While the mobile phone industry saw only a tepid growth of 5.6% in the most recent quarter, the number of people buying smartphones is rapidly on the rise. According to mobile tracking firm Gartner, more than 115,000 smartphones were sold in the third quarter of 2011, compared to just 81,000 during Q3 2010. The company mainly defined smartphones as any mobile phone running Android, Symbian, iOS, Blackberry ...

Shots of what appear to be a Google-powered music shop on Android have surfaced. This is understandably leading to even more speculation that Google's long expected entry into the competitive digital music business may be happening sooner rather than later. Google is holding a special media event on Wednesday. Before the screenshots, which first appeared on Tecnodroidve.com, came to light, there was already ...

In what is no doubt a move to prepare itself for all that is entailed in offering a full Android tablet, Amazon has updated its proprietary app store format. The Amazon App Store for Android, version 2.0, has a completely overhauled interface, making it easier to find subscription content, featured items, and apps that are free or on sale. The Amazon App Store has gained headlines by becoming, for many, the ...

HTC fans will wake up today knowing whether or not their phone will be among the first handsets due to receive the latest and greatest Android update. "HTC knows how excited our fans are to get their hands on Google's latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, so we're thrilled today to announce the first wave of HTC phones that will receive upgrades," the company wrote on its official Facebook page. Th ...

A Syracuse University professor says he's uncovered a security flaw in Android apps using the WebView platform. Of the top 20 apps in ten categories in the Android market, 17 use WebView. It allows developers to embed browsers in their apps, giving users the opportunity to interact with social media, personal email and other app users. However, professor of computer science Wenliang Du says he's discovered ...

The “Sphero” is the world’s first robotic ball that can be controlled by an iPhone or Android device. It comes with a semi-opaque white look, along with an inductive charger to reenergize it. The users simply need to load down certain free apps for the ball, open the Bluetooth of their iPhones, and then they can control the ball to accomplish certain tasks. Planned to be sold in December for about $130, the ...

HTC wants you to start saving your mobile files to the cloud instead of to your phone's hard drive. The manufacturer has just partnered up with cloud storage firm Dropbox to bring 5 GB of free cloud storage to anyone who buys an HTC Sense 3.5-equipped phone. Dropbox offers virtual cloud drives for users who want to back up files and data, and access them from any computer. The service offers 2 GB for free t ...

An x86-friendly version of Android Gingerbread will be available for Intel's Atom E series in 2012. Although the e-series CPUs are media and embedded focused, the build should function on Menlow, Oaktrail, Moorestown and possibly even Cedar Trail chipsets. Android Gingerbread to get x86'dAccording to CarryPad, the x86 iteration may be based on an open source version of Gingerbread that third parties can eas ...

Instead of adding in support for specific Android phones every few weeks, Netflix has now opened up its app to everyone with Android 2.2 or 2.3. That means anyone who goes out and buys a new Android phone today will be able to stream Netflix movies and TV shows without worrying about whether or not that specific handset is supported. The only people who still can't access Netflix are those with existing pho ...

The next software update to Android will quash concerns about the fragmentation that exists rampantly in the current market. At least, that's what Google chairman Eric Schmidt hopes. Schmidt assured that the next firmware update, known as Ice Cream Sandwich, will streamline hardware and app specs in a more unified fashion. Currently, about 51% of Android users are running version 2.2, while around 31% are u ...