Crave

(Credit: YouTube)

Google won't officially unveil its Nexus One smartphone until Tuesday, when it has scheduled an Android Press Gathering. There are plenty of descriptions and images of the phone floating around the Web, though--a result of Google's decision to "dogfood" the device with employees.

And now, some video. Wednesday, a 10-minute clip of what appears to be someone taking the phone through its paces popped up on the Web. There's no sound, and the device appears to be configured for French speakers, so if you're an American with a short attention span, I'm not sure what the appeal would be. But some of you are going to want to watch it, anyway.

This normally would be the place where I'd embed the relevant YouTube video. But this is one video Google doesn't want on its video site, and the company is pulling the footage down as quickly as it can. (This is where I imagine the Viacom guys chortling and rubbing their hands).

That said, you can find the clip without much effort, particularly if you search other video sites not owned by Google. Have at it, if that floats your boat.

Story Copyright (c) 2009 AllThingsD. All rights reserved.

(Credit: Gizmodo)

A tipster just sent in these Nexus One screenshots that supposedly confirm two things: that Google will sell it unlocked and unsubsidized for $530, and that Google will sell it itself. Plus, some other very interesting details.

Some of the most important bits of info we extracted (assuming the tipster is accurate, and it seems like he is). Oh, and take a look at our hands on with the device in case you haven't familiarized yourself with it yet.

• Yeah, it's $530 unsubsidized. Google's not going to be selling the phone at cost, like so many people considered. They're not going to save us from the "making money off of hardware" culture we've got right now, so this is basically just another Android handset, albeit a really good one
• If you want it subsidized, you'll have to sign up for a 2 year mandatory contract and pay $180 for the phone
• There's only one rate plan: $39.99 Even More + Text + Web for $79.99 total
• Existing customers cannot keep their plan if they want a subsidized phone; they have to change to the one plan, and this only applies to accounts with one single line
• If that doesn't fly with you, you have to buy the $530 unlocked version--this actually might save you money over two years if you already have a cheap plan
• Family plans, Flexpay, SmartAccess and KidConnect subscribers must buy the phone unlocked and unsubsidized for $530
• You can only buy five Nexus One phones per Google account
• There is language in the agreement of shipping outside the US
• Google will sell it at google.com/phone, which explains what they were doing with that page a few weeks ago
• Google will still call it the Nexus One apparently, and not the Google Phone

And here is a big one:

• If you cancel your plan before 120 days, you have to pay the subsidy difference between what you paid and the unsubsidized price, so $350 in this case. Or you can return the phone to Google. You also authorize them to charge this directly to your credit card.

One weirdness in the Terms of Sale that we quickly glanced through was that Google made sure you acknowledged that the manufacturer is HTC, and not Google.

This story originally appeared on Gizmodo.

(Credit: Gizmodo)

The ethereal Google Phone could arrive as early as January 5 on T-Mobile's network, according to a report.

Google could start selling the Nexus One directly to consumers on January 5, according to a new report.

(Credit: Cory O'Brien via Twitter)

That's according to TmoNews, a blog that obsessively tracks the movements of T-Mobile. It says it has obtained an internal training document that mentions the Google Phone, thought to be the Nexus One phone distributed to Google employees earlier this month.

In the document, T-Mobile informs its employees that "the Google Android phone will be sold solely by Google via the Web," backing up other reports that Google is about to make a radical departure from its previous phone strategy and "compete with its customers," something Google Android chief Andy Rubin had said the company was not interested in doing.

The document makes no mention of timing, but TmoNews said its sources believe the phone will launch on January 5 at 9 a.m., just before the major CES trade show gets underway in Las Vegas (we presume that's 9 a.m. Pacific time, but the document didn't stipulate the time zone). Engadget reported a similar launch date last week.

We still don't know what the Nexus One/Google Android phone will cost, or even whether sales of the phone will be limited to a small number of registered developers, as Google as done with two previous phones. However, it's hard to believe that T-Mobile would need to gear up for the launch of a phone sold in very limited qualities.

Ever since Google said it had no plans to sell its own phone directly to consumers in October, it has refused to comment on its Android strategy as reports it was about to do just that have built. A Google representative did not return an e-mail seeking comment on Tuesday.

Google's Chrome OS Netbook's rumored specs are out, and they're looking pretty good.

According to IBTimes, the Google Netbook will house an Nvidia Tegra platform with an ARM CPU. If the rumors hold up, it will also have a 10.1-inch multitouch screen that supports HD, come with a 64GB SSD, 2GB of RAM, and other standards like Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, a Webcam, and so on. Not surprisingly, the Netbook will run Chrome OS and come pre-installed with a suite of Google Apps.

The rumors also indicate that the Netbook will be available by holiday season 2010 for a subsidized price of under $300, which is impressive for the type of hardware they're talking about. It would be sold directly from Google's Web site, and the company may partner with a network operator to sell it as a bundled 3G plan.

If these rumors turn out to be true--which at this point, who knows--that's a welcome step up from the current generation of Netbooks. (Via IBTimes)

This story originally appeared on Gizmodo.

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