Root your Android Mobile

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.

Android About Town

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.

Sony Ericsson to dominate Android Mobile

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.

Android mobile is big in China

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.

Android mobile hits ad up

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

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.

Getting to know Android part 2

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.

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

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

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

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.

Awaiting Froyo 2.2 : Best of the Week's News

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 Sales Skyrocket: Best of the Week's News

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."

How is the Android OS running?

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?

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.

Are Google apps for Android safe?

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

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.

The HTC EVO 4G Android phone

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

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."

Download Skype for the Android smartphone

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

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.