It looks like Google’s plan to dramatically change the way consumers purchase cell phones and service has completely fizzled out.  Google has recently announced they will eventually stop selling handsets online and instead partner with carriers to the sell the Nexus One in stores while using its website to promote “a variety of Android phones available globally.”

Google says it has found out the hard way that consumers want a hands-on experience before buying a phone but I am sure there were other factors that played into the low amount of sales for the Unlocked Google  Nexus One.  Some of these factors could include a lack of subsidies from any carrier and some serious customer service issues.

It is pretty rare for a company to completely give up on a business model like this.  Usually if a company is having difficulties selling their product the initial way they had planned they will just add more sales channels in an effort to sell more units.  So the fact that Google is completely abandoning their online sales portal is a pretty big announcement.  It is unknown if Google plans to follow up with a successor to the Nexus One but as it stands right now the Google Phone is dead.

Google does plan to continue providing support for Nexus One consumers who purchase through the web store.  This is good news for those of you who have recently purchased this device or were thinking of doing so in the immediate future.

I would be pretty surprised if Google gave up developing new Android devices altogether.  Now that they know their online sales model is not the best way to launch a product they can expect better success with their next handset should they ever develop one by partnering up with carriers and selling the devices in brick and mortar stores.

Recently a video was launched on the internet that showcased Flash’s ability to run perfectly without any problems using the Android 2.2 Froyo operation system.  From the video we can see that we will be given an updated launcher, android tutorial and global search box with the new operating system. Google Nexus One  Android 2.2  Unlocked gadget  is expected to be launched in time for Adobe’s planned June release of Flash 10.1.

It is great news that initial tests of both Android 2.2 and Flash 10.1 are running smoothly together.  With reports that the two programs are running without any problems is a good sign that both upgrades should hit the market place as expected.  Smartphone fans have been waiting for a long time to have a device in which they can use Adobe’s Flash technology.  With Apple openly stating they will not be supporting the software Android devices have welcomed the opportunity to add this feature to their product line.

With the introduction of Flash 10.1 Android devices will be taking the lead when it comes to streaming video in the smartphone world.  Combined with the highly advance Android 2.2 “Froyo” operating system Android devices figure to become the best phones for streaming video over the web.  Perhaps after Apple sees what kind of reaction the general public has to the potential massive upgrade to Android’s line of smartphones they will reconsider their stance on not utilizing Adobe’s Flash technology even though their devices do support it.  I would not be surprised if Apple saw some of their customers leave the iPhone behind in favor of the  Google Nexus  One Android device for the sole reason of being able to use Flash 10.1 on their mobile device.

It looks as if Microsoft’s lawyers are going to be pretty busy these days.  Recently Microsoft has realized that Google’s Android OS infringes on many of Microsoft’s software patents.  While Microsoft has declined to say how the Android OS specifically infringes on their patents they did say they believe that elements from both the user interface and underlying operating system are in violation of its rights.  This is in keeping with the Windows maker’s campaign to leverage patent claims over Linux, Amazon, Xandros and GPS developer TomTom.  While lawsuits are not yet being discussed this is hardly a small time matter.  Longtime Windows Mobile partner HTC has already decided to purchase a license from Microsoft that covers its Android devices, like the HTC Tilt, to reduce the risk of a possible lawsuit from Microsoft.

While it would be pretty crazy for Microsoft to sue one of its biggest and most important hardware manufacturers for patent infringement HTC is taking no chances by purchasing the Microsoft license.  It is rather unfortunate that HTC has to pay Microsoft royalties in order to use Google’s operating system these recent developments may be more of an indictment on Google than the other mobile device manufacturers. 

By forcing their Windows Mobile/Windows Phone partners to purchase a license to run Google’s Android platform Microsoft is leaving open the option of a lawsuit with Google itself down the line.  While this is a rather unfortunate turn of events for other companies such as HTC it is a nasty necessity if they want to utilize the Android platform without further possible lawsuits from Microsoft.  The cost of the Microsoft licenses far outweighs the potential damage that could be caused by a lawsuit for patent infringement.

The Garmin Asus collaboration unveiled a new addition to their lineup of navigation centered mobile phones.  The recent addition comes in the form of the Garmin Asus A10 which is a full touch phone running on the Android OS platform but with a focus on pedestrian navigation in Europe and Asia Pacific.  The Garmin Asus A10 comes equipped with a 3.2 inch HVGA display, electronic compass, and long lasting 1500mAh battery.  The device will also come with detailed maps preloaded so that a constant internet connection is not necessary.  At long last, some interesting competition for the iPhone.

In car navigation will also be covered with the Garmin Asus A10 as the mobile device will come with a dashboard mount as well.  The mount will have speakers built in which will allow for amplification of the device’s voice commands making it easy to hear and understand.  While Garmin Asus has not revealed all of the details about the A10 it is expected to come with a 5 megapixel camera as well.  The Garmin Asus A10 is expected to be available in Europe in mid 2010.  There has been no word as of yet of how much this new mobile device will cost.

If you are constantly on the go and walking around a big city or taking public transportation the Garmin Asus A10 might just be the mobile device you have been looking for.  You will never need to use battery draining mobile apps again to find your way around a big, unfamiliar city.  With the Garmin Asus A10 and its built in preexisting map feature you will not have to drain as much battery life while you use your mobile device to find your way around town.  I will be extremely interested to see what other features are included with this very mobile handheld device and if it will give the Nexus One a run for its money.

Europe’s first carrier of the Nexus One is all set to start offering the superphone from Google for free with a two year contract.  Preorders for the phone are already being taken and the new mobile device is set to hit store shelves on April 30th. 

While the release of the Nexus One Vodafone is a little bit anticlimactic with the release of the Incredible in the United States I am sure that there are a few Brits out there that have been waiting for a while to get their hands on one of the Android devices from Nexus One. 

There will be varying levels of contracts available for British subscribers.  The Nexus One is expected to be available for an 18 or 24 month contract with prices starting at 25 pounds per month.  Also, it looks like there will be 1GB of 3G data allowance that is included with a 1GB WiFi allowance via BT Openzone hotspots.  While these are not exactly the best price plans I have come across it is hard to complain when you can get this great mobile device for no money up front.

For all of the smartphone junkies in Britain this announcement that the Nexus One is set to launch in the UK on the Vodafone network will come as pleasant news.  Google has been a little slow in rolling out some of their top end Android devices in the UK but have finally come around to releasing one of their most popular devices with the Nexus One.  This great handheld device will surely attract more customers to the ever growing Android market and is poised to help Google continue its growth in the mobile device community.  Maybe the HTC Pure will show up next.

The good people over at Snaptic have launched a new developer challenge that is designed to get people up and moving.  The premise behind the challenge is quite simple.  All you need to do is develop an Android app to use even on your HTC Pure, that gets people up and moving and you can win an all expense paid trip to the TED Global 2010 conference.

This is a great new contest that the people at Snaptic are putting on.  While obesity continues to become a larger and larger problem in this country it is very rare that we will look to our mobile devices, like the Nexus One,  to help us get out and exercise more.  Sure there are already a few apps out there that are designed to make exercising easier and thus more likely to happen but there are no apps currently designed to get people to exercise regularly.

I certainly applaud Snaptic for their initiative here with this new contest they are putting together.  It would be great if this project set off a whole new line of Android apps that were designed to get people outside and exercising more frequently.  Since smartphones are becoming such a huge part of our every day lives it only makes sense to try and include some sort of applications that will help people better themselves and get into shape.  Of all of the various ways we are trying to fight obesity this is one of the more creative things I have seen.  I think this is a great idea and can not wait to see what type of apps are developed so that I can use them myself to help push me to get outside and exercise this spring and summer.

If you are like me then one of the biggest complaints that you may have about Android devices is that you have to manually update your entire app collection one at a time.  There is nothing more depressing than having over 75 apps installed on your mobile device, like your HTC Hero, only to see that 30 of them have an update available in the market place.  Knowing that you have to go through each app one by can be quite a tedious task and often times I will not even bother updating the app unless I know there is something groundbreaking included in this newest update.

If you share in my pain then you may be just as excited as I am about the upcoming release of Android 2.2.  According to a user over at 4chan Android 2.2 is set to come equipped with the ability to allow automatic updating.  This is even better news than a mass updating feature that I was hoping for.  Now Android users will not have to touch anything with their apps and they will be able to update automatically.  While having the ability to multi-select which apps you would like to see updated does have its own functionality this feature of downloading an app and turning on the automatic updating seems to be much more user friendly.  Having that ability to “set it and forget it” will be a great feature if it is actually going to be included in the latest Android 2.2 release.  I know I am certainly hoping that the days of manually updating each of my apps one by one are a thing of the past and automatic app updates are a way of the future, even for the Nexus One.

HTC will continue its Android 2.1 lineup with the Desire which is very similar to the NexusOne which is regarded as one of the best Android phones currently on the market.  As soon as the Desire was leaked back in December mobile device fans have been clamoring to get their hands on the new HTC device.  With the first internet rumors hitting the scene last December there have been a few changes to the Desire that might make it less desirable.  DivX support and the 720p video capture never made it to the final build but there are still a ton of awesome features that make purchasing this phone worthwhile.  Features such as a speedy 1GHz Snapdragon processor, large AMOLED screen and HTC’s latest version of Sense UI that is already available on the Legend will make the Desire one of the hottest phones when it is officially released.

Some of the other hardware features include Android 2.1 OS, 3.7” AMOLED screen, 5 megapixel autofocus camera and 512MB of ROM.  This new device from HTC is certainly set to become a fan favorite of many smartphone admirers.  I know that I am eagerly awaiting the Desire’s release so that I can see first hand just want all the buzz is about.  While the Desire is very similar to the NexusOne I think that there are enough differences between the two that will make waiting for the Desire’s release well worth your time.  Having the extra ROM and will certainly make your web surfing and application loading that much faster.  When your phone is working quickly it is a much better experience and you will enjoy your mobile device that much more.

If you are one of those people that use eBay to buy or sell items and you will be very excited about the announcement the new application.  EBay is now available for your android, just like the Nexus One Unlocked, and can be downloaded for free.  You will no longer have to worry about not being able to place a bid for that item that you have been watching for days.  Even though you can currently check your eBay account on your phone, this application will make it that much simpler.

Using eBay for your android will allow you to see all of your activity on one screen.  You will be able to use voice commands, as well as your touchscreen in order to check out your latest bid.  We all know that an eBay auction can often come down to the last few seconds and understand the importance of being able to quickly place another bid.  The application will be able to let you know, how soon and auction will close.

There are other applications, but this is the first official application put out by eBay.  You can download it at the android store and quickly begin using it.  It may even be easier than using your actual computer.  Not only is it easier, but the ability to navigate between the different areas through using voice commands will get you to that auction much quicker.  You will even be able to leave messages, and you will be able to see if you have been outbid on that treasure you can just not do without.  You will be able to perform all of your shopping and selling activities and be able to pay and accept payments as well.

Visit the market and get your free download for your Nexus One or any other Android phone so you can begin enjoying this application.