Section: Communications, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers  It looks like those waiting for an Android tablet from LG are going to be left waiting for a while longer. According to a statement from an unnamed LG official;
“We plan to introduce a tablet that runs on the most reliable Android version ... We are in talks with Google to decide on the most suitable version for our tablet and that is not Froyo 2.2,” said an LG official
No word on which version they feel is going to me more reliable, but it looks like Froyo is not going to make the cut. Of course, this does follow suit with comments that we have heard in the past that Android 3.0 was going to be better for tablet style devices. It also matches what we seem to be waiting for in terms of the Motorola tablet that is rumored as coming to Verizon. Either way though, it looks like an Android tablet from LG is still a little ways off. Read [Reuters] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers It looks like another Archos device has taken care of the required visit with the FCC. Though in terms of FCC appearances we have seen better listings, or at least listings with more useful details. That aside though, this does mean that the Archos 70 is one step closer to being available. And as for being available, that means a tablet style device with Android, a 7 inch (800 x 480) capacitive touchscreen display, 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and other goodies such as a G-Sensor, HDMI output and 720p video playback. Read [FCC] and [Wireless Goodness] Via [Liliputing] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Mobile Coming by way of the earlier T-Mobile myTouch smartphone announcement, we also have word of expansion in terms of the HSPA+ network. According to the details found in the press release, the HSPA+ network has gone live in Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi, Denver, Colorado, Huntsville, Alabama, Knoxville, Tennessee, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Norfolk, Virginia, Omaha, Nebraska, Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, Salt Lake City, Utah, San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and Sacramento, California and West Palm Beach, Florida. All said and done, this means the T-Mobile HSPA+ network is now available in “more than 65 major metropolitan areas.” Read [Business Wire] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile, Computers, Security, Features, Originals 
In the past week, two studies have looked at a sampling of mobile phone apps and determined some of them are betraying our trust. Whether downloaded on our devices for fun or productivity some of these bundles of fun are reporting on our location or trading away our personal information. Is this the end of the app party? Last week, a study was released by researchers at Duke University, Penn State University and Intel Labs found half of the apps were transmitting personal data. The researchers looked into randomly selected free Android apps. The personal data released included the users location (via GPS) and phone number. Hot on the heels of that study, is one from Bucknell University that looked into iOS apps (iPhone). The news there wasn’t much better: they found many of the apps studied transmitted user-identifiable data back to their servers. Worse still, some of this info wasn’t encrypted and was even stored in plaintext. The Bucknell team studied 57 apps, about half of them free. The worry here is the apps in both studies transmitted not just some random phone identifier but the UDID, users names or phone number. These bits of info can link the data back to the physical world. Quickly, questions get raised like, “why does a video game developer need my home address?” “Privacy and security advocates, personal iPhone owners, and corporate iPhone administrators should be concerned that it would be feasible—and technically, quite simple—for their browsing patterns, app usage, and physical location [to be] collected and sold to unintended customers such as advertisers, spouses, divorce lawyers, debt collectors, or industrial spies,” wrote Bucknell University Assistant Director of Information Security and Networking Eric Smith, who authored the study paper. Is it just a trade off users are willing to make? For example, there is an airline app that can tell users where the closest airport is and the next flight home it generates using GPS. Now the app makes the request to use your GPS but it doesn’t say it will only use it for this purpose. After users allow the functionality, there’s no telling when and why the app might use GPS info. Nefarious or not, it’s a security risk. This raises some interesting questions. Should Apple, as the app gatekeeper for its App Store, do an end to end search on how secure the data an app transmits is and how it is stored? How far should they go and what will that mean to the approval process with over 200,000 apps already out there? Or Android. It’s app market is often compared to the wild West where there’s no sheriff, just apps that float in and out. Do these privacy issues make the Android Market any less attractive knowing there is no gatekeeper? The end result seems to be the same: our apps are looking to betray us. Read Bucknell study [ars technica]
Read Duke et al study [ars technica] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Business News, Communications, Cellular Providers, Mobile It looks like Verizon is going to be making good with customers that they have previously and incorrectly overcharged for data usage. “As we reviewed customer accounts, we discovered that over the past several years approximately 15 million customers who did not have data plans were billed for data sessions on their phones that they did not initiate. These customers would normally have been billed at the standard rate of $1.99 per megabyte for any data they chose to access from their phones. The majority of the data sessions involved minor data exchanges caused by software built into their phones; others involved accessing the web, which should not have incurred charges. We have addressed these issues to avoid unintended data charges in the future.”
According to the details from Verizon, it looks like most customers will see a credit in the range of between $2 and $6, though some will see larger. As for when, the credits will begin coming in October and carry on through November. Bottom line, each individual customer is not going to be getting all that much back, but in total that is quite a bit of money that Verizon is returning. Sadly, though, for many the refund will not even cover the cost of a Starbucks. Read [PR Newswire] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile The folks over at Android Central have recently gotten some hands-on time with the yet-to-be-announced HTC Merge smartphone. That of course comes with some good news and some bad news. First, the bad, the handset was confirmed to have been pre-loaded with Bing in terms of search. That aside though, the specs are fairly nice and include Android 2.2, a 3.7 inch display, 800MHz processor, microUSB, microSD card slot, 3.5 mm headphone jack and a 5 megapixel camera with 720p video recording. Oh and we cannot forget the fact that it is a world phone or the sliding QWERTY keyboard which was described as being very nice. Or in reality, this is what they had to say; “So what we have here is a horizontal slider with a four-row physical keyboard. And let’s start with that keyboard. If you had to pick one thing that HTC excels at, it’d be keyboard design. And they’ve pretty much knocked it out of the park here. The keys a near-perfect size.”
With that, it would appear (despite Bing) that the HTC Merge is going to be a worthy addition to the Verizon Wireless lineup—that is once they actually announce it. In the meantime, hit the read link below and read the full hands-on report and check out the rest of the images. Read [AndroidCentral] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile  T-Mobile has unveiled the latest in the myTouch device lineup. Sadly though they did not tell us how much it would cost, and left the release time as a general “in time for the holidays.” That aside though, this latest myTouch branded handset does appear to be one that is worth looking forward to. First and foremost, once available the myTouch will be found in a variety of colors including white, black, plum and red. But moving on to more important details—the specs. The T-Mobile myTouch is going to be an Android 2.2 phone and come with other goodies such as the Sywpe virtual keyboard, Rock Band, Asphalt 5, Monopoly and the Genius Button which is powered by Dragon Dictation from Nuance. The hardware specs include a 3.8 inch WVGA touchscreen display, 1GHz MSM8255 processor, front facing camera for video calling and a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash on the back. Other perks include that video calling working over 3G and Wi-Fi as well as the handset shipping with an 8GB microSD card in the box. Keep reading to check out the full press release… New T-Mobile myTouch Delivers High-Definition Video Connections and Lightning Fast 4G Speeds New myTouch to Take Advantage of T-Mobile's New Super-Fast HSPA+ Network Now Reaching More Than 65 Markets BELLEVUE, Wash. — October 4, 2010 — T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced a new addition to its exclusive line of Android™-powered T-Mobile® myTouch® smartphones and the continued expansion of its new super-fast HSPA+ mobile broadband network. Built with families in mind, the newest T-Mobile myTouch helps solve the challenges of staying physically and emotionally connected by sharing photos and video with the HD Camcorder, spontaneous face-to-face conversations through Video Chat and the ability to reach 4G speeds on T-Mobile's new network, which is now available in more cities across the country.1 Unlike other video-calling solutions on the market that only work through Wi-Fi, Video Chat on the new myTouch enables customers to connect with loved ones spontaneously from practically anywhere through T-Mobile's network or Wi-Fi. With the myTouch's front-facing camera paired with Video Chat through Yahoo! Messenger or QIK, customers can hold video conversations with friends and family who have a new T-Mobile myTouch, other compatible mobile device or PC. Customers can even see who is available to chat through presence information integrated into the myTouch's address book, and have the option to leave Video Mail using Qik when someone is unavailable. "Taking advantage of the 4G speeds on T-Mobile's HSPA+ network, the new myTouch delivers a faster and more compelling experience than most competing smartphones on the market," said Andrew Sherrard, vice president, product management, T-Mobile USA. "Our continued focus to build innovative new features and personalized services truly makes myTouch unique." Designed specifically to deliver 4G speeds on T-Mobile's rapidly expanding HSPA+ network, the new myTouch will offer customers blazing fast access to websites, applications, videos, downloads and more. T-Mobile's HSPA+ network is the most pervasive mobile broadband network in the country, offering 4G speeds in more than 65 major metropolitan areas. With its latest expansion, T-Mobile's HSPA+ footprint now includes Biloxi and Gulfport, Miss.; Denver, Colo.; Huntsville, Ala.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Norfolk, Va.; Omaha, Neb.; Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz.; Salt Lake City, Utah; San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and Sacramento, Calif.; and West Palm Beach, Fla. T-Mobile expects to reach 100 major metropolitan areas and 200 million people in 2010. Families also can share moments in high-definition (HD) with the myTouch's high-quality HD Camcorder with Screen Share, which allows customers to share or broadcast HD video and pictures they've captured. With a few touches of the screen, customers can share their photo albums, videos and movies wirelessly with a compatible HDTV or other DLNA device. The new phone also includes three exclusive myTouch features: Genius Button™, powered by Dragon Dictation from Nuance, which lets customers call, text, e-mail or access the internet with a simple voice command; Faves Gallery™, which offers shortcuts to one's most-contacted family and friends; and myModes, which creates customized home screens for work and home. Designed by HTC exclusively for T-Mobile, the new myTouch features a brilliant 3.8-inch WVGA touch-screen display with virtual keyboard and Swype® for easy text input. The thin and sleek device also comes with a blazing fast second-generation Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 1GHz MSM8255 processor optimized for speed and graphic performance, a 5-megapixel camera, a preinstalled 8 GB microSD memory card, and an integrated media player that brings together favorite music, video and internet radio under one set of controls. Powered by Android 2.2, the myTouch offers a rich mobile Web experience and access to more than 80,000 applications on Android Market™ from games to location-based social networks to on-the-go shopping and more. The new device also features preloaded HD games, including "Rock Band," "Asphalt 5" and "Monopoly." The new T-Mobile myTouch is expected to be available in time for the holidays, exclusively from T-Mobile USA in four colors — white, black, plum or red. Customers can visit http://mytouch.t-mobile.com for more information. T-Mobile now offers 4G speeds on the new myTouch and the T-Mobile G2™, as well as the webConnect Rocket™ 2.0 and Rocket laptop sticks. In addition, customers located in new HSPA+ locations can benefit from faster speeds on their existing 3G smartphones — including popular devices, such as the myTouch 3G Slide.2 # # #
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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