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Apple sure seems to be in a spending mood these days. The company spent as much as $100 to 200 million to buy Siri, a virtual assistant applications developer. Now the New York Times confirms that it bought Intrinsity, a processor chipset maker based in Austin, TX, for an estimated $121 million. (These are bargains, considering the $278 million it previously plunked down for another chip maker, PA Semi.)

The news started coming out after some trade pubs noticed that various Intrinsity staffers’ LinkedIn pages started showing Apple as the employer. And now a NYT article confirms the acquisition. Intrinsity is believed to be responsible — along with Samsung — for the A4 processor that’s inside the iPad. (This is what has many pundits thinking the tablet’s processor is actually the Hummingbird chip the two companies were jointly working on).

Though far from a “must-have” gadget in the eyes of many tech fanatics, the Apple tablet managed to garner big sales, with as many as 1 million+ devices sold thus far. Part of that success is credited to the device’s fast 1GHz speed and battery life, estimated at up to 10 hours. And those features have everything to do with the chipset inside.

Some could take this as an indication that Apple will bring the A4 to the next iPhone as well. And if that’s true, then could it be that the smartphone war has moved on from platform debates, touchscreen technology, UIs and app selection, to its next major battleground: speed and battery life?

The NYT didn’t exactly address that. What it did say struck me as weird though, particularly the following passage:

The speed of mobile device chips are typically measured in megahertz, and one of the more popular chips on the market usually runs at about 650 megahertz. Intrinsity’s engineers found a way to crank that speed up to 1000 megahertz…

By acquiring Intrinsity, Apple would be able to keep that 350 megahertz edge to itself.

Do you spot what’s missing? It’s 10 little letters, namely Snapdragon.

Who’s the fastest?

It’s a little weird that the A8 ARM Cortex processor developed by Qualcomm wasn’t even included. But the article does mention the company itself, whose 1GHz Snapdragon chips are often integrated in Android and Windows Mobile phones, as well as other makers like Nvidia (Tegra 2) and Marvell (Armada 618). They’re all spending a ton of money to develop their own ARM processors.

I’m no chipset expert, but I do know there’s more to a device’s speed than how fast the processor clocks, including memory and other aspects. But Anandtech is, and he did a comparison a few weeks ago pitting the iPad, the iPhone 3GS and the Nexus One for browser load times.

The Nexus One, with Snapdragon processor, beat the iPhone 3GS in all of Anandtech’s tests. And the iPad, with A4 chip, topped both in every instance but one (when the N1 loaded CNN’s mobile site 0.4 seconds faster than the iPad). These tests should be taken with a grain of salt, since there are variables (like the tablet’s bigger battery, for one) that don’t exactly make this an even fight. And even if the A4 chip could maintain that speed and power management in a smaller form factor, there’s no confirmation that Apple will even put it in the new iPhone.

Still, the possibility is intriguing, and not just because it’s self-serving — as an iPhone user, I have to admit I would love this — but because of its potential impact on the industry as a whole.

Apple didn’t lead the way in processing power, as Snapdragon has been on the scene for a while now (meanwhile, the current 3GS handset has been plodding along with 600MHz). If both make major waves in the smartphone scene, could it accelerate the rush toward faster, more energy-efficient chips across the board?

I contend that competition is good, and if this sets off an all-out speed war, users of all platforms might feasibly benefit from it.

Need for speed

Given that most of the major smartphone brands already deliver touchscreens, contacts/calendar management, built-in and third-party apps, full HTML web browsers — and soon, multitasking — faster chips and longer life could wind up being the biggest differentiators to the masses.

No matter what the handset, waiting for a webpage to crunch through loading is never fun. And there’s hardly anyone who doesn’t have a story about how the device conked out at an inconvenient time. (Kind of reminds me of those horror movie plot devices.) 

So if faster processing without the power drain becomes the standard and not the exception industrywide, those scenarios could become a thing of the past.

Tell us what you think. Are you happy with your smartphone’s speed and battery life? Or could those two factors sway you from one handset to another? (Or even one OS to another?) Share your thoughts below.

Via: NYT

I’m just out of a lunch meeting (wouldn’t you like to know what we talked about?) when I get a text from Aaron: HP just bought Palm. My reaction is surprise, but my first actual thought is, “Oh yeah, of course. Never thought of it but that makes total sense.”

HP has money, resources, distribution channels and global brand recognition when it comes to computers – desktops, laptops and netbooks. They also have a history of making entirely forgettable smartphones. 

Palm has … well, you know what Palm has at this point. They’ve got a great mobile operating system, an awesome patent portfolio that may or may not actually exist, and not much else. 

And so they hook up. Of course they hook up. Suddenly HP has their own house brand mobile operating system that – as they’re all too happy to tell you, again and again already – is “scalable.” Scalable, of course, meaning, “Ready to kick some iPad/Google Tablet butt!” Suddenly HP has relevance in the smartphone and broader mobile tech scene. And suddenly – like Apple amongst others – they can create products, from concept to hardware to software, entirely in-house.

Palm? Well, suddenly they have a new lease on life and a partner/parent company with the muscle Palm always wished it had. Suddenly there’s no reason why webOS devices can’t get pushed out faster and with more reliably made hardware. Suddenly webOS has some leverage when it comes to release schedules and carrier partners for new devices. Suddenly Palm can make choices based on strategy and not survival instinct alone. 

And suddenly Palm + HP seems to = Tablet Computer. Tablet computer with slick, cards-based multitasking and 3D gaming support and nifty push notifications, and all kinds of other very un-iPad features. Tablet computer with audio powered by Beats by Dr. Dre, even.

And suddenly the idea of “Next-Gen webOS phones,” is legit. HP didn’t spend a billion plus dollars on Palm just to let their smartphone business die. Next-gen Pres and Pixis – or whatever they’re going to be called – are sure to see the light of day now. No longer is it a matter of, “What could have been,” but rather, “When and how much and where are the leaked photos and spec sheets?”

The cynic in me, of course, can only see an iPaq with webOS jammed into it. Picture it, a colorful OS running on the beigest of beige hardware. 

But the optimist in me sees new Palm devices designed in the new but iconic and evolving Palm tradition, but powered by Hummingbird-Snapdragon type processors that can really make webOS fly, and built on hardware that comes from a large-scale, deep-pocketed operation that knows how to do build quality and cost effectiveness. At the same time, even.

So we’ll have to see. Judging from the conference call and press materials that went out today, HP plans to keep Palm and webOS alive in a major way. Words like “slate” and “netbook” and “scalable” keep getting batted by around hPalm execs like so many ping pong balls through the air, as well, so that whole webOS tablet computer thing seems like a surefire bet.

Only question now is can HP’s buttoned down aesthetic and Palm’s “everything is inspired by river stones” vibe learn to co-exist? Because as much as yesterday I hated the thought of something with so much potential as webOS dying an early death due to poor business and marketing execution, today I can’t stand the thought of something even worse: A being of such colorful beauty doomed to a life of boring beige.

That didn’t take long for brand new speculation to surface.

Brian Humphries, HP’s vice president of strategy and corporate development, set some tongues wagging during the conference call about the HP acquisition of Palm. Hold on, back up: If you don’t already know the big news, HP has agreed to purchase Palm. That alone is a whopper of headline news. (For more on that, click here.)

Then Humphries kinda sorta alluded to something heretofore never actually uttered in public: a WebOS tablet. In truth, it still wasn’t uttered here, even in this conference call. But here’s what has the webs buzzing about the possibility:

Slide 5 from the presentation (below) features the Pre Plus, Pixi Plus and HP’s Slate tablet. The next slide spotlights the major strengths of each company. For Palm, it’s the WebOS platform and industry experience, whereas HP offers cashflow and “scale.” That last word is what analysts are zeroing in on. It could be taken to mean that deploying the OS across different hardware platforms, both small and large. Now let’s take another look at the previous slide…

That’s it. One word, one slide, a load of cash, and now people are wondering whether HP might eventually unveil a WebOS tablet.

For the record, my initial thoughts are that it would truly be awesome. WebOS, despite being an elegant and user-friendly operating system, has taken a lot of flack over its hardware. Now imagine all those cards swiping by on a big glorious screen set in a beautifully built device.

It’s way, way too early to know if this will be in the works, but I hope HP is licking its lips, thinking about it. What about you? If a “Pablet” ever sees the light of day, would you go for it?

Via: PreCentral

Apple’s acquisition of Siri is sure to ruffle some feathers over at Google headquarters. Siri is the developer of a Virtual Personal Assistant application for the iPhone platform that aims to give you a real assistant experience. Without beating around the bush, they offer voice search with the implementation of a few other services to bring everything into one application for ease of use. That sure sounds like Apple is trying to compete with Google on another level to me.

The deal was approved by the Federal Trade Commission as a deal granted early termination under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. The company is still fairly new and has raised $24 million in their short, two-year run. Based on that, Business Insider estimated Siri sold for somewhere between $100 million and $200 million, but there was no official disclosure on how much Apple paid out for them. 

Siri’s site claims that they planned to expand to other mobile platforms, so it will be interesting to see what Apple plans to do with them in the coming months.  Check out the video below for a demonstration of the product, and hit the comments with your thoughts!

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Via Business Insider

After undesirable third quarter sales pegged Palm as a sinking ship, many speculated that companies such as HTC, Huawei, or Lenovo might purchase the company for varying reasons.  But after all of those deals fell through, a buyer emerged.  In an unprecedented move by HP, an announcement has just been made that they have reached an agreement to purchase Palm for $1.2 billion.  The purchase price equates to $5.70 per share and is expected to be finalized at the end of July (end of the third quarter, to be technical).  According to the press release (below), Palm CEO John Rubinstein is expected to continue on with the company but we’re unsure in what capacity.

Keep checking back for update as we’ll post them as fast as we get them.  Until then, leave you thoughts in the comments!

Via Engadget

PALO ALTO, Calif. & SUNNYVALE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–HP (NYSE: HPQ – News) and Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM – News) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which HP will purchase Palm, a provider of smartphones powered by the Palm webOS mobile operating system, at a price of $5.70 per share of Palm common stock in cash or an enterprise value of approximately $1.2 billion. The transaction has been approved by the HP and Palm boards of directors.

Palm’s current chairman and CEO, Jon Rubinstein, is expected to remain with the company.

Congratulations to A. Coogan of NY who won a BlackBerry Bold 9700 for AT&T on Wednesday April 28, 2010 at 3:48PM.  Stay tuned for a picture and quote from our latest winner!

PhoneDog is hiring, and we want YOU as a part of our News Department!  If you’re passionate about wireless technology and have a penchant for writing, keep reading for more information on how to apply!

Here are the things that you need to know:

• We want individuals who can offer engaging, thoughtful content.
• You must be well-versed in how to utilize periods, commas, and how to spell correctly.  Needless to say, that kind of stuff is essential.
• You must be reliable, responsible, and trustworthy.  The position will require regular research and fact checking, and we’ll be checking your work from time to time as well.  Plagiarism is not acceptable.
• Previous writing/blogging experience is highly desired, but not required.
• A great attitude is essential for the position.

Note: This is not a paid gig at this time, but an opportunity for people who want to break into the online journalism field and/or have a passion for the wireless industry.

Here’s what you need to include in your e-mail:

• Submit three posts in the PhoneDog writing style.  We’re not going to publish them to the website, but we want to get an idea of your writing style and “voice” (i.e. how well you can do this whole tech thing).
• List your top three favorite gadgets/phones (not included in your sample posts), and why you enjoy them.
• Tell us how much time per week you can commit to writing for the website – what days, time blocks, etc.
• Send us any questions that you may have about the position.
• Tell us where you’re located.
• Tell us your age (note: must be 13 or older for consideration).
• Include your contact information and the best time/way to reach you.

A few additional details:

• DO NOT send attachments.  If you do, we’ll ignore the e-mail.
• Check your work prior to sending it.  If u type like thes, your work isn’t going to be considered.
• Don’t send writing from other websites that you’ve worked with in the past.
• PhoneDog is written in English – please make sure your e-mail is too.
• Due to the large volume of e-mails that we receive, we won’t be responding to everyone.  If we’re interested, we’ll get in touch.  If you don’t hear back, it doesn’t mean that you’re a bad writer – we’re just looking for different writing styles.

Send your e-mail to [email protected].  Good luck!

It seems as if another Android device has just passed through the FCC, the Commtiva Blaze (F800). Here are the specs dissected from the FCC testing:

• Radio Band & Standard
  
  • GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
  • WCDMA/HSDPA 1700 / 2100
• 5MP Camera with flash
• Android 1.6
• 3.5 mm jack
• Connectivity
• GPS GPS / AGPS
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
• Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR 2.0 + EDR
• USB USB 2.0
  • Power
• Battery Rechargeable Li-Ion 1230mAh
• Power Adapter AC input: 100-240V, 50 / 60Hz, 0.2A max.
• DC output: 5V, 1A
• Temperature
  • Operating -15ºC to 55ºC
  • Non-operating / Storage -20ºC to 70ºC
  • Charging 0ºC to 40ºC
• Humidity
  • Operating 10% to 90% non-condensing
  • Non-operating / Storage 5% to 95% non-condensing

Judging by the photos, the device is headed to Cincinnati Bell, which uses T-Mobile bands. There is no information given on the internals such as storage or RAM/ROM, but upon further digging on FCC’s site, I found that it will ship with a Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset. What’s more, the addition of Android 1.6 and a 600 MHz processor will land this baby somewhere in the mid-range smartphone level. However, it does appear as if Commtiva has added their own twist to Android, and it actually looks pretty good.

Stay tuned, folks!  We’ll be sure to keep you updated as we discover more.

Via: Phandroid
FCC Information

A teacher friend of mine sent me a link to this story from the New York Times about how middle schoolers at Riverdale Country School recently went two days without texting as a sort of mental health experiment. I actually have some friends who went to Riverdale. Smart guys. But that’s another story.

Reading the NYTimes piece made me feel what I’ve been feeling for months now myself: The always-on life style is addictive and utterly unhealthy (more like years, I’m sure my family would say). The first line of the piece resonated with me on a very personal – and very depressing – level:

Julia Sokoloff, 14, woke up around 8 on Sunday morning and reached for her phone the way hard-core smokers reach for their cigarettes, before they’re even fully conscious.

Julia, I’m with you: My name is Noah Kravitz, and I am an information addict.

I, too, reach for my phone first thing in the morning. All too often it’s also the last thing I look at before going to sleep at night. I know that “checking messages is like drinking a can of Red Bull, relaxation-wise,” to quote some article I read a long time ago. But I do it anyway.

Ironic that I love gadgets, cover technology for a living, and am speaking out against the smartphone lifestyle. But it’s true. I have a huge self-control problem when it comes to checking Email, Twitter, RSS feeds, and most everything else on my phone. Tablet computers, with their big screens and easy to hold form factors are only making it worse. Reading stuff on iPad is so fun, I find myself wanting to do it for no good reason. I pick the thing up, check my messages, and then sit there in bed wondering, “Okay, what else can I look at?” It’s not like there’s specific information I’m after – it’s more like I feel the urge to use the thing and then try to justify the act later.

Starting and ending the day in front of a little screen? Not good. In the morning I wind up distracted from my family, and switched into amped-up work mode way too quickly. At night I wind up unable to get to sleep because the glowing screen has infected my mind and body with negative energy of some sort or another. Honestly, it’s a big drag.

Go read the article, even if you’re not a kid and don’t have kids of your own. Like any good “children’s story,” there’s plenty in there for us adults, too. My favorite line from the piece?

Fewer than half of the 250 middle school students at Riverdale participated in the experiment, but Julia, for one, found it valuable. Among the revelations was the envious reaction of her father, who pointed at his own BlackBerry and told her, “I’d give anything to put this down.”

Smartphones are awesome. But like all good things, they’re to be used in moderation. Right? What say you – is there such thing as too much of a good thing when it comes to the always-connected lifestyle?

If you’ve been following the Nokia N8 over the past few days, you’re well aware that it was given less-than-stellar marks by Mobile Review’s Eldar Murtazin.  After a few PR plugs (including the statement that the device shouldn’t be reviewed with pre-release software), Nokia has released an unedited sample video clip from the N8.  I have to say, for a cell phone, I’m really impressed.  If you’re looking for a device with a great camera/video camera, this device appears to be the one.  Check out the clip below.

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Via Engadget

We’re celebrating a … nevermind what we’re celebrating, it’s not about us. It’s about you! 

Thanks for supporting us in all the ways that you do. Thanks to Sony Ericsson for giving us a super cool World Cup themed Package to thank you with. Up for grabs is an unlocked SE Saito mobile phone and official World Cup soccer ball and T-Shirt. Here’s the deal: Post a comment to this story and you’ll be entered to win. The winner will be picked at 12 pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, May 4 2010. Posting more than once will not increase your chances of winning.  And that’s pretty much that.

As you know, I’m live on location at WES 2010 in Orlando, Florida, where the BlackBerry Pearl 3G was announced earlier this week.  With a trackpad, revised keyboard, 802.11n support, OS 5.0, and (of course) 3G connectivity.  It’s a nice little device, and if US carriers follow Telus’ lead (of pricing it below $50), I think it will be quite the success.

Want an up close and personal look at the new device?  Check out the gallery below, and stay tuned for more WES 2010 coverage!

If it isn’t enough that HTC currently has a pending fight on its hands over accused patent infringement by Apple, now Microsoft has decided to jump on the bandwagon and accuse HTC (mostly Android) of a similar offense.  Unlike the lawsuit wielded by Apple, however, Microsoft appears to have handled the matter in a more gentlemanly fashion, by negotiating a licensing agreement with HTC entitling themselves to certain undisclosed royalties.

A press release (below) was sent out late last night discussing the patent agreement made between the two companies, confusing many journalists at first.  The initial thought was that the purpose of the agreement was to help HTC in its fight against Apple by allowing them access to Microsoft’s comprehensive portfolio of patents.  This seemed to make some sense due to HTC’s history of providing hardware for Windows Mobile devices as well as Microsoft’s long-time rivalry with Apple.  However, as CNET points out:

Microsoft has taken the position, according to those close to the company, that Android infringes on the company’s patented technology and that the infringement applies broadly in areas ranging from the user interface to the underlying operating system.

So, while in the end HTC may benefit from the licensing agreement in terms of its approach to handling the Apple lawsuit, it wasn’t the primary reasoning for the arrangement with Microsoft.  It is comforting to know, however, that Microsoft’s approach to this sort of thing isn’t quite as belligerent as others’.  Horacio Gutierrez, deputy general counsel for Microsoft, said “We have also consistently taken a proactive approach to licensing to resolve IP infringement by other companies and have been talking with several device manufacturers to address our concerns relative to the Android mobile platform.”

That’s about it for now.  I’m sure more details will unravel as time presses on, but it’s definitely interesting to say the least.  Comments and insights are welcome below!

Via TechCrunch, CNET

REDMOND, Wash. — April 27, 2010 — Microsoft Corp. and HTC Corp. have signed a patent agreement that provides broad coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio for HTC’s mobile phones running the Android mobile platform. Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will receive royalties from HTC.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed athttp://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

We all know there was a little concern yesterday, on the part of Sprint Android fans, when it became apparent that the CDMA version of the Nexus One was replaced by the HTC Incredible on Verizon.  The logical question being: ‘If VZW is giving N1 the can, what about Sprint?’ or ‘Does this mean that the HTC EVO 4G will be replacing the N1 on Sprint?  No matter how you put it, the fear was arguably valid.

The fellows at AndroidGuys decided to take matters into their own hands, and while they haven’t received anything particularly definitive from either Google or Sprint, they did have a brief conversation with Sprint customer service that – if nothing more – leaves us hopeful.  Here’s a snapshot of how it went:

“Benjamin Rubenstein: I was wondering if Sprint will still be getting the Nexus One, and if so when?
Jenny K: I have checked the information for you. Unfortunately, we do not have the information about the launching date of this phone. This is correct that we are going to launch the nexus. It will be most probably launched in May.
Benjamin Rubenstein: So just cuz the CDMA Verizon version is not happening, doesn’t mean that Sprint’s gonna bail also?
Benjamin Rubenstein: Isn’t it dangerous to launch the Nexus around the same time as EVO 4G? Or is Sprint not concerned about that?
Jenny K: Yes, Nexus is different phone and EVO is different phone. The launch time of both the phone is different.
Benjamin Rubenstein: but isn’t EVO launching in June?
Jenny K: Yes, you are correct. We are going to launch the EVO in June.
Benjamin Rubenstein: But Nexus One is coming in May? Perhaps being launched around Google I/O?
Jenny K: Yes, you are correct.”

As you can see, at least one Sprint CSR seems to think that the Nexus One (a “different phone” from the HTC EVO 4G) will still be headed to Sprint, and in May no less.  Additionally, in re-reading the press release Sprint issued back in March about the N1, some of the language makes it pretty clear that N1 they are referring to is the one that comes only from the Google online store – though as we’ve seen with Vodafone, plans certainly can change.  In any case, here is the snippet from the release that I was speaking of:

“Google’s online consumer channel was created to provide an efficient way to connect online users with selected Android phones. Nexus One will not be available in any Sprint retail channels. It will be available directly from Google at google.com/phone. The online experience of Google’s web store is designed with a focus on simplicity allowing consumers to match a phone with the service plan that best meets their needs.”

So what’s it going to be, Nexus One or EVO 4G?  And if the N1 does come out before the EVO 4G, who’s going to be patient enough to wait?  Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!

Update: Naturally we were curious about what the future holds for the Nexus One on Sprint, so we reached out to see if they had anything to say on the issue.  This is what we were told: “We have not made any updates on Nexus One since the March press release – we have not announced pricing or availability.”  What does this mean?  Let’s be honest, who knows?  On the one hand you could say that if there is no change that everything remains the same and the N1 will indeed come to Sprint via Google’s online store.  On the other hand they did say “we have not announced pricing or availability” which could also suggest that the N1 may not become available at all, at least not in its originally intended form.  Looks like father time wins again, folks – only the future holds the truth.

Via AndroidGuys

One of the most frustrating things for smartphone users has to be that battery life notification warning you that you only have 10 or 20% battery life remaining.  When I first switched from a Blackberry Pearl to the Droid Eris, I realized just how much battery drain advanced capabilities like web surfing, Youtube and Twitter cause.  I used my Blackberry primarily for email because the Web surfing experience was so terrible.  As a result, my battery life was stellar.  I would routinely get at least two full days with normal (which I now know to be very limited) use.  During my first week with an Android device, I wasn’t sure if I could live with the poor battery life that i was experiencing.  After some soul-searching I decided to stay with Android in spite of the poor battery life because of the rich, vastly superior Web experience.  During the next month, I made several discoveries that helped me understand how the advanced functionality that makes these devices so useful affects battery life.  

First, I found that by turning GPS off, battery drain was much improved.  Because the Droid Eris is an Android 1.5 device, it doesn’t have Google Navigation capability and I don’t use any other apps that require GPS.  I do have a GPS toggle widget on my homescreen for the rare instance that I need it.  Unscientifically, I found that by turning GPS off, I save about 20% of my battery’s charge throughout a normal day.

Next, I experimented with mobile data.  I found that by toggling data off, I could still make calls and send and receive text messages, and my battery would still have a 95% charge at the end of the work day.  While no smartphone user would chose to use their phone like this on a daily basis, the ability to turn off data does come in handy when traveling in areas where your carrier’s data connectivity is sparse or non-existent.  Turning data off to save battery is also handy in situations where you are waiting for an important phone call, but your battery level is very low and you are not near a power source.  To be clear, I leave data on at all times, but knowing the effect the data connection has on battery life is valuable.

Finally, while task killer apps get a bad rap from those who assert (correctly) that Android is built to manage apps efficiently, my experience has been that by keeping open apps to a minimum, battery life (and lag) improves.  I use the Advanced Task Killer Free app and set system and email-related apps to be ignored (so they don’t get closed).  At random, periodic intervals throughout the day, I’ll kill open tasks. It’s quick and painless and even if it doesn’t actually help all that much with battery life, the placebo effect is comforting.

Other pointers are fairly obvious, but bear repeating:

• Set the data refresh in social networking apps to every half-hour or less often, or to manual refresh.  I found that I always hit refresh after I open these apps anyway in order to get the most up-to-date information.  

• If you use an email account other than an Exchange account or Gmail and need additional battery savings after implementing one or more of the other tips in this article, set your email download frequency to a less frequent setting.  

• Use use wifi when within range of a hotspot instead of mobile data.  Toggle widgets work well for this.  When not in range of a wifi hotspot, toggle wifi off

Today the New York Times had an opportunity to sit down with Andy Rubin, VP of Engineering at Google and one of the founders of the Android platform, to discuss “everything Android.”  The topics of discussion ranged from the battle between Google and Apple to Chrome OS and Flash support for Android, and back to the Google/Apple war.

The author of the article tagged Android as “Google’s primary weapon” in the the war between two of the nation’s largest technology-focused organizations.  And whether you agree or not, from the tone of the conversation it would seem that Rubin believes the real weapon is openness.  When a question about whether consumers actually care about open or closed platforms arose, Rubin said “When they can’t have something, people do care. Look at the way politics work. I just don’t want to live in North Korea,” presumably referring to the closed nature of Apple’s product line.

As the conversation progressed, the topic of support for Flash – an important topic for Android enthusiasts – came up and Rubin promised that Froyo (Android version 2.2) would fully support Flash, stating that being open “means not being militant about the things consumer are actually enjoying.”  Once again, Rubin was probably hinting at Apple’s unwillingness to work with Adobe to bring Flash to the iPhone or iPad, despite the public outcry for the standard.

Rubin also touched briefly on the subject of Android versus Chrome OS, and mentioned that the two operating systems each represent different purposes.  When asked if Chrome and Android tablets would co-exist, Rubin said, “I don’t know if there will be Chrome and Android tablets, but if a consumer walks into [a] store and two of those tablets are my company’s choices, I’m all good.”

As the interview came to a close, the NYT reporter joked with Rubin about the recent “lost/stolen iPhone” debacle, stating that the PR rep who had joined Rubin wanted him to “confess that he had left a prototype Android phone at a local bar.”  To that Rubin replied, “I’d be happy if that happened and someone wrote about it, with openness comes less secrets.”

If it wasn’t clear before now, openness is the key to success in the eyes of Andy Rubin, though I can’t help but remember a certain someone saying (when referring to the lack of native multitouch on US Android devices) “I personally don’t like two-handed operations.” What about us Andy? What about us?

Via Bits

Along with several in the industry, I think the BlackBerry Pearl 3G will sell quite well, provided that they keep the price point below $50.  To that end, Telus announced the device today, and it is slated to launch in May (next month) for CAD $29.99 on a three-year contract.  Telus plans to offer the 20-key “condensed QWERTY” version in black, but they’re also picking up the pink color as a Telus exclusive (within Canada, most likely).  Canadian users, does the price point (and device itself, of course) appeal to you?

Via Engadget Mobile

Who says you can’t get rich having fun? Or at least enabling others to have fun?

Google has acquired Israeli startup LabPixies in a deal said to be worth up to $25 million. LabPixies is best known for their multi-platform games, including the iPhone OS hit, “Flood-It!” They’re also pretty well known in tech circles for having churned out a boatload of other titles for iGoogle gadgets, Hi5, Facebook and other social networks and platforms. And now they’re owned by Google, so I kinda have this feeling they’ll be focusing a little more on the iGoogle and Android stuff and a little less on, oh Idon’tknow, iPhone titles?

Look for a major push in casual gaming on Android devices over the coming months. I hope.

For more on the story, check out Breon’s post over on DroidDog.

Via: TechCrunch

What have we here? It seems as if HTC has just filed a new phone with FCC for testing. The test setup photos from A Test Lab Techno Corp. (ATL) show that HTC is in fact working on another horizontal slider style device, and from the looks of the hardware, the device will run Android (it sports a home key rather than the generic Windows home key).

The device, model number PC70110, looks to have an optical trackpad similar to that on the upcoming Desire but more oval than circular.  Tests indicate that this device will support 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and it appears to be heading to AT&T and possibly some Canadian carriers based on its support for 3G bands II and V.  A letter from HTC to FCC included in the filing states that the device will not support VoIP and that the it has not been rated for hearing aid compatibility with respect to the Wi-Fi capability.

I have to say, the device is looking pretty good despite the color scheme. I’ve never been a big fan of bright colors on my phone, but throw some different colors on this device, make alternate designs for different demographics, and this device could spell success.  With a lot of HTC fans are soon looking to replace their G1, this very well may be the full QWERTY horizontal slider they’ve all been waiting for.

No word could be found on whether the device has been passed just yet or not, but we will keep you posted as we get more information on it.

A special thanks goes out to our very own Ari Robbins for uncovering this little gold mine!

FCC Information

When US Cellular first announced their intent to carry the HTC Desire, some industry writers were skeptical.  While most immediately thought of what we know as the Desire (Android 2.1, Sense UI, 5.0-megapixel camera, etc.), others thought that US Cellular’s “Desire” referred to a device similar to the DROID Eris (since “Desire” was its code name prior to launch).

US Cellular posted the following on their Facebook page:

“Hungry for more Android info? How about a peek at some specs for the gorgeous HTC Desire including a 3.7” AMOLED touchscreen display, 5 MP camera with LED flash, Wi-Fi, GPS, Android Market and an 8 GB microSD card. How about news of a launch date around July? We’ll need to make sure our rigorous testing is complete bef…ore you can get your hands on this sweet phone. Stay tuned here for more exclusive Android updates!“

The industry argument continues – if US Cellular is actually getting this device, why haven’t the big four (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile) spoken up?  Honestly, they don’t need to.  Verizon has the DROID Incredible (with nearly identical specifications), Sprint’s getting the EVO 4G, AT&T is picking up five Android devices this year, and T-Mobile continues to lead in the number of Android devices offered.  Since we haven’t seen a CDMA-equipped Desire just yet, it’s possible that US Cellular’s “Desire” may be something similar to the DROID Incredible.

If you’re a US Cellular user (or live in a US Cellular market), does the news excite you?

Thanks to one of our tipsters!