android

Google's Android Market is undergoing renovation.

The Android app store will soon launch several new updates in its upcoming 1.6 version, according to an Android Developers blog post from Google's Eric Chu on Thursday.

Developers will be able to provide screenshots, icons, and descriptions to better promote and highlight their applications.

Four new app subcategories--sports, health, themes, and comics--are being added, Chu said. Developers can target any of those subcategories for both new and existing applications.

For reasons Chu did not explain, Android app developers in Italy are getting some special attention. Italian developers will be able … Read more

Now that Sprint finally has announced its first Google Android phone, we thought we'd take a closer look at how it stacks up against the competition. Sprint has chosen the HTC Hero, which is the third Android phone HTC has made. The Hero was first released overseas shortly after the HTC Magic, which T-Mobile launched in the United States as the MyTouch 3G. The Hero and MyTouch 3G are similar, but the Hero offers a few key advantages.

Memory The Hero and MyTouch have the same processing power, but the Hero should be faster thanks to its increased memory. The Hero features 288MB of RAM compared with the 192MB RAM on the MyTouch 3G. Many current Android users have complained about speed issues, which normally are caused by background processes that slow the phone down. Having more free memory will let the Hero be more responsive, even when multiple programs are open.

Multimedia Media fans will be pleased to find a 3.5-millimeter headset jack on the Hero. This was a major complaint of the first two Android phones, but now HTC has committed to including a 3.5-millimeter jack on all future devices. The Hero also includes a 5-megapixel camera, which is an improvement over the 3.2-megapixel shooter on the MyTouch.

Battery The first Android phone, T-Mobile G1, suffers from battery issues that HTC addressed in the MyTouch. The Hero takes it to the next level by offering a 1,500mAh capacity battery, which is the highest capacity available on an Android phone. In contrast, the MyTouch has a 1,340mAh battery.

Software The Hero's software is another of its advantages. The Hero will be the first U.S. phone to feature HTC Sense, an HTC enhanced version of Android.… Read more

Ok, but just to be clear, when I say it's time for me to get a pimp, what I MEAN is that it's time to get a PMP -- a portable media player. That is, perhaps, an iPod Touch. Anyway, you'll understand. In other news, the MPAA is trying to clamp down on your analog hole and break your DVR all at the same time and Apple's Snow Leopard is having a rough landing ... apparently because of the picture on the box.

T-Mobile has demonstrated the first pay-as-you-go Android handset to go on sale in the UK.

The Pulse, which is manufactured by Huawei, was announced on Thursday. Huawei is best known in the UK for manufacturing mobile broadband dongles for operators such as T-Mobile, and the Pulse marks its entry into the British handset market.

"The T-Mobile Pulse represents another Android milestone from T-Mobile," said Nicola Shenton, who currently heads the operator's handset business in the UK, in a statement. "We introduced the first Android handset, the T-Mobile G1, to the UK back in October 2008, launched … Read more

Flash remains one of the most requested features for Google Android phones since Adobe first demonstrated an Android version at last year's Adobe MAX show. Fortunately, users finally will have a chance to get their hands on Flash 10 next month when a beta version is released at Adobe MAX 2009

Adobe first revealed when we would get a look at Flash 10 during its second quarter earnings call. Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen said during a presentation that Google's Android, Nokia's Symbian, Windows Mobile, and the new Palm WebOS will be among the first devices to support … Read more

Just a few days after we caught a few glimpses of a Sprint HTC Hero, the carrier surprised absolutely no one by finally announcing that it would carry the smartphone beginning October 11. Sprint's first Google Android phone will cost $179 with a $100 mail-in rebate and a two-year Simply Everything plan.

With a large touch screen, a few physical controls, and a trackball, the Hero more resembles the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G than the GSM Hero available in the United Kingdom. It also has a few unique characteristics, of course, but the design isn't a rapid departure from … Read more

Well, it turns out that not everyone hates Apple's App Store. Gameloft, the ever-present publisher of mobile games worldwide, likes the iPhone and iPod Touch quite a bit. In a recent news release, Gameloft announced that, to date, it has sold more than 6 million games in the App Store, making it its biggest platform.

"Our core focus is digitally distributed games," said Sanette Chao, Director of Public Relations for Gameloft. "Apple is our number one customer and the IPhone OS is our number one platform. I think that alone speaks volumes to the importance of … Read more

It's been a long summer for Sprint customers waiting to purchase a Google Android phone. Sprint has confirmed that it would launch at least one Android device, but have given no specifics since then. Mounting evidence now points to an October release and new photos reveal what their first Android phone might look like.

We've long expected that the HTC Hero would appear on Sprint first. The phone first launched in the U.K. and was made popular by the new HTC Sense user interface.

First it was reported by an inside source that the HTC Hero would … Read more

After making an initial appearance at the FCC in August, a new model of the Archos 5 Internet media tablet popped up on B&H on the first of September.

The product listings briefly showed pricing for four models of the updated Archos 5, as well as a page for the Archos DVR Station. If the listings are accurate, consumers can expect to see 16GB ($293), 32GB ($369), 160GB ($319), and 500GB ($419) versions of the updated Archos 5 in the not too distant future (September 15, maybe?).

The odd pricing discrepancy between the $369 32GB Flash memory model … Read more