The Android tablet market may have taken a blow with the expedited launch of the iPad 2, but manufacturers are quick to get back in the game. Toshiba (TOSBF.PK) has answered Steve Jobs’ battle cry, with General Manager of Toshiba Australia’s Information Systems Division hyping its Honeycomb 3.0 Android tablet as being superior to the iPad 2. "We are confident that we can match Apple (AAPL) pricing for their new iPad 2 while delivering a device that is richer in features," he says. "We believe that our device is superior to the Apple device, it may be a little heavier (773g) but it does have a lot of features that the iPad 2 does not have."
The nameless 10-inch tablet will feature a dual-core NVIDIA (NVDA) Tegra 2 processor, built-in HDMI out, a 2-megapixel front camera, and a 5-megapixel rear camera. So far, it looks as though the upcoming Toshiba tablet will also have USB and mini-USB ports, a removable battery and an SD card slot, packing a few more hardware integration capabilities than the iPad 2. Toshiba’s tablet should be available some time this spring, adding to the line up of iPad contenders.
A false sense of security
As the mobile market continues to gain relevance, security becomes a hot-button topic, as malware courses through mobile’s burgeoning distribution channels. After Google’s (GOOG) DroidDream scare, which revealed a pocket of infected apps in the Android Market, the company beefed up security measures and removed the apps from the market and user devices. But even these safety measures pose another opportunity for hackers, as Symantec (SYMC) uncovered a fake security tool in an unregulated, third-party Chinese marketplace.
“Android Market Security Tool” is a repackaged version of the legitimate update, initially designed to rid your device of ill-mannered apps. "What is shocking is that the threat's code seems to be based on a project hosted on Google Code and licensed under the Apache License," writes Symantec employee Mario Ballano. The targeting of third-party app markets is a developing tactic that’s resulted from Android’s rapid expansion across the globe, emphasizing Google’s need to establish far-reaching standards for its access points on Android devices.
Marcantonio724
Kristen - the second part of your article regarding Android security would be worth a headline of its own. There is not enough attention being paid to this issue on the net. I hope to see more about it in the future.
I am an iOS user but not an Android hatter, although I am tired of hearing how Android users hate Apple because it keeps everything "locked-up" and "not-customizable". The security is part of the reason why they do so. In your last sentence you talk about Google's need for standards for it access points. They could look to Apple for some perspective. Even if Apple may be "over-the-top" they do maintain a relatively healthy user environment.
As for Toshiba, I hope they come out with a great product. The better the competition does, the more that we, the users, benefit in the long run.