Best Phone Blog

Why is cloud to device such a powerful new feature? Microsoft was actually the first to show off this function. They demonstrated playing a game on a Windows Phone 7 handset, assuming that a person playing the game comes home, one can instantly transfer the running game state from the handset to a Windows computer.

Now let us say that the person wants to sit in the living room, the game can then be transferred straight to an Xbox 360 console. Lastly, to form a whole circle, assume that the player now needs to go out, they can once again transfer the running game into their mobile device and be on their way.

After today’s I/O presentation, Google has shown that their Android can do the same. Of course, critics might say that Microsoft has Windows and more importantly, the Xbox 360. While it is arguable that Google is planning to match Windows for desktop with their Chrome operating system, Google has no console system of their own.

What people are missing is the fact that they are already working on a Google TV –and more importantly, they are working with Intel and Sony (yes, Sony, the same Japanese company that made the Playstation 3). It has already been shown that Linux can run on the PS3, and while the function may have been removed, it is not unlikely that the console would be given an Android or Chrome add-on in the future.

With Microsoft being a competitor for both Google and Sony, the possibility is always there.

The big question is not whether the technology is possible. The real concern is whether people really need this. Right now, the function sees use in eBook reading apps and games; it will be a while before this technology is adapted to support document editing and other computing functions.

The new OS from Google is the 2.2 Froyo (for frozen yogurt). If you have not guessed it by now, the naming convention of Google makes use of alphabetically arranged sweets starting with the 1.5 Cupcake, 1.6 Donut, and the 2.0/2.1 Éclair.

So what is new with the Frozen Yogurt version? This latest Google OS is the first that will come with native Flash support in the system. As many smart phone users already know, there is a lack of support for web Flash content on most of Apple’s devices. This has made Adobe a prime commodity after Apple outright banned the use Adobe’s Flash Professional CS5 for the development of apps. Steve Jobs also gave some scathing remarks in regards to Adobe and Flash –further widening the gap between the two companies.

After this, there have been many who has questioned the wisdom of using flash in this day and age where HTML5 is proving the be the next big thing of the internet. What many have failed to realize is that a large percentage of web content still uses Flash and plenty of owners and developers have little to no plans of converting to HTML5 anytime soon. And this is why the new Android’s Flash support is very important and impressive, site such as YouTube heavily make use of Flash elements.

Aside from getting access to Flash content, it appears that the new OS will also be getting another new feature –tethering. It may seem odd that Google would add in this feature, but being able to use a mobile phone as a USB dongle is a big convenience that many users would appreciate. While it has not been confirmed if network operators would be able to influence the way the tethering is used, many believe that it will be a completely independent function.

Google just loves April Fools. From the guys that came up with the Brain Search system which lets you place your mobile phone on your forehead to predict just what question you are thinking of to solving love problems with Google Romance.

The list just goes on and on about how many times Google has tried to make you laugh out loud. As it turns out, they have been preparing a surprise for Android fans worldwide with their April Fool’s Day app with a very live download link simply called the “Translate for Animals”.

Now what it does is pretty straightforward. You record your chosen animal’s voice, record it into your Android (version 1.6 and higher only though) mobile phone, click on the button to have it processed and checked against all the pre-translated noises and voices and the app will display a translation of what your animal pal said.

The application is able to recognize common phrases that are usually said by species such as cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, donkeys, chickens, sheep, tortoises, hamsters, birds and horses. As a tip, Google says it is better to translate animals that are higher in the food chain if you want a more stimulating conversation.

“Pro Tip: As a general rule the higher up in the food chain an animal is, the better a communicator it will be. So if you are after quick witted banter it’s best to select cats and dogs rather than rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs.”

According to the official webpage, Google had some help from experts on animal cognitive linguistics and the folks at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Well, of course, with results coming from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, how can you go wrong?

Download this insanely funny app for free today at the Android Market and you will never have to guess what your dog thinks of your sweater color.

See the demo video at Engadget.