Google has filed a countersuit against Illinois entrepreneur Erich Specht over the use of the Android trademark, according to the Business Insider. Specht in 1999 launched a company, Android Data Corporation, which sold a number of software titles using the Android name. The USPTO later granted the registration for trademark protection over the name "Android Data."
The MOTO Development Group is now making its 5-inch Android Media Platform (AMP) mobile Internet device (MID) available to developers. The device can run Google's Android 2.0 mobile OS and lets developers prototype interfaces, develop apps and extend hardware features. The MID is powered by a Texas Instruments OMAP3430 CPU and uses a 5-inch OLED capacitive touchscreen, though an LCD of the same size is optional.
Apple stock is said to have led the pack in Piqqem's October sentiment ratings, again excelling over Microsoft, which came in last amongst a group of six major technology companies. Apple achieved a score of 3.11, considered high in a scale of 0 to 4. Google was second with 2.88, while Intel ranked third at 2.70. Below the top three were Cisco (2.69), Amazon (2.53) and HP (2.53), followed by Microsoft at 2.27.
Meizu's M8 phone is about to undergo a major overhaul that draws on interface elements from at least three major operating systems, a copy of leaked firmware shows. Version 1.0.0.1 will shift its attention more towards Android with an app launcher much like Google's. However, that launcher will also be available directly from the drag-to-unlock screen and like Windows Mobile 6.5 will let users unlock directly to the phone or e-mail apps instead of visiting a home screen. Android's influence is equally evident in a contextual menu showing in the M8's web browser.
Sony Ericsson has unveiled its latest flagship handset, the XPERIA X10, which had been previously referred to by the codename Rachael. The smartphone is promised to be the first of many devices built upon the company's Android-based UX "Open OS" platform. The X10 is the highest-end Android phone to date and features a fast 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen with a 480x854 resolution, and an 8.1 megapixel camera with LED flash and autofocus.
The specifications for Acer's upcoming Liquid smarpthone have been revealed at a conference in France, Revioo reported on Monday. Despite an earlier report, the phone's Qualcomm SnapDragon processor will not be rated at its full, 1GHz clock speed but instead be limited to 768MHz.
T-Mobile UK has put up a product page for the HTC Touch HD2 handset, revealing it will be out sometime this month. The device is the first Windows Mobile (6.5) smartphone to use a capacitive multi-input touchscreen. T-Mobile UK site visitors get the option to register and receive updates regarding the device.
Motorola today confirmed an international version of the Droid that should also be the first Android phone with multi-touch. The Milestone uses a virtually identical design with an 854x480 touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, GPS and Wi-Fi but switches to GSM, EDGE and HSPA for basic calls, 2G and 3G respectively. It currently doesn't support US 3G bands but should be available through at least O2 Germany (PDF) for the equivalent of $596 without a contract but with a discount.
Google tonight moved to quash rumors that it would make its own smartphone. The company's Android project president, Andy Rubin, says it would be unfair for Google to "compete with its customers" and that it remains dedicated to Android only as an operating system for outside hardware manufacturers. He adds that Google isn't particularly experienced at hardware design and that its influence on the T-Mobile G1's hardware design is more a negative than a positive.
Sony Ericsson is offering a look at a new white version of its XPERIA X3 smartphone thanks to an official video (viewable below) released on Friday. The device will be the first from Sony Ericsson to run on Google's Android operating system. The November 3rd release date for the device is once again touted as part of the clip.
Google at a Los Angeles event tonight unveiled its widely expected advanced music search feature. The addition (a video of which is available below) automatically parses regular searches for music from all four major labels and automatically filters it by artist, album or track; users can then either sample or buy the tracks through Lala or MySpace's iLike. Those who use recommendation-based Internet streaming service like iMeem, Pandora or Rhapsody can also find related music.
Shares of GPS device makers Garmin and TomTom plummeted today through a combination of their quarterly results and the launch of Google Maps Navigation. Following both low guidance for Garmin's next quarter as well as poor results from TomTom, shares for the two fell 16.4 percent and 20.8 percent respectively and remained low through the entire trading day after news of Google's free, turn-by-turn mapping service became public.
Google today provided added details of the turn-by-turn mapping service found on the Motorola Droid. Google Maps Navigation adds many of the features that would normally exist in a dedicated GPS unit, such as a bird's-eye view and spoken directions, but takes advantage of Google's existing Maps features. Traffic is free in those areas where Google provides service, and Street View can show directions overlaid on top of in-location photos.
Google today at last provided full details for Android 2.0, its first major update to its mobile OS. The platform brings a much improved approach to mail that allows both for multiple accounts and native Microsoft Exchange support. The web browser has similarly been upgraded and is only the second HTML5-capable mobile browser outside of Safari; it further brings some of the earliest multi-touch support and recognizes double-tap zooms.
Google at a user group meeting in London late Monday revealed that Google Wave will have its own app store. The real-time communication and sharing tool already has a programming kit for add-in features but will eventually have a central location to buy apps that extend its feature. As Wave is primarily web-based, many apps will live there, but its support for non-web use would allow native apps for specific platforms.
Google on Tuesday rolled out a new version of Google Voice for those that don't want to change their phone numbers. Rather than route calls through a central number, the new tier uses Google Voice solely to provide visual voicemail for existing phone service. As before, messages are saved as files online and also converted into text so they can be heard or read online.
An image has surfaced that allegedly shows the upcoming HTC Desire handset that will be heading for Verizon. Although the latest image, posted on the Boy Genius Report, appears to have been captured in poor lighting conditions, the overall form matches an earlier photo showing the Android-based handset fondled by Google head Eric Schmidt.
Google's rumored Audio music service will be less controversial than rumored at first based on two follow-up leaks. Multiple contacts tell Reuters that it will automatically provide players for MySpace-owned iLike or Lala when users search for songs on Google and provide at least the option of playing a sample or else buying the MP3. EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner are all believed to have linked their music to the service.
A rumor today hints that Google may be on the verge of launching its own music service. More than one source claims to TechCrunch that a service dubbed Google Audio is "imminent" and that it has involved securing rights from music labels over the course of the past few weeks. At least a US release is supposedly confirmed.
Intending to take control of its phone experience, Google may be readying its own Android phone and a computer to go with it, multiple sources said on Tuesday. Analyst Ashok Kumar of Northeast Securities claims in a research note that it's expected Google will launch a self-branded phone before the end of the year and could follow that up with a netbook in early 2010. Both would use Android 2.0, but the smartphone would use a regular Qualcomm cellular chipset while the netbook would use Qualcomm's high-speed Snapdragon processor.
The Samsung Behold II and T-Mobile Tap have been dated for a release at T-Mobile on Monday thanks to leaved images from the carrier's brochures. The former, and the first with Google's Android operating system at T-Mobile and from Samsung, is due for a November 18th debut, while the Tap will be out a week earlier, on the 11th of November.
Google on Monday pushed its belief in widespread Internet access with a free Wi-Fi deal with Virgin America. The team-up will give no-cost Internet access to passengers on any of the airline's current flights between November 15th and January 15th. The search engine creator sees it as a way of easing stress during the holidays by keeping up on news from the ground, though it also encourages use of Google's services in the air.
The Motorola Droid may have been designed by Google itself in what could be its best attempt to rival the iPhone, an early hands-on with the phone reveals. While Google has been known to provide input on Android devices like the T-Mobile G1, BGR now says the company had a "direct hand" in the Droid and virtually told Motorola what to build. The move suggests Google now wants a "halo" Android phone and is interested in competing more closely with Apple rather than relying on the platform alone.
Specs and a video of the recently introduced Acer Liquid smartphone have been leaked, thanks to GPSandCo. The Android-powered device will be Acer's first with the Google-developed OS, and also its most powerful application, as the handset sports Qualcomm's 1GHz Snapdragon CPU. The video reveals the Liquid will be available in black, red or white and that it sports a 5-megapixel camera.
Motorola's Droid as well as Google's Android 2.0 hav been given a more definitive confirmation today with both a video (available below) and photos showing the two in action. The Android slider is seen to have a custom boot sequence that validates the "Droid" name and, more importantly, provides some of the first public details of the next-generation smartphone OS.
UK wireless carrier Vodafone is now offering the Vodafone 360 Samsung H1 smartphone on sale through its website. The device is the first to ship with the carrier's 360 social media platform preloaded. The H1 was especially developed for Vodafone, and sports a 3.5-inch OLED touchscreen.
Google staffers have posted a video on YouTube (available below) that shows the delivery of a giant éclair to the company's California headquarters' front lawn, indicating the latest Android 2.0 update will be going live soon. The oversized éclair now sits beside other blown-up desserts, including a cupcake and donut that represent earlier updates to the open-source operating system, namely Android 1.5 and 1.6, respectively.
Acer made a partial return to Linux for netbooks on Thursday by confirming a version of the Aspire One D250 with Android. The 10-inch netbook can use Google's OS to start up almost immediately and browse the web, check e-mail or perform other common tasks much faster than would be possible with Windows XP. It also gives access to many apps on Android Market that would be off-limits to PCs.
Google today set out official plans to launch its own paid e-book store. Known as Google Editions, the service will be one of the few truly universal stores and will work with any device that has a reasonably modern web browser, including most computers, smartphones and even normally locked-down devices like the Amazon Kindle. Unlike some web book services, Google's store will let users cache a book locally for reading when they're offline.
Hidden iPhone compatibility features have been found in Google Wave, reports say. Wave is used to merge e-mail, wikis, instant messaging and social networking, and is currently in its beta stages. The web app is supported in two ways on an iPhone, the first being visiting its website through Safari. People are warned that their browser is not supported during the preview period, but after proceeding, problems should be minimal.
Barnes & Noble's imminent e-book reader may make a second, multi-touch display its central feature, a leak shows today. Renderings, photos and details obtained today by Gizmodo show the device having both a grayscale e-paper display, like most readers, but also a small, full color, multi-touch LCD. The interface would not only give a responsive, adaptable keyboard but would be used to browse and pick books.
Catering explicitly to home theater computers, GlideTV today produced an unusual controller known as the Navigator. The bowl-shaped peripheral has a trackpad for mouse pointing but is surrounded by AV controls and a directional pad that ease navigating through common apps. It can steer through Front Row and iTunes on Macs, Windows Media Center, and platform-independent apps like Boxee or SageTV.
Arthur Levinson has resigned from Google's board of directors, according to an official statement. The company is terse on details, noting only that Levinson has been with Google since April 2004, and that the resignation is immediate and amicable. "Art has been a key part of Google's success these past five years, offering unvarnished advice and vital counsel on every big issue and opportunity Google has faced," reads a quote from company CEO Eric Schmidt.
A third Android device, likely due out early next year, will be the first with the Google operating system that will be certified for Verizon's Open Development program, according to a Friday Unstrung report. This new device is unnamed but will join more than 30 wireless devices sold by independent vendors that can run on Verizon's CDMA network. Verizon's upcoming Android-based phones Desire and Droid, aren't part of that program and are locked to Verizon's network.
The FCC today told Google that it will investigate the company's policies regarding its Google Voice calling service (registration required). Acting on requests by AT&T and politicians, the agency hopes to determine whether or not the company is violating must-connect rules by refusing to complete Google Voice calls made to certain numbers, particularly those in some rural areas as well as to 900 numbers and other lines that have expensive access rates.
The Mac version of Chrome should be released before Christmas this year, suggests Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The executive made the revelation at a New York press conference, in the middle of answering a question about the browser's overall marketshare. Chrome's share has been disparaged by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who recently called the browser "a rounding error." Microsoft's Internet Explorer remains the dominant web browser worldwide.
Multiple Democrats and Republicans yesterday sent a letter to FCC chairman Julius Genachowski asking for a formal investigation into the legality of restrictions on Google Voice. The request follows a similarly worded AT&T letter and claims that Google is unfairly refusing to connect calls made over its service to some rural addresses and should be scrutinized to determine the actual nature of its service and potentially force a change in behavior.
Smartphone maker HTC late Tuesday reported unexpectedly poor fiscal performance for its summer quarter. The company's profit dropped nearly 18 percent compared to a year ago and reached the equivalent of $179 million Its total revenue also fell more than 10 percent to about $1.06 billion and hit the exact minimum of HTC's already lowered guidance for the period.
Google's Android will be the second-largest smartphone platform in as little as three years, according to Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney estimated on Wednesday. While it trails today, the mobile OS is predicted to climb to 14.5 percent of the market, or about 76 million phones sold per year, by the end of 2012. As a consequence, it would whittle Symbian's market share down to 39 percent (203 million phones) and just slightly overtake the iPhone, which in this view would have 13.7 percent of the market or 71.5 million devices.
AT&T on Tuesday afternoon confirmed rumors and said it would allow voice over IP apps like Skype to work on the iPhone's 3G access. It had previously forced these apps to use Wi-Fi and justified the change of heart by arguing that it had taken a "fresh look" at the Apple smartphone's support for the feature as part of periodic reviews. Apple and the FCC have both been notified of the move.
Research and development company Eolas Technologies has filed a lawsuit against over a dozen companies, including major technology businesses such as Apple, Adobe, Amazon, Google, eBay and Sun. Eolas accuses the companies of violating two US patents, 5,838,906 and 7,599,985; the broadest of these is the first, which allegedly covers all "fully-interactive" embedded web applications. The second is an extension, specifically covering embedded apps using plug-in and AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML) code.
Google and Verizon this morning struck a deal to bring Android phones to the cell carirer's network. The two say they will "co-develop" multiple phones designed by third-party hardware makers and expect to start launching Android-based phones within the next several weeks. They also plan to include both Google- and Verizon-made apps on the phones in question.
T-Mobile started off the week with word of its first Samsung phone with Android. The Behold II has graduated from a feature phone to a full smartphone and carries the full Google suite of apps as well as Android Market for third-party apps. Unlike the Galaxy it's based on, though, the Behold II is Samsung's first phone to bring its TouchWiz interface and not only has the widget sidebar but a 3D cube menu that provides shortcuts to common tasks like media, the web and the Amazon MP3 online store. Microsoft Exchange sync also adds to what Google would bring itself.
The number of Symbian phones on the market should more than double in the next five years but won't have much of an impact on important rivals like the iPhone, a new study from Juniper Research said. Shipments should swell from 87 million phones from Nokia, Samsung and other Symbian supporters in 2009 to about 180 million by 2014. The expected increase is credited to a larger push towards partly or completely open-source code on phones. Combined with Android and LiMo (Linux Mobile) devices, about 223 million open-source devices should ship in 2014 as a result.
Acer is the next smartphone maker to move much of its attention away from Windows Mobile, sources within the field hinted today. Even though as recently as February it promised mostly Windows Mobile phones, DigiTimes has heard the company is now switching its attention to Google's Android and should ship "at least half" of its 2010 phones with the mostly open-source OS. The first Acer-made Android phone, the A1, is now estimated to ship in November.
More than a sixth of all Macs are already running Mac OS X Snow Leopard in just over a month of use, new findings from NetApplications show. On September 29th, the one month anniversary of the release, about 18 percent of all Macs tracked by the stats firm were using some version of Snow Leopard, or 0.91 percent of all computers.
Motorola's Sholes has received a new name, and details of when it should be unveiled, through a new slip of information. Unnamed contacts for BGR have claimed it will simply be called the Droid when it ships and that it should be unveiled for Verizon in two weeks. They add that, unlike the Cliq, the phone should be a full "with Google" device and will run a regular version of Android instead of Motorola's social network-heavy MOTOBLUR.
T-Mobile may be on the verge of updating its Android phones with the 1.6 update with "Donut" features, a last-minute leak has confirmed. Starting today, the carrier is reported by TmoNews to be giving both G1 and myTouch 3G users the upgraded features, which are known to include device-wide search, gestures, text-to-speech and likely the redesigned Android Market. A handful of G1 owners have had the update as of midnight; 24 hours from that point, some myTouch 3G owners should also get the update barring technical issues found in the test rollout.
Apple has stealthily bought an online map firm in what could represent an aid to the iPhone but a split with Google, a search has discovered. A startup company, Placebase, was bought by Apple in July but provided so little attention about the takeover that it wasn't until a check on former CEO Jaron Waldman's LinkedIn profile confirmed the move. Waldman is now part of a "Geo Team" at Apple performing in an unspecified role.
Apple's iPhone OS has successfully overtaken Symbian for the lead in all mobile web traffic, according to the latest data from AdMob. The combined iPhone and iPod touch share has jumped from 33 percent in February to 40 percent in August. Symbian, meanwhile, has almost exactly traded positions with Apple and fell from 43 percent near the start of the year to 34 percent in August.
