AT&T, believe it or not, is showing vast improvement.

Yup, another Android phone.

The next piece of news should either please or give all of us with an iPhone here in the city a heart attack. Has AT&T actually followed through on their promise to the good citizens of San Francisco? I know, it`s a shocker but apparently, their 3G network is actually improving.

It`s a lot to swallow, so take a second, take a deep breath and keep reading.

According to a report by PC World, AT&T`s 3G network is looking absolutely fantastic and to be honest, I have actually noticed some improvement myself. From the article:

After registering the lowest average download speeds in our 3G performance tests last spring, AT&T`s network turned in download speeds that were 84 percent better than the numbers from eight months ago; in our latest tests, AT&T`s download speeds were 67 percent faster on average than those of the other three largest U.S. wireless providers–Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

That`s beautiful language for AT&T users but it really doesn`t compare to this:

The tests show that AT&T`s network in San Francisco is 40% faster than it was eight months ago. In comparison, New York City is also experiencing download speeds that are three times faster than they were in previous tests.

So now I`m curious.

Have any of you here in the city, iPhone user or not, experienced any significant changes with AT&T?

It appears the HTC Desire is taking Android and the Nexus One to AT&T.

If you weren`t aware, the Backflip is going to be AT&T`s first Android phone and it will be released next month. Apparently, it will be joined by another phone that was recently introduced at the Mobile World Congress by HTC.

The Desire.

Yup, it appears as though the HTC Desire will be headed to the AT&T network which essentially means that the Nexus One is heading to the network under a different name. That definitely makes sense considering rumors had the Nexus One heading there at the beginning of the month.

That means that AT&T users will be getting a taste of the Sense UI as well. Also of note is the fact that some minor hardware changes to the HTC Desire might be made to the casing, color and finish. As far as a release date goes, it looks like May or June will be the when the handset makes an appearance on AT&T.

Obviously this is huge news for AT&T users, and there are plenty of them here in San Francisco, who wanted to get their hands on the Desire or the Nexus One. At this point, this is not confirmed by AT&T, but it looks to be pretty concrete.

So get excited.

This is only one Windows Phone 7 series chassis out of three.

While full specifications weren`t released, the information released by Frankly Speaking is interesting nonetheless because it paints a very clear picture of what Microsoft is trying to do with their new mobile line.

There are only going to be three different chassis types when it comes to Windows Phone 7 series phones. It remains to be seen what kind of freedom the phone manufacturers are going to have but these are going to be the starting points Microsoft is giving them to work with.

Chassis 1 is going to be the standard for Windows Phone 7 series. It was the phone that was shown off at the Mobile World Congress and frankly, as bare minimums for handsets go, this is pretty awesome. It`s going to have, at the minimum, a 1GHrz processor meaning Snapdragon and a dedicated GPU. This model will be the first to appear in stores at the end of this year.

Chassis 2 will have a sliding keyboard as well as a touchscreen, think Palm-Treoesque.  Chassis 3 was not mentioned although it was thought to be a candy bar style phone. Neither Chassis 2 or 3 was given a release date.

So as you can see, Microsoft is essentially locking down how each phone is going to be made. Truthfully, it might make more sense to have only one type of chassis a-la the iPhone, but it will be interesting to see what manufacturers pull out of their sleeve. If the bare minimum has a Snapdragon, this is a very good start.

A few weeks after a questionable survey indicated that public interest in Apple`s upcoming iPad was dwindling; a new study shows that the demand surrounding the tablet device is higher than it was for the iPhone in 2007.

The pre-release hype of the iPad might exceed that of the iPhone's.

To be blunt, if that`s the case, not only will there be one on every San Francisco street corner, Apple`s record breaking Q1 will be absolutely shattered

According to the survey, released by RBC/ChangeWave and RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky, 13 percent of 3,200 participants of the survey will likely buy the iPad when it comes to stores. If that doesn`t seem like a shocking number, wait a second.

The same survey, taken in 2007 before the launch of Apple`s extremely successful iPhone, showed that only 9 percent of people were likely to buy the handset. That seems pretty laughable now doesn`t it?

Apple Insider goes on to say that:

One of the strongest assets for the iPad is its $499 starting price. While 28 percent of respondents in 2007 said the iPhone was too expensive, only 8 percent in 2010 said they would not buy the iPad based on its price. In addition, while 19 percent said they are interested in the $499, 16GB model, another 19 percent said they would opt for the high-end, $829, 64GB model with 3G.

That`s a very good sign for Apple.

The much talked about drawbacks about the iPad including its lack of Adobe Flash, front-facing camera and ability to multitask apparently has not affected potential customers. Instead, the survey reveals that:

Most consumers plan on using the iPad for a variety of functions, suggesting it will serve as more of a netback than e-reader. Of those surveyed, 68 percent said they would surf the Internet with the iPad, 44 percent would check e-mail, and 37 percent are interested in reading e-books.

Obviously there are large margins of error for surveys, but if this one is any sort of indication, it looks like the iPad is going to be very, very, successful. Remember, the device debuts next month and the Wi-Fi enabled version will be out in April.

Google finally released Google Earth for Android. Android 2.1 that is.

However, it is only out for Android phones running Android 2.1 and that means, Google Earth as of right now, is only available for users who have a Nexus One. If that`s you and you somehow have withstood the 3G problems with T-Mobile, kudos to you, here is your prize.

If you haven`t been following, the other big Android phone, the Motorola Droid, had its Android 2.1 update delayed; however, it should be getting its facelift sometime soon. So, in addition to some of the HTC phones that are out right now, Google Earth should be headed to quite a few Android users in the relatively near future.

The app itself is essentially the same thing as the program a lot of you have used on your computer except for two differences and those are the voice search and the roads layer feature.

Don`t have a Nexus One or a Droid? Well, you can head here to get the Nexus One and get Google Earth right away, or if you want a Droid, and that`s probably the smart thing to do, you can go to your local SF Verizon store to pick one up and wait for Android 2.1.

The Motorola Devour is coming this Thursday.

Yes indeed, the Devour will be hitting Best Buy stores this week, Thursday to be exact and if you need to be more specific, February 25^th. If you`re not going to get one at Best Buy, you`ll have to wait until March when the device hits Verizon stores.

No matter where you pick up the Devour, the price tag is going to be the same at $150 although the Verizon store is going to make you do a mail-in rebate to get that price which is definitely a pain. Of course, you`ll have to sign up for a Nationwide Talk plan when getting the phone at this price as well as the unlimited data package which will set you back $50.

Honestly, while this phone looks pretty good, your best bet is probably going with the Motorola Droid which is actually only $50 more expensive. It`s faster and has a better screen. However, if you had your sights set on the Devour, there is probably no stopping you anyways.

Apple has removed sexually related applications from the App Store.

Now before San Franciscans go crazy thinking that Yelp is gone from the iPhone or iBART has suddenly vanished, you can calm down. Those aren`t going anywhere anytime soon.

Instead, Apple`s purge is related to the company`s change of policy in regards to sexual content on the App Store and the 5,000 applications that have been removed all were flagged as inappropriate.

One of those applications was called Wobble iBoobs and I am still waiting for someone to explain to me how that application was downloaded 970,000 times. Anyway, that application`s developer started this whirlwind of events by stating that through conversations with Apple, the company had eliminated his application and about 4,999 others. The reason?

Well, men and women wearing bikinis are inappropriate as are words with a sexual connotation and obviously Wooble iBoobs fits that category.

Backing up his claim is the fact that AppShopper.com data is congruent with what appears to be happening:

That number was supported by tracking from AppShopper.com, which found that more that nearly 4,000 applications were removed last Friday, Feb. 18. While the level of removals is typically about 100 per day, the total remained uncharacteristically high over the weekend.

Oddly enough, applications like the Playboy app and Adult Sex Life are still available.

Hopefully some harmless applications don`t get mixed up in the process but this should be a welcomed cleansing of pointless clutter that sometimes makes it hard to browse the iPhone App Store. It also is probably a cleanup for next month`s release of the iPad.

Is Skype's deal with Verizon exclusive?

I know of more than a few.

Verizon, in the partnership, has now allowed Skype on their 3G network using a special client called Skype mobile starting next month. The question now is not if Skype is coming to Verizon but if this deal is going to be exclusive to Verizon. Turns out, it more than likely is.

From Gigaom:

The deal, my sources tell me, is an exclusive partnership between the two that will last for a period of 2-3 years. No other U.S. carrier is going to get a similar Skype offering – which also bolsters my theory that Skype can help Verizon distinguish itself amongst smartphone offerings, especially the iPhone.

Of course, these are just sources and nothing official has come from Skype or Verizon but it will be interesting, if this is true, to see what happens with Skype`s iPhone application running over AT&T. I also think this report also forgets a big competitor in the VoIP market, a little Bay Area based company called Google who happens to have something called Google Voice.

Hulu looks like it's going to be paid-only on the iPad.

In a report by Peter Kafka of MediaMemo, it appears that content providers are still planning on bringing Hulu to the Apple. However, while it is free for users on the web, Hulu most likely will be a service that costs money on the iPad through a subscription:

Hulu and its owners, three of the big broadcast TV networks, want to bring some version of the Web video service to Apple`s device.

But the most likely scenario is one in which access to Hulu on the iPad comes as part of a subscription package, multiple people familiar with the company tell me.

This is not really anything new because the website has been looking at ways it can turn a profit and apparently this is the way they are going to try and make it happen.

So you`re probably thinking to yourself. Hulu runs with Flash, how on earth is it going to run on the iPad? Well, it has also been rumored that Hulu has been at work on a non-Flash, Apple-friendly, verison of the website.

In summary, it`s possible that Hulu might appear on the iPad but it`s going to have to jump some major hurdles to get there and once it does, it`s probably not going to be free. On the other hand, depending on how much it costs, I think it still could make a huge impact in the iPad market.

Google has released Google Shopper for Android phones.

Well, Google has released an Application entitled, Google Shopper, on the Android marketplace that may change how you shop. Hopefully it doesn`t parallel how Google Buzz was supposed to change social networking.

Yeah, class action lawsuits are bad.

Anyway, here are the features of Google Shopper:

• Detailed product information: Find prices, reviews, specs, and more. Shopper is powered by Google Product Search.
• Barcode scanning: Scan the barcode of almost any product to quickly learn more about it.
• Save your history and favorites: Shopper saves your history and lets you star your favorites for later.
• Scan the covers of books and media: Find a product by simply pointing your camera phone at the cover art of a book, CD, DVD, or video game.
• Voice search: Say the name of a product and find it easily in Shopper.
• Share your finds with friends: Find something you want to share? Click on the share link to post to Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Instant Messaging, etc.

You might be aware that something just like this already exists. If you have seen a guy at Safeway madly scanning stuff with his iPhone, you may have seen me and yes, I was using ShopSavvy. That app is virtually the same exact thing but, well, listen to the founder of ShopSavvy tell you himself.

From Alexander Muse:

“From our perspective it is more of the same. Google has always had a barcode scanner – i.e. `Barcode Scanner`. It was available the first day just like ShopSavvy was. It uses Google`s shopping data which is good (we include it in ShopSavvy), but we also have direct relationships with 20,000+ retailers. Google and Amazon are and have always been our biggest competitors.”

It looks like Google is just treading on all sorts of territory and just like Facebook and Twitter, Shopsavvy ain`t scurred.