Articles about Android

In something of a surprise move, Google announces that the successor to Jelly Bean will not be Key Lime Pie as everyone was expecting but… KitKat. There are no details of just what Android 4.4 will have to offer, or when we can expect to see it, but the new KitKat website promises to "make an amazing Android experience available for everybody".

The name might seem like something you would expect to hear announced on April 1, but this is no joke. The Nestlé website confirms that the next version of Google's operating system will be named after the "popular chocolate and wafer confectionery".

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Spotify users with both an iOS device and a premium subscription -- oh, and at least one set of compatible speakers -- will soon be able to take advantage of a new Chromecast-like feature. Spotify Connect allows for a seamless music experience, transferring music playback between devices and sound systems. Everything can be controlled using an iOS app, turn your iPhone into the ultimate music remote.

The new service is showcased in a YouTube video that demonstrates the ease with which music can be transferred from one set of speakers to another. Walk home from work listening to your favorite album on your iPhone earphones, and as soon as you step through the front door you can push the music to your home stereo.

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Or is it? It's not often that I see Windows Phone linked to being a "key player" on the smartphone market (quite the contrary, if some pundits are to be believed). But, according to a new report from Kantar Worldpanel Comtech, it appears that Microsoft's operating system has established itself as a "real adversary" to Android and iOS. That appears to be no small feat.

Between May and July 2013, Windows Phones accounted for 8.2 percent of all smartphone sales in five major European markets -- France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK. Compared to the same time-frame from last year (when it had 4.9 percent market share), the OS grew by 3.3 percentage points, or 67.34 percent. That is a sizeable increase, however one that did not lead to Windows Phone's market share hitting double digits in a larger region (which, in my opinion, is a noteworthy steppingstone for any podium contender).

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Forget the iPad, LG wants you to give the G Pad some love -- the G Pad 8.3 specifically. The company is not new to the world of tablets, though it has been some time since its last foray into the arena. The South Korean manufacturer posted a teaser video on YouTube just a few days ago but a new announcement reveals more details and confirms the imminent release of the successor to the Optimus Pad, the G Pad 8.3.

The tablet -- which surely deserves to be known as the Mexican horse tablet (El Gee Gee Pad) -- is due to debut at IFA in Berlin in the next few days, with a release pegged for Q4 2013. But it's the specs that really matter, and LG has unveiled a full breakdown of what we can expect from its latest handheld device.

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Looking at the biggest stories on BetaNews from August, 25 - 31, 2013. For the second week running, Microsoft managed to steal many of the headlines. After going gold, RTM, or however Microsoft now wants to refer to it, Windows 8.1 was released to OEMs. Depsite reaching this important milestone, developers were… irked, shall we say, to learn that they will not be able to get their hands on the completed code until it is released in October. At least that would be the case had the bits not leaked online very quickly. It was a Chinese version that was made available for unofficial download first, but an English version wasn't far behind.

I have previously pondered the popularity (or otherwise) of the Surface Pro, and this week Derrick stood firmly behind Windows RT positing five reasons it is destined to succeed.

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I just reviewed the Moto X and absolutely loved the hands-free voice activated experience. However, sometimes I still yearn for actual buttons to push. On-screen buttons are all the rage on Android, but a new Kickstarter campaign has launched with the aim of adding a physical one to Android devices via something called "Pressy".

According to the designers, the device is "a tiny physical button that connects to your phone through the headphone jack. Connecting the Pressy Button with the free Pressy app lets you easily customize and use your favorite, everyday actions. For example, if you use your flashlight on regular basis, set a Click-combination [in] the app for turning on your flashlight and start clicking the button".

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On Friday, Finnish mobile maker Nokia announced HERE Connected Driving, a cloud-connected in-car navigation solution with offline mapping, real-time traffic information and mobile device app support. Labeled by the company as "the only end-to-end driving solution on the market", it will be officially demoed during the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany.

Nokia's in-car navigation solution is comprised of four parts -- HERE Auto, HERE Auto Cloud, HERE Auto Companion and HERE Traffic. HERE Auto takes care of navigation instructions, with or without a data connection, similar to the company's HERE Drive+ Windows Phone 8 app. It provides turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation in 95 countries, while supporting 2D, 3D and satellite map views (street imagery is also included). According to Nokia, Continental's Open Infotainment Platform already integrates HERE Auto and it is expected to arrive in cars in upcoming months.

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It's no secret that most mobile users only install a tiny fraction of the total number of apps available in the relevant stores. There are hundreds of thousands of offerings for Android, iOS and Windows Phone, but the vast majority will never make it onto your smartphone or tablet -- some cater to a very specific audience (like root-only apps for Android), some are designed for certain local markets (Internet banking apps, for instance) and some are plain dreadful (half-baked third-party clients spring to mind). It comes as no surprise then that there are apps that users don't even know about or which developers have abandoned entirely. The question is: How many?

Well, according to a new infographic that was just released by StarDust, over 41 percent of all Android apps available in Google Play can be deemed as "dead" -- they have received less than 10 reviews and ratings and not a single update throughout their existence -- while a more significant 65 percent of all iOS apps in the Apple App Store and 69 percent of all Windows Phone apps in the Windows Phone Store share a similar fate. The numbers are staggering, and show that it's not easy to make an app popular. The low number of reviews indicate abysmal user awareness and interest, which may have lead to the developers ceasing to release updates (and vice-versa).

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Long-term research by AV-Comparatives shows a growing risk of malware infecting Android phones via third-party app stores. Conducted between November 2012 and May 2013 on 20 major Android stores, the study found 7,175 malware and greyware programs.

Most were hosted in Chinese-based markets with the lowest incidence of malware being on European stores. With 95 percent of malware and greyware apps hosted in Asian stores the findings reflect the market's rapid growth. European and US markets with growth in a steadier phase are now considered secondary targets but that doesn't mean you should let your guard down.

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Some weeks after the US release of the Nexus 7, Google’s 7 inch tablet has found its way to eager customers in other countries. In Europe, the UK, France, Spain and Germany get a little bit of Nexus love, while in Asia it is Japanese tech-heads who can now get their hands on the 7-incher everyone is talking about. As has become the norm with many gadgets, prices are comparatively higher than in the US.

There are 16GB and 32GB Wi-Fi versions available and UK customers can expect to pay £199 and £239 respectively. In France, Germany and Spain, prices are pegged at €229 and €269, while Japanese Nexus fans can expect to be parted from ¥27,800 and ¥33,800 apiece.

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For me, virtually any trip out of the house means loading up on various pieces of tech. I, obviously, cannot leave the house without my phone -- my trusty HTC Sensation has been with me for two years -- but there are usually other things to consider as well. While my phone is great for picking up my emails on the move and staying in touch with people via IM, Facebook etc, it’s far from ideal for doing any work.

Depending on where I’m going, and how strong I’m feeling, there are various other pieces of kit I can take with me to make things easier. My Sony Tablet S is easier to type on than my phone, thanks mainly to its larger screen, but it’s not something I like to use for extended periods of time. I could take my laptop with me, or the MacBook Pro, which are great to work on, but rather weighty to hump from place to place.

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US mobile maker Motorola just announced that AT&T subscribers can now customize and purchase their Moto X handset online, through the company's Moto X "design studio". The program is aimed at just AT&T subscribers (and not Verizon ones, for instance), as the mobile operator is the only partner which allows buyers to create their own interpretation of the new smartphone.

The Moto X configurator lets you choose front, rear and accent colors, the internal storage capacity (16 GB or 32 GB), matching accessories, and link your Google account (you will only have to type in your password during the initial setup process, according to the Moto X design studio). Prices range between $199.99 for the base model, when purchased alongside a two-year plan with AT&T, and $629.99, for the off-contract, still AT&T-branded 32 GB version (various accessories will increase the overall cost).

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On June 14, the people of Iran exercised freedom when they voted for a new President in the country's election -- a great moment. However, they are now able to exercise yet another freedom -- to download the free Android app of their choice.

Now Google announces to developers that "starting today you can make your free apps available in Iran". That's right, Iranians can now download free apps from Google's Play Store.

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In 2007, Apple ushered in the touch-screen smartphone era with the iPhone. Sure, there were touch-screen smartphones before it, but Apple's device was a revolution. However, with the launch of the original iPhone also came the launch of critics. The lack of expandable memory, copy and paste and removable battery was largely lambasted.

In 2008, the first Android smartphone was launched by HTC, named the Dream or G1, depending on the market. Android was able to capitalize on the iPhone's perceived shortcomings by offering the features that the iPhone didn't. However, fast-forward to 2013 and Android devices are slowly losing removable batteries and SD card slots. While Android is busy removing features, Apple has added them -- copy and paste. In other words, Google has slowly removed the features that differentiated its device from the iPhone. So, at this juncture, what is the point of Android?

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It's become almost unthinkable to use a Windows PC without some form of protection and that’s put the emphasis on other systems when it comes to security. Last week independent testing organization AV-Comparatives released its report on Mac security and now it's Android’s turn.

With mobile devices it's important to guard not just against hackers but against the loss of the device itself. Smartphones are an attractive target for thieves and security software needs to make the data on them difficult to access for the thief but still easy to get to for the owner. Most of the products tested offer some form of anti-theft measure, with either the ability to lock the phone remotely or to track it.

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