The company recommends you play outside, and given the sharp blow we’ve just received to the face thanks to a sudden turn into a doorframe, we’d agree it’s the best plan of action.  Your route has to take place within the on-screen game area – if you try to cheat the phone will know, and you’ll lose – but you also lose a life by stepping on any of the green squares.

We’d like to have seen a little more in the way of real-world interaction, perhaps some augmented reality so that the game is overlaid onto the camera’s view of what’s physically ahead of you.  Still, maybe we’ll get that in a later release.  Magic Maze is available to download now, priced at £0.99 ($1.55).

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The name may be different, but everything else looks the same.  That means a 3.2-inch touchscreen, HSDPA, WiFi and GPS, along with a 3.2-megapixel camera and 3.5mm headphone jack.  Samsung will apparently be preloading a Layar-based augmented reality app onto the phone.

Unfortunately it also gets Android 1.5 rather than anything newer, which we’re less than impressed by.  Still, it’ll be something of a bargain when it arrives – first on T-Mobile UK and then on other UK networks – free with a £20 ($32) per month contract.

[via Recombu]

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The DIY virtual reality headset, takes advantage of the accelerometer on the HTC Magic, so you can use it to pan around in the compass Street View mode of Google Maps for example. Also, you could use one of the augmented reality apps available for Android to make things more interesting when using the device.

Now, Chris over at SlashGear said the following:

We can’t quite decide whether this is genius or insanity, but we’re not going to let that stop us making our own.

So I will definitely stay in contact with him, to find out when will his project be ready. I’ll try to get some pictures of his project, as well as video, if there’s any. Chris, are you reading this?

Click here to view the embedded video.

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A slick new augmented reality app for the Android platform has surfaced called Augmented Traffic Views. The app overlays data on top of live camera view including images from traffic cams and other data. The app will even pop images up from other cameras along the route you are driving.

The only city covered by the app right now is Toronto and we don’t know when the app will be offered to the public. What we do know is that the app is very cool and looks like one of the more useful augmented reality apps out there.

[via BGR]

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The idea behind the Layar browser is that people can visit places and build their own layers to share with other users of the browser with information like historical sites and restaurants in an area. The app lets users mark a point on a map and enter data about the location.

Businesses can also use the application to enter information about their services and locations. The big catch right now is that the Layar application is limited to working in the Netherlands only and there is no word on when or if the service will be made available to other countries.

The app seems like an extension to the myriad of available social networking and mapping apps that let you get more information based on your geographic location. We have also talked about other augmented reality applications before like the Enkin application.

[via IntoMobile]

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T-Mobile also released their Q4 2008 numbers, and the results left some wondering if the G1 was really able to compete with the iPhone, as it hadn’t drawn near the same number of subscribers to T-Mobile from previous carriers. Another factor to consider is the currently bleak job market and economy, and the possible unwillingness to pay early termination fees to switch for a new phone.

In other T-Mobile news, the first publicly available Android phone, the G1, is now available at all US company-operated retail outlets. Previously the phone was only sold by T-Mobile in markets with 3G connectivity, causing EDGE users the need to order online.

Interest has grown in the market of deploying Android, and not just in mobile phone applications. Fujitsu Japan have announced their “Service Built For Android” program, assisting companies in deploying the OS on everything from cars to embedded applications. Another option is Android Bootcamp, a week-long intensive course diving into everything needed to develop for the platform.

Several anticipated applications were released into the Android Market this week, including the Last.fm client, allowing personalized streaming internet radio content. Another app allows users (currently the Netherlands only) to use a form of “Augmented Reality” paired with their Android device’s GPS capabilities to get directions to the nearest ATM. A final version of Opera Mini was also released into the market, giving users a robust alternative to the built-in Android web browser.

General Mobile has announced their intent to bring an Android handset to the market, but the specifications are currently under review to ensure compatibility with the OS. When released, the handset would offer a dual-SIM function allowing two phone numbers (presumably one personal, one business or similar applications) to be used in the same phone.

Certainly weighing on everyone’s Android Brain is the impending availability of a new version of the OS, dubbed “Cupcake.” Users were able to see a video demo of the new features this week, as well as plug the new distribution into their desktop simulators to play around with it. Still not ready for general public consumption, T-Mobile and Google have not announced a specific time period for Cupcake’s release.

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It’s similar in concept to Lastminute’s nru app, which highlights activities such as galleries, cinemas, bars and restaurants.  Both apps offer a form of augmented-reality, where internet data is combined with real-time information from around the user; by holding the G1 up as if taking a photo and then turning around, the software keeps the information positioned appropriately.  Another example is the Wikitude AR Travel Guide, also available for the G1.

Unfortunately the service is only available in the Netherlands at present, meaning those outside the country will have a long walk to whichever ATM the app flags up.  Still, it’s great to see a well-known company pick up on Android’s capabilities and promote software for it, something we’ll hopefully see even more of in other regions.

[via Springwise]

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“The phone that you have in your pocket, pack, or handbag is probably ten times more powerful than the PC you had on your desk only 8 or 9 years ago (assuming you even had a PC; most mobile users never have). It has a range of sensors that would do a martian lander proud: a clock, power sensor (how low is that battery?), thermometer (because batteries charge poorly at low temperatures), and light meter (to determine screen backlighting) on the more basic phones; a location sensor, accelerometer (detects vector and velocity of motion), and maybe even a compass on more advanced ones. And most importantly, it is by its very nature always connected” Andy Rubin, Google

The device Rubin envisages is a tool for sharing data, not just viewing it while away from your desk.  Users will be able to contribute text, video and images, as they do now, but also temperatures, GPS coordinates, weather and more.  And you’ll be able to pull up that information, as it’s relevant to you, in intuitive ways.

If anything, Rubin’s predictions are relatively straightforward – tame, even.  Perhaps he’s limited himself on the understanding that, in ten years time, he’ll still be around for people to shout “oi, Rubin, where’s my personal butler cellphone?!” across the street.  Of the seven aspects he suggests, my personal favorite is augmented reality.  We wrote about the concept – and an app called Enkin – earlier on this year, and the idea of being presented with automatically researched and geographically specific information certainly fits my idea of what a mobile device should be doing for me.

So I’ll throw it over to you – you’ve heard my opinion, and Rubin’s, but what do you think mobile devices will be doing in ten years time?  Let us know in the comments.

[Thanks GreenLeaf!]

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As our exclusive demo videos show, the Android team have been putting in some long hours bringing the user interface up to the standard people expect. The iPhone sets the bar high, and leftfield rivals like Samsung’s TouchWiz GUI really pile on the pressure. What they’ve given us is, at first glance, a blend of the successful parts of each of those, together with a dose of Google’s own minimalist aesthetic. Hopefully you’ll agree with us, once you’ve looked through the photos and watched the video, that the design is a winner.

In this first video, we see an overview of the new interface and menu structure, including the clever pattern-based unlock screen. Much of the GUI can be interacted with – for instance pulling down the title bar reveals missed calls and new messages – using the familiar palatte of swipes and taps. You can also see the straightforward way to create shortcuts on the home screen; a matter of holding down your finger and then following through the contextual menus.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Next up, Google’s Street View gets the Android treatment with a built-in compass. That lets you pan around the location-based image, turning the handset into something of an augmented reality device. As you can tell by the applause, this was one of the most popular apps!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Google briefly touched on their work with developers, including the latest round of entries in their Android Developers Challenge. Here you can see a port of Pacman, developed for the handset:

Click here to view the embedded video.

In this last video, a demo of Google Maps, you can see how closely the Android experience matches that of the desktop. All of the usual mapping options are present – satellite views, traffic, etc. – and, with a 3G network, load and update quickly.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Pac-Man on Android for the firs time!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Customize how you want to unlock Android

Click here to view the embedded video.

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