Thursday, March 31, 2011
One Month Later, Android Tablet Platform Has 50 Apps
Motorola's Xoom, the first Android tablet to run "Honeycomb." Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
Motorola’s Xoom tablet is the first promising alternative to Apple’s iPad, but the sickly condition of Android’s tablet app ecosystem may end up stalling the platform’s progress.
One month after its launch, the Xoom currently has about 50 native apps available for Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Google’s version of Android optimized for tablets.
That’s pitiful compared with the iPad, which was released last year with approximately 1,000 native apps on launch day. The Xoom debuted with a paltry 15 Honeycomb-native apps available for download in its catalog.
50 apps is a pretty small number, and the actual total may be even smaller. The official Android online market, as well as other online message forums for Android enthusiasts, place the number of Xoom apps somewhere close to 50. But this number hardly seems accurate, as it includes existing Android applications which have been re-sized to take advantage of the tablet’s larger screen. The number of apps with interfaces made specifically for the tablet is probably diminutive.
Still, it’s unclear why more developers haven’t taken the short cut and re-sized their apps for Honeycomb. It could be that developers aren’t sold on the idea of re-sizing their apps to fit more screen real estate, as opposed to “building a true tablet experience that takes advantage of the new platform’s possibilities,” iOS developer Justin Williams told Wired.com in an interview.
And even if developers wanted to create such a “true tablet experience,” they’re hard-pressed to do it without the source code for Honeycomb, which Google is currently keeping a tight reign over. The big device manufacturers working on Honeycomb-powered hardware — like HTC, Motorola and Samsung — all have early access to the code, but only after licensing agreements were made with Google. Smaller developers don’t have this luxury.
“Apple was wise to have the tools out there months in advance of launch,” Williams said, “as compared to Google who made them available only a short time before.”
To be fair, the Xoom is currently the only Android tablet on the market running Android 3.0. Once the glut of Honeycomb-running hardware devices arrives — like the June release of LePad from Chinese electronics manufacturer Lenovo, which was delayed specifically to ensure the tablet will run Honeycomb — we could reasonably expect to see more tablet-optimized applications available. Samsung’s redesigned Galaxy Tab 10.1 will also run Honeycomb, and will also launch this summer.
“Google needs more hardware,” says Williams, “and they need to get developers excited about building tablet experiences, not just larger screened phone apps.”
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
See Also:
- Report: Motorola Xoom Tablet to Cost a Hefty $800
- Motorola Thinks You’ll Pay $800 for the Xoom Tablet
- Motorola Xoom Launches Without Flash
- Honeycomb
- Video: Android ‘Honeycomb’ Tablet OS Revealed
- Video: Motorola Tablet Running Android 3.0 Honeycomb
- Upcoming Asus Tablets Will Run Android Honeycomb
- What We Know About Honeycomb, the Android for Tablets
Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/FjZRjqUDnBU/
Gadget Lab Notes: 8-Bit Camera App Snaps Game Boy Camera-Style Photos
The 8-Bit Pocket Camera App gives your photos a nostalgic, pixelated feel
8-Bit Pocket Camera App Wastes Your Smartphone?s Megapixels for Fun Photos
5-megapixel cameras, 8-megapixel cameras? Totally unnecessary?at least that?s what the makers of the 8-Bit Pocket Camera app want you to think. This $1 iOS app lets you take 200 x 200 tiffs reminiscent of the pictures (and quality) that the Game Boy Camera used to take back in the day (which were 128 x 112). The black and white pixilated pics you snap with this app can also be stylized, distorted, or enhanced with a border or different paper color, and will export as PNG files when emailed or posted online.
Recreate the Game Boy Camera with 8-Bit Pocket Camera App [Cult of Mac]
A Mouse That Doesn?t Click? My Ears Rejoice!
Click. Click click. Clickety clickclick click. For those who find themselves eternally irritated by the noise associated with every mouse button push, Nexus has a product for you: the Silent Mouse. It?s built with a patented switch that makes no sound when it?s clicked. The Silent Mouse is wireless, connecting to your notebook or PC via a nano receiver. It?s also got a button for selecting 1000 or 1600 DPI sensitivity, which is great for those who work on a large monitor.
Nexus Silent Mouse [Nexus via Slashgear]
Samsung Ships Notebooks With Keylogger Installed
The StarLogger keylogger program has been found preinstalled and active on two new Samsung laptops. The software logs every keystroke and takes screen caps, and can regularly email the data it collects without the user ever knowing this has been done. The affected laptops were purchased by Mohamed Hassan and detected when he installed security software. The first notebook that had the keylogger installed was eventually returned due to a driver issue; its replacement had the same keylogger program installed.
Samsung Installs Keylogger on its Laptop Computers [Network World via Geek.com]
Touchscreen Interface Simulates a Stretchy, Flexible Surface
Rather than just pinching to zoom and swiping to slide your position further along a screen, researchers at Osaka University have developed a touchscreen display that appears to flex, as if it were made of elastic material. So when you drag your finger to change what part of a map you?re viewing, for instance, the screen visually resists that movement, squishing and stretching the map?s proportions to keep your original position in perspective until you release your finger, almost like the map is printed on a sheet of rubber.
New Flex Touchscreen Interface Demonstrated Using Google Maps [Diginfo.tv via Crunchgear]
The PiCycle Electric Bike is Frowning at You
The PiCycle e-bike uses a 48V brushless DC motor to help power you up steep hills, across vast distances, or just on your daily commute. It can take you up to 20 miles without a single pedal on your part and reach speeds up to 30mph. Other featuers include an internal hub transmission, a beltdrive system, shifting on-the-fly, a suspension seat post, and hydraulic brakes. Its perfectly arched frame looks like a rainbow, or a frownie face.
PiCycle LTD Electric Bike [PiCycle via Uncrate]
Creative Coffee Table Is a Four-Person Pong Game
There?s no need for a coffee table in today?s world to be simply made of wood and just sit there. The coffee table is the perfect piece of furniture to transform into something interactive, like a four person game of pong played on a 30 x 30 matrix of red LEDs. Players use one of four knobs placed along each side to slide their bat left and right. The game can support up to 5 balls for more complicated play.
Super Pong Coffee Table [Instructables via Technabob]
Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/bJLKsx0Ae_A/
$50K race car steering wheel even pours drinks
Full story at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42328416/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/
Robot overlords win with Kinect-controlled 'copter�
Full story at http://ingame.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/30/6376249-kinect-controlled-helicopter-scores-win-for-robot-overlords
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