At the end of July I declared my intention to quit the iPhone and AT&T, port my mobile phone number to Google Voice and use any mobile device that I pleased (or lots of them at once) in the future. Like others, I will no longer blindly follow all things Apple. Today I’m pleased to report a status update on those efforts: complete. I am no longer a member of the Cult of iPhone.
Archive for August, 2009
Port Your Phone Number to Google Voice and Ditch Your iPhone
August - 9 - 2009 - Sunday 8 COMMENTS
Google Android Could Be Automating Your Home Soon
August - 9 - 2009 - Sunday 2 COMMENTS
When Google announced its Chrome OS, there was one question we kept asking in the back of our heads: what’s going to happen to Android? Android, Google’s mobile operating system, is coming to netbooks next month. But Chrome OS is also starting with netbooks, so where does that leave Google’s other operating system?
Apparently, Android has found a new market for assimilation: home appliances. According to a report on Forbes, a wave of touch-screen devices are about to be unleashed on the market later this year. They will be capable of everything from controlling your lights to managing your stereo remotely. Oh, and all of these devices are going to run on the open-source Android platform.
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Automate Your Phone Settings with the Locale App
August - 9 - 2009 - Sunday 3 COMMENTS
Locale is an app that let’s you take control of the settings of your phone based on specific conditions that you can choose from. Locale essentially automates all of the functions that you would normally have to switch manually after you configure it to fit your needs.
There are two different areas of Locale that you’ll need to setup: Default and Situations. Each one has a series of conditions you have to choose from. They are: Battery, Calendar, Contact, Location, and Time. Each one of these has their own series of options for you to configure. Once you configure the conditions you can move on to the settings tab. In this area you can pair changes and updates to your Network, Ringer Volume, Ringtone, Twitter, and Wallpaper to that specific Situation.
Where situations covers specific instances, default covers everything else. In default you can configure the base settings for Network, Ringer Volume, Ringtone, Twitter, and Wallpaper without worrying about any specific catalyst to set them off.
This is a really great app that makes using your phone a lot easier. You’ll definitely need to spend some time configuring everything to just how you want it before you’ll truly enjoy this app. After that, you won’t even have to think about it until you need to add another situation to your list.
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Hey Apple F-U -Love, Google! Google Voice Will Be Available As iPhone Online App
August - 8 - 2009 - Saturday ADD COMMENTS
“HEY APPLE!!!…F-U” -Love, Google
Apple rejected Google Voice almost two weeks ago, removing it from the app store. Now under investigation by the feds, AT&T has pointed the finger at Apple for the rejection. In an exciting move, Google is moving its rejected application online in an effort to essentially negate any attempts by Apple to police the application.
You will be able to link to it with a shortcut icon on your home screen. The specially crafted iPhone-shaped web page will offer all the features of the original app. They could be accomplishing this with HTML 5 app caching. In other words, in a move akin to flipping the bird to Steve Jobs, Google has essentially highlighted a way for app developers everywhere to easily publish their rejected content.
The move could usher in a new era of freedom for iPhone users. Freed from what Apple dictates are fit and proper apps, the phone’s true potential could finally be achieved. Rejected apps like eBook readers (rejected en masse over piracy concerns) could simply move online. As the New York Times’ Dave Pogue puts it, “What’s Apple going to do now? Start blocking access to individual Web sites?”
Google’s decision to defying Apple is an exciting development. And one thing’s for sure — Apple’s likely not happy and is likely trying to scheme how to stop them.
Android users on the other hand have had seamless Google Voice service as soon as they download the app from the Market.
“HEY APPLE!!!…F-U” -love Google
Found at DVORAKS BLOG
Apple rejected Google Voice almost two weeks ago, removing it from the app store. Now under investigation by the feds, AT&T has pointed the finger at Apple for the rejection. Now in an exciting move Google is moving its rejected application online in an effort to essentially negate any attempts by Apple to police the application.
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The new app can be installed as an icon on your homescreen. The specially crafted iPhone-shaped webpage will offer all the features of the original app. In other words, in a move akin to flipping the bird to Steve Jobs, Google has essentially highlighted a way for app developers everywhere to easily publish their rejected content.
[...]
On the other hand the move could usher in a new era of freedom for iPhone users. Freed from Apple’s dictates of what apps are fit and proper, the phone’s true potential could finally be achieved. Rejected apps like eBook readers (rejected in mass over piracy concerns) could simply move online. As the New York Times’ Dave Pogue puts it, “What’s Apple going to do now? Start blocking access to individual Web sites?”
[...]
Google’s decision to defying Apple is an exciting development. And one thing’s for sure — Apple’s likely not happy and is likely trying to scheme how to stop them.
Related Posts:
Android is Holding its Own Against the iPhone
August - 8 - 2009 - Saturday ADD COMMENTS
Android got off to an admittedly rocky start when it first debuted on the T-Mobile G1. Since then the OS has proved to be popular and a strong contender in the marketplace. More phones are being introduced that run Android than most other operating systems right now.
[Read the full story on Flurry]
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Motorola Morrison Engineering Diagrams Leaked
August - 8 - 2009 - Saturday ADD COMMENTS
Engineer’s sketches of the upcoming Motorola Morrison have been leaked, ahead of what’s presumed to be the budget Android handset’s Holiday 2009 launch. A sliding QWERTY touchscreen device, the Morrison is expected to carry a roughly $100 price tag when it lands on T-Mobile USA later in the year.
The handset is expected to have triband WCDMA 900/1700/2100 support, together with quadband GSM, as well as stereo Bluetooth and a speakerphone. There is some difference between the controls of the Morrison in this image and in leaked photos of the handset; the sketch appears to show hardware buttons beneath the phone’s touchscreen, while leaked prototype shots suggest touch-sensitive keys instead.
T-Mobile USA are believed to be slotting the Morrison in underneath the G1. The device was first spotted on a leaked roadmap back in May.
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Uncategorized
Pictures of Android Facebook App Leaked, Official Facebook App Afterall?
August - 7 - 2009 - Friday ADD COMMENTS
Rumour has it that an official app for Facebook running on Android is coming soon. The official launch may be closer than we thought. The app looks finished in the screens that have surfaced online. When Android made its handset debut on the T-Mobile G1 back in October of 2008, a nasty bout of drama between Facebook and Google kept the former from developing on the nascent platform.
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There has still been no indication from Google or Facebook that the app is coming. The screen shots show what you expect to find in an official Facebook app. The app lacks static tabs found on the iPhone version; they are presumably in the drawer accessed via the menu button.
One screen points to a widget for the home page of Android devices that would allow the updating of the status without opening the app. That means you can post your pointless update without having to launch Facebook.
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Uncategorized
Sub $100 Android Phones By 2010 From Samsung
August - 7 - 2009 - Friday ADD COMMENTS
During the official launch of Samsung’s new handset the Samsung Reclaim, senior product development manger at Samsung, Casey Ryan, told the New York Times that:
“by next year, touch-screen phones, with full Web browsers running the Android operating system will be available for well under $100″.
It is not clear whether Ryan is referring to free, contract, or even subsidized handsets, although it does seem that an Android phone under $100 on contract would be the most likely option.
Ryan gave no other indication as to what new handsets would fall under the price point, nor whether his comments were just limited to Samsung or the wider market.
Currently the T-Mobile G1 is the cheapest Android phone available in the US priced at $149.99 as part of a 2-year contract with T-Mobile US.
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Qik for Android Gets On-Device Video Editing, Speed Sharing and Makes it into the Featured Apps List
August - 7 - 2009 - Friday ADD COMMENTS
The amazing application Qik has made its way to the Android platform and not a moment too soon. Read More…
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Opera is Working on a Full Android Browser
August - 7 - 2009 - Friday 1 COMMENT
Over a year ago, Android fans saw the debut of Opera Mini for Android. This past January we let you know the company launched Opera Mini version 4.2 to the Android Market. But I assume the existence of an alternative browser in Android Market has largely fallen on deaf ears – the Web-kit based default browser provided by Google is already quite capable.
But Opera isn’t going out easily.
