Android Updates

Facebook Phone to use Android OS?

2010-09-21T02:35:00.000-07:00

Facebook is making a smartphone and rumour has it that they will be using the Google Android operating system as the template.

The news may not come as a surprise to observers who have seen a tense competition forming between Google and Facebook over the years.

Facebook has attempted to take on many of Google's qualities including a similar advertising revenue system and search within Facebook.

When the owner of Wikipedia declared that he wanted his company to eventually replace Google, Wiki was quickly punished in the SERPs.

But Google would be powerless to stop Facebook adapting the Android OS. The social networking company, which now has 500 million users worldwide, wants to branch out and offer its services on a mobile platform.

Facebook liked the look of the Google Nexus One and the company realised it could not achieve what it wanted to simply through the use of an application.

Facebook mobile products head Erick Tseng, who was recently pinched from the Android mobile team, said at the MobileBeat 2010 conference: "We really see mobile as the future."

Facebook creatives Joe Hewitt, who previously worked on the Firefox browser, and Matthew Papakipos, whose experience includes Google Chrome OS, may now be turning their attentions to a Facebook phone.

Expect the Facebook phone to include a calendar based on your events and, of course, your extensive Facebook contact list. It also might make it easier to use Facebook applications such as Places.

Rather than building an operating system from scratch, Facebook will have access to one of the fastest-growing smartphone services and all of its third-party applications.

At the same time it is likely that a Facebook Phone would fragment users of the Android OS even more.

Android Mobile Awaits Froyo

2010-09-20T00:46:00.000-07:00

To date only 43% of Android mobile users have access to the new version 2.2 of the operating system, codenamed Froyo.

The graph above shows that many Android smartphones still operate on version 2.1 with some phones stuck on 1.5 or 1.6. It is based on research by Chitika data analytics.

While users of the iPhone can all upgrade to iOS4, it is at the discretion of Android OS network providers when they will make Froyo available.
For instance Motorolla makes the Droid X and had promised customers that Froyo would be released this month but that does not look likely to happen. It is a bizarre situation considering that the Droid X is supposed to be the flagship Android OS smartphone for Motorolla. It has also sold well since it was released.

Since then Google has shipped Droid 2 with Froyo pre-installed. But the company lags behind Apple which has managed to get 68% of its users onto iOS4. Android mobile may be selling faster than the iPhone 4, but in the war between the two smartphone providers it seems that Apple has given its soldiers more up-to-date equipment.

Android Mobile Continues Ascendancy

2010-09-19T01:52:00.000-07:00

Android mobile has continued its rapid ascendancy in smartphone market share at the expense of Blackberry and iPhone. Meanwhile the new Windows Phone 7 has not yet been released.

The report by marketing research company Comscore showed that Android mobile picked up another 5% of the smartphone user pie between April-July 2010.

Over the same three months Apple dropped 1.3% while RIM continued its recent decline and dropped by 2%.

However the smartphone market as a whole is booming (11% increase between April-July 2010) thanks to the massive popularity of the Android and iPhone.

Some industry analysts believe that one reason why iPhone is losing ground to Android OS is because it does not have as many contracts with large network providers. The main network for Apple in the US is AT&T, while Android works over Verizon Wireless and Vodafone.

However the iPhone4 has only been out for a few months, and is selling very well, despite the data showing a faster take up of Android.

The next Comscore report will provide a much clearer view of the situation; after all the iPhone4 had only been out for one month when this report was compiled.

Root your Android Mobile

2010-09-15T23:29:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can unlock the potential of your Android mobile by rooting it?

First of all rooting should not be tried by anyone who does not feel extremely comfortable with the more technical aspects of Google's Android OS. You're basically hacking in and changing the phone system permissions with the risk of making your Android totally useless while voiding the warranty in the process.

On the other hand a successful rooting can give you access to all sorts of cool features including advanced firewall apps. Furthermore you can get a ROM which allows you to download the latest version of Android well before other people.

However it should be noted that the manufacturers are wise to this and Android Froyo 2.2 is particularly difficult to root. The process is similar to jailbreaking as carried out on iPhones. Yet a simple Google search on how to root a certain phone can often pay dividends via the forums.

There are now apps available for HTC/Google Nexus One, Motorola Droid, Milestone and other phones which gives you one-click rooting. All you have to do is install the app with an the APK file on your SD Card, locate it with a file-management app and tap it to start the installation. Follow prompts and when the rooting apps appear in the App Drawer launch it. For full instructions on how to root your Android mobile see this article.

Angry Birds Ready to Fly on Android Mobile

2010-09-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

The full version of Angry Birds for Android mobile will be released in the next three weeks according to developers.

The beta was released at the beginning of the month, but it only allowed access to the first level of this phenomenon.

Although this engrossing game requires a lot of patience to complete as you try to find the right angles with which to catapult birds at pigs, it is safe to say that many people have completed the level and are hoping for more.

Furthermore there were some handset issues when the beta for Angry Birds was released. Because the HTC Wildfire phone uses QVGA displays these were not supported but efforts are being made to address the problem.

An Angry Birds developer called Rovio said: "We are currently working hard to ensure that Angry Birds on the Android mobile will offer best game experience for as many people as possible."

Angry Birds has been a massive success on the iOS4 where the app costs 99 cents, so expect the Android mobile to be priced competitively.

Android About Town

2010-09-12T03:15:00.000-07:00

Another busy week for Android mobile as Google has added pedestrian friendly Google maps as an app.

That means you can get directions on foot around major world cities like London, and some smaller ones too. There is a street view feature which lets you know what your future path might look like.

Now sat nav has been around for a while, but it is good to finally get something pedestrian friendly. Many cities, admittedly in developing countries, do not cater to walkers very well.

These directions for Android mobile take no heed of one-way streets and also let you know about short cuts, for instance if you want to head through a shopping mall to get somewhere quicker. Directions can be audible or silent, with a vibrate option also possible.

The beta app is available on the Android market for versions 1.6 or above of the smartphone.

There is also some competition to the Android now that Apple has allowed Flash and Java on its phones.
Could this be a sign that Apple is taking a leaf from Google's book and becoming more relaxed about applications for its smartphone?
If so it will be interesting to see whether more developers side with the well-paid Apple apps or whether their decisions will always be made on an individual cost analysis basis.
Apple will also allow 3rd party advertisers. Watch this space.

3CX Launches Free VoIP Phone for Android Mobile

2010-09-09T01:45:00.000-07:00

3CX, which makes the VoIP PBX 3CX Phone System and the Windows 3CX softphone, today added a free VoIP phone for the Android OS to its growing list of products.

The phone can be downloaded for free by both consummers and enterprises.

Therefore Android smartphone users on a variety of phones (including the Google Nexus, the HTC Desire and the Sony Ericsson Xperia) can make free phone calls via 3G and wireless.

The 3CX free VoIP phone for Android mobile works with standards based SIP servers including 3CX and other Phone Systems.
It is not locked down to a particular PBX or provider.

This gives users the flexibility to pick and choose their favorite VoIP PBX. They can also switch at any time or use different VoIP providers simultaneously.

The CEO of 3CX, Nick Galea, said: “Smartphones will soon be the defacto mobile communication option. With a docking station they can even act as a desk phone in time.
"A VoIP PBX must embrace this technology and deliver seamless integration to provide true mobility to its users.”
“Smartphone support is a key component of our strategy and the 3CXPhone for Android delivers on this vision”.

Mr Galea added: “We chose Android as our first platform because it is gaining market share and evolving at a rapid pace. Right now in the smartphone market Android has an advantage as it is standards-based, open and vendor independent. Furthermore Android mobiles are available at competitive prices.”

3CXPhone for Android is based on SiPagent. 3CX acquired this popular SIP phone for Android in June 2010. SiPagent users are able to upgrade free of charge to the 3CXPhone.

Android Mobile Stands Out from the Crowd

2010-09-08T02:58:00.000-07:00

A study has shown that although there is no clear leader in the smartphone market, Android mobile is the one to watch out for as far as the future is concerned.

Research firm IDC has weighed up the performances of Apple's iPhone, Google's Android-based mobile phones, Research In Motion BlackBerrys, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 operating system and Nokia Symbian operating systems.

Ramon Llamas, the senior research analyst for IDC's Mobile Trends Team, said: "Android is the wild card in the race and Android mobile technology merits close observation for the rest of this year and many years to come."

Mr Llamas added that Android success was partly because consumers could personalise their 'smartphone experience'. Ease of use and the burgeoning app store for Android were also main factors.

The Android operating system is popular on many handsets including the HTC Droid Incredible, the HTC Evo 3G/4G and Motorola Droid. Yet this popularity could mean that companies such as LG Electronics, Dell and Samsung could also produce Android handsets in the future.

Recent data has shown that the Android phones have outsold iPhones and Blackberrys in the US in the second quarter of this year. By 2014 it is predicted that Android will have 24.6 percent of the smartphone marketshare worldwide, up from 16.3 percent.

Despite the success of Android the report concluded that there is ample room for multiple smartphone players to grow with no individual OS dominating. In fact there will be enough market room for up to five OS players over the next five years.

Android Mobile has Angry Birds in Hand

2010-09-06T00:59:00.000-07:00

Android mobile users may be glad to know that the smash hit game for iPhone, Angry Birds, is now available on their OS.
However, you can only download it from the Android market if you have version 2.0 of Android, and even some versions of Froyo are incompatible.
Furthermore the Angry Birds Lite free trial has locked some of the game levels as it has not completed testing. The developers had planned to make a closed test but in the end they bowed to intense public pressure to release Angry Birds.
Rumours are that there are some bugs in the system and CNET has even reported that game will not work at all on the HTC Evo Android mobile handset.
That is bad news for people who are trying to get their hands on one of the bestselling smartphone apps of all time.
Personally I cannot see what all the fuss is about. It's basically just a version of Tetris which involves birds catapulting themselves at pigs . Apparently this is incredibly addictive. It must be getting to grips with the precision needed to angle the catapulting correctly...

Google Tunes into Android Mobile

2010-09-04T02:47:00.000-07:00

Google is gradually moving into Unified Communications, but it is also making a play for the digital music market.

Sales of the Android mobile OS have overtaken the iPhone this year and now the search giant is hoping to draw custom away from iTunes too.
The manoeuvre has been welcomed by record companies which want to see Apple’s grip on music for smartphones and PCs loosened. Six out of 10 iPhone users listen to music on their phones compared to four out of 10 Android users.
Apple currently controls over 80% of digital music sales through its iTunes store. Yet record companies are not all together happy with the financial terms that Apple have set.

The soaring sales for digital music are thought to be the future of the industry which has overall taken a big hit, losing $7.7 billion in 2009, according to the International Phonographic Industry Federation.
None of the companies involved can comment right now but it is thought that licences are being drawn up in time for Google's musical offering to be released with the Gingerbread for Android platform.

Offering music downloads for the Android mobile OS is a key part of the company's challenge to Apple. There are now 7.6 million Android mobile subscribers in America compared with 12.4 million iPhone users.

The question that remains is how the music will be charged - paid downloads or streaming and whether this would be incorporated into a monthly bill.
They may also use a free entry-level tier and a paid premium tier, provided that music executives are happy with this.

A music analyst with NPD Group Inc, Russ Crupnick, told the Seattle Times: “Consumers are constantly looking for new music. Music labels know that discovering that music via Google would be profitable for everyone."

Sony Ericsson to dominate Android Mobile

2010-09-02T23:23:00.000-07:00

The handset producer Sony Ericsson is aiming to be the world’s largest Android mobile supplier.

According to a report by Business Week the statement came direct from Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, which is the the mobile phone venture of Ericsson AB and Sony Corp.

They have a direct contract to produce smartphones for Google's Android OS. Rights now those include the XPERIA X10, the X10 mini pro and the X10 mini, with another Android mobile phone, the X8, soon to be released.

Based in London, Sony Ericsson controls 17% of the Android mobile market share making it one of the biggest players in the production of their smartphones.

The largest Android mobile maker controls 23% of the market share, although the company declined to mention who this was. Direct competitors for Sony Ericsson are Motaorola, HTC and Samsung.

The Chief Executive Officer of Sony Ericsson, Bert Nordberg, spoke of these grandiose plans while giving a talk in Beijing but did not mention a timeframe for achieving world domination.

No Android EAS support for Hotmail

2010-09-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

Microsoft has now released Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) support for Hotmail. It will allow calendar and email features to be viewed from Hotmail on smartphones. Therefore you can make changes to your Hotmail account on the web or via your mobile device.

The roll-out is effective immediately instead of taking place gradually but it will not come to Android mobile users straight away.

Instead you can only get support if you have a support iPhone, Windows Phone 7 or various other Apple, Nokia or Windows phones.

A Microsoft statement said: "The Hotmail team will add Android mobile to list of supported devices in the coming months after testing is completed but Android 2.1 is not currently supported due to known issues."

Although Microsoft is not officially supporting Android 2.1 it is possible to sync Android 2.2 from Hotmail via the Touchdown application or the default application.

Some users have also had success in supporting Android with Hotmail ActiveSync.

Android Mobile goes Bing

2010-08-30T23:50:00.000-07:00

Google may dominate the world of internet search with a design to become the premier smartphone maker through the Android, but Bing is now available on that platform.

Microsoft's Bing offering brought real time search to the internet, a fantastic idea in the world of minute-by-minute Twitter updates, and now Google is also copying the idea.

But if you don't like Google then network provider Verizon offers a Bing app for the Android mobile. The app is free and will also be pre-installed on all new Android mobiles sold by Verizon.

The app facilitates amazing Android and Bing features. That means that users of the Android OS can expect Bing's image of the day. An even neater option is being able to search by a series of voice commands - though how well this will work in practise will be interesting to see. The app will allow GPS access too with traffic information also supplementing the drectional guidance. And you can see listings of shops and restaurnats in your area.

The Bing app is also available for the iPhone. At the moment it is thought that the Bing app for Android mobile deal is exlusive to Verizon.

Android mobile is big in China

2010-08-30T02:02:00.000-07:00

China is going crazy for the Android mobile smartphone. Three more Android handsets have been brought out to take the total for the country to 11 - all released in one year.

These MING handsets are made by Motorola and there is one for each of China's three mobile networks. The XT806 works for China Telecom's CDMA-2000 network, the MT810 is compatible with the China TD-SCDMA mobile network, and the Chinese Unicom WCDMA network can be accessed from the A1680 phone.

The Corporate VP and President of Greater China Motorola Mobility, Mr Frank Meng, said that the MING smartphones were designed to be customizable to each individual user.

He said: "With MING we have combined our engineering expertise with a deep understanding of how Chinese people use their devices to create powerful, user-friendly smartphones which feel great. The MING Android mobile will be part of a fantastic customer experience."

Part of the allure of the Android smartphone is that it has features in the Chinese language which make it easy to use. It also has touch screen and flip technology.

More than half the Android mobiles sold in China this year are Motorola devices, according to the company. Sales of MING phones have exceeded the five million mark.

Microsoft Marches on Smartphone Market

2010-08-28T05:59:00.000-07:00

Microsoft is preparing itself for all out war on the smartphone market with half a billion dollars being spent on the Windows Phone 7 launch. It is thought that another billion dollars will go towards marketing when phone 7 is released.

Android mobile users will realise that this is a genuine competitor to their product, but also that they have helped to make the Android mobile successful and it is the fastest growing smartphone product available.

The success of the Android is part of the reason why Microsoft is spending so much money on branding their phone. The $500 million launch expenses figure for phone 7 is similar to Apple's entire advertising budget for 2009. The other motivation is the failure of the Microsoft Kin smartphone which was withdrawn earlier this year.

Not only is Microsoft spending big bucks on the launch but it has agreed to subsidize handset manufacturers' non-recurring engineering costs. There are also revenue guarantees for the manufacturers of apps. Microsoft hopes to challenge the success of apps for the Android and iPhone with the latter being a billion dollar industry.

An analyst at Deutsche Bank, Jonathan Goldberg, said that this was a pivotal moment for Microsoft in the smartphone market: “This is make or break for them. They need to do whatever it takes to stay in the game.”

Google Finance for Android Mobile is Awesome

2010-08-25T04:35:00.000-07:00

As you may have gathered by now I am somewhat sceptical about applications for the Android mobile but I have finally come across one that I really like the sound of. Google Finance is absolutely awesome.

Now I don't know much about finance but I certainly plan to. Interest rates are awful at the moment. I feel stuck in that sort of situation where you can slave away for the next decade banging your head against a wall or take a risk that could transform your fortunes.

So I want to play the stock market and hopefully strike it big. I'm pretty good at poker so I fancy myself as a gambler, but I have none of the requisite knowledge needed to invest. I may sound naive but I am smart enough to know that you do not try to crack Wall St without doing a hell of a lot of research.

But research is tedious and it reminds me of University. Yet an application with all of the fancy features and widgets is far more appealing. And it means that you can spend what is normally dead-time travelling instead learning something important on your Android mobile phone.

Google Finance gives you all of the latest market news and allows you to keep up to date with your portfolio. You can basically keep your eye on any sector that you are interested in all the time. Real-time data is fed to you along with many up-to-the minute quotes.

I have to say that I am impressed.

Android puts Facebook app in its place

2010-08-24T00:11:00.000-07:00

Some Android users may be miffed to find that the Facebook Places app is currently only available on the iPhone.

Personally I am not sure who in their right mind would want everyone to know where they have been. Facebook has created a sort of show-off culture where we try to get one-up on our peers by showing them that we have been to cooler places and on more expensive holidays. Unless you are part of the rich jetset I am not sure that this is good for everyone's self-esteem.

Also Facebook Places has some fairly glaring privacy issues. Facebook has come under fire regularly for its haphazard use of personal information and unless you check your settings like a hawk the constant changes could leave you vulnerable.

However the Facebook Places app is only available to those who choose to use it. It can send out a trail of your movements so that you can share your favourite restaurants, bookstores etc with friends.

If you want to use this on the Android mobile phone then visit Touch Facebook and look for the Places icon in the top right-hand corner.

Alternatively the Facebook Places app is very similar to other products on the market including Gowalla and Foursquare which are both available for the Android mobile phone, so you could just use these instead.

All of these apps have obvious commercial uses so expect plenty of promotions in the future.

StumbleUpon Android

2010-08-21T03:12:00.000-07:00

Android mobile users can StumbleUpon their favourite websites now that an app has been created.

Like Technorati and Digg, StumbleUpon is a popular form of social media which allows internet aficionados to find new websites based on their topic of choice, and then share them easily with friends. It also allows people to vote for which websites they like the most and so is a valuable tool for the online community.

To use the app on the Android mobile you will have had to sign up to StumbleUpon beforehand. Although you may consider this to be a nuisance, doing so will carry over the original preferences that you have built up. Once you have installed the app from the Android marketplace a StumbleUpon toolbar will appear just above or below your web browser.

The website Social Beat reported a major flaw. "The one thing that faithful StumbleUponers might object to is how slow pages load over standard mobile networks."
But to compensate there are thumbnail previews of pages which let you look before you leap into a slow download. Android users have control of this setting without having to leave the app.

Cnet picked up on another potential downside, the StumbleUpon bar cannot be hidden and so will stay their throughout your browsing session unless the app is exited.

Otherwise this could be the perfect way to occupy yourself during a long train journey. The StumbleUpon app for Android is available for the iPhone too.

Android mobile hits ad up

2010-08-19T23:12:00.000-07:00

Ad impressions for the Android mobile phone are up, taking the smartphone platform into second place against its competitors.
This data comes from Millennial Media, which is the number one independent mobile ad platform with more than 63 million users.
The iPhone is still the leading unit with 55% of all smartphone ad impressions (down 1%), yet the Android mobile is now ahead of the Blackberry with 19% of the market share, up from 11% in June.
Steve McCord, head of product development at Millennial, said: "This marks the first time that Android mobile has hit second place since Millennial began tracking the numbers in August 2009."
The figures are not surprising given the huge popularity of the Android mobile phone which has seen a vast increase in sales this year.
The most successful ad impressions handset for the Android mobile is the Motorola Droid with 5% of the impression share.
Android ad requests have been going up by 47% month-on-month while Apple ad requests increased 24 percent.

Sneaky snake bites Android

2010-08-19T01:29:00.000-07:00

Google operates a more laissez faire attitude to its apps for the Android smart phone than Apple does for iPhone and there are both good and bad sides to this.

The downside was revealed this week when the F-Secure forum reported that what at first appeared to be a harmless game of snake (you know the one where you try to get the big line of dots to eat the little dots) was actually a GPS spy.

That is a really cool tracking device which basically turns someone's smartphone into a sort of tag which tells you where they are at all times.
I say cool because it reminds me of a high-tech gadget from a James Bond movie. In reality the spy would probably be used by people who want to know what their boyfriend/girlfriend/partner/spouse is up to.
The only benign use I can think of for the application is to keep track of where your kids are.

It is now up to Google to either destroy the app or remove it from the Android marketplace. But is it still the job of consumers to make sure that an app is safe before they download it on their phone. That safety check could be something as simple as Googling the app to see what people have said about it.

Android goes to War

2010-08-17T03:18:00.001-07:00

From Short Circuit through to the Terminator I and II movies we have always fantasized about sending robots into war. While that vision is not fully true (unless you count drones) it seems that the decision to equip American soldiers with the Android smartphone could still save lives.

Lt. Gen. Jeff Sorenson believes that the deployment of the Android and other smartphones to the US army could happen within the year.

In anticipation of that moment a competition has been created to see who can design the best apps for military use. Among the front runners is a special app which designs training programmes to allow soldiers to prepare physically and mentally for going into war.

In terms of logistics and communication, using Android OS has obvious benefits as soldiers could contact each other easily out in the field. But they would more likely use the Android for making calls home. However, security of the phone lines would be of upmost importance.
What you don't want though is for the Android to be a distraction, for instance if you received a call just as you were hiding from the enemy.
Given that the US army is so chronically overstretched and underfunded at the moment too it would be interesting to see if this one comes to fruition or whether it is just another piece of propaganda.

Is Android a good listener?

2010-08-16T05:55:00.000-07:00

Google is to release a voice control app for the Android smartphone. It will allow Android users to speak (or bark) commands to their phone such as 'send email' or 'access sat nav'.

Now I'm aware that I have a reputation for being skeptical but I'm not convinced this will be as good as it sounds.
Suffering from RSI, I just purchased the Dragon Speaking Naturally software which is widely considered to be the most sophisticated voice recognition software (I speak - it types) on the market. Please feel free to contradict me if I'm wrong on this.

Sometimes Dragon is brilliant and when it gets a head of steam up it can just sail along, putting lots of words on the page while I twiddle my thumbs.
Other times it will fail to spell a word correctly. Even if it gets the word right 99 times out of 100 and it is a word which I have trained it to spell on numerous occasions.

Allowing for my strange accent I would say that voice recognition software is temperamental to say the least and that this Google app for Android may not be the godsend that some people think.
However Google is a very powerful and knowledgable company and if anyone can get it right I'm sure they can. I'm also convinced they will have had a (legal) peak at the Dragon software for some guidance.

Android gets touchy

2010-08-16T00:15:00.000-07:00

For the last decade everyone being has been raving about touchscreen technology. Personally I can't see it myself. Touching the screen just leads to it getting smudgy while accuracy is always an issue.
Now researchers have found that there are also security concerns. In fact passwords on your Android smartphones could be at risk because of the fingerprint trail.
Google's Android OS system requires users to swipe for access and this can cause "information leakage."
University of Pennsylvania scientists discovered that: "Oily residues, or smudges, remain on the screen as a side effect of touchscreen technology."
The researchers were able to partly guess the passcode of an Android smartphone 92% of the time and completely guess it 68% of the time. They did so using photo-editing software, lighting and a camera, which are all easily accessible to your average criminal.
Furthermore this is not the only vulnerability that the Android smartphone might have as a result of its touchscreen sign in.
The iPhone does not suffer from the same problem as users lift up their finger between each press.
In response Google said the Android 2.2 Froyo OS will include the option of an alphanumeric password instead of the finger swipe.

Getting to know Android part 2

2010-08-14T03:42:00.000-07:00

Here we are, back again as promised. Saturday morning was spent having a nice swim and lounging at the pool but now that the afternoon is here it's back to work. Pushing 40 degrees Celsius, far too hot to venture outside anyway.
If, like me, you are stuck inside, you may want to try out these five useful features for Android users.

1) Now the Android smartphone comes with an Adfree ad blocker service. This spares you from annoying adverts and also allows your phone to run that much faster. Lifehacker provides some info on how to install once you purchase Adfree from the Android marketplace. "Just download it from the Market, open it up, and hit the download and install hosts button at the top of the screen."

2) Custom ring tones are another effective way of call screening. If you are hoping to avoid a call from your mother why not assign something from the Monty Python soundtrack? He's not the messiah he's a very naughty boy...

3) There is now a free app for Facebook on Android so if you want to know who's farmed what on your status updates, then Farmville is always at hand.

4) Long press on the home screen to organise all your favorite thigns into folders. Nothing could be simpler.

5) And the same applies to emoticons. With a long press you can open up lots of options. Right now - smiley face - weekend work is over and it's off to have some fun.

Getting to know Android

2010-08-13T01:54:00.000-07:00

Techradar UK has just churned out an ultra useful list of the 50 best features you didn't know about Android.
Now I'm betting us busy office workers won't have time to read the whole thing, even if the boss is not looking and you're pretending to work on a presentation. So here's an even more handy list of the 5 best features you didn't know about Android. We'll follow it up with another 5 features this weekend, because we really have nothing better to do.

1) Don't let applications drain the life out of your Android. A Power Strip Widget can disconnect Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and anything else that runs in the background silently killing your battery. Just go to the widgets category and long press.

2) Decided to take a sickie so that you can read the full list of Android features? Or maybe you are giving an annoying ex the cold shoulder. Either way Android can help you with effective call screening. You just go to the contact options for the person you want to avoid and select ping calls in the menu options.

3) Keyboard shortcuts can save you from rsi (trust me i'm a sufferer). To customise shortcuts for the loveable qwerty keyboard format go to Settings > Applications and Quick Launch. Beware this feature does not work on the HTC Desire handset.

4) The Tasker app is available from the Android marketplace. It hardly costs anything and in return you get total control over your phone. Now that's a price worth paying. Unfortunately there is no 'try before you buy' free version.

5) Personnaly I hate computers/phones putting words on the page for me UNLESS THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE THEY KNOW WHAT I MEAN. You can turn off the Google auto suggest service by going to Settings > Search > Google Search Settings. This should also make your phone run faster.

Android gets an STD: Best of the Week's News

2010-08-12T01:23:00.000-07:00

Things have got to seedy for Android users says Mobile Crunch: "Have you ever wondered who SMSes porn and astrology lines at $9.99 per message? Your phone!"
While Apple has always prided itself on virus resistant technology, Microsoft has been prone to Trojans and now it seems that Google is too.
Kaspersky has identified this pesky bug as Trojan-SMS.AndroidOS.FakePlayer.a. The good news is that the virus only works on Android smartphones in Russia, unless of course you are willing to pay top dollar for your horoscope.
The New York Times business day technology reported that Android clients should "be careful what they download."
The virus installs what appears to be a harmless media player on your computer. Unfortunately that media player then starts to send the premium text messages. Luckily this application is not on the Android marketplace.
Google spokesman, Jay Nancarrow, said: “We advise Android users to only install apps on their smartphones that they trust. In particular, Android users should exercise caution when installing applications outside of Android Market.”
And everyone knows that STDs can have an adverse effect on your sex life. A new report has shown that iPhone users have more sex than Android users.
According to CNet: "A deep and sonorous study by the dating site OkCupid has left no doubt. iPhone owners have more sex than BlackBerry owners and a lot more sex than the worthy, solemn, dedicated purchasers of Android phones."

Android Overtakes Apple: Best of the Week's News

2010-08-08T23:48:00.000-07:00

This week the Philadelphia Enquirer gleefully ran a story about the Apple 'cult' getting a taste of its own medicine.
The journalist witnessed a smug iPhone owner having an Android shoved in his face. The Google smartphone user wanted to show off his handset, which he felt to be superior.
The story is based around NPD Group market-research findings that Android smartphones are outselling BlackBerry and the iPhone, which is in third place.
Follow-up research (going into a cafe and asking people 'Android or iPhone?') seemed to bear out the theory, with one customer saying he preferred the large screen and the ease-of-use of the Android smartphone.
They all highlighted the flexibility of Android OS. "The heart of Google's strategy is to offer consumers choice, with the cool that comes with smartphones."
On the other hand the iPhone has suffered bad press due to the unreliable AT&T network and some design glitches.
However Macworld said Apple will not go down without a fight and has made some much needed changes to its app store. They include a 'Try before you Buy' feature, although this has not pleased all developers: "Some developers don’t think it’s fair that customers can buy a $3 app while laid over at an airport, then return it once they get home."
Meanwhile JKontherun said that the Android is due to have the largest smartphone market share by the year 2012. James Kendrick noted "Google is firing on all cylinders."
Trends would suggest that Google will have 75 million Android users in 2012 compared to 62 million users of ios4. Currently there are more than 20,000 Android activations per day. It noted that Google benefits from offering multiple handsets compared to this single iPhone design.
But Wired said there was still some work to be done on the Android. There are at least five things Google could fix including pushing for accuracy, i.e automatically correcting spelling mistakes.

Android app gives you PayPal

2010-08-07T06:33:00.000-07:00

If Android is transforming the smartphone market then Paypal has revolutionised the world of online payments. Now Android users can send money to each other simply by bumping their phones together thanks to a new PayPal app. This is done by using some very nifty new technology known as bump technology.
This feature has been on the iPhone for a while now so you can also settle your scores across the two different platforms.
However, I am much more excited by PayPal's second feature entitled 'Split the bill'. I am sure that we all know some very stingy people and I am thinking of buying this app for them as a bit of fun. While I would rather treat my friends to a drink than add up every last penny, at least 'Split the bill' means that they will get their figures correct. This app is very easy to install. Personally I think that if you can afford an Android or iPhone smartphone then you should be able to pay for a round of drinks.
As well as this excellent addition, normal PayPal features such as withdrawing and requesting money are both available.

Android Abuzz with VoIP App Nimbuzz

2010-08-05T23:44:00.000-07:00

Android users will soon be able to make use of the NimBbuzz application. Nimbuzz allows cheap calls using VoIP and IP telephony over Wi-Fi or 3G networks. This mobile app is available with the latest version of the Nimbuzz software for the Android OS.

It gives customers the choice of a number of different VoIP providers because Nimbuzz is an open application which is not restricted to a single client.

Nimbuzz even has its own VoIP service called NimbuzzOut. The app is expected to increase VoIP usage as it will give more Android users access to the technology. Nimbuzz also supports instant messaging from Google Talk and Windows Live Messenger.

Quentyn Kennemer of Phandroid wrote: "With NimBuzz for Android the Call quality is clear and I couldn't find anything to complain about. They use the Jingle XMPP protocol which delivers unrivaled audio clarity for VoIP calls."

Awaiting Froyo 2.2 : Best of the Week's News

2010-08-05T00:06:00.000-07:00

Froyo 2.2 is causing quite a stir, especially for some Vodafone customers who have not been able to get their hands on it. IT Pro reported that there had been some confusion. When shoppers who thought they were getting Android 2.2 found out it was just the delayed release of Vodafone's 360 services the mood turned ugly. But "once customers do get their hands on Froyo they will be able to enjoy a faster browser, better performance and an improved Android Market, which will include a handy bug reporting feature."
The Product Reviews Blog reported that Vodafone had decided to customize Android phones, which was not to everyone's taste.
Vodafone defended themselves saying : "We customise phone software to optimise the experience and enable access to our services.”
The blog also gives a handy way to install Froyo without the Vodafone customization, though it is to be undertaken at your own risk.
Meanwhile PC Magazine said that Android Froyo 2.2 for the HTC Sprint was a must install upgrade with dramatic speed improvements, except for the flash feature which felt slow and 'clunky'. It also said that installing the upgrade is easy and gave a few handy instructions.

Android hits 100,000 Apps: Best of the Week's News

2010-08-03T01:07:00.000-07:00

As usual Tech Radar is leading the way with the news this week that Android has hit 100,000 Apps. This information should be qualified - there are about 85,000 Android apps on the market right now as 15,000 have been taken off. Google does not put its apps through the same rigorous testing as Apple.
Furthermore Marc Chacksfield wrote that the news would not necessarily have Apple CEO Steve Jobs sweating: "At this rate, the Android Market could feasibly catch up with the iPhone App Store. But it's not about quantity but quality – and this is where Apple is still winning."
Music Week also carried the story noting that the app milestone was a significant increase from the 5,000 apps available for the Android in June 2009.
The Retail Digital blog asked whether smartphones were outsmarting us?
Jordan Robertson of the Associated Press, wrote: “Your smart phone applications are watching you. Lookout Inc. scanned nearly 300,000 free applications for iPhone and Android and found that many of them secretly pull sensitive data off users' phones and give them to 3rd parties without notification."
Given this terrifying information Laura Canter advises us to be careful about what apps we are using and to turn them off once finished. But, she asks, are apps really worth it?

Android Updates to 2.2: Best of the Week's News

2010-08-02T01:26:00.000-07:00

The blogosphere is abuzz about what Froyo 2.2 will mean for the Android industry. TechRadar.UK reported Vodafone's desire to ready the Android Froyo 2.2 update for the HTC Desire phone. Although the update was released this weekend just gone, it currently only works for unlocked phones which are not tied to a network.
Gareth Beavis wrote: "Given that the new Android 2.2 update promises a real upgrade in functionality to the HTC Desire smartphone, users are understandably anxious [to get their hands on it] as soon as possible."

EuroDroid posted a nifty video demonstrating how clear your video recording can be when using the HTC Desire 720p and Froyo.

The Droided Up blog said that a hacked version of the Evo4G can access Froyo: "We're going Froyo crazy this week. A hacker has gotten hold of an official Froyo with Sense Rom and now it is available for your downloading and flashing pleasures."

Meanwhile Phones Review said that the Froyo update for HTC Evo 4 is set for August 3. It focused on the good news for Android users including Voice dialling over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi hotspotting, improved speed and Flash 10x support with improved browser performance.

Android 2.2 Froyo is coming to the Verizon Motorola Droid next week, says NewsDen blog.

VoIP phones for Android released

2010-07-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

VoIP and SIP phones for Android seem to be all the rage at the moment with 3CX having recently released their free client.
Now Infrax Systems has also jumped on the boat. The corporation provides unified products and services for the Utility and Energy industries and has now announced the release of an Android-based mobile phone with various data applications. The phone system is encrypted and works on the HTC Desire handset which allows users to safely manage data and voice calls.
It operates via a peer-to-peer connection to provide secure VoIP. The calls can be made on HSDPA (3.5G), Wi-Fi, EDGE (2.5G) and UMTS(3G)networks. There are Industrial, Government and Business phones available, with a Utilities model to be released soon.

Android Sales Skyrocket: Best of the Week's News

2010-07-28T00:06:00.000-07:00

Android sales have skyrocketed in the UK with a whopping 350 per cent increase in the first three months of 2010.
The Daily Mail said: "The surge has accompanied a general rise in the consumer uptake of smartphones as people come to the end of their old mobile contracts."
The huge increase in Android sales is all the more remarkable given that in the same period sales of contract phones only rose by 1 per cent.
GfK Retail and Technology has published research to show that Android smartphones now cover a 13 per cent share of UK smartphone contracts. At the start of 2010 this was only 3 per cent.
GfK analyst Megan Baldock said: "The figures suggest that an increasing number of consumers are now asking for Android handsets by name".
"Operating Systems such as the Android OS are now becoming a key selling point in their own right."
ZDNet also covered the news surmising that recently launched handsets such as the HTC Desire and Samsung Galaxy S have been extremely popular, which in turn has contributed to the amazing sales numbers.
Meanwhile the Register commented on the effects of the growth for Apple saying that the outlook was not good: "Apple, conversely, saw its UK market share decline from 75 per cent to 64 per cent during the same period."

The Best Android Travel Apps

2010-07-25T23:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a look at a couple of the best new Android smartphone travel Apps.

Swift boarding

Currently only present in the iTunes store for iPhone, Android users who have problems hanging on to their boarding card will soon have use of this app.
Amazingly this new app will turn your Android phone into a mobile boarding pass with a bar code which can be scanned at the gate.
You just have to join the BA executive facility, which is free of charge. Having regularly found myself in a position to check in online but with no printer in reach, my first thought was that this is a fantastic app.
My second thought was that surely there are some security issues with being able to have your boarding pass on an Android phone? However I suppose it's just as likely that your boarding pass gets stolen as your Android. Also the pass would have to match your passport to be of any use.
The app will be functional on certain popular routes including London Heathrow to New York.

Postcards

This Android app is really cool as it allows you to take a photo, and then send it anywhere in the world as a postcard for a minimal postage fee. Sending the old style postcard within the United Kingdom is only 99p while it costs £1.49 for postage to the rest of the world. Currently its available as a free download in the iTunes store.

How is the Android OS running?

2010-07-22T00:30:00.001-07:00

An Android developers site has posted the make up of the Android consumer base.
It suggests that the Nexus One, which is the smartphone running Froyo 2.2, has only 3% of the market share. However the Nexus One is about to be discontinued.
By far most users are on Android 2.1 making up 55.5% of the market, followed by 22.1% on version 1.6 and 18.9% on 1.5.
XA tiny fraction (0.3%) of OS systems are running on obsolete versions according to the data which was collected over a period of two weeks at the beginning of July.
There is also a table of how many versions the various API's are compatible with. Versions 1.5 and 1.6 are compatible with most APIs while the 2.1 share is growing.

The site states: "Notice that the platform versions are stacked on top of each other with the oldest active version at the top.
"This format indicates the total percent of active devices that are compatible with a given version of Android.
"For example, if you develop your application for the version that is at the very top of the chart, then your application is compatible with 100% of active devices (and all future versions), because all Android APIs are forward compatible."
However this can lead to a problem of fragmentation as picked up in a Guardian article. This is because old versions of the Android OS can't run applications that target more recent versions.
The Guardian says that we don't really know how the Android OS is running because Google won't tell us. Available data on Android market transactions would make the whole picture that much clearer.

The End of the Nexus One Android Smartphone?

2010-07-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

Various publications have picked up the decision of the search giant to kill its own progeny – the Nexus One.
The Nexus One was one of the first Android smartphones that were released. Crave, the gadget blog from CNET UK wrote in tragic terms about the discontinuation of the Android Nexus One: “Google is taking the Nexus One out into the woods and putting a bullet through the back of its touch screen.”
They called the Nexus One a blog experiment in online sales of smartphones and said that the Vodafone Nexus One would surely be the last of a dying breed. Why had Google not taken a lesson from Apple in terms of marketing a smartphone? The Nexus One has sadly become just another casualty of ever moving technology.
The online portal for Britain’s Telegraph newspaper focused on the company closing of the online store. Google CEO Eric Schmidt told the Telegraph that the idea of moving the phone platform hardware business forward was so successful that Google did not have to do a second one.
Now that the last shipment of Nexus One has been received they will no longer need to be sold online. The Nexus One blog also said that the web store had remained a niche market.
Meanwhile the Mobile Business Briefing said that Google was ‘keen’ to attract developers to the Android based device.’ It added that Google was quick to deny that poor sales were responsible for the closure of the online Nexus One sales portal.

Say Hello to New eBay App and Buy Buy

2010-07-10T02:16:00.000-07:00

Apps may make life easier but they are also a good way of parting a fool and his money. While we can greet the new eBay app for the Android with all the excitment implied in an online auction, it also means that we can have even more ways to buy stuff at times when we could be relaxing - on the train, in the doctors waiting hall etc.
The app is now available in the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada on versions 1.6 of the Android or above. That means residents of those countries can follow their bidding wars wherever they go, with no need to spend long days indoors in order to secure a purchase.
Steve Yankovich, Vice President of mobile commmunications at eBay, said: "The popularity of eBay's mobile shopping applications is quickly spreading across the world.
"Over 50% of eBay's mobile merchandise comes from outside of the United States of America. Therefore we are taking advantage of the unique features of the Android mobile platform. The Android app uses Android voice search capabilities to make finding things easier."
However if you are looking to sell goods on eBay, the app which allows you to do so is only available on the iPhone.

Will Android outmanoeuvre iPhone?

2010-07-09T04:01:00.000-07:00

With complaints flooding in about the new iPhone 4G, from dropped calls on the AT&T network to the unavailability of apps, it seems a good time to question the future of the platform. Especially now that its main competitor Android is building up momentum.
Without question one of the most appealing factors about smartphones is the applications which can be added to them, whether they are for playful or practical purposes.
In the past the Android OS has not attracted the same number of app developers, largely because it has not been as profitable to make them as for the iPhone, but now there are unmistakable signs that Google could be ready to outmanoeuvre Apple.
Firstly the controlling nature of Apple does not sit well with all developers and consumers. Yes Apple says that it can guarantee a higher quality of app because of its stricter policing of the markets. But many customers will not care about the quality and will be happy to have apps that do a good enough job at a lower price. Google holds all the cards in this respect as it can give away the Android OS for nothing, such is the size and heft of the company.
In June 2010 alone, 60,000 more android devices in the UK were activated than in May, when 100,000 people had tapped into the Android OS system. An even more significant figure shows that for the first time there are now more Android app developers than there are iPhone app developers.
This will be particularly relevant over the next decade as emerging markets come into play. In places such as India and China where the iPhone may be unaffordable, Google is looking to offer customers the full smartphone experience at a lower price.
By next year the Android may be outselling the iPhone. Apple may say that it aims to do what it has always done - offer a higher quality experience in niche markets. But it is clear that their latest problems will have the company sweating.

HTC Reaps Profits from Android

2010-07-07T01:15:00.000-07:00

Despite predicting a huge 58.45% rise in sales, mobile handset provider HTC has exceeded its own sales forecasts.
Last month (June), there was actually a 66.69% rise in smartphone sales against the comparable period in 2009. In fact HTC outdid its revenue estimates for sales in both the quarterly and the monthly figures.
Sales of the Android smartphone form a large part of the revenue of HTC and there have been record breaking figures recently.
For those who have been part of this boom peroid, there is news about when to expect the new Froyo 2.2 Android update.
Eric Lin of HTC said: "We are aiming to roll-out all planned HTC updates to Android 2.2 Froyo before Christmas."
The update will cover the HTC Desire and the HTC Incredible among other handsets. However there is no news yet on whether there will be an update to Froyo 2.2 on older handsets like the HTC Hero.

Android Gingerbread Rumours are a Fairytale

2010-07-05T04:57:00.000-07:00

Google execs have rubbished news that the Gingerbread 3.0 would be incompatible with most smartphones. They have clearly stated that there will be no minimum hardware requirements of the Android Operating System (OS) when Android 3.0 Gingerbread is released.
Smartphone owners had gotten nervous at the news which would have meant that their 3.7 inch screens would be obsolete with a 4 inch screen required for Gingerbread to work. Had that rumour been true it would have ruled out using Gingerbread 3.0 on either the HTC Desire or the Nexus One smartphone.
When the rumours originally started spreading following a Russian technology podcast, Android owners feared that they would have to trade in their handsets, a costly and time-consuming process.
Commenting on the rumours Dan Morrill, Tech Lead for Android Open Source Compatibility stated: “I love it when people make stuff up. You shouldn’t believe everything you read because rumours are not official announcements.”
However it is a bit strange that the rumours quickly gained so much credence as they contradicted what Google itself had said in the I/O conference - i.e that Android 3.0 would be standardized for all phones and one source platform.
Part of the problem for Google is that so many handsets are now compatible with Android OS that the company is having trouble keeping up with all the apps.
In other news Google has declared itself so happy with the Nexus One Smartphone that the company sees no need to bring out a sequel.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt is reported to have said to his board of directors: "Ok, it [the Nexus One Smartphone] worked. Congratulations – we are stopping now”.

App enables Yahoo! on Android

2010-07-01T04:27:00.001-07:00

Hard to believe it may be but only now has Yahoo! rectified for Android users the problems of trying to reach its search engine. While Hotmail and Gmail could connect with the Android OS easily via the address and email password, Yahoo! experienced some glitches in the system.
But the standalone app that has been released for the Android VoIP phone is about to change all that. Now you can send emails to Yahoo! contact from your Android, get email notification and download attachments - all the things which you would expect from your smartphone.
Yahoo! product manager Lee Parry said: "The Yahoo! Messenger and Yahoo! Mail apps for the Android offer the core features that you would expect while using a PC. They allow you to search for important messages and organize them into personal folders.
He added: "You can also view your status messages and buddy list contacts while chatting with Messenger friends."
The app also allows you to launch the instant messaging service Yahoo! Messenger. It will work on the Android 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2.
You can pick up the app in the usual manner on the Android marketplace. Customers in America can also get a Yahoo! search widget for their screen.

Nexus One Android 2.2 Froyo Update

2010-06-30T08:42:00.001-07:00

Below is a really useful video for users of the Nexus One Android smartphone. They can now access the Android 2.2 Froyo, which is the latest software update. Its main advantage is increased speed (5 times faster) over a range of different features including web browsing. It also gives you access to portable Wi-Fi hotspots. Android 2.2 Froyo will also allow certain mobiles to share their Wi-Fi connection with up to eight other devices.
Jealous? Well the Android 2.2 upgrade should be available to other users including the HTC smartphone soon.
An HTC spokesperson said: "We are working hard in conjunction with our partners to update the HTC Sense experience on Froyo and get it to our customers ASAP. We expect to release updates for 2010 models including the Legend, Wildfire and Desire smartphones in the third quarter of 2010."

Free 3CX Android SIP phone launched

2010-06-30T02:59:00.000-07:00

3CX, the company which created a phone system for Windows to replace your proprietary Phone Branch Exchange (PBX), has now launched a free Android Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone.

3CX has created the Android SIP phone in recognition of the increasing importance of the smartphone in conjunction with a modern VoIP PBX.

The popularity of the 3CX softphone means that a beta version has been brought out for the Android Platform, immediately available for the Android 1.5, 1.6, 2.1 and 2.2

It can be accessed on many smartphones including Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson as well as Google HTC (including HTC Desire and HTC Elite).

The 3CXPhone for Android SIP Phone is available via the Android market place. You just open up the market place and search for 3CXPhone to install it. The 3CX VoIP Phone for Android is free of charge. Not only does it work with the 3CX Phone System, but also numerous other VoIP services.

Are Google apps for Android safe?

2010-06-26T00:26:00.000-07:00

While the openness of the Android app market is normally beneficial to users, it can also make them vulnerable.
According to a report by SMobile Systems, a mobile security firm, as many as one fifth of Google apps for Android can expose your data to third party hackers.
The report states: "The Android Market offers flexibility by allowing anyone to develop and publish an application to the consumer market. This presents the opportunity to easily defraud innocent consumers for financial gain. Since today’s Smartphone devices are the equivalent of mobile computers, it is logical that attackers have expanded their focus."
Google said that it was regulating the market but that it had had to remove two dodgy applications so far from the devices of Android smartphone users.
A security lead for Android, Rich Cannings, stated in the blog post that the remote application removal feature is one of many security controls that Google uses to protect Android users from malicious applications.

Google plans are music to the ears of Android users

2010-06-23T00:17:00.000-07:00

Industry insiders expect Google to venture into the area of music downloads, according to reports by the Wall Street Journal. The competition between Google and Apple is fierce, not least in the smartphone market where Google's Android OS is fast making ground on the popular Apple iPhone. But Apple executives will get chills when they hear about this new rumour. Up to now Apple has pretty much monopolised the music side of things with its iTunes software for iPod, which is the leading digital music seller in the USA.
The Google music service will be tied to its search engine and available on the Android phone, with a subscription service possibly starting in 2011. By using the search engine music store, Android users will be able to stream music onto their smartphones directly from the cloud.
Google has been exploring branching out into music for a while now and the search engine has partnered with online radio station Pandora among others.
Although Google's plans are at a nascent stage and they have not made any connections with music labels, many music labels in America would like to see a challenge to Apple's dominant market position.

IBM serves up Wimbledon app for Android smartphone

2010-06-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

Football fans may not even have noticed but it is that time of year again; strawberries and champagne while watching the cream of tennis players battle it out at Wimbledon.
Tennis aficionados can often be seen feverishly checking their smartphones between points and with that in mind IBM has released its new Seer Wimbledon app.
This nifty app allows you to check out everything that is going on around SW19. You can see how is playing who and where, and work out where the nearest restaurants, toilets and much more are all located.
You can also access a number of radio stations with Wi-Fi technology. The only questions hanging over this app are whether you will have Wi-Fi access and whether your batteries can support it for a whole day (take some spares).
You might also spend so much time playing around with it that you forget to watch the tennis!

The HTC EVO 4G Android phone

2010-06-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

There is quite a choice of Android handsets available now so I thought it might be helpful to have a look at some of the pros and cons of each in a sort of mini series.
First up is the HTC EVO 4G smartphone which is known for its Sprint services. This is currently quite a large device so you may not find it as pocket-friendly as you might be hoping.
However industry experts have noted the polished feel of the phone and marvelled at how well-designed it is. The handset seems to be durable with only four moving parts to worry about.
The HTC EVO 4G Android phone is really good for its GPS functions so with a phone like this there is no need to have those tiresome map-reading arguments which can so dominate a holiday. The HTC EVO 4G Android phone also comes with Wi-Fi tethering and is a particularly good way to check your correspondence if you use the excellent Gmail beta email provider. The account set up for all these features is beyond simple and the web-browsing is extremely efficient. The information search function is completely comprehensive, returning you all the possible results.
All of this is performed with effortless scrolling - you won't find responsivity to be a problem with the HTC EVO 4G Android phone. There is long battery life too.
Many users site the network as one of the most enticing factors about the HTC EVO 4G Android phone as it uses Verizon. Verizon has a reputation among many smartphone users in the US for providing better and more consistent coverage than AT&T which handles the iPhone.
The HTC EVO 4G Android phone is also relatively reset-free with a handy way to shut down apps that aren't working without compromising your whole user-experience.
Negatives of the HTC EVO 4G Android phone are an inability to speed-dial easily and some connectivity problems with Bluetooth.
For a comparison with the Palm Pre check out this article. Overall, although using the HTC EVO 4G Android phone may be complicated to start with, it is a very rewarding device.

Versatility among key benefits of the Android smartphone

2010-06-17T06:25:00.000-07:00

The Android smartphone can be used in conjunction with a number of other products making it extremely versatile. For instance you can have the 3CX Phone for Android. This free VoIP Softphone is very easy-to-access as you are not locked into any one provider. In fact it works with popular VoIP providers as well as SIP based IP PBXs.
There are also loads of apps and you can now look out for in the Vodaphone 360 Shop application store which supplies Android smartphones such as the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro and the HTC Wildfire. Network provider Vodaphone is allowing more and more apps to be written for the Google Android OS to improve its functionality.
Vodafone content services chief Lee Epting said: "Developers want to know that their app will be seen by consumers, and the 360 Shop on Android gives all round opportunities to maximise content promotion."
He added: "Our initial data is showing that up 33% of the catalogue gets exposed in a single day. This market-leading approach allows developers and customers to get great value."

Google Android makes ground on Apple iPhone

2010-06-16T02:36:00.000-07:00

The Android smartphone OS is currently beating its competitor the iPhone in terms of mobile traffic, according to research from the industry analyst Quantcast.

The last quarter has been a very profitable one for Google’s Android phone, though Apple’s iPhone still has almost two thirds of the total smartphone mobile traffic.

Yet Apple is seeing its market share being consumed by the success of devices like the HTC Incredible, the 4G Sprint Evo and the Motorola Droid.

Google is hot on the heels of Apple and now accounts for just under 20% of the smartphone market, a rise of roughly 12% over the year. That rise has conversely meant the market leader Apple has seen its share of smartphone traffic fall by around 8%.

The Blackberry OS, which is made by Research In Motion, has also taken a hit with a 1.2% traffic fall as have all other platforms by 2.9%.

However, at the World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) recently held in San Francisco, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said that he couldn’t care less about mobile market statistics.

Download Skype for the Android smartphone

2010-06-13T04:51:00.000-07:00

Android smartphone users can now download an application for Skype thanks to the Voice over internet Protocol (VoIP) provider’s partnership with Verizon Wireless.
Using the VoIP service Skype, people who have Google's Android phone can make a range of free calls either between computers or to landlines. These include low cost calls abroad.
Skype teamed up with Verizon Wireless over the winter of 2009/2010 to offer a multitude of unlimited talk plans at low prices. If you have a data plan, Skype-to-Skype calls are free, but calls to wireless or landline numbers use your voice plan minutes.
The Android is just one of many smartphones to benefit with talk plans available on 12 different smartphones with release scheduled for more handsets in the future.
The download can also be accessed on the Blackberry smartphone.
Verizon’s executive director of business development, Jennifer Byrne, said: “These international rates are great for talking to family members who might live abroad.
“Right now you might even use them to chat with fans around the world about the Football World Cup."
In addition to English, Skype mobile will also be available in Korean, Spanish and Chinese. The new version will have a drop down menu with flags which indicate the international dialling numbers.

Motorola ups Android output

2010-06-09T00:47:00.000-07:00

The phone company Motorola has announced that it will launch 20 more Android smartphones in the UK before the end of 2010.
Tom Satchwell, Director of Marketing for Mobile Devices for Motorola, said that this was the minimum and even left the door open for more handsets to be released.
However time is short and Motorola will clearly have to move quickly on this one and maintain the success of its US Android campaign.
It is thought though that the FLIPOUT and the XT720 handsets will be among the new releases though there have been rumours of new models such as the Bei Hai and the XTREME.
The Android is becoming ever more popular and there is now even new movement activated software being released for the device.
The Eyesight Mobile Technologies software will work in conjunction with the smartphone. The inbuilt camera will lick up any gestures such as a moving hand and the these gestures can be used to do execute various functions including playing games, moving between the menus and activating music, as well as silencing a ring tone.