10 percent of Android devices have gobbled up Jelly Bean

Google released its latest set of Android usage statistics on Friday, revealing that Jelly Bean (Android 4.1 and 4.2) is now on 10.2 percent of Android devices.

The statistics were calculated by examining the devices that accessed the Google Play store over a 14-day period ending Jan. 3.

In addition to Jelly Bean's 10.2 percent, Ice Cream Sandwich stands at 29.1 percent, Honeycomb has 1.5 percent and Gingerbread 47.6 percent.

Earlier versions of Android, including Froyo, Eclair and Donut, still account collectively for 11.6 percent of Android devices.

Growing faster than ICS

Android dominated the smartphone market throughout 2012, both in the U.S. and internationally.

The Google OS's expanding hold on the market may explain why Jelly Bean has been adopted more quickly than Ice Cream Sandwich was when it first launched.

Jelly Bean gained 10 percent of the market share in the almost six months since its release in July, while after almost eight months Ice Cream Sandwich was still on just 7.1 percent of devices.

As The Verge pointed out on Friday, Jelly Bean's faster adoption rate may also be related to the relatively minor changes it made to Ice Cream Sandwich, which was a more drastic update over its predecessors.

In comparison with the shift to Ice Cream Sandwich, upgrading to Jelly Bean is relatively painless.

Nevertheless, like Jelly Bean, Ice Cream Sandwich adoption is up significantly overall, with the older Gingerbread finally dropping below 50 percent of the total Android market.

Via The Verge

Android Jelly Bean 4.1 confirmed for Samsung Galaxy S2

Samsung Korea has confirmed that the popular Galaxy S2 smartphone will get an infusion of Android Jelly Bean.

The company revealed details of the update on its official site, but did not say when exactly the refresh will become available to Galaxy S2 owners.

Among the new features are Google Now and the Android Project Butter. It'll also have built-in Google+, Google Play Books and Google Play Movies.

The update will, however, take up an extra 1GB of storage on the Galaxy S2, thanks to a new system partition, and will take an hour to download when it finally arrives.

Pop-Up Play and Smart Stay too

Alongside the Jelly Bean update, Samsung is also bringing some of the tech it introduced with the Galaxy S3 last year.

S2 owners will get the Smart Stay feature, which prevents the screen from timing out when you're looking at it, while the Camera app will allow users to pause recordings.

It'll also get the Pop-Up Play functionality, allowing users to continue enjoying video while emailing, texting or browsing the web, etc.

So, a new lease of life is on the way for one of the best handsets of the smartphone era. Now its just a waiting game and, as is often the case with Android updates, it could be quite a wait yet.

Via Android Central

Google to enable Google Maps on Windows Phone after all

Google has said it will be "soon" removing the block on its Maps service for Windows Phone handsets using the Internet Explorer browser.

Currently, anyone wishing to access the Google Maps mobile site through the built-in Microsoft browser is redirected to the Google.com homepage, allowing them to, at least, use Google's local services.

The search giant claimed that Google Maps was not as compatible with IE as it is with Chrome, the default Android browser, the Firefox mobile browser and, of course Apple's Safari browser.

Now Google has made somewhat of a u-turn and said recent improvements in IE and in Google Maps mean a better experience can now be provided for Windows Phone users.

Periodic testing

In a statement issued to The Verge, Google explained: "We periodically test Google Maps compatibility with mobile browsers to make sure we deliver the best experience for those users.

"In our last test, IE mobile still did not offer a good maps experience with no ability to pan or zoom and perform basic map functionality. As a result, we chose to continue to redirect IE mobile users to Google.com where they could at least make local searches. The Firefox mobile browser did offer a somewhat better user experience and that's why there is no redirect for those users.

"Recent improvements to IE mobile and Google Maps now deliver a better experience and we are currently working to remove the redirect. We will continue to test Google Maps compatibility with other mobile browsers to ensure the best possible experience for users."

The change of heart at Mountain View is, at least, a gesture that it isn't hell bent on playing hard ball with Windows Phone.

The company has angered users and perhaps damaged the prosperity of operating system by removing ActiveSync support, making it harder for people who use its services like Google Calendar and Gmail to do so on Windows Phone.

Via The Verge

Samsung rolls out fix for Galaxy S3 security flaw, sudden death issue

Samsung has begun to address a flaw with its Exynos processor, which leaves devices like the flagship Galaxy S3 exposed to hackers.

The vulnerability first identified in mid-December, concerns devices running the company's custom Exynos 4 processor.

The flaw left the handset's physical memory (RAM) exposed and, potentially, allowed hackers to glean data or even send malware to the device.

Samsung promised a fix when the issue was uncovered by members of the XDA Developers forum and that fix has now rolled out to Galaxy S3 users in the UK.

However, the issue is thought to affect other Exynos-packing devices, including the Galaxy S2, the Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 2, and the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Sudden death dies too

The firmware update, which can be downloaded over the air, is also thought to fix the so-called 'sudden death' issue which has caused some Galaxy S3 users to experience random bricking.

Those particular handsets have been shutting down and then refusing to switch back on again.

Although the update can't bring those handsets back from the dead, it may prevent others suffering a similar fate.

Via The Next Web

Is Canonical about to reveal an Ubuntu-powered tablet?

One of the most popular versions of the Linux OS could be coming to tablets and phones in a big way.

A countdown that ends at 6PM UK time today with the catchphrase 'So close, you can almost touch it', suggests that Canonical, the company behind popular Linux OS Ubuntu, has finally put together a fully touch-enabled version of its platform.

However, strong rumours suggest that the firm is not only going to make good on its promise to make Ubuntu touch-friendly for the mobile space (it's been pledging to do such a thing with Ubuntu Unity for some time) but also that it has partnered with an OEM to launch the new version with hardware too.

Open to Touch

According to PhoneNews, Canonical will take to the stage tonight to present a 'new breed of Ubuntu devices, under the Ubuntu Touch banner'. This means that the company is stepping up its efforts to make Ubuntu a widely used platform on mobile devices as well as the desktop environment.

News of the devices has been 'gleaned' from trackers for the new Ubuntu release schedule, which seems to confirm that OEMs are working with Canonical to present the Ubuntu Touch experience.

Indeed, Canonical has long been vocal in its plans to push into the mobile space, calling it 'crucial' for the company to stay relevant in an interview run by Slashdot with Canonical's founder, Mark Shuttleworth.

He added that the company was looking to create a single OS that could run across multiple platforms: "Let's make one OS that runs on the phone AND on your supercomputer," while also confirming that he was looking to bring a Ubuntu-powered tablet to the shops in the near future.

The same firm also confirmed to our partner title, Linux Format, that it was "working hard to bring both Ubuntu TV and Ubuntu for Android to market," so a truly cross-platform change could be coming.

Update: it turns out that it was Ubuntu for smartphones that was launching from Canonical, but the company did confirm that it was bringing out a tablet based on the OS in the near future too.

iPhone thief lured using OKCupid honey trap

Apple offers a Find My iPhone app to help ill-fated users recover stolen handsets, but one recent victim relied on a much more a cunning stunt to reacquire his beloved smartphone.

Nadav Nirenberg, 27, left his iPhone 4 in the back of a New York taxi on New Year's Eve and, much to his surprise, woke up the next morning to see registration emails from dating app OKCupid.

Yes, the thief was using his victim's phone and details, including his email address and photo, to scour for willing women in the Brooklyn borough.

It was then that Nirenberg, who plays trombone in the awesome ska punk band Streetlight Manifesto, hatched a master plan to get his iPhone back.

Lots of winks and smileys

Nadav decided to set up a fake profile, in which he used "lots of winks and smiley faces so I would seem like a girl" in order to lure the rapscallion into a date he certainly had not anticipated.

He grabbed a picture of a random lady (with just about enough cleavage to be intriguing) from Google Images, named the chesty woman Jennifer Gonzales, 24, and then played a waiting game.

Sure enough, the misguided iPhone thief hit him up with a "U wanna meet" message minutes later and the trap was set. Nadav said he'd like to meet at "her" place.

When the short, cologne-clad thief knocked on the door clutching a bottle of wine, Nirenberg, walked up behind him wielding a hammer and demanded his phone back.

Naturally the thief obliged and was generously gifted a $20 bill for returning the phone before skulking away, hopefully to reflect on some of the poor choices he had made in his life to that point.

"It's pretty rare to get your phone back," said Nirenberg, who did not contact the police afterwards. "I feel pretty giddy."

Via New York Post

Kobo Arc review

It's a brand better known for producing budget alternatives to original E-Ink-based Kindleet al, but can the all-new Arc tablet take the fight higher to the Kindle Fire HD and even the Nexus 7 and iPad Mini?

If you've seen Kobo's previous tablets, it's likely you were in WHSmiths, which actively promotes and sells all Kobo tablets and eReader in its high street shops – including the Arc.

The headline feature on this 7-inch, 1280x800 pixel tablet is a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, though just a standout when compared to eReader-style tablets (principally the Nook HD and the Kindle Fire HD) is the Arc's open Android experience.

Sure, it's augmented rather nicely by the double-act of both Tapestries (a noticeboard-style interface that permits extensive customisation) and a Discovery 'web concierge' feature that recommends websites as well as e-books, but it's the Arc's ability to download any app from Google Play that most appeals.

And, yes, that does mean a whole host of games as well as apps for Kindle and Nook, its two main rivals. That completely open attitude does suggest that if the Arc's performance matches-up to its specs it could render its rivals' locked-in experiences rather pointless, especially as it's identically priced.

Although a 64GB version is manufactured by Kobo – and we've seen a price of £230 for that – WHSmiths is currently selling 16GB (£159.99) and 32GB (£189.99) models in both black and white versions. At present there is no 3G option, though that could change.

We're guessing that Kobo is gunning for a quasi-academic status with this 7-inch tablet; its relatively thick (10mm wide at the sides, and 13mm/19mm at the top/bottom) matte black plastic bezel gives the 189x120x115mm, 364g Arc a rather industrial look to it.

Furthermore, the opportunity to swap-out the back cover (though only to blue or purple) creates an impression that the Kobo Arc is a tablet for kids.

The 1,280x800 pixel screen (that's 215 PPI) has an unusually wide viewing angle, so much so that it's almost impossible to detect any draining of colour or contrast when viewed from odd angles.

That's thanks to an IPS (In-Place Switching) panel, which is fast becoming standard in tablets.

An unbeatably powerful 1.5GHz dual core processor and 1GB RAM are standout specs meaning the Arc rarely misses a beat when swiping or loading apps, and never freezes-up.

However, there are weaknesses. There's no Bluetooth, which could have turned the Arc into a fully fledged productivity tablet by adding a Bluetooth keyboard or wireless headphones.

Nor is there a micro SD card slot for expanding the storage, so you'll have to choose wisely from the off.

Physical buttons are few, with a standby switch on the top, and a volume rocker on the upper right-hand side below a headphones slot.

Front-facing speakers adorn the lower bezel, while between them on the undercarriage is a micro USB slot for recharging and transferring files via an included micro USB cable.

All models of the Arc have WiFi only – and all lack an HDMI output slot.