Best Phone Blog

According to Gary Marshall of Tech Radar, “maybe Steve (Jobs) should blog”.

The man has a point, not that Steve Jobs needs to start blogging sometime soon (though that would work too), but that Apple needs to change the way it interacts with the world.

Sure, they make decent enough products to become one of the largest developer-manufacturers in the world, but that does not mean that the world likes them. Steve Jobs has personally earned a reputation in the industry as the cranky old man who has a distorted view of reality, and the folks at Cupertino under him are not falling far from the Apple tree (and yes, pun intended).

They even went as far as telling the world that they forgo having PR, which is why they take things to a personal level –which is outright unprofessional and bad for their company. They have the option of taking things personally, but that does not mean they can lash out in the very same way.

It would be silly to believe that they have taken 22 days tackling the iPhone 4’s antenna issue and have only come up with such a crude solution. While a free iPhone case has been on the list of solutions early on, it is not something that a company that considers itself a rival to Microsoft and Google would waste so much time on.

There is no excuse that is acceptable at this point. While users will certainly appreciate a full refund, this does not bode well for those avid Apple supporters who have been hoping to use the iPhone 4. These people have remained loyal users to the Cupertino based company, and are willing to stick it out even with a faulty smart phone, and the best that Apple can do is a cheap free case (not even the slightly better looking iPhone bumper).

There are simply times when being content with today’s technology is not enough to fascinate the mind. Despite all the already impressive and innovative products and services that are already available, we all cannot help but look forward to what else may come in the future.

As interesting as the exercise may be, Google UK’s head, Matt Brittin, believe that there should be a line between fantasizing and predicting, because according to him, anyone who tries to predict the industry trend beyond the scope of a year is going to be “dramatically wrong”.

The man has a point, looking back on the past year alone, Apple has managed to come out with a tablet, a smart phone that sold over 1.7 million units despite having a major defect and have created an empire based on their iBrand alone. Google has also had its share of major milestones with the release of the new Google Android updates and of course, their very own phone. In between all of these are the birth of Street View, the adaptation of augmented reality by many phones and several other innovative achievements.

But one that Matt has not trouble predicting is the trend of using mobile phones to access the internet. They are small, compact, easy-to-use and are always available. Unlike the desktop computer or even a netbook that has to be set down before using, a smart phone is ready any time of the day –provided that the user is in a location with a good WiFi or 3G signal.

Each year, the number of people using desktop computers for accessing the web is decreasing. Even front end web designers are starting to see the trends and the need to establish new website layouts that fit in the smaller resolution screens of mobile phones (as well as sites that have smaller loading times and less bandwidth consumption) are becoming the next big thing.

Ever since the next little green robot was given a name (Gingerbread), rumor mongers have been quite active in spreading “news” about it. The Google Android 3.0 operating system was said to have been developed for next generation smart phones and, as such, will not be compatible with any of the ‘Droid devices available at present.

The rumors circulating stated that the Gingerbread had a screen resolution requirement (1280 x 760 to be exact) and will not be compatible with some screen sizes. It also entailed a mobile phone to have a next gen processor, which is at least 1 GHz, in order to run the resource heavy platform.

Due to the steep minimum specs rumored to be needed by the device, the 3.0 version would split the Google Android family of devices in half. Those who would run the 3.0 would be the high end devices while those that would be upgradeable to a 2.2 would be in the cheap or mass market mobile phone category. And from the rumors being circulated, it appeared that the HTC Desire and Google’s own Nexus One would fall into the latter category. Lastly, Gingerbread is due to be released mid-October this year.

As to why these were given to the public as news, nobody knows. Perhaps this was just a trend prediction gone awry, or maybe it is just an innocent comment that happened to reach the ears of Google execs. At any rate, Google lead for Android Open Source and Compatibility Technology, Dan Morrillhas, had to dispel the rumors through his Tweet:

“I love it when people just make stuff up and report it as news. In summary, please remember that rumors are not official announcements. .”

So if you currently own a Nexus One, you will probably be able to update your ‘Droid to version 3.0 without problems in the future. If you want to know what makes Gingerbread worth all the fuss, just feast your eyes on version 2.2.

If the HTC Desire looks and seems like a Smarpthone you’ve already seen before, it’s because it actually is. The newest Smartphone from HTC is actually a revamped model of the HTC Google Nexus One which saw its release in January of this year. The only difference between the two is that the Desire has been blessed with the immaculate Sense user interface. In this regard, the Desire definitely makes more sense than its Nexus counterpart. Forgive the play on words. We just couldn’t resist it.

Mirror Image

One of the reasons why the Nexus One was so impressive was because of its sizable high resolution touch screen display. At 3.7” and with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, it remains to be one of the baddest in the business. The same holds true for the HTC Desire which has the exact same AMOLED capacitive touch screen. The dimensions of the two are almost exactly the same as is their weight – a virtual mirror image.

More of the Same

In terms of their features, it’s more of the same for the HTC Desire and the Nexus One. Voice and data connectivity options are similar and so are their built-in cameras which are both at 5-Megapixels. An expandable external memory of 32GB, a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and an A-GPS-capable GPS receiver are some of the other prominent features shared by these two Smartphones, and they’re definitely impressive features, especially considering how reasonable the HTC Desire deals are.

Sensing a Difference

While both handsets have the famed Android OS on board (both have the Eclair), what allows the HTC Desire to stand out is its Sense UI. The proprietary HTC user interface enhances the already impressive Google mobile OS as it integrates a lot of new features on the Desire. One of the shortcomings of the Nexus One was its lack of widget and application power. With the Desire, all these criticism can be thrown out of the window.

The First ELSE originally popped out late last year at a time when the Android 2.0 Éclair was still an exclusive Motorola model and nobody had an idea what the new Windows Phone 7 mobile platform would look like. It was shown off in a period that nobody could confirm if Google was indeed making their own mobile phone and whether Apple would be coming out with a new OS.

At that time, Emblaze was pushing for design innovation when it came to user interfaces. Since the advent of the Apple iPhone OS, most designs for the UI were limited in style and function, relying heavily on the desktop established “click an icon” control system. Emblaze’s First ELSE strived to be something more.

The one finger control system might sound gimmicky, but from the demonstration videos and the hands on example that the OS showed off at the Mobile World Congress was more than enough to convince tech fans that this new user interface just might work. Add in the fact that it looks incredibly stylish and futuristic and we all knew that when the First ELSE comes out, it will have a cult following.

With giants such as the Android and iPhone OS already dominating the field, carving out a niche is already a huge feat.

However, due to financial troubles, Emblaze has announced that it will be cancelling the production and development of the First ELSE. Reasons cited for the action mostly focused on the fact that the company needed to re-allocate the funds in order to stay stabilized. Many believe that taking down ELSE is a bad move –that Emblaze is risking the loss of a potentially marketable product.

It has been revealed that the ELSE UI might be sold to other developers and manufacturers, so it is possible that other incarnations of the technology might appear in other devices in the future.

Our society today is using more smart phones than even before and as each day passes, the more we grow dependent on the technology –and for good reason too. Smart phones are no longer the simple communication tools that the first mobile handsets were. They can do so much more now –businesses rely on enterprise devices for their employees on the field and people in general consider the smart phone as an all in one device.

And by all in one, the smart phone serves as a media player, digital camera, internet and email access device, and of course, as a mobile phone.

Google’s Eric Schmidt believes that the future of the world relies heavily on the information and convenience that the internet provides. And while the web was first made accessible through computers, it is hard to deny the fact that accessing cyberspace through portable devices is much more logical. Information, anywhere, anytime –this is probably some of the key factors that Google considers when creating new technologies for users.

The Google augmented reality feature, Google Goggles. It turns search into a visual experience and provides users with instant, real time data and information about the things they see around them.

Cheaper devices are also making the internet more accessible to people too. As technology progresses, many of the once high end devices are now made more affordable (and partially obsolete) with all the new models being released. This means that more people will get to go online and as this continues being connected to the web will become a given standard.

Of course, the fact that wireless LAN and 3G technology keeps improving is also an important factor. Having a decent mobile phone is one thing, but having a reliable network also matters a lot for smart phone users.

The new Android 2.2 Froyo update is now available for the Google Nexus One smart phone. Thankfully, since Vodafone is now directly selling the device, the Nexus One is easy to obtain –as opposed to having to order the handset at the Google Online Store.

Anyway, the Nexus One is touch screen smart phone with a 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive display. The screen response time (and refresh rates) is excellent and the touch controls are accurate. Of course, it certainly helps having a 1 GHz Snapdragon CPU running inside this device. The phone also features advanced voice recognition capabilities as well as speech to text options (thanks mostly to the new voice filtering hardware on the device).

Of course, the big headline here is not the phone (most of us are already familiar with the very first Google branded handset by now), but rather, the new Froyo update. As expected, the Nexus One is first to get the update, though it is expected that other Android devices will also be updated in a matter of time.

Froyo stands for frozen yogurt –as goes Google’s naming trend for the Android OS since 1.5 Cupcake, which was followed by 1.6 Donut, then later 2.0 Éclair. The next OS update after Froyo is expected to be version 3.0 Gingerbread. The new update features plenty of new options such as the ability to view and read Flash content as well as AIR.

Version 2.2 Froyo also allows using the handset (well, some handsets anyway) as a tether for your laptop or other device. Another new function is the ability to just download content –especially media into your phone directly by going online. No need for a computer or Android software to transfer and sync the files –a major addition which iPhone users have been waiting for. Now Google has decided to sell through thirdy party retailers it is possible to pick up Nexus One deals through Vodafone without going through the Google store.

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.

It seems that the new NVIDIA Tegra might be the hardware of choice for the next Android smart phones. It has already been revealed that NVIDIA technology is being used in the Android tablet that was shown off at the Web 2.0 Expo. This is why it would not be surprising to know that the tablet was already packed with the Tegra.

The Tegra is more than just a CPU; it is an all in one system (or as NVIDIA calls it, a system on a chip). This hardware combines an ARM architecture CPU with a GPU, Southbridge, a memory controller and Northbridge.

This places the next generation Android smart phones with a technological advantage over many other handsets. With the competition between Google and Apple reaching new heights, it is not surprising that the Android developer has been heavily focusing on not only improving its mobile platform (with the recent new improvements to search, inclusion of Flash and more), but they are now also working on improving the hardware use in Android devices.

Speaking of Android add-ons, the Google Goggles augmented reality application has been improved recently to include the ability to scan foreign languages and translate the text into English content. This is very useful especially for reading languages that are written in special characters that cannot be written manually with a standard keyboard.

It has also been confirmed that the next Android OS, version 2.2 Froyo, will have native support for Flash. As recently announced, Google and Adobe have been teaming up after Apple forced developers to stop using the Adobe Flash Professional CS5 software for developing iPhone apps.

Back to the tablet at the Web 2.0 Expo, the device pretty much shows off what makes the Android the amazing OS that it is now and also, a preview into the new features that will be included –namely the NVIDIA hardware and the implementation of Flash support.

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.