Gameloft to bring games to Android



A leading mobile games publisher Gameloft has announced support for the Android platform. According to the official release, they plan to develop more than 10 games for Google’s mobile platform.

Bubble Bash will be the first games and will hit the G1 users during the Q1 2009.

Commenting on the announcement, Gameloft’s CEO Michel Guillemot said: “The momentum and excitement for the Android has been building for some time. We plan to fully support this platform since it provides another great outlet for an enhanced gaming experience for consumers.”

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Mogli su i lepshe da dizajniraju G1

Google G1 Android - za brži Internet
Subota, 27. septembar 2008. 09:35    

Na sve dinamičnije tržiste takozvanih "pametnih" mobilnih telefona koji omogućavaju krstarenje internetom, slanje imejlova i skidanje muzike, sada je zakoračio i tehnološki gigant Google.

Posle pojave Apple iPhone-a, tržište uređaja koji se mogu koristiti i na klasičan način - kao mobilni telefon ali i kao pravi mali "multimedijalni centri" - potpuno se promenilo.

Rrešenja kompanije Apple su ubrzo počeli da kopiraju i drugi proizvođači, shvativši da interaktivni telefon, kojim se komuncira kao sa kućnim ljubimcem, "milovanjem" ekrana koji radi na dodir ili laganim pritiskom na lepo dizajnirane ikonice, ima ogroman potencijal na razvijenim tržištima.

Upravo na tu činjenicu računao je i Google, kada je pre nekoliko meseci objavio da će u saradnji sa kompanijom T-Mobile izbaciti prvi mobilni telefon sa specijalnim operativnim sistemom Android.

Telefon, pod nazivom G1, ili kako ga već popularno zovu Googlephone, odnosno G-phone, pojavio se na američkom tržištu po ceni od 179 dolara. U novembru bi trebalo da se pojavi i u Evropi.

Googlephone proizvodi tajvanska kompanija HTC, i na prvi pogled nije nikakva epohalna sprava: ima integrisanu tastaturu sa 50-tak tastera, ekran osetljiv na dodir, bežični pristup internetu uz pomoc tzv. 3G tehnologije, kameru rezolucije tri megapiksela...



Iako već postoji niz sličnih uređaja, od oPhone-a, preko popularnog Blackberry-ja, pa do najnovijih modela Nokia, Samsung, Motorola i drugih telefona, ima ipak nešto što će Google telefonu dati prednost nad rivalima.

Googlephone, pre svega, ima mnogo brži pretraživač za internet nego što je onaj koji poseduje iPhone, dakle surfovanje će biti mnogo lakše, što je do sada uvek bio problem sa "pametnim" telefonima. Google tvrdi i da je veza sa internetom kvalitetnija.

Memorija će biti najmanje onolika kolika je na prosečnom iPod-u, prenosnom uređaju za reprodukciju muzike, tako da će na Googlephone moći da se smesti i poprilična količina muzike.

U osnovi novog telefona nalazi se operativni sistem Android, koji je Google-ova kreacija. Radi se o takozvanom "open-source" (otvorenog koda) softveru, platformi koju svako sa malo znanja u oblasti programiranja može da prepravlja i prilagođava sopstvenim potrebama.

Najvažnije od svega je to što je platforma Android potpuno besplatna. To znači ne samo da svako za nju može da pravi različite programe - na primer, za automatsko zvanje taksija, ili naručivanje kineske hrane u dva poteza - već i da kompanije koje proizvode mobilne telefone neće morati da plaćaju skupe licence proizvođačima softvera.

To će znatno pojefitniti "pametne" telefone što bi moglo da bude značajno za zemlje u razvoju. Neke od stvari koje će postojati na Googlephone-u su već viđene na iPhone uređaju - ali softver za iPhone mora da se kupi od kompanije Apple. Sada, sa besplatnim, "otvorenim" softverom, svako može da postane kreator korisnih programa ili igara za mobilni telefon i da ih podeli sa drugima.

Postavlja se, međutim, pitanje kako Google misli da zaradi na ovom projektu, ako je sve što ta kompanija nudi zapravo besplatno?



Google trenutno zarađuje od reklama na internetu. U svetu ima tri milijarde mobilnih telefona, i samo milijardu kompjutera, tako da će na ovaj način Google oglašivači uspeti da dopru do mnogo više korisnika, pa samim tim i potencijalnih mušterija.

Za sada su korisnici ovakvih telefona još "pioniri", jer takvi uređaji još uvek nisu prešli u masovnu upotrebu... Ali sledeće godine, kada se Google besplatni operativni sistem Android bude pojavio i na drugim modelima telefona drugih proizvođača, tada će se videti kakav je uspeh zaista postignut.

Prema zvaničnim podacima kompanije Apple, iPhone je prodat u 15 miliona primeraka za nešto više od godinu dana, a nedavno je izbačena i nova generacija, upola jeftinija od prethodne. I drugi proizvodaci se utrkuju sa kompanijom Apple, pa zasad nije potpuno jasno gde će se na tržištu naći mesto za Google telefon.


Izvor: MTS-Mondo

Do you want to play with the G1?

Did you order your G1 but you can wait to have it ?.. For those who want to play a little bit with the new G1, T-Mobile just launched the a new site with a 360 degrees view, visual guides instructions and a emulator. Yes, i have tried the emulator and it looks like the original G1. Here is the direct link, have fun and remember to order your G1, brown, black or white.

T-Mobile Emulator



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First T-Mobile G1 user review

Android Community has done it again, this time we bring you an exclusive first time user review of T-Mobile’s G1. Forum member kaziko has given us a sneak peak at T-Mobile’s first device to run Google’s Android operating system. He put together a nice Q&A as well as providing us with a pros and cons list. The more we hear about the G1 the more anticipation builds, as we all wait for the 22nd to get our hands on this gem.



This device is very similar to the SideKick, Kaziko went on to say “Its a sidekick on massive steroids … If it had a box on the left side it would feel exactly like a Sidekick”. This is good news for a lot of the current Sidekick users who are looking for a long awaited upgrade to a device that sees very little change. This device has great call quality and a relatively loud speaker in comparison to other HTC devices. The G1 comes pre-loaded with a smooth running, easy to use instant messaging client that supports Google Talk, AIM, ICQ and MSN out of the box.

With all phones there is a bit of a downside to them, and in Kaiziko’s words “[the] phone does not run as smoothly as you would think”. Some of the applications “stutter” as they start up and from time to time the device must be restarted in order to run smoothly. Thankfully these drawbacks can ultimately be fixed with firmware and software upgrades. The battery charger makes the bottom of the device very hot and is in an awkward location for text messaging while it is charging.

PRO’s:

    * The device is fairly quick to startup compared to other HTC devices.

    * It is very light considering what’s inside.

    * The slide out keyboard works well and doesn’t have a flimsy feel to it.

    * The Android Market works just as well as the iPhone’s App Store.

    * There are already a lot of useful apps to download from the Android Market, including a free ringtone maker.

    * The earpiece is fairly clear when making and receiving calls, you hear absolutely no static.

    * The speaker is relatively loud compared to other HTC devices.

CON’s:

    * The G1 has a big memory leak somewhere, and has to be restarted in order to get it running smoothly again.

    * The battery charger makes the bottom of the phone extremely hot.

    * No virtual QWERTY keyboard included.

    * The phone doesn’t run as smoothly as you would think, programs sometimes stutter trying to start up.

    * There is no folder system like that found on other HTC devices: finding your files requires you to search around in one of the various programs associated with the file type you’re trying to view.

    * Video playback is very limited. The G1 would not play .mpg or .wmv files which are pretty much the standard when it comes to videos downloaded off the net.

kaziko answered questions that Android Community forum members have about the G1:

Q. Any word on saving the apps from the market on the microSD card?
A. Not even sure where the market apps are stored at this point in time.

Q. Does the G1 have vibrate then ring?
A. The only option I see is vibrate on/vibrate off.

Q. I have a Sidekick 2008 right now, could I use the same microSD card that is in my Sidekick 08 for the G1?
A. Yes you can use your microSD card up to 8GB without having to reformat.

Q. Is there any word about a third party applications using AIM, ICQ, MSN?
A. There is a program pre-installed that handles all instant messaging (Google Talk, AIM, ICQ, MSN).

Q. How are IM app buddy lists structured? Are all buddies (GTalk, AIM, Y!M, MSN) on one list, or are they separate screens? And are groups utilized on the buddy lists if you are using them in AIM, etc?
A. They are not structured like they should be for sure. Each messaging program has its own group and your personal groups are broken down inside the specific clients.

Q. Do the buttons on the chin light up like the UK version?
A. I’m not exactly sure what you mean by the buttons by the chin, but the visible buttons do light up.

Q. Can I use my $19.95 unlimited family messaging plan with the $25 dollar G1 internet feature?
A. You can actually just use a $19.99 Data plan alongside the $19.95 messaging to eliminate wasting the $5.00, T-Mobile just doesn’t want people to know they can do this.

Q. How is the responsiveness of the touch screen?
A. Ever played with an iPhone? If so, it’s rather responsive, anybody who’s owned an HTC device knows how aggravating the touchscreens can be. HTC pulled a fast one and really made the TS [on the G1] extremely usable with just the slight “touch” of a finger.

Q. If you lock the phone, does sliding [the screen] up automatically unlock it?
A. The only form of lock I’ve used is pressing the power button to blank the screen and that pretty much locks the device, opening the keyboard does not turn the screen back on. i will try to pattern lock tonight and get back with a better answer on this.

Q. Is there any kind of headphone adapter in the box?
A. No, the G1 comes in box with a stereo headset with inline volume control and answer/end/command button, a G1 branded microfiber slipper protective case, travel charger, USB cable and a user manual/getting started guide. This is what was in my G1, which is a pre-release model and might be different than the one actually released.

Q. Is the screen made of glass (like the iPhone) or plastic?
A. I’m not sure 100% about this but I think it’s glass, plastic screens don’t seem to have the sensitivity like glass screens do, and this runs perfectly so I’m assuming glass but I will get clarification on this matter.

I want to thank Android Community member Kaziko for giving us the first user review of the G1. He has really gone out of the way to give us an exclusive inside look at the device. We would be nothing without our members, support from users like him are what make us what we are.

Disclaimer: The views / opinions expressed in this article are solely of forum member kaziko, and does not reflect that of Android Community.



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Motorola working on social networking handset powered by Android?



Awhile back it became clear that with plans to bump their Android team up to 350 people, Motorola was serious about working with Google’s mobile OS. Well, a fresh job description shows that this team will be working on a “new Android Social Networking SmartPhone”, giving us a little more insight as to what Moto’s up to. It sounds like a cool idea to base a handset on - after all, social networking tends to be a third-party afterthought rather than the core of new products. Sharing text, voice, pictures, video and even location are all becoming bigger parts of the mobile lifestyle, and if Moto can tap into that demand with a properly focused smartphone, they might find a foothold to stall their ongoing losses and hold the number one manufacturer spot in the U.S.

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HTC G1 already shipping, many to be delivered by Friday



T-Mobile customers, we hope you’re ready for some solid Android love. Word on the street is that Santa will be showing up a bit early for many people who pre-ordered the HTC G1. In fact, several people have reported their handsets have already shipped and are scheduled for delivery this Friday, the 17th. In other words, a full five days ahead of the scheduled delivery date. In this day and age that’s almost unheard of so we have to nod our heads to T-Mobile on a job well done. If you pre-ordered a G1, hit the UPS site ASAP and let us know if yours is on its way. For everyone else, we’re getting pretty close to go time so don’t despair.

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T-Mobile G1 review



It's hard to believe, but rumors of a "Googlephone" have been floating around since 2006. To put it in perspective, the first Gphone post on Engadget was written by Peter Rojas. Needless to say, it's been a long, slow ride to get to Android, the Open Handset Alliance, and ultimately the T-Mobile G1. If we said expectations were high for the introduction of this device, it would be an understatement. It's not every day that a company with the stature of Google announces it's getting into the phone game, and it's certainly not every day that an honest-to-goodness innovator comes along. That last time the team at Engadget got this stoked for a device, it was a little something called the iPhone -- and you know how that turned out. Will Android and the G1 live up to the hype? Is this the first coming of a serious new contender in the mobile space, or has the triple threat of Google, HTC, and T-Mobile not delivered on their promises? We've put both the device and the software through its paces to bring you the definitive review of the T-Mobile G1 and Android, so read on to get your answers.

As we've really gone to great lengths to dissect the phone and OS, we're splitting the review into two, easy to digest parts. Enjoy!

Part 1: Hardware
Part 2: Software and wrap-up

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T-Mobile G1 unboxed, fawned over



Android’s first mobile smartphone is scheduled to launch as early as tomorrow, and the folks at Android Community were lucky enough to crack open the first box. Their lengthy review goes over every nook and cranny, but there isn’t much more to say after the fairly informative launch event last month.

The keys on this particular model are straight black to match the rest of the device - earlier picture showed chrome keys which clashed a bit too much. The reviewers do take note that there’s no task manager to kill off errant applications, which is quite the pitfall for a handset which holds its multitasking ability so highly. The lack of multitouch is a bit of a downer too, but easy to live withoutOverall, Android 1.0 is running remarkably smoothly - a good sign for Google’s first run at a mobile OS. As good as it may be, previous reports of 1.5 million in T-Mobile preorders may be bunk, so we’ll just have to wait to see if all this hype amounts to any actual popular interest.

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Android TOS reserves right to remotely kill applications




Just when you thought Android was all lollipops and rainbows, it turns out they’re still keeping some control of the G1. Some snooping around the Android terms of service has revealed a particular tidbit on what Google can do with the smartphone’s software:

    “Google may discover a product that violates the developer distribution agreement … in such an instance, Google retains the right to remotely remove those applications from your device at its sole discretion.”

On the one hand, that does sound like a fair precaution to protect users from malicious or seriously buggy software while still leaving the Android Market open.

On the other, it does show that Google doesn’t give developers entirely free reign. Maybe that’s a good thing, and a balanced approach, but there are bound to be people unhappy that Google is backpedaling just a teeny bit on their supposedly open platform. I guess the next thing to do is take a look at the developer agreement and see if there’s anything especially unreasonable in there that apps might get pulled for violating…

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