Amazon has recently pushed out an update to their AppStore client that brings an exciting new feature. Now in version 2.6.53, the Amazon AppStore on you Android device now has the Test Drive feature built into the app. Test Drive allows you to try out apps before purchasing and installing them, a handy feature if you’re on the edge about getting a new app. This feature has been available on the desktop version of the Amazon AppStore for a while and is rolling out as a beta on the Android client, initially only available for a handful of devices and applications.

Additionally, there’s also some fixes for 3G/4G downloads and stability enhancements. If you already have the Amazon AppStore installed on your device, you may receive an update notification, or you can update from the Settings menu. If you don’t have it, head on over to the Amazon AppStore to download and install it.

Archos has just released a new firmware update for G9 series tablets. The new version number is 4.0.6, not to be confused with the Android version number, which is 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich. The update brings fixes to the WiFi (again) as well as GPS improvement and some other changes. Here’s the full changelog:

Wi-Fi: fix more disconnect cases happening on some access points
GPS: increase stability of GPS
HDMI: do not propose overscan setting when TV supports underscan
muSD: improve reliability of card insertion detection
muSD: fix read/write permission issue occurring with some applications
Applications: fix platform reboot occurring sometimes after a while when using high CPU demanding applications

[Direct Download link]

[via Archos]

Better late than never, right? Sprint first tried pushing out the Gingerbread OTA update for the LG Optimus S a couple month ago. But the update caused many problems with customer’s phones and Sprint pulled the update. Now they’re trying again, with hopefully all the bugs worked out. The update is version number LS670ZVJ. Aside from Android 2.3 Gingerbread, includes the following fixes or improvements:

• Device not charging
• SD card un-mounting error
• Device not recognized by Windows XP, Vista, or 7 operating systems
• Predictive Text with Android Keyboard issue
• Voice call volume issue
• Android 2.3 (Gingerbread):
• Updated color scheme (includes darker notification bar and black-based menus)
• New on-screen keyboard (supports multi-touch input and a  smart auto-correction function)
• Improved cut-paste functionality
• New integrated download application for ease in accessing downloaded files
• Updated camera application
• Power management and task killer applications

The update starts pushing out on Wednesday, April 4th. And as with most OTA updates, it will roll out in stages and all customers should have it within 3 weeks from now.

[Sprint via Android Police]

Android 4.0 has already been announced as coming to the HTC Sensation on T-Mobile US, and owners of the device are patiently waiting for their update. However it has been delayed and T-Mobile took to Facebook to explain to customers the reason for the delay. The TL;DR version is that HTC provided T-Mobile with the ICS ROM, but it didn’t pass Tmo’s quality checks for compatibility with T-Mobile radios and wifi calling. So they bounced it back to HTC for bug fixes and we’re still waiting. Here’s T-Mobile’s full statement:

“HTC has delivered a ROM to us however it is still having issues the reason that other sensation types have the update without issue and ours did not come out that way is because every ROM must be adapted to the hardware of the device because we use a different radio than other providers and also have applications such as wifi calling it also has to be compatible with those. What the HTC rep told you is most likely correct because once a ROM is delivered we have 2 weeks to test it and then approve it or send it back they then have 4 weeks to fix the bugs and return it back to us, where we are exactly in that process I do not know but that is how a ROM is delivered to the customer.

The original ROM was not delivered to us in November, we started testing it just recently but I think it has been longer than 2 weeks so at this point HTC most likely has the ball.

You bought a phone and it has been announced that you are getting ICS you have every right to know what’s going on with it and when you can see these awesome features. I did go into a lot of detail about how a ROM gets to the end user (you guys) but that wasn’t to point fingers only so you would have a better understanding of why you don’t have it yet, the bottom line is the Sensation has T-Mobile’s and HTC’s name all over it and both companies want to make you proud to be a Sensation owner so we are working as fast as we can to deliver it but also want to make sure that it stands up to your expectations.”

They didn’t get into specifics about when they expect to have the update complete and ready for customers. But kudos to T-Mobile for at least explaining the situation and keeping us in the loop.

T-Mobile has finally announced availability of the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G, the younger brother to the Galaxy S II. Starting on March 21st, you will be able to pick up the Blaze in select stores. And in all stores and online on March 28th. The Blaze 4G has and “expected price” of $149.99 after $50 rebate when signing a two year contract, we don’t expect that price to be any different on launch day.

To recap the specs, the Galaxy S Blaze 4G has a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor, 3.97 inch Super AMOLED display, Android 2.3 likely to be upgraded to 4.0 fairly soon, 5MP rear camera that shoots 720p video and 1.3MP front camera, and of course it works on T-Mobile’s 42mbps HSPA+ network.

Here’s the pint sized press release:

Today, T-Mobile announced the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G will be available in select T-Mobile stores starting Mar. 21.  T-Mobile’s newest 4G smartphone will then be available nationwide – at all T-Mobile retail stores – and online via www.T-Mobile.com beginning Mar. 28.

Exclusively from T-Mobile, the Galaxy S Blaze 4G is one of T-Mobile’s fastest 4G smartphones.  It offers a variety of features and applications to help keep consumers entertained and provides speedy access to the information they need when they need it.  The Galaxy S Blaze 4G is expected to cost $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate card, with a two-year service agreement and qualifying Classic voice and data plan. For more information, visit http://galaxy-s.t-mobile.com/samsung-galaxy-blaze.

Powered by the Intel Atom Z2460 processor clocked at 1.6Ghz, the Santa Clara features a 4 inch 1024×600 display, 8 megapixel camera that shoots HD video and can take 10 pictures in under a second, a 1.3 megapixel shooter up front, 16GB of internal memory storage, microSD card slot, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1.

There’s no word on which version of Android it will be running at launch, nor any information about pricing, although it is said to be affordable.

Full Press Release:

Orange first to deliver exclusive new smartphone to Europe, powered by Intel technology

• Orange celebrates the tenth year of its successful portfolio of own-brandeddevices by extending its range to include a new high-performance smartphone, powered by the Intel®   Atom™ processor, which will be offered exclusively to Orange’s customers in the UK and France
• Orange is the first operator in Europe to launch this new smartphone offering the customer high-performance capabilities with a rich user experience and at an affordable price
• This first Intel-powered Orange smartphone will feature a number of locally-relevant and unique Orange services including Orange TV, Dailymotion, Deezer, Orange Wednesdays,  Your Orange and Orange Gestures

Today, Orange announces that it will launch a new high-performance Android smartphone in Europe this summer. Powered by Intel® technology, the device currently codenamed ‘Orange Santa Clara,’ will deliver the latest in smartphone capabilities and rich entertainment experiences to more customers. The phone will first be available exclusively to Orange customers in the UK and France, where its commercial name will be unveiled at launch.

The launch of this smartphone marks a significant development in Orange’s long-standing and successful strategy to deliver phones under its own brand. Now in its tenth year, it has helped drive new device partnerships and support Orange’s customer and mobile multimedia growth by introducing more affordable feature phones and smartphones to its whole customer base. These phones are differentiated by being customised with simple and relevant Orange applications and services. Customer demand has led to the doubling of Orange’s own-branded portfolio in 2011, increasing volume from 7 per cent to 15 per cent of its total device portfolio. Orange aims to increase the volume of its own-branded device portfolio to 20 per cent in 2012 to better meet its customers’ needs, making innovative features, services and technologies more widely accessible.

Today, Orange is broadening its own-branded device portfolio with a new mobile partner, Intel, a world leader in silicon processor technology and computing innovation. At launch, the Orange smartphone will run Android’s Gingerbread platform with a planned upgrade to Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich platform shortly thereafter. The new Orange smartphone is based on Intel’s smartphone reference design and is powered by the Intel® Atom™ processor Z2460 and supports HSPA+ with the Intel® XMM™ 6260 Platform. Together, these Intel solutions deliver leading performance and energy efficiency while facilitating fast browsing and a responsive user experience. The phone has a 4.03” display, slender dimensions at 123mm x 63 x 9.99, 16 Gb of memory and weighs in at 117g.

In addition, high-definition (HD) video will support a rich entertainment offering together with mobile HD voice for outstanding audio quality. It also boasts a camera that can take 10 pictures in under a second with 8-megapixel quality to ensure customers capture all the action so they can choose the very best pictures to keep and share. Also pre-loaded will be a number of services unique to Orange, including Orange TV, Dailymotion, Deezer (France only), Orange Wednesdays Your Orange and Orange Gestures. 

“The proliferation of smartphones has brought a wealth of new experiences. At Orange we firmly believe that all our customers should benefit from the smartphone revolution, and we remain committed to delivering innovative content and services across a wide range ofdevices to help customers stay connected and get more from their phone,” said Yves Maitre, Senior Vice President of Mobile Multimedia and Devices, Orange. “For ten years, Orange has pioneered a successful own-branded approach to delivering to its customers high quality, affordable handsets in all price ranges, packed with locally relevant and unique services and features. We are delighted to be partnering with Intel to add such an exceptional device to our portfolio.” 

Today’s announcement builds on Orange’s long-standing and close relationship with Intel across its PC and tablet portfolio, and Orange continues to support Intel’s innovation and development on convergent platforms.

“The Orange device is a fantastic example of the innovation happening on Intel’s smartphone reference design,” said Mike Bell, Intel Vice President and General Manager of the company’s Mobile and Communications Group. “We are pleased to extend our close collaboration with Orange to Intel-based smartphones. Orange has a long and successful track record of innovation which has produced great mobile products and services for their customers. By combining Orange’s unique applications and services with an attractive high-performance Intel-based smartphone, Orange is once again demonstrating its wireless leadership while providing more value and customer choice.”   

Francisco Jeronimo, Research Manager European Mobile Devices, IDC, commented: ”This announcement is a bold move from Orange. In today’s smartphone environment it is extremely difficult to differentiate without compromising costs. This device pushes the boundaries of innovation and provides consumers with premium experiences at affordable prices.” 

At MWC 2012 Sony has just announced the latest in the Xperia lineup, the Xperia P and the Xperia U. Both devices are slotted just below the Xperia S in size as you can see from the image above. Both devices feature Sony’s NXT technology, which is their fancy way of saying sharing content with your laptop, TV or tablet. They also both feature Sony’s Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA® Engine for “razor sharp clarity” along with super fast response from sleep mode to snapping a picture.

Here’s a further breakdown of key specs for the two devices. For complete spec sheets, check out the full press release link at the bottom.

Xperia P

• 4″ Reality Display with powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine.
• WhiteMagic(TM) display technology for an ultra-bright and power efficient viewing experience.
• 1 GHz dual-core processor for super fast performance with 16GB flash storage.
• 8MP camera with unique fast capture, HD recording and Sony technology to capture 2D and 3D panoramic images.
• Easy HDMI and DLNA connectivity to share content on any screen.
• NFC (Near Field Communications) enabled to access a growing range of NFC applications and services as well as Xperia SmartTags.
• Available in a choice of silver, black and red, all with an aluminium unibody.
• Launches on Android platform 2.3 (Gingerbread), upgrade to Android platform 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) during the second quarter of 2012.

Xperia U

• 3.5″ Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine.
• 1 GHz dual-core processor for super fast performance.
• 5MP camera with unique fast capture, HD recording and Sony technology to capture 2D and 3D panoramic images.
• Crisp and loud listening with xLoud and 3D surround sound audio technology.
• Available in a choice of white or black, with pink and yellow exchangeable caps for the base of the smartphone in the box.
• Launches on Android platform 2.3 (Gingerbread), upgrade to Android platform 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) during the second quarter of 2012.

Sony Mobile Communications has stated both handsets will be available sometime in Q2 of 2012, so not far off. Although both the Xperia P and Xperia U are launching with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is already promised for the second quarter of 2012, so at most a couple months after launching.

[Press Release (PDF)]

The HTC One V features 3.7-inch 480×800 display, 1 GHz single-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, Android 4.0 (with Sense 3.6), 4 GB of internal storage plus 25GB of free Dropbox cloud storage for two years, Beats Audio, and a 5 MP camera that shoots 720p video (as opposed to 8MP and 1080p in the other two devices). However the One V does sport the same camera technology that’s in the other One series devices, with fast image processing and superior low-light applications.

Rounding out the specs is Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi b/g/n, 1500 mAh battery and a microSD card slot.

The looks and aesthetics of the One V remind us strongly of the HTC Hero and the HTC Legend. The jutting “Android chin” on the bottom is prominent, but not as awkward as it was on the Hero.

The One V is said to be launching in Europe during the second quarter of this year for a very wallet-friendly price. And unlike the One X and One S, the One V has not been announced by any US carriers as of yet, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see it show up in one form or another.

[HTC]

With dual-core devices almost the norm these days, and a slew of quad-core devices just around the corner, Android phones are almost as powerful as many people’s computers, sometimes more powerful. And Canonical reckons that folks shouldn’t need two devices, just plug your phone into a dock with a keyboard and monitor, then use full desktop grade Linux on your desktop.

Since Android is already Linux-based, it’s fairly easy to make it play nice with Ubuntu on the desktop. And we love the idea of seamless integration between mobile and desktop. And the best part is that it will work with a lot of current of Android phones, the minimum requirements being a 1Ghz dual-core CPU with 512MB of RAM, HDMI and USB ports, and 2GB of space on your phone.

Full Press Release:

Ubuntu for Android at MWC – world’s first full-featured desktop on a docked smartphone

Carry less, do a lot more. All the productivity and apps of the full Ubuntu desktop, built into your Android phone.

London, 22nd February, 2012: Canonical today unveiled Ubuntu for Android, bringing the world’s favourite free desktop experience to multi-core Android smartphones docked with a keyboard and monitor. Use Android on the phone and Ubuntu as your desktop, both running simultaneously on the same device, with seamless sharing of contacts, messages and other common services.

The phone experience is pure Android – it’s a normal Android phone. When the device is connected to a computer screen, however, it launches a full Ubuntu desktop on the computer display. It’s exactly the same desktop used by millions of enterprise and home users on their Ubuntu PCs, and includes hundreds of certified applications, from office productivity to photography, video and music.

All data and services are shared between the Ubuntu and Android environments, which run simultaneously on the device. So Android applications such as contacts, telephony and SMS/MMS messaging are accessible from the Ubuntu interface. Indeed, all data on the smartphone can be accessed at any time, docked or not.

Ubuntu for Android gives mobile workers a company phone that is also their enterprise desktop. Government and private institutions have embraced Ubuntu on the desktop because of its ease of use, security, manageability, superb range of native applications and excellent support for web browsers like Chrome and Firefox. The desktop can also include Windows applications, using thin client and desktop virtualisation tools. Today’s IT departments commonly support a PC and at least one desktop phone for every employee. Many also provide and manage mobile phones. Ubuntu for Android presents a compelling solution to IT complexity by reducing that burden to a single device.

The first PC for the next billion knowledge workers could be a phone – but they won’t just want to use it as a handset. They will want all the flexibility and productivity of a full desktop, as well as the convenience of a smartphone on the move. Ubuntu for Android represents the first opportunity for handset makers and network operators to address this growth opportunity in emerging markets.

“The desktop is the killer-app for quad-core phones in 2012″ says Mark Shuttleworth. “Ubuntu for Android transforms your high-end phone into your productive desktop, whenever you need it”

Manufacturers targeting the corporate phone, as well as the next-generation enterprise desktop and thin clients can easily add Ubuntu for Android to their smartphones. The customized version of Ubuntu drops in cleanly alongside the rest of Android, and the necessary Android modifications are designed for easy integration. Hardware requirements include support for HDMI and USB, standard features in high-end handsets planned for late 2012.

Ubuntu for Android justifies the cost to enterprise customers of upgrading to higher bandwidth 4G connections and contracts. Cloud apps like Google Docs work best with a full desktop, and shine with the lower latency of LTE. Network operators can deliver their own branded applications and services as part of the Ubuntu desktop, in partnership with Canonical.

Canonical leads the traditional Linux ecosystem in support for the ARM architecture, having co-founded Linaro (linaro.org), the consortium dedicated to the unification of Linux on ARM and the simplification of Android integration and delivery. That industrial experience, combined with Canonical’s long-standing leadership in desktop Linux and deep relationships with global PC brands enables Canonical to deliver an ARM-optimised desktop tightly integrated with Android, on silicon from a range of ARM vendors.

Useful Links and Contacts
Product information and specifications at www.ubuntu.com/devices/android
Contact us to bring Ubuntu for Android to market: www.ubuntu.com/devices/android/contact-us

Introduction

The Android operating system from Google has quickly become one of the most widely used systems on smart phones and tablets across the world. Android users enjoy smooth operation, a wide array of phone and tablet choices and access to thousands of applications. Several apps available on the Android Market deal with security in one form or another. By utilizing these apps, you can improve your personal, virtual or home security. Here are five of the top security applications available for the Android operating system.

Norton Mobile Security

Norton has been a trusted name in computer security for years and it has recently entered into the Android security business. With Norton Mobile Security, you can get a free security app that helps keep the data on your phone safe. It prevents your phone from getting viruses, spyware or other applications installed on your phone. With this application, you have the ability to remotely lock or wipe the data from your phone if it is lost or stolen. One of the best things about this app is the free price tag.

[Android Market link]

Alarm.com

Alarm.com offers an application for the Android operating system that makes it possible to keep track of your home security system. This application integrates with your home system so that you can control everything remotely. It allows you to turn on and off the alarm system as well as see if any doors or windows are open.

[Android Market link]

EZShield Identity Protection

EZShield Identity Protection is an app that is available on the Android operating system which makes it possible to access your EZShield identity theft protection account. If you have an EZShield account, this app makes it possible to gain access to all of the alerts you receive directly from your phone. For example, if someone tries to open a credit card account in your name, the EZShield service will send an alert to the app on your phone. This will help you protect your identity so that no one else can take advantage of it.

[Android Market link]

AVG Mobilation

AVG Mobilation is an app for Android that helps you take your phone security to the next level. With this application, you can locate a lost Android phone. You also have the option of getting the upgraded version so that you can add extra features. With the upgraded version, you can scan text messages immediately as you receive them to make sure that they do not have any malware or viruses included in them. The basic version is free while the upgraded version is $9.99.

[Android Market link]

LastPass

LastPass is a security application that makes it possible to keep track of all of your passwords. If you spend a lot of time online, you undoubtedly have many different passwords. This application keeps track of all of your passwords on both your Android devices and your computer. You keep one master password for the application and it fills in the passwords for you. This application costs $12.00 per year to use.

[Android Market link]

Conclusion

Regardless of what you do with your Android phone, you’re going to need to consider your need for security. Many people are out there who could take advantage of your information or potentially even break into your home. By using the appropriate Android apps, you can eliminate many of these problems and remain safe.

About the author: Peter Brady is a security analyst who also contributes content for Security Systems. Check out their easy quotes on top equipment, as well as alarm company reviews.