In the US, Android outsells iPhone

Google Inc.’s Android platform is the most popular smartphone software in the United States, having overtaken Apple Inc.’s iPhone and the BlackBerry from Research In Motion Ltd., Gartner Inc. says.

Worldwide, Android became the third-best-selling operating system in the second quarter, with 17.2 percent of sales compared with 1.8 percent a year earlier, Gartner said yesterday. It trails Nokia Oyj’s Symbian and RIM.

The Android system has outpaced sales of Apple software this year because it is available on a wider array of phones and carriers, analysts have said. The two operating systems are competing for share of smartphone sales, which gained 50.5 percent in the quarter. That’s more than three times the growth for the market as a whole.

Apple’s iOS fell behind Android to fourth place among smartphone platforms, with a 14.2 percent market share, as the iPhone 4 ramped up production.

Symbian, also used on some phones from other vendors, lost almost 10 percentage points of market share to 41.2 percent as Nokia struggled to revamp it and ship new handsets.

Read More @ boston.com

Android Sees Huge Market Growth in Second Quarter

Doubt Android is taking off? IDC and Gartner reports find Android the big winner as smartphone sales grew over 50 percent growth during the second quarter.

New reports from market analysis firms Gartner and IDC confirm what most industry watchers already knew: the second quarter of 2010 was a boom time for smartphone sales, with both firms agreeing worldwide smartphone sales increased 50 percent compared to the second quarter of 2009. The firms also agree that Google’s Android platform also benefited significantly from that growth, with Gartner saying Android has overtaken Apple’s iPhone to become the third most-popular mobile operating system on the planet—and the top-selling mobile operating system in the United States, beating out RIM’s BlackBerry line. But the king of the hill? Still Finland’s Nokia, with either 38.1 percent (IDC) or 34.2 percent (Gartner) of the worldwide mobile phone market.

Gartner attributes Android’s success to a variety of manufacturers bring devices to market at a number of different price points. “A non-exclusive strategy that produces products selling across many communication service providers and he backing of so many device manufacturers, which are bringing more attractive devices to market at several different price points, were among the factors that yielded its growth this quarter,” said Gartner research VP Carolina Milanesi, in a statement.

Read More @ digitaltrends.com

Verizon Wireless offering customers Samsung Gusto

While Sprint gets the Epic 4G Galaxy S phone, Verizon is picking up another phone from Samsung that offers multiple messaging options and voice enhancement audio technology. The Samsung Gusto is set to be made available through Verizon Wireless Communications Stores some time in the upcoming weeks.

This sleek handset has been adorned by a 2.2” internal screen and VGA camera with night shot. Drenched in a shade of metallic gray, it comes with a mobile web browser and features SMS, MMS and Voice messaging as well as mobile IM, mobile chat, mobile e-mail and mobile web e-mail.

The Gusto’s Bluetooth technology supports headset, serial port, phonebook access, hands-free, object push for vCard and vCalendar. It is pre-loaded with Bing search and capable of downloading wallpapers, ringtones, games, location-based services and more. The phone also incorporates other utilities like calendar, calculator, alarm clock and so on.

Dynamic Voice Enhancement technology cuts down on background disturbances, improves speech frequencies and extends noise suppression. Managing social situations gets easier with the fake call feature that enables users to set up a pseudo call with a timer. Driving mode intelligently adjusts the volume on this handset which is also VZ Navigator capable.

The phone is currently available through Verizon’s online portal for free after a web discount and a new two-year customer contract. The Samsung Gusto will hit the carrier’s retail outlets for $19.99 (approx. Rs. 935) with a two-year customer agreement after a $50 (approx. Rs. 2,350) mail-in rebate.

Via : techgadgets.in

India Sets Deadline for Blackberry Data Disclosure

An ultimatum to phone manufacturer Blackberry until August 31 was issued by India Thursday. The deadline was set to allow the government access of highly encrypted data from the company or else it would face a ban on its popular messaging systems.

The government wants access to Blackberry’s Enterprise Service and Messenger Service.

India is wary of the Blackberry’s real-time messaging services because the encryption can not be seen by its intelligence agencies and may expose the nation to security threats.

“If a technical solution is not provided by 31st August 2010, the government will review the position and take steps to block these two services from the network,” a press release announced.

Blackberry is eager to tap a booming wireless market in India with its millions of potential customers.

Research in Motion (RIM), manufacturer of Blackberry devices, has so far not commented on the ultimatum.

India is one of the world’s biggest democratic countries, and analysts say it is odd for the government to impose such restrictions on communication. But the country also has legitimate security concerns and many terrorist attacks are being carried out against it periodically, and relations with its neighbor Pakistan remain tense.

Mumbai was attacked in November 2008 by suspected Pakistani elements which killed 160 people.

India would be blindsided if terrorists used Blackberries to plot an attack without the intelligence services monitoring them, said Vikram Sood, a former intelligence officer.

Read More @ empowerednews.net

Android 2.1 Update for Dell Streak Leaked in the UK

Well, it seems that Streak users from the UK will have something interesting to enjoy while the rest of us watch in envy – an Android 2.1 update which has been confirmed to come from Dell is now installing on devices all over the country, though it’s only available for devices locked on O2 contracts.

The update can be downloaded from a link which was released by accident from within the company (apparently) though it’ll probably be taken down soon enough – and users are reporting various new improvements in the update. Among them are a 720p camcoder, a new and improved keyboard, a live wallpaper function, and many others.

If you want to install the update yourself, just copy the .pkg file on to your SD card, then rename it to “Update.pkg”, fire up your phone in recovery mode (which is done by holding both volume keys pressed before turning it on), and you’ll get a prompt asking you if you want to recover from the file you’ve put on the card – but bear in mind this will also erase your phone’s contents!

Read More @ devicemag.com

Google Upgrades Android with Voice Actions, Chrome to Phone

Voice actions allow Google Android users to issue voice commands for directions, text messages and more, while Chrome to Phone makes it easy to carry on reading sites from a computer on your smartphone.

It’s a good day to count yourself in the Google Android camp. The new Motorola Droid 2 dropped on Verizon, analysts report Android has clawed out even more market share, Sony has adopted it for its upcoming PlayStation phone, and now Google has tacked on two interesting – and free – new feature for Android users.

At a press conference in San Francisco, the company revealed voice actions, which allow Android phones to respond to voice commands, and the new Chrome to Phone extension, which makes it easier to whip some desktop reading off to your smartphone for later reading. Both are available immediately for free, but only on Android 2.2.

Read More @ digitaltrends.com

Google mobile app Voice Actions lets users dictate text messages, e-mails

Remember when Google used to be the coolest company in the world, constantly coming up with new products, tips and tools that made you open your mouth and go "Wow?"

We're thinking Google Maps, Google Voice and Google Translate. Well, it's been quite a while, but Google finally has another jaw-opener -- Voice Actions.This is a new mobile app for Android phones, but it only works on a handful of phones.

Voice Actions takes the Voice Search tools we've seen on the iPhone and Android phones to another level. Now, you can dictate text messages and e-mails without ever touching any keys, and make calls to specific locations by barking orders into the phone. For instance, "Call Volare restaurant, San Francisco."Voice Actions looks up the restaurant, using Google Maps, and places the call for you.

I tested Voice Actions with Google engineers in a demo this week, throwing out names of many different restaurants, and Google got it right every time.The app is free and really cool, and again, that's the good news.

But if you want the app, you'll only find it on the new Motorola Droid 2 from Verizon -- which is expected in stores today -- and the now discontinued Nexus One. Those phones run the updated Android 2.2 software, which Google says will be rolled out gradually to other Android phones, including Sprint's HTC Evo and older Droid phones.

"We expect other Android devices to receive the Android 2.2 software update over the next few months," says Google, in a statement.

Via : content.usatoday.com

Dell Thunder prototype booms onto scene

Dell has just given up the last bits of info on its Streak MID and today a new video of a prototype device dubbed the Thunder has surfaced. Engadget reports that the Thunder was first seen in photos back in April, but now the publication has video to go along with the stills.

The Thunder has a nice 8MP digital camera with an LED flash and can record video in 720p resolution. The device also sports a removable 1400 mAh battery. The prototype in the video is running Android 2.1 and the finished product is expected to have a custom Dell UI on top.

The device has a screen measuring 4.1-inches with a resolution said to be 800 x 480 or higher. That screen is also thought to be OLED. You can check the video out below.

Read More @ slashgear.com

Dell Streak review roundup

On Friday, Dell is set to release the Streak, a device that falls somewhere between a tablet and a smartphone. Dell says the Streak, which ships with a whopping 5-inch touchscreen, "is ideal for experiencing thousands of Android Market widgets, games and applications, all without squinting or compromising portability." But critics have argued that consumers will be turned off by the device's "tweener" status.

Over at the Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg likes the memory capacity on the Streak – 19 GB in all, including the 16 GB removable card – and applauds the clear call quality. But Mossberg says the Streak "looks somewhat ridiculous when held up to the ear to make a phone call." Moreover, he points out, the screen resolution on the Streak is lacking, compared even to the much-smaller iPhone 4.

The Streak runs on the Android 1.6 OS, which means that users will have access to thousands of third-party apps. "But I couldn’t find, and Dell couldn’t identify, any apps written especially for its larger screen," Mossberg writes. "In fact, a few Android apps I tested seemed to crowd all their icons into just a portion of the Streak’s screen, especially when the device was held vertically, leaving lots of white space."

Read More @ csmonitor.com