OK, so you might think that an exploit allowing you to root your EVO 4G might be a good thing, and in yours, the owners, hands it is. But it’s a little worrying that Flash Lite, the much argued over mobile variant of Flash player, has at least one exploit that’s both relatively easy to access and gives you full control of the device. I don’t know about you, but I’m sick and tired of Flash on the desktop for a multitude of reasons, not only for it’s vulnerability; but on a phone like the 4G, you might not even notice that your phone’s been taken over before you’ve inadvertently phoned a premium rate sex line on another continent for 10 hours. Try explaining that one to your network when you get a bill for $10000.

[XDA via Daring Fireball]

OK, so everyone knows that Apple has a tablet coming, and yes I still hate the name. But Apple isn’t the only player in this fledgling market, and some manufacturers are doing things that are a lot more interesting, hardware wise, than Apple’s proposition. Read On

Google’s been forever tantalizing us with tasty names for it’s various iterations of Android. First we had the calorie laden ‘cup cake’, closely followed by the coppers favourite, ‘donut’. Then there was the ‘eclair’ (2.1), which by all accounts has been the sweetest and best to date. Those with their whits about them may have realised that the next in the series will start with an ‘F’, with most people’s money on ‘flan’. My hopes were dashed however moments ago when Erick Tseng, speaking on the Engadget Show, announced that the next iteration of Android was to be called ‘Froyo‘. Yep, that’s right, the healthier ice cream replacement, Frozen Yoghurt. Details other than the name are a little thin on the ground, but at least when it comes along we’re already au fait with the name.

What’s next Google? Something sordid like Gateaux? Or maybe something a little healthier like Granola?

[Via Engadget]

On the unknown and hardly trustworthy site, AdroidGuys, there is a piece of information that I wish and hope to be true about the upcoming Google phone:

Here’s the price: $199 unlocked in stores. $100 rebate online if you have an active and old Google account. That $100 rebate is either to buy it $99 online from Google’s online phone store, for using on Android Marketplace or for using on any Google Checkout stores. Can also be used for T-Mobile or AT&T pre-paid Data SIM card service at $29 per month, no contracts required.

Google will push full VOIP usage on these, meaning no voice/sms plans needed at any carrier. Voice calls will go through Google Voice on Data SIM cards and will provide unlimited free voice calling. And SMS is replaced by unlimited free Gtalk.

Finally, Google will provide easy roaming data services in other countries. For example, if you go to Europe, you can roam on HSDPA data networks
for the same price of 20€ per month, and if you only stay in Europe for a few days you won’t need to pay for the whole month. You may not even need to change the SIM card.

If this is all true, then “Google just accidentally the whole cell phone industry” (kingarthur).

No. It’s not a typo. Its the newest invention inside the Google Labs. This new search technology is making me want augmented reality glasses or the rumored Google phone. No more typing for the information you are looking for.  If you see an object physically near you that is related to the information you want, just point your camera on your Android enabled phone towards it, and voila.

Damn, Google. What will you come up with next?

The Google turn-by-turn voice navigation update to its Maps application became available to me last night as I was getting ready to leave work. I decided to pull the update and then try it out on my drive home… here is my experience:

Application download: 2.5 MB

I thought an application, including a voice, is quite compact at 2.5 MB. It turns out the voice libraries are not included on this download. When the download completed I started the app, went and entered my destination (home), then hit “Go.” It was here I was prompted to download the voice pack.

Voice Application Addon: 4.x MB

What?! Jeeze, in the G1 we only get 75 MB or so of application space… this was looking to be a real pain in the ass. Fortunately, the installer dumps the whole set of voice data to the SD card and then removed itself from the device. Clean, sweet, not 100% intuitive. For the less tech savvy phone owners, they may be stuck wondering where their application went, or why they can’t find it. A few instructions on the app or downloader MIGHT help these people out.

The Drive:

It is to be mentioned that my drive home is only about 20 minutes, 5 turns total, and relatively non-freeway heavy. The default route the app chooses for me takes me off my normal path, so I decide to go my own way. I am not more than 10 seconds into my new path when the application updates my new route seamlessly and takes the route I am more familiar with. No bitching, no complaining, it just works… that is how a tool should be.

I also decided to pick up dinner on my way, the app made two route corrections during my winging about the lanes to get to my chosen dining take-out spot. When I got out of the lot, it had my route for that spot onward. Again, seamlessly, the app took my actions and translated them to my desired results.
I can say I am impressed with this application thus far and I haven’t even used a majority of its capabilities. I can’t wait to see what additional things may make it in before it leaves beta. Good job Google Apps folks.

As an Android handset owner, I took unnatural joy in the soon-to-be-released turn-by-turn GPS app! The app allows voice commands, fuzzy search (aka you don’t know the exact location, but know details of an event etc…), and all sorts of fun integrations with maps, traffic and street view. Check out the overview video!

What does all this mean to you? I’m not sure, but as for Garmin and TomTom…

[via Engadget and LifeHacker]

Someone decided to make a response to Verizon’s latest viral campaign. IMO, I just want the iPhone to break away from AT&T so I have a choice of a carrier.  But until then, other carriers will just have to compete using other phones.

Ever since the iPhone’s release, fan-boys on both side of the aisle have slung insults about superior/inferior features, stats, etc… Someone just decided to kick it up a notch.

Verizon and the new poster-child of cool, the Android OS, are rolling out the ‘Droid phone in November.

See it here.

Google Wave can now be used, for those lucky few of you who have a Wave invite, on the iPhone and Android devices. Going to Wave.Google.com pops up a screen telling you that your browser is not officially supported but you can proceed ‘at your peril’:

I can certify that it does indeed work for the majority, so if you’re on Wave and have either an iPhone or Android device head on over to Wave.Google.com for some mobile Waving action.