Posts tagged Android
Let Firefox Mobile sync your Bookmarks on your Android phone
Mar 31st
Let Firefox Mobile sync your Bookmarks on your Android phone
I think is it terrific to have an Android phone with access to an Internet Browser, but I don’t have access to the Bookmarks on my laptop.
That is, until now. With Firefox 4, I can sync my bookmarks with my Android phone, and I would like to tell you how after the jump.
First, you are going to need Firefox 4, normally there is automatic updates, but it didn’t seem happen for me on my laptop. Go ahead and check the Help section and see what version you have now, and then that should update it.
Second, go to the Android marketplace on your mobile phone and download the Firefox App software.
Third, once Firefox 4 is on your computer, go to the Tools section and click Options. You will see a Sync button, and click on it. This should start the setup, and you will need to enter in your email address.
Fourth, open the App on your Android phone. You should see three codes that are a mixture of letters and numbers. Go ahead and enter those in on your computer.
Now, you should be able to access Firefox on your Android phone, but the Bookmarks won’t show up for another half-hour or so. However, they will be there eventually, and you can use them.
I highly suggest using this, and leave a comment if I have left anything out. It does work for an Android phone, but I’m not certain what version it is compatible with. I have version 2.2 (Froyo) on mine, and it works well.
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From www.coolest-gadgets.com
Android and Windows Phone 7, Predicted Market Leaders
Mar 30th
Nowadays the options are endless when it comes to mobile phones. There are millions of different smart phones all offering the coolest apps or the most cutting-edge technology. While it seems like everyone either has an iPhone, Droid or Blackberry, there is a new operating system on the scene that will bring some fierce competition to the market.
Windows has updated its operating system to the new Windows Phone 7, which was launched in Australia in October 2010. This mobile OS is up-to-date on the latest technology and will bring some tough competition to existing operating systems such as the iOS and Android.
Windows Phone 7 offers many great features such as a customized and constantly updated Start screen, Internet Explorer Mobile, people hub and game hub, which features Xbox LIVE.
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Recently Nokia announced that it will be putting Windows Phone 7 in all its future smart phones. This partnership could mean big things for both Nokia and Windows Phone 7. According to the IDC forecast for the smart phone market, it is predicted that in 2015 Windows Phone 7 will be the second most popular mobile OS in the world, behind Android.
Also, it looks like the ever-popular iPhone might have lost its luster. According to recent market share data, Apple’s iOS has reached a plateau and popularity might remain stagnant.
With the every-changing market it is hard to predict who will really be the industry leader. Who knows, Steve Jobs may surprise us all and come out with a new iOS feature putting Apple back on top. But as of now, it looks like Android and Windows Phone 7 will soon be the top-dogs in the industry.
From www.businessreviewaustralia.com
Study: Android tops smartphone market – Windows 7 to pass iPhone
Mar 29th
San Francisco – Global smartphone sales will soar 50 per cent this year compared to 2010, with Google’s Android set to extend its lead as the world’s most popular operating system for the devices, according to a study released Tuesday by research group IDC.
The study estimated that the number of smartphones in use this year will reach roughly 450 million, some 147 million more than in 2010.
Devices running Google’s Android OS will dominate with a 39.5-per- cent market share, rising to 45.4 per cent by 2015. Apple’s iOS devices will decline slightly from 15.7 per cent this year to 15.3 per cent in 2015.
Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 will gain the benefits of an alliance with Nokia to jump from a market share of just 5.5 per cent this year to 20.9 per cent in 2015, making it the number two mobile OS in the world after Android, the study predicted.
Most of that gain will come at the expense of Nokia’s Symbian OS, which is predicted to go from 20.9 per cent to just 0.2 per cent in 2015. Blackberry’s share will decline from 14.9 per cent in 2011 to 13.7 per cent by mid-decade.
‘Overall market growth in 2010 was exceptional,’ said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. ‘Last year’s high market growth was due in part to pent-up demand from a challenging 2009, when many buyers held off on mobile phone purchases. The expected market growth for 2011, while still notable, will taper off somewhat from what we saw in 2010.’
From www.monstersandcritics.com
Android will lead smartphone market in 5 years, says Ovum
Mar 27th
Android will lead smartphone market in 5 years, says Ovum
Posted by Devina Divecha on Sun 27 Mar 2011
Android Army or Apply fanboy… 2016 will see the deciding votes cast?
An independent telecoms analyst has forecasted that the global smartphone market will grow twice in size by 2016, with Android leading the pack.
Ovum has released a report showing that Android will have more than a 20 percent market share lead over Apple’s iOS.
According to Ovum’s forecast, smartphones will represent 40 percent of the mobile phone market between 2010 and 2016, with Asia-Pacific will be the largest region, shipping over 200 million handsets by 2016. Western Europe will have 175 million and North America will have 165 million shipments each.
By 2016, Android will have a 38 percent share in the market, Apple’s iOS will have 17.5 percent, Windows Phone 7 will be close at 17.2 percent and BlackBerry trails with 16.5 percent.
With the large number of manufacturers turning to Android, and with this forecast, you’ll probably have an Android handset in the near future.
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Via: ElectricPig
From www.t3.com
Private Jet Owners Might Like Pricey Android App
Mar 25th
Those who might have a private jet waiting on the tarmac can now purchase the most expensive app on the Android Market. A company called ASiQ Limited Australia announced the release of the Android version of SafeCell, the world’s most “affordable” in-flight mobile phone solution for corporate jets.
According to a statement from ASiQ CEO Ron Chapman, “the app is very fast, which means that making a call at 30,000 feet or sending a message is just as simple as if you were using your mobile on the ground.”
The app works with Iridium, Inmarsat or Thuraya. But here’s the kicker: The app ranges from as little as $12,500 for a single channel license, up to $17,500 for a multi-channel license, which the company says is cheap compared to $350 – $500K for conventional mobile phone technology.
ASiQ says that SafeCell works in the United States and several countries where conventional mobile phone systems are banned.
The app can be installed on unlimited mobiles at no extra charge, however, with a single channel license, only one mobile can log on at a time, whereas with a multi-channel license, up to six mobiles can operate simultaneously.
The company says its initial target market is around 16,000 corporate aircraft equipped with a satellite link.
From www.wirelessweek.com
Smoothstone Launches Enterprise Fixed Mobile Convergence Solution for Android
Mar 23rd
LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Smoothstone IP Communications, the leading provider of cloud-based enterprise unified communications applications and services, announced today the launch of the Mobile Connect application for Android phones. Mobile Connect is an app that allows enterprises to extend the reach of their corporate communications services to mobile employees by connecting their mobile phones to the enterprise IP network.
(Logo: https://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090806/CL57709LOGO )
Enterprises are increasingly relying on mobile phones to drive employee productivity both in and out of the office, while also trying to drive down costs by integrating these devices with their enterprise communications systems.
Mobile Connect helps to meet this challenge, allowing mobile employees to have seamless access to their enterprise communication network from their Android-powered mobile handsets. With Mobile Connect, mobile and remote employees are better equipped to work as effectively and efficiently as those in corporate offices. The application is available exclusively to Smoothstone customers as a free download from the Android Market and is compatible with any Android-powered phone. Smoothstone also offers the Mobile Connect app for the iPhone.
“Through fixed mobile convergence, the mobile phone is playing an increasingly important role in the enterprise communications landscape, and Smoothstone understands that,” said Jeff Wellemeyer, president and CTO of Smoothstone. “We’re making it more accessible for both Android and iPhone users to expand their workforces in the field while keeping all their communications on one platform.”
Through the use of the Mobile Connect app, the enterprise’s mobile workforce can take full advantage of all of the outbound calling features from Smoothstone, such as access to the company directory, low-cost international calling, 4-digit on-net dialing, and visual voice mail with one-touch access to listen to and manipulate messages.
“Smoothstone’s Mobile Connect app lets employees take their workplaces with them for improved productivity and efficiency,” said Amy Lind, Research Manager for Enterprise Voice & IP Communications Services at IDC Research. “The enterprises supporting these mobile and remote workers also benefit by realizing stronger employee performance, decision-making and communication with customers, partners and other constituents.”
Mobile Connect provides users with a convergence of their desktop and mobile phones, providing callers the simplicity of a single number and maintaining privacy of personal mobile numbers. Outbound calls placed through Mobile Connect reflect the caller ID from the user’s corporate number, not the mobile number, and when used in conjunction with Smoothstone’s Phone Control, incoming calls can ring on both desk phone and mobile phone simultaneously.
Mobile Connect provides separate call logging, call history and voice mail, allowing users to keep their work and personal calls completely separated on the same device. Compliance requirements and features from VoiceMaxx also are carried over to the mobile phone through Mobile Connect. Advanced features such as call recording and centralized call detail reporting are also extended from the Smoothstone cloud-based enterprise platform.
About Smoothstone
Smoothstone IP Communications is the leading provider of cloud based communications for the enterprise – including MPLS-based application networking, enterprise voice, unified threat management, advanced contact center solutions, unified messaging and collaboration tools – all delivered as a unified suite of cloud-based applications. Smoothstone’s scalable, on-demand applications and services can be integrated with a customer’s existing network and telecommunications infrastructure, operational processes, and employee activities, enabling customers to migrate to unified IP communications as their business requirements dictate. For more information, visit www.smoothstone.com or call 800.773.3037.
SOURCE Smoothstone IP Communications
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From www.prnewswire.com
iPhone software loses speed test to Google’s Android
Mar 17th
Ottawa: Apple’s iPhone worked slower loading websites 84 per cent of the time in a test than phones using Google’s Android operating system, according to a Canadian software company.
The iPhone 4 was pitted against Google’s Nexus S smartphone over the same WiFi connection, so any differences in mobile-carrier speeds didn’t affect the outcome, Ottawa-based Blaze Software said in releasing the research.
The Android phone operated 52 per cent faster on average after more than 45,000 page loads from 1,000 websites, Blaze said.
Users don’t always notice the speed gap because websites are sometimes tailored to mobile phones, Blaze said.
The difference will become more obvious as users demand richer experiences and move to tablet computers with larger screens, said Guy Podjarny, chief technology officer of Blaze, whose business is helping companies increase website download times.
“It’s not that Apple doesn’t care about speed, but Google is fanatical about it,” Podjarny said in an interview.
Apple fell $15.42, or 4.5 per cent, to close at $330.01 in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading, and has risen 47 per cent in 12 months.
Two-to-one
Google declined $12.46, or 2.2 per cent, to close at $557.10, and has retreated 1.4 per cent in 12 months.
Android became the world’s best-selling smartphone operating system in the fourth quarter, outselling the iPhone two-to-one, according to Canalys, a research company based in the UK.
Web pages took an average of 2.14 seconds to load on Android compared with 3.25 seconds on iPhone, Blaze said.
When loading lighter websites — those that are optimal for mobile phones because the pages have fewer features, such as pictures, to be downloaded — the difference between the two systems was less noticeable, according to the report.
That’s probably because there were fewer page elements, making a download more efficient, Podjarny said.
Google’s browser is probably faster because of the way it organises the download, Podjarny said.
Google’s software finds more efficient ways of getting different elements of a page, such as pictures or text, he said.
The difference in download speeds may be the result of corporate philosophies, Podjarny said.
Design for speed
Google, based in Mountain View, California, has a team devoted to making its browser and websites faster, employing tools such as downloading things in parallel and accessing page elements before they are needed, Podjarny said.
The company’s platform is also newer, allowing Google to design for speed from the beginning, he said.
Apple has concentrated its resources on design, while “retrofitting” speed into a product line developed before download times were a priority, he said. The first iPhones appeared in 2007.
“The appreciation of speed has grown in the last year or two,” Podjarny said.
“Before, people weren’t really expecting a fast browser on a mobile device. Google has the advantage of coming in a little later and seeing what matters.”
Natalie Kerris, a spokeswoman for Cupertino, California- based Apple, didn’t immediately respond to a telephone call or an e-mail seeking comment on the Blaze study.
A Google spokeswoman, Gina Weakley, declined to comment.
Apple more than doubled the reach of its latest smartphone, the iPhone 4, in the US this year, offering the device to customers using Verizon Wireless, the largest mobile carrier.
Blaze said it ran more than its tests, primarily on the iPhone 4 and Google Nexus S, on websites of the Fortune 1000 companies.
The pages were loaded multiple times on different days, according to the report.
The results may have flaws, according to Blaze.
“We know there’s no such thing as a perfect web page load measurement,” the report authors wrote.
The number of variables involved in loading a single page “is astonishing,” according to the report.
From gulfnews.com
Analysis: Google’s Android malware problem
Mar 13th
Google Inc.’s Android system has come under malware attacks recently.
Reports of malware attacks on cell phones and tablets using Google Inc.’s Android mobile operating system has put an undesirable spotlight on the vulnerability of the Internet search giant’s Android Market.
The situation also highlights the differences between Google’s (NASDAQ: GOOG) approach to mobile security and Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ: AAPL).
Whereas Google doesn’t vet the security of apps before letting them be offered for download, Apple notoriously rules its App Store offerings with an iron hand.
So it really wasn’t surprising when computer-security experts last week found more than 50 malicious applications on the Android Market that could create unwanted and perhaps dangerous mischief on unsuspecting users’ devices.
Google’s approach to apps has been buyer beware and relies on community enforcement, the so-called wisdom of the crowd. When the crowd is downloading something with a name like “Hilton Sex Sound,” that wisdom seems more than a little suspect.
Apple’s approach is to reassure iPhone, iPad and Mac users that everything for sale or free download in its App Store is safe and tested.
Google said in a blog post over the weekend that the malware was downloaded on only about 260,000 devices and that it was able to remotely fix the problem. It also suspended the accounts of the developers who uploaded the apps and has informed law enforcement.
Google’s looser approach to mobile has helped Android become the No. 1 operating system in the United States. It has also helped it to rapidly gain ground on the number of apps it offers Android users, although it still trails Apple by a wide margin.
But negative publicity like last week’s malware discovery could hamper its drive to be the dominant mobile choice.
Android claimed about 29 percent of the U.S. market in the period, followed by Apple and Blackberry maker Research in Motion Ltd. (Nasdaq: RIMM), tied at No. 2 with 27 percent each.
Unlike Apple and RIM, Google licenses its Android operating system to other device makers, with HTC and Motorola selling the devices that count for most of its share.
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), which has 1,500 employees in the Dayton region, had exclusivity for the iPhone until Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) was granted rights to sell the iPhone. Verizon is selling its iPhones through its stores as well as at Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT) and Best Buy Co. (NYSE: BBY) stores.
A recent report also said Android was gaining fast in the tablet market, but that report was before Apple launched its iPad 2 this week.
Competition is heating up even more in the mobile tablet category though as Dell Inc. (Nasdaq: DELL) announced that it will produce a tablet with the Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) operating system, according to the report. And that Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) is planning a tablet as well.
E-mail dayton@bizjournals.com. Call (937) 528-4400. Twitter.com/DBJnews
From assets.bizjournals.com
5 ways to protect your Android phone from malware
Mar 11th
As most of you by now know, last week the Android Market, the official store for applications on Android mobile devices, withdrew a number of apps that had been reported as harmful.
Why is Android encountering challenges where the iPhone isn’t? Apps available for download on the Android Market aren’t screened as stringently as they are on other public stores such as Apple’s. The policy is in keeping with Android’s open-source operating system, effectively allowing anyone with programming skill to create apps for mobile devices.
This means Android users may be at greater risk than owners of other mobile devices in terms of downloading malicious apps — not only because of Android’s lax screening process, but because 100 million Android users represents a huge and irresistible target for hackers.
So what can you do to help keep your smartphone device safe?
1. Think of your mobile device not as a phone but as a computer, for that is what it is. Be just as wary about phishing attempts made via mobile email or text as you would on your computer. Avoid unknown sites when using your mobile browser, and don’t click on links before authenticating the sender.
2. Download apps only from trusted sources and pay special attention to the names of these apps. If you want Angry Birds, then download Angry Birds — not Angry Biiirds or some other slightly altered name. Usually you can also tell legitimate and fraudulent apps apart by their file images.
3. Do not root or jailbreak your mobile device to get around limitations set by your carrier or device manufacturer. Doing so will also remove any protections built into the device in order to defend against a number of mobile threats.
4. Be careful when using Wi-Fi. Don’t view or transmit sensitive info in public hot spots. Disable Wi-Fi auto-connect to prevent connecting to a malicious host, and when you are ready to connect, look around for public displays that will tell you which legitimate host to connect to.
5. Install security software. Per the first point, you installed security software on your computer, right? So why not do the same for your mobile phone? A number of free solutions are available online.
Betanews welcomes guest posts from tech vendors that offer value to readers rather than promote any one company’s products. Please email joewilcox at gmail dot com for more information.
Tony Anscombe is ambassador of Free Products at AVG Technologies.
From www.betanews.com
Android Leads US Market, BlackBerry and iPhone Not Far Behind
Mar 7th
Corroborating Nielsen’s survey, comScore has released a study showing the progress of mobile platforms in the U.S. in the three months leading up to January. Android grew 7.7% since October, and captured 31.2% of the market share, followed by BlackBerry, which was down 5.4% to 30.4%, and the iPhone which stayed steady at 24.7%. As far as manufacturers go, Samsung is the top dog, claiming 24.9% mobile phone owners, followed by LG with 20.8%, Motorola at 16.5%, RIM at 8.6%, and Apple at 7%.
The survey also ran down mobile content usage, and as you might imagine, the majority (68.1%) used their phones for sending text messages, while 37% used the browser, 35% used apps, 25% accessed social networks, 23% played games, and only 16% listened to music. I would have thought for sure music would have been higher on the list, what with decent-sized microSD memory cards available and lots of palatable mobile music apps and services available.
Overall, not many surprises in this data. Android’s lead is only set to grow as manufacturers invest more and more into the platform and software developers want their apps on the widest array of handsets possible. It’s sad for me to see BlackBerry losing ground, and with iPhone not far behind, it’ll be a close race over the next couple of months.
[via comScore]
From www.intomobile.com
