Dropbox Adds Automatic Photo Uploads to Android App

Dropbox announced an update to its Android app on Friday that automatically syncs a user's photos on the phone. A complementary update to the desktop app also auto-syncs photos stored on cameras or SD cards.

The service will be added to Apple's iOS soon, Dropbox said.

On Android, the photo-upload function mirrors one already built into phone: Google+ already can be set to automatically upload photos and store them in the cloud. On the other hand, Google won't allow any photos over 2,048 pixels wide, so high-resolution cameraphone images won't be stored on Google+ in their full resolution.

The Dropbox Android app can automatically upload your photos and videos to Dropbox using Wi-Fi or your data plan. They're all uploaded at original size and full quality, and saved to a private folder called Camera Uploads in your Dropbox, Dropbox said. The desktop version will automatically kick in if a camera or SD card is connected, uploading the photos to Dropbox.

"You've been there. After a long night out, you left your phone in the cab," Jeff Bartelma, director of product at Dropbox, wrote in a blog post. "Or maybe you went canoeing and sent your camera for a swim. Buying a new one hurts, but the worst part is that all those photos and videos are long gone. Even when nothing bad happens, it's no fun having to track down photos spread across your computers, your PowerShot, or that old cracked phone."

Unfortunately, photos are merely uploaded, not synced, so if a user accidentally deletes them from the Uploads folder, they'll be deleted from Dropbox - though not the phone itself.

Users will receive 500MB of Dropbox space, for free, just for downloading the app. As users upload more photos, the available space will increase, up to a total of 3GB, the company said. (Beta testers received an extra 4.5GB of storage.) Box for Android, an unrelated service that also saw an upgrade this week, provides 50GB of free storage, but without any dedicated photo uploading.

Original Source

Opera Software : Opera Mobile comes to MIPS-based Android tablets

Opera and MIPS to demo solution at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Barcelona, Spain - February 27, 2012

MIPS Technologies, a leading provider of industry-standard processor architectures and cores for digital home, networking and mobile applications, and Opera Software have worked together to optimize the highly popular Opera Mobile browser for MIPS-based Android mobile devices.

The Opera Mobile browser is the leading third-party browser on the Android platform, with smooth browsing, data compression using the Opera Turbo feature, and industry-leading HTML5 support. Highlights from the new Opera Mobile Labs release include advanced HTML5 and WebGL support.
MIPS and Opera will demonstrate the Opera Mobile browser running on new MIPS-Based Android 4.0

"Ice Cream Sandwich" tablets during Mobile World Congress (MWC) being held February 27 - March 1, 2012, in Barcelona, Spain. Consumers who already have an Android tablet or phone running on a MIPS-Based chip now have the power of Opera Mobile available for download.

"Opera provides more than just a browser - the company's technology provides a window to the World Wide Web, as well as web-based services and apps. With a long experience in HTML5 support, Opera gives an outstanding web experience, now available also on MIPS-based mobile devices," said Gideon Intrater, Vice President of Marketing, MIPS Technologies.

"Opera and MIPS have collaborated on the TV platform for a long time, and, now, we've decided to work together also to give people a great experience on mobile products," said Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software. "We invite MWC attendees to visit our booth and see the amazing result we've achieved by optimizing our browser for MIPS-based Android mobile devices for the first time."
 
Availability and demonstration at Mobile World Congress
Opera Mobile Labs release with support for the MIPS architecture is available for download now.
To see the Opera Mobile Labs Edition running on the world's first Android 4.0 Tablet, MWC attendees can visit the Opera booth (Hall 1, booth C44). To arrange a demonstration with Opera at MWC, contact Pål Unanue-Zahl palu[at]opera.com, mobile: +47 9973 7951.
To schedule a demonstration with MIPS at MWC, contact info[at]mips.com. For more information about MIPS Technologies at the show, visit http://www.virtualpressoffice.com/kit/ma5n.
 
About MIPS Technologies, Inc.
MIPS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MIPS) is a leading provider of industry-standard processor architectures and cores that power some of the world's most popular products for the home entertainment, communications, networking and portable multimedia markets. These include broadband devices from Linksys, DTVs and digital consumer devices from Sony, DVD recordable devices from Pioneer, digital set-top boxes from Motorola, network routers from Cisco, 32-bit microcontrollers from Microchip Technology and laser printers from Hewlett-Packard. Founded in 1998, MIPS Technologies is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices worldwide. For more information, contact (408) 530-5000or visit www.mips.com.
 
About Opera Software ASA
The worldwide World Wide Web - any device, any platform, any bandwidth, absolutely anywhere in the world. Opera Software was founded in 1994, based on the idea that access to the web should be a universal right. 250 million people (and counting) use the Opera web browsers for computers, mobile phones, TVs and other connected devices. Opera also delivers tools, distribution, engagement, monetization and market insights to developers, publishers and brands around the world. We are passionate about breaking down barriers, so everyone can share in the power of the internet. Our vision of one web for all remains at the heart of what we do, because we believe that participation changes everything. Opera Software ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA.www.opera.com.

Original Source
Android App Development

Google Adds Collaboration Features to Google Docs for Android

Mountain View based software powerhouse Google has announced that the Android variant of Google Docs now allows users to collaborate on documents.
The updated app now allows a user to edit and see the changes made by the other users on their android handset in real time, the company announced on a proud note.
"We want to give everyone the chance to be productive no matter where they are, so today we're releasing a new update to the Google Docs app for Android," Google software engineer Vadim Gerasimov wrote in a blog post.

"We've brought the collaborative experience from Google Docs on the desktop to your Android device," he added. Not just that, the company also revamped the user interface of the massively popular application with added functionalities such as pinch zooming that enables users to focus on a certain segment of the document.
A previous update dished out by the company earlier in the month made it possible for users to access their documents even in offline mode. To unveil the changes introduced by this latest update, the company has also come up with a teaser video that explains the different newly added aspects in the application.

Original Source

Android App Development

New BlackBerry OS supports Android apps

(RIM) has released its latest BlackBerry PlayBook OS update that, amongst other features, allows users to download a wider range of Android supported apps.

RIM senior vice-president of mobile computing, David Smith, said the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 aimed at providing new communications and productivity enhancements along with its extended app and content support. New features include:

• Integrated email client with a unified inbox: Users have an option to use a unified inbox that integrates all messages in one place including messages received through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and work and personal emails.
• Social integration with calendar and contacts apps: The built-in calendar and contacts apps incorporate social media information by extracting Facebook user information to the contacts application and social events to the calendar.
• Updated BlackBerry Bridge app: It provides improved Bluetooth connection between the BlackBerry PlayBook and BlackBerry smartphone. It also includes a new remote control function that enables the smartphone to be used as a wireless keyboard and mouse for a PlayBook.
• Improved mobile productivity: It comprises updated document editing functions with a new Print To Go app; corporate data manageability with the BlackBerry Balance; an updated virtual keyboard that auto corrects and predicts next word completion.
• New apps and content: Along with a new BlackBerry Video Store, thousands of new apps are available from the BlackBerry App world – including a range of Android apps that will run on the device.

The company is also making available an initial release of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, a solution that supports managing BlackBerry PlayBook and BlackBerry smartphones within an enterprise.

The full release of the solution (with mobile device management capabilities for iOS and Android devices) is expected to be available in late March. The BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 software update is available as a free download for all BlackBerry PlayBook tablets and the BlackBerry Video Store will be made available in the US initially.

Support for other countries will be provided later this year. 

Original Source

Android tablets are doomed without a single OS version

A lot of ink has been spilled decrying the Android fragmentation problem, and while the smartphone space is surviving in spite of it the tablet space will not.

 This weekend has been an Android tablet weekend. I’ve been updating all the tablets I have, both OS and app updates. I like doing it as it is fun to get under the hood with Android and tinker. All of this updating has driven one point home that Google hasn’t understood yet — until there is one OS version on all Android tablets they will never compete well.

The tablets I have are varied, yet have something in common that is giving me fits. All but one of them is running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), which is not even an official tablet OS version according to Google. The one exception, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, is officially running Honeycomb, a “real” tablet OS. The latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS), has been out for a few months and there are even apps appearing that require it, but it is only available on one or two tablets.

That is a huge problem for Android tablets in the marketplace — it’s bad enough to not have the latest OS version but with tablet apps now requiring the latest version that no one has it is a deal-breaker. Google likes to spout an insane number of apps in the Android Market that are optimized for the tablet, but the fact is very few tablets in customers’ hands can even install them. Tablet apps require Honeycomb or later to install, and the vast majority of tablets sold (thanks to the Kindle Fire) are running a non-tablet version, Gingerbread.
Pre-Honeycomb tablets are restricted to running phone apps blown up to fit the tablet screen. Apps actually written for tablet use require Honeycomb at least, so only a fraction of tablets sold can even run them. Now apps are appearing that require ICS, Google’s own Chrome browser is at the top of the list, and those can run on maybe a few customer’s tablets.

The system has evolved so that most tablets sold cannot run tablet apps. That makes no sense on any level, but it is the way things have been allowed to happen. Now Honeycomb tablets cannot run the best tablet apps, even though they are genuine tablets. Android tablet owners have everything stacked against them at every turn, and Google is firmly to blame for that situation.

The real group impacted by this tablet OS situation is the app developers. They are expected to write tablet apps for the platform with few tablet owners able to run them. Now they are dependent on only the latest version of Android to take advantage of the platform, aka Google Chrome, and yet they can’t expect much return due to the lack of tablets in the market that can even run those apps.

Owners can take matters into their own hands and root their tablet and put an unsupported ROM onboard. I’ve done that with my Galaxy Tab 10.1 to get ICS installed so I can run Google Chrome. That’s not the way it should work, however, and why Android will never aggressively compete in the tablet space. While the smartphone space can survive the fragmentation issue, tablets cannot.

Even Microsoft understands that a single tablet platform is required to have a chance in the market, and while I’m not sure it will compete well I respect its approach. Android on tablets is floundering, however, and will continue to do so until Google gets a single tablet OS version on all tablets sold.

Original Source
Android App Development

Android 4.0 Update on Acer Iconia Tab is Starting

If you’re the owner of any Acer Iconia Tab, you’ll be pleased to know that the company has finally started rolling out its update to the latest Android OS. However, updates will be completed by the end of April so you have to check if the update is already available to your specific tablet model.

According to Acer, the new OS is equipped with improvements that will make each tablet easier to use and navigate. In addition, these tablets will have an improved user interface as well as an easier time in managing applications and folders. Acer has also improved the Web browser and also the multitasking features of the tablet. Moreover, the update comes with Acer Ring; an app that lets users have an easier time accessing key apps on their tablet, take and post pictures, and even write new status updates on any of their social networks.

The first Iconia Tab model to get the update will be the 10-inch A200 models; which will be completed by next week. On the other hand, 7-inch Iconia Tab A100 and 10-inch Iconia Tab A500 models will get the update by the end of April. This is both for tablets based in the United States.
When asked when the update will be delivered in other parts of the world, Acer has failed to comment. So Iconia Tab units from other parts of the world will have to make do with the Android 3.0 OS until Acer finally releases the update for Android 4.0.

Original Source
 Android App Development

Malware loves Android, but iOS users could be at risk too

A new study from Juniper finds that Android is the hardest hit by malicious apps but says iOS could be vulnerable as well.

Android has gotten a lot of negative buzz for its susceptibility to malware. But a new study from Juniper Networks suggests that iOS could also be at risk.

Scanning hundreds of thousands of applications across the mobile landscape for its 2011 Mobile Threats Report, Juniper uncovered more than 28,000 pieces of malware last year, a rise of 155 percent from 2010.
As expected, Android was the post popular target.

Malware aimed at Google's mobile OS surged to 13,000 samples at the end of last year from only 400 in June, an increase of 3,325 percent. The platform's leading market share and the lack of control over the apps found in Android app stores have attracted more malware writers.

Before 2011, most mobile malware was targeted at Nokia's Symbian and Java ME, which runs on feature phones. But since then, Juniper has witnessed a huge shift toward Android.

Juniper's database didn't include malware samples for iOS, not necessarily because none exist, but because Apple doesn't release such data or open its platform for such analysis.

"While malicious applications on the iOS platform are limited in large part due to Apple's closed application marketplace and stringent screening model, it does not necessarily make it fundamentally more secure," Juniper said in its report released on Tuesday. "For one, when a user 'jailbreaks' their device by removing the limitations on the operating system, the device can be susceptible to malicious applications downloaded from third-party sources."

In fact, an IOS security flaw was discovered in November that allowed apps to download potentially malicious unsigned code. Apple patched the flaw with its iOS 5.0.1 update. And an app exploiting this type of flaw would've been rejected during Apple's approval process. But the incident did show that even iOS isn't invulnerable.

Further, Apple doesn't provide developers with the tools to create anti-malware apps, according to the report. The company may feel secure and justified in not allowing such development. However, such a policy could prove problematic should any risky apps manage to sneak through Apple's approval process.

Original Source

Motorola Android 4.0 Upgrade Accelerating in Q3

Motorola, which has been cleared to be acquired by Google, updated its Android 4.0, or Ice Cream Sandwich, upgrade schedule. Some ICS bumps are coming in Q3, but most are coming later.

Motorola Mobility (NYSE:MMI), which just received the approval to be acquired by Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) by U.S. and European regulators, has updated its timetable for bringing Android 4.0, or Ice Cream Sandwich, to its legion of Android smartphones and tablets. Unfortunately for ICS fans, it won't be particularly soon. While the ICS bump began rolling out for the company's Xoom WiFi slate last month in the United States, the upgrade won't be arriving on many of the OEM's most popular Android gadgets until the third quarter this year. That includes the Motorola Atrix 4G and Atrix 2 handsets for AT&T (NYSE:T), the Photon 4G smartphone on Sprint (NYSE:S), and the Droid Xyboard 10.1 and 8.2 tablets on Verizon Wireless, all in the U.S. The ICS timeline gets murkier for many of Motorola's newer smartphones. Motorola has affixed the "further details to follow" description about an ICS upgrade to the just-launched Droid 4 and Droid Razr Maxx, the Droid Razr, Droid Bionic and the Xoom WiFi+3G devices. The Droid 3 and Droid X2 are also on this short list. That schedule won't satisfy many users attracted to some of the OEM's best high-end handsets, but such is the price consumers pay at a time when Android upgrades continue to be a messy affair. Motorola provided the update on its support forum Web page, where back in December it detailed the upgrade process for bringing its devices to a fresh version of Android. Users may check the forum for news about when upgrades are available, though they will also receive alerts from their handsets or tablets when an upgrade is available over the air. Meanwhile, a lot is going on with Motorola of late. The OEM, which last month inked a deal to build smartphones and tablets with Intel Atom processors, is set to unveil an Intel handset at Mobile World Congress later this month. On Feb. 13, both the European Commission and Justice Department blessed the company's $12.5 billion merger with Google, which will use the company's 17,000-plus patents to firm up its defense of Android from Microsoft, Apple and other players in the increasingly litigious mobile market. Original Source Android App Development

Remove Android App Pulls Distracting People Out Of Your Photos

A new Android application set to be shown at this year's MWC in Spain can remove unwanted passers-by from the frame.

Scalado, the same software firm behind Rewind has announced a new app: Remove. Set to be shown off at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona later this month, the application will let you remove people that you don't want from the frame. While Scalado hasn't immediately said what method they're using for this technology, the smart money is that it records a video or series of images, and then extrapolates which objects are in-motion, and allows you to remove them and replace the background.

However, that leads to the major caveat that's obliquely hinted at on the app's website "you can remove anyone moving around." So the person you're removing has to be moving themselves, which makes sense because otherwise there wouldn't be a background for it to reference.

If you're interested in moving and removing objects from a scene, but in a far more powerful way, Adobe has just shown off the new "content-aware move" feature of CS6, which looks like it'll give an unparalleled ability to recompose your scenes in post-processing.

Original Source