We’re not going to travel too far back in time for this week’s installation of Throwback Thursday, but we think our selection is very appropriate. With this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in full gear, we’re seeing an unfathomable number of Android phones and tablets announced by dozens of electronics manufacturers. So here at BGR, we thought it would be appropriate to take a short moment to pay homage to the little handset that started it all. We’re talking about T-Mobile’s G1, also known as the HTC Dream.

Released on October 30, 2008 in the United States by GSM carrier T-Mobile, the G1 was the first smartphone to be marketed with Google’s new Android mobile operating system. The G1 — which retailed for $129.99 on-contract and $399.99 full retail — was a horizontal-sliding, full-QWERTY handset with a unique hinge. The G1 paired its keyboard with a 3.2-inch touchscreen display, 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, micro-SD card slot, and navigation trackball. The handsets Achilles heel was, undoubtedly, the humble 1150mAh battery — which proved to be inadequate for the device’s hardware. In April of 2009, T-Mobile officially announced that that it had sold 1 million G1s.

This week, as you see Android devices of all shapes and sizes announced, take some time to pour one out for the device that started it all… the G1.

BGR’s Throwback Thursday is a weekly series covering our (and your) favorite gadgets, games, and software of yesterday and yesteryear.

A few weeks ago, Rogers decided not to upgrade the aging HTC Dream to Android 2.0 but offered existing owners the opportunity to switch to the HTC Magic for free in a limited time promotion. We thought this would end all controversy surrounding the Dream but, alas, the saga of the Rogers’ Dream is not over yet. Rogers is now apparently halting all sales of the Dream due to a GPS and software issue which hinders 911 calls. An internal memo circulating on Friday instructs employees to halt all activations, upgrades and sales of the Dream effective immediately. Both the white and black Dream will be removed completely from all sales systems by the end of the day today. Current Dream owners are being advised to turn off GPS satellite tracking on their phones until the next Android 1.5 upgrade is released. Hit the jump for the internal memo with all the details.

Thanks to all who sent this in!

[via MobileSyrup]

Taken from Sales Central

Start Date: January 15, 2010
End Date: On-going
Regions: National
Reference # NDP 2010-01-17

——————————————————————————–

!!! ATTENTION !!! Cease ALL HTC Dream Sales!
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

Due to a software issue, ALL sales (activations, upgrades, and device sales) of HTC Dream are to STOP IMMEDIATELY until further notice.

In addition:

There will be NO SUBSIDY paid for activations or upgrades on the HTC Dream effective as of end of day today;
This applies to all SKUs of the HTC Dream;
DREAMBLKR
DREAMWHTR
These devices will be removed from Vision21, Sales Central, point of sale systems, Rogers.com, and telesales effective as of end of day today;
More information to follow.

Unofficial Statement from Rogers

I’m writing to share some urgent news with our Rogers HTC Dream customers.
We have contacted all of our Dream customers by text message asking them to disable GPS location

on their HTC Dream device to ensure all 911 calls complete.

HTC is expediting a software fix to the 1.5 Android Operating System

that will address this issue – and provide several other improvements to the OS.

We expect this upgrade to be available very soon. In the meantime, Dream customers need to follow these steps:
1) Select Menu
2) Select Settings
3) Select Location
4) Uncheck Enable GPS Satellite

Please note that the Rogers HTC Dream is the only device affected.
Protecting our customers’ safety is our top priority and we communicated with our customers as soon as we were made aware of the issue. We have texted all affected customers and we have immediately requested that the device be taken off the shelf until HTC implements its upgrade.”

HTC Magic owners disappointed by Rogers’ announcement that the Dream was going to stay at Android 1.5 may have cause to rejoice. A post from a Rogers rep over at Android forums claims that Rogers is putting together a promotion that will provide current Dream owners a limited time opportunity to upgrade to the HTC Magic. Rogers is reportedly still working on the details of the promotion but if it pans out, Dream owners may have a shiny, new Android handset in their future.

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HTC Magic and Dream owners in Canada take note as Rogers has reconsidered its “No Donut or Eclair policy” for at least one of its two Android handsets. Rogers has confirmed that, in the next few weeks, it will issue a minor update for the Android 1.5 OS on both the Dream and the Magic, bringing the HTC Sense UI to the Magic while keeping the platform steady at Android 1.5. By mid-2010, the HTC Magic will be updated to Android 2.1 complete with HTC’s updated Sense UI. While Magic owners are jumping for joy, Dream owners may want to get out a handkerchief to dry their eyes as Rogers confirmed that the HTC Dream will not be  updated past Android 1.5 due to “certain limitations on the HTC Dream.” Any Rogers Dream owners out there can vent voice their opinion in the comments below.

If you have either a HTC Dream or Magic (or perhaps both) from Rogers Wireless, you might want to brush up on your rooting and porting skills because it appears that both devices will not receive an official OS update past Android 1.5. Said HTC’s website (and confirmed by Rogers):

HTC is not currently planning any Android 1.6 upgrades for Rogers Dream or Magic. Android 1.6 was only made available for “Google”-branded devices such as the G1. It is not available for HTC-branded products such as the Dream or Magic, which use Android 1.5. We believe that Android 1.5 is a stable and reliable software platform that delivers a terrific user experience.

We’re not even going to bother getting into how upset some owners are, but we think it needs to be said how sad it is that a company would release a pair of devices, call it an open-sourced “Revolution” and then completely screw its customers over. it’s not like other carriers offering non-”with Google” Dreams and Magics weren’t able to dish out some new software upgrades. You’re better than this, aren’t you Rogers?

Thanks, Andrew!

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Etie

Remember that Android 2.1 ROM for the Hero that was leaked over at xda-developers ? Deeply embedded within the code of the ROM is supposedly a list of codenames for current and future HTC Android handsets. The list includes the Bahamas, Bravo, DesireC, Dragon, Dream, Espresso, Halo, HeroCT, HeroC, Hero, Huangshan, Incredible, Legend, Liberty, Memphis, Paradise, PassionC, Passion, Sapphire and Supersonic. Several of the names, like the Dream and Hero, are very recognizable while others, like the Huangshan and Espresso, have never been seen before. Worthy of note is the rumored upcoming Dragon/Passion, nice to see its name on the list. Despite the presence of some familiar names, this list generates more questions than answers. With descriptive codenames like “Incredible” and “Supersonic”, we can’t help but wonder what HTC has up their sleeve. Read

A mere two days after its release, Android 2.0 SDK has already been ripped from the womb and ported over to a T-Mobile G1. Currently in the most crude state possible, the cooked ROM runs as quickly as Babe Ruth did at his heaviest (and drunkest).The mere fact it’s able to run without melting the G1 and its 192MB of RAM, though, should give hope that the fine folks over at XDA-Developers will be able iron out enough wrinkles to make it usable as a daily driver. The only question is will G1/Dream and myTouch 3G/Magic users be treated to some delicious Eclairs like Hero users, or will they be stuck stuffing their faces with Donuts? We’re thinking the latter. Hit the jump for a video.

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Sure it looks a bit odd in the image above, but don’t be fooled — Layar’s preview of its updated AR interface is as cool as the other side of the pillow. What’s better than augmented reality? 3D augmented reality, of course. We told you about Layar’s AR browser for Android back in August and since then, it looks like the Layar team has really kicked things up a notch. This morning, Layar released three new videos that preview its new 3D augmented reality browser that is currently on display at the Picnic Conference in the Netherlands. As far as how Layar has implemented 3D objects in its browser, here’s a description straight from the horse’s mouth:

Layar 3D makes use of OpenGL, the accelerometer, the GPS and the compass of the phone. Developers can place 3D objects in their content layers based on coordinates. Objects can be optimized in size and orientation to create an immersive and realistic experience. The 3D capabilities support live downloading and rendering of 3D objects. Actions such as “open link” or “play music” can be assigned to 3D objects.

Layar plans to launch its 3D AR product in November as part of its version 3.0 update and to put it mildly, we can’t wait. Hit the jump for the preview videos.

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Augmented Reality is quickly becoming a hot ticket item in the mobile world and we’ve seen various nifty applications of the technology previewed recently. The key of course, is finding useful and valuable ways to apply AR concepts to mobile devices. Today, a preview of another infinitely useful AR app is making the rounds and we’re digging it big time. While the app name isn’t overly creative — Augmented Traffic Views — the application itself is fantastic. Built for the Android platform, Augmented Traffic Views combines a layer of AR above the device’s camera view with live traffic camera images and traffic data. Simply hold the Android handset up and the AR layer displays all available traffic camera points in the direction you’re looking. Tap one to see the most current available image taken by the cam. The app also packs some added features, such as an automated predictive tracking mode that will pop up traffic cam images ahead while you’re driving. Brilliant. Potentially dangerous, but brilliant. For the time being, Toronto is the only city covered by the app and there’s no word on when it might be available to the public. Hit the jump for the video and keep your fingers crossed that the developer decides to bring his work stateside to hit some major US metro areas as well.

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Ok, seriously… Layar kicks ass. Big time. Sure you look ridiculous swinging your phone around to see which new icons jump onto the screen, but it’s totally worth it. For those who haven’t yet heard of Layar, here’s how it works: Using the camera on your Android handset, Layar displays the world around you with an added layer of location-based content on top. So if you search Google or Yelp for a restaurant, the Layar browser will plot results in a 3D layer above the live video displayed on your screen from your camera. But it gets better. Layar is actually a platform more than anything else, so a number of third-party developers have jumped on board to provide their own layers (or Layars). Currently available content includes Flickr, Wikipedia, Yelp, Google local search, Qype, Britekite, Twitter and more. With Layar’s recent announcement, the augmented reality browser is now available globally on the Android OS — it even ships pre-installed on the Samsung Galaxy in the Netherlands. What’s more, the company is already eying the iPhone 3GS and plans to have its browser ready for the handset some time next year. In the meantime, Android users need to hit the Android Market ASAP to snag Layar. Hit the jump for a pair of demo videos.

[Via RWW]

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What’s even more interesting is how Google-branded HTC devices differ in memory compared to straight HTC Android smartphones. Besides any licensing restrictions as far as the Google name is concerned, the reason why HTC’s Sense UI won’t be coming to Google devices is that the built in RAM is much lower than HTC phones. Anyone willing to bet that the HTC Dream will be upgradable beyond Android 1.5 and Google devices again get the short end of the stick?

Just a theory, though…

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Apparently the only way to stop people from continuously sending this tip in is to run it, so here we go: Eric Schmidt was caught rocking a BlackBerry. Oooooooo. Sure Google’s CEO can have his pick from the current stock of Android-powered handsets and likely from amongst a handful of unannounced devices as well. It would appear as though Schmidt knows what everyone else in the free world knows, however — if you want to get stuff done, use a BlackBerry. We imagine Schmidt has a handful of Android devices he uses as well of course, but it’s always fun to point and laugh. So people… Point and laugh.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

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Though they have only been on sale in Canada for one month, Rogers Wireless has just lowered the 3-year contract price of both the HTC Dream and Magic by $50. This means anyone who wants to pick up either device will be able to do so for $99.99, a very good price for such capable and feature-rich smartphones. As for the reasoning behind the quick price drop, we’re hearing it’s twofold: 1) Rogers wants to make it easier for people to pick up smartphones along with the required (and highly profitable) data plans. 2) The carrier is apparently also having a hell of a time convincing Canadians to snag a smartphone that isn’t made by Apple or BlackBerry — the two most sought after and coveted smartphone brands in Canada. Apparently the “Revoution” was anything but.

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Sure, current Android handset owners, it’s understandable that you’re looking at HTC’s new Hero handset with a bit of jealousy. The new Sense UI alone is reason enough to be envious of course, as HTC has seemingly done for Android what it has done previously for Windows Mobile — added a UI layer that boosts sex appeal by about a million times. Don’t fret though… It looks like at least some of you will be getting some Sense UI love in the near future. HTC CEO Peter Chou is reportedly quoted as stating, “HTC sense will be available on some other existing devices.” That little snippet can be interpreted a variety of ways of course, but suffice it to say that the Dream/G1 or the Magic/myTouch 3G (or even both) are destined for updates that include the new Sense UI. As for what carrier versions will be privy to said update, your guess is as good as ours for the time being. Keep those fingers crossed, T-Mobile subscribers.

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It looks like Rogers is pretty serious about moving those Magics and Dreams because it just resurrected the 6GB/$30 data promo. As you can imagine however, there is a catch to this in that it is supposed to be exclusively for those who purchased one of the two Android handsets that Rogers launched today. Also, a 3-year data contract is required and the promotion expires on Canada Day. Be that as it may, we were able to log into one of our Rogers accounts and successfully add it to two lines, one being registered to a BlackBerry and the other to an iPhone. You’re more than free to try and add it yourself — just don’t blame us if Rogers smacks you on the hand and takes it away from you.

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