android

Here's a concept phone based on the Google Android OS. Designed by Tryi Yeh from Taiwan, the Google-G0 is a touch-screen phone with a slider.

There doesn't appear to be a keyboard under it, but sliding it does reveal a camera at the back and large buttons in front. These buttons appear to be little OLED screens that change symbols according to what you are doing on the phone at any point in time, not unlike the expensive Optimus Maximus keyboard from Art Lebedev. There's even a docking station with a huge screen for use at home. … Read more

The developers of the LiveAndroid project have released the second alpha version of their software, which allows users to try out Google's mobile operating system without having to install it on a handset.

LiveAndroid, a project based in Beijing, released its first alpha, or prototype, in May. Version 0.2, released on Monday, added major functions such as a mouse-controlled cursor, keyboard functionality and Ethernet connectivity. Other functions, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and audio, remain to be added, according to the developers.

In a Twitter update, the developers said a version running from a USB memory stick may also … Read more

You've got time to cut and save one ringtone on your Android phone, but what about three or ten or twenty? If you're too busy to edit a bundle, check out Sharetones 1.0 beta, a new app that takes a clever twist on the concept of ringtone sales.

We'll leave you to our First Look video for the details, but let's just say it's legal and lightening-fast. Best yet, for a limited time, it's also free.

It's a slow week for cell phones, especially with Bonnie out on vacation in Maui--the lucky girl. But we still have some mobile news, like rumors of a new LG Chocolate, inklings of a Sony Ericsson Android handset, and the brand new MyTouch 3G from T-Mobile. We also go over our reviews and answer some of your questions.

Rumors New LG Chocolate? Sony Ericsson's Rachel, plus new Android interface

News Preorder your MyTouch 3G Samsung Omnia photo gallery A month for cell phone courtesy … Read more

It took awhile, but Pandora is finally coming to the Android mobile platform. And even better, it's set to launch a new premium service called Pandora One.

Pandora is a music discovery service Web site created by the Music Genome Project that's currently available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and most recently the Palm Pre. By analyzing over 400 musical attributes, Pandora is able to identify traits in music and suggest new songs that are similar to what you requested. Just type in an artist or song you like and Pandora will create a personalized radio station based on that single selection.

… Read more

NEW YORK--T-Mobile USA is betting big on its second Android smartphone, the MyTouch 3G, as it officially launches the device making it its flagship smartphone to compete against Apple's iPhone on AT&T.

The company announced the MyTouch 3G, which is essentially the same phone as the Google Ion or the HTC Magic, last month. And on Wednesday T-Mobile made the device available for pre-orders to its existing customers. The device will be generally available starting August 5.

The MyTouch is the second smartphone the carrier has introduced that uses Google's open-source mobile operating system, Android. T-Mobile … Read more

News broke over the weekend that Sony Ericsson is planning on releasing its latest Android-powered phone, code-named Rachel, before the end of the year. The Xperia-branded phone is reportedly built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 platform, with a processor speed of up to 1Ghz, a large 4-inch touch-screen display, possibly an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack.

Now there's also a leaked video of the Android interface of Sony Ericsson's Rachel. It doesn't quite look like the Android OS we're familiar with; in fact, it looks better. We really like how the … Read more

Starting today, T-Mobile customers can preorder the carrier's second Google Android phone, the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G. The touch-screen phone is selling for $199.99 with a two-year contract; available colors include white, black, and merlot. The carrier is guaranteeing that preorders will be delivered by August 5, which is when the handset will arrive in retail stores for sale to non-T-Mobile customers.

The MyTouch 3G is a variant of the Google Ion and HTC Magic. Features include stereo Bluetooth, seamless integration with Google apps, Wi-Fi, a digital music player, a 3.2-megapixel camera, quick access to music and application … Read more

Industrious cell phone users can always create their own ringtones, and lazy ones can buy them packaged. Sharetones 1.0 beta for Android, released to the Android Market on Tuesday, falls somewhere in between.

The premise is simple, but intriguingly computational. You create ringtones from songs you already own on your phone. Instead of asking you to do the tedious editing legwork, Sharetones will send your songs to a database of over 65,000 tones and return several options that someone else has created. One ringtone may capture the intro instrumentals; another may clip the chorus.

The key here is … Read more