Android gPhone News Tips Opinions & Advice
Android News
Driving can be one of life’s finest frustrations. Getting lost, encountering traffic, and not being able to find exactly what your looking for are all stresses that make driving, especially in an unknown area, such an unpleasant experience. Thankfully, through the power of Android, drivers can download several applications that can curb these stresses and make driving a more pleasant experience. So without further adieu, here are four must have free android apps for the next time you hit the road.
Waze is a sweet social mobile application that enables drivers to build and use live maps and real-time traffic updates for an optimized commute. When you use Waze, not only do you get access to constantly updated driving maps and turn-by-turn directions, but you also receive live road condition reports from other users in the area.
On top of getting the best route to your destination, you can also find out about road annoyances such as traffic, hazards, road construction and even police traps before you’ve left your driveway. Ultimately, by using Waze, you will be able to save time, fuel and much of the frustration that comes with day-to-day commuting.
Waze looks like it could be one of the most interesting and useful applications that have surfaced in a long time.
Of course, since it is 100% powered by users, it will only gain value as more and more people start using it.
This app clearly has a lot of potential and I hope it catches on for the sake of my daily commute.
Obviously many people are familiar with Google Maps but did you know that Google released an updated version for Android with a few new cool features? Aside from a new and improved UI, Google Maps 3.1 now includes the option to search anything through voice recognition.
Additionally, using this new version of Google Maps, you will be able to see ratings & reviews straight from Google Maps Mobile whereas previously this information was only available on the web.
Other cool new features to Google Maps 3.1 are options for directions using either public transportation or simply by walking. As you would expect from Google, it has public transportation coverage for almost every major city in the US.
As of now, this updated version of Google Maps will not come automatically to your Android phone. You must visit the Android Market and download it manually.
Driving to an unfamiliar destination? If so, be sure to have this useful app handy.
Where allows you to find everyday needs that are in their proximity at the click of a button. Need a coffee? Click the Starbucks button. Low on gas? Click the gas button. Simple as that.
If you are looking for a specific business or restaurant, you can simply type it into the free text box and Where will locate it for you using the Yellow Pages directory. Another option is to search within the Yelp directory, which contains reviews from other Yelpers.
In addition, Where provides you with news that is relevant to your proximity including whether and traffic reports. You can even ask advice about anything from locals living in the area by posting a message on their Where walls, a nice social feature. Overall Where is an easy app that can help you adapt quickly in unfamiliar places.
Being in a new place can be a lot less fun if you haven’t a clue about good restaurants or bars to check out.
Fortunately the Zagat nru application can direct you to some well recommended restaurants, nightspots and shopping.
Being free, it beats buying a Zagat book or becoming a Zagat member.
The Zagat nru application has a cool UI shaped like a compass where Zagat-rated places appear with their direction and distance from your current location.
Reviews of a specific Zagat locale and maps of its location can be found by clicking on any of the results within the Zagat compass.
For some, you can even reserve a table right from your mobile.
The recent announcements of the expected myTouch 3G – aka The G2 for the United States – and the Hero – effectively a G2.5 – the most interesting is the new HTC Android UI called Sense.
HTC Sense is a new User Interface for Android from HTC which was previously called Rosie and originated from TouchFlo.
Sense is graphically impressive along with being relatively simple thus making “sense” as it provides:
This last item is the MOST interesting in my view as its what most people have been clamoring for and makes for a true counterweight over the iPhone.
Processing power and depth of RAM is key for FLASH since its a huge drain of resources and why its taken so long to be ported effectively to mobile devices.
One of the hopes conveyed at Google I/O is that the advancement of HTML5 will remove the need for the processing burden of FLASH, Silverlight, & Flash FX for a full web experience.
Now, in my opinion, the best mobile web experience is enhanced by the 2 new Android phones recently announced – The myTouch 3G & Hero.
For clarity the myTouch 3G is just another name for the 2nd generation Android phone which also has other names:
Its like a Mattress store calling the same thing different names so its tough to compare prices from store to store.
The Hero is essentially a prettied up G1 minus the keyboard while the myTouch 3G is a smaller rounder device.
The myTouch 3G is nearly an ounce lighter than the Hero, while the Hero has a 3.5mm audio jack and nearly 2 megapixels higher camera along with its HTC Sense Android UI.
Under the hood they both have the same Qualcomm MSM7200A 528 MHz processor, 512 ROM, 288 RAM, and essentially the same battery of approximately 1350 mAh.
I questioned HTC why these phones have a MSM7200A processor which seems like a downgrade from the MSM7201A processor on the G1 – I was simply told there is no noticeable performance difference but not properly explained why the name change.
So HTC Sense makes “sense” on post G1 devices while as Android Engineers feared the G1 with its 256 ROM & 192 RAM will struggle.
In the end my “sense” is that for FLASH to be in a true usable state with Android the processing power NEEDS to be further advanced and increasing the RAM to at least 1GB.
I will be speaking on Android at the first San Diego Google Technology User Group (GTUG).
The San Diego GUTG will be meeting at GoCipher on 8929C Complex Drive in San Diego, Ca at 6:30PM Wednesday July 1st.
Sam Afifi organized this MeetUp and asked me to speak on Android similar to what I did at SMX Advanced as well share what was learned at the recent Google IO.
A Google Technology User Group is for people to get together and learn about Google’s developer technology – basically the viral means of transferring the knowledge gained from those at the Google IO Developer Conference.
Currently there are approximately 40 GTUGs almost half of them in the United States including such cities as Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Philadelphia, & Silicon Valley.
I have held my latest thoughts on the Android developments of the past week with the HTC Hero being introduced as well the very compelling Android UI HTC Sense with its FLASH support until after this MeetUp.
I will then post a cumulative opinion along with some under the radar information on what this will mean for Android and its users this week just after speaking at this GTUG.
If in the area I hope to see you at this first ever San Diego Google Technology User Group.
WebProNews recently posted the interview they did with me at SMX Advanced in Seattle after a panel I spoke on about Android.
In the interview I talked about Google I/O with the Ion phone giveaway and made reference to Michael Gray at GrayWolf who kicked off the argument that this was a paid link violation of Google’s SEO guidelines.
I respect Apple and what the iPhone has accomplished but I did state Apple is basically fighting the same war as it did with the PC back in the 1980s.
I feel the result won’t be seen until 2010 but it will be closely mirror what happened with the Mac as approximately 20 Android phones will enter the market by the end of 2009 to the one iPhone 3GS.
I then touched on how to effectively market the growing and very targeted mobile market as well the growth of Appvertising.
Being the SEO Director of Project Management at Internet Marketing Inc I had to make mention of the company’s entertaining weekly All Thing Online – ATO Videos with Yashar Ahmadpour & Ceci Hawkins. I had the obvious “brain fart” saying its All Things Internet.
In conclusion GoogleAndBlog was mentioned and then using the information from this people are welcome to use a nearby trash to deposit their iPhone and pick up an Android phone.
You can see the interview below – does take a while to load – or go to WebProNews.
I would like to thank SEOMoz for the Link Juice I was chronically drinking during the interview as well Kate Morris of Marketing Demons for the shirt to wear on an unseasonably warm dry Seattle day.
Still fresh from the love Android has received from the free Ion phone giveaway at Google I/O in May – this summer looks to be promising for Android.
The hope is to finally put to rest the murmurs of doom and of Android’s ultimate failure.
With one week before the 2009 Summer Solstice I am offering the following Android predictions:
Andy Rubin, founder of Android, stated there will be at least 18 Android phones released in 2009. I believe at least 5 Android phone will debut in the summer with the brunt of the remainder coming out before the Holidays.
There is already a flood of illegal Android phones in China which will continue to proliferate in the patent ignorant land as this Summer China Mobile will offer its first official Android phone with more to come.
The Android Market will get a much needed overhaul in both presentation and usability. A more refined search and sorting is needed along with expanded categorization. It should get an Amazon like “would you like this” based on apps you already have and are searching for. Also some sort of improved web interface to break the reliance on checking apps outside your phone at Cyrket.
I believe Android more so than with the iPhone provides developers better chances at making money with Appvertising than outright sales. This Summer should see some intelligent ways to effectively advertise within applications that are not distracting while being useful and providing a reasonable CPM to the developer. Brands will further focus on Android paying developers to create interesting apps that have some use while promoting their brand such as Audi & Burger King.
Donut, The follow-up update to the CupCake 1.5 Android release, should at least be aiming to be completed by August 3rd, 2009. Why? The HTC Lancaster, the first Android phone for AT&T, is tentatively scheduled to debut on August 3rd. Whats important about this is that it has a QVGA 240 x 320 resolution screen vs the HVGA 320 x 480 resolution on the G1 & Magic. QVGA is ONLY supported in the upcoming Donut release as all versions prior just support HVGA.
I believe the iPhone 3GS will outsell the myTouch 3G (Magic) from T-Mobile once both are released in the US this Summer, but it will be competitive. I am still trying to get used to not having the G1 keyboard on the Ion phone which is similar to the upcoming myTouch 3G, but the vastly improved design and battery life more than makes up for this in my opinion. I don’t think any one Android device will outsell the iPhone but it will be multiple Android devices together that will dominate.
The iPhone is falling into the same trap of the PC wars as Apple will lag again in processor speed and innovation. Apple has locked itself in as the only developer of processors for the iPhone while Android has been using Qualcomm MSM chips, importantly and almost quietly it has been expanded to MIPS. This opens up Android to a wide variety of processors such as Godson, Tegra, Snapdragon, among others. These processors not only expand the speed of Android but are extremely battery efficient and robust to handle FLASH.
Speaking with Android engineers at Google I/O FLASH working with Android looked grim. Adobe has promised FLASH will work with Android by the end of 2009, but I don’t see it happening within the Summer.
Most of the major Android sites communicate with each other and I see the ones that fully embrace this persevering for the benefit of their readers and the Android community. Taylor Wimberly of AndroidAndMe, Scott Webster of AndroidGuys, Rob Jackson of Phandroid, & Antonio Wells of AndroidTapp among others exemplify this in my opinion.
GAB reader Kimberly asked me a great question the other week as to when GoogleAndBlog will get an Android widget. I hope to have one out by the end of the Summer and anyone that can assist me on this would be appreciated and of course given full credit citation.
What are your predictions or counter arguments to mine above? Enter them into the Comments
On Google And Blog I will be GABbing about my thoughts on the latest Google Android updates and news as well ways people can get the most out of their gPhone rather than sbloging about the same news posted elsewhere.
Google And Blog is an approved source for Android on Google News and contributor to AndroidGuys while also being oft cited by various popular technical news sources such as TechCrunch & Gizmodo.
Weekends I allow guest blog posts to share other views and opinions of Android and the gPhones that use it - so contact me with your ideas in the contact form below and start GABbing.
,Michael Martin
Loading ...