The Android Developers Blog is always a great insight into the the world of our favorite green robot.  Dan Morrill, Android’s Open Source & Compatibility Program Manager, brings us some thoughtful analysis about the exciting paths Android is currently taking, and where the road ahead may lead.

He discusses his excitement over the release of the first non-phone devices running Android, including the Philips GoGear Connect PMP. Another addition to his list, not surprisingly, are the slew of Android tablets which are going to begin hitting the market this fall.  A few of the names mentioned include the much hyped Samsung Galaxy Tab, and the Dell Streak, which he describes as walking a fine line between tablet and phone.

Finally, Morrill discusses Google TV, which is slated for a fall release across several devices, with full Android Market support coming in 2011.  All of these devices, the PMPs, tablets, and TVs and set-top-boxes, make up a group of non-phone Android devices, which demonstrate the massive potential for Android to continue to expand beyond just a mobile platform.

We certainly look forward to seeing what the future has in store, and we would also love to hear your thoughts!  Leave us a comment below.

The future of Android

The guys over at slashgear have gotten another look at the newly announced Samsung Galaxy Tab, and they’re still just as impressed as they were the first time around. According to the article:

“It’s well-sized for the hand, and, unlike the iPad, you can actually slot it into an inside jacket pocket without tearing the seams.  Side by side with the Galaxy S, and the Tab’s LCD panel does a decent job holding its own against Super AMOLED.”

They go on to state quite a bit more about the device, going in-depth into the media capabilities, software, and comparisons to other Samsung devices (and others). To check out the full hands-on review for yourself, be sure to hit up the source link below, and let us know what you think in the comments!

Another look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab

(Update): Many of you have been having trouble locating this in the Android Market.  Make sure when searching to enter “Angry Birds Lite”.

The much anticipated puzzle game has made it’s way onto the Android Market. As we told you earlier this week, Rovio had planned to release a beta of their already worldwide selling game on the Android Market, and they have not disappointed.

Beta test version of Angry Birds Lite. The survival of the Angry Birds is at stake! dish out revenge on the greedy pigs who stole their eggs. Use the unique powers of each bird to destroy the pigs’ fortresses. Angry Birds features challenging physics-based gamplay that requires logic, skill, and force to crush the enemy.

The size of the app is 11.41 MB so it is not going to steal all your storage. Early impressions from my use of the game are good. I did notice a bit of jerky-ness about the cinematic sequences, which is to be expected of such an early beta. However, the game play is of high quality, as I haven’t experienced any lag issues with it using my Desire. Zooming out, and the firing of birds are all very smooth.

Read More…

Angry Birds Lite Beta Released (Screenshots Inside)

Anyone who has an iPhone knows that trying to watch Flash videos is just not possible. There are a few hacks and cracks that bring synthetic Flash knockoffs to your device, though the jury is still out on how well they actually work. That could be changing real soon.

Skyfire has submitted an application to the App Store that would perform a nifty little conversion and bring real Flash to your iPhone. We know that natively, the software would never get a chance to grace the presence of Apple territory, so the developers created a way to make the content compliant… Read More

"Skyfire Submits App That Brings Real Flash Videos to Your iPhone" is an article by the iPhone Download Blog sponsored by the iPhone Store. Feel free to leave a comment or discuss this topic in the forum. For the latest iPhone info, don't forget to follow me on Twitter.

ViewSonic today announced the specification details on their ViewPad 100. The device will run both Windows 7 and the older 1.6 version of Android. This is very disappointing news for the tablet.

It will be a very powerful tablet if you look down the hardware specification list:

• 10-inch screen (1024 x 600)
• Intel Atom N455 1.66Ghz
• 1GB of DDR3 RAM
• 16GB SSD
• Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth
• G-sensor
• A-GPS
• 2 USB ports
• MiniVGA and microSD card slot
• 1.3MP webcam

All of that points towards a device very capable of running not only 2.2, but 3.0 and beyond! It still confuses me why a company would want to release a tablet with an OS that doesn’t run Flash. Especially when it could if they wanted it to. Of course for your Flash needs you could boot into Windows 7 with this device, but doesn’t that make the Android side of the device seem a bit obsolete?

ViewSonic Tablet to Dual-boot Windows 7 & Android 1.6

It’s not even a month away from even a European release and the Galaxy Tab has already been hacked to provide Root user access.

The guys over at a website called Sera-Apps got their hands on a prototype Galaxy Tab unit. The hacker notes that he is unsure if the final Galaxy Tab will be able to be Rooted in the same way, as “things can change”.

He also gave a recommendation about the product which reads

try it and buy it!

Very encouraging words about this highly anticipated device.

Galaxy Tab Prototype Rooted Already

This week has gone by faster than usual. Perhaps the Apple event made the days come and go quicker but nevertheless it’s Friday. This is the day I’ve been known to spout off about a topic that I feel needs further attention. This week I go after those who feel the need to warn people that jailbreaking your iPhone can “brick” it.

I recently posted an article announcing the recent jailbreak of my iPhone 4. Having been away from the dark side since my iPhone 3G, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the process. Read More

"Why Do People Think Jailbreaking Can Brick Your iPhone? [Rant]" is an article by the iPhone Download Blog sponsored by the iPhone Store. Feel free to leave a comment or discuss this topic in the forum. For the latest iPhone info, don't forget to follow me on Twitter.

When we wrote an article last month about police being able to use iPhone data to help them further investigations this wasn’t quite what we meant. An Alabama burglar is facing possible revocation of probation after he left his iPhone at the house he was robbing.

The Times Daily reports that the homeowners noticed the iPhone and told investigators that the device didn’t belong to any of the residents and it was seized as evidence. Franklin County District Attorney, Joey Rushing, stated the following: Read More

"Stupid Criminal Leaves His iPhone at the Crime Scene" is an article by the iPhone Download Blog sponsored by the iPhone Store. Feel free to leave a comment or discuss this topic in the forum. For the latest iPhone info, don't forget to follow me on Twitter.

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We’re all up in Apple’s 2010 Special Music event – new iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod touch with Retina Display and FaceTime, Apple TV with iOS… but no apps! Along with iOS 4.1 and iOS 4.2. We’re streaming like crazy. This is iPhone live!

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iPhone live 115: Whoosh! Another 200! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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There was a bit of controversy surrounding the Droid X battery tab when the phone was first released, particularly regarding whether or not it should be removed.

Well, the controversy can be laid to rest, as all new Droid X phones being shipped contain a new battery tab, which now clearly states that it should NOT be removed.  For those of you who are not familiar with the old tab, you can check out an image below.

Droid X battery tab gets a face lift