Zoobos » android

CyanogenMod May Start Selling Forbidden Android Fruit

Richard Adhikari — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

CyanogenMod, which offers aftermarket firmware for Android mobile devices, is apparently planning to sell apps that have been banned from the official Android Market. Koushik Dutta, who writes apps for CyanogenMod, has put up a screenshot of what seems to be the landing page for the app market. The market's offerings will include root apps, as well as tether apps and Visual Voicemail apps, according to Dutta. The market for root apps "is there, it's talked about in techie circles, but it's not really in the general market," said ABI's Michael Morgan.

Google Asks Android App Devs to Design by the Book

Richard Adhikari — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

It's well known that Android is fragmented or, as Google CEO Eric Schmidt contends, "differentiated." In a bid to codify design principles for the operating system's look and feel, Google unveiled Android Design at CES on Thursday. This website seeks to help appdevs create apps with a more uniform look and feel for its latest version, Ice Cream Sandwich. "[Google] definitely wants to have a uniform look. They never have provided a style guide before," said Melissa Skrbic-Huss, creative lead at Amadeus Consulting.

Google’s Schmidt Does the Android Definition Boogie

Richard Adhikari — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:26:54 +0000

As Android smartphones sell like hot cakes -- 3.7 million were reportedly activated on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day -- concerns about the fragmentation of the operating system are increasing, and Google Chairman Eric Schmidt sought to allay those fears while speaking at a panel at the Consumer Electronics Show Tuesday. Schmidt reportedly stated that Android is not fragmented, but rather "differentiated." Further, Google wants to have all Android users employ Android 4.0 aka "Ice Cream Sandwich," Schmidt reportedly stated.

Lenovo Unwraps Android 4.0 ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’ Smart TV

Katherine Noyes — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

At the Consumer Electronics Show on Sunday, Lenovo unveiled a smart TV it says is the world's first to run Android 4.0, or Ice Cream Sandwich. Powered by a QualComm 8060 Snapdragon dual core CPU, the smart device -- called the "K91" -- features a 55-inch screen, a gamepad, and a user interface that combines Video On Demand, Internet applications and traditional TV programs. Thirty console-quality games will come bundled with the TV, with many more apps available in the Android Market and the Lenovo App Shop.

The K91 is now available in China, but information on pricing and availability elsewhere was not provided.

Gadgetwise Blog: The Best Android Gaming Apps of 2011

Zubosky Jeff — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:03:56 +0000

Just as the 10 best Android apps can hold their own against the 10 best iPhone apps of 2011, so can the better Android games hold their own against their iPhone counterparts.

Bits Blog: Mobile App Downloads Set Records on Christmas

Zubosky Jeff — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:07:26 +0000

Christmas Day downloads of iOS and Android apps from mobile app stores more than doubled compared to years past, shattering records, according to a report.

Gadgetwise Blog: Apps to Put Words in Santa’s Mouth

Zubosky Jeff — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:13:11 +0000

You might expect folks who make Santa apps to be filled with the holiday spirit, but after testing some of their wares, it's clear they might be some of the Scroogiest people around. Here's why.

Gadgetwise Blog: App Smart Extra: A New Weight-Loss App

Zubosky Jeff — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:37:34 +0000

Noom, an Android app, can track workouts and meals and features a virtual coach to help you achieve your weight-loss goal.

Gadgetwise Blog: Q&A: Seeking a Picture-Perfect Tablet

Zubosky Jeff — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:46:53 +0000

What to consider when shopping for a tablet with photography in mind.

Nexus Hits the Mainstream

Richard Adhikari — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Ever since the Galaxy Nexus, the Samsung-built Android phone that will usher in Ice Cream Sandwich, was announced in Hong Kong in October, the device has been making the headlines. On Thursday alone, there were stories about its launch in Canada, Verizon Wireless' excluding Google Wallet from the device, the Nexus' U.S. release date, and how it's impacted by CDMA technology. What gives? The Nexus line is meant to feature phones with pure and untweaked versions of the latest editions of Android.

Gadgetwise Blog: App Smart Extra: 10 Android Apps for a Buck

Zubosky Jeff — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:49:49 +0000

A one-day promotion from Google means you can get 10 Android apps for a dime apiece.

Gadgetwise Blog: Another Tablet Bites the Dust: Dell’s Streak 7

Zubosky Jeff — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:24:36 +0000

Dell announces the conclusion of its Android tablet experiment with the shutdown of the Dell Streak 7.

Gadgetwise Blog: Tip of the Week: Using Google by Voice

Zubosky Jeff — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:35:45 +0000

While it is not quite as helpful as Apple's Siri personal assistant, Google has a voice-activated feature in its software that lets you search the Web by speaking search terms out loud.

Gadgetwise Blog: Indoor Maps for Android Users

Zubosky Jeff — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:14:53 +0000

Today, Google announced that its Google Maps Android app will feature indoor-mapping data for several airports, stores and shopping malls.

Gadgetwise Blog: Indoor Maps for Android Users

Zubosky Jeff — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:14:53 +0000

Today, Google announced that its Google Maps Android app will feature indoor-mapping data for several airports, stores and shopping malls.

Gadgetwise Blog: App Smart Extra: Gift Cards for Apps

Zubosky Jeff — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:26:41 +0000

While iTunes users have long had gift cards to exchange at holiday time, Android and BlackBerry users were left in the cold. A new gift card from Canadian-based Mobiroo now fills that gap.

Gadgetwise Blog: Motorola’s Droid Razr Still Has It

Zubosky Jeff — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:45:30 +0000

The new Droid Razr from Motorola nearly manages to live up to its namesake.

Gadgetwise Blog: App Smart Extra: Guide to Roadside Amenities

Zubosky Jeff — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:40:35 +0000

An app that helps you figure out the location and names of gas stations and restaurants available at your next highway exit.

Gadgetwise Blog: Hands Off, Mom and Dad. This Tablet Is for Children.

Zubosky Jeff — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:45:35 +0000

The Nabi is a $200 Android tablet that starts up in Kid Mode — a password-protected gated community of sites, apps, music and videos of your choosing.

Galaxy Nexus Volume Bug Has Users Screaming and Shouting

Zubosky Jeff — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:43:04 +0000

User forums are lit up with complaints about Samsung's Galaxy Nexus smartphone, which was released in the UK late last week. It seems that the handset's volume control goes haywire when the connection shifts to a 2G band. Unfortunately, 2G is widespread in Europe. The Galaxy Nexus is the first phone to ship with Android 4.0, also known as "Ice Cream Sandwich." A YouTube video -- and there are plenty -- shows the volume bouncing between low and high. When it happens, the user is unable to make calls or use other functions such as playing videos or games. The phone is expected to hit Verizon's network in the United States in the next few weeks.

Bits Blog: Will Windows Phone Woo Developers?

By JENNA WORTHAM — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:07:56 +0000

Microsoft and Nokia want to claim a large piece of the smartphone pie with devices running a new version of Windows software. But will the devices be able to attract enough developers?

HTC Sparks OS Envy With Ice Cream Sandwich Upgrades

Katherine Noyes — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Users of eight HTC smartphones will be among the first to receive an upgrade to Google's new Android Ice Cream Sandwich. The company described the set of devices named as "the first wave" of HTC phones that will receive upgrades, adding that "we're continuing to assess our product portfolio, so stay tuned for more updates on device upgrades, timing and other details about HTC and Ice Cream Sandwich." The announcement may have been sweet news for users of the eight phones in question, but plenty of others were left with a bitter taste in their mouths.

Bits Blog: Most Young Adults in U.S. Now Own Smartphones, Survey Says

By JENNA WORTHAM — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:00:55 +0000

Phone owners between the ages of 25 and 34 are adopting smartphones at a rapid clip, Nielsen found.

Microsoft Ropes In 10th Android Licensee

Katherine Noyes — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 22:30:47 +0000

Microsoft has signed an agreement with Compal Electronics granting the device maker coverage under Microsoft's patent portfolio for its tablets, mobile phones, e-readers and other consumer devices running Android or Chrome.The deal comes hard on the heels of similar arrangements made with Wistron and Quanta Computer. The result, Microsoft noted, is that companies representing more than half of all Android devices are now under license to its patent portfolio.

Verizon Dulls Razr

Richard Adhikari — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:46:26 +0000

Verizon Wireless has disabled the bootloader unlock feature in the software on the Droid Razr, the Android smartphone that Motorola unveiled last week. Motorola had shipped the Droid Razr with a bootloader that can be unlocked and relocked, company spokesperson Becki Leonard told LinuxInsider. "Whether that feature is enabled is dependent on carrier and operator partner restrictions, as well as our commitment to meet security, safety and regulatory requirements worldwide," Leonard continued.

Bits Blog: Google+ Will Get New Features, and New Users, Executive Says

Zubosky Jeff — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:23:32 +0000

Sergey Brin and Vic Gundotra talk about Google+, the new Android phone, far-afield projects and memos that put Mr. Brin to sleep.

Google Serves Up Ice Cream Sandwich With a Nexus on the Side

Richard Adhikari — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:23:39 +0000

Google unveiled Android 4.0, aka "Ice Cream Sandwich," in Hong Kong on Wednesday. The presentation was accompanied by Samsung's announcement of the Galaxy Nexus, the first smartphone running Ice Cream Sandwich. Ice Cream Sandwich is a redesign of the Android OS. It has a highly visual interface, a facial-recognition feature and home-screen folders. "At one level, you could say that both Apple and Google are simply addressing the needs and wishes of increasingly sophisticated smartphone users by adding similar features and technologies," Pund-IT's Charles King said.

Bits Blog: Lookout Introduces a Security App for iPhones

Zubosky Jeff — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:00:05 +0000

Lookout, which makes mobile phone security apps, plans to introduce one for the iPhone, even though it has so far been less vulnerable to attacks.

How Linuxy Is Android?

Jack M. Germain — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0000

The Kindle Fire, the Android-based tablet Amazon revealed in late September, could well be the next step in the ongoing metamorphosis of Google's Linux derivative into a proprietary operating system. Even if Amazon does not lock down its altered Android platform, it clearly has created a major fork in the Linux road. Modifying Android is nothing new. HTC, Motorola and other phone makers have already established that practice. Android is an open source product within the Linux family. In some cases, it may not look much like Linux. But make no mistake about Android's lineage.

Bits Blog: Mobile Devices Account for a Growing Portion of Web Traffic

Zubosky Jeff — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:20:47 +0000

Mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, account for 7 percent of all worldwide traffic on the Web, according to a report issued Tuesday. Owners of Apple devices use the Internet far more than owners of other kinds of mobile devices.

Gadgetwise: App Smart Extra: Starry, Starry Night

Zubosky Jeff — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:56:15 +0000

The Clear Sky Droid app for Android devices presents the authoritative astronomical information found on the Web site ClearDarkSky.com

Ice Cream Sandwich Can’t Take iPhone Spotlight’s Heat

Zubosky Jeff — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:27:18 +0000

Google and Samsung announced Friday they are postponing indefinitely the launch of the latest version of the Android operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich, on a new Samsung phone. The companies released a joint statement asserting that it would be poor timing to unveil the product on the originally planned date of Oct. 11. Representatives from both companies have reportedly said the delay is out of respect for the late Apple Cofounder Steve Jobs, whose death last week left Silicon Valley mourning the loss of a visionary.

Samsung’s Nexus Striptease – Fascinating or Freakish?

Richard Adhikari — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:43:56 +0000

The Android community is abuzz with speculation about Samsung's plans for its Unpacked event on Oct. 11 at the upcoming CTIA Enterprise & Applications Conference to be held in San Diego. Some rumors suggest Samsung will unveil the latest item in the Android Nexus family of smartphones, while others speculate that the device will be a tablet. Many guessers seem to agree, though, that the device will probably run Android 4.0, aka "Ice Cream Sandwich," the next iteration of the Android operating system after Honeycomb.

Gadgetwise Blog: Want an iPhone 4S? Sell, Sell, Sell

Zubosky Jeff — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 23:03:29 +0000

Gazelle and eBay Instant Sale, two online gadget marketplaces, have seen a jump in the sale of used smartphones since the iPhone 4S announcement.

Bits Blog: Will Siri Bring Back the iPhone’s Wow Factor?

By JENNA WORTHAM — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:10:46 +0000

Siri, a virtual personal assistant, could help the iPhone 4S gain traction among consumers whose attention might otherwise drift to a Google-powered phone.

Bits Blog: The iPhone 4S Is as Much About Google as Apple

Zubosky Jeff — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 23:56:31 +0000

Apple needed to compete with Android, so it now has phones that are free and phones that cost $400.

HTC’s on the Hotseat for Allowing Critical Smartphone Security Flaw

Erika Morphy — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0000

A vulnerability in a logging tool that HTC has installed on some of its Android devices poses a serious security problem for users. The devices at risk are the Evo 3D, Evo 4G and Thunderbolt. The vulnerability allows hackers to collect a great deal of information about the device and its user -- information that the smartphone has been collecting for HTC -- if the user downloads certain malware designed for this purpose. The malware typically resides in an app that connects to the Internet, which leaves just about every unsuspecting device user vulnerable, as most do tend to use apps on their phones.

Bits Blog: Microsoft’s Patent Strategy Against Android

Zubosky Jeff — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:46:35 +0000

Free, it seems, has its costs. Microsoft's chief counsel explains its patent strategy toward Google's Android.

Bits Blog: Recap of Amazon’s Announcement

Zubosky Jeff — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:37:12 +0000

Jeffrey P. Bezos, chief executive of Amazon, unveiled the Kindle Fire, an Android-based tablet that will cost $199.

Google and Moto: The Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios

Jack M. Germain — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Google's recent plan to buy Motorola Mobility has the potential for reshaping the entire Android landscape. If it wins regulatory approval for the purchase, Google may only have a short time span to connect its marketing strategy. When and if this happens, it could further fracture the open source Android operating system. Depending on how Google follows its purchase of a hardware division, a future release of Android might usher in a more tightly controlled platform.

DealBook: Activist Fund Calls for Breakup of BlackBerry Maker

Zubosky Jeff — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:31:32 +0000

Jaguar Financial, a small Canadian merchant bank, is pushing for the board of Research in Motion to explore options to increase the company's share price, including a potential sale or spinoff of its patent portfolio.

Gadgetwise Blog: A One-Touch SOS for BlackBerry Users

Zubosky Jeff — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:09:38 +0000

BlackBerry users now have a free app that allows them to automatically send their location information to a preset list of people with a touch of a button if they are in danger.

Bits Blog: Android Is No. 1 Target of Mobile Hackers

Zubosky Jeff — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:39:48 +0000

A report from McAfee said that Android is now the most targeted mobile software by hackers and malware developers.

Gadgetwise Blog: Tablet Makers, More Fighting, Please

Zubosky Jeff — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:06:46 +0000

The tablet market is beginning to look like it is just an iPad market, and that is not good for consumers.

Will Google Build an Uber Android?

Erika Morphy — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

The initial response to Google's surprise announcement on Monday that it had inked a deal to acquire Motorola Mobility for US$12.5 billion was that it was a move largely to protect itself from the increasing patent attacks against Android. That could be why all five major manufacturers of Android devices appear to be thrilled with the deal. Should they be? Putting aside the matter of patents, for the moment, and looking at the acquisition strictly from a technology perspective, some possible scenarios emerge that could radically realign the market for Android developers.

Android Apps and the Honeycomb Holdup

Jack M. Germain — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Android Honeycomb tablets are now on store shelves and vendor websites. Six months from Honeycomb's release, tablet makers have finally optimized their hardware to fit the new made-for-tablets OS version to their larger-than-smartphone screens. But where are the apps? Buyers of shiny new 8- and 10-inch touchscreen Android tablets suffer from a glaring lack of Android 3.0 -- aka "Honeycomb" -- apps specifically designed to use the increased functionality of the latest tablet-sized OS. Consumers now enjoy a growing number of tablet choices other than the iPad.

Gadgetwise: New Google Maps for Android Allows Offline Mapping

Zubosky Jeff — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 01:26:29 +0000

Google Maps for Android now allows users to download maps for use when they not not have cell service or WiFi.

Bits: Many Smartphone Customers Are Still Up for Grabs

Zubosky Jeff — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 00:23:33 +0000

As the smartphone market grows rapidly, companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft are trying to pull in new customers before they go to a competing operating system.

Bits: Google Says It Activates 500,000 Android Devices Daily

Zubosky Jeff — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:07:07 +0000

Andy Rubin, a vice president for engineering at Google, said the company is now activating over 500,000 Android devices each day.

Gadgetwise: Four More Tips for Android Users

Zubosky Jeff — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:59:53 +0000

More tips, workarounds and shortcuts for Android users.