Today, the world lost a great man. Steve Jobs was a brilliant businessman. He was a natural salesman. Beneath it all, though, Steve was a geek.

He knew what we, as geeks, wanted. He knew what would get our brains moving and hearts pumping. He understood that power, speed and functionality could be beautifully packaged in such a way that all the world would want to have it as their own. He knew and understood because he was one of us.

As I look around my house, I see so many things that are directly attributable to his pioneering vision and unquestionable leadership. An Apple TV in the entertainment center…a 5th generation iPod Classic lying next to an iMac…an iPhone 4 on the kitchen counter…an iPad in my lap…and, of course, the iPhone 4 on which I write this.

I will not lie. It brings a tear to my eye. No, I will not weep. I will not mourn. You may call me a fan boy, but I will not mind. I was…and always will be…a fan of Steve. He changed my life, through his technological vision. He changed the way we communicate. Through all of these things, he essentially changed the way we “think”.

Lest we forget, he was more than a CEO. His family has lost a father and husband. His friends and close colleagues undoubtedly suffer, as well. You and I have lost, too. Yes, Apple will go on. Steve’s legacy will live on. Sadly, though, it will never be quite as magical without him.

Rest in peace, Steve. Thanks for everything.

It’s official. The next generation iPhone is the iPhone 4S. Though Steve Jobs and his trademark, black turtleneck were noticeably absent, Apple new CEO, Tim Cook took the stage and delivered the much-anticipated details regarding what will undoubtedly become the company’s next big money-maker.

Much to the chagrin of many, the iPhone 5 didn’t appear. That doesn’t mean the iPhone 4S doesn’t come with noticeable improvements over its predecessor, the iPhone 4. Of course, the show included reports on Apple’s recent financial successes, store openings, etc. That said, we know that’s why you’re here, so we’ll get straight to the list of specifications and features that were unveiled during the big Apple event.

iPhone 4S Specifications

• Design, size and physical layout is the same as the iPhone 4 (Hence no iPhone 5)
• Dual-core A5 chip processor
• CPU up to 2x faster than the iPhone 4
• Dual-core graphics that are up to 7x faster than the iPhone 4
• Up to 8 hours of 3G Talk time, 6 hours of 3G browsing, 9 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, 10 hours of video playback and 40 hours of music playback
• Dual antennas intelligently switch back and forth to transmit and receive data. Theoretically doubles download speeds seen on the iPhone 4.
• GSM and CDMA are now available in one device.
• Camera upgraded to 8-megapixels (3264 x 2448), with additions such as facial detection, backside illumination, improved white balance, and a five element lens.
• Video taken via the iPhone 4S camera will be 1080p HD and include video image stabilization and noise reduction.
• AirPlay Mirroring allows users to view their games on the big-screen without cumbersome wires.
• Siri (Live Voice Recognition) allows users to hold down the button and ask questions about the weather, program the next day’s alarm, check stock prices, find local restaurants, and read your messages aloud. On top of all that, Siri is designed to understand natural, conversational language (English, French and German) and work with all built-in apps. Yes, that means you can dictate natively on the device.

New and Improved Features and Native Apps in iOS 5

• Notifications – Users can now swipe down from the top to see a listing of alerts for mail, calendar, SMS, etc.
• Cards – Allows users to create, print and mail greeting cards from the device. ($2.99 US, $4.99 Worldwide)
• iMessage - Finally, iOS users will have a built in IM client similar to the BBM that BlackBerry users have had for years.
• Newsstand - Similar to iBooks, this app will allow users to purchase and read magazines.
• Reminders – It does exactly what it sounds like. Users can configure to-do lists and set a reminder for when it needs to get done.
• Twitter – Finally, the iPhone will have a native Twitter app that also shares photos right from the camera roll.
• Camera – As expected, the camera app will not include an icon to access it from the iPhone’s lock screen. The volume up button can now be used to take the photograph, as well.
• Game Center – The app will now allow users add photographs of friends, share achievement points and include friend recommendations
• Safari - An updated version of the browser includes reader functionality to save items for later, as well as the long-requested tabbed browsing feature.
• Mail – The new version for iOS 5 will include the ability to use rich text formatting, indentation, rearrangement of addresses and message flagging.
• iCloud – The much-discussed replacement for MobileMe allows for automatic uploading and backup to the iCloud for documents, photos, contacts, calendar items, etc. iCloud also lets you re-download previously purchased apps. (Available October 12, 2011; 5GB free for iOS 5/Lion users)
• Find My Friends - Similar to the Find My iPhone feature, users can now allow their location to be known, so their friends can easily find them. (This may or may not be a good idea, but at least there are built-in parental controls.)
• iTunes Match – For $24.99 a year, users can scan and match their iTunes library, upload songs that were missing to their iCloud, stream music from the iCloud, and upgrade songs to 256 Kbps AAC DRM-free versions. (Available toward the end of October 2011)

Pricing and Availability (with 2-year carrier contract)

The device will be available on AT&T, Verizon and…(drum roll)…Sprint.

• iPhone 4S (16Gb) – $199
• iPhone 4S (32Gb) – $299
• iPhone 4S (64Gb) – $399

Preordering for the iPhone 4S will go live on October 7, 2011. The device will become available in the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Japan on October 14, 2011.

To buy or not to buy?

See? We got straight to the point and skipped all of the fluff and opinion. If you’re a current iPhone 4 owner who isn’t eligible for an upgrade, the iPhone 4S may not be cost-effective. If you’re lucky enough to have a mint condition iPhone 4, though, you may be able to sell it for a good price and offset the full price of the iPhone 4S. For iPhone 3GS owners and non-iPhone owners who have held off on buying an iPhone 4, it would appear that the time has come to take the leap. As always, the decision is yours, but let’s face it. Who doesn’t like to have the newest toy, as soon as it comes out?

October 4, 2011 is finally here. As any respectable tech geek knows, today Apple is set to unveil the next-generation iPhone. Will it be called the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 or, perhaps, the iMegaPhone. Okay, that last one is a stretch, but it has to be something exciting, right? While you may not have received a personal invitation from Apple to attend the event, you can join the connected masses who will be among the first to know its specs and features, through the techno-magic that is live-blogging.

For whatever reason, Apple decided against live-streaming the event, via its own website. There’s no need to worry, though, since there is no shortage of tech sites who will be live-blogging for your bandwidth-consuming pleasure. As in the past, we’ve put posted the schedule for various time zones, as well as a list of sites on which you can watch. It’s always advisable to get in early, turn on the auto-refresh, so you don’t miss a moment. It also doesn’t hurt to open up a few different live-blogs at the same time because…lets face it…some of the live-bloggers don’t post as quickly as others.

What time will it happen?

No need for pesky differences in time zones to make you miss the big show. Below are some of the most common time zones from around the world, with their local show time.

07:00 AM – U.S. Hawaii
10:00 AM – U.S. Pacific
11:00 AM – U.S. Mountain
12:00 PM – U.S. Central
01:00 PM – U.S. Eastern
06:00 PM – United Kingdom/Ireland/Portugal
07:00 PM – France/Germany/Spain
08:00 PM – Finland/Greece/Israel
09:00 PM – Moscow
02:00 AM – Japan/North Korea (October 5, 2011)
03:00 AM – Australia (October 5, 2011)
05:00 AM – New Zealand (October 5, 2011)

Where can I watch it live?

These are just a few of the many sites that will be covering the event. If you know of another reliable one, share with other readers, via comment. After all, you know you wouldn’t want to be left out on the day of an Apple event.

Engadget Liveblog

Gizmodo Liveblog

Ars Technica

SlashGear Live

MacNN

TUAW

TiPb

MacLife Liveblog

Some of these sites have taken things a step further this year by also hosting live tweeting, pre-shows, and Ustream feeds. You’ll definitely want to take a look at each one, so you can find the right feed for you. Now you know where to go and when to be there. All that’s left is wait for the show to begin!

These days, it seems there is a mobile phone to fit everyone’s unique needs, tastes, and budget. A yet-to-be-released device from Denmark-based Aesir is pushing that idea to the limit. The Æ+Y Phone comes in two models. Typically, the difference in pricing has to do with a mobile phone’s storage capacity, features, etc. In the case of the Æ+Y Phone, the difference has to do with the materials of which it’s made.

This work of mobile phone art comes in an 18-carat, yellow gold model and a stainless steel model. Yes, you read that correctly. After reviewing the image gallery on Aesir’s website, it truly is an impressive device. How much will the Æ+Y Phone set you back? The term “sticker shock” is taken to an entirely new level, when speaking of the device. That’s because the gold model will set you back approximately $57,300. If that’s a bit of a stretch for your budget, you can always settle for the stainless steel model, which can be yours for a mere $9,900.

Admittedly, this is one of those devices that will never be sent out as loaner units. For that matter, the company is only accepting pre-orders now. The stainless steel model is expected to ship during fall 2011. If you have your heart set on the gold model, you’ll have to wait until winter 2011. The design, materials and craftsmanship are obviously way above what most people would expect from a mobile phone. For the price, one would hope so, right? According to the website, “The Æ+Y has been engineered, built and crafted by a team of specialists, selected because they could fulfil (sic) the unique requirements of Yves Béhar’s design.”

For $9,900 and $57,300, one would certainly hope that using this device would fit well and feel good in the user’s hand. Of course, the questions on most gadget lovers’ minds default to important things like what operating system it has, what features it includes, and what apps they’ll be able to use. That is where the initial “sticker shock” is usurped by “feature shock”. That’s because the Æ+Y Phone has no real features. It doesn’t even have an OS in the sense of the word to which Android, iPhone, and BlackBerry users have become accustomed.

Simply put, it is a mobile phone. You can call people. People can call you. If you can’t remember everyone’s number, you can store it as a contact. Features like speed-dial, caller ID and call-forwarding also come as part of the package. There are some app-like features like a World clock, Alarm, Notes, To-do list, Calendar, Calculator and Converter. Lest we forget, it is also Bluetooth capable. This does make one wonder if the Aesir will make 18-carat gold and stainless steel Bluetooth headsets to go with the phone. If you’re going to do something, you may as well go all out.

According to the company, the focus on design and craftsmanship and omission of all the things people have become increasingly accustomed to on mobile devices is intentional. In their words, the device “…focuses on voice, tactility, clarity and simplicity. Its deliberately straightforward functionality is in keeping with this rationale.”

On the bright side, the device does come unlocked and ready for any SIM you choose to insert. That has to count for something…even if it does make it the most expensive unlocked phone ever. If you’re already sold on the Æ+Y Phone, you should head over to the Aesir website and get your pre-order in today. You want to be sure you’re the first person on your block…or in your country…to get one.

Yesterday, Nintendo announced, via press release, that the next update for the Nintendo 3DS will include the ability to record video in 3D. Additionally, the company also touted the upcoming release of a new slidepad accessory for the device and new games like Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7 and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

In a separate press release from a few days earlier, Nintendo lauded the fact that sales of its first 3D gaming device increased by 260 percent, since August 12, 2011, over the previous month’s sales. With the new accessory, games, device features, and sales increase, one would assume that things were great for Nintendo. Upon closer inspection, though, this might not actually be the case.

While a few of the major tech and gaming news sites reported on the new accessory and forthcoming games, one of the only outlets that reported potentially negative news for Nintendo was Reuters. In a post dated today, the news wire reports that, overall, the 3DS may still be considered a flop, in terms of financial return and the company’s value.

Specifically, Reuters points to the fact that, while sales did increase greatly, from July to August 2011, it only happened after Nintendo reduced the price of the Nintendo 3DS by up to 40 percent. This may have resulted in a knee-jerk reaction by consumers, who previously wanted the device but weren’t interested in paying for it at the initial retail value.

According to Reuters, market analysts are still not very positive about Nintendo’s current and future performance in what has become a very competitive gaming market. In addition to previous competitors like the Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation, Nintendo also has to work arduously to keep pace with mobile phone operating systems. With increased processing power, memory and storage space, devices like the Apple iPhone, as well as the various devices running the Android OS, are often more attractive gaming platforms for adult, casual gamers and younger games. For both of these groups, the convenience of being able to play games with excellent graphics and features and get them at much lower prices, on a mobile device that also provides voice and data communications, may very well trump the ability to play traditionally popular games and record 3D videos.

With the gaming-friendly tablet and smartphone devices continuing to release new devices and improve others, via operating system updates, Nintendo faces a continuing, uphill battle to maintain its attractiveness to gamers. We’ll have to wait and see if Nintendo’s plans to revitalize the DS legacy pan out. As with most companies who live and die by profit  margins and stock prices, success or failure will depend on the whim of the often fickle, gaming consumer. Until the final quarter numbers are released, after the Christmas 2011 season, Nintendo will remain a 2D company with 3D plans.

Sources:

Nintendo faces end of era after 3DS flop

Nintendo 3DS gets 3D Video Recording and Two Great Mario Games for the Holidays

Nintendo 3DS Sales up 260 Percent Following Price Reduction

An exhibition currently on display at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art seeks to show people how technological objects, such as cell phones, computers and automated kiosks, have become an integral and artistic part of our daily lives. Entitled Talk to Me: Design and the Communication between People and Objects, the exhibit focuses on the evolution of technology towards direct interaction. The art aspect of direct interaction can be seen in how developers and engineers create the visual design and communication interfaces of the object.

In an interview with Reuters reporter Anthony De Rosa, Paola Antonelli, the exhibit’s curator, says that while people have always formed relationships with objects, the ones being formed with technological objects are much more complex. Antonelli explains, “The relationship used to be emotional, but now, because of digital technology, we expect that communication to be much more explicit.” Based on these increased expectations, technological design includes previously expected aspects of form and function but has also added an additional aspect of a script through which people interface with the technology. You can see the complete Reuters video below (requires Adobe Flash), and more information on the exhibit is included after the break.

Talk to Me is currently open and runs through November 7, 2011. Even if you’re not within driving distance of MOMA, you can still take advantage of the exhibit by visiting the MOMA website. The site also includes links to the exhibit’s online journal, links for upcoming, live-streaming tours of the exhibit and Paola Antonelli’s book on the subject.

If you’ve never browsed the MOMA website, it really is a testament to how well technology can be leveraged to allow people to learn about and interact with art. It is definitely recommended for anyone who appreciates technology, art and the art of technology. The site is also a great tool to expose children to art and to encourage their creativity, without ever having stepped through MOMA’s doors.

Sources:

Reuters Video – Technology: How do objects talk to us?

Museum of Modern Art – Talk to Me

Who am I kidding? I already gave away the fact that GSL doesn’t have a real, verifiable iPhone 5 prototype to send you into a fit of delirious tech-joy. Additionally, I’m not going to tell you that the iPhone 5 might be made of a previously undiscovered, super-lightweight metal from Mars or that, allegedly, it may have a Pez dispenser integrated into the body of the device. I won’t even tell you that the iPhone 5 could possibly serve as a universal remote for your entire home theater system.

Though the photo submitted super-secretly and anonymously by Twitter’s very own @dbone15 (oops…let that one slip) is a very impressive rendering of what the device might look like, it wasn’t exfiltrated from Apple’s servers or found in a bar or Photoshopped in any way, shape or form. How do we know this? It’s because he readily admits it was drawn with highlighters, by his 15-month old daughter, Sophie G. He may or may not have helped her out a little with the Apple logo, but I can let that slide. After all, it is a fake prototype. Those last two words bring us to the actual point of this post. Read on, and it will all become clear….hopefully.

An iPhone 5 Prototype (Artistic Credit: Sophie G., 13-month old tech geek)

The Latest Prototype: Seriously Real or Amusingly Fake?

In truth, Sophie G’s rendering of what the iPhone 5 could look like isn’t that far off from many of the images we’ve seen. None are high resolution or crystal clear. Some are pixelated messes that could be interpreted to look like a toaster if one turns their head at just the right angle. To Sophie G’s credit, her prototype was scanned at a high enough pixel count to make it easily viewable.

It is obviously not the real thing. I have already admitted it several times. Furthermore, the submitter of it admits it. This brings me to the real point. What have we become? Are writers for tech news websites and blogs turning into geeky, gossip columnists?

The Tech Gossip Trifecta: Allegedly, Possibly and Reportedly

I have no doubt that at least a few readers of this post will say that tech news websites exist to dig up and share information on emerging devices and technology. For the most part, I agree. Technophiles, Geeks and Gadget Freaks want to know what’s coming out, when it will be available and what exciting features it will include. I agree with this part as well. Where I begin to differ in opinion is at that point where something is posted that is completely unverifiable. If tech writers want the respect generally given to most mainstream journalists, they have to earn it. Such respect is not earned by throwing out anything that comes their way and sprinkling words like “alleged”, “possibly” and “reportedly” throughout the post.

I believe that journalists, including the tech variety, have an obligation to attempt to verify information and corroborate facts. They should also protect their sources…as long as they have verified the source’s story to greatest extent possible. Choosing to post an over-pixelated image edited in Microsoft Paint and adding a disclaimer provides no real information to readers. Is it amusing? It may be. What that line of logic reminds us of, though, are newspapers like The Enquirer, magazines like OK! and websites like TMZ.com. People know that the stories are often untrue, but they are entertained by it.

To Inform or Entertain: That is the question

I suppose that brings us to a decision point that all tech news websites must reach. Is your goal to be a website that receives tech news and gadget tips and verifies information, prior to publishing it, or is your goal simply to entertain, generate page views and make money from advertising? There is no shame in the latter. Please, though, spare readers the insult of trying to appear to be something else. There may very well be a niche for tech gossip. Be an intrepid explorer and create and publicize yourself, as such. Afterwards, though, don’t be upset when readers come only to be entertained and take you as seriously as they do Perez Hilton.

Don’t get me wrong. There is room for speculation about future developments, features, etc. These type of posts can be informative and thought-provoking, if the writer incorporates some critical thinking and discusses why he or she feels they may or may not be true. This approach shows readers that you actually put thought into the subject before writing about it. In turn, they are more likely to walk away and still keep thinking about what they read. Those readers are the ones who will return time and time again, not because they were entertained but because they were informed.

Of course, if someone does have a photo of the iPhone 5 prototype, I would love to see it. I only ask one thing. Just be sure to add a Pez dispenser while you’re expertly Photoshopping it.

This morning, Bloomberg broke the news that the U.S. Department of Justice, via, for lack of a better term, its parent company, the U.S. Government, formally filed a complaint to stop the proposed acquisition of T-Mobile assets by AT&T. Back in March of this year, GSL published a post on the proposed acquisition and detailed how we thought customers could emerge as the real winners.

For better or worse, though, it appears that the U.S. Government feels that such an acquisition would constitute a violation of U.S. Antitrust laws. Specifically, the complaint cites that a completed and approved deal would “substantially lessen competition” among the companies that make up the U.S. wireless market.

Officially filed as U.S. v. AT&T Inc., 11-01560, in a District of Columbia federal court, the U.S. Government seeks to block the merger in its entirety. A ruling in the their favor could spell trouble for AT&T. Though the company already has a strong firmhold in the U.S. wireless market, thanks to popular smartphone offerings from Apple, RIM, and other handset manufacturers running Google’s Android OS. Despite this fact, planned upgrades and expansion of its current wireless infrastructure could be negatively affected.

Although AT&T stocks dropped by a little more than $1, in typical knee-jerk reaction to possibly negative news, there is certainly no reason to believe the filing or, for that matter, a permanent blockage of the acquisition will send the company’s stock prices spiraling downward. It is also likely to have little effect on quarterly or yearly earnings, since estimates are generally based on what the company currently has and not what they might acquire within the period.

Based on the fact that the proposed acquisition was initially announced nearly six months ago, a review of and ruling on the complaint could likely be months away. There is no doubt that AT&T has already assembled its bevy of lawyers to begin planning a defense that they hope will eventually result in the company placing more bars in places throughout the United States.

It’s been a few months since Google launched Google+, its latest venture into social media. As is usually the case, sides were immediately chosen. Some lauded Google+ as the next big thing. On the other side, critics claimed it was no more than a feeble attempt to emulate Facebook. What was expected was for the debate to fade away, leaving Google+ users to post animated .gifs to their heart’s content. Of course, the critics would move on to their next target.

That isn’t the way it has really played out, though. No, Google upped the ante by quickly disallowing private profiles. I posted a piece on the private profile policy back on July 6, 2011. I expressed that it didn’t really matter, since one could choose to populate their profile with real or false information. I still thought it would all work out fine. Then came Google’s decision to begin suspending profiles with pseudonyms. This seemed a bit dicey, but there did seem to be a mechanism in place to request a review and validation of one’s pseudonym of choice. If favorably reviewed and determined to be for non-nefarious purposes, the person could keep using their pseudonym. It seemed simple, right? It was…until Google became an active combatant in the Identity Wars. The only problem is that it’s still difficult to discern who Google views as the enemy.

The Identity Wars

In an interesting Op-Ed piece published on the CNN website yesterday, Mashable founder Pete Cashmore discusses why he doesn’t believe Google+ will give up any ground on it’s no pseudonym policy. In his post, he examines some individual components of Facebook and how they and the system as a whole are easily connectable to other sites and services around the web. He also goes on to explain his view that Google sees identity validation and non-repudiation as a key to the acceptance and success of Google+.

“So why wouldn’t Google allow for pseudonyms in some cases? Or perhaps offer to hide your real name from public view for privacy reasons? My guess: Google is concerned that doing so would make its identity system less reliable than the one Facebook has already implemented — a system that insists on real names.” – Pete Cashmore, Mashable

Whether one agrees or disagrees with Google’s policies, Cashmore’s analysis of them make sense and seem to be the result of actual critical thinking. The only part that doesn’t make sense to me is his statement that Facebook insists on real names.

Facebook doesn’t care who you are

I can personally attest to the fact that, as long as it doesn’t contain special characters or seem suspicious to their automated validation tool, Facebook doesn’t care who you are. I have never used my real name on Facebook. On that platform, I am ‘ThatGuy Justin’. Facebook requires a name, email address and date of birth. Everything else is optional. Even the required information doesn’t require one to provide a copy of a form of identification with photo or links to reputable websites, like Google+ currently does.

There is little doubt that Facebook has its privacy issues. What we tend to forget, though, is that a good portion of the blame rests with users who choose to put much more and detailed information regarding themselves and allowing ‘Everyone’ to see it. Yes, back-end applications and advertisers being given unencumbered access to profile data is heinous, but Facebook users quite often voluntarily give out far too much information than they should.

Google+ versus the User

In the interest of objectivity, I must disclose that I have had my own ‘Geek Shui’ profile flagged, reviewed, re-reviewed, suspended, and reviewed again. As of the publication of this post, I am still awaiting a response from the Google+ Support Team. To be honest, I don’t expect one to arrive. Why? In my last rebuttal, I provided the team with an email from a member of their own team, in which my pseudonym, ‘Geek Shui’ was actually approved for use. Unfortunately, my profile was never reactivated. When I inquired about it the first time, there was no response at all. Within days, though, my profile went from flagged for review to suspended. Being a bit of a stubborn geek, I resubmitted my original justification for the use of my pseudonym, as well as the favorable review notification. I am waiting. It is likely that in a week or month from now, I’ll still be waiting. It’s a bit disappointing, but it’s true. What could they really say? They’re certainly not going to be tell me that it’s vital I use my real name, so that they can ensure their product is viewed as reputable to and desirable by other users, and increase their virtual and real market shares.

Another truth is that, at this point, Google hasn’t gained even an inch of ground on Facebook. The people who only used Facebook will not be enticed to switch, en masse, to Google+. They don’t generally have a problem with Facebook. There is only a cross-section of social media users (myself included) who have used Facebook, Twitter, Buzz, etc. and have a yearning to see some of Facebook’s functionality, as part of another, less privacy invasive platform. In the end, it seems that Google chooses to focus on millions of Facebook users who have never even heard of Google+, instead of carving out its own, original niche among the millions who are still reluctant to use Facebook.

Yes, Google is so entrenched in the technology and internet theaters of operation and hyper-focused on a goal of mythic proportions that retreat is unlikely. They will not be deterred by a few thousand complaints because they know that, ultimately, many users will concede defeat and use their real names. Even if they don’t, Google has enough eggs in their digital basket to ensure that their profit margin remains high.

It would seem, then, that we worked our way toward the answer to our original question. Who is the enemy? No, it’s not Facebook because Facebook doesn’t care and isn’t fighting. That leaves you, me and millions of other social media aficionados. Specifically, we, the vile pseudonym users, stand in the way, but we won’t for long. Google will see to that. They will soon suspend the non-compliant into oblivion and charge forward. When the dust settles, though, Google will still see Facebook, securely nestled in its digital castle on the mountain and blissfully suggesting new friends to its fiefdom. There will be a fairy tale ending. It just won’t be the one Google envisioned.

This morning, one of the lead stories over at TechCrunch reported that all Android phones released in 2011 by AT&T will have Android version 2.3, or as its more commonly known, Gingerbread. The news itself isn’t that exciting unless you’re a consumer who was planning on upgrading your device during the second half of this year. The list of AT&T devices includes the HTC Inspire 4G, LG Phoenix, Motorola Atrix 4G, and Pantech Crossover. Apparently, those who already own these devices will be able to upgrade them to Gingerbread within the near future.

What does this mean for the green (read: new) and average Android users? The answer is “not much”. The TechCrunch post throws around technical jargon, like “root” and “CyanogenMod” that many of us tecnophiles understand. The average Android user may recognize what it means to “root” their Android, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they want or even know how to do it. What the whole thing really reminds us is that, despite their technical goodness, Android devices, their various OS versions and residual app compatibility issues make smartphones seem rather dumb and, ultimately, may influence potential buyers to choose….you guessed it….an iPhone.

Before someone accuses me of displaying an MG Siegler-like affection for Apple devices, let me be very clear. I’m outlining what I believe Android needs to gain a bigger market share. Yes, that’s correct. I am trying to help Android.

It’s actually really, really simple. Apple has the right idea with the iPhone. While they may patent and copyright just about everything else, Apple can’t do the same with the overall concept. Here’s how Android should do it:

1. Have one manufacturer make the device. The Highlander wasn’t kidding. There can only be one.
2. Design a single mobile operating system to run on said device. Again…Highlander-style.
3. Pay attention to the popular features/functionality/apps that unauthorized, third parties make to be side-loaded onto hacked versions of your device. Then, incorporate your own version of it into the next-generation version of your device and its operating system.
4. When you want to release a new device, encourage developers to design apps that support at least one previous (although two is better) generation of the device/OS. One device means less development time for them and increased ROI (even if they’re losing 33.3% off the top).
5. When the time comes to announce it, have a big party and invite the press. Hors d’oeuvres, an open bar and swag bags are always good ideas, too.
6. If having several companies involved makes it difficult to decide upon a single, cult-like figure (All hail, Steve) to lead the event, hire someone like James Earl Jones or Morgan Freeman to do it. People will believe anything either one of them says aloud.
7. Finally, develop a single desktop/laptop computer application, with multiple OS support, that will allow even the most technically-challenged user to back up, synchronize and, if necessary, wipe and reload their device with a single click.

Of course I’m not the first person (nor will I be the last) to say something to this effect. I may have expressed it in a more tongue-in-cheek manner, but that doesn’t detract from its underlying, sound basis. We have heard it a few times over, but despite the fact that it’s been repeated over and over, no one in Android-land seems to be listening. In the end, simplicity is the way to go, even when talking about a complex process like device/OS development. After all, the average user (not technical gurus…like you, of course) is the one smartphone companies have to reach. Give them a device whose inner workings they don’t really have to understand and that just does the stuff they want it to do, when they want it to do it, and they will happily return for more.

To an extent it reminds us of RIM’s apparent hearing problem. Consumers keep saying what they want on their BlackBerries. Yet, the well-paid executives in the crystal tower don’t seem to get it. As a result, new devices continue to be released by RIM and their Android-producing counterparts, but it’s a crapshoot what OS version it will have or when (or if) it will get an upgrade. Sure, they may sell enough to cover their operating expenses and generate some profit, but is that the goal? Is it good enough to make some profit, or is the goal to make as much profit as possible? I would think it would be the latter.

Until the numerous handset companies that make up the Android market find a way to make it easier for consumers to purchase and upgrade their devices, “some profit” will be the best for which they can hope. In the interim, the Android manufacturers may want to come together and launch an advertising campaign centered around Kermit the Frog. You never know. A remake of Kermit’s classic “It Ain’t Easy Being Green”, complete with a cameo appearance by the lovable green Android, might tug at the heartstrings of would-be consumers and keep them from straying the way of the shiny Apple. If it happens, though, I expect a cut of the profits….or at least some hors d’oeuvres.