Finally, it's time to get my gorgeous body back!
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)So Christmas, as awesome as it has always been, is now over, and you're wondering what to do next. Well, I don't have an answer to that. However, if you already know what to do but just wonder how to best do it and you happen to own an Android-based phone, then I have something for you.
It's an app that can be used for basically anything, called eHow from Demand Media, the owner of the popular eHow Web site.
The app basically puts all the functions of the Web site and more in your palm. I tried it out over Christmas and really loved it. I was able to quickly find recipes and step-by-step instructions for dozen of cocktails and meat pies, and now I believe have mastered the way to make tuna steaks.
Best of all, I was even able to record the process of making the food with the phone. The app has a function called "I did this" that allows you to upload your experience of getting the job done via text, images, or video to the eHow Web site, or you can e-mail that to friends to show off, which I did. (I didn't upload anything to the site as I didn't want to risk my self-proclaimed level of steak mastery being questioned.)
Apart from food and thousands of other daily chores that you might need help with, the app also offers advice on serious issues, such as how to lose weight or find love. I didn't try any of these out (yet) but if you have and were successful, please share your experience in the comments below.
According to Demand Media, eHow is now home to more than 1 million articles and videos, and a vast community that shares its experiences and provides real-life advice. You don't need to be a member to get the advice but if you want to share yours, an account can be created for free. And now with the eHow app, you can do that when you're on the go, literally from anywhere in the world.
The app, however, does require an Internet connection. It doesn't have any content built-in; it's just a front-end application that accesses the data directly from the eHow's Web site each time you look for an advice. I tried it with Verizon's 3G connection and the performance was decent. Most text and image items loaded instantly, but the videos took a few seconds to buffer before playing, which was to be expected.
The app seems to be a perfect fit for Android phone users now that the new year is coming and you'll probably need help achieving your resolutions. The eHow app is available at the Android Market app store and can be downloaded for free.
The app is not available for the iPhone for now, which is a good thing in a way, because if you really already have "an app for everything," you might not need an app that has everything in it.
If you're staring down at your shiny new Android phone wondering which apps to try first, hit up our list before you download anything else. Great applications proliferate on Google's Android platform, and our Android Starter Kit is merely a sampling of the best free software plucked from the Android Market.
Our top picks mostly represent practical stuff, like a task manager, (way cooler) browser alternative, and phone tools. It isn't exhaustive by any means. In fact, we welcome you to chime in with your own essentials in the comments of this post. However, our roll call will get you going without overloading your phone's memory bank. Just two notes of caution. First, beware the brightness of your screen--in our experience that's Android's number one battery-slayer. Second, if you're interested in avoiding notification overload, it's worthwhile to configure most apps you download to adhere to your alerting wishes.
Happy holidays, and enjoy that new phone.
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.
... Read more
(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)
(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)
Updated at 5 p.m. PST with additional details and at 10 a.m. PST December 13 with photo of the phone.
A blog post from a Google executive on Saturday morning dropped hints that the company would release a Google Android phone of its own.
In the post, Mario Queiroz, a Google vice president of product management, said the company had developed a "mobile lab" device that "combines innovative hardware from a partner with software that runs on Android." According to Queiroz, Google has distributed the device to Google employees worldwide so that they could test the new technology and help improve it.
Quieroz's announcement came only a few hours after reported sightings of the device. CNET TV Associate Producer Jason Howell, who had a very brief hands-on with the gadget Friday night and first relayed the news on Twitter, confirms that the "mobile lab" device is an HTC phone running the Android 2.1 operating system.
"I knew it was an HTC device," Howell said. "It looked like the Touch, but was a lot thinner...it was a slick-looking thing and very nice." He also spotted a trackball and four standard Android menu controls, and he said the display was "supersharp" and rivaled that on the Motorola Droid.
Howell didn't get a chance to dig into the handset's specs or detail the changes from the 2.1 update, but he noticed animated wallpapers, slight visual enhancements to the user interface, and a camera on the rear face that resembles the HTC Touch Pro 2. Curiously, Howell said he didn't see any Google logo on the handset. TechCrunch published additional, though unconfirmed, details, including a Snapdragon processor, an OLED touch screen, and a voice-to-text feature, while TheUnlockr posted leaked photos.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the handset will be called the Nexus One. Although HTC made the hardware, the software and user interface is all Google, from the applications to the "look and feel of each screen."
The Journal also said Google will begin selling the device early next year, directly to consumers, thus bypassing the traditional carrier channel. As an unlocked GSM device, the Nexus One could be used with T-Mobile or AT&T, though it's unclear which carrier's 3G bands the handset will support. During his brief tour, Howell wasn't able to test the performance, but he said that the Nexus One he handled was running on an AT&T SIM card.
Reports that Google would release its own Android phone first appeared earlier this year. The move is significant, as it could pit Google against the carriers that it so far has used to distribute existing Android phones. Also, without a carrier contract and subsequent service rebates the Nexus One could cost a few hundred dollars. For those reasons, I was a little skeptical when I first heard the rumor, so count me wrong on this one.
Acer S100
(Credit: FCC)The highlight at the Federal Communications Commission is the Google Android-powered Acer S100 that appears to be destined for AT&T. Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a selection of filings from the past week on new and upcoming cell phones. Click through to read the full report.
Acer S100
Kyocera S2300
LG LN240
LG VX5600
Motorola
Motorola
Nokia (RM-482)
Pantech P2000
Pantech UM815
Samsung GT-B5722C
Samsung GT-E1086L
Samsung GT-S3650W
Samsung GT-S5150
Samsung SGH-A867
Samsung SGH-T939
ZTE X990
(Credit:
Josh Miller/CNET)
While Verizon customers have been feeling the Android love lately with updates for both the Motorola Droid and HTC Droid Eris, Sprint users have been left to wonder when they might see an update for their Android devices. Well, we sort of have an answer now.
The carrier announced via Twitter on Friday that it will offer an Android 2.0 update for both the HTC Hero and the Samsung Moment, which is great news. Unfortunately, the update won't come till the first half of 2010 (no specific date was given), but hopefully it'll be on the earlier side of the new year like the Droid Eris so you won't have to wait too long.
