Search on the go: from Toronto to Toulouse, London to Leipzig

Posted by Steve Cheng, Group Product Manager, Mobile search team

If you're in Canada, the UK, France, or Germany, then say hello, bonjour, or Guten Tag to faster and more intuitive search on your mobile phones. Starting today, our new mobile search experience is available in these four countries, giving you access to the information you need with minimal effort and distraction.

One of the ways we do this is by bringing you the most relevant result for your query, regardless of whether it's a local result, a web result, or what have you. If you enter a search for [sunflower] ("tournesol" in French or "Sonnenblumen" in German) for example, we know you could be interested in pictures of sunflowers in addition to web results. Another new feature is the ability to remember your recent search locations, so we can provide useful local results when you search the next time -- no need to retype the location! It takes just a few clicks to get listings for nearby restaurants, weather reports, and other information tailored to where you are.

To access our new mobile search service, point your mobile browser to the following: www.google.ca (Canada), www.google.co.uk (UK), www.google.fr (France), or www.google.de (Germany).

Deadline Extension for the Android Developer Challenge

We'd like to let you know that we are extending the submission deadline for the first Android Developers Challenge to 14 April 2008. Based on the great feedback you've given us, we've made significant updates to the SDK that we'll be releasing in several weeks. In order to give you extra time to take advantage of these forthcoming UI and API enhancements, we've decided to extend the submission deadline. In addition, a fair number of developers have also asked for more time to build and polish their applications.

Of course, you can stay the course and submit your applications using any version of the SDK that you'd like. We're looking forward to seeing some great apps, especially after we've had a chance to incorporate some of your feedback into the Android platform.

Here is the updated time line:

14 April 2008:	Deadline to submit applications for judging
5 May 2008:	Announcement of the 50 first round winners, who will be eligible for the final round
30 June 2008:	Deadline for the 50 winners of the first round to submit for the final round
21 July 2008:	Announcement of the grand prize winner and runner-up

For additional details on the Android Developer Challenge, please visit the ADC page.

Good luck and good coding!

YouTube for Mobile unveils millions of videos and beta Java application

Posted by Lawrence Chang, Product Marketing Manager, Google mobile team

If you own an iPhone or a Helio Ocean, chances are you've already been enjoying some of YouTube's tens of millions of videos through custom applications developed for your device. On the other hand, if you have a phone that supports streaming video and you've been visiting m.youtube.com through your mobile browser, you've only been able to view a smaller subset of YouTube for Mobile videos.

Starting today, m.youtube.com offers the full assortment of the tens of millions of videos that YouTube fans around the world have come to know and love. What's more, you can now log in to your YouTube account through your mobile phone browser to rate, share, and comment on videos, view your favorites, and even upload new videos.

Also launching today is a beta version of a YouTube for mobile Java application for a select number of mobile devices, including the Sony Ericsson K800 and W880 and the Nokia E65, N95, N73, 6110 Navigator, and 6120 Classic. Through this downloadable application (currently available in U.S. and U.K. English), you can access the entire YouTube for Mobile catalog. The application includes a super slick interface (with a carousel view of video tiles), as well as full community and uploading features.

Watch the video below to see product managers Dwipal Desai and Andreas Tuerk demo today's YouTube for Mobile releases. As always, let us know what you think by leaving comments below. And, feel free to leave these guys video comments as well!

Google and NTT DoCoMo announce collaboration

Posted by John Lagerling, partner team, Google Japan

Most of you were probably asleep at the time, but we wanted to let you know about an announcement we made last night with NTT DoCoMo, one of the leading carriers in the world: We're going to be working with DoCoMo to offer their 50 million subscribers a more accessible and useful mobile web experience. For starters, we'll be providing Google search via a search box on the top page of DoCoMo's i-Mode portal, and we'll pair ads with the search results whenever they're relevant to users. Beyond search, we'll also be exploring the possibility of bringing i-Mode users other Google mobile applications and services, like Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, and Picasa.

At Google we want to provide users around the globe with access to the information they need -- whenever and wherever they need it -- and teaming up with industry leaders like DoCoMo helps us do just that. Read this press release to learn more about how we'll be working with them.

Intercontinental Androids

When I recently blogged about our upcoming Android Campfire, I hinted at some international events we've been working on. We've now finalized plans on those, and registration is open.

We've got Android Code Days lined up for these locations:

• On 31 January, we'll split up, and host Android Code Days in London, UK and Tel Aviv, Israel.


• On 23 February, we'll host one in Boston, Massachusetts. (We'll post the registration page for this event soon.)

In addition, as we've announced via Mobile Monday Germany, we'll be having a similar event in Munich, Germany on 29 January.

What's a Code Day, you ask? Well, it's just our name for a day-long introduction and immersion session for Android. We'll give a technical introduction to the platform as well as a more in-depth look into topics of interest to the attendees. Then we'll have a free-for-all coding session that we like to call the "Laptop Lounge".

In other words, the agenda is largely up to you! Each of these events includes food and refreshments and is free of charge, but space is limited so please be sure to click on the registration links above to reserve your spot.

I said before that I think I have a really cool job; now I get to travel the world to meet developers and talk about cool technologies. I can't believe I get paid for this!

You can't rush perfection, but now you can file bugs against it

We expected a lot of attention when we launched the early look of the Android SDK, and that's certainly what we got! Developers haven't been shy in speaking their minds on our Discussion Groups, and we've been listening. We've also been hard at work on Android, and meanwhile the Developer Challenge has been heating up and the submissions have started coming in.

We've been improving that "early look" and are preparing for the next big SDK release, so it's time to take the whole thing up a notch. As we move toward the first handsets, it's time to formalize the process, and the first step in that is to enable an issue tracker for developers to submit feedback.

I know a great many developers have been waiting eagerly for this, so I'm very pleased to be able to say that the Issue Tracker on the Android project on Google Code Project Hosting is now open for business. You can find the Issue Tracker here:
http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/list

We're now actively tracking that system, and we invite developers to file an issue to let us know about any problems you find with the SDK.

When you submit an issue, remember that the more detail you can give, the more likely the issue is to be addressed. (We especially enjoy the subtle and delicious flavors of reproducible sample code.) Of course, you'll still be able to ask for answers and advice on the Discussion Groups, so don't stop posting there. We'll be reviewing submitted issues regularly and keeping the database up to date, so that you can rely on it as a reliable and timely resource.

I think just about everyone will find this useful -- I know I definitely will. Happy coding, and now: happy reporting!

Videos and Pictures from the Google Mobile Team at Macworld

Posted by Lawrence Chang, Product Marketing Manager, Google mobile team

At the Macworld Conference and Expo in San Francisco this week, the Google mobile team joined other Googlers from the Geo, YouTube, and Mac teams at the Google booth, space #1268, in Moscone Center South Hall. In addition to demonstrating our various products we also served up Geo Bingo, the Google mobile scavenger hunt, and, of course, Google swag giveaways. For those of you who were able to visit our booth, thanks for stopping by and saying hello!

Here are some videos of the Google mobile team taken at the conference. As always, you can watch our other videos on the Google Mobile Blog YouTube Channel.

• Google Mobile at Macworld: Marc Vanlerberghe and Gummi Hafsteinsson are shown in action at the Google booth, while Anita Mhaskar and Ulf Waschbusch reveal the Google swag giveaways.
• Interview with Steve Kanfesky: Anita Mhaskar chats with Steve Kanefsky, one of the software engineers responsible for developing the Google experience for the iPhone. Steve talks about the Macworld keynote and some of the new features of Google on the iPhone.
  
• Overview of Google Mobile Products on the iPhone: Sidney Chang and Ulf Waschbusch highlight some of our new product features in a presentation at the booth.

From waiting in line for the keynote to snapshots of Googlers working the booth, here's a view of Macworld from the lens of Steve Kanfesky:

My Location on the iPhone and other Updates

Posted by Jerry Morrison, Software Engineer, Google mobile team

At Macworld today, version 1.1.3 of Apple's iPhone software was announced that includes updates to Google Maps for mobile and IMAP access to Gmail. You can get the updated software by syncing your iPhone with iTunes and agreeing to the update.

Once you get the latest version, Google Maps for mobile on the iPhone can provide you with automated location information, thanks in part to Google's My Location technology. Just push the button with a circle on it at the bottom left-hand side of the Google Maps for mobile application and you'll see a circle appear on the map approximating your current position. If you have an iPod Touch, you can now have access to Maps for the first time.

Also, the latest iPhone email application will now use IMAP to access your Gmail account rather than POP. IMAP is better than POP because your Gmail messages on your iPhone are better synchronized to your Gmail account.

As a developer for Google Maps for mobile, I had a good time watching Steve Jobs today demonstrate Maps on the iPhone at Macworld. It's a fun project to work on and it wows my friends and family, too. On Sunday I demo'd it on an iPhone to the FIRST Robotics high school team I mentor. The students seemed to be as inspired by what they saw as I am by their robot designs.

Who wants cocoa & s'mores?

It's been a busy few months. First we announced Android, then we released an early look of the Android SDK, and just last week we started accepting submissions for the Android Developer Challenge. Now that we've got things moving along, it's time to stop and smell the roses.

Our developers will be a huge part of Android's success, so we want to meet you, our colleagues. We're working on some events around the world that we hope to announce soon, but to kick things off, on the 23rd of January we'll be holding a Campfire about Android.

Join us for food, drinks, and great conversation! Come meet other developers as well as Googlers working on Android. Talk business, talk pleasure, or just hang out – it's up to you.

We'd love to see all of you there, but unfortunately space is limited. We've set up a registration page for you to sign up, so head on over and reserve your spot!

Google on the iPhone: Macworld Makeover

Posted by Sidney Chang, Product Manager, Google mobile team

Six weeks since launching the first version of an integrated Google.com on the iPhone, we've heard a lot of meaningful and insightful feedback from you and we've addressed some of them in this current release:

• Customization of tabs: We're all very diverse in what products we use, particularly on mobile. Now you can customize the tabs you want on Google.com. Go to the More tab and press "Custom tabs" to select your favorite three Google mobile products.
• New and improved Gmail: The latest version of Gmail delivers messages to your inbox without the need for you to refresh it. Also, if you need to write an email, we help you complete the address -- you only need to type out the first few letters of your contact. Read more about pre-fetching and address auto-complete on the Gmail blog.
• New and improved Calendar: A calendar can be one of the most important things on a phone. Now Google Calendar is faster and has a month view.
• iGoogle for the iPhone: One of the most common requests to date has been to include personalized modules. We're happy to announce a new iPhone-optimized version of iGoogle that mobilizes all of the modules you know and love. Simply click on the iGoogle link from the Google.com home page or go to www.igoogle.com.

Some of you have been wondering why we've made this only for the iPhone. The entire experience is made possible by the iPhone's general usability (touch and high-resolution) and the capabilities of its web browser (AJAX, CSS). It's also pretty cool that the iPhone has an unlimited data plan so you never have to worry about cost when you're browsing the web. And we're working on making this version of Google.com available outside the U.S.

To get to the latest Google on your iPhone, just go to Google.com on your iPhone or iPod Touch web browser. Let us know what you think!

Impressions of CES

Posted by Lawrence Chang, Product Marketing Manager, Google mobile team

As the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show winds to a close, some of you may have wondered if any of us attended. Some of us did make it to Las Vegas, primarily in support of and to meet some of our partners who demo'd some pretty neat things that highlight and leverage Google applications.

I was excited to have a chance to go, so I took a video camera to capture some of the sights, sounds, and people that I met. You can play the video clips below in sequence, or select individual videos to view one at a time.

• "Don't waste time while you're there!": If you've never been to CES and want to get a sense of what it's like, or, if you were there and want to compare notes, take a look at this.
• Picasa Web Albums on BlackBerry: Mike Pegg of Google mobile chats with Trudy Koen from Research in Motion about a new Picasa Web Albums application that will soon be available for BlackBerry devices.
• GOOG-411 'Map it' Feature and Thomson's new GE DECT 6.0 Phone: Jonathan Matus of Google Mobile tells us about the 'Map-It' feature integrating GOOG-411 and Google Maps on the iPhone. He then talks to Jordan Riggs of Thomson about Thomson's new GE DECT 6.0 phone, featuring a dedicated GOOG-411 button.
• Google applications on the new Sony Mylo: Philip Boyle, a product manager at Sony, describes how to get to Google Search, Gmail, Google Talk, and YouTube on the new Mylo.
• Good-bye to CES 2008: Some parting thoughts of mine as I leave the show.

Finally, we've created our own Google Mobile Blog YouTube channel where you'll be able to find all of the current and future videos we make.

Rising to the Challenge

I think I have a really cool job, because I get to do a little bit of all those other cool jobs that you wish you could have. Today, I get to be like the Chairman from Iron Chef.

If you've never seen the show, the premise is that a slightly mysterious and rather eccentric guy known as the Chairman fulfilled his dream of presiding over a huge, extravagant cooking tournament. In a similar vein, today I get to make the announcement that the Android Developer Challenge is now "open for business" and accepting your submissions. The excitement! The anticipation! The pageantry!

Okay, not so much pageantry. But I do think it's pretty exciting, and I can't wait to see what you developers will come up with. Some of you have already given us a little taste of the cool stuff you're working on, and I'm eager to see what everyone else is cooking up.

To submit your application for the Challenge, click here to go to the Submission Page. Once there, you'll pick from one of three versions of the form based on whether you're working alone, in a team, or for an organized company. We've tried to keep things simple, so all you have to do is choose the form that applies to you, fill it out, attach the .apk file for your application, and you're done.

You also have the opportunity to upload a file containing documentation about your application. Any readable format is okay, although we prefer PDF or plain text. This file can contain anything that you think is important. For instance, you might include instructions on how to use your program, a design document that describes the next steps you plan to take, or a narrative that explains the vision of your application. We do ask that you submit your documentation and application in English, so that all the judges (who will be chosen by members of the Open Handset Alliance) can easily read it.

It's also very important to look at the Terms and Conditions. These are the rules for the Challenge and describe what you need to do to participate. Read them carefully!

The submission period is open until March 3, 2008, so you don't need to rush to submit your application just yet. March 3 is definitely a hard deadline though, so you must have your applications submitted by then. If you choose to submit now, you can always re-submit a later version of your application closer to the end. (I'd bet the participants on Iron Chef would love to be able to refine and re-submit their works to the judges.)

Maybe it's no Kitchen Stadium, but I still think we're in for a lot of fun. I hope everyone is having a great time developing for Android, and I hope to soon see the fruits of your labor. Good luck, and happy coding!

Happy New Year!

Posted by Lawrence Chang, Product Marketing Manager, Google mobile team

When I first asked the mobile team to send me pictures of how they rang in the New Year, I imagined fireworks sprouting colorfully over the Eiffel Tower and the Sydney Opera House, the glimmering ball descending in Times Square, or the spectacular floats at the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.

Some may have gone to those places, but I got a more eclectic and less predictable selection. On New Year's Day, David Maynard and his wife ran five kilometers for charity (www.worldrunners.org) in Palo Alto, California. Leslie Fabello and Ben Davies took some amazing photographs with their mobile phones of the lush countryside in the U.K. Meanwhile, Peter Mayo spent the day with his kids, clearing a couple of feet of snow from his driveway in Ontario, Canada.

And Jonathan Matus, Andrew Hyman, and Stefan Haustein sent me pictures that are terrific examples of the spontaneity that can be captured with cell phone cameras: a beautiful sunset, friends getting ready to go out to celebrate New Year's Eve, and a city sign proclaiming that heavy fog had shut down public transportation in Oberhausen, Germany.

So this is how some of us truly welcomed in 2008. Happy new year from the whole Google mobile team!