It looks like there is an unconfirmed Google Maps outage on Android devices. A few users from AndroidForums.com have reported that they are getting the error “Data connection lost, retrying…” when they open Google Maps. Whether this is just a problem for users who downloaded the updated app yesterday or not remains unknown. I will post more info as it become available.

UPDATE: Things look to be back up. I’m looking for any official word from Google.

After playing with the HTC Eris I’ve only come to one conclusion, but you will have to read through to the end to see what that is.

Out of the Box
You can read my initial reactions here but straight out of the box I love how small the Eris is and how well it fit in my hand.

It’s really fast; there was some initial lag when I first started it up, especially when moving through the home screens, but over all this phone is just as fast as the Droid.

Play Time
You have all read the specs so I’m not going to bore you with the details that you’ve seen all over the web already. Playing with the Eris was fun and the Sense UI made it a joy to engage with the device. The lack of hardware keyboard will put some off but if you aren’t planning on typing much then this droid is the one you are looking for.

Since it isn’t running Android 2.0 there are some things that aren’t on this device that Verizon has advertised are on the Droid, namely Google Navigation, a slower browsing experience, and the older Marketplace. Of course an over-the-air (OTA) upgrade to Android 2.0 is rumored to be hitting the HTC Hero and HTC Eris in the near future so that could all change.

There’s not much more about this phone to say, it’s a great little phone — it is fast, reliable, and Verizon’s 3G makes it the best non-hardware keyboard phone the carrier has out. If you don’t like the bulk of the Droid or don’t need a hardware keyboard then definitely go check this little beauty out today. (Currently, for a limited time Verizon is selling the HTC Eris for $99.99 with a NEW 2-year agreement, $199.99 for existing customers.)

Before I get to my first impressions review I want to say that this is not the same as the Motorola DROID. This has an older version of the Android OS (Android version 1.5, the DROID runs version 2.0) so some apps that have been advertised for the DROID will not work on the Eris, namely Google Navigation. Google Navigation is currently only available for Android 2.0 devices. The only reason I bring this up is because I’ve heard consumers complaining about this to Verizon and apparently they aren’t being told this by the company, they are just getting the answer, “I don’t know why it’s not working on your phone.” It’s not working on the phone because the phone doesn’t run the same OS as the DROID.

First, the phone is a little taller, thinner and heavier than the HTC Touch, the curves are curvy and it feels good in the hand.

The phone is fast and sliding between screens moves just as fast as you think it should. Apps pop up quickly and respond at lightning speeds, the browser is fast with 3G even though I enjoy the Android 2.0 browser more.

Unlike the Motorola DROID, the HTC Eris has HTC’s signature Micro USB adapter for charging so you’ll be able to use any Micro USB cable to charge or move data over.

So there’s a brief run down of my first impressions. Keep an eye out later this week for the full review with pictures and a video.

IntoMobile just released the news that Wirefly.com is selling the Moto DROID for $99.99 and the HTC Eris for FREE (after activating a new Verizon account, of course). Get ‘em while they are hot!

According to IntoMobile the DROID deal is just as it seems — only available on new accounts — but the Eris deal is for current subscribers who are willing to sign a new 2-year agreement and pay $59.99 or more on the accompanying plan. Shipping is free on both phones so if you want to save you’ll just have to wait a few more days for the phones to be shipped.

Wirefly DROID deal
FREE HTC Eris

[via IntoMobile]

I just received a question on Aardvark and had to do some quick digging to find out that T-Mobile is experiencing major network downtime. There’s no official word yet but stayed tuned to the blogosphere and twitosphere, word will pop up as soon as we hear more.

UPDATE: T-Mo knows about the issue and is working on it. They say that it’s less than 5% of it’s subscribers with out service now. Just hold on, things could be over soon.

UPDATE 2: According to T-Mo’s twitter page: “We’re making good progress restoring voice and messaging service to affected customers. More: http://ow.ly/z2hQ“

New reviews will be slow coming over the next few months as we are doing a site overhaul for the new year. Keep watch to see how things change around here.

Today Agile Partners (creators of GuitarToolkit and previously reviewed Star6) released their newest iPhone/iPod Touch app, TabToolkit, the ultimate guitar tabulature resource. If you are like me, which would mean you play guitar because I do, then you don’t always remember to bring the tab of that new song that you printed out when you find yourself with a little time to play. TabToolkit manages to make this something of the past and does it with lots of style.

TabToolkit allows you to load your own tab files (in either Power Tab, Guitar Pro, text or PDF file types) and will play them back to you with a synthesized instrument as it highlights the note you are supposed to play in tab notation. Guitar Pro and Power Tab files also allow standard musical notation alongside the tab. You can also change the speed of playback from the settings menu, set up a metronome, and change the type of notation, left- or right- hand notation, and whether there is an instrument guide showing at the bottom of the screen. Speaking of the instrument guide, this is one of the coolest parts, especially for beginners (both to keyboard or guitar), because it shows you exactly where the tab corresponds to on the instrument.

This is an amazing app and even though the price is a little steep ($9.99) it is well-worth it, every guitarist with an iPhone or iPod Touch should add this to their set of tools. TabToolkit comes with a few, pre-selected tabs already installed but you can add your own by clicking on the “plus” sign at the bottom right and going to the website it gives you. You can purchase TabToolkit on the App store right now for $9.99.

I’ve been using Aardvark since they opened the doors and it is an amazing service. Not only can you get answers to your questions from multiple people (giving you the quickest and easiest way to find information when you need it) but you can also answer questions and help others. I’ve made buddies on Aardvark and I’ve also looked at questions and thought, “They should have just Google’d that one.”

Well, now Aardvark have opened another door and it’s one that makes it so much more simpler to get answers to your questions. The main tab of the app has a box for you to ask your question and it lists all the questions that you’ve asked or answered in chronological order. There’s a tab for you to view current questions to answer and to view your buddies on Aardvark.

Overall, a great, simple app that does that it should. The iPhone/iPod Touch app is out and ready to be downloaded from the App Store free of charge.

A user at Androidforums.com, tankboyben, has modded his HTC G1 phone to make it more Steampunk. It was all done by hand and looks amazing! You can view the full gallery of pics at androidforums.com.

 
PALO ALTO, Calif. – September 15, 2009 — Today Kinoma announced that its flagship product, Kinoma Play, is now available for Nokia S60, the world’s dominant smartphone platform. Nokia S60 users can now enjoy the best way to find, play and share media in a beautiful, fast, easy-to-use application.
 
Kinoma Play lets users find media fast by browsing the extensive built-in Kinoma Guide app or searching leading media sites including YouTube, Flickr and SHOUTcast. It allows them to play media in all popular formats including Windows Media, MPEG-4/H.264 and iTunes AAC. Finally, Kinoma Play users can easily share what they’re enjoying using Twitter, Facebook, Last.fm and more.
 
“Kinoma Play connects your media and your social networks with a power and simplicity unavailable in any other S60 application,” said Peter Hoddie, CEO of Kinoma. “It’s not just that Kinoma Play does more — it’s how naturally and intuitively everything works together. Nokia users have been asking us for Kinoma Play since its release on Windows Mobile, and today we’re proud to announce that their ‘killer app’ has arrived.”
 
“Nokia’s goal is to provide the best media experience possible on mobile, so we’re thrilled that Kinoma Play is now available for Nokia S60 phones,” said Purnima Kochikar, VP, Forum Nokia and Developer Communities, at Nokia. “It’s exciting and fun for consumers who want to play and share the world’s
best entertainment content, and indispensible for business users who need constant access to the latest business and financial news. Innovators like Kinoma show that the only limit to Nokia platforms is their imagination.”
 
Setting a New Standard for S60 Applications, and for Mobile Media
As a next-generation media player, Kinoma Play is peerless. It makes standalone single-media players obsolete, enabling effortless command over music, video, podcasts, audiobooks, Internet radio and photos. Whether playing media from the phone, web sites or social networks, Kinoma Play makes the experience fast, fun and easy.
 
In addition to playing personal media, Kinoma Play puts the “best of the web” in the palm of your hand with quick, easy access to content including millions of hours of on-demand and live video, more than 30,000 radio stations, tens of thousands of audio and video podcasts and millions of photo albums.
 
Connecting Content and People Like Nothing Else Can
With deep support for major social networks including Twitter and Facebook, Kinoma Play makes sharing media as natural as playing it. Share photos and links to your favorite music and YouTube videos in seconds. Use the built-in Last.fm app to “scrobble” your personal playlist and learn more about favorite artists, then use Kinoma Play’s unmatched YouTube app to watch their music videos.
 
Exclusive cross-social sharing allows users to share everything with everybody in a way that would be clumsy or impossible with other applications — for example, users can share YouTube videos on Facebook, share Facebook photos on Twitter, share podcast episodes via SMS and more.

Pricing and Availability
Kinoma Play for Nokia Symbian/S60 devices (S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 1 or Feature Pack 2) is available immediately at kinoma.com for $29.99 U.S. Kinoma Play supports Dutch, English, French, French Canadian, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish.
 
About Kinoma Play
Kinoma Play is the best way to play and share video, music, podcasts, radio, photos, panoramas and audiobooks on your phone. As the first social media browser, Kinoma Play has changed the mobile media landscape and quickly established a reputation as a must-have application for Windows Mobile.
 
About Kinoma
Kinoma makes software with a focus on design, simplicity, and fun. Its software powers the media experience on millions of devices on 14 carrier networks for customers including NTT DoCoMo, Palm, SoftBank Mobile, Sony, and more. Kinoma’s latest innovation is Kinoma Play, the world’s first social media browser.
Kinoma is a registered trademark of Kinoma, Inc. For further information, visit kinoma.com. Follow @Kinoma on Twitter (twitter.com/Kinoma) for the latest news, and subscribe Kinoma’s blog at blog.kinoma.com via email or RSS.