Nokia Rolls-out Software Update of Lumia 800

Nokia has announced the roll out of first software update for its Windows Phone Lumia 800, since the launch of the device in October this year (yet to be launched in India). The v1600.2479.7740.11451 update will enhance the performance & usability experience of Lumia 800. The update has:

Rooting Your Droid?

57,200,000 hits in 0.17 seconds is what you get by searching 'Root your Android' keyword on Google. Tons of websites are offering rooting guides in detail for your specific phone model and developer hotbeds are getting queries upon queries from aspiring 'rooters' about how to root their specific device make. So what is making people go for rooting their stock Android despite knowing fully that it invalidates handset warranty and can turn their device into an expensive paperweight? We tried to delve deeper into the phenomenon.

What is rooting?

Rooting an Android device basically means gaining super-user access to the file system. Android OS is based on Linux and shares same file directory structure. The root folder in a Linux system holds files critical to system and any changes to these files may make the system unstable. Hence, access to this folder is blocked by default. While you can run any command as a root user by typing 'sudo su' into terminal on a PC, you can't run sudo command on your Android smartphone as it is locked by the device manufacturer. As a result, installing custom themes, fonts and applications that require super-user permissions is not possible until you root your smartphone.

Risks

Besides obvious benefits, rooting has its demerits too. Though the process itself is not illegal, rooting voids the warranty of your handset, which is major spoiler for many. Most of the droid owners try rooting only when the device warranty gets expired. However, hackers have made even this part easy as now there are tools available through which you can unroot your phone by flashing it with original ROM, resetting device’s default state, if any such need arises. And it is highly unlikely that the service center guys would ever come to know whether your device rooted or not.

Possibility of ruining your handset also runs high if you don't follow the instructions properly. There are numerous varieties of Android devices available in the market nowadays from an array of manufacturers. Each of them tops up the basic OS with their own user interface and goodies, making them somewhat different from each other. Hence, the method of rooting different devices is also differs. One wrong step and you can end up with a locked device, reviving which can prove to be quite a task. This is the reason why rooting is not for recommended for everybody.

Another concern is that your data security may also be compromised as malwares can take control of phone if you go on installing applications on a rooted device carelessly.

If you keep a busy schedule and don't have time to play with your device, then rooting is certainly not for you. Still, for the curious kind, who finds technical jargon alien but still want to taste some real freedom with their Android devices, some really cool rooting apps are available which make rooting as easy as counting 1 2 3.

Why root?

All said, the benefits of a rooted handset still outweigh all possible hazards. Once rooted, you can turn your smartphone into a super-smartphone by unleashing its full potential. For starters, you can overclock your processor to make it faster, remove unwanted preinstalled apps, install custom ROMs (customised Android OSes), enhance battery life and signal strength, and of course install apps which require root access. Furthermore, you can also upgrade your device to latest Android version in case your device is not officially eligible for update. Though you can still use FOTA to get device updates in case you are not using a custom ROM, but you'll most likely lose root access, requiring you to root the device again. The re-root method may differ because of the possible security patches installed by update to thwart any rooting attempt and changed OS version.

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Five Voice-based Virtual Personal Assistants for Android

Ever since I bought Samsung Galaxy Ace, I’ve been trying the pre-loaded Google Voice application to surf web with voice command, but results haven’t always been accurate. Therefore, I started exploring hundreds of voice recognition apps available in Android Market in order to find a reliable one. And still, I am in confusion, though I found some really good personal assistant apps that can obey my commands. I’m sure; some of you must be in similar situation – searching for responsive voice recognition app! I have tried few voice recognition apps and pleased to inform you about few high quality apps.

Google Voice:

Typing queries using small keyboard of mobile devices can be difficult. So, Google rolled “Google Voice” to make search easier in mobile phone. Personalized search feature is available on devices running on Android OS v2.2 Froyo or higher. You can set the preferred language, block offensive words, and other settings. The benefit of personalized search is that Google will associate your voice recording with your Google account in order to display result with high accuracy. 

One thing frustrating about Google Voice is its very slow transcription capability and limited accent in its data base. It does not catch sound easily. You have to speak bit-by-bit to make the app understand what you want to convey. 

I was trying Google Voice and the responses were:

I: call Ayush

Google Voice: Do you mean “I use”,

I tried several times, but it could not understand. Finally I tried a different name from my contact list.

I: call Vrinda

Google Voice in action: calling Vrinda

In my perception, Google Voice does not catch words properly. 

Vlingo Virtual Assistant:

Give voice command to open apps, email contacts, search the web, or update status on Facebook – Thanks to Vlingo. Just tap Vlingo widget and speak! Its voice recognition speed and accuracy is impressive, though not faultless.

Koememon:

Koememon is amazing voice recognition app. The best words to credit this app are “just speak your memo and it will convert it into perfect text. But it can be used only for making notes. It is not possible to command phones with the apps. But the transcription quality is extremely good. For making voice to text notes, I will give it 4 stars out of 5.

Iris

Inspired from iPhone feature Siri, a team of Android developers led by Narayan Babu built a clone of Siri, called as Iris. Interestingly, name Iris is backronym of Siri.

“Voice Search” and Text- to Speech (TTS) library should be pre-installed on the Android phones to get voice command feature of Iris. Iris is currently in an Alpha testing state.  When you ask the correct questions it can perform simple tasks such as making call & typing text to someone, search something on web, look up a contact and have conversations on varied subjects such as Philosophy, Culture, History, and Science to general conversation. Iris is expected to perform better on Ice Cream Sandwich Android version.

A good example how Iris work

I: call John

Iris: shall I call John

I: Yes

Iris in action: calling John

Edwin

Edwin is a speech to speech application. It can h it can help you tweet, send message, surf the web, make calls, and more merely by voice commands. The app gives list of commands to help you do the action correctly. The app supports English as the source language and can translate to Spanish, Italian, French, and German. But you require speech synthesis data and TTS apps on your device to use the features. 

Edwin is great! It offers great functions and is truly your personal assistant. It performs mathematical calculations and conversions. The app is also ready to define the terms and spell words for you. It can act as your guide to find location and get direction, if GPS in on.  It performs hardware functions such as checking status, enabling and disabling of airplane mode, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It will also adjust brightness of the display of phone as per your preference. The app is happy to launch applications such as Gmail and Camera, and tell you time & date. All these features make it superior to other siblings.

Top 5 Anti-Malware Software for Android Phones

The latest report by Gartner shows that Android phones capture 43.4% of the global market share, which is likely to grow up to 49% next year. With increase in the adoption of open source Android OS, there has been a considerable rise in the malware attacks as well. As per the third quarter report of McAfee, Malware attack on Android devices has increased by 37% since last quarter, making Android the most attacked mobile operating system in the year 2011.

Android being an open source OS is mostly targeted by hackers & developers for malware attacks. You can term malware as a malicious code or program that monitors & sends personal data from cell phone to another device. These programs harm the users by sending out personal information to unintended recipients or it might gain root access on the device and share your netbanking passwords or other critical information with the hacker.

The lack of code signing and application review process on Android Market has been a blessing for malware developers. Google’s take on malware attacks is entirely different from other OS makers. Though, the company allows developers to freely post their work in Android market, it also reviews & removes malicious content. To some extent, Google has controlled malware in its app market. But, the open platform allows users to download apps from various other sources, which is a true challenge for Google.

Instead of expecting Google to take preventive actions to counter malware, users these days have realized the requirement to control such attacks at their end. Here we are specifically talking about the safety of Android phones. So, below is the info about top 5 third-party anti-malware software for your Android device:

Norton Mobile Security Lite

A free security app for your Android device, Norton Mobile Security Lite provides protection against loss, theft, and malware. The anti-malware tool scans the downloaded applications as well as updates received to check if there’s any malware threat. It will also block phishing websites that try to scan your mobile to get access to your personal information such as bank account number, password, pin etc. Other features include –

• Remote lock feature to remotely lock the phone and erase all the data, in case it’s lost or stolen
• Call & text blocking

Kaspersky Mobile Security

Besides providing protection against malware, Kaspersky Mobile Security has privacy protection option. This gives you control over the contacts, SMS, and call logs you want to hide or unhide. In case the mobile phone is lost, you can track it down with the built-in GPS Find feature of the software. Other features include:

• Remote lock to block the device so that nobody gets access to phone data, if it gets stolen or misplaced. This is done by just sending an SMS to your mobile number.
• Give an extra level of security to your device with the encryption feature. This will help you in hiding the folder you think contains sensitive data or shouldn't be shared with everyone.
• Anti-spam feature will allow you to choose the numbers you want to keep in the blacklist mode. With this feature, you will be able to take calls or receive messages from numbers except those present in the anti-spam list.

There's a parental control feature in the Kaspersky Mobile Security suite, which allows you to block outgoing calls or SMSes sent to undesirable numbers. Once you install the software in your kid's cellphone, you will also be able to track his/her exact location at any time of day or night.

Lookout Mobile Security

Lookout Mobile Security was one of the first security apps for Google's Android phones. Being a light weight anti-malware software, it will not drain your battery or make the cellphone slow. It will prevent your device from connecting to an unsecured wireless network or downloading a malicious app. Moreover, it will also tell you which application download would result in accessing your personal data in the phone. This way, you can take better control of phone security and privacy. It is a relief for those who access their bank accounts or make payments using their mobile phones.

The anti-malware protection comes in free and premium versions.

AVG

Available in both, free and paid versions, AVG fights against viruses & malwares as well as provides data loss & theft protection. We can call this software as real-time scanner that will identify apps & settings, which may slow down the phone. It has an application, file, settings, and safe web surfing scanner to keep your phone malware & spam free while making a call, downloading music, videos & apps, or while web browsing.

AVG also filters the SMS received by your phone to protect your phone's inbox and keep the device spam free. It also has a stolen phone feature through which you can identify the device location on Google Maps, in case it gets stolen or lost.

NetQin

NetQin uses twin-engine anti-virus technology to provide protection against malwares & viruses without affecting the speed of the device. It has multiple scanning options including – One-touch scan, Full scan, Scheduled scan, and Real-time protection. Here are the features of the software:

• Anti-lost feature – Runs on GPS tracking and full cross-server contacts backup system to provide protection to user's data.
• It automatically blocks the malicious websites while they are being opened-up in the browser.
• You will also get real-time information of data usage in the phone. Infact, you can also decide the maximum data usage limit in the phone so that you do not exceed the limit.