MobileViews Blog

Demonstration of pinch-to-zoom gesture feature working on a U.S. Nexus One with the Android 2.1-Update1 firmware update applied.

The overall quality of still photos and videos recorded using my Nexus One continues to impress me.

This video was recorded at 4:10pm in a a room with windows. I started the recording with the room lights turned off. Then, I turned the lights on and panned across the room to get a few different room lighting conditions including backlit. The Nexus One adjusted relatively quickly to a variety of light conditions during this brief test.

After using the Nexus One for a couple of days now, I’m convinced that its still photo and video quality is significantly better than the Motorola Droid.

Received my Google Nexus One Android phone a few hours ago. The video sample above was transcoded (by Google) from the original 3gp file recorded on the Nexus One. The video sample below is a video recorded using the Qik for Android app.

I’m always looking for voice recording apps that might help me in my podcasting projects. I tried the free Voice Recorder app for Android by Mamoru Tokashiki over the weekend. You can hear a sample of the voice recording I made using the app on my Droid in the mini-podcast embedded above.

I ran into a couple of problems using Voice recorder on my Droid:

- It crashed a couple of times
- Its home screen widget did not work
- It stops recording if the Droid is moved
- The resultng recording has a low volume. I used Audacity to increase the volume of the recording to product the mini=podcast
- I think, but am not 100% certain, that the app caused the Droid’s battery to drain rapidly. I uninstalled the app to test this possibility

The app itself has a nice simple and easy to understand interface. I like its ability to both save and email a sound recording. I’ll make a note to check on this app’s progress a few months into 2010 to see if it might make its way into my toolset.

- You can listen to the podcast right now from your web browser by using the embedded player above.
- You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or this RSS feed.
- You can also point your smartphone’s browser at mobiletoday.podbean.com to listen to or download the MP3 file over the air to your phone.

Got a Droid? Wish it supported the pinch and zoom gesture (which Android 2.0 does but is not turned on for the Droid)? If so, you might want to consider downloading and installing the free Dolphin Browser from the Android Market. As you can see in my demo, it supports the pinch and zoom gesture even on the Droid.

Sorry for the difficult to see screen demo on the Droid. Brightness cranked up but still nearly impossible to see. But, I wanted to quickly put up some kind of demo of Google Goggles running on a Droid. So, here it is such as it is

In Podcast 38 Windows Mobile expert, and now Android enthusiast/expert, Frank McPherson joins me once again to “talk Android”. The focus of this 31 minute 7 second long podcast is Android app recommendations. I also took the opportunity to ask Frank to describe the process of purchasing an app from the Android market. We discussed the following apps:

Frank’s paid app recommendations:
- DoggCatcher ($9.99) podcasting client
- Advanced Task Manager (99 cents)

Frank’s free app recommendations:
- Glympse location sharing
- Sherpa location discovery

Todd’s free app recommendations:
- Bonsai Blast game
- Weather Channel
- WiFi Analyzer

Finally, Frank and I discussed our Android app wish list.

You can find Frank’s website at: http://frankmcpherson.com

- You can listen to the podcast right now from your web browser by using the embedded player above.
- You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or this RSS feed.
- You can also point your smartphone’s browser at mobiletoday.podbean.com to listen to or download the MP3 file over the air to your phone.

Daniel Inoshita, a friend and co-worker, bought an HTC Droid Eris from Verizon. I sat down a few minutes with him to get his initial impressions after having the phone for just a few hours.

I apologize for the low sound volume during the initial minute of the conversation. I used a Touch Pro2 to record the video and forgot how unidirectional its microphone is (usually a very good thing). I used volume leveling to try to even out the volume post-hoc as well as possible. One important item that may be difficult to hear is Daniel’s explanation of the Droid Eris’ price. It is $199 – $100 rebate – another $50 for current Verizon Wireless customers past their previous two-year contract point.

Installed the Qik for Droid beta release that provides 720×480 video resolution. This is the first video I recorded using it. The video looks pretty good to me.

Google Maps for mobile Street View on the Motorola Droid (Android 2.0) is interesting (something not on the iPhone). But, in my first test (see above), the augmented reality aspect seemed a bit off. It seemed to track my vertical movements (pointing the Droid up and down) but not side-to-side.

Still, it was interesting to finally try it in person since Street View only became available for my area yesterday.

Mini-Podcast 16 started out as a podcasting recording experiment. I used a LiveScribe Pulse Smartpen to record this by placing one of its two stereo headbud/microphones in the ear that I held my phone over. This is instead of using Skype to make the call. So, this podcast’s audio quality is definitely a step below my usual podcast. But, it gives me more flexibility in scheduling podcasts.

My old friend Frank McPherson (Windows Mobile expert who has been using Android phones for the past 13 months) and I planned to speak for only 5 to 10 minutes to create basically a sound check podcast. But, it is impossible for the two of us to start talking about mobile tech for just a short while. So, this “mini” podcast turned into an 18 minute 38 second long one – longer than some of my regular guest podcasts. So, this really should have been Podcast 38. But, I’ll leave it with its current designation.

In Maxi-Mini-Podcast 16, Frank and I talk about Android related topics. Originally, the plan was for me to live vicariously through Frank’s Android experiences. However, I bought a Motorola Droid this past weekend. So, this podcast and ones to follow may be more of a expert (Frank) – novice (me) type discussions.

Frank and I briefly catch up on his T-Mobile G1 experience and his upgrade to the myTouch 3G in August. We also touch on the few days of experience I have with the Moto Droid. You can find Frank’s blog at…

http://frankmcpherson.com

So, how’s the audio quality? Bearable for a short (under 20 minutes) podcast?

- You can listen to the podcast right now from your web browser by using the embedded player above.
- You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or this RSS feed.
- You can also point your smartphone’s browser at mobiletoday.podbean.com to listen to or download the MP3 file over the air to your phone.