Posts Tagged: podcasts

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27
Jul 10

Google Maps for Android updated to 4.4, adds dedicated Place



Ready to suck down your sixth Google Maps for Android update in the past six months? Good. Version 4.4 has just been shoved out into …

…Ready to suck down your sixth Google Maps for Android update in the past six months? Good. Version 4.4 has just been shoved out into the bright, hopeful world that we call home, with this one bringing about an easier way to find places around you. With the update will come an entirely new logo, as a dedicated ‘Places’ icon allows users to quickly look up nearby places in a Yelp-esque manner. If you tend to search for similar things regardless of where you are, you can load up your own personalized categories to make finding frequent searches that much easier (think “gas station” or “In N Out”). There’s also Place Pages, which now shows the operating hours of listed businesses, compass direction and distance from your location. It’s available now for all Android phones using v1.6 or newer, and if you’re rocking a BlackBerry, you can expect the Place Page to head your way soon….

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Google Maps for Android updated to 4.4, adds dedicated Place

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15
Jul 10

Android App Inventor To Eventually Expand Third Party Suppor

This morning Google officially unveiled App Inventor for Android, giving non-developer Android users the ability to build their own applications using a visual, puzzle-like interface. I’ve been playing around with the tool all morning (more on that soon), and noticed that one set of Components allows users to seamlessly integrate Twitter functiona

…This morning Google officially unveiled App Inventor for Android, giving non-developer Android users the ability to build their own applications using a visual, puzzle-like interface. I’ve been playing around with the tool all morning (more on that soon), and noticed that one set of Components allows users to seamlessly integrate Twitter functionality. As far as I can tell this is the only third-party service that’s currently included, but Google tells us that it will eventually offer a Component Developer Kit, giving third party developers the ability to integrate their services as well. And that could be a very big deal.
For those that haven’t seen it in action, building an application in App Inventor involves putting together puzzle pieces called Components. Want to do something when the user taps on a Button? Use the Button.Click component. Want to change the color of something to Red? There’s a component for that too. There are also over twenty Twitter-related components, which let you integrate…

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Android App Inventor To Eventually Expand Third Party Suppor

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12
Jul 10

Google debuts DIY code tools for Android phones

Google has released tools that “make it easy for anyone to create programs for Android phones”.

…Google has released tools that “make it easy for anyone to create programs for Android phones”.
Much like Lego, App Inventor lets people drag “blocks” of code around to create applications.
Google said it had been working on the system for a year and were pitched at those with little knowledge of programming.
The tools have been tested over the last 12 months by school children and college students, it said.
The graphical blocks represent the different functions and capabilities of a smartphone.
For instance, one tester of the App Inventor used the GPS locator, timer, and database querying blocks to produce an app that told his friends where he was every 15 minutes.
MIT inside The programming system was developed with the help of computer scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who created a similar coding system known as Open Blocks.
MIT scientist Mitch Resnick used it to create the Scratch programming language that lets children put together programs by clicking and dragging…

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Google debuts DIY code tools for Android phones

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12
Jul 10

Android App Inventor lets you be the developer (video)

Google is following in Nokia’s footsteps today by offering its users a simple-to-use DIY app maker.

…Dusse Useful? You’ll be sure to see some of my apps. A flashcard reading app that announces out loud what the text on it says. A few simple games. A soundboard app of my own.This opens things up! Why would you not be for freedom in App development? Because it lets in the rabble? The rabble is weeded out in the app store….

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Android App Inventor lets you be the developer (video)

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11
Jul 10

Google’s "Open Spot" alerts Android users to freed parking s

Oh, sure — this has certainly been tried before, but given that things like this need a critical mass of followers to be effective, we’re particularly jazzed about Google’s own initiative.

…Oh, sure — this has certainly been tried before, but given that things like this need a critical mass of followers to be effective, we’re particularly jazzed about Google’s own initiative. Dubbed ‘Open Spot,’ this bloody brilliant Android (2.0 and up) application enables motorists to search for unclaimed spaces that have been reported by other Open Spot users, and once they head elsewhere, it allows them to mark their spot as open and available. Once a spot is marked, the color gradually fades from red to yellow the longer it remains unclaimed. We’ve given it a quick test here on our end, and while it seems snappy enough (and yes, we definitely received a Karma Point for every space we dropped), the obvious omission is the ability to add notes to each marked place. There really should be a way to denote whether a spot is metered, covered by some wacky city permit law or submerged in a foot of water — here’s hoping the next update will enable comments. Hit that source link (or just open up the App Market)…

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Google’s "Open Spot" alerts Android users to freed parking s

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27
Jun 10

Hacked N900 blazes through Froyo

While the various and sundry Android manufacturers are all scrambling (or casually strolling) toward official Android 2.2 updates for their manifold handsets, someone managed to get Google’s Froyo running on the Nokia N900. Turns out, the two are a pretty great pair, with some super speedy browsing (like, really fast) and decent hardware support.

…While the various and sundry Android manufacturers are all scrambling (or casually strolling) toward official Android 2.2 updates for their manifold handsets, someone managed to get Google’s Froyo running on the Nokia N900. Turns out, the two are a pretty great pair, with some super speedy browsing (like, really fast) and decent hardware support outside of an unfortunate lack of memory card support. Hit up the video after the break to see it in action, the browser starts kicking around the 4:45 mark….

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Hacked N900 blazes through Froyo

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25
Jun 10

Google flicks Android remote kill switch for apps.

We knew Google had the power to remotely remove Android apps — Microsoft and Apple have backdoors into their mobile operating systems, too — but

…We knew Google had the power to remotely remove Android apps — Microsoft and Apple have backdoors into their mobile operating systems, too — but it’s always a little disconcerting to see a kill switch used. Such is the case today, as we’ve just heard Google unleashed the hounds this week, siccing bits and bytes of remote deletion power on a pair of “practically useless” but still Terms of Service-infringing apps. Curiously enough, Google admits that most who’d downloaded these programs had deleted them already, and that this “exercise” of the remote application removal feature was merely a cleanup operation. Google says users will get a notification beamed to their phone if an app is removed, however — so as Big Brother as that all sounds, at least the company’s being nice and transparent about the whole matter, eh?

Update: To be clear, the developers of the offending apps had already removed them from the Android Market, so this was technically a cleanup. The only question is why Google would go out of…

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Google flicks Android remote kill switch for apps.

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23
Jun 10

Google Voice now open to the public

Tired of waiting for the invite that’ll never arrive? Not so eager to snap up an Android phone just to automatically get ushered into the

…Tired of waiting for the invite that’ll never arrive? Not so eager to snap up an Android phone just to automatically get ushered into the party? Good news: Google Voice is now open to the US public at large (sorry, everyone else!), enabling everyone who wishes to get a single number to ring all of their phones, have voicemail that acts more like email and send / receive free calls and texts within the US. Currently, Google has over a million active Voice users, and we suspect that figure will skyrocket after today. If you’ve been ignoring this hoopla until the invite barrier was crushed, feel free to hop on past the break for a video demonstration of what’s on offer. Then hit that source link to sign up. Happy calling… callers.

See more video at our hub!…

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Google Voice now open to the public

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16
Jun 10

Android "Laser Focused" On User Experience For Next Release

Google’s Android team has been pushing new versions of the OS at a furious pace since the first Android device hit the market in 2008. Lots of features have been added over the last couple of years. But the user experience hasn’t evolved much. That’s all going to change in the next version, we’ve heard from multiple sources close to Google.

…Google’s Android team has been pushing new versions of the operating system at a furious pace since the first Android device hit the market in 2008. Lots of features have been added over the last couple of years. But the user experience hasn’t evolved much.
That’s all going to change in the next version, we’ve heard from multiple sources close to Google.
The team more or less has the core features they want at this point, say our sources, although more tweaks are certainly coming. But Google wants to put an end to the desire of handset manufacturers and carriers to add their own UI layer on top of Google things like Sense, Motoblur, Ninjablur, etc.
Most of the time their shells aren’t all that great anyway (see HTC EVO), and they tend to slow down the device.
Google is focusing the bulk of its efforts on the user experience for the upcoming Gingerbread release to counter this. And they want to get the Android experience closer to the iPhone.
It’s unlikely that third parties will ever completely resist the…

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Android "Laser Focused" On User Experience For Next Release

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5
Jun 10

‘iPhone vs Android’ report finds Apple has three times Googl

It’s oftentimes easy for us to get swept up in Android mania and forget that Google’s mobile platform is still in its infancy. Then we

…MarkAnderson 1st off I have no problem with choice. I don’t care if you prefer your shitty nokia phones to the awesomeness that is the iPhone.My problem is when the Apple Haters come here and accuse those of us that like Apple Products of being1) Stupid2) Blind loyal fanboys3) Non-tech peopleThe list goes on and on. As for HTC’s sense that is one company. And of course you’ve got Motorola’s “Blur”.I’ve tested and used devices from both companies and the experience wasn’t that great. Definitely not as fun as my iPhone 3GS. Sorry to say but the majority of the market agrees with me.People love their Blackberries, their iPhones, and hell even their old Windows Mobile devices.That to be expected give that each of those phones provides a good experience and actually provides value in some shape or form.Android on the other hand has only 2 things to its name.1) multitasking (which no one cares about)2) open os (again something that the average consumer doesn’t care about).And of course soon Flash will be on…

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‘iPhone vs Android’ report finds Apple has three times Googl

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