Droid, the phone that finally lets me cancel my iPhone — here’s why

Droid, the phone that finally lets me cancel my iPhone — here’s why

A new phone called Droid is about to hit the market at the end of October, and it will likely have the glitz and power to bury the iPhone.

So I’m canceling my iPhone contract today. I’ll smugly wait out the rest of the month without… Continue Reading

Android’s search gets a lot richer than the iPhone’s

Android’s search gets a lot richer than the iPhone’s

If there’s one area where Google’s Android platform should blow Apple’s iPhone completely out of the water, it’s search.

So Google’s aiming to do just that with the Quick Search Box it released today for Android-based phones. It combines web search with search inside your phone…. Continue Reading

From CTIA: The rise of open mobile (and congratulations Android team)

From CTIA: The rise of open mobile (and congratulations Android team)

[Richard Wong, a venture capitalist with Accel Partners, submitted this piece to VentureBeat.]

Mobile has never been hotter with the iPhone, Android,  the explosion in mobile advertising, and the rise of mobile apps, but, you’d never know it walking around the mobile conference called CTIA, held… Continue Reading

Augmented reality meets scavenger hunt with GeoBeagle, Wikitude

Augmented reality meets scavenger hunt with GeoBeagle, Wikitude

Geocaching, an outdoor game where players use GPS on mobile devices to leave or track down hidden packages, may be about to get a bit easier.

Instead of relying on GPS coordinates and written clues to find packages, players can see visual markers on an Android… Continue Reading

Nokia and Symbian: Forget about Android, it’s all about Cutey (Qt)

Nokia and Symbian: Forget about Android, it’s all about Cutey (Qt)

Nokia, the world’s largest phone handset maker, is denying reports stemming from “industry insiders” that it is developing a smartphone that runs on Google’s Android software. Nokia said, “everyone knows that Symbian is our preferred platform for advanced mobile devices.”

However, the truth may be more… Continue Reading

Samsung I7500 has iPhone-like keyboard, Android software

Samsung I7500 has iPhone-like keyboard, Android software

An Android phone without a hardware keyboard, Samsung’s I75500 also sports a five megapixel camera. Yet its winning feature may not be the keyboard, but Android’s live folders, which let phone apps fill your phone with data in the background so you can access it… Continue Reading

Google geeks shaking with excitement over this week’s Android surprise

Google geeks shaking with excitement over this week’s Android surprise

Arrogance isn’t a word you would use to describe Andy Rubin and his team of engineers who build Google’s Android software for mobile phones. Rubin, who developed handheld gadgets for Apple and Danger before Google beamed him aboard, isn’t one to call his own work revolutionary.

Until… Continue Reading

Panasonic: Open-source smartphones are the future

Panasonic: Open-source smartphones are the future

“The global market for smartphones based on open source platforms including Android will reach 100 million units in three years.” That’s the claim made by Panasonic’s director of mobile terminal business, Keisuke Ishii, at a press conference on Thursday.

A hundred million units is a lot…. Continue Reading

BlackBerry apps four times as pricey as iPhone, Android software

BlackBerry apps four times as pricey as iPhone, Android software

BlackBerry users pay more for their apps. Lots more. That’s the finding of a new report from Skyhook Wireless, maker of location-based service software. Skyhook’s study found that BlackBerry apps average around $12 each, compared to the popular $2.99 price for an iPhone app and… Continue Reading

Android attack continues: Skytone Netbook to cost $250, Samsung i7500 confirmed

Android attack continues: Skytone Netbook to cost $250, Samsung i7500 confirmed

Everyone has been waiting for the wave of Google Android-based phones and devices to arrive, and here they come.

This week, we’ll see the second Android phone, the G2, launch in Germany.

Now we’re getting news that a bunch of other Android devices will hit the market… Continue Reading

An FAQ about those Android netbooks

An FAQ about those Android netbooks

Since our post yesterday about Google’s Android platform running on netbooks, we’ve been asked a lot of questions. Here are the most frequent questions, along with our answers.

Do you think Android could run on laptops or PCs?

The simple answer is “yes, with an asterisk.” The… Continue Reading

Android netbooks on their way, likely by 2010

Android netbooks on their way, likely by 2010

[Update: Since posting this story, we've had a lot of inquiries from readers, with questions ranging from whether Android is ready for laptops and full-scale PCs, why Android can't rely fully on Linux, and so on. See our follow-up Android FAQ post.]

The image above shows… Continue Reading

Android roundup: Google’s web-wide plan, Ericsson to join OHA?, and more

Android roundup: Google’s web-wide plan, Ericsson to join OHA?, and more

The hype is continuing to build as Android’s launch looms next month. Here’s the latest:

Google wants there to be more internet on more devices — Google’s strategy is becoming clearer as more details emerge. The single best way to reach mobile users today is by serving… Continue Reading

Google’s Android phone, the HTC Dream, is apparently approved by FCC — Nov. 10 is the latest release date

Google’s Android phone, the HTC Dream, is apparently approved by FCC — Nov. 10 is the latest release date

Updated

The Federal Communications Commission has approved the much anticipated Google Android phone, and documents suggest a release date of about Nov. 10 at the latest.

That’s because in the document, the manufacturer of the phone, HTC, requests the Commission grant it a short-term confidentiality request on… Continue Reading

Google challenge winners give Android thumbs-up

Google challenge winners give Android thumbs-up

updated

Two weeks ago Google announced the first-round winners of its two-round Android Developer Challenge (ADC). The contest, which is promising a total of $10 million in prize money, is intended to entice developers to come up with exciting new applications for the company’s mobile Internet… Continue Reading

The Danger-ous IPO?

The Danger-ous IPO?

Danger, the company that builds software for the “Sidekick” and other mobile devices, has filed an initial public offering after years waiting hungrily for three years to make such a move.

However, the Palo Alto, Calif., company lives under a big shadow emanating from Mountain View’s… Continue Reading

Android, open-source mobile developer platform, gives developers an early look

Android, open-source mobile developer platform, gives developers an early look

The Google-led Open Handset Alliance, the industry consortium developing an open-source mobile developer platform called Android, is now providing developers with an early look at its software development kit (or SDK).

And to spur development, Google is also creating a $10 million fund for promising new… Continue Reading

Whatsopen.com: More details on the secretive local search company

Whatsopen.com: More details on the secretive local search company

Whatsopen.com, the secretive mobile local search company that lets you find local businesses and user generated reviews, isn’t just going to offer its service on Google’s Android mobile phone system.

It will let users search reviews from Facebook and other social networks that provide open access… Continue Reading