SAN FRANCISCO Dow Jones–Apple Inc.’s AAPL recent decision to more tightly control programs sold through its popular App Store may push developers towards archrival Google Inc. GOOG, a move that could give the Internet giant momentum as it stakes its place in the smartphone market.Last week, Apple started removing sexually suggestive and risque programs, even though it had previously approved them. Since Thursday, roughly 6,000 apps, about 3%, have been deleted from the App Store, according to the App Shopper Web site, which tracks the online store’s sales.Apple’s decision has roiled the broader community of app writers, who are concerned the consumer electronics giant’s abrupt policy changes could jeopardize their revenue. Some are now considering whether to diversify their businesses by writing apps for Android, a Google-developed mobile phone operating system that is catching on.
Read on via 2nd UPDATE: Apple’s Ban On Risque Apps Helping Google – WSJ.com.
Since 2005, millions of people have relied on Google Maps for mobile to get directions on the go. However, there’s always been one problem: Once you’re behind the wheel, a list of driving directions just isn’t that easy to use. It doesn’t tell you when your turn is coming up. And if you miss a turn? Forget it, you’re on your own.
Today we’re excited to announce the next step for Google Maps for mobile: Google Maps Navigation Beta for Android 2.0 devices.
This new feature comes with everything you’d expect to find in a GPS navigation system, like 3D views, turn-by-turn voice guidance and automatic rerouting. But unlike most navigation systems, Google Maps Navigation was built from the ground up to take advantage of your phone’s Internet connection.
Read the entire news post via Official Google Blog: Announcing Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0.
Official video of Android 2.0 features released on the Android Developers channel at YouTube.
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After two years of waiting, Google Android phones are finally hitting the market en masse.
In the past couple of months, nine devices using Google’s mobile operating system have been announced, including the Motorola Cliq, which goes on sale in November, and the new Samsung Moment, which was announced Wednesday at the CTIA Fall 2009 trade show here. The pipeline is full of more Android devices, some of which have been confirmed and some that are still rumored to be in development.
“We are seeing a lot of interest in Android here,” Kim Titus, a spokesman for Samsung, said Wednesday at the CTIA trade show, where the company is showing off its two Google Android handsets–the Samsung Moment and the Samsung Behold II. “I think these devices have an opportunity to become strong cross-over devices appealing both to business customers as well as to consumers and prosumers.”
Continued via The Google Android party has begun | CTIA Fall show – CNET Reviews.
Looks like some excellent and needed improvements coming to the platform.
Google has ordered a custom Android developer to stop distributing his software because it includes the search giant’s proprietary applications such as YouTube, Gmail and Maps.
The programmer of the CyanogenMod ROM was served a cease-and-desist order because Google took issue with the software for modifying and distributing its applications.
CyanogenMod ROM is an Android modification created by developer Steve Kondik that offers all the same functions of the standard-fare mobile OS, but also provides bundled applications, faster runtime and additional features that can’t be found on conventional Android.
More…
Pandora comes to Android.
It’s HERE! Pandora on Android!
From the horses mouth…
“It’s a new era for radio. Personalized, mobile, and free.
Pandora Radio is your own FREE personalized radio now available to stream music on your Android phone. Just start with the name of one of your favorite artists, songs or classical composers and Pandora will create a “station” that plays their music and more music like it.”
Now get over and download what will surely become one of the most popular applications on android.
Definitely some welcome improvement considering there are now more than 10,000 applications on the Android market.
This is my first post using the new WP ToGo application now available at the Android market. The simple app allows for posting to WordPress blogs from an Android powered phone.
The simple writing interface allows three options for text formating – bold, italics, and hyperlinking. One can also upload photos from the phones image repository. While the app won’t replace the elegance of the wordpress publishing interface anytime soon… meaning likely never… it’s a great way to publish to one’s blog ‘on the go’.
One item that is still a question mark in my head is if the system has a way to resize photos being uploaded to the blog. That is an item I’ll be testing with this post.
G1 Roadmap Reveals a Virtual Keyboard
The T-Mobile G1 will be getting a on screen keyboard like the Apple iPhone. Coming in the first quarter of 2009, the virtual keyboard will allow for textual entry without opening the flip-out keyboard. While many users like a ‘real’ keyboard, the introduction of a virtual keyboard will make a nice optional way of entering data when needed.
The coming feature is outlined on the Android Project roadmap found here. This will make the G1 even more competitive against the iPhone as it will have two keyboard options whereas the iPhone only has the software based keyboard.
According to the roadmap, the input method engine which supports soft keyboards will also support ‘a dictionary of suggestions, and a suggestion algorithm’.
