What NFC means to you?

What NFC means to you?

Well with the new incremental upgrade 2.3.3 of gingerbread released for the Google nexus one and nexus S. It had more to offer to the latter with better support for NFC (Near Field Communication) allowing for peer to peer data exchange. I thought I should take this moment to describe what is NFC and what it means for you.

So what is NFC?
NFC is this new communication technology which allows for data transfer to occur between an NFC supported device and a tag.information stored in the tag may be read/written to the tag. it also allows peer-to-peer communication between NFC powered devices.

What could it be used for?
the possibilities are endless, NFC maybe he was for many things including mobile payments by swapping your mobile phone against the EPOS device it can also be used for simple file transfer between two phones without the need of pairing as is required for Bluetooth,  furthermore it may be used to read tags embedded in works of art to identify them.

What does it do right now?
Currently not much as it is still in its infancy however in a few years it may become an integral part of out lives and something we cannot live without.

NFC technology isn't just for Android.
Other smartphone companies are also preparing NFC enabled phones.Nokia has said it plans to have NFC-ready Symbian phones on the market by next year, and rumors have pointed to Apple quietly developing an iPhone-based NFC implementation for some time.

Which devices currently support it?
well at this point the only mobile phone that supports it is the Google nexus S however there are rumors that more android phones are in the works.

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What NFC means to you?

Apple's Safari will fall first at hacker contest, past winner predicts

Apple's Safari will fall first at hacker contest, past winner predicts

Apple Inc.'s Safari is the juiciest target in the upcoming PWN2OWN hacking contest, last year's winner predicted today.

"It's an easy target," said Charlie Miller, the vulnerability researcher who last year walked off with a $10,000 cash prize for breaking into an Apple laptop just a few minutes into the contest. PWN2OWN is slated for its third appearance at the CanSecWest security conference later this month in Vancouver, British Columbia.

"It might be because I'm biased about the things I'm good at, but it's the easiest browser [to hack]," Miller said.

PWN2OWN's sponsor, 3Com Inc.'s TippingPoint unit, will pay $5,000 for each new bug successfully exploited in Safari, Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer 8, Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox or Google Inc.'s Chrome. IE8, Firefox and Chrome will be running on a Sony notebook powered by Windows 7, Microsoft's still-under-construction operating system, while Safari and Firefox will be available on a MacBook.

"Apple's products are really friendly to users, and Safari is designed to handle anything, including all kinds of file formats," said Miller. "With a lot of functionality comes the increased chance of bugs. The more complex software is, the less secure it is."

Another factor making Safari easy pickings, said Miller, is Apple's Mac OS X, which lacks the workable defenses found in Windows Vista and Windows 7, including address space randomization -- which Microsoft calls "address space layout randomization," or ASLR.

Put Safari atop Mac OS X, and the target's too good to pass up, said Miller.

IE8 and Firefox will escape unscathed, Miller predicted, adding that a quick cost-benefit analysis tells him they'll be safe. "They make it so hard that, for me, $5,000 isn't motivation enough to try to break one of those guys," he said. As for Chrome, he pleaded ignorance, saying that he didn't know enough about the browser to even provide a prediction. His gut instinct, however, is that Google's browser will also survive.

Miller has also been sharpening his mobile device vulnerability and exploit skills -- he was the first researcher to uncover a security bug in Google's Android operating system -- and therefore will take a stab at the second PWN2OWN contest. That challenge will pit researchers against five smartphone operating systems, including Windows Mobile, Android, Symbian, and the operating systems used by the iPhone and BlackBerry.
TippingPoint will pay double, or $10,000, for each bug exploited at the contest.

"I'll be trying to break Safari," said Miller. "If I say it's easy, I have to try, right? But I also want to show my stuff on mobile."

He declined to say which smartphone he will target. It's likely, however, that he'll be looking at the iPhone; Miller was one of three researchers who found the first iPhone vulnerability, just weeks after the device's mid-2007 debut.

Nor would Miller get specific about the vulnerabilities he has in mind or is investigating. "You pretty much have to show up [with a vulnerability and exploit] and be ready to go," said Miller. "The great thing about PWN2OWN is that it's not just about finding bugs, but about finding bugs that can be exploited, and then coming up with an exploit."

Miller works as a principal analyst at Independent Security Evaluators LLC, a security consulting firm, and said he is looking forward to the contest, which kicks off March 18. "I have to defend my championship, don't I?"

(source)

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Android could overtake iPhone by 2012 say analysts

Android could overtake iPhone by 2012 say analysts

Analysts at Informa are predicting that sales of phones using Google’s Android operating system will outpace Apple by 2012.

In a review of the state of the mobile phone operating system market the company predicts that open source will be key to the growth of mobile platforms, both in terms of opening up users to new applications but also keeping costs down for manufacturers.

“The smartphone segment is no longer as simple as it was a few years ago”, says Gavin Byrne, Research Analyst at Informa.

“In 2008, there were almost 162 million smartphones sold, surpassing notebook sales for the first time. The decision to move the Symbian platform to open source is crucial in maintaining its leadership over Android, Linux and Microsoft”

He points out that Symbian’s market share has dropped from nearly two thirds of the market a few years ago to less than half today. This is primarily because of Nokia’s poor performance in the sector but also in the growth of competing platforms.

Overall the coming year will be a tough one for manufacturers he said, with sales volumes likely to drop by over 10 per cent in 2009.

“While demand in the mid tier will fall away during 2009, sales of new smartphones will grow over 30 per cent to 211.2 million units, driven by innovative new devices and operator subsidies designed to promote mobile data consumption, so that by 2013 almost four in every ten handsets sold worldwide will be a smartphone.”

These kinds of figures are attracting interest from non-traditional manufacturer to get into the market. Acer has already announced that it will be producing a smartphone model and Dell is rumoured to be working on its own device.

(source)

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375 priced apps appear in the Android Market after one week, are any worth the price?

375 priced apps appear in the Android Market after one week, are any worth the price?

Google announced that priced applications would start appearing in the Android Market almost two weeks ago and now I spent some time browsing through the Android Market on my T-Mobile G1. Paid apps started actually appearing just about a week ago. Once you are in the Android Market you simply press the Menu button and select Change view to toggle between all, free, or priced applications in both the Applications list or Games list. There are currently 227 applications (ranging from 99 cents to $34.99) and 148 games (ranging from 99 cents to $9.99) for a total of 375 priced applications in the Android Market.

I currently have just about 50 free applications/utilities loaded on my G1 and receive low memory notifications every day that force me to remove an application or find some data cache to clear to continue working. Thus, at this time I cannot even purchase and install a priced application even if I wanted to. Browsing through the list of 375 priced applications, I cannot honestly say there are any that compel me to make a purchase on my G1 at this time. The fact that I have no real available memory doesn’t help either as I am uncertain what will happen if I purchase and then uninstall an application and am not in a position to waste lots of my money right now.

The only two priced applications I have so far, TeleNav GPS Navigator and TouchDown were loaded outside the Android Market.

Some of my favorite applications that give me all the functionality I currently need are available for free and include imeem Mobile, Shazam, ShopSavvy, Twidroid, CadreBible, fBook, PhoneFlix, Skype Lite, Truphone, Last.fm, Opera Mini, and Toggle Settings.

Have you purchased any applications on the Android Market? If so, what ones do you recommend I consider? Is anyone else experiencing these major low memory issues like me?

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375 priced apps appear in the Android Market after one week, are any worth the price?

Apple asked Google not to use multi-touch in Android

Apple asked Google not to use multi-touch in Android

A member of the Android team has told VentureBeat that Apple has apparently asked that Google not implement multi-touch in Android, a request which Google had complied with. Multi-touch is the technology
that allows a touch display to register simultaneous input on different parts of the screen. First popularized by Apple's iPhone, it has since appeared in the form of multitouch trackpad on new MacBooks.

In the past, one of the chief complaints about the G1 Android-based smartphone was its lack of multi-touch--now we know why. Of course, with the inevitable launch of the Palm Pre, pressure for Android to implement what seems to be the de facto feature for phones with large screens can only be mounting.

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Apple asked Google not to use multi-touch in Android

What’s Better: Open or Closed? Android or iPhone?

What’s Better: Open or Closed? Android or iPhone?

There’s a pretty good article over at GigaOM that touches on the Open vs Closed argument of technology. Specifically, it pits Android and iPhone against each other because of the obvious contrasting strategies and philosophies behind their parent companies, Google and Apple.

We can’t deny that the iPhone is wildly successful in spite of (or because of?) their closed, proprietary nature. It’s essentially the dilemma that iPhone users have been trying to find the balance to–the iPhone’s closed nature creates a clean, seamless and synergetic user experience but it often comes at the expense of the freedom of choice. You have to trust Apple enough to play nice and take a leap of faith with the direction of the iPhone.

But does that leave Google free and clear? According to GigaOM: hardly. The point has been driven before but Android isn’t married to a specific hardware form factor, any philosophical software, or well, anything, for that matter. Google has made it loud and clear that Android is open source and that it can be shaped however the user base intends to shape it. But does that openness come at the expense of the user experience? Google can’t remain fully “open” for fear of fracturing that holy grail of user experience. In a sense, GigaOM is advising Google to remain open with limits; implementing a sort of theoretically open playground that would still necessitate rules and fair play.

And though we believe Android is unique and its ceiling is higher than its competitors because of that “openness”, we tend to agree with GigaOM: that Google needs to set “parameters” with Android because mobile platforms are all about predictability and user friendliness and less about openness. In a sense, being open is good, being less than fully “open” is better.

The general public wants a phone to act and react a certain way, and without a certain amount of consistency in the platform–it can create a jagged experience that turns off many. Sure, a lot of people complain about the iPhone’s stringent app approval process but there’s certainly a lot more who are happy with just how easy and simple everything else works. It’s going to be dangerous territory for Android to tread because the tech savvy will be undoubtedly saddened if Google closes its openness but the more general public may see it as a heck of a lot more friendly.

GigaOM sums it up best:

The reality is that openness is just an attribute -– it’s not an outcome, and customers buy outcomes. They want the entire solution and they want it to work predictability. Only a tiny minority actually cares about how or why it works. It’s little wonder, then, that the two device families that have won the hearts, minds and pocketbooks of consumers, developers and service providers alike (i.e., BlackBerry and iPhone) are the most deeply integrated from a hardware, software and service layer perspective.

  We know it’s a lot to digest but we want to know what do you guys think. Open or closed? Android or iPhone? Does it even matter?

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What’s Better: Open or Closed? Android or iPhone?

A Security Flaw in Google Android

A Security Flaw in Google Android

The Android operating system for mobile clients, developed mainly by Google, has an impressive security framework. Every application declares the system resources it requires (location, WiFi state, internet access, camera, sms, etc). The permissions are displayed to the user before the application is downloaded and installed from the Android market. The user can make an informed decision on whether the application should be installed by reviewing its permissions. Take a look at the permissions used by Google maps on the Android:


However, there is a flew in this framework. Let us take the case of location permission, which is pretty important to most people. Who wants their location delivered to other people without their knowledge? One might think that an application need to ask for a location permission (either ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION or ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION) in order to do that, but that’s not true. If an application asks for permissions for the WiFi state (ACCESS_WIFI_STATE ) and has internet access, it can use the skyhook service (which is available for the Android) in order to retrieve the phone’s location. Skyhook provides very accurate location according to WiFi networks, in many urban areas in the U.S., Europe and Asia. It is very easy to see how can a user be misled by this situation.

The problem that lies at the heart of this flaw is the difference between two types of security. The engineers of the Android platform view security as access right to system resources. On the other hand, users have a different way of viewing security, which boils down to the question is something undesirable had happened. A simple solution to these types of flaws is by incorporating a feedback mechanism into the Android Market. Right now, users’ comments and rankings play an important role in finding applications. Adding some semantics and specific security-based feedback may be helpful.

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A Security Flaw in Google Android

Android based Netbooks now a reality, thanks to Asustek

Android based Netbooks now a reality, thanks to Asustek

Bloomberg reports that Asustek Computer Inc., may install Google`s free Android operating system on its netbooks challenging the dominance of Windows software. It also says that Asustek has already allocated engineers to develop an Android-based netbook.  Android is based on Linux and was launched by Google in 2007 as a full fledged Operating System for phones. Now let us look at a few pros of having an Android Based Netbook:

• Android was meant for mobile computing. Netbooks which have smaller screens, lower storage and less processing power than standard laptops, making them cheaper will be a perfect machine once they are run on Android. Android has good number of games available for it`s platform thus making gaming a reality on netbooks which were NOT according to previous myths. Android is a very lean and open platform which will enable developers to make software and distribute them very easily.

• Since Netbooks do not serve all the purposes of a full fledged computer, they have to be cheap.  Thus if a netbook is run on Android, the OS costs are instantly cut which would not have been the case if Windows was used as the OS.

• An Android computer may also operate faster than a Windows machine. Because of higher hardware requirements, Windows- equipped computers can take twice as long to boot up as a Linux netbooks, according to Acer’s Web site.

• Google Docs has the ability to completely replace other Software based office suites. Some more code integration may actually enable us to use a Android + Google Docs based office suite.

• Android being an OS meant for mobile devices will have better power optimisation options than Linux and Windows. So it really makes a better sense to run Android on a netbook as Android netbook could be instant on and have great battery life.

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Android based Netbooks now a reality, thanks to Asustek

Can Cellphones Grow Up to Rival PCs?

Can Cellphones Grow Up to Rival PCs?

Cellphones are growing up, and they just might pose a new threat to the Intel-Microsoft based personal computers.

Coming by the end of this year are a new crop of small inexpensive notebook computers, known as netbooks, based on the ARM microprocessor design and running one of several versions of Linux, including perhaps Google’s Android cellphone operating system.

ARM dominates the market for the chips in cellphones, but until now its designs have not been widely used for computers. But now the difference between an expensive phone and a cheap laptop is size rather than power.

Netbooks have been a rapidly growing category of computers, mainly because they are more portable and typically cost $400 or less. So far they have been mostly based on Intel’s Atom chip, which uses its X86 instruction set and thus can run Windows. Some manufacturers, including ASUS and Hewlett-Packard have also offered versions of their netbooks that run Linux, but these have not yet been popular in the market.
Some argue this will change as the combination of an ARM processer and Linux may allow netbooks to be sold for $200 or less.


Earlier this week, Freescale, the chip company spun out of Motorola, announced a new high end chip, based on the latest ARM designs specifically for netbooks. This follows a similar announcement by Qualcomm last month. ARM, by the way, designs the guts of microprocessors that are incorporated into chips built by other companies.

Glen Burchers, the marketing director for Freescale’s consumer segment, ticked off three potential advantages for ARM-based netbooks.

The ARM machine should have an 8-hour battery life, compared to two hours for an Intel-based netbook, he said, because the ARM chip has been designed from the beginning to be skimpy with its power use. And since the chip uses far less power, it generates far less heat, and thus it can fit into a far smaller case than a chip that needs a fan or a metal heat sink to cool it down. Freescale figures that its chips can go into a netbook that is only 0.6 inches thick. (The HP Mini 1000 netbook is 1 inch thick.)

And then there is price. Freescale, he said, figures its chip will cost about $15 each when bought in large quantities, with about $5 of other chips that support the processor; the Linux operating system, of course, is free. The company estimates that a computer maker would need to spend $50 to $60 on an Intel Atom, related chips, and Windows.

Mr. Burchers said that the company figures that the $200 netbooks will not have a hard drive, but will have 4 gigabytes to 8 gigabytes of flash memory. The devices will mainly be used, he figures, by people to surf the Internet. A few, more expensive models will be able to connect to cellular data networks, but mainly they will be aimed at young people who connect through Wi-Fi networks.

Mr. Burchers also talked about some interesting research the company did trying to figure out how people might use netbooks. The company gave existing Linux based netbooks to a group of 14 to 20 year olds who already have both a smartphone and a computer. This rather intensely digital group was happy to have yet another gizmo with which they could check their Facebook pages, yet they didn’t slow down their use of their other devices. After all, Freescale found these teenagers are online an average of five hours a day.

No manufacturers have announced they are building netbooks using the chips, but Freestyle was showing a prototype manufactured by Pegatron, a Taiwanese affiliate of ASUS, that makes notebooks for a number of brands. Still, ARM-based netbooks could be in the market in six months, Mr. Burchurs said.

What about Linux, which many users found hard to use and not compatible with all the programs they want to run?

“There has not been a substantial incentive for a user to choose Linux before,” Mr. Burchers answered. “If you say a netbook is almost half the thinness, the battery life is four times, and it costs 100 bucks less, but I have to use Linux, that is an incentive.”

Linux, he added, is improving. “This has been the first generation that is for non-geeks.” Freescale is working with Linux makers to make them easier to use. The chip is designed to be used with Linux versions made by Phoenix Technologies, Xandros, and Canonical, which makes Ubuntu. Freescale added support for Android to its plans this year because computer makers said they see a market for it.

“The Google and the Android brand are substantial brands that people feel comfortable with,” he said. Moreover, some computer makers think that Google’s market for Android applications might draw people to netbooks as Apple’s App store helps sell iPhones. Realistically, Mr. Burchers said, Android won’t be ready for release on netbooks as soon as some of the other versions of Linux.

Google interestingly says it is neither encouraging nor discouraging companies from building devices other than cellphones with Android. It is not explicitly writing the extensions that are needed for features that aren’t on cellphones—such as mouse drivers. But since Android is open source, chip makers or computer manufacturers are free to modify the system as they need. Google says that Android was designed from the start to shrink to more simple cellphones and to expand to more computer-like devices.

While Google is low key about the prospect of a ARM-based computers, it has got to be cheering on the development. The search company has long defined Microsoft as its enemy No. 1. So anything that undercuts the dominance—and profit stream—from Windows, whether Android or anything else, suits Google’s purposes.

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Can Cellphones Grow Up to Rival PCs?

Google Android Security Threat Uncovered

Google Android Security Threat Uncovered

A security researcher uncovered a new Google Android vulnerability in the mobile operating system's Web browser's multimedia player support that could let hackers take control of the browser to steal sensitive data or exploit some of a device's multimedia functions. The bug, which Independent Security Evaluators principal analyst Charlie Miller presented last week at the Shmoocon hacker conference, lives in the multimedia subsystem used for Android's browser, according to reports from Forbes and ReadWriteWeb.
The code for the open-source Android's multimedia subsystem was written by PacketVideo, which contributed an open version of its Cure multimedia application to Android.
Miller originally said the vulnerability was so serious he recommended people do not use the Android browser until the patch was installed. Reports indicate that Miller has since said the bug isn't as severe as initially believed and not dangerous enough to stop use altogether.
A patch for the vulnerability is already available in Google's source code repository, but it has not yet been made downloadable to the T-Mobile G1. An Android security engineer said that PacketVideo developed a fix for the bug on Feb. 5 and patched Android two days later. In a statement, Android security engineer Rich Cannings said the fix will be available to G1 users "at T-Mobile's discretion."
Cannings wrote that Miller contacted Google Android regarding the bug on Jan. 21.
"Media libraries are extremely complex and can lead to bugs, so we designed our media server, which uses OpenCore to work within its own application sandbox so that security issues in the media server would not affect other applications on the phone such as e-mail, the browser, SMS and the dialer," Cannings continued. "If the bug Charlie reported to us on Jan. 21 is exploited, it would be limited to the media server and could only exploit actions the media server performs, such as listen to and alter some audio and visual media."
This recent security warning around Android is the second since the device was released on Oct. 21. Just days later, Miller and Independent Security Evaluators uncovered an operating system security flaw that left Android wide open for hackers to launch drive-by attacks on T-Mobile G1s. That vulnerability opened the door for users to be exploited if they accessed an infected Web page. Once infected, attackers could gain access to personal information from the browser, like cookies, saved passwords, account numbers and other sensitive data.
Google Android developers issued a patch for that first threat a few days after it was discovered.

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Google Android Security Threat Uncovered

Microsoft releases Windows Mobile 6.5

Microsoft releases Windows Mobile 6.5

Microsoft is preparing to announce a new version of Windows Mobile that will hopefully be able to compete with Android and iPhone — but my money says it will be a disappointment. Microsoft has a ways to go to compete with Apple and Google, and many people have already lost confidence in Windows Mobile (which can be difficult to reverse).

In my opinion, the biggest mistake Microsoft has ever made was focusing too much on competing with Google when they should have been investing in their Windows Mobile operating system. Instead, they have wasted billions of dollars on a sub-par search engine, and let the mobile future slip through their fingers.

Microsoft has a chance to change my mind with Windows Mobile 6.5 — and who knows, maybe it will knock the ball out of the park. The new operating system apparently looks an awful lot like Android right now, but it’s too early to say what the final product will look like since it’s not even in beta yet.

In related news, the Windows Mobile Marketplace (sounds familiar, doesn’t it?) will be launched sooner than later — it’s the equivalent to the iPhone App Store, and the Android Marketplace. Applications found here will be compatible with Windows Mobile 6 when it’s launched.

What do you think of Microsoft’s attempt to get back into mobile?

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Microsoft releases Windows Mobile 6.5

Android Market Paid Applications Available Next Week

Android Market Paid Applications Available Next Week

Google has started to accept paid Android applications submission from developers last week, promised to make the paid applications available next week. When available,  the paid applications will be available to US users and followed by additional countries in the coming months. More roll out plan will be announced by the end of this quarter.

According to google, Google Checkout will be used as the online payment solution for Android Market.  Other than the paid applications announcement, Android Market will start to be available to Singapore users in few weeks time and Australia next week.

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10 things you need to know about Android

10 things you need to know about Android

Got Google Android questions? We've got the answers

It's been nearly a year since Google announced plans for a new open-source mobile phone OS. But will Android hit the jackpot for the search engine giant once again, or is it more developer's dream than consumer cool? We've got the complete lowdown on Android…

What exactly is Android?

Without getting too geeky, Android is the name for Google's mobile device platform. Made up of an operating system, middleware (software that helps applications and networks to communicate) and key applications, Android is up against the big-hitters of mobile OS: Windows Mobile, Symbian and, of course, Apple's iPhone.

So what's different about it?

Android has got tech-heads worldwide hot under the collar because of its open source credentials. It's the brainchild of the Google-led Open Handset Alliance, made up of global mobile and technology industry leaders, which aims to improve the mobile user experience. Developers are free to come up with applications using the Android Software Development Kit.

App Store v Android Market – who's the daddy?

Like Apple's App Store, third-party Android apps will be available through the Android Market. But the big difference is that developers are afforded far more freedom, as Google will not be policing the Android Market with the same vigour Apple applies to its App Store. With no approval required from on high, the way is clear for some truly innovative apps.

What kind of applications will I be able to get?

It goes without saying that Android offers instant access to Google apps like Google Mail, Google Talk, Calendar, YouTube and Maps. But a number of other nifty apps are already touting for business, including a barcode reader that uses the phone's camera to read product barcodes before finding the cheapest price online. Just a hint of things to come…

And what about music?

Google will be attracting some sideways glances from Apple, as it has secured a deal with Amazon.com to include a customised version of its MP3 Store with the Android device. Users will have access to Amazon's six-million catalogue of DRM-free tracks and be able to purchase and download over Wi-Fi. Currently a US-only service, there are rumours of a UK Amazon MP3 Store launch by the end of the year.

What handsets can I get Android on?

The first handset to come with Google's Android OS is the T-Mobile G1 manufactured by HTC – originally known as the HTC Dream. Similar in style to the T-Mobile Sidekick (no surprise as Android guru Andy Rubin was also behind the Sidekick) the G1 has both a touch screen and a slide-out QWERTY keypad. It doesn't ooze cool in the same way as the iPhone, but does fit in with Google's geeky simplicity – from the approachable interface to the unassuming design. More handsets from the likes of LG and Motorola are likely to follow next year.

Any other cool features?

Plenty. Obviously Google search functions are central, with one-click contextual search and advanced scouring of your phone's contents always at hand. Wi-Fi and 3.5G maximise the G1's potential as a mobile internet device, and there's also a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera.

When will it be available?

Like all good gadgets – just in time for the Christmas rush in the UK, debuting in November.

What networks can I get it on?

The name gives this one away – it'll be a T-Mobile exclusive.

How much will it set me back?

The T-Mobile G1 will be offered free on tariffs over £40 a month. For that you'll also get unlimited net browsing.

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10 things you need to know about Android

How to build your own Google Android app

How to build your own Google Android app

Google's Android mobile development platform has rightly caused a stir.

Based on Linux and with built-in 3D, SMS and web browsing courtesy of WebKit, it's an entirely self-contained and free mobile operating system.

Though there are only a few devices that currently support Android out of the box, it's designed as an open, free platform to simplify the process of programming mobile applications on Java.

Getting started

The Android SDK is easily installed, though it's worth noting a couple of things before starting. The latest version can be found at http://code.google.com/android/download.html.

The Windows version is archived in a zip file. We'd advise extracting the archive to the root of your main hard drive, taking care to maintain its folder hierarchy. Once extracted, you'll have a folder named something like 'android-sdk-windows-1.0_r1'.

We'll be using an IDE – the open-source development environment Eclipse – to examine and develop apps, so keep the path and path name simple. Rename the main folder 'android-sdk'.

You'll be adding the SDK path to Eclipse when we install it, but you can protect against problems by adding the path to Windows' system settings. Right-click on the My Computer icon, choose 'Properties' and click 'Advanced'. Click the 'Environment Variables' button. In the 'System Variable' section, click 'New' and create a new variable named 'android', giving the path 'c:\android-sdk\ tools', where 'c' is your main drive.

Android's application programming framework sits on top of Java – so you'll need to install the Java SE Development Kit (JDK) 6 before you go any further. The specs call for Sun JRE 5 or 6 too. You'll find the full package for Windows and other OSes at www.developers.sun.com/javase/downloads. By default, the JDK will install into the Program Files folder. Simplify folder names and move to the root of your local machine to ensure that all of your command line tools work properly.

Google recommends Eclipse as the IDE for Android, and the tools it supplies for the platform provide tight integration with the SDK. To get started with the program, grab it from www.eclipse.org/downloads. There are several versions listed, but we suggest you use the Eclipse for Java EE Developers, because it includes WST (Web Standards Tools), a set of components for working with web scripting languages in Java.

Again, install Eclipse in the root directory of your hard drive rather than your Program Files folder; this makes it easier to set up paths to the IDE and reduces the likelihood of errors caused by calls to DOS-based SDK components. The archive simply extracts – there is no installer. You can create a shortcut to the Eclipse runtime by selecting 'eclipse.exe' and [ALT]+dragging a copy to your desktop or Start menu.

Once Eclipse is installed, you can add the Android tools that are required to develop and work with existing apps. These integrate some Android SDK components into Eclipse. Start the program, then go to 'Help | Software Updates'. Select the Available Software tab.

Choose 'Add Site', type in the full URL (https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse) and then click 'OK'. The 'Software Updates and Add-ons' window should update, showing the newly entered URL. Open the hierarchy by clicking the '+' sign and then check the box next to 'Developer Tools'. Click 'Install'.

In the next window, check both 'Android Developer Tools' and 'Android Editors', then click 'Finish'. Finally, restart Eclipse.

Go to 'Window | Preferences' and choose 'Android' from the list. Browse to the Android SDK folder, or enter its path.

Android anatomy

The SDK comes bundled with a series of samples, which are handy for exploring the structure of a typical Android app. Let's have a look at one of them. Go to 'File | New | Project'. In the dialog that appears, choose 'Android Project' from the Android folder.

A 'New Android Project' dialog allows you to select 'Create project from existing source'. Browse to 'c:\ android-sdk\samples\Lunar Lander'. The package name, activity, application name and project name are filled in automatically, so just click 'Finish'.

This opens the application in the Eclipse workspace, allowing us to begin to explore the anatomy of the Android platform. There are two crucial parts that we need to look at. The first you'll find in the Project Explorer. This should already be open. If not, go to 'Window' and choose 'Close All Perspectives'.

Click the 'Open Perspective' button and choose 'Java (EE)'. Open the LunarLander hierarchy and choose 'src'. Next, open 'com.example.android. lunarlander' and double-click on 'LunarLander.java'.

This gives you your first view of Android's scripting environment – a simple user interface. In Android's jargon, this file is an 'activity', described as a "single focused thing that a user can do". Android's built-in activity class creates a window into which you can script other elements.

In this case, a second script file called 'LunarView.java' scripts the actual game, which is a series of 'views'. A view is a screen-sized element responsible for drawing content and handling events. The final 'src' file, 'R.java', is automatically generated and indexes all of the resources in an Android package.

Move down the hierarchy and you'll find a resources folder called 'res'. This contains bitmap images called from the Android scripts and an XML file in the Layout folder named 'lunar_lander.xml'. This defines the layout of the game in the target device using Android's XML schema.

The Android SDK includes an emulator that enables you to run apps and test your code without having to package it. Go to the Run menu and choose 'Run Configurations'. Double-click on 'Android Application', select 'New_configuration' and click the 'Browse' button. Choose 'LunarLander', click the 'Launch' button, select 'com. example.android.lunarlander. LunarLander' and click 'Run'.

The Android emulator will boot up and you should see the Android default screen with the screen locked. Click 'Menu' to start. The game Lunar Lander should load up, ready to play.

The procedure for creating a new Android app is similar to that of importing existing source files. Go to 'File | New', choose 'Project', select 'Android Project' from the New Project wizard, click 'Next' and then give the project a unique name.

When you've filled in the parameters, Eclipse will automatically generate a minimum set of files with a default layout, calling the built-in Android activity class, and write them to a folder in your workspace. You can then edit both the default Java script and 'main. xml' in the Resources folder to create your new application.

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Android software stops texting while driving

Android software stops texting while driving

There can't be many hold-outs left who still think it's all right to have a few pints in the pub and then drive home, so why is it that many people think it's ok to write text messages on a phone when that's supposedly even more dangerous?

That's a question Florida company Textecution is trying to stop being asked by developing a piece of software that simply stops phones being used in moving cars at all.

GPS sentinel

The eponymous application runs only on Android phones so far and is available from the Textecution site for $9.95 (£6.60).

In essence, it uses the phone's GPS to work out if the handset is moving at more than 10mph. If it is, the software blocks access to the messaging functions and that's that.

Not driving

A very obvious flaw in the premise is addressed partly by a system that allows users (probably young adults) to message administrators (their parents) seeking an override exception when, for example, a passenger in a car or riding a bus.

Due to the limited number of Android phones on the market (i.e. one) right now, Textecution is clearly little more than a proof of concept, but the company does say it will have an iPhone version available soon.

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11 ways Android will kick the iPhone's ass

11 ways Android will kick the iPhone's ass

So Android has arrived with the announcement of the T-Mobile G1. The HTC-manufactured phone certainly has a few nice touches, despite its lack of multi-touch (and with T-Mobile's particular variant, no accelerometer).

But while this particular handset might not be the technology king to beat the iPhone, the potential's there. And the OS looks super-hot. Here's why Android can make its presence felt and could really threaten the iPhone.

1. It's more open
Android is a fully open OS, which means that developing for it is a free-for-all. Handily, that'll mean more free apps and games than the iPhone's App Store can throw at us currently as they'll be offered by networks, content providers and Google alike.

2. It's got integration with online apps
Google is heavily involved here. We'll get better versions of handy stuff like Google Docs, Talk and Calendar plus Street View mapping on Android-based handsets. And it all comes with a single sign-on.

3. It's faster, faster, faster
One thing we've seen with Android all year is that it's incredibly fast. In the tech demo at last week's Google Developer Day and now we've got hands on with the G1, the interface doesn't suffer from the recent glitches the iPhone 2.0 firmware has.

4. Better hardware
The iPhone is high tech hardware, but it remains that phones with features such as MMS and better digital cameras appeal to the masses. Add in Android, and the iPhone will be playing catchup.

5. There'll be more variants
Apple has always been a bit one-size-fits-all. And the iPhone is no different in terms of the hardware (the capacity aside, of course). Android will be available in cheap mobiles as well as expensive ones, and that can only be a good thing.

6. It'll have Flash
So Steve Jobs reckons Flash is too intensive for mobile use? We don't think it'll be too long before somebody develops a version for Android. In the meantime, websites use Flash, Steve. Get over it.

7. It won't be restricted by Apple's nuances
Following on from number 6, many Android phones won't be locked down in the same way that the iPhone is (although how this plays out with networks remains to be seen). More flexibility could mean more fans.

8. You can have proper keyboards
We're pretty used to typing with the iPhone's keyboard now, but for many it's a step too far – and too small. The QWERTY slider keyboard on the T-Mobile G1 is the real deal.

9. It'll have better format support
Wider support for different formats will appeal to those frustrated by Apple's restricted model. And bring a whole load of new fans to Android.

10. You won't need to jailbreak
Hacking? It'll be expected with Android (though, once again, we don't know how this will play out with the networks). Customisation will be the norm, rather than the exception. Jailbreaking? What's the point?

11. Unrestricted apps
Apple has banned several apps from the App Store, including the Murderdome adult comic. You won't get so many restrictions with Android.

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10 features the iPhone needs to beat Android

10 features the iPhone needs to beat Android

Everybody was head-over-heels in love with the original iPhone, mainly because of the innovative touch screen, superb web browsing and Apple's legendary ease of use. Nobody had ever seen anything like it in a phone before, and it's still streets ahead of the competition in many ways. But can it keep ahead now that Android has arrived?

We're going to put our cards on the table and list 10 new features the next iPhone will need to have if it's going to escape a panning from the critics.

Sadly, the original iPhone was severely lacking in several big areas. The lack of 3G was bordering on the criminal, then there was no picture messaging (MMS) and it also had a crappy camera. iPhone 3G added the faster connectivity, but everything else we're still waiting for.

Apple seems to have got away with the lack of basic features on the iPhone so far because of the relatively underdeveloped US phone market, where even texting, let alone MMS texting, hasn't really taken off. In contrast, in Japan, where people are used to mobile phones that are tiny and play television, the iPhone hasn't done as well.

Here's what we think Apple needs to add to the iPhone to keep it ahead of the pack. We hope you're listening, Apple!

1. Cut and Paste
Why, oh why has it taken Apple so long to add this? It's frustrating that you can't do it, and it's so obvious how it would work on the multi-touch screen – just tap and hold, then drag your finger over a block of text to select it. That functionality is currently reserved for the magnifying glass, but that could easily be shifted to a double-tap.

2. Shake to shuffle
This feature appeared on the recent 4th Gen iPod nano, but we can't see a reason why Apple won't add it to the iPhone. We'd like to see the feature expanded a little to include other options, rather than just Shuffle, when you shake. Why not have some Shake options in Settings, from which you can choose different functions?

3. A better camera with a flash
This is a no-brainer. The next iPhone will have to have a better camera, or we're going to bin it without even opening the box (possibly). The current 2-megapixel effort just isn't up to the job. Oh, and we also want a flash to brighten up those dull indoor shots, too.

4. More memory
Apple wants us to play movies on our iPhones, but it doesn't want to give us anywhere to put them! 16GB just doesn't cut it these days. We expect to get at least 32GB in the next iPhone, and 64GB if we're lucky.

5. Video recording
When your mate's phone (that he got free) can record video you know it's no longer a premium feature. Without the ability to record video iPhone owners are second-class citizens in the mobile phone world. Come on Apple, sort it out.

6. Picture messaging (MMS)
See above. Just because nobody in the US wants to send picture messages doesn't mean everybody in Europe has suddenly changed the way they've been using mobile phones for years.

7. A wider choice of providers, not just O2 (UK) or AT&T (US)
A controversial one this, but we think that Apple's exclusivity to O2 in the UK and AT&T in the US has to end at some point. People want the iPhone on more networks and Apple will want to loosen the shackles to grow its user base, too.

8. Thinner
Of course it will be thinner! Every new Apple iPod or iPhone has to be thinner than the last. It's the law.

9. More customisation options
Currently you can customise your iPhone's splash screen (which Apple calls the wallpaper) with whatever photo you like, but you can't alter the Home screen's dull black background, or customise the icons in any way. This is never going to keep teenagers who are into Hello Kitty happy. We predict the next iPhone will enable you to apply themes to the Home screen, and even purchase (of course) and download new ones from the iTunes Store.

10. Stationery in Mail
Last but not least, stationery will be available in Mail. Now you'll be able to send HTML email bordered by pictures of cutesy kittens. Text-only email purists will hang their heads in disbelief, but Apple will be laughing all the way to the bank.

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10 features the iPhone needs to beat Android