Google Android software and hardware: Post here

[RVR2RSQ]

I see Corey mentioned it is available for motorola as well. Has anyone on the motodroid downloaded it yet?

Brian

[haven]

A preproduction version of the Dell Streak (aka Mini 5) found its way to the hands of a European blogger known as JKK. He has posted a video introduction (25 minutes long) to the new device.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvxsTrZgf8U

The basic information: The Streak is a smart phone with a 5 inch, 480x800 pixel display. It's powered by a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor and has a battery good for maybe 12 hours of steady use (much longer on standby). The Streak runs Android 1.6 with a user interface designed by Dell today, with an upgrade to 2.2 coming this Fall. The Streak has access to applications in the Android Market.

With a 5 inch screen (measured diagonally), the Streak is unusually large for a phone. But more and more people are finding they use the data capability of their smart phones (texting, internet access, navigation, photos, movies, applications) more than they use the traditional phone functions. The larger size makes the Streak difficult to slide into a pocket, but it's a lot easier to browse the internet.

The Streak will be released in Great Britain in June. It should be released in USA in the Fall. I'm not sure what carriers are working with Dell.

An interesting comment in the video is that a WiFi only version of the Streak will be available. No word yet if the WiFi version will include the same GPS function that the 3G model has.

[wesel123]

I see Corey mentioned it is available for motorola as well. Has anyone on the motodroid downloaded it yet?

Brian

I wish is could I just got a droid last night...things awesome so far. But no update. I was reading that the processor cant handle it. Does anyone know if that true????

[Corey]

The CPU can handle it.
The update will not be out until Verizon approves it for their service.
More than likely they will tell Google to take out the tethering app.

[wesel123]

The CPU can handle it.
The update will not be out until Verizon approves it for their service.
More than likely they will tell Google to take out the tethering app.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO that sucks.

[Corey]

You can tether with it now though, there is an app for it.
You install the app on your laptop and Droid.
A guy at work uses it with his Droid.
PDANet
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/dro...ether-app.html
http://www.junefabrics.com/android/

I suspect though that Verizon will not allow it in the update since it competes with that Wi-Fi wireless they they sell for you to use and pay a monthly charge for to get wireless on your laptop when out in the field.

[Pest]

Just to update on the details of the tethering. It's not an app, it's just a utility you can turn on and off at will, just like you would turn on/off the wifi to browse the internet.

That being said, it works great. You have the option of either tethering via USB or just turning on the "Mobile Hotspot" option and share it with more than one computer. On T-Mobile with the Nexus one, it's decently fast when on 3G, actually faster browsing than when on the phone itself. When on Edge it still works, a bit slow, but in a pinch it's there.

We just got back from a very short overnight trip to Grand Junction, CO. My wife was browsing the internet via Mobile Hotspot on our laptop for a good 3 hours of the 5 hour drive from Denver to Grand Junction. Practically ever city and town that I-70 intersects had 3G coverage, and Edge everywhere else along the highway. Anyway, we had usable internet pretty much then entire drive along I-70, I was very impressed.

[Corey]

That is great you got good coverage with it.
Yes, it is a utility with 2.2, but for those of us still stuck with 2.1, that app I mentioned is the only choice we have right now.

The one with 2.2 is much better though and faster than the app PDA Net.

This will be kind of cool when out camping if I brought the laptop along and uploaded photos on the fly via tethering with 2.2, that is if I had coverage where I am.

[haven]

The Dell Streak (aka Mini 5) is available today in England. Dell says the device will be sold in USA by the end of July, price expected to be $500 without a contract with a cell phone company (about as much as the Google Nexus One costs without a contract).

No word yet on which USA cell phone carriers will offer the Streak, and how much of a discount on the price will be available.

[haven]

Back in April, the number of 3rd party applications for Android was about 50,000. Today, that number is more than 100,000. That's right, the number of apps has doubled in about 3 months. The number still trails the number of iPhone apps available through the iTunes store. But 100K is an impressive number.

[Update: Google says the number is actually closer to 70,000. So the increase is 40% in two months. Still good!]

Connect to the Android app store here: http://www.android.com/market
Select the category of apps to focus on your interests.

At this point, Google restricts access to the Google Market repository of applications only to devices that are smart phones. The slate computers that run Android can't go to this source, so the manufacturers must run their own stores. Most observers expect this to change this Fall, when so many new Android slate computers are due to be released.

Navigation apps for Android are limited because Google offers an Android version of its excellent Maps app for free. Google Maps Navigation includes turn-by-turn navigation with spoken prompts, and it accepts voice input for a search. The map can be displayed using Google street view, map view, or satellite (aerial photo) view. It's very cool! The app works in North American and western Europe today.

Learn more here http://www.google.com/mobile/navigation/

An alternative GPS navigation app for Android is Copilot Live by ALK. Maps for Copilot are available for USA and western Europe. The "Live" functions include real-time weather, and the ability to map where other CoPilot Live users are at the moment. CoPilot Live users have to OK this sharing feature.

More information here http://www.alk.com/copilot/android/

CoPilot Live is not free. Price is about $50 through the Android Market.