Lookout, a mobile security company, today added a new feature to its security software that protects web users from visiting malicious sites on their Google Android smartphones. As consumers turn to the mobile web and apps for services, the need for such protection may increase. Read more »
T-Mobile’s newest phone, the HTC Sensation, arrives in the carrier’s stores this week for $199 with contract. Even with a few minor flaws, the Android 2.3 smartphone offers a great experience, thanks to HTC Sense 3.0, a large high-resolution screen, improved cameras and a dual-core processor. Read more »
New benchmark tests confirm what we have long suspected: Flash video on mobile devices just doesn’t look as good as HTML5 video, especially when it comes to HD clips. Support for hardware acceleration could alleviate most of these issues, but not for every user. Read more »
More capable smartphones and tablets, combined with a growing number of online video services are heavily increasing mobile media consumption: Limelight’s data shows a 600-percent jump from the past year and that’s a bad sign for those hoping unlimited data plans will stick around. Read more »
Swype, a popular third-party Android keyboard, improves to version 3.0 with tap word prediction and a new resizing function specific to Honeycomb tablets. Since larger slates aren’t suited for one-handed use, the improved features show that Swype is willing to pivot, even after 50 million installs. Read more »
After nearly two years of accusations over patent infringement, Nokia and Apple have signed a peace accord. But rather than end the rash of patent lawsuits across the mobile industry, the deal could send the Finnish company on the warpath. Read more »
After watching other hardware makers launch Google Honeycomb tablets, Toshiba’s take is ready. The Thrive ships next month but can be pre-ordered starting today. At $429, you only get 8 GB of internal storage, but a full-sized USB port and memory card slot can expand memory. Read more »
Nokia is about to lose its crown as the smartphone king, but not to Apple. Instead, Samsung will take up the mantle of top smartphone seller according to analysts at Nomura. These five reasons explain how it’s Samsung’s smartphone Galaxy and we just live in it. Read more »
Android-like features are coming to iOS 5 this fall, helping to address some shortcomings of Apple’s platform. Consumers who would still prefer an Android device have two nice choices in the new HTC Evo 3D and Motorola Photon 4G, plus the Market gains a nice feature. Read more »
Research firm IDC reiterated that it expects Windows Phone 7 to soar to number two by 2015 with 20 percent of the market, trailing only Android. But with the market moving so fast and competition so fierce, predictions like this seem premature. Read more »
Apple filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit against seven small app developers started by patent holder Lodsys on June 9 related to the use of in-app purchases. If granted, Apple would be added to the Lodsys suit as a defendant and counterclaim plaintiff. Read more »
Google continues to battle its platform fragmentation challenges by adding a software compatibility check on the web-based Android Market. Supporting both smartphones and tablets, this change is good for consumers and developers, even as more devices are brought up to current Android versions. Read more »
Team task management app Cohuman, which won the “People’s Choice” award in the Launch Pad competition at last year’s Net:Work event, now has a companion iPhone app that helps users to keep updated on project status, communication and tasks even when they’re out of the office. Read more »
Motorola and Sprint, both in the midst of fighting bigger competition, have banded together with the Photon 4G, a new Android flagship device that supports international service. The Photon 4G provides a big punch for Sprint and Motorola and strengthens the relationship between the two. Read more »
Postagram is a product with a huge potential for mass appeal. While the product launched on Instagram, which is popular with an influential set of early adopters, with Postagram for Android, the company’s product is now accessible to a much wider audience. Read more »
Appsfire and others have helped tackle the issue of app discovery by bringing new social and sharing tools to bear on the task. Now, Zwapp, a new start-up is trying to go one step further by building essentially a social network around app discovery. Read more »
Showyou is updating its iPad and iPhone apps to make the consumption of videos shared on social networks easier. In particular, Showyou gets “watch later” capability, as well as its own website and a bookmarklet for video sharing. Next up for Showyou: an Android app. Read more »
New figures from analytics firm Flurry suggest that mobile users across Europe’s biggest markets are ravenously hungry for apps — and that even despite high smartphone adoption around the continent, there is still plenty of room for further growth in the coming years. Read more »
Gaming service WildTangent is opening a rental service later this year that will allow Android users to rent games and apply their fees toward purchases. It could be another tool for developers to unlock dollars from games on the Android platform. Read more »
Altough I’ve used Android phones nearly exclusively for 18 months, Apple’s iOS 5 impresses so far. It address issues I had with Apple’s mobile platform and I could switch, regardless of who invented what functionality, because I use the right tool for the task at hand. Read more »
Are iCloud and iOS 5 just Apple playing catch-up with Google and Android? No way, according to Steve Jobs himself in 1997. In fact, the WWDC announcements are actually Apple making good on long-standing promises. Check out Jobs describing the Apple of today 14 years ago Read more »
Consumers searching online for a tablet aren’t looking for iPads, but instead, are trying to see what tablets from other manufacturers are available, according to research. Much like its iPhone, Apple has succeeded in building iPad as a brand and less as a tablet computer. Read more »
T-Mobile will start selling the HTC Sensation 4G on June 15, but we scored an early review unit. The phone has impressed so far, and so did Nvidia when it unveiled a quad-core chip this week, while ViewSonic proves that Honeycomb runs on small slates. Read more »
Android handset makers HTC and Motorola are extending their user interface skins in new directions that are meant to help differentiate their hardware. But in some cases, the extensions could exacerbate Android’s fragmentation problem. The moves show how competitive it is for Android hardware makers. Read more »
France Telecom said it is in talks with Google about offering segmented services for users, so those who want faster or more stable service can pay more. It’s part of a larger push by FT to come to some agreement with Silicon Valley companies. Read more »
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 launches June 8, but only at a single New York City location. The rest of the U.S. has to wait until June 17 for the device. Samsung promises a software update to differentiate the device, but it will launch with Honeycomb 3.1. Read more »
Earlier today Nokia stock hit a 13-year-low. Despite what CEO Stephen Elop says, it is hard to reconcile the falling share price with what is arguably the hottest mobile market. The funny thing is that as a company they shouldn’t have been in this position. Read more »
Voice recognition has long failed to gain much traction in mobile thanks to technology that was overhyped and underwhelming. But Apple could once again change the way we interact with our phones by integrating the technology with its upcoming iOS 5. Read more »
ViewSonic made good on a rumor from earlier this month and debuted its ViewPad 7x tablet running Google Honeycomb at Computex in Taipei. The 380-gram tablet should offer excellent portability but it’s unclear how well Honeycomb runs on the tablet which uses a third-party launcher. Read more »
Android smartphones are the most data hungry, according to new statistics from Nielsen Co., blowing past the iPhone and other smartphones. But does this indicate more usage on the part of Android users or something inherent in the platform that lends itself to more data use? Read more »
Apple’s App Store dominance isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, according to a new report. Despite an eroding lead thanks the growing popularity of the Android Market and other offerings, Apple shows signs of being able to hold on to its download advantage for a while yet. Read more »
With Apple App Store hitting the half billion mark and Android Market poised to overtake it later this year, it’s a busy time to be in the app discovery business. Appsfire, a France-based startup is reaping the benefits, scoring $3.6 million in Series A funding. Read more »
Google Wallet debuted this week for Sprint customers owning the Nexus S handset while the smartest Android keyboard, SwiftKey, gains intelligence and better word prediction, thanks to the cloud. HTC’s Flyer found its way to my desk and first impressions are favorable, as you can see. Read more »
I’ve long recommended SwiftKey as a third-party keyboard for Android smartphones. The keyboard shows intelligence by predicting the next word before tapping a single letter. But the new SwiftKey X, a private beta version now open to the public, is even smarter, thanks to the cloud. Read more »
A Wi-Fi version of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 passed FCC certification, indicating that this non-carrier model could soon follow the 3G edition. In recent polls, the majority preferred Wi-Fi tablets for several reasons; the main one being such large slates are used more at home. Read more »
Amazon unveiled its Mac Download Store today: a web-based competitor for the Mac App Store. The store provides direct downloads of Mac software directly from your browser, and ships with some marquee titles that aren’t yet available in Apple’s own marketplace. Read more »
HTC’s Flyer recently landed in stores for $499. In this early look, you can see the hardware and the customized HTC Sense software, which is both good and bad. And in a video first, I actually test if the device fits in my back pants pocket. Read more »
The debate over whether the future of mobile data lies in native applications vs. Web-based offerings is often depicted as a Darwinian contest where only one will survive. But the truth is much more complex than some pundits would have you believe. Read more »
Verizon Wireless is adding another LTE handset to its smartphone lineup: The LG Revolution arrives in stores and becomes available online tomorrow, May 26 for $249 after contract. The capable device looks good on paper, but how will 4G affect battery life and monthly data use? Read more »
Google is reportedly planning to jump-start mobile payments with a press event this Thursday, followed by a trial service in five major U.S. cities. Sprint’s Nexus S appears to be the handset of choice; it contains a near field communications chip that works with payment terminals. Read more »
