Google announces Android Device Manager to help you track a lost phone

Google has announced a new tool that will let users track their lost Android phones on a map, ring them and remotely erase all the data on the phone.

Google has informed that the service will be available later this month on devices running Android 2.2 or above. To use the service, users will need to be signed into their Google Accounts. Google will also offer an Android app to allow users to track and manage their Android devices.

In a blog post, Google mentions that Android Device Manager, can quickly ring a linked phone at maximum volume so that users can find it (even if it's been silenced), or locate it on a map, in real time. It mentions, "If your phone can't be recovered, or has been stolen, you can quickly and securely erase all of the data on your device to keep your data from ending up in the wrong hands."

We're not sure why Google jumped the gun early and made the announcement, even though the service is still awaiting a launch. It could have announced it when the service was ready.

Apple, Microsoft and BlackBerry have been offering online utilities, namely Find My iPhone, BlackBerry Protect, and Find My Phone, respectively, that let owners of phones track the location of their handsets, lock them, trigger an alarm and wipe data remotely, for a long time.

Google is late to the party, however, making the utility a part of Android would benefit a large number of users. Handset makers like Samsung and HTC already offer similar tools with their Android phones. Sony had also started rolling out its remote security service "my Xperia," in July.

While third-party services offered by companies like McAfee, Norton, Quickheal and Kaspersky, among others also offer mobile security services, they charge users a one time or recurring fee.

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Android 4.2.x on just 6.5 percent of devices, August data reveals...!!

Android Jellybean (versions 4.1.x and 4.2.x) now comprises 40.5 percent of all Android devices  - at least the ones that meet Google's criterion - according to the monthly distribution data for the Android OS platform, shared by Google for the month of August. 

It's another thing that there's fragmentation within Jelly Bean, with just 6.5 percent of all devices running Android 4.2.x, while a majority runs Android 4.1.x, an older version of the OS. Of course the latest version, Android 4.3 is nowhere to be seen.

Google had unveiled Android 4.3, a new version of Android, last week. However it's only being seeded to select Nexus devices at this time, and does not feature in the data. Interestingly the new iteration of the OS will also add to fragmentation, as it will take months to reach non-Nexus devices, however, Google has smartly named it Jelly Bean (again!), and will include all devices running Android 4.1.x, 4.2.x and 4.3.x under one head. It would be interesting to see the percentage of users on Android 4.3, when Google releases data for September.

Although the different versions of Jelly Bean sport minor differences in terms of user facing features, they are fresh builds and bring major changes under the hood.

Android 4.0.x Ice Cream Sandwich, the pre-Jelly Bean version of the OS, is now present on 22.5 percent of all Android devices, a decline of 0.8 percentage points compared to last month.

This implies that Android Jelly Bean is about to get a two-fold lead over Ice Cream Sandwich, which is good news for Google and for Android developers. The distribution share of Jelly Bean witnessed an increase of 2.7 percentage points compared to last month's share of the OS.

It's worth pointing out that beginning April the data charts are now based on the data collected from each device when the user visits the Google Play Store to make it more accurate and reflect the percentage of users who are most engaged in the Android and Google Play ecosystem, as per Google. Prior to this, data was collected when the device simply checked-in to Google servers. However, this could exclude some devices that don't come with the Play Store, so the data is not 100 percent accurate.

Android 2.3.x Gingerbread's user base continues to shrink with the OS version recording a 33.1 percent share across all Android devices, a month on month decline of 1 percentage point.

The combined share of Android 2.2 Froyo and 2.1 Eclair is now reaching the 3.7 percent mark, down from 4.5 percentage points last month.

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HTC One dual SIM with expandable storage listed on company's India website..!!

HTC has quietly listed the dual-SIM version of its flagship smartphone HTC One on its India website.

As you would expect, the HTC One dual SIM - first spotted by Gizbot - boats nearly identical specifications as the HTC One, with the welcome addition of expandable storage, which was notably missing in the One. The HTC One dual SIM overcomes this by including a microSD card with support for cards up to 64GB. However, internal storage on the dual SIM HTC One is limited to 16GB, instead of 32GB and 64GB variants that the One is available in.

(Also see: HTC One vs. HTC One dual SIM)

Just like the single-SIM variant of the phone, the HTC One dual SIM comes with 1.7GHz quad-core processor alongside 2GB RAM. It runs Android Jelly Bean with a layer of HTC Sense 5 on top with features like BlinkFeed. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/ ac/ b/ g/ n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, Infrared, and Micro-USB.

HTC One dual SIM comes with the same UltraPixel camera that drew mixed review in the HTC One and a front camera. Both front and rear cameras come with full-HD video recording capabilities as well as Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS). HTC One dual SIM packs in a 2,300mAh battery.

There's no word yet on the price or availability of HTC One dual SIM.

HTC One dual SIM technical specifications

• 4.7-inch full-HD display
• 1.7GHz quad-core processor
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB internal storage, expandable by another 64GB via microSD card
• Dual-SIM support
• UltraPixel camera
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, Infrared, Micro-USB
• 2,300mAh battery
• 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3mm
• 143g

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Google unveils Moto X, a customisable Android smartphone..!!

Motorola on Thursday unveiled a new smartphone that consumers can personalize with a choice of colors and materials, hoping to stand out in a crowded market and justify the $12.5 billion that Google Inc paid for the ailing handset maker.

The highly anticipated "Moto X" marks the cellphone maker's first flagship device since Google bought the company in 2012, and is its latest attempt to break into a smartphone market dominated by Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics.

The phone's customization options are a novel touch which may appeal to fashionistas, analysts said. But some analysts questioned whether the Moto X offers the kind of technological breakthroughs that will vault Motorola back into the top rungs of the mobile rankings.

"We would have expected magic from somebody like Google, and this is not magic," Roger Entner, an analyst with Recon Analytics, said.

"Motorola could have done this without Google equally well. Or for that matter, another hardware manufacturer not owned by Google could have made this phone," he said, citing the phone's average hardware specifications.

The Moto X will go on sale in the United States at the end of August or the beginning of September for a suggested retail price of $199.99 to customers who sign a two-year contract at five of the biggest U.S. mobile network operators.

(Also see: Moto X review)

Google faces a steep climb in its effort to revive Motorola, which once claimed the No. 2 spot in the global phone market but according to research firm Strategy Analytics now commands a mere 2 percent market share. Shut out of the Apple-Samsung battle, Motorola competes with other smaller players such as HTC, Nokia and BlackBerry.

Motorola is betting that it can win over consumers by offering a huge palette of colors to personalize their phones, as well as unusual phone materials such as wood.

(Also see: 5 new features in Motorola's Moto X)

"They're not playing the 'mine is bigger than yours game,'" Avi Greengart, an analyst with Current Analysis, said. "Their approach is that this is what consumers actually need.

"I have no doubt there are people who want to customize their phones. The question is how many of them," Greengart added.

AT&T Inc, the No. 2 U.S. mobile service provider, will have exclusive rights to let its customers customize the phone from a selection of 18 colors for the back, two for the front and seven accent colors for an undisclosed time period.

While AT&T will allow customers to customize their phones, rivals Verizon Wireless , Sprint Corp, T-Mobile US and U.S. Cellular will only be able to offer black-and-white versions of the device.

In order to promise delivery of customized phones within four days, Motorola had contract manufacturing partner Flextronics International Ltd build a factory in the United States.

Another phone launch

The Moto X launch comes as speculation grows that Apple will unveil a less expensive version of its iPhone later this year. There are also rumors that Amazon.com is developing a low-cost smartphone, to follow up on the success the e-commerce company has had with its Kindle tablets

.

Colin Gillis, an analyst with BGC Partners, said the Moto X's is too expensive given the market's shift to lower-priced phones. Motorola is "chasing after the high end right when the high end is dead," he said.

The phone's price and its lackluster features will hamper Motorola's efforts to return to profitability, said Gillis.

"Motorola has been in the money-losing club and clearly they want to stay there," he said.

Since it bought Motorola, Google has promised that it would rationalize the company's phone range, which included as many as 45 phones in 2011. Along with the Moto X and three Motorola Droid phones, Motorola will likely have just one more phone launch this year, said Rick Osterloh, Motorola's vice president.

A Motorola spokesman told Reuters that the next phone would be less expensive than the Moto X.

Analysts also noted that the Moto X does not include the newest version of Android, the mobile operating system software that Google gives away for free and which is featured on three out of every four smartphones sold worldwide.

Google must walk a fine line in its ownership of Motorola, to make sure that other phone vendors that use its Android software - including Samsung - do not feel that Motorola receives preferential treatment.

Motorola, which Google runs as a separate company, does not get early access to new versions of Android, a spokesman said, noting that the newer 4.3 version of Android was only made available last week.

Google primarily makes money off of Android from online advertising when consumers access its services on Android-powered devices.

Rick Osterloh, Motorola's vice president for product management, said consumers have shown that they are interested in putting their personal stamp on a phone, seen in the popularity of phone cases featuring various colors and sparkly surfaces.

Motorola is still working out which wood to use, he said. Aside from cosmetic concerns, the decision will have technology ramifications because different woods "respond differently" to radio signals.

In addition to industrial design changes such as a curved back and the choice of colors, the phone's key features found in its camera and a voice-activated user interface are the same as what Motorola introduced in its line-up of new Droid devices last week.

Motorola said that Moto X would become available in Canada and Latin America as well as the United States around the same time.

Motorola said it has yet to establish a price for customers who want to pay the full retail price without signing a contract.

Shares of Google closed up 1.9 percent at $904.22 on Nasdaq on Thursday

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Apple fixing bug that allows fake charging stations to 'hack' iPhones and iPads..!!

Apple Inc's next software update for its iPhones and iPads will fix a security flaw that allows hackers to engage in spying and cyber crimes when the victim connects the device to a fake charging station, the company said on Wednesday.

Apple's devices are vulnerable to attacks until the company releases its iOS 7 software update, which is slated for this fall.

Three computer scientists, who alerted Apple to the problem earlier this year, demonstrated the security vulnerability at the Black Hat hacking convention in Las Vegas on Wednesday where some 7,000 security professionals are learning about the latest threats posed by computer hacking.

Apple said the issue had been fixed in the latest beta of iOS 7, which has already been released to software developers.

"We would like to thank the researchers for their valuable input," Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said.

The work was done by Billy Lau, a research scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and graduate students Yeongjin Jang and Chengyu Song.

In a demonstration at the hacking conference, they plugged an iPhone into a custom-built charger they equipped with a tiny Linux computer that was programmed to attack iOS devices. They said it cost about $45 to buy and a week to design.

It infected the phone with a computer virus designed to dial the phone of one of the researchers, which it did.

They said that real-world cyber criminals might build viruses that would give them remote control of the devices. That would enable them to take screen shots for stealing banking passwords and credit card numbers. They could also access emails, texts and contact information or track the location of the phone's owner, Lau said.

"It can become a spying tool," said Lau.

Lau said they were publicizing the issue in the spirit of "white hat" hacking, which is finding security bugs so that manufacturers can fix them before criminals exploit them.

"Security doesn't work if you bury problems," he told Reuters on the sidelines of the press conference.

Lau said that devices running Google Inc's Android operating system are not vulnerable to the same types of attack because they warn users if they plug devices into a computer, even one posing as a charging station.

After Apple's iOS 7 software update, a message will pop up to alert the user that they are connecting to a computer, not an ordinary charger, he said.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 211(7-inch) Specifications and Price in India

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 211 (7.0 inch)

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 211 has a 7-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display with 1024×600 pixel resolution. It runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and powered by a 1.2GHz dual core processor. It supports 2G, 3G, and Wi-fi networks.

It has 1GB RAM and 8 GB internal storage. Its storage can be expanded up to 32 GB via a micro SD card slot. It is powered by a Li-ion 4000 mAh battery. It also has other features including Geo-Magnetic, Light Sensor, Accelerometer and Proximity Sensor.

Galaxy Tab 3 211 has a 3 mega pixel fixed focus primary camera which gives a good quality image and video with 1080 pixel resolution, 30 frames per second. Its secondary camera is 1.3 mega pixel.

It has more voice and messaging options like multi people video call with Google+Hangouts, ChatON, Group Chat, Multimedia Transmission, Buddy Interaction and more.

Its narrower and slimmer dimension (188 X 111.1 X 9.9 mm) gives a comfortable feel when holding Galaxy Tab 3 in your palm and its light weight is 302g.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 211 is priced at Rs. 17,745.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 211 Features.

• Network – 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi

• Dimensions (H X W X D) – 188 x 111.1 x 9.9 mm

• Display – 7 inch TFT Capacitive Touchscreen,16 M Colors

• Resolution – 1024 X 600 Pixel

• Processor – 1.2GHz Dual-Core

• RAM – 1GB

• Operating System– 4.1 Jelly Bean

• Internal Storage – 8GB

• External Storage- 32GB

• Primary Camera –3Megapixel

• Secondary Camera – 1.3Megapixel

• SIM Support– Yes

• Weight – 302g

• Ports – USB 2.0 and 3.5 mm audio jack

• Sensors – Geo-Magnetic, Light Sensor, Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor

• Battery – 4000 mAh Lithium Ion

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Apple's cheaper iPhone to be called iPhone 5C...?

While rumours are rife about Apple launching a new low cost variant of the iPhone, it's still not known what the purported phone will be called.

However, a new leaked photograph of plastic retail packaging that appeared on a Chinese website shows white plastic boxes marked 'iPhone 5C' complete with the Apple logo. It's hard to confirm if the packaging boxes are genuine, or whether they're being made for Apple's upcoming low-cost iPhone.

If we assume that these boxes are genuine, then it's likely that Apple would use them for it's budget iPhone which is rumoured to come in a number of colour options. The leaked picture was posted on Chines website WeiPhone and was first spotted by Nowhereelse.fr.

While the next generation iPhone is likely to be called the iPhone 5S, inline with Apple's nomenclature pattern for the iPhone, the 'C' in iPhone 5C could denote 'colour/ color'.

Another interesting thing to note here is that the plastic boxes seen in the leaked images appear to have a lining inside where a front cover, which would most likely be transparent, can fit. So the packaging would be pretty similar to the iPod touch's packaging to highlight the new iPhone's coloured trims.

The budget iPhone has made several appearances in pictures and videos. The leaks hint at colourful back panels made of polycarbonate/ plastic and a 4.0-inch screen.

A video of the phone appeared on the blog of Techdy, showing the  plastic polycarbonate body back panel of the alleged low-cost iPhone that appeared in recent leaks.

French website Nowhereelse.fr had earlier shared a couple of pictures that originally appeared on a Chinese website depicting Red, Yellow and Green plastic shell cases of what looks like the back of a new variant of iPhone.

Another picture of the rear shell appeared in April, and was shared by case manufacturer Tactus. The case maker had said that the cheaper iPhone would be available in Black, White, Blue, Red and Yellow colours, citing the 'factory producing this secretive project' as a source. Tactus had informed that the actual phone might be around 9mm thick, 120mm in height and around 62-65mm in width, making it both taller and wider than the iPhone 4 and 4S.

Apple-focused Japanese blog Macotakara had also suggested that the new low-cost iPhone will come in multiple colours.

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