Music Unlimited Android app offers offline support

Android users with the Music Unlimited app on their handsets can now look forward to enjoying playlists offline. A recent announcement from Sony conveys that the company now offers offline support for user playlists on this service.

Subscribers of Music Unlimited can utilize the feature on their devices if they wish to access the playlists in locations where there is no mobile connection. Users may also bring this function into play when data usage has to be kept in check. It can be activated by accessing playlists stored under the My Library tab. The Options button will now come with an alternative for offline playlist availability.

“We’ve added offline playback  functionality to the Music Unlimited service’s Android app. Now you can download your Music Unlimited playlists and play the songs you’ve added to those playlists wherever you go, even places where you can’t get a mobile signal like airplanes or the back room of your relative’s house where you’re hiding because hey, you love them, but you just need a little peace and quiet before your aunt asks another question about how your dating life is going,” communicates Jeff Safran, Marketing Manager, Sony Network Entertainment through a recent post on the official Sony Network Entertainment blog.

After selecting Available Offline, users will have to wait till the line-up is downloaded on the device. Subscribers who are offline can choose Switch to Offline Mode from the Android hardware menu. From among this downloaded listing, it is possible to browse by various categories or genres.

The Music Unlimited app for Android smartphones and slates can be installed free of cost, from Google Play.

iPads Vs. Android: 3-Way Tablet Shootout

Is Apple's new iPad, the iPad 2, or Asus' best Android tablet right for you? We do a detailed comparison of cost, features, design, and other key criteria.

The Retina display in Apple's new iPad looks gorgeous. For once, Apple's marketing hyperbole seems restrained. But is it enough to justify a tablet pricetag of $500 or more?

Apple's New iPad

If you're in the market for a tablet at the moment, you can't do better. The most direct, known Android-based competitor, the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity doesn't yet have a release date. And it starts at $100 more.

The main argument for an Android tablet rather than an iPad has to do with openness. Beyond the fact that Android apps in Google's store can be sold without the approval that Apple requires for iOS apps, the Transformer Pad gives users more control over the movement of files. It includes a microSD slot and USB port, thereby allowing users to transfer files on and off the device as they see fit.

Apple would rather that its customer avail themselves of iCloud and iTunes for moving files around. That's fine for most people, but not everyone welcomes Apple's gate keeping.

Frankly, the new iPad's strongest competitor at the moment is the iPad 2. At $399, it's a pretty good deal, and is arguably a better deal than Amazon's $199 Kindle Fire, considering how much more the iPad 2 can do.

For developers, the new iPad will be a necessary expense. Competitors will buy them for tear-downs.

Consumers may find the choice more difficult. If you own an iPad and use it primarily for leisure reading or games with 3D graphics, like Infinity Blade, then you'll probably appreciate the vivid screen in the latest model. Gazelle.com is presently offering $220 for a 32 GB iPad 2 with WiFi in good condition, so the trade-up cost is not that bad.

If, on the other hand, your iPad or iPad 2 is primarily something you hand the kids to keep them away from your laptop, the new iPad probably doesn't make sense. Angry Birds on a 2048 x 1536 pixel screen isn't that much more wonderful than it is on a 1024 x 768 pixel screen.

Business travelers who prefer an iPad to a laptop may find the new iPad's 4G LTE capabilities compelling, to say nothing about what the screen will do for presentations. But if your work doesn't require the the Retina display or the ability to transfer of large files, 3G connectivity is likely to be adequate for the times when you don't have access hotel WiFi.

Judging on specs alone, the new iPad looks quite compelling.

Which tablet suits your needs best? Dig into our detailed comparison of the two iPads, then compare the new iPad and the Android rival from Asus. 

Google releases Android interface design stencils

Hopes to nurture uniform interface development

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Google has released Android 4.0 design stencils to help developers create mock-up user interfaces in double quick time.

Google's Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich brought a host of new features but the most noticeable was a change in the user interface with new icons, buttons and interface controls. Now Google has offered designers the chance to download stencils so that they can create interface mock-ups using Adobe Fireworks, Adobe Photoshop and Omni Omnigraffle.

Google has been placing increasing importance on the look and feel of Android applications. Recently the firm released a style-guide so developers can achieve the right tone with their instructions.

However Google's release of design stencils is a move to show that developing applications on its Android operating system need not be an extraneous process. Plus it should help developers use 'Android standard' icons and interface controls from a very early stage of development.

Google's Android had come in for some criticism due to its mish-mash of user interfaces from several versions of the operating system. However now that the firm has integrated both tablet and smartphone operating branches into Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, it needs to encourage uniformity in design across devices with different screen sizes.

Now Google needs to not to make any major user interface design changes with upcoming versions of Android, as rumours are claiming that Android 5.0 will be released before the end of the year. µ

Android Malware Continues To Surge

Mobile threats increased six-fold between 2010 and 2011, says Kapersky Lab, as security experts at RSA debate whether Android or iPhone is more secure against malware attacks.

Mobile malware developers have been busy, as the quantity of malicious threats that target mobile devices increased more than six-fold between 2010 and 2011.

That's one finding from new research released this week by anti-virus software maker Kaspersky Lab, which reported that the number of distinct mobile malware families more than doubled from 2010 to 2011. Whereas 153 new mobile malware families appeared in 2010, and were collectively modified more than 1,000 times, "over the course of 2011, we recorded 5,255 new modifications of mobile threats and 178 new families," said Kaspersky Lab senior malware analyst Denis Maslennikov, in a blog post.

In other words, the amount of mobile malware continues to increase dramatically. "In December 2011 alone we uncovered more new malicious programs targeting mobile devices than over the entire 2004 to 2010 period," he said.

In 2011, 65% of new malicious mobile applications targeted the Android platform, compared with Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition, a.k.a. J2ME (27%), as well as Symbian (7%), and Windows Mobile (1%). Overall, one-third of malicious apps targeting Android were designed to steal personal data--such as contacts, call logs, text messages, and photos--from the device. Almost an equal number of malware apps were designed to take control of a user's device.

Interestingly, from 2008 through 2010, the majority of Trojan applications designed to launch SMS attacks against mobile devices targeted J2ME devices. But in 2011, most SMS Trojans targeted Android.

Why is Android being singled out now by attackers? For starters, Android--unlike Apple iOS--is an open operating system, meaning there are few barriers to understanding exactly how it works.

Furthermore, various research firms estimate that Android now controls anywhere between 46% and 51% of the mobile operating system market, according to Harry Sverdlove, CTO of Bit9. "So it's not surprising that most malware is targeting that," he said in an interview at the RSA conference in San Francisco this week.

Although Android is undeniably popular, one security issue is that many smartphone manufacturers and cell phone carriers infrequently update customers' Android devices. As a result, many Android smartphones sport known vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.

"For some reason in the Android world, because the phone manufacturers and carriers want in on the pot, we've been trained to think that the manufacturers and carriers are responsible for updating our software," said Sverdlove. "Whereas in the PC world, no one expects the PC seller to update the operating system."

The Android updating situation--as well as for J2ME, Symbian, and Windows Mobile--contrasts with Apple iOS. Notably, Apple alone pushes iOS updates, and they can be immediately applied to currently supported devices, provided users synchronize their device with iTunes and agree to install the update. (Newer iOS devices also can receive updates over the air.)

Of course, iOS isn't immune to application vulnerabilities. "There's a question of what platforms are more or less secure," said Kevin Mahaffey, CTO of Lookout Mobile Security, speaking at RSA. "Android and iPhones have a similar level of security baked into them, it just turns out that iPhone has been less targeted." For example, he said, researchers at CounterStrike demonstrated a WebKit vulnerability at RSA this week that uses a weaponized vulnerability in WebKit to track GPS data and record phone conversations. WebKit, however, is used in both Android and iOS operating systems, as well as browsers for traditional operating systems.

Not everyone, however, agrees with Mahaffey's assessment that mobile operating systems offer similar security levels. "I'd argue that iOS is at least a little more secure," said Roel Schouwenberg, a senior anti-virus researcher at Kaspersky Lab, at the RSA conference.

But he said that all mobile operating systems needed to see security improvements, such as more rigorous checks and transparent processes surrounding the detection of malware, as well as overall mobile application security. "Right now, you need to just trust Apple or Google that everything is fine," he said.

Windows 8 could leapfrog Android to be the true iPad competitor

Windows 8 seems like it's chiefly setting its sights on the tablet market, and that's something that Google should fear. Here's why.

Samsung executive Hankii Yoon said at Mobile World Congress, "The best thing to survive in the market is to kill your products."

He was referring to new Samsung Android tablets cannibalizing older ones, but let's take that comment even further. The first tablet demonstrating Windows 8 at Mobile World Congress was a Samsung one. Sure, Samsung is playing the field, and it's made Windows tablets before. However, it only goes to show that if you're not the one vertically integrating software and hardware, it's a free-for-all as far as where tablet hardware might evolve next.

The iPad isn't going anywhere: it has huge popularity, a massive app catalog, and dominating market share going for it. However, that spot at No. 2 seems wide open. Android tablets have been far from compelling thus far, leaving the doorway open for Windows 8 tablets to stake a claim that no other Windows tablets have previously been able to capture. However, for Windows 8 to succeed as a true iPad competitor and bury Android tablets, the battle will have to be fought on several fronts:

Apps. Android has a boatload of apps, but a less-than-ideal centralized storefront and way of monetizing them. Microsoft's currently middling collection of Windows 8 apps can't compete yet, but in time, with enough development effort, Microsoft could showcase those apps and sell them in a more polished way than Android does.

Enterprise and corporate. iPads are candy to the corporate landscape for two reasons: they're sexy, and they're secure and stable. They're not perfectly geared to productivity, but they're close enough. Android tablets have come in so many varieties and so many operating system variants that it numbs any corporate adoption. If Microsoft can settle on a few tablet designs from OEMs and a unified, stable OS (promising security features to boot), it could be seriously attractive to business.

Backward compatibility. The ability to run older Windows applications (for x86 tablets, not ARM) is huge. I remember sitting through tons of meetings with vendors who explained why their ugly Windows tablet of old was used by businesses that ran older software and enjoyed the cross-compatibility. Running Microsoft Office, in its real-deal form, is bigger than most people realize. OnLive Desktop is a cloud-based service on the iPad and Android that runs Windows 7 remotely...chiefly for its Microsoft Office applications, and its retention of features like red-line edits. A Windows 8 tablet could do that.

True keyboard/mouse compatibility. The iPad can't use a mouse. Android tablets can, but to a limited degree. Stand up a Windows 8 tablet and pair a keyboard and mouse, and a true mobile computer could be set up. We've seen that before on Windows 7 tablets, so what's the big deal now? Well, back then, those Windows 7 tablets excelled at keyboard/mouse connectivity but were lousy with UI, battery life, and touch-based apps. Windows 8 aims to address those problems this time around, though it remains to be seen how Intel's tablet processors will perform.

For all these reasons--especially the business market--I can't help but imagine Windows tablets rising up to finally overtake Android, and creating a Microsoft-Apple battleground for the next decade. On the consumer side, I expect Android tablets to get squeezed by cheaper and more brand-friendly "super e-readers" like the Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet. Google's Andy Rubin may plan to double down on tablets, but Microsoft seems ready to do the same. Android phones may own half of the smartphone landscape, but there have been only 12 million Android tablets sold, compared with more than 48 million iPads in 2011 alone. Opportunity is there for the taking to be No. 2. And, if Microsoft swoops in and takes that market away from Android, Google will have no one but itself to blame.

Et Tu, Google? Android Apps Can Also Secretly Copy Photos

It’s not just Apple. Photos are vulnerable on Android phones, too.

As Bits reported this week, developers who make applications for Apple iOS devices have access to a person’s entire photo library as long as that person allows the app to use location data.

It turns out that Google, maker of the Android mobile operating system, takes it one step further. Android apps do not need permission to get a user’s photos, and as long as an app has the right to go to the Internet, it can copy those photos to a remote server without any notice, according to developers and mobile security experts. It is not clear whether any apps that are available for Android devices are actually doing this.

The Apple and Android problems are a reminder of how hard it can be to ensure security on complex mobile devices that can run a vast array of apps. Android apps are required to alert users when they want to retrieve other kinds of personal data — like e-mail, address book contacts or a phone’s location — so the lack of protection for photos came as a surprise to some experts.

“We can confirm that there is no special permission required for an app to read pictures,” said Kevin Mahaffey, chief technology officer of Lookout, a company that makes Android security software. “This is based on Lookout’s findings on all devices we’ve tested.”

In response to questions, Google acknowledged this and said it would consider changing its approach.

A Google spokesman said that the lack of restrictions on photo access was a design choice related to the way early Android phones stored data. The first Android smartphones could put photos on a removable memory card, which complicated the issue of photo access, he said. For example, a user might grant an app permission to retrieve photos from one card but not want the app to use photos on a card that was in place on another day.

“We originally designed the Android photos file system similar to those of other computing platforms like Windows and Mac OS,” the spokesman said in an e-mail message. “At the time, images were stored on a SD card, making it easy for someone to remove the SD card from a phone and put it in a computer to view or transfer those images. As phones and tablets have evolved to rely more on built-in, nonremovable memory, we’re taking another look at this and considering adding a permission for apps to access images. We’ve always had policies in place to remove any apps on Android Market that improperly access your data.”

To demonstrate how vulnerable images are on Android devices, Ralph Gootee, an Android developer and chief technology officer of the software company Loupe, put together a test application that appears to be a simple timer. Installing the app produces a notification that it wants to be able to access the Internet, but there is no notice about photos. When the app is started and the user sets the timer, the app goes into the photo library, retrieves the most recent image and posts it on a public photo-sharing site.

“Photos if anything are the most personal things,” Mr. Gootee said. “I’m really kind of shocked about this.”

Ashkan Soltani, a researcher specializing in privacy and security, said Google’s explanation of its approach would be “surprising to most users, since they’d likely be unaware of this arbitrary difference in the phone’s storage system.” Mr. Soltani said that to users, Google’s permissions system was  ”akin to buying a car that only had locks on the doors but not the trunk.”

In the Android Market, Google’s official Android app store, customers can report suspicious activity in apps so the company can review and potentially remove them. Google also says it has a security system called Bouncer, which puts apps through a simulation to look for things like hidden features that could steal a user’s personal information. Still, the Android Market allows anybody to publish an app, so a malicious one that evaded Google’s automated screening could end up on many devices.

“Users typically presume some care is given when designing these platforms such that their personal data is handled in a consistent way,” Mr. Soltani said. “However, this seems to repeatedly be a false assumption.”

Google’s explanation for the way it handles photo permissions seems to run counter to the company’s earlier statements about Android’s handling of user data in general. After Apple, Google and others came to an agreement last week with California’s attorney general on privacy protection within apps, Randall Sarafa, a Google spokesman, talked about Google’s strict rules on app permissions. “From the beginning, Android has had an industry-leading permissions system which informs consumers what data an app can access and requires user approval before installation,” Mr. Sarafa said.

Google’s security guide for Android developers says: “A central design point of the Android security architecture is that no application, by default, has permission to perform any operations that would adversely impact other applications, the operating system, or the user.” It adds that this includes “reading or writing the user’s private data.”