Scansfer App for Android Offers a New Way to Transfer Files Between Mobile Devices

Scansfer Inc today announced the release of Scansfer, a unique app utilizing mobile QR code technology to allow users to simply scan and transfer files between mobile devices. Currently available for free on the Android Marketplace and Scansfer.com, expect to see an iPhone app soon - releases for other mobile platforms are also planned.
In a world where more and more people rely on mobile devices for day-to-day computing, it can be difficult and annoying moving files between devices. Scansfer promises to change that. Users no longer need to carry around USB cables, or fill their inboxes with email attachments. With just a few clicks, Scansfer securely uploads files to scansfer.com, and generates a private download key, only accessible by scanning a distinct QR code. The QR code can then be scanned from any mobile device equipped with a camera and bar code scanner app to instantly download the file.

Files up to 5MB can be "scansferred" from phone to phone, phone to computer, or computer to phone, using the Scansfer app in conjunction with the scansfer.com website. The process is quick and painless, making it a snap to "scansfer" documents, pictures, videos or any other type of file. It is not necessary for the mobile device receiving the file to have the Scansfer app installed; it only needs to be capable of reading a QR code using any one of the many popular QR code scanner apps.
While other QR apps allow users to send small bits of information such as contacts or web addresses, the developers of Scansfer say it is unique in being the first true file-transfer app using QR codes, taking the increasingly popular technology a step further. Scansfer Inc is a small company of just three people who came up with the idea while trying to share files between their Android phones, and wishing there was a better way than email.
"QR codes are used widely in other parts of the world," says Scansfer Inc President Josh Robinson, "but they haven't totally caught on yet here in the US. We are hoping that an easy-to-use app like Scansfer will help introduce more people to QR codes, because they're such a fast and effective way of communicating."
For more information on Scansfer please visit http://scansfer.com or download the free Scansfer App from the Android marketplace. Scansfer Inc is a Philadelphia based company formed in April 2011.

Android hits 3 billon app downloads and 350,000 daily device activations

More than 3 billion apps have been downloaded from Google's Android Market. Google has also seen a big boost in the number of Android devices being activated -- that is, sold -- every day.

"We're activating over 350,000 Android devices every day," said Google's Jeff Huber during the company's financial conference call last night. "Android Market is taking off too -- over 3 billion apps have been installed, up 50 per cent in just the last quarter."

If we're reading that statement correctly, that means it took three months for Android to go from 2 billion app downloads to 3 billion, and something like 11.1 million apps were downloaded each day during the past three months. These numbers allow us to compare Android directly to its rivals in the smart-phone software arena.

Apple announced in January that its App Store had passed the 10 billion downloads milestone, three months after passing 7 billion downloads. At one billion downloads a month, that means around 33 million daily app downloads.

Meanwhile, RIM announced in March that its BlackBerry App World was achieving 3 million daily app downloads, while Nokia revealed this week that the Ovi Store is hitting 5 million a day.

In other words, Android Market is growing fast, thanks to those 350,000 daily device activations, but its daily-app-downloads total is still a third of Apple's. That said, the Android Market is beating its other rivals by a considerable margin, and don't forget that Google's store isn't the only place you can download Android apps from.

5 reasons Android gaming hasn’t taken off

Android handset sales are through the roof, making it arguably the most popular smartphone platform around. So why hasn’t Android gaming come on at the same rate? Why do the majority of developers prefer making games for the less popular iPhone? Read on to find out.

Fragmentation

Yes, it’s that ‘F’ word again. The main reason developers don’t like making games for the Android platform is because it really isn’t a single platform. Rather, it’s a somewhat nebulous collection of disparate chipsets, memory load-outs and screen sizes, linked by a common operating system. Even then, the operating system is split across multiple versions, with numerous companies adding their own resource-hogging elements.

It’s a nightmare when you want to get complex games running and optimised for the lot of them, which is why the iPhone’s relatively simple requirements (just a few different specs to consider) is preferable.

Android Market

Another reason game developers like the iPhone is because of the App Store. While it’s not perfect (especially when it comes to discovery), it remains a relatively easy and extremely widespread means to buy and sell apps. It also allows for flexible and innovative pricing methods, such as the enormously popular in-app purchasing.

By contrast, Android Market is a bit of a mess. Navigation is awkward, the payment system isn’t in nearly enough countries and features like in-app purchasing have only just been introduced. Android Market is getting there, but it’s happening a little too slowly, leading to the introduction of third party app stores from the likes of Amazon and Opera.

Distrustful gamers

“You’re just not making money in the Android space as you are in the iOS space.” So concluded games industry legend John Carmack, who had anecdotal evidence of Android’s wider popularity but perplexing lack of  a credible games market. He believes that Android owning games fans simply aren’t willing to splash out for premium games on the platform like their iPhone-owning buddies. Could it be that gamers simply don’t have confidence in the Android gaming experience? Have the aforementioned fragmentation and Android Market issues tarnished the very  idea of playing games on your Android handset?

The games-focused Xperia Play was seen by many as the device to change these perceptions, but as smartphone games developer Polarbit told us, “the Play differs too much from Android handsets in general for it to be seen as the champion of Android gaming.” Are normal Android devices seen as great smartphones but lousy gaming devices, in spite of the massive improvements that have occurred?

Lack of unique games

Distrustful gamers means distrustful developers, and Android Market has until recently been marked by a chronic lack of killer games. That’s ‘really good’ games, you understand, not games about psychos (although there weren’t many of those either). Now the situation is much healthier, but the fact remains that the vast majority of quality new titles make their way to iPhone first and often exclusively.

Some of the oldest and biggest iOS hits like Fieldrunners and Zen Bound show no signs of appearing on Android, and the Google platform has very few titles that are both outstanding in quality and unique to the platform. Inevitably, the platform with the most exclusive hits attracts the most gamers, and that’s the iPhone right now.

Slow conversions

Even worse, the games that do make the switch from iPhone to Android often take an absolute age to do so. Take Flight Control, which was winning praise and setting multiple platforms ablaze a good nine months before Angry Birds turned up. Yet somehow it took two years to arrive on Android. Heck, it even turned up on Windows Phone 7 and – can you believe it – Java dumb-phones before it hit the Android Market. Something is deeply wrong with this picture.

Credit goes to the likes of Gameloft and Rovio who try to get their Android versions out soon after or even simultaneously, but Android really needs more developers of this stature to get their conversions in order quicker.

Vulnerability in Skype for Android ‘leaks private information’

A VULNERABILITY in Skype for Android can leak a substantial amount of private data, potentially affecting more than 10 million users of the app.

Android developer Justin Case wrote in Android Police that the hole could allow a rogue developer to modify an existing app and collect private information. Although no credit card information is involved, Skype does keep information in chat logs, as well as the user's name and phone number.

Case said the problem stems from a mistake by Skype that leaves folders in its directory accessible and completely unencrypted. Using a bit of technical know-how, you can access this information from another app.

The files contain quite a bit of private data, including the your "account balance, full name, date of birth, city/state/country, home phone, office phone, cell phone, email addresses, your webpage, your bio, and more".

Skype also keeps information on your contacts, which "holds similar information, but on friends, family and anyone else in your contact list". Case said that this is more than Skype exposes on other users publicly.

The report also said you can access chat information and instant messages. Skype was unavailable to reply, although it is "investigating".

Case said that the Internet phone and chat company could fix the issue by using proper file permissions and encryption, and performing appropriate security reviews before releasing software.

Angry Birds Seasons Easter Edition coming in next week

The Easter update will bring a suitably Eastery new look to the Angry Birds universe, putting the pigs in adorable bunny ears and scattering collectable eggs and candy about the place”.


Angry Birds Seasons Easter Edition is expected to hit the App Store next week following the Android version on Market. The latest Angry Birds Seasons Easter Edition will also bring three extra levels available through Facebook.

Google Maps becomes first Android app to top 50M downloads

Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android Market storefront boasts its first application to surpass the 50 million download milestone--and not surprisingly, it's the digital services giant's own Google Maps, a perennial favorite among Android device users. Google Maps is pre-installed on all Android devices; in August 2010, Google stated that more than 100 million users worldwide access the service each month.

Google Maps 5.3 for Android went live last week, bringing with it a new Location History dashboard for the Latitude friend finder service, Latitude check-ins signifying when users are at home and tools to add personalized aspects to Google Places customer ratings.

Intel ready with its Android plan; to push for market adoption

One chip company that has been out of the tablet and smartphone game is Intel, and I am sure they won’t be happy. But, the delay does not stop the company from trying to break in this arena of new-age devices.

According to a report in Digitimes, Intel is all set to unveil a new plan for tablet devices in the third quarter of this year. Dubbed as PRC Plus, this plan will push for Intel/Android 3.0 platform. Intel has been in negotiations with Google for almost half a year and the result seems fruitful and we might finally see some Android devices running on Intel chips.

The report further states that PRC Plus plan is to use Intel processor’s advantage of stronger performance than ARM-based processors and improve on the operating system’s user interface and user experience.

The recent announced Oak Trail processor might be predecessor to this whole new plan. To remind you, Intel launched a new processor in its Atom series to support tablet running on Android and company has already partnered with Fujitsu, Lenovo, Motion Computing, Razer, and Viliv to make device on it.

It is also being rumored that Cisco is working on various enterprise solution powered by Honeycomb and Intel’s new Atom Oak Trail processor. These devices will probably land in the third quarter of 2011.

4 methods to customize Android phones and tablets

One of the strengths of the Android platform is the level of customization that owners can use to tailor the user experience in every way. These customizations can be as extensive as installing a custom ROM that completely changes the way the phone works, to the simple method of installing apps and widgets that change the look and feel of the home screens. I admit I am constantly changing the look and feel of my Android devices, not only to customize the appearance of my screens but to add functionality. Here are my top methods to customize Android devices. Note that most of these methods require Froyo (Android 2.2) and above to take full advantage of the methods.

1. Custom ROMs. Almost all Android devices can be rooted to install custom ROMs, and it’s up to the individual to decide if this method is the right one. ROMs can be found in many places on the web, with full instructions to apply them properly. Using a custom ROM is not without risk, and it certainly voids the device warranty so proceed with this at your own risk. I use the VaelPak ROM for my HTC EVO, and did a full review of it on this blog. VaelPak is only available for the HTC EVO but other ROMs can be found for most devices.

2. Launcher replacements. The stock Android launcher consists of the dock at the bottom of the home screen, and the application launcher. It is a solid launcher, but there are third party replacements that add quite a lot of functionality to the Android device. Some of the most common launcher apps are ADW, LauncherPro and Spb Shell 3D. Each of these apps brings different things to the device and which app is better is strictly personal preference. I use Spb Shell 3D (see my review here) on my HTC EVO, and LauncherPro on my Galaxy Tab. Both programs add a lot of functionality to the user experience while being totally configurable to personal taste. Since launchers work as typical apps, you can switch among different launchers at whim, with all customizations intact.

3. Widgets. Widgets are mini-apps that can be placed on any Android home screen to provide functionality and personalize the look and feel of using the device. There are lots of widgets in the Android Market, many of them free, that can put information of all types on the screen. There are weather widgets, calendar widgets and all types of messaging widgets to let the user see incoming messages (email, SMS, social networks) at a glance. Most widgets work on any device, independent of screen size or ROM in place.

The three launcher replacements I mentioned come with a slew of widgets that add features to the home screens, so that should be considered when choosing one. My favorite dedicated widget is Beautiful Widgets, which is actually a collection of widgets of all types and sizes. BW consists of clock, weather, and battery widgets to tailor the look of the home screens, and each of those has hundreds of free downloadable skins. You can put any face on your device you desire with Beautiful Widgets. Fancy Widgets is a similar set of widgets that is quite good.

4. Wallpaper. Android extends the age-old wallpaper methods with animated versions named Live Wallpapers. These can be simple screens with waving grass or sophisticated animations of just about anything. The Beautiful Widgets comes with a Live Wallpaper that is one of my favorites, as it depicts an animated sky scene that accurately reflects the weather and the time of day. The sun/ moon rises and sets on the home screen using this wallpaper. It’s a great example of what artists can do with Live Wallpapers.

The old school static wallpaper can be used on Android devices, and these can be found in many places on the web. I use the Flikie Wallpaper app on my devices which includes hundreds of great wallpapers that can be previewed and applied in the app. There are wallpapers to appeal to everyone, organized by category and searchable.

These are by no means the only options to customize the Android device. They have worked well for me and my current favorites. Check out the Android Market and you’ll find no shortage of apps and widgets that will make your Android device uniquely yours. Share your own favorite apps and widgets in the TalkBack.

DirecTV expands HBO Go programming to Android

Broadcast satellite service provider DirecTV will extend Time Warner-owned HBO Go and MAX Go online video services to the iOS and Android mobile operating systems later this year, offering subscribers on-the-go access to hundreds of feature films and acclaimed original series.

According to DirectTV, subscribers will be able to view on-demand HBO and Cinemax content across mobile devices including Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone and iPad as well as smartphones and tablets running Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android--it is unclear whether DirecTV will also support other device platforms, or exactly when the mobile service will go live.

As of Tuesday, DirecTV subscribers across the U.S. may now access HBO Go and MAX Go via any broadband-connected computer. HBO Go touts over 1,400 titles including current series like Boardwalk Empire and the new Game of Thrones as well as classic programs like The Sopranos and Deadwood, original films, miniseries, sports, documentaries and features from Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox and Universal Pictures. MAX Go adds more than 400 features, cult favorites and Cinemax originals like the Max After Dark series. DirecTV subscribers can view content immediately after its network broadcast career, create bookmarked "Watchlists," enjoy bonus content like interviews and behind-the-scenes clips.

DirecTV offers satellite programming to over 28 million subscribers across the U.S. and Latin America. Its U.S. package includes more than 160 HD channels--consumers may also sign up for the NFL Sunday Ticket package, which offers access to all out-of-market National Football League matchups.

Sony Ericsson delivers exclusive Android Market channel

Sony Ericsson announced today that it has started its own channel in the Android Market. Designed specifically to work on Sony Ericsson products, the channel replaces the "My Apps" link found on the landing page of the market. According to Sony Ericsson's blog, this spot will be used to offer exclusive content in the form of games and apps that best enhance the experience for the company's devices.

Starting off, Sony Ericsson is offering plug-ins for itsTimescape and camera application, but the eventual plan is to provide other developers a platform to promote their efforts. Users are encouraged to submit ideas and feedback to help shape the future of the channel.

It's worth pointing out that since this channel is carrier dependent, some customers might not see this feature. Many providers like to tailor the Android Market around their own services and apps, but customers who buy a Sony Ericsson phone direct from the manufacturer should see the new channel.