Showing posts with label Android Industry News. Show all posts

Google Play Has Landed


It was a cloudy, blustery day in March when ominous news reached my Social Media-glazed eyes.

Well, I really don't recall the state of the weather then. And neither was the news totally ominous. I'm really just adding that factoid for drama.

But it was on March 7, 2012 that news broke out that the Android Market would be replaced by Google Play. Philippine Android Community founder, Android app developer and Android evangelist Charo Nuguid, broke the news on the Philippine Android Community, at 2:06 PM.

At 8:18 PM, Geekier Chick sent me the .apk of what was Android Market.

At 3:51 PM on March 8, 2012, Android Pub alerted me about the news.

And as of 7PM yesterday, March 11, 2012, my Cherry Mobile Nova's Firetrap Lollipop stock Android Market changed icons. And then I noticed that it was labeled Google Play store.

Google Play had landed on my phone.

What is the difference between Google Play and the Android Market, save for branding? Content.

Instead of hosting just apps, Google Play will host and store your:
  • Music
  • Movies
  • Books
  • Apps and Games

Not only that, you will be able to sync and store all your purchased content among your Android devices.

So how cool is that? Say goodbye to clunky moving from your PC to your Android and screaming and yelling at your Mac for not accepting your Android. Well, not really. Sync software for the Android and your Mac are readily available, even if Apple is suing the pants off of OEMs and Android in general.

More details on Google Play here:

And if you're into watching video tutorials and intro's:





How about you? Did your Android Market wirelessly (albeit somewhat intrusively) change into Google Play already? Are you liking it? Disliking it? No, it's not Cinderella's coach that will change back into Android Market at midnight.

Me, I'm itching to fill up my Smart Money and start buying books! Not to mention music!

Also, I'm thinking it's a great idea, one that certainly resurrected the old media platform of Google, Google Music. While that one certainly bombed, Google Play, being fully integrated into Android (though it does feel a little in-our-faces), is a better marketing strategy. Since it's all there, lazy consumers like me will be able to get my media fix at my fingertips, almost literally.

If before it was a headache for me to get signed into the iTunes Store (so many prohibitive things like credit cards and location limitations), Google Play promises to give me access to content I had been itching to have.

So again, how about you? How do you feel about Google Play invading our Androids?

MWC Update: HTC One Is The Darling Of MWC So Far


So we continue our Android Alliance Ph MWC coverage this week. Last night, as we published the latest update at around 8:30 PM, it was around 1:30 PM in Barcelona, Spain. And around that time, the MWC was in full swing, with Keynote #2: The Connected Consumer.

Here are the highlights of the MWC so far. This may look like an HTC-Centric post, because it is. Apparently, for the past 2 days, HTC became the darling of the MWC, despite Nokia and Windows 8's major moves. Pardon us if the spotlight is on HTC, for today.

HTC, as we've hinted at yesterday, is drumming up the buzz for its new One Series. While Techcrunch is on the money that the "One" branding is definitely confusing, the hardware under the brand isn't something to be trifled with.

We already linked to the things that HTC is planning to do for their phones. In case you didn't have the time to click through the links yesterday, here are the innovative boosts that HTC cameras are getting:
  • ImageSense is what HTC branded the technology that is targeted to rival traditional digital cameras.
  • ImageSense allows image capture to be much quicker, with autofocus clocking in at 0.2 seconds, and image capture at 0.7 seconds. 
  • The continuous shots function will be given a boost: holding down the shutter button will allow the user to take unlimited shots successively.
  • The HDR Algorithm will allow an HTC phone camera to still capture awesome photos, even in adverse lighting conditions. 
  • ImageSense will also be able to gauge the distance of the subject and adjust the LED flash's brightness for optimal image quality.

What is more is that the new HTC One phones will boast of:
  • 1.5 GHz Tegra 3 QUAD CORE for One X
  • 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Dual Core for One S
  • 1GB RAM for both
  • Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for both
  • HTC Sense 4.0 for both

Just as a guide, HTC's One Series is composed of:
  • HTC One X: the premium HTC One phone. Premium hardware (this is the Quad Core phone) with a 4.7" screen, in a polycarbonate chassis.
  • HTC One S: the mid-range HTC One, this one has an aluminum unibody design.
  • HTC One V: the entry-level HTC One, it comes with a 3.7-inch screen, and is powered by a 1GHz single core processor. Just like the other two HTC One's, it still runs Android and HTC Sense 4.0. As for the camera, it carries an adequate 5.0 MP cam.

With that, there is no doubt that HTC is gearing to edge in on the Samsung-dominated Android device market. Seems like 2012 may bode well for the Taiwanese gadget giant.

Tune in later for more snippets of the MWC!

Btw, in order to give way to the MWC's updates, we're going to publish the post on sustainable/solar-charged smartphones maybe Saturday or next week. See ya in a few!

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Photo Credits: TNW via tch nws

State Of The Android, Q1 2012


The second month of 2012 is ending and you're probably wondering where the Android is headed. These are exciting times, as Apple is still maintaining its dictatorial stance, while the Android is still moving forward, with fast turnarounds for upgrades in the core OS.

Fast upgrades have been the mark of Linux distributions, namely Ubuntu Linux. Seemingly, Android is adopting that as its own upgrade paradigm. Barely has the Ice Cream Sandwich been implemented, that it is now rumored to release the Android 5.0 OS, Jellybean, reportedly in Q2 2012. That's something to look forward to.

In other news, HTC seems to be moving towards making their Androids the ONE-stop device with the HTC One line of Smartphones.

Rebranding the whole lineup to fall under HTC ONE, HTC is working towards great audio, a great camera, on top of a great OS, the Android.

After partnering with Beats Electronics LLC for the Beats-branded line of HTC phones, HTC is now moving to create phone camera technology which will rival or even supplant a point and shoot camera. A wise, strategic move, given that HTC CEO Peter Chou pointed out that next to making calls, one of the most-used functions for the smartphone is as a digital camera. More than that, HTC is looking to add juicier innovations.

Is HTC veering away from the iPhone copycat bandwagon the whole smartphone market seems to be getting onto, just as the guys at TechCrunch are saying? Or are they really just looking to corner the market by finding a way to make their phones stand out, and stand out really well?

Another big development for the Android industry is the rush towards Quad Core. No longer content with Gigahertz-fast DUAL Cores, now, Androids are going to be shipped with QUAD Cores. What's better than killing dem pigs in Angry Birds at lightning-fast speeds, ey?

More than any of these developments, do you guys realize that it's the MWC?

What's that?

It's the Mobile World Congress, the major gathering of mobile service providers and gadget makers. It is the equivalent of CES or WWDC for GSM/Mobile Telphony.

This year's 2012 MWC is held in Barcelona Spain, and will be held in Barcelona up until 2018.

All this mad rush about Android developments are currently going down at the MWC: From HTC's newest innovations, up to the Quad Core craze, and even for Samsung Galaxy SIII's no-show and Windows 8's unveiling. expect that we're going to give you updates and newsbites from the MWC from today up to March 1.

Enjoy the rest of Monday!

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Photo Credits: Android At MWC

Of SOPA and Piracy

A major event caused waves to rock the entire Internet and the wired people dependent on it for their information, entertainment, and even careers: the SOPA was introduced as a US Bill, and as an effect, websites the world over launched their own protests against the passage of this legislation into law.


While the law had good intentions, indeed, as "SOPA: An open letter to Washington from Artists and Creators" has pointed out, SOPA:

"...Could be easily abused against legitimate services [...]. These bills would allow entire websites to be blocked without due process, causing collateral damage to the legitimate users of the same services - artists and creators [...] who would be censored as a result."

Indeed, with a massive and sweeping law as the SOPA, worldwide censorship and a "Big Brother" state seems like a closer reality than ever before. And it was a good temporary victory for freedom of speech, indeed, when US legislators decided to review and revise the bill and delay a vote. It may be shelved, and the Internets can let out a good sigh of temporary relief, but it's not totally out of the radar, just yet.

Good laws will serve the best interests of the general public, they should only be crafted well, stated well, and implemented without abuse.

Good luck to that happening this side of Heaven.

In other news, tech pundits note that the feds may have gotten impatient with the SOPA's temporary defeat and went on and sacked MegaUpload:

Full Size Picture Here




What does this mean for the Internet-hooked public? If you're a torrent and downloads addict, then you better start deleting your "borrowed" files and start buying from iTunes, Amazon, or the other licensed digital downloads stores. It may cost you, but it will save you from massively catastrophic consequences such as these:

From CNet's Report

Take note: each of the 24 songs she downloaded would have cost her only $0.99, as even Jammie Thomas-Rasset, the defendant, was quick to point out. For a measly $23.76 she tried to avoid paying, she got a high-profile case, infamy, and a $1.5 MILLION DOLLAR fine. While the case is said to possibly drag for years, even a decade or so, still, the hassle, the energy spent, the money spent on the case: are all these really worth skipping iTunes/Amazon and turning to Limewire/Kazaa/Frostwire/Bittorrent?

Weigh your options before you torrent/download illegally.

Aren't you glad that the Android as an ecosystem is basically Open Source? :)

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More On Today's Stories:

SOPA:


Wikipedia on SOPA
Gizmodo: What Is SOPA?
SOPA: Shelved, But Not Dead
An open letter to Washington from Artists and Creators

MegaUpload Sacked:
Why Did the Feds Target Megaupload? And Why Now?

Woman Fined For Illegal Downloads:


Jammie Thomas hit with $1.5 million verdict
Woman fined to tune of $1.9 million for illegal downloads
Minnesota Mom Hit With $1.5 Million Fine for Downloading 24 Songs

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Photo Credits:

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With thanks to Karen Ang for the story inspiration/lead. :) Find Karen Ang here: 

PostSecret Shelves The PostSecret App



This just in: PostSecret has announced the shelving of the PostSecret App.

This means that the PostSecret App for the Android will never be released. At least, until Frank Warren and his team at PostSecret.com may be able to figure out a way to filter bad content properly.

PostSecret is a website and online community built around people mailing in their secrets in the form of postcards. Frank Warren came across the idea to build PostSecret from a strange lucid dream, and a series of strange events that started on a trip to Paris, France. THIS may better explain why and how he built the community that is PostSecret.

The app was shelved due to bad content and people bullying, threatening, and maligning others, most likely in an attempt to defame, manipulate, threaten, or otherwise hurt the people for whom the "secrets" were for. Since I'm not an iOS user, I've never gotten to take a peek at what the PostSecret app had dished out. But I could imagine how ugly and bitter some of the "secrets" sent in had gotten.

PostSecret was intended to be an avenue to release the demons of the past. Definitely, some bitterness and anger would be carried by some of the members who send in their secrets. However, despite the nature of being a place to release bitterness, this should never have been turned into a venue to harass and abuse other members.

Cyber-bullying is a crime in the US, and a law is being processed here in the Philippines. Meanwhile, harassment, slander and libel are already crimes here in Philippine shores. The nature of cyber-bullying is such that the perpetrators tend to feel like it's "okay" to do it, simply because they are shrouded by a sense of anonymity: how long would it take to create an anonymous account, then post maligning content about someone else, or even their contact details, online?

However, no evil deed goes unpunished. For those who have enough faith in divine justice, justice does, indeed, happen. And for those who have faith in the legal venues of justice, justice can and will happen, as long as you persist in seeing your case to completion. And in these shores, just as long as you're not up against a powerful person.

Bullying, cyber-bullying and the act of hurting other people should never be condoned. It may be sad that Frank Warren had to censor his own app and take it down. In fact, according to his account, he had to take it down from his own daughter's phone. This is the saddest part. However, it may be for the best. Even if people will cry that "Censorship is evil," enabling people to hurt others is even more evil.

I respect and even support Frank Warren's decision to take down the PostSecret App, even if I and the hordes of Android users have never tried it. It's a sad day for the freedom of speech. But while there is abuse, some controls need to be imposed. And in this case, it's the demise of what could have been one excellent Android App.

Till the day that people no longer have an urge to hurt others, I guess this is how it will be.

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Photo Credits: PostSecret

Why Do Androids Get Obsolete Pretty Quickly?



Gadgets, as a rule, have a short shelf life. For one, the manufacturing companies are on the move to get people to constantly buy, upgrade, and buy some more. Mobile machine companies have one drive: to get people to upgrade, constantly, and then in the biggest, costliest way possible.

That is why none of us should be surprised that Androids are "obsolete" within a quarter of a year.

The reason is that companies follow release cycles and move towards releasing a new gadget by that deadline date. Apple has set the trend with that, and now, all the other tech companies are following suit.

One thing that holds up a company from releasing their machines on a speedy cycle would be dismal sales. Take a look at Acer. What once was a strong biannial release schedule has now become a fading, nonexistent release cycle. Credit it to the fact that they must have had quite a lot of refunds and repairs owing to the dismal quality of their products, or possibly, the fact that they are repositioning:
Either way, Acer is among those who are moving towards a more conservative outlook for now. For the big players, one trend seems to underline their operations: a speedy release cycle.

If you note, it was barely a month into the Samsung Galaxy Y landing with a blast onto Philippine Android shores when Samsung already announced the Dual-SIM version of the phone. We don't even have the Samsung Galaxy Y Pro in sight yet, and yet its Dual-SIM version is already announced for release, by Q1, 2012.

In other news, HTC is also playing the speedy-release game. Just close on the heels of each other, the HTC Sensation XE, HTC Sensation XL, HTC Rhyme, and HTC Rezound all got unleashed on different markets worldwide. While it will definitely take more time for the newer-release HTC Androids to reach Philippine shores, you can't help but admire the way HTC turns out its phones like pancakes, obviously working hard to keep up with Samsung, which has already flooded the market with its plethora of Samsung Galaxy models.

And we have barely even recovered from the craze over the Samsung Galaxy SII:


Next week, a note on why it would still rock if RIM hung around a lot longer. Like Motorola.

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Photo Credits: Children of the Nineties

Scoop/Just Announced: Samsung Galaxy Y Duos


The Philippines is a multi-SIM phone-crazy country. Thanks to the three networks' Unlimited Call and Text services, Filipinos prefer to keep at least two SIM Cards so that their contacts will be able to text them when these are on unlimited promos. Thus, the multi-SIM phone industry is booming in the country. In fact, it is because of these conditions that the Philippines' local mobile phone brands were able to build their businesses around.

So speaking of multi-SIM phones, how about we add one thing more to your 2012 wishlist?

How about the dual-SIM version of the Samsung Galaxy Y?

Announced just yesterday, the Samsung Galaxy Y will have its Dual-SIM twin brother, the Samsung Galaxy Y Duos. This entry-level Samsung will boast of better specs:

  • 384MB RAM
  • 3.15MP Camera

The ROM is at 512MB, though it does not state how much of that is user-available Internal Storage.

What is exciting about this new Sammy is that there is a possibility that this may be able to host the data connection of the two separate SIM cards. As to the veracity of that, we will have to confirm.

Are you excited? I am.

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Photo Credits: GSM Arena
Thank You: IntoMobile

A Little Bit Of Randomness: Tech News From Around The World


Just three random things I found on the Internet today:

IBM is working on THE computer we've been dreaming of/dreading much: the computer which will be controlled by your mind. Whether or not it will be the machine that will control you, or you being able to control a super-machine leaves more questions than creating fascinating solutions:

  • Would you be happy knowing that a sensor of some sort MAY be embedded into your body?
  • Would you be comfortable with opening garage doors with your mind?

And the killer:
  • Would you be happy to have Google AdSense delivered to your thoughts, customized according to your preferences?




Found as a viral share: Google, Facebook and virtually any website that's huge on the Internet is customizing your search results to your preferences, region, among other factors. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing? This TED video may help you decide.

If you haven't heard of how Apple is suing Android phone makers from continent to continent, then you were living under a rock, or we were talking about Android gadgets too much. Apple has had a temporary win when it caused the halt of Samsung Galaxy Tab sales in Australia, though it eventually lost when Australian courts decided in Samsung's favor. and now, HTC will be banned from America starting next year, unless it changes one tiny but *very crucial* UI experience feature. Way to go, Apple.



And as a bonus: have you heard of this customizable Toyota Car? Instead of paint, it'll feature a screen just like your HTC, LG, Cherry Mobile or... iPhone.

Enjoy your Wednesday! Four days to go before Christmas Eve!

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Photo Credits:

Why We Want More Moto In The Philippines


We reported months ago how Motorola Mobility was acquired by Google. Recently, too, we've given you specials, from the Android Pub, of his first-ever Android, which incidentally was a Motorola.

Motorola as a brand had been trusted for mobile telephony solutions since 1928. From its humble beginnings with a battery eliminator as the first product, to wartime solutions for mobile telephony, and to being on the bleeding edge of Android technology today, Motorola Mobility has earned its spot as a pillar in cellular telephony.

Motorola held its post as a formidable rival to Nokia back in the early to mid 90's. With cutting-edge design and features that were far more advanced than its contemporaries, Motorola phones were the quintessence of "cool."

However, "cool" just didn't cut it, in terms of profitability. Nokia, producing generation after generation of simple, easy-to-understand mobile phones, overtook Motorola in sales. And the company suddenly experienced obsolescence and obscurity of near-dinosaur proportions.

It was the Android that resurrected the company.

Thanks to crucial moves in recent years, and believing in an upstart Operating System/Mobile Device Platform, Motorola became the best, and the rightful choice for acquisition by Google as the flagship OEM to bear the Android. It was the first company to believe in the Android, and it's only fitting that Google returns the "favor" by partnering more closely with the company, as one of its sub-divisions today.

Because of this fact: being at the bleeding edge of Android technology, Philippine Android consumers definitely should be seeing more of Motorola Android presence in the country, and soon.

Here are top three reasons why Moto should consider being more aggressive with making their presence felt in Philippine mobile telephony spheres:

  • Two out of the Top Five mobile networks that derive their revenue from data use hail from the Philippines: Smart Communications and Globe Telecom. The other three are from Japan. This means that the Android, as an ecosystem, will benefit greatly from this. Remember that the Android's business model was built around getting more users to go online so that they could push ads onto the users' machines.
  • The Filipino is a hungry mobile user and cellphone addict. Most of the tech-savvy Filipinos have short lifespan for keeping their mobiles. While some can keep their mobile phones for 5 to even 10 years, others can tire of their mobile phone models in as little as 2 months. Others even dispose of their phones within weeks or a month after the purchase. It's safe to say that a good percentage of Filipinos change phones anywhere from 6 months to a year and a half.
  • The Philippines was not named the "texting capital of the world" for nothing. Even after the rest of the world has caught on in the SMS craze, the Filipino still has texting for its first choice in telecommunications. The reason is that it's non-intrusive, less threatening, less intimidating and offers a good hedge from overexposure that a voice call or face to face communications may offer. Not only that, Filipinos are also among the top consumers of social networking. Is this not the perfect market for the Android?

Motorola as a brand will offer the Filipino better diversity in its gadget choices. It will also do the Filipino mobile consumer community a major favor by exposing this market to bleeding edge in Android technology, as well as provide this market a top-notch experience in Android telephony. This is certainly going to be a win-win situation: Motorola and Google will capture a heavily mobile, heavily online consumer base, thereby hitting their target of getting more users online for more ad traffic, and Filipinos will then experience the newest in Android innovations.

And when Motorola reaches mainstream distribution, Filipinos will no longer need to acquire their Motos via the grey market of online sellers.

Filipinos will definitely welcome Moto with open arms and be happy to count it among its Android gadget choices. We bet that the premium market will have good fun choosing between Moto, HTC, and Samsung's premium lines.

So what are you waiting for, Moto? It's time to plan your official re-entry to the Philippines, and with a bang, soon!

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Photo Credits: Mobility Digest

Android Industry News -- Android Going Strong





From breaking out into the market in 2007, to achieving its first wave of market boom in 2009, the Android as an ecosystem may well have matured.

Reaching a market penetration that is poised to supplant Nokia, the Android has rendered several platforms irrelevant or unnoticeable:


  • Samsung's Bada OS never really got off the ground, since Samsung became more famous for being the Android phone brand of choice for the mass market.
  • The Symbian OS, already riddled with flaws, bugs and malware, may still have its share of fans, but ultimately, the Android had drowned out the buzz of the latest Symbian OS releases. Not even fancy version names could rescue the Symbian from increasingly sinking into oblivion.
  • Windows Mobile/Windows Phone. Admittedly, a good number of Microsoft fanatics in the tech community are all praises for the Windows Phone OS, let's face it: the market share of Microsoft-powered devices has been falling, especially since the Android is clearly dominating the market.
  • Even the Blackberry is increasingly losing market share, despite being the dominant smartphone in the past. From the iPhone eating through its dominance, and now, with the Android around, pundits are fearing the Research In Motion innovation will go the way of the Palm.
  • Nokia is currently so threatened, that despite the fact that it came into a partnership with Microsoft, rumors are circulating about Nokia also venturing into producing Android phones.

There are so many factors as to why the Droid is dominating the market, and one of these may well be the fact that it shares a lot of common apps available for the iOS. This makes the Android platform far more enticing than the Windows Phone ecosystem, or even the Blackberry ecosystem.

In the Philippines, evidence of the Android Platform making major waves is evidenced by the fact that the major telcos are creating their own Android-centric offerings:

  • Smart Communications, Inc. has its own line of HTC Android plans.
  • Smart also launched its own Android-focused brand, complete with an ecosystem patterned after the BIS/BBM (Blackberry Internet Service/Blackberry Messaging), the Netphone powered by SmartNet.

While Globe didn't seem to make as much waves in the Android arena as much as Smart Communications, here are their most recent developments:

  • Globe Telecom launched the Cloudfone, which, at the time it was launched, was the cheapest Android in the market, at Php 4,990 for a prepaid kit, on its launch. It may still be the cheapest 3G-capable Droid to date, as the Cherry Mobile Eclipse 2.2, only Php 91 cheaper, is not 3G-capable.
  • Globe is also into developing Android-centric apps. One of these is actually pretty innovative and useful: the Globe Calls for Android lets an Android user take advantage of Globe's call offers without making a user edit his contacts' numbers to affix the different number prefixes that are required for the varying offers. Pretty useful for a fan of those call and text offers.

In all, this is starting to become an Android world. Those who fail to adapt may well be left in the dust.



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Photo Credits: Your Mobile Site

Android Has The Lion's Share Of The Market


The Android as a platform has had its share of fanatics and naysayers. For the most part, consumers who have jumped from the iPhone complain of its bugs and flaws, while the switchers from Nokia smartphones and other smartphone brands are pretty satisfied with what an Android-powered phone can do. The Android uptake has been a debate, but if there’s a detail that is definitely not debatable, it would be the numbers.

As of September 2011, The NPD Group, a consumer market research group of companies, identified these statistics surrounding the Android:


As you can see, the naysayers can say whatever they like, but the numbers don’t lie. The Android owns the lion’s share of the market.

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Android Poised To Take Over The Enterprise



Despite its diminishing influence, Blackberry remains the “gold standard” in enterprise solutions. With data encryption features that prompt entire governments and nations to ban the smartphone brand because its sophisticated encryption technology deters their monitoring systems, the level of security that it has developed is the very reason why it is still the top smartphone choice for businesses.

However, because employees’ personal preferences for smartphones have become a consideration for a growing number of Fortune 500 corporations, the enterprise market is gradually shifting to accommodate the iPhone and the Android. And yet, most companies are still not keen on adapting the Android for corporate use.

The main concern that companies have in saying “Nay,” to the Android for now is centered in one main thing: Security. Thus, up and coming security solutions company 3LM (Three Laws Mobility) seeks to remedy this Android handicap by creating solutions that will close the gap between Android and the enterprise market.

Three Laws Mobility was founded and owned by former Google/Android Security Team employees Tom Moss and Gaurav Mather. After they founded 3LM, Motorola Mobility acquired their company. As of August 15, 2011, Google acquired Motorola Mobility.

The security company identified these Enterprise needs that they seek to address on the Android:

  • Give the company’s IT department the ability to remotely install corporate applications.
  • Allow the IT department to remotely wipe the device, should theft occur.
  • Provide a selective encryption of corporate applications.
  • Allow the user to access company resources remotely, via VPN protocol.
  • Give the company access to “breadcrumb tracking,” a function that allows certain documents or programs to track the phone’s (ergo the user’s) location. So if you call in sick and your company tracks you in Boracay, blame it on the breadcrumb tracking technology. For the truant, be thankful you’re in the Philippines.
  • Provide encryption for the SD Card.
  • Functions to check device health.

These are the security concerns that 3LM, in partnership with the Android, seeks to remedy. With Android, Google, Motorola, and the other Android partner companies aggressively courting a growing market from the casual consumers to the corporates, trust that Android and security solutions companies like 3LM will be on the move in developing security solutions to address the markets’ needs. As for the smartphone wars, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

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Photo Credits: CNet Asia