Google's AI-powered Theft Detection For Android Phones Is Here

Back in May 2024, Google teased a new Theft Detection Lock tool for Android phones, that promised to keep your device and data safe in the event some swipes your phone and takes off with all your personal info in tow! Starting this month, these advanced theft protection features will be available to users around the world through Android 15 and a Google Play Services update available to Android 10+ devices

These new theft detection tools use the devices on board sensors coupled with powerful AI to proactively protect you and your phone at the moment of a theft attempt. By using your phone's gyroscope and accelerometer and on-device machine learning, Theft Detection Lock is able to analyze various device signals to detect potential theft attempts. If the algorithm detects a potential theft attempt on your unlocked device, it locks your screen to keep thieves out. 

The anti-theft detection tool is one of several security additions Google announced earlier this year to protect your data "before, during and after a theft," including: 

• Making it more difficult to factory reset a phone and set it up under a new account 
• Private spaces to hide sensitive apps 
• The ability to mark your phone as lost on Find My Device for easier tracking 
• Automatic lock for excessive failed authentication 
• The ability to lock your phone if it's offline 
• Remote lock, which lets you lock your phone's screen using just your number and a quick security challenge

One new featured added to Remote Lock many will find useful is the ability to quickly lock and secure your phone even if you can’t remember your Google account credentials in the moment of theft. Now you can use any device to visit Android.com/lock and lock your phone with just a verified phone number. Remote Lock then secures your device while you regain access through Android’s Find My Device – which lets you secure, locate or remotely wipe your device. As a security best practice, we always recommend backing up your device on a continuous basis, so remotely wiping your device is not an issue.

Turn on Theft Detection Lock right now

To enable theft protection features, you’ll have to perform the following steps: 

1. Set a password for your screen. It’s the only way to lock the phone if it gets stolen. 
2. Then Go to Settings 
3. Tap Google 
4. Tap All Services 
5.  Select Theft Protection 
6. Turn on Theft Detection Lock once it’s available on your device 

  ** Note on my Samsung phone it is under Security and Privacy > More Security Settings > Theft Protection

Samsung Pay May Be Coming to Your Older Samsung Phone In 2016

This week saw some great news for Samsung phone owners that have been dying to try out the company's mobile payment service. Global co-general manager of Samsung Pay Thomas Ko told Reuters that the Samsung Pay service will be expanding beyond the company's flagship devices to likely include cheaper none flagship devices, which in turn means we will hopefully see it rolled out to older devices as well!

Lower-priced Samsung phones will likely start offering the mobile wallet "within the next year," Thomas Ko, global co-general manager of Samsung Pay, said in an interview. He went on to say it is a goal for Samsung to see wider adoption of the service and that "handset availability of Samsung Pay as well as online payment support is coming soon."

Samsung also plans to expand the service beyond just a mobile wallet and into the online payments arena. Ko says that the mobile wallet is accepted at far more locations than its rivals, due to its ability to work with older payment terminals and not just new NFC-equipped models. Online payments, meanwhile, will transform the service into a PayPal rival.

Samsung Pay is already the most widely accepted mobile wallet in the United States because it is compatible with new and older credit card terminals and does not require any special arrangements with retailers, Ko said. For instance, shoppers at Wal-Mart can pay by just waving their smartphones with the app. without the requirement of addition of the store's own third party app like their newly launched Walmart Pay.

Unlike the limitation of Android Pay and Apple Pay which both require NFC, or near-field communications, chips and terminals, Samsung Pay uses technology that Samsung acquired through their acquisition of payment service LoopPay.

LoopPay utilizes MST technology to generate changing magnetic fields over a very short period of time. This is accomplished by putting alternating current through an inductive loop, which can then be received by the magnetic read head of the credit card reader. The signal received from the device emulates the same magnetic field change as a mag stripe card when swiped across the same read head. LoopPay works within a 3-inch distance from the read head. The field dissipates rapidly beyond that point, and only exists during a transmission initiated by the user.

Utilizing this technology Samsung Pay wirelessly sends credit or debit card information magnetically as if a customer's card was swiped at a payment terminal. That means merchants aren't required to install additional or specialized hardware to accept payments from a phone. Samsung Pay also works with NFC terminals but currently only on Samsung's four flagship devices such as the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. Expanding the technologies to lower priced phones will bring mobile payments to a larger swath of the population.

HTC Preview Wants You to Test New Devices and Accessories

Companies are always looking for new ways to get consumer feedback surrounding some of their latest innovations. They hope to ensure that those millions, if not billions, spent in research and development and eventually in marketing are all for naught. This often leads to beta testing program, consumer outreach testing and more, which generally gives us users a great opportunity to test out and provide feedback on several of the newest products coming to market.

HTC this week has launched a new Preview program, promising just that, they want to give users "access to the latest HTC products, often before they hit the shelves". As its Preview site goes on to explain:

At HTC, we believe brilliance should be experienced, not explained. Through the HTC Preview program, we can test drive our products in the real world, allowing us to make sure the HTC experience is as best as it can be. If you would like the opportunity to shape the future and the innovation of our products, HTC Preview is for you! We are looking for people with an eye for design, a passion for technology, and a bunch of great ideas to join us in the pursuit of brilliance.

According to the HTC Preview site those who sign up will have the opportunity to test upcoming software changes on their own HTC devices, as well as the opportunity to test entirely new hardware (devices, accessories and others), for up to ten weeks. As with most new product testing sites you will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement - or, as HTC calls it, "the HTC Trial Program Agreement" - preventing you from discussing any of the products that you test with anyone else. And, of course, at the end of the trial period, you'll also have to return any devices that you get to test.

The Preview program is now open in the US, Europe and Asia and is open to just about anyone to sign-up. You will need to be 18 yrs of age or older, have an email account with Google Play Store access, this is for software downloads, and in some cases an HTC device will be required (if you don't own one they will pair you up with a suited project according to your profile). 

Other requirements include being asked to support any survey, photo or screenshot requests. For example, in a project where the emphasis is on camera features, you would be expected to take lots of pictures in order to test the full HTC camera experience and you may be asked to share a few of those photos.  

Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge or HTC One M9 Starting March 27th [Update]

Three new flagship Android devices, the the Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and HTC One M9, will be hitting store shelves this April. For those smartphone geeks out there that want to be the first on the block to get their hands on the new devices when they officially go on-sale, the date for pre-orders has been confirmed as tomorrow March 27th for all most all major carriers.

For those wanting Samsung's latest flagship devices the company made it official that the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge will go live in the US on March 27. Sales will begin nationwide on April 10 with all three device storage variants; 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB being available. The devices will be available in three colors at launch: Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum and White Pearl. The Blue Topaz and Green Emerald colors exclusive to the S6 and S6 edge are expected to be available later on, presumably for different carriers. Keep in mind these are just general dates, and  actual carrier pre-order/shipping dates (and even colors and capacities available) may vary a little.

AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless will offer both the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, while Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless and MetroPCS will carry the Galaxy S6. Samsung Experience Shops at Best Buy BBY, Amazon, Costco, Sam’s Club, Target, and Walmart will also carry the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge and should have demo units available for anyone wanting to review the new devices.

Update: Verizon has confirmed that it will not begin offering pre-orders to its customers until April 1st and they will be offering both devices Black Sapphire and White Pearl – in 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB models. Pricing for the Galaxy S6 is $599, $699 and $799. Pricing for the S6 edge is $699, $799 and $899.

Again at this time it is still unclear which variants each carrier will be offering though AT&T's pre-order information page does confirm they'll be offering all three colors and memory capacities.

For those geeks out there that are clamoring to get their hands on the newest offering from HTC, we now know the company will be putting the new HTC One M9 up for pre-order and sale on the same dates March 27th  and April 10th. This goes for the HTC online store as well as most major carriers. From April 10, the One M9 will be available from all four major US carriers, as well as retailers Amazon, Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile specialty stores, Costco Wholesale and Target.

Update: Verizon has confirmed HTC One M9 pre-orders will begin April 1st.

Both devices will carry similar price tags with the unlocked 32gb HTC One M9 costing you $649, and the 32gb Galaxy S6 fetching somewhere around $679. The Galaxy S6 edge will be price significantly higher at $750+. (Exact pricing details for each variant are expected tomorrow)

Now that we have the dates set in stone, one question remains. Which one of these three new devices will you be buying? Or will you go a different route entirely? Let us know with a comment below.

Starting This Week All Carriers Must Unlock Your iPhone or Android Device

Cellphone unlocking has gone through many trials and tribulations over the past few years. Originally, carriers used the option of SIM locks to keep tight reigns on customers by locking their phones to only work on their networks. This left customers with few options and resulted in many turning to cellphone unlocking sites and the use of various hacks.

Fortunately times have changed! Last summer, President Obama signed the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act into law. The law repealed previous rulings that had originally made it illegal for consumers to unlock their cell phones on their own. With the passage of the new law customers were given the choice, but until now, carriers haven’t been required to sell unlocked phones or honor unlock requests (although most did anyway).

According to reports from Android Police, as of February 11th, that will all be changing. CTIA-The Wireless Association which represents the international wireless telecommunications industry is laying out a set of phone unlocking (covering both SIM and network unlocking) principles that AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular have agreed to abide by. You can view more details on CTIA's changes right here.

There are a few stipulations to having your device unlocked and each carrier has a slightly different processes and policies. First and foremost in order to have a carrier unlock your phone, you’ll need to be either paid off in full or have completed your contract term. So no you can't just go out and buy a new phone on the cheap with a two year contract and expect to be able to swindle the phone company.

Second, you may be required to pay a nominal fee. This would usually only apply if you are not a current customer. However, the report from Android Police states carriers may charge a "reasonable" fee. Third, the phone must meet all eligibility requirements which also includes not be 'blacklisted' as being stolen or having a bad IMEI. 

If you want to see the full unlocking policy for each carrier, you can check the links below:

• AT&T
• Verizon
• Sprint
• T-Mobile
• U.S. Cellular

For more information about how to unlock your device as well as a few more details we haven't covered, be sure to check out Android Police’s very thorough post on the subject. If you have any questions please feel free to comment below and we'll help you out as much as possible!

New Flagship Phones From Samsung & Apple Expected To Be Announced In September [Update]

The two largest players in the smartphone market are reportedly planning major announcements early next month and if the speculation holds true we'll see at least two new flagship phones announced!

Update: In typical Samsung fashion the company all but confirmed earlier reports that they'll be annoucing the new Note 4 at the Sept. 3rd event. A teaser image was released today with 'Note the Date' and the Note 3 style pen window.

Earlier this week we saw several reports that Samsung had sent out invites to a Sept. 3rd press event (another Samsung Unpacked event). The timing for the event falls in line with previous speculation that the tech giant would be announcing their latest smartphone, the Galaxy Note 4, prior to the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin.

While the invite doesn't specifically mention the Galaxy Note 4, or any other devices for that matter, the timing would be inline with previous announcements. Rumors also suggest that we may see more than one device released from Samsung during the event, or during IFA conference. If those rumors hold true we may see more than one smartphone or perhaps a new Galaxy Smartwatch or other wearable.

Not one to be left behind Apple is also said to be planning a major announcement for early in September. Reportedly Apple will be revealing the iPhone 6 at a media event on September 9th. Recode reports that Apple will hold an event that Tuesday to announce the next line of iPhones, which if you have been following the rumors are expected to include not one but two, new models.

Of course this is all still speculative to say the least. However, the rumor mill surrounding both companies has been running overtime lately and that generally doesn't happen until right before major releases.

What can we expect from these new devices?

While there is nothing official yet known about the Galaxy Note 4  rumor has it the device will feature a 5.7-inch QHD display. It is also rumored to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 805 chipset with an Exynos variant for markets without LTE. It will also be accompanied by at least 3GB of RAM, at least a 16MP rear-facing camera, and will most likely run on Android 4.4.4 KitKat. Other enhancements are said to possibly be a retina scanner, UV sensor and of course many of the updates seen in the Galaxy S5 like fingerprint scanning, heart rate monitor and the TouchWiz enhancements like Ultra Power Saving Mode, Download Booster and more.

Apple's highly anticipated iPhone 6 series is rumored to be the 'biggest' launch for iPhone yet (and yes they mean that, both literally in device size and scope of sales). It has been rumored for quite a while now that Apple's next iPhone would come in two sizes: 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches. If that holds true the 5.5 inch model would be the biggest iPhone to date!

Other rumored improvements are said to be Sapphire crystal screens, higher resolution displays with more pixel density, aster and more efficient processors, NFC support and a few camera enhancements.

Google Now Voice Commands Every Android User Needs to Know

Using voice commands to control your phone has been around for several years now. Still we see and hear from the average Android smartphone user that they have no idea how to use them or what they can do.

Google has worked hard to integrate more and more commands into the Google Now service and it has become a central part of the Android operating system. With tons of recent improvements the Google Now service has quickly made it easier than ever to control your phone just by speaking to it!

Thank to the team over at Phandroid we now have a great comprehensive list filled with all of the voice commands that you need to know to get the most out of voice commands on your smartphone. The list features all the basic functions such as snapping a picture, going to a website, checking voicemail or opening email, along with more complicated tasks such as giving you translations for English phrases into different languages and converting English measurements to the metric system.

Here are just a few examples from the full Phandroid list we use on a day to day basis.

• Go to [WebSiteName.com]
• Call [Contact Name]
• Send Text/Email to [Username - Subject]
• Listen to [Song Title]

There are plenty more and don’t forget, many if not all of these commands should work just as well with Google Glass and Google’s web voice search, as well. For more details and a quick how to, be sure to check out Phandroid’s full video below.

California Passes Smartphone Kill Switch Bill, Why You Should Care!

Over the past few years we've seen carriers willing to do next to nothing to protect consumers from lost or stolen cellphones. Up until recently the only minor protection a consumer had was the newly enacted stolen phone database, which has seemingly done little to deter thieves as we've seen smartphone thefts continue to rise at alarming rate.

On Thursday, California legislators took steps toward becoming one of the first states in the country to pass laws requiring smartphones to feature stronger anti-theft technology. The California Senate approved a measure that would require every smartphone sold in California to include a so-called kill switch that allows victims of theft to disable a stolen device. The bill fines retailers between $500 and $2,500 for selling smartphones without a kill switch.

While many may argue that most smatphones have software with the ability to track a lost or stolen phone and many even include the ability to remotely wipe those devices. A kill switch, or reactivation lock could take those measures to an even greater level, one that could offer even more protection than that of a carrier's IMEI blocking.

If implemented correctly (and I'll admit that is a major IF) just knowing their would be victims have phones that can't full fledged kill switches could be a major deterrent to would be thieves. Who would steal a phone if you know for certain it could never be used again and could be locked and wiped immediately?

Just how bad is smartphone theft?

About 3.1 million phones were stolen in the U.S. in 2013, nearly double the number of thefts from the previous year, according to Consumer Reports. That totals more than $5 Billion dollars worth of stolen cellphones that need to be replaced world wide each year. Think that isn't bad? Smartphone theft also account for roughly 30% of all crimes in major US cities.

Checkout the infographic below for more!

New Android Ransomware Demands Payment To Unlock Phone

Security researchers have discovered a new piece of Android malware that depends a hefty payment to re-enable basic phone functions on an infected device and settle a supposed "fine" of about $300 for illegally viewing pornography.

According to the Ars Technica report the 'ransomware', dubbed Android-Trojan.Koler.A, uses the infected phone's geolocation functions to tailor a false security warnings to whatever country a victim happens to reside in. The screenshots, originally obtained by Bitdefender, shows the malicious software invoking an FBI warning which is the notice that's displayed on infected phones connecting from a US-based IP address.

Android Ransomware via Ars Technica

"The ransomware's main component is a browser view that stays on top of all other applications, Bitdefender Senior E-Threat Analyst Bogdan Botezatu wrote in an e-mail to Ars. "You can press Home and go to the homescreen, but a timer would bring it back on top in about 5 seconds. I managed to uninstall it manually by swiftly going to applications and dragging the icon on the Uninstall control, but it only works if the application icon is on the first row. Otherwise, one wouldn’t have the necessary time to drag it to the top, where the uninstall control is located."

The malicious Android software is automatically downloaded when users visit unspecified pornography sites using their Android phones. The site side-loads an APK file claiming to be video player used for premium access. To be infected, a user must change Android settings to allow out-of-market apps and then manually install the APK. According to the report the social engineering trick has already claimed at least 68 victims in the past six hours—40 in the United Arab Emirates, 12 in the UK, six in Germany, five in the US, and the rest in Italy and Poland.

Would You Buy A $25 Firefox OS Based Smartphone?

We've know for awhile now that Mozilla has been working on a Firefox OS based smartphone and now it looks like we have a bit more detail as to what those phones might look like and how much they might cost.

Mozilla, the company all geeks should know as the parent to the Firefox web browser, has teamed with mobile SoC maker Spreadtrum to come up with a prototype for a smartphone that costs just $25. The key to the prototype is an ultra-cheap processor from Spreadtrum, the SC6821 SoC. The chip’s predecessor, the SC8620, sells for about $1.40 in mass quantities. Meaning even if the new chip cost a bit more, a $25 device running Firefox OS would be well within reach.

For $25, Spreadtrum says you’ll be able to get a humble 3.5″ HVGA display, rear-facing camera, integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and FM radio support. Full specs aren’t being discussed yet, and that’s because they’ll be left up to the individual OEMs that actually build handsets using Firefox OS and the Spreadtrum SC6821 chip. Spreadtrum is providing the necessary internals, and Mozilla’s worked with them to ensure full hardware support within Firefox OS.

While Mozilla and Spreadtrum have said the initial goal is to bring their low cost entry level Firefox OS phones to emerging markets in developing countries they have not ruled out the option of offering them to US based carriers. So they question begs, would you be interested in the low cost phones or would you hold out for something with a bit more substance?

Personally I prefer higher end devices, which we are also starting to see with various new operating systems. For instance, Mozilla has also announced several new Higher Performance Firefox OS devices which include the ZTE Open C and Open II, Alcatel ONETOUCH Fire C, Fire E, Fire S and Fire 7 tablet, all using Snapdragon processors from Qualcomm Technologies Inc. We've also seen reports that we should expect an influx of Ubuntu based smartphones in 2014.

Mobile Pwn2Own Offering $300K In Prizes Money

The second annual Mobile Pwn2Own contest will take place in Tokyo Japan on Nov. 13-14, TippingPoint announced on its company blog today. This year's event will offer participants up to $300,000 in prize money for those researchers who can successfully demonstrate attacks against mobile services and browsers.

This year’s Mobile Pwn2Own contest is offering the following prizes in the following categories: 

• Short Distance/Physical Access ($50,000), either:
  • Bluetooth, or
  • Wi-Fi, or
  • Universal Serial Bus (USB), or
  • Near Field Communication (NFC)
• Mobile Web Browser ($40,000)
• Mobile Application/Operating System ($40,000)
• Messaging Services ($70,000), either:
  • Short Message Service (SMS), or
  • Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), or
  • Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS)
• Baseband ($100,000)

Contestants are allowed to select the target they wish to compromise during the pre-registration process.  The exact OS version, firmware and model numbers will be coordinated with the pre-registered contestants. The following targets are available for selection:

• Nokia Lumia 1020 running Windows Phone
• Microsoft Surface RT running Windows RT
• Samsung Galaxy S4 running Android
• Apple iPhone 5 running iOS
• Apple iPad Mini running iOS
• Google Nexus 4 running Android
• Google Nexus 7 running Android
• Google Nexus 10 running Android
• BlackBerry Z10 running BlackBerry 10

 In addition Google’s Chrome Security Team, in conjunction with the Chrome on Android team, is sponsoring a top-up reward for the Mobile Web Browser category. If a contestant successfully compromises Chrome on Android, either on Google Nexus 4 or Samsung Galaxy S4, the prize amount will be bumped by $10k to make it a total of $50,000.  There may be additional winners in the Mobile Web Browser category if the contestant is specifically targeting Chrome on Android, either on the Google Nexus 4 or Samsung Galaxy S4.

For those looking to enter the full contest rules are listed here. For those geeks that want to stay updated on the contest ZDI will be tweeting regular updates and news on Mobile Pwn2Own up to and during the contest. You can follow them at @thezdi on Twitter or search for the hash tag #pwn2own.

Mozilla Offering Free Firefox OS Phone Workshops To Developers

App developers looking to expand their reach to the newly announced Firefox OS have a have chance to attend a recently announced workshop series designed to help spark interest in app development for the forthcoming Firefox OS. As part of the program Mozilla is offering a chance to get hands-on access to Firefox OS devs, as well as Firefox OS Developer Preview hardware.

Workshops will be taking place in Madrid, Spain on April 20th, Bogota, Columbia on May 18th and Warsaw, Poland on June 1st. All applicants must go through an application process, in which interested developers must demo their skills to gain access to Firefox OS Developer Preview hardware.

Mozilla states that space is limited to these workshops, although an official number of how many developers will be let in has been provided. This move could bode well for Firefox, and possibly give the Firefox OS a chance against Android and iOS when it hits the U.S. in 2014.

What The Workshops Will Offer

• A great place to hack.
• Hands-on help from Firefox OS developers.
• Food, drink and demos. And t-shirts, of course.
• More code, less talk.
• Firefox OS Developer Preview phones, really!

How to Prepare

There’s more than one way to start building Firefox apps. Here are a few resources to get you started:

• Firefox OS Quick Start
• Getting started with Open Web Apps – why and how
• Using WebAPIs to make the web layer more capable
• Introducing Web Activities
• What is a FirefoxOS App anyways? (video introduction)
• Learn about the latest Firefox OS Simulator
• Read the docs: Creating Apps for Firefox OS

For those interested fill out the Firefox OS Workshop application form.

Samsung Building More Hype As The "Next Galaxy Unpacking" Event Nears

The unveiling of Samsung's newest Galaxy Android handset is almost upon us and the company is doing plenty to build on the anticipation they started things off with an invitation to the unpacking event in NYC, followed up by two videos featuring "Jeremy", the secret messenger of Samsung UNPACKED 2013. Then earlier this week they gave Galaxy fans a bit of a teaser when they Tweeted the picture below.

Today they took the show to the streets of New York with a flash mob. The mob featured dancers outfitted with bowler hats and black suits with the number 4 on the back. The dancers emerged from a paneled box entitled "Be Ready 4 The Next GALAXY." The troupe performed the old soft-shoe routine before dancing back into the box.

Samsung describes the video as a "a cool flash mob for the 'Be Ready 4 The Next GALAXY' in New York." I'm not sure I'd really describe it as a flash mob, but you certainly get the idea. Samsung is going above and beyond to build some hype around their newest phone.

While we'll have to wait until tomorrow for anything official some of the rumored features for the new Galaxy phone include an eight-core Exynos processor, a separate eight-core graphics processing unit, a 4.99-inch SuperAmoled display, and 2GB of memory. The S4 will also reportedly sport a 13-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video capability and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The latest flavor of Android 4.2.2, aka Jelly Bean, should be part of the package as well.

From a recent Bloomberg article it looks like some of these details might well be confirmed. Citing “two people familiar with the product” they have said the Galaxy S4 will have a 5-inch screen and that the US model will have a quad-core Qualcomm chip. This same report also mentions the rear-facing camera as being a 13 megapixel.<

Motorola Offering $100 Trade-In Credit For 2011 Smartphones That Won't Get Jelly Bean

Motorola appears to be committed to keeping customers up to date with the latest Android platform. So much so they are planning on putting their money where their mouth is. The company is offering customers who own a 2011 or later smartphone that won't be getting the Jelly Bean update a $100 back towards the purchase of a new Motorola smartphone.

"We want to give you the best of smartphone technology. That means not only pushing the boundaries on design, utility, and speed, but also providing the best mobile software out there. Today, that's Jelly Bean, the newest Android operating system. That's why we're upgrading Motorola smartphones first offered for sale in 2011¹ and later to Jelly Bean. If we don't upgrade your phone to Jelly Bean, we don't want you to miss out. Buy a select new Motorola smartphone, trade in your old phone, and we'll give you $100 back.² So you always enjoy the best from us."

Motorola's trade-in program is applies to United States sales of Android Motorola smartphones first offered in 2011 or later. The $100 trade-in provided will be in the form of a Gift Card, carrier credit or other cash equivalent at Motorola's sole discretion. Official program details will be posted on the trade-in site at a future date.

While Motorola hasn't officially posted the details for the trade-in plan here is the gist of how it will work. You buy one of the newly introduced Motorola smartphones; the Motorola DROID RAZR HD, Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX HD and the Motorola DROID RAZR M. Send in the phone you're trading in, and you'll get the $100 back in one of the forms previously mentioned.

For more details visit the Motorola Trade-In Site

Nokia Unveils Two New Windows Phone 8 Smartphones

Nokia partnered with Microsoft to unveil two new Windows Phone 8 based devices the new mid-high end Lumia 820 and the new high end Lumia 920.

After months of speculation by smartphone phone fanatics Nokia today finally took the wraps off the company's newest flagship smartphones, the Nokia Lumia 820 and Lumina 920. The two new phones are is Nokia's much anticipated Windows Phone 8 devices, the ones that are supposed to mark a turning point for Nokia and help the company right the ship so to speak.

For those that have been following Nokia's trek into Windows Phone devices the design might look alot like the previous generation phones. Aesthetically, the Lumia 920 looks like a sleeker, more stylish Lumia 900 but with a gloss polycarbonate shell that Nokia says is even stronger and sturdier.As for the internals the Lumina 920 also receives a major upgrade.

Where the older Lumina 900 featured a 1.4GHz single-core Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 4.3-inch AMOLED display with an 800x480 resolution, 8MP rear-facing camera, 720p video recording, 1MP front-facing camera, no NFC support, and an 1,830 mAh battery The new Lumina 920 features a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage (along with 7GB of free SkyDrive cloud storage from Microsoft), and 4.5-inch HD (1280x768) IPS display. It has an 8.7MP rear-facing camera, 1080p video recording, 1280x960 front-facing camera, HSPA+ or 4G LTE connectivity, NFC support, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.1, and 2,000 mAh battery.

The Nokia Lumia 820 is basically a 920 without the PureView camera. It has the same polycarbonate shell, HD+ display, NFC, built-in apps, and wireless charging. But it also gets a changeable back cover, which will allow users to switch the colors of their smartphones.

The Lumia 920 (above) features a 4.5” PureMotion HD+ display (the world’s brightest, fastest, and most sensitive touchscreen) as well as an integrated Qi battery so users can charge wirelessly. The Lumia 820 (below) features a 4.3” OLED Wide Video Graphics Array (WVGA) display, a 1.5 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon processor, and comes in an array of colors.

Nokia Lumia 820 specs

• Display: 4.3 inch screen
• Storage: 1 GB RAM, 8 GB memory
• Camera: 8 MP with Carl Zeiss optics and dual LED flash; front-facing camera (VGA)
  
• Smart Shoot combines shots for the perfect portrait
  bullet
• Nokia City Lens reveals local landmarks, restaurants, and more
• Processor: 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual core processor
• Battery: Removable battery BP-5T (1650 mAh)
• Wireless charging support with separate wireless charging covers
• Network: GSM, LTE, WCDMA
• SkyDrive and Nokia Mix Radio
• Available colors: Black, Red, White, Yellow, Grey, Purple, Blue
• Nokia Lumina 820 Product Page

Nokia Lumia 920 specs

• Display: 4.5 inch screen
• Storage: 1 GB RAM, 32 GB memory
• Camera: 8.7 MP with Optical Image Stabilization and Carl Zeiss optics; short-pulse, high-power LED flash
• PureView and optical image stabilization for best low light pictures
  bullet
• Smart Shoot combines shots for the perfect portrait
• Nokia City Lens reveals local landmarks, restaurants, and more
• Processor: 1.5 GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor
• Battery: Integrated BP-4GW battery (2000 mAh) Wireless charging support
• Network: GSM, LTE, WCDMA
• PureMotion HD+, Nokia’s brightest, fastest and most sensitive touchscreen
• Nokia Mix Radio and Skydrive
• Available colors: Black, Red, Yellow, White Grey
• Nokia Lumina 920 Product Page

Pricing, and availability have not been released yet with  Microsoft and Nokia promising these details will be announced in the fourth quarter of this year.

For more details see the official announcements:

• Windows Phone Blog: Announcing the Nokia Lumia 820 and 920
• Official Microsoft Blog: First Windows Phone 8 Devices from Nokia Unveiled in New York City Today
• Nokia Official Blog: Introducing the Nokia Lumia 920
• Nokia Press Release: New Nokia Lumia Range Delivers Latest PureView Camera Innovation, New Navigation Experiences and Wireless Charging on Windows Phone 8
  

Learn The Facts About Smartphone Mishaps

Smartphone mishaps seem to happen at the most inopportune times. You drop that new iPhone just days after a purchase, or wash that new Samsung Galaxy III right before heading off on vacation.

Asurion Corp., the largest global provider of wireless handset insurance and wireless roadside assistance programs has conducted extensive research in the field and today we'd like to share some of their results. Trust me these numbers might be a bit shocking for some, not really for me since it seems like I replace a broken device every couple of months.

Stats and Facts

• Asurion reports that 60,000,0000 people in North America will lose, damage or have their phone stolen this year. That is over 164,000 per day or 114 every minute or nearly 2 every second.
• According to mobile device technology protection expert Asurion, 50 percent of loss, thef or damage claims occur within the first 6 months of activating a new phone. That number jumps to 80 percent within the first 12months.
• People don’t often understand that if your mobile phone is lost, stolen or damaged, without insurance you’ll have to pay full retail price to replace that mobile device. In the case of an iPhone4S, that can cost more than $700.
• Best and easiest way to have peace of mind and to protect your phone is to purchase insurance from your wireless carrier when buying your phone or within 30 days of activation.
• According to a recent Asurion survey, 50 percent of parents said they have at least one child at home under 17 who uses a mobile phone for personal use, and nearly 30 percent of those required a replacement in the last year due to handset loss, theft, damage or malfunction.
• Savvy parents and guardians are putting their desire to stay in touch with their children well above their own needs, with 36 percent purchasing cell phone insurance for their children's phones, as compared to 26 percent of those who have protection on their own phones, according to Asurion.
• Understandably, people are eager to start using new mobile devices just as soon as they get them, but with more than 60 million phones lost, stolen or damaged each year, purchasing phone protection during the first 30 days of device use should be a priority. After that, the only chance to buy the carrier-supported insurance would be during an “open enrollment” period, and you never know when those might come along.

Protection Tips

• Asurion offers these easy summer tips to help minimize the damage to children's phones this summer:
• A good case or silicone protector can help protect the back and sides against scratches and provide some impact protection.
• A transparent film screen protector can prevent the screen from scratching and can also help remove glare.
• A growing number of waterproof cases are on the market designed to protect phones when submerged in water for a limited amount of time.
• Purchase cell phone insurance to protect your investment and stay connected with children. Many wireless carriers now offer Asurion’s downloadable application that can remotely locate, lock or wipe a phone, along with the insurance coverage.

Smartphone Buying Basics

The smartphone community has a lot to be abuzz about these days. Samsung has just released one of the hottest phones on the market with the Galaxy S3, HTC has the new HTC One X and Motorola the DROID RAZR MAXX. Rumors are abound about the new iPhone 5 and of course there are the new Windows Phones like the Nokia Lumia 900. It is truly a great time to be a smartphone fan.

With all these great choices how exactly do you decide? To be honest it's a tough decision. Every one of the newer phones on the market right now has its own strong points and each has its flaws. Selecting your phone might seem like a tough decision but here are a few ideas for getting the best phone and the best mobile phone deals. When it all comes down to it though it depends on a few key factors.

Your Carrier:
This is obviously by far the biggest factor, as not all carriers carry the same phones and not all carriers are created equal. Now you might think an iPhone is an iPhone is an iPhone, but that just isn't true. Network speeds, coverages, costs, services ect are all different for every carrier.

When deciding on which carrier to get there are a few things to take into consideration. Your local coverage and extended coverage, network speeds, reliability and costs. Local coverage for the big three might be decent, however if you travel a lot you'll need to check to make sure the areas you frequent have just as good of coverage. This too factors into network speeds. Take the area I live in, Sacramento, throughout the heart of town we have 4G coverage for the most part. When I go a few miles out of town though I don't get as good of coverage. If I lived in an area with poor 4G coverage and I paid a premium for a 4G phone that would be a bit if a waste.

The phones your carrier are going to offer are also going to be a factor. Sprint, Verizon and AT&T may eventually carry the new iPhone 5, unfortunately right now we just don't know. If you want one of the latest Windows phones right now Verizon with the HTC Trophy or AT&T with either the Nokia Nokia Lumia 900, Samsung Focus S or HTC Titan II are probably going to be the best bets. I don't really suggest going with one carrier over the other just based on phone offerings but it might be a consideration you'll want to take into account.

If you are looking for an Android phone, then you are going to have your work cut out for you. All three of the big three offer great choices and almost all of the minor carriers now carry decent Android phones. To get the latest greatest though, you are likely going to need to decide between the big three.

Upfront Cost and Monthly Fees:
These are two factors plenty of people often overlook. Often time we want to get the latest greats phones out there and forget that those phones come with a pretty hefty premium. I might want that iPhone 5 when it comes out, but when it does I can likely get the iPhone 4S at a pretty sweet savings.

You also need to keep in mind the more feature packed a phone is the more data it uses and likely the more your monthly costs are going to be. Verizon and AT&T plans tend to cost the most, but those two carriers have the best voice and data coverage in the nation. Sprint and T-Mobile offer considerable savings, especially on unlimited voice, data, and texting plans, but don't have quite the same level of network coverage.

Now days you can even skip out on the contract game all together. Smaller carriers are starting to offer more and more smartphones options for prepaid phones. We're beginning to see prepaid smartphones appear everywhere, especially on smaller regional carriers like MetroPCS, U.S. Cellular, and Cricket Wireless. If you live in an appropriate coverage area and don't need a cutting edge device, the potential savings can be huge.

Your Needs:
You have to ask yourself what are your needs really going to be. When I got my first smartphone I thought I'd use almost every feature out there. But now I rarely use most of them. For instance I'm not a big picture taker, so I don't need a phone with a top rated camera. I don't watch a lot of videos, so having a high resolution larger screen isn't a must for me. So when you browse mobile phone deals look at your options take in to consideration exactly what you think you'll be using your phone for and buy one that best fits with those needs.

Compatibility and Use:
When selecting my phones I ask myself what apps, what compatibility ect am I going to need. The iPhone has by far the most apps out there with the Apple App Store, Android is a close second and Windows is still a work in progress but has tons of apps and features that make it useful.

I use my phone for work and it needs to be able to sync seamlessly with Google and Google apps, but if I was an Apple user I'd likely want an iPhone so syncing across my devices would be easier. If I was a heavy Microsoft user and used Windows Live a lot then the syncing features of a Windows phone might be best for me.

Size and Features:
There has been a movement of late to make phones, specifically screen sizes, larger. It has even been rumored that the new iPhone 5 will come with a larger 4.3" screen. Personally I don't care for a larger screen. I like a smaller phone that is more portable and bit a easier to carry around.

For me some of the features are a bit more important. I've been shopping around for some of the new waterproof phones and the more rugged models. I'm the outdoors type so having a phone that is a bit tougher is a more important feature to me than having one with a larger screen that might be easily broken.

So Which Smartphone Should I Get:
Well, that depends on the factors discussed above, and a lot of personal preference. Personally I really like the user interface that HTC has for their Android phones but some people don’t. Some people are going to be hard core Apple fans and are going to say go Apple.

No matter which phone you go with keep in mind that most carriers allow you up to 30 days to return it. So if you buy something you aren't happy with don't be afraid to return it and try something new.

Firefox OS Coming To Smartphones

Today, Mozilla officially announced the finalized naming of their mobile OS project. Once dubbed Boot 2 Gecko, the mobile operating system will now be called Firefox OS and you guessed it plans are already in the works to launch the new operating system on at least a few smartphones.

A number of wireless carriers have already announced their support for Firefox OS. They include Sprint here in the US, along with Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, Smart, Telecom Italia, Telefónica and Telenor.

Device manufacturers TCL Communication Technology (under the Alcatel One Touch brand) and ZTE today announced their intentions to manufacture the first devices to feature the new Firefox OS, using Snapdragon processors from Qualcomm Incorporated, the leader in smartphone platforms. The first Firefox OS powered devices are expected to launch commercially in Brazil in early 2013 through Telefónica’s commercial brand, Vivo.

The major selling point for Firefox OS is that it is based on the web standard HTML5. All of its features, including messaging, calling, apps and more, will be based on HTML5 giving it a more unified approach over iOS, Android and the Windows Phone OS.

Mozilla states:

Due to the optimization of the platform for entry-level smartphones and the removal of unnecessary middleware layers, mobile operators will have the ability to offer richer experiences at a range of price points including at the low end of the smartphone price range, helping to drive adoption across developing markets.

Mozilla and all other participants are committed to ensuring the project is fully open and the reference implementation of the required Web APIs is being submitted to W3C for standardization.

“The introduction of the open mobile OS continues the Mozilla mission to promote openness, innovation and opportunity on the Web for users and developers. As billions of users are expected to come online for the first time in the coming years, it is important to deliver a compelling smartphone experience that anyone can use,” said Gary Kovacs, CEO, Mozilla. “The large number of operators and manufacturers now supporting this effort will bring additional resources and diversity to our global offerings.”

Being primarily web based means that manufactures can offer Firefox OS on cheaply priced smartphones and offer great compatibility across several platforms. A web approach also means far less fragmentation can occur as most of your components are taken off the phone and placed online. Web apps will also be able to take full advantage of the device's hardware capabilities such as a gyroscope or camera, something that is more difficult to achieve on current smartphones, according to Mozilla.

Sony Releasing Two New Waterproof Smartphones, Xperia Go and Acro S

Summer is right around the corner and what could be better than a new smartphone? How about one that is not only sleek, stylish and packed with all the right components but waterproof too! Sony has introduced two new phones, the Xperia go and Xperia acro S – which pack not only stylish exteriors, impressive specs but a durable and water resistant outer coating that might be perfect for you water loving geeks!

Xperia go

Xperia acro s

Now we realizes waterproof Android based smartphones are nothing new, after-all Samsung has the Samsung Rugby Smart and Motorola has the Motorola Defy. Both are great phones in their own right, but both leave some room for improvement. Enter Sony and the two new Xperia phones. While we haven't got hands on either phone yet, from the specs and the pictures they already have me sold!

Xperia go Features and Specifications

• 3.5” Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine gives razor sharp clarity
• 5MP 16x digital zoom fast capture camera goes from sleep to snap in just over a second
• Scratch resistant mineral glass display with wet finger tracking
• Highest level of dust and water resistance in a smartphone – IP67 Rating
• 1 GHz STE NovaThor U8500 Dual Core Processor
• ARM Mali 400 GPU and NEON CPU extensions.
• Quad EDGE/GSM/GPRS 850, 900, 1800, 1900.
• 8 GB (up to 4 GB user-accessible memory) internal phone storage.
• 512 MB RAM.
• Memory card slot: microSD, up to 32 GB
• Launching on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), upgradeable to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Available in black, white and yellow colors

Xperia go also offers access to Sony Entertainment Network, including Video Unlimited and Music Unlimited, Sony's PlayNow service, TrackID music recognition, MediaGo and Facebook inside Xperia

Xperia acro S Features and Specifications

 

• 4.3” 720p HD Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine gives razor sharp clarity
• 12MP 16x digital zoom Full 1080p HD video recording and 720p HD front camera
• PlayStation Certified
• Scratch resistant mineral glass display with wet finger tracking
• IP55 and IP57 Ratings for dust and water resistance
• 1.5 GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 Dual Core Processor
• Adreno 220 GPU
• GPRS 850, 900, 1800, 1900 W-CDMA Band I, II, V and VIII
• Internal phone storage 16 GB (up to 11 GB user-accessible memory)
• 1 GB RAM.
• Memory card slot: microSD, up to 32 GB.
• Launching on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Available in black, white and pink colors

Xperia acro s also offers access to the Sony Entertainment Network, including Video Unlimited, Music Unlimited, and the PlayStation Network for PlayStation-certified content, Sony's PlayNow service, TrackID music recognition, Facebook inside Xperia and the Sony channel in Play Shop.

For more information, check out the official Sony press release or view all the Xperia go and Xperia acro s features at "Xperia go and Xperia acro S brings extra durability and stylish water resistance"

Newest Smartphone Threat QR Code Malware

Security vendor AVG has issued a warning for smartphone users that like to scan Quick Response codes that some of these codes may contain text and URLs with hidden malware.

In its latest report, entitled AVG Community Powered Threat Q4 2011, the company warned that hackers are putting their own malicious stickers over the top of legitimate QR codes. These codes lead unsuspecting users to malicious sites or offer up downloads in the form of malicious malware. Some of the codes install malware which sends costly SMS messages to premium numbers and also redirects to a URL which downloads a malicious file.

In most cases the user does not know what lurks behind the QR code until the malware is already installed and running.

"Putting a malicious QR code sticker onto existing marketing material or replacing a website's bona fide QR code with a malicious one could be enough to trick many unsuspecting people. In Q4 we clearly saw the convergence between computers and mobile phones applies to malware too. As phones become more like computers, so do the risks,” said Yuval Ben-Itzhak, Chief Technology Officer, AVG Technologies. “Many sophisticated tricks of the trade from computers are now being repurposed for phones. However, as phones are often tied into billing systems the gains can be far greater.”

Full Q4 Threat Report: AVG_Community_Powered_Threat_Report_Q4_2011