$35 DataWind Aakash tablet on sale in India

India has long been the home of dirt-cheap tech for the masses, and now you can add an Android tablet to the mix. The Aakash (Hindi for “sky”) tablet is being sold for the equivalent of $45 to the general public, with subsidized $35 versions selling to students and teachers. In local currency it’s about 1,700 Rupees. The basic tablet is being made by budget manufacturer DataWind.

There’s not a lot of info available on the tablet hardware, but we do know that the 7-inch device is running on 2.2 Froyo, like most Android smartphones at the moment. Since video conferencing is mentioned by the Human Resource Development Minister, we can conclude that there’s at least some kind of webcam included. The low-cost devices are intended to “lift villagers out of poverty” by teaching them basic computer skills, including word processing and web browsing.
The Indian government intends to get the Aakash tablet into the hands of no less than 10 million students across the country. If they succeed, that would make India the #1 user of Android tablets, even if they won’t be showing up on Google’s activation press releases any time soon. And before you ask, modders, no, it isn’t being sold outside of India.

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Download dual-boot Android on your HP TouchPad now

Just Monday we saw an extremely early version of Android living happily with WebOS on the same HP TouchPad, but the developers hadn’t released the necessary files to try it out yourself. Rejoice, cheap tablet modders: the indefatigable denizens of XDA-Developers have done it again. You can now download and install an alpha version of the WebOS Android installer, keeping your TouchPad’s core software intact.

The process isn’t for the faint of heart. In order to install the app you need to use the community-authored tool Preware, sort of an alternative app store with a selection of tools and tweaks. Even when you get Android up and running, it’s still in the extreme early stages. Limitations include almost no usable storage, no Google apps or Android Market, and the only available language is Chinese, so brush up on your Mandarin before downloading. The developers say that the wrinkles will be ironed out in future released, even allowing android to run as a “card” in the unique WebOS interface.
For those who are familiar with the Preware system, the install is relatively easy. You can download or remove the entire 80MB installation at your leisure, and a simple button combination returns you to the TouchPad’s WebOS immediately. Adventurous users, go ahead and give it a try, but those of you who want a smoother experience might want to wait a few weeks at least. And keep in mind that CyanogenMod’s Gingerbread version is coming some time in the future.

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Honeycomb paid apps increase four-fold, says Google

At the Android Developer’s Lab in London this morning, Google laid down this gem of a statistic: the number of paid apps being purchased on Honeycomb tablets has increased almost four times over in comparison to other versions of Android. You can see the (rough) growth in the presentation chart posted by Little Fluffy Toys. It claims that Honeycomb users install a much higher number of paid applications than any other section of Android users.

Now, the devil’s in the details for this nugget of information. Google didn’t release any actual numbers, but according to the new OS breakdown posted yesterday, we know that less than 2% of Android devices are currently running Honeycomb. Combine that with the fact that Android users are statistically much less likely to purchase apps in the first place, and you can see why developers might be hesitant to invest time and money into expensive tablet apps. Google is hoping to turn that thinking around.
In a comparison with iPad users, we know that Honeycomb users buy less than half as many non-free apps as their iOS counterparts, and pay less per app as well. There’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation going on, since they can hardly be expected to start shelling out $5 and $10 for apps that, in many cases, simply aren’t there. In any event, the new information that a paid Honeycomb app has a much higher chance of actually being installed on any given user’s tablet aught to spur at least some excitement, especially once developers get used the unified APIs for Ice Cream Sandwich.
[via SlashGear]

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Google Books for Android updated with better 7-inch tablet support, +1 feature

Google updated its Books app for Android smartphones recently with better support for more devices and a few new features. Most notably, the updated version works better on 7-inch Android tablets. There is also the ability to search through a book and add a +1 to a selection that the reader likes. The updated Google Books for Android is free and available in the Android Market now.
source: Android Market

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HTC and Android face new concerns over Android

An increasing number of security flaws in the Android open platform have led to experts raising questions over the security and privacy afforded by the Google OS, as some new security vulnerabilities have recently been discovered in several of Android models manufactured by HTC, adding to the increasing numbers of malwares and viruses for Android.
The latest versions of HTC’s proprietary Sense UI gives the applications which are installed on handsets including the Thunderbolt, Evo 3D and the Evo 4G access to the personal information of the users. According to an expert, this data includes phone numbers, text messages, user IDs, locations and more such details which result in a very serious security breach.
If the security exploit can access such sensitive data, this could have serious implications for privacy concerns among Android users, especially as mobile payments and banking are on a rise with smartphone users. The potential results of a data theft range from identity theft to unauthorized charges appearing on phone bills. The increase of these instances will also hamper the popularity and reputation of Android, both with the users and manufacturers.
With a 39% share of the smartphone market, Android smartphones currently lead in their category; however the closest rivals like Apple’s iPhone devices and Research In Motion’s BlackBerry smartphones are not much far behind. In other respects, more than 50% of the revenue which comes from the sales of mobile apps comes from Apples iOS based devices. If Android handsets create an impression of being unsecure for the users in such a competitive market, it may result in them moving towards the platforms such as iOS which are considered more secure.
However, it has been discovered that many users prefer Android over the Apple platform as it is an open OS, whereas the Apple iOS despite being more secure is also very limited. The same is true with the marketplace for Android apps, which despite being less secure than the Apple counterpart, provides users with more options to customize their devices.
While responding to the alleged security vulnerabilities, it was stated by HTC yesterday that they are currently investigating the authenticity of these claims, but they haven’t acknowledged the presence of any such flaws yet. These problems with the HTC handsets comprise the latest of the steadily increasing malware problems for Android over the last couple of months.

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iPhone 5 to create a stronger demand than ever

Nothing succeeds like success. iPhone 5 is no exception to it as it’s expected to ride on the tremendous success of its predecessor, the iPhone 4. With the excitement for iPhone 5 reaching fever pitch, it’s expected to create a ruckus of sorts. A recent survey gives ample proof of the type of buzz the iPhone 5 has generated. It wouldn’t be inappropriate to say that the only direction this phone is heading towards is the one which defies gravity.

It isn’t just the tech community that seems to be waiting with baited breath for the long cherished release of Apple’s latest iPhone 5. According to a survey that involved more than 2,200 prospective mobile phone buyers, a larger percentage (share) is likely to spend on the iPhone 5 in comparison to the iPhone 4 prior to it was launched.

The survey which was conducted last month by RBC Capital and ChangeWave Research shows that 13% of the prospective buyers seeking a new phone consider it ‘very likely’ whereas 18% consider it ‘somewhat likely’ that they will end up purchasing an iPhone 5. In comparison, the numbers for the iPhone 4 were 12% and 13% respectively. The increment which may seem marginal to the untrained eye is unprecedented in surveys like this. In addition to the ever increasing number of consumers planning to buy an iPhone 5, the study indicated a staggering 66 per cent of current iPhone users had said that they were ‘very likely’ or ‘somewhat likely’ to upgrade to the iPhone 5. This news comes despite the indefinite status of the iPhone 5. Till date Apple has released no substantial data on its next big entry into the iPhone franchise.

The reason behind the continuously swelling demands for the iPhone 5 lies in the fact that Apple has consumed a whooping 15 months to launch it. That’s like an era in the life of a cell phone. Some reports suggest that the phone, which has already been hyped to mythical proportions, will be launched on Sprint network. It will be offering unlimited data plan, something which is no longer offered by the AT&T and Verizon. More than 50% of Sprint’s subscribers say they are ‘significantly likely’ or ‘somewhat more likely’ to buy the iPhone 5. However, Sprint may not be able to provide these consumers with the amount of bandwidth they will suck.

The bottom line remains that when it comes to the iPhones, people are as crazy about them as many of the Hollywood celebs or Football stars. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone if the iPhone 5 continues to sell like hot cakes just like its predecessor, the iPhone 4.
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About the author: Kate is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology and lifestyle. Beside this she is fond of video games. These days he is busy in writing an article on Smartphones.

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Deals: Photon 4G for $50, EVO 3D for $50 and AT&T Galaxy S II for $150 at Amazon

Amazon’s posted up more wireless deals for you all to take a look at. The Sprint EVO 3D that we mentioned the other day for $100 has now had its price cut in half – you can have it for just $50. They’re also offering the Motorola Photon 4G for that same price. Two great dual-core phones that you should take a look at for yourself in a Sprint store.
They’ve also taken $50 off of AT&T’s Samsung Galaxy S II, meaning it can be yours for $150. We can’t say for sure, but we’re willing to bet most of you won’t take a $50 price cut lightly. Take a look at all of them with the links above.

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Samsung Gets to Work Quick, Seeks Ban on iPhone 4S in Italy and France

Had any doubts Samsung would stick to their word and be more aggressive against Apple in this patent war? Business Week is reporting that Samsung has taken to Milan, Italy and Paris, France courts to file patent infringement claims against Apple and to seek bans on the iPhone 4S for these infringements. They’re citing two patents that deal with wireless technology, likely those that have to do with 3G data.
We didn’t expect this to take too long following Apple’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” event considering they specifically mentioned that Apple would need to essentially strip all their wireless components out of the iPhone in order to refrain from infringing on their patents.
As we learned before, Samsung can’t outright deny Apple a patent license since 3G technology has become a standard. Samsung has to come to fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms with Apple in these claims.
Still, it’s perfect timing for Samsung who is looking to have a big week next week. As CTIA Fall kicks off in San Diego on October 11th, Samsung and Google will lead the charge as they look to introduce what we all know to be as the Nexus Prime
Yesterday, a quick shot of the device (couldn’t see much but we’re almost certain it was the phone) leaked and Samsung later decided to one-up that with a teaser video of its own. It didn’t show much, but they told us to hang tight as something big is coming.
Many have considered the iPhone 4S disappointing as it’s only an incremental upgrade over the iPhone 4 (the fact that the 4S isn’t much better than the 4 isn’t surprising, it’s that Apple didn’t announce an iPhone 5 after more than a year). With that, people are waiting for Samsung and Google to show their cards and it all goes down next week.
As for those patent cases, it shouldn’t be long before these court sessions get going. Samsung says they will be pursuing the same in courts of many other regions.

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Get the low-down on India’s $45 tablet

India is set to launch a $45 ultra-low cost tablet computer aimed at providing connectivity to the country’s masses.
The tablet, called Akash (meaning Sky), is a government project that was long heralded as innovative, however years of delay and uncertainty have frustrated many advocates of the program.
The limited spec, which is expected given the $45 price-point, is detailed below:

• Running an Android 2.2 operating system
• 7 inch touchscreen
• 32GB expandable memory
• 256-megabyte RAM
• Two USB ports
• Wi-Fi Internet access
• Video conferencing capability
• Internal media player
• Estimated battery life of 180 minutes
• 2GB SD memory card included

AFP confirms that an initial 500 devices will be given to students, with the Indian government hopeful that device manufacturer, Datawind, can produce 700 units per day.
Smartphones and tablet computing are India’s great new hope for connectivity. Current internet penetration rate is below 10%, severely limited the online potential of the the country’s 1.2 billion population.
The Akash is up against strong competition in the budget tablet market, earlier this Hong Kong-based iberry announced a 6,999 rupee ($140) device while Beetel ($180) are amongst others jostled to compete for sales.
The Indian government is not alone in introducing a budget smartphone for the benefit of its population, a key pledge of Thailand’s newly elected Pheu Thai Party was to distributed a tablet-PC to every schoolchild in the country. The government is aiming to begin its distribution of the estimated 400,000 tablets, estimated to cost $100 each, by May 2012.

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