Samsung has announced a new handset, the Monte, that seems packed with social networking software. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Bebo, instant messaging, and even Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Latitude all have dedicated widgets, accessible through a Touch Wiz 2.0 Plus interface. For the more serious users, there’s also Exchange and Google Sync support.
The hard specs are a little ho-hum: 3” WQVGA LCD display and a 3.2 megapixel camera. Still, if you’re digging the sound of the device, the good man Eldar Murtazin has had some hands-on time with the Monte already. My Russian’s a bit rusty, but I think we all get the gist of it. Yeah, we’ll see this at Mobile World Congress next week, but I think Samsung’s biggest focus will be on their own operating system, Bada.
Verizon (NYSE: VZ) had announced the Motorola devour last week (after a long string of prereleasesneakpeeks) as a cheaper alternative to the droid. Rumour has it that Verizon’s Indirect Channel will be offering the devour to business customers starting February 25, and coming to the market at large on March 15 at the outer limit.
It’s entirely possible that the devour’s modest 3.1” 320 x 240 touch display and 3 megapixel camera don’t sell you on the phone immediately, but the motoblur social networking layer on top of Android, presumably low price point, and Megan Fox’s above endorsement from Super Bowl should be enough to at least pique some interest. The optical trackpad is also a nice addition that you won’t find on the droid.
Between the droid, Zeppelin, Backflip, cliq, and motoroi Motorola (NYSE: MOT) has been aggressively pumping out the Android handsets over the last couple of months, and if their Q3 and Q4 2009 results are any indication, it seems like Google (NSDQ: GOOG)’s mobile OS is the way to go for Moto to pull themselves out of the slump.
Google (NSDQ: GOOG) has begun publishing a series of videos that aim to show the design and creation of the Nexus One Android handset. The term “documenting” should be used loosely here, since it’s clear that there’s a high degree of marketing polish in this first video, but we do get a sufficient taste of the technology under the hood (namely the N1’s dual noise-cancelling microphones).
This first episode goes over the concept and design process for the Nexus One, offering insights into Google’s take on the external casing material, dock connectors (with a bit showing some unfamiliar docks), and the relationship between hardware and software. The second episode just recently went live, and explores the display further as well as the 3D framework. It has a neat explanation of AMOLED display, as well as implementing touch and the accelerometer, and how they relate to 3D modelling on the device.
I’d really like to Inside BlackBerry and other official manufacturer blogs doing this kind of thing in the future. If they can provide a legitimate behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a phone while keeping the marketing speil to a minimum, it instantly humanizes the company and makes the brand approachable by both consumers and us hardcore tech-heads. Head over to the Nexus One YouTube channel to catch the next couple of episodes as they come out. Testing, manufacturing, and launch day videos will be available over the next couple of days. Just steer clear of the “Web Meets Phone” launch video – I got sucked into watching it a couple of times, mostly because of the catchy music and underhanded jabs at iPhone. Hey, wind, you’re going to be selling the Nexus One soon, right?
Anyone remember the BlackBerry Application Suite, a project at RIM designed to replace Connect by emulating the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) operating system (and services) on other devices? Well, either some clever Chinese hackers have figured out a way to fake what looks like BlackBerry assets onto other phones, or BAS has actually moved to Nokia (NYSE: NOK) devices, shown here on both the E71 and 5700.
As we know it, BAS only worked with Windows Mobile, so making it to Symbian would be quite a big step in this project, at least as far catching up to the devices Connect supported goes. BAS has been in the works for upwards of three years now, with only the odd hint that it’s still alive. There’s a fair bit of controversy as to whether or not these videos are legit, but I think it’s even cooler if this actually isn’t a RIM-approved affair. There are plenty of good reasons to expect BAS is still kicking, though.
Most corporate grunts will take whatever phone is issued to them, but there are always a token few who insist on supporting their personal favourite, and barring the mass consumer demand for iPhone, that usually leaves the tech-heads who won’t let go of an uberfunctional Windows Mobile or Symbian devices. To be fair, there are bound to be sectors with particular solutions that are only available on WinMo or S60, and necessitate largish non-BlackBerry deployments. End-users aside, BAS does have appeal to mobile administrators who want to be able to control non-BlackBerry devices too, however few there may be in their particular rollout, and covering the Symbian base would be a pretty big part of BAS meeting that demand.
The Weather Channel is really doing all it can to promote its Android app. The company is currently running an on-air bar code (QR Code) that can be scanned by an Android-powered device for instant download of The Weather Channel App. As far as I know, this is the first broadcast outlet to do this (please correct me if I’m wrong!). The QR code appears at 20 after the hour following these shows: Day Planner, PM Edition and WeatherCenter late.
The Weather Channel app for Android is ranked as the number 1 weather app in the App Market, and it looks like TWC wants to keep it that way. For a look at how The Weather Channel is implementing the QR code, check out the video above.
The Nexus One in my pocket has just been blessed with Google (NSDQ: GOOG)’s software update, which enables multi-touch pinch zooming in the web browser, photo gallery, and Google Maps apps. The lack of multi-touch support on the Nexus One’s Android 2.1 OS is considered by many to be the biggest drawback that’s keeping the N1 from truly challenging the iPhone 3GS. But, now that Google is rolling out the N1 software update over the air, the multi-touch argument no longer holds water.
Which is the better smartphone? Well, here’s a little video demonstration of me multi-touching the N1 like it’s going out of style. Enjoy!
If you still don’t have the update, you can always follow our DIY tutorial to force update your Nexus One with the multi-touch pinch zooming update.
One of the biggest issues plaguing the gaming scene is how divided all of the major platforms are. Playstation 3 players can only interact and play with Playstation Network users, Xbox 360 players have Xbox LIVE, and the Wii…. well, let’s just not even get into the Wii’s online service. When it comes to mobile platforms, the rules of the console market don’t really apply since none of them have their proprietary service similar to what Sony & Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) have. Which is why I was surprised with how long it took for there to be games that can be played against other players cross-platform on mobile devices.
Mobile platform games developer Com2us recently shot a video showing how their game, Homerun Battle 3D, can be played on both the iPhone, as well as a phone running Android OS. In the video, two players are pitted against one another in a homerun derby. If you look at the top of each player’s screen, you’ll see a gauge indicating their progress against their opponent, which is proof enough that the game is indeed linked to the other. Hopefully cross-platform gaming is something other developers will pursue since the Android gaming market is just starting to take off.
WordPress, the definitive open source blogging platform, now has an app available for Android. It allows publishing across multiple blogs, moderating and notification of comments, editing of posts, tags, categories, pictures, and pages via mobile. There’s also a photo and “metadata” uploader built in; I wonder if that includes location data? Rumoured early last month, WordPress for Android joins iPhone and BlackBerry clients, and the wpToGo app will be discontinued. While the core app covers most of your main activity, it’s still only version 1.0 - extra stuff like excerpts and additional language support will likely come later down the line. You can download WordPress for Android right from the Market for free, or check out the WordPress for Android site for a closer look.
Star Trek fans will instantly recognize the stern-but-fair steely gaze of Patrick Stewart, better known as Captain Picard. As a part of a new PBS program called digital_nation, Stewart explains that he can’t distill parts of his life down to 140 characters, but still embraces the mobile lifestyle with the iPhone and mobile e-mail. As a gamer, I’m glad to hear he’s holding off on playing video games for fear of becoming horribly addicted. Right on. There’s a lot of other recognizable personality in the program, and they’re all available online, so check ‘em out.
