Checking network connection and performing operation in Thread

My this post is related to checking network connection  and how to handle if network connection is not available to make our application more responsive. Later on we will learn how to perform time taking operation in separate thread if connection is present.

First of all we two permission if your are checking wifi connection then you need one extra permission

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />

If you want to check connection on click of particular button you can  call this function inside click listener of button

public void ahmadNetworkHanlder() {
   ConnectivityManager connMgr = (ConnectivityManager) 
        getSystemService(Context.CONNECTIVITY_SERVICE);
    NetworkInfo networkInfo = connMgr.getActiveNetworkInfo();
    if (networkInfo != null && networkInfo.isConnected()) {
        // fetch data here as network is availble
    } else {
        // display error dialog to notify user ,connection is not present
    }
}

Now consider case, Network is available. Use one asynchronous task to perform network operation like downloading data

public class AhmadActivity extends Activity {
    private static final String DEBUG_TAG = "AhmadHttp";
    private EditText urlText;
    private TextView textView;
    
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);   
        urlText = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.myUrl);
        textView = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.myText);
    }
 // Call this method on Click of A button                                                                                                                                       public void ahmadNetworkHandler() {
        // Gets the URL from the UI's text field.
        String stringUrl = urlText.getText().toString();
        ConnectivityManager connMgr = (ConnectivityManager) 
            getSystemService(Context.CONNECTIVITY_SERVICE);
        NetworkInfo networkInfo = connMgr.getActiveNetworkInfo();
        if (networkInfo != null && networkInfo.isConnected()) {
            new DownloadWebpageText().execute(stringUrl);
        } else {
            textView.setText("No network connection available.");
        }
    }                                                                                 /* Here we take thread to down load image etc

     private class DownloadWebpageText extends AsyncTask {
        @Override
        protected String doInBackground(String... urls) {
              
            // params comes from the execute() call: params[0] is the url.
            try {
                return downloadUrl(urls[0]);
            } catch (IOException e) {
                return "Unable to retrieve web page. URL may be invalid.";
            }
        }
        // onPostExecute displays the results of the AsyncTask.
        @Override
        protected void onPostExecute(String result) {
            textView.setText(result);
       }
    }
}

Now we almost complete our task. Just we need to create a function that will handle download from url. So here is the final function

/* we pass the url from asynchronous task */
                                                                                     private String downloadUrl(String myurl) throws IOException {
    InputStream is = null;
     int len = 500;
    try {
        URL url = new URL(myurl);
        HttpURLConnection conn = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection();
        conn.setReadTimeout(10000 /* milliseconds */);
        conn.setConnectTimeout(15000 /* milliseconds */);
        conn.setRequestMethod("GET");
        conn.setDoInput(true);
        // Starts the query
        conn.connect();
        int response = conn.getResponseCode();
        Log.d(DEBUG_TAG, "The response is: " + response);
        is = conn.getInputStream();

        // Convert the InputStream into a string See this Link
        String contentAsString = readIt(is, len);
        return contentAsString;
        
    // Makes sure that the InputStream is closed after the app is
    // finished using it.
    } finally {
        if (is != null) {
            is.close();
        } 
    }
}

So its done. Now you have string response you can do anything what your requirement tell you to do. 

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converting InputStream to string

We are very much aware about InputStream. InputStream is to  read to content from file or URL. If we handle file then we used FileInputStream and while reading from a URL, we used InputStream.

InputStream is a readable source of bytes. Once you get an InputStream it's common to decode or convert it into a target data type. For example, if you were downloading image data, you might decode and display it directly Read this post to know how to convert input stream to bitmap See How to convert InputStream to bitmap. But if we want to convert InputStream to string then we need to read it line by line like given code

// Reads an InputStream and converts it to a String.
public String readIt(InputStream stream, int len) throws IOException, UnsupportedEncodingException {
    Reader reader = null;
    reader = new InputStreamReader(stream, "UTF-8");        
    char[] buffer = new char[len];
    reader.read(buffer);
    return new String(buffer);
}

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Simple example of service in android

Service is one of core component of android application. Every one knows service is very important part. we use it but sometimes we do not know exact power and depth of service, today i am going to discuss it in details.
After this article we will also let you know difference between Thread and Service, and how to perform real time task in service

In the end you will also get source code.

Service -A Service is an application component representing either an application's desire to perform a longer-running operation while not interacting with the user or to supply functionality for other applications to use.


Difference between a Thread , service and asynchronous task

1)  Service is like an Activity but has no interface. Probably if you want to fetch the weather for example you won't create a blank activity for it, for this you will use a Service.


2)  A Thread is a Thread, probably you already know it from other part. You need to know that you cannot update UI from a Thread. You need to use a Handler for this, but read further.


3)  An AsyncTask is an intelligent Thread that is advised to be used. Intelligent as it can help with it's methods, and there are two methods that run on UI thread, which is good to update UI components

Other one difference between service and thread is that thread is not intelligent enough to recognize that is it already running or not? Every time you create a new object of thread and start again it will create a new instance and a new thread start running.
But if service is already running and you start again it will not created again.So that is very important difference

Step to create simple service example

Step 1) create a a new project. change your xml to include two button to start and stop service

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical" >

    <Button
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="StartService" 
        android:id="@+id/start"/>
    
        <Button
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="StopService"
        android:id="@+id/stop" />

</LinearLayout>

Step 2) create  a new class to create service. and extends service in this class

package com.demo;

import java.util.Random;
import android.app.Notification;
import android.app.NotificationManager;
import android.app.PendingIntent;
import android.app.Service;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Handler;
import android.os.IBinder;
import android.os.Message;
import android.widget.Toast;

public class ServiceExample extends Service {

    @Override
    public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
        return null;
    }

    @Override
    public void onCreate() {
        super.onCreate();
        Toast.makeText(this,"Service Created",300);
    }

    @Override
    public void onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy();
        Toast.makeText(this,"Service Destroy",300);
    }

    @Override
    public void onLowMemory() {
        super.onLowMemory();
        Toast.makeText(this,"Service LowMemory",300);
    }

    @Override
    public void onStart(Intent intent, int startId) {
        super.onStart(intent, startId);
        Toast.makeText(this,"Service start",300);
    }

    @Override
    public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
        
        Toast.makeText(this,"task perform in service",300);
        ThreadDemo td=new ThreadDemo();
        td.start();
        return super.onStartCommand(intent, flags, startId);
    }
    
    private class ThreadDemo extends Thread{
        @Override
        public void run() {
            super.run();
            try{
            sleep(70*1000);    
            handler.sendEmptyMessage(0);
            }catch(Exception e){
                e.getMessage();
            }
        }
    }
   private Handler handler=new Handler(){
    @Override
    public void handleMessage(Message msg) {
        super.handleMessage(msg);
        //showAppNotification();
    }
   };
}

service onCreate() called only once when service first started then other method followed by it. In onstarteCommand() i started a thread to do some background task. after completion of thread you can give a notification to user that task has been completed. For this i have taken a Handler


Now we will take an activity to show user inter face for starting service

package com.demo;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.content.IntentFilter;
import android.content.ReceiverCallNotAllowedException;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;

public class ServiceDemoActivity extends Activity implements OnClickListener {
    /** Called when the activity is first created. */
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);
        findViewById(R.id.start).setOnClickListener(this);
        findViewById(R.id.stop).setOnClickListener(this);
    }

    private Intent inetnt;
    @Override
    public void onClick(View v) {
        switch (v.getId()) {
        case R.id.start:
            
            inetnt=new Intent(this,ServiceExample.class);
            startService(inetnt);
            break;
        case R.id.stop:
            
            inetnt=new Intent(this,ServiceExample.class);
            stopService(inetnt);
            break;
        }
    }
    
    @Override
    protected void onResume() {
        super.onResume();
    }
    
    @Override
    protected void onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy();
//        
    }
}

service can be started in two way Context.startService() and Context.bindService(). second option is  used to bind service with activity or something else in this case we unbind service when activity destroy 


Enjoy and play with my code by downloading it and mention service in activity inside application tag like

<service android:name=".ServiceExample"/>

                                    Download source code

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Thread Synchronization in Java and Android

Java is always fun love for me. Thread was the only thing that make feared so study it hard and now want to make sure that it will not happen with any one now. I have discussed about how to create simple Thread. But most important is to Synchronization of two thread.

For example -We have one file. And we have two thread one for reading this file and second for writing file. So in this case if we want to read everything that has to be written by write thread.Then Read thread to wait (if write is running) until Write does not complete it task.

For Thread Synchronization important thing is to note that we can synchronize only on one object.
Although i will write code in android technology but in java and Blackberry its almost same.For this i need to take two thread

Thread 1

private class Thread2 extends Thread{
        
        private SynDemo d;
        public Thread2(SynDemo sDemo) {
            d=sDemo;
        }
        @Override
        public void run() {
            super.run();
            d.printNumber("Thread2");
        }
    }                                                                           

This Thread will print number from 0 to 2000.Next thread also will doing the same.

Thread 2

private class Thread1 extends Thread{
        private SynDemo d;
        public Thread1(SynDemo sDemo) {
            d=sDemo;
        }
        @Override
        public void run() {
            super.run();
            d.printNumber("Thread1");
        }
      }

Now create class on which we have method on which we have to synchronize both Thread.

private class SynDemo {
        
        synchronized void printNumber(String string){
            for(int i=0;i<2000;i++){
                Log.i(""+string,String.valueOf(i));
            }
        }
    }

Now have some explanation ,Both Thread contain one constructor.In which they have SynDemo object to achieve Note that we can synchronize only on one object.In both constructor we will pass the same object Now look how

SynDemo d=new  SynDemo();  //Create one object and pass same object in both
                           // thread
Thread1 th=new Thread1(d);
Thread2 th2=new Thread2(d);
th.start();
th2.start();

Final code for android will be like this.Play with it

package com.hb;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.Log;

public class SeekBarActivity extends Activity {
    /** Called when the activity is first created. */
    SeekBar seek;
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);
        SynDemo d=new  SynDemo();
        Thread1 th=new Thread1(d);
        Thread2 th2=new Thread2(d);
        
        th.start();
        th2.start();
    }
    
    private class Thread1 extends Thread{
        private SynDemo d;
        public Thread1(SynDemo sDemo) {
            d=sDemo;
        }
        @Override
        public void run() {
            super.run();
            d.printNumber("Thread1");
        }
      }
    
    private class Thread2 extends Thread{
        
        private SynDemo d;
        public Thread2(SynDemo sDemo) {
            d=sDemo;
        }
        @Override
        public void run() {
            super.run();
            d.printNumber("Thread2");
        }
    }
    private class SynDemo {
        
        synchronized void printNumber(String string){
            for(int i=0;i<2000;i++){
                Log.i(""+string,String.valueOf(i));
            }
        }
    }
    
}

Read more »

Samsung I7500 with OLED touchscreen powered by Android Live

April 27, 2009, Seoul, Korea - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a leading
mobile phone provider, today unveiled the I7500, its first
Android-powered mobile phone. With a launch of I7500, Samsung became
the first company among the global top three mobile phone manufacturers
to unveil an Android-powered phone.

"Samsung is among the
earliest members of the Open Handset Alliance and has been actively
moving forward to introduce the most innovative Android mobile phone,"
said JK Shin, Executive Vice President and Head of Mobile Communication
Division in Samsung Electronics. "With Samsung's accumulated technology
leadership in mobile phone industry and our consistent strategy to
support every existing operating system, I believe that Samsung
provides the better choices and benefits to our consumers" he added.

The
Samsung I7500 is a cutting-edge smartphone, featuring a 3.2" AMOLED
full touch screen and 7.2Mbps HSDPA and WiFi connectivity, giving users
access to Google™ Mobile services and full web browsing at blazing
speeds.

The Samsung I7500 offers users access to the full
suite of Google services, including Google Search™, Google Maps™,
Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Calendar™, and Google Talk™. The integrated
GPS receiver enables the comprehensive use of Google Maps features,
such as My Location, Google Latitude, Street View, local search and
detailed route description. Hundreds of other applications are
available in Android Market. For example, the application Wikitude, a
mobile travel guide, allows consumers to access details of unknown
sights via location-based Wikipedia articles.

Based on
Samsung's proven product leadership, Samsung I7500 comes with latest
multimedia features. The large and vivid 3.2"AMOLED display ensures the
brilliant representation of multimedia content and enjoyable full touch
mobile experience. Along with supporting a 5-megapixel camera and
various multimedia codec formats, the I7500 also provides a long enough
battery life (1500mAh) and generous memory capacity up to 40GB
(Internal memory: 8GB, External memory: Up to 32GB) to enjoy all the
applications and multimedia content. The phone also boasts its slim and
compact design with mere 11.9mm thickness.

The Samsung I7500 will be available in major European countries from June, 2009.

HSDPA 7.2Mbps / HSUPA 5.76Mbps (900 / 1700/ 2100MHz)
EDGE / GPRS (850/ 900/1800/1900)
OS
Android
Display
3.2" HVGA(320x480) AMOLED
Camera
5 MP Camera (Auto Focus), Power LED
Video / Audio
Video: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV
Audio: MP3, AAC, AAC+, e-AAC+, WMA, RA
Value Added
Features
Full Web Browser Google Search, Maps, Gmail,
YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Android Market
Connectivity
Bluetooth® 2.0, USB 2.0, WiFi, MicroUSB, 3.5mm ear jack
Memory
Internal memory: 8GB
External memory: Micro SD (Up to 32GB)
Battery
1500 mAh
Size
115 x 56 x 11.9mm

* Google, Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Google Calendar, Google Talk are trademarks of Google Inc.

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1 Million Google Android Phones sold by T-Mobile

T-Mobile’s Google Android smartphone has reached one million in US sales in the six months since the phone launched. The smartphone now accounts for almost two thirds of all of the 3G devices available on the T-Mobile.

T-Mobile is the US’s fourth largest wireless network operator and has
over 32.1 million customers. The company started selling the G1
Smartphone on October 22, 2008.

It is being reported by mobile advertising specialist AdMob that the
Android OS now accounts for 6% for the entire smartphone market in the
United States. Though the popularity is increasing, Android still has a
while to go until it beats out Windows Mobile, which holds an 11%
market share, the Blackberry OS at 22% and the iPhone, which takes the
cake with 50% of the smartphone market in the U.S.

During a
conference call last week Eric Schmidt, Google CEO stated that he felt
the Android had a chance for great success this year. Schmidt claimed
that the open source strategy was gaining ground and hinted that the
company would deliver future announcements.

“There are
announcements happening between now and the end of the year that are
quite significant from operators and new hardware partners in the
Android space, which I won't preannounce except to say that they really
do fulfill much of the vision that we laid out more than a year ago,”
stated Schmidt during the call. “On the netbook side, there are a
number of people who have actually taken Android and ported it over to
netbook or netbook-similar devices.”

via: TGDAILY

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HP Confirms Considering Android in Netbooks

Hewlett-Packard confirmed Tuesday that it is testing Google's Android operating system as a possible alternative to Windows in some of its netbook computers.

Analysts said the move would allow HP to develop a low-cost netbook
optimized for wireless networks that provides access to Web-based
services such as Google Docs, but others questioned whether the Google
software is ready for such a task.

"Right now Android is
barely finished for phones," said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current
Analysis. While it works well enough for T-Mobile's G1 smartphone, the
software was released only last year and "the UI still feels
half-finished," he said.

HP stressed that it was still only
testing Android, an OS based on the open-source Linux kernel. It has
assigned engineers to the task but has made no decision yet whether to
offer Android in products, said HP spokeswoman Marlene Somsak.

Read the rest here.

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Archos Promises Android-Packed Media Tablet/Phone

In a public release to investors over the weekend, Archos revealed
company plans to release an Android-powered internet tablet by the
start of Q3 2009.

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Tethering Apps Being Banned From Android Market

According to this Blog Post an Android Developer's App has been banned from Android Market for violating the Developer Distribution Agreement.

According to the agreement:

"Google enters into distribution agreements with device
manufacturers and Authorized Carriers to place the Market software
client application for the Market on Devices. These distribution
agreements may require the involuntary removal of Products in violation
of the Device manufacturer’s or Authorized Carrier’s terms of service."

And the T-Mobile Terms of Service say the following:

"Your Data Plan is intended for Web browsing, messaging, and similar
activities on your device and not on any other equipment. Unless
explicitly permitted by your Data Plan, other uses, including for
example, tethering your device to a personal computer or other
hardware, are not permitted."

You can read the rest of the blog post here, but this kinda goes against the whole "OPEN" thing Google was going for?

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Motorola Readies Its Own Android Social Smartphone

As the wireless world awaits the Oct. 22 debut of the first phone based on the Google-backed Android software, engineers at Motorola
are hard at work on their own Android handset. Motorola's version will
boast an iPhone-like touch screen, a slide-out qwerty keyboard, and a
host of social-network-friendly features, BusinessWeek.com has learned.

Motorola has been showing spec sheets and images of the phone to
carriers around the world in the past two months and is likely to
introduce the handset in the U.S. sometime in the second quarter of
2009, according to people familiar with Motorola's plans. Building a
phone based on the highly anticipated Android operating system is part
of Motorola's effort to revive a loss-making handset division that has
forfeited market share amid a drought of bestselling phones.

The phone will appear among a new class of social smartphones designed to make it easy for users to connect quickly and easily to mobile social networks such as Facebook and MySpace. Such phones let users message in-network friends directly from phone contact lists.

Read the rest of the story Here.

[Via: Businessweek.com]

gphone, android motorolla phone, motorolla android

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T-Mobile Launches G1 Emulator

It appears that the site is currently down but The site is current back online, here is the link so you can check it out later.


http://tmobile.modeaondemand.com/htc/g1/

The site offers a 360 degrees view, visual guides instructions and a emulator.

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PAC-MAN CHASES PESKY GHOSTS ONTO FIRST ANDROID-POWERED DEVICE

Namco offers PAC-MAN application at no charge in support of first Android-powered device!




Namco Networks, a leading publisher and developer of mobile games
and entertainment for mass-market casual gamers, today announced the
availability of the arcade classic PAC-MAN® on the first
Android™-powered device, announced today by T-Mobile. When the phone
launches, PAC-MAN will be available to consumers in the Android Market™
at no charge, giving owners of the new T-Mobile G1 handset full access
to the game which usually retails for $9.99.

"We are thrilled to launch PAC-MAN on the flagship Android-powered
device," said Scott Rubin, senior vice president of sales and marketing
for Namco Networks. "To encourage consumers to checkout PAC-MAN on the
G1, we are picking up the tab for the game. We want consumers to see
how great PAC-MAN looks on this device and how well it plays on the
Android platform."

Who can forget the countless hours and quarters spent avoiding the
pesky ghosts while chompin' on the dots? In addition to the classic and
addictive game play, PAC-MAN, the most popular video game in American
arcade history, has been upgraded to fully utilize the T-Mobile G1's
features. Taking advantage of the device's large screen, PAC-MAN on the
T-Mobile G1 includes three unique control schemes:

• Swipe Mode allows players to direct PAC-MAN's path by simply swiping in the direction you want to travel.
• Track Mode lets players zip through mazes using the phone's trackball
• Accelerometer Mode allows players to control PAC-MAN by tilting the phone in the direction they want to move.

For more information on PAC-MAN for the G1 or other mobile games by Namco, please visit www.namcogames.com.

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Visa to develop apps on Android, Nokia phones

Visa has announced plans to make mobile payment-related services broadly available to United States consumers by the end of the year. Central to this effort is Visa’s delivery of mobile applications for the Android platform, which will be available for download on Android-powered handsets and initially available to Chase Visa cardholders.


The first set of services that Visa is planning to develop for Android
will allow Chase Visa cardholders to receive notifications to their
mobile devices about transaction activity on their accounts; obtain
offers from a wide array of merchants; and use the built-in
location-based technology developed by Google to quickly map nearby
merchants where they can redeem Visa offers and locate ATMs that accept
Visa.

Visa mobile services that will be
developed for the Android platform will first be offered to Chase Visa
account holders. Following this initial launch phase, Visa plans to work
with additional card-issuing financial institutions to extend
availability of its mobile services for Android to their Visa account
holders. Visa is also developing a payment application that will enable
consumers with Visa accounts to make mobile payments in retail locations
nationwide, or while on the go, over wireless networks.

”By developing these mobile services for the
Android platform, Visa has taken a major step toward achieving our goal
of combining two of the world’s most powerful
and ubiquitous consumer innovations, electronic payments and mobile
technology,” said Elizabeth Buse, Global Head
of Product at Visa Inc. “Through this effort,
U.S. consumers will, for the first time, be able to download Visa mobile
service applications directly to their handsets. Visa cardholders have
come to expect more from their Visa account than just convenience and
security of payment, and wireless customers expect their mobile devices
to carry a multitude of applications. Extending Visa payments and
services to the mobile device is a natural extension, and makes the
consumer payment experience more convenient, more secure and more
rewarding.”

Visa mobile services developed for the Android platform include:

• 
  Alerts: Consumers will receive near real-time notification of
  purchase activity based on customized cardholder preferences. The
  consumer will be able to personalize the types of alerts delivered to
  their mobile device according to pre-selected parameters, such as the
  size of the transaction, or whether the transaction is in foreign
  currency. Because these alerts are triggered by the transaction as it
  passes through the Visa network, consumers will receive notifications
  almost immediately, typically before they even leave the store. This
  adds a new layer of peace of mind when using Visa, and a new way to
  combat fraud.
  
• 
  Offers: Consumers will receive targeted offers from merchants
  directly to their phone. These offers –
  ranging from discounts to loyalty offers –
  could be based on a consumer’s previous
  purchase activity. For consumers and merchants alike, this service
  will ensure the most relevant offers are sent in a timely manner,
  helping increase merchant traffic, loyalty and customer satisfaction.
  
• 
  Locator: The Locator service is expected to integrate with
  technology developed by Google, such as Google Maps and Google
  location-based services, to show consumers nearby locations of
  merchants sending them offers, or of an ATM that accepts Visa. The
  location would be called out on a map displayed on the mobile device
  screen.
  

“We’re pleased to
extend the value of Visa to the mobile channel,”
said Buse. “With more than 3 billion mobile
devices already in market today, we have an opportunity deliver the
convenience and security of Visa to consumers around the globe.”

[Yahoo! Finance]

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T-Mobile G1 Features List

I know I have a few posts with some of the features of the new T-Mobile G1 but I thought I would add everything into one post to make it easier to find the information.

Here are the Main features of the G1:

Touch screen

Instant access to key information with the touch of a finger

Just tap the screen and go

Real Web browsing capabilities

Quick and easy access to the Internet one click away

View more pages and rich Web content on your phone

3MP camera

Capture key moments in high-quality fashion wherever you are

Never worry about blurry photos with auto focus built right in

Customizable home screen

Just
drag and drop any of your favorite applications, photos, or folders
onto your home screen for quick access to what you use all the time

QWERTY keyboard

The built-in familiar layout lets you type messages easily without scrolling for the letter you want

Hinged screen slides open to reveal keypad and closes to prevent accidental dialing

Easy access to Google applications

One-touch access to Google applications:

• Maps (including satellite, traffic, and street views)
• Gmail
• YouTube
• Calendar
• Google Talk

IM/text/e-mail

All the ways you need to connect while you're on the go

Music player

With the 1GB memory card, you'll never be without your favorite tunes

One-click Google Search

Quick and easy access to the Internet in one click

Video playback

Watch your favorite videos, even YouTube, anywhere

3G network and Wi-Fi access

High-speed 3G network connection for surfing the Web or downloading information quickly and effortlessly

Seamlessly transition to open Wi-Fi networks to surf the Web or download information quickly

Android Market

One-touch access to Android Market

Customize
and personalize your device to fit your life with a variety of software
applications like games, social networking, and on-the-go shopping

Download the applications wirelessly with just a couple short clicks

There are some pretty great features to the G1/Android Platform and I'm sure we will learn much more once the Phone is officially released including access to the Android Market.

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T-Mobile removes the 1GB data cap, takes a different approach

Engadget is reporting that T-Mobile has changed their decision to include a 1GB Data Cap on G1 users. Instead of a 1GB data cap for everyone they will now only cap users who abuse the network.

Here is what T-Mobile had to say about the issue:

"Our goal, when the T-Mobile G1 becomes available in October, is to
provide affordable, high-speed data service allowing customers to
experience the full data capabilities of the device and our 3G network.
At the same time, we have a responsibility to provide the best network
experience for all of our customers so we reserve the right to
temporarily reduce data throughput for a small fraction of our
customers who have excessive or disproportionate usage that interferes
with our network performance or our ability to provide quality service
to all of our customers.

We removed the 1GB soft limit from our
policy statement, and we are confident that T-Mobile G1 customers will
enjoy the high speed of data access over our 3G network. The specific
terms for our new data plans are still being reviewed and once they are
final we will be certain to share this broadly with current customers
and potential new customers."

[Engadget.com]


Sounds like good news for G1 users, I'm glad they responded to this issue.

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Installing Google Android SDK 1.0 On Ubuntu 8.04 Desktop

Falko Timme put together a nice guide together. The guide explains how you can install the Google Android SDK 1.0
on an Ubuntu 8.04 desktop. With this stable release of the Android SDK,
you can now develop applications for Android smartphones (like
T-Mobile's G1) and offer them on the Android Market.

Take a look at the guide if you are interested in developing apps for android on Ubuntu.

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T-Mobile 3G Data Usage Restricted to 1GB a Month

Here is a copy of the fine print at the T-Mobile G1 Website:

3G coverage is available only in certain markets. See coverage map.
If your total data usage in any billing cycle is more than 1GB, your data throughput for the remainder of
that cycle may be reduced to 50 kbps or less. Your data session, plan, or service may be
suspended, terminated, or restricted for significant roaming or if you use your service
in a way that interferes with our network or ability to provide quality service to other
users. Some devices require specific data plans; if you do not have the right plan for
your device, you may not be able to use data services. Some downloads, such as movies,
music, and games, not included. Domestic use only.


So if you plan on downloading songs off of the new Amazon MP3 store make sure you do not go over your 1GB limit or your speed will be reduced to below EDGE Network speeds.

1GB appears to be really low considering the way they are marketing this phone.

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Android Developers Videos

Android Peeks - browser tricks

One thing I like about Android... browser tricks.
Watch Android team members talk about their favorite features.

Android Peeks - copy & paste

Steve what are you waiting for?

Android Peeks - reader and photos

Android Peeks - media in the browser

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T-Mobile G1 FAQ's

Where can I buy the T-Mobile G1™?
The T-Mobile G1 will be available for purchase on www.T-Mobile.com, in select T-Mobile retail stores, and in authorized retailer locations across the United States beginning October 22nd.


What types of plans are available for the T-Mobile G1?
Once you’ve selected a specific T-Mobile voice plan, you must also choose a data plan in order for your G1™ to work. You can choose from a data plan that offers 400 messages and unlimited data access for $25 a month—or add unlimited messaging for just $10 more a month.


What Google services come pre-installed on the T-Mobile G1?
# This device takes many of the popular Google services we’ve come to love on our desktop computers and optimizes them for use on a phone. These services include: Google Search
# Google Maps
# Gmail
# Google Calendar
# Google Talk
# YouTube


What is Android?
Android is the mobile operating system on the T-Mobile G1. It allows developers from around the world to create new and exciting applications that can easily be loaded onto the phone from the Android Market.


What is the Android Market?
The Android Market is an application storefront, developed by Google, where you will find unique applications as well as mash ups of existing and new services from developers around the world. With just a few short clicks, you can download a wide range of innovative software applications—from games and social networking, to on-the-go shopping. You’ll even be able see which applications are the newest or most popular with a star rating system (similar to YouTube).


Can I use my T-Mobile G1 while traveling internationally?
Yes. All voice and data usage outside of the United States will be subject to international rates.


Can I activate my T-Mobile G1 with Prepaid service?
No. Prepaid service for the G1 is not available at this time.


Have questions about the G1 that you ordered early?
Just login to My.T-Mobile to get the FAQ’s

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HTC G1, Google Phone Video

Here is a Video showing some of the things the new T-Mobile G1 can do.

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