Google: Android was "best deal ever"

Believe it or not.. Android wasn't always a Google property, but it was something they acquired in 2005, three years before the first Android handset (the T-Mobile G1) came to market.

Google VP David Lawee recently called Google's Android purchase as Google's "best deal ever".. which is high praise when you consider how many companies Google has bought (for example YouTube and dozens of others).

Apple may have popularised the idea of offering a complete package of hardware and software services, but Android is arguably more useful as so many people use Google services already. Microsoft has realised this too with Windows Phone 7, and is attempting to copy Apple and Android while adding its own distinctiveness.. in other words, all these big players understand that integrated mobile platforms are going to be big business. And what will that business look like in another 5 years time?

[Via]

Negroponte: One Laptop Per Child is now a $75 Android Tablet

The former head of MIT's Media Lab said the next OLPC device, the XO-3, would be a 9-inch tablet made by Marvell and running Google's Android OS.

The first OLPC was an underpowered, 'designed-by-committee' laptop that cost at least double of what it was supposed to. Most importantly, didn't adapt to the needs of the children who used it. For instance, it didn't have a method for non-Latin characters to be input. It was also made of plastic and had moving parts that would often break in rugged environments.

At CES in January this year, that will change, according to Nicolas Negroponte.

The new OLPC devices will take the lead from Apple's iPad but use Google's (GOOG) Android OS, at least initially. The keyboard will be virtual and be able to adapt to different languages.

XO-3 will also have some specs that might appeal to a broader audience (myself included). Quoting the WSJ (subscription req):

The new tablets will have at least one, and maybe two, video cameras. They'll sport Wi-Fi connections to the Internet, multi-touch screens and have enough power to play high-definition and 3-D video. Unlike Apple Inc.'s iPad tablet, the device will also work with plug-in peripherals such as mice and keyboards.

[I'm aware that iPhone's Touch OS doesn't need a mouse (and one's been hacked, anyway) and Apple supplies both keyboard docks and Bluetooth Keyboards as well]

Negroponte said the new tablets will not use Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows 7 because the software requires too much memory and computing power. That's been a common theme lately and might be a reason that HP (HP) picked up Palm.

Going tablet might be something he picked up from Apple (AAPL). Negroponte got advice from Apple's CEO Steve Jobs on the eve first OLPC launch:

"I got an email from Steve Jobs (the night the laptop was revealed) he said you can't build it for a hundred dollars, and my answer was oh yes I can," Negroponte said as part of a lecture at the University of Pennsylvania, Thursday night.

"He was actually a very good critic, and each time we got to a point, I did talk to him," Negroponte added. Negroponte also mentioned his displeasure with Microsoft, both in terms of Windows 7 performance, and Microsoft's attempts to thwart the OLPC initiative.

The device will be based on Marvell's Moby platform and will initially cost $99 for the hardware, but that price is expected to drop to $75 by 2011. What does the Moby platform buy you? According to Marvell, Moby is:

Powered by high-performance, highly scalable, and low-power Marvell® ARMADA™ 600 series of application processors, the Moby tablet features gigahertz-class processor speed, 1080p full-HD encode and decode, intelligent power management, power-efficient Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/FM/GPS connectivity, high performance 3D graphics capability and support for multiple software standards including full Adobe Flash, Android™ and Windows Mobile. The ultra low power Moby tablet is designed for long-battery life.

XO-3 will come loaded with an application able to access two million free books available on the Internet, cutting down on the high costs of textbooks in the developing world.

Image Credit: OLPC

I want one.

Source : Fortune Tech

HTC EVO: Hands-On with the First 4G Phone

The HTC EVO 4G will be the first phone in the U.S. to take advantage of Sprint’s 4G cellular network, up to 10 times faster than current 3G speeds. The Android handset will also be one of the most powerful “superphones” to hit the U.S. market when it launches on June 4. We had a chance to go hands-on with the device and get a demo of the phone’s hardware and software, which includes the HTC Sense user experience on top of the typical Android UI.

Google (), Qik and other application developers have stepped in to develop versions of their apps customized for the HTC EVO 4G experience, including a YouTube () client that will auto-detect your connection speed and serve up content in high-definition when on a 4G or fast 3G connection. The Qik application takes advantage of the phone’s two cameras — one 8-megapixel and one front-facing 1.3-megapixel — to provide on-the-go videoconferencing support.

Sprint told us the HTC EVO 4G so far has garnered “the highest interest of any device we’ve ever announced,” and there are plenty of reasons why. Beyond the promised 10-fold speed boost from 4G, which Sprint will be the first to market in the U.S., the device can also act as a mobile hotspot, connecting up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the Internet (). Add to that the overall hardware specs of the device, which render it a more powerful workhorse than even the Nexus One, and it’s no surprise that the HTC EVO 4G is one of the most hotly anticipated phones launching this summer.

The phone will be available June 4 at retail partners Best Buy, RadioShack, and Wal-Mart as well as at Sprint.com for $199.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 rebate (pro tip: picking up the phone at Best Buy Mobile nets you the rebate price on the spot). Everything Data plans start at $69.99 per month, and the HTC EVO 4G will also carry a $10 per month Premium Data requirement. Use as a mobile hotspot is an optional extra at $29.99 per month — although at half the cost of the typical mobile broadband plan for devices like the MiFi or 3G broadband card, the portable hotspot cost is actually a good deal.

Check out the video demo below and let us know what you think. We’ve included some still photos after the video as well. If you’re in the market for a new phone in the near future, does the HTC EVO 4G make the list of potential purchases?

Size comparison with the iPhone 3G and the Nexus One

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Source : Mashable

Nexus One web store to close

An official statement by Google this week announced the closure of the Nexus One web store, saying that in future it will only be available through retail partners.

The reason given is basically a lack of sales success through this channel, only a small number of customers were interested enough in the Nexus One to buy it directly, and most of those would have had to pay the full price rather than receive a carrier subsidy.

In our view, the Nexus One was always doomed when the HTC Desire hit the streets.. the Desire is a better handset in our view, and most major carriers offer a subsidy for contract customers. 

Google says 65k Android phones shipping each day

The AFP Reports that Google CEO Eric Schmidt claims that 65,000 Android phones are shipping each day on 34 different handsets in 49 countries.. at that rate about 6 million Android handsets should ship this quarter, a little behind the iPhone's sales of about 9 million.

Of course, the iPhone is less commonly available being tied in some major markets to just a single carrier, and the rumoured next-generation iPhone 4 may only be months away.. but Android fans will be please to see that the platform is making real progress and is highly competitive with Apple's offering.

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