NTT DoCoMo Launches Slimmest Smartphone Android

Slim continues to be for new smartphone: the Medias NEC C N-04, launched by NTT DoCoMo in Japan on Thursday, is approximately 8 mm thick.

The launch follows the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S II and Sony Ericsson Xperia arc, which measures approximately 9 mm at thinnest point.

Smartphone manufacturers, production of thinner devices is a way to differentiate their products from the competition, according to Geoff Blaber, analyst at CCS Insight. Apple has proved that good design is a long way, but must be combined with a good interface, applications and content, said.

The Medias C N-04 has 4-inch screen, is 127 mm in height and width 62 mm and weighs 105 grams. The smartphone is based on version 2.2 of Android and will get an upgrade to version 2.3 of this year, according to the DoCoMo.

Other features include a mobile wallet, the ability to view digital terrestrial television mobile and a quick shot photo function that enables users to take consecutive shots every 1.1 second with 5 megapixel camera.

Users can access the Internet via Wi-Fi or HSPA (high-speed Packet Access) to 7.2 m bps (bits per second) for download and upload 5.7 m bps for data.

Pricing was not announced, but shipment will begin on March 15. There were no details about whether or when NEC would start selling smartphone outside of Japan.

NTT DoCoMo also said Tablet shipment will start again LG Optimus Pad--which relies on Android 3.0, the version of Tablet PC operating system optimized for Google--at the end of March.

Send news tips and comments to mikael_ricknas@idg.com

Android Smartphone makers seek unique positions

Samsung is flexing his muscles with the Samsung Galaxy S II, while HTC and Sony Ericsson are betting on the deep integration of Facebook and mobile gaming as the war for smartphone supremacy continues at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week.

Not surprisingly, this year the show has been all about Android, according to Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner. With many vendors using the mobile operating system from Google, they must work to differentiate their products with other features.

Samsung kicks off Mobile World Congress with a bang: the Samsung Galaxy S II is thinner than the Galaxy S and comes with a dual core processor, a bigger, better screen and a faster Internet connection using HSPA + (High Speed Packet Access) up to 21 m bps (bits per second).

HTC has taken a different route with the sauce and the ChaCha. The two Smartphones come with deep integration of Facebook, including a Facebook button that lights up whenever there is an opportunity for users to share content or updates.

"[They are] different, and the fact is that what we're seeing on Android is very homogeneous. The same goes for the Sony Ericsson Xperia game; It's different in a sea of Android is that all look the same, "said Geoff Blaber, analyst at CCS Insight.

The Xperia has a chance to sell well if it's priced right, second Blaber.

However, today, both Sony Ericsson and HTC is a high-end smartphone with a dual core processor.

"They are both closely aligned to Qualcomm and Qualcomm was, up to this show, a little behind Nvidia ... but the reality is that we will see these products originating in that year by Sony Ericsson and HTC," said Blaber.

The number of consumers who really care if their smartphones have a dual core processor may be in the minority, though.

"I think from a perspective of mass market, consumers are still happy with single-core devices," said Milanesi.

LG Electronics is also trying to differentiate by adding a 3D screen smartphone Optimus 3D. Is one of the most revolutionary products in the mix, but the screen still feels a bit like a prototype, in Milan, he said.

However, the race of smartphones at Mobile World Congress not only high-end. The race to reduce the cost of smartphones based on Google's operating system also continued, according to Milanesi.

The most notable was the launch of Alcatel, according the Blaber.

The company announced five phones based on Android, Android market that will push in prepaid. A mobile phone, in particular, One Touch 890, which only has 2 G, seems destined to take Android under the level of $ 60 (US $ 80), with a small amount of subsidies, said Blaber.

ZTE and Huawei also launched low-end Android phones for my similar territory.

Android is now scale the end very, very low to high-end Smartphone with dual core processors, hardware acceleration and a lot of memory. The big question is how long the platform may continue to scale as that; There is a risk that you start to constrain developers in high-end, because they host multiple simple hardware, Blaber said.

Send news tips and comments to mikael_ricknas@idg.com

Google Android Roadmap: new clues emerge

Here in the Android world-watching, the air smells of uncertainty for a long time. Ever since Google announced Android honeycomb, Tablet PC Edition is optimized to its mobile operating system, there was no shortage of questions on the future of the platform and the direction in which it is directed.

The great unknown, was, of course, what's next: Will make its way Honeycomb Smartphone? Or Android devices will be assigned to one of two locations: the Froyo and Gingerbread-full phone range and deviation of honeycomb only tablets?

Thanks to some revelations at the Mobile World Congress this week, we're finally getting some answers.

Google Android Road Map: gingerbread, honeycomb and everything else

First, a brief explanation of where things stand now: oriented on Google Android smartphone version is gingerbread, also known as Android 2.3. Google has taken the wraps off of gingerbread at the beginning of December. So far, is officially available only on the Nexus S; for the rest of the pack, the update smartphone Android Gingerbread-flavored is still pending. (The vast majority of Android phones--about 89 percent, according to the most recent estimates of Google--is now on Android 2.2 or 2.1).

Then there's the honeycomb or Android 3.0--the new version for tablets. This sweet software entered our lives last month when Google gave us a sneak peek to the platform. About two weeks ago, Google held a media event in Mountain View that paid more details of honeycomb and provided the first hands-on demo of the Motorola Xoom, the tablet of honeycomb soon-to-inaugural-released.

Honeycomb involves major changes to the Android platform, including a new look and feel, interface renewed multitasking and notifications system improved. It also introduces the ability for applications to split into multiple panes side-by-side on the screen.

Despite its Tablet-centric design, Google has dropped several hints that honeycomb could reach Smartphone. Android at the media event this month, Google reps told me that the specs were still up in the air but that Visual elements of the honeycomb will almost certainly land on every Android device--Tablet PC or a smartphone--at some point in the foreseeable future. The real wild card, I suspect, was probably the panels app mentioned above; those are made to take advantage of screen space expanded tablets and it would be difficult to duplicate on one screen-sized smartphone.

Google Android Road Map: What's Next

Fast-forward to today. During a speech at Mobile World Congress, Google CEO Eric Schmidt was asked about the various versions of Android and where things were headed. His answer was very telling.

"We have an operating system for mobile phones called Gingerbread. We have an OS previewed now for tablets called honeycomb, "said Schmidt. "You can imagine the result will begin with an ' I ', be named after a dessert and combine these two."

So there you have it: paths of Android Tablet PCs and Smartphones, in one form or another, will converge soon. But wait--there's more.

Also at MWC today, HTC announced a series of new Android devices, including a 7-inch tablet that will run a version of gingerbread known as 2.4 Android. Which presumably means that we will see at least one Gingerbread oriented phone more significant issue before the unification "" edition of Android arrives.

For those who keeps with entries, this is not surprising huge; We heard about the possibility of a 2.4 release for some time. Earlier this month, Android blog Phandroid published a rumor that Google was working on a version 2.4 that would bring some of the features of the honeycomb in devices at the gingerbread. A Web site called Pocket-link followed this report with rumors, suggesting that the software 2.4 would be able to run applications designed specifically for honeycomb. The site has also predicted that the issue would arrive in April.

These specifications are, of course, still unconfirmed, but they certainly are starting to gel with everything else that we are listening to. And in case you're wondering, inter alia, that the upcoming Android release "I" is believed to be called Ice Cream Sandwich.

There is another factor in the puzzle of Google operating system: Chrome OS. During his speech MWC reinforced this week, Schmidt what Google said about OS Chrome all along: that software is being targeted at notebook type devices with keyboards. Android is made with phones and tablets in mind. The two are separate entities with different purposes. Schmidt said that the first Chrome OS devices trade should hit the market sometime this spring.

The Xoom, meanwhile, is expected to launch within the next two weeks. Many other tablets of honeycomb are expected to follow.

And this, my friends, is the current state of the road map Google Android. We'll be hearing more details about every twist and turn as time goes on, so stay tuned; World of Android, things never stay quiet for long.

PCWorld JR Raphael is a contributing editor and author of the blog Android. You can find it on Facebook and Twitter.

Google CEO: we tried to convince Nokia go Android

At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Google CEO Eric Schmidt has confirmed that his company held extensive talks with Nokia replacing Symbian with Android. The company has tried very hard to convince Nokia to choose Android as its future Windows Phone 7 platform as well.

"We would have liked if Android had chosen. Have chosen the other guys, "Schmidt said his speech. "We have had confidential negotiations with Nokia that were very broad," said the latest reporter during a roundtable. "I hope at some point in the future who will be willing to click Android." Something very innovative was supposed to take place at the Finnish company that occur.

As we already know, Nokia ended up switching to Windows Phone as its primary smartphone platform. As a result, thousands of workers lose their jobs, and at least some Nokia shareholders are offering a plan b.

All things digital has a run-down of the keynote if you want to know what Schmidt said. Larry Page will replace Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google on April 4, 2011.

The future of Android, showing

16 February 2011-12: 19 pm

By JR Raphael

Well, gang, after weeks of waiting and wondering, we finally have a good picture of what the future of Android will look like.

At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, Google and some of its hardware partners disclosed new details on Android roadmap--what versions are in the works and as tablets and Smartphones ultimately will coexist. In short, we'll probably a second edition of Android gingerbread, version 2.4. If everything goes as planned, it seems quite likely that some phones will skip the current incarnation 2.3 gingerbread and the update directly to 2.4; that was a pretty common back in the days Eclair, when Google launched Android 2.0 and followed shortly afterwards with the 2.1 Eclair-well-known.

The great news is, however, confirm that the following press release--the "s"-named operating system Edition--will merge with honeycomb Android Gingerbread is currently oriented to the Tablet-PC. That's right, people: we will see a single, unified location for smartphones and tablets alike. Chatter suggests that the "I" release, while still a long road ahead of us and far from official, will be named "ice cream Sandwich."

You can read the full details of Google Android road map here--or, for a more visual representation of what is ahead, check out the image below.

[Related: Android updates: which manufacturers you can trust?]

 
JR Raphael writes on Smartphones and other technologies. You can find it on Facebook, Twitter or on eSarcasm, his escape geek-humor.

Article copyright 2011 JR Raphael. All rights reserved.

Bogus Android apps lead to malware

Daniel Kennedy leads initiatives in politics and in the management of operational safety, conducts the certification strategy and risk assessment and is head of business continuity planning and disaster recovery to the Praetorian security group, LLC.

Praetorian Security Group first, Daniel was the global head of information security at D.B. Zwirn & co where he managed the company's information security. He was specifically responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of information security policy of the company. Managed security metrics reporting, also the program of awareness raising and education of safety, security incident response, security control and develop the company's strategy for the security technology. In this role he worked closely with the firm's CIO, COO, head of compliance, head of legal, head of infrastructure, head of client services overseas and IT managers.

Before D.B. Zwirn, Daniel was Vice President and program director for the security application program at Pershing LLC, a division of the Bank of New York. Responsibilities of Daniel including management of the firm's application security, coordination of application vulnerability assessments and testing, application security, training, documentation of the secure coding guidelines and application security development firm SDLC penetration. He was the primary liaison for application security concerns among teams as the Information Security Office, Internal Audit, risk of Information Management (IRM) and teams of business and application development. He served on several committees, including the security infrastructure, Workgroup and chartered security architecture and chaired the Security Council of the enterprise application, an interdisciplinary team consisting of application developers and security experts on the subject.

His previous positions include the Pershing and development management positions in systems engineering of web applications creation company to facilitate the online brokerage. He was also employed at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Inc., a technology analyst for the Treasury.

Daniel Degree Master of Science in information systems from Stevens Institute of Technology, a Master of Science in information assurance from Norwich University and a Bachelor of Science in Information Management and Technology from Syracuse University. He is certified as a CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) of the EC-Council, a CISSP and an NASD Series 7 license.

You can also follow him on Twitter, and the Praetorian Prefect of blog.

ZTE launches Android 2.1 Smartphone, LTE promises Tablets

Skate is the latest addition to the portfolio of ZTE Smartphone low cost. Has a 4.3 inch screen and runs Android version 2.3, the company announced at Mobile World Congress on Monday.

The shoe will be the flagship of ZTE smartphone when you begin shipping worldwide in the month of May. Screens more than 4 inches in size are proving a popular item on other smartphones at Mobile World Congress, including the Samsung Galaxy S II and LG Electronics ' Optimus 3D.

Where Samsung and LG phones come with processor 1 GHz dual core, ZTE is instead went with an 800 MHz processor to lower the cost. 120 grams, ZTE smartphone weighs about the same as the Samsung device.

Most of the ski more specifications are also basic enough for today's smartphone standards, including a 5 megapixel camera, A-GPS (assisted-GPS) and Internet access through HSDPA (high-speed Downlink Packet Access) to 7.2 m bps (bits per second). How much will it cost to finish the shoe remains to be seen: ZTE does not announce any pricing before operators who sell smartphone weigh.

At Mobile World Congress, ZTE has also announced plans to launch a tablet running Android 3.0, the optimized version for tablets, in the third quarter. It has a 10.1 inch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.

Before that, in the second quarter the company will start shipping boards that will be able to access the Internet using WiMax or LTE (Long Term Evolution). Operators are now rolling out LTE networks, using a variety of different frequency bands. At the top of the list of ZTE is the 700 MHz band used by Verizon Wireless in the United States and the 2.6 GHz band used in Scandinavia.

When it comes to smartphones equipped with LTE, the company is taking a wait-and-see, but maybe will launch a phone this year, according to a spokesman.

Send news tips and comments to mikael_ricknas@idg.com

Microsoft needs to learn how to talk about Apple and Android

Five years ago, Microsoft may have been justified in assuming that every visitor to your web site is running Windows. In 2011, in such circumstances are not realistic. Yes, Windows still commands an overwhelming market share for desktop PCs and laptops, but these days people get information from other places, like Android Smartphone and iPad and MacBook Pro. None of these devices are running Microsoft operating systems.

Microsoft is aware that these other markets exist, of course. They got Office for Mac 2011, and have just released Microsoft OneNote to iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad, you can get Windows Live Mesh for Mac. There are applications Bing for iOS and Android (on all U.S. carriers as last November. Most of the Microsoft online services these days work incredibly well in non-Microsoft browsers on non-Microsoft devices. So why isn't Microsoft talk directly to people who use those other operating systems and devices?

I thought earlier this morning, when I had an odd interaction with Microsoft.com. As you might recall, I am using a Mac and a PC side by side for the past few months, moving between environments throughout the day and, sometimes, as part of the task.

This morning, someone on Twitter pointed me to a bookmark manager add-on for Internet Explorer. That tweet includes a link that took me to the IE Add-ons page at Microsoft.com. Clicked on a link in TweetDeck, which opened the page in Google Chrome. On a Mac.

Now, Microsoft should know that I am using a Mac and no Windows. It's right there in the user agent string that went along with my request:

Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_6_6; Chrome/9.0.597.94 for EN-US) AppleWebKit/526.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Safari/533.13

So, here is a close-up of what I have served in reply:

"We recommend that you install Internet Explorer 8 for free". Really? How very careful.

Except I can't. As you and I and everyone on the planet knows, Microsoft does not make a version of Internet Explorer for OS X, or indeed for any operating system besides Windows. So this is a bit empty. But there is.

And what happens when you click Download now? Get this:

As user experience goes, this is pretty awesome. It is almost a bait-and-switch.

Microsoft: "You want Internet Explorer for free?

Me: "sure, why not?"

[click]

Microsoft: "Sorry, that you may have. Can we sell is Windows 7 instead? "

The first page was perfectly able to detect my operating system. When you see that I am running OS X and Windows, knows that for a dead certainty that I cannot install Internet Explorer. It should not force me to go to another web page to learn this truism.

Get a result equally useless if you visit the Microsoft Fix It Solution Center on the Mac. Imagine this scenario: I have a PC and a Mac at home. For some reason, my PC cannot reach the Internet. You cannot use it to find help online. So I am going to Mac, where my connection is alive and well, and I make my way to the Microsoft support site. Here's what I found:

Those top two audio solutions as they're worth trying. But now button a run? Really? Maybe they can run on a Mac.

But there is, and not saying anything like "Windows only". So I click and Chrome downloads a Windows executable file and saves it in the downloads folder on my Mac. At that point, I am my own.

They may provide some instructions on how to copy this file to a USB flash drive and then run it on your PC. But that is not the case, and I left to figure things out for me.

A lot of devices these days is running non-Microsoft operating systems, including phones and tablets. Smartphones are outselling PCs in many markets. In the scenario above, where I need help to understand why my Windows PC can connect to the Internet, I could use a Android powered phone or an iPad to seek help through a connection 3 G.

Every visitor who comes to microsoft.com using a Mac or an iPhone or a droid has slightly different information needs and challenges of interoperability of new and interesting. It would be smart to anticipate these needs? In the process, instead of trying to sell me a copy of Windows 7, why can't I point to services like Bing and Windows Live SkyDrive which will help me to connect my PC Windows and my device not Windows?

Microsoft is missing an opportunity here. Really.

Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades experience writing for mainstream media and publications online.

Twitter for Android updated with a new design, universal search

Twitter has released a new version of Twitter for Android, bringing t more in line with the company of other official Twitter applications and providing a more consistent experience across platforms and devices. You can download the new version of the application (Android 2.1 or higher required) from the Android market.

Most noticeable is the new design of the application: when first Login, you will see your timeline, along with the icons along the top that allow you to view @ mentions (including retweets), messages and lists. Also, Twitter has introduced auto-complete for usernames. Universal search has been added: when performing a search, you can find tweets with the word you're looking for, tweets sent from people close to your location, or people whose names you include this term. At the bottom of the new research section, you can analyze your address book to find out which of your friends who have chosen to be discoverable are also on Twitter.

Last but not least, the app can now be used even if you have not signed in or do not have an account. Can view trends, browse your interests, see suggested users in various categories and tries to find out what they say about certain topics. Can now also register to Twitter from within your application.

Six months ago, Twitter for Android was not even among the top 10 most used Twitter applications. Over the past two months, however, has doubled the use and is now among the top five with twitter.com, m.twitter.com (service mobile website), Twitter for iPhone and Twitter for Blackberry.