Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans

Things We Missed, You Shouldn’t [March 1st]

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 04:08 PM PST

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More tablets are coming to more places, applications are in the works, updates are flying around, and presales are being taken. These are some of the things we spotted around the blogosphere that may be of interest to you that we couldn’t throw onto the front page. Don’t underestimate the importance of a good list!

Nasty Malware Found in Another Pirated App [Android.Pjapps]

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 04:01 PM PST

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Yay, more malware! This time, a trojan called Android.Pjapps is making its rounds inside of a modified version of the Steamy Window application. This cracked version of the application is reportedly available on various warez sites, but doesn’t seem to be in the Android market, thankfully.

The trojan is said to send text messages to phone numbers that will allow the recipient of that text message to add a few more dollars to your monthly bill. The trojan also blocks incoming texts from the response system so that the user is never notified that this is happening.

It’s a nasty sounding trojan that – quite honestly – has me thinking twice about my stance on mobile anti-virus solutions. (If you were wondering, my stance was that they were quite pointless.) Now, I feel like downloading one just to stay on the safe side.

The developers behind these trojans are getting more vicious with what they’re able to do, and that’s quite unsettling. Everything from my data being wired to someone’s computer to being charged $100 for something I never purchased could happen. I’m not saying it ever will happen to me – I pay close attention to what I download and am very selective about what I get and from where.

And while this trojan is only up on warez sites where pirates deserve SOME sort of “payback”, what’s keeping these developers from uploading their applications to third-party markets such as GetJar or the Android market where legitimate customers could be at risk?  Google usually takes care of any highly-malicious application with a killswitch feature they’ve implemented, but that isn’t always fast enough in some cases.

We always joke about how this industry has become a lot like the war between Apple, Microsoft and Linux on PCs, with Google filling in for Microsoft for the time being. We’re usually talking about how the open strategy keeps Android’s growth spurt going, but just like the PC side of things, malware is starting to plague Android and virus protection is more necessary than it ever has been.

The only thing I can ask you guys to do is to research what you’re downloading and from who and from where. Use the Android market wherever possible and don’t put yourself in these sorts of unfavorable situations. Not pirating would also be nice. [via Android Central]

Google TV Garners Little Attention from Developers at GDC

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 03:40 PM PST

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The Game Developer Conference is going on right now, if you haven’t heard, and Google has a pretty decent presence there. You had to imagine that they’d be there to entice developers to adopt the Android platform and show them how they could get started with it on phones and tablets, but another sect of Android was present: Google TV.

We didn’t attend the event ourselves, but there are plenty of others who did. LA Times was on hand to see the reception Google got from the crowd of coders packed into the Moscone Center. Google’s phones and tablets session attracted many eager developers as lines reportedly snaked from one hall to the next inside the convention center.

On the other hand, attendance at the Google TV sessions were said to be uninspiring, and whoever did attend wasn’t 100% sold on it: they were likely just there out of curiosity. We want Google TV to succeed on multiple levels, but the industry is speaking and whether it be from content providers or from game developers, their words don’t sound too good.

Google Body for Honeycomb Tablets Now Available

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 03:08 PM PST

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Remember that cool 3D human anatomy application Google showed off at their Honeycomb event earlier in February called Google Body? It was then described as the “Google maps of the human body” and it is now available in the Android market for free. The app has launched with a female figure to start and Google promises that a version with the male’s anatomy will be on its way soon. [Thanks, PhaseBurn!]

What Can Android Learn From Apple? [Forum Talk]

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 02:42 PM PST

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A bit slow on the news today, guys, so why not participate in some discussions going on over at AndroidForums.com? Taking a stroll myself, I stumbled upon a few interesting threads that might be worth your time and could be entertaining for a bit. Take a look below.

Video of Honeycomb Arriving at Building 44

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 02:19 PM PST

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We’ve already seen the picture, but if pictures are worth a thousand words, then 35 seconds of video should be worth 35,000. Here’s the arrival of the Honeycomb statute at Building 44 courtesy of Andy Rubin himself. He’s a proud soul, isn’t he? I can’t decide what’s more awesome: the statue or the fact that a guy in a bumble bee costume was riding a bike and dancing. Check it out above. [Google]

Unity Android Engine Lets Devs Easily Port iOS Games (Some In Less Than Two Days)

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 12:54 PM PST

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Unity has just announced the launch of Unity Android, an Android version of their game engine that many developers use to create games on iOS. We won’t dive into the technical stuff ourselves as we’re not game developers, but some very interesting tidbits from the press release caught my attention. Those who have created games on iOS using unity were able to port their games in as little as two days.

Such was the case with Stupid Zombies from GameResort LLC. SkyVu said it took them two weeks to port both of their Battle Bears games from iOS to Android. Here are a list of features developers can look forward to:

  • Integrated Editor — Users can deploy a single project to multiple platforms, including Android, using a one-click solution that just works. Porting a game from iOS to Android can be as simple as changing the target platform and clicking “Build.”
  • Support for upcoming Android devices, including Tegra Tablets and the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY Smartphone — Users can be among the first to benefit from releasing games on the exciting range of Android-based gaming platforms.
  • Highly Optimized Graphics Pipeline for OpenGL ES 2.0 — Unity Technologies has been working directly with hardware manufacturers such as NVIDIA and Qualcomm to get every last bit of performance out of Android so that users can create stunning games without worrying about the subtle difference between devices.
  • Android Remote — Developers can use their actual Android phone as an input device to view and test their game directly within the authoring tool.

The caveat with easy portability is that developers will need to create their games using Unity initially, obviously, but that’s all the more reason for developers to consider a switch or for new developers to consider the platform for the future. Let’s hope this results in more timely game releases for Android. Full press details can be had at Market Wire.

Danger Service Being Shut Down May 31st, T-Mobile to Offer Transition Deals

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 12:41 PM PST

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The Danger service that T-Mobile uses for their past generation Sidekick devices will soon be shut down according to an announcement issued by T-Mobile. The service – run by Microsoft – was used to sync contacts, messages, and other data to the cloud.

We’re not at all surprised by the move as the Sidekick has long been regarded dead. (Though there are many who still use them.) And it also doesn’t surprise us that the new Sidekick 4G won’t be using Danger’s services as it’ll run Android. Android syncs contacts, emails, calendars, and more to the cloud out of the box.

The move will effectively make any activated Sidekick inoperable which is why T-Mobile will be offering transition deals for folks who may need new smartphones. We’re not sure just how good these deals will be yet, but we’ll assume early upgrades are in the works and that users will be able to get discounts on Android phones and other smartphones.

Also note the date: that could be our first hint at the Sidekick 4G’s release window as I’m sure Sidekick fans wouldn’t mind having a similar device hardware design-wise. T-Mobile urges folks to back all of their data up so that it may be transferred to their new smartphones in the future.

Motorola XOOM Components Cost $278 Compared to iPad’s $245

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 12:08 PM PST

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UBM TechInsights broke down the Motorola XOOM and concluded that its components all come together for a combined price tag of $278. The high-end 3G model of the iPad, on the other hand, was a bit cheaper at $245. I don’t want to use the cliche “shocker” tag, but I have no choice. It has a dual core processor, a front-facing camera, 1GB of RAM compared to iPad’s 256MB. It’s literally cutting edge technology. Its retail price being more expensive also doesn’t shock me now when you consider the fact that it will also get a 4G upgrade in the near future, a process that seems free to the end-user but is likely added into the retail cost of the Motorola XOOM. [Wall Street Journal]

Verizon: We’re Moving to Tiered Data Plans This Summer

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 11:17 AM PST

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“All you can eat” fans may not want to read this as there is strong risk of this piece of news causing extreme anger and sudden urges to break smartphones. Verizon’s CFO Fran Shammo – speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, and Telecom conference – has said to investors that tiered data plans would make their way to the carrier this summer.

Fran Shammo said that they would have done it when they launched the iPhone 4, but they didn’t want to turn customers away. He reportedly said that “everyone knows that [the $30 unlimited data plan] isn’t long term.” We first caught wind of Verizon’s plans to at least consider this structure last summer. Then-CFO John Killian said:

We have indicated in the past, as we move to an LTE world and LTE pricing, we will probably look very hard at tiered pricing, and that continues to be our thinking right now. So more to come on that. By the way, I should say that all of our efforts, all of our plans on getting LTE launched in the fourth quarter are on schedule.

The difference between then and now is that 3G data may be subject to whatever new terms Verizon’s looking to impose, as well. There’s no word on what exact structure they’ll be using, but all signs are pointing to unlimited data soon going the way of the dodo. You had to expect that this was coming, folks. [Fierce]

Foodspotting for Android is Now Available

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 10:53 AM PST

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The crowd-sourced foodie service called Foodspotting now has an Android application to accompany its online presence. The service allows users to take pictures and video of the food they eat at restaurants and upload them. Instead of trying to imagine the menu of a place you want to go to, you’ll be able to take a look at just what it is you’ll be eating. Go ahead and try it now by searching for “Foodspotting” in the Android market.

Cut the Rope for Android Previewed [Video]

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 09:39 AM PST

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Admit it. You have snuck away on your friend’s iPhone to peruse the game available for that other platform. We won’t tell anyone. You have no doubt checked out Cut the Rope, then, and wondered when Android would get a piece of the rope slicing action. The answer is pretty soon, as evidenced by the sneak peak on YouTube. Check it out.

[via AndroidCentral]

Amazon’s App Store Launching this Month, Says Millennial Media

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 08:34 AM PST

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Millennial Media, known more for their sweeping reports of the mobile ad market, has dropped an interesting note via their twitter account. According the the ad company, the Amazon Appstore for Android will launching this month. Their tweet included a link to a blog post geared towards developers interested in the new app storefront.

We await a formal announcement from Amazon, and suspect Google will have little to say about the move other than some boilerplate copy about the openness of Android. It will be interesting to see where the Amazon Appstore fits into the Android equation, nonetheless.

[via Gizmodo]

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Hits FCC Again, This Time Sporting GSM

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 07:45 AM PST

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So far we have confirmation that the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play will be available on Verizon Wireless, a carrier that operates over a CDMA network. We also have word that Rogers will carry the phone in Canada, which makes this FCC filing for a GSM variant of the “Playstation Phone” not all that surprising.

Still the idea that the phone has been confirmed to not be a Verizon exclusive in the States gives our minds license to wander. Might this GSM version make it to the compatible 3G bands of AT&T? Even without an official release, that shouldn’t be too hard to accomplish. Will Sony take a similar approach as Samsung and LG in terms of carrier agnostic handset distribution?

[FCC via Engadget]

T-Mobile G-Slate (LG Optimus Pad) Priced at $699, According to Online Retailer MobileCity

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 07:22 AM PST

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We’re not sure how true we can hold pre-order pricing from MobileCity, but the online vendor of portable electronics has the T-Mobile G-Slate (otherwise known as the LG Optimus Pad) priced at $699.99. As the astute could point out, that’s $100 less than the similarly Honeycomb-equipped Motorola XOOM.

The pricing makes sense given the smaller screen size, though some thought the dual-cameras and 3D capabilities might add up to a much higher price tag. We will take the listing as a rough estimate of what the price might eventually be, but wouldn’t go marking this one down in your check book yet.

[via AndroidCentral]
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