Monday, January 30, 2012

Google Alert - android


Android Trojans downloaded by millions, still on Android Market
Ars Technica
By Jon Brodkin | Published January 30, 2012 10:06 AM Symantec last week identified 13 new malicious applications on the Android Market, saying the combined download figures—reportedly up to 5 million—make it "the highest distribution of any malware ...
See all stories on this topic »
Amazon Kindle Fire Hijacks Android Tablet Market
eWeek
Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet has become a top driver of Android tablet application consumption in less than three months, according to mobile analytics firm Flurry. Amazon's (NASDAQ:AMZN) Kindle Fire has managed to become the first tablet based on ...
See all stories on this topic »
Careful with custom Android ROMs, you could be the problem
ZDNet (blog)
By Matthew Miller | January 30, 2012, 6:38am PST Summary: One of the reasons many smartphone enthusiasts pick up an Android smartphone is to tweak it with custom ROMs. However, you should also be careful or you could make things worse like I did.
See all stories on this topic »
Droid Razr Maxx: An Android smartphone for big talkers
InfoWorld
By Galen Gruman | InfoWorld Thanks to the proliferation -- and relative similarity -- of Android smartphones on the market, finding the right model to suit your needs is no easy task. But for those looking to bulk up on battery life, enter Motorola ...
See all stories on this topic »
Androids no moneymaker, but Google profits from tracking
The Seattle Times
(January 30, 2012, by Costco Booze) MORE Google doesn't make much money from its Android phones, but Chief Executive Larry Page recently vowed in an earnings call that that was about to change. A push by the company to create clearer online profiles of ...
See all stories on this topic »

The Seattle Times
Lenovo to Upgrade ThinkPad Tablet to Android 4.0 in Q2
PCWorld
By Agam Shah, IDG News Lenovo plans to upgrade its popular ThinkPad Tablet to the latest version of the Android 4.0 operating system in the second quarter this year, the company said on Monday. The ThinkPad Tablet was launched in July last year as a ...
See all stories on this topic »
Tips and tricks for upgrading your Android phone
Network World
By Howard Wen, Network World The biggest problem with the Android platform has been how slowly many phone makers release the latest version of the OS for their older models. It's also not unusual for them to never do so. (A company may not want to ...
See all stories on this topic »
McAfee releases new security suite for Android, BlackBerry, x86droid
BetaNews
By Tim Conneally Intel may still be a rookie in the mobile space, but its security software subsidiary McAfee has got Intel's Android project covered. On Monday, the security company launched its second-generation McAfee Mobile Security suite for ...
See all stories on this topic »

BetaNews
Salina Police launch Android smartphone app
KWCH
The department launched a new Android smartphone app. Police tell us the app can be used to get information about the police department, file certain types of reports and make Crimestoppers tips. The app also links to the department's Facebook and ...
See all stories on this topic »

KWCH

Blogs5 new results for android
Games Decreasing In Popularity On Android, Entertainment Apps ...
By Sarah Perez
Chomp found that games are now seeing a decreasing number of downloads on Android. That's interesting because we've come to think of the mobile gaming market as this booming space, which is defining itself as the top category driving ...
TechCrunch
Official Formspring for Android Application Now Available
By Quentyn Kennemer
Formspring is relatively new to the social network realm and it's quite unlike the more popular services out there. Formspring prides itself on anonymous.
Android Phone Fans
"Malicious" Android apps are just aggresive advertising, says ...
By Meghan Kelly
Last week Symantec reported 13 potentially malware-carrying Android applications, that it said may make up a family of botnets. Mobile security firm Lookout Mobile, however, is now saying the apps are just an advertising network.
VentureBeat
Motorola offers bootloader-unlocked RAZR ... - Android Community
By Chris Davies
Motorola has announced a new variant of the RAZR, the RAZR XT910 Developer Edition, targeting coders with its unlockable bootloader. Currently up for pre-order.
Android Community
SwitchMe App for Android Saves Battery Life
By Christine T
SwitchMe is a new application that is slightly similar to a Boot Manager app recently discovered. In the concept, they are similar. However, SwitchMe d.
Android Authority



Posted: 30 Jan 2012 12:50 AM PST

A student from the Horizon High School in Omaha has admitted to being the one responsible for redirecting the outbound traffic of his school to an Android device. This practice he led the school to have intermittent network access for three days. Through the use of ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) spoofing, the unnamed student drew off the network traffic of his school to the smartphone.
For anyone who doesn't know what ARP spoofing is, using it enables an attacker to silently reroute packets among two machines to another machine once an IP/MAC address has been forged. But if the attacker was able to associate his device's MAC address together with the local area network gateway, they can gain access to the entire outbound network traffic.
A staff from the school said that the student used an app called Arpspoof and even illustrated how it worked. Before the student found out what he was doing, they deleted it and password-protected his smartphone.
This may have something to do with the free open source network of Google's Android Market. In addition, there was a tutorial that the student followed containing a note on 'ARPspoofing between a machine and the LANs gateway you can see all the traffic it's sending out to the internet.'
The IT staff of the school discovered that 'all of the outgoing internet traffic was redirected to the student's Android cellphone instead of the intended recipients,' this was found on the search warrant obtained by the MSNBC.
On Android Market, the product description of the ARPspoof app says that it is "an open source tool for network auditing.
It redirects packets on the local network by broadcasting spoofed ARP messages. Arpspoof displays the packets that the victims are sending to the device, but it doesn’t save them. If you’re wanting to analyse the packets then you should save them by running tcpdump"
Between January 9 and 11, the search warrant that the Douglas County police issued states that the school staff were 'unable to actively use their computers.'  There has been an issued warrant that gives the sheriff authority to forensically examine the device.

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This article, Student Admitted to ARP Spoofing His School Network through Android Device , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 11:47 PM PST

For anyone who's having issues with the battery life of their Galaxy Nexus, here's some good news to share. Verizon now offers a Galaxy Nexus Spare Battery Charging System to enable charging your battery on the go. While the spare battery charges, you can sit your phone on the stand to provide you an optimal viewing angle that lets you read, watch movies, or listen to music through your device.
Apart from the Spare Battery Charging System for Verizon Galaxy Nexus, you get a MicroUSB wall charger and a standard 1850mAh battery. You can get this for $39.99

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This article, Verizon Galaxy Nexus Now Has a Spare Battery Charging System , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 10:45 PM PST

SwitchMe is a new application that is slightly similar to a Boot Manager app recently discovered. In the concept, they are similar. However, SwitchMe does not allow booting into different ROMs like the Boot Manager app. On the plus side—SwitchMe is easier to navigate.
The app enables its users to create a seamless and smooth installation in the current ROM without having to go through tweaks and settings. Moreover, the app has been found to do good for battery optimization while letting its users switch through different profiles.
Here are other things you can do with the app, as discussed by the developer, FAHRBOT Utilities:
The technology behind SwitchMe saves all of your applications and data, protects it and stores it as a file in memory. You can then log out of an account and log into a fresh installation of Android or another account with its own unique content.
Privacy—the most obvious benefit is that you can securely share one device among multiple users, which gives you privacy and peace of mind.
Testing—if you are a developer, you can use profiles as clean sandboxes to test your applications and their interaction with the system.
Gaming—with multiple installations of Android on a single device, you can now play online MMOs as different characters.
Speed—the games your kids play slow down your tablet, but with SwitchMe you can easily create profiles in without games or messengers.
Battery life—when the battery is low but there are important emails or documents to edit later, switch to a profile which only contains these essentials.  

While the app can be downloaded for free, it also has a pro key at $2 that enables users to create unlimited profiles and even password protect them for privacy.

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This article, SwitchMe App for Android Saves Battery Life , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 09:40 PM PST

Smartphones—whether it's an Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Nokia, or anything else; are now illegal in North Korea. Well, over the next 100 days that is.
According to several sources, cell phones are outlawed in North Korea over the next 100 days. While they mourn the death of their fallen dictator Kim Jong-il; anyone caught using a mobile phone will be treated as a war criminal and will be punishable by prison or death.
It is quite unimaginable how we could even spend 5 minutes away from our phones, let alone a hundred days. But it is even more unforgivable for anyone to be caught using his smartphone and imprisoned or even killed.
While this may sound as a joke to us Westerners—we have to understand that this is a way for North Koreans to pay tribute to their former dictator; especially since Kim Jong-il was responsible for creating the world's first hierarchical 3G network. We have to understand that it is part of their rules.

So yes, let's be thankful for our freedom.

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This article, North Korea Outlaws the Use of Mobile Phones for the Next 100 Days , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 08:40 PM PST

Did you know there's now an app that allows its users to access all their medical records and prescriptions? Thanks to Kaiser Permanente, health plan members can now access such data and even send messages and make appointments with their doctor with only their smartphone.
Accessing information from the app allows its health plan members to view their medical history and previous doctor appointments. They can also look for nearby KP locations using the app.
Kaiser Permanente is currently the largest medical organization in the United States. If you currently have an active membership with them, you can download the app for free.

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This article, Kaiser Permanente Releases Official App for Android , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 05:37 PM PST

On Android Authority, I have written a few reviews on applications that keep your Android phone nice and safe. But, those were mostly anti-virus scanners, with the average function of data backup.
Not until recently I started to view applications in the android Market that were primarily focused on blocking your real location, and transmitting it towards somewhere else in the world. PlaceMask will do just that.

Background Information

With the current advancement in location technology, developers have found ways to sneak into your phone to see where you have been traveling to. Pretty scary, huh?
Many games nowadays require location access, for whatever reason. Even the occasional flashlight app! Why do you think they would need my location?
PlaceMask is pretty straight forward. It essentially blocks your location, and runs a program to act like the location service is running on your device, but somewhere else in the world.
Besides security, it is a nice tool to brag to your friends where you are (are not) on Google+.

Location Choice: England One Day, Japan the Next…

The choice availably on this app is superb. I love how I can pretty much be anywhere in the world in a matter of simply swiping the screen in all directions to get to the place I want.
Even though this app may seem like the king of the crop, there are a few flaws I would like to point out. Placemask requires you to turn off GPS settings in order to work properly. However, when doing this, the app will not be able to find your exact location giving you some random place in the Atlantic Ocean.
But, the function still works and acts like you are in another place. As far as I have seen with Android 4.0 ICS, location "choice" has been a breeze with no problems.

Privacy Levels

The one thing that PlaceMask has that I haven't really seen from competitors is the privacy level tiers. The three options are minimum, medium, and maximum privacy. The MMM system seems to be a great idea, for doing whatever tasks.
The first level, "minimum privacy", allows the user to block the location completely preventing leakage. The medium level allows the user to do the same, but add a replacement location, as I was talking about before. This seems to be the best one because it is simple and not too complex.
And then finally the maximum level provides blocking, a replacement location, and also enables a feature so when you are on the go, or even stationary the replacement location will move around… becoming more human like.
The great thing about PlaceMask is safety. All around security, which even includes the incoming and outcoming of emergency location. When calling the police or other support, emergency services will still be able to obtain your real location. I really do not think this should be blocked, probably because these are the men and women that help you.
And corresponding to this, only the application content is blocked, which should not interfere with major security tracking and network-based location.

Round-Up

This has to be one of the most creative applications I have reviewed in 2012 so far. I think that the simple accessibility of the app makes it worth buying. Users can really apply the application to everyday security.
The impact of the battery isn't to bad, but you have to remember that the app does act like a GPS, so it is transmitting. However, with a battery saver application or even an extended battery, you will not find a problem in it sucking life out of your Android phone.
There is no word on when the app will come to iOS, but PlaceMask is available in the Android Market for a fantastic $2.99. There is also a trial version, which has recently been updated for a length period of 5 days (120 hrs).
What do you think about PlaceMask? If you have used it, what do you think about the security? Are there any flaws you have noticed? I would love to hear your comments.

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This article, App Review – PlaceMask (Protecting Your Location) , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 06:41 AM PST
I guess you don’t need to get to excited about this since it still doesn’t give any information about when Sprint will be releasing their Galaxy Nexus. We already know it’s going to work on Sprint’s LTE network which will be launching around mid-2012, which by our guess the Sprint Galaxy Nexus won’t be in our hands until June at the earliest unless they release it early.
We all know what the Galaxy Nexus has right? Well just in case let’s remind you of everything the Galaxy Nexus features. The Galaxy Nexus has a 720p, 4.65-inch display, running on a 1.2GHz dual core processor (although the Sprint Galaxy Nexus has been rumored to have a bumped up 1.5GHz dual core), with a 5mp camera on the back and a 1.3mp on the front, oh and the most important part, it’s running Android 4.0 – Ice Cream Sandwich.
Sprint has confirmed it will be offering the 32GB version to consumers, I wonder why our CDMA carriers haven’t been carrying the 16GB versions for those of who don’t need 32GB and like to pay less, since the 16GB is cheaper. Hit up the comments and give your prediction for when Sprint will release it’s Galaxy Nexus, we know that everybody is excited about it. So hit the source link below and sign up so you can get all the latest information about the Sprint Galaxy Nexus. No word yet on the Galaxy Nexus coming to T-Mobile or AT&T.

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Google News


India's low-cost Android tablet sees growing demand
ZDNet Asia
By Jamie Yap , ZDNet Asia on January 30, 2012 (4 mins ago) India's first low-cost Android tablet, Aakash, receives 25000 requests from University of Mumbai, with more requests expected. The University of Mumbai has received 25000 requests for the ...
See all stories on this topic »
Mind your cell manners
MSN India
Some time later this year, India will have over one billion of them, 17 years after the first mobile phone services started in Delhi and Mumbai. So you would have thought that after all this time we might have learnt some manners. Sadly, we have not.
See all stories on this topic »
Songs.pk Listed As An Android Market App; Why Is Google Soft On Music Piracy Apps?
MediaNama.com
By Anupam Saxena on Jan 30th, 2012 | Post a Comment Songs.pk a website that reportedly offers pirated music for download, is now listed as a mobile app on the Android Market. In fact, at the time of writing this post, the app ranks number 2 on Android ...
See all stories on this topic »

MediaNama.com
Top 10 Pick Of The Week!
EFYTimes (press release)
Probably the Indian Government realised it with time, which is why it has now asked Datawind, the maker of Aakash, to supply upgraded version of the device at the same price. Read More>>. India's cheapest device, Aakash aka UbiSlate 7, ...
See all stories on this topic »

EFYTimes (press release)
Google's new privacy move is a 'forced' merger to many
The Hindu
The company estimates that there will be a sharp growth in the number of Internet users in India by 2014, to 300 million, from about 100 million in 2011, with mobile fuelling the expansion. A sign for Google is displayed behind the Google android robot ...
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The Hindu



Posted: 29 Jan 2012 04:10 PM PST
Android Central
If you're one of the more than 28 million users of Formspring, you'll notice that there has been a lack of an official application from the social network. That all changes now as the official Formspring for Android application is available right now in the Android Market. 
It offers a pretty full experience, allowing you to ask and respond to questions from your contacts on the go. Sharing photos is also built in, and that pretty much covers everything Formspring is about. If there's room for one more social network on your Android device, hit the download links after the break. A word of warning though, it force closes at every time of asking on the Galaxy Nexus so you'll have to wait for an update to join in if you're using one.
read more



Posted: 29 Jan 2012 02:25 PM PST
August
The winner of this week's Android Central photo contest is August with his picture of a compact in a quiet street scene, taken with his Samsung Galaxy S II using Retro Camera .  This week's pictures were as amazing as last time around, and picking just one was no easy feat.  It's the kind of work we all enjoy though, so we love doing it.  Keep an eye on your e-mail August, I'll be contacting you about getting your battery shipped out.
With so many great pictures, even picking the 10 runners-up was difficult.  We finally settled on them, hit the break to have a look.  Don't forget, we're starting up a new round tomorrow, so keep an eye out.  
read more



Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:08 PM PST
Android Market
We see Google working hard to provide better support for Android developers, and that's a great thing.  We want developers for our platform of choice to be well taken care of so it's worth learning to code for Android and releasing great applications.  Google's not perfect in this regard, but they keep improving, and that's the only way to make it better.  But el Goog needs to start focusing a little more on user support.
Recently, I stumbled across an app in our forums that I wanted to try.  It's an Aquarium screen-saver type app for Google TV on my Logitech Revue.  I'm an Android nerd, and an aquarium nerd (we had jackets made), so I thought I would give it a try.  Just so happens that I ran into some Market issues, and was in some magical diabolical limbo where I had paid for the app, but couldn't download it or pay for it again.  It's not the first time we've heard about this happening -- the cofounder of doubleTwist just ran into it as well when trying to buy his own app -- and it's not even the first time we've seen it happen on the Revue.  There's a chance you've read about someone with similar issues on the Internet somewhere.  Unfortunately, it's a fairly common issue.  
So I did what any self-respecting Android user would do -- tried to hack it to make it work.  Wipe Market data, clear cache, even a reset of the device.  All with no luck.  I couldn't make the Market know I had paid so I could download, but it knew I had paid and wouldn't let me pay again.  All that was left to do was click the support link.  
Clicking the support link of course sends you to an online form to fill out.  Tell it some transaction details, describe the issue, and submit.  Then wait.  And wait.  And now it's been two weeks and still no response.  I get that they're busy, and that this is only a buck.  Not exactly high-priority stuff. But to leave a user hanging for two weeks waiting on any type of response is just poor customer service, plain and simple.  I'm fairly well versed in all things Android-ish, so I eventually contacted the developer with my transaction code.  But my mother isn't, and would have not known any way to resolve this little issue.  A little issue that leaves a big impression, and not a good one.  Google has shown that they want to take Android mainstream in a big way, and introduced a really user-friendly version with Ice Cream Sandwich.  Now it's time they focus more on the little stuff.
That Aquarium app?  I got a copy to sideload after talking with the developer, and it kicks ass.  We'll be reviewing it soon but If you are looking for a beautiful app made specifically for Google TV, grab it and check it out.  



Posted: 29 Jan 2012 10:07 AM PST
Android Central
Pure Music's Spotify challenging subscription service has been on the horizon now for a couple of months. The service has now gone live, offering users in the UK unlimited music streaming for a very reasonable £4.99 a month. There is also of course an Android application that goes along with the service.
That's half the cost of a Spotify premium subscription, which at first glance is incredibly tempting. There are a couple of differences between this and Spotify though, with the most significant being a lack of offline capabilities. If you don't have an unlimited data plan, the ability to stream only on the move is going to prove pretty limiting. Suddenly that extra £5 a month for Spotify doesn't seem so bad. You do get a 1 month free trial, so you at least get a chance to play with it and see what's what before committing your cash.
The Android application has been in the Market for a while now, as a portal to their other online media content, mainly radio stations. With your subscription enabled though the very same application -- it hasn't been updated -- unlocks the music catalogue for you to browse at your leisure. The catalogue seems pretty deep as well, coming up with a number of albums from various, less mainstream artists I listen to. 
The UI on the app is very pleasing to the eye, and pretty easy to navigate. One issue is the apparent lack of the ability to create playlists within the app. This I found particularly frustrating as it seems the only way to create and manage playlists is through The Lounge website on your computer. 
All in all Pure Music is a bit of a mixed bag. If you can live with the limitations of the Android app and don't need offline capabilities then this could well be the one for you. It's a good initial offering, and if you own any of the Pure range of internet radios then you're even better off. It's not quite Spotify, but it is half the price. Hit the break for the download links. 
read more


Posted: 29 Jan 2012 01:29 PM PST
A couple of days ago we told you about Koush’s new project, a touch version of ClockWorkMod. We weren’t sure how long it would take for us to get our hands on it, but he just announced it’s now available as a beta for download for the Galaxy Nexus (GSM and CDMA) and the Nexus S (GSM). Download links below. If you want to see a video of it in action, checkout our previous post here.
Download Galaxy Nexus (GSM and CDMA version)
Download Nexus S (GSM version)




Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:54 PM PST
A few weeks ago, at CES, Sprint made the announcement that they would bringing the Samsung Galaxy Nexus in the 32GB variety to their newly minted LTE network. If you are one of those folks on Sprint that are looking forward to this device and you’re impatiently waiting it appears that the release is coming soon. The registration section for the Sprint device has gone live on the official Galaxy Nexus site which will allow you to be notified when the phone goes up for sale.
The Sprint version will come with Google Wallet installed unlike Verizon‘s, and will also be free of any bloatware, again unlike Verizon’s version. However there is nothing to suggest what the phone will be going for when it becomes available on Sprint but if you are interested in being one of the first in knowing when it’s available you can hit the source to sign up. You can check out our hands on with the Sprint Galaxy Nexus at CES. Also if you’re interested you can check out the review on Verizon’s version here. While it’s on a different network I am sure it’s essentially the same device. Enjoy!





Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:08 PM PST
Symantec is reporting they found what they’re saying is the “highest distibution of any malware identified so far this year.” According to them, up to 5 million users are affected, but before everyone gets their panties in a bunch, they list the risk level as “very low,” not to mention this probably isn’t malware.
It’s called Android.Counterclank, and it can be found in the following applicatons:

Publisher Malicious App Title Category
iApps7 Inc Counter Elite Force Arcade & Action
iApps7 Inc Counter Strike Ground Force Arcade & Action
iApps7 Inc CounterStrike Hit Enemy Arcade & Action
iApps7 Inc Heart Live Wallpaper Entertainment
iApps7 Inc Hit Counter Terrorist Arcade & Action
iApps7 Inc Stripper Touch girl Entertainment
Ogre Games Balloon Game Sports Games
Ogre Games Deal & Be Millionaire Sports Games
Ogre Games Wild Man Arcade & Action
redmicapps Pretty women lingerie puzzle Photography
redmicapps Sexy Girls Photo Game Lifestyle
redmicapps Sexy Girls Puzzle Brain & Puzzle
redmicapps Sexy Women Puzzle Brain & Puzzle

The malicious code is grafted in a package called com.apperhand, which is found in each of the above apps. Upon installation the com.apperhand package could complete any of the below functions:
  • Copy bookmarks on the device
  • Copy opt out details
  • Copy push notifications
  • Copy shortcuts
  • Identify the last executed command
  • Modify the browser’s home page
  • Steal build information (for example: brand, device, manufacturer, model, OS, etc.)
It may also try to connect to a couple of remote locations.
A major competitor, Lookout Mobile Security, a company we support here at TalkAndroid, say that this isn’t malware and is legitimate. The apperhand package is actually an aggressive advertising component, and part of a modified version of the “ChoopCheec” platform or “Plankton” SDK that caused a stir in June 2011. This newer version is cleaner, and Lookout said the following:
  • It is capable of identifying the user uniquely by their IMEI number, for instance. But unlike some networks, this SDK forward-hashes the IMEI before sending to its server. They're identifying your device, but they are obfuscating the raw data. (That’s a good thing.)
  • The SDK has the capability to deliver Push Notification ads to the user. We're not huge fans of push notifications, but we also don't consider push notification advertising to be malware.
  • The SDK drops a search icon onto the desktop. Again, we consider bad form, though we don't consider this a smoking gun for malware provided the content that is delivered is safe.  In this case, it is simply a link to a search engine.
  • The SDK also has the capability to push bookmarks to the browser.  In our opinion, this is crosses a line; although we do not believe this is cause to classify the SDK as malware.
And finally Lookout said:
“Of the applications that were originally identified as malicious, a subset of them have subsequently been pulled from the Android Market. However, it's important to note that this does not include all identified applications, and reasons for removal may also include content, copyright, or other violations of the Android Market's Terms of Service.”
The story of Android security continues, and it simply creates great press. Is malware and trojans an issue for Android? I won’t say it isn’t, but there really hasn’t been any major catastrophes as some of these articles and posts would like you to believe. It’s the job of the security firms to make money, so putting a little extra fear into the public’s mindset isn’t a bad thing to them, but at the same time we have to educate ourselves by reading beyond the titles.
source: symantec, lookout
via: androidcentral




Posted: 29 Jan 2012 07:48 AM PST
Amazon is at it yet again with another great deal for customers interested in grabbing a great phone. Today, it is offering the awesome Beats Audio-powered HTC Rezound 4G LTE phone for a stunning $79.99 for new Verizon Wireless customers when you sign a 2-year contract. That means you’ll be able to grab the phone featuring 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM and of course the custom Beats Audio Headphones for less than some Beats By Dre Headphones. If you’re a current customer and it’s time to upgrade that old Droid X finally, Amazon is also offering the upgrade to you for a mere $159.99, which is still quite a bargain. Don’t forget kids Amazon is offering free 2-day shipping when you order the phone by 3PM (Monday-Friday).
If or when you do go to Amazon to grab the phone, be sure to let us know how you like phone and thank us in the Comments section. Naturally, you’re all going to rave about the killer Beats Audio headphones and EQ setting on the phone, right?




Posted: 29 Jan 2012 07:27 AM PST
Siri may be the most familiar personal assistant around, but there are a growing number of personal assistant apps for Android too. Enter Evi– the “Ask Me Anything” app. Developed by True Knowledge Ltd., the app understands what you want to know and gives back exactly what you’re after. If you need to know where the nearest bank is, Evi can tell you. If you’re going out for dinner but can’t decide where to go? Evi can help with that too. Evi is a personal assistant who looks to evolve with the individuals it is assisting. In addition to answering your common questions, the app features the following:
  • Voice or text input – Chat to Evi in plain English and she will understand
  • Local information for UK and USA – Shopping, news, dining and more. Evi knows where you are and gives answers based on your location
  • Built in browser – No need to swap to a different browser, view web links within Evi’s app
  • A learning and adapting intelligence – Rate Evi's answers to help her learn more about the world

Evi is available for free today for any Froyo 2.2+ user. You can hit up the Android Market or scan it to your device using the nifty QR code found below.




Posted: 29 Jan 2012 05:37 AM PST
What do you get when you combine 3D graphics, flying saucers and cats?  One heck of a ride for Android with SpaceCat 3D.  The glasses free 3D game allows you to enjoy a rich graphics quality platform landing game on your Android smartphone.  The challenge is to dodge both moving and stationary walls, lasers and tight spots all while snatching up all of the floating space mice you can find. On your quest, be sure to take out all of the annoying SpaceRats you can for the crew of humans you’re loyal to.  You can even share your score with the rest of the world via ScoreLoop.
In the year 3122, man has conquered space and has taken his favorite pets with him: Cats.
Did you know which are the favorite toys of cats on space? Flying saucers! Even better, chasing mice while flying around! They are the only ones that can go into the narrow spaces and capture the SpaceRats, an evolved species that keeps annoying the crew of the spaceships.
You’ll have the option to choose from 10 different cats for game-play and several spaceships to match them up with.  Each ship has different characteristics and themes that you can choose from as well.  Ready to give the game a go?  Hit the break for some screen shots of the game and check out the quick video demo of the app in action.  Feel free to drop a comment or two below as well of what you think.
Click here to view the embedded video.
SpaceCat3D Main SpaceCat3D_8 SpaceCat3D_1 SpaceCat3D_2 SpaceCat3D_3 SpaceCat3D_4 SpaceCat3D_5 SpaceCat3D_6 SpaceCat3D_7
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From The Developer:
== Something more ==
* Feels like is not a real lander? Try the realistic control.
* To enable XPeria Play / Gametel support you need to select on-screen controls.
* We recommend a minimum hardware of Motorola Droid, Nexus One, Galaxy S or HTC Desire.
* For low end devices, touching the screen can slow down the gameplay, alternatively you can use the menu button to thrust.
* The search button makes a screenshot of the game (in /sdcard/spacecat), just in case you want to show how cute your cat is with his spaceship. I know, you have never figured this out.
* 3D engine: jPCT-AE
* Sound effects from The Freesound Project (http://www.freesound.org/)
Because the world will be a better place with more cats in flying saucers.