» 2011 » August

Back up just what you need

31/08/2011 — AndroidZoom

On Monday we reviewed some apps that let you backupping both data and apps. However, sometimes you just want to keep safe one specific part of your data: SMS, call logs, contacts or media files. In this sense, you don’t need heavy apps that back up everything. What you need are smooth, fast and easy-to-use apps that allow you to back up specific data in a few taps. Some developers have noticed such need and they’ve launched apps that meet it. Here you are three examples:

My Hub Mobile Backup

This app allows you to backup media files (music, photos and video) and contacts in your device and uploads it to the cloud (My Hub servers). For this reason you need to create a “My Hub” account to use this app. We know it’s annoying to register, but this signing up process is fast and it’s worth. What’s more, it will allow you to backup also files from your computer. Once it’s done, you can login from the app and start to backup files and upload it to the cloud (2 GB’s free storage). The strongest point is that you can easily acces/restore all your data from anywhere, just login in “My Hub” website.

Contacts Backup (Trial/Pro)

A light and simple app to backup your contacts. Bear in mind that it ONLY backs up your contacts. It saves your phonebook in the most common format, .csv, as well as in .html. Then you can export it to Outlook, Gmail, Dropbox or any other sharing resource already installed in your device. You can also save it to your SDcard. Finally, it allows you to import those files whenever you want. Although it’s set in a sober layout, it’s as simple as it looks, and runs as fast as it seems. The main catch is that there are several other apps that not only backup contacts, but also other data. It depends on what preference you’ve given to each thing.

SMS Backup +

It backups just your SMS and MMS and call logs and sync them to your Gmail account or Google Calendar. You can easily (just one tap) restore your data from there to your device. What’s more, you can schedule daily backups, not to lose a single SMS in case your device gets lost or robbed. The layout is quite simple, listed format, black background. However ,it’s fast and easy-to-use. You just need a few taps to use it and it runs smoothly.

Happy Backupping apps discovery!

My Hub Mobile Backup

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Contacts Backup Trial

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SMS Backup +

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Posted in AZ Week, AndroidZoom, Apps, Reviews. 1 Comment »

Backup your data today so you will not regret tomorrow

29/08/2011 — AndroidZoom

There are lots of types of Android users based on how they use their device. However, we can identify two great categories: the techies and the regular user. The first ones are constantly worried about being updated on latest Android versions and being aware about breaking news related to Android. They know by heart what’s root, flashing, a ROM or what kernel means. The regular users use to update their devices when the official updates are launched. They care about games, photo editors apps, social networks and other popular apps that aren’t usually related to device management, tracking or monitoring.
However, what both type of users share is their need to backup their personal data and apps, either for flashing and installing new ROMS or just for keeping them in a safe place in case the phone gets lost or robbed. All of them need a must-have Android tool: backup/restore apps.
Thus, throughout this week we’re going to show you Android apps that should be taken into account when backupping. Let’s get started!

MyBackup

Although its first launching it was only for rooted devices, now both root and non-root are supported. There are extra features for root like backup/restore .apk, data as well as market links. Same for data/setting of apps.
What it basically does is backupping/restoring all your apps (just the image in case you aren’t root) and your data: SMS, contacts, call log, calendar, Home Screens, alarms… among others. You can save the backups files on your SDcard or upload it to the cloud (Rerware servers). You can check your backup files out from the web. It also allows you to manage your backups: schedule them, freeze/unfreeze apps and clear cache and data. It’s fast and reliable. One of the most used backupping apps on Android. There are only two catches: the layout is too sober and there’s a 30-days free trial, then you’ll need to upgrade to the Pro version ($4.99).

MyBackup

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App Backup & Reinstall

This is the best choice for those who’re using older devices from Android 1.5. Unlike MyBackup, App Backup & Reinstall allows you to backup just apps, not data. It’s a pity because you will need to use two apps for backupping all your data, but that’s just a little flaw regarding the troubles that older devices have to face everyday. It allows you to unlimited backup/restore, classify app or game and keep backup files in your SDcard. It’s set in a good-looking layout and user-friendly interface. High recommendable for low-end Android devices.

App Backup & Reinstall

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Titanium Backup

The jewel in the crown. It’s a pity that it’s only available for root devices so far. We hope it will be extended to all users as soon as possible. Titanium Backup makes a colored list that shows user apps (white), system apps (red) and mixed (green). From there you can copy, freeze, uninstall, clear data, launch the app and, in case there’s already a backup file, restore or delete the copy. It supports multiversion apps backups. You can do it one-by-one or by batches that you can pre-set. What’s more, it allows you to schedule backups (the free version allows just two scheduled backups per week). The paid version ($4.99) doesn’t have scheduled backup restrictions. What’s more, it includes automatic app-reinstalling with Hypershell and sync with Dropbox (uploading your backups to the cloud). If you’re root, this is the ultimate backupping tool if you like to control every single detail. If you aren’t root or you prefer simplicity, give a go to our other two previous proposals.

Titanium Backup ★ root

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Happy backupping apps discovery!

(via elandroidelibre)

Posted in AndroidZoom. No Comments »

First steps to understand what permissions mean 2

26/08/2011 — AndroidZoom

This is part two in a two-part series about how permissions work. You can read the first, here.

So what do we can expect when we look at the permissions tab before downloading an app?

Every ad-supported app needs to know at least if you have access to the Internet and be able to reach there to fetch the ads. They usually ask also for your location, so announcers (Google’s AdMob is the most familiar) can enclose you in an area and therefore, offer you relevant ads. The more the ad fits you, the more chances are that you tap on it.

In fact, nearly all permissions are a logical need. Imagine an app that is an alarm clock. It’s reasonable that it needs to disable your keyguard. Otherwise, you’d have to unlock your phone before stopping the alarm. It’d also need to overwrite your settings to set the alarm and trigger the vibration, because that’s what alarms do. However, if that same app asked for your contact data, shouldn’t we ask why it demands that? A quick comparison with any other similar app will reveal that, unless otherwise specified, there’s no need for an alarm clock to know who your contacts are.

What about games? A game usually ask for your phone state so when a call is incoming, it can pause itself and let you attend the call. It would also need to know your network state, your phone data and have access to the Internet because this kind of stuff is what ad-companies ask for. It could also want to know where you are in order to improve the ad quality. Unless you wanted to lose your progress, game data has to be saved somewhere, usually in your SDcard. In addition, games usually ask for ‘wake lock’ permission to not turning your screen off in the middle of a game.

These were easy examples. Now imagine a standard ad-supported app to create ringtones. First, it’ll ask for the advertising triad of permissions. Moreover, that app will ask your permission for reading and writing your contact data so you can assign the new ringtone to whoever you choose; write over your settings to make those changes permanent and be able to overwrite your SD card to save your new ringtone anywhere. In addition, an app trending towards crashing will also ask to read the device log so it can send crash reports. Altogether, you can count eight permissions for a simple ringtone editor and, if you haven’t noticed, the right to copy all your contacts, send them God knows where before delete them all, along with all your SDcard content.

What ought we to do then? Should we disown Android and return to our dumbphones just because any apparently harmless app can hide a potential serial data killer? No, we shouldn’t. That was the worst-case scenario. Beyond the trusted big companies that develop wonderful apps that no one would ever question, a vast majority of Android developers are loyal and faithful to their users, and Google has always paid attention to malware and looks after its child and takes care of it, but we also have to do our part: be aware and don’t take unnecessary risks.

In a nutshell, the Androidverse is, in all honesty, fantastic in all respects. If we had to plead for something, it would be transparency. Google has to safeguard a balance between open-source and security, being the key to encouraging developers to explain what are they asking for and why. As far as we are concerned, we’ve translated the permissions tab for each app so they are understandable to everyone (an example, here)

Have a nice weekend and happy AndroidZoom safe discovery!

Posted in AZ Week, AndroidZoom, Google, New Feature. 1 Comment »

First steps to understand what permissions mean

25/08/2011 — AndroidZoom

This is part one in a two-part series about how permissions work.

Well, in case anyone hasn’t noticed it yet, every time you install an Android app you need to accept some permissions. It can be really bothering because it usually means that your download will trigger a split second later than you expected, as you have to tap one more time. It’s a luck that Google thinks so much about its users that the ‘install’ button and the ‘accept permissions’ one are in the same place so we don’t have to read what we are really installing. If we had to, we’d better start looking for our old 3210 Nokias that are surely gathering dust somewhere in the attic.

Jokes apart, nobody reads which permissions are needed for each app and even less people knows what permissions mean. Even though tough coders still find themselves downloading and installing stuff they don’t really know what does or can do to their devices or privacy.

Keep in mind that permissions are something key within the Androidverse and everything dances around them. Some permissions are harmless by themselves but critically dangerous when combined with others, the same way that there are a few that should always be written in big, bold and underlined capitals.

Something that should be taken into account is that a same permission can be absolutely normal or totally dangerous according to what kind of app makes use of it. E.g., nobody should be surprised at an app that manages your contacts is able to alter your contact list. Likewise, all ad-supported games need access to the Internet so, in order to have access to the web, they need to know what kind of access you have.

Since we accept permissions without knowing them or worse, without even reading them, does that mean that we’re exposed to any malware that Google doesn’t detect at AM? Mmm, yes and yes. In fact, yes, of course. Permissions are our first, only and last line of defense. It’s a fact that there are some anti-malware apps, but it’s really soon to know how much they can actually protect us. The only reliable tactic is to not download suspicious apps, but that’s somehow tricky.

One simple, yet easy way to know if there’s something strange out there is to compare the app to similar ones. In addition, if we understand at least what permissions mean, it should be easy to sense if there is something odd going on.

Some news have caused alarm among Android users and some bloggers and sites have echoed alarmist declarations. Anti-malware developer app descriptions are more than alarmist, apocalyptic. There are developers who claim that spyware comes “from browsing the Internet through Google, Firefox and Internet Explorer” (read here) as an example used for scaring newbie Android users. Fear is nothing to play with, especially when our young and full of potential Android community keeps growing. We here at AZ are really worried about how malware will evolve in the next months, but we don’t believe that things are or will be worse than in any other OS.

That was theory. Tomorrow we’ll get practical.

Posted in AndroidMarket, AndroidZoom, Google. 1 Comment »

App permissions, it is time to start talking about it

23/08/2011 — AndroidZoom

Security is something that concerns everyone in different degrees. Regarding Android, we’ve been (untruthfully) alarmed so many times. In the cases it was true, like the malware apps detected on the market last March, Google fastly solved the issue with not too many collateral damages. Thus, virus and malware it isn’t still a real hreat to our devices’ integrity thanks to a stable OS and Google’s privacy policy.

However, there is an issue that is barely discussed and which implications are really important: permissions.

First time you install an app it asks you to accept some permissions. Thanks to these permissions, the app will be able to use or not some features of your phone as well as get access to some of them. For example, if one permission needs full access to the data connection, it will be able to connect as long as you have it enabled. There’s no problem when the app that asks for this permission is an online game or a multiplatform push messenger but… What happens if it also asks for permission to read/write SMS from your Android? Let’s say that it’s weird, suspicious, specially if the developer doesn’t explain what is that for in the app description on the market. These apps could become intrusive and dangerous.

Today we want to help you to discover two apps to monitor and manage permissions for avoiding these situations.

The only flaw is they need your device to be rooted.

LBE Privacy Guard

This is probably the best regarding interface and performance. It helps you to manage your privacy by deeply controlling permissions for each app. You can accept/reject permissions at your whim, one-by-one or for all apps. All the permissions are sorted by categories in order to make it easier to find them. What’s more, it contains a firewall which automatically blocks malware and trojans. It also blocks data connection attempts. Track all your permissions and the changes you did with the app by checking the changelog. LBE Privacy Guard is probably the best of this kind of app regarding interface: good-looking, easy to find all the features and fluent. High recommendable if you aren’t use to, or you don’t like, the classic developers dashboard appearance (like the app below).

LBE Privacy Guard

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Permissions Denied OK, it doesn’t look as beautiful as LBE, but it works as good as it (we would say even better). Actually, you can perform same stuff but it’s even faster than LBE. That means: in a few taps you will be able to accept/reject permissions, deny the same permissions for all the apps asking for it (you can’t do this with LBE), backup/restore your permissions profile and many other advanced options.

Permissions Denied

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Permissions are meant to be something that we will have to take into account to avoid malware and misappropriation. These apps are a good start.

(via elandroidelibre)

Posted in AndroidZoom. 2 Comments »

Google apps you may or may not hear about…

18/08/2011 — AndroidZoom

We’ve talked several times about why Google apps like Maps, Sky or Translate are a reason by themselves to buy an Android device. However, Googleverse is wide enough to fit in apps that could be considered at least eccentric just a few years ago. Let’s not only take a look at those high-end apps, but also let our imagination run wild by the way.

- Google Goggles represents what Google wants to become in an early future. Image recognition technology looks like the first step in a long road walk. Who knows, why not dream about a day when our devices will smell something and tell us what it is. The slogan would be a sort of ”Thanks to Google Noose my Android smells what my neighbor is cooking, looks for the recipe and a how-to-do video”.

Google Goggles

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– Google Chrome to Phone syncs your computer Chrome browser with your Android, as it wasn’t already enough. Export navigation history, Youtube links and bookmarks to your phone. There might be a day when our phones can predict what we’re going to do when we arrive home and our PCs will be switched on, ready and eager to continue what we started from our Android. All this without mentioning Chrome TV… possibilities are almost unfathomable.

Google Chrome to Phone

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- Gesture search, as Mr. Lund said, is not indispensable, but we’d like to speculate with an ‘advanced gesture search’ that allow looking for stuff in your device through icons instead of just letters and numbers, and even making actions. E.g finger drawing a moon to set an alarm, a sad smiley to call your psychologist (or your ex, or mum…), a secret symbol to share your location with city police in case you were in danger…it’s as easy as bringing the actual unlock patterns just a little bit forward.

Gesture Search

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– Listen. Has really Google a radio and podcast app? Why haven’t we noticed? Listen is one of those apps that well up from Google Labs from time to time. Listen works with Google Reader and it isn’t hard to believe that both will be integrated in G+ soon.

Listen

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Next time we could talk about Google Body. Or about those apps Google develops for blind people. Or…

Posted in AZ Week, AndroidZoom, Apps, Google, Reviews. 2 Comments »

One small step for Google… a giant leap for Android?

16/08/2011 — AndroidZoom

First thing first, the breaking news is: Google announced yesterday on its blog it has acquired Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. The importance of this acquisition lies on that Google is reaching now the same status as its main competitor (Apple) since it becomes at the same time both OS provider and device manufacturer.

Actually, Apple has enough reasons to fear such operation: Android is the most used OS on smartphones so far, and the only field that Apple overtakes Android is on the amount of devices sold (basically due to the fragmentation). The acquisition of Motorola Mobility feeds Apple’s fear of a future Android integration. However, it could also raise doubts on the other smartphones manufacturer using Android OS.

Surprisingly, most of these manufacturers have taken the news as something positive (at least that is what they have officially said).

“We welcome today’s news, which demonstrates Google’s deep commitment to defending Android, its partners, and the ecosystem.”

- J.K. Shin
President, Samsung, Mobile Communications Division

“I welcome Google‘s commitment to defending Android and its partners.”
- Bert Nordberg
President & CEO, Sony Ericsson

“We welcome the news of today‘s acquisition, which demonstrates that Google is deeply committed to defending Android, its partners, and the entire ecosystem.”
- Peter Chou
CEO, HTC Corp.

“We welcome Google‘s commitment to defending Android and its partners.”
- Jong-Seok Park, Ph.D
President & CEO, LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company

These reactions are due to two basic reasons. First, Google has stated that Motorola Mobility will remain a licensee of Android, and Android will remain open-source Google will treat Motorola Mobility as a separate business. Google says that it is meant to boost Android ecosystem and improve the competence on devices technology. Second, Google has announced that policy on the manufacturing of Nexus devices won’t change.

“We have this strategy where we have this Nexus program, and we have this lead device strategy. That strategy has worked quite well to help focus the team.

What we do is that we select each — around Christmastime of each year — we select a manufacturer that we work very closely with to release a device in that time frame. That includes, also, semiconductor companies and all of the components that go in the device.

We don’t expect that to change at all. The acquisition is going to be run as a separate business. They will be part of that bidding process, and part of that lead development process. And obviously Android remains open to other partners to use as they are today.”

Despite the initial calm with which the major manufacturers have received the news, there are two questions that are still a mystery, and that could be a cause for concern.

Why Motorola?

Although Google has worked closely with HTC (Nexus One), Samsung (Nexus S) and Motorola (Xoom tablet) with satisfactory results, the latter is probably the little brother regarding marketing and business growth. In other words, they haven’t taken advantage (at least not as the other two) of its relation with Android. Since Motorola is, let’s say, the ‘emerging’ company on smartphone and tablet devices, the operation of acquisition was probably easier than with the two others.

What will happen from now?

Despite Google says that “everything will stay the same”, this operation isn’t an accident. From now, Google will make their own products, that means: it will have control over the whole manufacturing process, from the hardware factory to the Android OS developing labs and it’ll hold thousands of patents. The advantage of these lies on that it ensures that all devices out there have been made exclusively for Android and they’re properly tested. Whether the other manufacturers like or not, Motorola will become the jewel in the crown of Google.

(Via our friends from elandroidelibre)

Posted in AndroidZoom, Google. 3 Comments »

Casual Games launched this week that you should be playing right now

12/08/2011 — AndroidZoom

We end this fantabulous and supercalifragilisticexpialidocius long Casual Games’ Week reviewing not one neither two, but three games. While you enjoy your vacation spending your spare time among paradise beaches, lost ancient cities, postcard landscapes and whatever you like most, we are still working away doing what we do best: reviewing games. It’s a hard work, we know, but someone has to do it, don’t they?

Well, you’ve probably also thought to yourself “wow, it’s a kind of paradox” so we’d better not delay it anymore. The next three games have three things in common: they deserve a five star rating, are addictive as could be and have been released this same week.

Yet another bubble blast game? A five star bubble blast game seems a good alternative to a lot of boring choices, don’t you think? Let’s put it on the test: Cranky Cat or Summer homework? Far more difficult still, Cranky Cat or nearly whatever else? Think carefully. If there’s a developer able to reinvent the unreinventable and achieve five stars by the way, his work deserves, at least, a go.

Cranky Cat

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You like to manage and you’re looking for better management games, but you can’t resign to play them on your Android. After all, you like to go back and forth and you don’t like those management games where you have to persuade your friends to play. Here’s MyCountry. Maybe we can’t rule a whole country from our phones yet, but we’re ready for a whole, big, big city.

My Country

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Did you think that outer space is empty? Nothing could be further from the truth because it’s full of kind MMO players and unbelievable monsters. Star Legends is a whole galaxy full of amazing challenges and surprising friends from all over the world.

There’s only one thing missing out there: you.

Star Legends Beta (3D MMO)

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See you next week and happy AndroidZoom casualgaming discovery!

Posted in AZ Week, AndroidZoom, Games, Reviews. 1 Comment »

Summer time

09/08/2011 — AndroidZoom

In view of the fact that dog days will be soon over, we’d like to anticipate and introduce a few random little games to waste time on long train rides or car or boat or whatever. In other words, here there are a few easy and simple games fitted to be downloaded with a couple of clicks and be played for a while.
The first game is Noogra Nuts, a game where we handle a squirrel, and the mission is to catch as many nuts as you can in 120 seconds. So easy.
It is a game with good graphics, easy to play, compatible with Honeycomb tablets, Facebook and Openfeint integration and, according to the developer, future updates will include achievements, survival mode…
It appeared five days ago, so be prepared to be one of the first to test it and spread the word.

Noogra Nuts

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We continue with the game Pax Britannica: the game is a clash between two sides. Each has a ship that is generating other ships. You can generate the ships holding the display section that the game has shown you. The circle inside the spacecraft indicate what are you building and, the more you press the screen, greater things will be spawned. The game is pretty entertaining, and can be played by two players with the same phone at the same time.

Pax Britannica

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We end with a classic that never gets old: Tetris. Here’s the latest version with a great makeover of the most vicious game in history. Includes new and odd pieces (even 1×1 pieces!), a box for storing pieces that we don’t know where to drop and a new remix of the classic original MIDI. If you cease to play Tetris at the time, perhaps it’s time to rededicate for a while. For old times’ sake.

Beyond Tetris

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Posted in AZ Week, AndroidZoom, Apps, Games. 2 Comments »

Not so well known Android browsers

05/08/2011 — AndroidZoom

Today, in this last day of Android Zoom’s Browsers week, we’re going to talk about alternative Android browsers; in case you want to change yours or simply look for a specific feature. The three browsers we’re going to discuss today are probably less known that the others, but equally worth it.

First of all, Miren Browser, the one created by MIUI developers. Fast and fluent, includes as a main characteristic a really practical home screen with:

- The best sites: a list featuring the 60 best Internet websites for a quick access.
- Favorites: organized by folders, most-seen and browsing history.
- eBooks: Integrated eBook searcher. Great, but only available in Chinese at the moment. Anyway, the idea is really good.
- RSS: RSS reader integrated, although it still requires some work.
- Downloads: Download manager.

There are also Firefox-like tabs and many more technical options, User Agent choice, security parameters, cache eraser and what we find most appealing: data traffic saving.
In short, good browser with a really clean interface. It may need a little more customization, though.

Miren Browser

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We can also talk about Maxthon Mobile, an interesting browser with many options: – Integrated RSS reader – Cookies, Browsing History and Cache management. – Gestures – User Agent changing facilities – Themes (Even 3D) – Firefox-like tabs. – Folders and Favorites sync It’s also really quick (probably quicker than Miren) but it also has its disadvantages: it can’t be saved to SD and the cursor trail (as if you were doing gestures all the time) can get pretty annoying.

Maxthon Mobile Browser

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Lastly, we find XScope Browser, a Goggle Chrome-like browser (with the exact same tabs). It’s also fast, maybe a little less than the others. What we don’t like is the fact that the Notification bar isn’t shown. Nevertheless, it includes a wide range of features:

- Appearance and Themes (show/hide tabs and bar).
- Plenty of website visualization options and User Agent facility.
- Android buttons customization, broswer buttons.
- Application options.
- Favorite manager.
- UI simplicity.

xScope Browser – Web & File

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What do you think? Try them out and let us know your opinions.

[via elandroidelibre]