|
|
Amazon’s book software on Google OS phones
Amazon has just brought its Kindle book reader application to the Android Market place, free of charge for everyone to use with a handset running that OS. This software now offers the same functionality as their hardware version of the Kindle eBook reader only on a mobile phone instead, saving the need to carry around two devices at all times.
The application on Android now joins other mobile devices such as the Blackberry, iPad, iPhone and the Apple iTouch. Android users now have the same access to 620,000 books on Amazon for the Kindle, where they can even download the first chapter for free before deciding to buy the book.
As with the other mobile phones and devices, the software uses the colour screen of the handset, where traditionally the Kindle hardware readers use a monochrome screen that doesn’t offer the same reading experience.
Android Kindle users operate the software in the much the same way as the hardware reader, where their own Amazon account is used for buying the book over the air where it’s delivered the same way within seconds.
Visit Amazon’s Android Kindle website for more information, or download the app from the Android Market.
New Android versions for Hero and Nexus 
HTC has begun to roll out updates to their handsets running the Google OS, these are on the HTC Hero and the HTC phone made for Google – the Nexus One. These firmware updates bring the mobile phones up to Android 2.1 and also ‘Froyo’, or version 2.2 on the Nexus.
The HTC Hero initially shipped with version 1.5 of Android, where the Over The Air update will bring the current version of 2.1 to the device. However, the update only appears to be for unlocked or SIM free handsets at present, with the individual mobile phone networks rolling out the new Android version over the next few weeks.
HTC’s mobile phone made for the Internet search engine giant Google will be the first mobile to be updated to the very latest 2.2 ‘Froyo’ version of Android. The Google Nexus One will also receive an Over The Air update message, although running the update over WIFI would be preferable due to the firmware’s size just as it would be with the Hero.
Other HTC handsets such as the Legend, Desire and Wildfire are due to receive the 2.2 update at the start of July we’ve been informed, with the HTC Sense overlay to Android being credited for the slight delay as it’s heavily wrapped around Android.
Google
MeeGo to be run on Nokia flagship handsets 
Nokia has made public it will stop deploying Symbian on its N Series handsets, instead the Finish phone makers will be using MeeGo as the main platform for their flagship mobiles. MeeGo is the joint operating system venture by Nokia and Intel, by the merging of their two Linux platforms of Maemo and Moblin, respectively.
The last flagship Nokia mobile phone that could be running Symbian^3 may be their upcoming Nokia N8, where the last MeeGo or Maemo derivative handset was their N900 tablet, unveiled at Nokia World last September.
At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year Nokia and Intel jointly announced MeeGo, where they are expecting the OS to be used across phones, netbooks and tablets such as the N900.
Nokia’s Symbian^3 N8 is due out in the next few months, where the 3.5-inch touch screen Nokia N8 will feature a 12 megapixel camera that is capable of HD video recording. Symbian is still expected to be used by Nokia, but only on their mid-tier ranges downwards with their flagship handsets now only running MeeGo.
Link
PC maker’s Android Tablet device is now available without a contract
Dell’s much-acclaimed Android tablet has just gone on sale unlocked and SIM free via the company’s own website, free from the shackles of a contract at £449. Previously the device was exclusive to O2 and the Carphone Warehouse, where now the Android tablet is available to all and sundry.
The Dell Streak is a 5-inch multi-touch screen Android tablet, running from a fast 1Ghz Qualcomm SnapDragon processor with a bundled in 16GB microSD card, along with a 5MP camera accompanied by an accelerometer, GPS, WIFI and Bluetooth.
It’s currently running the latest version of the Google OS, with plans to have version 2.2 of Android on the device soon with the added benefits of Adobe Flash 10.1. O2 does have the Streak without a contract on a pay as you go deal at £399, only it’s still tied to the network where Dell’s own offering isn’t bound in such a way.
We’re due to be seeing the Dell Streak for a review soon, so we’ll keep you posted as to our own thoughts on the Android Tablet.
DELL
As we entered the week, it was obvious Apple would dominate the headlines with the release of the iPhone 4 on Thursday, with column inches being gained each and every day by various networks baying for the public’s attention from Monday onwards.
Orange announced via Twitter on Monday it will be providing a SIM adaptor for its network enabled iPhone 4, allowing the smaller micro-SIM card that now accompanies the iPhone 4 to be used elsewhere. This effectively means if the iPhone 4 has been damaged, or if contacts on existing phones are needed, they can be easily copied over to the SIM card effortlessly as the smaller SIM can now be used in other phones.
Still on Monday, Apple made public the same version of the Apple iPhone 4 operating system, known as iOS 4, could be downloaded from iTunes and installed on older models of their phones, in addition to iPod Touch devices. This new version replaces 3.1.3 on current devices and brought a whole new set of features to the iPhone 3G and 3GS, along with iPod Touch 2nd and 3rd generation of devices.
These features ranged from the much awaited multitasking ability, new camera enhancements, better spell checking and a unified inbox - where one single inbox can hold multiple email addresses that simplify many aspects of emailing.
—————————————————————————————————————————————-
Two networks finally announced their iPhone 4 tariffs on Wednesday and Thursday, with those respectively being Tesco and Three with some surprising choices. Tesco notably came along with the phone costing just £19, albeit on a £45 per month contract and Three tariffs were on par with the others, but also offered a pay as you go version.
Three aired their micro-SIM card ‘only’ offering where £15 provides - 300 minutes to any network, 3000 texts along with 1GB of internet allowance. This also includes 2000 minutes worth of calls to any Three phone numbers and free voicemail, but the iPhone 4 still has to be brought on top of that.
—————————————————————————————————————————————-
Thursday saw the new Apple iPhone 4 go on sale, both in shops, via various networks or they arrived by post that day if pre-ordered. The new mobile came with a brand new design unseen before in the series, along with new features such as WIFI based video calling called FaceTime. The iPhone 4 also boasts a new 3.5-inch 960×640 multi-touch retina display, a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash capable of HD video recording - all of which is driven by Apple’s A4 processor and running from the new iOS 4.
—————————————————————————————————————————————-
Review of the week - HTC Desire
The HTC Desire runs the current version of Google’s Android OS, with 2.2 on its way very soon. Desire has a very fast 1Ghz processor, with a large 3.7-inch 480×800 AMOLED capacitive touch screen which is very responsive and great to use.
HTC runs its own UI on top of Android called HTC Sense, which first appeared on the Hero handset and now battles with Motorola’s MotoBlur and Sony Ericsson’s User Experience on features. It’s a decent overlay to Android, but those other mobile manufactures offer more functionality than HTC, where after a year not much really has changed since the Hero’s version.
Sense comes with HTC Friend Stream, which rolls up all the Twitter and Facebook updates into one column. The Motorola MotoBlur with its Happenings and TimeScape by Sony Ericsson has the same social networking abilities, only they are much better worked into Android and therefore come across much more thoroughly integrated.
The address book on the HTC Desire is one of its better features, as it pulls in all the contact information automatically from the likes of Facebook, Gmail, Hotmail and Twitter then thoroughly integrates them all together in an intelligent way. This is both thanks to Android and HTC Sense, working in partnership to achieve this integration that works really well.
Battery life isn’t the strongest feature of the Desire, where the phone doesn’t really make it through a normal 8 hour day with all the social networking features enabled.
Bottom line
The HTC Desire is a name-worthy mobile phone with a very responsive touch screen that is both large and bright, although viewing in direct sunlight lets it down. Also letting it down is that HTC Sense is now looking a little dated, as compared to MotoBlur and the battery life can be bothersome too - although you can limit the features, allowing the phone to last to the end of the day. The new Android 2.2 version is arriving on the phone soon, which hopefully could bring better features to HTC Sense.
—————————————————————————————————————————————-
Android had an interesting week, with new models arriving on a network and a new Flash player being made available for the OS.
On Tuesday, Adobe announced Flash player 10.1 arriving on Android, although for the upcoming new version of the Google Mobile OS known as ‘Froyo’ or version 2.2. Adobe has stated they’ll be better support for landscape and portrait modes, better CPU utilisation and better zooming and scaling of content to full screen.
Vodafone confirmed on Wednesday that three new Android handsets are available on their network, from that very day. These were the Samsung’s Galaxy S 16GB on a £35 per month, HTC’s budget Wildfire mobile phone on £20 per month and the Vodafone 845 handset, on a £15 per month contract.
—————————————————————————————————————————————-
Finally, after the dust had settled on Apple’s iPhone 4 day in the sun many were reporting problems with a lack of signal - but only if they were left handed. Gripping the phone in the left hand was reported to unintentionally block or limit the phone’s signal, where people saw the signal bars dropping or it was killed off altogether. Around the side of the phone is its antenna that is used for receiving the network signal, where holding it in the left hand affects the antenna or so it’s been widely reported in the media.
Pre-pay iPhone 4 micro-SIM deal with Three
Mobile phone network Three has just announced they will be the first to offer a pay as you go micro-SIM card, which can be used with a SIM free Apple iPhone 4 purchased from today.
The deal from Three surround a £15 per month micro-SIM card offer, which includes 300 minutes to any network, 3000 texts along with 1GB of internet allowance. Three’s SIM ‘only’ offer also has 2000 minutes worth of calls to any Three phone number and free voicemail - all of which will be available on a one month rolling contract.
Or for larger capacity user, there is a £25 per month deal, which includes 2000 minutes, 5000 texts, 1GB of internet allowance and 5000 Three-to-Three minutes on a 12 month contract.
The micro-SIM cards along with their deals from Three will be available to order online from Friday 25th June.
Three
Latest Apple mobile phone is now available to buy
Apple’s much awaiting iPhone 4 handset has gone on sale from today and for the first time with a new Apple mobile phone it is available on many networks and not just the one, as the last iPhone 3G was only available on O2 when it launched.
This new mobile sports a brand new design unseen before in the series, along with a new operating system and a higher megapixel count within the camera amongst other new features.
Some of the key features in the new iPhone 4 range from FaceTime, their own video calling ability over WIFI and all from a camera on the front of the handset, where the image is shown on the mobile’s 3.5-inch 960×640 multi-touch retina display.
There is now a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash, capable of HD video recording driven by Apple’s A4 processor and all running from the new iOS 4 - which has just been made available for older handsets and the iPod touch.
All this is encased in a new stainless steel case design, which has taken the title of the thinnest smartphone in the world.
Networks from Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone, O2 and Three have all made public their prices where even Tesco have gotten in on the deal with a low £19 cost for the handset, only on a £45 per month contract.
VoIP from the Internet search engine giant 
Google Voice is their voice over IP service which has just moved out of ‘invite only’ and is now widely available in the USA. This service offers a one-phone-number-for-all feature, cheaper calls from a computer or mobile phones, along with other services such as internet based voicemail.
Google Voice is their one number for all solution, where a single phone number is provided instead of one for the home, work and also mobile. People can then ring this number where all the phone numbers linked to that account can ring at once, saving the dialler the need to call each one separately until someone answers. This feature can be tailored down to certain phone numbers, the time of day and a whole host of other criteria too.
The key feature is the way Google Voice is integrated with email and the Internet. Voicemails can be left on a unique number, which is linked to a Gmail account and is delivered via an email where even a transcription of the message accompanies the audio file.
This and other features of Google Voice came from a company the Internet search engine giant acquired in 2007, called GrandCentral. This company offered the same single number as well as central voicemail inbox, which can be accessed and heard over the web – only Google has expanded the service even more.
Applications for using Google Voice are already available for Android and Blackberry mobiles, where other phone operating systems have access to the mobile Google Voice website. This service is currently only available in America, but Google is looking to bring its features to other countries where the UK is bound to be on their radar.
Google Voice
A mobile phone that warrants its name 
HTC’s latest flagship mobile phone arrives carrying the appropriate name of Desire, where the uptake for the device merits its moniker – if sales are anything to go by.
The Desire looks and feels very much like another of the company’s recent handsets, the stateside Google Nexus One. The HTC Desire is running the current version of Google’s Android OS, although version 2.2 on its way very soon. Desire has a very fast 1Ghz processor, with a large 3.7-inch 480×800 AMOLED capacitive touch screen which is very responsive and great to use. Although the AMOLED screen isn’t that great in bright sunshine, where the older LCD TFT screens can show more detail if placed side by side with the Desire – indoors it’s a whole different story.
HTC runs its own UI on top of Android called HTC Sense, which first appeared on the Hero handset and now battles with Motorola’s MotoBlur and Sony Ericsson’s User Experience on features. Sense has a much more easy-on-the-eye user interface than the basic Android OS, with seven customisable home screens as opposed to the standard three. It’s a decent overlay to Android, but those other mobile manufactures offer more functionality than HTC, where after a year not much really has changed since the Hero’s version.
Sense comes with HTC Friend Stream, which rolls up all the Twitter and Facebook updates into one column. The Motorola MotoBlur with its Happenings and TimeScape by Sony Ericsson has the same social networking abilities, only they are much better worked into Android and therefore come across much more thoroughly integrated. The Desire does have the multi-touch ‘pinch-to-zoom-to-in’ feature, also it has the natively ability to view Flash content which isn’t on many mobile phones around today, such as the Apples’ iPhones.
The address book on the HTC Desire is one of its better features, as it pulls in all the contact information automatically from the likes of Facebook, Gmail, Hotmail and Twitter then thoroughly integrates them all together in an intelligent way. This is thanks to both Android and HTC Sense, working in partnership to achieve the integration that works really well.
Battery life isn’t the strongest feature of the Desire, where the phone doesn’t really make it through a normal 8 hour day with all the social networking features enabled. HTC has used a 1400mAh battery instead of a 1500mAh version, which isn’t expected on the larger flagship handsets where you will see the red battery warning level appear more frequently than not.
Bottom line
The HTC Desire is a name-worthy mobile phone with a very responsive touch screen that is both large and bright, although viewing in direct sunlight lets it down. Also letting it down is that HTC Sense overlay is now looking a little dated, as compared to MotoBlur and the battery life can be bothersome too – although you can limit the features, allowing the phone to last to the end of the day. The new Android 2.2 version is arriving on the phone soon, which hopefully could bring better features to HTC Sense.
Latest HTC and Samsung phones are now available on the network
Vodafone has announced a trio of new Google OS driven devices for their network, with prices attached for the first time as they go on sale today. The new handsets are from HTC and Samsung, along with a Vodafone branded Huawei mobile phone.
Samsung’s latest flagship model the Galaxy S 16GB, with their TouchWiz 3.0 overlay, is exclusive to Vodafone and is on sale from today. This handset will be free at £35 per month, on a 24 month contract which includes 900 minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB of mobile data. There is also a time limited inclusion of a free Vodafone McLaren Mercedes rucksack with every Samsung Galaxy S.
HTC’s budget Wildfire mobile phone also appears from today on the network, which arrives gratis on £20 per month, over a 24 month period which includes 300 minutes, unlimited texts and 500MB of mobile data. This model is effectively the replacement of the HTC Tattoo phone and now sits below their main HTC Desire handset, whilst offering a less quality 3.2-inch TFT LCD screen as compared to the 3.7-inch AMOLED display of the Desire.
The last model arriving on the network today is the Vodafone 845 handset, which is exclusive to the network operator and is a rebranded Huawei device. This handset is free on a £15 per month contract, over the 24 month duration which includes 100 minutes, 500 texts and 500MB of mobile data.
Visit here, for more information.
|
