Having released the first version of the mobile platform Android SDK, Google has announced Android Developer Challenge - a competition for developers. The competitions will be held in 2 parts: at the beginning of the next year and at its end, when first Googlephone will be available for purchase.

The total prize fund will make $10 million. The best developers who will take part will get from $25 000 to $ 275 000. According to the experts the current version of SDK shows that the company is planning to become a trusted player on the mobile market.

One week after the announce of the mobile platform Google published the initial version of Software Development Kit, SDK, which can be downloaded now and free. At the same time the company announced the competition with the prize fund of $10 mln.

Sergey Brin, the president and the founder of Google, says:

“We’ve already created a number of applications for the platform Android, but they leave much to desire. The best applications must be designed by independent developers. We would like to reward such authors and support them as much as we can.”

Some of the applications will be preinstalled on the forthcoming Googlephones which are planned to be released in the seconds part of 2008.

The competitions will be help in two separate stages: Android Developer Challenge I and II.

The first stage will be held on January 2 to March 3, 2008. The jury will be made up of experienced developers and the members of the group Open Handset Alliance founded on November 5, 2007. The jury will choose 50 developers who will be given a chance to participate in the 2nd stage that will be held on May 1, 2008.

The top 10 developers will get $275 000 each, and the next 10 - $100 000 each. The best products will be announced at the end of the May of 2008.

According to the official representatives of Google, the current version of SDK is the initial. It means that in the near future we’ll se a number of beta-versions and the final release. The current SDK features the means of development, libraries, documentation, demonstration projects and great volumes of basic info. Moreover, SDK features API (Application Programming Interface) for the usage of local services, sending sound and video. According to the documentation the Googlephones to come will work in the GSM/EDGE networks of the 2 and 3 generations plus Wi-Fi. SDK can be access though a Windows, Mac OS X or Linux powered PC.

According to the experts, the contest is a wise and well-considered step by Google which is likely to draw attention to the new open platform. Taking into consideration the variety of technologies described in the initial version of SDK, one can conclude that Google plans to enter the market competition as a serious and strong player.

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mobile web, mobile Internet, mobile adds, mobile advertisement, mobile software, mobile web 2.0, mobile web page, mobile wireless internet, advertising mobile, Googlephone, SDK

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“Our vision of game controllers is very limited,” – says 28-year-old inventor Eiji Morikawa. As a matter of fact he doesn’t change the way of cooperation between a machine and a man, but is trying to make the game process more comfortable.

Joysticks for controlling virtual helicopters reminiscent of the real ones, guns for shooting at the screen, steering-wheels and pedals…Forget about them! You can play with trivial keypad and mouse in no way less effectively than with all these gadgets.

Guided by this principle, the Japanese engineer-electrician has created a set of quaint gaming devices. They, according to Morikawa’s intentions, are to turn the owners into supergamers.

The devices come as a set under the name Periborg. It seems like the name is the derivative from “Periphery” and “Cyborg,” as the devices partly make the owner look like a cyborg. Well, let’s what these gadgets are:
1. Obacha-Break

This air-horn should be hanged over the neck in order to grab it at the right moment. Whar for?

You can disorient your enemies by the loud sound during the multiplayer game mode, and if you are in the Internet club and your opponent is right beside you – the effect is guaranteed.
2. Cocolo-Con

Do you remember the time when you were just a beginner-player? Do you remember how excited you were to stay at the monitor for the whole night? - asks Morikawa. - Cocolo-Con serves to remind you of that times.

The device shows your heart-beat rate and turns on the wrist massage mode.
3. Ore-Commander

It is an indispensable device for shooters, which enables to turn your pistol into a machine-gun. How? Very simple.

A vibrator installed on the thumb (or a forefinger) enable the user to pull the trigger 20 times per second.
4. Shock-C

Don’t waste any more time for gathering your life strength during the game. Why make a pause and later on look for napkins?

A special device fastened on two fingers and equipped with a spoon and fork enables you to eat chips and keeps your fingers dry and non-fat.

5. Electric-Wang Show

The device is for the people passing you by, no matter you play at home or in a club.

Don’t distract to speaking, concentrate on the game. on the screen of Wang Show you can write messages of the following type: “Looking for a game partner” or “Bring me a Cola.”

As is obvious, Morikawa’s inventions are not game controllers proper, they are more of additional systems. The game fans are likely to perceive the novelties favorably.

By the way, two devices from the set (Ore-Commander and Shock-C) have already been launched serially in Japan owing to the efforts of the company Hori.

It is unknown whether the devices really increase your game performance. Still it should be mentioned that the devices are at least fun! And what is the major purpose of a game if not fun?

In a Blink of an Eye: The Users Evaluate Pages in a Split Second

mobile web, mobile Internet, mobile adds, mobile advertisement, mobile software, mobile web 2.0, mobile web page, mobile wireless internet, advertising mobile

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Have you ever been in a situation like this. You’ve found a great site and want to share it with your friend or colleague, but the problem is that you’ve found it at home, so the bookmark is in your home PC, but not on the laptop or a phone you have at the moment. Do you want to get rid of these kind of situations once and for all?

The company Opera Software has launched  the new service Opera Link. It enables the users to synchronize bookmarks and Speed Dials (the fast access to the most frequently visited pages) between the PC and mobile browsers Opera. The service supports the latest beta-versions - Opera 9.5 and Opera Mini 4 beta 3. The users can try the service from both PC and mobile devices.

If you use Opera Link from your PC:

1. Install Opera 9.5 beta
2. Run the browser
3. Go to File ->Synchronize Opera
4. Choose the type of data, which is to be synchronized, in the browser in the Options dialogue
5. The next step can be dropped if there already exists an Opera account. It there is no, you have to register
6. Write the user’s name and password
7. Use the service

From a mobile device:

1. Install Opera Mini 4 beta
2. Run the browser
3. Press “Synchronize Opera”
4. Register or go to the next step is you already have an account
5. Enter the username and password
6. Use the service

Even if you have a browser different from Opera you can still access your bookmarks and speed dials. Just go to link.opera.com and log in to the Web version of Opera Link.

Moreover the development team stated the release of Opera Mini 4 beta 3. It can already be downloaded on the following page.

The list of development comparing to the previous version is looks like this:

• Opera Link support added
• Speed Dials support added
• RSS-streams support added
• Hot Keys added
• “Fit to Width” replaced by “Mobile view”
• “Autozoom” replaced by “Show overview”
• The settings of the low, medium and high image quality
• The images better fit the size of the screen (without panoraming)
• BiDi support increased
• The position and scale of the image are saved after its reload
• Numbering in lists
• A number of other developments

The Wonderful World of SMS

mobile web, mobile Internet, mobile adds, mobile advertisement, mobile software, mobile web 2.0, mobile web page, mobile wireless internet, advertising mobile, Opera, Opera Mini, Opera Link, Opera 9.5

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