Researcher Claims Threat to Android Memory Cards

 by Holly Shoemaker

Apple’s app mess continues to garner attention, but security researcher Ravi Borgaonkar last week warned users about potential Android threats, noting that he informed Google of security vulnerabilities in June. He claims those using Android’s operating system risk disabling or wiping clean data such as contacts. In particular, those who open website links on a mobile app with malicious code could trigger an attack destroying memory cards in handsets made by Samsung, HTC, Sony Ericsson and Motorola.

The researcher also calls out the Galaxy S III. Samsung acknowledged that an issue affected early models of its flagship device, but said a software update issued in June fixed the problem. Despite that, Borgaonkar claims the fix was not publicized enough.

Outstanding Problems?

Borgaonkar claims that those using Gingerbread, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean remain vulnerable to attacks, and that Honeycomb, used for tablets, still needs testing to determine risk. Samsung said it will conduct an internal review to assess the threat level to other devices and encourages users to check for software updates to lessen threats by going to the “Settings: About device: Software update” menu.

Real Concern?

Security threats must contain some type of vulnerability. At this time, the risk level remains uncertain. Those who want to obtain data look for some way to profit from it. While Android by default opens its apps to more risk, always assess the potential for vulnerability before panicking.

Apple Persuades Jury, but Galaxy S III Could Still Dominate

by Holly Shoemaker

Apple has won the current legal battle against Samsung in the United States. After not even three days of deliberation, a jury found Samsung guilty of “unlawful” infringement, and awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damages. The "unlawful" part means that the judge could triple the amount Samsung owes. The jury found Apple did not violate any of Samsung’s patients.

Instead of rehashing the details of the case, I have focused on my initial reactions beyond the only taking two and a half days part to reach a verdict.

Not the End of Legal Battles and Not Global Domination

This ruling will not stop impending lawsuits, or ones that Apple decides to pursue now that it has won this one. As a quick recap, Apple won a pre-trial injunction against the Google Nexus tablet. However, a federal judge in Chicago threw out a lawsuit against Motorola, but litigation continues with the two companies and the International Trade Commission.

In South Korea, a court found that Apple and Samsung both infringed patents. The Court ordered Samsung to halt sales of its 10 products, including the Galaxy S II, and banned Apple from selling four products, including the iPhone 4.

Samsung May Still Rule with Galaxy S III

Based on the verdict, the Court could ban the Galaxy line of smartphones in the United States. However, many analysts expect Samsung to take swift action to alter any designs that violate patent infringements. Samsung has said the company started making changes when Apple took action over a year ago.

What Apple cannot do with this lawsuit is challenge the Galaxy S III, as that was not part of the lawsuit. The ruling could cause people to see Apple as greedy and check out why the S III has gained popularity in the United States and abroad.

Consumers Lose

I agree with Samsung who later called the ruling “a loss for the American consumer.” To cover the costs of tweaking its products, Samsung could raise the price of its products, meaning consumers will ultimately pay Apple, regardless if they are customers or not. The verdict does tests the limits of capitalism as it could stifle competition.

Verizon Tops Consumer Reports Buying Guide 2012: Offers Smartphone Buying Tips

by Holly Shoemaker

Subscribers received the Consumer Reports Buying Guide for 2012 late last week. The guide entailed some tips and rankings that should help new and seasoned buyers find a carrier and smartphone.

Smartphone Buying Guidelines

Consumer Reports suggested looking at the following items when deciding on a smartphone:

• Operating system – The guide encouraged consumers to see if the operating system and phone contained the features and capabilities needed to perform desired tasks.
• Apps – The guide encouraged consumers to check on the availability of apps and their associated costs.
• Keyboard – Because the guide looked at features, including the bulkiness of smartphones, potential customers should decide on whether they want a slide-out keyboard as that affects the size of the phone, but typically makes for easier typing.
• Insurance – Consumer Reports said to skip the insurance because of high deductibles and the low chance of using insurance. I see arguments on either side. As I mentioned before, I had a phone once that accidentally took a bath in some Gatorade and I could have used insurance.

Carrier and Smartphone Rankings

Verizon received the best score for overall satisfaction among carriers. The HTC ThunderBolt received the highest score of 74, followed by the LG Revolution with a score of 73. The iPhone 4 16 GB ranked sixth with a score of 71.

Sprint Nextel ranked second.  The Samsung Epic 4G ranked first with a score of 72, followed by the HTC Evo 3D with a score of 72 and the Evo 4G coming in with a score of 70.

T-Mobile ranked third among carriers. The Samsung Galaxy S 4G received a score of 78, followed by the T-Mobile G2x with a score of 76.

AT&T scored the lowest in satisfaction among the surveyed cities. The Samsung Infuse 4G came in first with a score of 79, followed by the Motorola Attix 4G with a score of 76 and the HTC Inspire 4G coming in third with a score of 74. The iPhone 4 16 GB tied for third at 74 points.

comScore Releases Latest Survey: App Use Increases

by Holly Shoemaker

comScore surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers from March 2012 through May 2012. The survey looked at activated  app use on mobile phones, smartphone use by platform and top-ranked device manufacturers.

App Use Leads Web Use

More consumers used their smartphones to access apps over the web. The survey reported that 51.5 percent of respondents accessed a downloaded application, an increase of 1.6 points from the survey released in February. In comparison, 49.8 percent of respondents accessed the web from their smartphones, up slightly from 49.2 percent in February.

Android and Apple Increase Numbers

Android continued to grow its market share. The survey reported that Google’s platform accounted for 50.9 percent of smartphone subscribers. Apple captured 31.9 percent. Research in Motion’s (RIM’s) BlackBerry accounted for 11.4 percent and Microsoft Windows Phone came in at four percent. The numbers reported are similar to what comScore reported in February 2012 – iOS increased by 1.7 percent, BlackBerry, which should come as no surprise, declined by two percent.

Samsung Top Manufacturer, but Apple Gains Most Points

Samsung remained the most popular manufacturer with 25.7 percent on the market share. LG garnered 19.1 percent, Apple came in with 15 percent, Motorola grossed 12 percent and HTC made up 6.1 percent. Apple gained the most increase, up by 1.5 percent.

Concluding Thoughts

Depending on preference, and audience, people spin the numbers differently. Android fans reported that the numbers shows Android is still the most popular platform, while Apple fans point out that Apple is only one company. The statistics do show that almost one out of three subscribers goes to Apple. In the categories, Apple’s numbers show the highest increase.

For Android fans, Samsung still appears to make the best smartphone to compete against Apple. When the numbers come out for the Galaxy S III, we will see how the most competitive Android phone to date compares with the iPhone.

Droid 4 Comes to Verizon

by Holly Shoemaker

The Motorola Droid 4 garnered good reviews when industry insiders and retailers had the chance to view the Droid 4 at CES. Now, consumers may purchase the phone starting on Feb. 10, 2012 from Verizon. Those interested will need to pay $199.99 and sign a two-year contract.

The Motorola Droid 4 gives the company a competitive advantage for those looking for a QWERTY-slider phone. The phone also has a 1.2 Ghz dual-core processor, a four-inch touch screen and an eight megapixel camera. The phone also runs on the 4G LTE network. Consumers also have the option of purchasing a docking station if they want to use a larger keyboard. The Lapdock 500 is available for $299. This station is also compatible with the Razr.

The element missing from the Droid 4 is the use of Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest Android operating system. The Droid 4 will operate using Gingerbread. Verizon has said it plans on issuing an upgrade. At this time, the date of the upgrade remains unknown.

Concluding Thoughts

The Motorola Droid 4 has the ability to make up for disappointing sales of the Droid 3. However, if you want a more compact phone, this is not the device for you. The keyboard adds to the bulk, but all reviews thus far highly praise the keyboard. Indicators predict the Droid 4 will become a welcome addition to the QWERTY phones from Motorola.