Google spin-off Calico to search for answers to ageing. 19 September 2013Last updated at 15:11 GMT By Jane Wakefield Technology reporter Larry Page has faced his own health issues Google has a history of left-field projects, from self-drive cars to weather balloons.
So it will come as little surprise that it is now addressing one of the biggest issues of all - ageing. It has formed a company named Calico, which will be led by Apple chairman Arthur Levinson. Google co-founder Larry Page said it would focus on "health and wellbeing, in particular the challenge of ageing and associated diseases". Moonshot thinking. Hackers use Android 'master key' exploit in China. 24 July 2013Last updated at 07:49 ET Symantec said the exploit has been added to two Chinese health apps A security firm says it has identified the first known malicious use of Android's "master key" vulnerability.
The bug - which was first publicised earlier this month - allows attackers to install code on to phones running Google's mobile operating system and then take control of them. Symantec said its researchers had found two apps distributed in China that had been infected using the exploit. Google has already taken moves to tackle the problem. A fortnight ago it released a patch to manufacturers, but it will not have been sent to all handset owners yet. Google also scans its own Play marketplace for the exploit, but this will not protect consumers who download software from other stores. Premium texts The vulnerability was first reported by security research firm BlueBox on 3 July. News Republic. Show captions Showing image 1 of 1 The Verge Wednesday, August 28, 2013 3:49 AM GMT Android's persistent fragmentation problem isn't just a Google problem, but a federal government concern too.
A new study issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says that Android devices expose US agencies to a significantly greater malware threats in large part because so many devices run outdated versions of the mobile OS. In addition to fragmentation, the fact that Android is the most widely used mobile OS on the planet also makes it a target for hackers, the DHS and FBI say.
Symbian, the old mobile OS that Nokia has largely given up on, accounted for 19 percent of malicious attacks documented in the study. Google: Alternatives to the search giant. 17 July 2013Last updated at 19:50 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter Google's shares have risen nearly 60% since Larry Page became chief executive in 2011 Google's been busy.
Over recent weeks it's added photo auto-enhancement to its Google+ social network, launched air balloons to provide internet access from near-space, unveiled a subscription music service, teased a new smartphone and revamped its Maps product. But when the company reports its latest earnings, investors will be focused on one thing - how its search adverts business is performing. For all Google's innovation, search remains its cash cow. The company accounted for 90% of UK-based desktop searches and 92% of mobile searches in June, according to net analysis provider Statcounter - the kind of figures any company would envy.
Its global figures were even higher - although its share of its home market, the US, is below average (78% share of desktop search), and the company remains an also-ran in China, Russia and South Korea. Google: Alternatives to the search giant. New Nexus 7 review. The original Nexus 7 enchanted and enthralled - and did so despite some slight compromises.
The fact that it was so cheap (£159 for a 16GB version) meant it remained outstanding value for a long time. Problem is, a year is a long time in the tablet world, and competition is fierce, so the new Nexus 7 is just what the doctor ordered. And then in late July 2013, came the announcement. A new Nexus 7 - so good, they named it twice. (Some have differentiated it by adding the year to the name. Of course, Nexus devices are synonymous with pure Google experiences. The Nexus 7 launched with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, which was a minor update from 4.2. News Republic. Monday, August 19, 2013 10:12 PM GMT As hardware innovations continue to push mobile devices into new areas of modern life, it's sometimes hard to guess where exactly the future is taking our favorite operating systems.
Steve Cheney, the head of business development at GroupMe, has published a blog entry examining what lays ahead for iOS and Android based on their recent developments and current hindrances. iOS and Android are moving beyond mobile, with advancements in mobile now driving the progress of all hardware and software. Android is growing worldwide, but studies show its popularity is in decline after topping off in the US. While Android's mobile market share may be taking a hit, the OS is taking off on tablets and low-resource computers. Meanwhile the great strength of Apple's iOS products is their consistency and battery life. Android is still struggling to deal with the repercussions of having an open ecosystem, with OS fragmentation perhaps one of the most prevalent issues.