Android manufacturers are not giving up on the fight against Apple. The situation is tense, and the war does not stay behind the borders of product competition. TV commercials and ads take direct swings at Apple. We can take Samsung’s latest commercials as an example – including their Super Bowl ad. But this time [...]]]>

Android manufacturers are not giving up on the fight against Apple. The situation is tense, and the war does not stay behind the borders of product competition. TV commercials and ads take direct swings at Apple. We can take Samsung’s latest commercials as an example – including their Super Bowl ad. But this time around, Amazon is taking its swing at Cupertino Giant.

The video emphasizes the fact that a Kindle is much better for reading than the iPad. And that even if you want a device for media consumption, you can use a Kindle Fire. The main point is that you can get the best out of both worlds by purchasing both Kindle products, at a price lower than the iPad. In the video, the lady has 2 Kindle Fires and one $79-dollar Kindle, and all of them together still cost less than “that.”

Granted, the Kindle Fire is not exactly your full-fledged tablet. But it could take care of a great percentage of general consumers. You can listen to your music, play movies, read books, surf the web, etc. For many users, especially those looking for a good deal, it might be a better option to just purchase 2 Kindle devices.

But what do you guys think? Would you rather get an iPad or two (or more) Kindle devices? Or would you prefer a full-fledged Android tablet? Take a minute to check out the fun video and let us know what you think.

After Motorola’s victory last Friday, Apple was forced to remove multiple iPads and iPhones from its German online store. Apple was able to quickly put them back up, after asking Motorola for a patent licensing deal. It has just been discovered that Motorola is willing to work with Apple on this, but for quite a [...]]]>

After Motorola’s victory last Friday, Apple was forced to remove multiple iPads and iPhones from its German online store. Apple was able to quickly put them back up, after asking Motorola for a patent licensing deal. It has just been discovered that Motorola is willing to work with Apple on this, but for quite a substantial price.

According to a document discovered by FOSS Patents, Motorola is asking for 2.25% in royalties. The exact details are still unclear, so it is unknown whether this will apply only to affected devices or not. Such included the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and all 3G-enabled iPads.

Regardless, Apple is one of the most successful companies in the industry, so 2.25% will amount to many, many millions of dollars should they accept.

Apple is not keeping its arms crossed, though. They know that the tension between Apple and Android manufacturers is strong, and Motorola could be biased against the Cupertino giant. Apple has recently requested information about Motorola’s deals with other companies, in an attempt to prove that such a percentage is too high. Said manufacturers include Nokia, HTC, LG and Ericsson.

Stay tuned to see how this one unfolds, and we will definitely stay on top of it. This is just the beginning of the retaliation. With Google set to protect Android manufacturers from the patent wars, along with the acquisition of Motorola, things are looking bright for the future.

What do you guys say? Is 2.25% really too much? Do you believe Apple (and company) will be less likely to bother Android manufacturers after a few court losses?

It is no secret that the government has been looking into secure modern mobile technology. From soldiers to the president, the government needs devices that will be able to keep all of their information private. Well, it seems like Android is the chosen one, and the government will start using smartphones like yours and [...]]]>

It is no secret that the government has been looking into secure modern mobile technology. From soldiers to the president, the government needs devices that will be able to keep all of their information private. Well, it seems like Android is the chosen one, and the government will start using smartphones like yours and mine.

The US government is planning to modify the Android OS (oh, the beauty of open source!) to make it secure enough for government use. The first to get dibs on said devices will be soldiers, but the plan is for all government officials to use smartphones at some point. And it is even mentioned that a similar software could be sold to private corporations who want to move out of BlackBerry.

So, why Android? US Officials say that they were considering other mobile operating systems. None of them were secure enough for military and government standards, though. After reaching out to Apple, the Cupertino giant gave them a big “no no” when the government asked if they could modify iOS (as expected). Since Android is open sourced, and is by nature available for everyone to tinker with, the most viable option could not be more obvious.

What is even more surprising are the statements that the sources are making public. The government is telling us that after Google releases a new version of Android, the update will be reaching these devices within 2 weeks. Now that is what we call a good update system, and we wonder if they would actually be able to pull it off.

This could mean two things; either the team working on this is stunningly amazing, or they are incredibly bad and do not know what they speak of. Android manufacturers take many months to update their devices, but with the government funding and pushing this, who knows.

The ultimate goal is to give war fighters, analysts and other intelligence professionals access to classified information on the go - boosting innovation in the field, efficiency and productivity.SpokeswomanNSA

There is also mention of SE (Security Enhanced) Android. This is a software that is much less flexible for supporting new devices and updates. It might be the most secure option, but NSA Official Stephen Malley believes it will not be deployed widely, due to its nature.

So there you go, guys. Soon, our soldiers overseas will be carrying great devices, like they do at home. Not only that, but if the government is right, they will probably also have newer software than us. This project would not only be good for the military, every user that needs privacy would benefit from something like this. This should open a whole new market, helping Android spread even more. Think about it – Android could be the new BlackBerry.

What do you say? Do you think the government can update devices within 2 weeks of the software release?

Smartphone security continues to be a hot topic in the Android ecosystem. Whether you believe this is much of an issue or not, Android is the most popular mobile operating system, and the bad guys are known to target bigger markets. Google is not keeping its arms crossed, and they have just revealed Bouncer, a [...]]]>

Smartphone security continues to be a hot topic in the Android ecosystem. Whether you believe this is much of an issue or not, Android is the most popular mobile operating system, and the bad guys are known to target bigger markets. Google is not keeping its arms crossed, and they have just revealed Bouncer, a service that scans the Android Market for malicious apps.

This makes it easier to keep the Android Market safer while maintaining the simple process of uploading new apps (which is something developers and users love about Android). This service has been operating since the beginning of 2011, without our knowledge of its existence. And Google claims that the number of malicious app downloads has gone down by 40%, which is contrary to what most anti-virus app developers claim.

The procedure is simple (relatively). When a developer uploads an application, Bouncer analyzes it for known trojans, spyware and malware. The app is also scanned for any type of extraneous behavior, compared to past-scanned apps. The discovery of any dangerous behavior then raises a “red flag.” After finding a malicious application, Google goes on to revise the developer’s account, and prevents them from spreading any current or future dangers.

Google Mobile Blog’s post goes on to talk about the fact that Android was built with security in mind. There are multiple functions within the Android OS core, which help stop the bad guys from accessing all your goodies. Here are some of the features that help Google make our devices secure:

Sandboxing: The Android platform uses a technique called “sandboxing” to put virtual walls between applications and other software on the device. So, if you download a malicious application, it can't access data on other parts of your phone and its potential harm is drastically limited.

Permissions: Android provides a permission system to help you understand the capabilities of the apps you install, and manage your own preferences. That way, if you see a game unnecessarily requests permission to send SMS, for example, you don’t need to install it.

Malware removal: Android is designed to prevent malware from modifying the platform or hiding from you, so it can be easily removed if your device is affected. Android Market also has the capability of remotely removing malware from your phone or tablet, if required.Hiroshi LockheimerVP of Engineering, Android

As Hiroshi mentions, there is no way to stop malicious applications from getting to Android devices (or any smartphone, for that matter). What Android is trying to do here, is rid the Android market of all possible danger.

Bouncer may be the answer to all of those that worry about this issue. If an anti-virus app makes you feel more comfortable, though, it never hurts to have it. Plus, anti-theft solutions come in handy much more often than we would hope. My personal favorite happens to be avast! Free Mobile Security, followed by Lookout.

As always, though, the best solution is common sense. Getting a trojan, spyware or malware is simply not as common just yet. A googler even goes into detail about this, going as far as to mention that virus companies are “charlatans and scammers.”

Are anti-virus apps necessary?
I don't think so. Let's put it this way - I don't run those apps. That's obviously an individual choice, but I haven't felt the need for it.Hiroshi LockheimerVP of Engineering, Android

Android, security and its future
I want to emphasize that this is one piece of our overall security story. It doesn't start and end here. It starts with the device. It's not just about the app - it's the sandboxing, the (analyses of) developer accounts, and the scanning that happens. We're going for an end-to-end security path. Open source and security are not mutually exclusive.Hiroshi LockheimerVP of Engineering, Android

Just make sure you download apps from trusted sources (like the Android Market), and don’t forget to check out the permissions and app reviews. These techniques, along with Bouncer, should keep our devices safe enough, at least until this problem gets bigger (if it does). As for Google – we are glad they are working hard and have our backs.

Today’s survey statistics involve quite a deal of comic ‘relief.’ Not only are we dominating the smartphone market, but we’re also beating everyone in other fields. According to a couple of surveys, it seems Android users are most likely to use their phone while in the toilet and to have one night stands.

RIM’s success has been declining since the iOS and Android operating systems started skyrocketing. Currently, Blackberry devices hold a dismal position in distribution charts, and Research in Motion is in desperate need of rescue. In an attempt to seek a newer approach, past co-CEO’s have gotten off their thrones, and allowed Thorsten Heins [...]]]>

RIM’s success has been declining since the iOS and Android operating systems started skyrocketing. Currently, Blackberry devices hold a dismal position in distribution charts, and Research in Motion is in desperate need of rescue. In an attempt to seek a newer approach, past co-CEO’s have gotten off their thrones, and allowed Thorsten Heins to take over the Canadian company. It seems like RIM will need a bit more than this man’s leadership to get out of that hole, though.

One of Thorsten’s first duties as CEO included sitting down for an interview with Kevin Michaluk from CrackBerry. In the interview, RIM’s CEO goes into what he sees coming in RIM’s future. When asked about the possibility of BlackBerry building on Android, he responded the following:

Just take a look where the Android OEMs are. I leave this to you. Take a look at their recent announcements and what you will immediately see is there is just no room for differentiation because they are all the same.

What we choose is the harder way. I get it. Did we miss on some commitments? Yes, I admit that. That happens in high tech. This is not baking cookies. This is building high tech products. From time to time your aspirations and your development timelines hit some bumps in the road that were not foreseen. But I think going down that path is exactly right for BlackBerry and its customers.Thorsten HeinsRIM CEO

Needless to say that Thorsten is completely wrong. Android fans frequently brag about the amount of options the little green robot offers. Yes, most devices are black slabs, and usually have 4 buttons below the screen. There is no doubt that it is the most flexible when it comes to innovation, though.

We have seen a plethora of designs here. Dual-screen devices and even BlackBerry-esque ones are just the beginning of the list. Not to mention the fact that most manufacturers design their own UI overlays, and (whether we like it or not) it gives a different feeling to all Android smartphones.

We are not here just to point out that Heins’ opinion of Android is wrong, though. We all have our preferences. The issue here, with all due respect, is that this CEO seems to be a bit out of touch with reality.

It first hit me during his introduction video, where one of his first statements was that “if they continued doing well what they are doing, he sees no problem with RIM being among the top 3 players.” I believe the contrary – unless RIM makes some good changes soon, it will probably disappear off the face this little place we call Earth, relegated to the likes of Symbian. I am not the only one that says it, and certainly, the numbers don’t lie.

There are reasons why RIM has been considering licensing its services (with rumors of RIM probably licensing its software) to other operating systems. Undoubtedly, RIM has great services, especially for Businesses, but their hardware sales have been abysmally decreasing. We believe that these products have not been able to keep up with the evolution of the smartphone market in general.

I remember my first BlackBerry device, about 5 years ago – it looked almost identical to the latest and greatest BlackBerry phones. The software’s look and feel is unbelievably similar, as well. Then they released some designs like the Storm, followed by the Torch, with a closer resemblance to your typical black slab smartphones. Yet RIM CEO Thorsten Heins believes that Android-related products and services are “all the same.”

Don’t get me wrong. Competition is a good thing, and we want BlackBerry/RIM to come out of this hole. And we will have to wait and see what improvements RIM can make. We simply don’t know if Thorsten’s plans and views have what it takes to do this. Other operating systems are currently focusing on Enterprise solutions, as well.

In sum: You do need some changes, RIM, and you need them quick.

Early last month we heard that HTC’s focus for 2012 would be more on quality than quantity. While HTC delivered impressive numbers throughout most of 2011, it became obvious that HTC had spread itself too thin later in the year with the number of different handsets the company pushed out.

Before this news was simply [...]]]>

Early last month we heard that HTC’s focus for 2012 would be more on quality than quantity. While HTC delivered impressive numbers throughout most of 2011, it became obvious that HTC had spread itself too thin later in the year with the number of different handsets the company pushed out.

Before this news was simply a rumor, but we now have some direct quotes from HTC’s lead man in the UK, Phil Roberson, that give us a little more insight into HTC’s plans for 2012. Phil Roberson recently spoke with Mobile Magazine, admitting that HTC will be trimming back on the number of new devices introduced in 2012 to focus more on a ‘hero’ approach.

We have to get back to focusing on what made us great – amazing hardware and a great customer experience. We ended 2011 with far more products than we started out with. We tried to do too much.

So 2012 is about giving our customers something special. We need to make sure we do not go so far down the line that we segment our products by launching lots of different SKUs.Phil RobersonHTC

In 2012, HTC will also be putting tablets on the back burner. Roberson stressed that HTC would not be getting out of the tablet market completely, but HTC does want to make sure that the company’s focus is centered around smartphones.

HTC produced several outstanding handsets in 2011, but the majoroty of our time was spent reporting on phones like the HTC Rhyme, Status, Salsa and many other mid to low-end handsets that didn’t really capture the essence of what we have come to expect from HTC.

Do you think HTC can drown out the noise in 2012 and live up to its “quietly brilliant” slogan again?

It’s no secret that consumers are enamored with the cameras on their smartphones. Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Sony and countless other smartphone manufacturers are investing millions of dollars to improve their camera technology, and we’re seen quite a few articles across the web that try to pinpoint the very best camera phone.

Knowing that the public [...]]]>

It’s no secret that consumers are enamored with the cameras on their smartphones. Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Sony and countless other smartphone manufacturers are investing millions of dollars to improve their camera technology, and we’re seen quite a few articles across the web that try to pinpoint the very best camera phone.

Knowing that the public cares a lot about smartphone cameras, Charles Chi, Executive Chairman of Lytro, has revealed that the company may be interested in incorporating its new camera technology into smartphones. In order to gain a strong foothold in the smartphone market, Lytro would be looking at licensing agreements that would give interested smartphone manufacturers permission to use the technology on their devices. Charles Chi poits out that:

If we were to apply the technology in smartphones, that ecosystem is, of course, very complex, with some very large players there. It's an industry that's very different and driven based on operational excellence. For us to compete in there, we'd have to be a very different kind of company. So if we were to enter that space, it would definitely be through a partnership and a codevelopment of the technology, and ultimately some kind of licensing with the appropriate partner.Charles ChiLytro

For now, it does not look like Lytro has a plan in place to partner with smartphone makers. When Lytro does finally make its move, we suspect manufacturers producing Android phones will be among the first to license Lytro’s camera technology. Companies like Sony and Samsung have a long history of developing their own camera technology, so we suspect players like HTC and Motorola would be among those interested in incorporating Lytro’s unique Light Field capture system into Android powered phones.

We know most people have not had the chance to use a Lytro camera yet, but would you be willing to pay a little extra for a smartphone if it featured Lytro Light Field technology?

This week Google announced an upcoming change to their privacy policies that aims to provide a more intuitive user experience across all their products. Starting March 1, Google plans to consolidate more than 60 privacy documents into a single new Privacy Policy.

Now when signed in, Google will treat you as a single user [...]]]>

This week Google announced an upcoming change to their privacy policies that aims to provide a more intuitive user experience across all their products. Starting March 1, Google plans to consolidate more than 60 privacy documents into a single new Privacy Policy.

Now when signed in, Google will treat you as a single user across all their products, combining information you provided from one service with the others. As Danny Sullivan of Marketing Land puts it, “It’s similar to how you sign-up for Facebook, rather than individual products within Facebook.”

In short, Google will know more about who you are and what you do online. So far, it appears people are reacting to the changes in two ways. Either people are creeped out by all the information Google is collecting or they are embracing the universal data policies that will enable more human-centric interactions with their connected devices.

A preview document of the new Privacy Policy provides some insight on what information is collected and how it will be used. I encourage you to go read the entire document, but here are a few snippets we think are related to Android.

• Device information: We may collect device-specific information (such as your hardware model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information including phone number). Google may associate your device identifiers or phone number with your Google Account.
• Log information: Telephony log information like your phone number, calling-party number, forwarding numbers, time and date of calls, duration of calls, SMS routing information and types of calls.
• Location information: When you use a location-enabled Google service, we may collect and process information about your actual location, like GPS signals sent by a mobile device. We may also use various technologies to determine location, such as sensor data from your device that may, for example, provide information on nearby Wi-Fi access points and cell towers.
• Local storage: We may collect and store information (including personal information) locally on your device using mechanisms such as browser web storage (including HTML 5) and application data caches.

I’ll agree that the level of data that Google has access to is a little alarming, but consider some of the proposed benefits that we could experience. Google lists several examples on their site and in a new promotion video that explains the changes.

There’s so much more that Google can do to help you by sharing more of your information with … well, you. We can make search better—figuring out what you really mean when you type in Apple, Jaguar or Pink. We can provide more relevant ads too. For example, it’s January, but maybe you’re not a gym person, so fitness ads aren’t that useful to you. We can provide reminders that you’re going to be late for a meeting based on your location, your calendar and an understanding of what the traffic is like that day. Or ensure that our spelling suggestions, even for your friends’ names, are accurate because you’ve typed them before.Alma WhittenDirector of Privacy, Google

The way I see it, this information sharing could be laying the groundwork for Google’s upcoming voice and artificial intelligence application, codenamed Majel. Not everyone is ready for this Star Trek future where they talk to their personal computer that knows everything about them, but it’s clearly the path Google is on.

Some have proclaimed that this shift marks The End of “Don’t Be Evil”, but I’ll leave that up to you for debate. There are definitely signs that Google is in bed with our government, so I see how individual liberty could be constrained in the event of some national emergency that requires pervasive surveillance. (Call me crazy but fictional stories like Nineteen Eighty-Four and Terminator’s Skynet come to mind.)

For the time being, I don’t see any reason to distrust Google, and I, for one, welcome this universal data sharing strategy. Just remember you can always access your Google Accounts Dashboard to see which personal information is being stored and you can edit your Ads Preferences to alter which ads Google serves you.

What do you think of Google’s new Privacy Policy? Do you think the changes are good for innovation or is Google becoming evil?

Verizon has just announced their operating results for the final quarter of 2011. Big Red saw a $2.02 Billion loss due largely to a $3.4 Billion pension revaluation charged in the quarter. The loss is down from a $2.64 Billion profit in the Q4 2010. The loss comes despite outstanding revenues generated in wireless (record-breaking) [...]]]>

Verizon has just announced their operating results for the final quarter of 2011. Big Red saw a $2.02 Billion loss due largely to a $3.4 Billion pension revaluation charged in the quarter. The loss is down from a $2.64 Billion profit in the Q4 2010. The loss comes despite outstanding revenues generated in wireless (record-breaking) and FiOS business lines.

The other main factor in Verizon’s 4th quarter financials is the iPhone, which Verizon and anyone else who carries the device sells at a loss in an attempt to bring in new customers to sign up for hefty voice and data plans. Verizon sold over 4 million iPhone’s in the 4th quarter, comprising 52% of Verizon’s total smartphone sales for the quarter, and placing iPhone sales well ahead of sales of Android devices.

We fully expect Verizon to return to profitability in the next quarter, as the pension charge was a one time charge against earnings Verizon needed to put on the books. Verizon saw a 19% increase in data sales, and a record 13% increase in revenue from their wireless business, and Verizon would have had a profit of $1.38 Billion if they hadn’t incurred the pension charge. Quite the strong quarter for a $2.02 Billion loss if you ask us.

Verizon ended the year with an astounding $70.2 Billion total revenue, up nearly 11% from 2010 performance. All in all, Verizon’s having one hell of a year, a trend that’s likely to continue well into 2012.