Google’s real Android strategy

Google’s primary goal is not to sell hardware and generate revenue from mobile advertising, but to gather signals for better targeting advertising, and to provide more useful information to the user so it becomes a must use service:

An Android device, properly signed into a Google account and running all the Google Apps, generates an endless stream of little bits of ‘signalling’ information, way beyond what Google gets from a desktop search user even if they’re using Chrome. It knows where you live and work, how you commute – and which phone numbers on web ads you dial. Unlike a web browser, you are probably always signed in to Google, so all of your interactions with Search, Maps and anything else can be linked together. (This, of course, is also the main purpose of Google Plus.) source

Just like Google Analytics

The answer is: iPad mini. What is the question?

UPDATE:

Well, in fact the Celullar version of Ipad Mini has a better GPS than Nexus 7. But still, comparing Wifi version of Ipad Mini and Nexus7, Nexus7 wins. We will see on the 29th October if the Celullar version of Nexus7 can keep up with the competition

And the questions is:

On what 7″ tablet I don’t have a full GPS?

This post is inspired by a question posted by the multi system GPS app Copilot. As a Nexus 7 (proud even now) owner, I didn’t imagine even for a second that the new Ipad Mini doesn’t have at this moment a full GPS sensor. Amazed being, I looked at the 9.7″ Ipad specs only to find out that there is none there either.

What a hell?? Has anyone from Apple traveled lately outside their city? Haven’t they seen tons of tourists using their Ipads taking pictures? A full GPS sensor is a must for any tablet because it just makes a tablet a full XXI century travel guide.

Yes, the app ecosystem on Android is a disaster* with no known travel brands having city guides, but that doesn’t mean that Apple has even the slightest bit of logic in comparing on stage the Nexus7 with the Ipad Mini. At least on Nexus 7 are a few excellent GPS apps that make travelling more fun.

If Ipad Mini is good due to the ecosystem is because of the developers. And developers for some specific apps that feel crippled on iOS can quickly switch sides if there is profit to have.

*Android tablet apps section from play store looks like the digital section of Toys”R”Us not as a business/productivity/creativity section that it should be

How to use Airplay on your Android telephone

If you own both an Android telephone and an Apple TV, until now you must have been jealous on all the Iphone owners that could use Airplay to push multimedia content from their phones to the big screen.

Well, be jelaous no more because there is an app for that . An app for your Android phone.

Eye-C is an app available for both Android and Iphone that goes beyond sharing local media files from your phone. They allow you to connect your YouTube, Picasa, Twitter, Facebook and Soundcloud accounts into one unified multimedia timeline that you can play on your big screen.

Eye-C own description:

Play mixed playlists from YouTube, SoundCloud & more on your phone, TV & stereo.
Download Eye-C Taglists for free, and your timeline becomes your own personal TV channel, music player, or photo gallery. At any point, just push play, and the feed comes to life – on your phone, TV, Apple TV (even from an Android phone), PC and more. Add a hashtag (#tag) to any video, song or picture to build a taglist – a playlist that combines items from multiple sources – YouTube, Picasa, Facebook, or even your personal music library (see below for tech specs). More sources are coming every month, so play tags – it’s easy and free.

Incoming search terms:

How to geotag your camera photos

Geotagging your photos is not something new and can be done in various ways:

Most desktop apps include a mode that allows you to place your photos on a map through drag and drop and geotags will be automatically added (EX: Picasa / Iphoto). Unfortunately these are not very friendly with large number of photos and most likely you will be ending like me to drag all the pictures from a trip over a city.
Web based services: Flickr, Picasa and even Facebook allow you to place the photos on maps just like their desktop counterparts. The down side? Again, large number of photos.
Take pictures with your camera phone. Most of the new telephones (no matter of their operating system), if they have a GPS they most likely add geotags to your pictures. The downside? Even if the mobile cameras become more and more powerful, they still don’t compare with a dedicated camera
Buy a new camera or accessories for the current one that allow you to geo tag your images as you take them

But what to do when:

You don’t want to drag and drop hundreds of pictures over a map
You don’t want to buy a new camera or accessories
You have an Android smart phone or Iphone

Well, the answer is Geotag Photos, a mobile app that allows you to automatically geo tag your digital pictures after you have taken them. The app idea is quite simple but efficient: you start the app and synchronize the time with your camera and then you start taking pictures. Pictures will be automatically geo tagged on your desktop once you download them and the associated track.

What can you do after you geotag your images: