Android software

Motorola won't update three 4G phones to Ice Cream Sandwich

Bad news for owners of some Motorola Mobility smartphones released in 2011: the company will not upgrade them to the 2011 version of Android.

According to a post in the Google-owned company's forums, three smartphones from last year will not be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich:

Motorola Mobility continues to review how each device can deliver the very best experience possible, and at times, this can mean making tough choices - especially as it relates to Android software upgrades. Today, we need to let you know about some tough choices related to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrades. … Read more

Yandex targets Google, Amazon with new Android app store

Google Play will soon have another competitor.

Russian search engine Yandex announced today that it will soon launch an "alternative" application marketplace for Android users. Dubbed Yandex.Store, the marketplace will offer nearly 40,000 applications and allow vendors to bundle another app store into their devices.

Yandex.Store is also a white-box offering, meaning vendors can place their own branding on top of it. According to Yandex, Russian carrier MegaFon has already signed on to the service.

As with other application stores, Yandex's option takes 30 percent of the revenue generated from apps. In addition, Yandex.… Read more

Lookout now blocks Dialer exploits

Android fragmentation affects security patches, too. Instead of waiting to see which devices have been protected against a Dialer app vulnerability discovered earlier this week, Lookout Mobile Security (download) has stepped into the breach with a patch for it today. So far, it's the only known Android security app to block the exploit, but even Lookout's patch requires initial user input.

The vulnerability allowed some Samsung phones to be remotely wiped from the Dialer app, the "phone" part of your smartphone. While Samsung pushed out a patch quickly, it's not clear if other phones have … Read more

Moo goes wireless with NFC-enabled business cards

Moo, a company that specializes in elaborate business cards, has announced it will sell NFC-enabled cards that can be programmed to share data wirelessly with smartphones.

The idea is kind of like encoding data in the checkered grids known as QR codes, which phone cameras can scan to extract contact information. Near-field communications (NFC) uses small chips with labyrinthine antennas that activate and transmit stored data when hit with a radio signal from a smartphone or other NFC reader.

That means, if all goes according to Moo's plan, tapping an NFC card against an NFC-equipped smartphone would transfer contact … Read more

Safeguard your online Persona with Mozilla ID system

If you've ever struggled with remembering your Facebook password, or felt uncomfortable using your Google ID to log in to a non-Google Web site, Mozilla has a solution for you -- one it calls Persona.

This first beta of Persona, which used to be called Mozilla's BrowserID project, is designed to compete with Web site login systems like the ones offered by Twitter, Facebook, and Google. Whether this open source alternative can hold its own against those other login heavy-hitters, though, is another story.

Persona essentially aims to give you a cross-platform, cross-browser way to log into a … Read more

Oops! Anti-Apple Maps ad reveals Google Maps' own failing

Everyone knows that Apple is dealing with a firestorm of criticism over problems with its new iOS 6 Maps feature, but a new ad for Google-owned Motorola Mobility's Droid Razr may have crossed the line.

The ad, which appeared on September 21 on Motorola's Google+ site, shows a Razr alongside an iPhone 5, and reads, "Looking for 315 E 15th in Manhattan? Google Maps on Droid Razr M will get you there & not #iLost in Brooklyn."

The post shows the Razr displaying the proper address in the middle of a grid of Manhattan streets, while … Read more

Google's Schmidt talks Apple patents, dances 'Gangnam Style'

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt says his company and Apple are friendly, despite some evidence to the contrary.

Speaking to reporters in South Korea today, Schmidt said Apple "is actually a very good partner" of Google's. According to the Korea Times, which was first to report on his comments, Schmidt went on to say that his company and Apple "are literally talking all the time about everything."

Before long, however, the conversation turned to Apple's ongoing legal war with Android vendors, including Samsung and Google-owned Motorola. Schmidt didn't say too much, according to … Read more

Angry Birds sequel Bad Piggies hogs top spot among iOS apps

Those Bad Piggies may not be so bad if they can soar to the top of the iOS charts in just a few hours.

Released from its pen earlier today for iOS and Android, the Angry Birds sequel is the most-downloaded paid app among both iPhone and iPad users.

A brand-new game rarely hits the top spot in Apple's App Store so quickly. But being the latest installment in the hot Angry Birds lineup gives Bad Piggies a strong leg (or hoof) up. Game maker Rovio has gotten a lot of mileage out of Angry Birds, but the company … Read more

BlueStacks deals in Android with AMD

BlueStacks's technology for running Android apps on Windows fuels a new way for people with AMD-powered computers to get Android apps on their Windows PCs, the two companies announced today.

AMD's new AppZone Player brings more than 500,000 Android apps to AMD-powered computers, and works on Windows 7 and Windows 8 now.

"This will unify the Win 8 and mobile ecosystems," wrote BlueStacks CEO Rosen Sharma in an e-mail to CNET explaining team-up. "Just by virtue of the size of the deal, it's started a giant ball rolling that will be difficult to … Read more