App Review: MLB At Bat 2010

Main Screen of App Being a displaced Boston Red Sox fan, I am always looking for ways to either watch or listen to my hometown team while living elsewhere in the country. Not to sound Apple like, but being an Android G1 user, there is now an app for that in the form of MLB at Bat 2010. For $14.99, baseball fans can download MLB’s app for their Android powered handset. The app provides a lot of statistical information, box scores and standings as well as baseball news, but the killer aspect of this application is the fact that users can listen to every single game played in the MLB this 2010 season via MLB’s Gameday Audio built into the app. This includes the playoffs and the World Series. Using a data connection, an At Bat user can be anywhere they have data connectivity or wifi access, and listen to their favorite baseball team live and in real time. This is the first time this application will be appearing on Android handsets, it debuted last year on the iPhone and iPod Touch, and was one of the top selling applications.  It has already been selling very well on the Android Market, and is a sign that major developers may be finally making the move to develop for Android as well. The app itself is a pretty small one, about .9 meg, which was nice to see a lightweight app with this much functionality. Box Score info view The user interface is pretty straight forward, when you launch the app you see all of the games that are on the schedule for the day in the MLB, you can skip ahead and back days to see past scores and future games.  Upon pressing a game box, you get an info screen about the stats of the game, along with tabs to select different information sets. You can get the pitch by pitch description, box score, field positions, play by play or video information.  Unlike it’s iPhone counterpart, you cannot watch live video on the Android version. Menu Buttons To listen to Gameday Audio, you use your Menu button, which brings up another screen with more options.  During the pre-season, some games do not have an audio feed, or if they do, you may get just one of the teams broadcasts. During the regular season, you will be given an choice to pick the home or away teams broadcast, which is pretty classy. At Bat feels like a polished beta version. All the buttons and information feeds work pretty well, where the app skips a beat is the audio. It will lose the data stream pretty regularly, and you have to reconnect it manually to get the game going again. This problem however is not Android specific, as I own the app on the iPod Touch and that app has the exact same issue of dropping the stream forcing a manual reconnect. Gameday Audio Player Major League Baseball has always been ahead of the curve technology wise, so I think that they will be working to fix the issues that they are having system wide, and by the time the first pitch of the regular season is thrown out, the app should be humming along then. Gameday Audio notification At $14.99, At Bat seems a bit pricey, but when one thinks about the fact that you can listen to every single game played this year, it becomes a pretty good value if you like baseball.  For displaced fans, this is a dream come true, giving the ability to listen wherever and whenever you want.  If you are a baseball nut who lives in a different town your favorite team, pick this application up now.  If you live in the town your team plays in, perhaps waiting until all the bugs are worked out may be the best course of action. Overall, this is a great application that has a lot of realized potential as well as future possibility in it.  A must have for baseball fans! Might We Suggest… OnStar and Chevy Gives Android Users Mobile Control of Volt One of the cooler software announcements to already come out of CES 2010 is from Chevy and OnStar regarding the upcoming 2011 Chevy Volt, their all electric vehicle.  The new Android-based applicatio…

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App Review: MLB At Bat 2010

FixIt!: Android Users: Misers?

New figures published few days ago from AdMob told us few things about ourselves. They told us that we are males, aged between 25 and 34 and we prefer not to pay for apps… I will guess that there is a good chance you will be reading this and say: No, I am not! First, this has not taken into account the thousands of thousands of Android devices that have been offered for Saint Valentine. I am sure the next report will show way more female users. Then, is there really only 21% of users buying at least one app every month? This seems very low and it doesn’t sound great if you are (or want to be) a developer on Android. Could we, the Android community, do something about this… I think  we can, this is very easy. What I am suggesting is that each of reader buy one or two apps in March. You know this game you like, you’ve been playing with the free version for a while now, maybe it is time to buy it and be able to access more levels. You know this nice tool that is helping you every day in your life, maybe you want a better version. I don’t want to point you to just one app of my choice, this is for you to decide. Also keep in mind that most apps don’t cost a fortune, can you really not spare $4 or $5 in March and buy 2 apps? I know what some will say, I am with you on this, I can’t buy apps where I am (using Market Enabler helps but you need a rooted phone). However, there are alternatives. Some developers have web pages with PayPal’s donate button, you could use that. There are also many apps that are ads supported, clicking on these ads from time to time will help the developers and, who knows, you might be interested by what the advertisers want you to see. So, what do you say? Can Android users be known are a generous bunch, willing to pay for good apps and help developers? Please share your opinion in a comment, I want to hear it. Might We Suggest… Firefox Development Underway for Android It seems that Mozilla has begun work in earnest on building Firefox for the Android platform.  Citing sources from the German Firefox community, Softpedia says that Mozilla is working with developer…

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FixIt!: Android Users: Misers?

Non-Google Android Languishes in Obscurity

So I have several G1’s, a myTouch 3G, two Motorola Droid’s, and just one Archos 5 Internet Tablet .  While, certainly no expert, I have been using Android the week the G1 was released and was following it before it was a Google acquisition and the only device that I have chosen to not keep is the Archos 5 Internet Tablet. Let’s begin.  The A5 IT debuted with Android 1.5 and has just gotten a critical update to 1.6 that added global search, widgets, and other system updates but mobile phones are marching their way towards Android 2.1.   Even though, I enjoyed the novelty of the A5’s ARM Cortex 800 MHz processor and 800×480 4.8 inch screen I could not get over not having Google applications like Gmail, Contacts, Voice, Maps, Market and the almighty sync feature for my Google ID.  And don’t even get me started on Archos’ AppsLib. So even when I tried to use the native e-mail application I had to either manually enter my contacts or load them via USB from my PC, not a good solution when you have as many as 1,600 contacts or more.  And even though the A5 has GPS it doesn’t have Google Maps so you are forced to use the maps application that has flaky GPS connectivity and dubious directions at best. Archos is rumored to deliver the new A7 Internet Tablet soon and Camangi released their WebStation to minimal fanfare and even worse reviews.  Can non-Google survive in the wake of Nexus One’s, Droid’s, and Hero’s?  I don’t think so.  Without Google apps and sync ability, the plain Android OS is just like any other OS.  Is it open, is it still Android, can dev’s write for it?  Yes, yes, and yes.  Is it useful for everyday consumers without Google apps/sync?  Not really. When we pick up and use Android phones, rooted or not, we are accustomed to the fact that we can just enter our Google usernames and passwords and get all of our critical data back.  I flirted with a TouchPro 2 recently and without Google sync it was not useful.  Ditto for non-Google Android. Is this just my opinion or do you think vanilla Android will survive or is it just a hobbyist’s dream platform? Might We Suggest… Flash for “Most” Android Devices in 2010? Flash has been perhaps the most eagerly anticipated feature just outside the grasp of Android users since the release of the G1.  There have been many rumors, conjectures or speculations as to when F…

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Non-Google Android Languishes in Obscurity

Firefox Development Underway for Android

It seems that Mozilla has begun work in earnest on building Firefox for the Android platform.  Citing sources from the German Firefox community, Softpedia says that Mozilla is working with developers to make a build available that will at least display webpages in February, with a usable Alpha coming months down the road from that. This is great news for those Android users looking for the Firefox experience on the their handsets. With Mozilla announcing in late 2009 that they were considering moving towards the Android OS, it appears they are going make good on that statement. It is safe to say however that we will not see something usable for most likely another 6 months if there are any development delays (and there always are).  Still, the idea that there is a Firefox Browser build in the pipes coming our way is exciting and something to look forward to! If you want to track the progress of the Android flavor of Firefox, and you can read German, check out the Firefox forums by clicking here. Other Great AndroidGuys Posts January 7, 2010 — OnStar and Chevy Gives Android Users Mobile Control of Volt (10) January 8, 2010 — Flash for “Most” Android Devices in 2010? (16) January 28, 2010 — Chinavision Succeeds Where Others Have Failed, Makes a Boring Android Handset. (0) January 27, 2010 — Is it Really Worth Putting Android on a Netbook? (12) January 14, 2010 — MacLife Magazine Reviews the ‘Droid. (12)

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Firefox Development Underway for Android

Chinavision Succeeds Where Others Have Failed, Makes a Boring Android Handset.

Engadget Mobile has an article up taking a look at Chinavision’s “Robot” Android handset. Check out the article for the full specs and lowdown on the phone.  I’ll give you a hint before you go – It’s a 2.8″, dual-band snoozer.  As I stated in the title, this handset is nothing to get excited about in the least bit. What I find interesting is the fact that we are starting to see Android penetrate deeply into the handset market, where even low end phones like this one are carrying Android. I really thought we would see this start to happen as Google pushed for Android to be on as many handsets as possible but I was not so sure after the release of the “superphone”.  However, this is an example of how a low end developer takes advantage of the free and open source Android.  In my opinion, this is a good thing, if only because that means Android is becoming the “go-to” OS for companies. If you live outside of North America and do have an interest in this handset, it retails at $179.00. Other Great AndroidGuys Posts January 14, 2010 — MacLife Magazine Reviews the ‘Droid. (12) January 8, 2010 — Flash for “Most” Android Devices in 2010? (15) January 7, 2010 — OnStar and Chevy Gives Android Users Mobile Control of Volt (10) January 27, 2010 — Is it Really Worth Putting Android on a Netbook? (12) January 25, 2010 — Conspiracy Theory: Is Apple Orchestrating a Media Attack on Google? (27)

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Chinavision Succeeds Where Others Have Failed, Makes a Boring Android Handset.

Is it Really Worth Putting Android on a Netbook?

While the tech-addict in me would love to own and play with an Android based netbook, the question must be asked:  Does an Android netbook make much sense? Now before you go blasting me out of the water, (which I admit, may be deserved), take a look at the netbooks that are available right now for purchase.  You can get a pretty decent netbook with some great specs for about $300 or so that will serve you quite well.  If portability is what you seek, there are products running all flavors of OS to satisfy your need. Would having an Android powered netbook be something that is actually useful, or something that would be a novelty?  Don’t get me wrong, it would be great to have a lot more real estate on a touch screen, and I would love to have more processing and memory power behind the OS; but I am struggling with the idea of using Android in it’s current form reliably on netbook hardware.  If I was to buy a netbook, it would need to be something that I could use without struggle, bugs or problems.  It would not need to be a beta unit, like most of the Android netbooks are right now.  I also would not be look for a netbook that was hooked into a carrier for mobile broadband, I simply do not have an application for that use. Will Android mature to a point where it will be the preferable OS for mobile computing over the current choices?  I really hope so.  I would love to see a stable netbook flavor of Android that would work in conjunction with my handset, and all the Google Apps that I use daily.  Do I think it will happen?  Not anytime soon.  My feeling is that there will be a few netbook offerings out there that will be mildly successful, but it won’t be a must have item. Does an Android netbook make much sense?  Regrettably, not at this moment.  I hate saying that, I really do.  However, if I am going to lay down $300, it needs to be very far from beta. Let the flames begin. Other Great AndroidGuys Posts January 14, 2010 — MacLife Magazine Reviews the ‘Droid. (11) January 7, 2010 — OnStar and Chevy Gives Android Users Mobile Control of Volt (10) January 24, 2010 — Eating My Words Never Tasted so Good! (29) January 9, 2010 — The Android Army is Rising (27) January 8, 2010 — Flash for “Most” Android Devices in 2010? (15)

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Is it Really Worth Putting Android on a Netbook?

WHERE Update Encourages User-Generated Content

WHERE, a popular location-based app that helps users find cheap gas prices, movie showtimes, and more, has been recently updated.  Now, rather than simply giving you relevant information, they have made it possible to add your own content.  For instance, if you arrive at a gas station and find the price to be different than expected, you can submit your own finding.  Show up at an address expecting some good Mexican food only to find they’ve moved?  Let WHERE know! WHERE V1.8.6 is available (for free) today in the Android Market.  According to their blog, there are four changes/improvements that are meant to foster a community spirit. WHERE reviews button – You can now easily rate or read reviews about local restaurants and businesses with the click of a button. “Flag Venue Incorrect” option – A convenient link now lets you easily flag a venue if you notice any incorrect information, enhancing the quality of our real time information. “Report a Price” gas feature – Spot a change in price at your local gas station? Share your findings with other users. Expanding avatars – Take a better look at the people in your area. WHEREwall users can now zoom in on other users’ avatar pictures. Other Great AndroidGuys Posts August 4, 2009 — T-Mobile myTouch 3G to Launch with GPS Navigation from TeleNav (1) December 3, 2009 — App Review: GeoBeagle (15) September 22, 2009 — Real World Hyperlinking From GeoVector’s World Surfer (8) August 25, 2009 — Win a Year of TeleNav GPS! (119) June 26, 2009 — Brightkite Now Available in Android Market (2)

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WHERE Update Encourages User-Generated Content

How Much Longer Will Android be the Underdog?

The perception of us Android users is much like the Linux crowd: thick black-framed glasses, translucent skin that hasn’t seen daylight since who knows when, and a foreign dialect that sounds slightly like a techno form of Klingon.  BUT for how much longer?  For the first year following its inception, Android has largely been an underdog in a four dog fight with Microsoft, Apple, and RIM.   While most of the focus has been on the mobile phone image of Android, it is quickly spanning to a slew of devices from onboard automobile PCs and  kitchen appliances, to of course the obligatory  smartbooks/tablets. Even with the recent launch of the mighty Nexus One, Android is still languishing with poor network support (specifically for the N1), mediocre customer support for the hardware, and if we are to believe recent reports, the techno-sphere it is also suffering from poor sales.  Has Google watered down Android by letting it be all things to all devices and form factors, or are we still experiencing growing pains for a new, yet immature platform that can be a solid foundation for mobile computing. I say the latter. Android has certainly had its fair share of problems, UI quirks, and all around issues. But as we saw at CES, it certainly is on the move.  And this is before whatever is going to be announced at MWC and CTIA in the coming months. So after this short analysis, what say you?  Has Android peaked or is it just hitting its stride? Other Great AndroidGuys Posts January 25, 2010 — Conspiracy Theory: Is Apple Orchestrating a Media Attack on Google? (3) January 7, 2010 — OnStar and Chevy Gives Android Users Mobile Control of Volt (10) January 7, 2010 — CES 2010: HP’s Concept Android-Powered Netbook (2) January 23, 2010 — Did Google Shoot itself in the Foot with Nexus One? (17) January 14, 2010 — MacLife Magazine Reviews the ‘Droid. (9)

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How Much Longer Will Android be the Underdog?

Conspiracy Theory: Is Apple Orchestrating a Media Attack on Google?

For various reasons, I’ve had plenty of free time on my hands lately.  And since I’m an Android Guy, I was closely following the CES 2010 developments.  I was also reading all I could about the Nexus One, what kind of impact that it was going to have on the smartphone market, and the wireless industry as a whole.  With Google taking some unique and difficult directions, I wanted to see what the response was from the different tech reviewers, as well as the people who have been lucky (wealthy) enough to pick up an N1. Like most of you, I read a vast array of different media outlets – from the biggies like USA Today and CNN, down to individual blogs written by people I admire. As I was reading, I was starting to notice a trend in a many of the articles.  What I was noticing was that in all the big media outlets, there was at least one, and in many cases two or three, articles which were trashing Google and the N1. For example, USA Today had an article up talking about how the N1 is a failure from launch.  Take a look at one of the quotes in the article: “This is an epic failure for Google,” says Rob Enderle, an independent analyst at the Enderle Group. “It tried to create an Apple-like experience, but it’s so far off from the Apple experience, it’s not even on the same planet.” Notice the Apple comparison from Enderle that the author used. The writer goes on to talk about the different problems people are having from the support forums.  Spotty 3g (which was a localized problem I was told), different small bugs and the such.  I am used to seeing the N1 being compared to the iPhone, it is a natural comparison with all the hype and build up we created with the N1, but I was intrigued by the words the analyst used.  “It tried to create an Apple-like experience,” I found this intriguing because I do not think Google was trying to do that at all, and has not done that with Android since launch. I believe that they have tried to go into a different direction, albeit there are certainly similarities in the two operating systems. ABC News released an article before the launch of the N1 that was geared totally towards the idea that Google is no Apple, and the N1 was nothing compared to iPhone, again something that I am used to reading, but there was a quote that stuck out to me: “Android was envisioned as a major breakthrough in cellphones because it offered an ‘open’ operating system – i.e., one that other companies could use and design applications for. At the time, this strategy was compared to that of Microsoft Windows, which broke the market hegemony of Apple’s decidedly non-open OS in the mid-1980s and within a decade, turned Apple into a niche company. This time around, the new Android phones were supposed to break the hegemony of the Apple iPhone. So far, it hasn’t quite worked out that way with Android.” This piece was released before the N1 was launched, and already the author was putting it down, saying that Android was put into play to break the iPhone’s dominance of the smartphone market. When you read the article, the author goes on to talk about how much Apple has learned over the years how they are innovators, and are always one step ahead of their “opponents.” I have read other articles like the two I mentioned above, extolling the virtue of Apple’s creativity and awesomeness, while downplaying Google and where they are heading with Android. The question that comes after reading piece after piece like this is, where is this coming from? This is GOOGLE, the makers of some pretty amazing applications and tools that people across the globe use.  Not to mention for the most part… free of charge.  Gmail, Google Voice, Google Wave, Google Apps, Google Docs, Google Maps, I could go on and on.  All of those tools I use daily, along with millions of others.  Google has done it’s fair share of innovating and changing the face of how we do business in the world, so why with Android are we getting all these ideas that Google is totally screwing the pooch? The title of the post is a little tongue in cheek, but the idea is still there in my mind.  If I was Apple, and saw a serious threat to my business from a company that has a good amount of money to throw at a platform that is directly competing with my main source of revenue, what would I do?  There are many things, and discounting that platform in the media would be one of them.  I was talking with one of the authors here at Android Guys, wondering how long it is going to be until we start to see commercials with “I’m a Mac and I’m an Android” like the PC Mac commercials we see now.  I don’t think that is very far down the road. Apple has plenty of influence in the media, a few quotes placed here and there off the record about Android would be fodder enough for writers to start casting negativity on Android. With all of the comparisons and the fawning attention Apple is getting from the media in an almost conciliatory way, it makes one wonder about where the ideas are coming from. So is Apple behind all the negative press that Google and N1 has received?  I’m not sure, but it something to chew on.  What do my fellow conspiracy theorists think? Other Great AndroidGuys Posts January 24, 2010 — Eating My Words Never Tasted so Good! (24) December 19, 2009 — Is Google Serious About Maturing the Android Market? (58) January 9, 2010 — The Android Army is Rising (27) January 8, 2010 — Flash for “Most” Android Devices in 2010? (15) January 7, 2010 — OnStar and Chevy Gives Android Users Mobile Control of Volt (10)

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Conspiracy Theory: Is Apple Orchestrating a Media Attack on Google?

Unofficial Count Has Android Market Hovering Near 25,000 Apps

It has barely a month  since we talked about the number of apps unofficially hitting the 20,000o mark and we’re ready for another milestone.  At some point in the next few days, the tally should put the Android Market at 25,000 apps. Keep in mind that these numbers from Androlib don’t match exactly the totals in the market but as there are no other proven way of getting these figures from the official Market pages they can still be considered an indication of the growth. So the predictions we’ve made in December about hitting 30,000 in the next 2-3 months might have been underestimated! It is also interesting to note that, the number of paid apps is getting (slowly) higher. Last September it was 35.7%, in December 37.7% and today 39.2%. In term of  satisfaction , 62.14% of users are happy with their apps with 42.8% of them at 5 stars rating (English Market). Considering there sheer volume (so far), it sounds like a lot of crappy applications polluting the Market. Other Great AndroidGuys Posts December 19, 2009 — Is Google Serious About Maturing the Android Market? (53) October 30, 2009 — App Review: Puzzle Blox (40) December 30, 2009 — App Review: Market Suggest (10) September 25, 2009 — App Review: Contacts GroupU (9) December 15, 2009 — Android Market Doubles to 20,000 Apps in 5 Months (15)

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Unofficial Count Has Android Market Hovering Near 25,000 Apps

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