Mobile devices are increasingly subject to many of the threats that plague personal computers. Now a leading security researcher has presented a new way to detect malware on mobile devices. According to this article, the new approach can catch even unknown threats and can protect a device without draining its battery or taking up too much processing power.
Researchers have begun to identify ways to protect devices from malicious software. But traditional ways of protecting desktops against threats don’t translate well to smart phones, says Markus Jakobsson, a principal scientist at Xerox PARC and the person behind the new malware detection technology. Read more »
Nokia shared that since the launch of the new version of Ovi Maps with free walk and drive navigation, on 21 January 2010, there have been over 1.2 million downloads with over 20% coming from China. By leveraging its investment in NAVTEQ, Nokia has been able to remove the costs associated with navigation for drivers and pedestrians and is quickly activating a massive user base to which it can offer new location features, content and services. The top five most popular Nokia devices installing the download where: Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia N97 mini, Nokia N97 , Nokia 5230 and E72. From next month all new Nokia GPS-enabled smartphones will include the new version of Ovi Maps, pre-loaded with local country map data, with high-end walk and drive navigation and access to Lonely Planet and Michelin travel guides at no extra cost.
Let me confess, I never wanted to be a BlackBerry user and ever since I was forced to use my first RIM device, I have always been carrying one, it’s been a few years now. I’m not that forgetful in general but I do forget my BlackBerry at places at times, and am usually not sure where I left it. Was that in my car or at home? Did I drop it somewhere or is it safe or not? Calling a lost phone to ring it, itself is an invitation to a thief if you left it at a public place. Does this happen to you too?
Telenor has started online booking for BlackBerry Bold 9700. Delivery is expected in the first week of February 2010. You can also call 111-345-100, 345 or call 200 from Telenor Persona Number. Priced at Rs. 50K, this is one of the high end, stylish phone from RIM. BlackBerry Bold 9700 would be a lot of fun with 3G rollout.
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. a global leader in cutting-edge technology has signed with TeleTec Solutions Pakistan as its new official partner and has also unveiled its latest GenoA touch screen mobile phone for its customers.
By now you must have heard about Nexus One from Google. This calculated move from Google shows its ambition and aggressiveness. The web and social networks are full of buzz about the phone, its features and how the other services – such as Google Voice – and apps will create an attractive solution which could be come a new standard.
I came across this article from CNET on frequently asked questions about smartphone safety and thought that I’d share it with readers. Never a bad idea to remind ourself about safety of data and apps. Here’s the basic checklist:
Do you have data on your phone backed up in case you lose it?
Is there business or personal information (such as accounts or passwords in messages) which is easily accessible to someone who gets hold of your phone?
Are you aware of the applications installed on your phone: commerce related apps, social networking apps
Be careful about the usual phishing and other social-engineering scams – with so much browsing on the phone, it is more likely these days to follow a bad link and give away your password by mistake
Beware of sending sensitive info over unencrypted WiFi
Interesting presentation which talks about why smart phones are so important for marketers, what are the major areas of growth and how to target this group of early adopters.
Mashable has interesting commentary about the role of iPod touch. In the context of the mobile platform wars, the contest is often framed as “the iPhone” versus Android, BlackBerry and the rest of the smartphone market. However, even if the iPhone is the only phone that Apple sells, there is another device that runs on the iPhone OS: the iPod touch. In fact, according to the mobile analytics firm Flurry, the iPod touch might even be Apple’s secret weapon when it comes to long-term results and platform retention. Flurry makes this argument in its November Industry Pulse report.
As smartphones become more like portable computers, scammers, phishers and other cybcer criminals have stepped up their attacks on smartphones. Here are a few excerpts from an article which provides tips on securing your smartphone.
Security experts have long warned of the vulnerability of smart phones to hackers. And in the past year the threat has been highlighted by an attack on the Symbian operating system, used mainly by Nokia Corp. phones, and a demonstration at a conference of a flaw that was found in the iPhone’s security.
As the software for smart phones becomes more sophisticated and open, they become better breeding grounds for a new generation of spyware and viruses. Hackers can work their way into your phone through text messages, steal your information and use your contact list to find more victims. Scammers can now dupe you into revealing your Social Security number or credit-card account number on your phone, just like they’ve been doing for years on PCs.
The new battle ground for smart phones is Motorola Droid versus iPhone. The Droid is offered by Verizon Wireless in the US and runs on Google’s Android OS. Verizon and Google teamed up against a common rival to come up with the Droid, which is supposed to offer a number of features which iPhone lacks. Droid has been getting good reviews but iPhone remains a tough one to beat. I think the discussions around comparison of these and other smartphones will continue. At the end of the day this is a subjective discussion and the market will determine the winner.
A GSM version of the Droid is also available and its only a matter of time before it hits the market worldwide, including Pakistan.
The first one is a Verizon advertisement which pokes fun at the limitations of iPhone.
For those who are interested in details, read this review by Mossberg or watch this video after the break which compares Droid and iPhone:
Here are the results of the poll from October about smart phone data usage. As you can see a majority of users who participated in this poll are power users. This is to be expected as people who read blogs tend to be early adopters and thus more likely to be mobile data users. Also see the results from my own usage as of today. The very obvious trend is that wireless data usage is on the rise and mobile phones are fast becoming the most common device for accessing information. Network operators and service providers need to adjust their business models to take this into account. The pace of this acceleration of data usage varies by geography but its only a matter of time before this becomes a global phenomenon.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the poll.
TelecomPk.Net is a leading source of information and analysis about Pakistan Telecom industry. 
