It's to blur out the id number Google engraved on all the Android handsets (front & back) so they can identify who is responsible for 'leaking' pictures to teh internets.

Blurry video=no clear id number= no identification

(we really need that halo/horns G)

Seems flat and unanimated, click a button and the dialog is right there. Someone should take a games designer to it to pep it up and put a coherent design on it.

Look at the Wii or the iPod, click a button and it grows in size with acceleration/deceleration on the grow. Rotate an iPod screen and the pixel screen rotates (smoothly to give you a visual cue as to what's happening). Click an icon, the other icons move out of the way and the selected application fades in, again a confirmation of what you selected.

Lots of subtle visual cues that seem to be missing on the Android.

It really needs less engineering and more design on it. I think they underestimate the important of design, simply because Google was a success with crappy programmer designed logo.

So some Google developer somewhere has posted video of Google's ultra secret mobile device onto the GOOGLE OWNED youTube?

I hope they didn't NEED their developer priveleges.

Doesn't he know that Google tracks your IP when uploading videos ? I'd be suprised if they don't pull it citing breaches of copyright - like they care about copyright infringements !!

I mean, everything's on Google, no?

OK, coat..

very very tastey!

Wow.... a Cloud Communications Command Controller for Clever Clogs. And NIRobotIQs would be Seriously into those Heavy, as in Heavenly, Breathing Androids with MetaData Morphed into Cloud Storage and Search Space for Private and Personal Public Access and AIdDisplay for Peaking Climbers and Covert Drivers of the Future in ITs Busy Use/Executive Business Use.

Is anyone BetaTesting a Prototype for Overall Global Controls in Virtualised Space Modules/Networks InterNetworking?

* Eat your Heart out, Jesus Phone?

Love the Darth Vader soundtrack in the YouTube clip.:-)

Why the hell you would want pointless battery sapping (time-wasting) animations on a phone is beyond me. I bet your the type of fool that likes all the Aero shite M$ has added to the OS.

"Blurry video=no clear id number= no identification"

Seems whoever shot someone ran out of black adhesive tape to cover the id. Or is it engraved on the screen?

If Google considers "select few" to include someone who's to thick to put a piece of tape over the number, then it doesn't bode well.

When will they learn It's not a phone if you have to use two hands! Touch screen iphone rubbish is for the young gullible with too much pocket money (or fraudulent credit cards)

"Why the hell you would want pointless battery sapping (time-wasting) animations on a phone is beyond me."

If that was the important thing, why is the screen in colour? Why animated clock? etc...

Battery sapping: iPod doesn't seem to suffer from it ergo I don't accept that as an excuse.

Time wasting: again, the button animations are faster than the time taken to reposition your thumb, and the rotation animation occurs DURING the rotation. There is no delay there, again I view that as an excuse.

"I bet your the type of fool that likes all the Aero shite M$ has added to the OS."

No, they look like after-thoughts, the iPod though is an example of proper consistent design. As to whether the public likes that, well does the iPod sell? I'm pretty sure it does.

Android looks like a plain, engineering work. Look at the action that pops up a menu, it appears to need a press on the screen for a second or two. Are you pressing hard enough and in the correct place to bring that menu up?.... You don't know until you wait 2 seconds to see of the menu pops up or not. Where's the animation that gives the feedback at the *start* of that action?

Lots of places like that, the signon screen, he drags his finger over the buttons and they become circled when successfully selected, there is no feedback as his finger approaches the centre of the next circle to confirm his finger is correctly placed, *before* he touches the centre. Once he's selected it, it's too late.

Error/confirmation dialog appears on the screen in the first video, where did it come from? There's no visual que given to show it's origin.

It's not polished I think. Needs more work.

As an Openmoko/Neo Freerunner owner that's a little disappointed with the state of the Openmoko software project, I want to know when Android's going to be available.

And of course, when it's going to be open sourced as they promised, so someone (me?) can start porting it and hacking at it.

But Google seem to be playing this one really close to their chest, I'm starting to think they'll be trying to keep the source (illegally) under wraps.

HT818G200403

Not that blurry then! Plus that's from the YouTube vid on a crappy works computer during my lunch hour. I think maybe Google can get a clearer view!

Anyone think this is maybe leaked by Google to keep up some media presence?

- mines the coat with the iPhone in the pocket!

who uses two hands to use an iPhone? it's interface is perfectly useable with the thumb of the same hand you're holding it with - i'm always dialing and txting using just one hand

you shouldn't make such sweeping generalisations

Looking at the "leaked" Youtube video it seems simple, he's hidden anything that might give his identity away, apart from the fact that he's obviously an asthmatic.

"Anyone think this is maybe leaked by Google to keep up some media presence?" - Whomever

That was my first impression.

As to the interface.... Isn't it a clone of every other general purpose interface in existance?

Where is the command line for the Lintards?

"click a button and the dialog is right there"

Sounds like what any user interface should do!

While dialogues that appear immediately are a good way to provide feedback that a user has pressed a button, assuming that a running program can supply a dialogue immediately is genuinely a bad way to produce a usable system.

Inevitable Mac versus Windows comparison: on a Windows machine, when you double click an icon on the desktop or click an icon on the Quick Launch bar, Windows merely launches the relevant tapplication. Lots of applications actually start quite slowly, so the user only gets something like quick feedback if the application specifically provides it. This means that lots of application programmers implement splash screens, which they do according to their own whim and fancy. Some provide a measure of how close to loaded the program is, some don't. Some are set to be always on top, some aren't. Etc.

On the Mac, double clicking an icon on the desktop does a tiny little animation where the icon jumps towards the user. Clicking an icon on the dock causes it to jump up and down until the relevant program has finished loading. So programmers don't have to each implement their own solution to providing feedback, and the result is a gain in consistency and a reduction in programming effort.

Oh, and something for people that speak without thinking (I hasten to add: I don't mean you) to brand as mere functionless eye candy.

"Clicking an icon on the dock causes it to jump up and down until the relevant program has finished loading."

Each to their own, but that would annoy the pants off me. Especially as it doesn't mean anything other than "The operating system acknowledges your click", not necessarily that your program hasn't hung at startup.

On thew whole design issue - that comes later. Right now they are building a platform and software stack on top of which design can later be put. Yes, design is important, but you need a rock to build it on.

I don't care what the default settings are, or what the design theory behind it is, as long as they include a way for me to turn it off if I find it fucking irritating.

.....no really....it does.

"but that would annoy the pants off me"...."as long as they include a way for me to turn it off if I find it fucking irritating".

I think that sums up the difference between a well designed product and a badly designed one. A well designed product has animations and feedback that isn't turned off by the users. If you find you need an option to turn something off, then it's badly designed.

You get a lot of that with MS, they design something, engineers and suit and lawyers mess it up, and they end up putting a button on to turn it on or off.... Users turn it off.

So no, I hope it doesn't have a button to turn it off. If ever I see that, it means the designers couldn't agree it was a good idea in the first place. Design by committee.

This guy is in trouble. All Google have to do is enhance the image, like I've seen on TV, and not only will they be able to see the ID number, but they'll also be able to see his face in the reflection of the phone, and identify him from a retina scan.

The one I saw did have an id number engraved in the corner of the screen. And everywhere else there was a fraction of space to put the damn thing. I guess you could have just covered them *all* with tape - but I'm not sure it would have been usable after that.

Mind you that was a couple of months ago - maybe they've relaxed since then...

Ok, Google phone!

Lets take a look at recent publicity, Google are absolutely and unequivocally dedicated to collecting user information. I'm pretty sure this can't be denied but please correct me if I'm wrong.

Who in their right mind is going to let them have access to all your text messages, multimedia messages and yes...phone calls.

We all put our faith in the lap of the gods every time you even search on Google. Everytime an email is written in gmail you get ads relating to what you've written so the content of your emails is obviously scanned.

I'm not a Google basher, I have a couple of domains that use Google Apps, ok so no ads there and it's all very reliable. But on the flip side as a gmail user...HELLO! We all know what's happening!

No way in the world would I ever give Google access to the one (and last) area of (semi) privacy that mobile phone calls provide.

Didn't Google just deposit $40m in a bid to win some mobile phone frequency? Does anyone see a pattern here!

....coat, mines the one with the fleecy lining (cos it's grim up North!)

A/C cos I said above that our computers at work were crappy ( @Lindsey)

So how long do you all think?

Surely it's the next step! Microsoft have blotted their copybook significantly with Vista.

Even average home users are seeing this in their droves! (re:lots of el reg articles) and personal experience, swapping back to XP.

Apple are never gonna release a PC OS (Bill Gates lent Steve Jobs loadsa money to keep Apple alive, I'm thinking there was a OS (no can do) clause in there somewhere!!)

If some nix OS can over come the paralysing ethos and provide a well rounded installation then this is the time. It's been referred to in other articles, someone needs to just give the user what they need. No matter that everything is free, if you don't have a fully rounded OS for Granny buying her lappy, everything installed. No YUM, no apt-get etc etc. Point and shoot! Same as M$. Worked for them didn't it!?

I forgot my point! Google OS ... will put M$ to shame when it comes to personal privacy!

I have no affiliation with Google, Microsoft et al infinitum! blah blah blah

and actually I've forgotton my original point I wished to make!

"...I bet your the type of fool..."

classic! - i fucking love it when people who can't even spell "you're" question other people's intelligence.

Fantastic. Even more, I love it when people correct other people's grammar while swearing about it. Everyone knows that swearing is a lack of self-expression. Nice one.

Even more classic! Good use of the capital I there in your post correcting someone else's grammar...