Google launches Android SDK 1.0, release 1

As reported by our brethren over at Engadget, Google and T-Mobile officially announced the T-Mobile G1, the first mobile device that will run on Google's Android platform. That's awesome and everything, but this is a software blog, so you won't get to read our thoughts or dissections here (although on Twitter, all bets are off). Fortunately, the good people at Google managed to also officially release the Android SDK 1.0.

Until very recently, there really wasn't a lot of Android news to report. We (well, I) were even accused of having an anti-Android bias. That was totally untrue, there just wasn't anything to tell. Then, last month, Google really started ramping up Android development, releasing updates to the SDK, announcing winners of the app contest, releasing some detaails of the Android marketplace, you get the picture.

Today's 1.0 SDK release coincides not only with the G1 announcement, but also with news that Amazon's MP3 store will be available for the platform.

If you're frustrated by Apple's decidedly developer unfriendly approach, you might want to check out the the 1.0 SDK and see if the grass is greener on the other side.


[via Arstechnica]

Nokia Beta Labs release Photos 1.5 Beta

The Nokia Photos team at the Nokia Beta labs have just announced the beta release of version 1.5 for the Nokia Photos application for your PC. The application can be used to organize, manage and transfer your personal media between your Nokia device and your PC. They have redesigned the overall visuals of the application and it also comes loaded with a few new applications.

What's new in 1.5?

1. Import and manage digital media from any device such as S60 phone, digital camera, memory stuck and even HDDs.The application also sports the ability to convert your media into the proper format so that it is correctly supported on your phone.

2. Viewing of the Geotagged photos and videos in the integrated map view.

3. Ovi support

 

As usual, it is a beta release, and may have some unwanted behavior. It is available for download here.

New pics of the GPHONE

Here are some new great quality pics of the GPHONE.

7 Years of iPod: What You Paid and What You Got [Apple]

With yesterday's refresh to Apple's iPod line, it was hard not to feel at least a little deja vu. I've been following new iPod announcements—which often come more than once a year—since 2001, when the first iPod showed up in stores for an astronomical $399.

In the iPod's seven years, a sort of price mean has emerged, settling around $249 despite countless claims of "more space," "more battery life," and, err, "more smaller." It's no surprise then that $249 is the price of a new 120GB iPod classic, a few dollars more than a new model 8GB iPod touch and $50 higher than the cost of a 4th Gen 16GB iPod nano. Click the image above for the full keepsake chart. [iPod on Giz]

Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope Will Have "Blindingly Quick" Boot Times, Float on the Cloud [Ubuntu]

If you rock Ubuntu, you've probably already got your engines revved for the more immediately imminent Intrepid Ibex 8.10 release next month. But that's not stopping Canonical—Ubuntu's main developer—from jibber-jabbering about Jaunty Jackalope, the next major Ubuntu release, which is due in April. Ubuntu 9.04's code name stems from its focus on zip-zoominess, with a goal of making "booting or resuming Ubuntu blindingly quick" and a "blurring of web services and desktop applications." So it'll be a fast hybrid, just like an, uh, real jackalope.

While it's not entirely certain how Jaunty will float on the cloud, Bits notes that Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth says they're after "weblications." Either way, it's surely not coincidental that Jaunty's two major goals—a light, snappy OS with serious web app/cloud computing integration—converge to accelerate the death of the traditional Microsoft-dominated desktop. We'll know how well it succeeds in just a few months. [Ars Technica]

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 SDK now available for download

While we're waiting for the official worldwide release of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, its Software Developers Kit or SDK is now available for download on Sony Ericsson's web site.

Through the SDK, users will be able to maximize the use the Xperia X1, and put all of its features along with Windows Mobile 6.1 to good use.

Xperia X1

Also with the help of the Xperia X1 SDK, developers will be able to create all sorts of mobile content for the said handset such as games, apps for social networking, music, photography, instant messaging and video.

The Xperia X1 SDK is provided free of charge through http://www.sonyericsson.com/developer.

Google and Microsoft apparently quite keen on the App Store idea

There is no denying that Apple's App Store is leading the charge when it comes to mobile content delivery, so it's hardly surprising that other major players in the mobile field are looking to offer similar services.

Google is set to launch a new channel for Android called Android Market, that will operate as a direct line delivery service for Android applications and services. The system sounds quite different to the App Store in that developers will merely need to register as a merchant, upload their content, providing a description, and then publish it. Android users will then be able to rate the content in a feedback system similar to YouTube (presumably after they have downloaded and tried out any particular application).

It all sounds very open indeed which should definitely help foster development, let's just hope it's not the sort of development we don't want (i.e. shovelware.)

It seems that it's not only Google getting in on the action either. Over in Redmond a fresh job posting suggests that Microsoft might be looking to develop something similar for Windows Mobile. The job description details a platform called Skymarket that would be a "marketplace service for Windows Mobile,". It doesn't get much clearer than that in our eyes but let's wait for an official press release before we go getting all sure of ourselves.

More on this as soon as we have it folks…