Despite being based on the very secure Linux kernel, Android isn't necessarily a very secure operating system. Unlike iOS which does a great job of shielding its users from installing apps from outside Apple's own App Store, it is far too easy to do so on Google's mobile OS. Also, there is nothing requiring manufacturers to issue device updates, meaning many users are forced to use outdated and vulnerable versions of the operating system.

For the most part, however, Android users can remain safe by acting intelligently, such as only installing apps from the Play Store. Well, that might not be so true anymore. You see, it has been discovered that many models of Android smartphones -- from manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, and even Google's own Nexus line -- are being sold with malware pre-installed. This is particularly bad malware, as it can steal user information. Some devices even came pre-loaded with ransomware!

Continue reading →

Around a year ago I took a look at the iClever Tri-folding Backlit Bluetooth Keyboard, having previously examined the iClever Portable Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard. The latest addition to the range follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, but this time boasts a trackpad.

This is a Bluetooth keyboard that can be configured to connect to up to three devices -- phones, tablets, laptops, and so on. The keys are nearly full-sized (just 9 percent smaller than normal), and the right-hand side of the fold-out unit is occupied by a laptop-style trackpad that allows for easier control of the device you connect to, and eliminates the need to carry a mouse as well.

Continue reading →

If you look at Google's Android distribution chart you will see that very few devices run Nougat. Despite the fact that it was officially introduced in late-August last year, it is only found on 2.8 percent of Android devices. However, things are slowly improving.

Manufacturers, like Samsung, are starting to release software updates to bring Nougat to their flagship offerings, which will help it gain more traction among Android users. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, for instance, got Nougat in mid-January and their predecessors, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, are now receiving a similar treatment.

Continue reading →

Google Play is much more than an app store -- it is also the search giant's digital shop for games, music, videos, and books. While it is primarily designed for Android, purchases can be enjoyed on other platforms too. Quite frankly, Google Play Music, for instance, works brilliantly on desktop browsers for Windows, Mac, and Linux-based systems.

Today, Google Play is celebrating its 5th birthday! Yes, it was on March 6, 2012, that the Android-maker made the store available to the public. To mark the occasion, Google is sharing several all-time "Top Five" lists for various categories, such as albums, books, and games.

Continue reading →

It's pretty hard to understand why Android makers take so long to release major updates when it's clear that they're an integral part of the user experience -- especially on a flagship device. But that's exactly what LG is doing with its G4 and V10 devices, which will not receive Nougat until later in the year.

LG actually said a few days ago that the two flagships will not receive any more updates, but the company has likely changed course following complaints from unhappy users. And who could blame them? Both the G4 and V10 can handle Nougat just fine.

Continue reading →

Password managers are often pitched as a convenient way to secure online accounts. Their main appeal is that they can generate and store very complex, distinct passwords -- that would normally be virtually impossible for the average person to memorize (or for someone to crack) -- and the user only has to remember a master password -- that encrypts them -- to access those credentials.

But, for password managers to be truly effective, they have to be secure in the first place. And that may be a problem, according to a new report by TeamSIK, which found serious vulnerabilities in many of the popular options available on Android, including LastPass, Dashlane, and 1Password.

Continue reading →

Just a few days ago, Google announced that Google Assistant was going to spread to Marshmallow and Nougat smartphones. The wait is already over, as the company has made a follow up announcement in the form of a YouTube video indicating that the rollout starts today.

Google previously told us that Google Assistant will first make its way to the US, followed by Australia, Canada, the UK, and then Germany. The assistant's growing repertoire of talents will soon be little more than a long-press of the home button away.

Continue reading →

Google has announced a few changes to the Play Store, one of which means that listings for games will be promoted not based solely on the number of downloads. The company is tweaking its algorithms to take into account how much time is spent playing games -- so a game which achieves large numbers of downloads but isn’t played much will drop down the rankings.

Another change that has been a long time coming is the option for developers to list sale prices for their apps and games. While it was previously possible to manually change the price of a title, now devs can list the full and sale price at the same time, so buyers can easily see what savings they are making. New editorial pages are also due to be added to Google Play.

Continue reading →

We reported back in August that failure rates of iOS devices had overtaken those of Android for the first time.

The latest State of Mobile Device Performance and Health report from Blancco Technology Group shows that this trend is continuing with the iOS failure rate at 62 percent in the final quarter of last year.

Continue reading →

There aren't many smartphone makers that develop their own mobile processors, which means that Xiaomi is now part of a very select club. The Chinese company just unveiled the Surge S1, which powers its new Mi 5c Android smartphone.

The Mi 5c is the successor to the Mi 4c, which is one of my favorite affordable Android smartphones, and it comes at an affordable price (about $220) and with some pretty attractive specs.

Continue reading →

Genymobile, the company behind the Android emulator Genymotion, has announced a new cloud-based virtualization platform aimed at Android developers. Running on Amazon Web Services, Genymotion On Demand offers access to the full Android operating environment online.

Billed by the hour, Genymotion On Demand gives enterprise devs the opportunity to try out apps in the cloud and extend existing services into the cloud. With no contract, the service offers an affordable entry point into virtual Android devices.

Continue reading →

Not content with showering us with tablets in the form of the Galaxy Book and the Galaxy Tab S3, Samsung also used yesterday's announcements at MWC 2017 to tease us about the keenly awaited Galaxy S8 smartphone.

At the event in Barcelona we were treated to teaser video which questions whether we know what a smartphone looks like. While we don’t get to see the Galaxy S8 (or, indeed, the Galaxy S8+) in the video, we do learn that the phone will be unveiled on 29 March, and the stark graphics hint at elements of the design -- which we largely know about from leaks already.

Continue reading →

At MWC 2017 we were treated to the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Book, but this was not the only announcement from the company still waiting to launch the Galaxy S8. Continuing to add to its Galaxy range, Samsung also officially unveiled the Galaxy Tab S3 -- and it looks pretty special.

As the 9.7-inch tablet comes equipped with an S Pen, it is somewhat reminiscent of a large Galaxy Note. The high-quality glass and metal build puts the tablet on a par with Apple's iPad, and audiophiles will be pleased to see the inclusion of quad-stereo speakers from AKG. But this Android 7 tablet has a lot more to offer.

Continue reading →

Sony today unveiled a new flagship Android smartphone that might just put the company back on consumers' radar. It's called the Xperia XZ Premium and it has all the right features that we expect high-end Android devices to offer in this first part of the year in terms of hardware and software.

Sony has put some effort into making the Xperia XZ Premium stand out in today's high-end smartphone market. So it has a 4K display, the latest processor from Qualcomm, a camera that's ideal for slow-motion video, a premium water-resistant build, USB Type-C, lots of storage space, and a large battery.

Continue reading →

Today at MWC 2017, Huawei lifted the lid on its new P10 range. As with their predecessors, the Huawei P10 and Huawei P10 Plus have a strong focus on photography, with the Leica brand being used as a draw.

As is the norm these days, there are no huge surprises to be found here, with the latest flagships being really little more than an evolution of last year's models -- not that that's a bad thing of course. In addition to the cameras, standout features for this year's handsets include a serious boost to battery life, and a front-mounted (hooray!) fingerprint sensor, complete with gesture support.

Continue reading →