Scattered Binary Thoughts on Google’s Android Presser

It’s almost 2AM in NY and I have to leave for JFK in a few hours…which makes this the perfect time to drop some random thoughts on Google’s big Android press conference. I’ll be using my friend Augustine’s binary system. He believes that everything can classified as good or bad — nothing else matters. Actually, he believes that there are only two types of women in the world — women you’d sleep with and women you wouldn’t sleep with. My adaptation of his system is easier to use for things like tech, games, etc. Anyway, let’s get to it!

Bad: So many people missed the big news coming from today’s Android press conference. The Nexus One wasn’t the story. Google.com/phone was a much bigger deal with loads of interesting implications for the future of the industry.

Good: In America, mobile carriers have controlled the business for far too long. Google’s new model obviously gives it — a mobile OS vendor and mobile advertising company — more power. It also gives phone manufacturers (HTC, Motorola, etc.) more power. Most importantly, it will (eventually) give consumers more choice when it comes to buying Android phones.

Bad: Google is trying to push the term “superphone” to describe handsets like the Nexus One and others that it will sell on Google.com/phone. It’s stupid. It’s annoying. If my phone could fly around the Earth and turn back time, then I’d be happy to call it superphone. Until then, it’s just the latest annoying marketing concoction.

Good: It seems like Google will only be selling “superphones” on its web site. The idea is that it will work closely with select partners to come up with phones that show Android at its best. For tech enthusiasts, this is all that really matters. Handset makers and mobile providers are more concerned with budget and mid-range phones, but tech geeks only care about the best. In terms of Android, it looks like Google.com/phone will only feature the best.

Bad: Talking with a bunch of people that are interested in the phone, but prefer AT&T over T-Mobile was pretty amusing. A lot of them said it was completely moronic for Google’s debut phone to support T-Mobile’s 3G bands and not AT&T’s. There are a few things to note here. T-Mobile deserves this exclusive window for being Google’s first major Android partner in America. More importantly, the Nexus One is an international product and the 3G bands it supports make much more sense from a global standpoint. The conversations reminded me that nerds think that America is the only market in the world.

Bad: The mainstream press just sucks at tech reporting. The local ABC News show ran a spot on the Nexus One. Some of the information was flat-out incorrect. A lot of it was just talking about the iPhone and how this is Google’s attempt at “beating” it. I’m pretty sure every other sentence had the word iPhone in it. It was just crap reporting. Sure, it’s a big deal that Google is selling the Nexus One, but its Android initiative and selling directly to consumers is even more noteworthy.

Bad: I was hoping for some interesting news on Google Voice and its role in Android phones. One of my sources told me that Google’s acquisition of Gizmo5 will lead to a huge Google Voice announcement later this year and Android handsets will be an important part of the announcement. Waiting…yuck.

Bad: The Nexus One is being dismissed by a lot of writers simply because it isn’t a revolutionary product. It’s still the best Android phone available today. Why is that not good enough?

Good: Google has a chance to be the disruptor I wrote about before, but not in the way I originally wrote about. As it gets more handset and carrier partners to participate in Google.com/phone, the bigger chance it has to truly change the way Americans by mobile products.

PSA: Xbox Live One Year Gold Subscription for $34.99

Amazon has the Xbox 360 Live One-Year Subscription Gold Card on sale for $34.99 until January 16. That’s a great price and it’ll help out the site if you use one my Amazon links, so have at it (please)!

Update: PS3 gamers might want to check out God of War: Collection, which is on sale for $29.99

Google Nexus One Coming to Verizon, Pricing Confirmed

Customers that are down with the HTC Nexus One but aren’t cool with T-Mobile should be excited to know that this Android 2.1 phone is also coming to Verizon! Check out these screen grabs from the official Nexus One site:

Any of you interested in the phone now that it’s headed for Verizon?

T-Mobile Upgrades Entire 3G Network to HSPA 7.2Mbps

T-Mobile has announced that it has upgraded its entire 3G network to 7.2Mbps. The timing of the reveal is convenient since Google’s Nexus One — which uses T-Mobile’s 3G frequencies — is being officially announced at a press conference happening as I type. Here’s the full 411 from Phonescoop:

Today T-Mobile announced that it has upgraded its entire 3G network to HSPA 7.2Mbps (peak speeds). That’s an improvement from 3.6Mbps, and should allow for faster wireless downloads. T-Mobile also pointed out that its 3G footprint now covers some 200 million Americans. T-Mobile also said that it plans to be the first U.S. carrier to deploy HSPA+ across its network by mid 2010. T-Mobile currently has an HSPA+ trial under way in Philadelphia. Once fully enabled, HSPA+ will offer up to 21Mbps downloads.

I’m super-psyched for HSPA+. It should be a great transition technology that will serve customers well while LTE (4G technology) is being deployed.

Source

Dragon Age: The Awakening Spotted on GameStop.com

It’s a total bummer that the Return to Ostagar DLC for Dragon Age: Origins has been delayed, but the silver lining is that details on The Awakening expansion have been revealed. The following is from the expansion’s listing on GameStop:

From the Makers of the Best RPG of 2009, Dragon Age: Origins, comes the first official expansion pack. For centuries, the Grey Wardens — the ancient order of guardians, sworn to unite and defend the lands — have been battling the darkspawn forces. Legend spoke that slaying the Archdemon would have put an end to the darkspawn threat for centuries to come, but somehow they remain. You are the Grey Warden Commander and have been entrusted with the duty of rebuilding the order of Grey Wardens and uncovering the secrets of the darkspawn and how they managed to remain. How you choose to rebuild your order, how you resolve the conflict with “The Architect”, and how you determine the fate of the darkspawn will be but some of the many complex choices that await and shape your journey as you venture to the new land of Amaranthine.

The Awakening is listed for $39.99 for consoles and $29.99 for PC, with a ship date of March 16, 2010. Man…between this and Final Fantasy XIII, March is going to completely rule!!!

Source

Dragon Age: Origins Return to Ostagar DLC Delayed

Bad news Dragon Age: Origins fans — the Return to Ostagar downloadable content has been delayed. Bioware’s Chris Priestly posted the following on BioWare Social Network:

We’re sorry but the planned Return to Ostagar downloadable content scheduled to launch on January 5th has been delayed for all platforms.

All of the sudden, I’m not in a rush to fly back to California. Anyone else bummed by the delay?

Source

Coffee Talk #58: Annoying Console Quirks

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the return of wrestling’s Monday Night Wars, the new hit single “Gilbert’s Got a Gun”, or Google’s Android/Nexus One press conference, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

A friend of mine was downloading the MAG beta yesterday when the download crapped out on him. This prompted him to write a lengthy Facebook rant on how the download experience on the Xbox 360 is way better than that of the PlayStation 3. While I agree that, in general, the Xbox 360 offers a much smoother online experience, I never had any problems downloading games, demos, movies, etc. on my PS3. I was surprised that a lot of my friend’s friends agreed with him and wrote about their annoyances with downloading on the PS3.

The whole thing had me wondering about annoying console quirks. What “features” of your beloved consoles irk you guys and gals? Personally, I hate the shutdown process of the PlayStation 3. After telling the machine that I want it turn off…it asks me if I want to turn it off. It’s a small thing, but it annoys the hell out of me! I don’t need Windows Vista-style confirmation prompts to shut down my PS3.

So yeah! I wanted to get that out of the way before starting off three totally positive Coffee Talk columns to close out the week. Ha! What about you? What are some console quirks that bother the hell out of you? And no, the Wii doesn’t count as an annoying console quirk. :P

Demon’s Souls Video Walkthrough #3: The Tendency System

Atlus just sent over this fine video of Demon’s Souls, one of the sleeper hits of 2009. RPG fans looking for a challenge on the PlayStation 3 should definitely give this game a look. As for the video, it discusses the “tendency system” feature. Here’s the official description:

The final entry in the Demon’s Souls walkthrough video series is here to explain the intricacies of the World Tendency system, the impact of White versus Black, and some basic strategies on making the most of each.

Check out the vid and share your thoughts if you have a moment.