App developers who want their apps to be included in the launch are urged to submit their apps and have all the necessary prerequisites ready before May 18.

The App Center would serve something like a directory for the apps, since users will still be redirected to Google Play or the App Store if they wish to purchase or install an app. Facebook is giving an opportunity for app developers to offer paid apps.

Before it even launches, some are already comparing it to Apple’s App Store as it is available for both web and mobile.  Also, the similarities between the mobile version of the two is uncanny.

You can’t help but compare it to Apple’s Game Center either, as the App Center collates apps that uses Facebook whilst the Game Center makes gaming more social.

Speaking of Apple’s Game Center, Research in Motion and Google are said to be developing their own version of the game hub.

RIM’s Games

Reports surfaced that RIM is developing their own version of the Game Center which will be dubbed simply as Games.  Games will be a stand alone app that serves as a discovery tool as well as a social hub where gamers can compare scores with their friends or even other gamers.

RIM will merge their BlackBerry Messenger and the Scoreloop social gaming network, allowing users to add friends, see what their friends are playing, brag about their achievements or high scores, and challenge their friends to a game.  Games is said to support multiplayer gaming as well as turn-based and real-time gaming.

Google’s Game Center

Google is also imitating Apple in more ways than one.  Aside from creating a Game Center-like app that includes a social “achievement” system, it could also have a leaderboard to rank players against their friends.

Google is said to be adopting Apple’s payment scheme to make app purchases on Google Play easier for gamers and app developers.

“They are starting to really understand all of the needs and wants to make a game really successful,” an industry source told Business Insider. “As recently as even a year ago, that really wasn’t part of their institutional DNA, But I think they’re getting there.”

Everyone’s Copying Apple’s Game Center is a post from: SiliconANGLE We're now available on the Kindle! Subscribe today.

In the same vein:

• Android’s Google Play Faces Rising Competition from Amazon, Facebook and China
• Fusion-io IPO Distracts from Social Media Bubble Froth
• Privacy As an Asset; Saving Your Skin
• AI On the Rise: Driverless Car, Gogobot Apps, and Advertising
• Facebook’s Ecosystem Provides Jobs, Business Tools
• RIM Launches NFC Music Streaming Device

Juniper Networks conducted the survey in March 2012 across 4,037 mobile device users and IT decision-makers in the US, UK, Germany, China and Japan, looking at mobile security and reliability trends.

More Connected Devices and BYOD Trends

According to Juniper Networks’ survey, mobile users own an average of three internet connected devices. Nearly one in five, or 18 percent of users own five or more devices including tablets, e-readers, and portable video game systems.

This particular trend is supported by Millennial Media’s recent Mobile Intel Series: Finance report for 2011.  According to the Millennial report, finance mobile users have more smartphones than normal mobile users. Eighty percent of mobile finance users now use a smartphone, and 37 percent of mobile subscribers also own a tablet or e-reader.

The BYOD trend is creating new concerns for IT administrators.  Per Juniper Networks’ findings, nearly 41 percent, or half of the respondents are using their own connected devices at work without permission from their company.

Nearly 89 percent of mobile users use their mobile to access sensitive work information. In addition, 76 percent of users said they access critical data, such as online banking or personal medical information from their connected devices.

Levels of Trust in Mobility is Uncertain

Despite the growth of the connected devices, mobile users’ level of trust in dealing with mobile usage is uncertain. Just 15 percent of respondents show confidence in dealing with security issues in their mobile devices and services.

Network security (69 percent) and network reliability (45 percent) are two top most factors of trust for mobile users followed by device security (43 percent). Service providers ranked one (63 percent) when it comes to protect sensitive data of users. Device manufacturers (38 percent) and software security providers (34 percent) were placed in second and third position respectively.

One fifth of the mobile users trust security expert for advice on mobile security followed by service providers (14 percent), software security providers (13 percent) and device manufacturers (10 percent).

Mobile Security Threats Increasing

BYOD inclinations in work places are creating a complex management task for IT professionals. Nearly one-third (30 percent) of all IT leaders report that their company has experienced security threats due to company data being accessed by personal mobile devices.

Further, IT leaders reported personal devices are bringing security breaches (41 percent), security protocol breaches (37 percent) and malware (32 percent) to the network.

Juniper Networks Mobile Threat Center has identified 8,608 new mobile malware samples in the first three months of 2012, a 30 percent increase of all known malware. During the same period, the total numbers of spyware samples were more than doubled.

Un-secure Wi-Fi connection is another reason for alarming threats in mobile devices. Almost 72 percent of users reported that they either connect to unsecure Wi-Fi networks or they have no idea about a secure and unsecure network.

“The mobile revolution is unleashing massive opportunities, but our research shows we are at a critical turning point,” said Nawaf Bitar, senior vice president, Security Business unit, Juniper Networks. “The speed and scale at which mobile innovations can have a positive impact on society will depend on the industry’s ability to address new security vulnerabilities before they undermine people’s sense of safety. We must act now to protect and preserve trust in mobility.”

Wi-Fi usage is on the rise. An earlier Mobile Audience Insights Report from JiWire found that nine out of 10 consumers choose public Wi-Fi instead of 3G/4G on smartphones, which would further increase the security threats if the public Wi-Fi network is not secured. Various security firms are already showing concern over certain mobile practices, including the use of Wi-Fi and mobile wallet trends.

As stated by Dan Hoffman, chief mobile security evangelist at Juniper Networks, building trust in mobility is just as important as building great networks and powerful applications. Creating a safer, more secure and trusted mobile experience requires a sustained, collective effort by mobile service providers, device manufacturers, software developers, networking companies and security experts.

BYOD Users Can’t Be Trusted [Report] is a post from: SiliconANGLE We're now available on the Kindle! Subscribe today.

In the same vein:

• Mobile Spending in the Finance Vertical Grows 300% [Report]
• Mobile Payments on the Rise, PayPal and Amazon Ahead of Google Wallet
• Malware on Android for the First Time Poses Threat to Corporate Networks
• Android Malware Spiked in 2011 – Protect Yourself [Video]
• Mobile Browsing Trends: Opera Mini Reemerges as a Top Tool
• McAfee Secures MySQL Databases with Free Audit Plug-ins

Amazon recently reported a stunning Q1 financial report, but this sparked some questions as to how the company pulled it off.  Seeking Alpha notes that Amazon is the least transparent company in the industry, so much so that even their own investors have no clue as to how many products the company sold.  But Amazon always told them that their e-ink readers and Kindle Fires were selling well.  Now there’s proof that their e-reader line is in jeopardy.

Amazon is the top customer of E Ink Holdings, the world’s biggest e-ink display manufacturer, which, during an investors conference, stated that the company suffered a major loss.

“Our major customer was too optimistic about its sales in the fourth quarter of last year and ordered too much from us,”  E Ink Holdings chairman Scott Liu said during the conference. “That made the customer order almost nothing from us in the first quarter.”

Since Amazon launched the Kindle Fire, their Kindle sales have gone down, almost to zero, so the Kindle e-readers may soon be doomed.  Though little thought is being given to e-readers, their owners defend that they are better for reading e-books, and more portable than tablets since they are lighter and work well in all lighting conditions.  But some still argue that it doesn’t make any sense to carry around an e-reader plus a tablet, so why not just use a tablet as an e-reader?

It seems inevitable that tablets will soon takeover the world, edging out a portion of smartphone users and a good portion of e-readers.  And every major tech brand seems to know it.

Apple iPad mini?

According to some sources, Apple will launch a seven-inch iPad or an iPad mini by August, the iPhone 5 by September, and a 10-inch iPad by December.  The rumor is based on the reported information that orders for the said devices have been placed at Pegatron Technology, a global electronics manufacturing company.

“Pegatron has already finished expanding its equipment and labor force for Apple’s orders,” said a report from DigiTimes.  “To mainly focus on Apple’s orders, Pegatron has also internally decided to downsize its SI motherboard department and to shift resources to Apple’s orders.”

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2

The 10.1 version of the Galaxy Tab 2 will be available by May 13.  The news came after numerous online and offline retailers unveiled their pre-order page for the said tablet.

The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and features a serious 1GHz dual core processor, the display has a 720p resolution at 1280×800 pixels, 1GB of system memory, 16GB internal storage, a microSD card slot that can be used to expand the memory up to 32GB, a 3MP rear-facing camera, USB 2.0 port, a 3.5mm microphone jack, support for WiFi-N (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth 3.0.

BlackBerry PlayBook 2

Research in Motion promises that the BlackBerry PlayBook 2 will be LTE compatible but before the company reaches that point, they announced that they need developers for their BlackBerry 10 platform.  RIM promised that developers would earn $10,000  in their first year on the app store, if not, the company will shoulder the check for the balance. Wow.

Nokia

Nokia’s outgoing chairman Jorma Ollila previously unveiled their tablet plans stating that what the Finnish company would bring would be different from the tablets these days and that they are looking into making a Windows 8-based tablet.

Soon after Ollila made his statement, Nokia took back what he said claiming that the media misconstrued Ollila’s statement.  Nokia clarified that they are still observing the tablet market and they still have no plans or made any official announcement regarding a Windows 8 Nokia tablet.

Amazon’s Kindle In Jeopardy as Tablet Takeover Continues is a post from: SiliconANGLE We're now available on the Kindle! Subscribe today.

In the same vein:

• RIM Loses Footing In Europe, Kindle Fire Sales at 6M
• Are You Ready For The Next Galaxy?
• Android Tablet Sales Figures Questioned Amidst Amazon Kindle Fire Boon
• Who’s Behind the Anti-Apple Wake Up Campaign? Not Samsung
• Will Apple and Samsung Finally Settle?
• Xoom Tablets Sold with User Data on Woot: Privacy Oops!

The study was conducted by Millennial Media and comScore, highlighting how finance brands can use mobile to reach & engage consumers and build loyalty.  It also uncovers leading finance brands in mobile today, and how mobile users are using their mobile devices for financial initiatives.

Starting with general stats, 80 percent of mobile finance users now use a smartphone, an increase of 55 percent over the previous year. Nearly 37 percent of mobile subscribers who access financial services via mobile also own a tablet or e-reader.

Android led the mobile devices market with a share of 39 percent where smartphones users access their content. iOS took the second place (34 percent), followed by Blackberry at 19 percent and Windows Mobile Phone with 4 percent.

According to the latest International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker report, the worldwide smartphone market grew 42.5% year over year in 1Q12, spurring more brands and financial institutions to invest in mobile payments.

Mobile finance users are young and wealthy

Mobile finance users generally have a higher annual income and over-index in the 75k+ and 100k+ income brackets. The number of mobile finance users between 18-34 ages is almost double the overall mobile average.

Mobile finance users value brand names and they are willing to pay more for a trusted company service. Almost 95 percent mobile finance users are more likely to be influenced by a celebrity endorsement than the overall mobile audience.  Fifty percent of mobile finance users claim they will stick with a brand they like.

Finance, the number one global advertising vertical brand

In terms of the verticals represented on Millennial’s network, several verticals continue to see substantial increases.  Finance was the number one global vertical on the Millennial Media platform in 2011, growing over 300 percent from 2010 to 2011.

The total number of finance-related mobile advertisements increased 34 percent from September 2010 to September 2011.  Moreover, six different types of finance sub-categories contribute to the overall growth of mobile advertising. The largest sub-category is insurance with a 42 percent share of the total spend; banking was second (28 percent), and financial services and credit cards were third (16 percent) and fourth (10 percent).

Mobile banking was the finance sub-category accessed most frequently by consumers.  Thirty-two percent of users accessed banking content one to three times per month, 35 percent accessed banking content once a week, and 22 percent accessed it almost every day.

Lead Generation Topped the Mobile Finance Campaign Goals

Lead Generation and Registration was by far the most popular campaign goal for finance advertisers, making up 70 percent of all campaigns. Finance brands were more successful, providing mobile related banking and financial services accounts, credit cards, and insurance coverage and more related services.

In addition, finance marketers allowed finance mobile users to place a call or enroll, subscribe or join at a higher rate than the average mobile user, fueling more lead generation-focused campaign.

Opportunities for Finance Brands

As consumers are starting utilizing mobile payment technology like NFC, they will be interacting even more with their devices. For brands, this is a great opportunity to expand their portfolio by running engaging content, product launch campaigns, and targeting the mobile as a customer engagement channel.

Brands can also engage their consumers with mobile video, take advantage of location-based targeting, optimize their apps to run various campaigns to test different targeting methods, ad types, and creative executions.

Consumer activity around mobile wallet services are on rise.  JiWire’s latest Mobile Audience Insights Report indicates that more than 37 percent users have used a mobile wallet app within the last quarter of 2012.

Mobile Spending in the Finance Vertical Grows 300% [Report] is a post from: SiliconANGLE We're now available on the Kindle! Subscribe today.

In the same vein:

• BYOD Users Can’t Be Trusted [Report]
• Mobile Payments on the Rise, PayPal and Amazon Ahead of Google Wallet
• YouTube Announces 1 Trillion Playbacks: Reveals 2011 Biggest Video Hits
• 3 Surprising Ways Mobile Wallets Use Your Data
• Millennial Beats Earnings Estimates Right off the Bat
• Evernote Raises $70M Ahead of IPO as Public Fever Heightens

Samsung and Visa announce official Summer Olympics phone

Samsung Electronics and Visa announced that the Samsung GALAXY S III, the latest Samsung smartphone unveiled only last week, will be Samsung’s Olympic Games Phone during the London 2012 Games.

The Samsung Galaxy SIII comes equipped with Near Field Communication (NFC) payment capabilities.  A limited edition Galaxy SIII equipped with Visa’s payment application, payWave, will be available for Samsung and Visa sponsored athletes and trialists, making it possible to buy merchandise with a wave of the device at thousands of retail locations throughout London.

“Mobile payment services enabled by NFC technology are gaining momentum around the world. The Samsung GALAXY S III has been created with our human needs and capabilities in mind and is the ideal device to showcase the ease and convenience of Visa’s mobile payment application at the London 2012 Olympic Games,” said DJ Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Sales and Marketing team of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business.

RIM announces stylish new smartphone

After Research in Motion’s very boring Wake Up campaign, which was supposed to push people to like BlackBerries more than iPhones, and their announcement of two new executives, RIM finally announced a new smartphone that probably should have come with the Wake Up campaign.

RIM announced a stylish new smartphone, the BlackBerry Curve 9320, for socially-connected customers. The smartphone features all the core BlackBerry messaging and social-centric features,  such as a dedicated BBM key to bring the power of RIM’s popular mobile social network up in an instant, as well as the best keyboard in its class for quick and easy typing. It includes a built-in FM radio, allowing users to tune into their favorite local stations, and listening to the FM radio does not require a data plan or use data services. Designed to allow both 3G connectivity and long battery life, customers can get up to 7 hours of talk time or up to 30 hours of FM radio listening or music playback with headphones.

“The new BlackBerry Curve 9320 is designed to make it incredibly easy for users to stay socially-connected,” said Carlo Chiarello, EVP, Smartphone Business at Research In Motion. “The new BlackBerry Curve 9320 will be especially popular with customers upgrading to a smartphone for the first time and existing Curve customers looking for a step up in speed and functionality.”

Apple redesigns nano SIM for Nokia

Apple and Nokia have been battling over which of their microSIM designs should be chosen by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute as the standard microSIM design.

Apple is pushing for a smaller microSIM design, smaller than the microSIMs they are currently using.  But Nokia stated that if ETSI goes with Apple’s design, they would pull out their SIM patents, which would make it impossible to manufacture SIMs since Nokia holds patents on communication and processing in mobile devices, essential in the operation of the SIM.

So Apple obliged to Nokia’s protest and redesigned their microSIM. which is now being showcased at CTIA by SIM card maker Giesecke & Devrient.

The new microSIM design now shows that “a small amount of plastic has been added around the edges of the electrical contacts, making the new nano-SIM just long enough so that it can’t be forced lengthwise into an incompatible socket,” a review from the Verge states.

G&D is a voting member of ETSI, but did not actually state that they are backing Apple’s design–they work with everyone.  But the SIM manufacturer hinted that if Apple’s microSIM design is approved, the product will soon be available.

In other Apple news, the case filed by Proview against the iPad maker in California was tossed by Judge Mark Pierce of the Superior Court of the State of California in Santa Clara County.  The reason for the case’s dismissal was due to the agreement by the two parties to resolve the dispute in Hong Kong.

Sony launches 13 MP smartphone in Japan

Sony launched two new Android ICS-based smartphones in Japan, the Xperia SX and the Xperia GX, both with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. The Xperia GX has a 4.6-inch HD screen, 13-megapixel camera and 16GB of internal flash storage, while the Xperia SX also has 8GB of internal flash storage and an 8-megapixel camera.  Prices for the devices weren’t announced but the devices are expected to start selling during the summer.  No news yet if the devices will be available in other markets.

Snappii supports native Android apps

Snappii, the platform for rapid mobile apps development for non-programmers, significantly improved their support for Android devices, as Android apps created on the platform now utilize native Android APIs.  Snappii Android apps now run faster and are more stable.

Snappii also introduced new features for their Android platform support such as:

• Create Android apps in 17 languages
• Utilize enhanced color schemes
• Leverage Google maps to show business locations
• Create apps that take photos
• Create merchant apps utilizing PayPal Mobile payments and more.

“We are proud to say that now Snappii users can create native Android apps.” Alex Bakman, the Owner and President of Snappii said.  ”All the platforms we support and are planning to support in future should correspond to high level of flexibility and functionality of iPhone and iPad apps we have released first. We will continue adding new useful features both to iOS and Android apps to let our users make apps in a matter of minutes. The most important thing is that we take our customers’ feedback into account and release the features people need and use today. We are not limited with just standard number of options allowing to create simple mobile apps. We are interested in creating really functional and useful mobile apps.”

Samsung and Visa’s Official Olympics Phone with PayWave is a post from: SiliconANGLE We're now available on the Kindle! Subscribe today.

In the same vein:

• ABI Reiterates Android’s Stellar Forecast. But What of the Other Platforms?
• Who’s Behind the Anti-Apple Wake Up Campaign? Not Samsung
• Ashton Kutcher Takes Another Dead Guy’s Role in Steve Jobs Movie
• Pundits Predicting Death of RIM Forget to Count Foreign Markets
• JPMorgan Testing Blackberry Alternatives: iPhone, Android
• Mobile Monday: Mobile App News for Week of December 13th

Though RIM kept mum about the issue for awhile, they admitted that they were the one responsible for the anti-Apple campaign, stating that everything will be revealed on May 7th, which is today.  The news comes days after RIM’s BlackBerry World event, where the mobile company announced their plans to open source their BlackBerry 10 OS.

The ho-hum revelation

If you thought that RIM would be delivering explosive news, then I’m really sorry to burst your bubble.  The most exciting part of their anti-Apple campaign was the flash mob protest.

The Wake Up. Be Bold. site, which used to have the countdown timer, now reveals a boring black and white script being narrated by an Australian-sounding voice.  So boring!    And if the point of it was to wake people up, I’m sorry to say that if it had been any longer I would probably have dozed off.

Another thing, the Wake Up campaign was confusing.  The script stated that “business is no longer just a suit-wearing, cubicle sitting, card-carrying kind of pursuit” but that’s what business people look like, so why criticize your user base then say in the end that “business is not for everyone”?   Then they go on to say that there’s only one device for people who mean business, so they’re saying BlackBerry is for serious business people – those that wear suits and ties.

And since it’s an anti-Apple campaign, they targeted the iPhone maker but unfortunately it wasn’t even witty.  The script stated, “don’t just think different; you do different,” and “satisfied to just float through life like a cork in the stream.”  Seriously, RIM, that’s the best you can come up with?

Lucky for RIM, a sorry anti-Apple campaign isn’t the only thing they unveiled today.

BlackBerry Screen Reader

RIM also launched the BlackBerry Screen Reader, a free application that helps BlackBerry users who are blind or visually impaired operate their smartphone.  The BlackBerry Screen Reader provides an audible output based on visual information displayed on a BlackBerry smartphone.

“We are excited to introduce BlackBerry Screen Reader as part of our suite of accessibility solutions for BlackBerry smartphones,” said Greg Fields, Senior Product Manager. “BlackBerry Screen Reader helps customers with visual impairments stay connected with the people and information that matter most to them, and is representative of RIM’s continuing commitment to support customers with disabilities.”

The BlackBerry Screen Reader features support for core applications so users can easily access core BlackBerry applications such as email, calendar, phone calls and more.  There’s speech settings to customize the text-to-speech settings (volume, pitch and speech rate) and preferences for punctuation, verbosity and password security. Keyboard shortcuts let you set speech and audio preferences quickly and easily, and the Accessible documentation User Guide is available in accessible HTML through a desktop web browser.

The app is now available for free, compatible for use in the BlackBerry Curve 9350, 9360 and 9370 smartphones and supports English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.

RIM Fesses Up to Boring Anti-Apple Camapaign is a post from: SiliconANGLE We're now available on the Kindle! Subscribe today.

In the same vein:

• Samsung and Visa’s Official Olympics Phone with PayWave
• RIM Bets on Blackberry 10, HTML5 for Survival
• Who’s Behind the Anti-Apple Wake Up Campaign? Not Samsung
• Mobile Browsing Trends: Opera Mini Reemerges as a Top Tool
• Some Still Affected by Gmail Outage that Hit 30M Users
• Will Apple and Samsung Finally Settle?

Now, for the first time, a hacked site is distributing malware for Google’s mobile operating system, which could risk corporate networks.

Lookout Mobile Security on Wednesday reported that the new Trojan, dubbed “NotCompatible,” which postures as a system update could potentially be used to gain access to private networks by turning infected devices into TCP relay/proxys.

This type of attack is better known as drive-by download. If someone visits an infected website, malware gets downloaded and installed on the computer without any user interaction.

NotCompatible is distributed via regular websites, such as that of an extermination company. Such sites are using a hack with a hidden IFRAME at the bottom of each page. Visiting an infected website from an Android mobile could cause direct harm–via the drive-by download–and could potentially be used to gain illicit access to corporate networks connected to the mobile device.

“Based on our current research, NotCompatible is a new Android Trojan that appears to serve as a simple TCP relay / proxy while posing as a system update. This threat does not currently appear to cause any direct harm to a target device, but could potentially be used to gain illicit access to private networks by turning an infected Android device into a proxy. This appears to be the first time that compromised websites have been used to distribute malware targeting Android devices,” said Lookout Mobile Security CTO Kevin Mahaffey in the blog post.

Hackers produce code disguised as legitimate applications, and attract users to download the app. If a corporate user’s Android device is infected with NotCompatible Trojan and he is using corporate or government network via Wi-Fi then the attacker could penetrate  that network.

“A device infected with NotCompatible could potentially be used to gain access to normally protected information or systems, such as those maintained by enterprise or government,” said Mahaffey.

The good news is that Mahaffey sees no evidence yet that corporate networks have been compromised but said CIOs should be aware of NotCompatible Trojan.

Devices, mostly BYOD devices, that download applications from unknown sources are at higher risk. This option is most commonly used in corporates for which it is desirable to supervise Android usage activity by corporate network administrators.

Alarming Rise of Android Malware

Android’s popularity is growing, and that makes it more attractive to developers–it’s also a more attractive target for malware producers. The diverse and open marketplace of Google where developers are free to post their apps is an incentive for hackers to eyeball Android.

Malware targeting mobile operating systems increased in 2011 and most notably malware targeting the Google Android operating system. According to a report from Juniper Networks, malware attacking Android grew by a whopping cumulative increase of 3,325 percent in the last seven months of 2011. Android malware accounted for about half (46.7 percent) of unique malware samples that targeted mobile platforms.

Drive-by Android malware apps are first choice for hackers. We have seen in the past few weeks alone apps like the fake Instagram app, the fake Angry Birds Space game, the fake token generator circulating in the Internet.

More Malware More Protection

Mobile devices are just as exposed to browser-based attacks triggered when a user steers to a malicious Website as computers. There are choices available for Android users when it comes to security products to protect them from these kinds of threats.

While mobile security from Avast Mobile Security, Dr. Web Anti-virus Light, F-Secure Mobile Security, IKARUS Mobile Security Lite, Lookout Mobile Security, Kaspersky Mobile Security Lite, and Zoner AntiVirus Free are industry best as per AV-Test’s top 7 security apps, more security apps keep coming to Android market.

ESET last week released ESET Mobile Security for Android. The security app available at Google Play at a price tag of $10 offers protection against trojans, viruses, worms, spyware, spam, and other attacks using unique behavior-based detection technology.

“There is definitely a significant growth in the number of Android threats that we are detecting at ESET malware research centers around the world,” Robert Lipovsky, ESET Security Intelligence Team Leader, said in a statement. “The new ESET product not only protects you against malware with its unique behavior-based detection, but offers protection for your data in case of device theft or loss.”

It has features like Anti-Theft Security System, GPS location detection, Remote lock, Remote Wipe, SIM Matching, Uninstall protection, SMS/MMS anti-spam, call blocking and security audit with built-in task manager.

Malware on Android for the First Time Poses Threat to Corporate Networks is a post from: SiliconANGLE We're now available on the Kindle! Subscribe today.

In the same vein:

• BYOD Users Can’t Be Trusted [Report]
• Malware Hits the Mobile Web, Targets Android Handsets
• McAfee Secures MySQL Databases with Free Audit Plug-ins
• Android Malware Spiked in 2011 – Protect Yourself [Video]
• Norton’s Latest Android Security App Launches Amidst Market Breach
• Symantec vs. Lookout: Malware vs. Adware

Samsung Galaxy SIII

Samsung finally unveiled the Samsung Galaxy SIII at their Unpacked event at London’s Earl’s Court yesterday.  The phone is larger than its predecessor the Galaxy SII and offers new features such as, S Voice, Smart alert, Smart Stay and a lot more.  For the full specifications and features of the phone, see here for SiliconANGLE’s coverage of the device.

Android lost revenue in 2010

Presiding over the Google-Oracle case, US District Judge William Alsup concurred that Google’s Android platform resulted in a net loss for the company in every quarter of 2010 despite generating an estimated $97.7 million in revenue for the first quarter of the said year.

The revelation came during the the damages hearing of the Google-Oracle case.  The jury is still deliberating as to whether or not Google violated Oracle’s copyright.  The jury sent out a note to the judge asking what would happen if they cannot come up with a unanimous verdict.  The judge sent the jury home, telling them to continue deliberations today.

Millions of US subscribers experience 5 dropped calls per month

Rebtel, the world’s largest mobile VoIP company after Skype, announced the results of a recent call-quality survey conducted among U.S. mobile users based on their experiences with carriers, smartphone devices and communication apps.

The report stated that approximately 2 out of 5 (39%) mobile users admitted experiencing more than 5 dropped calls per month.  The report also showed that having a clear call connection is very important to 89% of respondents, with 84% of those claiming they are at least somewhat likely to switch smartphones as a result of poor quality.   While 78% stated they would be likely to switch carriers due to poor network performance.

“The findings of our first call quality survey demonstrate mobile users have high expectations for a clear connection during calls, and with 40% of American mobile users experiencing multiple dropped calls each month, it’s clear that carriers and handset manufacturers have a long way to go to provide the level of service that customers demand and expect,” says Rebtel CEO Andreas Bernstrom.

LG unveils Optimus LTE2

Not to be trumped by Samsung’s new Galaxy SIII, LG unveils the Optimus LTE2.  The phone features a TrueHD IPS screen, most likely 720p, a total 2GB of RAM memory, LTE support, a main camera that will feature high response and voice activation feature, some sort of wireless charging option, a high capacity 2150mAh battery.  While the CPU is currently unconfirmed, bets are on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4.  The device is expected to arrive in Korea by mid-May.

RIM continues to plummet

Research in Motion’s shares dropped to an 8-year-low even after they demoed the BlackBerry 10 – the new mobile operating system which they hoped would change their fate.  The BB10 didn’t seem to inspire investors as they doubt that it will be strong enough to compete with Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android and even Microsoft’s Windows Phone.  RIM’s stocks closed at $12.04 in NASDAQ yesterday.

“We don’t see any scenario where BB10 can compete meaningfully against the three major smartphone operating systems: iOS, Android, and Windows Phone,” said Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair in a note to clients.

“Our longer term view is that RIM will be forced to focus on the low-end, emerging market opportunity, as we believe that segment remains the only jump ball the company and its products will be able to grasp.”

Google’s Android Lost Revenue In 2010 is a post from: SiliconANGLE We're now available on the Kindle! Subscribe today.

In the same vein:

• Smartphone OS Market Share Still High and Mighty
• RIM Bets on Blackberry 10, HTML5 for Survival
• Android Usurped by Apple in Q4, RIM Drowns in Sales and Security Leaks
• Samsung for VMware: the Rise of Virtual Mobility
• Mobile Showdown: Apple vs Android Still The Main Event
• Smartphones Used More in the Home than On the Go: Movies, Games

Though Research in Motion already announced that they won’t be unveiling any new devices during the event, people are still curious as to what RIM had prepared for the event.

New CEO delivers keynote

Thorsten Heins is RIM’s new CEO and this is his first BlackBerry World – there’s a world of expectations.  Will he give a boring keynote speech?  Will he be able to deliver?  Will he be able to capture the interest of the crowd or will people start to leave even before he finished?  Enough speculation, let’s just get right to it.

“It has been three months since I have had the honor of being CEO of Research In Motion, and a lot has been written in that time, you’ve seen it, I’ve seen it, and our customers have seen it; and let me be clear, I’m here because I believe in the unique value  that BlackBerry can deliver to people every day,” the CEO said of his recently acquired position.

Heins used his keynote speech to merely hint at what’s coming for the company – a touchscreen, keyboardless device.  He waved the prototype in the air like a kid bragging to his friends that he has a new toy.

“I’m so excited to have this in my hand and show it to you, because I know how much work has gone into it,” Heins said.

The giddy CEO demoed the prototype, known as the AlphaDev, showing the touchscreen keyboard that adapts to a user’s typing language as he uses it.  He was assisted by Vivek Bhardwaj, head of RIM’s software portfolio, in showing off RIM’s new project.  They showed that the device is able to zoom in on faces in photos, and showed an awesome feature on the camera that enables the user to wind back the hands of time to the moment when the subject had his eyes open.

“I love that, I love that – this is so cool,” Heins said gleefully as Bhardwaj showed off the device.

So what’s new with the device?  It flows.   The new interface lets users switch from app to app or from chat to e-mail to games without having to close any of them, and “look back” at previously opened apps without losing the one you’re currently using.

“You’re flowing through your menus, no application stops when you do this; everything that you have going on keeps floating in the background,” Heins stated.

In the earlier part of his speech, Heins called on  Clarence So, Chief Strategy Officer from Salesforce.com and Chuck Robbins, seior vice president for the Americas at Cisco.  Cisco is said to be developing a teleconferencing app for BlackBerry.

And before Heins exited the stage, the CEO shouted, “Let’s rock and roll this!”

The AlphaDev

Developer attendees of the conference were given AlphaDevs so they can test how their creations would function on the said device and future BlackBerry 10 devices.  Along with the prototype, RIM is also offering toolkits that cover work in native code, the Cascades user interface framework, and web-based HTML5.

Cascades helps developers create graphically rich work, while the native code gives them access to core device features like the camera.  Cascades was developed by The Astonishing Tribe, a Swedish user interface company which RIM bought in 2010.

RIM CEO Rocks BlackBerry World 2012, Demos New Prototype is a post from: SiliconANGLE We're now available on the Kindle! Subscribe today.

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RIM’s BlackBerry World 2012 event kicked off today in Orlando, Florida is the most important annual event for the BlackBerry ecosystem, and is the place where developers will get to know the prototype for BlackBerry 10.

HTML5 a big focus for RIM

RIM does not want to fall behind in continuously updating its operating system, though its faced severe delays over the past year. Mobile devices that will carry the BlackBerry 10 widely rumored to be available in October 2012.

In this context, RIM will announce its strategic vision for the BlackBerry 10 platform and launched the first developer toolkit for developing native software based on HTML5 technology.  RIM wants to give developers as much lead time as possible to develop apps based on Blackberry 10. The prototype of the BlackBerry 10 handset will enable developer to test how their apps perform on the new platform.

“Developers building for BlackBerry 10 will be able to easily create the kind of cutting-edge apps that deliver truly engaging experiences,” said Alec Saunders, RIM’s head of developer relations.

The toolkits include tools for building HTML5 apps, the BlackBerry 10 WebWorks SDK for creating BB10 apps with native-like abilities and Cascades user interface framework for developing graphically rich apps.

“Anyway you want [to develop], we can support that,” said Adam Nanjee, RIM’s head of Social Media Partnerships. “Typically it’s been ‘Hey, come and join BlackBerry.’ Here we’re saying ‘Hey, you may already have an Android app, but it’s very easy to port to our platform’ and if they’re going for an HTML5 cross-platform strategy, we can support that as well.”

The new system includes a redesigned keyboard that will allow users to select entire words with a single keystroke, and a camera that can take several shots which can then be combined into an ideal single picture. It has a 4.2-inch screen with 1,280 x 768-pixel resolution, an HDMI output for mirroring, and an OMAP processor.

BlackBerry 10 is built on QNX – software that drives the tablet and BlackBerry PlayBook, but with optimizations for use with smartphones.

RIM also introduced the BlackBerry Music Gateway this week, a new tool that allows users of BlackBerry smartphones, PlayBook tablets and other Bluetooth-enabled devices to broadcast music on their home music system.

BlackBerry 10 apps to Define Future of RIM’s Ecosystem

At the BlackBerry World keynote, app developers Endomondo, Gameloft, Mippin, Occipital, PixelMags, Poynt, Truphone, and Wikitude showcased their support of BB10 platform.

Fitness app from developer Endomondo would be the first that will support the platform. Jonas Norberg from Pacemaker showcased a new DJ/mixing app for the PlayBook. Candemir Orsan from Occipital presented a demo of a 360 Panorama app that was loaded up on the BlackBerry Dev Alpha device.

Traditional loyal BlackBerry developer, Gameloft, upcoming N.O.V.A. 3, Shark Dash, The Oregon Trail, and Ice Age Village games will be part of RIM’s new OS marketplace. Michael Schade from Fishlabs also had some gaming software to show off — Galaxy On Fire 2 HD.

RIM is already behind Apple and Android in attracting independent developers and mobile app content producers to build apps on their platform.  The continuous decline of RIM market share in the US is not helping the company keep interest of mobile developers.

The goal of RIM, in fact, is to rehabilitate their devices, enabling them to better compete with smartphones and tablets running on Android and iOS. BlackBerry relies on a strong comeback in the smartphones world and we’ll have to see if the developers will follow.

RIM Bets on Blackberry 10, HTML5 for Survival is a post from: SiliconANGLE We're now available on the Kindle! Subscribe today.

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