First Chrome Extension!

Ok. This isn't quite Android related, but didn't want to start a new blog just for this.....

I got sick and tired of the new Google News format with the useless 3rd column on the right that takes up a good chunk of my page.

Looks like Google isn't going back to its original format (I am not sure I understand why). Anyway, write a simple Chrome extension that kills the extra column. Hope to fix the extension to make it more flexible, but wanted to get this working now for people.....

You can get the extension here
Project sources here.

Please let me know if you like it!
Ambarish

I wonder what all the people whining about Android fragmentation.....

..... have to say, now that they have to worry about the old iPhones, iPhone4 and iPad.

Android and Trust

One legitimate concern that users/security folks have about Android is around the trustworthiness of applications in the Android Market.

Given that Google doesn't censor applications in the Market, how can a user be comfortable that an app she is downloading isn't malicious. Particularly given that the granularity of permissions still leaves something to be desired.

I wonder if it makes sense for Google to offer/contract out the job of testing 3rd party applications for security/privacy issues. Developers can pay for this testing. In return, they get a "seal of approval", which allows lay users to download and run them comfortably.

Anybody has opinions on this?

iPhone4

Just saw Steve Job's announcement at WWDC about iPhone4/iOS4.0

Nice display, but otherwise I wasn't very impressed. Would still prefer my Nexus one (ideally with a keyboard).

Any Android users disagree?

Any iPhone users drooling for free turn-by-turn navigation, SkyMap, Gesture Search, Voice input, Voice translation, Google Goggles, Calling Card app (to automatically dial an international number through a calling card service - eg. Reliance, AirTel)?

Will Chrome OS support apps?

One thing that turned me off Chrome OS, was Google's original statement that it won't support installed apps.

After Google's phenomenal presentation at Google I/O 2010, I am not so sure anymore. One thing that Vic talked about, was the ability to store your apps and related data on the web. So you can think of a machine with a set of local apps, as a cache of a specially configured web page (kind of like your My Yahoo page).

Allows you to have a Chrome OS with local apps, which are all technically, just a reflection of a machine that is on the web!

Of course, I still don't understand why I would call that OS Chrome OS and not Android.

Why don't Nokia and Blackberry ride on Android?

I know this is a sacrilegious thought, but why don't Nokia and RIM (Blackberry) just port Android to their phones and be done with it? If there are custom features on their device they wish to highlight, they can modify the OS for particular devices/develop apps.

It is going to be very, very hard for Blackberry to attract as many developers to their platform as Android has - particularly given that they haven't done a great job providing good developer tools, maintaining backward compatibility, etc.

While Nokia might be able to attract developers, they will have their work cut out for them.

It also will simplify life for app developers - let OSes to port to.

Come on, Nokia, RIM - you can do it!

Slightly dated talk on the Javlik VM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptjedOZEXPM&feature=player_embedded#!

Great talk!

I really should go to Google I/O next year.....

Google's app strategy on Android

For apps sold on the Android Market, Google gives the carrier 30% and the developer 70%.

Wonder why they didn't do a 80-10-10 divide - 80% to the developer, 10% to the carrier and 10% to GOOG. Would allow them to make money of the app, make it more attractive for both the developers and the carrier (relative to the iPhone).

Given the number of apps people tend to download on iPhone and Android, I think carriers would make more per phone than they do with feature phones.

Any thoughts?

What is the purpose of an iPad?

So. I got an iPad for work. Nice device. Still can't figure out why people would pay $500+ for it.

It is a nice video player - if you don't have access to your laptop/tv.
Cute book reader - book reading app is cool. However, my eyes get tired trying to read on this kind of a screen - and it is quite heavy to hold for long.

So - would you plunk $500 for an iPad? Have you already? Any smart uses for it that I haven't thought of?

Still miss my keyboard!

Have had my Nexus One for 2 months now. Still miss my keyboard. Think that makes it a much poorer substitute for a Blackberry than the G1.

Come on Google, your competition is not the iPhone, but a mobile that lets me do what I need to when I am not at my laptop.....

Android Security Problem?

Just noticed something - the oil on my fingers leaves marks on my Android screen.

Guess how I log into my Android phone - by drawing a pattern on the screen.

Want to know my login pattern? Just hold my screen up to the light appropriately and you will be able to figure it out.... :-(

Just how secure does Google think this pattern thing is?

First poor experience with T-mobile customer support

I have generally been very happy with T-mobile's support.

Just had the following experience when I was at the airport leaving the US:

I had got my T-mobile plan with my G1. When I was at a T-mobile hotspot, the network recognized that this was a T-mobile phone and allowed me to access the wifi network without asking me to login.

Bought an unlocked Nexus One, and put my sim chip in it. Now my Nexus One can see the T-mobile network, but it doesn't automatically get my wireless access. I get redirected to the T-mobile Hotspot home page and asked to log in.

Spent over 2 hours with the T-mobile support guys, but they couldn't help at all.

First time I have been disappointed with T-mobile's customer service. The supervisor didn't even agree to give me an account I could use before my plane left.....

Guess the good news is that it kept me busy for the 3 hours I was waiting at the airport..... :-)

AirCel GPRS in Mumbai

Just got an AirCel GPRS card from a dealer. Cost Rs. 14/- (~$0.33). Allows me unlimited data for 3 days!
Don't know how great the speed will be, but I like unlimited data.

Here are my settings (in case somebody needs them in the future:

APN: aircelgprs
Proxy: 172.17.83.69
Port: 8080

Enjoy!

Got a Nexus One!

Just got a new Nexus One (thanks, Radhika)

After playing with it for a day or so, rooted the device and got Cyanogen's updates.
Wanted to get tethering working, so I downloaded this app. However, I also needed to the XP drivers, which I got for here.

Now, I am happy :-)

PS. While looking up links for this post, I found that Cyanogen just released a full ROM. Now I need to go get that.... :-(

PPS. Looks like the spammers are working their magic on a lot of my Android queries - guess there is some kind of a ring that is getting random blog entries and then linking to each other.....

Universal Remote with Android Part II

Ok. Looks like somebody built a remote with the iPhone: http://theappleblog.com/2010/01/04/iphone-becomes-a-universal-remote-this-february/

Would love to see this with my G1.

Ideally, if I were the manufacturer, I would allow users to design their own buttons for a device and enter in the codes from their older remotes. Will help the maker update their devices supported very quickly....