Mobilityfeeds

New Android Trojan is disguised as a legitimate game app, "The Roar of the Pharaoh"

It may look like an app for a Chinese game called "The Roar of the Pharaoh," but it's actually just another fake Android app that's really a malware Trojan in disguise, according to security researchers warning about it.

Writing in a blog, Sophos security researcher Chester Wisniewski calls it a "malicious application" that "gathers sensitive information" about the Android device it lands on, collecting personal information and technical details, including phone number, and "sends it off to the malware's authors."

"Like many other mobile Trojans, this one sends SMS messages to premium rate SMS numbers and is capable of reading your SMSs as well," Wisniewski says in his blog.

Amazon Kindle Fire is an US affair only - Don't expect, for now, to get it anywhere else

The Kindle Touch 3G eReader will be available on 27^th April 2012 in 175 countries and territories, Amazon announced this week.

But there's still no word as to when the retailer's popular Kindle Fire tablet would be available outside the United States.

The US$199 (€149) Kindle Fire, which features a 7" LCD display, is the first color tablet to challenge Apple's iPad in the consumer market.
Amazon shipped 4.7 million Fire tablets in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2011, enough to grab 16.8% of the market, according to IDC.
Apple shipped 15.4 million iPads in the same period, up from 11.1 million in the third quarter.

So if the Kindle Fire is a hit with US consumers, why isn't Amazon selling its tablet worldwide?

Watch 3D movies, browse the Internet, shop on line with Epson Moverio BT-100 first Android glasses

Epson (yes the guys that make printers), has invented what could be the coolest headwear since Geordi La Forge's VISOR on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The Epson Moverio BT-100 is a wearable transparent display that runs on Google's Android 2.2 Froyo and supports Adobe Flash.

The Moverio uses micro-projectors to project the equivalent of an 80" screen into your eyes, and is capable of displaying both 2D and 3D content.
You can even load apps onto it, thanks to the device being able to connect to WiFi and having access to the Amazon App Store.

What to expect from Google's I/O 2012 conference

Since when does a vendor-sponsored developer conference sell out 5,500 seats in just 20 minutes?

That's what happened when tickets for Google I/O 2012 went on sale this week.
It beat last year's record of an hour, which had also raised eyebrows.

One easy answer is that Google I/O sells out because of the swag.
Tickets aren't cheap, but each attendee gets a gift bag with a street value that typically exceeds the price of entry.

Last year's goodies included a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet and a Chromebook.
Previous years' attendees received Android smartphones.

Asus allowed to keep 'Transformer Prime' name according to Court ruling - Hasbro not happy

In a court ruling that reads at times like a pop culture or consumer gadget review, an US federal judge gave tablet maker Asus a green light to sell its “Transformer” tablets.

Hasbro filed a lawsuit against Asus late last year that claimed the Transformer Prime would lead to confusion with its popular toy robots.
As the judge explained:

“The Autobots are led by the virtuous Optimus Prime character, while the Decepticons follow the powerful Megatron. According to Hasbro, Optimus Prime is intended to epitomize honor, duty, leadership, and freedom.”

Hasbro tried to persuade the court that consumers would believe the Asus tablets were connected to the toy franchise.
The company pointed out that its transformer toy decal had been used on products like USB storage drives, computer mouses, skins for laptops, speaker heads and iPod docks.

HTC is patenting an iPod Touch stereo music player rival

We’ve always been a huge fan of HTC’s build quality from the moment we received the Nexus One, the Sensation, and even more so when we enjoyed some hands-on time with the new HTC One X.

Today though we have some interesting news about an upcoming HTC device that isn’t a smartphone, and instead could rival Apple’s iPod Touch and offer much better audio than anything from the fruit company.

If the patent designs shown left and after the break are any indication, HTC is looking to design a pretty awesome multimedia device.

HTC is slowly and quietly building a cloud-based entertainment empire

Once is a fluke. Twice is a coincidence. But three times — that’s a pattern — at least when it comes to HTC.

The Taiwanese handset maker has been snatching up cloud service and content distribution channels with gusto, recently acquiring music streaming service MOG, if by proxy (Beats Audio actually purchased MOG, but HTC is the majority stakeholder in Beats Audio, having invested US$300 million in the company).

US government is reconsidering electronic devices usage ban during aircraft's take-off and landing

The United States government is taking a tentative step toward making it easier for airlines to allow passengers to use personal electronic devices such as tablets, eReaders and music players during takeoffs and landings.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said last week it is “exploring ways to bring together all of the key stakeholders involved” – including airlines, aircraft manufacturers, consumer electronics makers, and flight attendant unions – to discuss whether there are practical ways to test devices to see if they are safe for passengers to use during critical phases of flight.

Technically, FAA rules already permit any airline to test specific makes and models to determine if they generate enough power that they could interfere with sensitive cockpit radios, navigation instruments and other critical equipment.

'Angry Birds in Space' is coming to Windows Phone - Rovio CEO denying previous reports

Rovio is working on getting its new Angry Birds Space game to Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platform (WP7), its Chief Executive said on Friday, putting Nokia and other Windows Phones more on a par with the Apple's iPhone.

"We are working towards getting Angry Birds Space to Windows Phone 7," Rovio Chief Executive Mikael Hed told Reuters, dismissing earlier media reports that the top gaming firm was dumping the platform.

Hed, however, said the launch date was not set.

Android's free apps battery drain issue hides a bigger problem than your eyes can see at first glance

Earlier this week, a report came out showing that some apps on Google's Android use more than twice the power they actually need because they're running ads. 

Angry Birds in particular was called out, with 70% of its power draw dedicated to uploading information and downloading ads.
That stark fact may be part of the reason why Angry Birds Space, which was released yesterday, has both a free and a US$0.99 (€0.74) "premium" version in Google Play.

Although it might not be entirely fair to single out Angry Birds for battery life issues, the app is a common example simply because of how popular it has become.

At the center of the Android app ecosystem is a fundamental problem that hasn't yet been solved:
Paid apps get better battery life but simply don't make much money in Google Play, while free-with-ads apps appear to be much more profitable but provide a much worse experience to the end user.

HTC is innovating again by offering more than great handsets to its customers

 

HTC’s is the Cinderella story of the mobile market — they’ve gone from low-key provider of Microsoft's now dead Windows Mobile hardware to Google's Android-powered smartphone titan within the span of just a few years.

Impressive as that is, HTC has done much more than just push out smartphones.

In the past year alone, HTC has inked big deals with Beats Audio, Dropbox, and LogMeIn, with rumors of a potentially final MOG acquisition swirling around to boot.

It’s pretty clear what HTC is trying to do here:
They’re trying to buy an entire ecosystem for their devices, and frankly, good on them for it.

Google denies that it will forces apps developers to use only its own payment service

This follows a Reuters report that Google threatened to remove developers' software from its store unless they accepted payments exclusively using its own payment service.

Google told the BBC its app distribution agreement had always made developers use Google Wallet.

But the Internet search giant refused to say if it has started enforcing its payment rules more rigorously.

The story emerged just days after Android Market was merged into Google Play, an online store similar to Apple's iTunes.
It offers movies and music as well as apps for its Android mobile phone Operating System (OS).

Angry Birds team up with NASA to go to space

 

Those Angry Birds have their work cut out for them.

Not only have they been destroying those green pigs in celebration of Valentine’s Day and every other major holiday, but they’re now being launched into outer space. 

Rovio, the maker of the cult game Angry Birds, recently announced that its next version will be Angry Birds Space.

But this isn’t just another iteration of the game.
This one has the full support of NASA. 

Archos to launch budget-friendly ChildPad Android Ice Cream Sandwich tablet

Tired of the kids whining to play this or that on your sleek Google's Android tablet?

 Now here's your chance to shell out US$129 (€98) for an Android Ice Cream Sandwich pacifier called the Child Pad. 

While the name is a little weird, Archos seems intent on providing the young'ns with a 7" gadget packed with the latest Android Operating System (OS), a 1 GHz SoC and 1 GB of RAM.

"As a pioneer in the portable audio and Android tablet market we realize the importance of providing a tablet that can offer hours of entertainment for all ages, especially kids," says Henri Crohas, Founder and CEO. "Archos strives to offer great tablets with only the best of features at affordable prices and we expect this tablet to bring a smile to the faces of kids and parents’ everywhere."

Sony to launch the Walkman Z Series Android music player

Sony has unveiled the Google's Android powered Walkman Z portable music players at the CES 2012.

The company said the Android powered devices will be available on 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models and will also allow users to access the Android Market for apps and games.

Sony said the Walkman Z features S-Master MX digital amplifier technology, originally designed to give great sound.
The device also features 5 Clear Audio technologies which include S-Master MX, Clear Bass, Clear Stereo, DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine), and EX headphones.

Lenovo SmartTV K91 Android Ice Cream Sandwich-powered TV preview

We've heard plenty about Google TV at CES 2012 this week, but this isn't a Google TV, it's an Android TV.

Lenovo's first ever television set is also the first to pack Google's Android Ice Cream Sandwich.

It's rare that we see new players in the television set game, but this year there's talk of revolution in the air.
Apple is reportedly plotting to launch an iTV later this year, but that's not the company on everyone's lips at CES 2012.

Chinese manufacturer Lenovo, famed for its PCs and tablet offerings, is launching its first television set in its native land and decided to bring the model to showcase in Las Vegas, Nevada.

However, this isn't just any old connected, 3D TV set, it's the first to have Android Ice Cream Sandwich added to the mix, bringing a range of apps from the Lenovo store, voice control and motion gaming.

Boost Grand Theft Auto III for iOS and Android

Just when you thought cruising down the streets of Grand Theft Auto III (GTA III) was an impressive technical feat for your smartphone or tablet, along comes more good news. 

The hacker community has discovered that you can mod the Apple's iOS and Google's Android game, just like the PC version.

In fact, it turns out that GTA III uses the same filestructure as the PC version on mobile, so you don't even need to roll your own — if you can find your Android/Data/com.rockstar.gta3/files/GTA3 directory on your device's internal storage, you can download a number of existing mods right now.

JinXing Digital launches the JXD S7100, a budget 7" gaming Android tablet on steroids

It's one thing to base your entire company's reputation off the wholesale infringement of popular gaming devices, but JinXing Digital decided to kick things up a notch.

The Shenzhen-based group has officially released a tablet that manages to steal design notes and intellectual property from Apple, Sony, and Nintendo.
Even crazier, the entire device sells for a paltry US$140 (€107).

Marketed as a PC tablet mixed with a gaming console, the JXD S7100 has a smorgasbord of features that would send other tablet manufacturers into fits.

Hasbro sues Asus over the 'Transformer Prime'

Asus picked an excellent name for its upcoming Android tablet.

Too bad the name, Transformer Prime, is very similar to a series of toys created by Hasbro.

As it turns out, the toy company owns trademarks for the word “Transformers” and “Transformers Prime”, which is terrible news for Asus.

Hasbro threatened to vigilantly defend its trademark and filed a lawsuit against Asus.

Admittedly, the Asus tablet and the Hasbro toys target a different market, but, as commentators pointed out, Hasbro sells a line of Transformer video games and accessories for the PC and the Xbox 360.

Count-down to 2012 with this Times Square Official Ball app for Android and iOS

Watching television can be really tough sometimes.

Watching television can be especially tough on New Year’s Eve.
You gotta open your eyes, look in a direction and continue looking in that direction as you wait for the New York's Times Square ball to drop at the stroke of midnight.

Ushering in the infant year can be doubly exhausting if you’re sitting on a couch and eating popcorn (or whatever you like to have to munch in the new year).
If you happen to fall into this unfortunate category of oppression, a new app for Apple's iPhone and Google's Android is here to the rescue.

Now you don’t need a TV to livestream the ball-dropping ceremony from Times Square thanks to Times Square Official Ball app.