T-Mobile G1 Accessories - G1 Accessories

Android Market finally gets a facelift and some updates after launching less than a year ago in order to try and compete better with the Apple App Store and ahead of the launch of HTC Hero on Sprint network. Android Market for Android 1.6 hopes to improve the overall experience for users. For one thing, developers will be able to provide screenshots, promotional icons, and descriptions that will better show off applications and games. Also four new sub-categories for applications have been added - sports, health, themes, and comics. This is great news for all T-Mobile G1 and myTouch 3G owners! Have a look at the demo video from the Android development team after the jump!

  Google has done it again! A new app for android users has just been released, and its making a splash, or maybe making a sound would be a better way to put it. The application, aptly named "Listen" pulls podcast and audio to your android phone. I downloaded the app so that I could have a better idea of how it works, and its a pretty simple app.  There are thousands of podcast ranging from politics to coin collecting. And if you arent sure about what you want to listen to there is a popular search button that can help you on your way. Streaming doesnt stop and start a lot which can happen while buffering. Also you can browse through podcast no strings attached, but if your a committed podcast listener you have the option of subscribing to your favorites.  There is also a listening que that allows you to list the order you want to hear your audio clips in and play them without subscribing. You are also able to download podcast to listen to later.  One of the features that I personally like is the share feature. It makes sharing your beloved podcast that much easier. It can send them to an outside email source, GMail, messagingtext,mms and of course twitter. There maybe other ways to share but that would depend on what other social networking apps you have downloaded on your phone.    Some would try and pit Googles "Listen" against the iPhones iTunes and while iTunes is great for syncing your podcast you have to know exactly what you want to listen to. But with Googles "Listen" you have a wider, on the spot search enabled app.  I was also interested in seeing if audio books were available on the app and I did find some! This was awesome for me because there are some moments when I really would love to read but cant. This app opens that avenue up for listeners.    I downloaded this app to get a feel for how it works but in the mean time I found that I really enjoyed it. So If your a heavy podcast follower or maybe youve just begun to test the audio clip waters this would be a great app to download.

Amazon.com has finally introduced a mobile application for Android based smartphones. Amazon Mobile is now available for a free download in the Android App Market and is definitely worth a second look. This application can be used on the T-Mobile G1, myTouch 3G, and other smartphones due out later this year featuring the Android mobile operating system. As e-tailers realize that the future of shopping is going to be mobile, Amazon has certainly incorporated some great features into this application, including the noteworthy Amazon Remembers. This was first introduced in the iPhone/iPod Touch app and gives users two different ways to use their smartphones camera to find and remember items available for sale on Amazons website. How does Amazon Remembers work? You can simply take a photo of an item or a barcode and then just wait for a few seconds to receive a product match. I have to warn you, searching for some products is much easier than others, which can take as long as a few minutes. You can also use Amazon Remembers in another way: to keep track of the items you want to purchase or are on the lookout for. Its a great feature once you start using it. The Android Amazon application was in demand and being requested since the time that the iPhone application debuted. And of course, in addition to Amazon Remembers, you still have all the other cool features of your Amazon.com account now on your mobile, including: connecting you to your Amazon.com account using Amazon’s 1-Click ordering and Amazon Prime tracking packages or modifying orders using the Your Account feature receiving personalized recommendations viewing editorial and customer reviews accessing your Wish List

Android fans dont have to be jealous of iPhones ability to provide an easier way to manage voicemail. Now, Visual Voicemail is available for both the T-Mobile G1 and the myTouch 3G. Downloadable through the T-Mobile AppPack in the Android Market, Visual Voicemail is one of those things that can save you a few minutes each day and can really add up at the end of the week. For those of you that dont know what Visual Voicemail is, its basically an easier way to go through your messages and help you delete and select the ones most important to you. All in all a great time management tool. I  sure dont like the traditional way to check voicemail... dial in and listen to all the voicemail options or pressing a lot of buttons to go through your voicemail system. Once you download and get Visual Voicemail on your Android device it will show you a special icon at the top your screen when you get messages. When you have messages in your inbox you can view the caller ID or number of who left a message. Just tap the screen and select the message you want to select or delete or reply. You also will be able to add to your contacts from here as well as copy messages on your SD card.

Those of us that use an Android-based mobile phone, such as a G1 or a HTC Magic, know how terrible or literally non-existent the Facebook App is for this mobile operating system. Well thats apparently getting ready to change. It seems that while Facebook has been making leaps and bounds in developing a great application for the iPhone userbase, they have always seen Android/Google as competition and hence were never too keen to develop a proper app for Android community. However, now that there are going to be so many Android phones coming out in the next few month, Facebook cant ignore the issue for any longer. A new application is due out any day now. Right now if you access the fBook App for Facebook you will see how pathetic the application is. You will barely be able to see a few updates and comments, most of them not even really getting updated even on a daily basis. The way the feed is given doesnt make any sense and pretty much its assumed that if you really want to access facebook then you have to go to the actual facebook website and login via your mobile browser. Dont get me wrong... the new Facebook app for Android is still not going to be anywhere near the cool one for iPhone but it will have the full Facebook stream and status updates which are the two main things when you want to check your facebook page while out and about. Also, of note, Android is going to be getting a whole lot of new apps in the month of August. Source: CNET

Even before the excitement surrounding the G1 device seem to have settled down Google is at work churning out the next OS Android 2.0 code named ‘Donut’. First cupcake…and now donut. I thought everyone over at Google was into healthy, vegan eats but I guess someone over there has cravings for sugar + flour. Sorry, just had to comment on that!

The new version of the Android platform quickly follows Android 1.5 Cupcake and if all goes well will be available this year end. Maybe it is Google’s Christmas gift to all of us.

With many new phones projected to come out on Google’s mobile platform later this year, via manufacturers like Motorola, this news Android 2.0, can only help to boost sales. Plus existing G1 users can also look for updates to their devices.

Universal search, speech-to-text API’s, and handwriting gesture capabilities are just some of the new features to look for in the new version. Adobe Flash may also be added to gear up the device if development efforts fall in track.

Universal Search feature will let you search online and locally on the phone through contacts, calendars, music and apps with proper code. Text-to-Speech API allows developers to integrate Google Voice Search type of features to apps.

Donut is now in the works and seems like Google will not rest. Plus, they have two more mobile OS plans in the pipelines named Eclair and Flan. Although release dates or features have not been revealed, Eclair and Flan will be more geared towards social networking mobile users. Callers will be announced by a display of their number, photo and the latest entry into Facebook or any other social networking site, made by them. How cool is that?

The iPhone and Android-powered devices were the first phones to get Google Product Search. Good news came for Palm Pre users some time back. If you were wondering why your phone does not offer Google product Search then be happy, you have it now. Google Mobile has announced support for all devices with an Internet connection if in the US, UK, Germany and South Korea. You can now enter your product query on google.com and select the “Shipping results” link. You can also start searching for a mobile product directly by creating a book mark to www.google.com/m/products. Easy isn’t it? More for iPhone, Android and Palm Pre phones in the US. If you have one of these devices you get Google Suggest an addition to product Search home page and results pages. This feature lets you select from queries as you type so that you can select appropriate item instead of typing. Google Product Search gives you info on prices, ratings, reviews and product details from the World Wide Web. The iPhone and Android-powered devices were the first phones to get Google Product Search. Good news now for Palm Pre users. If you were wondering why your phone does not offer Google product Search then be happy, you have it now. Google Mobile has announced support for all devices with an Internet connection if in the US, UK, Germany, and South Korea. You can now enter your product query on google.com and select the “Shipping results” link. You can also start searching for a mobile product directly by creating a book mark to www.google.com/m/products. Easy isn’t it? Plus for iPhone, Android and Palm Pre phones in the US, you have one of these devices you get Google Suggest an addition to product Search home page and results pages. This feature lets you select from queries as you type so that you can select appropriate item instead of typing. Google Product Search gives you info on prices, ratings, reviews and product details from the World Wide Web. Great for shopping directly from your smartphone and giving you the best of how you would have searched for a product on a desktop or laptop. source: google mobile blog

While the mobile app market is flooded with all kinds of paint and artsy types of applications this one is definitely a keeper. This app lets you paint with your fingers very easily whether you are 5 or 50. Simply, install the application and use the menu button to pick one of the 20 or so templates available and start filling in colors. Note, you have an option for a variety of colors, not just the few primary colors you will see on the screen. Just click on the easel below the row of colors to get more color options, including pastels, grays, and other color variations. This application is as good as having a coloring book without the mess and the need to carry crayons along. Definitely two thumbs up for being able to keep your kids busy even if it is just for a few minutes! Available for free download in the Android Market for T-Mobile G1 and other Android smartphones. Make a unique picture and with unlimited color combination possibilities this one is a real winner. Pick your favorites and save them too!

In a recent report, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said that, "Over the next six months or so you will see devices like Palm Pre and a second generation Storm." Quite a stunning statement and one that has caused some heated debate online. By all current accounts Sprint has the Pre for six months, when that six months starts and ends could be a bit blurry, but as things stand now, Sprint has the higher ground as far as the Pre timing goes. Then again, Verizon really isnt the type of company to spout off some nonsense like this, so who is right? Well, its possible that the six month exclusivity on the Pre has already started perhaps it was delayed behind the scenes, and the contract will expire within a shorter public time frame, but that seems rather unlikely. Especially, considering that as of now, Sprint has come out publicly in response to state, "We have the Pre through 2009." Its minutely possible Lowell wasnt actually talking about the Pre. Its a bit easy to read into, but he says "like Palm Pre", perhaps indicating they will have some sort of Pre competitor. Unfortunately I cant really imagine that being true either since he also refers to the "cousin" of the Pre, which I can only imagine is the fabled mini Pre/Eos. So at this point, evidence seems to be piling up, so who is wrong? As things stand currently, it would seem to be Verizon unless they shed some more light on the situation. Also big news in there, aside from the conroversy, is the second generation BB Storm. Previously we had heard that the Storm 2 could hit as soon as next month or July, but it seems as of now that will likely be pushed back considering the 6 month timetable on the device, I cant say Im really surprised though. And just to put some icing on the cake they also announced that they would be selling Android phones in the future, likely starting with the Android Motorola device later this year. Big news for Verizon fans, but do you think the Pre will hit Verizon this year or not?