Sneak Peek: Google Phone Picture and Features!

We mentioned last time that Google is finally entering the market with its Google Phone. although it was manufactured by HTC, we are expecting that it will fully embrace everything Google--and that usually means good. Cool thing that Engadget was able to get some photos of the now named Nexus One.

Just like we've heard before, the updated OS features new 3D elements to the app tray, as well as an extended amount of homescreens, though it looks like the lock screen / mute is the same as in Android 2.0.1. Additionally, there's now a new grid icon at the bottom of the homescreen, which when pressed brings up a webOS card-style preview of all homescreen pages -- which raises some interesting possibilities.

According to the article, it is running under T-mobile and has Wi-Fi capabilities. It lacks any buttons to push and looks thin and sleek. And oh by the way it supposedly runs on Android 2.1.

This phone has a lot of tech gadget fans salivating for it considering that there are other excellent phones out there right now (yep, don't count out the iPhone and Droid yet). Will this mean that similarly powered smartphones will have decreasing sales after this Google phone rolls out of production? In my opinion, one should never buy a version 1.0 because there's bound to be a lot of bugs (even if it was quality tested for a long time) and problems. Another to be concerned about is the security of the phone itself. Since it's going to be the first Google Phone, a lot of hackers will want to get in on the action and do some foolery on your phone (Google should learn from Apple's mistakes on this one).

Nevertheless, this phone will be in a lot of tech stories in the coming weeks. Count on it.

Source

Droid: Jailbroken and Beats iPhone in Time Mag List!

It's been a long time since I wrote about the Motorola Droid. The last time I did was when it launched, after that there was nothing. A lot of people praised the Motorola Droid as the one to beat Apple's iPhone 3GS and if Time's correct, it already did. However, with such a high profile phone, there's bound to be people who want to break it like they did the iPhone, and they just did.

Droid is Jailbroken!

There have been reports going around that the Motorola Droid has been finally "rooted" or for those not technically inclined--the Operating System has been opened up and anyone can muck around with it. The one who announced it was Cyanogen who tweeted it. However the one who hacked it was a person named Zinx Verituse.

So what does this mean for current Droid owners who wants to root their phone?

A rooted Droid means the user will have administrative rights and the ability to control every aspect of the phone, not just those that Motorola or Verizon have provided access to. A person will be able to download widgets that allow them to overclock their processor or install themes that dramatically change the appearance of their phone. Cyanogen offers custom builds that truly customize a device and provides easy access to hidden features.

Just remember that rooting your phone has also a great chance of totally bricking it.

Droid Beats iPhone in Time List!

According to Time Magazine, the Motorola Droid is the number one gadget of 2009, beating the iPhone (who sits at a lowly four).

"The Droid is a hefty beast, a metal behemoth without the gloss and finish of the iPhone, but you don’t miss it. The Droid’s touchscreen is phenomenally sharp and vivid, it has an actual physical (not great, but good enough) keyboard, and best of all, the Droid is on Verizon’s best-of-breed 3G network. It’s Android’s first credible challenge to the iPhone."

Congrats to Motorola for beating the iPhone on this list!

Jailbreaken Droid Source
Time Magazine Top 10 Gadgets of 2009