"The long-awaited, breathlessly-rumored, Google-powered (and still unavailable until next month) G1 phone was unveiled today with a list price that undercuts Apple's iPhone by $20 but with few design or software elements that had not been anticipated.

The handset is made by HTC and the service is provided by T-Mobile -- but the buzz is all about the completely open source Android platform developed by Google, which allows third-party developers to create applications.

Indeed, it was the unadvertised appearance of Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, 45 minutes into what had been a routine presentation, that energized the packed media room. The pair skated onto the stage wearing rollerblades, perhaps taking a cue from the legendary, crowd-pleasing marketing prowess of Apple's Steve Jobs."