The below table summarizes comparison between Google Android 2.2 (Froyo) and iPhone iOS 4

Feature	Google Android 2.2 (Froyo)	Apple iOS 4
Devices	HTC Nexus One, Samsung Galaxy S, Galaxy Tab and more in future	iPhone 4, iPad (in future, may be in November) and 3GS. Limited support for iPhone 3G and iPod touch.
3rd Party App Multitasking	Full (as services)	Yes with API limitations: §         Background audio §         Voice over IP §         Background location §         Push notifications §         Local notifications §         Task finishing §         Fast app switching
Home screen folders	Yes	Yes
Video calls	3rd party 3G and WiFi	Yes – WiFi
WiFi tethering	Yes	No
USB tethering	Yes	Yes
On-device Photo editing	3rd Party	Yes
Unified Inbox	Yes	Yes
SMS threads	Yes	Yes
Custom wallpapers on lock screen	Yes	Yes
Custom wallpapers on Home screen	Yes	Yes
Live Wallpapers	Yes	No
MS Exchange Support	Yes	Yes
Multiple Exchange Accounts	Yes	Yes
Exchange Security Restrictions	Yes	Yes
“Update All” apps	Yes	Yes
Automatic individual app updates	Yes	No
Voice dialing via Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
International Keyboards/Localization	Yes	Yes
Adobe Flash Support	Yes	Never
HTML5 Support	Yes	Yes
Browser	WebKit (with V8)	WebKit
Install apps to removable memory	Yes	No
USB Sync to PC/Mac	3rd Party	Yes
Copy/Paste to/from Browser	Yes	Yes
Install apps from 3rd party sources	Yes	Requires a Jailbroken Phone
System-wide Orientation lock	No	Yes
Number of Home screen panels	5 (more with 3rd party)	11
Widgets	Yes	No
Music	Built-in ability to play MP3 files.	Available through iTunes
Music Streaming from Cloud	3rd party (future: Simplify Media)	3rd party (future: Lala)
Google Voice Integration	Native	Web
System Wide Search	Yes	Yes
Notification System	Pull Down	Modal
Voice to Text	Yes	No
Over the Air Syncing	Yes	No
Free turn-by-turn Navigation	Yes	No

HTC on Monday announced it would use Super LCD (SLCD) display technology from Sony on its latest batch of mobile phones, replacing AMOLED screens supplied by Samsung. The move comes as shortages of HTC devices like the Droid Incredible on Verizon and the HTC Desire forced the company to find an alternative to replenish its stocks. HTC announced the decision in a press release published by the Website SlashGear.

The Taiwan-based manufacturer, which produces most phones running the Google Android OS, said it is experiencing high demand for many of its phones, specifically for handsets with 3.7-inch displays. The HTC Droid Incredible, the HTC Desire (mainly found in Europe), and the Google Nexus One are affected by the shortages.

HTC says the SLCD displays will offer a “comparable visual experience” to its current 3.7-inch displays, and increase battery life because they are five times less power-hungry than Samsung’s AMOLED displays. Samsung is using its latest generation of displays in several variations of the Galaxy S series smartphones.

“HTC believes that both technologies offer exceptional user experiences, and we will employ both types of displays concurrently within our current product lineup,” the company said in its statement. The first HTC phones with SLCD displays are due later this summer.

HTC did not say which phones will use SLCD screens. The company said it would introduce SLCDs “into a variety of HTC phones including the HTC Desire and global Nexus One.” While Google killed off the Nexus One adventure, there are still widespread shortages of the HTC Incredible, which uses the 3.7-inch AMOLED screens.

Despite a much-publicized media leak of its next-generation iPhone, Apple CEO Steve Jobs still managed to rev up fans and developers Monday as he unveiled iPhone 4, a powerful successor in its smart phone line.

“Stop me if you’ve already seen this,” Jobs quipped as he introduced the iPhone 4 to a packed audience at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.

From his customary spot on the stage, Jobs previewed the new, slimmer hardware, which comes equipped with a much improved screen, two cameras including one facing the user for video conferencing, a faster processor, a gyroscope and a mobile version of Apple’s video editing program, iMovie.

“That is the iPhone 4,” Jobs said. “We think it’s the biggest leap we’ve taken since the original iPhone.”

The phone, which will go on sale June 24 for $199 (16 gigabytes) and $299 (32 gigabytes), will also ship with the latest version of the iPhone operating system, now dubbed iOS 4. The new operating system includes multi-tasking, application folders, the iBooks e-reader app and a new mobile advertising platform.

IPhone 4 should provide a boost for Apple as it seeks to fend off rising competition from smart phone competitors, most notably Google, whose Android operating system is powering a slew of iPhone rivals. There are three times as many iPhones in the market compared to Android devices, but recent quarterly Android sales are now similar to the iPhone.

Many of the iPhone 4’s larger hardware developments were predicted after gadget blog Gizmodo purchased a lost iPhone prototype in April for $5,000 and ran an exclusive story on the components of the new device. The story shed light on many of the new features, including the two cameras and a bigger battery, as well as the boxier look of the device.

But Jobs summoned his ring-leading skills to highlight the specific advancements of the iPhone 4, saving until the end a new video chat feature called FaceTime, which will enable iPhone 4 users to easily conduct video calls at the push of a button. The service will only work over Wi-Fi between iPhone 4 devices in 2010.

“I grew up dreaming of video calling and now it’s real,” Jobs said.

Jobs also spent a considerable amount of time showing off the iPhone 4’s new display, which doubles the pixel density of the iPhone screen and eliminates the perception of pixels. At one point, however, Jobs ran into trouble during the demo when his device couldn’t access Apple’s private Wi-Fi network because of all the mobile Wi-Fi routers in use at the keynote. He actually paused and asked the bloggers in the audience to turn off their Wi-Fi to allow him to proceed with the demonstration.

The new device will feature the same 1 GHz A4 processor powering the iPad as well as a new gyroscope that, when combined with the iPhone’s accelerometer, allows the iPhone to work as a six-axis motion sensor. Developers believe the added sensor can bring about new applications in gaming.

The iPhone 4’s camera has been upgraded to 5 megapixels and includes digital zoom, an LED flash and advanced light-sensing technology that mimics the performance of dedicated cameras. The video camera can also shoot in 720p high-definition.

Users will be to stitch their pictures and videos into polished movies using a new $4.99 iMovie app for the iPhone.

Much to the chagrin of some consumers, Jobs made no mention of a second iPhone running on Verizon Wireless, a popular rumor among Verizon users. The iPhone 4 will stay an exclusive of AT&T, which also replaced its unlimited smart phone data plans Monday with cheaper but limited data tiers of $15 (200 megabytes) and $25 (2 gigabytes) a month.

Avi Greengart, an analyst with Current Analysis, said the Gizmodo leak may have taken some of the surprise out of Jobs’ keynote. But he said the details and execution in the iPhone 4 ensure the device is still the smart phone to beat.

“Just because a publication got some of the features doesn’t mean it’s not impressive,” said Greengart. “I am very impressed. Apple was ahead to begin with and this just puts them further ahead.”

Charles Golvin, an analyst with Forrester Research, said the new iPhone may sell more to existing iPhone users, rather than expand Apple’s reach. But he said he was most impressed by the display and the FaceTime video technology, which Jobs said Apple was releasing as an open standard.

“If they can drive the adoption of video calling, we might finally see the realization of video telephony,” he said.

For developers such as Ge Wang, founder of musical app maker Smule, the inclusion of the gyroscope meant yet another tool for application programmers.

“This is definitely a step forward for Apple,” he said of the iPhone 4. “It’s not only the technology but Apple’s vision for the future. Clearly, Apple isn’t standing still.

 

Could an iPhone application treat acne? A Texas dermatologist seems to think so.  The AcneApp, launched by Houston-based Dr. Greg Pearson, claims to use red and blue light to fight blemishes and improve the health of one’s skin.

The application’s Web site said, “Studies showed that light treatments were almost twice as effective as benzoyl peroxide, the main ingredient in Proactiv and other common over-the-counter blemish treatments.”

According the Web site, users of the application choose a color — red light is said to have anti-inflammatory properties and blue light is said to fight bacteria — and then hold the iPhone against their skins’ acne-prone areas for two minutes each day.

Citing a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology, AcneApp said treatments alternating red and blue light have been shown to eliminate an acne-causing bacteria and reduce skin blemishes up to 76 percent of the time.

Dr. David Pariser, a dermatologist from Norfolk, Va., who is president of the American Academy of Dermatologists, said that though studies have indeed shown that red and blue light can help your skin, he doubted that this particular application could do the trick.

“It’s true that the light sources do help acne,” he said. “The mechanism by which it works is that it kills p-acne bacteria.”

But he said that in a doctor’s office, a patient’s skin would be exposed to far stronger light than an iPhone screen gives off, and for longer periods of time. In order for the treatment to be effective, he said skin should be exposed to blue light for about 16 minutes and red light for six to eight minutes per session. (Most patients would undergo treatment once a month for several months, he said.)

“You really have to have extremely intense light that requires protection of your eyes,” he said. “It’s not very likely you’re going to get enough light out of the screen of an iPhone to make a difference.”

Dr. Pariser said he wouldn’t be able to give an opinion without seeing the results of clinical trials (which the application has not undergone), but said that though the application would likely not hurt anyone, it would also likely not help much either.

“The principle is correct,” he said. “But I really doubt that this specific application of it would make much diference.”

Reviews from people who have downloaded the $1.99 AcneApp from Apple’s AppStore have been mixed.

“I was very hesitant to purchase this at first because I thought it was simply exploiting peoples’ insecurities, but it works!” said one user.

Another was more skeptical: “Anyone have proof? How long did it take to work [?]”

My personal view is that this application is only a gimmick, and one should not treat it seriously.  In fact, I regard it as a funny app that may work or may not work for its’ intended purpose.

Google’s Nexus One phone may have been one of the most anticipated devices of the last few weeks. But since the smartphone’s launch last Tuesday, it has left a string of unhappy customers in its wake.

Nexus One has been plagued by consumer complaints including spotty 3G connectivity, a high early termination fee, poor customer support from Google and problems with the touchscreen.

“There are some aspects of the experience that Google didn’t think through as carefully as they should have,” says Charles Golvin, an analyst with Forrester Research. “This has implications for the store they have launched and their future ambitions for it. Google, clearly, has a lot of work ahead of it.”

Google introduced the Nexus One as the first device to be sold by the search company itself, rather than a manufacturing or carrier partner. The Nexus One, which runs Android 2.1, has been designed by HTC and works with T-Mobile’s network in the United States.

But contrary to initial speculation, the device isn’t free. It will retail for $180 with a 2-year contract with T-Mobile. An unlocked version is also available for $530 — a price similar to most other smartphones — and that version will work on other GSM phone networks worldwide as well as AT&T in the United States, although with some limitations.

The difference, though, is the Nexus One is available only through Google’s online store. Unlike with a Motorola Cliq or a HTC G1, users can’t walk into a T-Mobile store and buy the Nexus One.

They can’t even count on T-Mobile’s customer service representatives in store or the company’s phone support to solve their problems.

It’s a strategy that has backfired on Google. The company’s support forums are full of customer complaints around the Nexus and the company’s poor service.

“A lot of complaints and frustration that people are expressing would normally be handled by going back into the store or by calling the support help line,” says Golvin. “Having a physical location where you can take your phone back helps customers and Google seems to have underestimated that.”

“Solving customer support issues is extremely important to us, because we want people to have a positive Nexus One experience,” says a Google spokesperson. “We are trying to be as open and transparent as possible through our online customer help forums.”

Many of the customer complaints are centered about the device’s inability to connect to T-Mobile’s 3G network. The Nexus One does not pick up the 3G network or keeps switching to the slower EDGE network, say some users.

A Google spokesperson says the company is aware of the problem. “We are aware of the issues that have affected a small number of users and are working quickly to fix any problems,” the spokesperson told Wired.com in an email. “We hope to have more information soon. When we do, we will post it to the user forum.”

Add to all this Google’s decision to charge a separate early termination fee in addition to the one charged by T-Mobile. Nexus One customers who bought the subsidized, $180 version and then decide to cancel their contracts will have to pay $200 to T-Mobile.

But Google also charges users a $350 “equipment recovery fee” if you give up on the contract within 120 days.

Including all charges, Nexus One customers who want to bail early will end up paying $550. That’s significantly higher than the controversial $350 early termination fee imposed by Verizon last year.

“Google provides a subsidy for devices purchased with T-Mobile USA service. If a consumer cancels service after 14 days, Google recoups this subsidy in the form of an equipment recovery fee,” says the Google spokesperson.

“After 120 days, the equipment recovery fee will no longer apply. This is standard practice for third party resellers of T-Mobile and other operators, and you will find similar policies for other mobile service resellers. The T-Mobile early termination fee is separate and handled by T-Mobile.”

Despite the problems, Google can bounce back, says Golvin. Customer dissatisfaction is likely to be just a small speed bump in the road for Google’s mobile ambitions, he says.

“Google tends to have a bit of a Teflon coating,” says Golvin. “People tend to cut them a lot more slack — as they do with Apple — than they do with their mobile operator.”