Just under a month ago at Archos’ Paris reveal, we were somewhat dismayed that an Android-based device didn’t show up… officially, at least. We were told to expect more information about a Google-powered unit this September, but it looks as if said wait has been hacked considerably. According to The Inquirer, Archos has informed it that a 5-inch internet media tablet loaded with Android will be unveiled on September 15th, a date that certainly jibes with prior information. The handheld will boast Google’s sauce underneath with a layer of Archos applications on top, and while the Windows 7-equipped Archos 9 PCTablet (pictured) is expected in October, this here device should hit shelves a few weeks prior. In related news, the briefing also included word that Archos was working on a few “telephony products,” which is just barely enough to get you simultaneously excited / hot and bothered.
It’s your holiday weekend America — how are you going to spend it? We’ll tell you how: by listening to Engadget Podcast 153 over, and over, and over. What better way to utilize your extra day off and barbecue-packed good times than by putting Josh, Paul, and Nilay on repeat for you (and your friends’) enjoyment? Check out the ‘cast this week as the boys explore the ups and downs of the Olympus E-P1, Dell’s MID plans, and field a handful of questions from our handsome, intelligent, and just basically awesome listeners. You won’t be disappointed.
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No mention was made of a Hero with 3G that’d work on Rogers or AT&T back at its announcement a few days ago, but HTC has been getting awfully good at making phones that work properly around these parts — so we can’t say we’re entirely surprised to see a Hero approved for WCDMA on Bands II and V gracing the FCC today. For the record, Bands II and V are 1900 and 850MHz, respectively, which is exactly the combo AT&T subscribers would need to flip the switch on high-speed data. We’re not sure if this negates rumors that the Hero would be coming to Sprint, but if we can just get this version released and in our hands, you know… maybe our minds would be operating with a little more clarity.
If you want to get HD in your handheld, NVIDIA’s Tegra processor is the hot way to do it at the moment, and we’ve got reasonably concrete sounding rumors from disparate sources that a handset containing one of the chips is currently under development by a “top five” smartphone builder (we’re guessing it’s not Apple), and that it’ll be out sometime before the end of the year, selling at T-Mobile and AT&T for just $199. The details of the device beyond that are scant, with Android being a possibility but Windows Mobile looking more likely, and a continued pledge of battery life of rated for “days and days” of mobile multimedia. We like the sound of that.
Read – NVIDIA Tegra phone due from “big five” firm Read – Rumor: NVIDIA Tegra phones in Q409?
One of our favorite intellectual property rips of recent months is without a doubt the SciPhone Dream G2 from China. Having completely missed the point of Google’s open-source OS being, well, open-source and thus free for SciPhone’s use, the company instead chose to hack the G2’s “proprietory” OS to look like Android. The charger, however, built to look like the iconic Android mascot is pretty damn cute; enough so that the idea of paying $150 just to get our hands on the 100-240V USB charger has crossed our minds. See the Android’s naughty bits after the break.
Dell has begun developing a pocket-sized, ARM-based device powered by the Android operating system, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
The Journalarticle carefully avoided calling the device a smartphone, and positioned it in the context of the Apple iPod touch, a handheld music player and computing device that lacks the native ability to place and receive calls.
What the device is, what it does, what it will be priced: all questions that the Journal‘s source was unable to answer. The plan could also be scrapped entirely, the Journal reported, essentially offering the story with a somewhat large grain of salt.
What’s interesting, however, is that the Journal reports that Dell began work on the device last year. That’s certainly before AT&T Mobility’s chief executive reported in Feburary that Dell was working on a smartphone, which may or not be the same thing.
Rumors about Dell doing something with Android or smartphones have been swirling for over a year now, fed in part by similar unsourced stories in the Journal.
A story in the British magazine MarketingWeek had a Dell Android smartphone appearing in February 2008 – yes, 2008. We debunked that one right here on Gearlog.
The Wall Street Journal then claimed in January 2009 that Dell would “move into cellphones as early as next month,” which clearly didn’t happen. The next step in the Dell vaporware rumor chain came this April, when a market analyst said carriers had decided to pass on Dell’s invisible, chimerical smartphone.
Finally, this May, Dell showed off a Mini 10 netbook running Android–just to stoke the flames.
It’s no surprise that Dell’s been dipping its toes in Android-infested waters as of late, and now the Wall Street Journal‘s reasserting a previous claim from early April that the company’s hard at work on a MID powered by Google’s mobile OS platform. Multiple sources have reportedly likened it to a slightly larger iPod touch, while one went so far as to suggest a very tentative second half 2009 target release window, assuming the project doesn’t get 187’d before then. Despite its history with Intel and the chipmaker’s penchant for MIDs, the report pegs ARM as the processor of choice. As for how this jibes with rumors of Dell’s smartphone plans, that’s where things get interesting, as WSJ quotes a source who said Dell’s thinking about selling it through cell carriers like it’s currently doing with 3G-equipped netbooks. The article repeatedly calls it a MID — meaning a phone might still be in the cards, but given past whispers, it kind of makes you wonder.
With home screen widgets, an on-screen keyboard, great notification management, and hands-down the best Gmail experience of any platform, Android 1.5 finally makes it easy (or easier, anyway) to love Google’s foray into the mobile world. Of course, if you’re coming from an iPhone — as some users inevitably will be — there are a few features that’ll be sorely missed as you make the transition. For us, a biggie was visual voicemail, and after a little trial and error, we found a cool way to add it into our device without even leaving the Google ecosystem — and even better, it’s totally free. Head on over to Engadget Mobile to find out how to do it.
Stalk your friends, have brunch with them at a Zagat-rated spot nearby and stream the whole thing live from your Android phone. Saw VII? No, it’s just this month in Android apps.
The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.Zagat nru: You know that compass thing the iPhone 3GS does? Yeah, whatever. Imagine it repurposed to show you nearby restaurants or bars with Zagat power. Zagat nru is flashy, and neat, though a bit limited, since the places are plotted according to proximity on a radar-type interface rather than an actual map. When you click one, it takes you to Zagat’s mobile site, so it’s not a completely in-app experience. Also, to get to the full reviews, you’ve got be a paying Zagat customer. Still worth a download—a hunch on where to eat is better than starving while you figure out where the hell you are. Free.
The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.Brightkite: Another semi-famous social thinger making its way to Android. After sitting in beta for a bit, Brightkite’s finally released its Android app for everybody. For the uninitiated, Brightkite is another location-based social network dealio—you see friends and people around you, post notes and photos to wherever you’re at, that kind of thing. Stalking will only get easier and prettier from here on out people, might as well get used to it. Free.
Qik alpha: It’s the live video streaming app Qik! On Android! That pretty much sums it up, actually—but if you’re not familiar with Qik, it’s a live video streaming app/service that’s basically on every major smartphone platform (with one major exception). You can share via Twitter, Facebook or GooTube. It does require Cupcake, as well as an SD card for storing video. Pretty awesome that it’s finally here. Free.
The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.Places: Not to be outdone, Google’s got their Places directory app—guess what it does? It’s rather standard directory-style fare, though it covers pretty much the whole gamut of stuff you’d wanna find close by—restaurants, bars, parking, shopping, hotels, theaters, “attractions,” and more. Where it really loses to Yelp is the reviews of places—there are so pitifully few of them by users that you won’t have any idea where a place is worth a crap or not. Where is that Android Yelp app, anyway? Free. Update: As commenters have noted, Where, an app that’s been out for a bit, is the best directory app by far and it does access Yelp—I was just curious where an official Yelp app was, since we seem to be entering a “brand name” phase of Android apps.
Flickr Photos Nearby: Not technically an app, but mobile Flickr will now show Android users photos taken nearby with some new location hotness using the regular ol’ browser.
This list is in no way definitive. If you’ve spotted a great app that hit the store this week, give us a heads up or, better yet, your firsthand impressions in the comments. And for even more apps: see our past app coverage here. Also, why isn’t it easier to take a screenshot in Android dammit? Have a good week everybody.
We doubt the July 15 delivery date is set in stone, but UK residents itching to get a little Hero in their lives are now able to pre-order HTC’s latest for £429 ($708). That’s pretty much what we’d expect for an unlocked set, but Orange is planning to offer the Hero free on contract, so we’d be inclined to hang on just a teensy bit longer. Video after the break.
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Stalk your friends, have brunch with them at a Zagat-rated spot nearby and stream the whole thing live from your Android phone. Saw VII? No, it’s just this month in 
Qik alpha: It’s the 
