Google Rumored to be Preparing Competition for Siri Later This Year

One of the big selling points for the Apple iPhone 4S was Siri, the virtual assistant.

Apple laid on the Siri advertising thick over the 1st quarter the 4S was available and it seemed to work with the company selling 37 million iPhones in the first quarter of 2012.

Never one to be outdone, Google has been working on a similar program rumored to be simply called "Assistant". The word is that the program will have access to Google's search engine and also integrate services such as Gmail and Google+.

Also, Google is much more app and developer friendly than the notoriously closed iOS so there may be lots of Google Adroid apps to take advantage of it as well.

There is no rumored release date, but you've got to think that if the word is starting to leak out, it can't be far away. My bet is we'll see it this summer.

Google Releases Chrome Browser for Android

I've got to hand it to Google. They've made themselves very important by creating some amazing things and just giving them away. Gmail, Google Docs, Google Voice, and the Chrome browser just to name a few. When it comes to Chrome, if you aren't using it, you really should consider it. Chrome has become my browser of choice and i have it installed on every computer I own.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to have Chrome on my Android devcies� even though Google is the brains behind Android. So I was thrilled with the announcement that Google has now created a version of Chrome to run on Android devices. The only drawback is that it will currently only be running on devcies running the Ice Cream Sandwich updated version of Android, but hey, baby steps right? Here's the info from Google:

Introducing Chrome for Android

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 | 9:38 AM

In 2008, we launched Google Chrome to help make the web better. We�re excited that millions of people around the world use Chrome as their primary browser and we want to keep improving that experience. Today, we're introducing Chrome for Android Beta, which brings many of the things you�ve come to love about Chrome to your Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich phone or tablet. Like the desktop version, Chrome for Android Beta is focused on speed and simplicity, but it also features seamless sign-in and sync so you can take your personalized web browsing experience with you wherever you go, across devices.

Speed

With Chrome for Android, you can search, navigate and browse fast�Chrome fast. You can scroll through web pages as quickly as you can flick your finger. When searching, your top search results are loaded in the background as you type so pages appear instantly. And of course, both search and navigation can all be done quickly from the Chrome omnibox.

Simplicity

Chrome for Android is designed from the ground up for mobile devices. We reimagined tabs so they fit just as naturally on a small-screen phone as they do on a larger screen tablet. You can flip or swipe between an unlimited number of tabs using intuitive gestures, as if you�re holding a deck of cards in the palm of your hands, each one a new window to the web.

One of the biggest pains of mobile browsing is selecting the correct link out of several on a small-screen device. Link Preview does away with hunting and pecking for links on a web page by automatically zooming in on links to make selecting the precise one easier.

And as with Chrome on desktop, we built Chrome for Android with privacy in mind from the beginning, including incognito mode for private browsing and fine-grained privacy options (tap menu icon, �Settings,� and then �Privacy�).

Sign in

You can now bring your personalized Chrome experience with you to your Android phone or tablet. If you sign in to Chrome on your Android device, you can:

• View open tabs: Access the tabs you left open on your computer (also signed into Chrome)�picking up exactly where you left off.


• Get smarter suggestions: If you visit a site often on your computer, you'll also get an autocomplete suggestion for it on your mobile device, so you can spend less time typing.


• Sync bookmarks: Conveniently access your favorite sites no matter where you are or which device you�re using.

Chrome is now available in Beta from Android Market, in select countries and languages for phonesand tablets with Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. We�re eager to hear your feedback. Finally, we look forward to working closely with the developer community to create a better web on a platform that defines mobile.

Samsung Announces Ice Cream Sandwich Update for Android Devices

For those of you out there who currently own a Samsung smart phone or tablet device, Ice Cream Sandwich is coming in 2012.

I know that a lot of you are using Samsung devices to help manager practices and your lives. You will be glad to know that Samsung is now planning to roll out android version 4.0 starting in the 1st quarter of 2012 to several of its flagship devices.

This means that owners of the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note should be the 1st ones to receive the update which should occur between January and March. After that update should trickle out for other handsets in the line of Galaxy Tab slate devices on the market. However, depending on what model of Galaxy Tab you own you may see an update in the 1st quarter as well.

Since different carriers usually have small differences between handsets of the same name, the update on your network may not coincide with the updates on other networks. Personally, I think patience is the key to this whole thing.

No word yet on where in line will be those of us with older Galaxy S models.

As with past updates these will probably be rolled out automatically by your carrier without any intervention needed on the part of the user. I'll provide more information as it becomes available.

The Bad Guys are Going After Android... Malware Expands 500% since July 2011

If you are an Android user and arent' currently using some type of anti-malware protection such as Lookout Mobile Security, you probably should be looking into it.

States from Juniper Networks research has shown an increase in malware of 472% since July 2011 with the majority of this activity coming in September & October. That's right, the last 2 months have shown a tremendous amount of growth in Android malware.

It seems that most of the threat comes from criminal elements that are looking to steal data. This is usually done by taking legitimate apps, hacking them, and then putting them into the Android MarketPlace appearing as the legitimate app. However, when installed they carry with them a dangerous trojan horse payload.

The problem is exploding because Google isn't as controlling of their apps as Apple is. They don't really analyze apps that are submitted and don't control what apps can be installed. Because of those 2 points , the bad guys are exploiting the weaknesses to their advantage.

As an Android user, I've used Lookout almost since day 1. I immediately installed it on my Galaxy II that I'm testing as well. Lookout scans the phones daily and also scans all apps installed or updated to make sure they are safe. If you are an Android user, I'm highly recommending you look at a program like t his... especially if you are using your phone for banking or online shopping.

In Mobile Market Android & Apple Continue to Move Ahead

I was browsing the Cnet website and came across the graphic above. The Smartphone wars have had an interesting shakedown and, at least for the last 6 months or so, it's been breaking down into a 2 OS race. Apple and Google have begun to really take over the market and continue to show growth... mainly at the expense of other operating systems. A few months ago, I wrote about how Android had moved into the number one position and now Android & Apple seem to be distancing themselves.

Now this isn't a raging endorsement of either platform. Innovation routinely means that someone can make a tremendous surge or a brand new thought process can come along and totally change the status quo. However, what it does mean is that for the time being it's a Google & Apple kind of world.

I personally find it interesting that Apple at one time was number one, but through their policy of limited hardware (like their computers) they've now been overtaken by Google who allows their OS to be run on many different hardware platforms (like Microsoft did with Windows). Now granted, Apple may be fine with this since they are obviously doing well in this sector, but it does remind me of the early days of the PC.

As I've said before, I'm a Mac guy and have been for about 6 years now. I'm a big fan of Apple products and own quite a few of them. However, due to their limited distribution of the iPhone, they forced me to buy a Samsung phone running the Android OS. I mean, I'm the Apple target market, but because they did not have a deal in place with Sprint, I bought the Epic 4G instead of the iPhone. i'm loyal to those who are loyal to me and I have quite a few Sprint employees in my practice.

The Smartphone market continues to expand. Heck, The History Channel is currently running a show on the top tech devices of all time and it has the Smartphone as #!. Google, starting late in the game, has done a tremendous job of catching Apple. I'm excited to see what the next 6 months bring.

Google Opens Web Store for Android Apps - Accessible from your Computer

In an attempt to keep up with Apple and to also give their developers more exposure, Google recently announced the launch of their web based store for applications.

The problem for developers has been the best apps are the ones that are featured on a user's phone and so the small amount of screen real estate has limited the exposure some developers have been getting.

Apple also has had the tremendous advantage of the App Store which users can access from their computers and buy apps for their Apple devices.

So... by allowing users of Android mobile devices to be able to browse & purchase over the web from their computers is being hailed as the next jump forward for both Android developers & users.

Look also for more Android tablets to be arriving soon. Super Bowl viewers got a chance to see the Motorola Xoom advertised last night.

Top 15 Free Android Medical Apps for Healthcare Professionals Top 15 Free Android Medical apps for Healthcare professionals

I can remember when the Android Operating System for mobile phones was announced. Sure, it was designed by Google, but still... a Google mobile phone? What does Google know about phones anyway? However, once Android phones hit the market, there was a steady stream of successful devices and users began to really like the way they worked.

The result? Just about 3 years later, Android is a serious player in the smartphone market. Heck, I was a doubter at first and now I'm carrying an Android device and couldn't be happier.

One of the ways you can tell a platform has staying power is by the number of useful apps it has. To that end, Apple is the 800 pound gorilla, but Android is chugging along with a very nice second place. The Android Market Place has tons of apps. Some of these are even very specific to certain professions.

The good folks over at iMedicalApps have put together a list of their top 15 Android Medical Apps for Healthcare Professionals. Take a look and see of there is anything listed that you can use.