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Do androids dream of electric penguins?
In the decade since its founding in a Palo Alto garage, the name "Google" has become practically synonymous with the Internet. Thus it was that the search company's celebrated entry into the mobile market was met with significant enthusiasm from those who believed that Google would be able to use its immense resources and Internet savvy to produce a next-generation mobile product that would deliver "the cloud," in its vast entirety, into the eager hands of consumers. Some of the biggest names in the tech industry flocked to Google's banner and affirmed their support for the Open Handset Alliance, which promised to liberate the mobile masses by building a blooming garden without walls.
After the fanfare faded, we ended up with Android-a platform that launched with some limitations but nonetheless has significant potential. Although the first Android devices leave a lot to be desired when compared to competing products, the platform itself is evolving quickly, and it offers the advantages of openness and collaborative development. In this article we'll take a close look at the underlying technology of Android and what the platform means for developers.
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If you were thinking offline Gmail on your desktop was the greatest thing since sliced bread, prepare yourselves people. If an MWC keynote from Google's VP of engineering, Vic Gundotra, is any indication, the same functionality might be coming soon to an iPhone / Android phone near you. Amongst other things, the souped up web app boasts an overhauled interface, supports labels, and of course, offline access. Despite our own hunch that Google's just using black magic and voodoo to make this happen, Gundotra claims that it's all made possible through HTML5 standards -- AppCache being the biggie. This development certainly opens the doors to more offline-enabled web apps in the future -- Docs, anyone?. Of course, we know Apple has a thing about people messing with its own apps, so it's probably going to take some time / knee-breaking to get them to come around, but for some reason, we don't think it'll take as long with Android. There's a demo video available after the break, and please, try to contain yourselves. Continue reading Google demos offline Gmail for iPhone, Android at MWC Filed under: Cellphones Google demos offline Gmail for iPhone, Android at MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Never mind the Magic -- we've run across another Android device lurking in the midst at MWC, and if you squint, you might just see some HTC influence in this one, too. We'd heard General Mobile's dual-SIM DSTL1 would launch here, granted, but given its reasonably high-end look and the fact that we'd only seen renders ahead of the show, you have to appreciate our skepticism. Of course, we're delighted to be proven wrong in these sorts of situations, and we had a chance to play around with a DSTL1 today; WQVGA feels weak and there might be just a little too much Touch Diamond influence, but you have to respect the 5 megapixel AF cam, 4GB of internal storage plus microSD expansion, dual SIM slots, and on-board FM radio. Ultimately, the fact that this thing'll only be available in two tri-band EDGE flavors kills the dream, but goodness, these guys are getting close, aren't they? Follow the break for video!
Continue reading General Mobile's DSTL1 Android phone eyes-on Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds General Mobile's DSTL1 Android phone eyes-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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 Not content to let Apple be the only one having fun banning racy apps that might scar the fragile minds of its users, Google is apparently looking to get in on the action with its Android Market. The company has confirmed that no graphic sexual content will be allowed, nor anything that encourages violence or hate speech. That's bad news for those who like bad apps, but the good news is that if you find something you've downloaded to be just a little too mainstream for your edgy tastes you'll have 24 hours to return it. Keep your download and unlimited reinstalls will be at your disposal, but Google maintains the right to forcefully remove an app from your device whenever it feels like it -- pledging to do its best to get you a refund. Finally, there will be no upgrades provided through the Android Market, meaning you'll rather unfortunately need to get them through some other, less secure means. [Via IntoMobile] Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds Android Market allows returns, but not sexy stuff originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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We just got a great look at the potential of Android on Texas Instruments' new Zoom OMAP34x-II Mobile Development Platform, a sort of sexy cousin to Compulab's exeda. The OMAP3430-powered unit is being built by Logic and is meant for software developers to work on the OMAP3 chipset, but it's actually a pretty neat "device" in its own right, with a 4.1-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen LCD, HDMI out, all sorts of connectivity, 16GB of storage, an SD card slot, large QWERTY keypad and an 8 megapixel camera. There's also a debug board with Ethernet, USB plugs and some other technical stuff. For $1150 developers can pick up a WiFi-only unit, and $1399 buys you a 3G unit -- consumers can buy 'em too, and we can imagine certain enthusiasts wouldn't mind the cost for what basically amounts to the ultimate Android device. The unit runs other flavors of Linux, but we're really in it for the Android, especially thanks to that screen. Wind River has been doing development on Android for a while, contributing to the original source code as part of the OHA, and one of its developers even ported Android to OpenMoko. They've got a refined Android interface running on the Zoom, which includes a tabbed application browser, fancier widgets and a spruced up unlock screen. They wouldn't consider what they're doing a skin or a port, but it's exactly the type of stuff that device manufacturers will be looking for to differentiate their Android-powered handset. Video of all the magic is after the break. Continue reading Texas Instruments and Wind River do up Android right Filed under: Handhelds Texas Instruments and Wind River do up Android right originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/NVIDIA_Tegra_in_the_flesh'; NVIDIA really has a technical wonder in the Tegra APX 2600 chipset, and is more than happy to show it off, with a myriad of tech demos on display here at MWC. Some of this they showed off back in June of last year, but it's no less impressive -- there aren't really any mobile devices out there capable of this stuff right now. Still, we're here for the new, and NIVIDA showed up with Android running on one of its proof-of-concept units, and with another unit pumping out 1080p video, with a claimed 10 hours of battery life at that task. NVIDIA says it took them just a few weeks to port Android to the system, and we found it already quite snappy and even usable on the capacitive touchscreen-ed device. We also saw the forthcoming Android-running Yulong N8 and IAC S2 Tegra APX phones, along with an untitled CompalCom set -- they were all in non-working prototype form, but it's clear this chipset isn't just for MIDs. Check it all out in the videos after the break and the gallery below! Continue reading NVIDIA's Tegra in the flesh, booting to Android and pumping out 1080p video Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds NVIDIA's Tegra in the flesh, booting to Android and pumping out 1080p video originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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 digg_url = 'http://digg.com/hardware/HTC_Magic_first_eyes_on';
Surprise, surprise! Vodafone and HTC launched a new Android set named the Magic today. We had a brief eyes-on with it, though the version we see above is not final hardware. If you peek at the slides in the gallery you'll notice that there are more buttons and they're laid out quite differently than what you see above. Of course, we plan a more extensive tour of the Magic and all its Cupcake goodness a little later on today. Pics and a shaky vid after the break. Continue reading HTC Magic first eyes-on! Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds HTC Magic first eyes-on! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Remember that mysterious dual-boot QiGi i6 from a few months back? If you dream of Windows Mobile / Android dual-boot devices at night, then odds are you do, and we've been able to spend a little time with one humming along in Android mode today. It turns out that the i6's manufacturer is none other than TechFaith Wireless, an ODM more closely associated with WinMo devices -- but like so many other manufacturers these days, TechFaith is apparently looking to branch out by adding another platform into the mix. Anyhow, let's just be straight about this: odds are you don't really want this phone, even if you think you do. The physical design feels one or two iterations behind, but the real problem stems from the fact that you're rocking QVGA resolution here; yes, granted, Android runs -- but in its default layout, it's clearly designed for a few more pixels both horizontally and vertically. Furthermore, we're told that end users can't swap ROMs themselves (in other words, distributors would choose one platform or the other and be done with it) -- the hardware is designed to run both Android and Windows Mobile, but it's not like you get some fancy Boot Camp-style setup for booting into either environment. Also, since the i6 features no physical keyboard and Cupcake was little more than a twinkle in Google's eye by the time the phone was released, you're dealing with a pretty poorly-designed soft keyboard that's been grafted onto the build; individual keys are small enough so that you need a stylus to press them, and when you call up the keyboard, it takes up the full screen so you can't see whatever app you were in while you're typing. Check it all out (for the hilarious power-on splash screen, if nothing else) in our video after the break!
Continue reading Hands-on with TechFaith's QiGi i6 in Android mode Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds Hands-on with TechFaith's QiGi i6 in Android mode originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 06:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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