Planing for a trip to any foreign country??? Here is your translator!!!

If you've ever wandered around a foreign country completely confused by what all of the signs are actually saying, Quest Visual has the answer with its augmented reality Word Lens App for iPhone. Simply point the camera at the text you want translated and the foreign language is replaced instantly on-screen with something you can read.

While translation software has been available before, seeing the converted text in-situ without any pop-ups is both neater and quicker. The speed of translation requires a small amount of text and Word Lens was not designed to read books. Decent light and clear text are also required for the best results, with Quest Visual telling people to "brighten the text with your phone light".

Currently the app is only available for the iPhone on the App Store for free, but you have to pay $4.99 in-app for translation packs. Currently there are only two packs available, Spanish to English and English to Spanish; however Quest Visual has big plans for the software.

"We're starting out with European languages and will expand from there. We won't stop until we get all the way across the globe!" said the official website.

More European languages should be added soon and all will be available to buy in-app, with the rest of the world following after that.

What of other handset users? Quest Visual has big plans on this front too, hinting that apps are on the way for Android, Windows Phone 7, Palm and Blackberry.

"Our goal was to get a great first release on one platform. Keep in touch!" said the website.

Rumor: Gingerbread comes out of the oven on November 11

"A trusted source has tipped us to the potential launch date for Gingerbread, the 2.3 version of Android. According to our source, the SDK for this upcoming revision will debut on November 11th. The timing is àpropos as Samsung is slated to have a big event in New York City  next week on the 8th and the confirmation of a Gingerbread-powered Nexus Two is a possible topic for this event."

IntoMobile is reporting today that the next release of Android--Gingerbread--is expected to debut November 11. Likely to be marked as v2.3, Gingerbread is said to focus more on aesthetics as opposed to additional features. Other details include WebM support, better copy and paste functionality, and improved social-networking features.

Reading the tea leaves, it certainly appears that an SDK announcement is around the corner. A giant gingerbread man statue was dropped off at Google headquarters two weeks ago, where he now stands next to previous delicious builds of Android, including Froyo (2.1) and Eclair (2.0).

Typically, Google announces an SDK or a phone within a few weeks of new lawn ornaments. Samsung was recently tied to "Nexus Two" rumors where it will reportedly debut the 2.3 build. A few Android blogs have also spotted Android 2.3 and 3.0 (Honeycomb?) in their recent traffic analytics reports, leading many to believe testing is being actively conducted.

The latest release of Google Maps might be our first glimpse into how applications and menus will look. A clever Freenode IRC member, canadiancow, noticed that the app came with a folder hiding new graphics and interface tweaks. Look for a crisper, sharpened appearance to the overall user experience with a hint of green.

Verizon has a couple of devices expected to launch November 11, but I don't expect to see Gingerbread loaded on them just yet. If recent history is any indication, it will be at least a few weeks or more between the SDK release and the first phone or OTA update.

Facebook App for Android – Version 1.4 Available

Recently, Android got a new facebook application update (version 1.4). Facebook, being the largest online social networking site, has released a major update for its Android application. The introduction of this new application has helped bring the places and groups together over an optimum utilization of space.

The groups can now share posts within a small group. You need not publish your post with all your friends. It can be done with a small group of friends now. You can even share your place with your group of friends. For example, you can let them know where you are and even have knowledge of where your friends are. Not only that, you can even discover and locate the places nearby.

Additionally, within the application, you can view your recent notifications in your profile. Hence, it creates no disturbance while using your facebook account. The new improved notification system lets you view the comments and posts published on your wall without any havoc. The new update has also fixed up a few bugs for the facebook users.

The new android facebook app update is now available to download and can be downloaded off your android device for free. Simply go to all programs, choose the market icon, click on search, type “facebook”, and simply download and install the application on your Android based phone.

Google Instant For Android 2.2!!

The fact that Google is launching increasingly new services more often and most of them are implemented, at least initially, only in the United States is not a surprise to anyone with the new Google Instant situation is a bit different. Yesterday on the Google Blog announced new optimization search service, already available on desktop or portable systems in the U.S., and portables with the latest version of Android.

Instant Google can be summed up very simply, anything you write on Google generates instant results, there is no need to press the classic search button. But the great advantage is that with each letter you write besides Google suggests search terms in real time, beginning to show results and also in real time.

In your Android phone, for example, simply go to www.google.com then, turn in the bottom of the Google.com the English version. Normally, when you are on this version of the page no longer localized results are given priority, but it can solve this problem. Click on the Locate Me.

Given that the results are displayed in real time consumes more of your Internet traffic at any point you can enable or disable Instant Google, which is currently in testing period (Beta).

In any case the feeling is great, you should not give two or three searches to get the result you are interested in the problem often is that you missed a letter or you must put a word. Everything is resolved in a single website.

Google Responds to Oracle's Lawsuit

Google has finally officially responded to Oracle's patent and copyright infringement lawsuit against the search giant's Android mobile operating system. Apart from boatloads of pages on how Google pretty much denies any and all claims, there's a lot of interesting stuff in there - stuff that doesn't seem to bode well if the courts do decide Google is infringing Oracle's patents. It also makes it crystal clear that anyone who values Free and open source software should avoid Oracle products like the plague.

In the counterclaims, Google describes where the Dalvik VM comes from, and what pieces it consists of. The conclusion is this: Google does not have a license for the patents and/or copyrights associated with the Java programming language, platform, and runtime environment, and the company knew this all along. If the judges decide Google infringes upon these patents, Google is boned.

Let's back up for a second, and look at how we got here. Sun open sourced Java SE under the GPL back in 2006 and 2007. However, and this is the key, Sun wouldn't give you patent and copyright licenses unless your implementation also passes the Technology Compatibility Kit from Sun. The problem is how this TCK is licensed; it comes with all sorts of restrictions on use that don't sit well with the Apache Foundation. The Apache Foundation has been trying to get a license without these restrictions ever since.

As Google gleefully points out several times, Oracle used to be squarely on Apache's side in this debate, urging Sun quite strongly on several occasions to provide said license to Apache. For instance, Oracle supported a motion that "TCK licenses must not be used to discriminate against or restrict compatible implementations of Java specifications by including field of use restrictions on the tested implementations or otherwise. Licenses containing such limitations do not meet the requirements of the JSPA [Java Specification Participation Agreement], the agreement under which the JCP [Java Community Process] operates, and violate the expectations of the Java community that JCP specs can be openly implemented."

Interestingly enough, as we know today, one of the main reasons Oracle bought Sun was the potential for patent infringement suits around Java, something pitched by Jonathan Schwartz himself. As such, Oracle has now done a complete 180 on this one, and it now apparently no longer supports Apache's cause. This just goes to show that companies can never be trusted - scorpion, river, frog.

The Dalvik VM uses parts of the Apache Harmony Java implementation. Apache Harmony has not passed the TCK. Consequently, it is not covered by Sun's patent and copyright licenses. The struggle to obtain such a license has been well documented in the past, and Google itself confirms that by describing this struggle in great detail in the counterclaim. As such, if Google were to be found infringing - it'd be wilful infringement. Oops.

Of course, most of us more enlightened geeks find software patents a bunch of nonsense, but sadly, the US patent system is the way it is, and it looks like Google could have its behind handed to them.

At least one good thing has come out of this: Oracle has been exposed for the anti-Freedom, anti-open source company that it really is. Its loyalties lie with money, and money alone - and while that's perfectly fine, it does make it clear that anyone who values more than money alone should avoid any Oracle product like the plague.

BlindType to Power Android!

BlindType was missed by us until now but this is an amazing technology that Google has acquired. Before its acquisition BlindType was expected to be on iPhone and other platforms aswell but now its safe to assume that this patent pending tech will be exclusive to Android.

BlindType predicts what the user wanted to input without any relevance of the keys that were typed. As the name suggests it promoted BLIND typing. This is made possible by mapping the gestures or pattern in which the typing was done (wrt QWERTY layout) and not where the keys are placed.The claims are such that a user might not need to have a keyboard visible at all to type using Blind Type. Just typing on the interface directly would be enough, this sounds crazy! Below is a demo video of BlindType in action. Blind Type goes against the Apple iOS auto correction that is pretty popular and the SWYPE keyboard that we have seen on Android and other platforms. However all of these require user to concentrate on the screen and requires some precision wrt to the pressing of keys. BlindType makes typing completely independent of the keyboard.

Droid X Finally Gets Android 2.2!!!

With the Droid, Droid Incredible, and Droid 2 all equipped with Android 2.2, Droid X users are feeling kind of left behind right now. But fear not, X-Men. A new report suggests the Motorola device will get the update in just a couple days.

This comes from a reader on Droid Life who said he reached a managerial representative at Motorola. He was told then that Droid X users would be upgrading their devices to Froyo on September 22.

Well, that would actually be keeping Verizon's original promise of bringing the update by the end of the summer. September 22 is the last day of summer, though only for part of the day until it turns over the fall. 

To date there has been little rhyme of reason to the rollout of the new Android system. So far the Nexus One, Droid, Droid 2, Evo 4G, and Droid Incredible have all gotten their push to the new Android OS. They have historically come at random times, and not on scheduled release dates.

Android 2.2 on September 22 makes sense though. Look at all those 2's. Well, again, it's just speculation and hearsay at this point. But it definitely makes sense to see the Droid X be the next to get upgraded.

Still waiting are Samsung Galaxy S users and a couple less-high-profile devices. The Android 2.2 train just keeps chugging. It'll get there eventually...

Double Authentication to Boost Security!!!

Google is making it harder for Gmail and other Google Apps accounts to get compromised by adding an optional feature that will send a security code to your smartphone for logging in.

The two-step verification feature will be available to Google Apps premier, education, and government customers on Monday, and to the hundreds of millions of individual Google users in coming months, as a built-in part of the free service, a Google product manager told.

Until now, Google accounts have been protected only with passwords, which are susceptible to phishing and other social-engineering attacks.

The two-step verification feature will put an additional roadblock in the way of online criminals by generating a onetime six-digit code that will be sent to the account holder in order to be able to successfully log in. The code will be sent after the password is provided.

This type of two-factor authentication--something you know (password) and something you have (smartphone with code)--is similar to smart cards and tokens, except that the code is accessed on a piece of hardware you most likely already carry.

Google users will sign up for the service through the Settings page and will be able to specify whether they want to get the security code sent to them via text message or automated voice call, or through a Google Authenticator app they can download to their Android device, BlackBerry, or iPhone. The code is randomly generated and changes every few minutes.

Many people might find it inconvenient to have to check their phone and type in an additional code every time they want to check their Gmail. To solve this problem, Google has made it so that people using the same computer to access their accounts can check a box to "remember verification for this computer" so that they won't be asked for a code on that computer for a month.

And for those who are happy with their one-factor password security, they don't have to opt in to this new feature. Google Apps enterprise administrators will be able to turn the feature on for any user in the organization.

The impetus for the feature came about a year and a half ago, when Google engineers asked themselves, "what's the single thing we can do to improve the security for our users the most?," said Travis McCoy, a security product manager at Google.

Google is open-sourcing the software so companies can do customization and port the app to other platforms. Google also is using an open standard to generate the codes so "vendors can offer a token that will work with Google Apps," McCoy said.

OpenFeint Makes Its Way to Android!

Even the most ardent Android fanboy has to admit that the Apple iPhone platform has it licked when it comes to gaming. OpenFeint is trying to change that and the popular mobile gaming company is bringing the heat with a bunch of popular games.

“Android users deserve great games but haven’t had access to enough of them. That changes today,” said Jason Citron, CEO of Aurora Feint. “Hundreds of thousands of people activate Android phones every day, and there is a clear need for high quality games in the marketplace. The major wireless carriers are partnering with us to select the best games from iOS - like Fruit Ninja - to bring to Android.”

A number of top notch games will be getting their OpenFeint Android launch this month, including Mega Jump, Must.Eat.Birds, Solipskier, and MiniSquadron. When all is said and done, Android is expected to see 20 OpenFeint-enabled games in its first month alone. It may be a small number when compared to the 3000 OpenFeint games on iOS devices, but it’s also a great first step that should help introduce Android gamers to the experience without completely overwhelming them.

“This is a big step for OpenFeint and an even bigger step for Android as it becomes a serious mobile gaming platform,” said Jonathan Goldberg, Analyst at Deutsche Bank Equity Research. “OpenFeint ushered in mobile online gaming for iOS devices and we think they’ll lead the revolution on Android.”

In addition to the achievements, leaderboards, and friend-tracking that OpenFeint is known for, Android gamers will also get their own Feint Spotlight app, which will help users to discover new games and even win prizes.

With these games and the upcoming full version of Angry Birds, Android users will be able to hold their heads up high when it comes to gaming.

Alert! Adobe Flash Player 10.1.82.76 Got Loophole in It!

Adobe has disclosed a newly-discovered vulnerability in current versions of the Flash Player and says there are reports that it is being exploited in the wild.

According to Adobe, a critical vulnerability exists in Adobe Flash Player 10.1.92.10 for Android. This vulnerability also affects Adobe Reader 9.3.4 for Windows, Macintosh and UNIX, and Adobe Acrobat 9.3.4 and earlier versions for Windows and Macintosh. This vulnerability could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. There are reports that this vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild against Adobe Flash Player on Windows. Adobe is not aware of any attacks exploiting this vulnerability against Adobe Reader or Acrobat to date. 

Adobe is in the process of finalizing a fix for the issue and expect to provide an update for Adobe Flash Player Android operating systems during the week of September 27, 2010. 

While Adobe cautions owners to “follow security best practices by keeping their anti-malware software and definitions up to date”, this advice leaves Android owners in the lurch as there are no best practices or virus definition updates for this mobile OS. There are several security apps available for Android including Norton Mobile Security, droidSecurity, and Lookout, but Google’s mobile OS is a relatively young and untested platform for security applications. We really have no idea how quickly and effectively these applications will respond to a circulating threat.

Android To Rule The World By 2014!

It seems like only yesterday that we thought Steve Jobs owned the future of the mobile world and beyond. Anti-Appleites lobbied against his walled garden approach and despaired at his unstoppable tech machine. That was until that little green robot came along, of course. Then the anti-Apple world, plus me, rejoiced in their new hero. 

And now it’s predicted Google’s Android is on course to become the leading mobile operating system (OS) in the world by 2014, according to industry analysts. 

Gartner, one of the top research and analysis companies in the world, has run the numbers and decided that Android could very well hold the #1 spot by 2014. Nokia’s Symbian OS is likely to hold the top spot until 2014, and the analysts aren’t certain Android will have taken the lead by then.

Gartner says Nokia’s hold on the lower-end of the market supports Symbian. Nokia is currently hoping to take a piece of the high-end smartphone market with the much-hyped Nokia N8 and is consolidating its hold at the lower-end with releases such as the Nokia C3 and Nokia X6 8GB.

However, it says Symbian will not be able to hold off Android for much longer. Google is forging some solid relationships with manufacturers and retailers based on promoting its brand as a major selling point for a phone, look at the promotion of the Samsung Galaxy S that had significant focus on the phones Android OS for evidence of this clever win-win tactic.

The driving factor behind Android’s explosive growth? A push into budget and mainstream devices – something we’ve already started to see with the IDEOS and Intercept. Samsung in particular is named as making a large push soon, with the other major players entering in soon after.

It is this approach and Google’s open platform model that has helped it to take the mobile world by storm this year, with rivals caught napping. And this report is a clear indication that fight backs such as iOS 4.0 and 4.1, BlackBerry OS 6.0 and Windows Phone 7 will not be enough to stop the Google tide. 

Android: New Flash Player 10.1.92.10 is Available!

Do your Android phones support Flash Player? If not, Flash 10.1 has been updated to version 10.1.92.10 and is available in the market now. We can not find a changelog available, but you’ve got to figure it’s some simple bug fixes adding to stability.

You will not be asked to update, but you instead have to manually search for the application. After giving the “Install” the previous version should be replaced.

More information to follow, once it is available...

Android Gets Google Voice Widgets!!

Google on Thursday added a standalone Google Voice widget to the home screen on Android phones.

The addition is part of the new Google Voice app, which is available now in the Android Market. It includes two widgets: one for the Google Voice Inbox; and another for Settings.

"Mobile is all about getting super fast access to what you're looking for and Google Voice is no exception," Google wrote in a blog post.

The Google Voice Inbox widget brings voicemails and text messages to the home screen. Flip through messages via the widget, and selected messages will open in the Google Voice app.

The Settings widget, meanwhile, includes four icons that provide access to several features. The phone icon will provide access to the full Google Voice app. The pen and paper icon will let you quickly compose and send free text messages. The smaller phone logo lets you change what calls are placed via Google Voice on the fly. Finally, the red and white stop icon is a "Do Not Disturb" option that will send all Google Voice calls directly to voicemail.

The Settings widget also displays Google Voice credits.

To add the widgets to a home screen panel, press the menu button from the home screen and select "Add>Widgets>Google Voice Inbox or Google Voice Settings." You will need a valid Google Voice account to access them, and they are available free online.

Earlier this week, Google added a "missed calls" notification to Google Voice that will alert users of a missed call via the Google Voice inbox, e-mail inbox, or both. Last month, Google made a form of Google Voice available via its Gmail service, which lets users "chat" within the Gmail interface via free phone calls.

Nexus One's now available again in developer store!!! Hurry!!!

The Nexus One was ran out of the stock when it was first made available to the devolopers. Some still regard it as one of the best (and fastest) Android phones available. It's getting a bit harder to get as it seems that HTC isn't making enough of these bad boys to keep up with demand. 

If you hurry though the Google Developer Store has some units available. It's been sold out until recently but thanks to a tip from Juan R. we were alerted this morning that they are once again available.

So go ahead, hurry up and get your Nexus on.

Google Music could be a boon for Android!

The world of Android music is about to get flipped upside down!!

We've been hearing about Google's plans to launch a cloud-based music service for some time now -- heck, Google itself gave us a peek at the plans during its I/O conference in May. (The news was largely overshadowed by word of the Android 2.2 upgrade, which was announced at the same event.) If the latest rumors prove true, the Android-centric song system could debut within the next few months.

If you happen to be a competing executive who owns way too many turtlenecks, this is probably cause for concern.

So what would Google Music do for Android? A lot. Let's face it: For all of Android's strengths, a simple and user-friendly music management system has always been something that's evaded the platform.

The freedom from being tied to a proprietary tool is fantastic, especially when that tool is a bloated and locked-down piece of junk (iTunes). The ability to drag and drop files onto your phone like a flash drive is invaluable, too. But if you want an easy way to manage playlists and sync music, your options are rather limited. DoubleTwist gets the job done, but it isn't exactly the most elegant or full-featured solution. And if you're new to Android, it can be tough to figure out where to begin.

Google Music could change all of that. First, the service will introduce a more intuitive way of buying music: From what the Android team has described, Google Music will be integrated right into the Android Market. You'll click on songs on your PC, and within seconds, they'll be sent to your phone over-the-air. This purchasing system will likely also be available in some form through regular Google Web searches.

Purchasing aside, the upcoming Android music service will allow you to stream songs from your PC directly to your phone -- no downloads required. Thanks to Google's acquisition of a company called Simplify Media, you'll be able to access your entire music library without having to store a single MP3 file on your device.

Those two features combined will give Android a powerful new edge in the realm of mobile music. If Google is smart, it'll build functions for importing existing music and managing playlists into these tools as well. All put together, it could mark the beginning of a robust and intuitive music management system for Android.

Of course, none of this would prevent you from using a third-party alternative or copying music to your phone manually -- hey, we aren't talking about Apple here. But for users who want a simple, one-stop solution, it'd offer a hassle- and confusion-free way of getting everything accomplished. And you've gotta admit, the cloud-based downloading and streaming sound pretty damn cool.

Android has undoubtedly been a work in progress. Since the launch of that first Android phone nearly two years ago, the platform has grown in leaps and bounds, filling in the gaps and adding in more power and flexibility with each passing turn.

The Latest Android Hacks: Jailbreaking A PS3 With A Nexus One!

If Sony’s PS3 gaming system took a step backward in functionality when Sony disabled its ability to install Linux, it’s just taken two steps forward again.

t4nav, a Senior Member of xda-developers has just discovered a method to hack the PS3 using a Nexus One or a Desire! All you have to do is:

"Download this 

http://www.mediafire.com/?cgst1aw26i26b60

and place it’s contents onto the root of your SD-card.

Then download my flashable boot.img 

http://cl.ly/83b21dd1818a791d857e 

Place that on the root of your card, Reboot into recovery and flash the PS3-signed.zip

Reboot your phone.

Launch terminal emulator…

Then type the following… 

Code: 

#cd sdcard 

#su 

#insmod psfreedom.ko 

Now turn your PS3 off at the wall, and plug in your phone. 

Turn the PS3 back on at the wall. 

Press the PS3 power button followed by the eject key in quick succession…"

"To get back to normal…

Download this… 

http://cl.ly/428e11e2b0c81369761e

Go into recovery… 

Enable USB-storage 

Copy .zip 

Flash .zip"

So far, it’s only been confirmed to work with the Nexus One and Desire, though we’re sure that with proper attention from the dev community, the hack could be ported over to other devices, such as the EVO 4G or Droid X. 

Source: Android Police

TVs Gonna Be Great With Android!

Samsung to equip its TVs with the hot trend Android, and compete with Sony Corp in offering television sets that surf the Web and double as computers. 

TV makers such as Samsung and Sony are looking to tap into the growing demand for Web-based programming and a slice of the $175 billion TV advertising market. The companies are betting on Google's Android operating system to compete with Apple Inc, which earlier this month released a $99 TV set-top box that delivers movie and TV show rentals from the Internet. 

Sony in May unveiled the prototype of a Bravia set that will deliver video and music over the Internet in partnership with Google. The TVs are expected in stores by Christmas. 

Apple TV will rent high-definition TV programs for 99 cents, first-run movies for $4.99 and will work with Netflix Inc's online service, Apple's Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs said last week. To provide the TV rental service, Apple forged deals with Walt Disney Co's ABC and News Corp's Fox, Jobs said. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab Rooted Even Before Release!!

Samsung grabbed a fair bit of attention with the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy tablet and also entertained us with the tablet commercial. But rooting Android OS devices is something that strikes our attention all the time.

The folks at Sera-Apps, a German group of Android developers, have not only managed to get the Samsung Galaxy Tab a month before the device goes on sale, but they managed to root the device at IFA, the world’s largest consumer electronics show being held in Germany.

Whether the final version of the Galaxy Tab that’ll be released in the US can be rooted the same way as the trade show model remains to be seen. And how exactly Tim at Sera-Apps did the rooting isn’t exactly clear, but he did get a screen that shows he’s been granted superuser rights.

Now that Samsung Galaxy tablet has been rooted successfully, the absurd pricing for the device seems to be justified. But then, Samsung may patch up the loopholes before making the product publicly available in US and UK. In anyway, this is an encouraging sign for the Android enthusiasts and those who are looking forward to buy the Galaxy tablet.

Will this lead to Samsung’s locking down of release models of the Galaxy Tab? Or will Samsung let hackers do what they want with this tablet? Or will this pave the way for performance upgrades, improved keyboards, and more implementation of multitouch for the Galaxy Tab? Let us know your ideas in the comments!

Live Wallpaper Creation Tool for Android Phones!

With the use of mobile phones gone much beyond the average call answering and dialing, an extra touch of personalization sure doesn’t hurt!

OwnSkin thinks along similar lines and has released a new Live Wallpaper creation tool for phones running on the Android platform. The application is intended to be pre-school friendly.

When in a mood to customize mobile phones individually, this user generated tool offers a facile solution for wallpapers that are SkinLet filled. The latter is known to be an active component present in the live wallpaper and aids in personalization via animation, phone information and live data from the internet.

The makers believe the wallpapers proffered are among the slickest in the world. Nevertheless, they’re simple to use and cater efficiently to individual requirements. This tool should strike a chord with the digital community and social network enthusiasts alike. After all, innovative and entertaining mobile content doesn’t miff anyone.

Allowing seamless upload of photos for building SkinLet, users can look forward to animation, clock compass and battery details. This interactive wallpaper can also be shared with friends and it doesn’t involve download or installation of any complicated SDK either.

The free application can be downloaded from the Android market and the OwnSkin website.

Android is Gaining in The Mobile OS Market

The Android mobile Operating System is ruling the mobile web market in comparison to Apple's iOS-based devices. The latest mobile-web-browsing numbers from Quantcast show that Android continues to grab mobile share from the iPhone and RIM.

The device which got the third place had a mobile web consumption of 11 percent, while RIM was the last one who managed to exist in the list at the last spot with 10 percent. RIM and other devices have suffered serious losses but the web use on iOS devices has suffered the most due to Android's growth in the mobile web market. 

Now, obviously, when the percentage of one platform goes up, the percentage of another platform must go down. It turns out that Android is the ONLY platform whose mobile consumption percentage did NOT go down.

The August Statistics from the Quancast show that Apple has saved itself for the time being but Mobile web use of iOS devices (excluding iPad) dropped significantly remaining at 56 percent. While RIM and "other" devices dropped down to 9 percent and 10 percent respectively. Android is the only progressive mobile operating service to jump up 2 percent to reach 25 percent, its best achievement since November 2009.

Quancast is expected to reveal the August web consumption details next week. However last month's statistics show that Apple iPhone topped the chart with 36 percent. But the company's iPod line of devices was down to 20 percent. HTC an Android vendor for the first time appeared on the chart with 11 percent of total smartphone web consumption and Motorola was at 10 percent.

In addition to that, it appears a significant number of iPhone users have figured out how to make good decisions. This is great news for Android and Google. They are clearly poised for a win in the mobile industry. I don’t think it will be too long before we see feature-phones disappear entirely and the iPhone lose its rank as king of mobile devices.

Motorola DEFY: Another Google Android Magic on The Way!!!

Motorola has announced another smartphone model based on the Google Android platform.

Boasting quite possibly the most generic form factor we’ve yet seen, the Motorola DEFY is being pitched as a slightly more ROBUST Android phone than most, coming in a “dust proof” case that’s also waterproof and scratch resistant.

One of the special features of this model is that it conforms to IP67 standards. This means that the phone is designed to be scratch, water and dust resistant.

The company is shipping this device with Google Android 2.1 platform. It features a 3.7 inch touchscreen display made with Gorilla Glass. The display provides a 854 x 480 pixel resolution.

The phone also comes loaded with MotoBlur user interface. Motorola has also bundled Adobe Flash Lite considering the regular edition is only supported on Android 2.2.

“DEFY has been designed to handle everything that life throws your way,” said Alain Mutricy, senior vice president, portfolio and device product management, Motorola Mobility. “With all the features consumers expect in a smart phone, DEFY packs advanced web browsing, entertainment and messaging capabilities as well as a design that withstands the challenges of everyday life.”

Motorola Defy also includes a decent five megapixel camera with LED Flash. The phone is powered with a 800MHz processor and would ship with 2GB of storage space.

Samsung to turn it's focus to Android in the near future!

Samsung has stated that Android is their focus point in the near future. Bada is their own platform and it would also remain with same priority for Samsung who is the South Korean tech giant.

There is good demand for Android in the market with it being the second most popular mobile platform in the US market right now. This might have made the company think to shift their attention to Android.

Windows Phone 7 is set to arrive. Samsung said that there is some professional demand for this new platform though things can change in the coming months.

Symbian is not on the horizon for the company for now. It remains to be seen if the situation would change next year when Symbian3 and Windows Phone 7 would be widely available for deployment.

Froyo Leaked Again!! This Time for Samsung Galaxy S!

The Samsung Galaxy is one of Samsung’s most popular handsets of all time. Not only is it running the great Android mobile OS from Google but it has recently been made known that Samsung has shipped over 1 million units in the United States.

Unfortunately, just like about every other device currently on the market the manufacturers have delayed the Android 2.2 roll out. While not giving an official confirmation as to what is causing the delay we can only assume that it has something to do with the TouchWiz UI that Samsung developed to lay over the Android platform.

Luckily, for those of you who have an international version of the phone, reports have surfaced today that say the official Android 2.2 update has leaked out. If, however, you have a Vibrant or Cpativate, you’re out of luck as this version is made specifically for the international versions, as I already mntioned.

A number of smartphones recently have had Android 2.2 builds leaked with all of them being Beta builds with a few things broken. You might want to take this in to consideration if deciding to test the leaked build.

It isn't clear when the official build will land, but we have head September as well as later this year. It all really depends on which Galaxy S model you have got and when your network gets it ready to be pushed out.

Of course, it’s expected that Samsung will roll out the update for the platform soon enough so for those who don’t like to break any rules... 

Fennec 2.0 Is Coming For Android Users From Mozilla!

Mozilla today released an alpha version of its mobile browser for smartphones running Google's Android operating system.

Fennec 2.0., which is considered to be the power of Firefox 4, has included integrated synchronization. Moreover, it is responsible for boosting performance by rendering processes as well as user interface.

Apart from that there is Electrolysis, due to which the browser interface is able to run in a separate process. With the help of this process Fennic can react faster to user input. The Electrolysis technology also is able to operate with add-ons.

This release includes Electrolysis, which allows the browser interface to run in a separate process from the one rendering Web content," said Parmenter in a post to the Mozilla blog today. "By doing this, Fennec is able to react much faster to user input while pages are loading or CPU intensive JavaScript is running.

Mozilla added its Firefox Sync service into Fennec 2.0., with the help of the service one can keep passwords, browser history, bookmarks, open tabs as well as other data.

Users of earlier editions could take advantage of Sync by means of add-on. In fact, it was the first time when it was decided to add Fennec.

It is possible to install Fennec 2.0 on many smartphones that are based on Google’s Android operating system.

Although Mozilla did not disclose a final release date for fennec 2.0, still it was noted that September 7 is a final deadline for Beta.

We've not had a proper chance to see how stable Firefox is on a mobile phone, but early indications show a surprisingly usable little web browser, though as yet little advantage over the one built in.

Froyo: Adobe Flash 10.1 Available in Android Market

Flash 10.1 is available in Android Market now!. If you're running a device with Android 2.2 Froyo and don't have Adobe Flash 10.1 Mobile yet, you can head to Android Market to download the latest Flash, which will give you access to most of the videos, games, and interactive Flash-based content on the Internet. 

Depending on your device and your operator, you may have already received Flash as part of the firmware OTA upgrade, like the EVO 4G, which was the first device in the U.S. to get updated to Android 2.2. 

In the case with Verizon Wireless with the original Droid, the OS update is now being pushed out for that device to get to Android 2.2, but the OTA firmware upgrade does not come with the Flash package built-in. Rather, the carrier is advising users to head over to Android Market to get Flash installed. 

If for whatever reason you don't want to install Flash from Android Market and you are running a supported device, then you can head over to Droid-Life to get the update. 

Android app licensing cracked in less than a month!!

There has been some concern about smartphone apps in recent weeks after a malware app worked its way into the Android store that sent premium-rate text messages to make money for criminals.  What’s more the BBC demonstrated a proof-of-concept Java app that seemed to be a simple game of noughts and crosses, but was copying contacts and emails in the background.

A spokesperson for Google told the BBC about the malware app…

“Google has a system in place that can revoke malicious applications and stop them running on handsets.  Our application permissions model protects against this type of threat.  When installing an application, users see a screen that explains clearly what information and system resources the application has permission to access, such as a user’s phone number or sending an SMS.  Users must explicitly approve this access in order to continue with the installation, and they may uninstall applications at any time.  The spokesperson said the firm advises users to “only install apps they trust”.

In response to developers’ complaints of unauthorized usage of their wares, Google has set up a licensing service, by which – via a set of libraries – an application can hit Google’s server, which stores sales records. Every time an app with this protection is launched, it checks with Google to be sure the copy is legit.

The new system was to replace the old copy protection method within few months, and were considered to be more secure and less problematic. 

Now, NeoWin is reporting that the new licensing scheme for Android apps has been cracked less than a month after coming on-line!!!

The “Licensing Service for Android applications” was supposed to provide developers a “secure mechanism to manage access to all Android Market paid applications.”  In theory, the new licensing system would verify against the Android Market licensing server, which would in turn verify the application against existing sales records. If no sales records were found, the application would show an error explaining that it was not properly licensed.

The man responsible for cracking the security has published a paper on his website in which he details how to reprogram a Java app, which is the language most Android apps are written in, to change its status from unlicensed to licensed.

He says…

I am very much against piracy, and very much pro-Google. I have spent more time researching copy protection for my applications than development of the applications themselves.  Our findings show that most (any?) apps can be easily patched and stripped of licensing protection, making them an easy target for off-Market, pirated distribution. By corollary, this means that sites dedicated to pirating apps can continue to do so, using a few automated scripts mixed with some smarts.

He also provides a video demonstrating his findings.  Google have not yet commented on the crack.

Dive into the sea on your Android with Google Maps!!!

Google Earth 1.1 for Android offers a few new features, but most notably the addition of the oceans. With the new software tools and underwater exploratory landscapes, Android users can tap their inner Jacques Cousteau. Sort of.

Google Earth 1.1 doesn't let you snorkel past schools of fish or snuggle up to reefs teeming with sea life. Instead, it offers Android users the opportunity to see what the Earth's surface looks like beneath the water. Google suggests, for example, that users look at the Monteray Bay Canyon, which it says is larger than the Grand Canyon.

There is a "look around" button that lets users change the angle of view and take a new look at what's under the water.

Another tool added to Google Earth 1.1 is what Google calls the "Explore the Ocean" layer. This layer offers up a collection of photos and videos from contributors from all around the world.

Google Earth 1.1 will work just fine on devices with Android 2.1 and higher. Google reserved some special features for devices running Android 2.2 and up, however.

Google explains, "Google Earth now supports Flash in balloons, so if you have the Flash player installed on your mobile device, you can watch videos right in the balloon."

The new software also has some revised navigational tools. The big addition is support for two-finger scrolling, which allows for easier panning back and forth, up and down to change your view of the ocean's floor. User's can also twist two fingers on the screen to change what they are looking at.

The software works well, but few lags or slowdowns when the software needed to access the network to pull down new mapping information.

Google Earth 1.1 for Android is free download from the Android Market.

Android App Licensing Mechanism Still Easy to Break!!

According to Android Police, Google's new app licensing mechanism designed to protect developers against app piracy is still relatively easy to break. The site says that since the License Verification Library isn't a core component of the Android operating system, "an app developer needs to package it with the app that uses it, making it an easier patch target, without requiring root access." As such, running a few simple scripts may break the licensing code. The conclusion is such that "Google’s Licensing Service is still, in my opinion, the best option for copy protection; however, we really need to see a better solution, such as checking the apk for alterations or ways to confirm an application was installed through official means."

News of how easy it is to crack and break license codes for Android Market titles may dissuade some developers from seriously looking at Android. This in turn may hurt consumers if the development community doesn't grow due to concerns about piracy.

Motorola Devour to miss out on Android 2.1 update

The Motorola Devour has been listed as end-of-life, and to make matters more depressing for Devour owners, it has been officially announced that it will not come with an Android 2.1 update. Yes, you will be stuck with Android 1.6, and that's that - unless someone comes along and offers a custom ROM, of course. For Backflip, Cliq and Cliq XT owners, you ought to be able to see the Android 2.1 Eclair update coming your way later this year. Guess this is one disadvantage compared to iPhone owners, since there are so many different types of Android-powered handsets out there, it really depends on the manufacturer and carrier to work together to decide on which model will get an update.

Motorola Sends C&Ds to Leaked Android 2.2 Hosts!!

Well, Motorola, that didn't take long. Word of a leaked version of the Android 2.2 update—"Froyo"—for the Motorola Droid X smartphone hit the news circuit on Friday, and the company has already prepped a response for sites hosting said Froyo ROM file: Take it down.

According to Intomobile, Motorola has begun sending out cease-and-desist letters to sites hosting the leaked upgrade—scheduled to officially hit Droid X devices in early September.

Richard Rushing, Motorola's senior director of information security, pens his name to the letter, which demands that sites hosting the file remove it from their servers, "in as expedient a fashion as possible."

The move is just one more salvo in Motorola's attempts to restrict custom modifications to the Android OS running on its Droid devices. Already, the company has taken a bit of flak from the modder community surrounding its use of eFuse—a technology that allows the phone to authenticate its bootloader to ensure that users are only running Motorola-approved software on their devices.

According to an official statement by Motorola, "If a device attempts to boot with unapproved software, it will go into recovery mode, and can re-boot once approved software is re-installed. Checking for a valid software configuration is a common practice within the industry to protect the user against potential malicious software threats."

That said, the Droid X has already been rooted—giving a user superuser-type access to the phone's underlying operating system—by a variety of applications now available on the Android market.

As well, Koushik Dutta—author of the popular ClockworkMod recovery application—has released the Droid X's first working recovery, which allows a user to backup and restore the state of the device using an app like Nandroid backup.

This paves the way for loading custom ROMs onto a Droid X, as now users have a much easier way to go back in time should running a customized version of the Android OS—the aforementioned "custom ROM"—not go according to plan.

"You can't replace the kernel or boot image," writes Dutta. "But really, once you have access to /system, anything is possible. It will just take a little hackery."

Being said that, the 3rd Party Froyo downloadable links available on this site may become unavailable shortly!!

Froyo for Droid X Leaked!!! Here is the way to get it got yourself!!!

Hey Droid X owners, 

You'll probably be getting a Froyo update OTA sooner rather than later, but if you need it now and want to take matters into your own hands, you can do so.

Keep in mind: this is a likely unfinished, probably still buggy pre-release version of Froyo for the Droid X that leaked out. You may encounter problems. You may brick your device. But you may want to go ahead and flash it anyway, knowing all that.

Please Read Directions Before Proceeding:

IMPORTANT: 

Step 1:

This is a leaked ota upgrade in the update.zip format. This is not a ROM or a port. This will upgrade both your baseband and your system. You will not need to wipe date.

The only way this update will work for you is if your phone is back to stock (you MUST be rooted already if you want to be rooted after the upgrade).

If you have themed your phone you need to convert it back to stock

If you have removed bloatware you must put it all back.

Step 2:

Do you want to be rooted?

1) If no skip to next step.

2) If yes and already rooted skip to next step.

3) If not go here and follow these direction. -----> how to root - thanks to Rootzwiki

STOP: YOU MUST VERIFY THAT YOUR SU IS LOCATED IN THE XBIN NOT THE BIN

I suggest using Root Explorer as it is the easiest was to do it: Get it in the MarketPlace

Open rootexplorer

Navigate to the /system/bin folder and hold down the su file, then select move

Navigate to the /system/xbin folder and press the menu button (4 squares)

Select edit and then paste

Step 3:

So have you gotten back to stock:

If Yes proceed to step 3, 

If No then proceed below.

If you don't know which files you need or which ones to put back, you can use the sbf to put your phone back in a stock state. You can go here to get details of how to return to stock via sbf file. ------> Droid SBF

After you return your phone to its stock state go to step 3.

Step 4:

Now we need to download froyo for the Droid

Link One - Download now

Link Two - Download Now

Mirror One - Download Now

Mirror Two - Download Now

Mirror Three - Download Now

Place the file you have downloaded on the root of your SD card.

Step 5:

Reboot your phone in recovery mode:

1) Hold down the home button and the power button.

2) When the triangle with the android appears press the search button (far right button)

3) Select apply sdcard:update.zip

4) Sit back and wait (5 - 10 minutes)

5) Restart your device.

Your phone will now be running 2.2.6 (Froyo Rooted)

Thanks to MyDroidWorld for the release~

Vodafone HTC Desire Android 2.2 update landing 23 August

Vodafone has confirmed that it will be releasing the Android 2.2 update for HTC Desire owners from 23 August. The rollout will begin from next week, where users will be prompted to download the new Android 2.2 firmware for their HTC Desire. However, the rollout will be phased, so Vodafone customers might have to wait up to two weeks to get the new upgrade.

Vodafone said: "Our priority has been to make sure that the software does what we said it will do. This meant testing took a little longer than anticipated."

A few things to take care while updating you HTC Desire:

1. Longer than first thought

It's a little outside of the earlier 7-10 days time frame promised, but at least it's coming soon. It will also scrub away the much-maligned 360 update - although it's a little trickier than just deleting the applications from your phone.

First of all, check your software version in Settings, About Phone, Software information. Your software should either be 1.19.161.5 if you haven't downloaded the recent Vodafone 360 software, or 1.24.161.3 if you have accepted the update.

If you have accepted it, but not opened the applications, then their functionality will be removed, although you'll need to delete any icons and reset any bookmarks/home page choices manually.

You can perform a factory reset too to remove the 360 update, but be warned this will erase all data stored on the handset, so make sure you're fully backed up if you take this route.

2. What if I did click the icon?

If you have opened and updated any Vodafone 360 applications, then the same process will work, apart from "360 updates" and "Shop" applications, which to get rid of you'll need to 'uninstall the update' in Settings, Applications.

It might sound a little complicated, and we're sure that Vodafone regrets offering the 360 update for HTC Desire users - but at least it's offering a way out, and users can now enjoy longer battery life, HD video recording and Wi-Fi sharing.

So get your HTC Desire updated and enjoy more effective Android!!

Android Phone Can Be Used as a Supercomputer!!

When you hear 'supercomputer' and 'small' in the same sentence, you likely wonder how small a room are they talking about. However, when the folks at MIT and Texas Advanced Computing Center say small, they mean small as in pocket-sized.

A collaboration between MIT and the Texas Advanced Computing Center has led to an Android application that the two institutions claim can do honest-to-goodness supercomputing.

TACC explains that the team at MIT performed a series of expensive high-fidelity simulations on TACC's Ranger supercomputer and then generated a smaller, reduced model, which was used to create an Android application for a Nexus One.

"You don’t need to have a high-powered computer on hand," insists David Knezevic, a post-doctoral associate in mechanical engineering at MIT. "Once you've created the reduced model, you can do all the computations on a phone."

Though this kind of model reduction has been done before, TACC says the MIT system's real advantage is its rigorous error bounds, which tell the user the range of possible solutions, and provide a metric of whether an answer is accurate or not.

Knezevic goes on to say that using a reduced scale model also results in faster computations.

"The payoff for model reduction is larger when you can go from an expensive supercomputer solution to a calculation that takes a couple of seconds on a smart phone," he said. "That’s a speed up of orders of magnitude."

Android Honeycomb next up from Google!!!

Google is set to call the next iteration of its mobile OS Android Honeycomb, following on from the tablet-friendly Gingerbread platform.

Multiple sources have confirmed to us that the next version will be called Honeycomb, although details of what this upgrade will bring are still sketchy.

It's likely that it will be more of an incremental upgrade, in the same manner as Android 2.2 (Froyo) was to Android 2.1 (Éclair) as Google seeks to perfect the new platform on tablets and high-end smartphones.

That means Android Honeycomb will probably be Android 3.1 or Android 3.2, rather than a leap to the unimaginable magic of Android 4.0.

Honeycomb – a surefire way to eventual baldness

Google was contaced about the new name, and unsurprisingly there was no comment, but given each new Android iteration is named after sweets and cakes, there's not a lot to choose from.

Intriguingly, a quick Google search for 'Android Honeycomb' shows a few sites with the phrase present - but nowhere to be found when looking at the articles and sites in depth.

Gingerbread is due out towards the end of the year (or possibly leaking into 2011) with tablets from Toshiba and Samsung likely to make use of the upgrade, which will only work with fast processors and high-res screens.

However, it will be interesting to see where Android Honeycomb machines land in the marketplace against Google Chrome OS tablets, which we should start seeing in November onwards – is there a large enough tablet market to sustain two operating systems from the same manufacturer?

Get Your Android’s Battery Last a Little Longer

A common complaint among Android users is short battery life. As we all now, Google’s platform has numerous benefits, but state-of-the-art features and constantly being connected seem to come with one drawback: comparatively large battery consumption.

I don’t suggest that you should stop taking advantage of the things that make Android great, such as streaming music players that allow you to walk around with millions of songs in your pocket, location-aware apps, background updates or all the wireless options. Still, if you’re frustrated by how often you need to connect your charger, it’s good to know what types of apps and activities that eat the most battery, so you can make an active decision whether or not it’s worth the extra juice.

Use the GPS Wisely

The GPS uses the battery like there’s no tomorrow. Location-aware software is one of Android’s many fortes, but they can be real battery drainers. The Power control widget is useful for switching the GPS on and off, and you should keep an eye on your notification bar: an icon will appear whenever the GPS is activated.

Turn off Bluetooth When You’re Not Using It

Perhaps an obvious tip, but it’s best to disable Bluetooth whenever you’re not actually using it. The quickest way to switch Bluetooth off and on is via a widget on your homescreen.

Disable Wireless Network Positioning

When your device learns your location via wireless network triangulation, it requires less battery than if it had used the GPS. But using both methods simultaneously will of course use the most power. The GPS can handle location tasks by itself, albeit a bit slower. Also, wireless network positioning is used to gather anonymous Google location data in the background, which will drain the battery further. You can turn it off from Settings > Location > Use wireless networks.

Switch off Wi-Fi, or Keep it Always On

If you’re close to a reliable WLAN during the better part of the day, having Wi-Fi always turned on may be favorable from a battery point of view, since the Wi-Fi radio uses less battery than the 3G radio. And when Wi-Fi is on, 3G is off. You can confirm Wi-Fi always stays on by going to Settings > Wireless networks > Wi-Fi Settings. Press the Menu button, tap on Advanced, Wi-Fi sleep policy and select the Never option.

On the other hand, if you’re not close to a strong Wi-Fi signal for extended periods of time, disable Wi-Fi from a homescreen widget or from Settings > Wireless networks > Wi-Fi.

Disable Always-On Mobile Data

The Always-On Mobile Data option is on by default, and can be disabled from Settings > Wireless & networks > Mobile networks > Enable always-on mobile data. It allows your phone to be connected non-stop, but does it need to be? I have disabled the setting, and I still get push Gmail and even Google Talk seems to perform as usual, as well as the few apps I have that use automatic updates. However, if you have a lot of apps that regularly connect to the Internet, disabling this option may actually be a bad idea, since turning the data connection on and off will require more energy than simply having it on all the time.

Kill 3G if Your Phone Often Struggles to Find It

When your Android attempts to decide which signal to lock on to, it strains your battery. If your phone often switches between GSM and 3G in your area, it can be preferable to simply disable 3G altogether, and hence abolishing the need for your phone to try and find a suitable network. Go to Settings > Wireless & networks > Mobile networks > Network mode > GSM only.

Use a Quick Screen Timeout

After a certain time of inactivity, your screen is automatically turned off, and that’s the Screen Timeout. To use such a low value as 15 seconds can be annoying, but one minute is on the other hand likely too long. I use 30 seconds. You can alter this option from Settings > Screen & display > Screen timeout.

Turn Down the Screen Brightness

Android’s Automatic brightness (Settings > Screen & display > Brightness) setting is recommended. If your phone doesn’t have this option, set a reasonable value at roughly 30 % and see if that suits you.

Live Wallpapers Will Use More Power than a Static Background

Oh yes, live wallpapers can be awesome. But they will obviously use precious battery juice, albeit evidently not as much as one could think, talking the eye-candy into consideration and what they can do.

Have an AMOLED Display? A Dark Wallpaper Will Spare the Battery

When having dark backgrounds, phones with AMOLED display will use less power, because each pixel on OLED screens is photoemissive and will actually generate its own light. Since there’s no need for a backlight, the pixel can essentially turn off its light source and go total black. As a result, you can save a teeny-weeny bit of energy by having a dark or black background on AMOLED screens.

Use Widgets Wisely

 Most widgets will only have a negligible effect on your battery life, but those that automatically pull info from the interwebs can be power hogs.

Use Reasonable Intervals for Automatic Updates

I personally don’t need to have automatic updates on my phone, except for emails that I want to be notified of the moment they arrive. I prefer launching the apps at my convenience and see what’s new. Most applications that connect to the Internet have an option to update upon launch, and that’s all I need. By lowering the update intervals, or by even turning them off completely, you can definitely make your battery last longer. I recommend that you reduce them to your own minimum values.

If you have an Android phone with HTC Sense, you can make sure the HTC Mail Client, the HTC Weather App, Facebook, Flickr, Stocks and Twitter update themselves as often as you want them to. This is mainly done from Settings > Accounts & sync. It’s also a good idea to look over third-party apps that grab data from the Internet, particularly the official Facebook app and the various Twitter apps, since they usually have background updates on by default.

Streaming Apps Will Use a Lot of Battery

I certainly don’t think you should avoid streaming application on your phone. But bear in mind that software that stream audio and similar apps will use plenty of power.

Learn What’s Been Drinking the Juice

Unless you have the doubtful pleasure of still running Cupcake, you can check out a built-in Android feature that tells you precisely how much your apps use the battery. You can then start using battery drainers less often, or simply uninstall them. Go to Settings > About phone > Battery > Battery use and press the items in the list for further info. You can also use JuicePlotter to analyze usage patterns.

I have gotten good results by making the tweaks and changes above, and I hope you will too. Do you know of any more tricks that can make our dear Android stay on his feet a bit longer before it needs to be charged? In case you don’t want to keep all this in mind, an app such as JuiceDefender is a good option.