Google has been sued successfully and lost for use of Linux on it’s server platform.  Although this may not be a huge loss to Google financially, this issue could extend to the Android platform. Bedrock Computer Technology has also sued AOL, Yahoo and Amazon to name a few.

Will companies like Bedrock Computer Technologies impede the growth of Linux?

What do you Geek-A-Holics think?
Get your Geek Freak on and let us know.

Source: Intomobile & BBC

As was mentioned back in May, Google will stop selling Nexus One though its online store once the last shipment has sold.  For all those keeping track, the last shipment has been delivered and now it’s only a matter of time.  For any die hard Nexus One user that can’t live without one, you’ll still be able to get them through KT in South Korea, Vodafone in Europe and in the United States, it can still to be purchased from various retail locations. Registered Android developers will still be able to get them through sales partners.

According to Google, its customer support lines will remain open for current users.

Another rumored Froyo update?   According to multiple sources, the Nexus One is set to receive yet another official OTA Android 2.2 update.   The new build will be FRF91.  This update doesn’t provide any new features.  Only some security updates and smaller changes.

According to one XDA forum poster; “My guess would be that it’s probably a fix to the exploit which allows people to root without unlocking the bootloader.” But as he said, it’s only his guess.

Here’s the download link for the savvy androidians that don’t want to wait for the OTA.

Last week we reported on the rumored “official” Froyo update for the Nexus One, with a version of FRF83. Last night, Google officially announced the Froyo update, which they say will be gradually pushed to phones this week. People are reporting the update version is FRF85B and is about a 500Kb update from FRF83. Last Thursday, Google also released the source code for Froyo, which also made everyone believe FRF83 was the official version.

“In order to access the update, you will receive a message on your phone’s notification bar. Just download the update, wait for it to install, and you should be all set. This update will be rolled out gradually to phones – and most users will receive the notification by the end of the week . We hope you enjoy these new features.”

You can find the Android 2.2 highlights here.

Even users of custom ROMs are reporting getting the update notification. For obvious reasons, if you’re using a custom ROM, wait for that chef to release an update, otherwise you’ll probably lose your root.

There are a few Android updates coming out over the next few days. First of all, the Google Nexus One is finally getting an official update to Froyo, with the official version being FRF83. There’s been two leaked builds over the last few weeks, FRF50 and FRF72, but this one is rumored to be official and is actually coming OTA to those stock users. Google also released their source code and its up on AOSP now.

Here are some more instructions for those who are asking. All these notes pertain to people running an unmodified T-Mobile stock version of Android. No stock update is available for AT&T models at this time. If you have a custom ROM loaded, then refer to developer of that ROM.

Since the update from FRF72 to FRF83 is only about 644Kb, there’s probably not many changes. Unfortunately there’s still no FM radio support, which was rumored to be released with Froyo.

Now onto the Evo, there’s reports showing up that are suggesting another OTA update is coming for it on June 28th. This is said to just be bug fixes and somehow “enhance wifi”, which could mean 802.11n support officially. Its also said to improve battery life and fix some Exchange issues. With Froyo finally becoming official on the Nexus One today, we highly doubt we’ll see it on the Evo by next week, but hopefully within a month or two!

Case Mate is known for high quality cases for all types of phones. A few months ago I purchased the Case Mate Tough Case and have been using it since. Today I got the opportunity to try out their Gelli Case, so I put them head-to-head. The Gelli Case comes in a clear smokey color while the Tough Case comes in 10 different color combinations.

First, we’ll start with the Tough Case. It comes with a silicon skin that goes around the phone to protect the phone from shock and an ABS plastic shell around the sides and back. This case is rated to protect against hard knocks and falls. You can get five different colors for the silicon skin and either black or gray for the plastic shell, giving you ten color combinations; of course you can only select one combination when you purchase it. This case offers the best protection from drops, although it won’t protect the screen, trackball, or the front bezel. You also won’t be able to use it with a dock although it has the cutouts for the gold connectors. There’s also no flap or insert to protect the micro-USB port from dust and debris. You can easily find all of the buttons because they are covered by the colored silicon case and stick through the plastic shell; so with the exception of the black on black combination, you can easily see them and no functionality is lost.

Now for the Gelli Case. This case is a flexible thermoplastic material which offers more grip than the regular phone backing. This one is rated for protection against minor impacts and scratches. As mentioned earlier, it only comes in a smokey gray transparent color with a unique design. As with the Tough Case, the buttons are covered, offering dust protection, and there are cutouts for the gold plated dock connectors on the bottom (although I don’t think it will work with a dock). It also doesn’t offer any protection for the micro-USB port since there’s just a cutout. The power button and volume rocker are raised but they aren’t different colors, so they don’t stand out as much as the Tough Case.

For everyday use, the Gelli Case is easier to get in and out of your pocket and it doesn’t seem to collect as much lint and dust as the silicon part of the Tough Case does. They are both very stylish cases and it basically comes down to cost and protection. Neither case interferes with the proximity and light sensors either.

If you want cheaper with less protection, then go with the Gelli Case. Its also better for when you pocket the phone and collects less lint.

If you want more expensive but the most protection, then go with the Tough Case. This one is top-of-the-line when it comes to protection, but it also adds bulk and the silicon can collect dust easier.

They both feel great in the hand and offer more grip over the regular, unprotected phone. They both also come with a basic screen protector which fits perfectly and offers some protection for the screen.

For my everyday use, I’ll probably stick with the Gelli Case and only go with the Tough Case when I’m more likely to drop the phone or if I’m in an environment where I’m more likely to damage it.

Buy them now from the PPCGeeks store (they may be back ordered though)!

Gelli Case / Tough Case

We all knew the Nexus One was a project by Google to help change the wireless industry as we know it. They were hoping to make things more open, similar to how GSM operates. By selling an unlocked phone, they were hoping to be able to offer it on every major US carrier, but that hasn’t happened. They had a deal with T-Mobile originally, which offered a full-price unlocked phone, or a subsidized option. A few months ago, they released an unlocked version that is compatible with At&t 3G. There were also announcements of having support for both Verizon Wireless and Sprint, both of which seem to have fallen through.

While Google hasn’t given up on the Nexus One, which remains a very popular device among developers, it appears as though they’ve changed their business model and will be closing their online store.

“But, as with every innovation, some parts worked better than others. While the global adoption of the Android platform has exceeded our expectations, the web store has not. It’s remained a niche channel for early adopters, but it’s clear that many customers like a hands-on experience before buying a phone, and they also want a wide range of service plans to chose from.”

So what’s their plan now? They’re planning on working with carriers to offer the Nexus One (and future Google-branded devices) through existing retail channels. Once that happens, they will be closing down the store, and instead, use it as a portal to showcase different Android devices available worldwide.

I, for one, have been very satisfied with my Nexus One, and even with the Droid Incredible out there and the Evo coming, I love having the freedom the Nexus One offers without jumping through hoops to unlock it and root it.

Source: Official Google Blog

The folks over at AndroidPolice are lucky enough to have a Nexus One running Froyo, Android 2.2. You’ve probably seen the slight changes to the homescreen, heard about Flash 10.1 finally coming to Android, make more RAM available for the Nexus One, possibly activate the FM Receiver/Transmitter in the Nexus One, and that it will offer a JIT (Just-In-Time) Compiler for the kernel. Based on a LINPACK benchmark, it shows the Nexus One with Froyo getting 37.5 MFLOPS compared to around 6.5 on a stock N1.

You do have to take these results with a grain of salt though. Not every app will benefit from these changes. Most will probably see a 2-3% increase since JIT only helps programs that are not compiled to native code.

Source: AndroidPolice

There hasn’t been an official press release from either Sprint or Google yet, so this still falls into the rumor category for now.

Source: Gizmodo

If you’ve been waiting for the Google Nexus One to become available on Verizon Wireless, Google just spoiled your plans. If you remember, back when the Nexus One was launched for T-Mobile, they said a Verizon version would be available this Spring. Now Google is telling you to just buy a Droid Incredible by HTC instead. According to them, the Droid Incredible is a “cousin of the Nexus One that is similarly feature-packed”.

If you’ve been waiting for a Nexus One, what are your thoughts? Do you think a Sprint version is still in the works? What caused the change of plans from Google?

In the US, if you’ve been waiting for the Nexus One for Verizon Wireless’ network, head over to http://phones.verizonwireless.com/htc/incredible to pre-order the Droid Incredible by HTC, a powerful new Android phone and a cousin of the Nexus One that is similarly feature-packed. It will be available in stores on April 29th.

Source: Google via syrguy1969

It looks as if Google is already testing the next version of Android, version 2.2, dubbed Froyo. While digging through their visitor logs, AndroidAndMe came across some Android 2.2 devices browsing their site.

As for a release date, the latest rumor is that it would be ready to go around May 19th, which is when Google’s I/O 2010 kicks off. There’s also a rumor of Flash 10.1 for Android being released at the same time. It is rumored to be an OTA update for the Nexus One owners out there. The other devices will either have to wait for a port (if you’re rooted and unlocked), or wait for your manufacturer to push it out.

New features include more available RAM, multi-color trackball notifications (for the Nexus One), and touchscreen fixes. Its also rumored to have OpenGL ES 2.0 for better gaming, a JIT compiler, and possibly unlocking the Nexus One’s FM radio hardware.

Source: Slashgear

Ever since Android came out, I’ve been wanting to try a device with it. I did the Android 2.0 port to my Fuze, but at the time it wasn’t very refined and not everything was working. Of course, At&t was one of the last carriers to get an Android device, probably because of their exclusive deal with Apple for the iPhone. I was jealous of T-Mobile users once the Nexus One was released, I even thought about buying it even though I knew it wouldn’t work with At&t 3G. Last week, Google released an At&t 3G-compatible version of the Nexus One (with no previous announcement other than a FCC approval), and of course, I was all over it.

After having it for a week now, I must say that I’m very impressed. For such a young OS, it feels much more responsive than Windows Mobile. Of course the hardware is a lot better than the Touch Pro, and I’ve never used a HD2 to compare it to another Snapdragon phone. If I had to compare it, I think Android is a cross between Windows Mobile, Blackberry, and the iPhone. It is very finger-friendly and doesn’t come with any sort of stylus. The screen is brilliant with AMOLED and is very bright. It has a thin form factor, which I’ve always loved.

Android 2.1 comes with 5 homescreens, which you can customize with shortcuts or widgets. For shortcuts, the layout is similar to the iPhone, with an icon and short description. The app menu is similar to all over smartphones, with 4 columns and the ability to flick-scroll through pages. You can do shortcuts to contacts for quick dialing or messaging. Widgets can be live, downloading information from the internet, or offline, with different parts of apps. You can drag things around to organize them however you want. The notification panel works quite well. You drag the titlebar down to see all of your notifications. If you’re in an app and you get a text message, it will scroll through it in the title bar. I haven’t found much use for the trackball yet, but I’m sure some people like it. It also serves as your LED notification light.

Battery life for me has been about the same as Windows Mobile phones, which usually gets me through the day, but not much past that, especially with heavy data usage. The touchscreen work similar to Windows Mobile devices too, which allows for kinetic scrolling. It also features mutlitouch, which most Windows Mobile phones don’t have yet. I know there are lots of people on this site that say they “must have” a hardware keyboard. I thought I was one of those people too, but I can actually type about the same speed with the Nexus One’s onscreen keyboard as I could with my Touch Pro’s hardware one. I suggest trying Better Keyboard over the stock one though. Both platforms also offer a new app called Swype, which is gaining popularity fast.

Another thing to remember with Windows Mobile is that TouchFlo3D (aka Manila) is a HTC add-on. While it improves the user experience greatly, its not actually a part of Windows Mobile from Microsoft. With Windows Mobile 6.5, if you don’t use TF3D, then you can use Microsoft’s Titanium interface, which is similar to their Zune homescreen. Some people like it, but most prefer TF3D.

One thing Windows Mobile has over Android is its Microsoft Exchange support. With Android, you can only sync 1 month worth of emails, which is a big disappointment. You can sync your calendar (which probably requires an additional install) and your contacts. There’s no support for syncing notes or tasks. There are third party apps that gives you much more flexibility with Exchange though, but they’re not free.

The Android Market is a lot better than the Windows Marketplace. There are a few developers that take advantage of the system, but for the most part, there are quality apps in both. Gaming is another story. Windows Mobile has always been marketed for the business user, so there were never many game developers for WM. I know as a WM user, I was jealous of all the 3D iPhone games that I saw on the commercials. Now, I can finally say that I have a phone that has some good quality games. There are smooth racing games and first person shooters. There are quite a few free ones, but even the ones you have to buy are cheap, usually less than $5.

Just like Windows Mobile, you can unlock the phone and flash custom ROMs. Most of these offer HighMem support, giving you access to more RAM than the stock ROM. Some of them let you put HTC’s SenseUI on the Nexus One, and some just offer other improvements. The unlocking procedure is easy once you download the correct drivers. The flashing process is also easy once you do it a few times. The ROM I use even has an app in the Market that will check for updates and can install them by itself. The other benefit of this is if you’re updating the same ROM, you won’t lose your data! With Windows Mobile you basically wiped everything from the device and had to reinstall or use a customization script. With Android, an update will keep your apps and settings. If you move to another ROM you will have to perform a wipe though.

I know there are many people that are excited about the upcoming Windows Phone 7 Series, but there are just as many people that think it will be a disappointment. Only time will tell if it turns out to be a success or a flop.

In the mean time, Android is on a record pace. In different forums around the internet, I’ve read where lots of people have given up their iPhone for the Nexus One, which is saying a lot. CNet recently said the Nexus One was the best smartphone for March 2010, with the iPhone 3Gs in 2nd place. More and more people seem to be moving to Android, and I can’t say that I blame them. For a young OS, its very fast and stable and has a lot to offer. As people move away from Windows Mobile 6.5, I believe most will either stick with Microsoft and use Windows Phone 7, and others will jump to Android. There’s not much hate between the two platforms.

With the announcement of Sprint’s HTC Evo 4G (aka Supersonic), and the rumored HTC Incredible coming to Verizon, I think even more people will make the jump to Android, especially since neither carrier has the HTC HD2. Many people already upgraded to the Touch Pro2, but its specs are weak compared to the HD2, and especially compared to the Evo.

I will probably give Windows Phone 7 a chance, but as of now, I’m the happy new owner of the HTC Google Nexus One and I’m not looking back.

Time for some feedback. Have you made the jump from Windows Mobile to Android? What has been your experience?

Well what do we have here? It looks like every carrier is jumping on the Nexus One bandwagon lately, Sprint being the latest. In a Sprint news release today, Sprint has announced that the Google Nexus One device will be arriving on the Sprint network, although a release date has not been decided upon.

Sprint, in the process has decided to throw a few jabs at their competitors with the following quote in the press release:

Nexus One(TM) is planned for the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network with twice the network coverage of AT&T and ten times the network coverage of T-Mobile, both by square miles; Expands Sprint’s Android(TM) portfolio

So the question now for everyone is, Who here is still waiting for the HTC SuperSonic? or will you jump on the Nexus One bandwagon? Be sure to leave your comments below.

Be sure to read the full news release here

Thanks Sporkman for the news tip!

That’s right the heat is on! Google’s Nexus one hit the shelves today equipped for 3G action on AT&T and Rogers networks, free of any contract from carriers. The device is available for purchase from Google’s on-line phone store carrying a price tag of $529. For more information on the phone visit Google’s phone store.

Google has sent out an email to some devs that states the following:

Due to your contribution to the success of Android Market, we would like to present you with a brand new Android device as part of our developer device seeding program. You are receiving this message because you’re one of the top developers in Android Market with one or more of your applications having a 3.5 star or higher rating and more than 5,000 unique downloads.

In order to receive this device, you must click through to this site read the terms and conditions of the offer and fill out the registration form to give us your current mailing address so that we can ship your device.

You will receive either a Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Droid by Motorola (NYSE: MOT) or a Nexus One. Developers with mailing addresses in the US will receive either a Droid or Nexus one, based on random distribution. Developers from Canada, EU, and the EEA states (Norway, Lichtenstein), Switzerland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore will receive a Nexus One. Developers with mailing addresses in countries not listed above will not receive a phone since these phones are not certified to be used in other countries.

We hope that you will enjoy your new device and continue to build more insanely popular apps for Android!

I believe this is the first OS developer to offer something like this, but it could make things interesting!

Source: IntoMobile

Some of the updates and new features include:

Google Goggles: this mobile application will now be available directly on your device by launching it from your All Apps menu. Just use your Nexus One camera to start searching the web.

Google Maps: the Maps application with be updated to a new version, Google Maps 3.4, which will include:

• Starred items synchronized with maps.google.com – access your favorite places from your phone or computer
• Search suggestions from your personal maps.google.com history – makes it easy to search for places you’ve searched for before
• Night mode in Google Maps Navigation – automatically changes your screen at night for easier viewing and driving

Pinch-to-zoom functionality: devices will now include a new pinch-to-zoom mechanism in the phone’s Browser, Gallery and Maps applications

3G connectivity: we will provide a general fix to help improve 3G connectivity on some Nexus One phone

The 3G connectivity fix should help those that have had a difficult time connecting to T-Mobile’s 3G network, even when they’ve had another phone connected sitting right next to it. The other important update is the muti-touch, “pinch-to-zoom”. In the beginning, there was debate if multi-touch was a hardware limitation or if it was a software restriction. This answers that question.

Manual update instructions after the break (thanks NIKKG).

Source: BGR

Manual Update Instructions:

1. Download the update from here (Google official) or here (mirror).
2. Rename the file to update.zip. Note that if you’re using Windows, just rename it to “update” (no quotes, of course) because it’s already a zipped file.
3. Copy the update.zip file onto your microSD card.
4. With your Nexus One off, hold down the trackball and press the power button.
5. You’ll be booted into a white screen with three Android robots on skateboards. Select “Bootloader.”
6. On the next screen, select “Recovery.”
7. Your phone will reboot, giving you a picture of the Android robot and an exclamation point inside a triangle.
8. Now press the power button and volume up button at the same time. It could take a couple of tries.
9. Now (using the trackball this time) choose “Apply sdcard:update.zip” and let things run their course.
10. You may have to soft reset a couple of times after this.

Source: AndroidCentral

“Thank you for contacting Sprint regarding the nexus one.

Unfortunately, this handset model is not on offer as of now.

Once it is launched, you will see promotional campaigns related to the launch date, cost and the features of the handset on our Web site and other promotional media.

Thank you for showing interest in our products & services. Please let us know if you would like us to assist you with anything else.”

Again, this isn’t much to go on, but it sounds promising.

Source: IntoMobile

The FCC label on the right is from the current Nexus One for T-Mobile, with ID NM899100. The label on the left comes with ID NM899110, which appears to be an identical model with just one digit off. The RF reports show that it has 3G on WCDMA Bands I, II, and V, meaning that it’ll work on AT&T (and Rogers, Bell, and Telus) along with most of Europe.

Source: Engadget

Users of the Google Nexus One on T-Mobile are reporting a nationwide data outage this morning. Users are reporting that their SIM card will work in other phones in the same area. While it appears to be widespread, it doesn’t appear to be affecting every user. We’ll give more information as we find it out. As expected, both HTC and T-Mobile technical support is experiencing extremely high call volume this morning.

Source: Engadget

Update: WalMart has admitted this was an error and released the following quote: “Due to a technical error, this item erroneously was displayed on our site. We’re working with our partner Let’s Talk to have it removed as quickly as possible. We have no plans to carry Nexus One in Walmart stores or online at Walmart.com at this time.”

From the screenshot above, you can see that WalMart Wireless now has a page saying the Google Nexus One will be available “soon”.  As you probably know, Google is currently offering the phone through T-Mobile with Verizon Wireless on-board for offering it in 2010 also.

The interesting spec on the WalMart page is the data frequencies:
Technology GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
Voice Frequencies 850/900/1800/1900
Data Technology 850/1900 MHz, 1xRTT + 1xEvDO, integrated Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth® 2.0
Data Frequencies Tri Band UMTS/HSDPA (850/1900/2100 MHz)

Now, according to this, it will support At&t’s 3G bands (850/1900) and one of T-Mobile’s (2100). For Data Technology, it lists 1xRTT and 1xEvDO, which usually refers to the CDMA data network.

We’re not sure how reliable this page is, or if it was created just to draw attention to WalMart’s wireless offerings, but it could be a game changer depending on the price they’ll sell it for and which carriers it will work on.

Source: Gizmodo