- Wednesday, 11 November 2009
- INQ Mobile
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Art is making something out of nothing and selling it - Lewis Carroll
Some of our Android apps are missing
DESPITE TRUMPETING the fact that it had the first VoIP application in the 'Android market' for Googlephones, Iskoot's Skype client just isn't there. Which is a big shame.
The INQ has managed to get its grubby paws on a T-Mobile G1 handset and is giving it a crash test to see what does and doesn't work. It would have been highly useful to see how the G1 coped with Skype.
However, browsing through the 'market' section showed that Iskoot's app is missing. The company has yet to respond to the INQ's inquiries over the current situation.
One clue is provided here where it suddenly says US only in brackets. Funny. That wasn't mentioned in the press blurb.
Anyway, Iskoot should jolly well work over here in Blighty. It's software is behind 3 UK's Skype offering and since the G1 phone we have is unlocked, the INQ was planning to try it.
The other facility the INQ can't test is, of course, Myfaves because that ties into a special tariff offered by T-Mobile and the T-Mobile SIM the INQ has isn't on that tariff.
Actually the SIM itself is restricted and – not owning a credit card – it's impossible to prove to T-Mobile that you're over 18. Doesn't really matter because switching over to a Wi-fi connection gets around that.
A full review of the G1 will appear on the INQ soon. At the moment we’re battling the G1 browser's lack of a Flash capability. Guessing and downloading a Linux version hasn't worked. Any ideas? µ
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Related comment, not direct, I found good reviews on the Android at AMD. Dont understand why AMD looking at Android, but review still good.

http://blogs.amd.com/patmoorhead/archive/tags/Android/default.aspx
It seems Voip isnt the only thing missing from the UK version, such as a multi protocol instant messenger. Many reviews stated out of the box support for MSN, yahoo, ICQ etc... etc...

It seems that only the yanks get this feature (although they're charged the price of a text for each message they send!)
If you want to try the Skype client, assuming that the Skype servers don't prevent it, you should be able to find somebody to host the client online and you can install it from there. And worst-case scenario, hit a wifi connection that's going through a US proxy. Performance will be crappy but you'll at least get to use the app.

As for Fav 5 functionality, it's pretty basic. Kinda flashy graphics/animations, each of the 5 get a special icon and other meta data but none of which is a whole lot different than the typical contacts. The worst thing about it is that the dialer app knows nothing about your fav 5. There is an independent fav5 app that you must go thru to see who your fav5 are. I mean, the dialer app can still call them because they're still in your contacts, and it's still free but it doesn't know that.

And yes, Yank version has AIM, GTalk, Windows Live Messenger, and Yahoo IM clients. The GTalk messages are NOT SMS-based but all of the others are.

Hope that clears some things up. :)

-Shane
Just an FYI but it looks like Marketplace is using your SIM card to determine geographical information.

I am currently in the US, and I have a unlocked US G1 with a T-Mobile UK SIM card in it. 

I'm not roaming for data, since it would be hellishly expensive, but I am using data over WiFi.

WIth my UK SIM in the phone, I cannot see or download the iSkoot client from the marketplace. However, my G1 came with a US T-Mobile SIM card and even though it is not active, when I put it in the G1 I can then see and install iSkoot from Marketplace over WiFI.

When I switch SIM cards back, it's still there though it does not seem to route calls over WiFi anyway, and calls a UK based number to connect the call.

Regards,

Dave