Mereja

Author: Matthew Patience

  • Canadian Dream Owners Getting Option To Switch To Magic!

    Either IWMOPS (I Want My One Point Six) are some of the most persuasive and influential people I know or Rogers is one of the nicest, most customer-oriented wireless providers (Oh, that was weird, did I just use “nice” and “mobile company” in the same sentence?). The title of this article says it like it is, Rogers HTC Dream owners will have the choice of exchanging for an HTC Magic.

    What sparked this decision by Rogers is that my previous article regarding IWMOPS explained what updates each of the latter HTC devices would be receiving. In short the HTC Magic will be receiving Android 2.1 software and the HTC Dream would be getting nothing due to hardware constraints. Again IWMOPS complained and asked for a resolve and what they got was the decision to switch devices to the HTC Magic. Although many will not take the offer because the main feature separating the two devices is the Dream’s physical keyboard, which for some is a must-have. The official quoted statement is as follows (@RogersMary):

    It’s great to hear that everyone is pleased by HTC’s agreement to upgrade Magic to 2.1. We pushed hard on your behalf and are pleased with that part. When it comes to Dream, we share in your frustration that the device does not have the required on-board memory for an upgrade. We’ve reviewed this internally and believe that Dream users should be able to have the same HTC Android experience as those who purchased the Magic. So, we are offering our HTC Dream customers a limited time opportunity to upgrade from their current HTC Dream device to the HTC Magic.

    We’re working on finalizing the details of that promotion now but wanted to let you know the great news as soon as possible. Please be patient as this is not yet available in-store, online or through customer care. I will be back next week to provide you with more information. ‬

    (via AndroidForums)

    Stay tuned for more information here.

    Your Canadian Correspondent,

    @MatthewPatience


  • “Bebbled” Game Review + Developer Interview

    Bebbled, a game that has been around in the Android Market for FREE since October, recently appeared in the Featured App’s section. Due to its increasing popularity it is only proper that AndroidGuys take a look and have their say, and a lot of good we have to say.

    After being completely sucked into the game for the past two weeks of Christmas I can honestly say its greatest feature is how addictive it is. Many  nights I sat up in bed while the wife would be carefully watching and every time I couldn’t beat a level she’d say, “Hand it over here, I got this, how do you not get it?” The object of this game is similar to those who are familiar with the old Palm game Bubble Breaker; an addictive mobile game in its utter simplicity. You have a screen full of colored balls in rows and columns which can be tapped on to create sections of same coloured balls. The second time you click on that section the balls “break” and give you points depending on how many balls were broken at once. The developer takes the classic ball breaker game and adds their own spin on it including challenges, field/phone rotation, and even a special XMAS Edition.

    The game starts off with music that is very similar to a good old Sousa march. The game uses levels to progress with each level requiring the player to beat the level in a certain way. This is what makes the game addictive because the challenges make you feel like you have something to prove. What also takes advantage of the Android Platform and Hardware is the inclusion of “field rotation”. Field rotation is when you rotate the phone to make groups of bebbles that were not available in the orientation the phone was in previously. The performance of the game is top notch and runs smoothly even on the slowest Android phones. The only thing that could make this game any better is online play. Guess what? It does! The online play is an “I’m better than you are” type game. You compete against other player’s scores to see if you can beat what they got on a particular level. Online play includes rankings and online chat as well. Visually the game gives a fun and professional look that is rarely seen in a lot of Android apps and games. I give the game two thumbs up and recommend it to those that are looking for their next addictive Android game to kill time.

    I also had the chance to speak with the developer Nikolay Ananiev who answered some key questions that give us some insight into the mind of an Android developer. His answers show us why they are better than the developers of other platforms and why Android is rising to the top.

    What made you decide to make such a well designed game free?

    Currently, I can’t sell in the Android Market, because Google Checkout does not support my country (Bulgaria). Of course, I knew that before even started to develop Bebbled, but couldn’t resist to stay away from Android. I think that in 2010 the Android Market is going to become a very important place for mobile developers. I wanted to be part of this huge success and decided to create a high quality game and release it for free. Probably, my future products will also be free, using some kind of cross-promotion to make them popular.

    What are some of your other Android projects, if any?

    Bebbled is my first real Android product. At the moment, I’m working full time on developing Bebbled 2. Bebbled 2 will feature 2 additional game modes, real-time multiplayer of up to 4 players on a single board – internet games and local ones over Bluetooth (if you have Android 2.0+), new single player campaigns, special bonus types, and many small improvements.

    I also have an idea for a completely new casual game, but I have to build a prototype first to see if it’s actually fun to play. The good thing about the Android Market is that you can release your prototype for serveral days without any approval process and see if the users like it.

    What’s your story/background with Android?

    I have been developing for Android since May 2009. I got excited about the platform, because it is very different from Symbian and iPhone OS. Symbian is a very old OS with tons of legacy code behind it and the iPhone OS is compiled out of many different Mac OSX libraries, which feels like clutter. Android, on the other hand, felt just right – an OS created for mobile devices from the ground up without any restriction and making use of a decent programming language. I saw the potential and decided to dive in. As for the future, I think 2010 is going to be Android’s year and the Android Market will see a huge growth. This will make it harder and harder for single developers and small companies to penetrate. My strategy for the new year is to create a strong brand by producing quality software and releasing most of it for free, so it can compete with the new developers and companies that will enter the market.

    You can find out more about Bebbled at <http://bebbled.com/>.

    Written By: @MatthewPatience


  • enTourage eDGe’s Android-Powered Education

    Debuting at CES this week was a device that takes Android to the next level. Over the past few weeks we’ve seen developments in Android that show how Android could be powering everything in our lives one day. With The enTourage eDGe Dualbook(TM) from enTourage Systems our education can now be powered via Android. Forget your netbooks, your laptops, and even your tablets. 

    How mind-blowing is it to think that one day every student in a class could walk in, sit down at their desk and open a “dualbook”. Think back/think now of how much you are spending on physical textbooks… think of all times you’ve shared notes with friends and had to lend them your notebook when you could’ve shared them instantly and digitally over the web… What if you could highlight a phrase of text in your book and instantly search it on the internet. I wish I could throw more of these ideas at you but I know I’ve excited you already!

    Partnering with enTourage on this is McGraw-Hill Education who you’ve most likely heard of if you’ve ever set foot in a book store. McGraw-Hill has already started making over 100 of it’s titles available digitally for the eDGe Dualbook(TM). With education already turning to technological alternatives to current methods it is very possible that in the future you could be buying all of your textbooks digitally from your eBook Reader or “Dualbook”.

    In regards to how it takes advantage of the Android operating system, you will see many of the same apps you are currently using on your Android devices available on the eDGe. Although you will not be able to access Google Market directly, the device can download apps from any other 3rd party stores available on the internet. The device also includes the extremely comforting feature of backing up all of your documents to enTourage Systems servers if for whatever reason you may lose your data. No longer will you be able to say to your professor, “My computer crashed and deleted EVERYTHING!”

    The enTourage eDGe Dualbook(TM) will ship in Febrauary of this year(2010). What do you think chances are of you jumping on this new type of gadget?

    @MatthewPatience


  • Android Book Review: Android Wireless Application Development

    While in Indigo Book Store the other day I took a stroll through the Wireless Application Development for Dummies section. Surprisingly this is a growing section with many books on all of the different programming langauges available.

    Android Dev Book Cover

    I saw books on Windows Mobile, iPhone, and even basic Java. “Where is all of the Android Developer books?” I said to the Associate. He replies, “Umm, that’s the Google one right?” “Umm, YES!” He asks me to reach to the back of the shelf and see what’s there. What do I pull out? “Android: Wireless Application Development” by Shane Conder and Lauren Darcey. I was overcome with relief that it exists, as I’ve seen many Android books available online and was not sure they had penetrated the retail stores yet. I purchased it without question and thought not only will this be a great reference, but when was the last time Android Guys did a Book Review?

    In the beginning…

    Right on the front cover is the Great Wall of China along with a description and short history of it on the inside cover. Obviously the authors must be drawing some conclusion about Android. We can speculate on this and never truly know what they meant by this but my personal opinion is that it is a metaphor for Android. The Great Wall of China was a giant undertaking built by not only a few but by many branches of the Chinese Military. Android is the same in that it was created by not only Google but by all entities within the Open Handset Alliance and more still by the developers who create the applications that support the platform and allow it to grow.

    I was assured even more about my $60 CAD purchase due to a dedication to “Bit, Nibble, Stack, Queue, Heap, and Null” and references within the Acknowledgments section to Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, two of the best comedians of the decade. The book’s audience is three groups of people; Software Developers, Quality Assurance Personnel, and Project Managers. When I said “In the beginning…” I was not joking as the book starts off with the history of mobile phones, putting us back in time to the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X. While this is humourous and a little boring, at the same time it inspires and assures the reader about the potential of the Android Platform.

    Samples, Examples, and Pictures OH MY!

    The book would double as a great children’s book were it not due to the advanced conventions and concepts in the Java language. The book includes sample code in the book and also a CD that has a ton of examples from Networking to 3D Graphics. Quite Impressive. Pictures are included in some chapters to give context to beginning developers or even just to inspire those people who are more advanced.

    What’s new in Android 1.5?

    While this is still a helpful tool the book is out of date only5-6 months after being published. What I am referring to is informational boxes included every once in a while in the book that outline changes from 1.1 to 1.5. I attempted to find the publishing date but found what appears to be an error in the printing date: August 2010. Sorry? I actually checked the date on my calender to ensure I wasn’t living in the past. Either the future of Android is that we will all be reverting back to “cupcake” 1.5, or the authors are really excited for the future of Android.

    Section VI: Deploying Your Android Application to the World

    Chapter 6 is what every code-monkey needs because the business side is really the tough part. Once you have your project it is time to show the world. In their hands is your respect, reputation, and self-respect. So this book is there to guide in terms of the development process, marketing, presentation, selling, and making a bulletproof application. One of my favourite sections in this chapter is the Best Practices where it has almost copied verbatim the Don’ts of Application Development on Android. This is a must read before developing because “open platform” does not mean you can do whatever you like. With that said the book really explores the included API’s to their fullest extent and shows you some really cool possibilities.

    Only the beginning…

    After reading this book you will be well on your way to Android Application development. Readers must keep in mind that this book is meant to be used together with the reference documentation provided by Google and any other sources available out there. I suggest this book as a secondary step in the Android learning curve. The first step being learning the Java langauge, terminology, and conventions (I recommend Java for Dummies, no joke). I give the book a triple thumbs up because it really adds to the Android Development process. Reading through some of Google’s documentation can prove to be difficult at times, this book clarifies and simplifies it for even beginners.

    http://www.amazon.com/Android-Wireless-Application-Development-Conder/dp/0321627091

    Trust me when I say it’s worth the $44.99 US/$53.99 CAN, because searching Google or posting on forums can be a real time-waster. (Comes with a CD-ROM!)

    Interested in my day-to-day life, or want to know my latest Android project?  Twitter: @MatthewPatience


  • Canadians Complained, HTC Listened

    So it would appear that the “IWantMyOnePointSix” (twitter:@IWMOPS) group has had their voices heard.  In the coming months, both HTC Dream and HTC Magic owners will be seeing upgrades to their current software.

    The updates that HTC has so far decided on are only minor for the Dream due to hardware limitations, although the Magic will be given a full update to Android’s latest and greatest 2.1 which was officially announced yesterday at the Google Android Conference. Although this at first appears to be good news, those who are reading and currently own a Rogers HTC Dream are slightly shocked that their brother/sister device is getting upgraded to 2.1 and they are not. So I would assume that IWMOPS’s purpose is still not complete.

    It is hard to believe that HTC would think we would believe them when they say the Dream has hardware limitations when many of us, including myself are already running 1.6 without any loss in speed or functionality. Following this news we are sure to see an even larger outcry from this group that will most likely continue until they get what they want, so stay tuned for more information regarding this issue in the coming weeks.

    Set release dates and known details are as follows:

    In the upcoming weeks

    • Both Dream and Magic will receive minor updates to Android 1.5
    • Magic will receive HTC Sense experience software.

    By Mid-Year(June-July)

    • Magic will receive full upgrade to Android 2.1

    Although a long time away for Android 2.1, it’s something to look forward to and shows that Canada may not be as behind as it has proven to be in the past.

    Also congratulations to IWMOPS for your victory.

    Your Canadian Correspondant,

    @MatthewPatience


  • Sony Xperia X10 – Canadians Celebrate

    Today the entire world’s eyes were fixed upon all of the live blogs, video streams, and articles pouring out about two of Google’s new latest releases. The Nexus One Android Phone and the Google Web Store. While you might suspect Canadians were sulking about its lack of availability in Canada, Wrong! We were celebrating a victory of our own; the confirmed release of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10.

    The phone will be running Android 1.6 and while that may have Canadians wondering how long it is until we get Android 2.1, you can be happy to know it’s got some new tricks for an old dog. Listed below are the technical specifications for the phone(via AndroidInCanada.com).

    • OS: Android 1.6
    • Dimensions: 119 × 63 x 13 mm
    • Weight: 135 grams
    • Includes: GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio jack
    • Display: 4-inch WVGA (480×854 pixels) capacitive scratch-resistant touchscreen
    • Memory: 8GB microSD card included, with 1GB of internal memory
    • CPU: 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250
    • Camera: 8.1MP with 16x digital zoom, auto-focus, touch focus, face recognition, and geo-tagging

    What really stands out with the X10 is the inclusion of a similar, if not the same, 1GHz processor included in the Nexus One. This processor will show Canada some of the fastest speeds it has ever seen from Android and hopefully make a dent in providing Android awareness to the Canadian market. Sony has taken Android and improved upon it by adding new features such as Sony Ericsson Mediascape and Timescape™ that add to make a for a completely new way to experience Android. Videos of these two new features can be found below. The release of the X10 is expected for the second quarter of this year.

    The question is… will you wait for your Dreams and Magics to be updated to 1.6, or will you drop it like an old girlfriend for the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10?

    Your Canadian Correspondant,

    @MatthewPatience


  • Canada Wants 1.6 Really Bad… Do You?

    It would appear that on the 20th of December 2009 that a website going by the name of “iwantmyonepointsix.com” appeared on the streets of the world wide web. The website’s aim is described in the About section of the site which I shall reference here and paraphrase below:

    We do not believe Rogers. We do not believe HTC. We are angry, we are growing, and…

    WE WANT OUR ONE POINT SIX!

    While I wrote this post to inform other Canadians who may not have seen the site yet but feel like jumping on the bandwagon, I also wish to put my one or two cents in on the controversy. Go to http://www.iwantmyonepointsix.com/ to read the blog roll of daily updates, or continue reading to hear my opinion.

    I was actually part of a very similar situation when I was a customer of Bell Mobility(Canada) with one of Samsung’s first touchscreen phones the “Samsung Instinct”. Only this time I was what you would call the leader/offical spokesperson for this group of angered and deprived customers. We organized many letters to those high up in management, including the president of Bell Mobility, raids on the Bell Mobility support forums, and even a lawyer who would represent us if things got ugly. I don’t care to talk about our specific issues but rather just want you to know that it was an issue regarding OS updates that had already been received by US customers. What came of this you ask? Bell Mobility taunted me with a new Windows Mobile phone. I caved and took the offer because our options weren’t looking good and we had been at war for 3 months. Mind you 2 weeks after I took the deal they released the update to the rest of the community who did not get offers like myself.

    Moral of my story is that it wasn’t worth my time even though we accomplished what we set out to do.

    My closing comments:

    1. I am a Canadian Android developer and fully support the “IWantMyOnePointSix” group.
    2. I will not go out of my way to send tons of emails to bureaucratic chumps and minimum-wage tech support.
    3. I would gladly buy a new phone if Rogers released newer Android models such as the Moto Droid, etc.

    I wish all of those involved in the “IWantMyOnePointSix” group good luck in their battle and hope they stick with it because I have just proven to you that it is tough, but possible to accomplish your goal. For the most up-to-date information regarding this developing story follow @IWMOPS on twitter.

    Your Canadian Correspondent,

    @MatthewPatience

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