New Toy - Nexus One

I got a new toy - Nexus One.  (Any good app I should try?)

 

After undated the Firmware to Android 2.1-update1, I got Pinch-to-zoom, Google Goggles and a updated Google Maps.  Some cool videos about Nexus One below.

Google Goggles - Search With Pictures Instead Of Text

Google Goggles is an application for Android phone that search the web with picture instead of using text.  Below are some examples from their site:

Search Landmark - Golden Gate Gridge

Enter Contact 

Search for Places - "The Diner", "Scarpetta" and "Comix Comedy Club"

They just added a new feature: Translate text in picture.  It's currently in beta testing for German-to-English translations only.  Check out the video in the blog: Integrating translation into Google Goggles.

1. Take a picture of the German menu

2. Menu Translated

T-Mobile Upgrades Its 3G Network to HSPA 7.2

T-Mobile 3G users will enjoy the fastest 3G network in US.   According to this post from AndroidandMe, T-Mobile users in New York, NY and Chicago, IL start to have the new speed of 3.8Mb/s and 5.4Mb/s, respectively.  If you don't know much about the speed(Mb/s), that's faster than the internet connection I got from charter cable internet(advertised speed 5Mb/s but I normally get around 3.2Mb/s), which cost $29.99 per month.

New York, NY

Chicago, IL

For those T-Mobile users doesn't get this speed yet, your wait won't be long.  The other post from AndroidandMe reports T-Mobile is on track to finish the deployment of HSPA 7.2 in US by the end of 2009.  What's more?  They are going to deploy HSPA+ in 2010, which has a speed of 21Mb/s (more than 4 times what I get from home. sigh... )

If T-Mobile's Android phone can upgrade to Android 2.0 OS (Should be able to next year 2010), this speed and the Google Maps Navigation will be a big plus for T-Mobile.

Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0

(Updated 2009.10.28-12:53 PDT - Added video for each feature)
(Updated2 2009.10.29-12:47 PDT - Garmin and TomTom's stock drop 12.3% and  23.4%, respectively, yesterday.)

Google releases "Google Maps Navigation" in its blog.  Navigation is a free, internet conneted GPS system provided by Google. It requires

1. Google's newest Android 2.0 mobile operating system (Current only Droid from Verizon uses it)
2. mobile internet connection

The service currently only limited to United States.  And from the blog post, it listed 7 features unique to Navigation:

1. The most recent map and business data
2. Search in plain English (video)
3. Search by voice (video)
4. Traffic view (video)
5. Search along route (video)
6. Satellite view (video)
7. Street View (video)

Also, they have a car dock mode(video).  Below is a video and some screenshots about the service.

Video:

If you don't see the vidoe above, use this link.

Screenshots: