Google until now has not commented on any of the recent updates. They have finally told us that the odd texting was all about. They left root commands open to developers in early versions and forgot to close them in the final version.  The first virtual keyboard for Android surfaced in the form of an application. A7 SMS has an oddly laid out keyboard that reads QWERT across the top. Not many of our users are able to get this method to work.

Mozilla says Android will not be getting their new mobile web browser Fennec unless Google opens it up to applications that were not written in Java. iSuppli has created a report that shows the cost of all of the major components of the G1. When you total it all up you will find out that the G1 costs only $143.89, talk about getting your moneys worth.

We recently reported that it was highly unlikely that Android would be getting a Facebook application. At the time we were thinking that Facebook was not creating an application for Android, that doesn’t mean that someone else would not. It didn’t take long for developers to wrap the mobile web version of Facebook to run on Android. You wont get much more than what m.facebook.com gives you. fBook was created by the developers over at Next Mobile Web.

Tapulous is thinking about bringing the hugely popular iPhone application, Tap Tap Revenge, to Android if the demand is high enough. For those of you still new to the game, it is similar to Guitar Her.  WeatherBug has also created a weather application for Android. Their weather app is integrated with Google Maps providing the users with many more options. WeatherBug gives users give users GPS-enabled Severe Weather Alerts, Customized Forecasts and More from the Largest and Most Precise Weather Network in the World.

PhoneFusion is in the process of bringing visual voicemail to Android users. The good, is that it will be free to everyone. The bad, the interface is very outdated and about as ugly as they come. Those of you who always like to stay connected with friends and see what everyone is up to will enjoy Loopt for Android. Loopt has been doing very well so far on the iPhone so they decided to bring it over the Android for us.

T-Mobile G1 owners in the United Kingdom are reporting receiving the RC8 update this week. This update is the equivalent to the RC30 that the US recently received. Although many have received this update, a large number of people are reporting that they still have seen no sign of an update.  One word we see in the Android Market all the time is Wiki. Now we are going to see it even more with the addition of the Wikitap application for Android. WikiTap allows users to search Wikipedia and even contribute videos to current entries.

Hop-on commented on the dismissal of Android by Sprint’s CEO, Dan Hasse. Hop-on believes that Sprint is not dismissing Android because it is not good enough, but because Sprint would loose a market share. We all know that as time goes on Sprint gets worse off, wouldn’t releasing an Android help sales significantly? The G1 stands up to over 95 percent of the phones they currently offer.  Hop-on also talked a little bit about their own Android development. From what we read they will be releasing two different Android-powered handsets at about the same time.

A way to share your G1’s Internet connection has been discovered, it is not technically a tethering application, but it will serve the purpose for the time being. Taiwan is the latest country rumored to be getting the Android in the first half of 2009. Not long after the release of the T-Mobile G1, members of the XDA developers forum have found a way to gain root access in Android. This opened up a large window of opportunity, Jay Freeman took the opportunity and ran with it, successfully porting Debian over on the G1. Jay Freeman (saurik) is the man who created the Cydia distribution system, Winterbaord and many more applications for the iPhone. Google got wind of the developments and have already pushed out an update RC30 that prevents us from gaining root access.

It has been confirmed that Android is being developed for OpenMoko open source handsets. There is also word that there will be a free beta port for existing FreeRunner customers.  With all smartphones there is the opportunity for attackers to gain access to your personal information or even get a virus. SMobile has seen the possibility and is now advertising a mobile antivirus program for Android. Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer had a moment to speak about how he feels Android is not profitable. He speaks as if Android is somehow inferior because it doesn’t bring in money in the same ways that Windows Mobile does.

AT&T Mobility has stated that they are only waiting for Google to open up to more non-Google applications before they release an Android of their own. They say that when customers want Android, they will give it to them. In a recent discussion on Orb forums, one of the developers has stated that there will be an Orb application for android very soon.  Orb allows you to stream content or view files on your computer from anywhere that has an Internet connection. In other application news, Meebo has stolen this week’s spotlight with the launch of their incredibly simple yet effective instant messaging client.  Meebo is another web app that has decided to make an application for Android. With Meebo you can sign in with many different types of services including AIM, MSN and Yahoo.  Yet another Chinese company, Huawei, has announced that they will be releasing an Android-powered handset in the first half of 2009.

Rumors that Wal-Mart would soon carry the G1 in their stores spread like wildfire this week. Despite Wal-Mart claiming that they were only rumors, the story turned out to be true. In no time at all people spotted the G1 in store desplays. Motorola’s Co-CEO Sajay Jha stated on a Q3 earnings conference call that there will be no Android-powered handset released by them untill Christmas season.On October 30th residents of the United Kingdom were able to finally get their hands on the T-Mobile G1. The UK however got a few changes that the US did not receive, the G1 in the UK comes in either Black or White while the Us only got the Black and Bronze version of the G1. Other differences in the UK release is the price, you can purchase it overseas for free with a 2 year agreement, also the G1 comes a 2GB MicroSD card as opposed to the 1Gb that we received.

A week ago Google sent out the RC28 update only to quickly recall it because of security flaws. A few days later Google sent out a new RC29 with an added security patch that supposedly fixes and browser security issues that were present. It appears that more and more of our users receive this update ever day but the bulk of them have yet to receive it. The update process is very easy, all you must do it accept the update and let the phone do its thing. For those who are two impatient to wait there is a way to update your G1 with a MicroSD card. However this may cause you to loos your datat and is not recomended. TechOn was brave enough to disect the G1 the other day and reported that the roll ball is the same as the one in RIM’s Blackberry handsets. Aside from that the inside of the G1 is white. We had not ideat that the G1 is painted.

The G1 has an iPhone-style capacitive touchscreen and a BlackBerry-inspired trackball that compliment each other very well, making navigating the interface a breeze. The G1 packs a full 5-row QWERTY keyboard that is very spaciously laid out, making this device ideal for sending text messages, email and instant messages. Under the hood the G1 has GPS, a compass feature, HSPA, Bluetooth 2.0 and WiFi.

For more answers and the exclusive hands on review head over to Android Community for the T-mobile G1 review. A more in-depth review, photos and never-before-seen video footage is what you will find at Android Community.

China based company zzzPhone has started advertising an Android-powered handset on their website. A bad quality picture of the HTC Touch Pro with the word Android on it is what you will find pasted all over the zzzPhone website. Bad customer reviews and unbelievably bad grammar and spelling on the web site itself lead us to suspect that this is not the best way to go about getting an Android device.

Meanwhile reports surfaced again that T-Moblile will be releasing a “post-pay” service much like the pay-as-you-go plans many people know. The draw-back is not receiving a discount or subsidy on the cost of the handset itself. Many customers will gladly take this option over an early termination fee with a service contract.

The first user review of the T-Mobile G1 has finally surfaced, Kaziko gave Android Community an exclusive pros and cons list as well as a Q&A based on questions put forward from forum members. Although he brought up a lot of good points, many readers took the bad from the report such as the applications being a bit unstable as well as the device itself having memory flaws that required a re-boot in order to get it working properly.  Hopefully the pre-production nature of the device means Google, T-Mobile and HTC have had a chance to tweak those settings before the release-proper.

Photo courtesy of Android Community member heyitsnan.

The project, if undertaken, would require hardware changes to both handsets and networks. Pricing data would need to be quickly offered by the competing networks, and the phone capable of ascertaining the best route and, most importantly for the user experience, doing so instantly, consistently and with no input from the user themselves. However there would be a number of user-definable options - or, more accurately, preferences - that would prevent the system from merely being a race to the bottom line. The handset could be instructed to prioritize on bandwidth or signal strength, depending on the intended usage.

“In addition to cost as a factor in selecting appropriate telecommunications providers, users may opt for alternative auction models based on maximal bandwidth offered, best coverage/reliability, or some combination of options” Google patent

Google is unlikely to find too many fans of the concept at the telcos, who prize their by-now standard two-year contracts. However the patent - which was filed in March 2007 - does throw more light on Google’s actions over the past eighteen months. The recent FCC 700MHz spectrum auction, in which the search giant bid just high enough to topple the so-called “beach front” spectrum into mandatory open-access provisos, now means Google have a pass to use whatever network is eventually built. Google has also heavily invested in WiMAX, spending around $500m on the US Sprint-Clearwire partnership.

If it can leverage both of those networks, and produce a system that drives user demand, analysts believe the carriers will have no choice but to participate. First Google would need to persuade the FCC that it would be an offering in the best interest of competition and consumers; given the relationship of the two organisations in the past, it seems likely to be approved.

[via Wired]

The statement read:

“Our goal, when the T-Mobile G1 becomes available in October, is to provide affordable, high-speed data service allowing customers to experience the full data capabilities of the device and our 3G network. At the same time, we have a responsibility to provide the best network experience for all of our customers so we reserve the right to temporarily reduce data throughput for a small fraction of our customers who have excessive or disproportionate usage that interferes with our network performance or our ability to provide quality service to all of our customers.

We removed the 1GB soft limit from our policy statement, and we are confident that T-Mobile G1 customers will enjoy the high speed of data access over our 3G network. The specific terms for our new data plans are still being reviewed and once they are final we will be certain to share this broadly with current customers and potential new customers.”

Instead of the “soft cap” of 1GB, T-Mobile will now only throttle back connections of users that grossly abuse data access or have “excessive or disproportionate usage.” What that is, we don’t know. However, one thing is for certain: T-Mobile needs to announce their decision soon, because signing up for a $25 a month unlimited data plan on top of your regular plan only to find out your G1 connection will be throttled will make for some seriously unhappy customers.

Want to read more about the release of the T-Mobile G1 and all things Android? Be sure to visit the Android Community.

[via Android Community]

Videos after the cut

The menu layout is very easy to view Including a category name and brief description. To the right there are symbols that quickly tell you if an option is turned on or not. The “about” page includes a lot of detailed information about your device and usage including Battery Status, Battery Level, Signal Strength, Network and Kernel Version to name just a few.

The YouTube application is also very cleaned up and easy to read. While searching through videos the app displays a thumbnail, video title, length, brief description and rating. Videos seem to take a little longer than average to load, longer perhaps than you would expect; this could be more to do with the overworked 3G and WiFi networks in the demo area. On-screen navigation buttons are responsive and easy to use. While viewing the current video description, it also displays similar videos and video comments. You can browse through content by genre and featured videos.

When you open the music application it displays four large buttons: Artist, Album, Song and Playlist. Clicking Artist displays the different artists you have on your phone as well as how many songs you have by that particular artist. Click on an artist to drop down a menu of albums by that particular artist as well as a picture of the cover art associated with that album.

The G1’s equivalent to the iPhone’s iTunes application is Amazon MP3. It includes a very similar look and layout to that of Amazon.com made to fit a mobile handset. It is very simple, unlike iTunes. Song descriptions include the artist, album, song name rating and also album coverart. You can even preview a few seconds of the song to verify it is the right one.

Videos and hands-on images of the new T-Mobile G1 Google Phone after the cut!

The phone comes preloaded with most of the essentials including Google Search, Maps, YouTube, Gmail, Contacts, Calendar and IM. Out of the box it has access to Amazon’s MP3 download store, but you’ll need to download a video player from the Android Market. Google Street View was added to this device with a convenient compass feature to help with navigation: turning while holding the phone automatically pans the display, so it’s always in the direction you’re pointing.

The design of the G1 is very similar to that of the Sidekick series with a hidden keyboard and trackball. The angled “chin” appears to be for extra support when holding the device in landscape orientation. As for the menu button, it seems a lot easier to access and use in landscape mode, as if it were created for use with the keyboard. The G1 comes in white, soft black and soft brown. It appears rather than going for a sleek look, HTC was aiming at better functionality and a much better feel in your hand.

Competitively priced data plans start at $25 with unlimited web & some text messages, and $35 with unlimited data and messaging. The draw back to these plans being the 1 Gig cap on data usage.  Some would-be buyers are finding that the $179 price isn’t available to them, and that they’re being charged as much as $299.

There’s a thriving forum and more information over at Android Community, so if you’re interesting in the G1 or Android as a platform, head on over!

T-Mobile G1 Hands-On:

Click here to view the embedded video.

T-Mobile G1 Android Market:

Click here to view the embedded video.

T-Mobile G1 Hands-On 2:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Amazon MP3 download demo:

Click here to view the embedded video.

YouTube & Media Player demo:

Click here to view the embedded video.

T-Mobile G1 Settings walkthrough:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The rules are simple: you must be a registered user with a valid email address, be logged into http://androidcommunity.com/forum at the time of the Live Blog and watch the live web cast for the announcement of the winner! For more information and rules about the giveaway visit Android Community.

Remember, we’ll be Live Blogging the whole T-Mobile event tomorrow morning at http://Live.AndroidCommunity.com.  Join us at 10:30AM EDT for all the details of T-Mobile’s first Android handset, the G1!

[Via Android Community]