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Sprint Nextel Cuts Starting Near Top 2008-01-24 09:10:00 You didn't think it was going to be all retail sales reps, did you? So far, the CFO, CMO, and President of Sales and Distribution are officially "stepping down" tomorrow. There's probably a lot of money to be saved in that move. Bringing in a replacement at lower salary would help the financial side of things pretty quickly. No word yet on whether or not the HNIC will be stepping down.AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion. ...

Sun Microsystems Not Sure What This Android Thing Is All About 2008-01-24 07:29:00 According to Sun's vice president James Gosling, this Google Android thing is "just a bag of code". When asked to comment or take a position on Android in an interview for Computer World UK Gosling went on to say "It's impossible to have a position [on Android], right, because there is no data," he said when interviewed at the event. "Over the last couple of years, Google has been showing their phone at telecom conferences all over the world and with different business models, all of which really scared the carriers and handset makers." We are used to seeing these types of attacks from Sun because they are in direct competition with Android. Check out the complete article here. Because Android is based on Sun's JAVA platform Sun has always had concerns that Android would further split the Java community by offering yet another OS. Our take is that there's always room for another player. This leads to innovation, and that is something this industry desperately needs.AndroidGuy ...

NTT DoCoMo Talks GPhones 2008-01-24 07:15:00 We are starting discussions to offer handsets that will have the Android operating system," said Takeshi Natsuno, managing director of the multimedia services department at NTT DoCoMo. The picture is becoming a little more clear each day as we find out what different members of the Open Handset Alliance are planning to do with Android. We're going to see Google products and apps added DoCoMo's devices. Additions will include a Google search box on the main I-mode menu page and Google Ads appearing alongside search results. They're also planning to add more Google services like Google Maps down the road. (Get it? "Down the road")Natsuno added "When I look at the prototype, the Android-based handset works really well even on some of the cheaper handset designs." Encouraging news for those worried about Android phones being high-end, expensive devices. Read more at TechRadar.AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion. ...

AndroidGuys Guests on The Big Bald Blog 2008-01-23 20:06:00 We don't get to blow our own horn very often.Even more rare, we don't get to blow it twice in one day. Well, today's one of those days. Not only were featured on TechWag, but Scott took a little time to spend it guest-blogging over at The Big Bald Blog as well! If you've read our site for a more than a couple weeks, you will recall that the guy who runs it (Big Pappa) recently gave away an iPod Touch. Even though we didn't win it, we were still very happy to step in and do a little self promotion. Head over there to read more about us and our EntreCard contest! Stop by and tell him that AndroidGuys sent ya.Part 1 | Part 2Thanks Big Pappa!AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion. ...

TechWag Interviews AndroidGuys 2008-01-23 19:44:00 We recently had a chance to spend some time talking with TechWag, answering some questions about us and Android. We'll save the good stuff for their site, but we'll at least throw you a little quote to whet your whistle. Android is the catalyst the mobile industry needs, especially here in the United States. Our network providers have had too much control over the users for far too long. Consumers are learning the benefits of open source technology more each day. It was only a matter of time before people starting demanding more choices from their carriers.Now get over there and check the rest out! Respect knuckles to RD for taking the time to speak with us.AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion. ...

Text Message Rates Rising Faster Than Gas Prices 2008-01-23 15:41:00 In an effort to get people to sign up for text message bundles, network providers are raising prices left and right on individual text messages. At 15¢ a piece, your hand is forced once you open that bill up and see a $1.50 charge for 10 measly texts. What they want you to do is call them up and sign on for that $10.00 unlimited plan they have. Could you imagine paying $5.25 a gallon for gas if you bought it one gallon at a time but getting it for the bargain price of $3.00/g if you agreed to fill up your tank? Preposterous, right? That's essentially the stranglehold that providers have.Hard to believe it, but text rates going from 10¢ to 15¢ in one jump is worse than gas prices. Txtspk Rise GR8 Hope For Carriers (Yahoo!)AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion. ...

OhNo Moto 2008-01-23 11:31:00 We've said it here before: Motorola needs to stop riding the coattails of the RAZR and the Q. The proof this time comes in the form of Motorola's Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year Sales and Earnings report. For the full year 2007, sales were $36.6 billion. The net loss was $0.02 per share, which included a net loss of $0.05 per share from continuing operations and earnings of $0.03 per share from discontinued operations. The net loss from continuing operations included net charges of $0.29 per share from items highlighted in the company’s quarterly earnings releases.Sad stuff from what was once a much revered name in the mobile industry. So what's the game plan Motorola? Slashing prices? New business model? Maybe layoffs and letting people go a la Nokia? How about a new line of phones that doesn't resemble anything else you've done since 2005? One thing is for cure, new CEO Greg Brown has his work cut out for him.AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinio ...

The Higher Cost of Bringing Your Own Phone 2008-01-23 10:49:00 There's a piece up over at PC World called Will Carriers Deliver on Pledge of Open Access? that we found interesting. Towards the end of the article, it mentions the possibility of carriers discouraging people from bring their own handset(s) to them by charging higher prices. Exactly what would cost more is not defined, but we're guessing it is subsidized handsets. Already locking people in for two years due to losing money on the phone apparently might not be enough for providers. Let's raise them some more and penalize the people who don't already have a phone!It seems counter-intuitive to us. If you raise the price of handsets on average Joe, the first time buyer, you're not going to get him to endear himself to you. Rather, he'd probably look to get either an older, less expensive model or an unlocked phone for roughly the same cost as whatever the carrier is offering. If Joe was educated, he'd buy the unlocked/open phone and ready himself for down the road. With pro- ...

Google's Android More Viable? 2008-01-22 12:47:00 In an article on MSNBC Olga Kharif does a great job of outlining why she feels Google will be a force to contend with in the future. Read the full article here. She outlines some of the software in development in spite of Android's less than complete SDK. WiFi Army and Grid Gain were two of the applications mentioned. Kharif was also right to point out the lack of features not available in the initial developer's kits such as WiFi, Bluetooth, and basic phone functions to make or receive calls. It's interesting to note that these developers are banking heavily on the success of Android and Google, as Kharif points out in the article "In the first two months, programmers downloaded the software development kit for Android more than 250,000 times, according to Google." She goes on to say "By contrast developers downloaded the Symbian OS Getting Started guide some 70,000 times in the 12 months ended in September." The willingness of developers to ride the waves of Android's initial l ... Google

Calling All Cars 2008-01-22 12:19:00 Just came across an article on The Boy Genius Report that claims someone broke into a T-Mobile warehouse over the weekend and made off with $8.2M in phones. Mostly Sidekicks, 36,000 handsets disappeared into the wind. BGR's source is an internal email from someone at T-Mobile. With IMEI's (serial numbrs), they ought to be able to trace them once they are used. The scary stuff is not so much the black market and pure profit from dealers. Rather, it's the idea that someone could be selling them for funding a terrorist operation. Just figured we'd throw a little FOX News scare tactic at you guys. Now the question is: If someone approached you in a big white van and wanted to sell you a brand new Sidekick for $50, would you bite?AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion. ...

34 Weeks of OHA: #3 2008-01-22 09:11:00 Open Handset Alliance Member Profiles (Week #3 - Audience ) For 34 weeks, each Tuesday, Jordan from fandroid.net will be joining us to offer a profile of each of the 34 members of the Open Handset Alliance.Company Name: Audience.How the OHA site classifies them: Semiconductor CompanyWhat the OHA site says about them: Audience is a voice processor company that enables clear communications anywhere with noise suppression technology based on the intelligence of the human hearing system.What they do: Apparently something that's cool as hell. Check out that bit from the OHA site "Noise suppression technology based on the intelligence of the human hearing system."The Audience site isn't open yet. Just a big "Starting in 2008, Be Heard", the option to register for info (which I have, I'll let you know if I receive anything), and some cool quotes, including one from Ray Kurzweil talking about "neuromorphic princples". Neuromorphic, according to Wikipedia, describes "... Very Large Scale Int ...

Tira Wireless Is Onboard With Android 2008-01-22 08:35:00 We can add Tira Wireless to the list of companies that have announced their support for Android. Tira Wireless helps software companies get their products to different mobile platforms. Their website lists current customers such as Hudson, Helio, Sega, and Sony. You can read the complete article here courtesy of Sys-Con.AndroidGuys | The most trusted site for Android news and opinion. ...

Google Aligns with UIQ and Others 2008-01-22 08:09:00 Another day, another partnership for Google. Looking at the list of names in this UIQ Alliance Partner Program, you can get a sense for where Google wants to take mobile devices in the future.ArcSoft develops multimedia technologies and apps for desktop and embedded platforms. They offer imaging and video solutions to enhance mobile phones, digital cameras, pc's, and other consumer electronics devices. Fring is a service that enables users to make free mobile calls, live chat and interact with other while on the go. ISkoot has their hands in VOIP and push-button internet calls.Mix together ingredients and stir. Add a touch of GrandCentral to taste.Shhh... On a still night, you can hear the network providers scrambling to combat this already.ArcSoft, CleNET Technologies, fring™, Google, i-skoot and Mobica are new partners in the UIQ Alliance Partner Program. The agreements basically mean that UIQ Technology will support the partner companies in their development of mobile applic ... Google

Android Easter Egg 2008-01-21 21:40:00 With the last few days being slow news days, we thought we'd share a little link love with a fellow Android site. The guys over at PointGPhone recently alerted us to a little hidden gem buried within the Android developer kit. It seems that the team behind the SDK have a little appreciation for The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. If you're not familiar with the story, Deep Thought is a computer that was created by a pan-dimensional, hyper-intelligent race of beings to come up with the ultimate answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything. After seven and a half million years of calculation, the answer finally turns out to be 42.How does this come into play in the SDK? Well, according to our French friends, "Pourquoi je parle de ça? Tout simplement parce que les créateurs d’Android ont eux glissé un easter egg dans leur code faisant référence à ce fameux nombre 42.Pour le voir, il suffit de lancer la console adb (Android Debug Bridge) et d’utiliser la commande : “serv ...

Carriers Slow to Grant Businesses & Orgnanizations Short Codes 2008-01-21 15:36:00 You know that number you have to send a message to when you vote for your favorite American Idol? And the number you have to send a message to in order to get that "free ring tone" you saw on TV? Well, those numbers are called "short codes" and any company that wants one has to apply for it through a wireless carrier. However, it seems that wireless carriers are slow to hand these out, and some speculate that it has to do with competition. In an article on RCR Wireless News.com the FCC launched a rule making to determine whether mobile text messages and short codes are covered by non-discrimination provisions of the telecom act. You can view the complete article here. Even companies like Google, Ebay, and Pay Pal have to apply for these codes.Carriers such as T-Mobile and Verizon claim "anti-competition" has nothing to do with their decision making process when determining which companies are granted codes and which ones aren't, so it would be interesting to learn just what tha ... Amp