Google has unveiled an own-brand smartphone called the Nexus One.
The wraps were taken off the handset at an invitation-only event held at Google's Mountain View HQ.
The Nexus One is a slim, touchscreen phone built in partnership with Taiwanese manufacturer HTC and runs Google's Android operating system.
It will be sold via Google's website and initially be available on T-mobile in America followed by Vodafone in Europe and Verizon in the US.
Direct from Google it will cost $529 (£331) and on contract with T-Mobile $179 (£112). Google said the phone would ship from launch day.
Mario Queiroz, Google vice president for product management, described the unveiling as "the next stage in the evolution of Android".
Mr Queiroz said there were now more than 20 Android phones available from 59 carriers in 48 nations.
The release of the Nexus One is seen as a move to ensure Google remains relevant as people search the web using mobile phones rather than typing queries into a PC.
Google makes the lion's share of its revenue by selling adverts linked to those queries.

NEXUS ONE HANDSET

3.7 inch touchscreen
1GHz snapdragon processor
5 Megapixel camera with LED flash
GPS and compass
Accelerometer
Noise cancellation technology
Voice recognition can be used with all applications
Light sensor changes screen brightness to conserve power
512MB Flash memory with SD card slot (expandable to 32GB)
At the briefing, Google said the Nexus was "a point of convergence where the web meets phone and is an example of what is possible on mobile through Android."
"You will see it pushes the limits of what is possible on a mobile phone today," said Peter Chou, HTC chief executive.
Google has set up its own phone portal through which people can get a handset tied to one of several mobile operators or untethered direct from the search firm.
Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi said this could be its main selling point as it would mean owners could decide which network to sign up with.
"You buy the phone and then choose what sim card you want to put in," she said.
Those buying an unlocked phone would be able to use it as a GSM phone on almost any network.
A spokesperson for Vodafone told BBC News that it was the first operator to "bring the Google phone to the UK" but stressed that it was a "non-exclusive agreement", meaning other networks could also offer the phone soon.
He said it would be available "in the coming weeks" but only from Google's website.
Figures from Gartner suggest that Android has about a 3.5% share of the global smartphone market. By comparison Nokia has a 39% share and Apple 17%.
It emerged on 5 January that Google sent out Nexus One phones to some industry figures in mid-December so they can try them out. Recipients were asked to keep quiet about their experiences until 5 January.
"The Google phone isn't much different than the iPhone," wrote VC Fred Wilson from Union Square Ventures on his blog. "It's basically an Android clone of the iPhone."
Google also announced on 5 January a plan to launch "pay to call" adverts that would appear on mobile phones. These would work in a similar way to the "pay to click" adverts that populate many websites and which form a significant chunk of Google's revenue.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8442205.stm ...

After weeks of speculation, Google has officially unveiled its new Nexus One Android handset, which it claims "belongs in the emerging class of devices which we call 'superphones'".
As predicted, the handset runs the latest version of the Android OS - version 2.1 - and has been made by HTC. It's got a 3.7-inch touchscreen and runs off Qualcomm's 1GHz Snapdragon chipset.
Google has launched its own web-store to sell selected Android handsets, starting with the Nexus One. It's being sold SIM-free for $529, shipping to the US, UK, Singapore and Hong Kong.
However, T-Mobile USA will be selling it for $179 on a two-year contract. Meanwhile, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone will also be selling the handset from Spring, although no pricing details have been announced.
As you'd expect from a Google-branded phone, the Nexus One features all Google's apps, including Gmail, Google Voice and Google Maps Navigation. A new, whizzier version of Google Earth was also unveiled at the event, with desktop-like 3D fly-throughs.

Other entertainment-focused features include voice recognition integrated deep into the device, 'live' wallpapers, and a 3D photo-browsing gallery. The voice recognition was showed off at the launch by composing an email in Gmail by talking into the phone.
There's also a trackball for navigation below the touchscreen - interesting, given RIM's recent abandoning of trackballs in favour of trackpads. However, the fact that the trackball can pulse different colours to serve as notifications is a nifty selling point (for us ubergeeks, anyway).
One final note for app developers: Google confirmed at the event that it will soon drop its limit on the storage space available for apps on Android handsets. That means richer 3D games (for example) will be more feasible.
The official promo video for the Nexus One is below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6COw...layer_embedded


http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/35531...u-need-to-know ...

Parallel launches expected for Ireland, Germany and Spain
Palm is aiming to launch a UK version of its App Catalogue in March following the success of its US site, which went live in December.
According to Mobile News, the launch will be concurrent with the opening of online stores in Germany, Ireland and Spain.
Palm is hoping to build a developer community around the brand, with its web OS developer e-commerce programme, which sees interested parties able to pay an annual fee of $99 for support and promotion for their apps.
In the United States, the programme and its developer community have generated over 600 apps within two months.
“Our programme will be unlike anything currently available and has been established to promote a thriving community by giving developers direct involvement in their own success,” stated Palm’s senior vice president of product marketing Katie Mitic.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/32946...it-UK-in-March ...

Nintendo has announced that it expects the Wii platform to have sold an additional 3 million units in the US in December, ahead of official figures to be released by the NPD Group on January 14.

The platform holder, which has endured a tough time in 2009, ended the year strongly - it also announced that total US sales of Super Mario Bros Wii are almost at the 4 million mark.

And additionally the company expects the DS handheld to set another new calendar year record for hardware sales in the country.

The expectations were outlined by Nintendo president Saturo Iwata, and although it's not yet clear how that performance will shape up to Microsoft and Sony sales last month, it'll be welcome news in a year that had seen a general decline.

"The millions of people who bought Nintendo hardware during the holidays can look forward to enjoying great games on those systems now and in the future," added Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive VP of Sales & Marketing.

"The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for Nintendo DS, and Wii Fit Plus and New Super Mario Bros Wii are all currently providing Nintendo fans with amazing experiences and fun adventures for the whole family."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...es-in-december ...

More than three billion apps have now been downloaded from the App Store, according to new figures from Apple.

The massive numbers achieved since the store's launch just under 18 months ago will be tough for rivals to catch up with, said Apple's CEO Steve Jobs.

"Three billion applications downloaded in less than 18 months - this is like nothing we've ever seen before," said Jobs. "The revolutionary App Store offers iPhone and iPod touch users an experience unlike anything else available on other mobile devices, and we see no signs of the competition catching up anytime soon."

The store reached the two billion downloads mark in September last year, and in November the number of apps available had hit 100,000.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...lion-downloads ...

Nintendo has announced that the DS family of consoles has sold over 40 million units in Europe

The numbers come after last month's confirmation of 10 million sales in the UK alone, with Nintendo also adding that Wii sales have reached 20 million in the three year's since launch, making it the fastest-selling home console in the region.

According to Nintendo, 9.6 million Europeans have a copy of either Wii Fit or Wii Fit Plus, and over five million copies of Wii Sports Resort have been sold since it launched in July last year.

The recently released New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which was released in November, has already sold over 2.5 million in Europe.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...sold-in-europe ...

A distribution deal has been struck between Capcom and Nintendo for the release of Monster Hunter Tri in the PAL territories due to happen later this year.

Under the terms of the deal Nintendo will be responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of the game throughout European and Australian territories.

"Nintendo has identified Monster Hunter Tri as a key title for the Wii platform in 2010," said Michael Pattison, senior director of marketing for Capcom Europe. "We are really excited about partnering with Nintendo to further develop this franchise."

"Monster Hunter has a huge and passionate following in Japan and we are looking forward to introducing the Monster Hunter Tri to a whole new audience in Europe as the series makes its first appearance on the Wii," added Laurent Fischer, Nintendo Europe's managing director of marketing and PR.

The game was previously slated for an early 2010 release, but its delay was announced - alongside delays for Lost Planet 2 and Super Street Fighter IV - earlier this week. Capcom has confirmed the game will now come out in April.

Released at the start of August in Japan, sales had reached over million copies there by the end of September making it one of the best-selling Wii titles to date.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-tri-in-europe ...

Enterbrain figures have shown the Japanese games market generated JPY 542.6 billion (USD 5.9 billion) in 2009 - a 6.9 per cent decline on last year.

Specifically, hardware sales declined 13.6 per cent to JPY 216.5 billion (USD 2.3 billion) and software sales were down 1.8 per cent to JPY 326.2 billion (USD 3.5 billion), according to the numbers (translated by Andriasang).

The figures also gave a break down of the top five best selling software and hardware for the year, where Dragon Quest IX on DS came out on top of the former with sales of over 4.1 million, and the Nintendo DS topped the latter, with sales that just tipped 4 million.

While Nintendo games dominated the top software sellers, Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII managed to claim fifth position, despite its release late in the year.

The full top five top selling games were as follows:

01 Dragon Quest IX - 4,100,968
02 Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver - 3,382,597
03 New Super Mario Bros Wii - 2,485,150
04 Friend Collection - 2,311,948
05 Final Fantasy XIII - 1,698,256
The top hardware chart (which combines the different console models into one category) was as follows:

01 Nintendo DS - 4,025,313
02 Sony PSP - 2,307,971
03 Nintendo Wii - 1,975,178
04 Sony PlayStation 3 - 1,727,041
05 Microsoft Xbox 360 - 331,706

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ercent-in-2009 ...

Electronic Arts has reconfirmed that it intends to continue to work with shamed sports star Tiger Woods despite other high profile sponsors cancelling their business arrangements with the US golfer.

Gillette, Accenture and AT&T have all dropped endorsement deals with Woods, following his admission of infidelities with a number of women.

"Our relationship with Tiger has always been rooted in golf," wrote EA Sports president Peter Moore. "We didn’t form a relationship with him so that he could act as an arm’s length endorser. Far from it. We chose to partner with Tiger in 1997 because we saw him as the world’s best, most talented and exciting golfer.

"We struck that partnership with the assumption that he would remain near or at the top of his sport for years to come."

Although Woods has announced a break in his golfing career, EA Sports is due to launch a revamped Tiger Woods game this year, with over 75,000 people already taking part in the online beta.

"By his own admission, he’s made some mistakes off the course. But regardless of what’s happening in his personal life, and regardless of his decision to take a personal leave from the sport, Tiger Woods is still one of the greatest athletes in history," continued Moore.

"At EA Sports, we make authentic sports simulations. When we say 'It’s in the Game', it is not just a tag line but a statement about the quality and authenticity of the game experience. Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online is truly representative of that rallying cry, and a game that all of us at EA Sports are proud to be delivering this month to sports fans around the globe."

The publisher's commitment to the athlete and not the controversy was also demonstrated last year when it placed convicted rapist Mike Tyson on the cover of boxing title Fight Night Round 4, with Peter Moore having the final say on the controversial decision.

"I fully understand people's issues with that and you know, the challenge you have with athletes is that they're human beings and you look at what you do, and you make some hard choices," he told Eurogamer at the time.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...er-woods-brand ...