“Overall, it looks like Android is going to have a very strong year,” he said. New announcements of Android-related products and partnerships with mobile phone service providers and device makers will be “quite significant” this year, he said. Android could become the first real challenger to Microsoft’s Windows XP in netbooks.

Taiwan’s Asustek Computer, which pioneered commercial netbooks, is rumored to be working on an Eee PC netbook that uses Android as its OS, while other Taiwanese companies are also reportedly developing such products. Taipei-based High Tech Computer developed the first smartphone around Android, the T-Mobile G1, or as HTC calls it, the Dream.

[via Computer World]

Offered through Android 1.5 is a home screen framework for developing widgets. With this, options are available to populate live folders with as much content as you please. Unofficial news is whether 1.5 will come to existing Android handsets in the field.

There is limited information listed in the change log that would prevent current hardware from taking full advantage from the new version. The OHA will be available noting how to prepare application for the release of Android 1.5 on phones.

[via EngadgetMobile]

The OPhone operates with OMS or Open Mobile System which is a fork of Android. The device has a 5MP cam with auto-focus and flash, WiFi, microSD slot, TD-SCDMA (the standard in China for 3G). The phone also has CMMB (China’s TV streaming standard).

The more recent images clearly show off the China Mobile branding. There is limited information and specific price  details available at the moment. Suggestions list the phone to follow the launch of Dopod G2 which also runs OMS.

[via EngadgetMobile]

The promotion is to push for Android to be embedded into devices. The corporate body (Open Embedded Software Foundation (OESF]) has been formed to foundation look set to develop the market and expand their business. The OESF currently has 23 member companies and expects about 100 more companies to join it within 2009, just a few displayed in the image above. Google said, “We give our all-out support to the aim of the OESF.”

IP Vision Inc’s Director Masataka Miura will serve as representative director of the corporate aggregate, “Open Embedded Software Foundation (OESF),” which was launched Feb 12, 2009. Miura said that “Open-source Android can significantly cut development costs of embedded devices and bring about new business opportunities for device manufacturers. However, it is hard work for a single company to port and maintain this software platform, which consists of as many as 23 million lines of source code. The OESF members can significantly improve development efficiency by sharing technical information with other member companies and conducting joint developments.

[via TechOn]

The software will be able to understand English and Korean handwriting. From a mobile phone point of view, it will be compatible with the Android powered G1 HTC. The software works in a similar manner to your older style PDA.

Going through the Diotek website there is not a lot of information available. Other products of similar design offer users the chance to write on their mobile device with the software deciphering what it believes you are saying. If only this could be used for speech to translate what people actually mean, rather than what they say.

[via Akihabaranews]

The device will use the Android platform pushing the Archos Internet Media download service. The ultra thin device (only 10mm thick) supports high definition video together with running your usual applications. The device will be available in the third quarter of 2009.

To be specific, the Android Archos  tablet has a high-resolution 5-inch touchscreen, DivX playback, TiVo-style video recording, digital TV, full-screen Adobe Flash (with Flash video support) and large-capacity storage. Prices are looking to be anywhere from €50 and €500 ($68 to $680), this range including a few other Archos products.

[via SlashGear]

Admob, was founded in 2006 when entrepreneur Omar Hamoui needed traffic information for his mobile website. Through the company he developed, their mission is “to provide the business models, services, tools, and data fundamental to the development and growth of the mobile internet.” The results of mobile operating system statistics – awesome.

Up 3% since January, Android now captures 5% of web traffic on smartphones in the U.S. What is also worth noting is the drop of Windows Mobile (-17%) and RIM (-11%). With no information available for Android from Aug 2008 when previous information is compared, the 5% increase over the last 6 odd months could see Android catapulting itself into the serious players of mobile operating systems very soon. Jolly good news really.

[via Droideo]

Palringo allows user to talk through AIM, Google Talk, MSN, Facebook, Yahoo! Messenger and other messaging services and social networks. There is the added ability to send photo messages. As well as share their location and proximity, displayed next to their status in the Palringo’s contacts list.

As listed through their website, Palringo offers user the ability to “vary your messages: use your phone like a walkie-talkie, or send a picture using your camera-phone, or just keep typing them if you prefer. Palringo is an instant messaging service that’s purpose-built for mobiles. But there’s also a version for Windows PCs and Apple Macs, so you’re in touch all the time.”

[via PhoneArena, Palringo]

The newspaper states that “The A1, equipped with a touch screen, is among four handset models that Acer plans to debut that month, [the person said*], asking not to be identified because he’s not authorized to comment on the matter. Henry Wang, a spokesman at Taipei-based Acer, declined to comment. Marsha Wang, a spokesman at Google in Beijing, declined to immediately comment.”

A few matters for this information, the details are according to an unknown source. The Philippine Business Mirror based in Taiwan references the handset to be known as the ‘A1′. This model will be one of four Acer handsets that will make their debut in September where other reports suggest December.

* The ‘person’ is not named.

[via TalkAndroid]

The update would be aimed to improve performance of the handset launched last November. The changes too, adding video recording and other desirable new features to T-Mobile’s G1. In stating that the changes would be available in April, Pocket-lint did not supply the name or location of its public relations source. As far as confirming whether an April release date is valid, Gordon states, “Not as far as I know.”

Updates have been released across a number of countries. An update called RC33 was released in the US in early February. A similar bugfix, known as RC9, went out during early March in Germany and the UK. Yet apparently, the RC33 and RC9 updates both lack a bunch of new capabilities anticipated for Cupcake, including the video recording, voice search, Google Latitude, stereo Bluetooth and a better online keyboard. What we know is, the apparent statement the the update will be ready for April is wrong. If and when it will or might happen is still unknown.

[via Droideo, BetaNews]

Google said that “Android is a free, open-source mobile platform. This means that anyone can take the Android platform and add code or download it to create a mobile device without restrictions. It was designed from the beginning to scale downward to feature phones and upward to MID (mobile Internet devices) and Netbook-style devices. We look forward to seeing what contributions are made and how an open platform spurs innovation, but we have nothing to announce at this time.” Except for Chien Lee-feng, President of Google Taiwan, confirming the organisation is setting up a support team in Taiwan.

Based on Linux, Android is so far available commercially only on the T-mobile G1 phone built by Taiwan-based HTC. Currently, the application is in its early stages. With developments such as support and a solid infrastructure base growing, the Android is coming.

[via CNET]

Several bug fixes for issues that involve the alarm clock, device sleep, POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3) email, and email notification are among the updates. Added to this includes the ability to save MMS attachments and voice search. As for matters of accessibility to applications, Google will only block those applications, regardless of whether they are free or paid, that use Google’s copy protection. Different from the consumer version which allows users to copy applications which are sold exclusively through T-Mobile’s Network. With this however, Google is blocking access to all copy protected applications, even for copy protected applications on the open device.

Dan Morrill, Developer Advocate for Android says “many developers are concerned about the unauthorized redistribution of their applications, developer phones like the ADP1 allow for unrestricted access to the device’s contents, making it impossible to enforce copy protection. If you choose to add copy protection when you upload your application to the Android Market, then you won’t be able to test it on the ADP1′s Android market client.”

[via CNET]

Overseas last month, Telefonica Europe said that sales of the iPhone topped 1 million in the U.K. Although T-Mobile UK, the exclusive carrier of the first Android device, the G1, would not say exactly how many of the devices had been sold, it did say the handset now accounts for 20% of its contract sales. London-based Informa believes Symbian’s switch to open source will help the Symbian Foundation maintain its leadership over Android, Linux, and Microsoft over the next few years.

Notwithstanding, according to Informa, both Android and OS X are eating into the market share of the best-selling smartphone OS maker, Symbian. Last year, just under half of smartphones sold were based on Symbian, a drop of 16% points from the year before when it had 65% market share. BlackBerry OS, Linux, and Windows Mobile are also gaining popularity and eating some of Symbian’s share. Overall, Informa suggests smartphone sales will be immune to the global economic downturn, maintaining a prediction of “robust growth” of 35.3% year over year. The direction of phone technology will be very interesting to watch. I am at a loss to think what form a phone will take by 2010, let alone 2012! Who will you put your money on?

[via CNET]

Acer unveiled a number of smartphones during the Mobile World Congress. Now another two are scheduled for the forth quarter of 2009. When asked whether the new models would be using an alternative operating system to Windows Mobile De Lencquesaing said, “there is a possibility, yes.”

Although no concrete ‘yes’ or ‘no’ was given about whether said operating system would be Android, there are not many other choices available unless Acer is looking to jump in with the Symbian Foundation. So this is what we know: Acer are bringing out another two models in late 2009, they might not be operating with Windows Mobile, this might mean the integration of Google’s OS and with this, Acer becoming part of the Android Open Handset Alliance. It is only March, looks like we are in for a wait to find out.

[via Electricpig]

Windows Mobile currently ranks third, just in front of Apple iPhone with Ballmer seeing Google Android as a “blip on the radar”. Having said this, the concern for Microsoft is that the real market momentum with operators and device manufacturers is swinging toward Android, even if “consumer market mojo is with Apple and to a lesser extent BlackBerry.” Competition is moving across two fronts: Firstly selling software independently from hardware and secondly, selling a combination of software, hardware and services bundled together.

Ballmer said on Tuesday during a midyear update that “the dynamics with Linux is changing somewhat. I assume we’ll see Android-based, Linux-based laptops, in addition to phones, and we’ll see Google more and more as a competitor in the desktop operating system business than we ever have before.” Microsoft is not discounting any player in the field at the moment, you always need to keep an eye on the little guy…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2b1D5w82yU[/youtube]

[via CNET]