This is Episode 1 of the Android Buffet podcast. We have a lot to talk about. Do we need a theme song, and what will it be?
The episode does have a musical outro, and to satisfy Creative Commons, it is a clip from Doug Jamieson’s Creepy Fingers album, a piece entitled Walkin’ Goofy. You can download it for free.
Show Notes
- Twitter Clients
- E-Book Update
- Borders opens E-Book Store including Android client based on Kobo. Unlike Kindle, supports in-app shopping.
- More OReilly books
- Computer to App Installation
- AppBrain introduces Fast Web Install. The Same Feature Froyo will have.
- LinkPush, app plus Chrome extension that mimics PUSH feature. Firefox extension is coming, but a bookmarklet is available for any browser.
- Custom ROMS/Rooting
- “BuglessBeat” 2.2 ROM for Motorola Droid reaches 40,000 downloads in a week. A completely unmodified version of Froyo for the Droid the developer also offer for download only had 1000 downloads.
- Ubuntu on a Nexus One – Runs concurrently with the Android OS, accessible via VNC. Check out the video. Will work on any rooted phone with an ARM processor, including the Evo 4G.
- Android now controls 13% of the US Smartphone OS market – comScore released averaged figures for March, April, and May 2010 for the US market, showing Android now has 13%, up from 9% in February. Apple only lost 1%, and is still at 24.4% of the market. The leader is still RIM, which makes Blackberry, at 41.7%, still the King of the Hill. Microsoft is still neck and neck with Android, but not for long.
- Fring
- Fring Allows Video Calls Between iPhone and Android – Their latest feature, allowing Fring users to chat with any Skype or Fring user, regardless of device, was so popular they had to temporarily reduce support to Skype in order to prioritize Fring to Fring calling.
- However, effective this morning, they don’t have to worry about Skype support anymore. Skype has blocked Fring. Fring even issued a blog post called Skype ‘cowards’
- Paying by Android
- Google Chrome Extension for Android-Based Payment – New Chrome Extension to let merchants with Google Checkout accounts complete transactions through Android devices. You create a cart on the screen and have the customer scan the QR code displayed. They’ll be directed to the buy page to complete the transaction.
- Square – The option that includes a dongle you plug into the audio jack to swipe a card to take payment. But has been indefinitely delayed.
- Developer’s Corner
- Google releases App Inventor – “gives everyone, regardless of programming experience, the opportunity to control and reshape their communication experience.”
- Amusing Android Eats Apple Wallpaper
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 48:42 — 28.6MB)