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lundi 5 décembre 2016

Latest Android distribution numbers show a tiny rise for Nougat

android-distribution-numbers-dec-2016

android-distribution-numbers-dec-2016

Android 7.0 Nougat has only made a tiny appearance in the latest official Android distribution numbers for December 2016. The latest version of the OS came in at 0.3 percent in November, but today's December share numbers only saw Nougat go up just one-tenth of one percent. While Nougat's 0.4 percent distribution may not seem like a lot, over-the-air updates just recently started rolling out to other devices like the LG G5Moto Z and Moto Z and a few others.

See also:

Google posts Android 7.1.1 Nougat factory images for Pixel and Nexus devices

3 hours ago

The rest of the numbers for December show Marshmallow with 26.3 percent of the total install base, another big rise from 24 percent in November. Lollipop (Android 5.0/5.1) came in with a total of 34 percent, down ever so slightly from November's 34.1 percent. KitKat (Android 4.4) is shown with a 24 percent share, down from 25.2 percent in November. Jelly Bean (Android 4.1-4.3) claims 12.8 this month, down from 13.7 percent compared to last month.

The Ice Cream Sandwich and Gingerbread versions of the OS are still hanging on with 1.2 percent for each in the new numbers, down from 1.3 for each compared to their standings in November. Froyo is still hanging on with its tiny 0.1 percent, the same numbers as it had last month. You can get more more details on these stats, including the latest info on display screen size percentages, at the Android Developers site.



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How important is your smartphone’s camera quality? [Poll of the Week]

htc-10-by-autom3otives-17-of-28-imp

htc-10-by-autom3otives-17-of-28-imp
Last week's poll summary: Out of over 4,200 total votes, 35.5% of our readers said they didn't buy anything on Black Friday this year. 16.8% said they bought a smartphone, and 8.9% said they picked up a fitness tracker or a smartwatch.

If you think back to, say, three years ago, you might remember a time when smartphones weren't all that great at taking photos. There were a few exceptions, sure, but it was pretty difficult to find a phone that didn't take a blurry shot. Thankfully things have gotten much better in the camera phone space, and we no longer have to worry about missing important moments or dealing with slow cameras.

Especially in the case of the Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, camera quality is becoming less of a compromise. There are still a few phones out there that aren't quite up to par, though, which leads us to our latest Poll of the Week.

See also:

Best Android smartphone cameras

5 days ago

We want to know – how important is a smartphone's camera to you? Is it the most important factor when considering a smartphone, or could you care less? Be sure to cast your vote in the poll attached below. If you have anything else to add, be sure to speak up in the comments.



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Deal: Sony Xperia XA Ultra on sale for only $229.99 ($100 off) – today only!

sony-xperia-xa-ultrasony-xperia-xa-ultra

If you want to get your hands on an affordable smartphone with a large screen and from a reputable brand, keep on reading. The Sony Xperia XA Ultra is on sale at B&H for just $229.99, which is a savings of about $100.

The device launched back in July and was originally priced at $369.99. As it has been available for a few months now, the price of the device went down, and normally retails for $329.99 at B&H. Now, the retailer dropped the price down for another 100 dollars, which is a killer deal.

But you'll have to hurry up, as the offer is only valid today and expires in just over 10 hours!

See also:

Sony Xperia XA Ultra officially announced

May 17, 2016

As a refresher, the XA Ultra features a 6-inch 1080p display, a Mediatek Helio P10 processor, 3GB or RAM and 16GB of storage. It also sports a rear 21.5MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture, a 16MP selfie snapper, a 2,700mAh battery, and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It's also available in three different colors — Graphite Black, Lime Gold, and White.

If you're interested in snagging this deal up, head over to B&H's official website by clicking the button below to place your order. And if you do decide to buy the device, do let us know which color you opted for by posting a comment below.

Get the Sony Xperia XA Ultra now


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Google posts Android 7.1.1 Nougat factory images for Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 6P, 5X and more

Android 7.0 Nougat logo AA 3

Android 7.0 Nougat logo AA 3

Right on schedule, Google has posted Android 7.1.1 Nougat factory images for all current Pixel and Nexus devices. This update not only brings with it a consumer-ready version of Android 7.1.1, but also December's Android security patch.

Android 7.1.1 factory images are live for the Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Pixel C, Nexus 9 (Wi-Fi and LTE), as well as the Nexus Player. For build numbers and download links, see below:

If you've never flashed a factory image to your device, you can learn how to do so here. Google has also posted OTA links for each of these devices, which can be found at this link. And if you're looking for specific changes pertaining to the December Android security patch, head to the Android Security Bulletin for the details.

You may have noticed the Nexus 6's factory images or OTA links aren't live yet. We'll be sure to update this post when (or if) they arrive.

Earlier today, Verizon posted a changelog for the Pixel and Pixel XL's Android 7.1.1 Nougat update, which also contains a number of bug fixes and performance improvements. Google has yet to officially announce the 7.1.1 update on its blog, but we'll let you know when it does.



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Verizon to roll out Google Pixel update today with December’s Android security patch

google pixel xl initial review aa (27 of 48) camera

google pixel xl initial review aa (27 of 48) camera

Google Pixel and Pixel XL owners on Verizon's network should be receiving an over-the-air update sometime today, coming in at build number NMF26O. Along with the December Android security patch, this new update includes a number of bug fixes like email font improvements, fixes to Visual Voicemail errors and more:

  • Customers couldn't retrieve their Visual Voicemail messages and were getting an error 9999 in some areas.
  • Voicemail icon notification was not displaying when a new voicemail message was received.
  • Device stopped playing voicemail messages over Bluetooth after the screen timed out.
  • Device occasionally went to blue screen during an inbound call.
  • Email font was too small.
  • Text was garbled on the call screen/dialer and the text was corrupted on the Recent Calls and contact list screens.
See also:

Google Pixel XL review: a Pixel's perspective

October 27, 2016

Unfortunately, this update does not appear to contain the 'double-tap to check phone' and 'lift to check phone' gestures that were rolled out for the Google Pixel phones by Canadian carriers a few weeks ago. The changelog also does not show that it contains Android 7.1.1. Nougat, which Vodafone Australia claims would begin rolling out on Tuesday, December 6. However, it's possible that Verizon's update does contain 7.1.1 and simply does not mention it on the support page. Hopefully we will get more information soon when it actually begins rolling out.

As with all OTA updates, it may take a few days for this latest build to hit all of Verizon's Google Pixel phones. For more details on this update, head to the source link below.



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Amazon’s new grocery store project removes checkouts and lines

aa-amazon-go-23

aa-amazon-go-23

Amazon has announced a new project which removes the checkout process from grocery shopping. Titled Amazon Go, Amazon will open a (brick and mortar) grocery store in 2017 in which customers can use a smartphone app to automatically pay for goods in something it's calling "just walk out" shopping.

"What would shopping look like if you could walk into a store, grab what you want, and just go?" Asks the narrator in the Amazon Go launch video. It appears that customers scan a QR code, presented by the app, upon entering the store to register it; then, they can begin shopping as they normally would and anything they pick up is added to a "virtual basket". Anything returned to the shelf will be automatically removed.

Amazon claims that customers can then walk out the store with the items on their person without going through the checkout process – presumably through an automatic payment with a credit card registered via the app. Check out how it looks in the trailer below.

The store, which is located at 2131 7th Ave, Seattle, WA, on the corner of 7th Avenue and Blanchard Street, is currently only available for Amazon employees, but Amazon said it would open to the public next year. If you're interested, you can sign up for updates on when it will launch here.

What are your thoughts on Amazon Go?  Let us know in the comments.



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BLU sets the record straight on security

Blu-Pure-XR-Review-AA11

Blu-Pure-XR-Review-AA11

In today's tech industry, it's hard to find two hotter topics than 'security' and 'globalization.' With so much of our technology – both hardware and software – coming from companies overseas, sometimes what lands on our devices isn't what it first appears. Today we spoke with BLU CEO Samuel Ohev-Zion about the challenges of dealing with security and 3rd party software.

Earlier this month, BLU became aware that a Chinese company called Adups had slipped some troubling software onto some of their smartphones. Adups was originally hired by BLU to provide an application which performs the important function of keeping users up to date by managing over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates. What BLU didn't know was that, during a short period of time, one of the versions for this application being used by BLU had code which collected user data in the form of text messages, and call logs, and periodically sent it back to China.

Fortunately, due to legal agreements established beforehand, this data never left servers in China. BLU quickly scrubbed the unwanted behavior from the Adups application on the affected devices via an OTA update and has verified that no end-user data was compromised in the debacle.

"The thing is, we had no intention of collecting this user data. We don't have any use for that kind of information," said Samuel Ohev-Zion. "That software didn't involve us, and the data that Adups was collecting was unacceptable and without excuse. We've taken steps to ensure that something like this will never happen again on our devices."

We had no intention of collecting this user data

Ohev-Zion is here referring to BLU's partnering with Google to bring Google's own robust OTA procedures, along with regular security updates to their smartphones, which will weed out any future threats. As a growing brand in the mid-range market, BLU's joint action with Google stands to improve user privacy and protection in a key area of the Android ecosystem.

This brush with customer privacy and 3rd party applications concerns was an eye-opener for BLU, and though the company moved quickly to strip it from their devices, Ohev-Zion warns that other phone makers using similar software may be turning a blind eye.

Indeed, some manufacturers actually collect this same data via customer "consent" through sneaky privacy policies that few users ever read. BLU had no such privacy policy because the company didn't intend to collect this data.

"Other manufacturers are doing this without user awareness," said Ohev-Zion. "We weren't even aware of the issue until Kryptowire uncovered it, and we were under the impression that Adups had followed our requests [regarding user privacy]. As soon as we our internal team verified the exploit, we took immediate steps to shut it down."

BLU even took an additional step to hire Kryptowire, the security firm which found the vulnerability on the Adups application to audit the app's behavior moving forward.

As Tom Karygiannis, Ph. D. VP of Product at Kryptowire reports:

Kryptowire analysis on November 14th shows that the updated Adups firmware on the BLU R1 HD device does not appear to send the text message, call log, and contact information. Kryptowire will continue to monitor the BLU R1 HD for the next 12 months.

Adups software is still present on major brand-name devices worldwide. Adups claims that their popular OTA application is in over 700 million phones currently existing in the global mobile market, and it's wholly possible that they might be sharing more about you than you want. Furthermore, the vast majority of these handsets aren't under the scrutiny of security professionals like Kryptowire.

With this experience under their belt, Ohev-Zion says BLU is dedicated to leading the charge in improving the Android ecosystem in terms of security and user privacy. Their partnership with Google will be an ongoing endeavor that Ohev-Zion hopes will serve as an example for other companies using such technologies.

These are important steps for companies like BLU to make. Globalization is here to stay, as are security concerns. Market demands mean that we can't always pick and choose where smartphone components come from, but companies dealing with international technology need to take similar measures to ensure user privacy is maintained.

What do you think of BLU's reaction to Adups' suspicious attempts to collect user data? Let us know in the comments below!



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