Crave

Thanks to a clandestine meeting with a source, I got a chance to play with and try out the Nexus One. It's basically, from my time with it, Google's Droid killer. It's thin, it's fast, it's better in every way.

My source was very firm about no photography, and I didn't want to jeopardize anything on my source's end, so there are no photos, hence these photos are ones we've already shown you. But, based on all the leaked shots this week, plus the very pretty and very clear one last week from Boy Genius, everyone knows what the phone looks like already. Hell, there's even a complete UI walkthrough today that's on YouTube. So I'm going to focus on the experience, and how it compares to the Droid and the iPhone 3GS.

(Credit: Cory O'Brien via Twitter)

We know that one of the hottest Google Android phones out there is the one you can't get yet. Well, unless you're a Google employee of course. So the question remains, when will the general public be able to get a Nexus One of their very own? Well, according to the latest rumor, it could be as early as January 5.

A tipster told Engadget Mobile on Wednesday that the Nexus One will be available on that date but by invite only. The invitations will be sent out by Google but the tipster didn't have any information as to how the company is deciding who to send the invites to and no word on pricing. It seems a little suspect to us, but hey, we know Google likes to pull surprises.

In addition to a possible release date, Engadget Mobile posted full specs for the smartphone:

• Android 2.1
• Support for T-Mobile's 3G bands, quad-band GSM/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
• 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED touch screen
• 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and video recording
• 512MB RAM/512MB Flash; expandable up to 32GB
• 1400mAh lithium ion battery

Thoughts?

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

(Credit: CNET UK)

This post was updated on 12/21, 1:17 p.m., PT with information about a second version of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 getting FCC approval.

The FCC has given the green light to Sony Ericsson's first Google Android phone, the Xperia X10. Filed documents show that the quad-band GSM smartphone supports T-Mobile's 3G network, though it remains to be seen whether the carrier will offer the device or whether it will be sold unlocked.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 looks to be a powerhouse with a 4-inch, 854x480-pixel touch screen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 8.1-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.

CNET UK got a first-hand look at the device when it was first introduced in early November and was disappointed to see it running Android 1.6 instead of 2.0, but hopefully it'll get a nice upgrade before it hits the UK in February 2010 and whenever it lands stateside.

Update: It looks like a second version of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 was was approved by the FCC on Monday, this time supporting AT&T's 3G network. The plot thickens. (via Engadget Mobile)

(Source: Phonescoop)

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

On Thursday, Sprint revised a tweet it sent out last week regarding an Android update for the Samsung Moment and HTC Hero. Both smartphones won't be getting an Android 2.0 update; instead, they will get Android 2.1. (Pause for applause.)

The carrier made the announcement via its Twitter account, but unfortunately didn't provide any more specific details as to when the updates might be rolled out other than it would be sometime in the first half of 2010.

Currently, only the Nexus One is running Android 2.1. While features of this version of the operating system are still largely unknown, some people have spied enhancements including a Palm WebOS-like Deck of Cards feature, more home screen panes, and additional 3D items in the app tray.

(Additional sources: Engadget Mobile, Gearlog)

This may be the last week of live 404 episodes for 2009, and it's also been the most hectic. With Wilson missing his second day in a row and Caroline McCarthy being bedridden by a holiday cold, Mark Licea and Bonnie Cha help me hold down the fort.

I'm leechin' it.

(Credit: McDonald's)

Today's show is all about giving, and McDonald's is jumping on board with the announcement that they'll be offering free Wi-Fi starting in 2010. Not sure the first thing we'd want to touch after scarfing down a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit is a laptop keyboard, but hey, free is free.

Speaking of giving, The Hangover giveaway is still going on! Send us your best (but most likely worst) hangover stories to the404 [at] cnet [dot] com before Friday for your chance to win!

Sick of AT&T service? Tired of seeing Luke Wilson in those misleading coverage ads? You might want to join up with Chokehold, a grassroots movement to overload the AT&T network this Friday. We're not condoning this type of behavior, but Luke really is annoying in those commercials.

All this plus more stories and a great calls from the public segment!

EPISODE 488

Picasa makes it easy to geotag photos.

(Credit: Joshua Goldman/CNET)

Google's Picasa is an excellent photo organizer. One of my favorite features, though, is its capability to quickly geotag images--adding longitude and latitude to the photo's EXIF metadata--with little effort. Basically, it requires little more than selecting a photo or photos, clicking a couple of buttons in the interface, and the software handles the rest. Plus, you can use either Google Maps for tagging or place them on the Google Earth globe.

The biggest catch is, unless you noted it at the time, you have to remember approximately where you were when you took your photos. Once you've tagged all your old photos, it's easy enough with future photos to snap a shot of the nearest intersection or a nearby business to use as a reference later. Of course, this only really works if you're in an area with those things.

There are devices and software you can use to geotag your photos when you offload them to your computer. (I'm in the middle of testing a pretty good one right now.) Using Picasa is a little more time consuming, but it's free, easy, and kind of fun once you get rolling with it.

Geotagging photos the Google way (photos)

(Credit: FCC)

Updated at 4:20 PST with response from T-Mobile.

After a busy weekend where it made its very unofficial debut, HTC's Nexus One entered into full legitimacy Monday with approval by the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC documents also reveal that the device will support North American GSM bands (850 and 1900) and T-Mobile's 1700 3G network.

Though at least one Nexus One sighted this weekend was running on an AT&T SIM card, the support for T-Mobile's 3G would leave AT&T out of the running for the Nexus One, at least for now. The two carriers use the same GSM bands for voice calls, but their 3G networks are incompatible.

T-Mobile said it doesn't comment on rumors or speculation, but its participation in the Nexus One (aka the "Google phone") would send a mixed message concerning how the device would be distributed to consumers. The Wall Street Journal reported today that Google would directly sell the Nexus One as an unlocked unsubsidized model. Distribution through a carrier channel, however, would mean that Google wouldn't sell the Nexus One on its own.

Details and specs on the Nexus One remain mostly unknown, but the FCC documentation also shows that the handset would support hearing aids, a microSD card slot, Bluetooth, and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi.

(Source: Phonescoop)

On this week's Digital City, we discuss Google's rumored new phone; get to the bottom of the current iMac shipping delays, and go over the best games you can play on a Netbook (all after Dan had to get up at 5am to shoot a local news TV segment on his favorite holiday games).

Then, things take a turn for the weird with a solid gold PlayStation 3, rumored to be under Jay-Z's Xmas tree; and a surprising NYC find -- a Mario-themed pizza place that is calling out for a visit from the ghost of intellectual property lawyers past (see below).

Related links:
>>Is Google making a phone?
>>Top 20 Netbook games
>>Top 5 Holiday Game Picks (CW11 morning News)

>>Watch the Digital City live every Monday at 3pm EST on CNET Live!
>>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes
>>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page
>>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter! And Scott!

Spotted on Houston street in NYC.

(Credit: Dan Ackerman)

Bonnie Cha, senior editor for cell phones, joins the show today to fill in for Justin Yu. It's one of the few days Wilson and Jeff aren't worried about losing their jobs for something they shouldn't have said. And no, she is NOT Nicole Lee. What better day to have Ms. Cha on the show than following the weekend that the actual Google phone leaks!

Google Nexus One

(Credit: Cory O'Brien)

The Google phone has been rumored for the last three or four years, and since the release of Google's Android operating system, the hoopla has died down considerably for an actual Google-branded phone. In typical Google fare, the company has decided on screwing its partners like Verizon and Motorola over by releasing an unsubsidized GSM phone called the Nexus One. No word yet on how much the unit will cost, but we do know that HTC designed the device. And that Google employees got the units over the weekend. Word on the street is that the device runs Android OS 2.1.

The mobile space is where all the spice is these days, and today is no different. News comes out that the venerable institution that is Playboy is jumping into the iPhone app fray with its own app. Because of Steve Jobs' no-porn rule, however, the app won't come with any outright nude pics. It will come with some scantily clad ladies and their interests. Per usual, it's all about the articles, not the pics.

(Credit: Playboy)

In videogaming news, the Pentagon is buying up 2,200 PlayStation 3s. No, they aren't using it to train soldiers with "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2", while it may be a lot of fun. The military wants to use the gaming consoles to run simulations because the $299 machines can calculate 150 GFLOPS. At The 404, we really have no idea what that means, but it sounds impressive.

Finally, Green Day comes to Rock Band. The Beatles have come already, and while we're generally excited to have one of the best modern bands, we're not really excited to have every dude singing "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" at every single graduation party. This could be a very, very bad thing.