Android Atlas Weekly 51: Happy birthday, dear Android Atlas! (Podcast)

Android Atlas is one year old! We celebrate by doing the same thing we do every week, discussing the latest Android news. The new Google Wallet may already have a security hole and malware is becoming an issue for the platform. Meanwhile, game developers say that Android is to PC gaming what iOS is to consoles. Holy fragmentation, Batman! Does that mean that apps should now carry system requirements? In other news, Nvidia shows off its ambitiously named Project Kal-El and we overstep dual cores, going straight to quads! All of that, plus the answers to your Android OS questions on this week's episode of Android Atlas Weekly.

Watch this: Android Atlas Weekly 51: Happy birthday, dear Android Atlas!

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Google Wallet Security Has a Weakness
http://www.pcworld.com/article/228959/google_wallet_security_has_a_weakness.html

Android becomes second most popular malware haven in Q1
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/android-becomes-second-most-popular-malware-haven-in-q1/8707

Nvidia touts quad-core Kal-El chip in Android tablet
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20067286-264.html?tag=cnetRiver

Android is hard to develop for admits PopCap Games
http://www.droidgamers.com/index.php/game-news/android-game-news/1709-android-is-hard-to-developer-for-admits-popcap-games

Lodsys targets Android dev over in-app purchase
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20066848-248.html

Motorola CEO: Open Android Store Leads to Quality Issues
http://www.pcworld.com/article/229251/motorola_ceo_open_android_store_leads_to_quality_issues.html#wn

Is this buttonless phone the next Nexus handset?
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20067667-251.html?tag=cnetRiver

Android users download the most data
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20067887-251.html?tag=cnetRiver

Microsoft’s lucrative new revenue stream? Android.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-20066931-75.html

HTC bootloader policy a very big deal to a small number of users
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20066896-251.html?tag=cnetRiver

E-mail (androidatlas@cnet.com)

Hi guys!
I was wondering if you could tell me rather or not there is a root for the HTC Thunderbolt that has been updated w/ Verizon’s OTA that came out a couple of weeks ago? I really really want to root my phone but I made the mistake as to accept the OTA update that was released recently….

Thanks so much!
Sheketa

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So I'm dreaming of a vehicle that will seamlessly integrate my phone's communication, navigation, wifi tether, music, and other auto specific information. Is anyone at Android working on that sort of effort?

*****
Philip

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To whom it may concern,

1. Do you know if the Motorola Droid Bionic comes with NFC? How about the Samsung Charge?
2. If price is not an option and my contract is up, should I buy a Charge now or wait for Bionic?

Thanks

Jonathan

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I saw that your abit confused with how Devices Identify WiFi. SSID is indeed just a Nickname for us Humans to easily ID a Hotspot. Devices however, do ID by using the MAC Address. The reason your device will automatically connect to Buisness Hotspots(AT&T, xfinity, ect) is because they will sometimes be assigned the same MAC Address when normally they would have a Unique MAC. This can be done with your Computer as well. As an example, McDonalds WiFi used to be Pay to use(before AT&T deal), but I discovered that my NintendoDS could connect for free. So I spoofed my NDS’s MAC on my Laptop to get free WiFi. Hope this clears this up once and for all.

-Jordan

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I’ve always enjoyed the seamless way my Android phones have synched with Gmail. Recently a coworker bought the At&T inspire(?) and I was asked why contacts inputted into the device do not appear in Gmail. Did she miss something? Is there no synch going forward on devices made by HTC? Thanks. -Eric C.

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