android

Google's nexus one is coming out this week. While most of attentions have been focusing on Android-based phones vs iPhone, Flurry shined some lights on the not-so-secret weapon of Apple - iPod Touch(which I own one): iPod Touch Downloads Explode on Christmas Day, Surpassing iPhone for the First Time!

iPod Touch is a great device for anyone that doesn't need a phone or can't afford all the expenses(monthly data/voice plans) associated with a phone. I am talking about teenagers/college students here. I bet many teenagers get their first tastes of apps through the App Store on iPod Touch. I am still waiting for companies to come up with a Andorid-based iPod Touch-like device(zii is supposed to be the one, but it's not yet ready for consumer).

Tags: google apple iphone android nexus-one app-store ipod-touch

Android Development - the good

• Easy to extend/customize existing functions - a few examples:
  • You can write a new dialer to handle calling - in fact, I am using StartContact because the default dialer sucks(no contact search function, need to scroll).
  • Add your application to contextual menu of native functions(eg: handling the calling of a number)
  • You can override the home screen lock. see FlyScreen
• With the backing of Google, Android SDK evolves very quickly( this is really a double-edged sword).

Tags: google android android-market apple-app-store android-development

Recently, there have been a couple of companies(primarily based in China) emailing me about having existing Android mobile apps list on their app stores.

Their proposals are that I submit free apps to their app stores, they'd localize them for free and distribute to millions of users so that I can make a lot of money. Sounds fishy? There are also to other fishy things:

• Use CC instead of BCC in email - so everyone knows who else is being contacted(or spammed).
• Claim to represent a legit and well-known company, but use an Gmail address to send the email. This is so unprofessional. Then I emailed back and asked why they'd use Gmail. Their response is that they have problems with their email system. Oh, good. If you can't ensure that your corporate email to work properly, how am I going to trust your app store?

Tags: email android professionalism sales

G1's shortcoming:

• need to mount SD-card to access its content when connecting via USB. This should be done automatically like iPhone
• no built-in file manager/browser even though it comes with a SD-card
• why does the "red" end call buttom lock the phone? that's so unintuitive as I am used to use it to "cancel" things.
• the screen lock timeout setting is hidden under settings -> Sound & Display
• why isn't there a Google Reader app?
• no auto-complete when I search apps in Android Market
• store all downloaded apps in tiny 74MB internal storage. No way to store them in a SD card(unless you root your phone). A game app can demand 10+ MB storage!

Tags: android t-mobile g1

Today, so much coverage has been focusing on the official announcement of iPhone and China Unicom deal to bring iPhone to China at the end of September. The first version of iPhone in China is confirmed not to have Wi-Fi but WAPI(A China home-grown wireless standard). China Unicom has denied about pre-ordering 5 million iPhones for 10 billion RMB(14.7 billion US dollars) and said the number of iPhones to be ordered depending on the market demand. The rumored price for a 8GB iPhone is 2999RMB with a pre-purchase of 3000RMB phone service credit.

Tags: china mobile iphone china-unicom wifi appstore itunes china-mobile android