Articles about Android

Dragon Anywhere dictation app now available on Android, iOS

Dragon Professional, the dictation program from Nuance Communications, is now available on mobile platforms, both Android and the iOS.

The mobile dictation app, called Dragon Anywhere, is available in UK English for mobile phones and tablets, and it’s powered by the cloud.

Continue reading

Microsoft demolishes Bridge for Android -- yet another nail in the Windows 10 Mobile coffin

Getting developers to create apps for Windows 10 Mobile is very much a chicken and egg scenario. Developers are hesitant to dedicate resources to a platform with such few users, while users don't want to use a platform with no apps.

To try and alleviate this app problem, Microsoft came up with a scheme called "Bridges", to help developers easily port their Android and iOS apps to Windows. Today, sadly, Microsoft is killing the Windows Bridge for Android. With the iOS bridge being the final exciting "Bridge" attraction, Windows 10 Mobile consumers should probably just buy an iPhone instead. Right?

Continue reading

OnePlus fans rejoice -- new flagship launches by June

There is no denying that flagships like Samsung's Galaxy S7, LG's G5 and Xiaomi's Mi 5 have just raised the bar for the high-end smartphone market. Rivals need to step things up a notch, as it is going to be extremely hard to compete against the latest-generation hardware and software, especially when it is offered at price points as low as $300.

For OnePlus and its current flagship, OnePlus 2, things are not looking good. Mi 5, which competes in the same price range, is a better device on paper and cheaper too. Other similar devices will soon follow, of course. What is OnePlus' answer? Well, it is OnePlus 3 and it is coming by June.

Continue reading

Microsoft buys Xamarin to strengthen mobile side

handshake

If a few years back we were laughing off Microsoft's efforts in the mobile market, today we are looking at the software giant in a different light. That "mobile first, cloud first" mantra that Satya Nadella introduced us to when he became CEO now defines Microsoft, which has quickly evolved into one of the most important players in the mobile space afterwards.

Under Nadella, Microsoft has tackled mobile in a more meaningful way, refocusing its strategy so that it could become a major developer for more than Windows and Windows Phone. Today, the software giant's best services and products are also found on Android and iOS, the most important mobile platforms, and more have been added following high-profile acquisitions like Acompli and SwiftKey. Now, Microsoft adds Xamarin to its mobile portfolio, proving once again that it is dead serious about conquering mobile.

Continue reading

Samsung unveils speedy 256GB Universal Flash mobile storage -- will Apple use it for iPhone 7?

Last year, I bought my first iPhone. Shockingly, the base model still came with a paltry 16GB of storage. Since this was my first-ever such Apple smartphone, I decided to go nuts and splurge on the massive 128GB. Since I store my photos in the cloud, and stream music and movies, I have come nowhere near filling it up. I should have bought the 64GB, but I digress.

Of course, my situation is not the same as everyone else -- some people truly need 128GB or more. Unfortunately, Apple does not offer more than 128GB -- yet. This may change, however, as Samsung announces crazy fast 256-Gigabyte Universal Flash Storage for mobile. The high performance should make these 256GB modules very popular with manufacturers. This will certainly show up in Android devices, but could Apple select it for the upcoming iPhone 7?

Continue reading

Samsung using Android to fight breast cancer

Cancer sucks. All variants of the scourge are terrible, but for women breast cancer is one of the worst.

Luckily, there are many resources being focused on curing and treating cancer. Today, Samsung announces a partnership with the American Cancer Society, and a company called Breezie, to support a pilot aimed at fighting breast cancer with specialized Android tablets. This pilot, called MyJourney Compass, will provide focused and relevant information to individual breast cancer patients.

Continue reading

Xiaomi announces Mi 4s, an updated version of its former flagship

On top of unveiling its new Mi 5 flagship, at MWC 2016 Xiaomi has also announced an updated version of its previous top-of-the-line smartphone, Mi 4. Called Mi 4s, the new handset comes with an improved design, up to date hardware and, best of all, a price tag of around $260.

Mi 4s utilizes the same processor as found in the more affordable Mi 4c, which I have reviewed here, namely a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808. That makes it significantly faster than Mi 4, but less impressive in this regard than the new Mi 5, which sports a top of the line Snapdragon 820 chip.

Continue reading

Xiaomi's new Mi 5 offers flagship hardware at an affordable price

Xiaomi is once again proving that you do not need to spend a lot of money to get your hands on a flagship smartphone. Its new Mi 5, which is the successor to the popular Mi 4, offers top of the line hardware for just over $300.

Mi 5 offers just about anything you could want in a flagship smartphone. It makes you wonder whether it is worth ponying up for a similar device from LG or Samsung, which costs at least twice as much.

Continue reading

Eat up! Google Maps 'Explore Around You' comes to 5 more countries

One of the great things about travel is the food you get to try, authentic dishes that can sometimes only be found in certain locations. If you aren't picky about new things then you just may find something to satisfy your culinary dreams, perhaps a dish you've never heard of.

Google Maps has been guiding users to restaurants in both the US and UK for a while now, using a feature called "Explore Around You". Now the search giant is bringing this to more nations so both locals and travelers can find a location to satisfy their appetites.

Continue reading

Google working with carriers to replace SMS

Brillo is Google's new IoT platform

In an effort to modernize SMS messaging, Google and a number of mobile service providers are working together to expedite the release and adoption of Rich Communication Services (RCS).

The company will be joined by the wireless standards group GSMA along with many global and regional carriers including America Movil, Bharti Airtel Ltd, Deutsche Telekom, Globe Telecom, Millicom, Orange, Sprint, Telenor Group, TeliaSonera, Telstra, Turkcell and Vodafone.

Continue reading

Think your mobile device is faulty? You're probably not using it right

Mobile frustration

A new report shows that almost three-quarters of mobile devices returned with problems to mobile network operators and manufacturers in Europe and North America have 'No Trouble Found'.

The quarterly trend report from Blancco Technology Group also finds that in Europe device failures soared during the second half of 2015 -- rising from 14 percent during the third quarter to 29 percent during the fourth quarter.

Continue reading

New platform helps protect enterprise Android use

Allowing the use of mobile devices and BYOD in the enterprise has led to new challenges for IT teams. Not lease of these is controlling which apps employees can access and how they can use them.

Security solutions provider OptioLabs is launching a new platform that will allow enterprises to create policies that control each of the 3,300 system methods in Android to provide targeted security protections.

Continue reading

90 percent of Android devices are running an outdated OS

According to new research over 90 percent of Android devices are running an out of date version of the OS. In addition, 32 percent of those in use in enterprises today are running version 4.0 or older of the operating system, leaving them highly susceptible to vulnerabilities like Stagefright.

The study by cloud based access provider Duo Security analyzed data from its installed base of over a million mobile devices. It reveals that the problem isn't just with Android, only 20 percent of iPhones run the latest Apple operating system version, iOS 9.2. Outdated iOS devices have well-known vulnerabilities such as Ins0mnia and Quicksand that make these devices susceptible to attacks.

Continue reading

Fiat Chrysler leverages Google's Android-powered Project Tango to improve car shopping

I love cars, but hate shopping for them. My vehicle is a meager Ford Focus, but it took me a year to buy it. Why? Some car salespeople can be very high-pressure, but worst of all, negotiating a price is an exercise in frustration -- it took me a long time to find the right car at the right price.

Why is it that buying a car can't be more straightforward? Well, Fiat Chrysler may have part of the solution to that problem. By leveraging Project Tango, Google's Android-powered augmented reality solution, consumers will soon be able to experience the vehicle of their desires without entering a showroom.

Continue reading

Microsoft shutters video messaging app Skype Qik pushing users to Skype

As of 24 March, Microsoft's Skype Qik app will be no more. The video messaging app has essentially been swallowed up by its big brother Skype, meaning that it is now surplus to requirements.

Microsoft says that the reason for the closure is that Skype Qik's features are now available in Skype. As a result of this, iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone users who had come to rely on the tool to keep in touch will have to seek out an alternative and take steps to save any messages they want to keep.

Continue reading

© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.