apps, probably purchased through Google Checkout. Google hasn’t said what their “cut” of the price for non-free programs will be, but it will most likely be less than the 30% Apple takes from App Store sales.

Android is a project of google for mobile phones.
It is first time google is entering the mobile market and it promisies to be big.

We will be introducing two revolutionary platforms for development for mobile phones.
One pyS60 (Python based software for Series 60 symbian based phones) and one is android (the future of mobile phones).

hoping to update regularly. keep visiting for updates.

Google Android competition announced it's winners:
http://androidcommunity.com/congrats-to-winners-of-the-android-developer-challenge-i-20080829/

With more news from the Android Developers Blog, today the winners of the Android Developer Challenge were announced. Out of the fifity finalists ten were given the Runner Up prize of $100,000 while another ten were awarded the very generous prize of $250,00.

Amongst the winning applications we saw cab4me, a 'location aware' app that can help you find a cab wherever you may be. Ecorio, an application that monitors your carbon footprint giving you ways to not only reduce your carbon footprint, but share stories on how you lowered it and offset your carbon footprint by investing in carbon reductions programs.

Android is shaping up to be a very promising OS for both the consumer and developers. If you aren't already excited for it I'm sure this latest news will remedy that.

yebo blogさんのNokia N810へのAndroidのインストールと、雑文発散さんの[N810] N810 に Android をインストール #2を参考にさせて頂きました。

＜参考＞

（１）N810へのAndroidインストール方法（英語）
http://www.internettablettalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=198240

（２）Nokia N810へのAndroidのインストール
http://yebo-blog.blogspot.com/2008/07/nokia-n810android.html

（３）[N810] N810 に Android をインストール #2（オススメ）
http://suzuki.tdiary.net/20080712.html

＜セットアップ方法＞

○N810のファームウェアを最新のものにアップデートする。chinookでも動くそうですが、Diabloの最新のものを使いましょう。

• 入手先：http://tablets-dev.nokia.com/nokia_N810.php
• N810でAndroidの起動を確認できたファームウェアのバージョン
  →　RX-44_DIABLO_4.2008.23-14_PR_COMBINED_MR0_ARM.bin

○miniSDに以下のファイルをコピーする。

N810の内蔵Flashの残容量は100MB程度とかなり少ないので、外付けのminiSDを使用します。N810は、miniSDアダプタを使えばmicroSDHC 8GBを使用できます。

android.img.gz2とandroid-installer.debをダウンロードしてきて、microSDHC 8GBにコピーし、N810にセットします。

• 入手先：参考（１）、（２）を参照のこと。
  android.img.bz2
  android-installer.deb

○N810のメニューで、Settings → Application manager → Application → Install from file... で android-installer.deb を選択し、インストールする。

※注意1：Application managerの左上にあるメニューアイコンをクリックし、「Application」メニュー配下に「Install from file...」があります。

※注意2：インストール処理が完了するのに結構時間がかかります。（1分程度）

Settings → Application manager → Application → Install from file... でmicroSDHC上のandroid-installer.deb を選択し、インストールします。

※「Install from file...」は、Application Managerの左上にあるメニューアイコンをクリックすると見つかります。

ちなみに、android-install.debのインストール処理が完了するまで、結構時間がかかりますので気長に待ちましょう。間違っても強制終了とかさせないように。

インストールが正常に終了すると、以下のようなダイアログが表示されます。

○いよいよ、Androidの起動です。メニューから、Extras　→　Androidを選択して、実行します。

ちなみに、Androidが起動するのに、約50秒（手元のストップウォッチで計ったところ47秒かかりました）かかりますので、気長に待ちましょう。

Androidが正常に起動すると、以下のような待受け画面が表示されます。

※参考：

・N810の通常起動時間：34秒
（電源OFF→待ち受け画面表示）

・N810の待ち受け画面からAndroidのサイロン（赤い光が水平方向に左右往復する）が表示されるまでの時間：25秒

・N810の待ち受け画面からAndroidの待ち受け画面が表示されるまでの時間：47秒

ちなみに、N810でAndroidを動かしてみた感想ですが、とにかく処理が重い！

本当に使い物になるのか不安になるほど、もっさりしてます。

N810だと、処理が重いのか、タイムアウトしてしまうらしく、waitする（待つ）か、closeする（強制終了する）か、をユーザに尋ねるダイアログが頻繁に表示されます。

単に処理が追いついていないだけのようなので、waitをクリックすれば、良いようです。

Armadillo-500でAndroidを実行した場合は、タイムアウトが頻繁に発生することはなかったのですが、N810だと、maemo上でAndroid（Dalvik環境）が動作しているせいか、オーバーヘッドが大きいようです。

どちらも、ARM11 400MHzなので、処理能力的には同じはずなのですが、N810だとDVFSがONになっていたりするので、そういうのが影響しているのかもしれません。

さてさて、Androidを実機上でいろいろハックしたいのですが、AndroidもN810のmaemoもARMのバイナリが、armel（EABI）なのでいろいろと困るんですよね。

現在のDebian 4.0 ARM版では、OABIしか対応してないんですよね。Debian 5.0 lennyでは、EABIに対応するらしいんですけど、armelに対応できる実機環境を探すとなると、kuro-box/proしかなさそうなんですよね。

http://buffalo.nas-central.org/index.php/Buffalo_ARM9_Kernel_Port

によると、kuro-box/proでもDebian 5.0を動作させることができそうな感じ。

ARM9とARM11ではバイナリ互換があるのでしょうか・・・。

Samsung's answer to the iPhone -- the Instinct -- will gain another distributor when RadioShack begins selling the smartphone over the Labor Day weekend with a four-day price promotion in its 4,400 stores, the retailer announced. Those who sign up for a Sprint Simply Everything Plan can buy the Samsung handset for $130. TMC Internet Telephony (8/28)

Direct Line (iTunes link) is a service that helps you automatically navigate phone trees to get right to an operator (exactly what companies don’t want you to do).   Install the application, browse of search the included companies, and select the one you want. Direct Line then calls the number and preselects the appropriate choices to get you to an actual person. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/28/direct-line-saves-iphone-users-from-automated-call-hell 8/28)

There's a huge security problem in the latest iPhone 2.0.2: if you have your JesusPhone password protected, using a very simple trick gives anyone full access to your cellphone private information in Mail, SMS, Contacts, and even Safari. The two-step trick is even simpler to the one used in the past to gain access to the phone to install unlocking cards or jailbreak. Fortunately, there's a way to avoid this obvious security breach until Apple fixes it. (http://gizmodo.com/5042332/huge-iphone-security-flaw-puts-all-private-information-at-risk 8/27)

Last May, Google announced the first set of winners in its two-part contest called Android Challenge. The challenge is meant to kick-start the creation of 3rd-party applications for its nascent mobile platform by enticing developers with a total of $10 million in awards.  Today, Google is releasing the names of its second set of winners, 10 of which receive $275,000 and 10 of which receive $100,000. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/28/final-winners-of-android-challenge-announced 8/28)

Sprint unveiled some of the content and location-based services that will be available as part of its planned Xohm WiMax wireless broadband network. The technology will enable high speed connections to be established while driving, which should lead to all kinds of navigation and location-based recommendation services. So far partners in the Xohm venture include:

• uLocate - chosen for its Where platform powering friend finding and other location based mobile services
• Yelp Inc. - providing user ratings and reviews of local restaurants, shops, doctors, etc.
• Topix - offering local news based on location
• AccuWeather - providing location based forecasts, radar/satellite images, etc
• Google - powering search functionality, Google Maps, etc

The Google Android Developer Challenge is finally complete and the winners have been announced today.

If you are not familiar with the Challenge, the purpose was to build applications by using Google's Android mobile platform and making use of its capabilities to deliver a better mobile experience.

Phase I of the contest took place in 2 rounds. After Round 1, 50 teams of developers were selected and awarded each US$ 25,000 and the possibility to go to Round 2, for ten US$ 275,000 and ten US$ 100,000 prizes.

With the judging complete, you can now see the winning teams and the application gallery here:

Android Developer Challenge Gallery

The first devices running on Android are expected in the following months, with T-Mobile said to be the first operator to release a HTC phone running on the platform. More info on this particular phone here.

New information of Androids 'Market' was released today on the Android Dev Blog. Amongst the information they released they spoke of how developers would only need to "register as a merchant, upload and describe your content and publish it.", a system they described similar to the Youtube way of uploading Video. When commenting on why the term 'Market' was used instead of store they said,

"We chose the term "market" rather than "store" because we feel that developers should have an open and unobstructed environment to make their content available."

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="213" caption="Downloads"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="213" caption="Install"][/caption]

The Android Market would be available in its beta version on the first handsets to hit the market. Through the software consumers can download new applications for their Android powered phones. The software will be in the YouTube style where developers can publish content easily. Google says that support for unpaid applications will be provided initially and later on a policy for supporting paid applications will be worked out.

Whether the Android Market will be as successful as Apple's App Store will really be decided by how much developer interest is generated by Google. The least we can expect is that the more popular applications on the App Store would be replicated for the Android Market.

The Android Blog is reporting that Google has officially announced the Android Market, an App Store like solution that allows publishers to upload programs and sell them online. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/28/android-to-get-its-own-app-market 8/28)

Love it.  A little healthy competition with the iTunes Application Store. An application deathmatch if you will. . .  Google= free and happy.  iTunes = got there first.  Who will win?  Still putting my $5 on iTunes at this point.

An internal source at AT&T discussed the problems fixed by the 2.0.2 update, explaining, in no uncomplicated terms, that the update controlled the UMTS power control in the phone. Each iPhone requires a small amount of power from the transmitter and that power is requested by the phone itself. If too many phones ask for too much power at once, the transmitter starts shutting down, resulting in dropped calls. The iPhone 3G was asking for too much power and, in 2.0.2, has been fixed to stop requesting that power so often. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/28/iphone-reception-problems-are-all-your-fault 8/28)

Adding to the pool of off deck content available for mobile users, Leap Wireless' Cricket Communications announced a flat-rate unlimited mobile video service allowing users to view one-to-four-minute-long video clips directly from select handsets. Videos available include music videos, artist interviews, music documentaries and sports clips from Fuel TV. (Cynopsis 8/28)

The reason is that we plain ran out of time. The Android Bluetooth API was pretty far along, but needs some clean-up before we can commit to it for the SDK. Keep in mind that putting it in the 1.0 SDK would have locked us into that API for years to come.

The honesty is refreshing, but that is a major chunk of basic functionality missing.

Keep in mind, that Android plans on doing a lot more with Bluetooth than supporting wireless headsets. So I'm expecting a 1.1 release to follow up pretty quick with Bluetooth and GTalk functionality.

This is just incredible! I mean they move quickly and very smoothly... I really am looking forward to watching technology change and advance over the next 50 years... for those of you that find this interesting you should google the Japanese Android... For stuff from Toyota read more->

A Google anunciou hoje que o Android também terá uma loja de aplicativos online. No sreenshot parece tudo muito parecido com a loja do iPhone. A cada capítulo deste seriado o enredo fica mais interessante...

We chose the term "market" rather than "store" because we feel that developers should have an open and unobstructed environment to make their content available. Similar to YouTube, content can debut in the marketplace after only three simple steps: register as a merchant, upload and describe your content and publish it.

Android Developers Blog

From Reuters:

Popular technology blog Gizmodo and an online forum run by the Mac Rumors site showed that it took only three taps to gain access to locked iPhones, which run the latest 2.02 iPhone software.

A spokeswoman said in an e-mail that Apple was aware of the problem and was readying a software update to fix it. In the meantime, she recommended users set the iPhone's "Home" button to open up the phone's iPod music collection rather than the phone's "Favorites" menu.

The spokeswoman did not say when the software update would be made available.

The flaw could be seen as a momentary setback in Apple's ambitious plans to compete against Research In Motion, whose BlackBerry smartphone has become a standard issue device in corporate businesses around the globe.

From InformationWeek:

IPhone security is a key issue in use of the device on corporate networks. Getting businesses to adopt the iPhone was a major focus in Apple's release of version 2.0 of the iPhone operating system over the summer. Find out what 2,000 IT professionals told InformationWeek about their plans and priorities for securing their companies' assets. Download the report here (registration required).

Nevertheless, security issues have arisen with use of the iPhone. InformationWeek, for example, reported potential security problems in using Apple's tools for creating custom configuration files that can be used to provision large numbers of iPhones on an enterprise environment.

In addition, the iPhone Mail and Safari applications in July were found to be vulnerable to URL spoofing. Security researcher Aviv Raff reported the problem and recommended that users not click on links to get to trusted sites, like online banks; but rather type URLs in manually until the problem is resolved.

With Google's Android platform set to enter the market, Apple will want to make sure that all problems with the iPhone are quickly taken care of. Thoughts?

clicca qui per specifiche tecniche

Già riportato da CNET in TV

Fonte:QLJ555 crunchgear androidguys

Google continua a inciampare nelle difficoltà di un progetto della portata di Android: la rimozione delle API per il Bluetooth non inficerà il normale funzionamento dei dispositivi compatibili con la tecnologia wireless, ma non sarà possibile per gli sviluppatori creare nuove applicazioni basate sullo standard.

"La ragione - spiega Morrill - è che abbiamo francamente finito il tempo. La API Bluetooth di Android è piuttosto avanti, ma necessita ancora di un po' di pulizia prima di essere inserita nel SDK. Tenete presente che infilarla nella versione 1.0 del kit di sviluppo ci avrebbe costretto ad adottarla per gli anni a venire".

Meglio aspettare ancora, insomma, per rifinire il codice e avere la garanzia di una migliore compatibilità piuttosto che obbligare gli sviluppatori a modificare radicalmente le applicazioni in un momento successivo.

GTalkService è stato invece rimosso per altri motivi: sono emersi gravi problemi di sicurezza durante lo sviluppo. Impiegato per interconnettere gli utenti di Google Talk siano essi su Android o su altri sistemi operativi, l'attuale implementazione di GTalkService aveva la tendenza a spifferare un gran mucchio di informazioni che si vorrebbero invece ben protette, inclusi il nome reale e l'indirizzo email degli utenti dell'IM.
Non bastasse questo, le falle sono gravi al punto da permettere a un malintenzionato di guadagnare il controllo del dispositivo da remoto.

GTalkService ha sofferto del fatto di "non essere mai stato nel core di Android", continua Morril. Rinviare il suo rilascio permetterà agli sviluppatori di "mettere potenzialmente insieme un nuovo sistema che sia parte del nucleo principale delle future versioni" dell'OS.
Fonte: punto informatico

GTalkService in its current iteration might have resulted in privacy breech, or even a device hijack, and was also pulled as a result.For more on the story: - check out this article at the Android Developers Blog

From Marin Perez at  InformationWeek:

The HTC S740 has a similar form factor to the HTC Touch Pro but it loses the touch interface. The S740 has a 12-button number pad on the face, and the slide-out, four-row QWERTY keyboard can be accessed by holding the smartphone horizontally. The S740 is powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard, and mobile professionals can read and compose corporate e-mail on the device. Users will also be able to view Microsoft Office documents on the handset, as well as browse the Web with the PocketIE HTML browser.

HTC packed in multiple connection options, as the S749 has integrated Wi-Fi and is capable of having 7.2-Mbps downlink speed over 3G networks. There's also an EDGE option for times when faster connections are unavailable.

The smartphone also sports a 3.2-megapixel camera that's capable of recording video. There's also built-in GPS that's can use assisted-GPS for location-based searches, a multimedia player, and Bluetooth v. 2.0 capabilities.

The S740 has a 2.4-inch QVGA screen that's capable of displaying 65,000 colors, and the handset has 256 MB of RAM that's expandable via a MicroSD slot. There's also a MiniUSB slot, built-in hands-free controls, and HTC said it can get more than 6 hours of talk time off a single charge.

This is all great but what the world is waiting for is the HTC Dream, which is expected to come complete with the Google Android platform. This product is due in September. Thoughts?