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We Made the NY Times!

Scott Webster
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Many of you Android enthusiasts might already be aware of this.  If you subscribe to the same bookmarks and RSS feeds, you probably saw that last Friday your favorite Android blog made the New York Times!  The article is called “Do AndroidGuys Dream of Google Phones” and tells a brief story on who we are and what we do.

We were contacted by Laura Holson earlier in the week, looking to ask questions about our site.  Generally, when we speak to media or other sites, we start out with the “How did you start the site” and “What was your motivation behind the site” questions.  After a few minutes of taking these questions, we realized that she was not reaching out to us to talk about Android.  Rather, she was doing a piece on AndroidGuys.com instead!

It was not easy to keep that quiet and not let you guys know.  We couldn’t wait to tell everybody out there!  Let’s say that we have a couple of proud wives and moms over here in Canton, Ohio right now.

If you guys aren’t familiar with Laura Holson, she does a fantastic job covering the tech industry, mobile news, and all the other good stuff in between.  I recommend subscribing to her posts as there’s a lot that might be of interest to you.

Thanks to all of the emails and IM’s over the weekend!  Without you dedicated followers, we’d never make it to mainstream sites like the NY Times.

Chrome and Android Have Google’s Head in the Clouds

Scott Webster
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This time last year, the tech community was all abuzz with the rumors that Google was ready to put out a phone of their own.  Nicknamed the gPhone, many expected it to be their answer to Apple’s iPhone.  How surprised were we once we saw Google had bigger ambitions. Rather than focusing on just one device, they were bringing out a platform that could be run on an army of handsets.

A lot of people think that Google’s mobile agenda stops at Android.  I think that this is where it begins.  Android is just a tool to help further things at a faster rate.  The boys from Mountain View are already putting out applications for other platforms like iPhone and Windows Mobile.  Android simply takes everything that Google offers and bundles it into a convenient package.  Why download all the individual apps and services when they come preloaded on a revolutionary handset?

It’s no secret that the “cloud” is where things are headed.  No longer being confined to a desktop or laptop, people are free to access their files from practically anywhere in the world, providing an internet connection is available.  Pull up your spreadsheets, vacation photos, and favorite music all from the same device, regardless of operating system.  Google has slowly been going cloud on us for the last few years with things like Google Docs, Picassa, and Gmail.  Android is the means to the end.

Even though the rollout hasn’t quite gone as planned, Apple’s MobileMe is a step in that same direction.  Who wants to be stuck using Microsoft Outlook to pull up contacts and emails?  Nearly everyone buying a cell phone today has at least one email address that they’d like to check.  The problem is, they don’t have their entire address book memorized to pound out some emails while on the road.  Nor do they have copies of their old conversations to go through if they need to refer to something.  Gmail and MobileMe are both able to address those problems.  On top of that, Google Docs makes it easy to save, edit, or send your daily documents.  As of today, you have over 7GB of free space to store whatever files you want for easy access.  Google Calendar is there to schedule appointments, set reminders and more.  There are many apps and services that Google has been making available for other platforms and now it’s time to do it on their own terms.

By taking each of these pieces and assembling them onto a wireless device, Google is making it easier users to go about their daily lives.  There’s no need to get home so you can check your email.  There’s no need to carry around a laptop or CD with files on it so you can present the PowerPoint presentation.  Pull up the internet from wherever you are.  Sign up for $20 data plan from your wireless carrier and Android will put these things at your fingertips in a handy 3″ x 5″ device.

Chrome is the latest piece of the Google puzzle.  If you haven’t had a chance to play with it yet, I recommend downloading it.  It’s super fast, light, and shows lots of promise.  As reported earlier in the week, it’s built off of the Webkit software.  Sergey Brin doesn’t have to tell you that it will be showing up on Android before long.  It might not make Android 1.0, but it won’t be far behind.

For years, Microsoft has conditioned us to go through them for software and internet.  The problem with that is that the cloud is much bigger than they anticipated.  Google saw this coming a long time back.  Slowly, but surely, they’ve been bringing the cloud to us without us knowing. Forget dropping hundreds of dollars on software that has far too many options and features that never get used.  The days of buying MS Office every two years for $300+ are gone.  Check out the free stuff and ask yourself, “Is there really anything else that I need to be paying for?”

Chrome and Android are two tools that will make that much easier for Google… and us.  Easier for Google to deploy other initiatives and easier for us to get what we need.  So if you want to be ahead of the curve, go download Google Docs, sign up for Gmail, and install Chrome today.  Google is aiming directly at Microsoft with Android as the operating system and Chrome as the browser.

Google’s not concerned with creating an iPhone killer with Android – They have bigger fish to fry.

Android Market is Official

Scott Webster
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Although it’s not much of a surprise to Android followers, Google formally announced its application repository today. Dubbed “Android Market”, it’s exactly what we expected it to be. According to the official Android Developers Blog, it’s “an open content distribution system that will help end users find, purchase, download and install various types of content on their Android-powered devices.” Beautiful!

We’ve long been asking for a place for users to get their apps. Having one special place to go to look for, rate, and purchase will help those new to Android and at this point, we all are. It helps those who need something they can trust, especially those who fear the implications of having an “open” handset. This is a welcome announcement to us AndroidGuys. Some of us felt very strongly that unless Google adopted such a place, they could fall way behind Apple and their distribution plans.

For rating the applications, the marketplace is taking a page out of the YouTube book. It’s worked very well so far for the videos, so it seems logical to try it out for their apps. Powered by Google search, it should be a snap to get the programs you’re looking for.

Take a look at some screen shots below as well as on the blog.

Android Set to Deliver on Multiple Fronts

Scott Webster
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Not just for the techies and nerds, Android has mass appeal. Take a look at some various types of people who should see benefits from the new platform.

Google’s Android platform is in the unique position of satisfying completely different groups of end users. Never before has a platform been so appealing to so many kinds of people. Let’s take a look at some of the various types of end users who will end up appreciating Android’s offerings and the reasons why.

Geeks and their Tweaks

At the top of the list, you have the tech savy enthusiasts who lick their chops at the idea of having an open handset. Just the mere idea of being able to break the phone down and rebuild it the way they want to might be enough to convince them to sign a 2-year contract with a provider, regardless of rate plan. While there may be a sizeable amount of people out their ready to remix the device, it likely represents a small fraction of the Android crowd.

Google Fanboys

Just like Apple has their fans and backers, Google brings a built-in audience of admirers. It’s hard to not get interested when the company keeps bringing out these wonderful services for free. Yeah, we know all about the ad supported stuff, but a lot of what they offer is among the best in industry. Imagine having a portable device that ties many of their partner applications together in one neat little package! Gmail, YouTube, Blogger, Picasa, and more. There’s a decent chance that much of your online and daily life is affected by something Google related. Don’t be surprised to find a small contingency of Google lovers buying the device if only for their name.

Everyday Joe

If the Open Handset Alliance has their way, this will make up the lion’s share of buyers. The people wowed by a simple user interface sitting on top of very powerful devices is what Google is counting on to come through. Because it should make handsets less expensive, the adoption rate should be high. Being able to pick from many handsets will be a plus too. Coming in all shapes and sizes, look for Android in clamshell, trackball, and touch versions.

Anti-iPhone

As hard as it might be to believe, there are people who do not like Apple. At all. There are folks out there who will stay away from anything Apple does out of principal. Android represents a chance for these people to “stick it to them” and go the opposite direction. By giving these haters something worthy to play with, they don’t have to go around with lesser devices anymore. Heck, they might end up with bragging rights if this pans out like planned.

Cost Concious

As touched on earlier, the Android powered phones ought to be less expensive out of the gate. Will we see more “free phones” as a result? Perhaps, but not that soon. What we’re likely going to see are cheaper “smart” phones that offer a lot in the way of both software and hardware. The consumer who has been sitting on the fence, waiting to upgrade, might find Android gives them more than they thought they could afford.

Obviously, these aren’t the only types of people who will be buying Android handsets. I only touched on a few key demographics that will find something appealing in the platform. It should be noted that they are not mutually exclusive segments. At different times, I find myself sliding in and out of each of these. The closer we get to the release of the first handsets, the more hype builds. I get excited seeing the various types of customers come in to my store and asking about Android. It’s becoming more universally appealing with each passing day.

You Tell Me

So which segment are you and why does Android appeal to you?

34 Weeks of OHA #27

Guest Blogger
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Company Name: Sprint Nextel

How the OHA site classifies them: Mobile Operator

What the OHA site says about them: Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services including the fastest and largest national mobile broadband network, a broad portfolio of devices and an wide array of applications, which enable customers to do the things that matter the most to them instantly and on the go – at SprintSpeed™.

(I can’t believe them put that “™” after SprintSpeed. That’s a joke, right? As if it’s such a kick-ass motto/buzzword that other compaies are lining up to take it. Who’s going to want to infringe? A running shoe company? I think Nike’s doing just fine with its own marketing, thanks. SprintSpeed sounds like something a low-rent anime character would cry out just before he leaps into action.

Sprint’s need to add the trademark symbol to the term in this context makes me think that it’s a paranoid child, lamely doing whatever it can to hang on to its busted-ass toy, afraid one of the other kids might want to steal it. This is the mentality of an American mobile provider.)

What they do: Currently the third largest mobile carrier in the U.S. with 52.8 million customers. ‘Just Sprint’ and ‘Just Nextel’ joined up when the former acquired the latter in 2005 for $35 billion. The former started off as the Brown Telephone Company in Abilene Texas, whic after a long and storied history received the Sprint name when they started marketing switched landline services in the late 70s. Nextel was started as a cellular comany called FleetCall in the late 80s by a Washington D.C. Communications attorney; it changed its name in 1993. Nextel is known for its ‘push-to-talk’ service, which is kinda like walkie-talkies and other archaic systems in which one can’t talk and listen at the same time. The two came together in an explosion of love, electromagnetic communication, and money sometime around 2005.

Now, a few years later, Sprint Nextel excels at losing money and customers. Lots of money: $344 million in the second quarter. And losts of customers: 2.1 million in the same time period. In 2008, Sprint wrote off some $29.7 resulting from impairment of its goodwill (my goodwill will cost you a buck-fifty). They have one of the largest customer churn rates going, and has the worst customer reputation in the business. Fitch Ratings has cut Sprint’s credit rating to Junk Status, which, oddly enough, is exactly the same as mine, and that’s pretty hurtin’.

There’s many a rumour out there that Sprint is looking to unload Nextel; not sure that’s gonna help, if poor customer service is the cause of their woes.

What they bring to OHA and Android:

Despite how much Sprint seems to be sucking right now, consider the following two factoids:

1.They will be the first to offer the next-gen, cooler-than-hell, HTC Touch products, the Diamond and the Pro. And, unlike Verizon they’re leaving the handsets unmodified and up to full specs.

2.They’ve released the Instinct, which ain’t too bad a product, all things considered. And it seems to be doing very well for them.
Sprint is really busting out some good handsets, here. Obviously there’s a bit of iPhone and AT&T envy here, but I wonder if there isn’t something more going on.

I’m working on a theory here, one which may bode well for Sprint as well as that other falling-apart-quickly OHA player, Motorola. My theory is that they’re both getting desperate and may be jumping for innovation in an effort to gain some glory. Playing things safe just isn’t working out for these guys. We’ve already heard that Motorola is depending heavily on Android for its revitalization. Perhaps Sprint is thinking along the same lines?

Sprint’s President of Strategic Planning and Corporate Initiative, Keith Cowan, delivered a blurb for the OHA quotes page that gives me a lot of hope. It’s just a little more substantial thant the average executive lip service:

Sprint continues to be a catalyst for transforming the mobile environment into one that is more open and customer-driven. Our participation in the Open Handset Alliance is a clear indication of Sprint’s commitment to breaking down barriers and enabling developers to create and deliver applications that customers want. This new mobile ecosystem model will drive innovation, personalize the mobile experience and ultimately increase wireless data usage.

I don’t know about sprint “continuing to be a catalyst…” but if they want to start to be a catalyst, I welcome it. The desperate risk-takers could be very good for Android. And, Android could be very good for the desperate.

All Quiet in Androidville on Eve of ADC Announcement

Scott Webster
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The winners of the first Android Developers Challenge are going to be announced next week and 20 lucky teams will walk away considerably richer. There will be ten winners of $100,000 and another ten will receive $275,000 for their efforts. And that will be the end of the first Developers Challenge. Later in the year we will get to do it all again.

At a cursory glance, you wouldn’t really know the first 20 major applications for Android are around the corner. Without digging around a little bit, you aren’t going to find much news to report on. It’s a little ironic that the closer we get to milestones and the official launch, the quieter things are getting. Why has Google gone silent?

Let’s be fair here. The Open Handset Alliance is a consortium of 34 members, all bringing different things to the table. Why does the burden get put on Google to speak about Android? There are carriers and hardware makers involved after all. Why can’t one of them speak up and give us a clue as to what’s going on? There aren’t even people speaking on conditions of anonymity about the closed door meetings. Fortunately, I am in position to know that there are people within T-Mobile who have used, tested, and played with Android. Otherwise, It’s all a big mystery.

It’s sad to think of all the potential customers Sprint and T-Mobile miss out on by not giving people a reason to wait. Buy a magazine ad with just a simple picture of your logo and the Android robot together with a “Coming Q4” in it and watch how effective it is. Have your fanboys help generate buzz with a screenshot or two. Whenever the Dream (or whatever it ends being called) comes out, the device will have to be incredibly compelling to get people to switch carriers and cough up early termination fees.

The official Android Developers Blog has not posted anything since June 19th. We’re talking six weeks without a tiny morsel of new information. There are days that come and go and I try to think of something to write about for an editorial or opinion piece. I shouldn’t have to be waiting so earnestly for things about Android. I’d much rather be in a position to pick and choose what I want to cover, not dig for it. The only stuff getting written about in the Android circles these last few months has been mostly negative press.

My prediction for the next few weeks is this – Android will be major news for the next week. People will be looking at all of the semi-finalists and winners and trying to figure out where they’ll end up and how they’ll be used in the big scheme of things. There’s going to be some angry people complaining about the “flawed” system used to judge the applicants, but it’s likely to be the same people as before. I’ve spoken to a lot of the top 50 teams and they were extremely happy to be considered for the second round. Heck, most of the so-called losers in the first round were cool with how it went down. There are always going to be grumpy people who have an axe to grind. Unfortunately, they tend to get the press. The whole “squeaky wheel gets the grease” thing.

I’ve watched some Android articles go viral much faster than others and they are usually the ones spreading the vitriol and hate. It’s time we got some good news and positive publicity out of Android. Hopefully it starts next week and continues full speed up until the first handsets arrive. The less that gets said offficially, the more speculation we have. When you are talking about products, services, and contracts, you want people to know as much as possible. Unless, of course, it’s not all that great to begin with. Most of the terrible movies that come out nowadays don’t get screened for critics because they know how bad they are. I’m hoping that Android gets screened for us critics as soon as posible.

34 Weeks of OHA #26

Guest Blogger
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Company Name: SONiVOX

How the OHA site classifies them: Software Company

What the OHA site says about them: SONiVOX is a premier developer of audio technologies and solutions that empower consumers to create Sound That Rocks.

What they do: Sounds.

Virtual Instrument Libraries. Wavetables (not waterboards… wavetables). MIDI. Formerly known as Sonic Implants, they’re probably best known for sound libraries sold under the SONiVOX MI (musical instruments) brand.

They offer a number of genre libraries for the consumer – techno beats, sounds of the human body (called Anatomy – you might think it’d be all squishy, pooty, slurpy, sucking-chest-wound kinda noises, but it’s more like human beat-box, throat singing, etc.), or my personal favourite — Samaurai hip-hop for $59.95.

They also offer professional libraries; multi-thousand-dollar collections with everything from caterwauls to the noise a cat makes when you throw it at the wall. They offer one called Broadway Big Band for $2500 with “Realistic Note Transitions” and “Multiple Microphone Setups”. Or the $3K Symphonic collection, which was…

…recorded exclusively within the exquisite Victorian confines of the renowned Sonic Temple in Roslindale, MA, the Sonic Implants Symphonic Collection offers exceptional recordings of orchestral instruments performed by musicians from the Boston Pops and Ballet orchestras, captured in sparkling detail by a team of award-winning recording engineers and honed to perfection by a design crew with more than thirty years cumulative experience in soundware development.

This is high-end, quality stuff. But, before you think this company is all class, consider AdME (Advertising-Driven Mobile Entertainment), the “Next-Gen Advertainment Platform”, a recent spin-off company, which features “advergaming”, and allows you to do things like play games based around shooting at Osama Bin-Laden with hair products, or something, all on your mobile device. I’m kinda joking here, but I’m kinda not; check out the demo for the Crest’s MobileSparkle game which features crosshairs framing a smiling, sparkly-toothed mouth. This really is the worst kind of spam advertising, offered by marketing departments that really don’t understand the demographic they’re aiming for. Apparently AdME’s tech utilizes some aspect of SONiVOX’s audio goodness, but it’s clearly being put to use for nefarious purposes here.

What they bring to OHA and Android:

“The Open Handset Alliance is music to mobile industry ears. Finally, developers like SONiVOX have a common stage upon which to not only create, but commercialize new, innovative ideas.”

So says Jennifer Hruska, SONiVOX’s president, on the OHA quotes page. There’s no content to this quote, and it’s not as punny as she’d like to think. Thankfully, there’s better on SONiVOX’s audioINSIDE page:

The sole MIDI audio solution in the OHA and Android Platform, SONiVOX audioINSIDE is an advanced, device-hardened audio synthesis solution with high quality MIDI audio capabilities used primarily to create interactive mobile gaming applications.

The big thing they’re bringing to the table here is JET, a part of their audioINSIDE product, which delivers rich MIDI-based music funtionaloty for Java games and apps. Its biggest feature is its tiny footprint, oh-so important in the mobile world. Go check out the site for the lowdown; they’ve got a list of features that all sound cool and stuff, and that I guess I’m glad someone is bringing to the table, but really there’s nothing here that lights a fire in my loins.

I dunno, maybe I’m missing something, but it seems to me that noises were gonna be a part of the platform no matter who was hired to do the implementation. Whether its SONiVOX, Google themselves, or the wanna-be hair-band vocalist down the street who sells dimebags of oregano to middle-schoolers, there’s gonna be sound on the platform no matter who gets tapped to do the job.

Maybe SONiVOX’s product is seriously innovative. I dunno; I’m not qualified to make that assesment. But here they are, a member of the OHA, so try and remember them when you get your shiny new Android handset beeps at you.

Is Google Android Open Enough for the End User?

AndroidGuys
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For days I’ve being reading on tech blogs and in discussion boards on how open Google’s Android is. Some wonder whether it is even open at all. With all the latest happenings regarding the new SDK only being issued out to a selected few of developers leaving the others stranded in old SDK wilderness for God knows how long.

My worry is not whether or not Android will be open. I have no doubts that it will be open. But will it be open enough for the end user? Will it be possible for us to remove and add anything we like to an Android phone or will the carriers still reign superior on what we can and cannot do with a device our hard earn cash has bought? Call me naive, but it is difficult to see why carriers would give in to Google and Android unless there is something more sinister at work that we are yet to know about.

Users who want a fully open device, capable of doing anything with, make up a fraction of the millions of subscribers a carrier has in its clutches. I have personally spoken to a lot of mobile subscribers and a majority of them don’t care too much about being ‘open’. They just accept whatever their carrier dish out without making a huge deal out of it. What is Google doing to do to make sure that the few in the world who appreciate open truly get that? Whenever we pick up the newest Android phone from our carrier, are we going to to be hindered in some way from taking advantage of the Android openness glory? It would be a real disappointment if Android just turns out to be another mobile phone operating system.

I’m hoping that when my sweaty palms get hold of one of the first Android phones I will be able fire it up and instantly remove all unwanted predefined carrier items. I want to be able to run any application I so desire, launch some Instant Messenger client and never worry about text messages again. I also want to be able to make calls using some random VOIP application. If I end up unable to carry out those tasks, or a host more, then why would I, and everyone else here, continue supporting the platform? We deserve an OS that is open for the end user, the people who matter most, not the carriers and their investors in expensive suits who have no idea what open is all about.

Maybe it’s high time Google think about their own network or partnering with an existing carrier who is not afraid of opening up because if Android ends up being part open and part closed then all Hell’s gonna break loose. I’d hate to say it, but I could definitely see myself being part of the angry mob.

34 Weeks of OHA: #25

Guest Blogger
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Company Name: SkyPop

How the OHA site classifies them: Software Company

What the OHA site says about them: Next generation services for mobile devices.

What they do: Back in college we had something called Skypop. Basically, take a 1 litre of your favourite soda (A&W Root Beer), add a half litre of vodka or rum, and then drop in two tabs of … um … stuff. I remember a friend once sat down with a Skypop and watching the Dark Crystal; before long he was screaming at the screen about his Grandpa’s moustache and “The liquid pigs.”

This is much the same effect as what one gets when visiting the website for the mobile software company SkyPop. There’s a calculatedly amateurish animation in which some dude points his apparently SkyPop-enabled watch at a jungle revealing, in turn, an ancient Mayan or Aztec temple and a bathtub. There’s also a snake. And that’s about it. I was trippin’.

Trying to find any other information about SkyPop in the intertubes is a relative exercise in futility. There’s basically nothing out there. They’re all, like, secretive and stuff. This is apparently a marketing technique.

I did discover thet the company’s CEO and co-founder, Bruce Leak, ran the engineering team that developed the original Quicktime, and also co-founded WebTV, which was purchased by Microsoft and subsequently fizzled into obscurity. It was Bruce who delivered the blurb on the OHA quotes page, which is no help in deducing just what the hell it is that his company does:

We are excited to be part of the Open Handset Alliance and the next generation of mobile devices that it will empower. Android is the first platform that enables SkyPop to fully deliver on our vision of consumer services for the future of mobile devices.

What they bring to OHA and Android:

When the Android SDK was first released Bruce and Timo Bruck, SkyPop’s CTO released a video showcasing the results of their playing around with developing for the platform. This video was among a few others available on the official Android site.

The first result was a Soduku app. I was underwhelmed.

As a second example Timo gave us a taste of a game he developed which integrates location awareness and social networking. He doesn’t give much in the way of details; it’s something involving friends and enemies and their locations plotted out on a Google maps interface. It leverages instant messaging. It has swooshy graphics. I continued to be underwhelmed. Knowing the physical location of your friends is, frankly, the most banal use of location aware handsets that I can imagine. They claim it’s like a Tricorder, to which I ask “How?” Can it be used to scan the molecular composition of a rock or detect the makeup of gases in an atmosphere? No. Can it be used to analyze the damage done by a phaser blast? No. Has it ever been used as a prop in an over-hyped sixties sci-fi show? No. So, pretty much, it’s nothing like a freakin’ Tricorder at all; it’s just a lame-ass app for a mobile handset.

This might be the shortest OHA profile yet, ’cause I simply have nothing to say about these guys. There’s nothing out there. So I’m putting the call out to the troops. What is SkyPop doing for Android? Is there a reason I should be excited about these guys? If anyone has the inside scoop or an angle I haven’t considered, let me know. Shoot me an email.

Mystery is not enough. At this point, SkyPop holds the distinction of being the single least interesting OHA member. They’re even lagging behind Broadcom (ouch!).

34 Weeks of OHA: #24

Guest Blogger
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Company Name: SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc.

How the OHA site classifies them: Semiconductor Company

What the OHA site says about them: SiRF is the leading provider of GPS enabled location platforms for mainstream markets with focus on wireless, automotive, consumer electronic and mobile compute devices.

What they do:

SiRF Technology, Inc. is a world leader in creating technologies that confer “location awareness” or “location intelligence” to a wide range of consumer products… In the constant tension between lost and found, SiRF’s GPS solutions tip the odds in favor of being found.

Location intelligence, eh? I need some of that. And that bit about “the constant tension between lost and found” is lyrical and profound. These SiRF folks give good copy.

They’re GPS chipset makers. And, judging by information from the wikipedia page covering their SiRFstarIII, they’re damned good GPS chipset makers. The SiRFstarIII is a high sensitivity GPS receiver, noted especially for its ability to get a signal in dense, obscured environments. Like, say, one’s bathroom. Ever tried to get a GPS signal in your bathroom? It doesn’t happen. Trust me, I’ve tried. I would have been screwed if I hadn’t by chance discovered that I wasn’t nearly as lost as I thought I was and my living room was just on the other side of that door. Perhaps if I had a SiRFstarIII handy I would have made it out before day twelve and wouldn’t have been forced to eat the frozen buttocks of my dead colleague.

The list of companies that use the SiRFstarIII is impressive: Acer, Asus, Fujitsu-Siemens (hee-hee, I said “siemens”), HTC, Hitachi, LG, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Packard Bell, Samsung… It’s even used by Garmin, Magellan, and TomTom, so they’ve got the GPS luminaries on board.

The secret to the SiRFstarIII is a whole whack of ARM processing power built in. It can decode the truth in situations, such as heavy urban areas, where the GPS signal is reflected and bouncing around and confused, and it can deal with weak signals, such as in forested areas. It also has a really really smokin’ fast acquisition time, so if the signal drops it can be snatched up again quickly.

Cool beans.

What they bring to OHA and Android:

SiRF is actively working on the Android platform to include some of the more innovative features of Secure User Plane Location (SUPL), a standards-based protocol that allows a mobile handset client to communicate with a SUPL Location Platform (SLP), including transport layer security (TLS) for location privacy and multiple session capabilities to provide the most compelling user experience. SiRF is also implementing support for Android-based assisted GPS (A-GPS) handsets, including mobile station based (MSB) and mobile station assisted (MSA) positioning methods to facilitate the Android platform passing Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) and 3GPP conformance testing for third-party certification.

“SiRF is applying its vast end-to-end location solutions experience in working with leading global handset manufacturers, LBS infrastructure vendors, application providers and wireless operators to deliver a robust, high-performance location capability to the Android platform,” said Kanwar Chadha, founder and VP of marketing for SiRF. “We believe our ardent focus on driving the location ecosystem gives us a distinct advantage when it comes to understanding the handset location capability certification process as well as the subtleties of how GPS and other technologies need to mesh in order to create a truly seamless locative experience for consumers in the applications they care about.”

Well goddamn. Want to know what that means? You sure? Alright… SUPL, or Secure User Plane Location, is basically a communications standard for A-GPS systems (which require communication with a server to determine location). MSB refers to a positioning system where the mobile device both acquires the positioning information and does the location calculation itself, whereas an MSA system communicates the positioning information to the network for location computation. As for a location ecosystem, that’s just marketing speak. Feel better?

Here’s the important stuff you should know: location awareness is probably the most essential piece of the Android puzzle for Google’s bottom line. Reliable knowledge of a user’s location is what will really enable Google to take their targeted ads to the next level. On a home PC or laptop, Google can target based on browsing habits and mail content; on a mobile platform with GPS or reliable cell-tower triangulation tech those ads can be far more situational and far more tailored to the users current context. Check this bit from a USA Today article from back in January, in which Cole Brodman, T-Mobile’s Chief Development Officer is quoted:

By combining “unique information about consumers from the Web,” he says, with “other information” from mobile devices, such as location, “Google believes search responses can be much more targeted for Google, and that the value they can bring back to advertisers can be quite a bit higher.”

The location awareness focus for Android was made even more obvious when the first round winners of the Developers Challenge was announced. Apps that made use of location awareness in innovative ways made up a dominant percentage of the rewarded software.

It’s clear that SiRF is going to play a major role in this strategy. They have the tech, thay have a bunch of fancy buzzwords like “location ecosystem”, and it appears that they’re crotch-deep in this Android thing helping Google fully realize the potential of a location-aware platform.

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