Author: David Junior

Partnering up with Google may prove to be more lucrative for the carriers then we originally thought. We already know that Google’s Android is an open source product that anyone can adopt for use on their handset. We also know that Google shares a portion of the app sales with carriers. According to multiple sources, Google is sharing some of its advertising revenue with the carriers to further entice them to use Android on their handsets.

Android has taken off in a way that is unheard of for a new platform. In just 18 short months, there are reportedly 60,000 Android handsets being shipped out every day. Is this new source of revenue behind the success of Android? If this is true I’m sure it helped a few carriers decide to offer Android phones. But, to get this deal it is speculated that the carrier has to include Google’s apps or carry Google Experience phones. Google and a few carriers declined to comment.

[via paidcontent]

Up until Sprint announced the HTC EVO 4G, this was the most talked about phone around the web. Since then, there has been little to no coverage on this device. Samsung is now making a conscious effort to try and bring this phone back into the spotlight. It is a pretty impressive device by the way.

The one advantage that this phone has over the HTC EVO 4G is its availability worldwide. It has a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, 1GHz processor, 16 GB internal storage with a MicroSD slot. It’s also a 2.1 phone with HD Movie Recording, allshare via DLNA and doubles as a Remote Controller for Samsung TVs.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[via eurodroid]

It’s no secret that Blockbuster has been in a lot of financial trouble lately. They have made a few changes to try and stay competitive. One of which is offering their services on mobile phone. The release of T-Mobile’s HD2 brought with it an app from Blockbuster that allows users to stream video right to their device. Blockbuster is now looking into expanding this to the Android platform.

It’s likely that this will be a free app that will charge you to stream or download the content right to your phone. Some could even be offered for free, I’m sure there will be free previews. If Blockbuster can pull this off soon, it will beat their main competition, NetFlix, to the point in the mobile phone market.

There’s’ currently an unofficial Netflix app in the Android Market that allows to do everything you can do on your computer except download and play movies to your phone. The blockbuster app will not only come directly from them but will include the same features as their online video delivery service as well as streaming video. This will be a welcome addition to Android and I hope it is brought to us as soon as possible.

[via cnn]

The wait is finally over for all you Verizon customers, Skype is now available for use will select Verizon phones including their entire lineup of Android’s. Starting this morning, you can visit the Skype Mobile site and download the app right to your phone.

Unfortunately if you are not on Verizon, like me, you cannot enjoy this new service. Verizon has an exclusive deal with Skype to be the sole carrier of this service. Unlike its Skype counterpart on the iPhone, this will work over Wi-Fi giving you true VOIP services all without using any of your minutes. So, head over to Skype Mobile and get started all you Verizon users.

UPDATE: It does not work over Wi-Fi, in fact you cant even open it while its active. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[via skype]

This little tidbit of information was brought to our attention not too long ago. A user in the T-Mobile’s discussion forum has received a confirmation email from T-Mobile that said his phone was in their stock and will be delivered on March 29th.

Some of you lucky enough to have ordered this, only have four days until it’s in your sweaty palms. Looks like it’s time to start stalking the delivery guy again. Let the countdown begin.

This was undoubtedly the hottest Android phone around the web until the recent announcement by Sprint introducing the HTC EVO 4G. Nonetheless, this is still the most “Desired” phone among fans of Android. And if you choose the right plan, it can be yours for free. These next few months we are going to see a few powerful Android devices enter into the market from various manufacturers’. I can’t wait to see what’s next; I’m still waiting on a good physical keyboard “Superphone” to be caught in some spy pictures.

[via t-mobile]

Gossip celebrity news giant TMZ has just released their very own Android app. It’s a free download from the Android Market. If you have a hankering to keep track of your favorite celebrities (or stalk), you can now do so from the convenience of your Android handset.

Market description reads:

“Find out the latest breaking entertainment news, videos and photos from TMZ.com. Whenever entertainment news breaks, wherever you are — TMZ on your Android gives you an all-access pass to the latest info on your favorite celebs. It’s all free and updated throughout the day.”

Although it has Android 1.6, this a great buy for anyone in the market for a nice tablet. This can be yours for as low as $155, or go for the top of the line version for a whopping $180. This great deal doesn’t stop there, you can have it shipped anywhere in the world for $25.

The version for $180 has built in GPS and there is an optional 3G usb dongle available for both that adds voice capabilities to the device. It has a 5″ 800 x 480 screen, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, onboard embedded 1GB flash drive and a few other bells and whistles. For a complete list of specs click here and you can place your order there as well.

[via eurodroid]

Knocking Live Video is now available for Android. This app allows you to stream videos with anyone on your Knocking friend list including those with iPhones. There’s a video demo after the break as well as the qr code.

Market description:

Knocking is like having a live mobile phone web cam. That works ANYWHERE!!!
See what I see, NOW!!
Rquirements: Droid and Nexus One (OS 1.6 and above), 3G or Wifi
E-mail us at [email protected] for 24/7 support and suggestions.Follow us at Twitter @knockinglive and http://www.facebook.com/KnockingLive
www.Knockinglive

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Mobinova Beam is an 8.9 inch smartbook that uses NVIDIA’s Tegra platform to deliver HD graphics while using little power to do so. It’s rumored to have the ability to play over 16 hours of video. Windows CE was the featured OS choice in the past but Mobinova chose to go with Android instead because of it’s large selection of apps.

Speaking of apps, out the box it doesn’t include the Android Market. The good news is they are working on their own app store. Mobinova plans to combat the absence of the Market by pre-loading multiple high end games that showcase the power of the Nvidia Tegra CPU. There’s an HDMI for 1080p output and the keyboard has been modified to include playback keys. To take advantage of its HD capabilities, CinemaNow will be on board for downloading premium videos. Pricing and availability has not been set but this is expected to land on AT&T in the near future.

There’s a video of this running Android at blog.laptopmag.

Foursquare, a location based social networking game, is now available for Android. This game allows users to share their location with their friends. It has been one of the most popular apps for the iPhone and is Gowalla’s main competition. Usually apps ported over from the iPhone are not as good on Android as they were on the iPhone. But this app has a few features that the IPhone doesn’t; the most notable one is Google Maps integration.

Foursquare has been available for Android via web browser for awhile, now there is a standalone app available in the Market and it’s free. Those of you who have played the iPhone version will pick this up fairly quick. But there are a few changes in the Android version, it now features Google Maps integration and a one-click check-in process. Also, this app has a unique look tailor made to fit the Android platform.

Foursquare allows Android users to “check-in”, which is a way of letting your friends know where you are. Once you check in, foursquare alerts your friends about your whereabouts and recommend places for them to go and things to do. Every foursquare check-in earns you points. You can earn 5 points for finding a new place in your neighborhood, 2 points for making more than one stop at night and 1 point for bringing your friends along. Checking in to more interesting places earns you various badges; there are badges for discovering new places and for traveling to faraway places. Earn enough points and you will become a “Mayor” and when you reach this level you will be award free gifts such as, coffee, ice-cream and free hotel stays. Like most apps for Android, the code has been open-sourced and maybe the community can add more exciting new features to it.

With the anticipation building around the release of the first 4G phone, the Android powered HTC Supersonic, Sprint has just announced its plans to add 4G capabilities to more cities. This is a good strategy because it widens the appeal of having as 4G device to more potential customers.

This expansion is expected to cover more than 120 million people. The new areas of coverage include Cincinnati, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Miami, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City and St. Louis. Sprint is also is rumored to make an official announcement at this year CTIA introducing the HTC Supersonic.

[via sprint]

Yesterday we let you all know that BlueAnt plans on bringing a headset and an app to Android. Today a video demo of the headset emerges and it looks quite impressive. Besides being designed for use in extreme conditions, it has a few other surprises as well.

It has a rubber case over it to protect from shock and dust, it features a new technology that allows excellent call quality in winds up to 22mph. it also has dual mics for noise cancellation similar to that found in the Nexus One and most Motorola Android handsets. It can also connect up to 2 different devices and you can use them both at the same time. And that’s not all, it now has A2DP for streaming audio of podcasts and turn-by-turn directions from GPS applications on your mobile phone. Last but not least it can read your text messages to you and even announce callers by name so you can choose to answer the call or reject it all without even touching your phone or the headset. This will only be available to phones with 2.0 and up but don’t let that scare you away, most handsets should have 2.1 within the next two months.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[via blueant]