Articles about Android

When it comes to sharing photos services like Instagram and Flickr spring to mind, but there are countless others buried beneath the waves of information and programs available these days. Many fly under the radar, and some of those may be better than the big name alternative you're using.

All of that is not say that Microsoft's Xim is better -- that's simply a matter of personal taste. What I am saying is that you've likely never heard of it. The app has one simple mission -- "share your photos, not your phone". It goes a bit further, promising that the recipients of your shares don't need to have the app to view your images.

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In less than a week, HERE has seen two major updates. The first brought more accurate maps to Android and Windows Phone users, making way for turn-by-turn navigation in more countries. And the second brings a slew of improvements to HERE for Android as the app finally drops the beta label.

Having used HERE on Android right from the start, I have to say that there is little that I miss compared to what the app suite has to offer on Windows Phone. Still, this hasn't stopped Nokia from making some tweaks here and there. Here's what the latest update brings to the table.

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Google risks incurring the wrath of its competitors after announcing it will continue to disclose any security vulnerabilities that are not fixed within 90 days.

The search engine giant’s "Project Zero" identifies high-profile bugs with the aim of creating more secure products for customers everywhere. However, recently the scheme has been criticized as a way for Google to embarrass its technology rivals.

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Education is a very important market for computer manufacturers and other technology companies. Just yesterday, Microsoft announced a huge deal with the New York City Public Schools, to offer Office 365 to all of its students and teachers for free.

Today, Dell is presenting new hardware to the education segment; new laptops and tablets running Chrome OS, Android and Windows. By offering a diverse range of form factors and platforms, the manufacturer can gain access to many school systems and classrooms.

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Following on from the rumors that surfaced a week ago, Microsoft has confirmed its acquisition of calendar app Sunrise. The Android and iOS calendar app is widely recognized as one of the best that's available, and the announcement marks the latest move in Microsoft's recent productivity focus.

This is the second big acquisition Microsoft has made recently -- just a couple of months ago, the company snapped up email firm Acompli. It also sees Microsoft adopting rather Apple-esque language, referring to "meaningful, beautiful experiences in mobile email and calendaring".

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HERE Maps users on Android and Windows Phone are being treated to a major map update today, which expands the list of regions where turn-by-turn navigation is available, improves map quality in a number of regions, and increases the accuracy of public transit information in more cities, among other things.

In fact, Nokia claims that there are too many changes in this update to list individually, but says that they impact users all over the globe. Let's take a look at the biggest changes.

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People in the UK really love Apple products. OK, to be more precise, people in the UK with email accounts love Apple products.

More than half of all email in the UK (54 percent) is opened on an Apple device, says SendGrid, an email delivery platform. The total number of opened emails on iPads and iPhones has increased by 18 percent and five percent respectively.

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It looks like the Xperia Z4 will be coming to stores earlier than expected, following a new leak from Geekbench showing a Sony device running Android 5.0.2 and Snapdragon 810 processor.

Not many devices come running the latest Android Lollipop update, and only two devices currently feature the Snapdragon 810 processor, the LG G Flex 2 and Xiaomi Mi Note Pro.

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If you're an Android user, there is a good chance that you use the Chrome browser on your device. Look, I get it, it can be easier and more seamless to use all Google apps. Me? I use Firefox on my Nexus 6. Why? I find it to be a better experience from a speed perspective -- scrolling is very fluid. More importantly though, I enjoy using plugins, such as Lastpass.

Today, however, I noticed something odd. When clicking a link to the Play Store in Firefox for Android, I did not see the app store. No, I instead saw an error message that Firefox was no longer supported. In other words, Google has flagged the user agent for Firefox, thereby blocking it from the web version Play Store.

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Consumers looking to purchase their first smartphone have so many options to choose from that the only way manufacturers can differentiate is by giving their devices more upscale, standout features. In a time when 4G LTE is on the rise, faster data speeds would certainly qualify. And with the 2015 Moto E, Motorola is finally giving its future customers just that.

Yes, folks, the 2015 Moto E will arrive packing 4G LTE cellular connectivity, at a price that is similar to its predecessor's. And it will run Android 5.0 Lollipop out-of-the-box.

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The Simplocker ransomware targeting Android systems first appeared in mid 2014. Prior to Simplocker most ransomware only claimed to encrypt files but didn't actually do so.

Fortunately files locked by the malware were fairly easy to decrypt, but now researchers at antivirus company Avast have uncovered a new version of Simplocker with an even nastier trick.

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We're a global nation of hypochondriacs; Google has revealed that 5 percent of search traffic comes from people looking for health and well-being information. To help with any queries you might have about your body and different conditions, the search giant has furnished Knowledge Graph with a raft of medical data.

Got a funny looking rash? Google could help you to determine whether you have something to worry about, or whether it's something that's likely to clear up on its own. Knowledge is power, and medical knowledge is what Google is trying to arm people with to avoid the worry that comes with uncertainty.

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The writing has been on the wall for quite some time now, but the deadline is finally here. Google's Gtalk service is set to be discontinued as of 16 February, and from this time users will have to use Google Hangouts or seek out an alternative.

This is not the first online service that Google has killed, and it certainly won't be the last. While Hangouts is generally regarded as a superior service, there are still diehards who will hold out until the very last minute to switch -- or they might jump ship completely in favor of something like WhatsApp.

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In the past malware developers and hackers have tended to concentrate on Windows. But as mobile has taken off and there's been a shift in the type of systems people use they've diversified their efforts into other systems.

In particular Android, as the most popular mobile OS, has become a prime target. We spoke to Huan Ren, chief architect at Android security and performance specialist 360 Security to get his view of the mobile security landscape.

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The latest service to be gobbled up by Google is Odysee. Available as an app for iOS and Android devices, Odysee enables users to privately backup and share both photos and videos. In some ways the service is similar to the automatic backup feature provided by Google+, so it is perhaps unsurprising that the Odysee team will be joining forces with the Google+ team.

The mobile apps have been pulled from the App Store and Google Play by developer Nimbuzz Inc, but the service remains in operation for the time being. It's likely that the Odysee API is what sparked Google's interest, and it will be interesting to see how things move forward.

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