Andy Rubin’s full D: Dive Into Mobile interview video posted

Android boss Andy Rubin almost always makes for an entertaining interview, and his appearance at AllThingsD‘s D: Dive Into Mobile conference in San Francisco last week was certainly no exception. The introduction of Android 2.3 Gingerbread and the Nexus S were the official news items of the day, but Rubin took the opportunity to showcase the next version of the platform — Honeycombrunning on a prototype Motorola tablet that no one had seen before. He also runs through a breakdown of Android’s business model (hint: it’s profitable), muses about video calling, and gives us a look at that crazy new 3D-capable Google Maps app. Follow the break for the footage.

Continue reading Andy Rubin’s full D: Dive Into Mobile interview video posted

Andy Rubin’s full D: Dive Into Mobile interview video posted originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy tells the Nexus S retail story: 8AM online sales, two per customer maximum

Want a Nexus S this Thursday? Yeah, well, welcome to the club, pal — you’re not alone, so you’re going to want to be armed with the right information to figure out your plan of attack. Best Buy has announced the details of how it’ll go about selling Samsung’s Google-branded monster, and unlike many recent launches, this one is strictly first-come, first-serve — none of that craziness where you put down $50 in advance to secure your place and get it off the price of the phone on launch day. All stores will be opening at 8AM local time (which is just the normal open time during the holiday season, actually), and online sales will commence at 8AM Eastern Time to coincide with the phone’s retail launch on the east coast. You’ll be limited to two phones per person — sorry, eBay scalpers — and you might want to call ahead or make friends with an employee in the next day or two, because inventory will vary from store to store. What won’t vary, though, is demo unit availability: every store that’s selling the phone will have a live demo unit to play with while you make your decision. As a refresher, you’re looking at $199 on contract, $249.99 with an add-a-line activation, or $529 contract-free; follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Best Buy tells the Nexus S retail story: 8AM online sales, two per customer maximum

Best Buy tells the Nexus S retail story: 8AM online sales, two per customer maximum originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexus S review

It can be difficult to review a phone like Google’s Nexus S in a world already populated by so many outstanding Android devices. Not only does the manufacturer of this phone make a series of handsets that are all essentially the same (the Galaxy S line), but countless other OEMs are cranking away on hardware for the platform. Of course, the Nexus S is a decidedly different phone altogether. Picking up where the company’s Nexus One left off, the S continues Google’s legacy of creating standalone, “pure Android” phone experiences, seemingly aimed less at the mainstream and more towards developers. Unlike the failed experiment of the Nexus One, Google appears to be taking a more realistic approach to the S; the phone will be sold through Best Buy (and Carphone Warehouse across the pond), which suggests that the company has bigger plans for this device.

And what a device it is — the Nexus S boasts a 1GHz Hummingbird CPU, 512MB of RAM, a 4-inch, 800 x 480 curved Super AMOLED display (dubbed the Contour Display), 16GB of storage, a 5 megapixel rear and VGA front-facing camera, and near field communication capabilities. But hardware is only half the story here — the big news is that the Nexus S showcases the next major evolution of the Android OS, namely, Gingerbread (or version 2.3). The update comes with a slew of new features alongside some UI improvements that show Google isn’t slowing down when it comes to pushing its mobile operating system forward. So is the Nexus S a real standout in the Android world, or is it more of the “me too” tech we’ve seen lately? Read on after the break for the full Engadget review to find out!

Continue reading Nexus S review

Nexus S review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 19:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexus S: Using the Best Google Android Phone [Video]

Android has never felt more alive than it does on the Nexus S. It’s fast. It’s cocksure. It’s, well, really good. More »

LG commits to upgrading Optimus Ones to Gingerbread, angry hordes abate

Well, we’ve got to hand it to LG for quickly doing the right thing here by keeping people informed and ultimately making the best decision for its customers. Just two days after a Facebook spat that suggested the Optimus series of midrange Android handsets wouldn’t be getting Android 2.3 Gingerbread thanks to a seemingly made-up 1GHz processor requirement, they’ve reversed the decision, saying that “all” of the models that fall under the Optimus One guise (presumably including the Vortex, Optimus T, Optimus S, Optimus M, and Optimus U) would be getting upgraded. Here’s the full statement:

“LG will upgrade all Optimus One smartphones currently using the Froyo OS to the next version of the Android OS, Gingerbread. Details of the upgrade schedule will be announced locally in due course. We sincerely apologize for the confusion and misunderstanding that was caused regarding this issue.”

Respect, LG. Respect.

LG commits to upgrading Optimus Ones to Gingerbread, angry hordes abate originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 16:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung undecided about Gingerbread on Galaxy S, Google says hardware needs ‘similar’ to Froyo

If the Nexus S is basically a Galaxy S in Gingerbread disguise, you’d think Samsung would be bursting at the seams to offer a software upgrade for all the phones it’s already sold from that family. Okay, you really wouldn’t, but you’d hope that would be the case, right? Well, Pocket-lint prodded Samsung on just that point and managed to finagle the following response from a local UK contact presumably speaking on behalf of the mothership:

“In case a new version of Android operating system is publicly announced and released, Samsung will review the possibility of implementation of such new version to the existing Samsung products with Android operating system (“Update”).

Such a review will be based on various factors including, without limitation, the overall effect of such Update to Samsung products, the system requirements, the structural limitations, and the level of cooperation from the component suppliers and the software licensors”.
Right, so the Gingerbread launch and that whole new handset that’s coming in a week’s time, not public enough? And what’s “the overall effect” of a Gingerbread update beyond a group of very happy users? Samsung seems to be matching its country-mate LG in taking an evaluative approach to Gingerbread, though Google’s own Android lead developer is pretty definitive about the software, saying that “Gingerbread hardware needs are similar to Froyo.” So if your handset can run version F, it should have no trouble handling version G… no trouble other than its own maker.

Update: And now, in typical Samsung fashion, we’re getting mixed messages as its Indian mobile arm has come out and confirmed that “Gingerbread will be available to Galaxy S users.” Thanks, Shrinikketh!

Continue reading Samsung undecided about Gingerbread on Galaxy S, Google says hardware needs ‘similar’ to Froyo

Samsung undecided about Gingerbread on Galaxy S, Google says hardware needs ‘similar’ to Froyo originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 04:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG pulls back, ‘will evaluate’ upgrading Optimus series to Gingerbread when specs and source code are public

You might remember yesterday’s brouhaha over LG’s seemingly false claim that Android 2.3 Gingerbread requires a 1GHz processor or better, using it as a justification for keeping an official upgrade out of the hopes and dreams of Optimus One owners around the globe — but the good news is that it appears to have been a misunderstanding. Here’s the official statement from LG:

“LG released information prematurely regarding the minimum processor upgrade requirements for the LG Optimus. Google recently announced the Gingerbread platform and has not yet published the Gingerbread Compatibility Definition Document (CDD) or the public branch open source code. Once the CDD and the source code is public, LG will evaluate the upgradability of the Optimus Series. We apologize for any confusion or misunderstanding. We will alert you as soon as more information on this topic is available.”

So they’re taking responsibility for jumping the gun and have committed to “evaluating the upgradability” of the Optimus line once Google’s published Gingerbread’s official requirements and turned loose the source code. Of course, it’s possible they’ll ultimately find another reason for keeping the phones stuck on Froyo — but for now, we’ve got a sliver of hope.

LG pulls back, ‘will evaluate’ upgrading Optimus series to Gingerbread when specs and source code are public originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 20:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google’s big week: Nexus S, Honeycomb tablets, Chrome OS laptops, and eBooks to boot

We gotta hand it to Google: if its goal was to own the technology news cycle for 48 hours, mission accomplished. The Mountain View-based company spent the first two days this week laying out pretty much every big announcement it possibly could: a new flagship phone coming next week (the Nexus S), a new Android build (2.3 Gingerbread), a preview of the next Android build (Honeycomb) on a never-before-seen Motorola tablet, the debut of its cloud-based laptop platform (Chrome OS) with hardware, and a giant plunge into the growing e-book market — and that isn’t everything. We’ve done our best to condense all the days’ highlights into something easier to digest, so read on for a recap on all things Google!

Continue reading Google’s big week: Nexus S, Honeycomb tablets, Chrome OS laptops, and eBooks to boot

Google’s big week: Nexus S, Honeycomb tablets, Chrome OS laptops, and eBooks to boot originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 13:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG invents imaginary 1GHz processor requirement to say Optimus One won’t get Gingerbread

So here’s the story: dude asks LG’s US mobile team on Facebook when the Optimus One — the basis for the various Optimus devices that have launched recently on American carriers — will be getting Android 2.3. LG responds saying that “the minimum requirements for Gingerbread require 1 GHz processor,” hence, no update’s in the cards. Well, Android lead Dan Morrill took to Twitter to drop some knowledge, saying “there’s no hard minimum processor requirement for Gingerbread… trust me, if there were I’d know.” In other words, whoever’s manning the ship on LG’s Facebook account is either sorely underinformed or showed some awful judgment in choosing a lie to justify keeping the Optimus off the upgrade path. Sure, we can understand why LG wouldn’t want to temper excitement for a still-new smartphone line by telling buyers their phones won’t be receiving the next version of the platform, but the least they could’ve done is formulated a reasonable excuse, no?

LG invents imaginary 1GHz processor requirement to say Optimus One won’t get Gingerbread originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Nexus S preview

We’re here at the D: Dive Into Mobile conference in San Francisco, and we’ve just had a chance to lay our ever-loving hands all over Google’s latest wunderkind, the Nexus S. As you’ve probably already read and seen, the device is set to be the next flagship phone sporting a pure Google experience. That is, full-on Android 2.3 (AKA Gingerbread), sporting a subtly reworked user interface design, and touting some potentially powerful new features, like near-field communication compatibility (hardware permitting — and this hardware does indeed permit). Speaking of nuts and bolts, the phone is no slouch, boasting all the design leanings of Samsung’s wildly popular Galaxy S line, but packing them into a tighter, sleeker, faster package.

As you can see in the pictures and video below, we spent some quality time with the newest Nexus, and we’ve made a few professional observations — so follow along after the break to get the full scoop.

Continue reading Google Nexus S preview

Google Nexus S preview originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 03:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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