First there were the rumors, but now Dell has confirmed that they are getting into the cell phone handset market and yes, the Mini 3 as it will be called, will run Android.
They’re starting off in China and Brazil, but hopefully will release a handset stateside soon.
It seems like an incongruous pairing, but Radio Shack (aka The Shack) is set to carry the iPhone 3G and 3GS in Dallas and New York City by Thanksgiving, and then nationwide in 2010.
Of course, if you can’t wait, you can still get an iPhone at Wal-Mart or Best Buy OR you could get yourself an Android handset instead.
The folks at Gizmodo are saying that the upcoming eReader from Barnes & Noble will run Android. If that’s true, I’ll be thrilled. As a ‘power user’ at minimum, I always want my electronics devices to be more than just appliances. I want them to be computers, that can be modified and updated and hacked. Having the OS be Android will open up the possibilities for the eReader to have a long and useful life that doesn’t absolutely depend on just being an eReader. Kudos B&N. This will also put Android to the test as more that just a cell phone OS.
Another device jumps on board the Android bandwagon. This time it’s Archos whose latest Internet tablet, the Archos 5 runs the Google OS. The tablet hasn’t been released yet, but it’s already available for pre-order at Amazon.
Here’s another IM aggregator that makes managing all of your online personalities on your cell/smart phone/mobile easier: Nimbuzz Mobile. It can handle Skype, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, AIM, Google Talk and more using a single login. Nimbuzz not only IMs, but also manages clls, messaging, photos, video, music and more.
Nimbuzz also lets you locate your buddies on a map (assuming they’ve got their GPS tracking turned on), and if they’re running Nimbuzz too, you can ‘buzz’ them which turns on Nimbuzz on their phone.
Nimbuzz is now available for Android as well. You can see the full list of supported devices here.
Motorola’s first Android handset, the CLIQ, makes its first appearance on the T-Mobile network. The CLIQ is a slide-out keyboard handset with a 320×480 3.1″ HVGA screen that operates on WCDMA and GSM networks. Other notable features include the accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, a microSD card slot, touch screen, 802.11b/g WiFi, 6 hour battery life (325 hrs in standby) and of course, all of the various Android applications and features.
Motorola already has other Android handsets in the pipe, and Google has already announced that there will be at least 18 Android handsets by the end of 2009 and certainly more next year.
Android appears set to start appearing in more than just cell phones. A few reports point the way. Although Google appears mum, one touchscreen manufacturer, Touch Revolution, says they’re working on Android-based devices for quite a few companies. Another company, MIPS Technologies, reported this week that they’ve ported the open-source Android to their architecture, which is used on their home devices.
What types of devices? Well, the sky’s the limit really. Think landline handsets, kitchen Net-appliances, DVRs, even photo frames. It’s possible some of these devices may start appearing this year.
They were always 3 choices in the operating system market – MacOS, Windows or Linux, with the latter being free but not much good for those who struggled with technology, and the others being quite pricey. Now Google have added Android to the mix, offering a free operating system that (hopefully!) will be easier to use than the Linux base – ironic, isn’t it? Android is built on a Linux operating system and now could possibly replace it.
Android was released in late 2007 as an open source software platform for phones, and contributed to Google’s sector entrance with the G1 which has become quite popular. Google are now hoping to pass on this popularity and familiararity to persuade users to adopt this OS for their computers, and manufacturers are looking to cash in on this to provide low cost laptops with the new operating system without having to resort to XP or a rather more complicated operating system.
Palringo, a mobile Instant Messenger aggregator, is now available for the Android platform.
Palringo handles IM services like MSN, Yahoo, AIM, Jabber and more in 1 client.
You can get the app on the Android Market.
HTC announced a new handset, named Magic, that will run Google’s Android mobile OS, like the G1. Sorry Yanks, but the Magic will be sold by Vodafone in Spain, Germany, France and the UK, and in some other countries by other carriers.
Some quick stats – 3.2-inch touchscreen, GPS, Wi-Fi, HSPDA 3G connectivity, and a 3.2-megapixel camera, video recording capabilities for the camera and a soft, on-screen QWERTY keyboard.
