g1

The mobile Internet device: In search of itself

I suppose if I were just in search of controversy, I'd write a post to proclaim the death of the MID (mobile Internet device) category. My obituary for the Netbook earlier this week generated a ton of traffic; I suppose I could do that again. Certainly, the concept of a MID--a device midway in size and capability between smartphones and the smallest notebooks--is under tremendous pressure from both sides.

Customers have learned that with a well-engineered browser, the small displays on phones such as Apple's iPhone and T-Mobile's G1 "Google phone" are sufficient for most … Read more

Dialed In 64: T-Mobile G2 on its way?

There are rumors that HTC and T-Mobile are planning on the T-Mobile G2, and apparently it won't have a physical keyboard. We discuss that, as well as the Samsung Instinct's new calendar syncing, LG's breakthrough sales in 2008, plus a few new phones. And, of course, we tell you about the latest reviews and answer your e-mail too. Listen now: Download today's podcast

News Rumor of the week: T-Mobile G2? LG ships 100 million handsets in 2008 U.S. Cellular reveals LG Wine Instinct's calendar syncing put to the test Moto Tundra goes on sale … Read more

Don't hate the camel

Ryan Block joins us from gdgt.com to talk about the high-trafficked Inauguration Day, the SEC investigation into Steve Jobs health, and of course the ubiquity of camels for everyone but me. But I really don't hate camels. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE_894

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STORIES Inauguration records set http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10146825-2.html

Today at noon eastern, global peak visible traffic across Internet exchanges was 3.18 terabits per second. Within the U.S., 165 gigabits visible.

Yesterday’s global peak was 2.78tbps. Within the U.S., 117 gigabits per second visible.

November 4 2008, election … Read more

Next-gen Android phone coming soon?

HTC and T-Mobile are readying a new version of the G1 Android phone, according to the gadget blog Gizmodo.

On Wednesday, Gizmodo posted pictures of what is supposed to be the new Android "G2," which the blog says is expected in May. The new device is much thinner than the previous G1 because its slide keyboard is gone. Instead, HTC has taken a page out of the Apple iPhone playbook and will only offer a virtual keypad.

Pictures of the new G2 also show that it will have a 3.2 megapixel camera. The new phone will operate … Read more

Why Pre is the right move for Palm

Before I gave in and started using an iPhone, I was a stalwart Palm supporter. In the late '90s, I was actually a beta tester for the very first Pilot 1000 device. It was light years ahead of what anyone else was doing at the time, and it "just worked."

Palm led the handheld industry through most of the 2000s, but due to a lack of innovation after the introduction of the Treo 600 series of smartphones, Microsoft's Windows Mobile slowly ate away its market share. But Redmond's offerings didn't catch on with consumers, and that gave a second lease to the Palm OS and its family of products.

Then there was the Foleo, a Linux-based Netbook that perhaps arrived ahead of its time. When it was introduced in mid-2007, reactions were mixed. It was one of the first devices from a reputable and established company to fill the gap between smartphones and laptops, but critics weren't receptive to its $500 price tag and lack of compatibility with third-party software.

But Palm was also quietly tuning a version of Linux for its next-gen handsets. Last week at CES, Palm announced a new operating system, called Web OS, and the first device to run it, the Pre. It also announced an application store, called Pre Catalog. And that's when things got very interesting: the Pre blew everyone away.

Critics, pundits, and all kinds of bloggers (including myself) knew Palm had something to show. We also knew that if Palm didn't hit a home run, it would be game over, if you'll forgive the mixed metaphors.

As it turned out, Palm hit what appears to be a grand slam. Palm has a competitor to the iPhone and the G1. For the first time in years, gadget fans were drooling over a Palm device.

In short, Palm went from a company that nobody cared about to a leader in the smartphone field overnight. No small accomplishment, considering that no real demo units have been sent out, and a mass launch is still months away. This much excitement over a phone hasn't been seen since Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone two years ago. … Read more

An end to the Google bonus fairytale?

Clarification added December 30 (see text below).

For Googlers eagerly awaiting their famous holiday bonuses, be warned: Santa is tightening his belt too.

Google employees, some of whom have reportedly grown used to fairytale-like cash bonuses on the north side of $20,000, apparently got coal in their stockings this year. Certainly that's the takeaway for gossip blog Valleywag, which in a headline likened this year's bonus to "dogfood"--a euphemism for in-house testing--because Google would like some feedback. (Clarification: A few Google employees have contacted me to suggest that Valleywag's report on holiday bonus … Read more

Google stuffs staffers' stockings with the G1

Google Australia employees--and those in many other countries--received an HTC Dream Android phone as a holiday gift.

"We've never developed anything like the Android software before, so this represented a unique opportunity to celebrate that achievement," a Google representative told ZDNet Australia on Monday.

Apart from spreading holiday cheer, having all the employees using the phone would help make Android better, the representative added. "Giving the Dream phone to Googlers also allows us to once again dog-food a product and make it even better."

Other Australians won't have to wait long for their own … Read more

Rumor has Android G2 in the works

On the heels of Google revealing enhancements to its Android mobile platform, rumors are circulating that we may soon be seeing a new Android device.

The T-Mobile G2, as the device will reportedly be called, will debut on January 26, according to "rumors" reported by Cell Phone Signal. The new device is expected to have a 5-megapixel autofocus camera, VGA camera for video calls, a full touch screen, and Wi-Fi connectivity, according to the blog.

Boy Genius Report has reported a follow-up rumor that says those specs are pretty accurate, but that the release date will actually be … Read more

Assessing Android's potential in 2009

Perhaps one of the most exciting developments in the cell phone industry this year was the final release of the T-Mobile G1 (also known as the HTC Dream), and with it, the first commercial version of the Android operating system.

Even though we thought the G1 itself left much to be desired, we were impressed overall at the potential of the Android OS, and encouraged that Google's Open Handset Alliance might finally move the open-source platform forward. But, of course, Google faces great challenges ahead just in terms of market share--Symbian and Windows Mobile have a huge stake in … Read more