If you still have not purchased a Nexus One, now is as great a time as any. There are now a lot of independent retailers that stock the Google branded Android smart phone.

The device was first launched in the US last January 5. The unveiling event at the Googleplex gave the media a chance to see the new handset up close and also for the developers to showcase some of the newest features. However, along with the launch came the announcement that the device would only be available through the Google online store –which many tech reviewers saw a red flag for the success of the Android device.

As expected, the sales of the Nexus One were hardly anywhere near impressive. Google only managed to sell 20,000 units by the first week of sales. The company then took a different approach to the marketing of the Google Phone in the UK, the device would be offered directly by Vodafone and later on, by retailers. That time has already come; retailers now stock the Nexus One on store shelves and also on websites for online orders. In fact many of the best Nexus One deals can be found online.

This Google branded handset has been manufactured by HTC and has a spec sheet that closely resembles that of the HTC Desire (formerly HTC Bravo). Both handsets come with 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screens, 5 mega pixel cameras and 1GHz Snapdragon CPUs.

The new Android 2.2 Froyo is already available for Nexus One (and only for the Nexus One). This OS update makes the mobile platform up to five times faster thanks to the implementation of the new Dalvik VM JIT. It also has a fast web browser by using V8 which allows for better handling of JavaScript. Android owners will also be happy to know that this update will allow the use of the smart phone for USB tethering or even as a WiFi hotspot.

If you are one of the many people who have pre-ordered the Apple iPad well ahead of time (with the wisdom to ensure that you are able to actually get the device), it seems that Apple is all set and ready to disappoint you and what is estimated to be thousands of other people who have pre-ordered the Apple iPad touch screen tablet.

According to recent reports, the iPad worldwide launch is set to go on May 28, this coming Friday and that many stores are already getting ready for the big event. However, it seems that all of the iPad stocks are going to be allocated for over the counter sales –no iPads will be shipped to online pre-order customers. In fact, it is highly possible that the iPad will not be shipped until two weeks after June 28.

This sad turn of events is a serious blow to many people who have been preparing for the iPad launch. While it is impressive to see long lines in stores, sales are still sales and Apple should respect the foresight that many people had when it comes to buying their devices. Or perhaps Apple is simply bitter over not having foresight of their own –as shown with the reason why the iPad international launch was delayed; due to their inability to foresee that their stocks would not meet the US demands for the touch screen tablet.

Users who will check online will find that tracking of orders is no longer present and that there is a notice for the possible two-week wait. Apple is practically spitting in the face of its online customers.

Still, there is no doubt that the launch of the iPad will still be a success. It is the first tablet device to be launch in this scale and there is a definitive interest in the device. However, one cannot help but feel that if Apple keeps treating customers like this, they will eventually lose support.

Sure, HTML5 is the next big thing, and in the next six years, it is possible that most of the Flash content on the internet would have been converted to HTML5. Still, that projection is for the distant future, not right now. And that is the main reason why many Apple iPad users find the lack of Flash on the device absolutely annoying.

It may not seem like a big deal at first, but once you realize that there are plenty of websites that cannot be accessed because of the lack of Flash, Apple’s strict policies start becoming a source of disdain. This is the result of a recent survey held by a market research company named Changewave.

The results are not surprising, with the iPad being hailed as the new way to access mass media, the fact that it is unable to handle plenty of video streaming sites online due to the lack of Flash is a severe disadvantage that would not be resolved anytime in the future.

For those wondering why Apple is not getting any Flash support, most of the blame goes to Steve Jobs’ stubborn stance regarding support for the Adobe web format.  For the past few years, Adobe has been struggling to update and streamline Flash to be compatible with not only the Mac OS but also the iPhone OS.

Still, lack of cooperation from Apple has left Adobe unable to stabilize Flash performance on Apple’s devices. Ironically, Jobs’ biggest complaint was that Flash is unstable –an issue that he could have helped resolve.

The problem hit a major turn when Apple launched the iPhone 4.0 OS SDK. The software development kit came with a license agreement for developers that practically banned the use of Adobe’s software as a development tool for iPhone apps. This action drove the wedge that has now completely severed Adobe’s ties with Apple. Flash compatibility will be present in the new Android operating system instead.

Martha Lane Fox has one big task ahead of her, teaching the digitally unconnected masses about the internet. It’s a big deal, because the internet can actually help people save more than anything else. It also opens up plenty of opportunities for growth, education and most importantly, employment.

It is easy to appreciate a few heart-tugging tales of senior citizens finding their re-connections to the world thanks to the internet. But the real success stories are in being able to teach the people who need the internet to live. Of course, the concept of internet access in every house is a pretty tough sell to make, instead, the real focus is in bringing internet access to the public.

Libraries and other public locations such as government buildings, job centers and even the local post office are being considered as prime locations for computer hubs that people can use.

There are already plenty of volunteers who are willing to give their time in order to reach out and teach others about how to use the internet, how to make their own email address and of course how to use the computer, mouse, keyboard and all (or in some cases, how to fiddle around with a smart phone).

The transition is expected to be slow, but this is not ideal. Technology is not waiting for anyone, and society as a whole is still not an exception. The big shift from traditional to digital will happen soon and people have to learn a lot faster.

While it may seem harsh, there is plenty of reasons to go digital. First off, digital correspondence is significantly better than using paper. According to some reports, the government alone stands to save millions if they stop using papers. The same applies to companies and even to individuals (though at much lesser and harder to notice scales).

App game developer Camel Games has launched Shoot U!, an interesting new Android game that will have payers laughing and grinning as they launch scribbled humanoids off a sketchbook cannon and enjoy the games physics.

The point of the game is simple: hit the red ball with the star in the center. In order to do this, players take control of a cannon on one side of the screen and by manipulating the objects in the stage (by shooting humanoids at it) the target will be hit. The first few stages are simple ballistic challenges. This is later made intricate in later stages where there are levers, balancing platforms, slopes and other things around the red ball.

And by red ball, we do mean red ball. The target itself is not a static object; it will be pushed around by levers and roll off slanted edges. More often than not, players will have to toss a humanoid into one or two objects in order to move the red ball in place where it can be hit. Some stages will even encourage players to push the target up in the air and hit it with proper timing.

The gameplay of this title is addictive, though there some points when the actions feels a little too repetitive and players might want to put it down after a while. Regardless, Shoot U is a game that player will keep coming back to when they need to play something that actually requires a little more thinking and planning than the usual.

Graphics wise, this title borders on the semi-artsy with its scribble-style artwork. Some stages are designed in a manner that looks a little haphazard, but all in all, the game stays true to its own unique style and approach. Players looking for a game with a little more depth and detail might want to go for the more traditional looking titles out there.

Mobile network operator 3 mobile has recently announced that they will be offering three new devices to their already impressive lineup of mobile phones.

First up is the LG Viewty. This device comes with a 3 inch touch screen display and a 5 mega pixel snapper. It also has an FM radio (aside from the usual media playback capabilities for video and MP3), Microsoft Outlook with PC sync, and a built in photo editor. The resistive touch screen might be a little backwards in terms of technology, but at least the device has its own stylus. The Viewty is available right now.

The second device on 3’s list is the BlackBerry Pearl 3G. The new 3G edition of the Pearl looks very much like the original device down to the 12 button keyboard layout but this new edition comes with a slightly larger touch screen display. 3 UK has yet to announce a specific date for the launch of the Pearl 3G.

Last on the lineup is the HTC Wildfire. This impressive Android smart phone from Taiwanese manufacturer HTC has been in the headlines recently for its excellent balance of specs and more importantly, price. With the rest of HTC’s smart phone lineup being composed of really expensive high end gadgets, it is about time that they released a device for the mid range crowd.

According to the reports, the Wildfire is focused heavily on social networking features. It has a life streaming feed of social networking updates that will bring users up to date with all the latest happenings easily. The device comes with a 3.2 inch capacitive touch screen, a 5 mega pixel camera, a 528 MHz CPU and of course, the latest Android OS, version 2.1 Éclair. 3 UK has announced that the date for the Wildfire’s launch will be given soon.

Microsoft’s Hotmail email service has to come a long way. Now, MS is giving new life to their old service in order to attract more users –Google has also been gaining more users and it is time that Microsoft steps up their game.

So far, the initial changes are worth looking forward to, the new hotmail features are a treat for anyone who needs to easily organize large quantities of emails that come in. Better folder and filter organization that would include possible origins and, as well as an instant email search functions.

Brandon LeBlanc has posted about the changes at the official Google blogs. His biggest favorite is the addition of the new filters:

“I absolutely love filters. And the new Hotmail brings filters front and center. I’ve since turned off automatic sorting and am now relying solely on the new Hotmail’s Social updates filter.”

He goes on to describe how the new filter automatically sorts out content in your inbox, allowing for streamlined viewing of mail that you actually want to see –no need to wade through large amounts of mail when you are just looking for a single one.

Another new addition to Hotmail is the Quick View which gives users an instant view of the content that is found in the email, allowing for users to easily which one they should be reading first –it also helps figure our which emails you should not be opening from your office computer. The best part of this is that it allows users to instant view various file formats such as images and documents from within the web browser itself. There is no need to manually download attachments on public computers that you will have to delete later on.

The new Hotmail features are part of an ongoing improvement across Microsoft’s many web services such as Silverlight and more.

It seems that the supply of virtual produce on the internet will no longer be put into jeopardy. About 75 million users on Facebook run and maintain virtual farms through the Zynga game app and this large network of farmers have produced more virtual poultry, livestock and farm goods than any other pseudo community online. However, news that Zynga could potentially leave Facebook meant that all of these farms would close, threatening the only source of virtual produce online.

Kidding aside, last week’s worrisome news that Zynga might be splitting off from Facebook has finally met a very joyous conclusion as it was recently announced that the two parties have finally come to a very private agreement.

Obviously, neither Zynga nor Facebook are willing to share with the public as to what the terms and conditions of the agreement are, but many believe that Facebook has finally backed down from its originally intended 30% cut from Zynga’s online profits through the social networking site.

The big fuss started over a week ago after Facebook announced changes in its developer policies. They have implemented a new Facebook credits system through which all transactions on the online site will be held. This places Facebook in control of user and developer transactions and also allows them better control of incoming profit. However, Facebook’s 30% cut on sales has proven to be quite the expensive price to pay and Zynga publicly announced that due to such changes, they are considering to set up their own Zynga Games network.

With Facebook’s millions of networked users and Zynga’s incredibly addictive games that keep people coming back for more, the two companies had a very strong partnership that would definitely prove to be detrimental should one factor not be present (of course, Facebook has less to lose).

Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Phone 7 mobile platform is due to come out later this year. LG has already revealed the details on their Panther handset –making it the very first WP7 device to be formally announced and now, HTC is joining the roster.

The HTC Mondrian smart phone is more than just an upcoming WP7 handset, it is also the first handset to be announced that will have a CPU running over 1GHz, the QSD8650-A Snapdragon processor that will be used in the Mondrian is clocked at a speed of 1.3 GHz –this hardware will prove to be useful specially when it comes to the gaming capabilities of the mobile platform. It has already been shown that the new OS will have 3D games. Microsoft’s XNA technology will allow for full 3D games to be playable even on a mobile phone.

Other details of the device include a 4.3 inch capacitive touch screen display and a camera with video and image recording capabilities. Of course, usual smart phone features such as Bluetooth, GPS, media playback, 2G/3G support and more are present in the Mondrian.

This device is definitely remarkable because of its high speed CPU. Though there are also rumors that a dual core Snapdragon may be in the works, the real focus is on technology that already exists.

In other HTC related news, the Taiwanese company is suing Apple for 5 patents that have been used in Apple’s touch screen devices. With Apple previously filing a similar case against HTC (which included 20 patents for hardware and software technologies), it makes perfect sense that they will now file their countersuit. The company has recently teamed up with Microsoft –presumably to arrange a deal for using MS patents. Many believe that with this move, HTC has secured its position against the larger Cupertino based operating system.

The industry is up in arms with the raid of REACT operatives on the home of Jason Chen –the now famous Gizmodo tech blogger who was in possession of the prototype Apple iPhone device. Many believe that there should have never been a raid in the first place. Beyond the raid, many are also questioning Apple’s motives; while there is sufficient reason to protect the technology behind their latest product, it does not make their urgent response to the situation easier to understand.

It has been recently revealed that the Apple, and in particular, Steve Jobs, has been in contact with Brian Lam, the editor for Gizmodo. It appears that the two professionals had a very civil exchange regarding Apple’s need for the prototype to be returned and for Gizmodo to be able to receive a confirmation from Apple that the device is indeed an authentic iPhone prototype.

Steve Jobs however, was concerned about another important factor –current iPhone sales.

Apple’s stand on the matter is that they would lose iPhone sales once details about the next generation device have been revealed. This is because the public would start seeing the iPhone 3G and 3Gs as part of an older generation of devices. With the competition between the iPhone and the Android being at a very crucial point, Apple does not want to lose the position of being on the high ground. The current iPhone has been on top of the market for over two years now, and at this point, it is barely holding its own against devices such as the Desire and the Nexus One.

Apple has yet to confirm that the prototype device is indeed a next generation iPhone, but they have confirmed that they are the rightful owners of the device –in many ways, this is already the confirmation that Gizmodo needs.