android

Nexus One is lightning-fast

In the brief run-up to the announcement of its Nexus One phone, Google was doing nothing to quash the hype. Phones given to employees were quickly popping up all over the tech universe with promises of the "best Android phone yet" not far behind. And when the phone was finally unveiled on Tuesday, a Google executive billed it as not only a "superphone" that exemplifies what Google Android can do, but also as "the meeting place of Web and phone."

But as is usually true in the tech world, things aren't always what … Read more

Microsoft's Bach on Courier, Natal, tablets, and phones

LAS VEGAS--Ahead of Microsoft's keynote on Wednesday, I had a chance to sit down with Entertainment and Devices head Robbie Bach to get his thoughts on some of the hottest topics in tech.

I tried (albeit with only mixed success), to pin him down on Windows Mobile 7, Google's recent Android moves, Project Natal, as well as the rumored tablets from both Redmond and Cupertino.

As for Natal, Bach wasn't ready to open up too much beyond confirming that it will ship this year.

"We'll announce that Project Natal will be available Holiday 2010, so … Read more

Google stole Nexus, says 'Blade Runner' family

I imagine that everyone in the Googleplex, while not being exactly replicant-natured, reads many of the same books, watches many of the same movies, and shops online on the same polo shirt site.

Perhaps that is why my sympathy nodule is twiddling at the news that the family of the author Philip K. Dick is reportedly considering legal action at the name of the new Google phone.

Dick is the author of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" a novel in which owners of animals are rather cool and androids struggle with the concept of empathy. In this … Read more

AT&T bets big on apps in 2010 and beyond

LAS VEGAS--From new cell phones to set top boxes to emerging devices, AT&T is looking beyond the iPhone as it focuses on a rapidly expanding application business.

The company's top wireless executive, Ralph de la Vega, told developers at the company's fourth annual application developer conference here Wednesday that AT&T's future is in applications.

De la Vega noted the explosion in application growth in the U.S. cell phone market over the past year. "No country has seen the growth we have seen," he said. In 2009, U.S. wireless consumers … Read more

OnStar mobile app puts the Chevy Volt in your pocket

Updated: CNET video added.

The Chevrolet Volt hasn't even hit the sales floor yet and there's already an app for that. On Tuesday evening, Chevrolet and its OnStar telematics system announced working smartphone apps for the Motorola Droid, Apple iPhone, and BlackBerry Storm that will allow Volt owners to connect to their vehicles wirelessly to access remote features via smartphone.

The Chevrolet Volt OnStar smartphone app will let users know if the Volt is plugged in or not and whether it's charging on 120V or 240V. Users can also schedule charging times to get the lowest off-peak … Read more

AT&T to launch five Android devices

LAS VEGAS--On Wednesday, AT&T announced its plans to launch five Google Android smartphones from HTC, Motorola, and Dell during the first half of 2010. The news came during the 4th annual AT&T Developer Summit in Las Vegas and is surely good news for AT&T customers who have been waiting for the carrier to add Android devices to its lineup.

One of the five models will be the Dell Mini 3, which launched in China in late November. AT&T said it will also have a Motorola smartphone powered by Motoblur (see Motorola Cliq) … Read more

All hail the unlocked phone

So now we know the full story of the Nexus One. After the newest Google Android device was sighted last month, Google formally released the handset to the world Tuesday morning.

Though the Nexus One's specs are promising--particularly the Snapdragon processor and the enhanced voice control capabilities--it's not necessarily the best Android phone yet. Indeed, the real story of the Nexus One is not its design or features, but how it is being sold.

As my colleague Tom Krazit points out, Google is changing the way cell phones are sold in the United States. Google alone will sell … Read more

Existing T-Mobile customers won't get the $179 price for the Nexus One

If you're a T-Mobile customer and tried to buy a Nexus One today, you might be surprised that you don't qualify for the $180 contract price that was mentioned in today's press announcement. This is apparently the case even if you're out of contract with T-Mobile and just want to renew your plan. Here is the plan breakdown, according to Google:

Nexus One without service: $529 Nexus One with new, two-year T-Mobile U.S. service plan for new customers only: $179 Nexus One with new, two-year T-Mobile U.S. service plan for qualifying existing T-Mobile customers … Read more

Flash Player 10.1 coming to Nexus One

In addition to the features announced on Tuesday at the Google press conference, the Nexus One will be getting even more functionality down the road, specifically Flash Player 10.1. In the video above, Adrian Ludwig of Adobe shows off the some of the work the company has been doing to bring Flash player to mobile devices. He demos several sites with various Flash elements, such as games, video, advertisements--all smoothly running on the Nexus One.

Flash Player 10.1 is said to be coming to the Nexus One in the first half of 2010, but Ludwig said there's … Read more