Google and Android

Intel Powered Tablets Coming To Challenge The iPad

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The Apple iPad may be “Magical” to some but Intel is betting that some extra horsepower will be all the rage for others in the very near future. At an Investor Meeting Intel Vice President Mooly Eden said that: "People ask me, are you serious about trying to participate in the tablet market? The answer … Read more

Google Maps for Android Gets Biking Directions, Navigation Shortcut, Sharing, and More

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Starting today, Google Maps for mobile has a few new ways to help you and your friends quickly get to where you’re going whether you’re on 4 wheels or 2 (or maybe even 3). With Google Maps 4.2 for Android you can now get biking directions on the go, start Navigation from your Home screen, … Read more

Android Shakes Up U.S. Smartphone Market

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First quarter 2010 information from The NPD Group’s Mobile Phone Track reveals a shift in the smartphone market, as Android OS edged out Apple’s OS for the number-two position behind RIM PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Android operating system (OS) continued to  shake up the U.S. mobile phone market in the first quarter (Q1) of 2010, … Read more

It’s not about where Android is, it’s about where it’s going…

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So David and Doug have been back and forth about this whole Android/WinMo thing, and it has mostly centered around Apps.  We can debate about the quality of Android apps and the archaiety of WinMo apps forever as there is plenty of ammunition around to make the US nuclear stockpile look like firecrackers.  However, one specific trend sticks out in my mind that spells D-O-O-M for Android if they’re not careful.  Microsoft stumbled on the same problems and are now facing a major overhaul. 

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Google Goggles v1.1 For Android Released

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Android users need not wonder what in the world they ordering in another country again thanks to Google hooking them up with Goggles v1.1! This handy little app will let you take a picture, say of a menu, and translate it for you  into English or one of these newly released languages: English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. Also included in Goggles is an improved barcode feature.  You can read more in the announcement coming from their blog this morning below. 

Traveling to another country can be an amazing experience. The opportunity to immerse yourself in a different culture can give you a new perspective. However, it can be hard to fully enjoy the experience if you do not understand the local language. For example, ordering food from a menu you can not read can be an adventure. Today we are introducing a new feature of Google Goggles that will prove useful to travelers and monoglots everywhere: Goggles translation.

Here’s how it works:

  • Point your phone at a word or phrase. Use the region of interest button to draw a box around specific words
  • Press the shutter button
  • If Goggles recognizes the text, it will give you the option to translate
  • Press the translate button to select the source and destination languages.

Jump after the break for the rest of the press release by Google on Goggles v1.1 for Android!

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to root or not to root

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Tough question. We’re talking about Android, by the way. I’ll start with a case against rooting: Well, first off, what is rooting? If you asked yourself that question before I threw it at you just there, I’d advise against rooting, unless you are looking for a hobby more than you are looking for a phone. Root is the superuser account on Linux, UNIX and UNIX-derivatives. Lets you modify and execute any file however you want basically, regardless of the permissions set on the filesystem and bind to any network port. And Android is Linux, more or less, the Linux mascot is a penguin (pic related); so there you go, rooting.

Your Android phone was badass the moment you hit the power button the first time. There’s a ton of software on the market, a lot of which is both good and free (and some good ones that cost a buck or two). If you come across an application not on the market for some reason, you don’t need root to install it, usually. Good chance you won’t feel the urge to root unless it’s an old habit from your WinMo days (well, that was called hardspl, not rooting, but similar idea).

On the other hand, there are some things that might tip the scale of your decision to root over the edge. Some examples include wifi tethering, manipulating the trackball or LED or your phone’s equivalent to give you differently-colored notifications depending on the notification, going crazy with skinning, VPNing, screen capturing, remote wiping, making backup images, tweaking the YouTube client to use HQ by default and adblocking. Among other things. Maybe the biggest reason is plain old curiosity, the type that brought you to this article in the first place.

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Thumbplay Music Launches On Android

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Thumbplay®, the leading provider of mobile entertainment in the U.S., has launched its cloud-based Thumbplay® Music(TM) (www.thumbplaymusic.com) service in Android(TM) Market, providing the Android fan-base with unlimited, anytime/anywhere access to millions of songs. Thumbplay Music is the only on-demand, subscription music service currently available on both the fastest-growing and largest smartphone platforms in the U.S., … Read more