Honestly, ever since I saw Sprint on the Open Handset Alliance announced by Google, I had a feeling that they’d be the first with an Android powered handset. Sprint and T-mobile were the first 2 carriers I saw on the Alliance, and of the two, I figured Sprint has the best track record of getting new HTC phones first.
I’m glad T-Mobile got the G1 first, because in all honesty T-Mobile could use some limelight lately. But imagine the irony when I stumbled upon the following information, courtesy of Reuters:
Apparently, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse doesn’t think Android in its current form is ”good enough to put the Sprint brand on it.”
Really? I mean, come on, you’re kidding, right?
Sprint is too good for Android?!
Look at the devices Sprint HAS put their name on… the Sprint Mogul had a bluetooth bug and advertised features that weren’t available at launch (EVDO Rev A and GPS), yet released it as is. The Moto Q is generally considered the buggiest smartphone released by a major carrier, yet Sprint had no problem putting their name on that… but Android, who early adopters are absolutely loving so far, is too good for you?
Boggles the mind. Anyone else think there’s more to this?
“Success in saving lives and property is dependent upon timely dissemination of warning and emergency information to citizens in threatened areas.”
With the potential threat of earthquakes, wildfires, and other local emergencies, the technology staff in Santa Clarita, CA has created a new text alert system. Simply text “SCEMERGENCY” to 41411 and you’re all set!
This weekend I had the pleasure of staying with Ira Machefsky of NumbersGuru fame. While discussing Flyscreen he just had to show me Chumby. Chumby kind of reminds me of a little always on streaming portable Internet pet. Or, essentially, its Widgets in a box.
The parallels between Flyscreen and Chumby are obvious, with Flyscreen essentially being Chumby on your phone, in your pocket.
Here is a quick Qik video of my first encounter with the product. It does a lot more then the video shows. I am just trying to figure out a use case.
While living in DC for 3.5 years I always felt tied to Verizon because they were the only carrier that worked in the Metro. But that is all about to change! Rep. Henry Waxman has introduced an amendment providing $1.5 billion upgrade funding package.
Within the next year, at least 20 Metro stations will accommodate multiple operator coverage. The remaining stations will be added over the next four years.
So, if you live and DC and find yourself often on the Metro, you can soon feel comfortable about switching carriers.
Who knows, maybe I will move back now that I know my new AT&T account will have better reach.
Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave (and in all honesty, why would you do that?), you’ve probably heard about Google’s mobile OS, Android.
Last week, the tech media world was on the edge of their seats as Google hosted a press conference to introduce the first Android-powered production unit, the T-Mobile G1, to the world. The announcement and demonstration of the device, by smartphone veteran HTC, had geeks all over the world watching, blogging and salivating.
The OS looks impressive, and much more polished than the hacked version ported over to current HTC devices we mentioned earlier. Initial impressions by the media are also overwhelmingly positive, and many bloggers are already comparing the UI to the Apple’s.
However, I wish I felt the same way about the aesthetics of the hardware.
I’ll be blunt, the G1 looks like its about a decade behind in design styling.
Granted, the G1 is only the first Android powered phone, however there are still a few things I think could have been done differently.
What keeps the G1 from being perfect:
Design. Since the release of the iPhone, consumers are more interested in sleek polished designs than ever before. HTC’s own recent models, such as the Touch Diamond, are considered sleek and sexy, so why did HTC release the G1 which looks like a remote control from the 80’s? Word on the street is because HTC has been developing their prototype model, the “Dream”, since Google announced the Open Handset Alliance and got HTC in on it. Supposedly, this design was considered “cool” when they came up with it, long before Apple’s iPhone was released. Instead of creating a whole new device, HTC just released the Dream as the G1, with its body design as-is.
Lack of standard audio jack. Ok, plenty of phones don’t have 3.5mm jacks, but at least the smaller headset 2.5mm jack is considered standard too. HTC used to embrace the 2.5mm stereo + mic standard (which allowed a plethora of standard adapters and headphones available), however later switched all their devices to a single multi-use proprietary USB jack. The G1 is no different, and although it includes headphones in the retail package, you’ll need to buy an HTC-to-3.5mm dongle adapter to use those fancy Sennheiser earbuds or connect to your home stereo. Apple got this one right: if you’re encouraging people to use their phones for media, use a standard plug.
Lack of stereo Bluetooth. Ok, if you’re not going to have a 3.5mm audio jack, at least include A2DP wireless stereo in the software stack. One of the things that still bugs me about the iPhone is that Apple still doesn’t consider wireless stereo important. Meanwhile, even the free-with-contract phones that have lousy music applications have this feature. Sure, its not as commonly used as it should be, but its something I personally use an awful lot which makes me wonder why Apple chose to leave it out as well. At least Apple included a standard headphone jack… HTC/Google, this is a bad move. The good news? Since Android is open source, this should be hopefully corrected soon.
Lack of MS Exchange support. Once again, something that could be corrected soon with some third party developments. However, many people use Exchange to keep all of their information in sync, and this must be recognized if you want to convert users from other platforms. The upside is that at least Google introduced their Apps sync (see below).
No Video Recording. This is something that people complained about lacking in the iPhone as well. Once again, open development community = new added features always being added, but this is just another thing that should have been included at launch.
Now, many of these missing features are software related, and due to the evolving nature of the Android product, I truly believe them to be temporary. However, the fact that they are missing means that its not ready for people who currently use Windows Mobile or Blackberry devices, and regularly use features such as Exchange sync and music playback.
Now, in its defense, here’s what Google did RIGHT:
Full Push Sync with Google Apps. Yes, what they lack in Exchange sync is made up for with a push/sync for the rest of us. If you use Google Apps (Gmail, Calendar, Contacts, etc), your Android phone will sync automatically with it. This is essentially what Apple tried to charge $99 a year for with MobileMe before that service was considered somewhat of a failure.
Multi-Tasking OS. Based on a Linux 2.6 core, the Android platform can run preemptive multitasking. Like the Windows Mobile platform (and unlike Apple, Blackberry, and Palm), this opens up many doors for developers to write software that operates unseen in the background, such as GPS paper-trailing and file-server apps, not to mention the obvious benefits of having multiple things open and running at once.
Open Source. Perhaps the biggest selling point of the platform is that they are not locking it down, and making all aspects of the system and SDK open and available to encourage new and amazing applications. Yes, open source mobile platforms already exist, but Google is the first to do it who has the marketing strength to really build a working development community out of it.
Personally, I’m excited for Android. Its got a lot of potential, a smooth user interface, and an open development community. I’m currently using Windows Mobile simply because it has a large development community and a wealth of 3rd party apps, but don’t care much for the UI. Apple clearly has the smoothest UI on the market, however its limitations and closed development model make it absolutely useless to me. Android could be that perfect blend of form and function…. but until it supports at least Exchange and A2DP, I’m not knocking on T-mobile’s door.
Honestly, ever since I saw Sprint on the Open Handset Alliance announced by Google, I had a feeling that they’d be the first with an Android powered handset. Sprint and T-mobile were the first 2 carriers I saw on the Alliance, and of the two, I figured Sprint has the best track record of getting new HTC phones first.
Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave (and in all honesty, why would you do that?), you’ve probably heard about Google’s mobile OS, 
