So how does AT&T fill the gap till next year while all the other carriers beef up their networks? A recent interview with Fierce Broadband Wireless suggest AT&T will follow T-Mobile’s strategy of using HSPA+.

Mr. De la Vega said his company will deploy HSPA+ (which is capable of 21 Mbps) in certain locations, but they are still working out the details on which markets to cover.

If AT&T is holding off on LTE till 2011 for more handsets, does that mean we could see more HSPA+ devices this year? T-Mobile is launching their HSPA+ network tomorrow and expects to have broad national deployment of its faster mobile web by the end of 2010. Their first device is a USB modem, but it is widely expected T-Mobile has a surprise HSPA+ handset to pair with their very fast network.

Is anyone else holding out on 4G data speeds for their next Android handset? Sprint will have a 4G handset this summer, but surely T-Mobile and Verizon have something up their sleeve.

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We did however, get a glimpse of future mobile technology at the recent Game Developers Conference.

Imagination Technology, makers of the PowerVR GPU chip that powers the Motorola Droid, said we will definitely have “graphics comparable to the PlayStation 3 in three years”.

They can predict this with certainty because the chips are already being designed and it takes about three years for them to reach an actual handset. The new chipsets will be focused on multiprocessors and Imagination Technology claims you could theoretically have three or four in your phone.

Only Motorola produces Android phones with PowerVR chips inside, but we expect more handset makers to adopt them as performance increases. (HTC is also working with PowerVR.)

Advancements in mobile graphics technology is exciting because we are finally starting to see HDMI out on upcoming phones. Users could essentially carry around a high powered gaming device in their pocket that would easily connect to a HD TV.

Additional improvements are also in the pipes for current PowerVR chips on the market right now. A possible software-based update could bring Flash acceleration (up to 300% performance boost) and OpenCL support (which utilizes the GPU for help out in general purpose computing).

For a quick demo of what PowerVR is working on right now, check out this GDC video from PocketNow.

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• Verizon Nexus One typos make no Sense

Verizon quickly noticed the mistakes and has already updated their equipment guide. Once again, Android Central has the screen grabs which show the corrected information. The Verizon Nexus One will be available only online and it will include the stock Android 2.1. This is exactly how the T-Mobile launch went down so it looks like Google is sticking with their original Nexus One strategy.

It was interesting to read the comments from yesterday’s post because our reader’s opinions were split down the middle on Sense UI. Some people love Sense and others said they would not by the phone if it was included. Thankfully, this device will have a bootloader that can easily be unlocked so you can flash virtually any firmware that your heart desires.

The Verizon N1 will feature the same Android 2.1 as the first device.

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Presumably, the Skype deal involves Skype giving Verizon a cut of the revenue earned selling Skype services to Verizon customers. Otherwise, there would probably be no deal. Skype has always been snubbed by carriers, but they’ve finally figured out how to get in the door… by paying the man! Meanwhile, Google has managed to leverage its Android operating system to get GV distributed.

Okay, Verizon is happy, Skype is happy and Verizon users can now call other Skype users for free so they are happy too. This appears to be the main benefit to Verizon users, calling other Skype users… while those being called are at their PC or have the app running on their smartphone. Sure, there are millions of Skype users saving billions of dollars calling internationally, and for these people it will give them the added benefit of calling from their Android phone, but for all other calling within the US and internationally (calling from the US), GV is the less expensive alternative… and with 100% Android integration.

Before going into detail on the cost savings, let’s first look at how Skype Mobile is being implemented for Verizon and how it is different. Skype is a voice over IP (VOIP) service that traditionally allows calling over the internet rather than the public switched telephone network (PSTN). All other mobile Skype apps on various mobile phones use the carrier’s data service rather than the voice service, i.e. does not use minutes. However, in the case of “Skype Mobile”, Verizon is carrying Skype calls, using its voice network, from the smartphone to Skype’s VOIP gateways and Skype routes the call to the destination over the internet. In doing so, Verizon is requiring a voice plan (and data plan), but has wisely chosen not to deduct minutes for Skype Mobile calls.

Wow, this sounds great! It doesn’t use monthly plan minutes, but to call someone on their cell or home number, users need to buy Skype credit for the minutes used. Sounds like a pre-paid cell plan, but I digress. It’s not that Skype Mobile is a bad deal, in fact it’s a real good deal for “Unlimited US/Canada”  calling for only $3 per month. What makes it unattractive is that GV with a Friends & Family plan allows for unlimited calls (at least to the US) for free… without the $3/mo charge.

By simply setting the GV access number as a F&F number, users can make unlimited outbound calls without deducting from one’s monthly plan minutes. Of course, taking advantage of this requires a 900-minute individual plan or 1400-minute family plan whereas using Skype Mobile will not, hopefully. This may leave Verizon users wondering if it might be more cost effective to use Skype Mobile exclusively, opting for the least expensive, lowest minute voice plan. This plan blows up pretty fast after thinking it through, however.

Skype Mobile cannot be used exclusively the same way GV can to save monthly cell charges. Attempting to call regular numbers would generally require the use of caller ID and a Skype ‘Online Number’ for $60 per year. This doesn’t sound too bad, but here’s the kicker… using the Skype number means users will be receiving SMS at this number and according to Skype’s published SMS rates, sending SMS to/from US cell numbers is 11 cents  per message. That’s $55 for 500 messages. Therefore, Skype Mobile may only be viable for calling other Skype users. For those with elaborate Skype networks, this is great news. For all other calls, Google Voice is still king.

While GV is great for Verizon users, what about the other major US carriers? AT&T has its A-List, same deal. As for T-Mobile, the original Android carrier, there are probably over 100,000 Nexus One users and hopefully many have a MyFaves account. Those who signed a new contract, thus giving up the My Faves feature, are not able to take advantage of GV to the same degree. Sprint? Well, Sprint doesn’t have a F&F equivalent, but users may already have an unlimited plan or plenty of minutes, which would make GV unappealing anyway. For international calling, GV is still a viable option, however.

When comparing international rates, GV is cheaper to nearly every destination by varying amounts anywhere from 5% to 50% or more. When calling more popular countries using GV, an across-the-board comparison shows calling land lines will cost 5-15% less while calling mobile numbers will cost 20-50% less. Be sure to check rates (for Swype and for Google Voice) for the country you are calling or see this comparison chart. There are, in fact, a few exceptions where Skype is cheaper. They are: Belgium, Austria, Chile and the Czech Republic -2.1 cents per minute using Skype vs. 3 cents using GV. Calling Finland is 3.1 cents per minute vs. 5 cents using GV. Sounds insignificant, but the savings percentage is 43% and 61% respectively.

Verizon deserves a round of applause for opening the door to a VOIP app even if it isn’t VOIP in the truest sense. Skype Mobile will serve avid Skype users very well and bring in more customers. This is good for users and good for competition making Skype Mobile a great companion to Google Voice. Meanwhile, we await Google’s integration of Gizmo5 or will it remain on the back burner?

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The service will be offered via the existing Sprint TV application and does not require a software upgrade.

“Mobile has become an invaluable screen to the digital consumer. To super serve sports fans, you have to provide live coverage on the go, and we are excited to be working with Sprint to provide this offering to its customers.”Matt MurphySVP ESPN Media Networks

We don’t have a Sprint Android phone at the moment so we are unable to review this service. If you own a HTC Hero or Samsung Moment, please let us know how the new ESPN Mobile TV performs.

Programming and live events through April include:

• 23 Live Men’s NCAA Basketball Games (including Conference Championship games)
• 19 Live Women’s NCAA Basketball Championship Games
• 9 NBA Playoff Games
• 15 Regular Season NBA Games
• 30 Live NBA Fastbreak Shows
• 10 Regular Season MLB Games
• 50 Live Baseball Tonight Studio Shows
• 3 College Football Spring games
• 3 Live Friday Night Fights
• 3 Live NCAA Hockey Championship Games
• 5 Live MLS Matches

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AppAware is a free application that tracks installations, updates, and removals of Android programs. The service works surprisingly well because it captures and shares the information in real time. Users can participate anonymously or share their history via Twitter.

By using AppAware, any user can immediately see which applications are hot by watching how many people install them. The stats can be filtered by hour, day, or week so you can instantly discover the most buzz worthy apps.

When users install the Android app, they can also see which programs are being downloaded around their location and find the top installs for their specific device.

Since installing AppAware, I have found myself checking the app several times a day to see what others are installing. It has been helpful because I actually discovered quite a few new apps before I even knew they were available. I also like watching the updated apps list to see which programs deserve a second look.

If you enjoy playing with new apps and staying on top of the Android buzz, then AppAware is a must download. Give it a try for a couple of days and I guarantee you will discover a new app to install.

Update: Several users reported the service is offline after we posted this article. It appears we have overwhelmed their server. We will post an update when it comes back online.

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The meetup is going down at Opal Divine’s in downtown Austin on 6th street. Come join us for some food and drink or to just say hey. We’ll have free t-shirts on hand and would like to put one all over your midsection.

Andy over Austin

Since location-based services seem to be all the buzz at this year’s event, we are going to try a small experiment. We want all the guests to check in, tweet, or buzz about the gathering with Gowalla, Foursquare, Twitter, Brightkite, or whatever location-aware micro status updating doohickey currently has your fancy. Doing so will score you a free shirt. At the party we’ll have a table set up for the shirts and to score one you’ve simply gotta come with phone in hand and show us a status update.

We think it’ll be fun to see what effect (if any) a large crowd simultaneously spewing social alerts would have. And you get a free tee. So really everybody wins (except those after the first 50, you don’t win. At all.) To sum things up, we made this handy poster (which you’ll find at the event, marking the tee table):

Handy chart leading you to a free shirt (click for full size)

Also, that crazy awesome poster up top features our favorite Android characters Andy & Bill and was illustrated by Angie just for the event. We’ll have a couple dozen of them on hand at the party to give away so arrive early if you’d like to get your hands on one. If you just can’t wait, here is a Flickr set filled with shots of the final posters.

To sum things up: party tomorrow night, tees for the on-time, fun for all. If you haven’t RSVP’d yet, do so now. Looking forward to seeing all you guys there!

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So much for that rumor. Verizon’s version of the Nexus One will not be sold in stores, but it will could include HTC’s new Sense UI.

Android Central has posted a new leaked document which states the Nexus One will only be available online through Google’s phone store. Buried in the features of the phone is the surprising news of Sense UI. The first Nexus One shipped with stock Android 2.1 and we assumed all the devices in Google’s store would do the same.

It is generally expected that Google and Verizon will announce the Nexus One on March 23rd at CTIA. If they follow the same launch strategy as the first Nexus One, the device could be available to purchase on the same day.

If you are on Verizon and were waiting to purchase the Nexus One, does this new information affect your decision? Do you prefer stock Android or Sense UI? Are you ready to order the phone on day one?

Really? Typo?

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Maybe the latest news from Frandroid will give you hope. They are reporting HTC will update the Tattoo to Android 2.1, which is one of the cheaptest Android phones. The Tattoo actually has more storage and memory than the G1, but this is still a positive sign that HTC is working to upgrade the firmware of as many Android phones as possible.

Here is the badly translated message Frandroid received from HTC:

“Kindly note we understand that now that a phone running Android OS 2.1 is available that you are excited to get an update for your Tattoo. We are still working hard to building Sense for this new version but we expect to have the upgrade finished and ready to go soon. Please understand that it takes time to customize any Android version to ensure you have the intuitive experience Sense provides, and we hope you can be patient for just a little while longer.”

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My profile, with activity

To that end, Foursquare has released a new update featuring a completely refreshed user interface and new SXSW content just in time for the big show. The new interface is a huge step up and is easily one of the nicer looking social apps available in the market.

The new interface features refreshed icons, an improved color scheme, and a handful of new features. The friends tab holds a nice stream of all your friend’s activity, as well as a leader board (for just your friends or your whole city). Places is a list of venues and locations you can check in to for badges and bragging rights while the Me tab is a central location for all your unlocked achievements.

Along with the new look comes some new content focused on SXSW. The Foursquare website updated a few days back with a look at all the new SXSW badges and hoopla, including a live game of foursquare (the playground hit) in downtown Austin.

Last night while we were out running around Austin with friends I noticed the new update notification for Foursquare. I’d heard a new user interface was on the way so I quickly grabbed the app and fired it up to find new, in-app SXSW content. When I check in to an Austin location Foursquare adds a SXSW banner at the bottom for keeping track of all your Austin accolades.

SXSW stats

The app also will let you create a venue, something sorely missing from the Gowalla native app. Unlike Gowalla, however, Foursquare will let you check in to a location when you are miles from it, sort of defeating the point of the app being location-aware. But if you can trust your social graph there is plenty of fun to be had here.

Foursquare launched at last year’s SXSW event so this is somewhat of a birthday for them. In just a year they’ve been able to pick up more than 500,000 users and over 1.4 million venues.

So for those of you coming to SXSW: make sure you have Foursquare installed (and Gowalla for that matter. This week I’ll be running both). It should a pretty easy way to find out what’s going on where and with who (in theory, at least). Check out a full gallery of screens below:

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