Archive

Opera Software on Wednesday released its Opera Mini 5.1 browser for the Android mobile platform, concluding a beta period that began in March. Opera Mini 5.1 offers improved page layout on high-end Android handsets with large screens, its Norwegian maker says. Among the software's features are tabbe...

Proper backups can mean the difference between a data disaster and a minor inconvenience. You don't have to go to your file manager to drag and drop every bit of info you want to protect, though -- there's software to automate the process. Deja Dup and LuckBackup are two apps made just for that purp...

Google on Monday threw open its App Inventor beta program to the public. The tools used in this program let the user create mobile apps for the Android operating system, even if the user has very little programming knowledge. The App Inventor program's tools use a visual programming approach and cod...

Discussions, theses, theories and memes abound around Linux's inability to gain traction in the desktop marketplace. Some think the Linux Desktop is too hard to learn. Others say Linux Desktop is deficient. Linux elite say Linux wasn't really meant for the general users anyway. Microsoft says Lin...

The drawback with using most note-taking applications on any platform is that they are limited in the type of data you can put into them. For instance, simple text editors ignore Internet and content links. Plus, you cannot import graphics. Even word-processing programs, which overcome the links and...

By now, you should at least be passingly familiar with Python. One of the fastest-growing languages, Python has been gaining popularity for years and has reached a level of maturity that makes it a top choice for enterprise development. Companies from Microsoft to Google have embraced Python and are...

Cisco on Tuesday unveiled the Cisco Cius, an Android-powered tablet that targets business users. Billed as a "mobile collaboration business tablet," the Cius delivers virtual desktop integration with access from anywhere to the full range of Cisco collaboration and communication applications, includ...

Regardless of your take on the iPad as a do-everything replacement device for laptops and netbooks, other e-book readers are gaining a substantial foothold. Devices such as the Kindle and the Nook provide access to volumes of literature and documents without having to lug a fully-functional computer...

Google has begun rolling out Android 2.2 in over-the-air updates to owners of its Nexus One smartphone. Android 2.2, also known as "Froyo," has several new features, including a few that target the business market. Updates for other Android smartphones will have to wait until their customized interf...

When Samsung's Android-powered Galaxy S makes its U.S. debut in the coming months, it will do so as five different phones tailored for five different carriers. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and U.S. Cellular will all support a Galaxy S device, though the handset will be renamed and recast slig...

Google announced Thursday that it has remotely deleted two Android applications from users' phones, reasoning that the "practically useless" apps had "intentionally misrepresented their purpose." The Internet search giant pointed to this action as one of many security controls Android posses to prot...

Nokia will use the Linux MeeGo operating system in its flagship N-series platform in a bid to remain competitive against the iPhone and Android smartphones. However, the company will continue to use its Symbian operating system for its lower-end smartphones. The move might be seen as a bid to restor...

In this debate series for LinuxInsider, we've heard from Evan Prodromou, CEO of StatusNet, who put forth the case for an open, distributed, federated model for social networking in contrast to Facebook's approach. We've also heard from Steven Bristol, partner and self-described "Chief Nerd" at Less ...

Roughly one out of five Android mobile apps asks to access private or sensitive information belonging to the device's owner, according to a study by SMobile Systems. One out of 20 apps can place a call to any number without interacting with or getting permission from the device owner, the report als...

Verizon Wireless unveiled the much-anticipated Motorola Droid X on Wednesday. The device, which Motorola variously describes as a touch tablet and a pocket-sized home theater, runs Android version 2.1. It will be updated over the air to run on Android 2.2 later in the year. When that happens, the Dr...