A recent article on AndroidAuthority.com posed the question: should manufacturers start selling rooted Android devices? The writer talked about how much superior the rooted Android experience was. He praised custom ROMs for delivering faster performance and an overall better experience than what the original manufacturer or operator intended. If you need to learn more about the benefits of rooting an Android device, just look at the top of this page. Rooting provides an enormous number of…
If you’re sick of hearing Apple users brag about Siri, then rest assured that you now have a Siri-like option for Android. It’s called “Maluuba” (whatever that means), and it turns voice input into useful commands. Maluuba integrates with popular online services to create a seamless browsing experience. Instead of just watching Siri type something into Google for you (how lazy is that?), Maluuba will make an effort to recognize the context of your command. It has the…
On October 1, Google’s market cap surpassed Microsoft for the first time in company history. That means Google is now the second most valuable tech company in the world, behind only the behemoth that is Apple. What exactly is Google’s market cap? It’s $249 billion compared to Microsoft’s $248 billion. This is good news for Android users, as it shows that Google – and its investors – remain committed to Google’s idea of an open mobile OS and increased innovation in the…
Have you ever thought that your Android phone was watching you? If you have, then you might not be crazy – despite what your friends are telling you. A new type of malware called PlaceRaider has the ability to use your phone unlike any other Android virus ever created. It’s a new breed of malware that has been labelled “visual malware” due to its ability to make a 3D image of a room using pictures taken from an Android camera. Hackers can look at the pictures taken by PlaceRaider…
Android security is becoming an increasingly important issue among smartphone and tablet users. Yes, Androids – just like any computer – can get infected by viruses and malware. So what can you do to protect your Android? Fortunately, there are plenty of free Android apps available for you to use. Here are a few of our favorite free Android security apps. AVG Antivirus Free AVG is Android’s most popular antivirus solution. Although the basic version of AVG is free, there…
You probably use Google Maps Street View to explore new driving routes or admire the front of your house. But a new update to Google Maps Street View allows users to do so much more to that. Google Maps recently released an update that allows users to go underwater using Street View. Instead of exploring driving routes you’ll be exploring diving routes thanks to the addition of a number of exotic underwater locales. The Google Maps team linked up with several ocean research companies to…
If you have a limited data plan, then you know how valuable a Wi-Fi signal can be. But when you’re on a road trip, finding a Wi-Fi signal can be tough. Fortunately, finding free Wi-Fi service on the road might not be as difficult as you think. Today, more and more businesses are offering complementary Wi-Fi to anyone who walks in the door (or parks in the parking lot). If you’re going on a road trip soon, here are a few of the best places to stop for free Wi-Fi for your…
You don’t have to believe in conspiracy theories to understand the dangers of Carrier IQ. Carrier IQ is a dangerous application that monitors the keys you press on your handset, the apps you download, and everything else you do over your phone. Sounds scary, right? You might think Carrier IQ would be a virus or spyware program. But you would be wrong. Carrier IQ is deliberately installed on Android smartphones by providers like AT&T and Sprint. Apple also preinstalls Carrier IQ…
This past week, Apple found out the hard way that the grass is always greener on the other side. After ditching Google Maps for a faulty, problematic Apple Maps app, Apple realized just how difficult it was to design a powerful mapping application like Google Maps. But most Google Maps users aren’t even using the app to its full potential. Writer JR Raphael took a look at some of the best hidden features of Google Maps for Android. Here is what he discovered in his ComputerWorld.com…
How would you like it if all the data on your phone was suddenly erased by a hacker? That’s exactly what could happen to Samsung Galaxy S III owners who haven’t downloaded a recent patch. An exploit in the TouchWiz UI (which is installed on all Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets) apparently allowed anybody to gain remote access to a system and wipe all of the data on the device. At first, the issue was only suspected to affect the Samsung Galaxy S III, but since the problem is…
