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February 28 2012
Google’s Schmidt: If Google Gets It Right, There Will Be An Android In Every Pocket
schmidt
The number of people in the world has now reached 7 billion people, but the number that have been online are only at 2 billion, Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, said today at a keynote presentation at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. "We need to be realists about technology," he said. The future, most easily, belongs to "ultra connected people" who can embrace the future of technology, but the majority of people do not fall into that category, he said as he kicked off a speech about what he sees as the role of technology in the world today, and carefully suggested what role Google could play in the game.
schmidt
The number of people in the world has now reached 7 billion people, but the number that have been online are only at 2 billion, Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, said today at a keynote presentation at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. "We need to be realists about technology," he said. The future, most easily, belongs to "ultra connected people" who can embrace the future of technology, but the majority of people do not fall into that category, he said as he kicked off a speech about what he sees as the role of technology in the world today, and carefully suggested what role Google could play in the game.
February 10 2012
New Android App Lets You Flashback To The Arcades Of Yesteryear
cpsemu3
The arcade scene here in the United States is but a fraction of what it was back in its heyday, but that doesn't mean that the love for those classic games has just evaporated. Capcom's CPS2 arcade board has attained legend status in certain retro gaming circles because of its catalog of instant classics, and a developer named Cpasjuste has just given those games a new lease on life with a new CPS2 emulator for Android.
cpsemu3
The arcade scene here in the United States is but a fraction of what it was back in its heyday, but that doesn't mean that the love for those classic games has just evaporated. Capcom's CPS2 arcade board has attained legend status in certain retro gaming circles because of its catalog of instant classics, and a developer named Cpasjuste has just given those games a new lease on life with a new CPS2 emulator for Android.
Android Hack Exposes Google Wallet PIN On Demand
Like most hacks, this discovery of a way to find an Android phone’s Google Wallet PIN requires a lot of initial access but is disturbing nonetheless. Google knows about the hack and is repairing it. Discovered by Joshua Rubin of Zvelo, the hack is one of the most interesting attacks on Google Wallet so far.
In short, this hack allows access to credit card data and purchase history and could, in theory, allow a hacker to use a Google Wallet freely in the wild. However, it does require the hacker to have unfettered root access to the phone. Using a small program, the exploit simply brute-forces a file found in the phone, thereby revealing the PIN and unlocking the wallet.
Again, the hack requires a rooted Android phone – a state that is trivial to achieve if your phone is stolen – and a bit of know how. Rubin recommends:
Do Not “Root” the Cell Phone – Doing so will be one less step for a thief.
Enable Lock Screens – “Face Unlock,” “Pattern,” “PIN” and “Password” all increase physical security to the device. “Slide,” however, does not.
Disable USB Debugging – When enabled, the data on mobile devices can be accessed without first passing a lock screen challenge unless Full Disk Encryption is also enabled.
Enable Full Disk Encryption – This will prevent even USB Debugging from bypassing the lock screen.
Maintain Device Up-To-Date – Ensure the device is current with the latest official software. Unfortunately, users are largely at the behest of their carrier and cell phone manufacturer for this. Using only official software and keeping devices up-to-date is the best way to minimize vulnerabilities and increase security overall.
Enable Lock Screens – “Face Unlock,” “Pattern,” “PIN” and “Password” all increase physical security to the device. “Slide,” however, does not.
Disable USB Debugging – When enabled, the data on mobile devices can be accessed without first passing a lock screen challenge unless Full Disk Encryption is also enabled.
Enable Full Disk Encryption – This will prevent even USB Debugging from bypassing the lock screen.
Maintain Device Up-To-Date – Ensure the device is current with the latest official software. Unfortunately, users are largely at the behest of their carrier and cell phone manufacturer for this. Using only official software and keeping devices up-to-date is the best way to minimize vulnerabilities and increase security overall.
Google recommends that anyone with Google Wallet call their toll-free support line at 855-492-5538 to ask that their prepaid card be disabled. They also recommend setting a lock screen.
UPDATE – Google responded, reminding folks that they don’t support Google Wallet on rooted phones and that:
“The zvelo study was conducted on their own phone on which they disabled the security mechanisms that protect Google Wallet by rooting the device. To date, there is no known vulnerability that enables someone to take a consumer phone and gain root access while preserving any Wallet information such as the PIN. We strongly encourage people to not install Google Wallet on rooted devices and to always set up a screen lock as an additional layer of security for their phone.”
February 03 2012
U.S. Government & Military To Get Secret-Worthy Android Phones
hardware
The amount of stuff we trust to fly in and out of our smartphones is astounding. Just look at what happened when a couple of reporters got access to an unwitting (and rather unlucky) Apple employee's iMessages alone — within days, they learned more about him than most people know about their closest friends. Now, imagine all the stuff that could fly in and out of a government official's phone, or that of a highly-ranked member of the military. Forget saucy texts and booty pictures — we're talking about state secrets, here. Looking to keep their secrets underwraps while on the go, the U.S government is working on a build of Android custom-tailored to meet their security requirements.
hardware
The amount of stuff we trust to fly in and out of our smartphones is astounding. Just look at what happened when a couple of reporters got access to an unwitting (and rather unlucky) Apple employee's iMessages alone — within days, they learned more about him than most people know about their closest friends. Now, imagine all the stuff that could fly in and out of a government official's phone, or that of a highly-ranked member of the military. Forget saucy texts and booty pictures — we're talking about state secrets, here. Looking to keep their secrets underwraps while on the go, the U.S government is working on a build of Android custom-tailored to meet their security requirements.
Test Dropbox’s New Android App And Snag Some Extra Storage Space
android_splash
Dropbox has no shortage of fans or users these days -- their stellar wins at the Crunchies are proof of that -- and now the cloud storage service is leaning on them to test an experimental new build of the Dropbox Android app. While the thrill of being on the bleeding edge is probably enough for some people to take the plunge, the real meat of the experimental build comes in the form of the new auto upload feature for photos and videos. It's pretty much exactly what the name implies: as soon as you snap a photo or take a video with your Android device, it automatically gets uploaded to your account. And in usual Dropbox fashion, it just works.
android_splash
Dropbox has no shortage of fans or users these days -- their stellar wins at the Crunchies are proof of that -- and now the cloud storage service is leaning on them to test an experimental new build of the Dropbox Android app. While the thrill of being on the bleeding edge is probably enough for some people to take the plunge, the real meat of the experimental build comes in the form of the new auto upload feature for photos and videos. It's pretty much exactly what the name implies: as soon as you snap a photo or take a video with your Android device, it automatically gets uploaded to your account. And in usual Dropbox fashion, it just works.
February 02 2012
After 11 Billion App Downloads, Google Finally Gets Serious About “Bouncing” Android Malware
Screen shot 2012-02-02 at 12.54.16 PM
Love it or love it less, Android is a force to be reckoned with. As Jordan wrote last night, Android cannot be ignored, and The Crunchies served as a timely illustration. The most successful apps work at presenting a unified UI experience across platforms, as difficult as this may sometimes be. While many developers still opt to build on iOS first before Android and iOS is winning enterprise (and the beauty contest), it's hard to argue against a mobile operating system that's nearing 50 percent market share.
Screen shot 2012-02-02 at 12.54.16 PM
Love it or love it less, Android is a force to be reckoned with. As Jordan wrote last night, Android cannot be ignored, and The Crunchies served as a timely illustration. The most successful apps work at presenting a unified UI experience across platforms, as difficult as this may sometimes be. While many developers still opt to build on iOS first before Android and iOS is winning enterprise (and the beauty contest), it's hard to argue against a mobile operating system that's nearing 50 percent market share.
Google Adds A New Security Layer To The Android Market… A “Bouncer”, If You Will
bouncer.android
Android malware has been an issue over the past year. Granted, most of the numbers we see out of security software companies are inflated — including malicious apps from third-party sources and ignoring small download figures — but that's not to say that we can just brush that dirt off our shoulders. Google knows this, and has for a while. Despite the fact that downloads of malicious apps are down 40 percent between the first and second half of 2011, seeing that 14,000, 30,000, or even 260,000 devices have been affected by this or that malicious app requires action. That said, Google is adding a new security layer to the Android Market: codenamed Bouncer.
bouncer.android
Android malware has been an issue over the past year. Granted, most of the numbers we see out of security software companies are inflated — including malicious apps from third-party sources and ignoring small download figures — but that's not to say that we can just brush that dirt off our shoulders. Google knows this, and has for a while. Despite the fact that downloads of malicious apps are down 40 percent between the first and second half of 2011, seeing that 14,000, 30,000, or even 260,000 devices have been affected by this or that malicious app requires action. That said, Google is adding a new security layer to the Android Market: codenamed Bouncer.
Android Can No Longer Be Ignored, And The Crunchies Prove It
Screen shot 2012-02-01 at 7.14.59 PM
While sitting at the Crunchies last night something became quite apparent: almost all the big guys — even the ones who were stubborn about it — are currently available on Android. And what do you know? They won at the Crunchies!
Screen shot 2012-02-01 at 7.14.59 PM
While sitting at the Crunchies last night something became quite apparent: almost all the big guys — even the ones who were stubborn about it — are currently available on Android. And what do you know? They won at the Crunchies!
The New Android Watch In The Google Store Isn’t What You Think
androidwatch
I really wish this whole post could be about Google taking a big step forward in the field of wearable tech with the introduction of a new Android-powered wrist device, but their new Android watch is simply a watch with Android logos on it.
androidwatch
I really wish this whole post could be about Google taking a big step forward in the field of wearable tech with the introduction of a new Android-powered wrist device, but their new Android watch is simply a watch with Android logos on it.
February 01 2012
Bamboo-Clad ADzero Android Phone Goes From Concept To Real Product
adzero1
Ever since I saw this mesmerizing commercial for the wood-clad (and unfortunately named) Touch Wood, I've been a sucker for phones of a more organic persuasion. While the Touch Wood ultimately never saw the light of day outside of its native Japan, another wooden smartphone is preparing to take the proverbial stage.
adzero1
Ever since I saw this mesmerizing commercial for the wood-clad (and unfortunately named) Touch Wood, I've been a sucker for phones of a more organic persuasion. While the Touch Wood ultimately never saw the light of day outside of its native Japan, another wooden smartphone is preparing to take the proverbial stage.
January 19 2012
250 Million Android Devices Activated, 11 Billion Apps Downloaded
Android Army
We're tuned in live to Google's Q4 2011 earnings call, where they've just disclosed a few details they left out of this morning's big ol' data dump. Amongst them: a progress update on Android's growth.
Android Army
We're tuned in live to Google's Q4 2011 earnings call, where they've just disclosed a few details they left out of this morning's big ol' data dump. Amongst them: a progress update on Android's growth.
JackThreads Announces Unique Mobile App For Android And iOS
scaled.photo 1
Thrillist-owned Jackthreads has just announced the availability of their first mobile for Android and iPhone. Built by an outside vendor using designs and user experience built in-house, the app allows shoppers to browse new deals and sales as they are announced on the site and, if so inclined, make purchases. I spoke to lead developer Chris Steib who said that JackThreads saw that much of the traffic was coming through mobile sites, something they had not initially expected.
scaled.photo 1
Thrillist-owned Jackthreads has just announced the availability of their first mobile for Android and iPhone. Built by an outside vendor using designs and user experience built in-house, the app allows shoppers to browse new deals and sales as they are announced on the site and, if so inclined, make purchases. I spoke to lead developer Chris Steib who said that JackThreads saw that much of the traffic was coming through mobile sites, something they had not initially expected.
Samsung: One In Ten South Koreans Now Owns A Samsung Galaxy S II
White Galaxy S2 3
It's not really news to say that the Galaxy S II is a hit, but it has actually become a mega hit in South Korea. According to maker Samsung, the Android handset has been sold a whopping 5 million times in its domestic market since release at the end of April 2011. In other words, a little more than 10% of the country's entire population (48 million people) are now proud owners of the phone. It's the first cell phone that has reached this milestone in mobile-crazy South Korea, according to Japanese business daily The Nikkei. The paper also says that one out of four South Korean smartphones users owns a Galaxy S II (sounds like feature phones don't play a big role in that country anymore).
White Galaxy S2 3
It's not really news to say that the Galaxy S II is a hit, but it has actually become a mega hit in South Korea. According to maker Samsung, the Android handset has been sold a whopping 5 million times in its domestic market since release at the end of April 2011. In other words, a little more than 10% of the country's entire population (48 million people) are now proud owners of the phone. It's the first cell phone that has reached this milestone in mobile-crazy South Korea, according to Japanese business daily The Nikkei. The paper also says that one out of four South Korean smartphones users owns a Galaxy S II (sounds like feature phones don't play a big role in that country anymore).
January 18 2012
Among New Smartphone Adopters, iOS Share Rises While Android Declines
androidvsiosnew
Nielsen just released its latest numbers with regard to new smartphone owners, and it would seem that the iPhone (particularly the 4S) is quite popular among those migrating over to the smartphone segment. In fact, since the iPhone 4S launched in October, the number of recent smartphone buyers who chose the iPhone has reached 44.5 percent, up from just 25 percent in October.
androidvsiosnew
Nielsen just released its latest numbers with regard to new smartphone owners, and it would seem that the iPhone (particularly the 4S) is quite popular among those migrating over to the smartphone segment. In fact, since the iPhone 4S launched in October, the number of recent smartphone buyers who chose the iPhone has reached 44.5 percent, up from just 25 percent in October.
January 17 2012
ARROWS μ F-07D: Fujitsu’s Android Phone Is Waterproof And 6.7mm Thin, Comes With 4-Inch OLED
Picture 2
The Infobar C01 from yesterday was a bit too much for you? Not to worry, Japan still produces "ordinary" Android phones: Fujitsu's ARROWS μ F-07D [JP], which mobile carrier NTT Docomo plans to start selling this Friday, is the newest example. It doesn't look as unique as the Infobar, but the list of specs is long and pretty impressive.
Picture 2
The Infobar C01 from yesterday was a bit too much for you? Not to worry, Japan still produces "ordinary" Android phones: Fujitsu's ARROWS μ F-07D [JP], which mobile carrier NTT Docomo plans to start selling this Friday, is the newest example. It doesn't look as unique as the Infobar, but the list of specs is long and pretty impressive.
January 16 2012
INFOBAR C01: Japan’s Newest (And Most Colorful) Android Phone
infobar01
Japan's mobile landscape is currently in the midst of an Android revolution, and today KDDI au (the country's second biggest carrier) announced another 5 smartphones with that OS on board for the local market. The most interesting model in the new line-up is the so-called INFOBAR C01 [JP], a candy bar coming with a heavily customized UI (based on Android 2.3). KDDI au introduced a similar model back in May last year, the INFOBAR A01 (both handsets are part of KDDI’s designer sub-brand iida).
infobar01
Japan's mobile landscape is currently in the midst of an Android revolution, and today KDDI au (the country's second biggest carrier) announced another 5 smartphones with that OS on board for the local market. The most interesting model in the new line-up is the so-called INFOBAR C01 [JP], a candy bar coming with a heavily customized UI (based on Android 2.3). KDDI au introduced a similar model back in May last year, the INFOBAR A01 (both handsets are part of KDDI’s designer sub-brand iida).
January 14 2012
OK, MG, I Take It Back
second_thoughts
A few weeks ago, I wrote: A couple weeks ago, MG wrote: Android development itself remains a huge pain in the ass. I hear this again, and again, and again. Which took me a bit aback. I’ve developed numerous Android and iOS apps (though not games, so I can’t speak to the differences there) over the last few years, and neither set of developer tools seems to me to be hugely superior: both have their strengths and their really irritating failings. Oh, the irony. Up until recently all the Android apps I'd worked on had had fairly vanilla graphics requirements. But for the last few weeks I've been in crunch mode developing an Android app with moderately elaborate graphics -- and. Well. I stand by what I said, to a point: the developer tools for the two platforms are comparable. But Android's fragmentation has become a giant millstone for Android app development, leaving it far behind its iOS equivalent. It's not the panoply of screen sizes and formats on devices running Android; the Android layout engine really makes that annoying, but no big deal. It's not the frequent instances of completely different visual behavior on two phones running exactly the same version of Android; again, annoying, but relatively minor. Device fragmentation is just an irritation. OS fragmentation, though, is an utter disaster.
second_thoughts
A few weeks ago, I wrote: A couple weeks ago, MG wrote: Android development itself remains a huge pain in the ass. I hear this again, and again, and again. Which took me a bit aback. I’ve developed numerous Android and iOS apps (though not games, so I can’t speak to the differences there) over the last few years, and neither set of developer tools seems to me to be hugely superior: both have their strengths and their really irritating failings. Oh, the irony. Up until recently all the Android apps I'd worked on had had fairly vanilla graphics requirements. But for the last few weeks I've been in crunch mode developing an Android app with moderately elaborate graphics -- and. Well. I stand by what I said, to a point: the developer tools for the two platforms are comparable. But Android's fragmentation has become a giant millstone for Android app development, leaving it far behind its iOS equivalent. It's not the panoply of screen sizes and formats on devices running Android; the Android layout engine really makes that annoying, but no big deal. It's not the frequent instances of completely different visual behavior on two phones running exactly the same version of Android; again, annoying, but relatively minor. Device fragmentation is just an irritation. OS fragmentation, though, is an utter disaster.
ITC Sides With Motorola In Key Apple Patent Suit
droidshot
Back in fall 2010, Apple filed suit against Motorola alleging that the company was violating several of its patents with its flagship line of Droid smartphones, all of which run Android. The case was filed with the US International Trade Commission — a favorite battleground for these smartphone suits, as it has the ability to block potentially infringing devices from import into the United States. Today, Motorola has gotten some good news: the ITC has released its initial determination on the case, and it is ruling in Motorola's favor. The news was first broken by CNet. As the CNet article reports, this is only an initial determination, and won't become final until it's been voted on by the ITC's full committee.
droidshot
Back in fall 2010, Apple filed suit against Motorola alleging that the company was violating several of its patents with its flagship line of Droid smartphones, all of which run Android. The case was filed with the US International Trade Commission — a favorite battleground for these smartphone suits, as it has the ability to block potentially infringing devices from import into the United States. Today, Motorola has gotten some good news: the ITC has released its initial determination on the case, and it is ruling in Motorola's favor. The news was first broken by CNet. As the CNet article reports, this is only an initial determination, and won't become final until it's been voted on by the ITC's full committee.
January 13 2012
Google’s Plan to Make Android Beautiful: Carrots And Sticks
duarteshot
Yesterday Google unveiled Android Design, a very nicely done (and sorely need) portal that instructs third-party developers on how they should go about designing their applications, both in terms of making them look nice, and in providing a consistent experience for users. But while these guidelines are a big step forward for Android, there’s another issue: Google doesn’t really have any way to ensure that developers actually follow them. After all, there’s essentially no approval process for an application to get admitted to Android Market — provided you aren’t bundling malware or violating Google’s Terms of Service, you’re in. So what is Google’s plan? Yesterday I spoke with Matias Duarte, the Director of User Experience for Android (and the man ultimately responsible for its look and feel). And while he was coy about Google’s plans, he did give some hints. Namely, that Google will be working to give developers significant incentives to follow the UI guidelines.
duarteshot
Yesterday Google unveiled Android Design, a very nicely done (and sorely need) portal that instructs third-party developers on how they should go about designing their applications, both in terms of making them look nice, and in providing a consistent experience for users. But while these guidelines are a big step forward for Android, there’s another issue: Google doesn’t really have any way to ensure that developers actually follow them. After all, there’s essentially no approval process for an application to get admitted to Android Market — provided you aren’t bundling malware or violating Google’s Terms of Service, you’re in. So what is Google’s plan? Yesterday I spoke with Matias Duarte, the Director of User Experience for Android (and the man ultimately responsible for its look and feel). And while he was coy about Google’s plans, he did give some hints. Namely, that Google will be working to give developers significant incentives to follow the UI guidelines.
Fujitsu Japan Rolls Out 2 “Girls-Only” Cell Phones
fujitsu featured
Do women need special cell phones? Certain companies, such as Deutsche Telekom or Samsung, seem to think so. Now Fujitsu Japan is ready to roll out [JP] not one but two handsets specifically designed "for girls", a feature phone and an Android model. The Android phone, the so-called F-03D Girls', has been developed in cooperation with popular teenage fashion magazine Popteen.
fujitsu featured
Do women need special cell phones? Certain companies, such as Deutsche Telekom or Samsung, seem to think so. Now Fujitsu Japan is ready to roll out [JP] not one but two handsets specifically designed "for girls", a feature phone and an Android model. The Android phone, the so-called F-03D Girls', has been developed in cooperation with popular teenage fashion magazine Popteen.
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