Google announced the adding of new features to their Google Maps on Wednesday 17th. The most important is Street View coming with the same street-level imagery available on desktop. You can use the Street View feature clicking on the apposite command after a search or clicking on a map and selecting "Street View".

Another interesting feature is the introduction of the business reviews: now it is possible know in advance if visit a store worths or not.

Also the walking directions introduced recently in the desktop version are available in the mobile application.

The search speed and the accuracy of the location has been also improved. Users with J2ME phone and BlackBerry can now enjoy the new features!

 

After the rumors about the HTC Dream which should be on the market earlier than expected after the supposed delays, Google has released a Beta of the new Android SDK.

The SDK can be downloaded at http://code.google.com/android/download_list.html and for information about upgrading from the previous version you can visit http://code.google.com/android/intro/upgrading.html .

Google wants to move quickly towards the release of the SDK 1.0.

The important changes in this new BETA release are:

• First and most obviously, the new Home screen is included, along with a ton of UI changes for 1.0.
• Some new applications are included: an Alarm Clock, Calculator, Camera, Music player, Picture viewer, and Messaging (for SMS/MMS conversations.)
• Several new development tools were added, such as a graphical preview for XML layouts for users of Eclipse, and a tool for constructing 9-patch images.
• Since we've got a new Home screen application now, we thought the now-obsolete version from the M5 early-look SDK might be helpful to developers, so its source is included as a sample.
• A number of new APIs are fleshed out and improved, and others are now close to their final forms for 1.0.
• Tons of bugs were fixed, of course. (If you had problems with the MediaPlayer, try it now!)

This is how the new main screen of the emulator looks:

The unofficial TMobile blog (TNO News) claims TMobile will offer the first Android Phone (called with the (code)name G1) on 17th September for their customers at the price of 150 $, much less than the expected 399 $.

The other customers (not already TMobile) should wait until the beginning/mid October when the national launch will take place.

Expected specifications:

• 3g
• a 5" long by 3" wide touch screen
• a slide out QWERTY keyboard
• 3.0 Megapixel camera
• Three available colors: brown, white and black

Users will be required to have a GMail account to get the phone working.

We have only to wait and see if TMobile will really meet this exiting deadline.