Updated Market coming soon

The Android Developers Blog shared news yesterday of an update that will be coming soon to the Android Market. The update still doesn't include the promised desktop browser-based installing and searching, but that probably won't be too far behind. This update will be pushed out silently and automatically to all devices running Android 1.6 or higher. There won't be any notification for the new version, you will simply open the market and it will be there.

Google Maps 5.0 coming soon

At the Dive into Mobile conference yesterday, Google's Andy Rubin demonstrated a new version of Google Maps for Android. The new version, 5.0, will be released to existing devices sometime this week, and brings a wealth of new features.

Most notably, the new Maps uses vector graphics, meaning zooming, scrolling, etc will all see a dramatic speed boost, and will require downloading 100 times less data, according to Google. Plus, since map data will take up so much less space, it will be able to do offline caching of the map data you use most often. Even if you are using Navigation and have no data connection, Maps will continue to offer rerouting and guidance.

Google ebooks goes live

Google just released their online ebookstore, complete with desktop, Android, and iPhone versions. The service, called Google ebooks, offers over 3 million books for free and for purchase, including classics and new releases alike. It automatically syncs your books between devices, even remembering what page you were last reading.

Your books can be accessed from the desktop, mobile browser, or mobile apps for Android or iOS. The Android version of the app was released today and offers a very nice, smooth interface for reading books. It does redirect to the browser for purchasing/downloading new books, which is kind of a bummer, but it's safe to assume updates to the app will be coming.

The Nexus S is finally official! UPDATE: $529

After literally months of rumors, Google unveiled the Nexus S today! The device runs Android 2.3, Gingerbread, is made by Samsung, and offers a pure Google experience. It features a 4" curved glass screen, front and rear cameras, 16GB of memory, 1GHz processor, and has NFC technology. It will be available very soon either unlocked or with a T-Mobile contract. It will be sold at Best Buy in the US, and Carphone Warehouse in the UK.

This means that all the rumors about the device pretty much lined up exactly.

Android weekend rumor recap

Welcome to yet another edition of the Android Weekend Rumor Recap! This is where we quickly go over all of the best Android related rumors from the past week, complete with out commentary. If you like reading Android rumors as they hit the wire, we recommend any of the quality Android blogs listed on the side of this site. Now, on to this week's rumors!

Official Google Reader app now available

A few days ago, Google released the long-desired official Google Reader app. The app brings the full power of Reader to Android without needing to navigate the mobile website version.

It supports multiple accounts, sharing, and even subscribing to feeds right from the app. It also offers a few unique features, like the ability to use the volume keys to navigate up and down, and folder management.

Angry Birds Seasons now available

Be sure to check out the wallpaper-sized version of this picture at Rovio.com

The special Christmas edition of Angry Birds is now available in the Android Market. This version has been teased several times over the last few weeks, and is finally here. If you recall, a special Halloween edition was released in October, but it was an iPhone exclusive (much to our dismay).

Thankfully, though, the Christmas version is out now for both iPhone and Android! Not only that, but the Android version also includes all of the Halloween levels from the iPhone version. The special edition, called Angry Birds Seasons, is available as a separate app in the Market, and it's free.