healthy4u: Android

Announcing Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0

(Cross-posted with the <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/10/announcing-google-maps-navigation-for.html">Google Mobile Blog</a>) <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IevKNrO7uCY/Sudi7cMuw2I/AAAAAAAAAK8/iWonWTXpMl0/s1600-h/google-maps-navigation.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397391451748221794" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IevKNrO7uCY/Sudi7cMuw2I/AAAAAAAAAK8/iWonWTXpMl0/s320/google-maps-navigation.png" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 320px;" /></a> <div>Since 2005, millions of people have relied on <a href="http://www.google.com/mobile/products/maps.html" id="roox" target="_blank" title="Google Maps for mobile">Google Maps for mobile</a> to get directions on the go. However, there's always been one problem: Once you're behind the wheel, a list of driving directions just isn't that easy to use. It doesn't tell you when your turn is coming up. And if you miss a turn? Forget it, you're on your own. Today we're excited to announce the next step for Google Maps for mobile: <a href="http://www.google.com/mobile/navigation/index.html#p=default">Google Maps Navigation (Beta)</a> for Android 2.0 devices. This new feature comes with everything you'd expect to find in a GPS navigation system, like 3D views, turn-by-turn voice guidance and automatic rerouting. But unlike most navigation systems, Google Maps Navigation was built from the ground up to take advantage of your phone's Internet connection. Here are seven features that are possible because Google Maps Navigation is connected to the Internet: The most recent map and business data When you use Google Maps Navigation, your phone automatically gets the most up-to-date maps and business listings from Google Maps — you never need to buy map upgrades or update your device. And this data is continuously improving, thanks to users who <a href="http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2009/10/your-world-your-map.html" id="cwfq" target="_blank" title="report maps issues">report maps issues</a> and businesses who activate their listings with <a href="http://www.google.com/lbc" id="uup-" target="_blank" title="Google Local Business Center">Google Local Business Center</a>. Search in plain English Google Maps Navigation brings the speed, power and simplicity of Google search to your car. If you don't know the address you're looking for, don't worry. Simply enter the name of a business, a landmark or just about anything into the search box, and Google will find it for you. Then press "Navigate", and you're on your way. Search by voice Typing on a phone can be difficult, especially in the car, so with Google Maps Navigation, you can say your destination instead. Hold down the search button to activate voice search, then tell your phone what you want to do (like "Navigate to Pike Place in Seattle"), and navigation will start automatically. Traffic view Google Maps Navigation gets live traffic data over the Internet. A traffic indicator light in the corner of the screen glows green, yellow or red, depending on the current traffic conditions along your route. If there's a jam ahead of you, you'll know. To get more details, tap the light to zoom out to an aerial view showing traffic speeds and incidents ahead. And if the traffic doesn't look good, you can choose an alternate route. Search along route For those times when you're already on the road and need to find a business, Google Maps Navigation searches along your route to give you results that won't take you far from your path. You can search for a specific business by name or by type, or you can turn on popular layers, such as gas stations, restaurants or parking. Satellite view Google Maps Navigation uses the same satellite imagery as Google Maps on the desktop to help you get to your destination. Turn on the satellite layer for a high-resolution, 3D view of your upcoming route. Besides looking cool, satellite view can help you make sense of complicated maneuvers. Street View If you want to know what your next turn looks like, double-tap the map to zoom into Street View, which shows the turn as you'll see it, with your route overlaid. And since locating an address can sometimes be tricky, we'll show you a picture of your destination as you approach the end of your route, so you'll know exactly what to look for. Since there's nothing quite like seeing the product in action, we made this video to demonstrate a real-life example: <object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tGXK4jKN_jY&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tGXK4jKN_jY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> The first phone to have Google Maps Navigation and Android 2.0 is the <a href="http://www.droiddoes.com/" id="ckr8" target="_blank" title="Droid">Droid</a> from Verizon. Google Maps Navigation is initially available in the United States. And like other Google Maps features, Navigation is free. Check out the <a href="http://www.google.com/mobile/navigation/index.html#p=default">Google Maps Navigation page</a> to learn more and browse a gallery of product screenshots. Take Google Maps Navigation for a spin, and bring Internet-connected GPS navigation with you in your car.<a href="http://www.google.com/mobile/navigation/index.html#p=default"></a></div><div> Posted by Keith Ito, Software Engineer</div>

Announcing Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0

(Cross-posted with the Google Mobile Blog ) Since 2005, millions of people have relied on Google Maps for mobile to get directions on the g...

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More accessibility features in Android 1.6

From time to time, our own T.V. Raman shares his tips on how to use Google from his perspective as a technologist who cannot see — tips that sighted people, among others, may also find useful. The most recent release of Android 1.6, a.k.a. Donut, introduces accessibility features designed to make Android apps more widely usable by blind and low-vision users. In brief, Android 1.6 includes a built-in screenreader and <a href="http://android-developers.blogspot.com/search/label/Text-to-Speech">text-to-speech</a> (TTS) engine which make it possible to use most Android applications, as well as all of Android's default UI, when not looking at the screen. Android-powered devices with Android 1.6 and future software versions will include the following accessibility enhancements: <ul><li>Text-to-Speech (TTS) is now bundled with the Android platform. The platform comes with voices for English (U.S. and U.K.), French, Italian, Spanish and German.</li><li>A standardized Text To Speech API is part of the Android SDK, and this enables developers to create high-quality talking applications.</li><li>Starting with Android 1.6, the Android platform includes a set of easy to use accessibility APIs that make it possible to create accessibility aids such as screenreaders for the blind.</li><li>Application authors can easily ensure that their applications remain usable by blind and visually impaired users by ensuring that all parts of the user interface are reachable via the trackball; and all image controls have associated textual metadata.</li><li>Starting with Android 1.6, the Android platform comes with applications that provide spoken, auditory (non-speech sounds) and haptic (vibration) feedback. Named TalkBack, SoundBack and KickBack, these applications are available via the Settings > Accessibility menu.</li><li>In addition, <a href="http://eyes-free.googlecode.com/">project Eyes-Free</a> (which includes accessibility tools such as TalkBack) provides several UI enhancements for using touch-screen input. Many of these <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/business/04blind.html">innovations</a> are available via Android Market and are already being heavily used. We believe these eyes-free tools will serve our users with special needs as well.</li></ul>You can turn on the accessibility features by going to Settings --> Accessibility and checking the box "Accessibility". While the web browser and browser-based applications do not yet "talk" using these enhancements, we're working on them for upcoming releases. Check out this <a href="http://google-opensource.blogspot.com/2009/10/talkback-open-source-screenreader-for.html">Google Open Source Blog post</a> for more details, and stay tuned to the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/eyesfreeandroid">eyes-free channel on YouTube</a> for step-by-step demonstrations on configuring and using accessibility support on Android.

More accessibility features in Android 1.6

From time to time, our own T.V. Raman shares his tips on how to use Google from his perspective as a technologist who cannot see — tips that...

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Google Voice mobile app for Blackberry and Android

It’s been an exciting few months since we <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/here-comes-google-voice.html">announced</a> <a href="http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html">Google Voice</a>. The feedback from early users has been terrific, and the requests for invites have been flowing in. We started sending invites <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/google-voice-invites-on-their-way.html">a few weeks ago</a> and will keep sending them daily. At the same time, we continue to improve the service and address your requests and feedback. Among the most requested features are tools to make placing outgoing calls from your Google Voice number easier. So today, we’re pleased to announce a Google Voice mobile app for Blackberry and Android. Previously, to place a call using Google Voice, you had to dial your own Google Voice number from your cell phone or use the Quick Call button online. With this new mobile app, you can make calls and send SMS messages with your Google Voice number directly from your mobile phone. The app is fully integrated with each phone’s contacts, so you can call via Google Voice straight from your address book. From the mobile app, you can: <ul><li>Access your voicemail: read message transcripts, follow along with "karaoke-style" playback of messages, read SMS messages sent to your Google Voice number (even if your phone doesn't receive SMS messages) and access your call history</li><li>Place calls that display your Google Voice number from your address book, the app dialer (Blackberry) or the native dialer (Android)</li><li>Send SMS messages that display your Google Voice number </li><li>Place international calls at low rates</li></ul>See how it works in the following video: <object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_HvRu9bVH14&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_HvRu9bVH14&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object> You can download the app from the Google Voice mobile site at <a href="http://m.google.com/voice">m.google.com/voice</a>. It's also available in Android Market — just search for "Google Voice." And for those of you who don't have a Blackberry or an Android-powered device, we have a mobile web version of the Google Voice site (accessible by typing <a href="http://www.google.com/voice">www.google.com/voice</a> into your mobile browser) that allows you to access Google Voice features. You'll need a Google Voice account to use the mobile application. Currently, Google Voice is only available in the U.S. If you'd like to check it out, request an invite <a href="http://www.google.com/voiceinvite">here</a>. Posted by Vincent Paquet, Google Voice Team and Marcus Foster, Google Mobile Team

Google Voice mobile app for Blackberry and Android

It’s been an exciting few months since we announced Google Voice . The feedback from early users has been terrific, and the requests for in...

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A planetarium in your pocket

At today's <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/more-search-options-and-other-updates.html">Searchology event</a> we were pleased to launch Google Sky Map for Android. Google Sky Map turns your Android-powered mobile phone into a dynamic window on the night sky. When you point your phone upwards you will see a map of the brightest stars, constellations and planets in that part of the sky. The next time you see a bright star and want to know what it's called, Sky Map can help you identify it. Whether you are an aspiring astronomer or just want to impress your date, download Sky Map from the Android Market. For more information watch the video below or visit the <a href="http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2009/05/sky-map-for-android-location-and.html">Lat Long Blog</a>. <object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/p6znyx0gjb4&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/p6znyx0gjb4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object> Posted by John Taylor, Software Engineer

A planetarium in your pocket

At today's Searchology event we were pleased to launch Google Sky Map for Android. Google Sky Map turns your Android-powered mobile pho...

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Happy trails with My Tracks for Android-powered phones

Today I'm pleased to announce the new <a href="http://mytracks.appspot.com/">My Tracks</a> application for Android-powered phones such as the T-Mobile G1. My Tracks records tracks of outdoor activities using the phone's built-in GPS. It shows these tracks on a map and presents live statistics, including an elevation profile. And here's the best part: it lets you easily share your activities with friends and the world using Google Maps, as well as archive your training history with Google Docs. Check out a ride from one of the My Tracks engineers (click to view larger): <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiphxYeX9I6kPQ7eiqW0xR0nsAKg5i84QgcEUfEzscN4cz4SooVwmlubD_3RYwM_qNr8LQdDQ5qDKsZh1DvJ4cWef-HAqqjSKiNMthtfs061ebeot0aDjpC7DcahyphenhyphenKFjLeANx-612e9auM/s1600-h/Page+Mill+Rd+Cycling.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301957264218520690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiphxYeX9I6kPQ7eiqW0xR0nsAKg5i84QgcEUfEzscN4cz4SooVwmlubD_3RYwM_qNr8LQdDQ5qDKsZh1DvJ4cWef-HAqqjSKiNMthtfs061ebeot0aDjpC7DcahyphenhyphenKFjLeANx-612e9auM/s400/Page+Mill+Rd+Cycling.png" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 244px;" /></a> Many GPS receivers require you to plug a separate device into a computer, install software, transfer, convert and upload your track to the web. With My Tracks, this has become a whole lot simpler. I no longer need to carry multiple devices when I go out for a ride, and I can easily share my rides on the spot with anyone I'd like by recording and uploading my track right from my phone and then sharing it out via email or even Twitter. Here's a look at some of the things you can do with My Tracks: <ul><li> Record and visualize GPS tracks while running, hiking, biking, skiing — or any other outdoor activity</li><li>Get live statistics, such as total/moving time, (average) speed, distance, and elevation profile</li><li> Send performance statistics to Google Docs to build a training history</li><li>Mark places and describe activities for others to discover via Google Maps</li></ul>It's simple to get started. Just go to Android Market on your Android-powered phone and search for "My Tracks." Install the application and hit "Start recording" from the menu. This video shows you how it's done: <object height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IBmjJrgUGdE&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IBmjJrgUGdE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="295" width="480"></embed></object> My Tracks was developed as a 20% project. On behalf of the entire team, we hope you enjoy using this application as much as we had fun developing it. And we're looking forward to seeing all of the creative ways people use it. Posted by Dylan Casey, Product Manager and former professional cyclist

Happy trails with My Tracks for Android-powered phones

Today I'm pleased to announce the new My Tracks application for Android-powered phones such as the T-Mobile G1. My Tracks records track...

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The first Android-powered phone

Today, T-Mobile announced the <a href="http://www.t-mobileg1.com/" id="jmdz" title="world's first Android-powered phone">world's first Android-powered phone</a>. This marks an important milestone in the young history of Android. It was less than a year ago, on November 5, that the Open Handset Alliance, a group of more than 30 technology and mobile companies, <a href="http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/press_110507.html" id="bh8f" title="announced plans">announced plans</a> to create a complete mobile platform that would facilitate the development of advanced mobile applications and give users the best the web has to offer on a mobile device. Software developers are key to driving innovation on the web, and also for mobile. That's why, over the past year, we've released several early versions of the Software Developer Kit (SDK) and worked with developers from around the world to make it better and more complete. This has culminated in today's release of the Android 1.0 SDK R1. Through the SDK, developers have unprecedented access to the hardware and software capabilities of the device, enabling them to innovate freely. More than 1,700 applications were developed as part of the <a title="Android Developer Challenge" href="http://code.google.com/android/adc.html" id="atcv">Android Developer Challenge</a>. Google engineers have also been busy developing Android applications. Many of our products (Search, Gmail, and Maps, among others) are available on a wide range of phones such as the iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile devices, and many more. Today, they're also available on Android, and you can check out the <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2008/09/google-on-android.html" id="rz5x" title="Google Mobile blog">Google Mobile blog</a> for more details. But there's more to the Android story. Not only does it allow all applications open access to the phone's functionality; the platform itself will also be open. The Open Handset Alliance has announced its intention to open source the entire Android platform by the end of the year. Along with the other members of the Alliance, we hope that Android can provide a meaningful contribution to all players in the mobile ecosystem: the developers, the wireless carriers, the handset manufacturers, etc. Everyone will be free to adopt and adapt the technology as they see fit. By doing so, we hope that users will get better, more capable phones with powerful web browsers and access to a rich catalogue of innovative mobile applications. Developers will soon be able to distribute their applications to real handsets through the beta version of <a href="http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2008/08/android-market-user-driven-content.html" id="bqwf" title="Android Market (beta)">Android Market</a>. Handset manufacturers and wireless carriers will be able to incorporate Android innovations into their own new handsets and service offerings. And users will get better handsets and more choice. We think it's another step towards realizing the full potential of the mobile phone. Posted by Erick Tseng, Lead Product Manager, Android Team

The first Android-powered phone

Today, T-Mobile announced the world's first Android-powered phone . This marks an important milestone in the young history of Android. I...

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Introducing the winners of the Android Developer Challenge I

Less than a year ago, we <a title="announced" href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/calling-all-developers-10m-android.html" id="e418">announced</a> the Android Developer Challenge, a two-part contest for developers to design engaging, innovative mobile applications for Android to<span class="on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"> the tune of $10 million total in awards. Since the kickoff of the first part of the contest (ADC I) last November, we've been eagerly waiting to see what these brilliant minds would come up with. The first round of ADC I closed earlier this year, awarding the top 50 entrants with $25,000 each. Today marks the closing of the second and final round of ADC I, in which 10 winners will receive $275,000 and 10 semi-finalists will be awarded $100,000. We'd like to wish a hearty congrats to all the award recipients! Visit the <a href="http://android-developers.blogspot.com/">Android Developers blog</a> to read more about the finalists' projects, and check back for updates on ADC II. Posted by Eric Chu, Android Mobile Platform

Introducing the winners of the Android Developer Challenge I

Less than a year ago, we announced the Android Developer Challenge, a two-part contest for developers to design engaging, innovative mobile...

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Calling all developers: $10M Android challenge

Posted by Steve Horowitz, Engineering Director Last week we <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/wheres-my-gphone.html">announced</a> the <a href="http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/">Open Handset Alliance</a>, a group of mobile and technology leaders committed to improving the mobile experience and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rYozIZOgDk">Android</a>, the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. Today, the team is releasing an early look at the <a href="http://code.google.com/android/">Android SDK</a> for developers interested in building applications for Android. To get things rolling, we've also announced the <a href="http://code.google.com/android/adc.html">Android Developer Challenge</a>, which provides $10 million in awards for developers who build great applications for Android. Read more on the new <a href="http://android-developers.blogspot.com/">Android Developers blog</a> to learn about this exciting mobile platform. With so many brilliant minds striving to design engaging, innovative applications, mobile users around the world (3 billion and counting!) can expect phones equipped with dynamic and unprecedented applications very soon.

Calling all developers: $10M Android challenge

Posted by Steve Horowitz, Engineering Director Last week we announced the Open Handset Alliance , a group of mobile and technology leaders ...

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Where's my Gphone?

Posted by Andy Rubin, Director of Mobile Platforms Despite all of the very interesting speculation over the last few months, we're not announcing a Gphone. However, we think what we are announcing -- the <a href="http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/android_overview.html">Open Handset Alliance</a> and Android -- is more significant and ambitious than a single phone. In fact, through the joint efforts of the members of the Open Handset Alliance, we hope Android will be the foundation for many new phones and will create an entirely new mobile experience for users, with new applications and new capabilities we can’t imagine today. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rYozIZOgDk">Android</a> is the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. It includes an operating system, user-interface and applications -- all of the software to run a mobile phone, but without the proprietary obstacles that have hindered mobile innovation. We have developed Android in cooperation with the Open Handset Alliance, which consists of more than 30 technology and mobile leaders including Motorola, Qualcomm, HTC and T-Mobile. Through deep partnerships with carriers, device manufacturers, developers, and others, we hope to enable an open ecosystem for the mobile world by creating a standard, open mobile software platform. We think the result will ultimately be a better and faster pace for innovation that will give mobile customers unforeseen applications and capabilities. We see Android as an important part of our strategy of furthering Google's goal of providing access to information to users wherever they are. We recognize that many among the <a href="http://communities-dominate.blogs.com/brands/2007/01/putting_27_bill.html">multitude of mobile users</a> around the world do not and may never have an Android-based phone. Our goals must be independent of device or even platform. For this reason, Android will complement, but not replace, our longstanding mobile strategy of developing useful and compelling mobile services and driving adoption of these products through partnerships with handset manufacturers and mobile operators around the world. It's important to recognize that the Open Handset Alliance and Android have the potential to be major changes from the status quo -- one which will take patience and much investment by the various players before you'll see the first benefits. But we feel the potential gains for mobile customers around the world are worth the effort. If you’re a developer and this approach sounds exciting, give us a week or so and <a href="http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/developers.html">we’ll have an SDK available</a>. If you’re a mobile user, you’ll have to wait a little longer, but some of our partners are targeting the second half of 2008 to ship phones based on the Android platform. And if you already have a phone you know and love, check out mobile.google.com and make sure you have Google Maps for mobile, Gmail and our other great applications on your phone. We'll continue to make these services better and add plenty of exciting new features, applications and services, too. What would your phone do? <object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jWtFeIw8MVM&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jWtFeIw8MVM&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>

Where's my Gphone?

Posted by Andy Rubin, Director of Mobile Platforms Despite all of the very interesting speculation over the last few months, we're not a...

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