Welcome to the Speech Tech blog’s first installment of a regular feature — “Crushes & Hexes.” Appearing every Wednesday, we’ll be highlighting companies, places, technologies, or people we deem praise-worthy, or cringe-inducing within the speech/tech/IT world. As always, your feedback is appreciated! Email us at blog@speechtechblog.com if you have a crush or hex item you’d like to see online.

Crush: The GSMA’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona
Why We Love It: In addition to Monday’s Android-related announcement, today we got our first look at an actual prototype! No big surprises here: it looks exactly like the typical smartphone (Qwerty keyboard, small screen), and was manufactured with a core processor by the company ARM. The big news? Two big-deal mobile makers, LG and Samsung, announced they would start producing Android phones either later this year, or in early 2009. Here’s a picture of the phone that makes our heart swell [Image courtesy TheAge.com]

Hex: The Geek Squad
Why We’re Hating: Oops, Best Buy lost your laptop! That’s what happened to Raelyn Campbell, a Washington, D.C. resident whose laptop was broken, and later lost, by the electronics store’s repair service, Geek Squad. Originally, Campbell’s on/off switch broke, but thanks to a three-year warranty she purchased, she brought it to the store for repair. That’s when the problems started. Told she would have to wait “two to six weeks” for the computer to be fixed, Campbell freaked (understandably so — she’s a frequent business traveler). The worst part? The Geek Squad then proceeded to LOSE her laptop, which contained a bevy of personal documents. The punishment? Campbell is suing Best Buy for $54 million! Worst customer care EVER. [Image courtesy Javatyger.com]

Related Stories:
- Woman Sues Best Buy For $54M Over Lost Laptop [DailyTech]
- Android Prototype Unveiled; More to Come Next Year [Dealerscope]

I’m not sure about the rest of our readership, but it’s a news-rich day here in the Speech Technology offices — early versions of the Android phone were unveiled today! Ryan wrote a brief news article about the open-source phones back in November 2007, and both he and I have been eagerly awaiting demos of the Android since.

And today, we finally got tangible evidence that the Android is progressing nicely. Just 45 minutes ago, the BBC News reported that several companies showcased prototypes at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The best part? The first Android-enabled phone is, according to the article, expected to be released later this year.

Approximately one dozen companies took part in the demonstration, all of which are directly involved in the Android project. Companies mentioned included: Texas Instruments, ARM, Qualcomm, Marvell, NEC, and SET Microelectronics. Ian Drew, from the company ARM, told a BBC reporter,

What we are demonstrating on the Android platform is maps, browser, camera applications, multimedia, e-mail, and calendar - basically everything you’d expect on a mobile phone.

Of course, the partner we’re most interested in is Nuance Communications - which is, as Ryan reported, part of the project contribution team. How will speech play a role in the Android? We’re hoping it’s something similar to the mobile search/SMS dictation currently provided on the Palm Centro (read more about that here). We’ll keep you updated about Android as we learn more in coming days, weeks, or months.

Related Stories:

- Google Android phones make debut [BBC News]

- Google Android coverage [BBC News]

(Image courtesy of BBC News)