Chimo NgeBlog : Android Under Attack

Google Inc.’s Android software was the “exclusive” platform for hackers targeting mobile devices in the last quarter, McAfee Inc. said in a report Monday.
The amount of malicious software (read: malware) targeting Android devices jumped 37% between late June and late September, according to the digital security company’s third-quarter threats report. Following a previous quarter of spiking threats against Android devices, McAfee said 2011 is on track to be the busiest year in mobile malware history.
All new mobile threats identified by McAfee during Q3 were specifically designed to target Android users, the report said. Android’s popularity among cyber criminals has been growing in parallel to its popularity among consumers as hackers seek the largest possible group of victims.
Last week, communications equipment maker Juniper Networks Inc. identified what it called an “exponential” increase in Android malware over the last few months, noting 472% growth malicious software samples since July. Accelerating attacks against Android led Juniper to say “the months of October and November are shaping up to see the fastest growth in Android malware discovery in the history of the platform” in a Nov. 15 blog post.
“We’re seeing a mix of the traditional hacking community [working] on malware very similar to organized efforts on the PC side, as well as people who are just a little smart, the ’15-year-old kid crowd,’ who are able to hide some malicious content in an app,” Dan Hoffman, Juniper’s chief mobile security analyst, explained in an interview with ITbusiness.ca on Monday.
Far more attack apps have appeared in Chinese app stores that distribute Android software, Mr. Hoffman said.
Most of the new threats came in the form of apps on Google’s Android Market disguised as benign programs that secretly record and transmit a user’s activities once downloaded in hopes of obtaining sensitive financial information. However, the McAfee report also noted a rise in what many would consider an even deeper privacy invasion: malware capable of recording and transmitting phone calls.
“Two examples are Android/NickiSpy.A and Android/GoldenEagle.A — both of which record user conversations and forward them to the attacker,” reads an excerpt from page four of the report.
“Attackers can’t be sure that the first one or two calls have the information they seek, so these malware remain on the devices for extended periods without being detected; that’s a very persistent threat indeed!”
Researchers blame Google’s lax approval process of new Android apps in addition to the platform’s general popularity as the reason for the dubious honour. As the following excerpt from Juniper’s blog post explains, the process of removing an allegedly malicious app from the Android Market is reactionary based on user complaints and therefore open to sustained vulnerability.

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Android+under+attack/5750900/story.html#ixzz1eX8HPidw

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : Android Under Attack

Chimo NgeBlog : The 12 Most Vulnerable Smartphones

How vulnerable is your smartphone to malware attacks? Android is by far the most targeted mobile operating system, but some popular Android phones made by Samsung, HTC, and Motorola, fare a lot worse than others.
Bit9, an enterprise-oriented security vendor, ranked the 12 most vulnerable cell phones (the "dirty dozen") based on how dated its software is out of the box. Android fragmentation is well documented, but your average cell phone user probably doesn’t care if he or she’s on Android 2.3 or Android 2.3.7. Functionally, the versions are similar.
However security-wise, it matters. A lot. For instance if a malicious app breaches an older version of Android, Google patches the vulnerability and releases an incremental update so that app can never exploit your phone again. Then it’s up to the cell phone operator to send your phone that update.
The timing of when you get these updates depends upon your cell phone operator and cell phone manufacturer, rather than Google, which is fundamentally different from how PC security is distributed (it would be akin to buying a PC from Dell and relying on Dell to coordinate with your home Internet provider, instead of Microsoft, to update your Windows software).
Unfortunately, not every Android phone gets updated to the latest version at the same time; pundits say carriers have no economic incentive to send updates to old or unpopular phones.
As a result, according to Google, 56 percent of Android smartphones are stuck on the 18-month old Android 2.3 Froyo, or older versions.
“We need to put pressure on the carriers. Why are they alone responsible for updating your security?” Harry Sverdlove, CTO of Bit9, told PCMag.
Honorable Mention: Apple iPhone 4 
Apple's iOS is less fragmented because Apple retains full control over when it releases its software update. But fragmentation still exists, because newer versions of iOS either don’t work or perform uber slowly on models that are over two years old. Others iPhone owners are simply turned off by slow download speeds or excessively large files. Lookout Mobile recently discovered that 30 percent of iPhone users don’t download the latest version of iOS when it comes out, and therefore miss out on time-sensitive iOS patches.
As a result, Bit9 gave iPhone 4 an honorable mention.       
Bit9’s “dirty dozen”:
1. Samsung Galaxy Mini (T-Mobile)
2. HTC Desire (U.S. Cellular)3. Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 (AT&T)
4. Sanyo Zio (Sprint, Cricket Wireless)
5. HTC Wildfire (T-Mobile)
6. Samsung Epic 4G (Sprint)
7. LG Optimus S (Sprint)
8. Samsung Galaxy S (T-Mobile)
9. Motorola Droid X (Verizon)
10. LG Optimus One
11. Motorola Droid 2 (Verizon)12. HTC Evo 4G (Sprint)
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), but not an Android!
Bit9’s findings may be preaching to the choir here, but its study is really aimed towards business workers who are ditching their BlackBerries for other popular operating systems—in droves. This week, one study claimed iPhone has surpassed BlackBerry as the most popular smartphone used in the office. But Bit9 and PCMag’s networking analyst Samara Lynn still believe BlackBerry is “tops for IT,” because it uses an enterprise server that gives companies full control over issuing updates.
As mobile malware matures, the targets will inevitably grow bigger and more lucrative.
“We’re going see more and more corporate attacks on smartphones, more spear phishing, more targeted email attacks. Given the landscape, it’s a ripe field that’s growing faster than the security itself,” said Sverdlove.
Fore more on Android fragmentation, see Why Ice Cream Sandwich Might Make Things Worse.

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : The 12 Most Vulnerable Smartphones

Chimo NgeBlog : Nokia to Launch Symbian Carla and Donna Operating System

At the Developer’s Day in Mexico Nokia has revealed the upcoming two versions of its Symbian operating system, Carla and Donna.
Symbian Carla, which is set to introduce a new version of the Nokia browser version 8.0, will be the first to make its way to the market with a bunch of smart features bundled with it. It is intended for smartphones with a 1GHz processor or higher and is believed to be scheduled for release in late 2012. Symbian Carla also offers better widgets, NFC support with improved functionality and Dolby Surround Sound.
As for Symbian Donna, which will support dual-core processors, it has no confirmed details so far as Nokia did not reveal in their presentation some other features of the update; however, most probably it will be launched before the end of 2013 or the early 2014 and will be equipped to the rumored successor to the Nokia N9.
Nokia mentioned earlier that Symbian might be running over dual-core processors by year 2012 and that they plan to abandon Symbian in 2016.

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : Nokia to Launch Symbian Carla and Donna Operating System

Chimo NgeBlog : Smartphone Batteries are About to Get a Massive Upgrade

As smartphones become more ingrained in our daily lives, a battery that can hold a charge all day is more important than ever to consumers. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
Take Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhone 4S, for instance. Consumers flocked to Apple stores in droves to scoop up the device, only for many of them to discover that the battery screeches to a halt after eight hours or less.
Not good news for those becoming addicted to the device’s celebrated (and battery-sucking) personal assistant app, Siri.
Luckily for them, however, new research from Northwestern University could make battery anxiety for smartphone and tablet owners a thing of the past.
Let me explain…
Solving Capacity Issues With a Carbon and Silicon Sandwich
When you charge a mobile device’s battery, a chemical reaction forces lithium ions from one end of the battery to the other. The amount of time a battery holds a charge depends on how many ions you can jam into it at once.
This capacity is limited by how many lithium atoms a battery’s layered carbon sheets can accommodate. Right now, it’s not many.
But using silicon instead of carbon can boost the density of lithium ions considerably. Except silicon tends to expand and contract – compromising a battery’s ability to hold a charge.
So Northwestern University researchers decided to step in and tackle this problem.
You see, instead of replacing the carbon entirely, they figured out how to stabilize the silicon by sandwiching it in between a battery’s carbon layers.
As a result, they created a lithium-ion battery that can last more than a week without being plugged in!
But that’s just one benefit of their amazing breakthrough…
From 0% to 100% in 15 Minutes Flat
Carbon sheets don’t just lower a battery’s charge capacity. They’re also the reason it takes so long to charge our mobile devices in the first place.
Lithium ions need to travel to the edges of each carbon sheet before passing through them, creating what scientists call an “ionic traffic jam.”
To solve this issue, the Northwestern team punctured the sheets with tiny 10-nanometer holes. This resulted in the battery charging about 10-times faster – in just 15 minutes flat.
But there’s a catch: After 150 charges, this new system begins to lose its affect.
However, it would still take well over a year to reach 150 charges, since the battery lasts more than a week. So I wouldn’t worry about that limit. Besides, even after you reach this 150-charge threshold, the battery is still five-times more efficient than today’s technology.
When can you hope to get this stellar battery performance in your own devices?
Well, researchers see the technology hitting the market in the next three to five years. Meaning you shouldn’t expect to see it in the iPhone 5.

But as battery issues continue to plague some iPhone 4S users, perhaps it’s worth waiting for the seventh or eighth member in the Apple lineup.

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : Smartphone Batteries are About to Get a Massive Upgrade

Chimo NgeBlog : Ice Cream Sandwich Android to Be Released to Sony Ericsson Xperia Phones

A confirmation was recently released by Sony Ericsson on the Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS update for some of the Xperia smartphones of the company. Among the Sony Ericsson devices that will reportedly receive the Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS update would include the Xperia Arc and the Xperia Play.
Despite the confirmation by the company, the release date of the Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS update remains to be seen as indicated on the blog site of the company. According to the post, the detailed information in connection to the Ice Cream Sandwich Android update of Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) will reportedly be revealed through the blog along with its release schedule and its availability in the international market.
Aside from the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc and the Xperia Play, the other devices that will reportedly receive the Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS update includes the Xperia Ray, the Mini, the Mini Pro, the Xperia Neo and the Xperia Neo V.

Ice Cream Sandwich

Some observers have noted that the absence of the Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman from the list of devices that will receive the update for the latest Android OS of Google. However some have indicated that the Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman is reportedly a low-end smartphone since it only has a 3.2-inch screen which has a resolution of 320 by 480.
Aside from the confirmation that a number of Sony Ericsson devices will be receiving the Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS update, reports have also revealed that Sony Ericsson is set to release it first HD smartphone into the market. The upcoming Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc HD will reportedly feature large-size 720p HD screen and will be released with the Gingerbread Android OS.
The device, which will reportedly be launched by the company during the CES in January, will also feature an 8MP camera, 1.5 GHz Snapdragon processor and 1GB RAM.
However since a number of new Android smartphones using the Gingerbread Android OS will be receiving the Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS, some observers have indicated that the upcoming product offering of Sony Ericsson will likely receive the same Ice Cream Sandwich Android update in the future.
The confirmation on the Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS update for a number of Sony Ericsson products comes as the first device to utilize the latest version of the Android OS of Google was released into the UK recently.

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : Ice Cream Sandwich Android to Be Released to Sony Ericsson Xperia Phones

Chimo NgeBlog : Nokia Lumia 800 with Windows Phone review

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : Nokia Lumia 800 with Windows Phone review

Chimo NgeBlog : 6 Great Windows Phone Mango Features For Business

Microsoft's big Mango update to Windows Phone brought the platform to version 7.5. It has over 500 new features, most aimed at the consumer, but some of these features will also help professionals.

1. Connecting to a hidden SSID: Some people use a hidden SSID under the illusion that it provides some level of security, even though it doesn't. Windows Phone 7 originally wouldn't connect to a hidden Wi-Fi access point at all. Now it will, but there is a caveat. The manufacturer or carrier also has to ensure the phone is running an updated Wi-Fi driver. If you have Mango and still cannot connect to a hidden SSID, contact your carrier. Mango has the capability and Microsoft has done all it can on this front.
2. Threaded email conversations: This is one of those love it or hate it features and some people love it. If you fall into that camp, then do nothing. Mango enables this by default. You can easily turn it off on a per-mailbox basis though.
3. Linked inboxes: If you have to manage multiple mailboxes, you can now see them all at once. Mango keeps the databases separate, but visually it looks like one big mailbox with all of your mail. A reply is sent from the mailbox it was sent to and all preferences are kept separate, so things like how long an email is retained and signatures are on a per-mailbox basis. You can link all, some, or none of your mailboxes, depending on your preferences.
4. Better live tiles: Live tiles in Windows Phone 7 were nice but didn't always function properly, especially third-party tiles. The more you had enabled, the more likely you were to run into problems. Once you had 15, you were maxed out. Additional live tiles were static. Mango upped the limit to 30 live tiles and improved the performance of all of them. They work best when a third-party developer redoes its tile to support multitasking. So feel free to add as many inboxes, people, and weather tiles to your homescreen. Having multiple weather tiles, with apps like WeatherLive, makes traveling easier as you can see the weather conditions at all of your travel destinations at a glance.
5. Contact history: This has been greatly improved. Simply pull up a contact in the people hub, or tap on a person if they are pinned to your homescreen, and swipe to the history section. You will be able to see all of your recent interactions with them via phone, SMS, and email. Tapping on any of those will bring you to that item. You could reply to an email right there, for instance. An additional swipe to the What's New section will show you their social interactions on Twitter and Facebook, including things like @replies to you.
6. Task switching: If you are like most professionals, you are doing multiple things at once. Twitter, email, checking out an Excel document, looking for directions, etc. Now you can seamlessly move through these by pressing and holding the back button. A task window showing thumbnails of recent apps pops up that will allow you to go directly to any of them. This works with all apps, but the experience is faster and more likely to return you to exactly where you were if it has been rewritten to support this feature. If you have ever used or seen the app-switching cards in WebOS, then you know exactly what this looks like.

This barely scratches the surface, but it gives you a hint of some of the improvements in Mango that makes the life of a professional, especially one that travels, a bit easier.

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : 6 Great Windows Phone Mango Features For Business

Chimo NgeBlog : How to Stop Your Smartphone from Constantly Tracking Your Location

Your smartphone tracks your location for all sorts of useful things—driving navigation, updating the weather forecast, and even live traffic updates. However, if you'd rather not have Google and Apple tracking that information—not to mention having it available on your phone for thieves to find—here's how you can turn off location tracking.
Photo remixed from an original by Yurchyks/Shutterstock.
Location tracking actually provides lots of useful things to us, but while Google and Apple collect all that data anonymously, it's still stored on your phone (and in Apple's case, your computer). Anyone with the right tools could easily find out where you've been with your phone over a significant period of time, so if you're worried about this, you may want to turn this features off. Here's how.

Disable Location Caching on Android

Full size

Luckily, Android's location tracking is actually an opt-in feature. You may or may not have enabled it when you first set up your phone. To find out, head to Settings > Location and Security, and uncheck "Use Wireless Networks". This will make applications like Maps a bit slower to grab your current location, and it won't be quite as accurate, but Google won't be collecting any location data, nor will it be stored on your phone thereafter. However, if you want to clear the previously cached locations from your phone, you'll need to rooted your device. Then after installing the free Location Cache app, you can view a map of your tracked locations on it, as well as clear them from your phone and disable the cache with one tap.

Disable Location Tracking on iOS

Full size

In iOS, the situation is a bit more complicated. Turning off location services will stop sending data back to Apple, but it will still cache your location on your phone, so anyone with access to your computer or your phone can see where you've been (since iOS syncs all that information back to iTunes). The only way to do anything about it is to jailbreak your device and install the previously mentioned Untrackerd app. Untrackerd is very simple, though, just install it, and it'll clear your location cache and prevent it from recording anything in the future. It doesn't even have an icon on your home screen—just install it and forget it.

---

Location tracking can be a great thing—in fact, we think it's one of the best things about smartphones. However, if you don't like the idea of big brother knowing your whereabouts—or if you're concerned about what could happen if your phone was lost or stolen—these simple tips should help keep your phones clean of location information.

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : How to Stop Your Smartphone from Constantly Tracking Your Location

Chimo NgeBlog : Norton Mobile Security Lite

Symantec today announced the release of Norton Mobile Security Lite (free), a simple antivirus and anti-theft product for Android. Today also marks the release of Norton Mobile Security 2.0 from beta testing.

Norton Mobile Security Lite offers exactly the same antivirus Android-specific protection as the non-Lite edition. It scans all files and updates downloaded to your phone and automatically removes any threats. LiveUpdate ensures that malware definitions remain up to date. It refrains from updating while you're roaming, to avoid unnecessary data charges. Naturally you can launch a manual scan at any time.

In the event your smartphone is lost or stolen, you can use Norton Mobile Security Lite to lock it, so a thief can't also steal your data. That's the extent of the free edition's features. If you want the ability to wipe or locate the phone remotely or require a password before allowing the SIM card to be changed, you'll need to update to the full product. Kaspersky Tablet Security also offers antivirus protection, but without remote locking or any phone-specific features.

Specifications

Type

Business, Personal, Professional

Free

Yes

Tech Support

Forum-based support.

More

The non-Lite edition includes a number of other features such as phishing protection. If you browse to a fraudulent site on your mobile phone, it will warn you. Webroot Mobile Security for Android offers a similar feature to keep you away from malicious sites, while Trend Micro Mobile Security for Android blocks both malicious and phishing sites.

The full, paid edition also can block unwanted phone calls or texts. Users can review the call log or SMS log to choose numbers that should be blocked. A prominent "Upgrade to Full Version" button allows users to pay and perform the upgrade from within the free edition.

Norton Mobile Security Lite is available as a free download from the Android Market.

Tags: Norton Mobile Security Lite

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : Norton Mobile Security Lite

Chimo NgeBlog : Hands On: Google+ App for iPad

Google has released an updated Google+ iPhone app that is now available on all iOS devices, including the iPad. However, the update doesn't add anything new to the Google+ mobile app for iPhone, which has been available since mid July.

The new release simply makes the app work on the iPad. It even keeps its original size, floating in a sea of blackness, although you can tap a "x2" button to magnify the app and view it in all its granulated iPad glory.

Regardless of the fact that, for now, the app isn't any different on the iPad than on the iPhone (and, while we're at it, let's note that Google delivers a remarkably similar experience on the Google+ mobile app for Android, too), mobile apps are essential to the whole social-networking experience. Apple iPad owners wanted an app, and now they have one. I think most iPad owners would rather have a cloned app than none at all while they wait for a fully fledged version to come their way.

View Slideshow See all (10) slides

More

The Google+ mobile app came out of the gate strong, due to its clean interface and Spartan design. The search giant is sometimes criticized for designs that are too austere, but on a smartphone, simplicity counts. Less screen space means every inch of it has to be used effectively. The iPad, with its mid-sized screen, could certainly support more stuff—buttons, panels, slider bars—and in time, perhaps it will. Still, the app is clean and easy to navigate without too many menus and unnecessary words cluttering the screen.

How to Get Google+ Mobile App for iPad
You can get the iPad app by downloading it through iTunes. Once you find and install the free app, just sign in using your Google account. You do need Google+ access, so if you don't have an invite yet, ask around. They're much easier to come by this month than last.

Select Features
If you've used the Google+ site, you've likely already established Circles, or subsets of your connections, grouped by whatever classification you want to create, such as close friends, co-workers, extended family, and so forth. All those Circles will be present and ready to go when you load your iPad app and log in.

Notably missing in the app is the Hangout feature, or video group chat, which is Web-only. Given the iPad's support for video, I'd wager that this is a feature that's in the works for when (or "if") a full iPad version is developed and released.

Replacing Hangouts, for the time being, is Huddle, a group instant messaging tool. To use Google+'s Huddle, select Huddle and click the speech bubble icon at the top right to start a new chat. You can invite individuals to group chat with you, or an entire Circle.

Managing Friends
The ease with which you can manage Circles from the iPad is shocking. Google has laid out the app in such a way that you can scroll through a long list of possible connections—some of whom you'll know, and some complete strangers—and add them to existing Circles or new ones that you can create on the spot.

At the very bottom of the main screen is a Notifications box containing a number. The box is gray if it's 0 and red if it's 1 or greater. Nearly identical to Facebook's mobile Notification feature, Google+'s pops up a screen that you can refresh by dragging down and releasing.

Mobile and Social
Bear in mind that the app is only in version 1.0.2. It's likely that Google will push out improvements, including a true iPad app, in the coming weeks or months. I'd put my money on the Google+ iPad app having support for Hangouts, as well as a few more buttons, tools, and interface items. Yet I doubt Google will clutter the space, as it tends to err on the side of being too sparse.

The Google+ iPad app works well due to its smart design and comprehensible interface. The mobile apps are helping strum more interest in the social network, which is exactly what it needs to stay active and interesting—on all the devices where you can access it.

Tags: Hands On: Google+ App for iPad

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : Hands On: Google+ App for iPad

Chimo NgeBlog : Can You Guess Which Phone Samsung Is Trying To Destroy Based On This Leaked Photo?

This leaked image of a white Samsung is just another hint that we should be seeing the phone here in the U.S. very soon.

So far, we've only seen a black model of the Galaxy S II, which we reviewed a few weeks ago.

We're guessing the image to the right is a response to the white version of another very popular smartphone.

Most expect the Galaxy S II to launch in the U.S. in August. As further evidence, we received a teaser package this week from Samsung's PR telling us to "Keep watch for the next generation Galaxy S."

Samsung also has a new sign-up page for e-mail alerts about the Galaxy S II.

We liked using the Galaxy S II, but it's hard to determine how it can compete with the iPhone 5 when we still know very little about it.

Tags: Can You Guess Which Phone Samsung Is Trying To Destroy Based On This Leaked Photo?

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : Can You Guess Which Phone Samsung Is Trying To Destroy Based On This Leaked Photo?

Chimo NgeBlog : LG Flip II Android Dual Screen Slider Smartphone for T-Mobile Revealed

While this isn’t the first time we’ve heard of such a device, this is the most detail we’ve had in photos. What we’ve got here is a dual-screen slider smartphone device made by LG, utilizing some form of Android, and carried by T-Mobile. This device will most than likely use its lower smaller touchscreen to hold a drawer of apps along with whatever else developers find themselves developing into the platform. According to a leaked T-Mobile roadmap discovered back in May, this device will be released on the pink carrier by September 14th, 2011.

Certainly what we’re looking at here is some competition for the ancient T-Mobile Sidekick, a T-Mobile favorite, or it’s much more recent Android version the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G. In both of those devices it’s the screen which flips up rather than sliding up as we’re seeing in the LG Flip II. There’s been only one other Android device on the market thus far that’s carried a dual-screen orientation, that being the Kyocera Echo. What the Flip II seems to offer that no device like it has offered before is the draw of a second screen WITH a keyboard beside it.

Or on either side of it, it seems. Look for this device to be rather affordable sub-$200 price running Android 2.2 FroYo or above with some custom Android action to allow the second screen to work for you and your multitasking needs. Also look for this phone to NOT compete with the upper-tier, instead attempting to beat out such mid-range devices at the HTC Wildfire S and the Samsung mid-range trio in the Dart, Exhibit 4G, and Gravity Smart, another slide-out device with no second screen.

T-Mobile certainly seems to have a whole boatload of Android devices these days, wouldn’t you say? Everything across the board!

Tags: LG Flip II Android Dual Screen Slider Smartphone for T-Mobile Revealed

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : LG Flip II Android Dual Screen Slider Smartphone for T-Mobile Revealed

Chimo NgeBlog : Nokia Windows Phone – 10 apps we need to see

The first Nokia Windows Phone, codenamed Sea Ray and running on Windows Phone Mango, will arrive onto the scene with a ready supply of more than 10,000 apps to choose from. However, there are still some major gaps we’d like to see filling – pronto.

Spotify
Spotify is pretty much the hottest property in online music subscription services right now. Having conquered Europe, it’s now wowing our American cousins. If anything, the long wait for a US launch has made Americans even more appreciative of Spotify’s classy qualities – so why no Windows Phone app? Microsoft has already demoed this for Windows Phone Mango, so we hope to see it at launch on our Sea Ray.

Instagram
Instagram has built a considerable following of iPhone photographers, all sharing their best pics for others to see. It also grants users the ability to modify their pictures with funky custom filters for various vintage and way-out looks. Now we just need to see it cropping up on our Nokia Windows Phone, which will doubtless rock a top-notch camera.

Wikitude
Windows Phone may have finally got Layar, but what about that other popular augmented reality app? Wikitude has thus far steered clear of Microsoft’s mobile OS, which is a great shame. Once it appears, you’ll be able to point your Nokia Windows Phone’s camera at any street or landmark and an array of Wikipedia entries, local restaurant information and cash machines locations will appear in the appropriate locations.

Google Maps
Will this ever happen with Ovi Maps set to integrate with Bing Maps on Windows Phone? Maybe not, but never say never – after all, there’s a version of Google Maps on Apple’s iPhone platform. We’d love to see it happen, as Bing Maps is – how shall we put it – not very good. Google Maps, on the other hand, is ace.

BBC iPlayer
The BBC iPlayer app is a thing of beauty on iPhone and Android, with its slick interface, high streaming video quality and – of course – range of quality programs. Come on Beeb – make an iPlayer app for Windows Phone. We want to watching Have I Got News For You in bed on our Nokia Sea Rays this autumn.

Amazon MP3
We understand that Microsoft has its Zune music service to push, but the truth is a lot of people are invested in the Amazon MP3 ecosystem, so it’d be a good idea to get an app up on the Windows Marketplace. If you’ve ever used the Android Amazon MP3 app, you’ll know it’s a thing of simple beauty to use.

Firefox Mobile
Again, we know that Microsoft is keen to funnel people through its own Internet Explorer, but comments made a few months ago suggest that it wouldn’t object to a rival browser being offered on the Marketplace. We’re hopeful that Mozilla will find a way to get back to work on a Firefox browser for Windows Phone Mango, because it’s one of the nicest mobile browsers around.

Google Docs
MS Office on Windows Phone 7 is a beautiful thing, but the truth is that’s just not the way many of us work anymore. An increasing number of people – particularly those who work remotely some or all of the time – work with Google Docs, which allows online storage, sharing and collaboration on documents and spreadsheets. We’d love to see an official app on our Nokia Windows Phone devices.

Adobe Photoshop Express
Being able to resize, crop and edit photos (one of the most demanding task to put your PC through) while on the go is a sign of how far mobile technology has come. Android and iPhone users have been enjoying this brilliant photo editing app – it’s time Windows Phone users got in on the action.

Dropbox
There are plenty of third party Dropbox apps on the Windows Phone Marketplace, but there’s no official app as yet. That’s a shame, because this cloud-based file sharing tool has become invaluable for many people working remotely. It’s one of the best ways to share large files in a secure and speedy way, and a proper mobile app finishes the package nicely. How about a nice new version for our Nokia Windows Phone, eh?

Tags: Nokia Windows Phone – 10 apps we need to see

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : Nokia Windows Phone – 10 apps we need to see

Chimo NgeBlog : 4 Top 4G Smartphones

Here are my picks for the best 4G smartphone from each carrier. They each share a number of desirable features, such as huge displays, fast processors, mobile hotspots, HD video capture, and a full suite of software.

AT&T: Samsung Infuse 4G

AT&T's 4G network is a juiced up version of HSPA+ right now. Later, it will graduate to Long Term Evolution 4G in a handful of markets. For now, it is marketing HSPA+ (with enhanced backhaul) as its 4G network.

The best phone available on this network is easily the Samsung Infuse 4G. It's a monster of a phone, with a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display and dual-core processor under the hood. Its display dazzles, and the attractive (and very thin!) form factor make it an easy phone to recommend. It offers good media tools, such as camera, music, and video players, and its speedy system performance means it can be used for some heavy lifting. About the only downside is its massive size, making it feel like a dinner plate when used to make phone calls. It costs $199.99 with a new two-year contract.

Sprint: Motorola Photon 4G

Sprint's flavor of 4G is WiMax, which it has been expanding across the country with partner Clearwire. While the future of WiMax is a bit uncertain, that's not stopping Sprint from rolling out solid WiMax hardware.

The Motorola Photon 4G, which hits Sprint this week, out-guns its WiMax peers to take the top WiMax spot. Motorola was able to trim some bulk from this handset and still keep a 4.3-inch display with qHD (540 x 960) resolution. The screen looks great, and it is running a 1-GHz dual-core Tegra 2 chipset, which delivers blazing performance. In addition to WiMax, the Photon 4G is a global handset, which means it can be used by the traveling professional in a number of European and Asian countries. This alone gives it a serious leg-up on the WiMax competition within Sprint's stable of smartphones. It costs $199.99 with a new two-year contract.

T-Mobile: HTC Sensation 4G

Similar to AT&T, T-Mobile is also marketing HSPA+ as 4G. T-Mobile is rolling out speed upgrades to its HSPA+ network at a regular clip, with many markets already upgraded to 21 Mbps and a handful to 42 Mbps. Along with the network upgrades, T-Mobile has steadily rolled out new phones to make use of those speeds.

Leading T-Mobile's HSPA+ pack right now is the HTC Sensation 4G. This powerful handset from HTC has a 4.3-inch qHD (540 x 960) Super LCD and a 1.2-GHz dual-core SnapDragon processor. Aiding the solid hardware is great software from HTC in its Sense 3.0 user interface overlay. HTC's software delivers a great experience and makes what would be a good phone a great phone. Wireless data speeds are fast, the camera works well, and it has top-notch construction and materials. It costs $199.99 with a new two-year contract.

Verizon Wireless: HTC Droid Thunderbolt

Verizon Wireless is deploying a nationwide Long Term Evolution 4G network as we speak. It is already available in 102 markets, and will reach 175 by the end of the year. It is blazing fast when it comes to broadband speeds, and will anchor Verizon's services for probably a decade or more.

Verizon is offering three LTE-equipped phones right now, and HTC's Droid Thunderbolt is the best. HTC did a commendable job in delivering Verizon's first LTE handset, which has a 4.3-inch display, 1-GHz processor, 8-megapixel camera, and solid 3G/4G data performance. This device also has HTC's Sense 3.0 user interface, which makes is a joy to use. Everything about the Thunderbolt is top notch. It costs $249.99 with a new two-year contract.

Tags: 4 Top 4G Smartphones, top rated smartphones, top 5 smartphones, 4g technology, smartphones, 4g network, best 4g smartphone, the best smartphone, best smartphone for business, top five smartphones, the best smartphones, best smartphone available, internet operators, smartphone companies, best 4g smartphones, best global smartphone, best 4 g phones, top best smartphones, best business smartphones

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : 4 Top 4G Smartphones

Chimo NgeBlog : 4squick: a new foursquare client for Symbian^3

An update was released yesterday for the official foursquare Symbian app, but the results were, to say the least, underwhelming (the rash of angry one-star app reviews tells the story). Despite a video showing updated features coming to the platform, foursquare says this lackluster version is what Symbian users can expect, at least for the “near future.”

Luckily, a new third-party application for Symbian^3, 4squick, is in development. In just its second preview release, it already covers most of the features of the official app and more features are promised soon. Unlike the official app, it’s built in QT/QML, so it’s light and fast.

According to a post on the 4squick site, the new version (0.7175; released earlier today) brings the following changes from the initial release (which is featured in the video above):

• App startup time is now faster than ever
• Public/private check-in
• Share check-in to Facebook and Twitter
• Leaderboard
• User profiles
• Multiple bug fixes and minor details here, there and everywhere

If you’re on the Symbian^3 platform, give 4squick a try and let us know what you think in the comments. Following yesterday’s disappointing update, it appears 4squick should be just what the doctor ordered for many of you.

Tags: foursquare badges, foursquare.com, www.foursquare.com, what is foursquare, download foursquare, foursquare jackets, foursquare church, foursquare wiki, foursquare snowboard, m.foursquare, foursquare badge, m.foursquare.com, foursquare app, foursquare mayor, badges foursquare, foursquare download, foursquare android, foursquare chrissy jacket, foursquare twitter, foursquare clothing, foursquare outerwear, mobile foursquare, foursquare coats, foursquare badge list, foursquare windows mobile, gowalla vs foursquare, foursquare snowboard pants, foursquare beanie, foursquare jacket, foursquare symbian, new foursquare badges, foursquare sweatshirts, foursquare blog, foursquare boswell, foursquare hearn jacket, foursquare game, foursquare ski, foursquare snowboard jackets, foursquare badges list, foursquare q pant, foursquare for business, mayor foursquare, foursquare snowboarding, foursquare vs gowalla, gowalla foursquare, foursquare pants, eastside foursquare church, foursquare day, foursquare marketing, badges on foursquare

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : 4squick: a new foursquare client for Symbian^3

Chimo NgeBlog : [Review] Fujitsu F-07C the first real Windows Phone 7?

Face it Microsoft lost the Mobile war and despite its effort the company still have a lot to catch-up! Don’t take this the wrong way but even if Mango is a nice update, Windows Phone 7 came two years too late with fewer noticeable change to make it a worthy competitor to both Android and iOS smartphones.
So while many manufacturers moved away and went “Android” Crazy, Fujitsu decided by itself to fix once and for all this Windows Phone 7 fiasco and build-up the F-07C, the first TRUE phone capable to run Windows 7.

The F-07C has been introduced for the first time early may in Japan during a Docomo Press conference. Only available via NTT’s Docomo network the F-07C is a phone like no others that comes powered by an 600MHz Intel ATOM CPU with 1GB of RAM runs on Symbian and a virtualized version of Windows 7. Yep there is no dual boot here, but thanks to the wonders of virtualization, Fujitsu was capable to offer a fully functional Windows 7 OS into a tiny little Symbian phone.

First Impression

The F-07 is not what we can call, “compact”, I mean, sure if you compare the F-07C with any other Windows 7 Netbook this new “Smartphone” is way smaller than anything you can compare it with, but with a size of 125x61x19.8mm and 218g, the F-07C is by far one of the bulkiest smartphone available nowadays in Japan. Still, no pain no gain the F-07 is the only ATOM powered Smartphone we know of in Japan and the only one capable to run Windows 7.

Once you get used to the size of the F-07C you have to admire the amazing work that Fujitsu and its team of engineers has made. The F-07C is a pure technical marvel, extremely well build, and solid with zero tolerance for second-guessing the F-07C show how goods are Japanese when it comes to build compact devices and how ahead they are in the area.

But like usual, Fujitsu did not come with a simple “smartphone” and decided to bring the full Windows Experience by adding one of the most compact QWERTY keyboard I had the chance to play with. Designed to be mainly used with both thumbs, the F-07C keyboard is surprisingly quite easy to get along with, and typing a short mail or entering a url with it is rather unpainful.

Still the most frustrating part of this keyboard is definitively its “tiny” little trackball that is quite difficult to master and prompt to sudden burst of unimaginable frustration forcing you to quickly give-up using it and jump on the F-07C 4” SVGA touchscreen whenever you need to point and click.

Intended to replace your laptop on the Go, Fujitsu had the brilliant idea to offer with its F-07C a nice little “Desktop Kit” including a USB Mouse and Keyboard as well as a docking station that will let you connect your F-07C to any external Display via HDMI as well as offering you four, really needed, USB port.

Here as well nothing much to complain about, the docking station is compact enough to be carried around and if you are not too crazy about Fujitsu USB Mouse & Keyboard combo you can also choose your very own and even invest in a nice Logitech Wireless Combo.

Everyday Usage

Before we are going to move on one of the most important part of this review I will have to warn you that we are not going to spend anytime on reviewing the “Symbian” part of this phone. There is actually nothing really here to talk about and the “Dumb” phone side of the F-07C works pretty much like any other Symbian powered phones available worldwide, so instead of wasting any further time, let’s jump directly on the “Netbook” part of the F-07C.

When for the first time you power-up your F-07C you will be immediately thrown to the rather dull and boring Symbian experience (can’t wait for Symbian death), but thanks to a tiny little button placed on the side of your phone you have the choice to swap between OS and jump from Symbian to Windows 7.

As I said earlier, the F-07C does not offer a real Dual Boot experience but the F-07C will in fact run a virtual Windows 7 Machine on its Symbian OS. While this process is in fact totally transparent for the user, it makes however a huge difference when you are swapping from one OS to an another giving you an almost seamless experience whenever you have to jump between both of them.
Still to achieve such “bliss” you will have to boot Windows 7 like on any other devices and as you would have guess, running on a 600MHz CPU, the F-07C is rather “slow” to boot-up. Still, the F-07C once fully loaded is rather snappy, or as snappy as you could get with such entry level CPU.

Being limited to the rather small size of the screen, you will quickly find yourself doing basic tasks like checking your email, view attached PDF, Excel or Word files, surf the web, Chat online, Update your Facebook profile page and even edit a few docs, but not much.

Having the F-07C with me for about a week, I tired to force myself to dump my iPhone for a while and only the F-07C as my only device, and to be honest, it did not really work for me. And despite what you may believe, the most frustrating things that made me to turn back to my iPhone was the F-07C tiny 4” SVGA screen, that is way enough for the average smartphone but way too small for your basic Windows 7 needs.

Once at home I also tried to “work” with the F-07C for a while by installing the tiny F-07C on its docking station hooked-up to one of my screen.

I knew here as well that I should not expect much, after all the F-07C is a rather underpowered PC, but I was not expecting so much frustration here neither. Don’t get me wrong I knew what to expect, but once plugged to a real screen with a Keyboard and a Mouse you quickly forget that you are working on a Mobile Phone and expect the F-07C to behave as well as any other Nettop or Netbook available on the market.

Add to this the rather disturbing fan Noise that your F-07C will continuously make once plugged on its cradle, the fact that it cannot even handle the most basic DivX movie you are throwing at it and you quickly realize that despite its amazing build quality and impressive achievement of being the first phone to run Windows 7, the F-07C will only be able to offer you a very limited “Windows” experience destroying my dream to get a really capable working station away from home.

Now if you wonder how the F-07C handle Microsoft Office Suite, I’ll say that it will of course let you open four DOCX, XLSX and other MS Office files but don’t even think having Outlook and Word open at the same time, same is true for pretty much everything, the F-07C is only capable to handle correctly one thing at a time killing all hope for multitasking addicted people like myself.

Now, there is the question about Battery life, yep, the F-07C is a greedy little buddy and it will only be capable to run Windows 7 for an hour and half on the go, which is, all things considered, not that bad at all. In an hour and half a lot can be done, but running out of juice so quickly when the F-07C is your only phone could become quickly annoying.

Another little problem I ran into was the rather stubborn Wi-Fi module that Fujitsu installed on the F-07C that would not connect to certain WPA2 access point, weird but really annoying.

Conclusion

Well this is a though one, I mean, yeah the F-07C is not as amazing as one’s could expect and it definitively need a better tweaked Windows 7 installation for a snappier experience by first removing all pre-installed crap like Norton for example. But the F-07C is also an impressive little device, I mean where can you find a totally autonomous Windows 7 compact PC with 3G and WiFi that can fit in your pocket and just weight 218g?
No really when you think about it, the F-07C is a really impressive piece of engineering and you have to admire the work that has been done here, but against an iPhone or an Android Smartphone, the F-07C have a lot of difficulty to justified itself.

Tags: Atom, Docomo, F-07c, Fujitsu, Intel Atom, Ntt Docomo, Ssd, Symbian OS, Windows 7, Wsvga

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : [Review] Fujitsu F-07C the first real Windows Phone 7?

Chimo NgeBlog : Motorola Triumph Review [Virgin Mobile]

Today I have a sleek Motorola phone you’ll want to check out. This is the Motorola Triumph and he learned most of his simple edges and design from the Droid X. In a way that is what we have here, a slimmed down, simplified yet nice version of the Droid X. This is the first Motorola Android phone carried by Virgin Mobile and it aims to be the best too. For a no contract phone this is a pretty solid buy for only $299 considering many phones of this level sold for $499 in recent months.

Not only does it come in at a great price, but it’s a Motorola phone running stock vanilla Android 2.2 Froyo with no custom user interface or overlay, no moto blur. This is completely stock Android as Google intended it to be. Pair that with a simple yet powerful phone and no contract, this sounds like the perfect phone for a lot of users. Before I get started here is our full hands-on and unboxing.

Hands-on video

Hardware

To quickly go over the hardware we have a 4.1″ 480×800 resolution display, a 5 MP camera with VGA for front video chat, and single LED flash. The Triumph does have HDMI-out as well and this is all powered by a 1 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. It also has 512 MB memory as well as an included 2GB MicroSD card for storage. The overall design is something you’ll recognize right away if you’ve ever held a Motorola Droid or the Droid X as it features a very similar squared design as well as a extra soft touch coating on the back in matte black.

The Micro USB charging port and HDMI-out are nicely placed on the bottom of the device with the unlock/power button on the left edge of the phone versus the top. The power, volume rocker, and camera are all accented in an aluminum silver finish to make things look sharp. One big part of hardware I wanted to mention was what appears to be stereo speakers. The very bottom on each edge of the device is a decent sized speaker grill and sound comes out extremely loud and clear from both sides, the back cover doesn’t come off or I’d do a little inspection. I wish all phones had the loud volume this phone does. My Sensation sounds like a tin can in comparison.

Software & Performance

Like mentioned above the phone comes in running a completely stock, base version of Android 2.2 Froyo. Motorola added nothing to the user interface or widgets and this is completely how Google released it. I personally am a huge fan of vanilla android and would prefer not to use OEM UI overlays. Motorola’s Moto Blur software has been the least favorite for me so this was refreshing to see. As expected with basically very similar internals to something like the myTouch 4G performance is great. It runs smooth and seamless and I didn’t have any slowdowns ever.

Virgin did add some bloatware but much and i mean MUCH less than most carriers do. Pre-installed applications other than standard apps are airG Chat, Poynt for finding businesses and stores nearby, Where, and Virgin Mobile Live — that is it. I’ve seen devices come with upwards of 15 or more pre-installed apps so to only see a few is nice as we can install what we need when that time comes from the market. It did have Twidroyd and Facebook but those don’t count as bloatware because most people use social network apps right?

Also running a few benchmark apps the Motorola Triumph was right where I expected with Quadrant scoring around 1700 give or take. Comparing that with similar spec’d devices it sounds just about right as we have a 1 Ghz CPU here and it’s single core.

Overall I really enjoyed using the stock Android 2.2 on this device, I’ve been using HTC Sense lately and even though its nice I do enjoy the stock Android experience.

Camera & Battery Life

The Motorola Triumph comes in with a 5 MP single LED flash camera and although it does a pretty decent job I was a bit surprised with the quality. It didn’t seem to take as great of pictures as I was expecting but overall they are pretty decent. I took a few with medium room lighting and it manages ok. The camera also is 720p capable for video recording as well as the front facing VGA camera. Here are a few test photos with the Triumph camera.

The battery is only 1380 mAh compared to most phones having a 1520 or so battery so I was a bit concerned with battery life. The battery lasted through a full day of use with browsing, twitter, and the usual phone calls and texting but I did find myself reaching for my charger more than I have in the past. I’d say it gets close to a full days work with a single charge but you might want to have a charger in your car just to be safe.

Wrap-Up

To wrap things up I’ll start by saying for anyone using Virgin Mobile that have yet to try an Android device this would be the perfect device for you. It is simple, and clean, with a very sleek design as well as running completely stock Android. This is a great phone to introduce someone into a smartphone, or Android in general. With good build quality like Motorola is known for, higher end mid-range specs and a 4.1″ screen you can’t go wrong for $300 off contact.

This phone is a huge step for Virgin Mobile as it’s not just a pay as you go cheap feature phone you’ll use for a few months and forget about. Users wont pay for a few months and then stop using the service like with the average flip phone, this is a quality device someone can use for years to come with Virgin Mobile. It is available as of last week and can be yours for just $299. I highly recommend this phone to anyone considering moving to pay as you go, or that currently uses Virgin Mobile.

Tags: motorola android phones, motorola android phone, motorola smartphone, motorola android, android phone, android smartphone, android smart phone, motorola droid, droid 2, motorola droid 2, android phone motorola, motorola cliq, motorola i1, new android phones, motorola android review, motorola backflip, best android phone, android phones, the android phone, motorola droid review, droid 2.1, new motorola android phone, smart phone review, htc incredible

READ MORE - Chimo NgeBlog : Motorola Triumph Review [Virgin Mobile]