How the Chrome Store Make Sense

 

Google came out with their Chrome web Application store a while ago now and when it came out no one really knew what to think of it. Many people just thought it was a dumb idea that no one would use. There were other people like me who think that the store is a good idea. But it does seem like many people think it’s a useful idea or are burnt out on the whole app store fad that has plagued use for 4 years now.

 

                The idea of having web applications has been around for a while now but they were all scattered threw out the web and unless you know what you were looking for, knew someone who was using it, or just happen to stumble upon the app there was no way you could find a web app. I’ve been using Google apps for a while now like Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Docs I’ve loved them and they have made my life better.  I knew about these things because I watch things like This Week in Tech and other tech related shows. If not for that I wouldn’t probably use Google Apps.

                This is where I feel an app store comes in use. We needed a company that is known like Google to do this. I’m sure Google was not the first to make a web app store I’m sure there are others but Google is better known. Also Google has the better means to push it and to integrate it with a platform like Chrome. The other web app stores couldn’t do that without making their users download and install an add-on. Google luckily made installing and finding these web apps just as easy as it is on say and iPhone. The Google app store makes completion between other sites that have web apps because now they can see what other people are doing and they can improve the look and feel to their own app. Which is a good thing for all of us because there are some nice web apps but for the most part its early days and they are just trying to get there apps to work which is understand able.

                The only thing I think Google is doing wrong as far as the store is there just not promoting it. If you’re not into tech and you are using Chrome there is nothing that says Google App store you have to go there on your own to find it and install an app before that icon comes up. My mom uses Chrome on her netbook and she doesn’t know about it. I should tell her cause there are some apps that she might find useful.

 

                Now you may have seen some of the apps on the store and think it’s just a glorify bookmark and that’s true a lot of the apps are just bookmarks for sites. Then there are others like the tweetdeck app that gives you an online version of tweeetdeck that works and fees just like the desktop application that you have to download and install on your computer. The big advantage of using the Google Chrome apps are that if you have Google sync setup you don’t have to worry about losing your apps cause chrome will reinstall them for you if you ever need to.

                Web apps still are kind of an unknown thing and many people still don’t trust them and that is fine. I’ve had problems myself with Gmail cause I wanted to look at an e-mail one day and Google was having issues and I started to think to myself if web apps were the way to go and I thought about all the times I’ve had issues with desktop apps too and I came to the conclusion that nothing is perfect, everything has it flaws.

Technorati Tags: Google,Chrome,Web Apps,iPhone,Tweetdeck,Google Apps,Gmail,Google Docs

Top 3 Android Apps

I have been using my Zio M6000 phone for a few months now and I have found apps that I cant live with out. Apps that I feel are a must have for me and maybe for you as well. I would like to share some of mine with all of you.

My Top 3

 

Evernote:

First up is Evernote this is a note taking app that I use on my PC as well as my phone for taking notes that I need for along period of time or just for school I use it in some of my classes. Its nice to have this app in my pocket so that if I need to remember something that’s in my notebook on there I can just pull it out and look for it or if I need to write down something its right there. The only down side to the app is that you cant save notes right to the phone so if you cant get a cell signal or WIFI it doesn't work as well. You can get Evernote for android at Evernote’s website and it works with 1.6 and up.

Gtasks:

If you use Google calendar like I do and you use the tasks Gtasks might be useful for you. Personally I use Tasks in my calendar to keep track of homework so I know when its due and if it is done yet. The calendar on Android doesn't show tasks which is a problem for me but  I did find a solution Gtasks it syncs with your Gcal on the web and allows you to view, edit, add, delete, and, cross off tasks. It also comes with a small and large widget so you can see what needs to be done with out even opening the app (which is my favorite thing about the app is the widget). The one down side with it is in Google calendar on the web you can make a task and add a note to it, you can’t make a note with Gtask or see notes either. You can get Gtasks here. Also Gtasks works with 1.6 and up.

Pandora:

My mornings waiting for the bus or waiting for anything else for that matter would seem like for ever if not for this last app. Pandora I'm sure most people know what Pandora is by now but for the people who don’t Pandora is a customizable internet radio station you tell it who you want to listen to and if it will play there music and others like what you told it to find. You can thumbs up or down the songs and it will get a taste for what you like over time. The app allows you to get to and listen to all your stations and thumbs up and down songs just like on the web site. You can get Pandora here also you might want to know it works with 1.6 and up.

Its over now:

I hope you liked this list if there is any apps you would like me to take a look at just e-mail me mikesworldoftech@gmail.com. Also I should note that my phone is running Android 1.6 for now I was told that I should get 2.1 anytime now. Until then I can only use 1.6 apps.

Sanyo Zio M6000

In the Beginning:

Cricket has finally started offering an Android phone on their network. Now they only have one and it’s no Droid X but if you have been waiting for a cheap Android phone with a cheap plane like I have then this might be the phone for you. Zio M600 starts at $299.99 and the plans for $55 a month. So let me go into a little more about the phone.

Phone Specks:

If you want to know about the specks of this phone you can got to the Kyocera web site here. I could boor you with all that but I will point out a few things. It has a standard head phone jack so just about any head phones will work in it. It has a Micro SD slot and it also comes with a 1 GB Micro SD card. It has micro USB connection for charging and transferring files. It is a CDMA hand set so it will not work outside the US. The phone is also running Android 1.6 Donut; I have looked around and saw on intomobile.com that the Zio will be getting Android 2.1 (éclair) in the future. I sent cricket an e-mail asking if the Zio M6000 is getting android 2.2 they didn’t say anything about 2.2 but they did say this “Kyocera will send out an Android 2.1 update in Q4” so intomobile.com is right.

The Phone:

The Phone itself is really light and feels comfortable in my hands. I should note I have big hands. The screen is nice and crisp inside, outside it can vary if you are not in direct sun light the screen is still read able but if there’s no shade it is hard to see the screen. It’s not so bad that you can’t see anything in the sun but you will have to double check that you are calling the right person if that is what you are trying to do with it.

What I do love about this phone and it was something I thought of when I was looking for an Android phone was it has the natural Google Android UI unlike HTC who puts a skin over the UI to make it prettier Kyocera kept the normal Android UI.

This what you can see here is not true Android this is something HTC and a lot of other company’s do to try and make it easier to use, and it pisses me right off. The biggest problem I have is that you can’t get rid of it. When you get a PC form HP most of the time HP puts some kind of activity center or whatever they call it that goes over the Windows UI this is support to make it easier to use your computer. At least HP lets you uninstall it if you don’t want it. Most of the phone makers do not let you do that on Android. But the rest of that rant is really for another day. The reason why I hate this is because it typically makes people more confused when they try another phone with the same OS.

The Camera:

The Cambria on this phone is ok it’s a 3.2 megapixels and from my uses it takes good photos I got two examples below:

The camera software that Android comes with is a little slower than I would like but other than that there is not much to complain about in my opinion. I should also mention that you can record video too but I just have not had a reason to make one yet so I did not test that out yet.

Keyboard & Buttons:

The on screen keyboard in Android is fine. I had no problem picking up the phone and just using it. I should also say that I’m use to using an on screen key board I’ve been using an iPod Touch for 3 or 4 years. Now I do have to say in some cases the keyboard is mapped odd like the return key is under the backspace key and in some cases the return key is the send button, so in thoughts cases you might hit return when you mean to backspace and you sent an IM before you were ready. When you are sending a text message there is a =-) button under there backspace so you may hit =-) a few times instead of backspace. But other than that it’s not that bad and as I said before I have big hands so it could be just me with thoughts problems once and awhile.

On the phone its self it has 6 buttons a camera, a home button, a menu button, a scroll wheel, a back button, and a search button. They feel a little clunky at times, like I’m in Facebook and I want to go back to the home screen so I hit the home screen button and nothing will happen and I end up hitting a few times before I get back to the home screen. Then other times I hit the home button and it goes right to the home screen. I guess it just has to do with what you are doing at the time.

Key Points of Love:

There is so much to love about this phone and Android OS but I don’t want to take all day talking about it, so I’m going to high light what I think stands out the most.

Widgets:

Widgets are a very cool thing on Android. Now widgets have been around a long time on the desktop for both PC’s and Macs but I never really liked them, they just always seem to be in my way. But on a mobile phone they are a life saver. I’ll start with the calendar widget. This widget sits on your home screen and will tell you the date and what appoints are coming up next in your calendar. This to me is very cool that I can just take my phone out unlock it and see what is coming up next without having to open up the calendar app, it is as effortless as checking to see what time it is.

Choice:

For the longest time I have been in the gated community of Apple’s app store with my iPod Touch. It’s a nice change to be able to know that I have the choice to put what I want on my phone and know that big brother can’t tell me no. Now I know that Android apps don’t have that nice Apple feel to them like iPhone apps do but I much rather have a ugly app that dose what I want it to do then an App that looks nice that dose only half of what I want to do.

Network Love:

The last thing I love about this phone is the network. Cricket Wireless caries this phone in the US. I was a Cricket customer before I got this phone and never had a problem with them, the planes for phones are just right, and you will probably not find a cheaper plane for an Android phone any place else. I should say that you should check to see if Cricket Wireless is in your area. You can see the all Crickets plans here.

Yes it’s Finally Over:

To make the a long blog entry short if you have Cricket or you know that Cricket works in your area, and you have been waiting a smart phone with an unlimited plane go out and get this phone you won’t be sorry. Yes the phone is running Android 1.6 but like I said they do plan on upgrading it to 2.1 in Q4, so that shouldn’t bother you. The price of the phone is $229.99 which is cheap for an android phone considering the Nexuses one was $500 without contract. Good phone good plan and the winner is you.

 

Technorati Tags: Android,2.1,1.6,Sanyo,Cricket Zio M6000,Kyocera,Widgets,HTC,Review

What I’m looking forward to in Android

Cricket finally came out with an Android phone that works on their network last week. It was on pre order and of course I had to buy one. It’s in the mail as I type this and there are a few things that I’m looking forward to in Android. I feel in a good mood so why not share them with all of you.

Google Voice:

Google Voice is a service that Google offers to allow you to have one number for life, that will work with all your phones. It gives you a lot of control over your phone that you normally would not have such as call blocking. There is a good online interface to the service which is kind of necessary if you don’t have an iPhone or an Android phone. The problem I have right now using Google Voice with my Razor is that it’s hard to call using my Google Voice number cause if I want to call out I have to call my voice number and type in the number that I want to call. That’s a pain in the but.

Google Voice on Android asks you when you try to make a call what number you want to use to call out. So if you want to use your voice number you tell it to use that number or if you want to use the number your carrier gave you, you can use that too. You can also set it up so that it doesn’t ask you and it always calls out using your voice number. If you are interested in learning more about Google Voice or making a Google Voice account go here.

Gmail:

Gmail is my primary e-mail service and Android has a mail app and a Gmail app that has the same feel that I’m use to on my desktop. I use the mail app on my iPod Touch right now (running iOS 4.0.2) and its ok it does what I wanted which is to be able to have my e-mail in my pocket. I just think that it’s going to be nice to have a UI that is a little bit more familiar to me. Now I know there is a Gmail optimized for the iPhone if I go to Gmail in safari but that’s not what I wanted, it doesn’t cache the e-mail to the phone so I can view it offline.

Widgets:

There are some apps on iOS that don’t seem like they should be apps they seem like something that should just be sitting on your home screen waiting for you to look at information that it needs to tell you. Apps like weather shouldn’t be apps they should be widgets and Android has widgets. It’s a lot faster to just look at a widget then it is to open an app and wait for it to load.

3G:

For me this is going to be my first Smart Phone on my Razor right now I have mobile internet but it’s really wasted cause unless I really need to look something up I wait till I find WIFI and use my iPod Touch to looks stuff up or send a Tweet. Every day I wish that I could just get 3G on my iPod Touch cause it would make it more useful when I’m out of the house but with this new Android phone I’m getting I’ll have internet were ever I get a signal with Cricket, making things like evernote a little more useful and a real browser so surfing the internet won’t be as bad as it is now.

All your phonez belong to us:

My Phone should be here tomorrow and I just can’t wait I know this phone isn’t the best Android phone on the market but it’s one that I can afford the plane for it. I do feel like these things are what sold me to get this Android phone over the Blackberry that Cricket sells.

Technorati Tags: Google,Android,iOS,iPod Touch,Cricket,3G,Gmail,Widgets,Google Voice,Smart Phone

 

Do Evil?

Google has been running off of their slogan “Do no Evil” since the company was founded. After people found out that Google and Verizon were having talks about neutrality and what came out from it people started turning their backs on Google thinking they had done evil finally. For people that have no idea what I’m talking about, Google was having talks with Verizon about net neutrality and how to solve it. Google and Verizon supposable decided that the land lines like DSL and FIOS would not have any kind of traffic shaping at all but wireless would be allowed to priorities there traffic. Basically what they’re saying if you’re watching a streaming video online form your FIOS or DSL line Verizon can’t just slow that down to speed up peoples VOIP calls. But on a cell phone if you are watching a streaming video they could slow that down to so that maybe people can load a web app faster.

Because of that people have though that Google has sold out the open internet and that just is not true and if anything I think something happen during those talks that we have not herd. What makes me think this is a paragraph that of a blog post Google posted called Facts about our network neutrality policy proposal on the Google blog which says “MYTH: This proposal would eliminate network neutrality over wireless. FACT: It’s true that Google previously has advocated for certain openness safeguards to be applied in a similar fashion to what would be applied to wireline services. However, in the spirit of compromise, we have agreed to a proposal that allows this market to remain free from regulation for now, while Congress keeps a watchful eye.” The whole part about spirit of compromise makes me think that Verizon may have threatened Google somehow causing them to just let wireless go. I for one have a crazy conspiracy but about what could have happen. Verizon could be in talks right now with Apple to start selling iPhones on Verizon and so during the net neutrality talks Verizon could have said ok about the wirelines but the wireless stuff no and Google pushed and pushed and Verizon said we will pull Android phones off Verizon and sell iPhones instead. Now that’s just all theory and who knows what happen during their talks but I really do feel that Verizon did something to make Google allow that in the deal.

So is Google evil should we be exporting all our information out of Google, boycott there services, and run to the hills? No I don’t think so; I think that somehow some way Google was forced to agree to this wireless part of the deal. They probably felt that it was better to agree on this and then fight to get it changed latter on instead of the whole thing just falling apart on them. Google still is not evil and its safe to return to your normal lives.

 

Technorati Tags: Google,net neutrality,Verizon,Deal,FCC,Android

Google Tip: Gmail Labs

Have you ever been using Gmail and just wish it could do something that it just does not do right now? Well maybe it dose do that, it’s just not turned on. My tip this week is taking a look at Gmail Labs. There is so much stuff in there that might be useful to you. I for one have voice mail preview on so when I get an e-mail form Google voice saying I got a voice mail I can just listen to it right from Gmail without having to go to Google Voice. To turn it on go to your settings and go to Labs, You will then see a list of everything in the labs that you can turn on. If your Gmail starts acting funny just go back to labs and there will be a link you can click that will turn off Gmail Labs and things will go back to normal.

Technorati Tags: Tip,Google,Gmail,Labs,Google Voice

Is Google Trying to Pull a Fast One on the Chinese?

Google wrote a blog post the other day on the Official Google Blog called “An Update on China”. They talked about how they have been redirecting users that wish to use google.cn to another Google page Google.com.hk, the Hong Kong version of Google, up to that point. Google.com.hk is not centered and allows Chinese people to still use Google.

From the Article on Google’s blog it seems the Chinese government does not like this at all. Google then went on to talk about how they planned on getting there Internet Content Provider license renewed since there’s expires tomorrow or today since it is the 30^th in china right now. Their plan seems simple from what I can see. They made a landing page for google.cn if you click on the search box it takes you right to google.com.hk. Problem solved… right?

Well I don’t for see that being good enough for the Chinese government. I seem to think that this idea will be rejected and google.cn will go dark sadly. Though I will say I ‘am talking out my ass since I have no background in Chinese law. What I feel Google should have done was make a landing page that gives the user a choice and says would like to use google.cn which is censored or would you like to use google.com.hk. I don’t know but that seems to me like a better idea and one that might please the Chinese.

Like I said before I know nothing of chimes law I’m talking out my ass here. If you have a better idea for what Google should do about China leave a comment.

 

Technorati Tags: Google,China,Google.com.hk,Google.cn