Second 'Google phone' is Unveiled

A new phone based on Google's operating system Android has been unveiled by Vodafone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The touchscreen HTC Magic will feature a 3.2 Megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, and GPS, but no slide-out keyboard.

The first "Google phone", called the G1, was launched in September by HTC and is exclusive to T-mobile.

The Magic will feature new Android firmware, known as "Cupcake", with changes based on G1 user suggestions. The Magic will go on sale to Vodafone customers in the UK, Germany, Spain and France, and non-exclusively in Italy. Android phone users will be able to access the Android Market, a storefront for applications that already boasts 800 offerings. That number that is sure to grow with more Android handsets on the market.

The Congress was expected to see the launch of a number of Android-based phones from several manufacturers, but the Magic is as yet the only confirmed release.

Speaking at the product launch, Vodafone and HTC representatives stressed that the ethos in producing the Magic was on form as well as function, and that the thinness and "feel in the hand" had been an important consideration.

"We are paying particular attention to style and design; I'm practically obsessed with it. We are extremely careful not to produce products for a niche of geeks, but bring out a proper mass-market consumer device with a lot of attention to design and functionality," said Patrick Chomet, global director of terminals for Vodafone Group.

"This is the thinnest, nicest Android-powered device on the market."

The lack of a slide-out handset made for a thinner device, as did a comparatively low-resolution camera and lack of flash, according to Mr Chomet.

"This is all about stylish design for the mass market, it's a very compact style. We have all this great touch experience, it's extremely responsive," said Peter Chou, president and chief executive of HTC.

Carolina Milanesi, research director for mobile devices, Gartner analysts, said: "We are expecting more Android products but this is a good product for Vodafone, for a European audience; the form factor is more in line with European tastes. The platform is more stable and is more a device that exploits the full touch screen."

If the device hits an anticipated price point of between 99 and 199 euros, Ms Milenesi said it would be pitched at the broader phone market.

"With that range of prices, it's not aimed at the same audience as, say, the iPhone, it's looking more at a broader appeal for people.

"It will attract a bigger audience who's not just hooked on Google but interested in exploiting the usability of the touch interface and exploiting the internet offering as a whole."

Pricing will be done locally in each territory and Vodafone has opened pre-registration the device.

The HTC Magic has a proprietary headphone jack, and so will not accept many standard headphones.

The device comes pre-loaded with Google applications, such as Maps, Mail, Search and You Tube.

By Jason Palmer
Science and technology reporter, BBC News, Barcelona

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Google Earth Revives Ancient Rome

Rome, one of the biggest civilization on Earth. Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world.

If you love Ancient Rome, here's a good news from Google.

The Colosseum is just one of many ancient buildings users can tour

Google has added a new twist to its popular 3D map tool, Google Earth, offering millions of users the chance to visit a virtual ancient Rome.

Google has reconstructed the sprawling city - inhabited by more than one million people as long ago as AD320.

Users can zoom around the map to visit the Forum of Julius Caesar, stand in the centre of the Colosseum or swoop over the Basilica.

Researchers behind the project say it adds to five centuries of knowledge.

"This is another step in creating a virtual time machine," said Bernard Frischer of the University of Virginia, which worked with Google on the Roman reconstruction.

"The project is a continuation of five centuries of research by scholars, architects and artists since the Renaissance, who have attempted to restore the ruins of the ancient city with words, maps and images," he said.

Also involved was Past Perfect Productions, which reconstructs archaeological and historical sites through virtual reality.

Joel Myers, the firm's chief executive, said: "Cultural heritage, although based in the past, lives in the present, as it forms our identity.

"It is therefore our responsibility to ensure its conservation, to nourish it and make it accessible, with the objective of promoting global understanding. Ancient Rome in 3D is a major step towards this goal," he added.

'Ideal allies'

Ancient Rome is the first historical city to be added to Google Earth. Google's blog said the model contains more than 6,700 buildings, with more than 250 place marks linking to key sites in a variety of languages.

"Whether you are a student taking your first ancient history class, a historian who spends your life researching ancient civilisations, or just a history buff, access to this 3D model in Google Earth will help everyone learn more about ancient Rome," said Bruce Polderman, Google Earth 3D production manager.

Information bubbles pop up on more than 250 sites in the ancient city

Within ancient Rome there are some 200 buildings scholars know a lot about - classified as Class 1 -which Google says have been rendered as faithfully as possible.

The 3D models are based on a physical model of the city called the Plastico di Roma Antica.

The model was created by archaeologists and model-makers between 1933 to 1974 and housed in a special gallery in Rome's Museum of Roman Civilisation.

The new map was unveiled at an event in the Italian capital, and the modern day Mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, praised the project.

"It's an incredible opportunity to share the stunning greatness of ancient Rome, a perfect example of how the new technologies can be ideal allies of our history, archaeology and cultural identity," Mr Alemanno said.

More than 400 million people have downloaded Google Earth since it was launched in June 2005.

Source: BBC News

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Google Earth Goes Underwater

Google has lifted the lid on its first major upgrade to its global mapping software, Google Earth. Google Ocean expands this map to include large swathes of the ocean floor and abyssal plain. Users can dive beneath a dynamic water surface to explore the 3D sea floor terrain. The map also includes 20 content layers, containing information from the world's leading scientists, researchers, and ocean explorers.

Al Gore was at the launch event in San Francisco which, Google hopes, will take its mapping software a step closer to total coverage of the entire globe.

You can dive into the world's ocean that covers almost three-quarters of the planet

In a statement, Mr Gore said that the update would make Google Earth a "magical experience".

"You can not only zoom into whatever part of our planet's surface you wish to examine in closer detail, you can now dive into the world's ocean that covers almost three-quarters of the planet and discover new wonders that had not been accessible in previous versions."

Approximately 70% of the world's surface is covered by water, which contains nearly 80% of all life - yet less than 5% of it has actually been explored.

Google Ocean aims to let users visit some of the more interesting locations, including underwater volcanoes, as well as running videos on marine life, shipwrecks and clips of favourite surf and dive spots.

Conservation organisations hope the tool will improve awareness of issues facing undersea life.

"With this, everybody can see the unbelievable beauty of our marine life and how incredibly threatened it is," said Carl Gustaf Lundin, head of the global marine programme at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

"We hope this major technological innovation will get the public more involved in marine conservation and encourage governments and businesses to stop driving ocean species to extinction."

Coloured worlds

The new features were developed in close collaboration with oceanographer Sylvia Earle and an advisory council of more than 25 ocean advocates and scientists.

Sylvia Earle, the National Geographic Society's explorer in residence, said the new features would bring the blue planet to life.

"I cannot imagine a more effective way to inspire awareness and caring for the blue heart of the planet than the new ocean in Google Earth.

"For the first time, everyone from curious kids to serious researchers can see the world, the whole world, with new eyes," she added.

There are also updates on the terrestrial side, including GPS tracking, virtual time travel (where users can observe changes in satellite images, such as the 2006 World Cup stadium or the desertification of Africa's Lake Chad) and narrated tours of imagery and content in Google Earth.

There are also updates to the Mars 3D section, so if users have had enough of the blue planet, they can always look at the red one.

Source: BBC News

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