The true impact of the launch of the iPhone probably has as much to do with the software that was eventually created on Apple smartphone as much as that smartphone itself, thanks to developers who saw an opportunity and a revolutionary approach to mobile software. Read more »
Accelerators and incubators are now launching plenty of new software startups into the tech world, but fewer programs target companies looking to build cool new pieces of hardware. HAXLR8R, an accelerator specifically designed for hardware startups, debuted its first class of nine projects on Monday. Read more »
Searching for a new lease of life, Mozilla is joining forces with Spanish operator Telefónica to build handsets that have web technologies at their heart. But can Mozilla succeed where Palm failed? And is there room in a difficult market for more players? Read more »
Finding what you want in a sea of mobile applications can be a frustrating and exhausting process. Facebook wants to remind mobile developers that it has a lot of users and that discovering new things is a huge part of the Facebook experience. Read more »
Mozilla is getting ready to make a big push around HTML5 mobile apps in 2012, starting with a plan to unveil a mobile Web app store next week at Mobile World Congress. The maker of the Firefox browser is hoping developers are ready to submit apps. Read more »
Forget those old X-ray specs in the back of comic books (which never worked anyway). Google is reportedly working on a pair of Android-powered glasses that could record data and display information for around $400 to $500 and make you look ever dorkier. Read more »
Remember Crazy Frog? The bike-riding amphibian and his irritating, ubiquitous song symbolized the premium ringtone market a few years ago, before fading into obscurity. The frog has disappeared, but one startup thinks it has found a way to evolve the idea for the modern mobile user. Read more »
Google’s Chrome browser and Android mobile operating system went public in the same year but they haven’t converged until now. Google is finally introducing Chrome for Android, a robust beta with a lot of slick features which is limited to Android 4.0 devices. Read more »
I took a look at Rdio’s new Android client and it’s a vast improvement. The application is a full re-write, rather than an update, and better supports Android 4.0 smartphones and tablets, allowing the app to be controlled on a device’s lock screen. Read more »
The U.S. government has settled on Google’s Android platform for secure phones, mainly because the software is open and can easily be modified. But what about the dreaded Android software updates? No worries; the government says it can provide them within 2 weeks of Google’s changes! Read more »
Google is addressing growing concerns about malware in Android Market with the formal unveiling of a scanning service called Bouncer that will attempt to weed out bad apps in its marketplace. The move should help Google address growing concerns about malware in Android apps. Read more »
Android fragmentation is less of a challenge than it was two years ago, and developers shouldn’t be as concerned about it says Localytics. Data from both Localytics, and even Google, show this to be true. And Android 4.0 is a chance for a “fresh start.” Read more »
Mint’s financial management app for Android makes the move from phones to tablets on Wednesday. The software offers the same functionality as Mint’s iPad app, which is experiencing much higher take-up rates on tablets compared to smartphones. Here’s why Mint hopes for the same on Android. Read more »
I love watching high-definition movies on my Galaxy Nexus because the phone actually has a true high-definition display. There’s a problem though: after watching the rentals, the massive media files aren’t disappearing from my phone. Here’s the quick fix which requires a file manager application. Read more »
Apple is looking to sharpen the teeth on a recent import ban it secured from the ITC against HTC smartphones, according to an appeal filing discovered Wednesday. The appeal seems to at least seek to broaden the scope of the ITC’s ruling. Read more »
Social Q&A site Formspring has experienced a dip in monthly unique visitors, as the two-year-old startup transitions out of the role of hot newcomer. The company is looking to aggressive mobile web and app development and an updated design to get the growth back on track. Read more »
Dolphin Browser, a popular third-party web client for Android devices, is set to get even more popular. On Tuesday, the browser gained two new add-ons: support for both Skitch and Evernote, making it easier to annotate, draw on, or capture web content for saving or sharing. Read more »
Toronto-based Polar Mobile, which provides a digital media distribution platform powering the apps of some of the biggest media companies in the world, including Conde Nast, Sports Illustrated and The Wall Street Journal, announced a new $6 million funding round on Monday. Read more »
Wikipedia’s website may have been dark yesterday in protest of SOPA, but now there is a new official Wikipedia app for Android 2.2 and up devices. You could use the mobile web for Wikipedia, but four key features make this app worth the download. Read more »
Motorola officially announced on Wednesday that it’s now upgrading its Xoom Wi-Fi tablets to the Ice Cream Sandwich version of Android, effective immediately. Google Android version 4.0.3 will be an over-the-air software upgrade, starting today, in stages, for all Xoom tablet owners. Read more »
In October, Google debuted Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich, to unify tablets and smartphones. But does it really accomplish that? It’s too early to tell, but the current version has some inconsistencies noted by Jason Perlow, and I can’t disagree with him. Read more »
Apple’s iOS mobile platform tends to sell more paid software than its rivals, and its biggest advantage might be a head start that Google, Microsoft or any other mobile competitor can’t do much to eliminate: iTunes. It’s also an advantage Apple likely isn’t done profiting by. Read more »
This week had me running around the CES event, where Android 4.0 was everywhere. New tablets with multicore chips impressed me — and could even be notebook replacements — plus a few smartphones looked incredible. Apps may start looking better to due to a Google initiative. Read more »
There’s a trend building, and it’s not good for the PC industry. It’s not tablet and smartphone growth — although that’s part of the trend — but virtualization on mobile devices. This allows remote PC access from a tablet, for example, and could hurt already slowing PC sales. Read more »
I was playing the Elder Scrolls: Skyrim video game today at CES; a game I play often at home on my Xbox 360 and large-screened HDTV. But I wasn’t playing on my Xbox. I was playing on an Nvidia Tegra 3 powered Android 4.0 tablet. Read more »
Given my love for 7-inch tablets, I had to swing by Huawei’s booth at the Consumer Electronics Show. The Chinese company is showing off its MediaPad tablet with Android 4.0 and beautiful IPS display. Here’s a look at the light, thin and capable 7-inch slate. Read more »
The big buzz out of CES on Thursday is that Intel has been “talking” to Apple, among other manufacturers, about using its new line of Medfield chips in upcoming mobile devices. But the discussions are clearly very preliminary, and Apple has good reason to remain aloof. Read more »
Just like every prior CES in the past few years, Intel is touting how its chips are ready for mobiles. The only difference in 2012 is that I’m starting to believe the company after seeing Intel’s Medfield chip power an Android tablet that runs all day. Read more »
In between appointments at CES, I spent ten minutes with two of Samsung’s newest devices. The 5.3-inch Galaxy Note and Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE grabbed my attention, so after a few minutes of using both, I took a few short video clips of these LTE devices. Read more »
Apple is set to reap the benefits of increased consumer interest in smartphones, according to a new study. A survey of 15,000 U.S. shoppers found that Apple and Google will dominate, with Apple’s winning back share over the next six months. Read more »
The last four years have shown remarkable growth in smartphone ownership, changing the mobile landscape as the phone becomes central to our lives. This year I’ll be looking for cross-platform apps, centralized notification services and solutions that intelligently handle more mundane tasks around my smart home. Read more »
Apple’s iOS devices were popular gifts during the holiday weekend, as you might expect. According to a new study, there were 12.5 times more devices accessing games and apps using one major analytics platform than during previous weekends, in fact. Android fared almost as well, too. Read more »
We already knew that mobile advertisements perform better on larger screened devices and now there’s evidence of when the best time of the year is for a these ad spots in apps. If you guessed the year-end holiday season, you’d be right according to this infographic. Read more »
The Samsung Galaxy S smartphone and Tab slate won’t see an upgrade to Android 4.0, leaving owners to decide between buying a newer device, sticking with Android 2.3 or installing a custom build of Google’s latest mobile operating system. Here’s a suggestion to make everyone happy. Read more »
f people are buying through online retail sites on mobile, they’re most likely doing so on Apple devices, according to a new report. iPads and iPhones accounted for over 92 percent of online retail not originating from a desktop device in December, according to the study. Read more »
Earlier this week, I grilled Amazon for attempting to control web browsing activities on its Kindle Fire as the device was blocked from browsing Google’s Android Market website. With the new Kindle Fire software update, Amazon no longer blocks access, which is the right move. Read more »
Archos announced on Tuesday an updated 7-inch slate, called the Archos 70b, calling it the first Google Android Honeycomb for under $200. That may not be enough to sway consumers from the $199 Kindle Fire with its custom user interface and broad media ecosystem. Read more »
Amazon’s successful 7-inch tablet, the Kindle Fire, is locked down more than people might think: browser requests to Google’s Android Market are redirected to the Amazon AppStore. Imagine buying a new car and then being told you that it can only be driven on certain roadways. Read more »
Google rocked the mobile world on Monday, August 15, with the news that it will buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, marking a 63-percent premium for the handset manufacturer. It’s a move that ushers Google into the exclusive club of companies that control both the hardware and software elements of their smartphone offerings, and it will enable Google to design handsets that are more closely integrated with Android. However, the deal doesn’t come without its risks, and it remains to be seen just how it will affect other handset makers, competition from Microsoft and the crucial patent issues currently surrounding Google. Companies mentioned in this report include Apple, Research In Motion and Samsung. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
