The Engadget Show tapes today with Erick Tseng of Google, our CES wrap-up... and we're giving away a Nexus One!
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted January 16th 2010 12:40PM
posted January 16th 2010 12:40PM
The Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). Tickets are -- as always -- free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served... so get there early! Here's all the info you need:
- There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free
- The event is all ages
- Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 2PM on Saturday, doors will open for seating at 4:30PM, and the show begins at 5PM
- You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket
- Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we're full, we're full
- The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break)
- The show length is around an hour
Subscribe to the Show:
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hello apple whores
@(Unverified) What apple whores? Where?
Only thing I see is something about a Nexus One being given away.
@Nightwheel
And it's sponsored by Sprint and not AT&T...?
I'm all for pointing out Apple whores but there are none here.
Looking forward to the multitouch debate. :-)
@Johnny Ive Same here. I hope someone asks engadget why they can't figure out the difference between an OPERATING SYSTEM supporting multitouch and a couple of apps that don't.
I smell agenda.
@Gigaflop
What, do you work for Google? The average user doesn't give a flying crap about the difference. Most people just want to pinch to zoom on their browser and have a stock keyboard that supports multi-touch. Neither of those are on the Nexus One, so you can argue semantics all day if you want, but it doesn't support multi-touch.
@Johnny Ive Definitely.
However, (warning Engadget: QUESTION) i'd rather know why Google didn't try skinning the OS, to focus on their products.
Wouldn't that get rid of a lot of the 'heartless' comments reviewers made?
@Johnny Ive Everyone should check out PicSay and Dolphin Browser in the Android Market...It solves the multitouch issue :)...Both work with nexus one buttery smooth.
@Gigaflop
Did you see the quick interview with the google dude at CES?
Josh doesn't once imply that the multi-touch is a hardware, and the fact he mentions the US as being the only place that has a problem, means he also knows why.
I love my iPhone, but apple shouldn't have been given that patent.
The Engadget Show is so awesome. If I had had the money I would seriously have flown to New York just for the show. And I live in Holland.
I'll be there again...
...but does anyone else agree the music part of the show is...um...weird?
@DougB541
My opinion, I don't think its weird, just not my cup o' tea.
@DougB541 Hey - Since you went before, should I show up super early to get some tickets or would I be OK coming on time or maybe 5-10 minutes early?
Just wondering how popular it is. Thanks.
@DougB541
It's not just you. The music sucks. I really don't know who on the Engadget staff thinks their viewers listen to that stuff regularly.
(specifically referring to Bit Shifter and their ilk)
Will it be streamed? PLEASE stream the show.
Question for Erick Tseng:
With the move of more business users away from Blackberry devices and towards more devices not locked down by proprietary software and fees, the lack of full exchange support (I.E. GAL, Corporate Calendar) on native android applications is quite puzzling. Is there a reason that phones like the Nexus one only support basic email functionality through the native interface and it leaves the more robust support for 3rd party developers? Phones like the Iphone have it built in and it seems like they are leading the charge towards the business front instead of Android.
Hopefully you aren't a Quebec native going to the show, you may not be allowed to go home with your prize if you win it.
1. When will we see native full Exchange support?
2. U.S. multi-touch by Google?
need to win the Nexus One so we can make our card-holding case for it!
http://www.smrtcase.com
I would like one of these please.
Give a phone away to us posters who cant fly to NYC!
@ Josh Topolsky
A discussion about multi-touch is inevitable and worth addressing. Personally, I would be more interested to understand why the Nexus One (which I own and love) doesn't compare to the likes of iPhone 3Gs and Palm Pre when it comes to fluidity. Scrolling through a web page or long list is still pretty rubber/choppy/laggy. Is the UI utilizing the hardware's 3D acceleration?
Frankly, with Nexus's hardware specs, I expected a much smoother experience.
@JayBomb I believe the patents Apple holds on the swipe movement in the UI are what holds back and makes other OS's jerky and such.
@CoreyZw
Perhaps, however I can't help but notice that the Palm Pre (WebOS), the HD2 (Windows Mobile) and even the N900 (Maemo 5) have a much more liquid feel than the Nexus. I think the issue is most likely 'the code'.
Either way, I'd love to know if it's something they take seriously and whether they have plans to address it.
@JayBomb I agree and would love to get a definate answer as well.
I have a totally different experience than you with the HD2 in comparison to the Nexus though. I had them side by side and was way happier with the N1 than the HD2.
@JayBomb
That is one thing I can't get over about the iPhone. The smoothness and as you call it, the fluidity of their UI. Even in a bogdown/app crash the UI on the iPhone remain fluid.
What you've experienced on your N1 is evident on all Android phones. I just don't think Android has that degree of polish and refinement, and would like to see an improvement in the finish if possible.
@CoreyZw
A friend of mine was set on getting the HD2 until he saw a video of how jerky it was. He had a company issued iPhone so he has gotten pretty spoiled as far as smoothness goes.
@JayBomb
I don't understand what fluidity and smoothness you are talking about? The N1 is a smooth and fluid as an iPhone 3GS. I own both and I hardly use my iPhone anymore. Seriously if you're complaining about something thats not even existent, them maybe you should return your phone! 14 days are not up yet.
@mitsu8
Perhaps you're in denial? I understand people's inclination to defend a device they just paid as much as $500 for. Don't just take my word for it, watch Engadet's own review of the phone:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/04/nexus-one-review/
Near the end of the first video on the page, Josh demonstrates the scrolling difference between the 3GS and the N1. If you don't see a difference, reply to this and I'll recommend a good optometrist for you.
@CoreyZw
I just saw this comparison between the HD2 and N1's web browser. While the Nexus renders pages more quickly, the HD2's scrolling looks much more satisfying (IMO).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmKyti2XEgY&feature=player_profilepage
POINT BLANK
1. Does Google have any patent concerns regarding native multitouch in Maps or the web browser?
2. Does Google have an agreement (of some sorts) with Apple that is preventing them including native multitouch?
Although most people will want to know about more 'techie' things, I'll dying to hear what he has to say about the involvement with Google and China... Unfortunately, I don't know how much he'll be able to say, saying things are still folding out with the Chinese government... But still...
I'm interested to know if Google is going to improve it customer service for android OS. "Call the service provider" and "google it" is not customer service when the service providers sent you to Google to begin with.
Nexus One eh? Can we say no purchase necessary to win?
Second prize... two Nexus Ones.
Two questions for Erick Tseng:
Who does Google believe are their competitors and partners? Motorola and Apple - competitors? Partners? Both?
Also, if Google pulls out of China, will it just be the search engine, or will they also pull any potential Android devices?
@Graham Best
Follow up on the Android question. If Android stays in China without Google services, does it make sense?
Bring the show to Boston. It's three and a half hours on Acela. Easy breezy.
@ Joshua Topolsky,
Ask Erick why Google keeps avoiding and skirting around the multitouch issue.
YES OR NO ANSWER, Ask Erick if it is a patent issue. Point blank!
I want to wiiiin >:-)
I love New York!
Why doesn't Android use the keypad for speed dial options?
Can't sms to e mail address.
wish i could be there!! have an awesome SHOW!!!
after an intro and an anecdote you should say "OK, its time to get to the meat"
Since Sprint is sponsoring the phone, I would ask why they don't have any high end PDA phones scheduled. The TP2 is mid level and pretty dated in technology - mid level processor, no wifi, clunky. They didn't even offer the imagio/whitestone - if they offer it now it would be like releasing a Vogue/6700 as a new phone.
No HD2, no Nexus One, no iPhone CDMA 4G - no reason for any business client to look at Sprint. Sprint prices and coverage are good but I support a lot of companies and whatever the president or CEO wants as a phone determines the carrier used by the whole company for nearly every company I work for except a couple of large universities.
Low end phones like the rumor and pixi might be fine for non execs working for a company but most mid level managers and higher expect significantly more and Sprint isn't bringing the A game.
I think the HD2 or even the TG01c would have helped Sprint's rep a great deal but if you read Sprint's own forum - buzz about wireless, they've pissed off most of their clients by not offering any good PDAs this year and frankly I expect the quarterly loss of customers for Sprint to jump to 1,000,000 this quarter while every other major carrier is jumping by about that same number.
Telegram for Sprint 4G in 33 out of 30,0000 cities isn't going to keep your boat afloat - particularly with no phones that support 4G. PS your 4G solution is more like 3.5G so don't hurt yourself patting yourself on your back.
As I see it, the reason the nexus one still doesn't have the fluidity that the iPhone does with home screen movement is because of android's multitasking abilities. If the iPhone had any other processess going on the homescreen movement would be much slower.
Nice
Ask him why Google did that to Motorola and how they must feel about it. Weren't they partnered and everything? And then they just undercut them with the aruguably better phone the Nexus One.
@AndroidRokz They didn't undercut anyone, its just yet another device on the market. The android phone store will be selling Motorola phones too soon enough. Likely the Nexus Two is one in fact.
OK - My burning questions about the Nexus One and Android -
1. Why doesn't it natively support MS Exchange calendar sync!?!?!
2. Why is Sprint sponsoring an event about a phone they don't carry?
3. Do you think you could run the Android OS on the HD2?
Don't ask questions we can answer ourselves. I am so tired of the "does it have wifi?" questions people ask when they could look at a spec sheet.
Multi-touch is dumb. It's supported in the platform. Why it's not supported on the default on-screen keyboard seems silly and might be a good question. Pinch zoom may or may not be covered by a patent. But we don't have to waste his interview time with that, people can search the USPTO on their own if they want to know. If there *IS* a patent issue HE WILL LOSE HIS JOB IF HE says so. On all the android groups they very blatantly say they will not discuss these issues because it leaves legal breadcrumbs which can come back to haunt them. So just leave it alone!
Here are some REAL questions you can ask:
- Why is Android still developed behind closed doors?
- Why is there no roadmap of future Android releases? When Andy Rubin casually leaks out that they are working on Apps-on-SD to answer a question, it must not be a huge secret. So why not just post a roadmap instead of requiring a million journalists asking "Is Y in the next X release?" until we have some kind of idea of what is going on.
- Without the above two there is really no participation from the community at the platform level in Android. Is he aware of that and does he think it is an issue or not. Is Android an open source project or OHA's baby that just donates source code to the community. How does this jive with google's latest blog post on "The Meaning of Open"?
- Is he aware that the public perception of Android's model of OEM-created carrier-distributed updates is failing miserably at delivering updates. Do they have any plans to help improve this situation?
- Why run into so many problems with 256 MB of ROM and only upgrade to 512 MB of ROM. Aren't they going to be running out of space for /system on 512 soon too?