android

Tag: android

Motorola Droid courtesy of Google – First Impressions

The all-seeing red eye of Droid. Well, I received my “free” Motorola Droid phone from Google for attending Google I/O this year. Or more accurately, for having the intention to attend Google I/O 2010. Last year, in an attempt to help drive Android development, they gave every attendee of Google I/O 2009 with a Google ION phone (which is a branded version of the T-Mobile MyTouch). Since I use T-Mobile I was stoked to be able to upgrade from the G1 I was using to the MyTouch. It was a great phone and one that I’ll be using simultaneously with the Motorola Droid since I’m not ready to drop my T-Mobile coverage in favor of Verizon. You see the Droid is a CDMA device while T-Mobile’s network is the more world-friendly GSM technology.

However, the initial OOB (out of box) experience has led me to believe that I probably would jump ship given the chance. Of course it will take a while to get used to the location of buttons on this new beast but to me it can be summed up in two words: Speed and Eclair (or now Flan). Let’s jump into the latter first.

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Google Voice for Android Supports Non-Gmail Accounts!

The title says it all! Ever since I got my Google Voice account, I’ve not been able to use it with my Google ION phone (the latest developer platform phone) because I set up my phone using my Google Apps account rather than a Gmail account.

This presented a problem not only with Google Voice but also the Android Marketplace but that is a story for another day. Well, lo and behold, a new update notification showed up on my phone so I figured “why not?” After installing I noticed it now supports multiple addresses/accounts so I was able to put in the email address of my choice and Voila, it worked! Wooohooo….

Want to know more about Google Voice (sorry, still in invite mode and they don’t give us invites to hand out), watch this video…

Best. Comment. Ever. ? You Bet

TechCrunch spun a comment to a posting about AT&T… I mean Apple pulling Google Voice applications off the iPhone store. Whoever ‘JÂ’ is an extremely whitty guy. Come to think of it, this speech could be spun in any number of different ways’…

image This is, without a doubt, the best comment ever on TechCrunch. Left by ‘JÂ’ on MG’s latest iPhone rant about the Google Voice debacle. Beautiful.

AT&T: You want answers?

TechCrunch: We think we’re entitled to them.

AT&T: You want answers?!

TechCrunch: We want Google Voice on our iPhones.

AT&T: You can’t handle the iPhone with Google Voice!

Son, we operate on network that has walls. And those walls have to be guarded by carriers with restrictions. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Verizon Wireless? We have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Google Voice and you curse AT&T. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what we know: That pulling Google Voice, while tragic, probably saved the network. And our existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves the network.

You don’t want the Google Voice on your iPhone. Because deep down, in places you don’t talk about at TechCrunch50, you want us protecting the network. You need us protecting that network. We use words like rate limiting, application approval and restrictionsÂ…we use these words as the backbone to a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline.

We have neither the time nor the inclination to explain ourselves to a blog who writes and profits under the blanket of the very network that we provide, then questions the manner in which we provide it. We’d prefer you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, we suggest you pick up a router and build your own network. Either way, We don’t give a damn what you think you’re entitled to.

TechCrunch: Did you order Google Voice taken down?

AT&T: We did the job you sent us to do.

TechCrunch: Did you order Google Voice taken down?

AT&T: You’re goddamn right we did.