Symantec: Some Android Apps Could Potentially Exploit Other Apps

Think that your smartphone is safe from the threats of the internet? Well, truth be told, nothing is safe out in the world wide web and recently, the Symantec research team has uncovered how some Android applications could potentially exploit other installed applications to steal private information or even to execute malicious code.

This is not exactly Google Android's fault exactly, but more towards the applications and the recent find was something that resembles Windows DLL Hijacking. The team found a few applications in the Google Android Marketplace that were vulnerable to this attack but don't worry too much; they have already notified the application developers accordingly.

Android provides APIs that allow an application to dynamically load code to be executed. For example, an application may support plug-ins that are downloaded and then loaded at a later time. Unfortunately, if these plug-ins are stored in an insecure location, this process can be hijacked, allowing access to private data and unexpected arbitrary code execution by malicious applications.

If you're a developer, do visit Symantec's blog for a more detailed explanation of how the attack is done so you can develop safer applications. Symantec has already contacted Google about these issues.
source: 2DayBlog.com

Windows Phone 7 Marketplace now carries 25,000 apps

It wasn't too long ago when we announced that the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace carried 20,000 apps. Now it looks like the app store has reached another milestone: 25,000 apps. This comes after 263 days from when the Marketplace first launched - not too bad for an app store that's been open less than a year, it doesn't look like it's about to slow down either.

With its rival operating systems, the Apple App Store and the Android Market also growing at a steady rate, it makes you wonder how many of these apps are exclusive to only a certain platform and how many are just apps that have been converted. Regardless, it looks like consumers who intend to make the jump over to WP7 won't have to worry about not enough apps or not having their favourite apps available on the platform.
source: Ubergizmo

Motorola MT870 is the world's first TD-SCDMA dual-core Android phone

Not too long after the announcement of the latest Motorola Milestone, Motorola has announced the release of a new Android phone in the same region of the world, the MT870. It is the world's first TD-SCDMA (China's version of W-CDMA) dual-core Android device.

The Motorola MT870 packs a 1GHz dual-core processor, a 4" qHD display, an 8-megapixel camera with HD (1080p) recording, HDMI output, DLNA, WLAN and Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The phone will also come preloaded with Motorola's brand new mobile market: the Mobile Market-SHOP4APPS app store. Since Google isn't allowed to sell apps through its Android Market in China, SHOP4APPS should fill the void that Chinese Android users have been missing out on all this while.

The phone will be available from authorized Motorola resellers and China Mobile's stores across China from July 2011 with a suggested retail price of RMB 4,680 ($723).
source: Ubergizmo

Xperia Ray priced at £349 - launching "August 15"

The very nice looking Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray has been listed by online retailer Play.com, which has given the mid-sized Android 2.3 mobile phone a launch date of August 15. And it'll cost you £349 for one of the company's unlocked models.

Which seems like rather a lot for an Android phone with a 3.3″ screen, although the 854×480 resolution ought to win it a place in the heart of display enthusiasts. We're certainly looking forward to giving one a stroke.

After a month or so, when the price comes down by £50 or thereabout, then it'll be a good buy. Check out the listing here. Bookmark it and go back in late September.
source: Eurodroid

Droid 2 Global Won't See Gingerbread Until After Droid 3 Launch

Anybody holding out for the Gingerbread update for the Motorola Droid 2 Global will need to practice a bit of patience, as leaked documents pertaining to the release of the Droid 3 suggest that the update to Android 2.3 won’t rollout until after the successor device has launched. It’s just another wrinkle in a saga that began when the Motorola Droid X received its update to Gingerbread, quickly followed by a “soak test” for the Droid 2 Global. We had hoped this would mean the update would come to all D2G handsets soon after, but here we sit weeks later with nothing to show.

Yesterday we learned Verizon rejected the latest round of Android 2.3 updates from Motorola for being riddled with bugs and glitches, and the revelation that the Droid 2 Global won’t see Gingerbread until after the Droid 3 launches has us thinking there is still work to be done. Of course, VZW could be holding off on the update in an attempt to steer people towards the upcoming handset, but that seems unlikely. The latest rumors suggest the Droid 3 will launch sometime in the first half of July, but that hardly has us hopeful that the Droid 2 will be getting an update in the same time period.
source: Android Phone

Motorola XT316 goes through FCC again

The Motorola XT316 was deemed to be a smartphone which was headed for China back when it arrived on the FCC in April, since it did not support any of the American bands. Well, said handset has gone through the FCC again, this time round boasting AT&T-compatible 3G bands. Apart from that, it can be said that nothing else has changed, including its dimensions to the specifications, so you can bet your bottom, hard-earned dollar that everything else will be just the same.

Here is a quick reminder of what the Motorola XT316 is capable of – it comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread right out of the box, and will run on a Qualcomm MSM7227 600MHz processor, with an Adreno 200 GPU accompanying it. Hate virtual keyboards? Not a problem, as there is also a slide-out QWERTY keyboard to go along with the 2.8″ LCD capacitive touchscreen display at a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels.

Apart from that, you will also find the Motorola XT316 be equipped with 256MB RAM, 512MB ROM and a microSD memory card slot for expansion purposes. At the back lies a 3.2-megapixel rear camera with 4x digital zoom and auto focus.

No idea on how much this will cost, but it does seem to be a mid-range handset that shouldn't burn a hole in your pockets.
source: Ubergizmo

Nexus S 4G Gets Official Skype Video Calling Support

Skype 2.0 launched with video calling support on only a handful of Android devices, the Nexus S being one of them. The WiMAX-ified Nexus S 4G didn’t get the same treatment. That discrepency was quickly resolved, as support for video chat on the 4G Google phone has been slipped into Skype’s Android application. Hopefully it’s the start of more devices gaining access to the new functionality. If not, at least a workaround has been found for some devices.
source: Android Phone

LG Optimus Black Headed to Multiple US Carriers?

We’ve already got a pretty good idea that the LG Optimus Black is headed to US Cellular, but a recent FCC filing suggests it won’t be the only US carrier the handset will call home. An LG phone with the model number US855 has been joined by an LS855, As855, and VM855, with the first two letters all designating a carrier, the biggest of which being Sprint (the LS855). Alltel and Virgin Mobile will also see the handset if our logic pans out.

The Optimus Black is best known for its ultra-bright NOVA display technology, though the handset is often overshadowed by the Optimus 3D, which was announced around the same time. The Black has been greeted with relatively mixed reviews.
source: Android Phone

Motorola Droid 3 Accessories Arrive at Verizon Stores

We got our first look at what accessories to expect for the Motorola DROID 3 just yesterday, and today those accessories are beginning to arrive in Verizon’s retail stores. The appearance of these accessories has us feeling that the Droid 3 could be merely days away — that rumored July 7th release date is looking mighty appealing. Alas, Verizon has yet to come clean with any official details, but we expect they could be doing as much any day now.
source: Android Phone

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray Launching August 15 for £349 per Retailer Play.com

Carphone Warehouse was first to suggest an August release for the newly announced Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray but retailer Play.com has gone a step further and given us an exact day to mark off on the calendar. August 15th is the day the site has pegged for the Android 2.3 handset. The phone mixes a compact aluminum frame (just 9.4mm thick) coupled with a 1GHz processor and 8.1MP camera, and is listed at £349.99 when purchased unlocked and SIM-free. If the Ray seem like the perfect mix of style and function, you can pre-order it now.