Hottest Android news and rumors for week ending Jan. 18After a CES week during which the Android world was all a-twitter over a device that wasn't even revealed at the show, the previously hyperactive Galaxy S IV rumor mill has quieted down, mostly. It's likely to only be a momentary respite, however, as the device is heavily tipped to be released at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month.

After a CES week during which the Android world was all a-twitter over a device that wasn't even revealed at the show, the previously hyperactive Galaxy S IV rumor mill has quieted down, mostly. It's likely to only be a momentary respite, however, as the device is heavily tipped to be released at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month.

MORE OFFBEAT: The dumbest products of CES 2013 

Perhaps the biggest news on the most hotly anticipated Android device so far in 2013 is that an ostensible screenshot of mobile benchmarking results has been published by a Japanese-language blog), which points out that the 1.8GHz CPU speed matches up with Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa eight-core SoC. (More on the Octa later.)

Given the source, it's important to remember that this should be taken with many grains of salt - even the inclusion of the point about the Exynos 5 Octa could easily be read as a little too circumstantially convenient. (Like Manti Te'o confessing to Lance Armstrong on Oprah or something.)

Still, I can't deny that the pairing of Samsung's two biggest headline grabbing topics makes sense. We'll see what happens (probably) at MWC at the end of February.

*

Speaking of the Exynos 5 Octa, Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs is unsurprisingly not a fan, according to a report from Unwired View. Essentially, he told reporters in China yesterday, Samsung is just covering for the fact that the four high-performance Cortex-A15 cores drain a ton of power by jamming four slower but less demanding Cortex-A7s into the SoC alongside them, and attempting to reap a publicity windfall by boasting about their eight-core processor.

While Jacobs is correct in noting that all eight of the Octa's cores won't operate at the same time, I'm not sure why he's saying this means the SoC is going to suck. OK, so it's not a "true" eight-core SoC, but the idea of using the low-power cores for light work and switching to the A15s for more serious tasks still makes sense, and could well back up Samsung's claims of improved battery life and better performance. Seems like fairly ineffectual spin to me.

*

The Nexus 4 official wireless charger has appeared on the site of Norwegian store Dustin Home, providing a slick pad on which to charge the Nexus 4 that you still probably don't have. Presumably, this means that it'll become available soon in the U.S., but this is a product release story involving the phrase "Nexus 4," so who really knows?

(Hat tip: Android Central)

*

But wait! The Nexus 4's availability problems will soon be a thing of the past, according to an LG executive who spoke to Challenges.fr Wednesday. LG France director of mobile communication Cathy Robin says production of the Nexus 4 is due to increase by mid-February, which could ease the supply crunch. As of this writing, both the 8GB and 16GB models are still sold out on the Play Store.

(Hat tip: r/Android)

*

Android Police has what it says is an internal Sprint document, which asserts that the company plans to offer a $400 device credit to new family plan customers who port at least one line in from a competitor. The deal's supposedly set to roll out tomorrow, so you don't have long to wait, if you're interested.

Email Jon Gold at jgold@nww.com and follow him on Twitter at @NWWJonGold.

Read more about anti-malware in Network World's Anti-malware section.

Hottest Android news and rumors for the week ending November 9

It's been a busy week for Android news and gossip, with interesting information flying around about both hardware and software alike. Arguably the biggest news is the HTC Droid DNA - or possibly DLX - which is the first non-Motorola device to use the "Droid" moniker and the latest in the long-running series called "HTC is terrible at naming things."

ANDROID ASCENDANT: Samsung Galaxy S III is smartphone top seller - for the moment 

MORE MOBILE: Yawns may greet Microsoft Office port to iOS and Android

Unconfirmed but apparently widespread information posits that the DNA is going to be the U.S. release of HTC's high-powered J Butterfly smartphone, which was announced in Japan last month. If that's the case, the Android punditocracy is already predicting the Droid DNA will provide stiff competition to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

While most of the J Butterfly's components are standard for a top-of-the-line Android phone - quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 8MP camera - its screen is anything but. Packing a whopping 1920x1080 display (yep, that's full HD, for those keeping score at home) into a 5-inch package is a truly impressive feat of engineering. HTC already has some of the best mobile screens on the U.S. market, and bringing the J Butterfly to the U.S. - even if the new name is just as silly - could extend that lead even farther.

The Droid DNA, or whatever it's going to be called, should run Jelly Bean out of the box. A joint HTC/Verizon announcement scheduled for Tuesday is rumored to be the official rollout of the device, which is said to be exclusive to that carrier.

As ever, it's disappointing that yet another impressive HTC phone will be restricted to a single carrier, but that just seems to be the way of things for the Taiwanese company, which is struggling mightily to regain lost marketshare in the Android sector.

*

Samsung, on the other hand, isn't having a lot of problems on that score - just today, researchers crowned the Galaxy S III the best-selling smartphone of the third quarter of 2012, eclipsing even theiPhone 4S. Of course, given that the iPhone 5 moved 6 million units in the few days it was on the market during the quarter, it seems unlikely that the GS III will stay in the top spot for long. Still, it's an impressive achievement.

The South Korean giant is also getting ready to debut a new mid-range smartphone on AT&T called the Galaxy Express. The Express has a last-gen, 800x480 screen and other less-than-impressive features - but for $99 with a two-year contract, you can't expect all the bells and whistles. This sort of seems like a compromise on bringing the Galaxy S III mini to the U.S., since it has similar features and won't confuse people who think they're getting a real flagship device.

*

The Verge reported yesterday that it had screenshots of a version of Microsoft Office for Android and iOS devices, saying that an official release of mobile MS Office will take place in early 2013.

While I still have fuddy-duddy questions about the utility of Word and Excel for mobile devices, I get that mobile productivity is likely to be a fairly big deal. And despite the fact that some nascent office options exist for Android, a fully functional Microsoft Office coming to the platform could shut them down quickly. If, that is, Microsoft does a good enough job with it.

*

German-language Android blog Android Schweiz (or Android Switzerland) has photographs of what it says is an upcoming Sony 5-inch smartphone with the same 1080p screen resolution as the aforementioned Droid DNA.

The blog also says it's got the microSD slot that fans are always clamoring for, though it doesn't have a removable battery.

(Hat tip: Android Central.)

*

A report from the Guardian earlier this week has anonymous Google sources saying that Apple is unlikely to approve a revamped Google Maps app for iOS, though there's no word on whether they were laughing really hard while doing so.

*

Read more about anti-malware in Network World's Anti-malware section.

Hottest Android news and rumors for the week ending Nov. 2

Although Google had to call off its formal Android event due to a historic hurricane slamming into the Eastern Seaboard, all of the major announcements it had been planning were nonetheless made online. In case you haven't been paying attention, that means the LG Nexus 4, Samsung Nexus 10, updated Nexus 7 and -- last but not least -- Android 4.2 were all released as predicted.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANDROID: Android turns 5: A look back

STORMS: Hurricane Sandy shuts down Google's Android event

Probably the biggest news from that set of announcements, though, is the release of a brand-new Nexus phone -- from LG, no less, a company not noted for its Android updating prowess. The Nexus 4 is a hugely impressive phone, and would have quickly become a new standard for top-end Android devices, but for one major flaw -- it doesn't support 4G/LTE, and you can't use it on Sprint or Verizon. Given the amount of flak Android fans aimed at Apple for not introducing 4G until this fall's iPhone 5, this retrograde step is a serious embarrassment.

Yes, it's incredibly difficult to negotiate the carrier minefield. Yes, Google's had huge issues getting Verizon to update its phones as quickly as it should. But to simply step back and say "screw it, we're not even going to try" seems like an admission that the Nexus program isn't a serious attempt to showcase the virtues of Android as a platform.

Of course, the argument could be made that Google doesn't really need to sell anybody on pure Android anymore, given its enormous market share in the smartphone sector. And with the increasing omnipresence of Wi-Fi, it's debatable how much is actually lost by not including 4G. Even so, this doesn't feel like a great step forward for Android.

*

The Nexus 10 doesn't have 4G either -- or any mobile data, for that matter -- but it seems like a much more positive development for Android, for two simple reasons: It has a bigger, higher-resolution screen than even the latest iPad, and it's cheaper. My take on tablets has always been that the display accounts for about two-thirds of what makes them good or bad, given that they're primarily entertainment devices at this point, and Samsung has really pushed the envelope with the Nexus 10. To put it another way, it would need to have something else very wrong with it to make it a less attractive option than the iPad, given the low price and slick display.

Then again, Android phones maintained a small but meaningful technological lead over the iPhone for months before the iPhone 5 came out, but that didn't stop Apple from selling its products by the million. It'll be important for Android developers to close the gap on iOS in terms of tablet-ready applications.

*

As expected, Google also refreshed the Nexus 7 lineup, adding a 32GB model and optional HSPA+ connectivity. The prices also changed -- a 16GB Nexus 7 is now $199, the 32GB Wi-Fi-only model is $249, and the 32GB with cellular data retails for $299. By comparison, a 16GB Wi-Fi-only iPad Mini is $329. Ouch.

*

Android 4.2, or "not Key Lime Pie," is an incremental update that nonetheless provides some cool new options. The introduction of built-in gesture typing -- which should be very familiar to anyone who uses Swype -- is a major plus, as are the improvements to Google Now and performance tweaks. Photo Sphere is undeniably impressive, even though I don't see it getting a lot of day-to-day use, and actionable notifications are very slick, as well.

*

Samsung just does not stop launching new phones -- this week's entry is the Galaxy Premier, which is basically a Galaxy S III with slightly watered-down internals and Jelly Bean out of the box. Unfortunately for U.S. consumers who might be interested in a cut-price Galaxy S III, the Premier is currently only available in Eastern Europe, and no plans for a North American release have been detailed.

*

Samsung may also be preparing to release a 7.7-inch Galaxy Note tablet, according to documentscited by The Droid Guy. Little is known about the device or its potential capabilities, however, and The Droid Guy notes that it may not even be slated for release in the U.S.

*

I'm hoping Intel's new foray into the Android world -- in the form of the Motorola RAZR i -- will continue, if only because I'd really like to have a phone with this 48-core monstrosity of a processor powering it. As the folks quoted in the article point out, however, making sure there's software out there that can take advantage of such a processor is easier said than done, and the whole thing is pretty much still on the drawing board anyway.

Email Jon Gold at jgold@nww.com and follow him on Twitter at @NWWJonGold.

Read more about anti-malware in Network World's Anti-malware section.

Good news for job hunters in Android, Linux, and open source

Job candidates with tech skills in general and Linux skills in particular tend to face better-than-average prospects in today's otherwise gloomy hiring marketplace, but in the past few days the outlook appears to have gotten even brighter.

Following hard on the heels of news from a few weeks ago that DevOps is a growing trend, three separate reports in recent days suggest a particularly rosy future for those with skills in Android, Linux, and open source software.

"Top Five Tech Jobs Point to Opportunity for Linux Pro's" was the Friday headline at Linux.com, for example, in which author Jennifer Cloer reports on staffing and consulting firm Robert Half International's new Salary Guide listing the top five most lucrative tech jobs for 2013.

'A fundamental understanding of Linux'

Mobile app developers, wireless network engineers, network engineers, data modelers, and portal administrators are the most promising jobs for salaries next year, the publication predicts, and "the most important thing they have in common is that they each require a fundamental understanding of Linux," Cloer notes.

Also on Friday there was the headline, "Open source hobbyists now in high demand" over at ITworld, in which author Brian Proffitt mulls open source operating system Contiki.

Then, on Monday came a report from IT careers site Dice naming several key skills being sought at all-time, record-high levels.

'It's time to take advantage'

Software development and quality assurance lead the list, but among those next in line are Python, Ruby on Rails, Android, and JBoss.

"The need for open source programming language skills that power a huge number of Web applications and technologies is evident in requests for Python and Ruby," Dice explains. "Both have hit all-time highs in six of the 10 months in 2012."

As for Linux-based Android, job postings seeking skills in that area are up a full 33 percent over last year, Dice reports.

In short, "technology professionals with these skills and expertise are being sought like never before on Dice," the company concludes. "It's time to take advantage."

Android apps coming to an AMD-powered PC near you

A new partnership between virtual Android specialist BlueStacks and microchip maker AMD will see much of the Google Play store's stock of apps made available to Windows users running AMD hardware, the company announced Thursday.

MORE MOBILE: Three quick hits, misses for the iPhone 5

SCUTTLEBUTT: Hottest Android news and rumors for the week ending Sept. 28

Users wishing to run Android apps on their AMD-powered Windows PCs -- including those running Windows 8 -- will be able to use the free BlueStacks App Player program to do just that. AMD's AppZone store can also be used with BlueStacks' Cloud Connect system, letting users sync Android apps from their phones or tablets to an AMD device.

"By collaborating with BlueStacks, we are enabling software developers to more easily tap into the full capabilities of AMD's products, and providing millions of consumers with great experiences as they can now run Android apps on AMD-powered devices," Manju Hegde, corporate vice president of heterogeneousapplications and developer solutions, said in a statement.

Android apps run through the AppZone will take advantage of AMD's graphics acceleration technology -- either in the form of a discrete graphics card or the company's integrated accelerated processing units.

AMD is also working to convince OEMs to ship products with the AppZone pre-loaded, offering baked-in Android functionality to its devices.

BlueStacks first rolled out the App Player in 2011, and ported the functionality to OS X this July, giving Mac users the unusual option of running Android software on an Apple product. The company's Cloud Connect sync application has been downloaded more than 100,000 times from the Play store, and the new integration with AMD could see that number increase substantially.

Email Jon Gold at jgold@nww.com and follow him on Twitter at @NWWJonGold.

Read more about anti-malware in Network World's Anti-malware section.

BlueStacks store brings Android apps to PCs

Chipmaker AMD takes aim at Intel with BlueStacks player.

PC users cringed at the news that the Windows 8 app store has just 2,000 apps ready to go, but fear not: The free AMD AppZone store is today bringing 500,000 Android apps to PCs.

Software developer BlueStacks and partner AMD are touting the AMD AppZone store as the biggest collection of PC-compatible Android apps, which range from games and news to productivity tools and antivirus software. About 50 of the apps are free to download.

BlueStacks last year put out their Android x86 app player and attracted investment from AMD. The two took BlueStacks' original player, which was designed for Intel PCs, and expanded its use to AMD-powered PCs.

AMD produces accelerated processing units for PC and gaming console manufacturers. Competing aggressively with Intel, today AMD also announced its new Trinity APU, which ships Oct. 2. The company said it plans to partner with PC OEMs to preload AppZone and selected apps onto new PCs going forward. Intel also has its own app store, AppUp. AMD claims its store has more apps than AppUp and the Windows 8 store.

In a statement, BlueStacks CEO Rosen Sharma said the company is gearing up for the launch of Windows 8, which will bring a touch-screen, app-friendly interface to many PCs, by bringing a wide selection of Android apps to the PC market.

"App stores and apps represent a multi-billion dollar opportunity," Sharma said. "BlueStacks-powered business models are ready to disrupt the PC industry by leveraging the unprecedented growth in the mobile ecosystem."

For now, apps can be controlled using mouses and keyboards. Android smartphone users can transfer their mobile apps to their PCs using BlueStacks' Cloud Connect app.

Hottest Android news and rumors for the week ending Sept. 28

A relatively quiet week in Android phones nevertheless made a big splash in terms of tablets. The undoubted highlight is the news, via DigiTimes, that Google may be planning two new versions of the Nexus 7 -- one priced at the current $199, the other at just $99.

LAST WEEK: Hottest Android news and rumors for the week ending Sept. 21

AMAZON'S NEW TABLETS: First look: Amazon's new tablet lineup

Assuming that it's reasonably well-constructed and has a feature set comparable to that of the current Nexus 7, a sub-$100 tablet could be a huge seller for Google. However, I have a hard time seeing how they trim the price that far without taking a major loss on every device. Although the Nexus 7 shows that Google has an ability to trim unneeded features in the interest of keeping the price point low, I simply don't know what else they could cut out without serious compromises on functionality.

Actually, I'm curious, readers -- where COULD you economize on the Nexus 7? Feel free to shoot me an email, listed at the end of the piece.

Still, if Google pulls it off, it would be a major coup -- and a major setback for both Amazon and Apple, the company's chief rivals in the tablet space. Amazon's new Kindle Fire lineup would wind up in the same place as its predecessor -- released to generally positive reviews, superseded months later by the Nexus 7 -- and Apple's oft-rumored iPad Mini would likely be priced out of the market, since I haven't heard anything to suggest it'll cost less than $200.

* Citing Spanish-language site MovilZona, Android Authority suggested that LG could be working on a new Nexus phone based on its recently released Optimus G.

The impressive Optimus G, which should be available before the end of the year in the U.S., would be an interesting choice for the next Nexus, which runs the latest version of Android without any manufacturer modifications or tweaks, particularly since it would be LG's first entry into the Nexus lineup.

* The alarming news that your phone could be completely reset by a single line of code on a website caused more than a little stir in the Android world, especially when it was revealed that devices other than the Samsung Galaxy S III could be affected. (Also, that device has since been patched.)

You might want to head over to the page linked here to find out whether your phone or tablet is vulnerable -- apparently, the technique uses the phone's dialer to perform actions without the user's knowledge. That could potentially include a factory reset, which would mean kissing everything you have stored on the device goodbye.

*

Verizon Galaxy Nexus Jelly Bean update: It's here! It's here! Actually, it was "here" last week but Verizon didn't break the news until after I'd published, unmannered boors that they are.

Finally, the biggest U.S. carrier has the latest version of Android on the latest Nexus phone. Almost three months after the fact, but hey, the smartphone world is known for its sedate pace, isn't it? Oh ...

*

Email Jon Gold at jgold@nww.com and follow him on Twitter at @NWWJonGold.

Read more about software in Network World's Software section.

Top 7 Smart Mobile Apps for Commuters

Having to do a daily commute isn’t the sort of thing many people relish and in many cases it can be the worst part of the working day. Much of that is down to stressful journeys, perhaps in a car, train, bus, or plane.

No matter what type of commute people have to endure every day, there’s no doubt that it can be an arduous adventure in most cases.

However, now that we have increasingly powerful mobile communication and devices that allow us to stay connected pretty much wherever we go, then it is slowly becoming much more enjoyable to commute. In fact, since apps have been developed, commuting in some cases can actually be turned into something altogether more palatable.

Alongside that, the development of apps and other software for this generation’s smart mobile devices has also meant that the commute itself is now much easier than it used to be.

If you have any kind of journey to carry out in order to get to your desk and back again then you’ll know many snags you can often encounter along the way. Therefore, picking a few choice apps might just get you there in much more timely fashion.

Here are top 7 smart mobile apps that would help your commuting much easier.

1. Beat the Traffic

App Home | Download (available for iPhone/iPad, Android and BlackBerry)

If you use the car to any degree then the Beat the Traffic app is one that’s well worth investigating. This app will give you the best ways for navigating your way to work while avoiding the ones that have too much traffic or are susceptible to jams and snarl-ups. This is an app that is also bang up to date as it uses dynamic data to ensure that the roads you’re going to be heading down are clear.

2. Heads Up Navigator

App Home | Download (available for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad)

If you’re heading off to work on foot then even that can be an occasionally stressful operation, so the Heads Up Navigator app will make sure that you enjoy the best possible routes by giving you a 3D augmented reality guided tour. This one also comes in handy for other locations, such as if you have to go out of town on business or pleasure.

3. City Maps 2Go

App Home | Download (supports iPhone, iPod touch and iPad)

It’s always a good idea to have an excellent map at your disposal and the City Maps 2Go app is perfect for giving you all the information you’ll ever need on some 7,800 cities. The data is certainly comprehensive and should allow you to navigate your way through any area that you’re not sure about, as well as giving a great overview of the best routes to take in order to avoid the main snarl-up areas.

4. Bike Maps

App Home | Download (designed for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad)

Meanwhile, bike riders are growing in numbers, as are the people who use two wheels to get to their place of work. The Bike Maps app is a great choice if you’re looking to find the best way to your next destination, be it a daily commute or perhaps a social engagement after work. The app can be used offline too, so if you don’t have a connection to the web then you’ll still be able to enjoy its incredibly powerful potential.

5. AllSubway

App Home | Download (compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad)

Unfortunately, many more commuters have to get to work using the subway and that too can be a pain in the proverbial unless you've got an app that can see you though the worst of what underground rail travel has to offer. Try exploring the potential of the AllSubway app, which so another program that makes use of a massive database of information about subways all around the world. Again, this one is made even more of a success because it doesn't need to have an internet connection to work properly either.

6. WeatherBug

App Home | Download (iPhone/iPad, Android, BlackBerry and all the other major mobile devices/OSes)

As a commuter, you might be aware of the importance of ever-changing weather conditions. With WeatherBug app on your mobile device, you have key to all the local climate information you need. Be geared up and know before severe weather hits! With real-time updates from the world’s leading weather network, find out the pluses of having the swiftest weather alerts and the top forecasts on the go. Moreover, whether you are at home in New York, interested about business/clients in France or preparing travel to India, WeatherBug has you covered.

7. Lookout Mobile Security

App Home | Download (available for iPad, iPhone, Android tablets/smartphones)

Ask any daily commuters, one of their major fears might be losing their smartphone/device or had it stolen. There’s nothing to worry about. Lookout app assists you to track your missing/stolen device quickly, restore, or wipe your data if needed. You can locate your missing phone on a map from your PC or another smartphone. Apart from this, Lookout provides all-in-one guard, quality security to defend your device from viruses, malware and spyware, and the facility to backup and restore your data.