Engadget has their hands-on on with Google Chrome on Android! Check it out!

Google Chrome For Android

Introduction
In 2008, we launched Google Chrome to help make the web better. We’re excited that millions of people around the world use Chrome as their primary browser and we want to keep improving that experience. Today, we’re introducing Chrome for Android Beta, which brings many of the things you’ve come to love about Chrome to your Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich phone or tablet. Like the desktop version, Chrome for Android Beta is focused on speed and simplicity, but it also features seamless sign-in and sync so you can take your personalized web browsing experience with you wherever you go, across devices.

Speed
With Chrome for Android, you can search, navigate and browse fast-Chrome fast. You can scroll through web pages as quickly as you can flick your finger. When searching, your top search results are loaded in the background as you type so pages appear instantly. And of course, both search and navigation can all be done quickly from the Chrome omnibox.

Simplicity
Chrome for Android is designed from the ground up for mobile devices. We reimagined tabs so they fit just as naturally on a small-screen phone as they do on a larger screen tablet. You can flip or swipe between an unlimited number of tabs using intuitive gestures, as if you’re holding a deck of cards in the palm of your hands, each one a new window to the web.

One of the biggest pains of mobile browsing is selecting the correct link out of several on a small-screen device. Link Preview does away with hunting and pecking for links on a web page by automatically zooming in on links to make selecting the precise one easier.

And as with Chrome on desktop, we built Chrome for Android with privacy in mind from the beginning, including incognito mode for private browsing and fine-grained privacy options (tap menu icon, ‘Settings’, and then ‘Privacy’).

Sign in
You can now bring your personalized Chrome experience with you to your Android phone or tablet. If you sign in to Chrome on your Android device, you can:

• View open tabs: Access the tabs you left open on your computer (also signed into Chrome) – picking up exactly where you left off.
• Get smarter suggestions: If you visit a site often on your computer, you’ll also get an autocomplete suggestion for it on your mobile device, so you can spend less time typing.
• Sync bookmarks: Conveniently access your favorite sites no matter where you are or which device you’re using.

Availability
Chrome is now available in Beta from Android Market, in select countries and languages for phones and tablets with Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. We’re eager to hear your feedback. Finally, we look forward to working closely with the developer community to create a better web on a platform that defines mobile.

Google Chrome Blog: Introducing Chrome for Android
Engadget: Chrome Beta for Android hands-on (video)

When I went reached there, I noticed some snow on the ground and I thought it doesn’t snow there and indeed it doesn’t. Those are artificial snow that Google made for the Christmas season. Too bad I missed the whole white snow part as when I am there, most of it has already melted.

Android Version History (From Wikipedia):
Since April 2009, each Android version has been developed under a codename based on a dessert item. These versions have released in alphabetical order: Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich. The pre-release versions of Android were dubbed Astro and Bender, but these names could not ultimately be used for trademark reasons.

• Cupcake (v1.5) (30th April 2009)
• Donut (v1.6) (15th September 2009)
• Eclair (v2.0/2.1) (26th October 2009/12th January 2010)
• Froyo (v2.2) (20th May 2010)
• Gingerbread (v2.3) (6th December 2010)
• Honeycomb (v3.x) (22th February 2011)
• Ice Cream Sandwich (v4.x) (19th October 2011)
• Jelly Bean (v5.x) (TBA)

Android

Cupcake

Donut

Eclair

Froyo

Gingerbread

Honeycomb

Ice Cream Sandwich

I wish Google+ has support for nicer URLs like what they did in Facebook for both pages and profiles URL. No freaking way anybody is going to remember the ID of your profile or page.

Without a doubt, I have jumped onto the bandwagon and created a Google+ Page for lesterchan.net!

lesterchan.net on Google+: https://plus.google.com/117234432788649963306
lesterchan.net on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesterchan.net

People + pages, better together

Google+ has always been a place for real-life sharing, and Google+ Pages is no exception. After all: behind every page (or storefront, or four-door sedan) is a passionate group of individuals, and we think you should able to connect with them too.

For you and me, this means we can now hang out live with the local bike shop, or discuss our wardrobe with a favorite clothing line, or follow a band on tour. Google+ pages give life to everything we find in the real world. And by adding them to circles, we can create lasting bonds with the pages (and people) that matter most.

For businesses and brands, Google+ pages help you connect with the customers and fans who love you. Not only can they recommend you with a +1, or add you to a circle to listen long-term. They can actually spend time with your team, face-to-face-to-face. All you need to do is start sharing, and you’ll soon find the super fans and loyal customers that want to say hello.

Official Blog Post: Google+ Pages: connect with all the things you care about

Google announce Galaxy Nexus & Android 4.0 yesterday in Hong Kong. The Galaxy Nexus is made by Samsung and will be available sometime in November 2011.

Galaxy Nexus

Galaxy Nexus Specifications

• Network: HSPA＋ 21Mbps/HSUPA 5.76Mbps 850/900/1900/1700/2100 EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900
• Processor: 1.2 GHz Dual Core Processor (OMAP 4460)
• Display: 4.65″ 1280×720 HD Super AMOLED
• OS: Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich
• Main (Rear) Camera: 5 MP AF with LED Flash with zero shutter lag and fast shot2shot
• Sub (Front) Camera: 1.3MP for Video Call
• Connectivity: Bluetooth technology v 3.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz/ 5GHz), NFC
• Sensor: Accelerometer, Compass, Gyro, Light, Proximity, Barometer
• Memory: 1GB(RAM) ＋ 16GB/ 32GB Internal memory
• Size: 135.5,, x 67.94,, x 8.94mm, 135g
• Battery: Standard battery, Li-on 1,750 mAh

What’s New In Android 4.0

Beauty and simplicity
With Ice Cream Sandwich, our mission was to build a mobile OS that works on both phones and tablets, and to make the power of Android enticing and intuitive. We created a new font that’s optimized for HD displays and eliminated all hardware buttons in favor of adaptable software buttons. We also dramatically improved the keyboard, made notifications more interactive and created resizable widgets.

The desktop-class browser is significantly faster, featuring a refined tab manager and the ability to sync your bookmarks with Google Chrome. Ice Cream Sandwich also features the best mobile Gmail experience to date, with a new design that lets you quickly swipe through your inbox and search messages even when you’re offline. Calendar boasts a clean new look and you can zoom into your schedule with a pinch.

Connect and share
People are at the heart of Ice Cream Sandwich. We rethought how you browse your contacts with the new People app, which combines high-resolution photos and updates from Google+ and other social services. It’s also easier to capture and share your life with family and friends. Galaxy Nexus sports a high-end camera with zero shutter lag, automatic focus, top notch low-light performance and a simple way to capture panoramic pictures. Shoot amazing photos or 1080p video, and then edit and share them directly from your phone.

Beyond smart
Galaxy Nexus isn’t just a smartphone—it’s beyond smart. Ice Cream Sandwich gives you complete control over the amount of mobile data you use by helping you better understand and manage it. We’re also introducing Android Beam, which uses near field communication (NFC) to instantly share webpages, YouTube videos, maps, directions and apps by simply tapping two phones together. Face Unlock uses state-of-the-art facial recognition technology to unlock your phone with nothing more than a smile.

Links

• Official Site: Android 4.0 Highlights
• Official Site: Galaxy Nexus
• Official Blog Post: Unwrapping Ice Cream Sandwich on the Galaxy Nexus
• Press Release: Samsung and Google introduce GALAXY Nexus
• Engadget: Samsung and Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich event liveblog!

Google+ API methods are RESTful HTTP requests which return JSON responses and it uses OAuth 2 for secure trusted access to user data.

Here are some sample codes from the Google’s blog post:

GET https://www.googleapis.com/plus/v1/people/108189587050871927619?key=yourAPIKey

And it will return:

{
	"kind": "plus#person",
	"id": "108189587050871927619",
	"displayName": "Chris Chabot",
	"image": {
		"url": "https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-cQNLOQzkGpE/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAEjo/M9_pXL-ra4Q/photo.jpg"
	},
	"organizations":
	[
		{
			"name": "Google+ Developer Relations",
			"title": "Developer Advocate & Manager",
			"type": "work"
		}
	]
}

Check out the new Google+ Developer Website at developers.google.com/+/ for more information. There are also a few beta libraries already available (.NET, GWT, Java, Objective C, PHP, Python & Ruby) from Google.

Official Site: Google+ Developer Site
Official Blog Post: Getting Started on the Google+ API

Press release as follows:

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA and LIBERTYVILLE, IL – AUGUST 15, 2011 – Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Google will acquire Motorola Mobility for $40.00 per share in cash, or a total of about $12.5 billion, a premium of 63% to the closing price of Motorola Mobility shares on Friday, August 12, 2011. The transaction was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies.

The acquisition of Motorola Mobility, a dedicated Android partner, will enable Google to supercharge the Android ecosystem and will enhance competition in mobile computing. Motorola Mobility will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. Google will run Motorola Mobility as a separate business.

Larry Page, CEO of Google, said, “Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.”

Sanjay Jha, CEO of Motorola Mobility, said, “This transaction offers significant value for Motorola Mobility’s stockholders and provides compelling new opportunities for our employees, customers, and partners around the world. We have shared a productive partnership with Google to advance the Android platform, and now through this combination we will be able to do even more to innovate and deliver outstanding mobility solutions across our mobile devices and home businesses.”

Andy Rubin, Senior Vice President of Mobile at Google, said, “We expect that this combination will enable us to break new ground for the Android ecosystem. However, our vision for Android is unchanged and Google remains firmly committed to Android as an open platform and a vibrant open source community. We will continue to work with all of our valued Android partners to develop and distribute innovative Android-powered devices.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals in the US, the European Union and other jurisdictions, and the approval of Motorola Mobility’s stockholders. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2011 or early 2012.

Press Release: Google to Acquire Motorola Mobility
Source: Official Google Blog: Supercharging Android: Google to Acquire Motorola Mobility

Among the most basic of human needs is the need to connect with others. With a smile, a laugh, a whisper or a cheer, we connect with others every single day.

Today, the connections between people increasingly happen online. Yet the subtlety and substance of real-world interactions are lost in the rigidness of our online tools.

In this basic, human way, online sharing is awkward. Even broken. And we aim to fix it.

We’d like to bring the nuance and richness of real-life sharing to software. We want to make Google better by including you, your relationships, and your interests. And so begins the Google+ project

+Circles: share what matters, with the people who matter most

Not all relationships are created equal. So in life we share one thing with college buddies, another with parents, and almost nothing with our boss. The problem is that today’s online services turn friendship into fast food – wrapping everyone in “friend” paper—and sharing really suffers

+Sparks: strike up a conversation, about pretty much anything

Healthy obsessions inspire sharing, and we’ve all got one (or two, or three…). Maybe it’s muscle cars, or comic books, or fashion, but the attraction is always the same: it comes up in conversation, we immediately jump in, and we share back and forth with other fans. Often for hours. The trick is getting things started, and getting over that initial hump. Fortunately, the web is the ultimate icebreaker.

+Hangouts: stop by and say hello, face-to-face-to-face

Whether it’s inside a pub or on a front porch, human beings have always enjoyed hanging out. And why not? It’s how we unwind, recharge, and spend unscheduled time with old and new friends alike. Hanging out is deceptively simple though, and the nuance gets lost online.

+Mobile: share what’s around, right now, without any hassle

These days a phone is the perfect sharing accessory: it’s always with you, it’s always online, and it’s how we stay close with our closest friends. We didn’t want “just” a mobile experience, however, so with Google+ we focused on things (like GPS, cameras, and messaging) to make your pocket computer even more personal.

+Huddle

Coordinating with friends and family in real-time is really hard in real life. After all, everyone’s on different schedules, in different places, and plans can change at any moment. Phone calls and text messages can work in a pinch, but they’re not quite right for getting the gang together. So Google+ includes Huddle, a group messaging experience that lets everyone inside the circle know what’s going on, right this second.

Check out the Official Blog Post: Introducing the Google+ project: Real-life sharing, rethought for the web for more detailed information.

Engadget: Google+ invite received, we go hands-on
Official Site: Google+

What is +1

The +1 button is shorthand for “this is pretty cool” or “you should check this out.”

Click +1 to publicly give something your stamp of approval. Your +1′s can help friends, contacts, and others on the web find the best stuff when they search.

See +1′s

Sometimes it’s easier to find exactly what you’re looking for when someone you know already found it. Get recommendations for the things that interest you, right when you want them, in your search results.

The next time you’re trying to remember that bed and breakfast your buddy was raving about, or find a great charity to support, a +1 could help you out. Just make sure you’re signed in to your Google Account.

Show +1′s

In order to +1 things, you first need a public Google profile. This helps people see who recommended that tasty recipe or great campsite. When you create a profile, it’s visible to anyone and connections with your email address can easily find it.

Your +1′s are stored in a new tab on your Google profile. You can show your +1′s tab to the world, or keep it private and just use it to personally manage the ever-expanding record of things you love around the web.

Trying Google +1: Google Labs
Learn More: Google +1 Button

Press Release

Singapore, 18 March 2011 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a leading mobile phone provider and market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics today introduced the Nexus S, the world’s first handset to feature the latest version of Google’s Android platform. Powered by Android 2.3, the Nexus S gives users a seamless experience in navigating through functions, applications and the web. With over 150,000 applications available at their fingertips through the Android Market, users are spoilt for choice.

Ms Irene Ng, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Samsung Asia Pte Ltd, said, “Samsung is pleased to deliver the best Android smartphone experience for consumers. The Nexus S is a smartphone that combines superior functionality and a stunning user-experience that will appeal to the increasingly connected Singapore consumers and meet their demand for entertainment and functionality on the go. With its innovative, intuitive user experience and its best-in-class technology, the Nexus S gives consumers the ultimate mobile performance in a single device.”

The Nexus S also features a four-inch SUPER CLEAR LCD screen that delivers a brighter viewing experience for enjoying games, videos and browsing the web. The Contour Display also features a curved design for a more ergonomic feel for greater user comfort. Powered by a 1 GHz Samsung application processor, Nexus S produces rich 3D graphics, faster upload and download times and supports HD-like multimedia content.

Nexus S is equipped with a five-megapixel rear facing camera and camcorder, as well as a VGA front facing camera. In addition, Nexus S features a gyroscope sensor to provide a smooth, fluid gaming experience when the user is tilting the device up or down or panning the phone to the left or right. The phone also comes with 16 GB of internal memory.

The Nexus S also includes popular Android features such as portable Wi-Fi hotspot, true multitasking, access to Google mobile services such as Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps, Voice Actions, Google Voice and YouTube, and access to over 100,000 apps and widgets on Android Market.

Nexus S specifications

• Network: 3.5G (HSDPA 7.2Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps) / 3G (900 / 1700 / 2100 MHz) / EDGE / GPRS Class 12 / GSM Quad-band (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz)
• OS: Android 2.3.3 / Gingerbread
• Processor: 1GHz
• Display: 4.0″ 16M colours WVGA (800×480) full touch (C-Type) SUPER CLEAR LCD
• Camera: 5.0 mega-pixel Camera (2560×1920) + VGA front Camera (640×480), Auto Focus, Flash
• Video: HD(720p@30fps) video player (DivX, MEPG4, H.263, H.264, WMV), video recorder (720×480, H.263) up to 30fps
• Audio: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR, AMR-NB, 3.5mm ear jack
• Value-added Features: Voice Dialer, motion sensor, multi-touch zoom, MS Exchange ActiveSync, Google Voice Search, Gmail, Google Earth, Google Latitude, Google Maps, Google Places, Google Search, Google Talk and Android Market
• Connectivity: Bluetooth technology v 2.1 + EDR, MicroUSB v2.0 (High-Speed), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (up to 600Mbps), Tethering and portable hotspot
• Memory: 16GB
• Size: 63 x 124.74 x 11.5mm / 140g
• Battery: 1500 mAh
• Talk time: Up to 14 hours (2G) / 6.7 hours (3G)
• Standby time: Up to 712.8 hours (2G) / 427.2 hours (3G)

Google Nexus S

Google Nexus S

Nexus S is the next generation of Nexus devices, co-developed by Google and Samsung. The latest Android platform (Gingerbread), paired with a 1 GHz Hummingbird processor and 16GB of memory, makes Nexus S one of the fastest phones on the market. It comes pre-installed with the best of Google apps and enabled with new and popular features like true multi-tasking, Wi-Fi hotspot, Internet Callling, NFC support, and full web browsing.

Specifications:

• Connectivity
  • Quad-band GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
  • Tri-band HSPA: 900, 2100, 1700
  • HSPA type: HSDPA (7.2Mbps) HSUPA (5.76Mbps)
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 n/b/g
  • Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
  • Near Field Communication (NFC)
  • Assisted GPS (A-GPS)
  • microUSB 2.0
• Processor and memory
  • 1GHz Cortex A8 (Hummingbird) processor
  • 512MB RAM
  • 16GB iNAND flash memory
• Display
  • 4.0″ WVGA (480×800)
  • Contour Display with curved glass screen
  • Super AMOLED
  • 235 ppi
  • Capacitive touch sensor
  • Anti-fingerprint display coating
• Cameras and multimedia
  • Back-facing: 5 megapixels (2560×1920)
  • 720 x 480 video resolution
  • H.264, H.263 MPEG4 video recording
  • Auto focus
  • Flash
  • Front-facing: VGA (640×480)
  • 3.5mm, 4-conductor headset jack (stereo audio plus microphone)
  • Earpiece and microphone
  • Software noise-cancellation
• Hardware
  • Haptic feedback vibration
  • Three-axis gyroscope
  • Accelerometer
  • Digital compass
  • Proximity sensor
  • Light sensor
• Battery
  • Talk time up to 6.7 hours on 3G (14 hours on 2G)
  • Standby time up to 17.8 days on 3G (29.7 days on 2G)
  • 1500 mAH Lithum Ion
• Size and weight
  • 63mm x 123.9mm x 10.88mm
  • 129g

Official Page: Google Nexus
Official Page: Google Nexus S

Android 2.3

Changes:

• UI refinements for simplicity and speed
• Faster, more intuitive text input
• One-touch word selection and copy/paste
• Improved power management
• Control over applications
• New ways of communicating, organizing (Internet calling, Near-field communications, Downloads management, Camera)

Platform Highlights: Android 2.3
SDK: Android 2.3 Platform

Press Release: Samsung And Google To Deliver Nexus S The First Mobile Phone In The World Powered By Android 2.3
Official Blog Post: Introducing Nexus S with Gingerbread

Researched during the last three months of 2009, DBI 2.0 found almost 1.5 million online technology brand mentions – double the level tracked in DBI 1.0, conducted July to September 2009. Other key findings from DBI 2.0 include:

• Mentions of large technology brands online doubled in the last quarter of 2009, reaching 1.5 million across Asia Pacific’s top 300 large technology brands, covering almost 3,800 channels and online sites.
• Twitter’s massive growth trajectory has seen it become the dominant channel for sharing news about technology brands across Asia, except in China where it is banned. For example, in India, Twitter represents over three-quarters of all online conversations tracked.
• Despite massive online buzz generated by Microsoft around Windows 7, Google continued to be the most discussed brand across the region, generating significant mentions in areas such as its Chrome and Android operating systems, and the Nexus One smart phone.

Developed by Edelman and derived from Brandtology data, the second quarterly Digital Brand Index (DBI 2.0) for Singapore found:

• Google (over 20,600) and SingTel (over 13,700) topped the rankings by way of volume of conversations, with increases of 245 per cent and 50 per cent in the last quarter respectively
• StarHub closed the gap on SingTel, enjoying a 137.3 per cent increase in online buzz
• Canon (4.3) once again topped the Average Engagement scoreboard, ahead of LG (3.3)
• The centre of gravity for online conversation regarding technology brands in Singapore was once again dominated Hardwarezone Forum, Eat, Drink, Man, Woman (37,043 mentions) and Twitter Singapore (20,643). The channels combined accounted for over one third (37.2 per cent) of all chatter
• StarHub knocked SingTel from the top spot in the Channel Index, which reveals the number of unique channels discussing a brand

Source: Twitter Leapfrogs Established Digital News Sources finds the Asia Pacific Quarterly Digital Brand Index

Pricing & Availability

• USD$529 (without contract)
• USD$179 (with 2 years contract from T-Mobile USA)

Verizon Wireless in the US and Vodafone in Europe plan to bring in the Nexus One as well during Spring 2010. The Nexus One will ship to three international market at the moment, UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Shipping To Singapore
If you are living in Singapore and interested to get the Nexus One, here is the price breakdown for you:

• Nexus One phone (without contract): USD$529
• AC Adapter (Singapore): USD$19.99
• DHL International (Shipping & Handling): USD$28.32
• Total: USD$577.31 or SGD$806.10 (USD$1 = SGD$1.3963)
• After adding in 7% GST: SGD$862.52

Hardware Specifications

• Display: 3.7″ AMOLED 480×800 WVGA display
• Thinness: 11.5mm; Weight: 130g
• Processor/Speed: Qualcomm Snapdragon 3G QSD8250 chipset, delivering speeds up to 1GHz
• Camera: 5 megapixel auto focus with flash and geo tagging
• Onboard memory: 512MB Flash, 512MB RAM
• Expandable memory: 4GB removable SD Card (expandable to 32GB)
• Noise Suppression: Dynamic noise suppression from Audience, Inc.
• Ports: 3.5mm stereo headphone jack with four contacts for inline voice and remote control
• Battery: Removable 1400 mAh
• Personalized laser engraving: Up to 50 characters on the back of the phone
• Trackball: Tri-color notification LED, alerts when new emails, chats, text messages arrive

Software Innovation

• Google Maps Navigation: offering turn-by-turn driving directions with voice output.
• Email: multiple Gmail accounts; universal inbox and Exchange support.
• Phone book: aggregate contacts from multiple sources, including Facebook.
• Quick Contacts: easily switch between communication and social applications.
• Android Market: access to more than 18,000 applications.
• Enter text without typing.
• Use a voice-enabled keyboard for all text fields: speak a text message, instant message, tweet, Facebook update, or complete an email.
• Tell your phone what you want it to do.
• Search Google, call contacts, or get driving directions by just speaking into your phone.
• Take personalization to the next level.
• Dynamic, interactive, live wallpapers react to the touch of a finger.
• More widgets and five home screen panels allow for further device customization.
• Capture camera-quality pictures and video with your device.
• 5 megapixel camera includes LED flash, auto focus, zoom, white balance and color effects.
• View pictures and Picasa Web Albums in the new 3D Gallery.
• Record Hi-Res MPEG4 video, and then upload to YouTube with one click.
• Read your voicemail messages.
• Get transcribed voicemail with Google Voice integration, without changing your number.

Video

Links

• View: Nexus One Official Homepage
• Buy: Nexus One
• Press Release: Google Offers New Model for Consumers to Buy a Mobile Phone
• Video: Nexus One Videos
• Image: Nexus One Press Photos

Singapore, December 2, 2009 – Google today announced the launch of Street View in Singapore, allowing users to view and navigate 360 degree street-level imagery of Singapore. Taken by Street View cars along all public roads earlier this year, the imagery includes iconic locations like Orchard Road, Marina Bay and Clarke Quay; cultural areas like Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam; and the heartland like Tampines, Jurong and Woodlands. In addition to viewing the images on your PC, Street View can be accessed on your mobile phone, meaning you now have a virtual photo-based street guide of Singapore in your pocket. See it for yourself at maps.google.com.sg.

First launched in May 2007, Street View is hugely popular worldwide and is available in more than 100 metropolitan areas around the world. Singapore is the first country in Southeast Asia to get Street View and the fourth country in Asia Pacific after Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

In areas where Street View is available, you can access street-level imagery by zooming into the lowest level on Google Maps, or by dragging the orange “Pegman” icon on the left-hand side of the map onto a blue highlighted street. You can check out a restaurant before arriving, make travel plans, arrange meeting points, get a helping hand with geography homework, or just explore and get to know Singapore better. The coolest way to use Street View is on smartphones so users can do all of this fun stuff on-the-go, anytime, anywhere.

Organisations can also benefit from the Street View technology by putting a business listing on Google Maps for free or embedding Google Maps directly into their websites at no charge. The street-level imagery of their location can help them to promote and increase awareness of their business – whether its a chain of restaurants, a library, a local attraction or even a new hotel. For more tips and videos about using Street View in Singapore, visit maps.google.com.sg/streetview.

Andrew McGlinchey, Google’s Head of Product Management in Southeast Asia said, “Street View has been hugely popular with our Google Maps users worldwide so we’re thrilled to extend our Street View coverage to Singapore. Imagine all the great uses of Street View here, from promoting tourist hotspots to hunting for property to educating students about historic buildings, and of course, getting directions and searching for businesses. Street View will allow locals and visitors to visit places in Singapore they may not have had a chance to experience before.”

Our launch partner, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), is very pleased with Street View’s ability to showcase some of Singapore’s best-loved tourist attractions and hidden gems to a global audience. Said Mr Ken Low, Assistant Chief Executive (Marketing), STB, “STB is very excited by Street View’s marketing potential as it will further raise Singapore’s prominence and reach through the Internet. People unfamiliar with Singapore can now get a first look at our city. The convenience of Google Maps, and the Street View feature, will give people from anywhere in the world a much better idea and picture of what Singapore looks like, and what it has to offer and we welcome private sector initiatives such as these which help us add value to our visitors’ experiences.”

Singaporean businesses and organizations keen to leverage Street View

Many other Singaporean businesses and organisations have already identified significant opportunities for Street View to be used in travel, tourism, house buying and renting, education and helping make small businesses easier to find.

Chris Robb, Managing Director of Spectrum Worldwide, OCBC Cycle Singapore event owner and organiser said, “Spectrum Worldwide and OCBC Cycle Singapore are thrilled to be the first local sporting event to use Google Street View to provide participants with the ability to virtually cycle the routes before event day. Street View will also give OCBC Cycle Singapore supporters an opportunity to find vantage points and see what the cyclists will tackle in March next year.”

Patrick Grove, Executive Chairman, iProperty.com Group said, “We welcome the opportunity to incorporate Street View on our website with the potential of providing a whole new approach for property search in Singapore for our users. Street View could benefit users in selecting the relevant properties to visit by providing detailed visual insights of the surrounding public transport, malls and other amenities. In short, the online property search process becomes less time-consuming, more informative, more efficient and most importantly resulting in smarter decisions made for your dream home.”

PropertyGuru’s Co-founder and Director Steve Melhuish said, “We are looking forward to having Street View on www.PropertyGuru.com.sg as it offers our users a new and unique way to view the location of properties and save time in their search. It’s an amazing tool that will allow our users to see each property and its surroundings and help them get a real feel for the area without having to physically be there. For those who are looking around to buy or rent a home in Singapore, the search just got easier!”

The winner of the Street View Trike online vote is…

Google and STB also announced the winners of the online poll in which the Singapore public voted for the best tourist attractions to be photographed by the Street View trike. Google received thousands of suggestions and votes over the past month and the top winner in each of the four voting categories are: Chinatown, Pagoda Street and Mosque Street for ‘Cultural Areas’; the Southern Ridge, Henderson Wave Bridge, Hort Park and Kent Ridge for ‘Hidden Gems’; Sentosa’s beaches and trails for ‘Natural Wonders’; and the Quays (Robertson, Clarke, Boat) and the Fullerton for ‘The City’.

And the top spot goes to… Sentosa, Asia’s favourite playground, which received the most number of votes to be hailed as Singapore’s most popular tourist attraction! These top voted locations will get a visit from the trike first while it is here in Singapore. The images it collects will later appear in Street View to help millions of Google users in Singapore and all over the world get a special view of some of Singapore’s famous attractions and inspire them to visit the attractions for themselves.

Privacy features built into Street View

Google has also gone to great lengths to safeguard privacy while allowing all Singaporean users to benefit from Street View. Street View only contains imagery that is already visible from public roads and features technology that blurs both faces and licence plates. In addition, any user can easily flag images for removal that he or she considers inappropriate by clicking on “Report a problem”. Google has consulted extensively with many privacy and community groups around the world in developing these privacy features and safeguards.

For more information, check out Press Release Site.

Singapore, November 19, 2009 – With a daily public transport ridership of 6 million travelling by buses, taxi and trains; and more than 870,000 other vehicles on the roads in Singapore, commuters and motorists can now better plan their trips on Google Maps through a unique collaboration between Google and Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA). Mapping, directions and route planning for various forms of land transport modes – from buses to trains to cars to even by walking – are now all available for free on Google Maps. Transit and traffic information are also available on mobile devices with Google Maps for Mobile, so commuters and motorists can check the latest updates to make route changes on-the-go.

Singapore is the first country in the world to provide this comprehensive range and nation-wide coverage of land transport options on Google’s global online map platform. Today at the Dhoby Ghaut MRT station, LTA’s Chief Executive, Mr Yam Ah Mee, and Google’s Geospatial Technologist, Mr Ed Parsons, launched this new service at maps.google.com.sg/transport.

Under this collaborative effort, LTA provided key transit and traffic information such as live traffic feeds and public bus/MRT routes and schedules. Google combined the high quality of LTA’s transit data, and worked with Quantum Inventions, a Singapore company, to integrate traffic data, on the popular and familiar user interface of Google Maps. The integration of LTA’s information on Google Maps complements existing LTA and third-party travel planning tools for commuters.

Whether a private car owner switching to go by bus or MRT, or a public transit rider choosing to drive or take a taxi, or even one of 10 million international visitors each year finding their way around, the Singapore public can now check all of their land transport options to make an informed decision on the quickest, most convenient route and method to reach their destinations. For example, each time a Google Maps user requests driving directions, the user will be given the opportunity to plan the same trip using public transit – a useful option when the driving route is highlighted as red or experiencing heavy congestion.

“In line with LTA’s vision for a people-centred public transport system, we have launched several initiatives to help commuters better manage their travel time, transfers, and make more informed transport decisions. Recent initiatives include PublicTransport@SG which has received good responses of 679,000 average page views monthly,” said Mr Yam Ah Mee, Chief Executive, LTA. “The collaboration with Google is another step in this direction to make it even easier for the public to plan their trips with transit and traffic information on Google Maps, whether travelling to their nearest shopping mall or across the island to their favourite eating joint.”

“Google’s goal is to bring LTA’s accurate, comprehensive land transport information together on a global mapping platform for easy access, search and use on PCs and mobile phones by millions of Singaporeans and Google Maps users around the world,” said Mr Ed Parsons, Geospatial Technologist, Google. “Google Maps seeks to provide users with tools to help them explore the world around them and working with LTA to improve the daily lives of Singaporeans is an example of how Google can partner with government agencies to serve the public on a national scale.”

Mapplets increase usefulness of Google Maps

Mapplets are useful mini-applications developed by third parties that can be added directly on to Google Maps Singapore. With just a single click of the mouse, users can customize their Google Maps by adding useful tools created just for Singapore.

The three highlighted mapplets on the left navigation panel on maps.google.com.sg are incidents, ERP locations/rates, and cycle routes (from National Parks Board). The incidents mapplet is based on LTA data and displays real-time traffic incidents, constructions, and road closures island-wide. If the traffic looks sluggish, you can find out what is causing it by clicking on the pin to get additional details such as when and where the incident happened.

Other Singapore mapplets can be found in the My Maps directory including petrol station finder, carpark finder, highway cameras and more.

More Information at the press release site, http://sites.pressatgoogle.com/sgtransport/ or visit Google Maps Singapore to have a feel of it.

Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we’re already talking to partners about the project, and we’ll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We’re designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.

Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips and we are working with multiple OEMs to bring a number of netbooks to market next year. The software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel. For application developers, the web is the platform. All web-based applications will automatically work and new applications can be written using your favorite web technologies. And of course, these apps will run not only on Google Chrome OS, but on any standards-based browser on Windows, Mac and Linux thereby giving developers the largest user base of any platform.

Read: Introducing the Google Chrome OS

HTC Dream Specifications

• Processor: Qualcomm MSM7201A, 528 MHz
• Operating System: Android
• Memory: 256 MB (ROM) and 192 MB (RAM)
• Dimensions (LxWxT): 117.7 mm x 55.7 mm x 17.1 mm
• Weight: 158 grams with battery
• Display: 3.2-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 320 x 480 (HVGA) resolution
• Keyboard: Slide-out 5-row QWERTY keyboard
• GPS: GPS navigation capability
• Connectivity: Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate, 802.11b/g, HTC ExtUSB (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
• Camera: 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus
• Expansion Slot: microSD memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)

3 New Voice + Data Plans

• 3G Flexi Lite – SGD$39
  • 500 MB Data
  • 100 Mins Outgoing Voice
  • 500 SMS
  • HTC Dream Price: SGD$438
• 3G Flexi – SGD$56
  • 1 GB Data
  • 200 Mins Outgoing Voice
  • 500 SMS
  • HTC Dream Price: SGD$338
• 3G Flexi Plus – SGD$95
  • 2 GB Data
  • 500 Mins Outgoing Voice
  • 500 SMS
  • HTC Dream Price: SGD$238

Note

• Download Speed up to 3.6 Mbps, Upload Speed up to 1 Mbps. The Download Speed is stated but the Upload Speed is not stated, I am basing it off here.
• These plans also come with 6 value added services free (Caller ID, AutoRoam, SMS Plus, VoiceMail, Colour-Me-Tones, Overseas Missed Call Alert).
• Taken from: 3G Flexi Plans.
• Prices stated are including 7% GST.

Other Singtel Plans With HTC Dream Prices

• iOne Plus (SGD$25.68) – SGD$488
• iTwo Value (SGD$48.15) – SGD$388
• iTwo Plus (SGD$82.93) – SGD$288
• iThree Plus (SGD$192.60) – SGD$238

Links

• Press Release: HTC Dream goes on sale at SingTel retail stores tomorrow
• Official Site (Singtel): HTC Dream
• Official Site (HTC): HTC Dream
• Facebook Gallery: Singtel HTC Dream Launch
• Youtube: Video Of Singtel HTC Dream

Singapore, 5 February 2009 – Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) and HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile phone innovation and design, today unveiled the first Android powered mobile phone released in Asia – the HTC Dream. Customers of SingTel and its wholly-owned subsidiary in Australia, Optus, will soon be the first in Asia to enjoy this highly anticipated device.

The HTC Dream combines full touch-screen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience that includes popular Google applications and products that millions have enjoyed on the desktop. With a fun and intuitive user interface and one-touch access to Google Search, the HTC Dream provides access to Android Market, so customers can find and download unique applications to expand and personalise their phone to fit their lifestyle.

“We are delighted to work with Google and HTC to be the first operator in Asia to bring the HTC Dream to our customers. This demonstrates our commitment to deliver a unique experience to our customers and meeting their demand for quality communications and multimedia products and services,” said Yuen Kuan Moon, SingTel’s Chief of Consumer and CEO of SingTel Mobile. “This Android-powered mobile device and its range of popular Google applications and other multimedia-rich software will redefine our customers’ mobile phone experience. Coupled with SingTel’s unrivalled 3G mobile network, our customers can enjoy the full potential of the Internet with just a Dream phone in their hands.”

Press Release: SingTel and HTC Introduce the HTC Dream – the First Android-Powered phone released in Singapore

Here are some brief features from Wikipedia and Gizmodo:

• Qualcomm MSM7201A processor at 528MHz
• 128MB RAM / 256MB ROM
• 1GB MicroSD card preinstalled. Supports up to 8GB MicroSD
• Built-in GPS
• 3.1MP camera (no flash), 2048 × 1536 resolution
• No video recording
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE/Wi-Fi and UMTS/HSDPA 850/900/1700/1800/1900/2100Mhz
• 1150mAh battery (Talktime: 5 hours, Standby Time: 130 hours)
• Touchscreen size is 3.17 inches (81 mm) with HVGA (480 × 320) (65K color)
• 115 mm × 55 mm (4.53 in × 2.17 in), 16 mm (0.63 in) thick
• Internet navigation button controls
• Full QWERTY 5-row keypad that slides away when not in use
• Available in white, black and brown

The T-Mobile G1 will be retailing in the US for USGD$179 and it is tied to T-Mobile similar to how the iPhone is tied to AT&T. By the way, there is no 3.5mm headphone jack in the G1 as it is using the proprietary ExtUSB connector by HTC.

Press Release: The first Android-powered phone
View: T-Mobile G1

• An address bar with auto-completion features called “omnibox.”
• The V8 JavaScript Virtual Machine.
• A privacy mode.
• Web applications can be launched in their own browser window without an address bar and toolbar.
• Chrome includes an automatically updated phishing and malware blacklist using the Google Safe Browsing API.
• Uses the WebKit Rendering Engine.
• Puts individual tabs and plug-ins into separate processes.
• Integration of Gears.

The beta should be available tomorrow (Singapore time). Wonder how well it will stand against Mozilla Firefox.

Source: Google Blog: A fresh take on the browser
Taken From: Wikipedia: Google Chrome
More Information: Google Chrome, Google’s Browser Project