Android is the Future of Mobile Devices

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I think Google’s Android operating system is the future for mobile devices like smart phones. That’s not to say that Apple’s iPhone isn’t a great device. It is. Touch screen phones wouldn’t be what they are today without Apple pushing the envelope in the last few years, but, the iPhone has one big problem. Apple. Apple has created a closed system, and, while that closed system has allowed Apple to produce a great product thus far, it will ultimately be the reason that Android surpasses the iPhone.

Android is a great operating system for mobile devices. There are some aspects that aren’t quite as polished yet, but overall, It has significantly closed the lead that Apple has had in terms of functionality, quality, and user experience. The openness of the Android platform is what I think will propel it into the lead over the next two years.

Google makes Android available to any device manufacturer that wants to use it. There are no licensing fees, there is no exclusive carrier, and developers don’t have to jump through hoops to get their applications approved.

Apple has had a long head start, but since November, we have seen a number of new Android based devices become available. Sprint has picked up the Hero and the Moment, Verizon now has the DROD and DROID Eris, Tmobile has the G1, MyTouch, and the Cliq. Tmobile is also the carrier partner for Google’s own Nexus One, the new flagship Android “superphone” as Google calls it. AT&T has plans to launch their Android devices sometime in the first half of 2010.

Moving forward, I don’t see how Apple will be able to maintain the lead overall. The iPhone may continue to be a best seller when comparing sales of individual handset models, but I think that the Android platform as a whole will overtake Apple’s market share when looking at the combined number of handsets sold across every manufacturer and carrier.

There is one major problem that Google may face with Android. The problem, as I see it, is that wireless carriers move at a glacial pace compared to Google. Android 1.0 was released in September of 2008. In just over a year, we have seen Android advance from 1.0 to 1.5, to 1.6, to 2.0, and now to 2.1. To the carriers, this is incredibly fast, especially considering the amount of time that they take to test new devices on their networks before releasing them to their customers. It can take the better part of a year to design, build, test, and release a device.

The rapid development pace of Android means that by the time a device is released, it’s operating system will likely be out of date. This is already the case with devices like the Hero, Eris, and Moment, which just became available in November of 2009. These three brand new devices were released with Android 1.5. It has been announced that these devices will receive firmware updates to Android 2.1 sometime in the first half of 2010, but a firm date has not been established.

Luckily, in time, I think two things will happen. First, I think that as Android matures, the development pace will begin to slow down a little bit, easing some of the pressure on the carriers. Second, I think the carriers have realized that they can not continue to move at the same pace that they always have and expect to remain competitive.

Teens Talk Sexting and Disrespect to National Group

PRWeb

Arlington, VA (Vocus/PRWEB ) January 15, 2010 — According to the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), teens say they know they should not get involved in sexting - sending nude or inappropriate sexual texts - but do it anyway. Believing they will not be caught, teens report that they send the texts then delete them hoping no one else will forward them. The young people also state that disrespect is growing rapidly in the digital world and say they need help defining and restoring respect among their peers.

Focus group research with youth ages 8-17, revealed disrespect and bullying is happening more online than where kids learn and play…

Read more about sexting

Mobile Security Market to Exceed $4 Billion by 2014, Says ABI Research

Earth Times

NEW YORK - (Business Wire) Strong enterprise demand for data security is driving rapid growth in mobile device management services. According to a new study by ABI Research, the number of smartphones protected by advanced security software will increase fivefold over the next five years.

Enterprises with mobile workforces have growing concerns about lost and stolen handsets, due to the increasing amount of data stored on a typical smartphone. In addition, organizations that deal with financial data, healthcare information, or personal identification such as social security numbers have to comply with several regulatory requirements (such as HIPAA, GISRA, and SEC) for protecting data, wherever it is stored.

Read more about Mobile Security

Haitian Tragedy Could Lead to Fraud

On Tuesday, the people and country of Haiti found themselves to be the victims of a great tragedy, in the form of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked the country. Waking up this morning we’re seeing, as it should be, humanitarian efforts popping up all around us. While those efforts are almost always of the best intentions, it is worth mentioning that tragedies such as this always seems to bring the worst creatures of our species from the woodworks.

With nearly every major tragedy we have seen over the last decade, we’ve seen good hearted people that have donated time and (possibly more importantly) money to the efforts to re-stabilize the affected. Unfortunately, we also see fraudsters and criminals use these tragedies as a means to make a quick buck off of the backs of those individuals that would like to help.

I will not attempt to take a look at all of the charity efforts underway and attempt to determine what is real and what is fake, but I would like to take this time to caution everyone that would like to donate to be somewhat cautious when and how they choose to donate. You will likely be approached in person, over email, on television, the radio and now I would highly expect to see these same types of offers finding their way into your mobile devices.

I would expect to see “TXT to Donate” offers where, I would assume, you will be asked to send an SMS message to some short code SMS premium number that will automatically charge your mobile account and will deposit the funds into some sort of relief fund. While I’m certain there will be legitimate “TXT to Donate” type funds setup that will undoubtedly pass the funds on to those in need, I can guarantee that there will be just as many, if not more that are completely fraudulent. I’m equally as certain that smartphone applications will also begin popping up that purport to provide some sort of support to the relief efforts as well. I would just like to caution everyone to be vigilent, perform your due diligence when choosing how and where to donate your money to the relief efforts that will ensue.

When in doubt, please look to the time-tested, standard organizations for providing your support. I hear the Red Cross is always a good place to direct your assistance efforts….

‘Sexting’ an explosive issue locally - Teens think sexting is harmless, but sending explicit pictures can blow up in their faces

By JANET LUNDQUIST
The Herald-News
Type “sexting” into a Google search and more than 6 million links come up.

The phenomenon — sending nude photos or sexually explicit text messages between cell phones — is starting to hit the media, but isn’t new. Especially to teenagers.

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy conducted a survey in September and October 2008 that found 20 percent of teenagers have posted online or electronically sent nude or semi-nude photos of themselves.

Read more about sexting

About-Betsy Atkins

Betsy S. Atkins - Director

SMobile ContactCrypt

SMobile ContactCrypt for Apple iPhone

The iPhone is a tremendous tool that can help organize personal data, keep people connected and adds entertainment value all in one. SMobile ContactCrypt enables users to add much needed security to this revolutionary device. Unlike other App Store encryption applications that simply create a vault to hold passwords, ContactCrypt is the first ever App Store security application that protects core elements of the iPhone operating system itself. For users of the iPhone 3GS, ContactCrypt provides an increased layer of protection that ensures contact information remains encrypted when the breakable 3GS encryption is easily bypassed ( See article http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/07/iphone-encryption/ )

With SMobile ContactCrypt, users can easily encrypt their sensitive contact information to ensure it remains confidential in the event the device is lost or stolen. Without ContactCrypt, this critical data can easily become available to a person obtaining physical access to the device, which would be devastating to enterprises and consumers alike.

To purchase SMobile’s ContactCrypt for iPhone, visit the Apple App store and search for “SMobile Systems ContactCrypt”

Securing Your Mobile Device…Part 1:

Now that the holidays have come and gone, it’s time to settle in to our normal work routines for the long haul to spring. Most of us have had ample time to tinker around with the new gadgets and gizmo’s we got for Christmas and have likely become at least comfortable navigating our way through the menus and settings on our shiny new Smartphones. Now is probably the right time to start thinking about securing those devices.

As SMobile has shown in the various whitepapers and research projects published at our Global Threat Center, different Smartphone platforms offer different levels and types of possibilities for securing access to the systems and the data they hold. For instance, Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows Mobile and Symbian all offer the ability to set a passcode on the handset to gain access to the device. Some platforms offer stronger protections than others, but they all attempt to limit prying eyes from gaining easy access to your device. It is also extremely effective in preventing an attacker from installing software that we affectionately refer to as “Spyware”. Nearly every variant of spyware that we have analyzed here at SMobile requires that the attacker physically install and perform at least some very basic initial configurations in order for the software to function properly. The bottom line is that configuring your device to require a passcode be entered for access to be granted may be the single most effective way of keeping your information secure.

Read more about securing your Smartphone…