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Samsung’s mobile bug bounty program pays up to $200,000
Samsung is the latest in a long line of tech titans to announce its very own bug bounty program. As its title suggests, the newly-launched Mobile Security Rewards Program will pay users for reporting vulnerabilities in the company's latest firmware. If you spot a weakness, and back it up with solid research, you could pocket up to $200,000. That's in line with the sums offered by the likes of Google (for Android) and Apple. Like those companies (along with Microsoft, Facebook, and Twitter), the rewards program sees Samsung reaching out to researchers to help squash bugs.
Japanese carrier says it's 'not the right time' for Tizen OS smartphones, delays launch plans
Tizen is trying to make all the right moves when it comes to getting its Tizen mobile OS off the ground and into people's hands. However, to the surprise of... not many people (probably even Samsung), it's going to be a struggle. NTT Docomo has canceled its plans for launching a Tizen smartphone early this year, citing timing as the issue. A spokesperson, talking in a briefing yesterday, told Engadget Japanese that its smartphones sales hadn't increased substantially since the year before (despite this being the first year the carrier has started selling iPhones), stating that there wasn't space for three mobile OSes in Japan's current smartphone climate. It's not ruling out the eventual arrival of Tizen hardware, however. Maybe Docomo is waiting on those new handsets promised to appear in Barcelona. MWC is just a month away.
China reveals COS: a government-approved operating system designed to break the monopoly of foreign software
China's tried to create its very own mobile OS ecosystem in the past, but let's face it: The attempt with OPhone was hardly something that would make the nation proud. This time round, though, a company by the name of Shanghai Liantong has joined forces with the ISCAS (Institute of Software at the Chinese Academy of Sciences) and the government to launch COS, which simply stands for China Operating System. While there's no official mention of this, it appears that HTC is a big supporter behind this project, which would match what we heard from a Wall Street Journal report from August. Apart from the open-source code, this Linux-based OS is said to be developed "entirely independently," in the hopes of breaking the foreign software monopoly, as well as providing better localization for the likes of language input, cloud services and monetization. At yesterday's launch event, the head of ISCAS criticized iOS for being a closed ecosystem, while Android has the infamous fragmentation problem, and both Windows plus Android are let down by poor security. Ironically, all the COS variants -- in the form of phones, tablets, PCs and set-top boxes -- shown in the promo video after the break are very Android-like, and some of those features, like multitasking, content streaming and remote desktop, are nothing new. Even the HTC One and Butterfly S we saw looked like they were still carrying Sense 5. But hey, maybe such a close relationship with the Chinese government is just what HTC needs for its recovery this year. Update: We reached out to HTC regarding its involvement in COS, but the spokesperson wasn't keen to talk about it: HTC remains focused on working with its current OS partners and we do not comment on speculation regarding other OS.
Mozilla has no plans to sell consumer Firefox phones in the US
It looks like most folks in the US have a long wait ahead of them before they can take Firefox OS for a spin. Despite ZTE's plan to design a bigger and better phone for release in the country in 2014, Mozilla exec Mitchell Baker tells CNET that there are currently no plans to launch in the US just yet. Why? Well, at the OpenMobile Summit in San Francisco, Baker emphasized that the company's focused on marketing to developing nations, as it's a space largely ignored by mobile heavyweights Apple and Google. That said, several Firefox OS phones (primarily for developers) were sold stateside via eBay in the past, so we bet you can find one for sale if you're truly desperate. Just make sure to switch on your scam detector before diving into the secondary market.
Firefox OS 1.1 arrives, bearing MMS support and performance enhancements
Firefox OS is unquestionably a work in progress, but with a point upgrade a few weeks after launch (and the release of the ZTE Open), at least we can confirm that Mozilla is, in fact, putting the work in. The 1.1 version of the software is available now for users of the mobile operating system, featuring a number of enhancements. At the top of the list is the arrival of MMS support, letting you send and receive images, audio and video files and the like via messages. Performance has also been enhanced, with smoother scrolling and faster load times. There's music search built in now, too, plus an API for push notifications for app developers. All that, plus improvements to email, contact management, calendar and keyboard. If you want to drill down on any of the above, have a look at the source link below.
WSJ: HTC working on China-specific mobile OS
Cracking the Chinese mobile-nut is kind of a big deal if you're in the business of selling phones. So, rumors that HTC could be looking to increase the bottom line with a China-specific mobile OS won't see too many eyebrows heading north. The Wall Street Journal claims that Cher Wang herself is closely overseeing the project and is working directly with the state authorities to see it meets approval. This might suggest that the operating system would be entirely bespoke, rather than an Android fork, which would also provide HTC with a plan B, similar to Samsung's efforts with Tizen. The OS is believed to be tightly integrated with China specific services (Weibo etc) and could see the light of day before the end of the year. So is it actually Hello To China?
Mozilla unveils Firefox OS Simulator 3.0 with Push to Device, rotation simulation
Mozilla launched its first Firefox OS Simulator late last year, letting developers test out apps on the new platform even though the software was still very much in development. It only makes sense, then, that a new version would surface following the mobile operating system's official unveiling at Mobile World Congress 2013. Like versions 1.0 and 2.0, Firefox OS Simulator 3.0 runs as an extension in Mozilla's browser and is available on Linux, Windows and OS X. The new preview adds several features, including Push to Device, which brings over apps installed on the OS Simulator to a Firefox OS device provided it's connected via USB. Rotation simulation and an updated version of the software's Gaia interface are also on board. To give the Simulator a go, head to Mozilla's FTP server, where you'll find it under the working name r2d2b2g. Click through to source links for the full installation directions.
Chinese ministry says Google 'controls too much' of its smartphone market
China and Google just can't seem to get along. The country's ministry is the latest to take issue with el Goog, stating that it has too much control within the smartphone industry because of its Android OS and is discriminating against local rivals. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced this in its recent white paper, adding that the country had the ability to craft its own mobile OS if it wanted to. According to the document: "While the Android system is open source, the core technology and technology roadmap is strictly controlled by Google." It goes on to describe how the Mountain View crew had apparently delayed sharing source code with Chinese companies developing their own operating systems. The paper also took the opportunity to praise homegrown stars like Baidu, Alibaba and Huawei for their own systems. In short, it looks like an amicable relationship is still a while off.
Bada to be retired, will see its best features absorbed by Tizen
It's been over a year since rumors and statements suggested Samsung's Bada OS was due to be terminated, but that some form of it would live on within the open-source Tizen OS. Now, Samsung exec Won-Pyo Hong has confirmed as such with Korean news agency Yonhap. Rather than a complete fusion of the two, Tizen will select only the best qualities of the featurephone-friendly Bada for assimilation. Samsung's Tizen 2.0-based handsets arriving in 2013 will put the final nail in Bada's coffin, but out of respect for its fallen comrade, Tizen will obligingly run apps designed for the retired OS. Like some kind of mobile software Highlander, Tizen is now drawing power from several perished peers, and has even set its sights on the mighty Android. There can be only one.
Windows Phone 7.8 hands-on: cosmetically yours
There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth when Microsoft declared that fairly fresh (and costly) Windows Phone 7 devices like the Nokia Lumia 900 would never taste its latest WP8 wares. To assuage hurt feelings and keep legacy phone owners within throwing distance of the latest devices like the Nokia Lumia 920 or HTC's 8X, Redmond introduced Windows Phone 7.8 (version 7.10.8858), which started arriving via Zune on January 31st. It was likely hoping that the upgrade would tide legacy owners over until their contracts expired or boredom set in, at which point they'd get a new device packing WP8 -- including not-too-costly models like the $249 (contract-free) Lumia 620. So the question is, will the 7.8 bone thrown at WP7 handset owners prevent them from looking at the greener Android or iOS grass across the fence? We've got a Lumia 610 here that was otherwise collecting dust, so head after the break to find out our thoughts.
Jolla won't officially support Sailfish on the Nokia N9, suggests the community tries it anyway
Nokia N9 champions may be looking hopefully at Sailfish to revive their beloved MeeGo, but Jolla has reigned in those expectations by saying it won't be officially supporting the device. Although the company won't be responsible for updates or providing technical help, it claims there's nothing but a voided warranty stopping the community from porting Sailfish to the abandoned handset. So, N9 owners, it's up to you -- if you want the MeeGo-based OS on your phone, you'll need to do a bit of work for it.
Jolla's Sailfish OS promises multitasking, personalization and 'effortless interaction' (updated)
The date we were promised an introduction to Sailfish is here, and it turns out Jolla's not just targeting smartphones with its MeeGo-based OS, but tablets, smart TVs and other devices, too. Jolla has kept its OS under wraps until now, but it wants Sailfish to be an open-source affair which "will be built through community involvement and participation." The SDK will be available soon, and we should get a look at the UI during a presentation occurring shortly. We're assured superb multitasking capabilities, as well as deep personalization and "fast and effortless interaction." Jolla has said Sailfish will be available for use with "multiple chipset technologies," and is already supported on ST-Ericsson's NovaThor platforms. It's also reported that it's partnering with Finnish carrier DNA to promote and sell Sailfish smartphones on home turf. The full reveal is coming shortly, so we'll let you know more as soon as we do. Update: The Jolla team took to the stage with touchscreen hardware in hand (we also spotted a Raspberry Pi), keen to express how they've been working all hours to boot Sailfish on anything they can find. The company called its creation the first truly "open ecosystem," and said that development will be fully transparent from the outset. While there will be Jolla-branded phones launching, Sailfish is also being offered to handset manufacturers to use on their own hardware. The UI tour wasn't as in depth as we'd have liked, but "true multitasking" was the main focus. Active programs can be pinned to the homescreen as tiles (in a layout that looks something like BlackBerry 10), which offer some control of the app without it hogging the screen. They also showed off a feature called "Ambiance," which uses colors from a picture you select to tint the UI. We wish we had more info to share, but right now, we're all just left wanting more.
Windows Phone 8 review
More Info Windows Phone 7 review Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) review Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8 Two years ago, the mobile landscape was quite different than what it is today. Android flagship phones sported 1GHz single-core CPUs and were in the process of upgrading to Froyo, the iPhone 4 was the Apple phone of choice and the word "phablet" was sure to be followed by a "Gesundheit." (It still is, arguably.) This is just a brief glimpse at the world in which Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 was born. Destined to be the replacement solution for an obsolete Windows Mobile 6.x platform, WP7 did its best to disrupt the industry by offering its unique Metro user interface and slick performance across the board. There was one growing problem, however; the mobile industry was rapidly changing, and the Windows Phone honeymoon didn't last as long as Microsoft would've liked. Today, the company enjoys less than 5 percent of the world's smartphone market share as it prepares to launch its next major revision, Windows Phone 8. The new firmware promises to resolve concerns surrounding hardware limitations and the platform's ecosystem, add a plethora of long-awaited features and integrate the OS with Windows 8. It's a hefty task for Microsoft to undertake, to say the least, but we're hoping that two revolutions around the sun were enough for the software giant to impress us with its struggling mobile platform. Did it pull it off? Take a look at what makes Windows Phone 8 tick after the break.
Huawei's building its own mobile operating system 'just in case' there's trouble ahead
Huawei's boss must have been a Boy Scout, since he's taken its "be prepared' motto deeply to his heart. CEO Wan Biao has told Reuters that his company is working on its own mobile OS just in case its partners "won't let us use their system[s] one day." We don't expect to ever see the software, but given the fractious nature of the business, it's more likely to be a barbed hint at Google and Microsoft to keep sending flowers and chocolates to Shenzhen. That said, given that local rival ZTE is building phones with Firefox's OS, we'd politely suggest that it rescues another beloved OS from the clutches of HP's indifference.
Android turns four, enthusiasm for dessert foods unabated
There's nothing quite like having your birthday on a weekend. And while we're sure that Android was out late last night, dining on sweets with its fellow mobile operating systems, we'd like to wish Google's OS a very happy birthday. It was this day in 2008 that the Android team unveiled its 1.0 SDK, release 1 -- a milestone that coincided with the announcement of T-Mobile's G1, which would get the new OS into consumer hands around a month or so later, finally delivering the promise of a long rumored "Googlephone." Android was a bit of a late bloomer, but now, toward the end of 2012 with 4.1 Jelly Bean beginning to bloom, it's hard to remember a time when it wasn't a dominate player in the ever more crowded mobile space. With that in mind, we're raising a glass to you, Android -- a glass of something sweet, naturally.
ZTE to launch Mozilla-based smartphones early next year
ZTE just can't get enough mobile OS's. The manufacturer is all over Android, it's got Windows Phone 8 coming out of leaky pores, and now it's revealed plans to launch phones based on the Firefox OS (formerly "Boot to Gecko") as early as the first quarter of next year. That's not so surprising, perhaps, given that Mozilla already told us it was working with ZTE to bring its HTML-5 powered platform to life, but it further emphasizes the fact that Chinese smartphone giants are casting about for a viable alternative to Google.
iOS 6 review
More Info iOS 5 review Apple unveils iOS 6 at WWDC, launch apps with Siri, Facebook integration, Maps iOS 6 coming to iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS, new iPad, iPad 2 and iPod Touch on September 19th Starting tomorrow, iOS users will be prompted to update their devices to the newest iteration of Apple's mobile operating system. As difficult as it is to believe, we're already onto the sixth version of the OS, which continues to be updated with new features on a yearly basis. After pushing out so many upgrades critical to plugging a few major feature holes, the vast majority of its 200 advertised enhancements are strictly granular, as Apple continues to polish its popular OS. That doesn't mean, though, that this build is coming to the masses without any jarring UI changes: Apple has declared independence from Google by adopting its own Maps, added a few nice features to Mail and iCloud, thrown Facebook integration into the mix and introduced the Passbook for paperless tickets. The question is, how does it stack up against previous refreshes? Read on to find out.
Google Senior VP of Mobile: Aliyun OS 'under no requirement to be compatible', but it won't get help from Android ecosystem alliance
Andy Rubin has added another response to Alibaba's Aliyun OS, after Google's insistence that Acer put the launch of its new smartphone on pause. He focuses (again) on the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), which OEMs agree to when they work with the platform, promising to keep Android a happy (and relatively compatible) platform. Amazon dodges any similar issues with its Kindle Fire tablets, because it didn't sign up to the same alliance. Rubin says that because Aliyun uses Android's framework and tools -- as well as housing some suspect Android apps (and pirated Google programs) within its own App Store -- the mobile OS "takes advantage of all the hard work that's gone into that platform by the OHA." Google's looking to protect how Android behaves as a whole, and the senior VP suggests that if Alibaba's new OS wanted "to benefit from the Android ecosystem" then they could make the move across to full compatibility. We're still waiting to hear what Acer (and Alibaba) plan to do next. [Thanks Jimmy]
IDC: Android and iOS continue to carve up the world, another record quarter for smartphones
According to IDC's latest figures, Android and iOS now account for 85 percent of the 152 million smartphones shipped in Q2 2012. Google's OS powered 68.1 percent of all smartphones sold -- with Samsung making the hardware behind for just under half of those. Apple's smartphones now claim a 16.9 percent marketshare and while plenty of phone shoppers are holding out for the iPhone's next iteration, iOS still saw double-digit growth in Q2. There's more bad news for both BlackBerry and Symbian platforms, which, combined, accounted for less than 10 percent of all smartphones shipped last quarter. Windows Phone 7, meanwhile, hasn't quite made it to that hallowed third place it reckons it deserves. The mobile OS continues to grow, however, albeit at a gentler rate than both iOS and Android. Microsoft's likely pinning its hopes on the adjustable widgets and meatier specifications of Windows Phone 8 to draw in some new customers this fall.
Switched On: Android's TV triple threat
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Just two years ago, Google TV paved a way for Android to enter the television via integrated sets, Blu-ray players, dedicated TV add-ons and pay TV set-top devices. For now, the product may almost be as much of a hobby for the purveyor of questionable eyewear as Apple TV is for Apple, Google's mobile OS competitor. But it's clear that the platform isn't all things to all couch potatoes; the last several weeks have seen the launch of two new, contrasting approaches to getting Android on the big screen in the home.