Canalys: Android overtakes Symbian as world's best-selling smartphone platform in Q4 2010

One day somebody will write a book called "The rise and rise of Android" and this moment will be highlighted in bold. Canalys' latest smartphone sales figures show that Android phone makers managed to shift a cool 32.9 million handsets in the last quarter -- more than any other smartphone platform out there, including the previous leader, Symbian, which sold 31 million units. That's a mighty leap from the 20.3 million Android devices the stats agency estimates were sold in Q3 2010. Symbian itself grew from 29.9m in Q3 to 31m in Q4, but Android's pace of expansion has been so rapid as to make that irrelevant. READ MORE....FOLLOW US ON TWITTER   JOIN US ON FACEBO...

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Google plans to hire mobile-app experts: Report

NEW YORK: Google Inc plans to hire dozens of software developers to create applications for smartphones and other mobile devices , a new strategy aimed partly at helping internet search titan counter Apple Inc in one of high tech's hottest sectors. Attributing to people familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal reported that Google plans to hire dozens of software developers to create applications for smartphones and other mobile devices. The internet company has begun recruiting software engineers, product managers, user-interface experts and others who have ideas for mobile applications, the report noted. Besides, some current Google employees have changed jobs to...

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Android gains 22% tablet market share: Analyst

NEW YORK: Google Inc's Android software won a 22 per cent share of the tablet computer market in the fourth quarter, biting at the heels of Apple Inc's iPad, which still has a massive market lead. Research firm Strategy Analytics said Apple's share of the global market for tablets fell to 75 per cent in the fourth quarter from 95 per cent in the third quarter while the overall market increased 120 per cent to almost 10 million units. The Galaxy tablet from Samsung Electronics was the main competitor to iPad in the quarter as it was on sale in dozens of countries, according to the research firm. Samsung has said it sold 2 million Galaxy tablets in the last three months, still putting it...

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Motorola Defy Android Handset Hits Indian Market

Demand for Android handsets is increasing in markets all round the world and Indian market is no exception. Of late several handset manufacturers have launched Android handsets in the country and the latest Android phone to join the list is Motorola Defy.Features Of Motorola DefyMotorola Defy powered by 800MHz Cortex-A8 processor and TI OMAP3610 chipset [...]READ MORE....FOLLOW US ON TWITTER   JOIN US ON FACEBO...

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RanDinger For Android Brings Music Discovery Via Ringtones

Want a fresh method for discovering new music?  Look no further.  RanDinger, by Twisted Castle brings you just that.  RanDinger allows you to receive random new music content by delivering you a different tune based on genre, artist or top chart hits, all via a ringtone.  The app is powered by 7 Digital’s 10 million song music library.  After you hear the preview, you have the option to either purchase the song or just close it out.  RanDinger then offers more music based on your choice. The app also comes with three different theme options to deliver a custom UI for your phone.  So, if you’re ready to purchase your music in a new, easy and fun way, then head on over to our apps database for more...

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Android Theme Gets Added To Gmail

If you’re a big theme guy like me and you love Android, you’re definitely going to appreciate this one.  Although these have been out for a while, we thought it would be worth noting for those of you who might have missed it.  Gmail has added several new themes to the mix, one being an Android theme.  I’ve gotta say, not too shabby.  Over the years I have come to appreciate themes because they can give an old UI a new and freshly updated look, just ask any old Windows Mobile user.  It’s also the reason why I love the Android platform.  If your one year old Nexus One is feeling a little outdated, there is always a ROM or a theme within arm’s reach to freshen up the device.  Now, how cool would this...

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Android 3.0 Honeycomb Full Preview Guide [USER FEATURES]

Hello there and welcome to your full guide and preview of Google’s new Android operating system version 3.0, also called Honyecomb, also known as Android’s first tablet-centric OS. The first of two main points we’ll be going through here are is New User Features. The second of two points is covered in a second post – New Developer Features. We’re going to break it down for you in both technical terms and layman terms so everyone can have a crack at understanding what’s going on here. Shall we begin? NEW USER FEATURESFirst we’ll be going through User Features – what’s this mean? It means that this is the part anyone who DOESNT plan on getting into developing apps, games, or hacks will be seeing and using. Everyone should pay attention...

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AT&T to Launch Massive Amount of Android and 4G Devices in 2011

SO we’ve just received an image stamped with the mark of our pals over at Phandroid, an image that appears to detail the future of AT&T through 2011. This sheet notes that AT&T is the fastest network, that their HSPA+ network blasts content out at 4x the speed of the networks they’ve already got in place, that this HSPA+ aka 4G network will be deployed to “virtually” 100% of their networks through this year, that AT&T allows for talk and data simultaneously while Sprint and Verizon don’t, that AT&T is the only HSPA+ AND LTE committed US company, that even when customers go off of LTE they’ll still have faster mobile broadband speeds with HSPA+, and something fantastic that matters more than all of this. Actually three...

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HTC Considers Opening Up Retail Stores

Who can deny that HTC has produced some of the hottest phones to ever hit the industry?  The Taiwanese company is single-handedly responsible for delivering some intense innovation when it comes to sleek and streamlined mobile products.  So, is it any wonder that the company is considering opening shop?  Due to the company’s success, it looks like HTC is interested in opening at least three flagship stores to push their products.  The company is also working with various channels and vendors to open up over a hundred retail shops.  This could be huge for the popular handset maker, if they do it right.  I wonder if HTC is going to mirror another company who has been successful in opening up their own retail...

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Google Announces Android Event For February 2nd, Touts An In Depth Look At Honeycomb And More

Is there anything better than waking up to your inbox and receiving some good news?  Yeah, how about an inbox with an email from Google inviting you to an Android event at the Googleplex in Mountain View?  That’s right, Google has stated on Feb 2nd, they will be holding an event to discuss “an in-depth look at Honeycomb, Android ecosystem news and hands-on demos”.  We can’t help but wonder if Google has something new in store for us.  It’s not like Google to just hold an event for a mere summary of Honeycomb.  Maybe we’ll hear some discussion on all of these 2.4 sightings or whether or not Honeycomb will be configured to operate on a smartphone?  We can hope can’t we?  Yes we can, and shall.  In...

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Everbadge, A Social Network For All Things Android

If you thought Facebook and Twitter were all the craze lately, well, then, you’re right.  However, there is a rapidly growing mobile social network site that is putting a slight twist on things, and that is, they are gearing it towards Android users and developers.  I recently had the pleasure of signing up for Everbadge, by GamerShots.com and instantly had easy access to innumerable amounts of badges, wallpapers, tons of games and apps along with some pretty laid back Android folk.  The site touts a free and easy environment for developers to showcase their newly developed apps.  You can also meet new people and decide to follow or chat with them, exchange ideas, or just flat out argue...

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Android 2.3 Shows Security Bug, Can Gain Access To Content On microSD Cards

It looks like a bugs life can be pretty busy now a days, especially when they continue to infestate the Android OS.  In addition to still bearing some SMS issues, it looks like 2.3 Gingerbread has found a new gaping whole in the software.  According to Xuxian Jiang, a security researcher at North Carolina State University, the Android 2.3 firmware has revealed a new bug, one that could possibly allow malicious sites and attackers alike to gain access to the content of your microSD card.  Jiang is also an assistant professor with the school and has stated in an advisory that pertinent and vital content like banking info, photos and voicemails could be extracted and routed to a remote server of choice.  In...

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HTC Thunderbolt May Be Dropping Feb 14, or 24?

The rumor on the street, according to IntoMobile, is that the HTC Thunderbolt may be hitting the street on the 24th…which made a lot of sense to us, seemed about right. However, Android Central has gotten their hands on an internal screenshot that reports it may be more like the 14th. That shot was pulled internally, though, so it may not be accurate.We’ll probably get a firm street date at Mobile World Congress, but it’s likely that this phone will be on store shelves within the next 2-3 weeks. We’ll keep you posted!READ MORE....FOLLOW US ON TWITTER   JOIN US ON FACEBO...

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Samsung announces four new Galaxy Androids: Ace, Fit, Gio and Mini

Samsung has sold 10 million Galaxy S Android phones – that’s a big success, and it’s understandable that the South Korean manufacturer wants to take advantage of the popular Galaxy brand name. Four new Galaxy handsets have been announced by Samsung: the Ace, Fit, Gio and Mini.None of them are high-end devices, so they will come in more affordable packages, but one or two seem pretty promising nonetheless. Of these new Galaxy Android phones, the Ace is most similar to the big brother S, but it has a smaller screen with a lower resolution and a little less powerful CPU.All of the new Galaxy phones have standard Android features such as aGPS, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, accelerometer, magnetometer and proximity sensors. Swype comes...

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Free weather app for your iPhone or Droid

14 News, the Tri-State's News and Weather Leader is proud to announce a full featured weather app for Apple and Android devices.Our new weather app has an interactive radar, 10 day and hourly forecasts for any city.  Plus, you can get urgent weather alerts sent to your phone!Get get the app for your iPhone or iPad, follow this link.To get the app in the Android Market, just search "14FirstAlert". The app is free.Features∙ Highly responsive interactive map optimized for 3G and WiFi performance∙ Vertical and horizontal map display with looping∙ NOWrad, the gold standard for radar in the weather industry∙ Highest resolution satellite cloud imagery available∙ Exclusive patent pending Road Weather Index∙ Color coded weather alerts...

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Video – How to use the Android Market

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Android App Developer Interest Increases With Wave of New Tablets

While Apple’s iPad dominated tablet sales in 2010, there may be room for change in 2011. Enthusiasm for Android app development is rising fast in the coding community.And that means the apps available to Android users is set to grow — fast.A recent global survey of app developers by research firm IDC shows 74 percent of respondents as “very interested” in developing for upcoming Android OS-running tablets, up from 62 percent three months ago.The survey, which questioned over 2,200 app developers around the world, cites the surge in new tablet debuts for 2011 as the reasoning for increased developer interest. At CES in January, manufacturers debuted 85 new tablets, the majority of which were running Android.“My intuition is that Android...

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Google I/O 2011 Info: Registration Opens Up February 7th

February 7th is shaping up to be a big day for Android.  Sprint is announcing something big at an event in New York City. We will have all the coverage for you of course. Also, Google I/O 2011 general registration will open up on February 7th as well.Here’s a quick rundown…Google’s annual developer event called I/O will be held on May 10th and 11th at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA.If this is your first I/O you may want to consider attending I/O boot camp which will be held on May 9th at the Mission Bay Conference Center. Bootcamp is a more intimate event meant for beginners and first time atendees. Bootcamp is a full day of lectures and labs such as Android 101, writing and developing for Android. The smaller more intimate...

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App developers growing more interested in Android, Google TV interest waning

About 2,000 app developers were surveyed recently on their interest in developing for various devices; the results for Android were pretty solid.According to the survey, 92% were interested in iPhone development, 87% in Android Phone development, 87% in iPad development, and 74% for Android Tablet development. Other competitors, such as Windows 7, garnered only 36% interest.Developer interest is waning for Google TV, however. Developers are showing less interest in Google TV and Apple TV, which dropped from 44% and 40% interest all the way down to 33% and 30% interest, respectively.This doesn’t mean that internet TV is bound to be a failure altogether, though. Google TV has plans to launch Android Market, which undoubtedly is the...

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Kongregate Makes a Few Tweaks, Returns to Android Market

Within a matter of hours, we saw the release of the Kongregate Arcade app to the Android market, and then its subsequent removal from said market. We were surprised to see it get pulled so quickly, but Google did cite the “non-compete” clause, and we had to admit that it definitely seemed like a method to distribute other apps.Well, Kongregate scrapped the “download to SD” portion of their app, and they have resubmitted it to the Android market. This seemed to be the part of the app that Google objected most to, so hopefully this app will stick around a while this time. READ MORE....FOLLOW US ON TWITTER   JOIN US ON FACEBO...

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Google Allows Number Porting to All Google Voice Accounts

A few days ago, we discovered that Google allowed number porting into Google Voice on limited accounts, for a very short down. Within hours, however, the service was no longer available. If that’s the one thing you’ve been desperately waiting for to make your Google Voice account everything you’ve ever wanted, you’ll be happy to know that the porting capability has been reinstated.A word of advice: Porting your number to Google Voice isn’t the easiest, smoothest process ever. You’ll want to talk to your carrier for to ensure that you can do this without incurring charges for breaking your contract. Also, keep in mind that MMS isn’t supported at this time, so make sure anyone who wants to send you picture mail knows to send to your...

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Facebook Makes it a Priority to Improve the Mobile Experience in 2011

The “Inside Social Apps” Conference was held today, and Bret Taylor — Chief Technology Officer of Facebook — made a few statements about what Facebook is looking to accomplish in 2011. Primarily, they’re looking to improve the mobile Facebook experience.If you’ve had a few different phones over the last few years, it’s possible you’re familiar with several different versions of the Facebook mobile site. You may remember m.facebook.com, and on your Android phone you’ve probably been to touch.facebook.com. And if you’ve paid any attention at all, you are probably aware that Facebook also has apps for the iPhone operating system, Android OS, and Blackberry. Also, outside the US in markets where carrier data is still very expensive, they...

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Xperia Arc Up for Pre-Sale in UK

We’ve been looking forward to the release of the Xperia Arc since CES. It’s got a very sleek look to it, plus some pretty impressive hardware, to boot. And it looks like our wait may not last much longer.The Xperia Arc has just gone up for pre-sale in the UK, at £459.99 — and keep in mind, that’s not a carrier-subsidized price, but full retail. It appears that the phone will become available on April 1st, and it’s likely that when it actually hits shelves it will be a bit cheaper, as that is usually the case with pre-sale deals on phones. That’s certainly not a low price on any handset, but for one with specs like this, and carrier-unlocked, it may be worth your money. If you like in the UK and can’t wait to get your hands on one,...

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Release Dates Confirmed For LG G-Slate, Dell Streak 7, Vibrant 4G?

Looks like those sneaky ninjas over at TmoNews have done it again.  Tony Toni Tone would be proud.  It appears that our previous predicted release dates are a hammer on the nail.  And thanks to the spy shot above, we are looking at seemingly credible release dates for the Dell Streak 7, the Vibrant 4G and LG’s G-Slate tablet.  The leaked doc also confirms our announcement of the Jan 19th release date of the Motorola Cliq 2, which is now available on T-Mobile’s website for purchase.  So, here’s to hoping this all pans out soon and these devices will be in the hands of consumers no later than late March some time.The above pic by TmoNews reveals the following release dates for these devices:Dell Streak...

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Samsung Fascinate Froyo Build Teased By Developers

A couple of developers have tweeted on their Twitter accounts that they’re currently working on an official Froyo build for Samsung’s Fascinate.  However, it’s not ready for you just yet, so please do forgive me for the teaser.  But be patient folks, you’ve been waiting this long!  Either one should be around the corner soon.  The reason we’re even running with this post is because we find it interesting to note, which will come first?  The official update from Samsung themselves?  Or, the @punkkaos and friends’ build?  The race is on.  It should be “Fascinating”, get it?  Alright, alright, geez.  Tough crowd.  Will you take the build if it comes before the official Samsung/Verizon...

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Google IO 2011 site goes live – registration starts Feb 7

Google has put up their Google IO 2011 site for registration which starts Feb 7th. You can go to the site and get a good look at the sessions planned along with the schedule buy clicking on the Sessions tab, and the Agenda tab. The conference will cost attendees $450 until April 16th, then $550 afterwards until the event which lands on May10th – 11th 2011. Students and faculty will only need to pay $150, as well as an optional Bootcamp session for another $100. Awesome!So what does Google have in store at the IO this year? If you happen to make your way to the Sessions page, you’ll see schedules for Android and web app building for Google TV, a highlights session on Honeycomb for Android tablets, as well as sessions for programming...

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T-Mobile Pushing out Froyo to MyTouch 3G now – for real this time

It looks like after T-Mobile let out they were setting the myTouch updates to Froyo out of the cage, only to keep it on a leash and never let it out, They’re promising to push out the update again. This time, myTouch users hope they aren’t disappointed again.T-Mobile started rolling out OTA updates to bring myTouch 3G 3.5mm Jack and the MyTouch Fender LE oday, so users should see this coming in waves over the next few days, be sure to watch for it if you have one.READ MORE....FOLLOW US ON TWITTER   JOIN US ON FACEBO...

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Android increases share in business deployments

According to Forrester Research, Android is making some strong gains in the business sector, in a report showing the mobile operating system breakdown within businesses for the latter part of 2010. Android gained from 2% penetration up to 13% by the end of 2010 from the end of 2009.Most of this is attributed to Android’s popularity boost in mid 2010, but also for the loyal Android nerds working in IT departments pitching Android over Blackberry to their businesses, just like us.READ MORE....FOLLOW US ON TWITTER   JOIN US ON FACEBO...

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Samsung Galaxy Tab Dropping to $250 on T-Mobile

 With a lineup of tablets that’s about to get pretty deep, T-Mobile is doing what it can to keep sales of the Samsung Galaxy Tab lively right up to the minute the Dell Streak 7 (and eventually the LG G-Slate) launches. After already getting the Galaxy Tab’s price down to $ 299.99 on a 2-year contract, the carrier has decided it could do $ 50 better. Come this Wednesday, January 26th, Samsung’s first Android slate will be priced almost as low as a typical Android handset when the cost is slashed to $ 249.99.It’s some kind of shame that the Galaxy Tab is finally falling to a price where most would eagerly snatch it up only to be faced with the release of several high-powered, highly desirable Android tablets. Still, none...

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Best Android apps of the week

Are you craving our regular best Android apps of the week feature? We’re as dependable as clockwork, and far more reliable than an Android 2.3 update schedule. Yes, we’re back once again with a run-down of the apps all you Android fans should be checking out.We have one for the gamers, one for the gamblers, an app for you readers and even one for those of you that like a spot of booty shaking of an evening. Get your fingers primed, your SD card de-cluttered and your battery charged, because here they come…As ever, it’s a good idea to have the Barcode Scanner app installed on your Android blower before you attempt to snatch these, some of the best Android apps known to mankind. You can just point your phone’s camera at the QR codes...

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