Google’s My Tracks GPS-powered Android app the ultimate outdoor activity companion

Over at The Official Google Blog, a GPS-powered Android application called My Tracks has been announced. The application uses the GPS built into Android handsets such as T-Mobile’s G1 to capture your location during outdoor activities and presents live statistics such as speed, total distance, and elevation.

It’s a great application for running, biking, hiking and any other outdoor sport/activity that can use data analysis for training purposes. Plus you can send your performance statistics to Google Docs and mark places or describe activities for others via Google Maps.
Okay, so how’s it different? It doesn’t require a secondary GPS receiver or software installation on your computer for one. Secondly it doesn’t require you to upload your training statistics to the computer once your workout or activity is over. It can all be done directly from your phone.
My Tracks is the latest location-based service to be announced by Google coming from its 20% program. The program allows Google employees to use 20% of their work time for outside development projects. The location signatures now present in Google’s email platform Gmail is an example of another 20% project. Between these two new services and the launch of Google’s friend-finding application Latitude last week, it’s clear the company believes location is gradually integrating itself into every aspect of our lives.
My Tracks is now available to download from the Android Market. Check out the demo video below.


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Archos to release first Android-based Internet Media Tablet

Android is a pretty versatile platform. Besides the flagship T-Mobile G1, we've seen a bunch of other devices people have hacked the software onto, from other smartphones to laptops. Now we've got word from media player manufacturer Archos, which just announced a new "Internet Media Tablet" that caught our eye for being both one of the first Android-based media players announced, as well as Archos' first tablet with cellular voice call support.

Archos already has some pretty advanced media players in its IMT line; the company tries to differentiate itself from other music-and-video-only players with support for web browsing, similar in functionality to the iPod touch. While most of the players just had WiFi support, the Archos 5 modelincluded a cellular modem for getting online with a 3.5G connection. For this next-generation Android device, it makes sense that Archos is expanding that data support to include voice calls; since the tablet would already have a cellular chipset, and will be running an operating system that includes the necessary software, why wouldn't it connect the dots?

We don't expect the Archos tablet to replace your existing phone, though. If the upcoming model looks anything like existing Archos IMTs, it probably won't have the best form-factor for use as a handset. You'll probably get the most use out of the cell modem for data connections, but it will be nice to know the voice support is there if you ever need it.

From what specs Archos has made available, the player will sport a five-inch screen and support drives up to 500 GB. Archos will be using a high-performance Texas Instruments processor, which it says will help power HD playback and handle full-screen Adobe Flash video. All of this it expects to cram into a tablet under 0.4 inches thick. We have to admit: we're intrigued. Hopefully we'll be learning a little more about the device before its scheduled release, sometime in Q3 2009.

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