Android Authority |
- Nielsen: US smartphone owners now a majority, Android leads comfortably
- Best Android apps for shoppers to find best deals
- Google Drive app: Google Docs app with new twist and spin
- Reverse Tether: Sharing your PC’s Internet connection to your Android phone
- Jury: Google infringed Java copyright, but we’re not sure it’s worth a $1 billion penalty
- Best remote access apps for Android
- Is it a BlackBerry? Is it a Symbian? No, it’s the Google Sooner, the first Android reference device
- Google gets first self-driving car license in Nevada
- RIM: Here’s what you need to do to succeed with Blackberry 10 this fall
- Enjoy Reddit in a whole new way, with Reddit Sync!
| Nielsen: US smartphone owners now a majority, Android leads comfortably Posted: 09 May 2012 02:32 AM PDT
Yes, boys and girls, it has finally happened! For the first time in history, most U.S. mobile subscribers now own a smartphone. At least that's what we can make of Nielsen's latest report, which says that, in March 2012, 50.4% of all American mobile users had a smartphone in their possession. That leaves a 49.6% share for basic phones (or dumbphones, as we sometimes call them), which is not half bad, if you think about how wildly popular Android and iOS devices are. Android is still the dominating force in the United States, with a total of 48.5% of all smartphones running Google's OS. Apple's iOS is second, with a 32% market share, while RIM, Windows Mobile, and Windows Phone are miles away. According to Nielsen, 11.6% of all US smartphones are BlackBerries, while Windows Mobile, even though it was discontinued two years ago, still has a 2.4% lead over its successor, Windows Phone (4.1% over 1.7%).
As far as phone manufacturers go, Apple leads in the United States, but Nielsen has failed to offer any data on the iPhone's competitors. We suspect Samsung to be Apple's most dangerous opponent, but there's no way to know how far behind was Sammy in March. While it fails to provide a few pieces of information that we would’ve loved to discuss, Nielsen's research does come up with some intriguing details about today's U.S. mobile market. For example, it seems that 50.9% of all female mobile subscribers owned smartphones in March, while only 50.1% of male subscribers carried a smart gadget of some kind. That's very interesting, because I, for one, have always thought that men are more interested in technology than women (no offense, ladies!).
On a different (and unsurprising) note, it seems that more than two out of three young people (age 25 to 34) owned at least one smartphone in March. Also, if you were interested to know how different ethnic groups fare, Asian Americans are the most tech-savvy these days (67.3% own a smartphone). Hispanics and African-Americans are themselves very passionate about the latest technology – almost three in five Hispanic mobile subscribers own a smartphone, while the majority of African-Americans (54.4%, to be more exact) have also given up basic phones. In comparison, only 44.7% of white mobile subscribers owned a smartphone in March, according to the Nielsen study. The research doesn’t provide any possible explanation for this disparity, and, to be honest, I can't explain it either. The most important part of Nielsen’s report, however, does not involve whites, blacks, and Asians, but the U.S. mobile market as a whole. The market is clearly advancing, with more and more people interested in the latest technology. And that’s a good thing, isn’t it? This article, Nielsen: US smartphone owners now a majority, Android leads comfortably , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Best Android apps for shoppers to find best deals Posted: 08 May 2012 11:00 PM PDT
Don't you just hate it when the rules of supply and demand turn against you and you’re left with buying expensive items? This doesn’t just happen during the holiday season, but whenever we go shopping. You can haggle all you want but there’s only so much your haggling can get you. With how expensive everything’s becoming, deals can be hard to come by. You need to be in the right place at the right time. It’s for this reason that we have compiled a list of 10 handy Android applications to help you locate useful discounts and to make your shopping experience a little lighter on the pocket. Google Shopper
Google Shopper is an Android app designed to help users find good shopping deals. You can perform custom searches to locate a product and to gather more information about it. Google Shopper provides product reviews by scanning product barcodes or cover art, gives price information, product specifications, and enables voice and text-based search for finding products. The Eat and Play options of this application allows users to see offers from businesses nearby. Google Shopper also delivers information about shopping deals right to your inbox. You can also share details about useful offers with friends and family via Bluetooth, Facebook, Twitter and instant messaging. To keep track of useful offers, you can save your history and add items to favorites. As a whole, Google Shopper integrates good search features with information about online and local stores, product reviews and information, along with robust features such as bar code scanning. Groupon -Daily Deals, Coupons
Groupon, as the name suggests, is an Android application meant to provide users with daily discount deals. For those of you who might not be aware of the concept of Groupon, it is a website that makes use of collective purchases to offer discounts to customers. The developer claims that these deals can help users get as much as a 50% to 90% discount on their purchases. Groupon is capable of providing both demand searches and daily recommendations from more than 500 cities across the world. The available deals are not just for products but also for local services. The deals can be acquired by buying and redeeming Groupons via your Android device. You can also track your purchased Groupons according to their expiration date and respective location. Groupon allows users to acquire holiday deals, share Groupons with friends and family members, and add the widget for Groupon on your Android homescreen. The Coupons App
When looking for a discount app for Android, nothing gets better than finding one that offers discounts via coupons for your favorite restaurants, local retail shops, and even gas stations. The Coupons App brings daily deals, information about gas prices and cheap gas stations in the vicinity, and price comparisons during shopping via its barcode scanning feature. You can also use this app to share coupons via Facebook, Twitter or SMS, and to voice search for product deals / coupons and more. With this app, you can even save coupons to the calendar and get updated coupons on a daily basis. Other than daily deals, you are also provided with the option to perform custom searches for coupons and deals. Coupons can be redeemed by displaying them to the cashier. The Coupons App contains some features from both Google Shopper and Groupon, hence offering a good mixture of useful features from both applications. User reviews have stated that using The Coupons App has saved them a lot of money on a daily basis. So, if you are looking to check deals before buying your grocery or paying for a restaurant bill, then it might be worth checking out The Coupons App to find the best available deals. Walmart
If you frequently shop at Walmart, then the official Walmart app for Android might be worth checking out. Walmart is one of the biggest retailers in the world, which is why it offers prices lower than most local retail stores. However, to find good deals you always need to look a bit harder, even if it is Walmart. This Walmart app helps users locate products at a discounted price for the next time they shop at Walmart. The application can be used to not only locate Walmart products and find discounts but also to speed up your shopping tasks by placing an order from within the application. This will result in a quicker checkout of the selected items. Furthermore, you can also find daily offers and check out the inventory before leaving home, to see if your required product is in stock. This application also provides directions to nearby Walmart stores. ShopSavvy
ShopSavvy is a cross platform application for Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone devices that provides prices from online and local retailers for a product after you’ve scanned its barcode. All you have to do is to aim the camera at the barcode of a product and hold still until you hear the beep. Once a product is scanned, you will be provided with price information and the option to buy the product via retailers such as Target, Walmart, Buy.com, and Barnes & Noble. You will require adding your credit card information before being able to place purchase orders with ShopSavvy. Another interesting aspect of this application is that it allows users to sell their own products to other ShopSavvy users. This can help users locate affordable deals for new and second-hand products, which might be available at a low price. ShopSavvy might not be as comprehensive as other shopping applications, but it serves its purpose of providing users with pricing information, comparisons, and buying options. Decide.com for Android
While ShopSavvy is meant for miscellaneous products, the Decide.com app has been designed specifically for buying electronic appliances and getting information about their prices. It is considered as the "Crystal Ball" for shopping for electronic devices. It provides a unique utility to inform users with Buy Now or Wait recommendations. The application provides users with news, prices, rumors, and details about upcoming models. Like most shopping apps, you can use Decide.com to locate nearby stores and compare product prices with online retailers. Moreover, you can also set price alerts to track products so that you can purchase them when they reach a certain price. Decide.com also facilitates in-store shopping via its barcode and QR code scanning functionality, which provides technical specifications and other details about a scanned product. Decide.com’s product search function can provide results from several well known retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Buy.com, Dell, Newegg, J&R Computers, Tigerdirect, Crutchfield, CompUSA, and Target. ShopAdvisor & Barcode Scanner
ShopAdvisor is an application designed to track and alert you regarding specific products that you’d like to purchase at a defined price. ShopAdvisor has an auto alert system for notifying users regarding price drops for products. It works in a similar way to Decide.com, however the available product range has a wider range. This application keeps track of your selected products and alerts you when the price of that product falls to your desired price level. You can also use ShopAdvisor to look for hot new products available on the market and to gather some ideas and insight regarding the product and brand that may suit your needs. To begin tracking a product, add it to ShopAdvisor by either typing in the name of the item or by scanning the barcode. ShopAdvisor will locate it in online and local stores. When the product is available at a reduced price, you will be provided with information regarding the availability of the product, along with information about where you can buy it. Mobile Shopper 2012
When looking for product information and reviews, sometimes it can hard to find unbiased and unambiguous reviews. Many of the professionally written reviews are too long and complicated for a hasty shopper to look into and the available information can appear sketchy. Therefore, the best way to get in-depth information about a product is by benefiting from the experience of other consumers. Mobile Shopper 2012 is a barcode scanner that provides users with information regarding the scanned product from both expert reviews and consumer reports. Furthermore, it also provides price comparisons for scanned products and shows places from where you can buy the product. Unlike most shopping applications, Mobile Shopper is not free and costs US$4.99. However, the price is cost-effective, as the application provides access to a number of useful features, such as professional and consumer reviews, buying advice, and information about places from where you can buy the product. Walgreens
When it comes to shopping and discount apps, one of the products frequently overlooked are medicines. If you or a loved one suffers from a chronic illness, then you might be well aware of the amount of money that can be spent on medicine. That's why it is vital to keep an eye on any discounts that you may be able to get on medicines to reduce your monthly medical expenses. The Walgreens app for Android is the official application for the Walgreens drug store. It not only offers convenience in getting refills and buying medicine but also provides information about available discounts in the area. With this app, you can get instant refills for your medicine by scanning your Walgreens prescription label and printing photos from your phone. The application also helps you locate nearby stores using GPS and helps you discover in-store saving opportunities in the form of weekly ads and mobile coupons. Dream Deals and Coupons
Ever been to a retail store and wondered how you could get discounts? Dream Deals and Coupons is an Android app that can help you easily search and find the best deals for not just various retail stores but the store that you are currently at. All you need to type is the store name or you can select a store from the available list. Once you’re done, the coupons and deals for the store will be available. You can double-tap on the deal view to zoom the display. The store list has more than 100 well known names, including 24 Hour Fitness, Ace Hardware, Avon, Backcountry, Bass Pro Shops, Bath Body Works, Beauty, Cabelas, Clinique, Crate and Barrel, DIRECTV, dish Network, and many more. The best thing about Dream Deals and Coupons is that it has an uncomplicated user interface with a listing of each store with their respective logos, which makes it easy to find and select stores at a glance. With these apps, finding bargains is no chore at all. Download one or all of the apps to start finding the best deals for the items you need. While the above mentioned apps should cover most, if not all, of your shopping requirements, if you think that we have missed a vital category or app that can get the best discount for our readers, then share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment below. This article, Best Android apps for shoppers to find best deals , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Google Drive app: Google Docs app with new twist and spin Posted: 08 May 2012 01:00 PM PDT
Google Drive is the much-anticipated service that Google had always wanted to incorporate into its ever-popular Android OS. Since its release, many users have been thinking of integrating their files with the next-big-thing in cloud storage. Accessing your personal Google Drive storage couldn't get any better, thanks to the Google Drive application, tailor-made to help users manage their storage account. First of all, Google Drive for Android is not entirely new but rather, it's the old Google Docs application under a different brand. Not much has changed and Google Docs users will find the same interface. There is a twist, however, because Google Drive includes a few Drive options that you could use. Google Drive for Android is much different from its older Windows and Mac version clients, as the app doesn't give you a folder that is constantly synced in the cloud. Instead, you get a phone- or tablet-optimized interface for you to browse your files over the cloud. You can edit your Google Docs files directly from the app itself. You can download files to your phone, select individual files to stay synchronized, and you have the option to make a file available offline.
Launching the application will let you access your own personalize drive. Google Drive sorts your files according to categories: shared files, starred, recent, and offline files.
Tapping My Drive will take you to a list of your files and folders that you can access directly in Google Drive. Selecting a file will open it, provided it’s in a format that’s supported by Google Docs. In case your file is in a format that is not supported, a pop-up dialog box will appear, asking you for an app to use as a replacement.
If you have tons of files on your Google Drive, you can easily sort them by title, when you last modified them, when you last opened them, or when they were last edited by you. You can even refresh the whole file list for any new updates, especially if you’ve shared your files with others.
On your file list, you may notice that each file has an arrow pointing downward next to it. Tapping the down arrow brings up a menu of options for the file. You can either share the file with your friends who are also using Google Drive, send the file online to other file sharing services, or make the file available offline and download it onto your phone. One of Google Drive’s drawbacks has to be the lack of syncing for folders. The lack of this feature is quite a disappointment for users who have a ton of files sorted into folders. Another thing worth mentioning is that Google Drive for Android only allows a handful of files to be made available offline. In other words, you can never have a folder on your phone that stays synced with Google Drive and can be managed from your computer. Overall, Google Drive is a straightforward application that, while missing folder syncing and a limit of how many files can be available offline, definitely makes your life easier. Consider it as a supplement or extension of your Google Drive account. You can conveniently access your files from your Google Drive storage directly on your Android phone or tablet. To be able to access your files anywhere on any Android device, download Google Drive for free from the Google Play Store. This article, Google Drive app: Google Docs app with new twist and spin , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Reverse Tether: Sharing your PC’s Internet connection to your Android phone Posted: 08 May 2012 11:00 AM PDT
Don’t you just hate it when your phone’s Internet connection is cut off? A lack of Internet connection really screws things up, especially if you are downloading something very important. You don’t have to worry anymore because there is now a way for you to enjoy the Internet on your phone by using your computer’s Internet connection. How, you ask? There’s an app called Reverse Tether that will do the trick for you. Read on to know more about Reverse Tether. Apart from calling and text messaging functions, your Android device is quite useless without the Internet. With out an Internet connection, you cannot download apps, movies, music or even use most of your apps. That won’t be a problem anymore because there’s a new way to access your computer’s Internet connection. Reverse Tether is an app developed by lightlan and is especially useful if you have a limited mobile data plan or none at all. Use Reverse Tether to enjoy your computer’s fast Internet connection without paying for any extra charges on your monthly bill. You can also choose to show your connection as 3G.
How It WorksTo use Reverse Tether, simply connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable. Using the app is very easy because the the app will guide you on how to set things up on your computer. There is no need for accompanying software; all you need is your phone’s drivers installed on your computer for Reverse Tether to work. On the other hand, if you know your way around your computer, there is also an option for manual configuration.
After you have set Reverse Tether up, you can connect to the Internet instantly and easily. Every time you want to access the Internet, simply plug your phone into your computer via the USB cable and you’re set.
Although setting up the app is quite easy, there are a few things that you need before you can install it. First and foremost, you need to have your device rooted for Reverse Tether to work. You also need to have a tether option on your device and you computer should have an option to edit the network connections, which most computers do. DownsideReverse Tether also has some downsides. One great limitation of Reverse Tether is that it is not guaranteed to work on all devices. Based on the reviews, the app worked on some devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S2, Samsung Galaxy 5, and Sony Xperia Arc. Factors like carrier restrictions or the configuration of your phone will determine whether Reverse Tether will work on your phone. Also, the app is not free and although there is a trial version, it only allows you to connect for a certain length of time. Some users, however, were able to use Reverse Tether on their phone and connected to the Internet with ease. Try Reverse Tether now and have a back up plan in case you lose phone’s Internet connection. You can download Reverse Tether from the Google Play Store. This article, Reverse Tether: Sharing your PC’s Internet connection to your Android phone , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Jury: Google infringed Java copyright, but we’re not sure it’s worth a $1 billion penalty Posted: 08 May 2012 10:22 AM PDT
Well, who can honestly say that they didn't see this one coming? In the case of Oracle vs Java, the jury has returned a mixed verdict that will not please either of the sides. Although the jury has found Google to be in the wrong by infringing Oracle-owned Java copyrights, a unanimous decision couldn't be reached on whether Google's use of the Java APIs can be considered 'fair use' or not. Judge William Alsup, who oversees the case, said that the jury’s decision to fault Google's use of the nine lines of the "rangeCheck" code (which are identical to Java code) will be of little help in determining the victor if it fails to conclude on the issue of fair use. Since the deadlock between the jury couldn’t be broken, even after the jurors received more deliberation time over the weekend, the judge decided to move on with the next stage of the trial. There were four questions that the team of jurors, which consists of five men and seven women, had to answer. Two of the questions were whether or not Google had infringed Oracle documentation copyrights – it's a no for this one – and whether the copying of code was significant enough to warrant a full-on actionable infringement. The latter is the question upon which the jury can't seem to decide.
The partial verdict means that Google won't have to give in to Oracle's demand to pay $1 billion in damages, since the infringement might still be considered a minor one. Moving away from Oracle's initial stance of demanding just statutory damages, the company's legal team now says that Oracle is entitled to a portion of Android profits, as a result of the infringement of those nine lines of code. Responding to the decision, Google said that "fair use and infringement are two sides of the same coin." While Google looks forward to the decision of whether Java APIs are copyrightable or not, the search giant is certain that it will prevail. Given the result, Google has filed for a mistrial and a hearing of both sides is set to take place on May 10. Meanwhile, Oracle is convinced that "the overwhelming evidence demonstrated that Google knew it needed a license and that its unauthorized fork of Java in Android shattered Java's central write once run anywhere principle." The trial will now focus on the alleged violation by Google of another two Java patents. Bear in mind that the jury's decision will only be used as deliberation points for the judge and the ruling will ultimately be issued by him. This article, Jury: Google infringed Java copyright, but we're not sure it's worth a $1 billion penalty , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Best remote access apps for Android Posted: 08 May 2012 09:00 AM PDT
Although smartphones and tablets are quickly replacing conventional computers, the complete switch has yet to be made. This is because there are still many tasks that can only be performed on a desktop computer. For this purpose, we sometimes require remotely accessing computers to perform certain tasks. For example, one may require collaborating with a friend via remote desktop or might have to log in to a remote server at office to perform maintenance. Let's take a look at some of the best remote access applications for Android, which can help you remotely work on a desktop computer. TeamViewer For Android
TeamViewer is one of the most famous remote desktop and collaboration applications. It is available for all major platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. This provides users with the capability to collaborate and share their desktop, regardless of their operating system. With TeamViewer you can remotely access computers and assist friends or family members with system issues via desktop sharing. TeamViewer has both a free and paid version. The paid version is ideal for the corporate environment to collaborate and to remotely provide support to clients, as well as to administer computers. TeamViewer is free for non-commercial use; however a commercial license is required for corporate usage and to acquire advanced features. The paid version provides additional options like enhanced multi-monitor support, faster drag and drop, the ability to save connection settings per computer, AVI format conversion for recorded sessions, optimized performance and more. With TeamViewer you can even take part in group chats and be a part of meetings on the go. Other than remote access, TeamViewer also offers options for VoIP, conference call, whiteboard, and scheduling meetings. Android-VNC-Viewer
If for some reason you are looking for an alternative for TeamViewer, then android-vnc-viewer is the perfect application for you. It allows users to remotely access their desktop via an Android device and is capable of connecting to most VNC servers including RealVNC (Windows and Linux), TightVNC, x11vnc and Apple Remote Desktop (Mac). You can also import and export settings to a file from your SD card and URLs for importing settings. The latter can be quite useful for deploying a number of devices with the same configurations. Other major features of android-vnc-viewer include keyboard zoom, the option to configure multiple connections, multiple input modes and more. android-vnc-viewer is a good application for performing basic tasks such as accessing files on your computer and remotely managing uploading and downloading functions. The only problem with android-vnc-viewer is that it requires a VNC server and many users might not have the knowledge to setup a VNC server on their desktop computers. GPP Remote Control
If you are looking for an application that does not have a complicated interface and focuses on providing the most basic options to remotely control your computer, the GPP Remote Control is just what you need. GPP Remote Control has been designed for users who wish to remotely access their computer to copy, download, upload and delete files, manage upload/download tasks, monitor your home via your computer's webcam, monitor your child's computer usage, keep an eye on employees at office, and much more. GPP Remote Control has a simple interface that displays options to manage files, control system processes, access the webcam and use installed messengers on your computer. The best thing about GPP is that it is extremely easy to install, even for people with little knowledge about remote access. For the kind of features that GPP provides, it is obvious that it is not a free application. Nonetheless, the price of US$2.00 is not much to pay in return for an app that can provide you with remote access and home surveillance features. Splashtop Remote Desktop
Many remote access applications either provide their own interface instead of displaying the remote desktop or suffer from lags when displaying the shared/remote screen. Furthermore, the quality of the remote desktop display is also not very commendable for a majority of apps. Splashtop Remote Desktop is an application that resolves this problem by streaming the desktop of a PC or Mac to an Android device. What makes Splashstop better than a majority of apps is its ability to provide a high resolution display, which enables you to work with the applications, multimedia files, games and more on your computer. Due to its robust functionality Splashtop was awarded as the best mobile app of CES 2012. It is an ideal app for use over Wi-Fi, 3G, and 4G networks for making full use of high quality media content on your computer, via your Android device. You can setup a remote connection via Splashtop by installing Splashtop Streamer on your computer. The mobile app will then automatically find your local computer. Alternatively, you can stream your computer via the internet by signing in to your Gmail account. Splashtop costs US$4.99 and can be used with computers running Windows XP/Vista/7 and Mac OS X 10.6+. PocketCloud Remote RDP / VNC
PocketCloud Remote RDP / VNC is another robust application for Windows and Mac users who own an Android device. It provides remote access to your computer over a Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G network. It is ideal for business class users who require remote access, virtualization, and good connectivity options to remotely access their computer. With PocketCloud, you can remotely perform critical tasks such as making presentations, collaborating with friends and colleagues, editing important documents (such as spreadsheets), and grabbing files from your computer. PocketCloud provides connectivity options for both novice and advanced users. You can either connect to your computer by following a minimalist setup or use the "Advanced Setup" to connect to a computer running VNC or RDP via the computer's hostname/IP address. What makes PocketCloud quite useful is its ability to pack a number of useful features in one application. These include remote connectivity via three major options (RDP, VNC and via Google account), high accuracy screen control, auto activation for keyboard, custom keyboard, and more. PocketCloud also has a paid version which costs US$14.99 and delivers extra features such as connectivity to multiple computers (free version is limited to 1 computer), encryption, and VMWare View support. YouTube Remote
Remote access is not always about going through complicated configurations to access your entire computer. Sometimes remote access can include anything as small as the utility to turn your Android device into a remote control. YouTube Remote is a simple application that enables using Android-based tablets and smartphones as a remote for YouTube videos streaming on a computer or Internet TV. Using an Android device as a remote can be more convenient than simply using a mouse. This is particularly true for systems that may be hooked up to an external display screen such as a TV via an HDMI or analog cable. All you have to do is to visit youtube.com/leanback via the host device and head over to My YouTube -> Pair with mobile device. This will allow you to control your YouTube videos via Android. Furthermore, you can select the "Topic" option to see details about the video you are watching. The application displays related links for the video including links to IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, a related (official) website, and Wikipedia. VLC Remote
Speaking of remote control, it is more likely that you will be using a media player instead of YouTube for watching videos. When it comes to watching videos or listening to audio tracks, one of the most robust media players is the opensource VLC Media Player. VLC Remote is a similar app to YouTube Remote, except for the fact that it provides remote access and control for the VLC Media Player. VLC Remote allows you to control the VLC media player across a number of platforms including a PC, Mac, or Linux. The major features of the free version of VLC Remote include control options for volume, play, pause, and position of the track, as well as demo features of the paid version such as DVD, subtitle, audio track controls, delay option, access to external drives and file browsing control to allow playing files from your computer. The paid version of VLC Remote costs US$2.99. PhoneMyPC
PhoneMyPC is perhaps one of the most comprehensive Android-based remote access application for Windows users. It provides a large range of useful features for connecting to your PC and performing necessary tasks with a secure SSL connection. There is no configuration required to use this application and you can instantly start accessing your PC via an Android device over a Wi-Fi, 3G, or 4G connection. You can setup PhoneMyPC by downloading the PC client and following the simple instructions from the developer's website. With PhoneMyPC, you can control your computer's processes, windows, and webcam. You can even get instant video and audio of your house via your webcam. The application is optimized for Honeycomb and ICS tablets, which makes PhoneMyPC even more useful. This is because it is much easier to control and manage your computer remotely on a larger tablet screen than a small smartphone display. All connections established through PhoneMyPC are secured with SSL, despite the fact that the basic connectivity options do not require elaborate IP configurations. However, users can perform advanced configurations in accordance with an advanced network setup. PhoneMyPC is currently in its beta stage and costs US$14.99. ConnectBot
While most applications are usually targeted at novice and intermediate users, seldom do we see an application that caters to the needs of hardcore IT professionals. ConnectBot is a free application for IT professionals who require remotely working on UNIX servers. This opensource Android application is a SSH (Secure Shell) client for managing numerous SSH sessions simultaneously. With ConnectBot, you can create secure tunnels, connect to UNIX-based servers and copy/paste content between applications. An application like ConnectBot is a blessing for UNIX users as most IT professionals who work on UNIX servers face a dearth of useful apps. It is no hidden secret that connecting to a server remotely is no longer a utility but rather a necessity for system administrators. What makes ConnectBot handy is that it eliminates the need to run over to the nearest computer to fix sever issues, as a system administrator can do this from her or his handheld Android device. Jump Desktop
Jump Desktop is another feature-rich application that can be used by all kind of end-users. It provides multi-protocol support for RDP and VNC, with multi-touch support for pinch-to-zoom, mouse dragging, two-finger scrolling and three-finger taps for viewing/hiding the keyboard. Jump Desktop can be used with Windows, Mac OS X and Linux based computers. Other than basic connectivity options for remotely managing your computer, you can also use Jump Desktop to create secure SSH tunnels. Jump Desktop has been built on open standards, with built-in support for encryption. Connections are established by using the IP address and hostname of the computer, provided it has RDP or VNC configured on it. Jump Desktop has a free and paid version. The former allows connecting to one computer, whereas the pro version allows connecting to an unlimited number of computers. The paid version costs US$10.13. Jump Desktop works with Windows 200/XP/Vista/7/Server 2003 and 2008, Mac OS X, and Linux. The use of mobile applications for remotely accessing and managing desktop computers/servers can be extremely helpful for end-users. However, many remote access applications still lack smooth functionality and better access features via the Internet. This, however, is likely to change as Android developers step up to create more robust remote access applications in the wake of improving hardware specifications for Android devices (e.g. quad-core processors). If you’ve got a favorite remote access app for Android devices, share it with us in the comments section. No related posts. This article, Best remote access apps for Android , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Is it a BlackBerry? Is it a Symbian? No, it’s the Google Sooner, the first Android reference device Posted: 08 May 2012 08:29 AM PDT
If you had fun with the images of that early prototype of a Google phone we showed you a couple of weeks ago, you should prepare yourselves for something even more "special" today. Developer Steven Troughton-Smith got his hands on the first ever "Android reference device" and we are now excited to show you a few high-resolution photos that document Android's early days. The Google Sooner, aka the HTC EXCA 300, wasn’t ever officially released, but it's interesting to see how much head work Google managed to do between 2007, when this device was in the works, and October 2008, when the HTC Dream (or the T-Mobile G1) hit the market. Tech specs and lookThe Sooner was supposed to be powered by an OMAP 850 processor and feature 64 MB of RAM, as well as 64 MB of on-board memory. The LCD screen sported by the device didn't support touch input and came with a "generous" 320 x 240 pixel resolution.
Other features included a 1.3 megapixel camera (that's actually decent if you think about it) with video recording capabilities, a 2G radio, a mini-SD slot, a mini-USB port, a full Qwerty keyboard, a four-way d-pad, and four system buttons. WiFi and 3G connectivity were missing, but that doesn't come as a surprise. As for the phone's design, I don't know about you, but I can't help smiling when I look at the photos below. However, Troughton-Smith does mention that the device felt "surprisingly light" and that the exterior "had a certain quality to it", so if the Sooner wasn't elegant (and it certainly wasn't), at least it was solid, without being too bulky.
SoftwareWhile some of you might have a good laugh when looking at the exterior of the Google Sooner, we are more interested in the phone's software. Built on May 15 2007, according to Troughton-Smith, the device runs a much earlier Android version than anything we've seen before. As you may imagine, the fact that the Google Sooner didn't support touch input made this early software build very different from Android's first stock version. However, there are a number of other differences too, mostly when talking about the home screen and the phone's pre-loaded apps. In fact, the Google Sooner didn't actually feature a home screen, as we know it these days. Instead, the phone's primary interface consisted of a large (and pretty cool) clock and a pop-up Google search bar. As far as apps go, you had Google Talk, Gmail, a calculator, a calendar, a notepad, Google Maps, YouTube, Google Earth, and a bunch of other similar "programs" pre-installed on the device.
Sure, most of them were rudimentary and looked kind of ugly, to be honest (what's up with the green Google Talk?), but for such an early smartphone, there were quite a few things to keep you busy. Unfortunately, there were also a few bugs here and there and neither Google Maps, nor YouTube ran smoothly for Troughton-Smith. Was Sooner canceled because of the iPhone?Aside from providing us with a sweet look back at Android’s childhood, Steven Troughton-Smith tries to explain the reasons why the Google Sooner was never shown to the public. Troughton-Smith says that "it's quite clear that Android was being designed to a completely different target before the iPhone was released" and that Apple's gadget determined Google to change its perspective and step up its game a notch.
However, Diane Hackthorn, an employee of Google's Android engineering group, describes Smith's blog post as "misleading". According to Hackthorn, the T-Mobile G1 and the Google Sooner "were basically the same" and the decision to drop Sooner was taken "well before the iPhone announcement". In cases like this, the truth is usually somewhere in the middle, but I, for one, don't think it's that important to know whether Google canceled the Sooner due to the iPhone or not. What is important, though, is that Android really has come a long way from its inception, and that mobile technology as a whole progressed tremendously in just a few short years. You should also check out the following Android demo from November 2007. You can catch a glimpse of the Sooner in this clip, but you can also see a different and significantly more complex prototype, with a touchscreen and a "friendlier" interface. Have fun! This article, Is it a BlackBerry? Is it a Symbian? No, it’s the Google Sooner, the first Android reference device , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Google gets first self-driving car license in Nevada Posted: 08 May 2012 07:45 AM PDT
This may come as a surprise to many, but it looks like Google’s self-driving car concept is a lot closer to reaching the consumer market than previously thought. Nevada's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) recently gave Google the first ever autonomous vehicle license. The Google-modified Toyota Prius is the only licensed autonomous car we'll see around for a while, as such vehicles are not available to the public yet. On the upside, DMV officials have announced their plans to license self-driving vehicles to the general public at some point in the future. I must admit that, when I first took a glance at the concept and the videos that Google has uploaded on its Youtube channel, I wasn't convinced that Google’s self driving car is actually this close to being bug-free. Skeptical by nature, I was willing to bet that videos such as the following one are compiled from chunks of successful footage, and do not reflect the actual state of the concept. Fortunately, I was wrong. Nevada officials have test-driven (pun intended) the concept in various areas, such as the Las Vegas Strip, Carson City, the Golden Gate bridge, and a number of highways. The conclusion that Nevada State officials have reached is that Google's self driving car will actually make driving safer than it is in the present. More, according to Nevada DMV director Bruce Breslow, self-driving vehicles are "the car of the future". Nevada is not the only state in the US that plans to regulate autonomous cars in the near future. California, Google's home state, is also taking the matter into consideration. According to Alex Padilla, California state Senator: “The vast majority of vehicle accidents are due to human error. Through the use of computers, sensors and other systems, an autonomous vehicle is capable of analyzing the driving environment more quickly and operating the vehicle more safely”. What do you guys make of this story? Are autonomous vehicles closer than we think? Would you allow a computer to take care of driving for you? Drop us a line in the comment section below! This article, Google gets first self-driving car license in Nevada , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| RIM: Here’s what you need to do to succeed with Blackberry 10 this fall Posted: 08 May 2012 07:26 AM PDT
Android is a great operating system (I’d say the best overall), and I can see myself using it for at least the next five years. It may even become a desktop solution, if Google takes the right steps in that direction. But we should always encourage more competition in the market. Competition is a good thing for Google because it will have to innovate faster, and everyone else will have to keep up with its pace. Other companies will come with their own innovations, and the virtuous cycle will repeat itself. This is why I’m excited about RIM’s Blackberry. I really want them to pull a comeback. I am not worried about RIM stealing any Android market share – at all. Maybe BB OS will slow down Android a bit in the enterprise sector, but let’s be honest here – Google isn’t exactly focusing on enterprise right now. In fact, a successful RIM might actually hold off the onslaught of the iPhone in the enterprise area. In the process, BBOS might become the true third platform, which would pick up whatever market share is left after Android and iOS (~15% – but more than enough for RIM). Here’s the main areas where I think RIM should channel its energies right now. Enterprise
While an increasing number of employees are bringing their Android phones to work, and this trend will definitely continue, truth is, the iPhone is swiftly becoming the phone of choice in the corporate environment. And it’s not even that good of an enterprise phone. But it’s popular in general, and its popularity with consumers is influencing the enterprise market (the iPad has a big halo effect, too, in the enterprise sector). However, RIM is still dominant in enterprise, and many companies were just waiting for the Canadians to finally make some modern phones. This is why RIM needs to go all-in with BB10, get as many partnerships as possible by the time they launch it, and port all their security and enterprise features, as well. In general, they should make sure that everything they deliver is flawless, even if BB10 doesn’t match Android or iOS in terms of functionality. What RIM really needs to do is make its enterprise customers, its core market, happy. To achieve that, they need to avoid blunders like the lack of a native e-mail client on the Playbook. If their enterprise customers are missing anything — anything at all — from BB10 devices, they’ve failed. Promotion
Another thing that RIM desperately needs is a good base of quality apps (at least 5,000-10,000 at launch), and then to keep the momentum going with developers. I fear they will mess things up with the SDKs. I think they should give up on Java and on Dalvik apps, which I doubt that are going to do them much good, and just focus on native apps and perhaps HTML/JS embedded ones. Then, they also need to convince carriers that they’re still a much more viable platform than WP7, almost as good as Android and iOS, and they are even better for enterprise customers. This is a BIG one. They must not treat this one lightly. Carrier relationships at launch will make or break BB10, even if they do everything else right. Get Verizon to do a $100 million marketing push, and also work with Vodafone or whoever for a big international launch. Devices
I believe that RIM needs three devices at launch (kind of like HTC’s One strategy). First, a high-end with very competitive hardware (for fall 2012, not spring 2012 as I fear they will do it) to compete with the new iPhone, the Galaxy S3, and the HTC One X or whatever their competitors will have by then. This high-end device should show that RIM means business as a top manufacturer, and excite early adopters over BB10. It needs to have a solid build, as well as an iconic design (the above image would be a great start for that). It should cost $200 on contract and have LTE. Then, they need a mid-range device, with a physical keyboard and a 3-inch or so screen with 800×480 resolution, for enterprise and “Blackberry keyboard fanatics”. RIM needs to transition to touchscreen devices, but most of their loyal customers still want a keyboard device, especially the enterprise customers. It would be foolish to abandon the iconic QWERTY keyboard on the old BB7 and use BB10 only for touchscreen devices and the younger crowd. This mid-range device could be something like the Torch or the Bold, but it should have a touchscreen that is big enough for modern apps. It should cost $100 on contract and also have LTE. Finally, RIM should come up with a low-end device, say with a 1Ghz processor and 800×480 resolution on a 3.7-4 inch display, for those “young people” that like BBM and want the latest and greatest Blackberry, but don’t have $700 to spend on a phone. It should be $50 on a lower-priced contract (most younger people can’t afford $100 monthly payments). I fear they will make these devices more expensive than this, because, well, they are RIM. That would be a terrible mistake on their part. RIM, just like Nokia, needs to learn that even if it uses another OS, it doesn’t mean it sells devices in complete isolation from everyone else. The Canadians still need to compete on features and pricing with everyone else, whether it’s Android OEMs or the mighty Apple. I believe this is the best strategy for them. They really need to address all these markets with the new BB10 OS. But I fear they will only make one high-end touchscreen device. The problem with this strategy is RIM can’t afford to go slow and take one market at a time. I don’t think those three devices would create confusion among customers, because they are well separated and well targeted. If they make only one “hero” device and try to compete with the iPhone, they won’t sell too many BB10 devices, and they’ll have to leave most of their enterprise users on the old BB7. If there are too few devices sold, it will also negatively affect developer interest. Optional (or maybe not)
So far, no other operating system made and owned by a single manufacturer has succeeded in the market against the iPhone. WebOS, Bada, Meego – they’ve all failed. In the current market, it’s almost impossible for any single company to push an entire ecosystem by its own, unless it completely changes the game for everybody, like Apple did in 2007. Heck, you could even say WP7 has largely failed, and it’s actually an OS pushed by multiple manufacturers. So again, the chances are very slim for a single manufacturer to build momentum around its OS, completely on its own. I’d like to say that RIM still has a chance on its own with BB10, because they still have the enterprise market, where they dominate. Also, millions of people love BBM. But seeing the track record of everyone else, I’m not sure that RIM will succeed by going solo. And if they are wrong about it and BB10 fails to pick up momentum, it’s game over. That’s why I think the best move for RIM would be to get Samsung, HTC, and perhaps even LG and Sony to adopt BB10, and accept them as competitors in the enterprise. I’m sure Samsung and HTC would like a boon in the enterprise world, but RIM will have to convince them first that they can be successful with BB10, and that RIM will compete fair and square. This may cause RIM some headaches, since they’ll have to walk on a very thin line to pull it off, but, ultimately, it may provide the only chance for BB10, and that matters a lot more. Conclusion
I’ll admit that is very late for RIM to launch BB10. They’ve been arrogant for so long because they refused to face the truth that their devices aren’t competitive with Android phones and the iPhone. They looked at the numbers, and saw that their devices are selling well, so obviously there’s no threat from Android and iPhone, right? Wrong. You shouldn’t look at revenues to see if you are competitive. You should look at the products. That’s what will really tell you if you’re competitive or not. RIM didn’t do that and it cost them a lot. It may even cost them their existence if BB10 fails. The only reason RIM’s financial numbers looked good for so long was because they were still selling many devices in countries where Android phones or iPhones hadn’t yet take off. But they should’ve seen it coming. They should’ve realized that it’s only a matter of time before their customers worldwide put 2 and 2 together and see that Blackberries are not as good as iOS and Android devices. Since it’s so late for them, they really need to make sure they get this launch right. If they fail, it’s going to be the very last time when the media cares about RIM. They have one shot and one shot only to get it right. This article, RIM: Here’s what you need to do to succeed with Blackberry 10 this fall , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Enjoy Reddit in a whole new way, with Reddit Sync! Posted: 08 May 2012 05:17 AM PDT
Reddit.com is one of the most popular sharing and discussion outposts on the internet. There are ‘subreddits’ for nearly every topic imaginable, from funny photos to political discussion. Though Reddit was originally designed to be viewed in peoples web browsers, the website has recently become even more popular with a variety of mobile applications that help to keep you amused on the go. There are several great ones for Android – Bacon Reader, Reddit Is Fun and Reddionic. My favourite is recently released Reddit Sync, and I’d love to tell you why. Inline previewsMy absolute favourite feature of Reddit Sync is subreddit inline viewing. You can see that in the screenshot below of r/funny, there is a camera icon. Tapping either that or the image preview on the left expands the entry to reveal the picture, tap again and it’s hidden. Instead of all the back-and-forth behaviour of jumping into a post and back out, you can view them this way which is far faster and tidier.
The same goes for “self” text posts, so you can see the full original post. Prioritising commentsSome posts can amass 3000 comments and nobody wants to have to look through all that for the most popular ones. To save you the hassle of looking and waiting for all the comments to be downloaded, by default only the first 15 most popular comments are downloaded. If you want to download the rest of them this is easily done with a toggle at the bottom of the post entry. You’ll notice in the screenshot below that comment threads are easy to follow thanks to indentation.
In-App navigationBesides the inline viewing of images and text posts, Reddit Sync has another distinct and defining feature – The Navigation amongst and between Subreddits. All entries in a subreddit are neatly aligned regardless of title size, and sorted how you choose with options including Hot, New, Top-Hour/Day/Week etc, Controversial – Hour/Day etc. My favourite part of the navigation within this app has to be the way you switch between subreddits you are reading. Instead of having to ‘go back out’ of a subreddit, you can define the order of your subscribed subreddits and then flick left and right through them.
Save and voteMost Reddit fans will agree that Reddit’s best feature is the voting system that determines the current ‘best content’. Some Reddit clients are read-only but Reddit Sync allows you to login, post replys, vote, share with others, save posts, and it even pulls in your Reddit history, so previously voted posts have a coloured marker next to them!
Pop-Up browser for viewing web linksRather than mimicking the behaviour of other apps and shoving you off to another application to view web links, Reddit Sync uses a small in-app browser. As well as letting you enjoy the linked content, you can also quickly vote on it, save it, flick back to the discussion or open it in your phone’s fully-featured browser.
SpeedyWhen I first saw the screenshots on the Play Store and everything that Reddit Sync could do, I was expecting the application to be large and need a fair bit of power to make it run smoothly. Instead it’s one of the most lightweight and smooth applications I’ve ever used. The refresh times as you move between subreddits are also seamless despite the application downloading plenty of thumbnails and text posts ready for you to look through. Final thoughtsThis great application is available free from the Play Store, so I encourage you to download and enjoy it. If you aren’t already a Reddit user, take a look at the browser version of the site. Reddit lives up to it’s slogan as “The Front-page of the Internet”. Everything and anything worth looking at pertaining to any subject can be found there. Enjoy! This article, Enjoy Reddit in a whole new way, with Reddit Sync! , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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