Mobile posts

Mobile devices have become an integral part of every day life for millions of people. Small businesses are following this trend and adopting the use of smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices in ways that help manage, monitor, and promote themselves. As the digital world gets larger by making the devices smaller, it’s not wonder that the reliance on these devices increases. This graphic by our friends at Intuit puts it all into perspective, noting that an astounding 96% of small businesses use wireless devices and technology in their operations. Click to enlarge. …

App watchdog group ViaForensics has been running popular Android and iPhone apps through their system to see who is encrypting sensitive data such as passwords, user names, and application data, as well as over 20 other pieces of details normally stored through apps. The results have been expected, albeit depressing. Many major apps, including FourSquare, LinkedIn, and Gmail, failed the test for one reason or another. Below is a list of those who failed. AIM Android AIM iPhone Android Mail (Exchange) Android Android Mail (Hotmail) Android Bump iPhone Foursquare Android Gmail Android Groupon…

Local branches of Apple and Google stores in Taipei City have been given two weeks to offer free 7-day trials on apps that run on their mobile platforms or face financial penalties. According to Yeh Ching-yuan, Taipei City’s director of Law and Regulation Commission, “If the two companies fail to meet the requirement by the deadline, they may be slapped with fines of up to NT$1.5 million (US$52,265).” Currently, both companies are in violation of Taiwan’s Consumer Protection Act, a consumer protection that requires companies to have return and refund policies available for all purchases that…

Now that we know that Apple is set to announce their “iCloud” service, it’s time to start a-wondering what the service will feature. But while it’s possible that iCloud will simply be your music tracks in the cloud – like Dropbox for audio files – that would be a disappointment. iTunes revolutionized music for a lot of people. It made it immediate, expansive and easy. So what would a ‘revolutionary’ cloud service look like? What might Apple (or anyone else) do to make a truly new experience? (Note: Even though iCloud may include video, I am focusing for now on music here.) Embrace the new cloud mentality…

Microsoft always knew they would be successful in the mobile phone industry. With the Windows Phone 7 not making the splash that they’d hoped, they turned to another business model that seems to be working out just fine for them. With a mere 2 million licenses for WP7 sold so far (compared to 350,000 Android phones activated daily) and with an estimate $15 per WP7 license, revenues from that end are around $30 million. Compare that to the patent settlement they received from HTC over intellectual property infringement in which they receive $5 for every HTC phone running Android. At approximately…

I’m not trying to say the folks at the Hasso-Plattner Institute are crazy, but guys: the folks at the Hasso-Plattner Institute are crazy. Introducing the Imaginary Phone – an exercise in how to take interaction design to its (il)logical conclusion. Using a large depth camera mounted on an arm, the system can read your palm – or, rather, read your opposite hand’s motions across said palm, as you swipe, tap and gesture as if it were your real phone (which is meanwhile in your pocket or something). Why would you want to play Angry Birds while your phone is still in your pocket? Honestly, your guess is as…

As Apple, Google, and Facebook face more scrutiny over their mobile privacy policies from the government, the concerns continue to grow for users. Where we are, what we’re doing, and how we’re doing it are often questions that can be answered by these companies, often without our knowledge. This graphic by our friends at ZoneAlarm breaks down the threats and perceived evils being perpetrated by mobile-based companies and the larger companies who control them. Are we safe to surf on our gadgets? Click to enlarge. …

I’ve been a huge supporter of Android over the past year. Ever since I purchased my Droid X, things have been okay. I’m checking my email, staying on top of social networks, and flinging Angry Birds around. But asking any more of my Android device is far too much, and that’s a big problem. What am I doing with an Android device, you ask? I didn’t have a choice in the matter. AT&T’s service was practically non-existent where I lived, which is amazing considering AT&T’s bold claims of their impressive network. And in 2010, the possibility of the iPhone on Verizon was only a rumor. Owning an iPhone…

Jaiku was a service that the entered microblogging scene at the right time in 2007, arguably offering a superior service to Twitter. The company’s explosive growth and keen grasp of mobile led to its sale to Google in October 2007.. While at the time co-founder Jyri Engeström believed the purchase would ultimately help to broaden the service’s user base, he recently told 37 Signals that Jaiku was “put on life support” at the height of its popularity. Under the assumption that he and his team would instead be building a new, more scalable service that would be tightly integrated with a small…

Flipboard is, on the surface, a pretty, user-friendly iPad app that creates a personalized magazine for you. But it’s also a sign of what could be a coming catastrophe for web media. Flipboard works by pulling in RSS feeds and links from Facebook and Twitter to produce a content delivery vehicle tailored just for you. But the core of that idea is that the app creates a reading experience suited to the tablet and, soon, the smartphone. This is a big deal because prior to this, content has always been delivered in a form that was only partly about the content itself. It was largely about delivering ads….