• French

Indeed, the Google’s downloading platform should be developped in professional version. Thus, Blackberry’s environment is clearly mentioned.

According to several sites specialized in mobile telephony, Google is about to introduce a “Business” version of the Android Market which aim is to better target professionals and businesses. It seems that this innovation would be launched next week.

The significant role of developers

Andy Rubin, head of the division of Google Android explained last summer that “Android will target nomadix employees in addition to public functions as Social Networking”. Moreover, he added that “today Android offers very little business applications, but in the future, the company will be the focus of our developments”.

However, Google doesn’t give more details on this information but we can imagine a sophisticated mobile declinationof “Google Apps”, a set of business that Google could suggest against an anual subscription.

The objective is clear: the Blackberry supremacy is in the crosshairs. According to Gartner’s figures, in 2009, Blackberry OS had a global market share of 19.9% for 34.3 million equipped handsets.

However, the iPhone OS is very close, its market share rose 6.2 point to 14.4% with 24.9 million handsets.

Meanwhile, Android advance as quickly with its market share that progresses with 3.4 points, the second annual performance of 3.9% to 7 million units equipped. Thus, RIM, the Blackberry’s maker, has to worry about it despite its World App. However, it is necessary to remind that many of the pro Blackberry applications are created specifically for business.

We can conclude that by targeting companies, Android could therefore boost its market success with references that are constantly renewed.

But one question remains unanswered: how Android will succeed in convncing developers who currently focus on free and general public applications? Thus, developers are central concerns of Google, because without them the Android Market will have “business” just as name.

Source: androidguys.com

• French

We can observe that iPhone users are the leaders in terms of downloading applications. However, according to a study realised by AdMob, the reality is different if one believes the statistics for the month of January.

Indeed, the AdMob’s record says that on average, iPhoners have download 8.8 applications last January on the App Store, which is much less than for owners of an iPod Touch that have downloaded at least 12.1 applications. According to Admob, this difference can be explained by the fact that the iPod Toouch has a younger target and therefore, they are more attracted by applications.

Paying applications are not so successfull

Regarding the different types of applications free/paying, AdMob said that only 1.8 applications out the 8.8 downloaded are paying on the iPhone. On the side of the iPod Touch, 1.6 downloaded applications are paying out of 12.1 total. Thus, they is very little money to pay the thousands of developers who create theses applications on the App Store and view it as a paradise.

AdMob has also compared these figures with Android. Despite a number of applications much lower (25 000 against 125 000 for Apple), the average number of downloads is almost the same as Apple. In addition, there were 8.7 downloaded applications in January.

However, the number of installed software pay is lower: 1.1 in average. It is necessary to recall that since last November, AdMob is subsidary of Google.

Source: businessmobile.fr

• French

Does the Chinese government try to minimize friction with Google?

According to the speech of the representative of the Ministry of Industry and Communication Technologies in China, Google’s Android will not be rejected, if it is “in compliance with Chinese laws and regulations and to cooperate with operators”, according to the Wall Street Journal. It is important to remember that the three main operators in China are owned by the state.

This is a way to appease the spirits with Google, noting that its choices will have no impact with respect to its presence in the Chinese market. Last week, Google had wanted to delay the launch of two Android smartphones Motorola and Samsung as it has considered not to be able to guarantee “the best user experience”.

Bill Gates’ speech, a reassuring solution:

Indeed, last Monday, Bill Gates said on ABC that “Chinese efforts to censor internet are limited. It is easy to circumvent”. He added that other states such as Germany practice censorship by filtering access to Nazi propaganda. He believes that people has to make a choice if they want to submit to the laws of the countries where they are or not. In case of negative answer, they have to “stop being present there”, he said.

This speech was approved by Chinese people who said that it will reduce friction with Google.

Source: generation-nt.com

• French

Since the launch of Google’s first smartphone in the U.S., the Nexus One, users have found that the voice recognition function is stabilized.

This service only works in English, Chinese or Japanese (it doesn’t take French into account for the moment). Moreover, it has an integrated module of censorship. Thus, if the user wants to dictate a sentence with an expletive, the world in question will become “#”.

The Reuters news agency has inerviewed a representative of Google who said that it’s due to a determination of the search engine to avoid confusiion, displaying by error aan oath that would have been poorly recognized by voice. He noted that the goal of this function is to filter out inappropriate content or offensive because the company wants to avoid situations where the mobile could recognize words innocently but which become curses.

Users of the Nexus One should therefore remain polite until the voice recognition technology is perfected!

Source: businessmobile.fr

• French

Would Google surpassed by Nokia? For several days, Nokia ’s announcement that offers free shipping for pedestrian and traffic navigation to the new version of its application Ovi Maps has led to a “buzz” on Internet, the choice of the Finnish company are clear and precise.

Not long ago, Google was the first to provide froo terminals for Android 2.0 and above, the software browser Google MapsNavigation Navigation. This event had a significant impact in the area of GPS navigation particulary by reducing the commodity exchange price of the two main market players, Garmin and Tom-Tom.

Since then, Nokia has developped a cons-offense: the new version of its software browser Ovi Maps for Symbian will now offer a free traffic and pedestrain navigation, abandoning the subscribtion model.

So, it enables users to enjoy a sophisticated navigation system on their mobile phone, which offers detailed maps covering 180 coutries, a voice guidance in 46 languages and 74 countries. There is also traffic information, which is available in 10 countries.

After the launch of Google Maps Navigation and Now Ovi Maps, market players in the sector of GPS navigation will have a lot of work to maintain their business model which is made of subscriptions and selective access to the mapping.

Source: zdnet.fr

• French

The first smartphone marketed directly by Google, the Nexus One, is available in the U.S. since last January 5.

Statistics are disappointing, indeed, according to the firm Flurry, the Nexus One would have been sold to nearly 20 000 models or 12 times less than the Droid Motorola when it was marketed in the U.S.  

According to Google, the lack of popularity of its first Google Phone would be to the tariff plan and not its campaign. Indeed, T-Mobile is the operator that sells the Nexus One preview, since its price was funded for the current operator customers, it has been revised downwards.

Previously, it was sold $ 180 for new customers of T-Mobile for a 2 year commitment, from this moment the Nexus One has seen its price fall by $ 100 for renewal, from now to $ 279.

In addition, the first customers of T-Mobile who had bought $ 379 will be refunded $ 100 on the purchase price of the smartphone, in order not to penalize them regarding new buyers of Google Phone.
In Europe, news are different, a picture of a Vodafone document in german was recently posted (13/01/10) on the twitter account of telefoonadvies.

If this information is confirmed, we could see the Nexus One € 149.90 with a 24-month subscription at SFR, a subsidiary of Vodafone.

However, there is still no news about the price of Nexus One SIM free in Europe.

Source:mobinaute.com