Sony Electronics today announced the addition of two new home devices powered by the Google TV™ platform. Sony was one of the industry’s first to launch the ‘Google TV’ products in 2010, and is now taking another step into the future of the home entertainment convergence. The NSZ-GS7 Network Media Player and NSZ-GP9 Blu-ray Disc™ Player will both arrive on shelves in North America and Europe in early summer 2012, and distribution is planned to expand and include other countries and regions.

“The first generation of devices powered by Google TV combined the powerful Android platform with Sony’s legendary home audio/video hardware to deliver on the promise of converging entertainment,” said Charles Speidel, vice president of Sony Electronics’ Home Audio and Video Division. “These brilliant additions advance positive features of the previous models, bringing an intuitive remote control and cross-device connectivity with smartphones, tablets and Sony Internet Audio & Video products – enhancing the home entertainment experience.”

In 2010, Sony introduced the world’s first television and a Blu-ray Disc player powered by Google TV. In 2011, the platform was updated and added the Android™ Market, making the first-generation Sony Internet TV devices easier to navigate and giving viewers access to thousands of apps, including about 150 apps optimized for TV, for an enhanced customized entertainment experience.

The Google TV difference starts with the cross search functionality, which crawls all content sources available from broadcast providers* and the Internet to deliver customized video results on demand.  Both new boxes come complete with a redesigned remote control equipped with a backlit QWERTY keyboard, a touch pad for easy operation and a three-axis motion sensor to enjoy games. Additionally, the remote control can also be utilized as a universal remote to control connected devices such as TV, set top box and amplifiers – the NSZ-GP9 Blu-ray Disc Player even incorporates voice search capabilities. By using Sony apps Media Remote™ and TrackID® for Android and iOS mobile devices, users may achieve cross-device connectivity. TrackID is also pre-installed in NSZ-GS7 and NSZ-GP9, allowing customers to search on their connected TV.  The new remote control can manage basic operations on select compatible 2012 BRAVIA televisions and seamlessly display Android Market or apps on the menu screen.

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Google Inc. launched a new Web-based store for applications that run on mobile devices powered by its Android software, one of several moves by the Internet company to keep up with rival Apple Inc. in the wireless sector.

Users of Android devices such as Motorola Mobility Inc.’s Droid or HTC Corp.’s Evo smartphones have previously had access to the app market via their devices, but many app makers have complained it was difficult to get noticed there because the marketplace was partly built around lists of featured apps and top downloads.

Google’s new app market, available at Market.Android.com, is aimed at letting users discover new apps more easily from their computers, as well as to see recommendations by friends and download apps to their mobile devices. That could help level the playing field with Apple, which has had an edge over Android because it allowed users to find apps and buy them through the iTunes program on their computers.

These “important changes to the Android market meet the needs of both users and developers,” said Chris Yerga, a Google engineering director, at the event at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.

An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.

Google on Wednesday also said developers could create Android apps that charge users for in-app purchases of virtual goods in games, among other things—a feature already available on apps running on Apple devices. Google said developers could set prices for their apps in foreign currencies, which previously they had been unable to do.

Google’s new moves come as Android overtook Nokia Corp.’s Symbian as the most widely used operating system globally in the fourth quarter, based on the number of devices shipped, according to studies released Monday. Apple came in third, those studies showed.

But most of the revenue generated by mobile apps, which research firm Gartner Inc. projects will triple this year to more than $15 billion, occurs through Apple’s iPhones and iPads. Revenue is generated through purchases of paid apps or through iadvertising and purchases inside apps.

Google doesn’t generate revenue from the sale of Android devices because it gives the software away free to handset makers. But it takes a cut of app purchases and in-app advertising revenue, and the proliferation of Android devices ensures that its search engine and other key services are a mainstay on mobile devices.

Google executive Eric Chu, who works on Android, last week said the company was “not happy” with the level of purchases of apps in its app market but was taking steps to increase them. There are more than 350,000 mobile apps available on Apple devices compared with more than 100,000 on Android devices.

Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Google is trying to improve the Android app market by designing high-quality apps for the system, in addition to relying on third-party developers. The company plans to hire dozens of software developers to create apps, people familiar with the matter have said.

Google on Wednesday also showed off features of Honeycomb, a version of Android software that is tailored to tablets that will rival Apple’s iPad. Motorola’s Xoom tablet, slated for launch later this quarter, is powered by Honeycomb.

Hopefully they will include this in their new Sprint Kyocera Echo — A Dual Screen Android . Lets Hope!

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Here are the Top 5 Gifts to get Dad for the Holidays.  Click the Title of the product for more details.

5. Kodak Zi8

• Easy to use to record the most memorable moments
• Upload tool to upload HD videos straight to the web

Price: $179.99

4. iPhone 4

• Great for the On the Go Dad with Facetime Video Communications.
• Thousand of Apps to never keep Dad bored

Price: 16gb $199.99 with 2 year Agreement

3. Logitech Harmony 1100

• Easy to program to control all dads favorite devices
• Perfect companion to a new TV or Blu-Ray Player

Price: $399.99 -Now $299.99 at Logitech

2. Apple iPad

All the buzz this year is about Apples iPad.

• Perfect for the High-Tech Dad

Great for in-bed Web browsing

• Perfect use as a Kindle to Read eBooks
• Great Gift for the Non High-Tech Dad that just wants to get on the Internet.

Price: $499.99 16gb with Wifi

1. Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player

• Watch TV , Browse Internet , Surf the Web , and Watch Movies all from the same device
• Android App Store coming soon to this device
• Excellent hand-held remote control for bedside web-surfing.

Price: $399.99

DONT FORGET MOM!

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If watched the video above you would know a little something about google new tool BUZZ.

Google Buzz seems it was ment to take out the social networking world , such as Twitter / Facebook,  but i think its going to need some major work.  There is nothing special about google buzz that you cant do with Twitter and/or Facebook.

We are just going to have to see where this one goes google.

http://www.google.com/buzz

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The new decade is already poised to start off in a huge way in the tech world. Google has a press conference scheduled for Monday in which they will be releasing the Nexus One, their first foray into the world of hardware. Some say this is going to be to the first “true” Google phone. Engadget already got their hands on one. Check out their first impressions.

Also, rumors have been at all time high for Apple’s “universe-changing” tablet/ebook/large-iPhone/iSlate(?). Rumors about this device have been around for at least five years, and kind of died down with the release of the iPhone and the iPod Touch. Now some serious sources like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and many others seem to be pretty confident that this “God gadget” will be coming in 2010. Some have even concluded that an Apple event will be held at the end of the month and will focus on the “mobile computing space” (aka a tablet). After waiting years for a touch-screen iPod because of rumors of its release every other week, I now only believe it when I see it. Though this time, with the fever pitch of rumors, I may just believe it before I see it. Just like the iPod changed the music industry this past decade, the Apple tablet may change the print industry over the next decade. The end of the month couldn’t come soon enough. If this “iSlate” actually does come out then, you bet you’ll be hearing from me about it!

So, which of these tech news items gets you excited/hopeful for the coming year/decade? Sound off in the poll after the break!

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Big thanks to Verizon for this one!.  Launched November 6th is Andriods first device running OS 2.0. Combined with some google apps makes this phone one you must pick up! Check out the video above and Go Comment!.

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Get ready for more Google in your life. A slew of household gadgets based on the company’s Android operating system will debut within the next five months, a new report says, including several high-tech remote controls for your home.

The news comes by way of touchscreen-driven device-maker Touch Revolution — the same folks who introduced the Android-based NIMble Concept Desk Phone at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. The NIMble phone, featuring a 7-inch touch-sensitive screen, attempts to put the power of a smartphone into tabletop form, allowing you to access contacts, calendars, and e-mail through a user-friendly interface.

The new devices, as described to Forbes , will follow the same basic model: bringing the functionality of your mobile phone into your (presumably non-mobile) home. A Touch Revolution marketing exec tells Forbes several “well-known companies” will be using its touch technology to create the gadgets, and they’ll all be hitting store shelves before the end of the year.

Here’s what’s said to be on tap:

• Home Control Gadgets

The home control gadgets — or super-sweet remotes, in non-geek speak — will serve as powerful command centers for your entire house. According to Forbes, the devices will be able to handle everything from switching on lights to locking doors and adjusting the A/C. They’ll have screens anywhere from 4.3 to 10 inches and will be Web-connected through your home wireless network.

• Media Control Devices

The old remote will feel as outdated as a 5.25-inch floppy compared with the media control devices on the way. The gadgets will enable you to control all your media devices from one tablet, letting you adjust the sound, program the DVR, or even browse through TV listings right from the built-in screen. And, no surprise, you’ll be able to surf the Web from these clickers, too. Unfortunately, all the impressive additions won’t make the remotes any less likely to disappear between the couch cushions.

• Home Smartphones

Like the aforementioned NIMble phone — which, by the way, is rumored to become available for about $300 in September — the upcoming Android home smartphones will do far more than just help you communicate. The cordless devices will give you phone access, of course, but they’ll also connect to wireless networks to allow for VoIP connections and online data retrieval. Plus, they’ll be able to run Android applications, so you could use them as photo frames or possibly even game consoles.

(T-Mobile is said to be working on a similar line of Android-based home phones, although details on those devices have thus far remained fairly scarce.)

Android Home Device Details

Touch Revolution tells Forbes the new Android devices will come in a variety of shapes — some with bases for tabletop use, others with flat shapes built more for holding or wall-embedding. Touch Revolution is handling the touchscreen and Android side of the deal, while the other companies are creating the hardware and managing the branding. The gadgets, according to the Forbes interview, will be available in the United States, as well as in other unspecified countries.

On the whole, Android is expected to see enormous growth over the coming months. One research firm goes so far as to predict a 900-percent increase in Android adoption this year — and that’s accounting only for smartphone sales. Add in these new home gizmos and the host of other Android devices currently under development, and the platform certainly appears to be one worth watching.

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zOMG, who’s excited? Android’s little cheerleader is! Check this out: According to the leaked slide on Engadget, the HTC Lancaster feature quadband EDGE and 850 / 1900MHz HSPA, AGPS, a 3 megapixel fixed-focus camera, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD expansion, and a “unique HTC social messaging user interface”. The display is oddly only 2.8” and not 3.2” with QVGA 240 x 320 pixels. Targeted date is early August, no word on price yet, but I am totes excited to see this development for Google Android!

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Ok, we all know that I’m the biggest cheerleader for Google’s Android and I’m always in wait for news and updates about it. Well, the world’s cutest OS update build, Cupcake is almost done.

The Android Developers Blog announced today the availability of an “early look” Android 1.5 SDK. This release seems like a mostly complete version of the final release, though Google warns that some of the APIs are bound to change.

Beyond the features that v1.5 brings to the end user (see below), the new SDK carries a few key changes:

* The SDK now supports multiple versions of the platform, so developers can continue to work on applications for the current release (v1.1) while preparing their apps for the next one.
* Developers can now install SDK add-ons. This allows carriers, OEMs, and other third-parties to easily expand the SDK for their needs.

The Deets:
* On-screen keyboard support, with support for auto-correct, text prediction, user dictionaries, and third-party keyboard layouts
* Live folders (Auto-updating folder shortcuts for things such as YouTube favorites, Starred Contacts, and, with the API now available, whatever else developers conjure up)
* Video Recording
* MPEG4 and 3GP Video Playback
* Stereo Bluetooth
* Browser enhancements: New ultrafast “Squirrelfish” javascript engine, search within a page, copy and paste, UI changes
* New Linux Kernel
* Google Application enhancements: View Google Talk friend statuses in contacts, SMS, MMS, Gmail, and Email
* New frameworks for developers to build upon: Widget creation, Live Folder creation, Raw audio recording/playback, Video recording, Speech recognition
* Faster GPS, Faster camera startup, faster Gmail scrolling, and smoother browser scrolling
Peep the whole list here,

more news at mobilecrunch.

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Ok, I’ve been sweatin Google Android since it’s beginnings and am so beyond excited to see what handsets will come out next, and it’s the Kogan Agora out of Austraila. Two models, the Agora and Agora Pro are now available for preorder internationally, the phone has a 2.5-inch resistive touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, 3G and GPS.

The Agora has more of a Blackberry style phone design, with a vertical style and full keyboard, it’s thinner and is sleeker than HTC’s G1, and from the looks of it, will be very fetching to those who are looking for a more streamlined look and feel for their phone. Pre-order directly from Kogan, it will work on any network.

[Kogan]

The good stuff:

Some of the applications pre-loaded on the Kogan Agora are:

· Gmail™
· Google Search™
· Google Calender™
· Google Maps™
· Google Talk™
· YouTube™

HIGHLIGHTS:
· 2.5-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen
· Integrated QWERTY keyboard
· High-speed 3G network connection
· One-Touch Google Search ™
· Easy Web Browsing
· Easy-to-use email with attachment support for images, videos, music and documents
· Customisable Home Screen with instant Email, text message and IM notifications
· Instant access to mobile Internet services (Gmail ™, YouTube ™, Google Talk ™, Google Calendar ™, Google Maps ™)
· Music Player
· microSD™ expansion slot for all your storage needs
· Wi-Fi network access (included with Kogan Agora Pro)
· GPS navigation capability (included with Kogan Agora Pro)
· 2.0 megapixel camera (included with Kogan Agora Pro)

SPECIFICATIONS:

Operating System
Androidâ„¢
Google Mobile Functions
Google Searchâ„¢, Gmailâ„¢, YouTubeâ„¢, Google Mapsâ„¢, Google Talkâ„¢, Google Calendarâ„¢.
Display
2.5-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 262K QVGA (320 X 240 pixel) resolution
Device Control
Central Navigation Key
Keyboard
QWERTY keyboard
Keyboard backlighting
GPS
GPS navigation capability (included with Kogan Agora Pro)
Connectivity
Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11b/g (included with Kogan Agora Pro)
Camera
2.0 megapixel colour camera (included with Kogan Agora Pro)
Audio
Built-in microphone and speaker
Headphone jack
Ring tone formats:
· MIDI, MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, PCM
Video
Video formats supported:
· MPEG2 H263, H264, MPEG4, AVI
Mail attachment support

Viewable document types:
· JPEG, GIF, WBMP, MIDI, AMR, MP3, WAV
Dimensions (HxWxD)
108 mm x 64 mm x 14.8 mm
Weight
130g
Battery
Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
Capacity: 1300 mAh
Talk Time
Up to approximately 400 minutes
Standby Time
Up to approximately 300 hours
Processor MHz
624 MHz
Memory
ROM:
256 MB
RAM:
128 MB

microSDâ„¢ card expansion slot
Network

UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

more at Gizmodo

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