6 Android mistakes to avoid

Given that Android’s global market share is now at 85% -- a truly astounding number -- and Google’s open-source mobile OS recently eclipsed Apple’s iOS for total web traffic generated, it’s safe to say that more people are coming to Android devices every day.

For many of these newcomers -- and you may be one of them -- Android can be a slightly mystifying and even intimidating mobile OS. There’s a good reason: Unlike the iPhone and iPad, which will deliver a consistent experience to all owners, Android devices vary wildly in terms of what they offer users out of the box.

That’s because Google licenses Android to manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, and HTC, which are free to tinker with the code and add their own software and user interfaces. So someone who owns a Nexus 5 running a pure version of KitKat might initially have some trouble operating a Samsung Galaxy S3 running Jelly Bean.

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Even beyond that, forked versions of Android -- which allow manufacturers even greater latitude in replacing Google services on Android devices -- are at 20% of the global market and rising. And while Android’s new, unifying Material Design initiative should help, for the moment we’re talking about a whole bunch of fragmentation.

Fortunately, there are a number of functions and features common to all Android mobile devices. Unfortunately, they too often are ignored or overlooked by new owners who are busy agonizing over whether to use animated wallpaper.

Here are a half-dozen mistakes Android owners should avoid:

Not using Google Now

If I had to give one piece of advice to an Android user, it would be to use Google Now. It sounds like marketing language, but it’s true: Google’s voice-activated search service truly does transform your smartphone into a valuable personal assistant -- but only if you use it. (If you don’t, why don’t you just run out and get a Palm Treo?)

I’ve written a lot about Google Now (here’s a link with a bunch of articles). The bottom line is that Google Now allows you to launch voice-activated searches of not just the Internet, but information stored in other apps on the device, such as Contacts.

Google Now also will remind you of important events like deadlines or meetings, open apps, get driving directions, and even remember where you parked. But only if you use it.

Your Android phone must run Jelly Bean or KitKat to use Google Now, and only devices running KitKat can use the newest feature, which allows users to access Google Now from any screen.

Here’s a rundown of what Google Now can offer and how to get started.

Not using Chrome

Google has been slowly integrating Android with its Chrome browser and OS. If you use Chrome on your desktop, using Chrome on your Android device will allow you to automatically sync files and features connected to your Google account, including Gmail, Google Drive, Google Maps, Search, Google Play, YouTube and Google+.

Even if you only use one or two of those services, it’ll be extremely convenient over time. However, you need to be signed into Chrome on any device that you want to sync.

Downloading third-party apps from weird places

The vast majority of mobile malware is targeted toward Android apps. That’s both because Android is so popular -- attackers love a large attack surface -- and because Apple exercises much tighter control over the kinds of iOS apps it allows in the App Store (and it's impossible to download apps in other ways unless you jailbreak your iOS device).

Still, nearly all of the Android malware hassle can be avoided by sticking to Google Play for your mobile downloads.

Not that Google Play is infallible, as the recent embarrassment with the “Bomb Gaza” app that snuck its way onto the online Android store illustrates. But Google Play is much better policed than it used to be, and it’s not like you aren’t going to find what you want or need there. Show your maverickness in other ways.

Adding more crapware

If you have a carrier version of Android, your device already has extra software in the form of apps loaded on by the manufacturer and carrier. This bloatware consumes battery power and impacts performance.

So while it’s always tempting to add even more apps to your device, don’t let them build up over time. Not only will the drain your battery, many will invoke excessive permissions that you rubber-stamped prior to download. If you don’t use an app, uninstall it. If it turns out you miss it (you won’t), reinstall it.

Ignoring security basics

Sure, Androids may not be as hip or in-demand as the latest iPhone, but they still get lost or stolen.

The first thing you should do to secure their devices is to go into Settings/Security and create a screen lock password.

The next thing you should do in the Security settings is tap “Device administrators” and then check “Android Device Manager.” Activating this service will allow you to locate and lock your missing device or even wipe all data on the phone from your desktop PC or another device. Just sign into your Google account and then do a search on “Android device manager” and it should find your lost device.

There are plenty of other things you can do to make your Android phone more secure and easier to use, but just taking the steps above will go a long way toward making your Android experience more enjoyable and productive.

Crazy Taxi: City Rushes to Android

Hot on the heels of its iOS counterpart, the mobile-exclusive Crazy Taxi: City Rush is now available on Android devices.

Designed by Crazy Taxi creator Kenji Kanno, City Rush has been built specifically for the touchscreen interface found on mobile devices. Though the game still centers on racing through a city, gathering pedestrians and delivering them safely to their destinations, Crazy Taxi: City Rush also includes new characters, new cabs (including a tank) and new jobs spread throughout the sunny streets of Bay City. The soundtrack does lack a certain iconic flair, but City Rush makes it easy to recreate your childhood arcade memories with the option to import custom soundtracks.

Crazy Taxi: City Rush can now be found on Google Play. It's a free download, but the game does feature numerous in-app purchase options.

Android 5.0 L update for Nexus devices soon?

Google has yet to reveal a specific release date for the Android 5.0 L update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10. Hence, the most accurate information regarding this matter is that the update will be launched later this year.



However, some users believe that Google will veer away from its usual launching routine and schedule this year.

In previous years, Google has consistently released major Android updates twice annually. The first release usually occurs during the mid-summer while the next one happens mid-to-late-fall.

On the other hand, Apple habitually unveils its new iOS versions in the summer during WWDC. These updated versions will be alloted several months of testing before being officially released to the public. After rigorous testing and scrutiny, Apple will then public release the updated system in the fall.

This year, Google appears to intend to follow the same pattern in launching the Android 5.0 L for the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10.

This assumption is actually backed by sufficient information and evidence observed by avid users and spectators of Google.

The official announcement of Android L was made in June. This debut was done at the Google I/O 2014. This version was then made available as a Developer Preview for Nexus 5 and Nexus 7. Following the precedent set by Apple, users believe that the new Android update will be released for the supported devices roughly around late October or early November. This release will be simultaneously done with the launch of rumored new Nexus devices.

In accordance with the purported pattern, speculations have surfaced concerning a new Nexus tablet. In addition to this gadget, details of a Nexus 6 smartphone has been going around online. If these cases are proven to be correct, then both devices will also run using the new Android 5.0 L.

To sum up these speculations, it may be safe to assume that the Android 5.0 L update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 will be publicly released around October to November.

Sony is giving up on PlayStation Mobile for Android

Sony will no longer support PlayStation Mobile for Android devices, originally part of the company's initiative to support cross-platfform indie releases publishing for both PS Vita and Google's operating system, the company confirmed today.

While the service will continue to exist on PlayStation Certified devices that run Android 4.4.2 and below, Sony will no longer guarantee games will play correctly from Android 4.4.3 and up. Likewise, there are no guarantees that users will be able to access the store on newer Android devices.

Android L, the upcoming release for phones and tablets, won't have access to the store at all. According to Sony, it has no plans to offer PlayStation Certified status on any more devices.

The PlayStation Mobile initiative launched in 2012 with plans to seek out indie developers looking to bring experimental games to mobile certified devices. At the time, PlayStation's Sarah Thomson told us that guidelines for Apple's iTunes Store and Google Play for Android don't necessarily apply to what Sony wanted to do with PlayStation Mobile.

"We're looking for indies who are wanting to bring interesting, unique content to the platform," Thomson says. "There are restrictions with iOS, where the platform is a lot more heavily policed or where it's a little more conservative, or a little edgier, if you're wanting to do something a little more experimental where publishers might not necessarily fund because it's risky, that's the kind of stuff we want to look at.

"That's what really defines a platform, so that's what we're looking for."

For The First Time Ever, Android Is Beating iOS In Web Usage

Apple has lost yet another battle to Android.

According to the latest data from Net Applications (via 9to5Mac), Android usage is now higher than iOS, Apple's iPhone and iPad operating system. Net Applications measures web traffic across 160 million monthly visits.

For the longest time, Apple CEO Tim Cook would mock Android - Android tablets in particular - by saying no one uses them. Last year he said, "I don't know what these other tablets are doing. They must be in warehouses, or on store shelves, or maybe in somebody's bottom drawer!"

But, he can't make fun of Android any more. Web traffic to Android is higher than iOS for the first time in history. This shows that Android users are getting more engaged with their devices, using them more and more.

What does this mean for Apple in the long run? It's hard to say. Android has been clobbering iOS in market share for years now, but Apple has been fine.

Apple is still minting cash, and the iPhone business continues to grow at a double digit pace on annual basis.

The risk for Apple in any of these situations is that developers abandon the platform for Android, which has more users, and, now, a more engaged user base. If Apple loses developer interest, then it will have worse applications, and iOS becomes a second-tier platform.

Apple has hundreds of millions of users and millions of developers. There are no signs that developers are getting bored with the platform.

So, this is mostly just an embarrassment for Apple right now.

Microsoft sues Samsung for not paying Android royalties

Microsoft is taking Samsung to court, claiming that Samsung has stopped honoring an Android patent licensing agreement both companies have entered back in 2011.

Following fruitless discussions with Samsung over its refusal to continue paying royalties to Microsoft for every device running on Google's Android operating system it sells, Microsoft filed a lawsuit before the U.S. District Court in New York's Southern District on Friday, asking the court to take over the resolution of the dispute between it and Samsung.

In its complaint, Microsoft says Samsung was late in paying its royalties to Microsoft in the fall of last year and claims that Samsung is again threatening to pay its obligations because of Microsoft's recent acquisition of Nokia's Devices and Services division. Microsoft is also seeking interest payments that currently go unpaid after Samsung's late royalties payments.

David Howard, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel for Microsoft, says in a blog post that the two companies have gone through "months" of discussions to no avail, citing a "fundamental disagreement" in the companies' understanding of their contract.

"We don't take lightly filing a legal action, especially against a company with which we've enjoyed a long and productive partnership," Howard writes. "Unfortunately, even partners sometimes disagree."

Microsoft also alleges that Samsung's dominant rise to the top of the Android market is likely the reason why it has refused paying royalties. Howard cites data from research firm IDC that says Samsung shipped 314 million Android phones in the first quarter of 2014, a significant jump from the 82 million units shipped in 2011 when Samsung entered the multi-year agreement with Microsoft.

"Curiously, Samsung did not ask the court to decide whether the Nokia acquisition invalidated its contract with Microsoft, likely because it knew its position was meritless," says Howard.

Surprisingly enough, both companies extended the coverage of their contract into 2018 in November last year, after Microsoft's announcement that it was buying out Nokia's phone business and Samsung's late royalties payment for Fiscal Year 2.

Microsoft's Android patent licensing business is a profitable one, generating about $2 billion every year in revenues with a margin of around 95%, says Nomura analyst Rick Sherlund. Microsoft itself has said that nearly every Android device maker pays the company an alleged $5 to $15 in royalties for each device the company sells. The profits, Sherlund says, is used to conceal losses in Microsoft's own entertainment and devices business consisting of Windows Phone, Xbox and Skype.  

For its part, Samsung refused to say anything beyond the fact that the company is reviewing Microsoft's claims and will come up with an appropriate response based on its evaluation. 

Hollywood’s worst nightmare just got worse, as Popcorn Time’s Android app gets Chromecast support

Torrent-streaming platform Popcorn Time already has the movie industry quaking in its proverbial boots, with a cross-platform service that streams video content via torrents in real-time. It’s like Netflix, except its peer-to-peer (P2P), offers infinitely more content, and has very questionable legality. But with its latest update, things are being pushed to the next level.

Last week, you may recall that Popcorn Time’s Windows app received Chromecast support, essentially bringing any popular movie to your TV screens for free in next to no time. And a couple of months after Popcorn Time arrived on Android, its mobile app now has Chromecast support too.

Google’s Chromecast dongle is available to buy in 12 countries across Europe and North America, letting anyone stream or mirror content from their Chrome browser, or compatible Android and iOS apps. This includes Netflix, and offers a massively convenient way of browsing for movies or TV shows on your smartphone, and beaming them directly to your flat-screen.

While movie industry bodies have been pushing hard against the rise of torrent sites in recent years, with varying degrees of success, Popcorn Time is pushing back. It basically makes it easy for anyone to access all the big-name releases to stream instantly, meaning they don’t have to wait for huge file downloads before they can start watching. And with the Popcorn Time Mac app next up for Chromecast support, it’s safe to say that Hollywood’s worst nightmare is getting a whole lot worse.

Android L review

Apple isn't the only firm to announce a major update to its mobile OS this month: Google has been busy, too. At its annual Google I/O developer conference, the company announced Android L – the follow up to Android Kitkat – which we've been using courtesy of an early beta on a Nexus 7 tablet.

It's all about "Material Design" with Android L: a new, cleaner look that, in conjunction with a revamped set of animations, gives the OS a more modern feel. The design draws heavily on Google Now's card-based design; expect to see plenty of rectangular panels whizzing around the screen.

Despite the cleaner, flatter visuals, though, there's some depth to Android's new visual approach: by allowing developers to specify the position of UI elements with Z (depth) as well as X and Y co-ordinates, Android L's flat elements have the ability to rise and slide above the other elements, with subtle effects such as drop shadows giving the feeling there's more to the OS than simply minimalism.

Android L preview: notifications and lockscreen

This is most obvious in Android L's notifications system, which has been completely redesigned: before, notifications were largely white on black; now they're displayed on collapsible and expandable white "cards". The two-fingered downward swipe for access to the quick settings has been abandoned, too, but the settings are still there. Instead, you pull down once to access notifications, then again to reveal the quick settings panel, which has also been redesigned and simplified.

These redesigned notifications also make it onto the lock screen, where it's now possible to scroll through them and expand, dismiss and launch into apps directly. With Google Now cards appearing at the bottom of the list, and quick settings also available here, it means you can get a lot done without having to unlock your device.

It isn't only the Notifications that have been perked up, however; the settings menu looks completely different, too. On our Nexus 7, items were arranged across two columns, rather than one, allowing you to see more at once. The Recent Apps view, meanwhile, goes from a flat thumbnail view to a smoothly animated, Rolodex-style 3D card view.

The most extreme aspect of the redesign comes with the new onscreen keyboard. This is completely flat, with the "keys" losing their outlines altogether and blending into the background. It looks odd initially, but we found it easy to get used to; if anything, it feels more spacious than before, since you're less worried about hitting the centre of each key.

Security has been revisited, too, via the personal unlocking feature. This allows your phone or tablet to be unlocked automatically when in proximity with another trusted device or in a trusted environment. Alas, it wasn't working in the release we tested.

Android L preview: new runtime

However, all this is mere window dressing next to the most significant update in Android L, which is the introduction of the ART runtime. The main difference between ART and the current Dalvik runtime is that it employs ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation, by which apps are translated to machine code on installation. This contrasts with in-time compilation, which compiles on an as-required basis. There's also support for 64-bit CPUs (in anticipation of them appearing in handsets).

The move to AOT should improve the speed at which apps launch and run and reduce stutter, at the cost of slower install times and a larger storage and memory footprint. Another benefit should be longer battery life, since AOT reduces CPU usage. In conjunction with the new battery-saver mode, we expect to see a jump in battery life when the next generation of Android tablets and phones appears.

Android L certainly felt more responsive on our Nexus 7 than KitKat, with snappier, punchier transitions and animations and less judder all round; in other words, what you'd expect. Headline benchmark figures, on the other hand, showed no improvement whatsoever, although this perhaps shouldn't be surprising. Since most benchmark utilities are already built using native code they wouldn't benefit from ART anyway.

Android L preview: verdict

The first Android L devices won't see the light of day until the autumn, but Android L feels like a major step forward for Google's mobile OS, even at this early stage. A slicker look and feel, combined with improved performance and, potentially, better battery life, should further strengthen Android's hold over the smartphone and compact tablet market.

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Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 2012 get unofficial Android L

The Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 will be getting Android L from Google. Image: Google

Developers have cobbled together unofficial builds of Android L for the Nexus 4 and the first Nexus 7 model.

Google's approach to the release of Android L is a little different to that for previous versions of its OS: for the first time, it's offering developers a preview version and a subset of source code for the forthcoming operating system.

It's given developers a chance to play with some of the upcoming changes to Android that Google announced at its I/O conference last month, including a look at Android L's "material design" principles for its user interface; Project Volta, Google's plan to improve battery life; and various other tweaks to the interface.

But while Google published Android L source code for the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10, the developer preview firmware was only available for the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 wi-fi 2013 edition devices.

However, developers on the XDA forums have bridged the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 gap, giving users on the two devices the chance to play with the new but currently incomplete OS.

While the first and second builds of the preview Android L for the Nexus 4 suffered from wi-fi issues and other bugs, a new update called 'Beta 3 Preview' is thought to have addressed many of the problems. Other issues listed on the project's GitHub bug tracker page that are being worked on include problems with the camera, lock screen, LTE, and tethering issues.

Anyone keen to install Android L will find that many apps are broken in the OS — there's a live listbeing updated here.

A port for the Nexus 7 2012 is also available, however, as the developer that built it notes, it's "fairly useless" since many critical features don't work.

While it's still too early to say which devices will get Android L, the release of source code for all current Nexus devices suggests they will get the update when it arrives this autumn.

Android L Tests Show A Massive Improvement In Battery Life

Google unveiled the successor to Android 4.4 KitKat at its I/O last week, and apart from the major UI changes, said it had made several tweaks to improve a device's battery life. 'Project Volta' as it has been christened includes a new API that schedules minor tasks better and ART, which is a much more efficient app runtime.

Now that the Android L developer preview has been out for some time, ARS Technica has really put Google's latest software through its paces, and done tests to see if all those battery saving claims are actually true. The verdict? Running a device on Android L saw a 36% improvement in battery life when compared to KitKat.

Those results are pretty similar to what many XDA users found, while there were also the odd cases where battery life was significantly reduced. Those hiccups were most likely beta stage bugs, as some users reported WhatsApp contributing to 15% of their battery use.

While nothing is a 100 per cent certain at this stage and there are a lot of bugs that need to be ironed out on Android L, we're certainly excited to see the improvements Google's all-new mobile OS brings us.

Serious crypto key vulnerability leaves 86 percent of Android devices at risk

Yet another major malware threat has been discovered on Android and this time a whole lot of devices could be affected. Researchers say nearly 86 percent of all Android phones have this vulnerability which allows attackers to obtain highly sensitive data such as cryptographic keys for banking services and enterprise VPN credentials, as well as PINs or patterns used to unlock these devices.

The threat is seen in the Android KeyStore, a part of OS which handles storage of keys and sensitive credentials. The advisory published by IBM security researchers this week shows that by exploiting the weakness, a hacker could run malicious software that can leave sensitive data open. The advisory noted that Google issued a patch for the stack-based buffer overflow in 4.4.x i.e KitKat, but the remaining versions of the OS remain under threat. According to the last platform numbers, KitKat accounted for a mere 13.6 percent of all activated Android devices, leaving a whopping 86.4 percent devices with no fix.

Having said that attackers would need to overcome several security obstacles laid down by Google before they can execute any malicious code. Ars Technica reports “Attackers would also have to have an app installed on a vulnerable handset. Still, the vulnerability is serious because it resides in KeyStore, arguably one of the most sensitive resources in the Android OS.”

Dan Wallach, an Android security expert told the website, “Generally speaking this is how apps are going to store their authentication credentials, so if you can compromise the KeyStore, you can log in as the phone’s user to any service where they’ve got a corresponding app, or, at least, an app that remembers who you are and lets you log back in without typing a password. This means that most banking apps, which force you to type your password every time, are probably safe against this particular attack.”