HTC has finally made details of their first Android phone available to the public. It bares the moniker “HTC G1“, may be it implies there will be subsequent versions.
It will launch in the USA through the carrier, T-Mobile on October 22, 2009 for USD179.00 and a 2-years contract.
One thing that is interesting, as reported by Engadet, is T-Mobile view on unlocking the phone. They will allow the unlocking of the HTC G1 after the initial 90 days into the 2-years contract, giving the HTC G1 an unlocked price of USD399.00 price.
There are two videos in Engadet’s Hands-on review comparing the HTC G1 to the Apple iPhone and showing off some of the 3rd party add-ons to existing built-in application. The latter is something that the OpenSource nature of Android has over the Apple iPhone.
HTC did not implement any multi-touch technology into the HTC G1. The use of on screen controls and hardware buttons makes the phone feel 1st generation. Also, in my opinion the look is also fairly ugly, but looking at the other HTC models in the past, one cannot expect the elegance of Jonathan Ive (arguably the best industrial designer in the world).
So far no news as to how the HTC G1 will be launched in other geographic locations.
[Update: September 24, 2008]
It is reported that T-Mobile will give away all applications on their Android Market Place free to the early adaptors to the HTC G1.
There are now significant information to point to a first and new Android phone on Monday, September 22 on the VerizonT-Mobile network in the US.
The reported Android based phone will be manufactured by HTC, and implies that it will support both GSM and CDMA network. But 3G communication will only supports the CDMA network (EV-DO).
So stay tune.
[Updated: September 19, 2008]
Thanks to the reader, Travis, for pointing out my mistake. I stand corrected that it is T-Mobile in the US who will be releasing the first Google Android phone by HTC in early October to the general public.
Actually, technically it is GeoEye who launched a mapping satellite on September 8, 11:00 (PST). It has a capability to collect 0.41 meter ground resolution black and white images and 1.65 meter color images simultaneously. Although, there is no mention of Goolge in GeoEye’s press release, but the satellite has a Google logo on its side and the Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page attended the launch.
As US licensing restrictions limit commercial images to a half-meter so will this addition improve the qualities of Google Map and Google Earth? Do we really need more accurate images?
May be with Google having private access to a satellite there will be more up-to-date imageries in future Google products.
Will this be the first of many satellites exclusive for Google’s Android phones?
On the weekend Google released its Gears technology to the Safari browser on Mac OS X.
You may still have to click on the “Mac” platform link if the Gears’ platform test script still claims that your Safari browser is not supported. Alternatively you can go directly to the Gears Macintosh platform .dmg download.
For those who does not know what Gears is you can check out Gears’ FAQ page. In short it enables web developers to create offline versions/components of their web applications.
Like with most things that Google does, Gears is opensource. Although this is true I am still trying to figure out why one would code to Gears rather than the more Standards compliant HTML5? If anyone like to share their thoughts, please submit a comment below.
Several days ago Google made it known; both intentionally and unintentionally, that it will release its own WebKit based browser, Chrome.
Today (Sep. 2nd EDT) Google had done so in over 100 countries around the world.
For all Windows users, you now have yet another browser; among Firefox, Safari, Opera, and others, to choose from. So why not go to Google Chrome and give it a try. Of course, like many things that Google does, Chrome has Google’s “Beta” moniker to imply that “it is work in progress”.
Since I am a Mac user, I will not be trying it any time soon via Parellels. I love to hear feedback from Windows users regarding this new browser from Google.
PS: please be sepcific, comparison with it and IE 8 and/or Safari will be great.
Back in April I wrote and article in my Blog titled, “Made Up Words“. Now Webster dictionary have added the word “google” into their 11th edition of the Webster dictionary. Other new words include: “mouse potato and spyware.
Our counter parts on the Windows platform had been playing with Google Earth for almost a year.
As for Tuesday, January 10, 2006, Google made the Mac version of Google Earth public.
If you do not know or have not seen Google Earth, then I ask you to read Google’s description on the Google Earth home page, rather than me describing it to you. Better yet, download the application and check it out for yourself to see what the Mac community has been missing all this time.
BTW: Google had this well before Microsoft decides to launch their Live Local… Local Live… what is it called??
After playing with it for an hour. I can see that Google still have a long way before they are able to make Killer front end applications. The feel of Google Earth for the Mac is like that of the Windows version. The interface feels awkward and definitely not Mac app like.
I guess this opens up an opportunity for 3rd Party to build something more Mac like, that is if Google would release the API for Google Earth as they did for Goolge Map.
You may say, can you be a bit more specific about the deficiency of Google Earth’s UI? Well I can give you one example, since I do not want to get into the details for obvious reasons. The process of adding a Placemark is a bit cumbersome. It requires the user to bring up a web page (wizard) within the user’s default browser. This web page is simply for Google to ask the user to acknowledge the verification of any previous identical Placemark submitted; a manual and user honest process. The subsequent submission form does not copy the title of the Placemark from Google Earth to the form except for the description.
It is obvious, why Google is advertising for Macintosh Developers.
Please don’t get me wrong, this release of Google Earth is very welcomed, and the application fully capable of demonstrating the power and features of Google Earth. I just wish it was more of a Mac-like appliction. I am sure version 2.0 will be much better.
@drilbu Yeah, BrightKite's location is not too accurate and I have no idea how to correct the locations. Who should I be talking to abou ... 4 hours ago
HTC has finally made details of their first Android phone available to the public. It bares the moniker “HTC G1“, may be it implies there will be subsequent versions.
Actually, technically it is 
Several days ago Google made it known; both intentionally and unintentionally, that it will release its own WebKit based browser, Chrome.
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