Monday, 20 December 2010

Android Community

Android Community

Android Security Team Proclaims “Openness,” not “Rooting”

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 11:29 AM PST

In a post by none other than Android Security Team member Nick Kralevich today, he and the rest of the Android team “strongly disagree” with headlines and commenters specifically on Engadget, but across the rest of these internets as well. Engadget says “Nexus S has been rooted, let the madness commence!”, while commenters spit "This is only possible because Android’s security is crap and it’s exploited easily to gain root priviledges [sic]." Nay! Says Kralevich, nay ineed, tis not it’s crappy security, it’s the fact that the Android team MADE them that way. Kralevich says that the Nexus S, just like the Nexus One that preceded it were designed to install custom OS – no surprise at all, says he, that Nexus S was rooted so quick – they meant it to be!

Kralevich links directly to the quick and easy fastboot oem unlock on RedmondPie and says that rooting is only the beginning, hopefully, of the changes you might make to the whole phone. Kralevich notes the fact that in Android, rooting your phone is a feature of the device, not the “active exploitation of a known security hole” it is in other operating systems.

Kralevich of course brings up the sandbox, telling all of the world that their sandbox method of keeping each bug and malicious evil attacking an app from infecting any others – blocked in like sand in a child’s sandbox – get it? He mentions how each app is required to declare the permissions they use (that little screen that pops up before you’re even able to access the app,) and he re-declares the idea that they’re constantly patching holes in security daily, linking to Adobe as proof that it’s not just he who’s singing their praises.

He goes on to note the sad state that must remain:

Unfortunately, until carriers and manufacturers provide an easy method to legitimately unlock devices, there will be a natural tension between the rooting and security communities. We can only hope that carriers and manufacturers will recognize this, and not force users to choose between device openness and security. It's possible to design unlocking techniques that protect the integrity of the mobile network, the rights of content providers, and the rights of application developers, while at the same time giving users choice. Users should demand no less.

And signs off to leave us in the twisted and enjoyable world of hacking and staying safe in the world to ourselves. He walks slowly down the Android hallways, cackling as he does so, cackling into the night.

[Via Android Developers Blog]

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Verizon to Introduce LTE-Equipped Handset Jan. 6th at CES

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 11:19 AM PST

With Verizon’s 4G network up and running it doesn’t come as a surprise that we will be seeing an array of LTE devices at CES 2011. As if we needed any confirmation, Verizon has provided it via their official Twitter.

According to their tweet we can expect at least one LTE device to be announced on the 6th of January. We expected this, but it’s always nice to have a confirmation from Verizon themselves.

We’ll be at CES 2011, and will be bringing you all the latest happenings regarding Android.

[Via SlashGear]

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Motorola Posts “Tablet Evolution” Teaser Video

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 10:47 AM PST

We all know that we are going to see a very impressive Motorola tablet in the first half of 2011, we have even seen the device demonstrated by Google’s Andy Rubin. However, that is not stopping Motorola from teasing at it’s upcoming announcement with a new video posted to their YouTube channel.

The teaser details the flaws of the “tablets of the past.” We see the iPad is just a giant iPhone, and the Galaxy Tab is an Android device, but running a phone OS. The Motorola Everest, will be announced at CES 2011 and will be running Android (3.0/2.4) Honeycomb.

Check out the teaser!

Click here to view the embedded video.

[Via YouTube]

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DROID 2 Certified Pre-Owned Now Available From Verizon

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 10:35 AM PST

The DROID 2 disappeared from Verizon’s website when it was replaced with the DROID 2 Global just a few months after release. However, it has now reappeared on Verizon’s official site, this time as a certified pre-owned device.

The reconditioned DROID 2 can be purchased for $129, this is $70 less than the Global. Certified pre-owned devices are always in excellent condition, they are guaranteed to be in like-new condition and even come with a 1-year warranty and 30-day return policy.

If you are looking for a cheap Android device on Verizon, the DROID 2 is definitely your best bet!

[Via IntoMobile]

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Sprint 4G Activated in Denver and Bridgeport, Connecticut

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 10:19 AM PST

Sprint has just activated its WiMax 4G network in Denver and Bridgeport, Connecticut. Now users of the Epic 4G and EVO 4G in these cities can experience Sprint’s “ultra-fast” 4G network for themselves.

With other companies such as T-Mobile and Sprint entering the 4G market, we can expect Sprint to get their network running in more cities across the US to stay competitive, currently they’re up and running in 70 US cities.

Press Release:
Sprint Turns On 4G Service in Denver and Bridgeport, Conn.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), December 20, 2010 – Today, Sprint (NYSE:S) officially launched 4G – the next generation in wireless service with download speeds that are up to 10 times faster than 3G service1 – in Denver (along with other cities along Colorado's Front Range, including Boulder, Fort Collins and Greeley) and Bridgeport, Conn. With Sprint 4G, wireless customers will experience faster mobile downloads, video chat capabilities and turbo-charged Web browsing – all on the first wireless 4G network from a national carrier.

Customers in the Denver and Bridgeport areas can take advantage of the Sprint 4G Network with a range of 4G-capable devices. For example, tourists visiting Denver's 16th Street Mall can snap a photo of the Paramount Theater or the Denver Pavilions with their Samsung Epic™ 4G and use Google Goggles to pull up facts about each using visual search technology powered by Sprint 4G. Customers can use video chat on their HTC EVO™ 4G , and families traveling for the holidays from can power up the Overdrive™ 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot to share 4G speeds with up to five WiFi-enabled devices – such as an iPad™, laptop, iPod Touch™ or game console – making downloads, streaming video and Web browsing fast and easy.

"Sprint is the leader in providing 4G service, and we're proud to extend our advanced mobile broadband network to two more cities today," said Matt Carter, president-Sprint 4G "Sprint is the first national wireless carrier to make 4G a reality for our customers, and now Sprint 4G is available in 70 markets across the country. We are delivering on the promise of 4G to meet the demand from our customers."

Sprint 4G is now available in 70 markets: California – Los Angeles, Merced, Modesto, Sacramento, Stockton, Visalia; Colorado – Denver (includes Fort Collins and Boulder); Connecticut – Hartford, New Haven; Delaware – Wilmington; District of Columbia – Washington D.C.; Florida – Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Tampa; Georgia – Atlanta, Milledgeville; Hawaii – Honolulu, Maui; Idaho – Boise; Illinois – Chicago; Maryland – Baltimore; Massachusetts – Boston; Michigan – Grand Rapids; Minnesota – Minneapolis-St. Paul: Missouri – Kansas City, St. Louis; New Jersey – New Brunswick, Trenton; New York – New York, Rochester, Syracuse; Nevada – Las Vegas; North Carolina – Charlotte, Greensboro (includes High Point and Winston-Salem), Raleigh (includes Cary, Chapel Hill and Durham); Ohio – Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus; Oregon – Eugene, Portland, Salem; Pennsylvania – Harrisburg, Lancaster, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, York; Rhode Island – Providence; Tennessee – Nashville; Texas – Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Killeen/Temple, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, San Antonio, Waco, Wichita Falls; Utah – Salt Lake City; Virginia – Richmond; and Washington – Bellingham, Seattle, Tri-Cities, Yakima.

For more information, visit www.sprint.com/4G.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 48.8 million customers at the end of the third quarter of 2010 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, Common Cents Mobile and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 6 in its 2010 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation's greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

1 *Up to 10x Faster claim: Based on download speed comparison of 3G's 600 kbps vs. 4G's 6 Mbps. Industry published 3G avg. speeds (600 kbps-1.7 Mbps); 4G avg. speeds (3-6 Mbps). Actual speeds may vary by plan or based on other factors.

[Via Sprint]

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HTC Desire HD Coming To TELUS

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 10:05 AM PST

The HTC Desire HD is quite the impressive device, sporting a 4.3-inch touchscreen it’s perfect for media consumption. We have heard that the handset will be coming to Canada for quite some time, and now it looks like we have got further confirmation.

As seen by the image sent to MobileSyrup, we can see that it will, in fact, come to Canada and launch on the TELUS network. The timeframe set for launch will be between January and February of 2011, but – there is no word if it is expected to hit other carriers down the road.

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Notion Ink’s Eden UI for Adam tablet gets new video demo

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 06:06 AM PST

Notion Ink has released a new video demo of its Adam Android tablet, this time concentrating on the company’s homegrown UI, Eden. The footage shows how Eden’s multi-pane view can be browsed and rearranged, but also how Notion Ink’s multitasking system means that only the active panel on-screen is using system resources.

That means that, even if you can see the panel displayed, it’s not actually running and taking up cycles in the Tegra 2 chipset. More information on Adam in the video Notion Ink released over the weekend.

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Android tablets to grab 39% of market by 2012

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 05:31 AM PST

The tablet market today is dominated by the Apple iPad. The number of alternatives to the iPad is growing though with new offerings running Android landing all the time. One of the more popular alternatives to the iPad is the Galaxy Tab.

Analysts from Piper Jaffray say that by 2012 the iPad will still hold the majority of the tablet market at 44%. However, Android tablets will have closed the gap significantly with 39% of the market. The analysts say that Samsung has shipped over a million tablets globally this month giving Android 11% of the market in 2010.

Apple is expected to have 53% of the tablet market in 2011 with Google holding 32.5%. “We believe the Galaxy Tab has been an unexpected success considering it runs a version of Android not optimized for tablets,” Munster wrote in his Dec. 10 research note. “We believe this success is partly due to the fact that it is the only non-iPad tablet available, but also that Android will be a meaningful competitor.”

Via eWeek

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Creative ZiiO Android tablet now available to purchase

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 05:19 AM PST

We have talked on a few occasions about the Creative ZiiO Android tablet landing at the FCC. If that tablet caught your eye and you have been, waiting to see it hit store shelves so you could pick one up that wait is over. The ZiiO tablet is now available to purchase.

The 7-inch table has a 480 x 800 resolution display and runs a ZiiLabs ZMS-08 processor with up to 16GB of storage. It has a front facing camera, mini-USB port, and supports microSD cards up to 32GB. The screen supports 16.8 million colors and uses resistive touch tech.

The operating system is Android 2.1 and the machine has Bluetooth, WiFi, and HD video output. The little tablet will sell for $249 for 8GB with the 16GB version going for $269. The 10-inch ZiiO tablet is still not available at this time.

Via Toms Guide

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UK Nexus S launch now Dec 22 as £429.99 price cut confirmed

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 04:07 AM PST

The price cut for Google’s Nexus S spotted over the weekend has been officially confirmed, but UK retailers The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy won’t have stock of the smartphone today, as originally promised. Instead, the Android 2.3 Gingerbread handset will arrive on Wednesday, December 22 2010, with limited availability in “key” Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy stores.

As well as the £429.99 SIM-free price – which has also been extended to pre-pay deals – the Nexus S will be available from free on new, £30 per month contract agreements. More details on the Nexus S in the full Android Community review.

[via SlashGear]

Google Nexus S unboxing & walkthrough:

Press Release:

Nexus S From Google Now Available from £429.99, free from £30/month

The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy are today announcing that the Nexus S Smartphone from Google will arrive in the UK in time for Christmas at a great new price.

From 22nd December 2010, the only Smartphone running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) will be available to buy from The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy. Due to strong customer interest, limited stock will be available to buy direct at key Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy stores in the UK. All other branches of The Carphone Warehouse will be taking orders via instant ship delivery which will allow customers to pick up the phone from any store at their convenience. Customers can also order online at www.carphonewarehouse.com and www.bestbuy.co.uk. For those looking to upgrade, the Nexus S from Google will be available via direct sales on 0800 925 925.

Nexus S will be available from free with a £30/month contract, or on PAYG for £429.99 plus £10 minimum top up with O2, Orange, Vodafone and T-Mobile. In addition, the Nexus S Smartphone from Google will be available SIM free for £429.99.

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Android Apps are sharing personal data without your consent says WSJ

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 03:57 AM PST

The Wall Street Journal has conducted an investigation into the sort of data apps on your Android phone and on the iPhone collect and share about you. The WSJ looked at 101 popular smartphone apps on both the iPhone and Android devices and found that 56 of the apps transmitted unique device IDs to third party companies without the user’s permission.

The investigation also found that 47 of the apps sent the phones location in one form or another. Five of the apps sent the users gender, age, and other personal details. One app that is popular among both Android and iPhone users that was included is Pandora. The WSJ reports that the app sent age, gender, location, and phone identifiers to various ad networks.

The Android version of Paper Toss also set the phone ID number to at least five ad companies. Both Google and Apple say that they require apps to ask permission to send information to third parties. However, the WSJ reports that these rules can be skirted by app firms. Many of the app developers defend their sharing of info by saying that the data can't be tied to a person’s name. The WSJ also found that most of the apps have no written privacy policy.

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Vodafone HTC Wildfire Froyo update released today [Update: All UK carriers today!]

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 02:34 AM PST

Hot on the heals of the news that European HTC Wildfire users should expect to see the Froyo update for their Android smartphone roll out sometime this week, Vodafone UK has announced that the Android 2.2 upgrade for their version of the handset is going out this morning.

However, it’s worth noting that the updated Wildfire still won’t support Flash in the browser or Live Wallpapers on the homescreen, because of “hardware limitations”. We’re guessing this is a shortcoming of the Wildfire’s processor.

Update: HTC PR tells us that the Wildfire update should be going out to all UK carriers this morning, in fact.

Today sees the launch of the Android 2.2 Froyo update for Vodafone HTC Wildfire customers.

Below are the details of what benefits updating to 2.24.161.1 (Froyo) will give along with how to perform the update.

About the Update

What benefit will this software update deliver?

This update from Android 2.1 to Android 2.2 introduces all the supported functionalities that are included in this OS update. For a full list, take a look here.

The most notable are:

- Support for USB tethering

- Possibility of installing applications to SD card (if supported by the application)

- Native support for Activesync Exchange (email, contacts and calendar sync) and security policies

- Enhanced Camera application

- Enhanced Bluetooth support

- Speed and stability improvements

- Multiple keyboard languages

- WiFi Hotspot tethering

NOTE: “Live wallpapers” and “Flash” support in the browser (Froyo features) are not supported due to hardware limitations.

When the update is available a message will appear on the handset, follow the instructions to install system software.

You can manually check if a software upgrade is available by selecting Menu from the Home screen, tapping Settings, scrolling down the screen, tapping About Phone and then System software updates. On this screen tap Check now.

How do I check what software version I have?

Menu > Settings > about phone > Software Information > Software Number

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$199.99 Galaxy Tab as US Cellular boosts discount

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 02:29 AM PST

US Cellular has further discounted its version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab, pushing the 7-inch Android slate down to $199.99 after various rebates (and assuming the usual 2-year agreement). That makes it the cheapest way to get your hands on the Froyo tablet in the US, though it does require a $100 mail-in rebate be processed.

However, the $200 deal is not available with US Cellular’s cheaper data plans (if you want to pay just $14.99 for 200MB of data a month, you’re still looking at $399.99 for the Tab itself), with packages starting from $54.99 per month for 5GB.

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HTC Wildfire Froyo update hits Europe this week

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 01:32 AM PST

HTC has announced that the HTC Wildfire Android 2.2 Froyo update will begin rolling out this week in Europe. The much-delayed software is expected to reach “all areas of the world by February” 2011, though by that time we’re expecting Gingerbread will have established a strong footing instead.

The Wildfire was originally expected to see Froyo in Q3 this past year, but technical delays getting HTC Sense to play nicely with the updated OS meant the launch was pushed back until around Christmas.

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