SiliconANGLE » Google Android

Android’s Google Play Faces Rising Competition from Amazon, Facebook and China

Saroj Kar — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:04:37 +0000

Android’s open nature allows its users to find thousands of applications not only on Google Play, but also through alternative markets that offer different services and promotional offers. And Google Play’s main rival, the Amazon Appstore, has made a name for itself by doing things differently than Android’s official market. The Appstore offers daily deals, curated apps and other interesting features not found on Google Play, and this week Amazon began rolling out its Test Drive feature, which will allow users to try out apps before downloading or buying.

The Appstore currently supports testing of more than 5,000 Android apps, and is enabled for more than 16,000 Web apps. If users have a compatible smartphone, they can first try simulating the app on their phone before deciding whether they want to buy it.

“The more we remove friction for customers who want to try apps, the more apps they will try. Those customers are more likely to find apps they are excited to download,” Amazon said in a post on its Appstore developers blog. “In this way, Test Drive helps customers understand the value of premium apps and helps drive downloads of freemium apps.”

Amazon said the test drive feature will be activated on selected compatible smartphones, and will be available for free for users who upgrade their phone with the latest version of Amazon Appstore for Android.

“Amazon brings the Test Drive experience to Amazon.com and Android phones using the massive server fleet that comprises the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), a web service that provides on-demand compute capacity in the cloud for developers,” Amazon said. “When customers click the Test Drive button, we launch a copy of the app on EC2. As customers interact with the app, we send those inputs over the phone’s Wi-Fi Internet connection to the app running on Amazon EC2. Our servers then send the video and audio output from the app back to the customer’s computer or phone. All this happens in real time, allowing customers to explore the features of the app as if it were running locally on their mobile device.”

The blog post goes on to note that apps requiring Java Native Interface (JNI), keyboard, multi-touch, microphone, camera, gyroscope, near-field communication or GPS are not part of the test drive feature, but soon will be included in the upgraded test drive releases.

Google doesn’t offer such lucrative services and deals or app testing to the emerging mobile platform; they are just concentrating on the increased availability of Android applications. Users can ask for a refund only once within 15 minutes from downloading the app from Google Play. We can only hope that Google Play soon introduces more consumer-centric features, which they’ll have to do if they want to remain competitive.

Facebook Upgrades App Center for Mobile

Shortly after its IPO filling Facebook announced the latest development in its forthcoming App Center for mobile apps. The company blog post said that developers can now use the Facebook App Center platform to place their apps, and iOS and Android users have streamlined options to install apps via the platform, either through their computer or mobile devices.

“Facebook sends over 160 million people to mobile apps each month through news feed and timeline,” Facebook software engineer Brent Goldman wrote in a blog post this week. “Soon, with the App Center, it will be easier than ever to drive mobile app installs and reach the over 500 million people using Facebook on mobile devices.”

The App Center is available from Facebook’s iOS app, Android app and mobile website m.facebook.com.

The move will allow developers to better integrate mobile apps with the Facebook platform, and will also provide them a stage to incorporate Facebook login on their apps. This will give the Facebook app experience some structure, as users will have the control to download apps, rate apps and get to know some detailed information about the apps before buying or downloading.

This could also help Facebook’s larger mobile strategy, as the social network could add more mobile users, which will help the company to target monetization through a budding ecosystem across mobile devices.

For installing apps from a mobile device, you can follow Goldman’s instructions as posted on the blog:

“All apps built for iOS, Android, and the mobile web have a “Send to Mobile” button on their app detail page. Once people click “Send to Mobile,”” they’re logged into your app and we immediately send a Facebook notification to their mobile device. By clicking the notification, they’ll be redirected to your mobile web app or the respective install page in the Apple App Store or Google Play.”

China Mobile App Store – An alternative to Google Play

Google Play service isn’t yet available in China because of censorship concerns, despite the fact that more than two-thirds of the smartphones sold in China run on Google’s Android OS.

China Mobile Ltd. saw that as an opportunity, opening its Mobile Market store for Android apps in 2009. Since then, the app store has gained 158 million registered users and more than 630 million apps have been downloaded, making it world’s largest carrier-operated app store.

“Without having to compete with the official Google store, China Mobile has an opportunity that operators in other countries don’t have,” said Kent, a London-based analyst. “China Mobile’s relationship with subscribers leaves it well- placed to take advantage.”

China is a huge market for any mobile vendor. Smartphone shipments are projected to increase 52 percent this year to 137 million units, according to a March estimate from market researcher IDC.

China’s censored web content and online stores selling apps, games and e-books are helping local players to drive and promote their other businesses.

“If a developer makes a very good app, then it will help boost traffic on our network and help our growth that way,” said China Mobile’s Chief Executive Officer Li Yue.

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In the same vein:

Google/Motorola Merger Sends Shockwaves Across Mobile Market

Harmony Tapper — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:25:49 +0000

On Friday China gave its approval for Google’s acquisition of Motorola with the stipulation that Android OS remain free and open for five years, as reported by CNET. The Android OS is the world’s number one mobile operating system largely due to the fact that Google has kept it free. Google’s CEO, Larry Page during a conference call in August 2011 when the merger was announced said that, “Many hardware partners have contributed to Android’s success and we look forward to continuing our work with all of them on an equal basis to deliver outstanding user experiences.”

Worried about open-source longevity?

Android was built as an “open-sourced platform and it will stay that way,” Page promised, but with the news of the merger competitors were potentially going to be locked out of the operating system, or forced to pay licensing fees for its usage, driving up the cost of the phone and potentially turning away customers. China’s approval seems to be a mechanism to prevent Motorola from gaining an advantage which might see its mobile devices work better with the OS than rival manufacturers, and the five year stipulation seems to address any ongoing concerns in this area.

There are some areas of worry, such as a fragmentation of Android on non-Motorola products forcing manufacturers such as HTC, Samsung, and LG to find ways to “differentiate their products from Motorola’s more Google-centric hardware.” Motorola could look more like Apple’s iPhone with Google products such as YouTube, Google+ and Google Drive pushing subscribers to use. The acquisition now completes Google’s foray into the mobile device field, in addition to Android, they now hold the device. This complete control over their market share is setting Google up for direct competition with Apple, the only other mobile OS that is fully integrated with the device.

The new hardware model

Google is planning to alter its model by focusing on direct sales and expanded partnerships and the Wall Street Journal reports on this new tact. Google is planning to work with five manufacturers to create “Nexus,” an array of devices such as smartphones and tablets. These then will be sold directly to the customer although at a higher initial cost in the short term; it gives Google more power over its devices, allows them to be available for sale quicker and there is no need for carriers to preload their own apps. By skipping the carriers completely Google is giving customers control over the cell phone companies which have the ability to block some programs, such as Verizon’s refusal to allow Google Wall onto the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Up until this point, it has been Google’s model to work with one manufacturer at a time, notable the Samsung Nexus.

Jay Greene of CNET believes Google’s move to purchase Motorola, while lucrative for the company, is really so the company can get control of Motorola’s patent portfolio. This is reiterated by Allen Lo, counsel at Google, who said, “We probably would not have bought Motorola if we did not have the situation.”

Google, a company which historically does not file patent lawsuits, with their new war chest of patents will have a better ability to counter and suits brought upon it by competitors, allowing them to file countersuit which typically ends in a resolution of the problem well before a judge ever is involved. It is likely that having control of the patents though, will help developers create a viable iPad competitor without risk of patent infringement suits from Apple, who regularly files such actions against companies it deems to be adversaries. While Google’s purchase of Motorola certainly sent shock-waves across the industry, the controls placed by China on the approval of the sale should alleviate fears by other mobile device manufacturers of receiving substandard editions of the Android OS or locking them out of Android all together.

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Facebook Pages Manager Tops this Week’s Best Tablet Apps for Business

Maria Deutscher — Sun, 20 May 2012 17:40:51 +0000

Now that Facebook is a publicly traded company with a valuation exceeding $100 billion, it’s probably a good time to look at how it fares in mobile. The social network maintains a number of apps although it hasn’t been stopping third party developers from jumping the opportunity, and the first one in this week’s list did exactly that – and with a fair amount of success, too.

IPad

Facebook Pages Manager

FB Pages Manager is one of those simple utility tools that supplements existing software, and does it really well. As the name would imply this particular app consolidates the management of one’s activity on the social network, alongside the notifications they receive, comments and most of the other main elements.

Auditorium Class & Meeting Notes

Auditorium falls under the category of note-taking apps that are focus more on being neat and organized than aesthetics, which is not to say it doesn’t handle the latter part just as well. The app takes the standard functionality you’d come up expect and wraps it up in a rather formal, as-prescribed interface, while adding Dropbox integration to top it all off.

Mental Note

Mental Note definitely falls under a different category. Its more flexibility oriented, giving the user enough breathing room to write down, sketch and draw out an idea at any given moment while still keeping things organized.

Android

Open Manager

Open Manager is a file admin panel that makes it somewhat easier to drag around and modify folders on an Android-powered tablet. The layout is designed for functionality, and there are added features such as the ability to email selected files that help further sweeten the pot.

Expedia Hotels

Expedia’s Android client does what it is expected to, making the life of the traveler type a little easier via the power of aggregation.

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In the same vein:

5 Standout Features We Want for Android 5.0 Jelly Bean

Saroj Kar — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:26:31 +0000

Google is working with several smartphone manufacturers to provide early access to its latest operating system — Android 5.0 Jelly Bean. The company is also developing a range of new smartphones and tablets that could be launched before the end of this year.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Google plans to release the next Android OS version sometime in December in an attempt to prevent Apple from controlling the smartphone and tablet markets.

The company has previously worked with only one manufacturer at a time (most recently Samsung) to produce a flagship phone like the Galaxy Nexus, but Google will soon be working with five or more manufacturers to produce a range of Nexus devices for this next roll out. This addresses some of the rising concerns around Android fragmentation, as well as OEM worry that Google would favor Motorola Mobility for device manufacturing once the merger is complete.

“Google will work with up to five manufacturers at a time to build a portfolio of devices, including smart phones and tablets Nexus,” a source told the WSJ. “The devices may make the next version of Android from Google, called Jelly Bean, and hopes to have the complete portfolio of devices ready for sale at Thanksgiving.”

Google’s strategy is to provide a more comprehensive ecosystem for Android, reducing the effect of carriers and Apple dominance over the mobile market. The devices would be sold online unlocked, meaning they’ll be more expensive than we’re used to but they’ll come without the 2-year contract lock-in from carriers (you’ll have to get a separate plan from your carrier of choice). This also means Google will be able to push more of its apps like Google Wallet, which have been blocked by carriers like Verizon in the past.

Google is expected to make an official announcement about Jelly Bean operating system at its developer conference in June this year. Although details about the features of the OS are not known at this time, we’re looking for a few special features that will help JB stand out.

Here’s the top 5 features we’d like to see in Android 5.0 Jelly Bean:

Chrome OS Integration

Google has not exploited the full potential of Chrome yet. The OS is not yet integrated with any earlier versions of Android’s operating system, but Android Jelly Bean could change that.

Chrome OS for mobile devices will surely boost the Android marketplace as user can synchronize content between desktop computers, tablets and smartphones, and make the most of the line to extend Chrome browser games and productivity applications.

Dual Boot

One of the most interesting aspects of Windows 8 is its flexibility. DigiTimes reported that (still a rumor) Android 5.0 Jelly Bean will come in two flavors – Google OS and Microsoft Windows OS. Brand vendors can either choose to adopt only Android 5.0 or add Android 5.0 to Windows 8 devices with the ability to switch between the two OS’s without rebooting.

Optimized for tablets

Apple dominance in tablet markets is mainly due to its smooth iOS integration, powered with rich apps (there are thousands of them) designed with the tablet’s hardware specifications in mind. On the other hand, we can say Android’s dominance has been in the smartphone market, but when it comes to tablets, Google is way behind.

Jelly Bean could change that perception. We can expect the next OS from Google will be further optimized for tablets, and if Google’s serious about a more unified OS roll out, the fragmentation issue could be resolved for tablets before it gets too messy.

Siri-like Voice Assistant

Although Google Play has several apps that offer voice assistance, none quite match the level of integration and consumer influence of Siri.

We are hoping Google’s hunt for a mouthy interface addition of voice assistant will end with Jelly Bean.

More Gestures to the OS Interface

Many Android users are anticipating adding more gestures to the OS interface. Users are hoping for some kind of file manager application to help manage files more like a desktop with the introduction of Jelly Bean. Other guesses look to improvements on the battery and power management front, speedy booting time, more enhanced security and timely upgrades.

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HOW TO: Export Your Instagram, Glancee and Lightbox Data

Mellisa Tolentino — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:34:58 +0000

Facebook acquired quite a few companies these past weeks, and most of them were social content sharing services that let you store huge amounts of data. Not every acquisition means the end of their service, but after web 2.0 the savviest of users will at least back up their data.

So far it’s evident Facebook’s purchased Instagram for its presence and popularity, while its latest buy, Lightbox, was for talent. Whatever Facebook’s reasons, it’d be a good idea on your part to save your photos and personal data.

Here’s how.

Instagram

There are a lot of ways to quickly export your data from Instagram. One example is by using Instaport.ME. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial of how to export photos from Instagram:

Step 1: Go to Instaport.ME and login your details there. Before you can use this service, you will need to provide your instagram details.

Step 2: After you might have entered your instagram login details into the box provided, then proceed to login.

Step 3: You will also need to authenticate the app before it can log you in into your Instagram account before you can then download your photos.

Step 4: If you that one successfully, then, select which photos you wanted to export in these variations: photos other liked, all photos, X-days photos and some other variations.

Step 5: If you do that very well, the next thing for you to do is to start exporting your data from their server.

Step 6: Click on Export and the download will be executed immediately. The file would be downloaded onto your computer’s hard drives immediately.

Glancee

Glancee, the social discovery app for iOS and Android users, was also acquired by Facebook. The service will soon shutdown as the Glancee team will be joining Facebook’s roster. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to download your Glancee data:

Step 1: Go to Glancee.com

Step 2: You will be notified that Glancee will soon be joining Facebook.

Step 3: Near the bottom of the Glancee home page, you will see a box containing this: “If you are a Glancee user, download your data. If you want to connect with us, send us an email.”

Step 4: Click on “download your data”

Step 5: You will be redirected to Facebook or Glancee’s message page

Step 6: You will see this message: Hello Mellisa Tolentino
These are all the messages you exchanged with people nearby on Glancee
You can also keep everything by downloading the zip file.

Step 7: Click on “zip file”

Step 8: This will automatically download all your data to your computer.

Lightbox

Lightbox, the photo-sharing app, was the latest acquisition. The service will be closing on June 15 so users still have ample time to export all their photos from the service. Here’s a step-by-step instruction on how to export your Lightbox data:

Step 1: Go to Lightbox.com.

Step 2: You will be immediately informed that Lightbox is joining Facebook and the service will shutdown on June 15.

Step 3: At the end of the message you will see this: Read more – Download your photos

Step 4: Click on “Download your photos”

Step 5: Enter your email address on the space provided then click the “Export” button

Step 6: You will see the following message: “You should receive an email with a download link within the next few minutes.” Your data has been exported to your email account and from there you can download your data and save it to your computer.

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In the same vein:

An Update for Flipboard on Android

Mellisa Tolentino — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:20:08 +0000

News comes to people in various forms. We get it from watching news on TV or reading newspapers or magazines or even on the web, but for some, their most reliable source of news is their closest friends or the resources they know and trust across the social web.

Flipboard saw the potential of digital social circles, focusing heavily on the iPad market at first. The recent launch of the Samsung Galaxy S III brought a new opportunity for Flipboard, which revealed its plans to launch an Android version exclusively on the new smartphone.

But Flipboard for Android managed to beat the Galaxy S III to the market, after Valcho, a member of XDA-developers, extracted the APK file from a demo phone and made it available for other Android devices. And now the leaked app’s been updated.

“According to the large numbers of people that have tried it and downloaded it, it is said to be running very well on smartphones like the Sony Xperia Arc, HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy S2, Galaxy S, and even on the old Samsung Galaxy Spica,” a post from Android Authority states.

“There are also reports of the Flipboard app working on Android tablets like the Sony Tablet S, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, and the Kindle Fire. This basically tells us that the Flipboard app isn’t designed to run solely on ICS devices, but also Gingerbread, Honeycomb and possibly other, more antiquated iterations of our beloved platform.”

Since it wasn’t meant for every Android devices, some who tried the app stated that they experienced frequent crashing as well. But an over-the-air update from Flipboard fixed a lot of issues. Version 1.8.4 is said to increase speed and stability, as well as new features. One new feature is the ability to set a widget update period (never, weekly, hourly, or daily), and articles now open in a user’s default browser instead of a web view.

Flipboard on Android

Upon installation, you can customize your Flipboard app by choosing from 17 available categories such as general news, Technology, Science, Business, Music and Politics. News on Flipboard comes from a range of sources such as the Los Angeles Times, ABC and the Huffington Post.

The app also features “Flipboard Picks” which is a selection of news stories collected by the Flipboard staff.

“[Flipboard Picks] was how I learned about an underwater hotel being built in Dubai that I probably wouldn’t have found otherwise,” Sean Captain, TechNewsDaily managing editor of GadgetBox MSNBC, said during his Flipboard on Android review. He also mentioned that the app was buggy but noted that it was probably because he installed it on his Virgin Mobile Motorola Triumph phone which the app wasn’t compatible with.

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In the same vein:

Apple Drops 4G iPad Label in Australian, UK Markets

Mellisa Tolentino — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:10:41 +0000

Today’s mobile news roundup features Apple dropping 4G ad in Australia, Nokia stepping up on patent claims, and an early look at the HTC Desire C.

Apple gives in to Australian demands

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) filed a case against Apple for their misleading ads regarding the 4G capabilities of the new iPad, to which Apple replied that they were not at fault, failing to reach an agreement with the commission.

But no matter how tough Apple is, they gave in to the ACCC’s demands nonetheless, stating that since not all networks use the term 4G to refer to their high speed networks, they dropped the 4G labeling on their new iPad advertising in Australia and UK. The new iPad, previously labeled as “WiFi+4G”, is now known as “WiFi+cellular.”

Patent trolling Nokia

Nokia previously filed a total of 45 patent claims against HTC, Viewsonic, and BlackBerry maker RIM for allegedly using their technology to enable hardware capabilities such as dual function antennas, power management and multimode radios, as well as to enhance software features including application stores, multitasking, navigation, conversational message display, dynamic menus, data encryption and retrieval of email attachments on a mobile device.

Reports are now suggesting that Nokia may soon be after other smartphone vendors using the Android platform.

“It’s clear from last week’s press release about actions against HTC, RIM and Viewsonic that we are taking new steps, moving beyond essential patents to other patents for which we have no obligation to license at all,” Nokia spokesman Mark Durrant said in an email.

Out of the 45 patent claims filed by Nokia, 41 are “implementation patents” or proprietary innovations which have not been deemed essential to any standard, and which Nokia is not obliged to license.

“This is why we have flagged this as a next step for us,” Durrant said. “Our activity to date has been primarily focused on licensing our essential patents and we have around 40 licensees for them (and of course, we also have licensees to standards essential patents from many other companies).

“These actions are primarily around implementation patents, which represent the majority of the patents in our portfolio (we have around 10,000 patent families, of which only around 1,200 have been declared as essential to one or more patents).”

HTC Desire C sneak peak

The HTC Desire C has been prematurely spotted days before it launched. The HTC Desire C is a 3.5-inch handset with a 480×320 screen, 600Mhz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, and a five megapixel camera, and runs on the Ice Cream Sandwich. It’s smaller than previous HTC handsets with three capacitive Android buttons ported from the HTC One.

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Samsung Unveils Windows Phone, Challenges Apple’s Pinch-to-Zoom Claim In Court

Mellisa Tolentino — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:10:33 +0000

Today’s mobile roundup features Samsung challenging Apple’s claim, the latest safety app for iPhones, and more gift ideas for Mother’s Day.

Samsung challenges Apple’s pinch-to-zoom claim

The Regional Court in Mannheim Germany was supposed to hand down its ruling regarding Apple’s case against Samsung for allegedly infringing utility model for “List Scrolling and Document Translation, Scaling, and Rotation on a Touch-Screen Display,” but postponed ruling.

Samsung is challenging Apple’s pinch-to-zoom claim, and now the Mannheim court is waiting for a validity verdict from the Federal Patent Court before it goes through with its own verdict.

In other Samsung news, the South Korean company announced the Samsung Omnia M, a Windows Phone featuring a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, 384MB of RAM, a 1GHz processor, 5-megapixel camera and 4GB of storage. It measures 10.5 mm thick and weighs 119 grams. The Samsung Omnia M will be available in Europe first, and is expected to have a price tag of €189. The Samsung Omnia M is quite similar to the specifications of the Nokia Lumia 600, so you can’t help but think Samsung is targeting Nokia with its latest design. Samsung recently dethroned Nokia as the largest phone vendor in terms of global sales, and it looks like Samsung won’t take any chances by not giving Nokia a chance to recuperate.

Field ID for iPhone

Field ID, the leader in inspection management and safety compliance software for the web and mobile devices, announced the launch of Field ID for the iPhone, which is meant to to make the lives of health and safety professionals easy as the technology helps them put everything in Field ID’s world-class, cloud-based safety app.

“Our vision is to make the inspection and safety compliance process as simple as possible,” said Matt Paterson, Chief Product Officer, Field ID. “The convenience, ease-of-use, and simplicity of the iPhone is a perfect complement to Field ID. Giving iPhone users the ability to go into the field and manage complex safety and compliance tasks with a pocket-sized touchscreen just makes sense.”

Mother’s Day gift ideas

Mother’s Day is on Sunday and if you still haven’t figured out what to give your mom for this special day, then I urge you to read on.

Cobra Electronics Corporation, a leading designer and marketer of award-winning mobile and consumer electronics, will be showcasing some of their great products at the gdgt Live Chicago consumer electronics showcase and party tonight. Choose from the Cobra iRadar 200 ($129.95) – a sleek dash-mounted smart detector unit paired via Bluetooth to an intuitive smartphone app that detects police radar/laser signals and notifies users in real-time of upcoming caution areas, excessive vehicle speed, live police and photo enforcement areas, and then automatically shares caution information with other iRadar users nearby.

There’s also the Cobra Tag Universal One ($59.95) – a personal loss prevention system for protecting smartphones, backpacks, car keys, purses, laptop bags, and other personal valuables, and the Cobra JoyRide ($39.95) – a smart yet affordable automotive charging system that automatically reconfigures your Android smartphone settings when you enter or exit your vehicle. The free companion Android app dramatically simplifies how your phone operates in the car such that pushing a single button can initiate phone calls, launch voice commands, learn about road hazards and even launch navigation apps.

Cricket Communications also announced a variety of Android powered smartphones, a tablet and accessory gift options for high-tech social connectors to everyday talk-and-text moms which will be available for Mother’s Day until the 28th of May. Available smartphones are ZTE Score, Huawei Ascend II, Samsung Vitality, Huawei Mercury, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and the Crosswave Broadband Device.

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In the same vein:

Everyone’s Copying Apple’s Game Center

Mellisa Tolentino — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:49:11 +0000

Facebook just unveiled the App Center - a platform that would carry apps from both iOS and Android app developers, which will roll out in a matter of weeks.

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.”

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In the same vein:

BYOD Users Can’t Be Trusted [Report]

Saroj Kar — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:20:34 +0000

Juniper Networks, the network, data center and cloud provider, today released findings from its first-annual Trusted Mobility Index. The study reveals mobile technology adoption is outpacing confidence, and some variation is needed to create greater trust in mobility technology to reach its full potential for both individuals and businesses.

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
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