matthewmiller

T-Mobile was the first carrier in the US to launch a Google Android device with the T-Mobile G1. HTC and T-Mobile partnered up again to release the myTouch 3G Slide with a similar form factor. The Slide has some high end specifications and functionality, but still is more of a mid-tier device when you look at high end devices like the Google Nexus One.

Google just announced the next version of the Android operating system, version 2.2 (aka Froyo), and the update started rolling out for Nexus One owners this weekend. In this video you can see some of the improvements in Froyo and Flash-based websites. Gaming sites worked surprisingly well and even though the Flash Player is in beta it is still a decent performer.

Smartphones are hot right now and no matter what carrier you are with there are excellent choices available. Check out these press photos of the top 10 available or announced and stay tuned for even more great phones coming soon.

Palm devices, particularly the Treo line, was popular with field workers and now with the Palm Pre Plus being used by current Palm users a rugged case was needed. OtterBox recently released their new Tandem Series that provides adequate protection in a fairly slim form factor.

One of the electronic book readers I saw at CES 2010 in January that piqued my interest was the Spring Design Alex eReader since it had a full 6 inch eInk display on the top and a full 3.5 inch capacitive touch color display on the bottom with Google Android powering the device. The Barnes & Noble Nook is also powered by Android with both an eInk and color display, but a much more limited color display. I spent last weekend with the Alex eReader and found several things to like about it, but there are a couple other aspects that will prevent me from buying one for myself at this time.

BugMe! is one of those mobile applications that has been around for over a decade and serves an important purpose. Even though it is a fairly simple program, creating quick notes and having them appear as alarms is important. The Google Android version is the most capable while the iPhone & iPad versions look great. There is even a Palm version that reminds me a bit of BugMe!’s roots in the late 90s.

Barnes & Noble was quick to roll out an update when the Nook was first released last Fall. This current update continues to improve a great ebook reader device with games, a web browser, in-store reading support, and overall bug fixes and improvements. You can now browse when connected to a WiFi network and you don’t have another device around.

People have complained about the high price of dedicated ebook readers for a couple of years, but now we are starting to see devices appear under $200. The Aluratek Libre eBook Reader Pro is a fairly compact ebook reader that can be found online for about $150. Rather than using eInk for the screen technology though the Libre has a black and white LCD screen.

There are several ebook readers on the market today with the Sony Reader, Amazon Kindle, and Barnes & Noble Nook the most popular. One of my favorite ebook stores is Kobo because books purchased through them can be read on multiple devices. This summer they will be launching their own piece of hardware, the Kobo eReader, at an affordable $149 and I had the chance to spend some time with it.

The Motorola DROID is a popular Android device on Verizon Wireless, but may have just been bested by the HTC DROID Incredible with 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 8 megapixel camera, and Sense 2.5 experience. Check out these comparison photos, photos taken with the DROID Incredible and screenshots.

There are few Bible applications now available on the Apple iPad, but there is limited ability to access Bible translations without a wireless data connection. One of my favorite iPhone apps has been submitted to Apple for release, but is not yet available and still in beta testing. As you can see in the image gallery, the application is quite functional and full featured.

The Apple iPad is now available for purchase and through this new series I will be discussing different aspects of the device as it relates to life and daily usage. The Series will cover Bible applications, ebook readers, TV content, sports, games, and more.