Android beats iOS, becomes top tablet OS: Linux rules

Report: Android Marches to 62 Percent of Tablet Market

It's no secret that Android has become a dominant force in the smartphone arena, with Strategy Analytics estimating that it commanded 79 percent of smartphone market share last year. Much of that success has come on Samsung devices, and so it's notable that Gartner researchers are out with new data showing that Android has become the biggest tablet operating system with 62 percent of the market, and Samsung's Android tablets are flourishing.

Android takes 62% share of tablet market in 2013; Apple's share declines

Android/Linux Overtakes XP on Weekends

The title says it all. Folks are using their Android/Linux smartphones a lot everywhere, even at work. Same with tablets. The personal computer has been redefined by consumers, employees, everyone but the sycophants of Wintel. The small cheap computers flooding the markets are computers and people, real people, love them. They are personal. Since “7″ is on borrowed time and declining while Android/Linux usage shows higher growth than M$’s other offerings, it looks like in a year or two, Android/Linux will be the top dog in a sea of “others”.

Android 4.4 vs. iOS 7: Which is the Best Mobile OS?

When it comes to mobile operating systems, iOS and Android are still the frontrunners. Despite the brilliant and not-so-brilliant efforts of Microsoft to topple the two giants, the mobile market space is dominated by Cupertino and Mountain View. iOS, which made its beginnings in an era where touch-screen smartphones was a relatively new concept. With the late Steve Jobs at the helm, Apple was instrumental in starting what we now call the smartphone revolution. iOS with its brilliant and shiny design wowed many users thus catapulting the company into the role of a technology giant. As iOS was soaring at a breathtaking pace, a little-known open-source operating system was making its presence felt ever so slightly. Neither Steve Jobs nor the open-source community could guess how the mobile market space would change in the next few years.

The Unlikely Tale of How ARM Came to Rule the World

This is a story about ARM Holdings (ARMH), the mobile technology company.

In Barcelona, Samsung Courts the Apps Developers

Samsung Electronics came to Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress to show off its newest smartphones and smartwatches to

Microsoft: Repeating IBM's OS/2 Mistakes With Windows, Android?

It sounds like Microsoft is working on a dual-boot smartphone strategy that would cover both Google Android and Windows Phone. Um... this strategy sounds a bit like the 1990s, when IBM launched a dual-boot initiative involving OS/2 and Windows. Anybody else remember how that story turned out?

Nokia X app store ported to Android and Sailfish

For those who do not know, Nokia uses its own proprietary fork of Android, rather than stock Android, in its X-series devices. It also removes all Google services and replaces them with its own. Therefore, these devices ship with Nokia Store in lieu of Google Play. However, ports have been made in both directions, i.e., Google apps on Nokia X, and Nokia Store on other Android devices.

Will Microsoft replace Windows Phone with Android?

The end of Windows Phone?

ZDNet thinks that Microsoft's purchase of Nokia may indicate an embrace of Android and the possible end of Windows Phone.

Google Android chief: Android may be open, but it is not less secure

Does 'open' mean 'lack of security'?

According to Google, no. Instead, an open platform is the best path to take in order to make a platform as impermeable to threats as possible.

No, Google’s Sundar Pichai Didn’t Say Android’s Openness Makes It Less Secure

A local site quoted Pichai as indicating that Google’s Android operating system was, to quote one reblog of the comments, “not designed to be safe, it was designed to be open.” Naturally, something of that nature caused a stir. Google admitting that Android is inherently insecure due to its core tenet of openness?

Daimler hints at Android-powered telematics in future cars

The aim is to integrate smartphone functions such as playing media content, phone calls, messaging and navigation with the vehicle's control system, the ad continues. “You [will] develop one of the most significant technological innovation in the field of telematics, which should be used in all Mercedes-Benz vehicles and in all markets worldwide,” it adds.

SODIMM-style COM runs Linux or Android on 2W

The module is available in an industrial temperature version. It ships with a Yocto Project-certified Linux Linux 3.12 or 3.2 BSP that offers a choice of several distributions, including Arago and Ubuntu. Board support packages are also available for Android 4.x and WEC7.

Linux group could hasten 64-bit Android for ARM mobile devices

The release of 64-bit Android will depend on Google, whose current Android 4.4 version code-named KitKat is 32-bit. But 64-bit Android adoption will be swift if software, drivers and tools are ready ahead of the OS release, said George Grey, speaking Sunday at the Linaro Connect Asia 2014 developer conference in Macau.

YunTab S5 Android phone uses 3D infrared for secure face unlock

Found on the company's $135 S5 Android-powered smartphone (not to be confused with Samsung's Galaxy S5), the 5.5-inch handset uses two infrared emitters, a secondary infrared camera to map a 3D image of your facial features.

Google brings KitKat launcher to all Nexus devices

Google has published the app which turned the Android home screen into a ‘Google Search’ screen by tightly integrating search features with the search box. The feature is however not part of the base-OS, thanks to crazy patent claims by Apple.

Sony launches Xperia Z2 tablet at MWC14

Under the hood Xperia Z2 tablet has a Qualcomm’s latest top of the line Snapdragon 801 2.3Ghz quad core processor with Adreno 330 GPU, making it one of the most powerful Android tablet at the moment. Along with that it contains 3GB RAM enough for multitasking and internal memory options of 16GB or 32GB. The tablet also has support for expandable storage using microSD card upto 64GB.

Motorola MWC announcements: Smartwatch, Moto X in India, Motomaker in Europe

Motorola believes that it will be a compromise if they try to include other OS ecosystems in their products. “We’d have to compromise if we spread across ecosystems.” When asked if they have any plans for a Windows Phone, now that they are free from Google, the reply was simple : “We are committed to Android.” Also Motorola is looking to keep the UI clean and add as less customisations as possible. “This approach allows us to create, simple, meaningful experiences – like provide software updates quicker than competitors.”

HTC announces Desire 816 and 610 at MWC14

The phablet carries a massive 5.5 inch screen, but no fancy 1080p stuff, but rather sports a respectful 720×1280 pixel resolution display. It is powered by a quad core Snapdragon processor clocked at 1.6GHz. There is 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB internal memory which is expandable upto 128GB. There’s no ultra pixel camera but HTC has managed to put in a 13 megapixel snapper, along with a decent 5 MP front camera for better selfies. The battery is non-removable and has a capacity of 2600 mAh.

Blackphone: hands-on video with the super secure smartphone

With the NSA and other news of spying circling the internet, it's making more of us give security and the protection of our personal data a second and deeper thought. It’s with this matter in the forefront that Silent Circle came up with an innovative and clever plan to counter this rising concern: the Blackphone, one of the most interesting smartphones presented at the MWC this year. We were able to shoot a short hands-on video of the high-security smartphone.

Boeing Black: An NSA-Proof Phone That's Actually Geared More For NSA Use

Boeing Black Android smartphone will self-destruct if tampered with

Blackphone, Boeing Self-Destructing Phone Are Security Motivated

NSA revelations of the last few months have prompted new thinking about mobile-device security. (If content from the phone of Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel can be intercepted, what hope is there for yours?) Two of the more dramatic examples of this are the Blackphone, from Silent Circle and Geeksphone, which became available for preorder Feb. 21, and the Boeing Black smartphone.

Deep Black: More details on Boeing’s new secure Android smartphone

Black is based on a proprietary security architecture that Boeing calls "PureSecure." Like Samsung’s Knox platform, it has a “trusted boot” mode that can detect and thwart any attempt to root the device—or disable it if it can’t. In addition to onboard media encryption for internal storage, the phone can be configured to inhibit certain functions based on location or the network it is connected to in order to prevent data loss. It might also be used to disable the device’s camera in secure facilities.

Blackphone’s big problem: The belief that the device is NSA-proof

An NSA-proof phone?

'Blackphone' To Be NSA-Proof Phone

Monetising Fear Presents the Blackphone

Google moves Moto’s modular phone mojo forward

Google is in the process of selling Motorola to Lenovo, but it’s keeping Motorola’s Advanced Research and Projects (ATAP) R&D group. ATAP announced Project Ara in October, and a week ago tipped its Project Tango 3D sensing phone prototype. Now, Google has confirmed it’s moving ahead with Project Ara, and announced an Ava Developers’ Conference, along with a more details on the project and images of a phone prototype.

Chief of Google's Project Ara talks modular smartphones

Google’s first Ara developers kits and conference are coming soon

Developers interested in creating their own features for Google’s Ara customizable phone project will soon get their chance: the company revealed today that developers kits and conferences are on their way.

Google may start selling Ara phones for $50

In the long run it may change the market dynamics and break the unibody Apple shell where even battery is locked out from user’s reach and popularize device which are user-upgradable. If I have to choose, I will definitely choose a device which can be upgraded over time unlike devices which become obsolete in 2 years just because you can’t even upgrade the RAM. Google’s approach with Ara is a complete U-turn from what Apple is trying to do with their devices.

Google Issues Clarion Call for Project Ara Devs

Google's Project Ara promises not only to give consumers control over the features and functionality they want in a smartphone, but also to reduce the volume of e-waste dumped into landfills. A smartphone with interchangeable parts theoretically could live forever. "Like other Google moon shot projects, [its success] depends on enticing and exciting developers," said tech analyst Charles King.

35 Android Apps to Help You Stay Up to Date

Having a good selection of Android apps is pretty well essential: there’s so much happening in the world that it’s tough to keep up with everything without a little help.

App Converter Bridges Tizen-Android Divide

Infraware appears to be counting its chickens before they're hatched. Its Polaris App Generator can turn a lot of Android eggs -- um, apps -- into Tizen apps, but there's not yet a Tizen phone to use them on. At a rumored cost of $5K, the generator might be a good deal for developers once a Tizen phone actually sees the light of day, but it's a big chunk of change to gamble on an as yet unfulfilled promise.