Cupcake finally arrives

I was pleasantly pleased to find a “System Update” message on the front screen of my T-Mobile G-1 smartphone. I knew exactly what that meant: It may have been a few days late but my Cupcake had finally arrived.

Over the next week or so, G-1 owners will see the same message advising them that version 1.5 of the Android OS is available for “push” downloading. They’re staggering the release so that the upgrade process goes smoothly for eveyone.

It took less than 7 minutes from the time I pressed the “Upgrade” button to my G-1 being back up to speed. Speed is the keyword here. The overriding new feature you notice immediately is that your G-1 is faster. It opens programs a little faster – draws screens a faster – loads Web pages faster. Overall, everything is a little faster. That means they optimized the software to improve speed. I’m hoping they also improved battery life.

There’s also the new on-screen, software keyboard. It pops-up automatically when you open a program that uses a keyboard (like Gmail). It’s similar to the iPhone’s keyboard which, once you get used to it and it gets used to you typing is very usable. I’m at the beginning of the “getting-to-know-you” phase so the new on-screen keyboard software needs to get used to my big fingers.

The hardware keyboard works, as it always did, when you slide open the keyboard cover.

Other new features include video recording, stereo Bluetooth and an improved Web browser. (It’s faster. See above).

I’ll tell you more after “consuming” my Cupcake for a few days.

Palm Pre madness

If you follow the tech news sites and all the blogs you know that anything having to do with the upcoming release of Palm’s new Pre touchscreen smartphone is “breaking news”.

Any little tidbit – and even some large bits (like one blog’s publishing of secret Sprint marketing documents) makes for big headlines on the Web.

Oddly, while “upset” about clandestine releases of internal paperwork, Sprint seems to be happy about breaches. If you look at their Pre homepage you’ll see they welcome the PR from bloggers and their inside scoops.

I think I understand why Sprint tolerates that. Of the four major cellular providers in the U.S., Sprint is on the shakiest ground. They need a big hit phone now.

That goes 1,000,000-fold for Palm. The Pre is probably a made-oir-break product for the company. It’s the foundation for the company’s financial comeback.

I hope it’s a big success. Palm reportedly has a number of other new designs in the works (including EOS a replacement for the Centro) based on their new webOS software. With the next iPhone and Android phones coming soon – this competition from Palm is a good thing.

We hope to get our hands on a Pre soon. Release day is set for Saturday, June 6th.

One oddity, BestBuy is listing an “unlocked” Pre on their Website for $849.99 ($199.99 with Sprint contract). Why would you want to spend that much on an unlocked CDMA phone? You still have to visit Sprint to make it work.

Android meets Ubuntu

Speaking of operating systems (see below) there’s big news coming from the Ubuntu Developer’s Conference in Barcelona: Developers are busy working on getting Android apps to work on computers running Ubuntu Linux.

That could mean a potentially huge, new audience for both Android phones and applications as well as Linux.

Ubuntu is a form of the Linux operating system made to run on many different hardware platforms. Linux is open software. That means you can use it, change it and improve it – as long as you share with everyone else.

In the past, the best part of Linux was that it’s free. But, the people at Canonical who oversee Ubuntu have created a wonderful operating system. I have been running Ubuntu on a number of different hardware platforms (old and new) for more than a year and remain amazed at just how well everything works.

The latest Ubuntu release is version 9.04 (codenamed Jaunty Jackalope). It’s for desktops, laptops, servers and even netbooks. All come with what you need to work and play – including an office suite, games, photo and music programs and even an app for Palm devices.

Ubuntu is a free download or you can have them send you a live CD (run it off the CD and if you like it press a button and it installs automatically).

Try it on an older, slower laptop or PC. Who knows? You might love it too.

Vista Service Pack 2 released

Microsoft has just released a mega-upgrade, this morning, for Windows Vista (32 and 64 bit) as well as Windows Server 2008.

These large software packages are called Service Packs (this one is SP2) by Microsoft and include hardware enhancements OS updates, enterprise, set-up and deployment improvements — most notably Windows Search 4.0, improved Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and Blue-ray disc support.

In the past, installing Service Packs has been time consuming. Plus, they’re huge source hogs. Usually after about an hour of waiting your computer would (might?) be usable again. The Vista SP2 upgrade is a completely different story.

Installation was 100% painless. On a nearly new Asus laptop (running Windows Vista Business edition) SP2 took a total of 23 minutes to download, install and restart the computer for use.

The best part of all is that the upgraded computer is running perfectly. So far, everything seems to be performing just fine, thank you. Actually the Asus might be working a drop faster than before.

We’ll let you know when or if that change.

Sony Blue-ray Mega Changer, Part 2

Sony P.R. expert Greg Belloni thinks the people at SonyInsider.com are all wrong. He says the blog’s story about an upcoming Blue-ray Megachanger is complete speculation.

Greg told me that while Sony has previewed a prototype device during the 2008 CEDIA show and at CES back in January, they have not announced timing, specifications, or price.

He says that in the recent past, Sony did have a product that was a hybrid home server and Blue-ray disc (BD) changer, but that product is no longer on the market.

Instead, Greg wants everyone to know:

“Sony has announced plans to introduce a Blu-ray Disc Mega Changer in 2009, but we have not disclosed specifications, timing, or price at this time.

The BD Mega changer, along with Sony stand-alone Blu-ray Disc players and BRAVIA Internet Video Link, offer consumers a number of solutions to bring content to their HDTVs.”

Greg promises specs/details at the time of the official product announcement.

Pre pre shortages?

Release day for the Palm Pre smartphone is exactly two weeks away and – as you might imagine – there are rumors that they’ll be in very short supply on day one.

According to mypre.com, Best Buy and RadioShack may be getting very few handsets per store in time for the official release. It could be as few as 2-to-4 phones per store.

Best Buy and Radio Shack have already announced they will sell the Pre for $199 with a two-year service agreement – unlike Sprint who is asking for $299 with a $100 mail-in rebate. Where you you try first?

If you gotta have one – you should determine whether there’s a waiting list at your neighborhood store. One blogger say that Best Buy began taking names today.

If you want one – get your name on a list now! You have been warned.

Great coffee drinks at reasonable prices

Are you tired of shelling out megabucks at Starbucks for your espresso fix?

Or, are Dunkin Donuts’ and McDonalds’ upscale coffee offerings making larger and larger dents in your wallet?

It’s time to fight back against the “establishment” and take matters into your own hands.

You can produce terrific lattes and cappucinos in the comfort of your own home and save each time you do.

There are new, reasonably priced “capsule” espresso machines systems from coffee makers Nespresso or Illy – or you can try one of the many stove-top “Moka” pots from Bialetti – and its many (cheaper) imitators. All will provide you with a great cup of espresso.

Watch my latest video to see how to savor and save at the same time.

Where is my Cupcake?

Hostess Cupcakes on Amazon.com

Nowhere to be found — yet.

Still nothing from T-Mobile on when version 1.5 of the Android operating system will be released to G-1 phone owners in the United States – except for “soon”. Some users in the U.K. reportedly have begun downloading their Cupcake upgrades.

I’m guessing that we might begin hearing about the U.S. release sometime over our long holiday weekend.

Cupcake is said to add a number of improvements to the handset including stereo Bluetooth and an on-screen keyboard eliminating the need to use the slide-out QWERTY keyboard in the G-1(essential for new thinner phone designs already announced by manufacturers HTC, Samsung and others.)

For the record, Android is not just for smartphones. There are a number of companies working on Android OS-based netbook computers and even a super-low-cost gaming device.

Not sure if Sony “gets it”

They blew it with Betmax and Walkman portables in the 70′s as well as Mini-Discs and SACDs in the 80′s. They currently make one of the best component FM tuners in history (selling for less than $100) but no one knows about it. And although they recently won one battle with Blu-Ray video technology they seem to be on the losing end once again.

According to SonyInsider.com, the company is about to release a $2,300 Blu-Ray mega changer — capable of holding and playing 400 discs. This will be in addition to the current model which holds up to 200 Blu-ray discs.

Pretty impressive except for the fact that there are dirt cheap devices like the Roku box (which you can buy for $99) to download HD movies directly from Netflix and Amazon to watch them immediately. You don’t have to buy/own/store any discs.

And Roku isn’t your only option. There’s Apple TV (terrific device) and others rushing to market. Why would you spend all that money for discs and playback devices when new technology will let you watch what you want – when you want – at a fraction of the cost?

No wonder Sony is in trouble.

Where to find a Best Buy on Palm Pre

There will probably be lines outside of many Sprint stores, nationwide, awating the chance to be among the first to buy a Palm Pre smartphone on Saturday, June 6th.

But, there may also be people eagerly waiting for the alleged “iPhone-killer” at Best Buy stores. That’s because BB has announced that they’re selling the phone for $199 – with no silly rebate.

Sprint, Radio Shack and select Wal-Mart stores will be selling the Pre for $199 after a $100 mail-in rebate. That means you really pay $300 out-of-pocket — copy your sales slip, send it in with a form and wait for someone to send you a hundred dollar check. Not only is that rebate process a pain, but you actually pay slightly more sales tax that way. (Hey, $7-9 is still real money these days!)

I wouldn’t be surprised if Radio Shack and Wal-Mart follow Best Buy’s lead and drop the rebate.

Either way, we’re closing in on Palm Pre day and it’s sure to be a major news event whatever the price.