Elizabeth Woyke for Forbes: This was particularly true of BlackBerry users. More than half (53%) of survey respondents who identified themselves as BlackBerry users said they would like an iPad if they were to buy a tablet. A much smaller … Continued
Android
No wonder it takes so long to get Android released
Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) is ready! No, not really.
Google is done with Ice Cream Sandwich, but the process of getting it to customers is far from over. Having Google release the source code is just the first step in the process — now the real work for handset makers begins.
Six major Android problems
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes takes a look at six glaring problems with the Andorid ecosystem in a new ZDNet article entitled Six Android issues that Google doesn’t want to address. Among the problems he lists are how most Android handsets now in … Continued
Google predicts developers will think of Android over iOS in six months
Google’s Eric Schmidt:
“Developers will finally start focusing on Android first instead of iOS in the next half a year, Google chairman Eric Schmidt said in his presentation at the Le Web conference Friday.”
Sure they will, Eric.
A Facebook phone — why?
Jean-Louis Gassée: Back to Facebook. Both Google and Zuckerberg’s company vie for the same advertising dollars. This makes Google Facebook’s biggest, most direct competitor. The Trojan Horse applications on Android-powered smartphones are a direct threat to Facebook’s advertising business. Just … Continued
Android bug allows hackers to record phone conversations
The Register: Computer scientists have discovered a weakness in smartphones running Google’s Android operating system that allows attackers to secretly record phone conversations, monitor geographic location data, and access other sensitive resources without permission. Well now, there’s a feature the … Continued
Dell dumps Android-based Streak 7
Electronista: Dell on Monday confirmed that it had stopped selling the Streak 7. The tablet is no longer available online and is withdrawing just months after Dell axed the Streak 5. In a statement, it said it would still be … Continued
∞ Samsung phone ad makes fun of iPhone users
Samsung’s new ad for its Galaxy S II phone makes fun of iPhone customers.
∞ Discontinued HP TouchPad outsold Galaxy Tab
A new report from NPD shows HP’s discontinued TouchPad outsold Samsung’s still-available Galaxy Tab.
∞ 'Not enough to love' about Android 4.0
Farhad Manjoo is impressed by some of Android 4.0’s features, but less so by its maddening lack of user interface consistency.
∞ Apple takes in up to 90% of money spent on mobile apps
Apple controls about 85-90 percent of the money spent on mobile applications, according to a research note from an analyst on Monday. In the note to clients, Piper Jaffray Senior Research Analyst, Gene Munster said he believes Google’s Android Market … Continued
∞ Nearly all mobile malware targeted at Android phones
A new study from anti-virus software maker McAfee shows that almost all of the malware available for mobile devices is on the Android platform, not iOS.
∞ Microsoft's Android patent squeeze
Alan Shimel:
B&N claims that all of these are “trivial” and “insignificant” in terms of Android’s use. They claim Microsoft is using these patents for minor functionality to hold Android hostage. It is not just licensing fee’s either, though they claim is Microsoft is recieving anywere from $5 dollars to $15 dollars or more per copy of Android sold (which is equal to or more thanwhat they charge for Windows Mobile licenses). Barnes & Nobles claims that along with paying the blood money Microsoft demands, Microsoft also makes license holders sign an “oppressive” agreement which gives Microsoft say over future hardware and software configurations and innovations. This according to B&N is to ensure that they keep Android from advancing too far, too fast for Microsoft to keep up. That is in many ways worse than the licensing fees. Microsoft wants to control future Android development and innovation. Positively evil.
∞ Android sees a 472% increase in malware since July
Android is definitely winning… the race for the most malware, that is.
According to a new study from the Juniper Global Threat Center, malware on Android rose an incredible 472% since July 2011. That’s only a few months.
∞ Apple is not worried about the Kindle Fire
BGR:
Following a meeting with the pair of Apple chief officers, Reitzes delivered a note to investors suggesting that the company sees Amazon’s forthcoming tablet as good news for the iPad. The Kindle Fire’s low price point makes it accessible, but Apple believes it further fragments the Android ecosystem, which may cause consumers to flee to the iPad.
This is just what I said back in September. Kindle Fire will be successful, but it’s not an iPad killer.
∞ Android phones are cheap
Reuters: Costly hardware failures are more common on Android devices than on Apple Inc iPhones and Research In Motion Inc BlackBerry phones, which have strict control over the components used in their devices, WDS data showed. You get what you … Continued
∞ It's brutal being an Android user
Michael DeGusta:
I went back and found every Android phone shipped in the United States1 up through the middle of last year. I then tracked down every update that was released for each device – be it a major OS upgrade or a minor support patch – as well as prices and release & discontinuation dates. I compared these dates & versions to the currently shipping version of Android at the time. The resulting picture isn’t pretty – well, not for Android users:
Wow. That’s all I got for that one.
∞ Android is a rounding error compared to iPad activations
Good technology on Thursday released a report comparing activations of Apple products to Android-based devices. Among its customers, Apple is still in the lead. The report, which focuses on the third quarter of 2011, counts thousands of enterprise and public … Continued
∞ Android 4.0 and the Galaxy Nexus
Face Unlock seems pretty cool, but it seems to take an inordinate amount of time to actually unlock. It’s one of those features that’s cool, but you probably wouldn’t use much. Google outlined some of the new features on its Website.
∞ The argument for an Android Game Center
Inside Mobile Apps: Without a platform-wide offering from Google, the individual providers will have to continue to battle it out for domination. Hopefully, eventually one (or possibly two) will win and everyone will use that service for social connectivity. But … Continued
∞ HTC loses patent complaint against Apple
Reuters: Taiwan’s HTC Corp lost a patent infringement complaint filed against Apple Inc in a preliminary decision at the U.S. International Trade Commission on Monday. An ITC administrative law judge found “no violation” by Apple of four HTC patents that … Continued
∞ Report: Sony close to buying out Ericsson
Gamasutra: As PlayStation maker Sony moves further into the world of connected devices, it may be finding its longstanding joint venture with mobile device maker Ericsson prohibitive to its operations. That is why, according to the Wall Street Journal, sources … Continued
∞ Samsung, Google punt on Nexus Prime rollout
SlashGear: Samsung and Google have yanked their CTIA Fall product launch, the event expected to debut the Samsung Galaxy Prime aka Nexus Prime. “Samsung and Google decide to postpone the new product announcement at CTIA Fall” the two companies said … Continued
∞ iOS leads by wide margin in mobile Web use
Fortune: When measured against other smartphone/tablet operating systems, Apple’s (AAPL) iOS accounts for more than half of the visits to its clients’ 40,000 websites around the world. In fact,the 54.65% share that Net Applications recorded for iOS devices in September … Continued
∞ Oracle vows to fight for injunction against Android
Florian Mueller: Damages can be substantial but they are not what Oracle is primarily trying to get out of this case. They are a potentially substantial consolation prize. The grand prize, however, is an injunction, and Oracle’s filing makes this … Continued
∞ Windows 8, Amazon tablets will hurt Android more than iPad
Microsoft last week unveiled Windows 8, the company’s new desktop and tablet operating. With the announcement, Microsoft joins Amazon as companies that are expected to enter the tablet market within the next 12 months. However, I don’t believe they will … Continued
∞ Logitech Harmony Link bridges iOS/home entertainment connection
Logitech on Tuesday introduced the Harmony Link, a new system that connects an iOS or Android device to your home entertainment system and turns it into a sophisticated wireless remote control. It’s a combination of hardware and software, and it … Continued
∞ Philadelphia Inquirer offers discounted Android tablet to digital subscribers
Philadelphia Media Network has announced an offer to customers interested in getting a digital subscription to the Phildelphia Inquirer: a deeply discounted tablet computer made by Arnova. The deal starts today and is limited to the first 5,000 subscribers, on … Continued
∞ Malware slams Android, but not iOS
Android is being slammed by malware, according to a new report released on Tuesday by Antivirus vendor McAfee.
∞ Shareholder sues Motorola over Google sale
BGR: “The offered consideration does not compensate shareholders for the company’s intrinsic value and stand-alone alternatives going forward, nor does it compensate shareholders for the company’s value as a strategic asset for Google,” investor John W. Keating said in the … Continued