A while ago, Google announced the new Android 1.6 , now, the new Version 2.0 is officially announced. The new Android 2.0 “Eclair” contains two very important sections: SDK support and a comprehensive list of changes in the latest version. Here are the major changes us lay folk are going to care about:

• Support for multiple Google and Exchange accounts
• Third-party “sync adapters” allow apps to tie in to the phone’s sync services
• Quick contact menus for fast access to specific key pieces of contact information
• Unified email inbox (yes!)
• SMS and MMS search
• Text message auto-delete after a user-defined thread size is reached
• Significantly improved camera controls with white balance, macro, effects, and more
• Improved keyboard layout, dictionary, and algorithm based on multi-touch support
• Double-tap zoom in browser, support for HTML5
• Bluetooth 2.1 support with addition of OPP and PBAP profiles
• “Better” graphics hardware acceleration

Check the video

Motorola has just launched, only for T-Mobile costumers, the new Motorola Cliq or Dext for other markets. The second is the Sholes, exclusively offered by Verizon Wireless. But, we now that Motorola is planing to launch even more phones. The third  new Motorola phone (maybe Android)  is called Devour, recently passed by WiFi alliance.

We don’t have more specifications, but as soon we get it, we will share it with you.

Stay in touch.

WiFi Alliance

The new Facebook 1.7 for BlackBerry is available to download it for free. The update isn’t live on App World just yet, but you can download it by visiting blackberry.com/facebook or m.facebook.com on your browser or Blackberry application world.

What is new?

• News Feed Support – The ability to set the News Feed as the landing page
• News Feed Filters – The ability to toggle between ‘News Feed, Status Updates, Photos & Links’
• Caching Improvements – The application uses the device memory more efficiently
• Feed Pre-fetching – The user will not be required to wait while their Facebook Feeds are updated
• View Profile Menu Option – Clients may easily view their own profile by selecting ‘View my Profile’ from the menu

Via

Just today Microsoft has announced the availability of the new Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrade to some WM phones in the States.  The list? very short  but the way. HTC Dash, Snap and Touch Pro2, and the Samsung Jack and Epix.. hold on?… did they day HTC Dash 3G.? Seams the T-Mobile Dash 3G will get the upgrade soon, after the other carriers will get it first.

Only phone that run WM 6.1 can upgrade to 6.5.  Microsoft says more devices may be added at a later date. HTC is stepping up in the biggest way, with the HTC Pure, HTC Imagio, HTC Ozone and HTC Tilt 2 arriving today or in the next couple of weeks. Samsung’s also warming to WinMo with the Samsung Intrepid. As for carriers, all the majors except T-Mobile are on this bandwagon, so you’ll have AT&T, Sprint and Verizon Wireless to choose from, for now…

Probably, the HTC Touch Pro 2 for T-Mobile will get the upgrade.. cross your fingers guys!.

RIM has just announced that the latest build of Blackberry Messenger version 5.0  will be available tomorrow, October 7th! BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 will feature enhanced SMS, avatars, large media file transfers, a  bar-code identity feature, and more. 

Stay in tuned for more information.. are you already using the new BB mesenger 5.0?

BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 is the latest release.

Features:

• Enhanced SMS -Allows for a conversational chat-like user experience with a single contact list for the most personal mobile-to-mobile communications
  • Note: BlackBerry® Device Software 5.0 and later is required for the SMS functionality.
• Avatars - Users can choose a picture from the BlackBerry Smartphone gallery and save it as their personal avatar, which will be seen by their contacts. They can also view other avatars in the contact list and zoom in on the avatars of contacts participating in a conversation by selecting “View participants.”
• Large Media File Transfer - Users can send/receive large file transfers up to 6 megabytes for pictures, files and audio.
  • Note: BlackBerry Device Software 5.0 is required to receive large media files.
• Enhanced Group Functionality - Allows for the ability to update, share & communicate with a subset community.
• Bar-code Identity - A user can add a contact to the BlackBerry Messenger contact list by displaying a 2-dimensional bar code that invitees can capture with their device cameras.
• Reliable Contact Backup and Restore - Contacts are backed-up on a server and do not require the need for BlackBerry® Desktop Manager.

Via Crackberry

According to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, specific absorption rate, or SAR, is “a way of measuring the quantity of radio frequency (RF) energy that is absorbed by the body.” For a phone to pass FCC certification and be sold in the United States, its maximum SAR level must be less than 1.6 watts per kilogram.

The Environmental Working Group’s launched a website dedicated to rating cellphones on their radiation output alone. Looks like the T-Mobile’s myTouch 3G and the Shadow are 2 of the phones with high radiation.

Here is the complete list

Earlier this week, CPS told you about the “Crazy Idea” of Deutsche Telekom to buy Sprint-Nextel with a bid of $10.6 Bn  Apparently, the plan was to acquire the company, then somehow integrate 3 different Networks (GSM, CDMA and iDEN) creating after the merge, a bigger, stronger, super carrier.

If T-Mobile costumers were excited about that, you can apparently release your fingers. According to Reuters, multiple sources seem to believe the deal isn’t happening. Sprint certainly briefly benefited from the re-hashing of the eighteen-month old rumor, which drove the company’s stock up ten percent on Monday.

Seams we are gonna be the 4th National carrier for a long time. I personally believe that T-Mobile needs to improve rapidly its 3G or maybe 4G network before start thinking of buying a different carrier, in this case, Sprint.

Share your comments with us.

Android 1.6 SDK is available for download. Android 1.6, which is based on the donut branch from the Android Open Source Project, introduces a number of new features and technologies.

The new Android 1.6 will support CDMA ( ready for the Sprint Hero and Verizon Sholes ) and GSM ( Motorola Cliq just recently announced )and additional screen sizes, your apps can be deployed on even more mobile networks and devices. You will have access to new technologies, including framework-level support for additional screen resolutions, like QVGA and WVGA, new telephony APIs to support CDMA.

Check the video

What’s new?

New User Features

Quick Search Box for Android

Android 1.6 includes a redesigned search framework that provides a quick, effective, and consistent way for users to search across multiple sources—such as browser bookmarks & history, contacts, and the web—directly from the home screen.

The system constantly learns which search results are more relevant based on what is clicked. So popular contacts or apps that have previously been picked will bubble up to the top when a user types the first few letters of a relevant query.

The search framework also provides developers a way to easily expose relevant content from their applications in Quick Search Box.

Camera, Camcorder, and Gallery

An updated user interface provides an integrated camera, camcorder, and gallery experience. Users can quickly toggle between still and video capture modes. Additionally, the gallery enables users to select multiple photos for deletion.

Android 1.6 also provides a much faster camera experience. Compared to the previous release, launching the camera is now 39% faster, and there is a 28% improvement in the time from completing one shot to the next.

VPN, 802.1x

A new Virtual Private Network (VPN) control panel in Settings allows users to configure and connect to the following types of VPNs:

• L2TP/IPSEC pre-shared key based VPN
• L2TP/IPsec certificate based VPN
• L2TP only VPN
• PPTP only VPN

Battery usage indicator

A new battery usage screen lets users see which apps and services are consuming battery power. If the user determines that a particular service or application is using too much power, they can take action to save the battery by adjusting settings, stopping the application, or uninstalling the application.

Accessibility

Users will be able to download new accessibility services built on the new accessibility framework and enable them in Settings.

Android Market Updates

New Android Market UI

For devices with Android Market, the latest version improves the overall user experience and makes it easier for users to discover great apps and games from developers.

• At the homescreen, users can choose among Apps, Games, and Downloads.
• Inside a category, users can explore titles that are Top paid, Top free, and Just in.
• For each title, users can now see screenshots submitted by developers in addition to reviews from other users.

New Platform Technologies

Expanded Search Framework

The Android search framework has been redesigned and expanded to provide third-party applications the opportunity to surface content from their applications in Quick Search Box, the global search tool. To do this, developers will need to make their app “searchable” and provide suggestions in response to user queries. To enable application search suggestions, users simply select each application from which they’d like to receive suggestions, under Searchable items in the Search settings.

Text-to-speech engine

Android 1.6 features a multi-lingual speech synthesis engine called Pico. It allows any Android application to “speak” a string of text with an accent that matches the language. The engine supports the following languages: English (American and British accents), French, Italian, German and Spanish. If you’re using a T-Mobile G1 or Dream device, you’ll need to download the SpeechSynthesis Data Installer from Android Market, which includes the “voices” needed by the text-to-speech engine.

Gestures

A new gestures framework provides application developers with a framework for creating, storing, loading, and recognizing gestures and associating them with specific actions.

Developers can use the new GestureBuilder tool included in the Android 1.6 SDK to generate libraries of gestures to include with their application.

Accessibility

Android 1.6 provides a new accessibility framework. With this framework, developers can create accessibility plugins that respond to user input, such as making a sound when a new window is shown, vibrating when navigating to the top of a list, and providing spoken feedback.

Expanded support for screen densities and resolutions

Android 1.6 adds screen support that enables applications to be rendered properly on different display resolutions and densities. Developers can also specify the types of screens supported by their application.

Telephony support for CDMA

Android 1.6 includes support for CDMA in the telephony stack.

New version of OpenCore

Android 1.6 includes the updated OpenCore 2 media engine, which has:

• Support for OpenMAX encoders
• Support for additional audio codecs in AuthorEngine
• Improved buffering model supports shared buffers allocated in the decoder

2.6.29 Linux kernel

Android 1.6 upgrades the Linux kernel from 2.6.27 to 2.6.29.

New Framework APIs

For a detailed overview of new APIs, see the Version Notes. For a complete report of all API changes, see the API Differences Report.

Source