Although many of Google's big announcements over the past year or so have related to Project Glass, this year's I/O developers conference was all about Android, Android Wear, and the Chromecast, with the search giant also rolling out some new products and services for the home and auto markets. Chromecast, which first hit the scene last year, is not only incredibly cheap, but also highly functional, and at the aforementioned I/O in June, we learned that the Big G was about to add Android Mirroring to the HDMI dongle's repertoire. Today, the company has delivered on that promise, and now, Android-wielding Chromecast users can beam the contents of their display onto their HDTVs.
There are literally hundreds of reasons why a particular device may appeal to one person and not another, but when you strip that away we're all concerned with the privacy and integrity of the data that passes through that device. If your smartphone of choice resides on the Android side of the fence then it could be time to rethink how sensitive data is wiped from memory after a new research has suggested that data removed using Android's native wipe feature can be restored.
Android's open-source nature is a bit of a double-edged sword in many respects, for although it's customizable to the nth degree, it's also much more susceptible to malicious intrusion when compared with the likes of Apple's iOS. On a regular basis, we hear of new, cunning schemes designed to attack smartphones and tablets running on Google's flagship mobile OS, and today, we've encountered a particularly alarming security hole that could potentially help a hacker relieve you of vast mounds of cash.
Nokia, which was recently acquired by Microsoft, has long built great smartphones, particularly those of the Lumia variety. But while the market has been enticed by the sleek, funky designs and top-notch rear-facing camera technology, most have been put-off by the Windows Phone OS, which is nowhere near as evolved as, say, Android.
If you've ever used a Chromebook or indeed, a Chrome tower, you'll know that the software feels just a little bit too light. Sure, it's fast, and if you're heavily invested on Google products on the Web, then it's awesome for your day-to-day needs, but in some instances - i.e. where the use of an app is required - it's always good to have a Mac or PC handy. In a concerted effort try and resolve the issue of Chrome OS feeling like something of a ghost town, Google has announced its intention to get Android apps running natively on its desktop software, and although the process is still in the early stages, this could be a significant step in getting consumers onside with Chrome OS.
The long-awaited, albeit incremental Android 4.4.3 update was only officially released a couple of weeks back for folks on the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 smartphones, along with the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets and Google Play Edition devices. Already, though, the Big G has deemed it necessary to push Android 4.4.4, and the reason for this swift update is to fix a lurking security bug discovered shortly after Android 4.4.3 dropped.
Android's long and storied malware history is almost a thing of folklore at this point. Google's open approach to the way Android is distributed as well as the ability to side-load apps has left its platform wide open for all kinds of mischievous shenanigans, and even though security updates keep rolling out of Google, the issue of device security isn't going to go away overnight.
The name might be more familiar to those carrying iOS devices than Android, but the man they call Geohot has just released his yet another Android rooting app, called 'towelroot' for Samsung flagship Galaxy S5.
Google's chocolatey KitKat 4.4.x flavor of Android is seen by many as a rather incremental bump on 4.3 Jelly Bean, and as such, there's a real sense of anticipation surrounding what's next from the search giant's flagship mobile OS. According to reports and leaks, the next version is currently being referred to simply as "L" at its current developmental stage, and as per some more recent coverage, the so-called "Quantum Paper" movement underpinning the entire process will seek to bring uniformity to Google software in general - irrespective of device or platform.
If you're a fan of the trend that sees smartphone sizes seemingly increasing with every new major product release, then you're probably already a big fan of Samsung's Galaxy Note line of smartphones-cum-tablets. Weighing in with screens that most of us wouldn't want to carry around in our pockets, the Note family of smartphones has always been popular amongst those who want a device that's large enough to watch movies on without having to carry around a tablet.
