First screenshots of application running on Google's Android platform?

It's just a rumor, but if true, you're looking at screenshots of the first leaked application running on Google's new mobile Android OS. The app from upstart Whatsopen does just what you might think; it tells you what's open nearby your location. Of course, those mockups could be final or just prototypes. Whatever they are, we're underwhelmed. Still, let's wait for the SDK before getting too far ahead of ourselves. More pics just beyond that read link.

[Via Textually]

[Bucky @ Nov 8th 2007 8:35AM]

So underwhelmed that they didn't bother to proof the posting!

[Firley @ Nov 8th 2007 8:47AM]

So, what's the big deal about Android here? The app sounds cool, but as far as I'm concerned, couldn't something like that run on pretty much any mobile OS?

[Andir3.0 @ Nov 8th 2007 9:00AM]

Android is an OS, an open, Linux based OS. As opposed to the current batch of "phone" and "pda" applications, you should be able to run an application built for Android on any device running Android. Android is a bid to open and standardize the mobile OS instead of having MS's proprietary, Verizon's proprietary, Symbian proprietary, etc. If someone writes an Android application on their Sprint device, you should be able to install it on your T-Mobile device. Currently, there are VERY few things that you can do that with. Most applications have to be written and compiled for specific platforms. There's no consistency.

[Dave @ Nov 8th 2007 9:04AM]

Seems like Android will be a developer's API that gives developers access to features of the phone. In other words, if you want to write an app that uses location-awareness, you'll be able to. If you want to write an app that prevents you from drunk-dialing your ex at 2am, you'll be able to. Most other phones compartmentalize what you can do assuming that giving you that level of access would mean problems and lost revenue, whereas Android seems to be saying "this is going to happen eventually ... why don't we lead the way?". That's my take on it anyway. It'll be interesting once the API is released.

[Surur @ Nov 8th 2007 9:32AM]

You know, you are basically describing windows mobile - completely open, with an open and consistent API amongst devices from various OEM's. Thats why Android is a competitor to WM - it aims to do the same thing, but for free.

[SuperQ @ Nov 8th 2007 4:57PM]

@Dave:

That's has got to be the best idea for a phone app I've ever heard of. I bet Android would let you do it.

[Lotheron @ Nov 8th 2007 8:45PM]

Did you just explain the Linux/Windows relationship as a whole?

[Scott @ Nov 8th 2007 2:20PM]

You mean as open as Microsoft wants it to be at the moment. History shows how that turns out.

Android is a consortium of software AND hardware companies. Microsoft is a single entity. I wonder which will be more open?

[imacmatt09 @ Nov 8th 2007 8:52AM]

You think the "Android" would run on a smartphone not a cheap flip phone as the picture portrays above.

[Andir3.0 @ Nov 8th 2007 9:01AM]

According to what I'm reading, Android could be run on many different kinds of phones.

[paul @ Nov 8th 2007 9:40AM]

that looks like palmOS mixed with Motorola's OS.

how on EARTH is that supposed to be better than the iPhone? it looks like crap.

[Todd @ Nov 8th 2007 9:44AM]

How is it better than the iPhone? Ummmmmmmmmm FREE as in $0.00? Open? You can load any app you want or write your own? Google wont release an update to kill off all your custom apps? You can use and carrier?

[t-bone @ Nov 8th 2007 10:42AM]

@Todd: Free and open are nice. First phones available in the second half of next year: not so much.

[insertAlias @ Nov 8th 2007 12:01PM]

@Todd:
Are you sure about the any carrier thing? From what I read in the article about the announcement, it was stated that providers will be able to lock their phones down. I may be wrong, but I definitely remember reading that.

[Joe V @ Nov 8th 2007 9:45AM]

You're telling me the distinctive Google Maps pointy-circle marker is in the Android LOGO, but somehow didn't make it into the Android Maps program? Call me dubious.

[Jeff @ Nov 8th 2007 9:57AM]

So it it fair to assume that all the opposition to this from people in the comment section seems to be coming from iPhone users and Apple supporters who seem to see this as crashing their party?

There seems to be a noticeable lack of flak from users of other mobile platforms, while all the comments of it being "ugly" and "stupid" seem to be from people in the next breath talk about how the iPhone is so much "better", as if mobile device development should cease because Apple made a phone, and nothing could be more useful.

[Scott @ Nov 8th 2007 2:20PM]

To answer your question, no. I'd sell my iphone in a second if this proves to be better, but it looks like I'll be enjoying my current phone for at least another year. After that...

[LinuxISortaRules @ Nov 9th 2007 1:43PM]

It's because we're all too busy just talking on or otherwise using our phones. I tried one of my friends iPhone, and while having a major kewl factor, it was pretty bulky. It also sorta sucked at the "put phone to ear and speak in a normal voice" task.

However, I suppose it does speakerphone pretty well. I didn't test that because even I draw the line at restaurant/theater/bus/library cell-screaming in speakerphone mode. Unlike the rest of Seattle.......

[rzlmlchm009 @ Nov 9th 2007 4:57PM]

@LinuxISortaRules
LOL. I can just imagine the Apple fanboys walking around with their "superior" iPhone yelling, "CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW!?" :)

[Ivan @ Nov 8th 2007 10:31AM]

wow ... that's really not very exciting .. we should be able to rate the posts like the comments and drive them up or down ... like digg but relevant.

[insertAlias @ Nov 8th 2007 12:06PM]

So...why not just skip/ignore the posts you don't like.

I personally don't want to miss a story that's interesting to me because a bunch of other people don't care about it. You can skip the ones you don't want to read, and I can skip the ones I don't want to read.

As for the excitingness of this post...is every article supposed to excite you? Should they skip interesting news because it isn't exciting?

[Lucas @ Nov 8th 2007 11:51AM]

Very un-impressed, I can already do anything android promises on my HTC advantage cellphone with windows mobile 6 OS. I've written my own apps for it, installed skype, TomTom and even google maps on it... It's interchangeable on all GSM carriers. Free isn't always a good thing, sometimes you get what you pay for... sometimes you pay later for things that were free...

[yao @ Nov 8th 2007 4:01PM]

yes, you can do all of those things... as long as you pay your MSFT tax to do it on windows mobile. you seem to be missing the entire point of android, which is to allow you to do all of those things on an open platform.

[Lucas @ Nov 8th 2007 4:08PM]

we'll see how open and free android and the phone operators allow it to be... I'm stating I'll pay for my unlocked phone (with MSFT tax) and the ability to do everytyhing you mention already writing my own C# code on the device, I don't see Android being as innovative or spectacular as it's made out to be.

[seanchk @ Nov 8th 2007 10:58AM]

I was a bit underwhelmed when the news was released, after all I was hoping for an iphone killer with sexy hardware and great software, however after thinking about what this really means I'm actually looking forward to seeing phones with android. Think Facebook apps for phones... someone mentioned drunk dialing, well why not an app where you can specify the hours during which you can/cannot call certain people... no more calling the ex at 4am just because your drunk and horny (unless you want to of course!). I think this is going to dofor phones what ajax has done for the web.

[PEZ @ Nov 8th 2007 11:55AM]

Im underwhelmed with this post.

[Andir3.0 @ Nov 8th 2007 2:08PM]

I'm underwhelmed with your post.

[PEZ @ Nov 8th 2007 3:21PM]

Quote:
Andir3.0 @ Nov 8th 2007 2:08PM

:-P

[Bodonar @ Nov 8th 2007 12:37PM]

That's just a demo of some kind of app based on google maps for mobile phones that tells you whether businesses are open or not. They could've used a pic of a Nokia or Sony Ericsson instead.

[joshua conti @ Nov 8th 2007 1:06PM]

i think underwhelmed is an understatement. this is like dean kamen's announcement for his world changing "segway" all hype and no big deal. its an OS. wow. the iPhone is cool and it's got an OS. every phone has an OS now... this is just big competition. heck google is smart- their capitalizing on just how cool they are. im using gmail which now offers me double the storage space of my previous email account and its free and free of popups. i have a google toolbar that protects me from porn ads and i edit my pictures on picasa (a free google software prog). they just need another place to go be cool. OS say helio *oops* hello to google...

[Skulfighter @ Nov 8th 2007 2:44PM]

I found out Yahoo has unlimited data space. FYI.

Of course, I've found that I can't switch off Gmail either. The spam filter is really good. I wish the page loaded faster, and you could open emails in new windows.

[joshua conti @ Nov 8th 2007 2:57PM]

yahoo may have unlimited space but gmail doesnt have multicolour ads and a painful UI... gmail is straight forward for mondern minimalists like me (although i do still have a cluttered office)... and ditto on that last note...

[joshua conti @ Nov 8th 2007 2:58PM]

yahoo may have unlimited space but gmail doesnt have multicolour ads and a painful UI... gmail is straight forward for mondern minimalists like me (although i do still have a cluttered office)... and ditto on that last note...

[Paladin @ Nov 9th 2007 9:33AM]

@ Josh / @ Skulfighter

You *can* open gmail emails in a new window... when you are looking at the email, at the upper right there is button to "pop out" in a new window. You can read and edit multiple emails at the same time.

[Paul @ Nov 8th 2007 3:35PM]

We don't need another cell phone with a web interface.

We need a mobile PC that fits in your pocket and connects seamlessly to the web for free. That is where this is going. Once Google gets its hands on some spectrum space, access to the Internet will be free as long as you can stand the Google ads that will support it. Just like the old TV networks - its free as long as you put up with the commercials.

Goodbye to monthly carrier charges and limited Internet access.

That's when I'm buying a gPhone and selling my AT&T stock.

[Mike @ Nov 8th 2007 8:27PM]

Another reason for companies not having open source phone OS' is the fact that it's be much easier to get down to the actual transmission between phone and satellite, as soon as people could spoof their MAC addies, people were on networks that they weren't authorized (Don't believe me, head to any college wireless network, most just use MAC recognition to ID the computer), and this can lead to people intercepting phone calls or just using the intended provider for free service. Open source, while it's useful for the consumer, is very scary from a corporate standpoint.

[tamoghno @ Nov 9th 2007 10:35PM]

does that application's interface look like a standard google interface ? i dont think so

[JBrown @ Nov 10th 2007 6:49AM]

http://www.ohadev.org Given the recent news of the "g-phone" and the Open Handset Alliance. A new website has been launched to facilitate coordination between developers who intend to use the "Android SDK" from google.

please visit: http://www.ohadev.org

[Mattd00d @ Nov 11th 2007 1:33AM]

Can't wait for the new rap songs with someone talking about being a G with a GphOne.. Just like gMail for the gangsta.. HAHAHA


-Gaming News
http://www.clan.net

[Nick @ Nov 11th 2007 5:55PM]

I can't wait til we actually see some phones with Android.