Volkswagen adds 2,000 iPads to UK showrooms for customer engagement

August 18th, 2012, 15:30 Posted By: wraggster

'Interactive retailer network' will connect all of the car firm's digital platforms.
Volkswagen has partnered with developer Tribal in the past, working together on an iPhone app that enables users to tailor a car to their liking.
The car giant has now taken its mobile initiative one step further by launching a 'interactive retailer network' with Tribal, which will connect all related products and digital tech into a showroom app.
UK customers will be able to access the new platform on more than 2,000 iPads, which will make their way to showrooms across the country in coming weeks.
Users will also be able to find out the car best suited to their needs, filtering through price, fuel type, performance, tech, space, and more.
Tom Roberts, MD, Tribal, said: "This app integrates technology and retail together on an unprecedented scale. This trailblazing initiative is a logical extension to the digital thread which we created for Volkswagen following our design and build of their website and iPhone app."

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...agement/019065

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Nokia takes Zynga titles to Asha Touch phones

August 18th, 2012, 15:29 Posted By: wraggster

100m low end smartphone users to get a taste of Draw Something and Zynga Poker.
Nokia Asha Touch phones are based around Symbian Series 40 and were designed with aspirational users from emerging markets in mind.
They include the Nokia Asha 311 1GHz touchscreen, dual SIM 305 and the low cost Asha 306.
This cross promo with Zynga should help raise their profile a little. Draw Something and Zynga Poker will be available from Q3 2012 as part of their partnership announced earlier this summer. Both titles will be free to download from Nokia Store
Nokia has similar agreements in place with EA, Gameloft, Rovio and NAMCO BANDAI.
"It's great to expand our offering of Zynga games to deliver more blockbuster titles across our portfolio of mobile devices, giving consumers great choice and tremendous value," said Bryan Biniak, VP & GM, global partnering & application development at Nokia.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-phones/019067

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Sega Alliance initiative to support indie mobile games developers

August 18th, 2012, 15:28 Posted By: wraggster

Supernatural release Jack Lumber is the first game from the platform – out now.
Activision recently partnered Flurry to support third party mobile games studios, and now rival video games publisher Sega has launched its own independent support initiative.
The Sega Alliance will provide independent developers with marketing, production, and consultation support.
Owlchemy Labs has been the platform's test subject, working with Sega Alliance to launch Jack Lumber – an iOS game about a supernatural lumberjack who goes medieval on the forest after a vicious tree murders his nan.
Chris Olson, VP of digital business at Sega, said: "With Sega Alliance, we're looking forward to sharing that success with talented developers like Owlchemy Labs by introducing new and unique games, such as Jack Lumber, to the market. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some trees to destroy."
Alex Schwartz, chief scientist at Owlchemy Labs, said: "We'll be able to introduce Jack Lumber to a much wider audience than we'd originally hoped thanks to the resources provided by Sega Alliance.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...veloper/019070

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Android malware increases by nearly 300 per cent

August 18th, 2012, 15:27 Posted By: wraggster

Malicious programs targeting Google's OS triples in Q2 2012.
The number of new malicious programs targeting Android platform has almost trebled between the first and second quarters of the year.
According to figures from Kaspersky, more than 14,900 new malicious programs targeting Android were added to the Kapersky database during Q2.
Out of this number, 49 per cent were 'multi-functional' Trojans, that will collect personal data and download content onto a device without the owner realising.
The other half of the was split between SMS Trojans and those that use backdoors to gain full control of devices.
Yuri Namestnikov, senior Mmalware analyst at Kaspersky Lab, said: "In the near future, we expect not only more malware, but more effective and dangerous malware targeting Android.
http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...er-cent/019071

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Android Voice Search learns 13 new languages

August 18th, 2012, 15:25 Posted By: wraggster

Brings the grand total to 42 languages across 46 countries.
Google has added 13 new languages to its Android Voice Search app, which comes as standard on devices running Android Froyo (2.2), while earlier OS users can download it from Google Play.
That means Android users can now talk to their devices in 42 different languages, calling on it to search the web, phone, or maps to retrieve info, saving their tired thumbs from bashing buttons or tapping touchscreens.
The update is currently rolling out, and will be continue over the week.
New tongues include:
* Basque
* Bulgarian
* Catalan
* European Portuguese
* Finnish
* Galician
* Hungarian
* Icelandic
* Norwegian
* Romanian
* Serbian
* Slovak
* Swedish

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...nguages/019072

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Retro PSone games are dumped from PlayStation Mobile

August 18th, 2012, 15:24 Posted By: wraggster

Certified devices will only feature 'original content'.
Earlier this week, Sony announced its PlayStation Mobile gaming platform will launch across certified Android devices (HTC, Asus, Wikipad) and the PlayStation Vita.
But while the firm previously said 100 retro PS one games will be available on PlayStation Mobile, the PSV will now be the only device to have that honour – starting August 28th – according to Xperia Blog.
The decision has been made so that the Android devices will only feature 'dedicated and original content'.
It's plausible that Sony also made the decision to make its handheld device a differentiator from the rest of the pack, hoping to pull in some of the die-hard gamers that want to relieve the classic games.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-mobile/019076

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WWE embraces the second screen

August 18th, 2012, 01:20 Posted By: wraggster

Free app will activate during Monday Night Raw and PPVs to push polls and additional content.
Over the last year, WWE has been pushing connectivity and social media on it's programming harder than almost any other TV show.
It pushes unique hash tags on every televised live show, conducts Twitter polls, ensures everyone on the roster is active on Twitter, has an enormous Facebook following, utilises a YouTube channel and even pushes people towards Shazam whenever a wrestler's entrance music plays.
Furthermore, the company recently invested heavily in video message startup Tout, which it promotes regularly on its website and all TV programming, playing 15 second Touts by fans and talent alike.
Now, WWE has launched an official flagship app for iOS and Android, in the hope that viewers will interact virtually during programming. While WWE has dipped its tow in the app world in the past (mini games, event-specific apps), it has never had a flagship service, but now that's changed.
The official WWE app will provide exclusive video, news and other content, as well as pull in the social media streams for every WWE performer.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-screen/019078

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Google Play gift cards show up for real, come in $10 and $25 flavors

August 16th, 2012, 23:55 Posted By: wraggster

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Google enables Play Store delta updates, helps you conserve precious data

August 16th, 2012, 23:50 Posted By: wraggster

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Playstation Mobile developers revealed including Sega and THQ

August 16th, 2012, 23:43 Posted By: wraggster

Sony has begun to peel the curtain back a bit more on its Playstation Mobile initiative, announcing a list of developers who have partnered up to bring content for the mobile content platform on Android and Vita devices.
The list contains 46 Japanese studios, and 48 international studios including the likes of Sega, THQ, Arc System Works, Team 17, and more.
A handful of indie studios including Vlambeer, Omni Systems, and Muteki (among others) also have jumped on board to fill out a sizable and diverse roster of devs.
Here’s the full list (revealed at Gamescom earlier in the week, and translated by Joystiq):
List of Third Party Game Developers and Publishers: As of August 14th, 2012
(In alphabetical order of developer/publisher)
JAPAN
ACQUIRE Corp.
ALPHA?UNIT CO., LTD
ALVION Inc.
ARC SYSTEM WORKS CO.,LTD.
ARTDINK CORPORATION
ASCII MEDIA WORKS Inc.
ASGARD Co.,Ltd.
ASOBIMO,Inc.
BoobyTrap.,Ltd.
CYBERFRONT Corporation
D3PUBLISHER INC.
eitarosoft, inc.
ENTERBRAIN, INC.
FOG inc.
FromSoftware, Inc
G STYLE CO.,LTD.
Gameloft
Granzella Inc.
GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc.
GUST CO.,LTD.
HAMSTER Corporation
IDEA FACTORY Co., Ltd.
IMAGEEPOCH INC.
Index Corporation
Kadokawa Games, Ltd.
Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd.
KAGA CREATE CO.,LTD.
KAYAC Inc.
MAGES. Inc.
MarvelousAQL Inc.
Mobile Internet Technology Co.,Ltd.
NCM Entertainment Corporation / Forever Entertainment S.A. Group
NEX ENTERTAINMENT CO.,LTD.
Nippon Ichi Software, Inc.
PROTOTYPE CO.,LTD.
Pygmy Studio.Co., Ltd.
Q Entertainment Inc.
Rocket Studio,
SEGA Corporation
SPIKE CHUNSOFT Co.,Ltd.
STARFISH-SD Inc.
SUCCESS Corporation
SYNC Inc.
TAKUYO KOUGYO CO.,LTD.
TECMO KOEI GAMES Co., Ltd.
Zener Net Works Inc.

EUROPE / PAL / NORTH AMERICA
Action Button Ent
Albino Pixel Ltd.
Atomicom Ltd.
Beatnik Games Ltd.
Big Head Games Ltd.
bitforge AG
Crash Lab Ltd.
Eclipse Games S.C.
Eiconic Games Ltd
Futurlab Ltd.
Green Hill Ltd.
Happion Laboratories
Hellfire Games
Honeyslug Ltd.
Icon Games Entertainment Ltd.
Laughing Jackal Ltd.
Mobirate Ltd.
Muteki Games
Necrosoft
NuChallenger, LLC
Omni Systems Ltd.
Origin8 Technologies Ltd.
Playerthree Ltd.
Pompom Software Ltd.
Quirkat Inc.
Retroburn Game Studios Ltd.
Ripstone Ltd.
SCEE Research & Development
SFB Games Ltd.
Spinning Head Software Ltd.
Tama Global
Team 17 Digital Ltd.
Thumbs Up
THQ
Tikipod Ltd.
Triangle Factory bvba
Vlambeer vof
Wired Productions Ltd.
Yippee Entertainment Ltd

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/plays...nd-thq/0101373

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Free-to-play CSR Racing makes $12m in its first month

August 16th, 2012, 23:33 Posted By: wraggster

NaturalMotion has revealed that its free-to-play iOS game CSR Racing grossed in excess of $12m in its first month.
Developed by UK studio Boss Alien, the game sees players competing in a succession of drag races. No steering is required – instead, success is determined by the player’s gear changing accuracy.
As well as skill, progress is best made by upgrading your cars – which can of course be purchased. The game also limits the number of races a player can partake in during any given period. Further goes can be purchased for those unwilling to wait.
The game launched on June 28^th.
NaturalMotion’s previous iOS titles include Backbreaker Football and Jenga. It is also the creator of the Euphoria engine which, amongst other games, is the heart of titles such as Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/free-...-month/0101383

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Use Google's Nexus 7 Tablet As a VoIP Phone, For Free

August 16th, 2012, 23:11 Posted By: wraggster

I don't usually do 'how-to' postings, and I'll have much more comprehensive discussions of Android 'Jelly Bean' and the Google Nexus 7 tablet later — there are some really fascinating implications to how that ecosystem is developing. But since quite a few people have been asking me if it's possible to use the Wi-Fi-based Nexus 7 as a phone, I thought I'd scribble out this quickie guide. In short, yes, even though the N7 doesn't obviously have phone-related user interfaces, you can use the N7 as a phone for both outgoing and incoming calls via VoIP, and this can be accomplished completely for free via Google Voice accounts.

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/08...phone-for-free

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First Pictures of Apple's New Mini Connector

August 16th, 2012, 23:09 Posted By: wraggster

The Daily Mail has pictures of Apple's new mini connector. The photograph, shared by French tech website nowhereelse.fr, shows two components, one of which is said to be similar to another apparently leaked picture of a part of the new iPhone. As well as the new dock connector, the part also seems to take in the headphone jack and the home button connector for the hotly awaited devices.
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/0...mini-connector

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Adding inductive charging to an Android tablet

August 16th, 2012, 23:06 Posted By: wraggster


This is a Gemei G9T, a 9.7″ Tablet running Android 4.0. [Carnivore] shows us how to modify it to use inductive charging. The inductive charging hardware is taken from a Palm device (this uses the Touchstone charging hardware seen in several other hacks). It’s easy to interface with the tablet’s electronics, but physically placing the coil and magnets is another story.
The video after the break gives you a full walk-through of the process. He starts by removing the screws and prying the case off of the tablet. From there [Carnivore] shows how to carefully remove the coil, circuit board, shielding, and magnets from a Palm back plate. The magnets are the first to be positioned on the tablet’s back plate. The metal is too thick for them to hold well so he uses a Dremel to grind away just enough material for a strong connection. Unfortunately the metal will shield the magnetic fields the coil needs to work so he cuts a hole in the case the same size as that coil. The area is covered in liquid electrical tape to prevent shorts, and everything is taped in place. Two jumper wires connected from the coil’s circuit board to the 5V charging input are all it takes to finish up the hack.

http://hackaday.com/2012/08/16/addin...ndroid-tablet/

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70 per cent of Q2 phone sales in the US were Android and iPhone

August 16th, 2012, 22:57 Posted By: wraggster

Smartphones have completely swamped standard mobile phones in the US, and Android is leading the way.
With a US population of 312m, more than half of Americans now own smartphones, and 70 per cent of those are made up of Android and iPhone, according to a report by Chetan Sharma Consulting.
But why are Android sales far outweighing arguably the most iconic smartphone ever, the iPhone?
Some suggest that consumers have been holding out during Q2 for the release of iPhone 5, another reason may be that one of America’s major carriers, T-Mobile, currently doesn’t offer the iPhone to its customers.
This combination may have made way for Android during Q2, but the rest of 2012 will reveal whether Android really is dominating the market, or if Apple is just giving it some time at the front of the pack before it steals Android’s spotlight when the iPhone 5 arrives.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-iphone/028951

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OPINION: Five ways to ensure your phone is hacked

August 16th, 2012, 22:49 Posted By: wraggster

Alan Wlasuk, of 403 Web Security, provides some top tips. Do the opposite if you want to avoid being ripped off.
When I was growing up, my father used to say: “Beauty is only skin deep, but dumb goes clear to the bone.� Feel free to draw your own conclusions.
As we collectively wander the world with our smartphones glued to our lives, most of us don’t realise how fragile the relationship really is with this device.
Think about it — you have your diary, wallet, phone, social support system and best friend all wrapped up in one piece of hardware.
One slip, and it’s all toast.
Your diary is hidden under the mattress; your wallet is securely tucked in your jeans; and your best friend knows your girlfriend is way off limits. Yet your smartphone gets left on the counter at Starbucks and you continue to download apps written in a cyber crime-lab in the Ukraine.


Bone-deep dumb� is well within the reach of us all.
Smartphone security disasters come in many forms. Given my security background and my circle of friends and relatives, I think I may have seen every smartphone misjudgment known to mankind.
For your entertainment, education, and help in avoiding a big ‘Hack me, please’ sign on your back, I’ve listed my top five smartphone mistakes below:

1. Download apps from unverified sources

Whether you know it or not, every app on your smartphone is a potential security risk. A well-meaning app treats you fair, while a malicious app might be recording your keystrokes, accessing your contact list, and signing you up for expensive services you never wanted. Every app is a potential risk, but the ones you download from unauthorised sources are far riskier. Either use authorised Apple, Google, and Microsoft app stores or risk an unexpected friend sharing your smartphone with you.

2. Jailbreak your smartphone
There seems to be some appeal to be the guy who holds up his jailbroken smartphone (ie modified to bypass the original security features). But there’s a reason they don’t let lawn tractors into hotel lobbies, just as there’s a reason to trust Apple, Google, and Microsoft. They have built smartphone operating systems that protect us from security risks. Everyone who thinks they’re smarter than the guys at Google should mount their lawn tractors for the next race.

3. Go smartphone commando — no passcode

Imagine the embarrassment of strangers wandering through your smartphone. This would be so easy to arrange; just lose your phone without a passcode set. Emails and photos would be hit first, then social apps, and finally any app that could be used for fun and profit. The guitar you just unexpectedly bought for an unknown 16-year-old through your eBay account might be the least of your problems. Explaining your new Facebook status (your upcoming marriage to the Russian cross-dresser) to Grandma might worse. Fun fact: 62 per cent of smartphone users do not use password protection (Javelin Strategy & Research).

4. Store secrets on your phone

So you’ve added a passcode and you never download an app that doesn’t have a pedigree. Feeling safe, you’re storing all kinds of secret and embarrassing things on your smartphone. But I'm afraid some pasty-looking kid living in his mom’s basement could break your code in about 30 minutes. Maybe keeping those pictures from Las Vegas are not the best idea. Repeat after me: There are no secrets; there are no 100 per cent secure smartphones.

5. Ignore OS updates

When your crazy boyfriend moves out, you change the locks. It’s inexpensive, and your flat-panel TV will be there when you get home from work. Think of the hackers as your crazy ex and Apple (or Google or Microsoft) as handling the new locks. So when the OS makers send out a new update, it almost always means they have fixed a security problem. The more updates you skip, the more likely you are to get hacked. The bill you get for the fake calls to Bolivia (remember that seedy web site you visited?) will cost you more than a new TV.
A final tip from my dad: Never pay for a subway token with a $50 bill.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...-hacked/019043

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Samsung and Android increase dominance in Q2

August 16th, 2012, 22:47 Posted By: wraggster

The stats come from the ever-industrious market watcher Tomi Ahonen, who crunches the sales data from the four big analyst houses (Gartner, IDC, Strategy Analytics and Canalys) to get the total numbers for this quarter.
Then he uses a combo of OEM figures, other public sources and internal estimates to conjure the remaining data.
Ahonen's latest Q2 numbers show increased dominance for Samsung in the OEM space and Android in the OS market.
He reckons overall smartphone sales hit 153 million units for Q2, which equates to 695 million sales for the year. That's 43 per cent up on 2012.
Samung sold 5.4m in the quarter to get 32.9 per cent, and lead Apple (with 17 per cent) and Nokia (6.7 per cent). What a turnaround. Ahonen notes how 18 months ago Nokia was more than twice the size of Apple which was twice as big as Samsung.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...e-in-q2/019046

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BlackBerry standardises screen sizes of new handsets

August 16th, 2012, 22:45 Posted By: wraggster

“Full touch� devices will have a 768 x 1280-pixel screen, while Qwerty flavour is 720 x 720.
After yesterday's news that RIM will release two phones in early 2013 (one touch, one Qwerty), comes more details about those phones.
The first BlackBerry 10 “full touch� device will come with a 768 x 1280 resolution screen, while their Qwerty handset will be 720 x 720 pixels.
And that seems to be the way things are going to be from hereon in. There will be two types of BlackBerries:

• Full touch devices: 720 x 1280 (16:9)
• Keyboard devices: 720 x 720 (1:1)

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Nokia and Microsoft announce September 5th Windows Phone event

August 16th, 2012, 00:35 Posted By: wraggster

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Smartphone gaming is "the biggest content revolution we've ever seen"

August 16th, 2012, 00:17 Posted By: wraggster

The handheld video games market is being killed off by the smartphone sector, metrics firm Flurry Analytics believes.
It claims that in 2009 the iOS and Android games software market accounted for 19 per cent of the total $2.7bn handheld and mobile games market in the US. In 2001 it claimed a 58 per cent share of the $3.3bn market.
"It's really sort the biggest content revolution that we've ever seen,� Flurry’s EMEA MD Richard Firminger told a GDC Europe audience, as reported by Gamasutra. “It's exciting and it shows that indies can kill a very, very established market."
The claims come after Sony wowed Gamescom last night with a presentation packed with original ideas that focused very heavily on the struggling Vita handheld.
However, all the creativity in the world may still fall short of what’s required to even begin challenging the iPhones and Androids of this world.
Crucially, both Vita and 3DS fall short of smartphone gaming in three key areas.
Firstly, portability: A smartphone user nearly always has their phone to hand. It’s in their pocket or unobtrusively sitting in their handbag. It’s there, it’s small, it’s always in use and its convenient. Carrying a second, larger dedicated gaming device is always a choice and not a default.
Secondly, accessibility: Smartphones are arguably the most user friendly devices on the market. Give a smartphone to a child and they can use it, as if by instinct. Give them a joypad and you get a very different reaction.
Thirdly, and most crucially, content: Whether you’re accessing the internet, reading your emails or browsing the App Store, smartphones are easy and they’re fast. Furthermore, the content is either free or comparatively very cheap. Sony and Nintendo can focus on “snack sized� game development all they like – this will never be replicated on systems designed around physical storage cards and triple-A software catalogues.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/smart...r-seen/0101304

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