Google Maps for Mobile Is Here

So mapping and routing on mobile devices was cute and sort of fun. Heck some people even made a game out of it. Then this happened…

These new features are just the first steps in maximizing dynamic map drawing technology to create a faster, more interactive experience where efficiency really matters: mobile devices. For example, we estimate that viewing maps now requires almost 70% less mobile network data overall than before. We can’t wait to take the next steps in making Google Maps faster, more reliable and even more useful no matter where you take it.

3D Maps?  Check.  Offline caching?  Check.  Offline rerouting?  Check.  Wait, did they just say offline rerouting?  Jebus how much is that app going to cost me?  Oh right, free.  Damn that is disruptive, iPhone version please!

I, for one, welcome our new Google overlords. I’d like to remind them that as a trusted Geo-personality I could be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground data sweatshops!

Нова версия на Skype за Android

Преди няколко дни се появи нова версия на приложението Skype за Android, като най-доволни, най-вероятно ще бъдат собствениците на Samsung Galaxy S. Новото приложение може да се инсталира без проблеми на телефоните от тази серия. Това ще бъде възможно, разбира се, само ако сте с Android 2.2/Froyo. За съжаление, Froyo е едно от основните изисквания на приложение за Galaxy S. Благодарение на това, обаче, ще може да поставите Skype в memory картата на устройството. Приложението заема около 15 MB.

Както повечето потребители се досещат, приложението позволява провеждането на безплатни Skype-to-Skype разговори. Разменянето на съобщения, както и общите чатове също са възможни. Освен това, Skype позволява и разговори с фиксирани и мобилни мрежи, но за тях се заплаща.

За да изтеглите приложението, влезте в skype.com/m от телефона си, или сканирайте изображението по-долу:

Ако искате да видите кои други устройства поддържат Skype за Android, натиснете тук.

Android Browser User-Agent Issues

This posting describes some issues when browsing websites with mobile variants using large-form-factor Android devices. This posting will be of interest both to OEMs (with recommendations on how to set the User Agent string for the device) and to web site designers/administrators (with recommendations on how to decide to provide either a mobile version, a desktop version, or a large-form-factor touch device version of the site).

Details

With the advent of Android devices with larger form factors, we’ve been evaluating the best way for web sites to provide a UI appropriate for the various Android devices that are now available to consumers. We have received feedback that consumers using larger-form-factor devices often prefer the “full” or “desktop” version of the site over the “mobile” version. Most websites providing “mobile” versions key off of the HTTP User-Agent header field to determine whether to provide the full site or a mobile version.

While large-form-factor Android devices could use “User Agent Spoofing” to provide a desktop User Agent in the HTTP header, we recommend against this. There may be site customizations needed for Android devices (for example changes in the way that mouseover is used) and the site would be unable to provide these customizations if it receives a spoofed User Agent that did not indicate that this was an Android device.

Currently, Android devices provide the following (in addition to standard info) in the User-Agent: “Android”, a version number, a device name, a specific build, Webkit version info, and “Mobile”. For example, Froyo on a Nexus One has the following User Agent:

Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.2.1; en-us; Nexus One Build/FRG83) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1

The “Mobile” string in the User Agent indicates that this device would prefer a version of the website optimized for Mobile (small form factor devices), if available.

We recommend that manufactures of large-form-factor devices (where the user may prefer the standard web site over a mobile optimized version) remove “Mobile” from the User Agent (and keep the rest of the User Agent as currently implemented). Web sites can then key off “Mobile” in the User Agent to decide on which UI version to present to the device. So a large screen device running Froyo would have a User Agent similar to:

Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.2.1; en-us; device Build/FRG83) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Safari/533.1

Where “device” would be replaced with the actual name of the new device. Sites can continue to use “Android” in the User Agent to optimize for Android specific features and can also key off of “Mobile” to determine which UI to present.