Google Shows Off GMaps Street View on Android

The BBC's Darren Waters had a sit down with Andy Rubin (formerly of Apple, General Magic, WebTV, and Danger) who's the main man on Android, Google's mobile OS. Rubin showed the current state of the Android platform and it's looking swell—for the most part. (What's up with having to use a slider to zoom in the web browser? Can't you just rip off the double-tap intelligent zoom from Mobile Safari?)

Perhaps most impressive is the Street View mode of Google Maps, pulled down to the 3G prototype reference phone running at a relatively mild 300MHz. That reference design, which may or may not reflect hardware that will run Android in the future, had another interesting feature: a trackball, currently seen on Danger Hiptops and Blackberries.

Under the bonnet of Android [BBC]

[#1 posted by steve rimjobs , February 28, 2008 9:38 AM]

Oh Sigh, here we go with the user hating touchscreen again, requiring you to operate two handed and or keeping an eye on the screen. How about when you are driving the car or walking not on a deserted highway but in the actual city or just want to change radiochannel without removing the thing from the coat. That trackball is good idea though.

[#2 posted by dculberson , February 28, 2008 10:52 AM]

You certainly shouldn't be operating any phone or gadget while driving.

[#3 posted by steve rimjobs , February 28, 2008 11:27 AM]

@2# Just being honest here. Everyone answers an important sms even if driving. Touchscreen is killer while keypad is just a light maimer.

[#4 posted by dculberson , February 28, 2008 12:36 PM]

Really? You do SMS while driving? I can honestly say I have never done that. I will confess to occasionally dialing a number while driving, but even that is tremendously stupid.

My worst moment was fishing my credit card out of my wallet while holding my phone with my ear and shoulder, steering with one knee. That was idiocy. (Smacks self in head.)

[#5 posted by brianary , February 28, 2008 12:39 PM]

(Can't login [Firefox 2 on Vista64] for some reason.)

"What's up with having to use a slider to zoom in the web browser? Can't you just rip off the double-tap intelligent zoom from Mobile Safari?"

Check out:
Can Apple Patent the Pinch? Experts Say It's Possible
http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2008/02/multitouch_patents

[#6 posted by steve rimjobs , February 28, 2008 1:48 PM]

@4 Yeah, I can sms while driving with the keypad my fingers know so well. Fraction of a second attention from eyes now and then and the sms goes out with little potential harm.

Ever used the radio/cd player, smoked or had an interesting passenger? Or how about all the tech stuff integrated in modern cars like the iDrive? And lets not mention food and drink.

For some reason the phone have been singled out, and I have to disagree with that.

[#7 posted by dculberson , February 28, 2008 6:51 PM]

I must confess to using my iPod occasionally while driving. And I agree, that's certainly not safe, either..