At Google I/O in San Francisco, Google unveiled its new version of the Android operating system, 2.2, dubbed “Froyo.”
One impressive improvement is its speed and Google isn’t shy to show it off and compare it to, let’s say the iPad
In the video after the jump, 2.2 is the phone on the left, 2.1 is the phone on the right. And on the other side of the stage on the other screen is the iPad. All the devices have a 1 Ghz chip, and all are running the same (web-based) app (in which a creature races around a screen).
the iPad is out and it seems that it is very popular as it sold over 300000 units in its opening weekend. I have been talking about alternatives to the iPad already here, but every day I come across more and more of them.
So here are a few more.
It seems that the windows versions are getting more attractive. Not only that they are running windows 7 (which just sold more than 100 million licenses a couple of days ago), but they also support multitouch, flash and everything else that windows supports out of the box.
GBook tablet
1.2GHz Intel ULV SU2300 processor with integrated Intel graphics and 2GB of RAM – it looks like you can put a 2.5 inch HDD or SSD in it for storage. it will run win 7 and the multitouch panel supports up to 10 touchpoints – no word on price or release date yet, but definitely an option to keep your eye on
Jumper’s JK01-TT
10 inch screen with multitouch, running win 7, 667MHz processor, GMA950 graphics, Realtek audio, 2GB RAM, 250GB SATA HDD, 2 megapixel camera, three USB ports, 4-in-1 card reader, HDMI out, WiFi b/g, and 3G and it ships with a wireless keyboard, mouse, and a stand – all that for US$ 672 from here
here it is in action
The other option that I always come across are the Android tablets and even though Google and HTC seem to work on one together, others have already released their low cost versions
Enso’s zenPad
5 inch screen, 800 x 480, Android 1.6, 8GB of storage (on a replaceable microSD), 667MHz Samsung processor and WiFi all for US$ 155
And if you want to spend an additional US$ 60 it comes with GPS and an external 3G adapter.
Not the best specifications on the planet, but you can’t expect the world for US$ 210. available here
Vi10 from Onda
there is not much known about this 5 inch tablet, but it is meant to be powered by a 600MHz Rockchip and has WiFi and 3G connectivity. no price or release date yet.
Toshiba tablets
Toshiba just confirmed that it will release Windows and Android tablets in the beginning of next year. The Windows one will be the more expensive version, but it also comes with 2 screens (like a book? or the MS Courier?) the cheaper option will run Android, but of course it is still too early to speculate anything else. One thing that seems to be common knowledge is that they will have NVIDIA Tegra 2 internals which should make them nice and powerful.
WePad
I have talked about the WePad already in my earlier post here, but I wanted to share this video with you of the WePad in action
Looking at these options it will get harder and harder to make a decision on which pad is the right one for you and me and it will probably come down to what do you need it for? do you just want something you can play games on and watch the occasional (converted) movie? or do you want to do proper work with it, connect your other devices to it, maybe even make a phone call or stream your 1080p videos to your big TV?
In the end it is really up to you which one you choose and which one you can afford – all I am saying is that there are plenty of alternatives out there and you don’t have to go for the shiny one
Let me know which one you go for or if you have found another one that I didn’t see in the comments.
I believe the developer said everything that needed to be said about this:
"The app is called iReverse… Although iReverse is fun to play, the most amazing thing about the project is the fact that it runs in all these different environments completely unchanged. In other words, the exact same code base is used to build versions for five different environments. There’s no other platform in the world that can boast this level of flexibility – not even close."
Check out the video where he shows off his app running all different OS platforms and handheld devices including his brand new iPad
This is sweet and I can see a lot of people getting really excited about it already – I know I am
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So I talked about how they can stop you from talking on the phone while driving here.
Soon they will be able to stop you from texting as well.
A $10 application called Textecution for Google’s Android mobile platform that will sit in the background and use the phone’s GPS system to detect whenever the phone is moving faster than 10 MPH, at which time the app will deactivate the phone’s SMS capabilities.
Once the phone comes to a standstill (say, at a stop light) the driver will be allowed to text again within a few seconds.
The application has been designed primarily for adults looking to keep their teens in check.
When parents install Textecution on their child’s Android phone, they are asked for an ‘admin phone number’, which will be contacted if the child ever needs to temporarily deactivate the app (like if they’re on a train or in the passenger seat). To grant the exception, the parent simply sends an SMS message saying “Allow”.
I’m holding off getting my new all singing, all dancing phone until I know a) which one is actually going to be the best and b) when an acceptable deal comes along that doesn’t make me feel like I’m getting ripped off.
The fact that we don’t get the latest handsets straight away, there’s no unlimited data plans and they love 24 month contracts in Aus doesn’t actually help much on either account. But when I see things like this I’m optimistic that I’m doing the right thing and not jumping on the iPhone band wagon.
It’s an augmented reality app for the android. Wikitude, developed by Mobilizy is a…”AR travel guide with functionality based on Wikipedia and Panoramio. You search landmarks in your surroundings and view them on a map, list, and on an augmented reality (AR) camera view. You’ll see an annotated landscape, mountain names, landmark descriptions”.
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for Google’s Android mobile platform that will sit in the background and use the phone’s GPS system to detect whenever the phone is moving faster than 10 MPH, at which time the app will deactivate the phone’s SMS capabilities. 
