Posts Tagged ‘Android’

  • 05 Feb

    Posted by
    joesonic


    Category

    Google Maps with Multi-touch available in the Market

    0

    Recently the new version of Google Maps show up in the Android Market and asks for an update. The current version is called 3.4 and includes Multi-touch as amazing new feature for Map navigation. Now it is really convenient to browse the map using following functions and gestures:

    • double tap to zoom in
    • +/- buttons for zoom in and out
    • tap & move for pan
    • 2 finger pinch for zooming

    Multi-touch should work on all devices. So not only on the Nexus One or Motorola Droid/Milestone but also on older devices such as Samsung Galaxy, HTC Magic, HTC G1 or HTC Hero (at least with custom Roms).

    This video was embedded using the YouTuber plugin by Roy Tanck. Adobe Flash Player is required to view the video.

    It really seems Google will no longer consider Apples “claim” for Multi-touch. In the near future it is expected that Google and 3rd party developers of Android will provide a lot of apps with Multi-touch capabilities (some examples like the browser are seen in the video). Reasons for buying an iPhone are smelting like snow in the sun.

    Other new features for Android Maps are extended Lab functions. Following “experimental” functions are available:

    • Map scale
    • Terrain view
    • Favorite categories
    • Button for switching themes
    • Direction arrow for current position
    • Traffic layer including lables
    • Button for my location
    • Address info buttons
    • Directions and distance
    • Measurement tool

    With the new version it should be also possible to use your Google My Maps Account.

  • 24 Jan

    Posted by
    joesonic


    Category

    Maybe the best Android 2.0/2.1 custom ROM for HTC Magic

    0

    Update (05.02.2010):

    Now called OpenEclair (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=624545)

    Update (26.01.2010):

    Version 1.3.3 is out now (no wipe required for update). Watch this video to see ctso’s Intension ROM in action:

    This video was embedded using the YouTuber plugin by Roy Tanck. Adobe Flash Player is required to view the video.

    What is the best Android 2.0 or 2.1 custom ROM for a HTC Magic 32B phone? In my opinion it is the compilation called Intension. The latest release, with the Nexus One look currently is version 1.3.1 which can be downloaded here - http://bit.ly/8QQmTN. The main advantage over other Eclair version for HTC Magic is its enormous speed. With makes handling on a daily basis smooth and comfortable.

    • Installation: Install like any other ROM, if you need help please search. Wipe before flashing all updates unless otherwise specified.
    • Features:
      • Compcache control (size+on/off) in SpareParts
      • 5 Screen Launcher
      • Nexus One voice input
      • Apps2SD
      • Live Wallpapers
      • AOSP 2.1
      • … and more
    • Known Issues
      • Assisted GPS Problems (Cell tower location)
      • Facebook Contact Sync

    The homescreen of this ROM:




    The only thing I’m missing right now is the company calendar application and widget. I hope this will be added in one of the next releases.

  • 17 Jan

    Posted by
    joesonic


    Category

    New delicious codenames for future Android versions

    0

    Google has decided to name different versions of Android according to sweet pastries. According to a recent interview by Erick Tseng Android’s next big interation will be known as FroYo. Froyo is the Short Term for “frozen yogurt” and another creative name in the Android version history:

    • Initial Version = Android 1.1 – Release Date: 10.02.2009
    • Cupcake = Android 1.5 – Release Date: 30.04.2009
    • Donut = Android 1.6 – Release Date: 15.09.2009
    • Eclair = Android 2.0/2.1 – Release Date: 26.10.2009/12.01.2010
    • Froyo = maybe Android 2.5 – Release Date: expected in April/May 2010

    So it will not be Flan for the “F” version of Android (alphabetical order), as most of you thought. So we will see when Froyo actually is officially released and what the “G” version of Android might be. Any suggestions for G? I think Android will success its sweet journey in 2010 at least until H. I think we will see a lot of usability improvements for the next versions.

    Bon Appetit!

  • 04 Jan

    Posted by
    joesonic


    Category

    The GIS Market Leader and Mobile GIS

    0

    ESRI is well known for providing professional GIS solutions from desktop to server. But they always struggling with mobile GIS. For a long time ArcPad was ESRI’s reference application when it comes to mobile GIS. ArcPAD tries to be the baby ArcGIS for mobile devices, with very limited functionality and cumbersome user interface. Of course mobile devices are very limited in their funktionality few years ago and the Windows Mobile platform is a still a hassle, but ESRI has difficulties finding their strategy for mobile GIS solutions both for expert and the broader community.

    With their new ArcGIS server platform and REST based APIs ESRI also realized a technology for mobile use. It is easy to embed maps and layers in different environments including mobile phones, PDAs, tablet PCs etc. The following video shows a more professional way to use ArcGIS mobile and in the second part of the movie a demo is given on the iPhone where Base Maps from an ArcGIS Server are visualized within an iPhone App.

    This video was embedded using the YouTuber plugin by Roy Tanck. Adobe Flash Player is required to view the video.

    The demonstrations of new options for mobile workforces are based on ArcGIS Mobile 9.4, and will be available soon.

    Now the questions is will this strategy become successful?

    In my opinion ESRI has now a huge potential to gain ground in the mobile GIS world, also for a wide user group. Essential in my opinion will be the continuous development and extension of their ArcGIS Server APIs. For example it is expected to have direct Geodatabase read/write access with the JavaScript API in version 2.0, coming with ArcGIS 9.4. On the other side it is important to have easy to use client software for all major mobile platforms, including iPhone OS, Android, Blackberry, PalmOS and Windows Mobile. ESRI should provide “demonstrative” applications for different use cases ranging from experts (or data collectors) to “traditional”  Google Maps users. It will be very important to open up building blocks for application building on mobile Platforms (very important Android and iPhone OS) so that developers could design and implement their own applications based on ArcGIS mobile. It should designed like ArcObjects building blocks on the Desktop and Server.

    If ESRI can take this challenge for 2010 the GIS market leader will also play an important role in the mobile GIS sector.

    What is coming with ArcGIS 9.4 in general?

  • 02 Jan

    Posted by
    joesonic


    Category

    Offline OpenStreetMap for Android (2 Alternatives)

    3

    Location based applications (LBS) or mapping applications are very useful especially if you are abroad or in a foreign country. Unfortunately roaming costs are still very expensive and most of these “travel” or mapping applications require Internet connection to download cartographic information. Nearly all Android applications which make use of street maps include the Google Maps related “Map View”. This means you have to enable your devices network connection through a GPSRS or WiFi connection (and current international roaming costs are expensive).

    The obvious solution is to cache your map tiles before and save them on your SD card, then these tiles can be used later on without having an active Internet connection. Fortunately there are several applications which allow to download map data for later offline use.

    One of the most famous application for offline mapping, OffMaps, is not available for Android phones but in this post I will describe two of them in more detail:

    MapDroyd:

    MapDroyd allows to download maps from different countries with a kind of download manager. All downloaded maps can be used in the mapping application offline. MapDroyd does not store cached maps like most other applications, it allows to download vector data in a special format called MicroMap. The compressed MicroMap format in theory is fully navigable. Map data source is OpenStreetMap (OSM), which represents detailed user generated street maps for most countries. Depending on the size of the country and the OSM detail level a downloaded map has a size from few 10 MBs to several 100 MBs. In the download manager it is also possible to set the zoom level, for the country to download.

    List of features (from the Homepage):

    • MapDroyd provides a built-in remote map browser that allows you to explore and download selected map files from our map server. The hierarchically organized map repository is checked against your locally stored map files and updateable maps are indicated with a yellow arrow sign. Files marked with a green check sign already exist in the newest version on your local storage card. You can either download maps directly to your device, or optionally just copy an external download link to your desktop computer.
    • MapDroyd allows to rotate maps smoothly in any direction you want. Since we do not use pre-rendered images or (cached) map tiles like Google Maps or others do, MapDroyd can turn the map view into any angle required. MapDroyd does not rotate images - it renders maps on the fly! This is a very important feature for e.g. navigation applications. And MapDrowd draws all labels (city names, streets names, places, etc.) properly depending on your device’s orientation. MapDroyd includes an optional “auto-rotate” function that turns the map direction according to your real orientation (“head-up”).
    • MapDroyd marks your last known location with a red cross sign and a circle indicating the accuracy of the last positioning method. The smaller the circle is the better your positioning accuracy is/was. Your position is updated whenever you change your location (“tracking feature”).
    • You can choose between two different navigation modes: In the drag mode (default) you can pull the map in any direction you want by simply dragging the screen. In order to zoom in or out smoothly you have to click on the zoom buttons on the left and right bottom area, or, just roll your trackball up or down. In the rubber-band mode you simply tap the screen to reposition the map center. In order to zoom into a given region you draw a rectangle from the upper left to lower right screen corner. In order to zoom out you draw the rectangle in the opposite way, from the lower right to the upper left screen corner. In both modes you can roll the trackball to the left or right in order to rotate the map counter / clockwise. You can reset the map orientation to north using the main menu bar.

    Homepage: http://www.mapdroyd.com/

    BigPlanet:

    BigPlanet is an map application, which allows to download cache tiles from various map services like Google Maps, OpenStreetMap or Yandex Maps.

    List of features (from their Homepage):

    • supports different map sources: Google Maps, OpenStreet, Yandex Maps
    • cache of loaded maps – map tile is loaded only once and than saves in local file cache(so you can use app even without any network connection!). This feature allows you to save a lot of money(app don’t use expensive GPRS connection).
    • bookmarks – just add you favourite places to bookmarks if you don’t want to find it each time when you use app
    • zoom in by double tap (like in iPhone): You don’t need to use zoom controls from zooming – you can just double tap place you need.
    • save map in given radius. Allows to save map around selected place. For example, you can save map around your home using cheap wifi connection and then use map offline.

    Homepage: http://bigplanetmaps.wordpress.com/

    If you know further map applications working offline, please let us know.

  • 24 Oct

    Posted by
    joesonic


    Category

    Manual Update of HTC Magic to Android 1.6 (Donut)

    17

    Follow these steps to update Android manually:

    • Check Version of your phone in Settings->Telephone (for example CRC1, CRC24, … )
    • Update corresponding ROM. (CRC1 here, CRC24 here)
    • Rename file to “update.zip”
    • Copy file to root directory of your sd card.
    • Turn off your phone.
    • Press and hold “home” button then press power button.
    • Wait until the exclamation mark inside the triangle appears.
    • Press and hold “home” button and power button again.
    • Choose “apply update” with your trackball.
    • Wait until installation is finished.
    • Restart your phone (first booting could last a little bit longer)
    • Enjoy Android Donut.

    (Tested on Vodafone 32B version of HTC magic)

    New Features of 1.6:

    This video was embedded using the YouTuber plugin by Roy Tanck. Adobe Flash Player is required to view the video.

    Quick Search Box by Voice is not available for non-english phones yet. An instruction for updating to Android 2.o (Eclair) will come soon.

  • 13 Sep

    Posted by
    joesonic


    Category

    10 out of 10.000: Remarkable Android Applications

    0

    The Android Market is now nearly 1 year old (starting with end of October 2008). Googles Strategy to enter the mobile market was not so clear  and it was very hard to appraise their success in this area.  Starting only with one single handset, the T-Mobile G1, there was only a limited number of customers for the Android Market. Nevertheless Android now is a big success. Nearly every week new handset from different brands are introduced. The market share of the mobile OS is now about 4% of the entire smart phone market, leaving Microsoft Windows Mobile behind and is now targeting RIM/Blackberry and Apple.

    The Android Market currently has over 10.000 application for choice. In average 70 new applications or games are added to the market each day. What are the best application among them (Androlib provides a detailed statistics about Android applications). I tried to find 10 remarkable and useful applications:

    • CoPilot Live: CoPilot Live is the fully-featured Sat Nav system that runs on your phone. It’s your personal travelling assistant that’s always at your side, ready to guide you with turn-by-turn directions and keep you better informed with useful live information about your route. more>>
    • My Tracks: This application is using integrated GPS to track bike tours, running or hiking tracks. You can view a lot of different real time statistics, like difference in elevation, actual speed, slope etc. more>>

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    • Phonalyzr: With this little application you can analyze your calling behaviour. You can have facts about percentage of missed calls, to whom you have your longest calls and more. The information is also visualized via charts and graphs. more>>

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    • ShopSavvy: This app allows you to compare prices and find the cheapest shop for a given product. ShopSavvy uses the camera as bar code scanner to identify products. The current location is also taken into account. more>>

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    • Wikitude: is an augmented reality application and delivers information about places where the phone is pointed to. Wikitude uses information from Wikipedia and Qype. Currently the software manufacture of Wikitude is working on AR navigation. more>>

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    • Layar: A different AR application is called Layar, now available in version 2.0. A lot of different information layers (now 87) can be overlayed with the reality. You can include for example cinema movie dates, historical info, tweets or Flickr images. more>>

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    • Twidroid: With this Twitter application you can compose direct messages, retweets, search for tweets, follow and unfollow. There is also a home screen widget of this application. more>>

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    • Sky Map:  Sky Map is developed by Google itself and allows users to query stars from the skys. more>>

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    • Here I am: It is an alternative to Google Latitude. You can send your current location to your friends via Mail or SMS. more>>

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    • Locale: Is an other location based service for Android. You can personalize your phone settings according your current location. For example turn of the ringtone if you are at work. A really innovative application, as I already mentioned in a previous post. more>>

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    [via derStandard]

  • 29 Aug

    Posted by
    joesonic


    Category

    Augmented Reality Navigation System – A car navi without maps

    0

    Today Mobilizy GmbH reveals a preview of it’s augmented reality navigation system. They claim to introduce the first fully functional mobile Augmented Reality (AR) navigation system. The software should be available for the iPhone and Android phones. Wikitude Drive was developed by the Mobilizy Research & Development group in Salzburg, Austria. Wikitude Drive is a fully-functional, light weight navigational system which overlays point-to-point directions on a camera-view, without the need for maps.

    The developers published a list of features:

    • Mobile AR navigation, similar to a heads up display (HUD);
    • Fully functional, map-less navigation;
    • POI 2 POI navigation;
    • Integrated voice commands (additional text-to-speech engine required);
    • World wide navigational data which is accessed in real-time from the internet; (a mobile internet connection is necessary to access data while in motion)
    • Peer-to-peer navigational functions (Social navigational features will be implemented in future releases)
    • Interfaces with existing navigational APIs (for example: NavTeq, Map24, TeleAtlas)
    • Launching for Android and iPhone soon.

    This video was embedded using the YouTuber plugin by Roy Tanck. Adobe Flash Player is required to view the video.

    Mobilizy is a Austrian-based company specializing in software for smartphones. Their focus is on location-based service solutions and augmented reality. Currently they are concentrating on Google’s phone platform Android. Android is a complete, open mobile phone software stack. It includes everything a manufacturer or operator needs to build a mobile phone.

    [via http://www.mobilizy.com/drive]

  • 15 Jun

    Posted by
    joesonic


    Category

    Market Share of mobile AppStores by number of Applications

    1

    I have tried out to compare mobile application stores by their number of available applications. Starting with Apple mobile application stores have become very popular to download programs and games directly to the users smartphone. Now nearly every big player has launched a platform where different applications are hosted. I have compared platforms of the 5 major players in case of application variety:

    Name of the Store       Platform Company
    Apple AppStore iPhone OS Apple
    Android Market Android Google
    Palm AppStore Palm OS Palm
    Ovi Store Symbian Nokia
    AppWorld Blackberry OS Research in Motion (RIM)

    All in all it is not so easy to compare the total number of applications, because there are no official or correct information available. Most headlines give the impression platforms start with 10000+ applications, but if you take a closer look at different applications you find out that these numbers are utopian. By June 2009 there are good numbers about Apples AppStore. They provide about 50000 applications and games, where 11000 of these are free (~87 % Market Share). Android Market has nearly 6000 applications which is about 10 % Market Share. Palm claims to have about 3000 applications available, which is about 5 % Market Share. But I get the impression this number include also Windows mobile applications. Nokia has only about 250 application available for their Symbian S60 v5 phones (0.5 % Market Share). And Blackberry has only 15 featured applications listed in their online platform. I could not verify the total number of BlackBerry applications because therefore you need a BackBerry phone.

    Market Share by total number of Applications

    Market Share by total number of Applications

    In conclusion it can be said that the success of a mobile platform or operation system depends on the variety and number of application. It is a very easy equation that allows you to predict the success of an application:

    • The higher the amount of applications the higher the success of a platform!

    In my opinion big players in the smartphone market will be the iPhone OS and Android. It is difficult to say what will happen to Palm and the big looser will be Nokia (See also following article: http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/26/nokia-ovi-store-launch-is-a-complete-disaster/).

  • 27 May

    Posted by
    joesonic


    Category

    Google I/O: What would you say if you get a free Android Phone?

    0

    Attendees of the this years Google I/O Conference get an HTC Magic smartphone for free. If I had known this before maybe I had planned a trip to San Francisco to be there.

    io2009

    Even though the smartphone was the highlight of the first day in the Moscone Center also interesting things were discussed. Main topics were HTML 5, Android, AppEngine, etc. Google made a clear statement to be in favour with HTML 5. They do not want to wait another 10 years before using new technology as it was with AJAX. One slide contains:

    5>2

    Google thinks HTML 5 will be the next evolution after Web 2.0. The examples shown in the keynote gave an shot impression what will be possible with HTML 5. For example Youtube can be coded completely with HTML 5 without the need of further plugins. Also 3D Grahpic application will become possible with HTML 5. According to Google also the browser support is already good. All in all work for developers will become easier interacting on pixel level. The remaining question is: Who will need flash anymore?

    Another part was about Geolocation inside modern browsers. Browser applications will use Cellular and Wireless networks to determine the current location of the user. This could be very need when working with mapping application. The security issue was also mentioned, because of course it could also happend that your location is used by malware (e.g. advertisments, etc.)

    The next version of Android (post 1.5) will include open source speech recognition. It was also announced that today (2nd day) we will hear about an amazing new product launch from Google. I hope we will not be dissapointed after the 2nd keynote.

    You can follow Google I/O on Youtube.

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