Tag Archives: Smartphones

Stats on 60 Seconds of Mobile Use in October 2011

November 3, 2011mobileApps, data, Mobile, SmartphonesAlan

Did you ever wonder what everyone around you is doing with their constantly-out smartphones? Well, Mobclix did some research about what cell phone users are clicking and came up with a snapshot of what goes on in a single minute of usage. Some of the results may surprise you – like 4,111 ads were clicked on. Some may not – like that Angry Birds is simply in a category of usage all by itself. You won’t believe how many people are looking for song lyrics or slicing fruit in Fruit Ninja.

All of this data was put together into one cool infographic. It’s posted below, so have a look and see what you think. Does it reflect what you expected? Do you find anything really surprising? What would an infographic of your usage reflect?

Source: Mobclix

Will Smartphones Make Harmony Remotes Obsolete?

July 16, 2011mobile, smartphone, tabletAndroid, Crestron, Harmony, IOS, Mobile, Remote Controls, Smartphones, Windows PhoneAlan

For a while now I have been controlling my Windows Media Center HTPC with a remote control app on my Android phone. Recently I have been playing with…er reviewing…a DirecTV remote control on the same phone. I control my FreeNAS home server from that phone. I could also control Windows Home Server, a TiVo, a Comcast DVR, and probably many other set-top boxes as well. All of this got me to thinking….will smartphones make things like the Harmony remote control a thing of the past?

For years now, Harmony has reined supreme as THE device to have for home theater geeks, and has even edged it’s way into the mainstream. Sure, there are other “universal” remotes, some of them are even higher-end than Harmony, like Crestron. Yes, Crestron can do a LOT more than the average universal remote, like control home security and lighting. But now there are smartphone apps for those things too.

What can Harmony do that my Android can’t? Well, there are a few things. Some are due to the limitations of my hardware and some are due to the limitation of the apps. For one, my A/V receiver isn’t networked and neither is my LCD TV, so they can’t be controlled from my phone. For another, the “one-app-to-rule-them-all” isn’t there yet. By that, I mean that Harmony can turn on my receiver, TV, and DirecTV HD DVR with a push of one button, even setting the receiver to the proper output and the set-top box to a particular channel. By contrast, my phone requires me to open each app separately to do these things.

So, can Android, iOS, and the others replace these universal remotes? Yes, but not quite yet. The hardware exits already. Virtually every home theater device available today can be found with network capability. If a device can be networked then you can be sure that an app will exist for it. What is stalling things right now is the “one-app-to-rule-them-all” part. Nobody, as far as I know, has come close to creating an app that can control multiple devices, like my HTPC and DVR. Until that happens, and I am positive it will, then Harmony and the others will continue to be survivors.

Deloitte Identifies the Killer App

July 12, 2011advertising, Android, application, iOS, iPhone, smartphoneApps, deloitte, mobile apps, SmartphonesAndrew

If you are thinking of developing a mobile app, particularly one associated with a brand name, then you’ll want to read Deloitte’s latest research into killer apps. In less than a dozen pages, it has some great data, mini-case studies and plenty to think about.

Here are a few of the nuggets:

45% of smartphone owners download an app at least once per week.
but less than 1% of the apps associated with a “brand” have been downloaded a million times (which seems to be the metric for success in the app world).

If you want your app to succeed, there are two broad areas that do well – “time killers” and “utilities”. Games are good examples of time killers but Audi and Volkswagen’s driving games are some of the few that have done well. In the utility space, Kraft’s iFood Assistant has also been a hit.

Looking at apps that do well and are successful, these typically employ five functions to engage the user – portability, the accelerometer, sophisticated touch screen use, location-based services (GPS) and the camera. Using these are no guarantees of success but they certainly help.

Of course, it helps if you know your user. Deloitte has broken down iPhone ownership by employment type revealing three big groups:

25.2% – Professional and higher technical work
22.6% – Manager and senior administrator
19.3% – Clerical

In the end, Deloitte reckons that there are four ingredients for branded app success.

Offer useful functionality
Know how to manipulate app store ratings
Target the platforms used by the brand customers
Use additional smartphone functionality

The full report can be downloaded from Killer Apps – The Promises and Pitfalls of a Smarter World.

G Data MobileSecurity for Android

June 4, 2011Android, application, Security, smartphone, VirusAndroid, Antivirus, Apps, G Data, Security, Smartphones, ukAndrew

Continuing the battle with the bad guys, G Data has released its MobileSecurity product for Android smartphones and tablets. MobileSecurity is designed to protect the data on phone from viruses, malware and spyware. Apps have to gain authorisation from the user before the app can make calls, send text messages or transfer data. Other features include app blacklisting and app checking during installation. Of course, there are regular updates to the software to keep the protection up-to-date.

Eddy Willems, Security Evangelist at G Data commented: “Malware writers are entrepreneurs: always looking for the best return on investment. According to analysts, Gartner and IDC, Android seems to be the market leader in mobile operating systems, so it is logical that cyber criminals will target the platform. Android malware can be easily spread through apps, which is another reason the platform is targeted. Not only did the beginning of 2011 see the emergence of this trend, but it also saw Android take the lead as the most targeted mobile operating systems in terms of malware. So it is the perfect time to introduce a solution for the protection of Android devices, as we expect a large increase in this area.”

Marketing puff aside, as we’ve seen in the past few weeks with the Mac malware and the Gmail spearphishing, there are criminals out there working out how to attack every major platform. And f they can’t beat the platform directly, they’ll go after the user, which is often the weakest link.

G Data’s MobileSecurity is available for £9.99 from a range of Android app stores or is free with G Data’s 2012 range of security products.

Carphone Warehouse Sells 1 Million Android Smartphones

March 16, 2011Android, iPhone, mobile, smartphone, tabletAndroid, carphone warehouse, iPhone, Smartphones, TabletsAndrew

In a press release yesterday, The Carphone Warehouse announced that it had sold one million Android handsets in Europe with a year-on-year growth of 2000%. The Carphone Warehouse has been a strong supporter of Android with exclusive arrangements on handsets such as the Samsung’s Nexus S and a similar deal on the forthcoming Motorola Xoom tablet.

CPW also has by far the best range of Android handsets on the High Street with HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and LG all featuring in its stores. CPW sells the iPhone too, so it’s a fairly level playing field for customers when it comes to choosing a handset.

“The speed with which Android has stormed the market is phenomenal,” said a Carphone Warehouse spokesperson. “Year on year growth is well over 2000%. It’s no surprise that Android smartphones have become the smartphone of choice for so many of our customers. Hitting one million Android sales in Europe is great as it proves that our dedication to offering an extensive range and securing top exclusives has really benefited not just us, but our customers too.”

The growth of Android is astonishing, especially as I don’t think it really has any cult appeal, compared to a certain other smartphone. It would be very interesting to see how many of the purchasers went into the store to buy an Android phone or did they go in to buy a smartphone? Maybe they just went in to get a phone.

The smartphone market seems to be very much a two horse race at the moment between iOS and Android. Can Microsoft and Nokia catch up to the leaders and will HP’s WebOS make it to the post? Interesting times ahead.

MusicSkins – Make Your Gadget Yours

February 8, 2011Accessory, ces, IPAD, iPhone, ipod, smartphone, Special Media, Toysces, custom, IPAD, iPhone, ipod, musicskins, Smartphones, vinyl skinsAndrew

Andy personalises his gear with help from Jed Seifert of MusicSkins. Why settle for piano black or ice white, just because they’re what Apple says is cool? With vinyl skins, you can customise your phone or mp3 player from a choice of literally thousands of skins. Whether it’s Madonna or Muse, Johnny C or Jay-Z, there’s a skin for you.

Skipping the hyperbole, MusicSkins offer a huge range of vinyl skins for a wide range of phones, mp3 players, tablets and laptops and all ages and tastes. All the designs are officially licensed and there’s new licensing deal with MTV to tie in with their media properties. But if you can’t find something you like you can design your own.The skins are easy to apply and hard wearing.

Prices start at $14.99 for a smartphone. Available on-line and in retail stores.

Interview by Andy McCaskey of SDR News.

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DLNA For The iPad And More

January 28, 2011ces, Special MediaBlu-ray, DLNA, IPAD, Laptops, Media Server, Smartphones, TV'sAlan

Jeffrey stops by the DLNA booth, but before we get to that, if you want to understand what DLNA is, the we recommend you visit their Wikipedia page. They are showing off some cool devices with that act as DLNA servers, such a home media server, Droid X, laptops, TV’s, Blu-ray players, and an iPad. Their new iPad app allows user to stream content from a server or upload content to a server. With over 200 companies manufacturing DLNA-compatibles devices (and more coming) it could become the defacto standard for media content. For more information you can visit the DLNA website.