15
Apr
GoogleMusic

To answer the question, briefly: nobody really knows at this point. But I do think Google is going to have to make some sacrifices in the short term if the Music service is going to get off the ground. And that's because the record labels won't play ball - at least not by Google's rules according to All Things D, quoting two apparently well-connected sources.

Of course, the words of a couple anonymous music industry insiders aren't definitively representative of the feelings of all the (presumably numerous) parties involved in Google's Music negotiations. For all we know, those persons could be part of some of the industry's historically more stubborn labels.

12
Apr
image

Mozy, one of the most popular cloud backup solutions (I prefer and use CrashPlan myself), can now add the Android app to the list of features its users. Decho Corp, the company behind Mozy, announced Mozy for Android 2 weeks ago but only dropped the app into the Android Market about 2 hours ago.

While Mozy caught some heat and criticism for killing off unlimited backups a few months ago, those users who decided to stick with it will find the app quite useful:

  • you can browse all computers that are backed up under your Mozy account
  • your files are organized using the same original folder hierarchy you would expect
  • you can see photo thumbnails and quickly preview them without wasting too much bandwidth
  • you can download your backups to your Android device or email/share them out to friends and family

Mozy for Android won't blow anyone's mind - the inability to upload any data to it seems to me like the most glaring omission - but if you are a user of the service, it's nice to know this official version out there in case you ever need quick access to your files.

24
Mar
Capture

Great news for those of you holding out for that WiFi-only XOOM of your dreams: Costco has moved up its availability date for the LTE-less version of the tablet from April 1 to this coming Sunday, March 27. So if you walk into your local Costco this weekend, presumably the WiFi XOOM will be there to greet you for the reasonable price of $599.99.

But, if you order online, you'll get a couple of perks (even if it does mean you won't be getting your XOOM on Sunday). Namely, $10 off ($589.99), a free gel skin case, and free shipping. If you can't wait, you can pay $10 more at your brick and mortar location this weekend and let your XOOM go case-less.

08
Feb
image

While looking through the recent app list tonight, I noticed that not less than 2 hours ago, American Airlines landed its very own app in the Android Market.

Following the other big players in the flying business, American Airlines is now letting you:

  • view your reservation info
  • check in
  • access your mobile boarding pass - this is excellent
  • view your place on upgrade and standby lists
  • take pictures of where you parked (there are better ways, you know... *cough* GPS *cough* ParkDroid *cough*)
  • view your Elite status and progress
  • book flights
  • check flight status and schedules
  • play Sudoku (what the?..)

Not bad at all for what seems to be a great tool with a pleasant interface and thoughtfully positioned menus.

02
Feb
wm_2011-02-02 16h30_58
Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Android users have been clamoring for an official online Android Market solution for ages, and today, El Goog finally delivered with the Android Market Web Store. Once the issues with the "Sign in" button (clicking it returned an 'Invalid Request' error) were fixed, we didn't think twice about delving in and giving it an in-depth look. Read on for our first impressions!

Front Page

wm_2011-02-02 16h30_58

The front page of market.android.com (aka the Android Market Web Store) is simple, clean, and sexy - just the way we like it. Across the very top, there are links to other Google services (i.e. Gmail, Calendar, Docs, etc.), as well as links to "My Market Account" (more on that below), "My Account," and "Sign out." Below that is the good old Android Market logo and a Search box.

02
Feb
2011-02-02 13h36_57

Oh yes, those juicy rumors about an online version of the Market were true - the "Android Market Web Store," as Google is calling it, is accessible now via market.android.com.

2011-02-02 13h36_57 2011-02-02 13h39_03 2011-02-02 13h41_29

As you can see, a list of featured/best selling games populates the front page, along with a list of categories, a "Sign in" button (which, at the time of this writing, leads to an 'invalid request error'), and a "Search" function. Once you click on one of the apps, you are taken to a page somewhat like the one in the second screenshot, with a description, links to "Overview," "User Reviews," "What's New," and "Permissions" on top, as well as a list of related apps on the left side and a QR code and a "Tweet" button on the right side.

25
Jan
vibrant

Want in on the Galaxy S action but not interested in any features like a front-facing camera or HSPA+? T-Mobile has a deal for you! Now until January 26 at 10:00 pm (PT), the Samsung Vibrant is free with a two-year contract, and is only available online. So, if you really can't wait a few more weeks for the Galaxy S 4G, this is probably the time to act.

Source: T-Mobile Twitter

08
Jan
IMG_8328

I've been roaming the booths of CES for 3 days now, and I think I've seen almost everything even remotely related to Android that was worth seeing. One company, Recon Instruments, has been on my mind since the beginning, however, and I'm really glad I finally made it to their booth today.

Their current product, called Transcend, is a full snow goggles solution incorporating a little color LCD screen in the bottom right corner. This screen is small but it gets magnified optically to show a whole array of information, such as your current speed, temperature, altitude, time, vertical odometer, and the trail map overlaid on top of Google Maps (among other things).

23
Dec
HTC-logo-500x375 (1)

I'm no huge fan of UI overlays, but even I have to admit that HTC's Sense is getting better and better. With features like HTCSense.com and even an e-books store, there's no arguing that it's become more than just an Android skin - in Europe, at least.

It looks like the US is finally on the agenda for the new Sense. According to Drew Bamford, HTC's head of User Experience, the company will be rolling out a new version of the UI next year, which, among other things, will bring us Americans the features Desire HD and Desire Z owners have been enjoying for a while now.

22
Dec
image

Tunerfish, which dubs itself "a social discovery engine for TV, movies, and online video," released version 1.0 of its Android app to the Market today.

The idea behind Tunerfish is similar to the one behind 4square, only if you replaced locations with TV shows, movies, and online videos. In order to use Tunerfish, you can create an account or log in using Facebook or Twitter. Once logged in, you can:

  • see what your friends are watching in real-time
  • see what they were watching in the past
  • check out trending shows, movies, and videos, i.e. what's being watched now by everyone
  • earn badges and awards
  • participate in discussions, view profiles
  • check in and share what you are watching on Tunerfish, Facebook, and Twitter

You can read more about Tunerfish here.

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