Posts Tagged tips&trick
How Android bests the iPhone
Posted by My Cool Gadget in Google Android, iPhone on March 10th, 2010
Android may lack some of the Apple handset’s glamour, but the OS and its gallery of handsets offer a lot to like. And if anyone ever tells you that the iPhone is always superior to Android, you really should listen no further. The little green guy beats the iPhone in quite a few ways, some of which we’ve wrapped up here. And hang tight, iPhone fans, as we’re prepared to extend you the same courtesy. Check back later for ways that the iPhone can overpower Android.
Multitasking
Unlike the iPhone, Android devices like the Nexus One by HTC can multitask and run background processes. And how much do we love that notifications bar? A lot.
Google integration
As you’d expect from an operating system by Google, Android offers seamless integration with a variety of Google services including Gmail, Google Talk, Google Maps, Google Goggles, YouTube, Google Calendar, Google Maps, and Google Search. Sure, the iPhone integrates with some of these services too, but Android does it better.
Widgets and desktop
Android offers more freedom with icon customization on the home screen. You can add shortcuts at will and organize related serves into folders. Widgets for Facebook, Twitter, news, and weather also surface a range of information at the top level. What’s more, you you can access connectivity options like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi right on the home screen.
Android Market
Though the Android Market may have fewer apps than the iTunes App Store, Google does not take a heavy hand in removing apps that it doesn’t like. While Apple continues to proactively remove or deny apps for various reasons, Google offers developers much more freedom.
PC syncing and memory
Unlike the iPhone, Android handsets offer removable memory cards and true PC syncing that doesn’t require you to go through the bottleneck of iTunes.
Browser
The basic Android browser is just as easy to use and feature-rich as the iPhone’s Safari browser, particularly on those handsets that have full multitouch. Don’t like the standard Android browser? Don’t worry, because you also can use another option like Opera. And what about Flash Lite? You won’t find that on the iPhone.
Range of devices
The iPhone is a well-designed device, but you’re stuck with that hardware if you want what is inside. With Android you can choose from a broad range of handsets that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. And if you prefer a real keyboard, then Android is your bet.
Open OS
Android allows people to really customize and change handsets to their liking. Similarly, developers can add to the OS and enrich the larger Android community through their own design and feature enhancements. And speaking of personalization, most Android phones offer more camera editing features.
Removable battery
You won’t have to ship your phone away to get the battery changed, thanks to a removable battery. And when you buy the new battery, you don’t have to pay someone else to change it.
FAQ: Using your smartphone safely
Posted by My Cool Gadget in Blackberry, Google Android, Java, Linux, Maemo, Others, Palm, Symbian, Windows Mobile, iPhone on March 10th, 2010
What’s the biggest security threat to my mobile phone?
Losing it.
“You are way more likely to leave it in the back of a taxi than to have someone break into it,” Charlie Miller, a principal analyst at consultancy Independent Security Evaluators, said in a recent interview. The best way to protect data in the event of losing a device is to not store sensitive information on it, he said. If you must store sensitive information on it, use a password on the phone and encrypt the data. Devices can be configured so that they ask for a password every time email or a VPN is accessed. Use a strong enough password that a stranger can’t guess it. And back up your data frequently.
There are also ways to lock the phone remotely or wipe the data if it is stolen. AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said users who lose their phone should call the company immediately and “with just a keystroke, we can prevent anyone else from using the phone–and from running up charges.”
A number of companies offer software and services to protect mobile phones. One of them is a start-up called Lookout that offers a Web-based service that backs up the data, remotely wipes the data if stolen, can help locate the device, and includes antivirus and firewall protection.
Mobile device users should also be careful about leaving the phone unattended, or loaning it to people. Spyware can be installed without you knowing it if someone has physical access to the device and knows your password if you have one set. For instance, the PhoneSnoop program can be used with BlackBerry devices to remotely turn the microphone on to eavesdrop on nearby conversations. However, a spokesperson for BlackBerry maker RIM points out that if the application is installed, the user would be able to see it running and could then remove it.
Can mobile phones get viruses?
Yes.
Mobile viruses, worms and Trojans have been around for years. They typically arrive via email but can also spread via SMS and other means. Mobile phone users should be diligent in installing security software and other updates for their devices. All the major desktop security vendors have mobile antivirus and related offerings.
In November, several worms hit the iPhone, but only devices that had been jailbroken so they can run apps other than those approved by Apple. One worm changes the wallpaper on affected devices to a photo of 80s pop singer Rick Astley of “Rickrolling” fame. The second, more dangerous worm attempts to remotely control affected iPhones and steal data such as bank login IDs. Jailbroken iPhones have also been directly hacked via SMS, including by one Dutch hacker who was demanding US$7 from victims for information on how to secure their iPhones.
Miller says: “Don’t jailbreak your phone. It breaks all the security, basically.” If you simply must jailbreak it, you should change the default root password and not install SSH (Secure Shell network protocol).
What are other types of attacks?
Just like with computer users, smartphone users are vulnerable to email and Web-based attacks like phishing and other social-engineering efforts. All attackers have to do is create a malicious Web page and lure someone to visit the site where malware can then be downloaded onto the mobile device. People should avoid clicking on links in emails and text messages on their mobile device. (For more anti-phishing tips read “FAQ: Recognizing phishing emails.”)
SMS offers another avenue for attack. Last year, researchers demonstrated several ways of attacking phone using SMS messages. In one, they exploited a vulnerability in the way the iPhone handles SMS messages. Researchers also showed how an attacker could spoof an SMS to make it look like it comes from the carrier to get the target to either download malware or visit a site hosting it. In another proof-of-concept attack, a text message was used to launch a Web browser on a mobile device and direct it to a site that could host malware. When the attack is used to phish for personal information it is referred to as “SMiShing.”
Is it safe to use Wi-Fi and Bluetooth?
Yes and no.
If you are doing something sensitive on your phone, like checking a bank account or making a payment, don’t use the free Wi-Fi at a coffee shop or other access point. Use your password-protected Wi-Fi at home or the cellular network to avoid what is called as a man-in-the-middle attack in which traffic is intercepted. Pairing a mobile phone with another Bluetooth-enabled device, like a headset, means any device that can “discover” another Bluetooth device can send unsolicited messages or do things that could lead to extra fees, data being compromised or corrupted, data stolen in an attack called “bluesnarfing,” or the device being infected with a virus. In general, disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth unless you absolutely need to use them.
Which is safer: The iPhone or Android?
Apple vets all the apps that are used on the iPhone, and that tight regulation of the Apps store has kept users safe from malicious apps so far. Nothing is foolproof, however. Once apps are approved they can do any number of things. For instance, Apple removed free games in November developed by Storm8 that were found to be collecting users’ phone numbers.
From an architecture standpoint, Android offers more granular access control. But the open-source nature of the Android platform means apps aren’t as controlled as they are on the iPhone and holes can be introduced by any number of parties. For instance, Miller found a vulnerability in the Android mobile platform last year that could have allowed an attacker to remotely take control of the browser, access credentials, and install a keystroke logger if the user visited a malicious Web page. The hole was not in code written by Google, but was contributed by a third party to the open-source Android Project. However, any risk was mitigated by an application sandboxing technique Google uses that is designed to protect the device from unauthorized or malicious software that gets onto the phone, Google said. Miller recommends that Android users only download software from trustworthy vendors and reputable sites.
Are standard mobile phones safe?
Obviously regular mobile phones don’t pose the Web-based threats that smartphones do. But they are still used to store sensitive information that can be accessed by gaining access to the device. For instance, the inbox and outbox for text messages can contain information that can be used for identity fraud, said Mark Beccue, a senior analyst for consumer mobility at ABI Research. “Regardless of what type of cell phone, the most dangerous current threat is through a cellphone’s in/out message boxes,” he said. “Clear (them) out regularly. Do not transmit full account numbers, PIN or passwords within a text message unless you immediately delete the out box message.”
Standard phones that support Java can be susceptible to certain threats that smartphones are. For instance, scammers in Russia and Indonesia are hiding a Trojan in pirated software that surreptitiously sends SMS messages to premium rate numbers – costing as much as US$5 each, thus racking up huge bills, said Roel Schouwenberg, a senior antivirus researcher at Kaspersky Lab.
And what about spam?
That’s a growing problem on mobile devices. For information on what to do when you get mobile spam read “FAQ: How to vanquish mobile spam.”
This story was orginally published on InSecurity Complex on CNET News.
Sony Ericsson Satio gets WVGA video recording via a new update
Posted by My Cool Gadget in Symbian on March 6th, 2010
Q&A: Microsoft on Windows Phone 7 Series
Posted by My Cool Gadget in Windows Mobile on February 20th, 2010
BARCELONA–You didn’t hear? Microsoft has at long last announced the Windows Phone 7 Series at Mobile World Congress. Forget whatever impressions you have of the current Windows Mobile operating system as the new 7 Series is unlike anything we’ve seen. The user interface has been completely reworked to feature live tiles, panoramic screens and enhanced gaming and music experiences. Microsoft knew it had to deliver something with pow at the annual mobile tradeshow, and it did deliver. While the first devices aren’t expected until the year-end holiday season, there’s still a lot to know about the new software.
The new Windows Phone 7 Series interface looks nothing like its predecessors’.
We sat down with the director of Mobile Communications Business, Aaron Woodman, the general manager for Asia in the Mobile Communications Business, Natasha Kwan, and the head of Mobile Services, Manish Ladha, to discuss everything, from the software to hardware and services.
Windows Phone 7 Series
What is the Windows Phone 7 Series and is there a particular significance with the number 7 or the new naming convention? Do you think the new name will confuse users?
Woodman: There were four big pieces of news yesterday [Monday]. The biggest was Windows Phone 7 Series and all the changes in the product around smart designs, integrated experiences and the Windows Phone hubs. The second was we brought Xbox Live and Zune to Windows Phone for the first time and we will take that internationally. The third was about a specific set of partners, mobile operators and OEMs that have committed to be early launch partners. The last piece of news was on the Q4 holiday time frame launch in time for the seasonal push.
We started changing the brand strategy with Windows Mobile (WM) 6.5. We announced the new brand as Windows Phone and the OS will remain consistent in terms of naming structure, which is Windows Mobile 6.5. That actually was significant for us because it was really the first time we wanted to market software directly to consumers. So we started Windows Phone and we really shipped two products–MyPhone and Windows Marketplace–which helped us start to have a direct relationship with the customer. That was a big step because prior to that, we simply shipped the operating system, while the OEMs and mobile operators had a relationship with the customer. So WM6.5 was a very small incremental step to start that process.
Windows Phone 7 Series is us front center trying to interact with the customers to solve their needs and ultimately taking accountability. I don’t think it’s confusing. I think it’s a change. There are a lot of changes and this is just one of many. In terms of 7, there is no particular significance around 7. There is particular emphasis on Series knowing that we’re going to have a selection of phones running a single version of the product.
What took Microsoft so long to publicly announce Windows Phone 7 Series?
Aaron Woodman: I don’t know whether I would say it took us so long to announce it. We started to see a pretty significant change in the market place three or four years ago and that was driven by three things. The first was customer expectations. Customers have changed pretty dramatically over the last few years. If you looked at the prices of phones and data plans in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was the businesses that could afford those. There wasn’t a lot of end-consumers out there and usage of the product.
The second was technology–what was fundamentally possible on the device and at what price points. We started to see processors, chipsets and price points of data plans come down pretty dramatically. The third was competition. There are two types of competitors. Vertical competitors are people who have the ability to achieve quality entirely because they have the software and can achieve economies of scale to drive down component prices. And also people integrating data.
These three things came together at a time which brought a lot of emphasis on how we had to change to be competitive. That change started over two years ago with a shift in leadership. The result was a strategy behind the 7 Series. There are not a lot of companies that have the ability to step back from what I would argue was a successful strategy in the mobile phone space. Today, we still sell a ton of phones.
So I don’t feel late with it. I always wished I had more innovations sooner, but I think we definitely stepped back, took our time and were willing to make some pretty dramatic changes.
Dramatic it is, since the interface is unlike anything we’ve seen before. But how do you intend to keep up with the competition since the first devices on the new OS aren’t expected until Q4 2010?
Woodman: I think we have a very unique perspective on the business. What we’ve seen is that most of our competition focuses on just bringing applications to the forefront. They use a very classic design language that we pioneered with a lot of our work on the desktop. Our perspective puts us into a different place because we focus much more on the customer end of the tasks and the ability to complete what you want to do. We fully expect apps to participate in that new design language. That perspective, I would argue, is quite unique to the marketplace today, and that’s what results in such a different look and feel of the product. And then we brought some differentiation that I would argue most phone or phone software providers simply don’t have. Xbox Live is a social game backbone with a community of over 23 million. That’s not something Nokia and Apple has. They need to have a partner to do that and that makes it more difficult to do deep integration.
I would also argue that the search engine and data behind that allows us to do a very unique implementation of things like maps, search and results. If you look at the competition, there is only one provider which has that same product and that’s Google. If you look at the music space, we have the PC desktop software and the ability to think about the rich integration between the PC and the phone, and the only one that kind of does that today is Apple. If you start to add these pieces together, you can identify unique competitors like MyPhone, MobileMe and Ovi. As a whole , there are very few people who have these assets. What I can say about our competitors is that they are very respectful and have great products, but I feel very good about my ability to differentiate both in the short and long term.
Why would anyone want to buy a 7 Series device over an iPhone, Android, Nokia or a BlackBerry?
Woodman: I think there are two reasons, and probably the biggest reason is that people will be drawn to the design. I really do think that’s the case when you start focusing on things like the task rather than the applications. I think people will be drawn to the fact that they are able to see their information quickly, easily and in a readable fashion. Also, we thought about the design in terms of the motion and transitions where you see things fly in and out in a very dynamic fashion.
The second thing people will be drawn to is the idea of taking the most common tasks and bringing them together. People are a great example where today you really get fragmented in the people experience. And we start to see some people do some very, very lightweight integration of social networking. We think we are going to deliver that in a way that is going to be quite unique.
What operating system does Windows Phone 7 Series run on? Is there a name for it?
Woodman: There’s product brand and product line. The brand is Windows Phone and Windows Phone 7 Series is the product line. The OS will be Windows Phone OS 7.
Are the codes different from the current CE codes?
Woodman: Yes, all the software was revisited when we built Windows Phone 7 Series. Nobody felt like an incremental change was going to get us to a point where we felt we would be competitive over the next several years. Across the board, I don’t think anyone felt restrained to stay inside our current development model. We’ll come back again and talk about that at MIX (a Microsoft Web design/development event) in March.
How can manufacturers differentiate their products?
Aaron Woodman: You’ll see mobile operators and OEMs bring differentiation into the software experience through unique access to some tools. That said, you won’t see any user experience on top of Windows Phone 7 Series. You won’t see any skinning and those sort of things. There is so much fragmentation where the ecosystem is kind of butting heads against the same innovation. You won’t see any opportunity for any OEM or third-party app developer to take over the user experience.
Hardware
What has Microsoft done since the acquisition of Danger? Are there any developments on that front and what are the company’s plans for Danger?
Woodman: What I will tell you is that the number one thing we got from Danger is really about people and their expertise in the mobile phone space. You’ll see a lot of benefits here as we start to think about how to structure hardware and work with hardware partners.
Can you give a straight answer on whether Microsoft will release a consumer phone line?
Woodman: Just answer this straight? [Exasperated laughter] The answer is, I don’t really know. And the reason I don’t know is we have mobile as a strategy as a company and I will tell you the company is not aggressive in that marketplace. If we felt like there was an opportunity to do something really compelling and different, we would do it. That said, Microsoft has a partner-driven model and we believe in the benefits of partnerships.
What are the hardware specifications Microsoft is laying out for OEMs?
Woodman: We will provide the OS primarily to software developers in March. Every 7 Series device will have a Qualcomm chip. It will be touch-based. There won’t be any non-touch, but that’s not saying there won’t be any keyboard devices, so they will all be touch and capacitive. There is a single aspect ratio. It will have Wi-Fi and GPS and other services which we will talk about soon.
Can the users of the current Windows Mobile software upgrade to the new one when it comes out?
Woodman: I don’t know if any Windows Mobile 6.5 device today meets those specifications.
How many 7 Series devices can users expect this year?
Woodman: A billion! No, I don’t know. You saw the announcement of the OEMs and it’s really up to them in terms of how many devices they release in the different markets.
Windows Mobile 6.x
What happens now to Windows Mobile 6.5, or even 6.5.3? Are you going to completely phase out the current WinMo or will it continue with a different proposition?
Woodman: We don’t have a specific timeline for Windows Mobile 6.5. It still has a lot of demand and value for both OEMs and customers today. The reality is that demand will determine the lifespan of Windows Mobile 6.5. So as long as OEMs and customers find value there, we’ll continue to support and sell the product.
Are there going to be new devices coming out this year?
Kwan: Yes. When we announced Windows Mobile 6.5 in October last year, we said we will continue to have updates. WM6.5.3 is an update in terms of added feature functionality. In the WM6 platform, there were a lot of legacy applications that were written with the stylus in mind. So we have the magnifier to enhance the touch experience for these apps. We also anticipate 14 new devices out in Asia in the next six months.
Are the target user groups of Windows Mobile 6.5, 6.5.3 and Windows Phone 7 Series different?
Kwan: The target audience is similar. Internally, we call it the life maximizer, but that’s really about the 23-35 age group. We are talking about a group of people who are actually quite settled in what they do. They are confident people. They have a lot of priorities to juggle at work and in personal lives. Yet, they also want their phone to be able to help them obtain information to make their decision.
With Windows Phone 7 Series, we have built the OS from the ground up. We really want to take a lot of accountability in the user experience. We want to ensure that we build greater quality and consistency with the phone and have an integrated experience. For WM6.5, it is going to be the platform where we allow OEM partners to continue to have their unique user interfaces. It is also a platform today where a lot of enterprise business apps are being built. More and more, we are seeing that the phone is critical for a lot of these enterprise apps. That’s where WM6.5 continues to hold a lot of strength in a managed enterprise environment.
Services
Will the entire suite of Live services be available on Windows Phone 7 Series?
Ladha: We will continue to provide the existing experience even as we go into the 7 Series. It’s not really classified as Windows Live, but within the People Hub, there will be updates coming from Windows Live or Facebook. Essentially, it’s getting all your communication in one place.
Will there be Live services specific to 7 Series?
Ladha: Xbox Live and Zune are new to Windows Phone 7 Series. On WM6.5, you have Marketplace and MyPhone, and that will continue on for the 7 Series.
What kind of gaming experience can users look forward to on the 7 Series devices? And what do developers have to look out for?
Ladha: That’s still evolving and we will be discussing that in the next conference. You can see your avatars on your Windows Phones. You will get the same experience as on the Xbox, but this question of which games and to what extent is still being defined.
Assuming I have an Xbox and some games, do I have to repurchase the games to play on the handset?
Ladha: The actual mechanics in terms of which games and the payment process will be disclosed at a later stage.
Which version of the IE browser is it?
Ladha: The IE browser on the 7 Series is not really IE7 or IE8 from the PC but is built specifically for the mobile device. Previously, on WM6.5, we had Pocket IE, so it’s an evolution of that. But it also has a lot of elements from the IE7 and IE8 in terms of the experience.
What is the name of this IE browser?
Ladha: We are not disclosing that right now.
It was said during the press conference that every 7 Series device is a Zune. Does that mean there won’t be anymore dedicated Zune media players?
Ladha: We won’t be commenting on that right now. Each and every 7 Series device will have the entire Zune experience in terms of playback and user interface currently available on the Zune HD.
What’s the portfolio of Live services?
Ladha: Hotmail, Messenger and Photos are the more popular ones. There’s also Spaces, but it’s not that prominent. SkyDrive is a very popular service on the PC. However, we have a similar service which is called MyPhone.
It seems there’s some duplication of services. Does Microsoft plan to combine them moving forward?
Ladha: I won’t call it duplication of features. It’s just that on the phone, there is no Windows Live SkyDrive for mobile. Instead, it’s MyPhone. So it’s ultimately performing the same actions.
[By Damian Koh]
SMS VCard Add-on for Blackberry
Posted by My Cool Gadget in Blackberry on September 27th, 2009
Overview:
The SMS VCard Add-on is a Blackberry add-on that enables Blackberry users to receive, import and send contacts using the same SMS protocol as Nokia.??The “SMS VCard Add-on” enables interoperability between Blackberry and Nokia phones: now you can save on your Blackberry all VCards you receive in SMS from Nokia and send contacts using SMS to Nokia users.
Features:
- Full support for receiving Contacts by SMS.
- Only Name, Phone and E-mail fields are sent via SMS due to SMS size restrictions.
Minimum Requirements:
SMS plan
Operating system v 4.5
Display Dimensions?:
240 x 160, 240 x 240, 240 x 260, 240 x 320, 320 x 240, 480 x 320, 480 x 360?Operating System?4.5, 4.6, 4.7 Non-Touch, 4.7 Touch Screen
Compatible BlackBerry:
8100 (Pearl), 8110 (Pearl), 8120 (Pearl), 8130 (Pearl), 8220 (Pearl Flip), 8230 (Pearl Flip), 8300 (Curve), 8310 (Curve), 8320 (Curve), 8330 (Curve), 8350i (Curve), 8520 (Curve), 8700c, 8700f, 8700g, 8700r, 8700v, 8703e, 8705g, 8707g, 8707h, 8707v, 8800, 8820, 8830, 8900 (Curve), 8930 (Curve), 9000 (Bold), 9500 (Storm), 9530/9530T (Storm), 9630 (Tour)
Top Six Business Application for Blackberry
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