Mstechng Blog

Google Stops Mining Education Gmail And Google Apps Accounts For Ad Targeting

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Google will no longer scan student and teacher Gmail messages or use 
data from Apps for Education for advertising purposes, the company told 
the WSJ today.
 The move comes after Google’s use of data from its education products 
came under fire by students and others during a court case last year 
that claimed the scanning violated user privacy rights.<br />

The company’s director of Google for Education Bram Bout told the WSJ
 that all scanning of Gmail and any collection and use of data from Apps
 for Education, which includes Google Docs, will stop. Previously, ads 
weren’t included in education apps, but the company still scanned them 
for information to be used later in other areas to target ads to users. 
Google also said it’s looking at making similar moves in its Apps for 
business and for government products.<br />

Google’s email and app scanning is all performed by robots, and none 
of the raw data is ever seen by humans according to the company, but it 
has still proven a means through which critics of the company (including
 Microsoft) have been able to try to tear it down. Google moving to end 
education customer scanning is a big step towards addressing criticism, 
and no small act by Google, since it means the company now has 30 
million fewer data points from which to gather ad targeting insight.</div>

Google Stops Mining Education Gmail And Google Apps Accounts For Ad Targeting

Google will no longer scan student and teacher Gmail messages or use data from Apps for Education for advertising purposes, the company ...

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Apple Said To Be Mulling Health And Fitness Services Platform

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Apple is reportedly working on building a “full health and fitness 
services platform,” which would resemble and be modelled on its App 
Store software marketplace, according to a new <a href="http://www.premiumtut.tk/" target="_blank">report by Reuters</a>. Apple is also said to be ramping up its hiring of health tech and hardware experts, which is an ongoing trend that’s been <a href="http://premiumtut.tk/" target="_blank">noticed by other observers in the past</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The latest hire at Apple is StartX Med founder Divya Nag, who created
 the Stanford-backed startup accelerator to foster and grow companies 
and entrepreneurs that want to build technology (including software and 
hardware) related to health and medicine. Other recent hires include 
Masimo Corp chief medical officer Michael O’Reilly, Vital Connect VP of 
biosensor technology Ravi Narasimhan, embedded sensors expert Nima 
Ferdosi and a few others, too.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Apple’s hiring spree is said to be about talent, not necessarily any 
specific tech from the companies these people were poached from. It’s 
about building an iWatch, which will reportedly have health tracking 
features, but it’s also more broadly about building a health platform. 
Other companies, including Apple rival Samsung, have built their own 
health and fitness platforms to help convince people to buy their 
devices over those of others, but mostly these feel half-baked. There’s 
still plenty of opportunity to build something mature and complete, and 
it makes sense to roll up all the energy going into building startup 
software and hardware health products.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Rumors have been swirling about Nike dropping its hardware efforts in
 favor of partnering with Apple on deeper integration between their 
software and Apple devices, and that could be something that does indeed
 signal a wider platform push. An App Store for health sounds like 
something that doesn’t necessarily to be broken out from the main 
product, but at this stage, it’s too early to tell how similar or 
different such a project might be.</div>
</div>

Apple Said To Be Mulling Health And Fitness Services Platform

Apple is reportedly working on building a “full health and fitness services platform,” which would resemble and be modelled on its Ap...

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Microsoft confirms Windows 8.1 (a.k.a "Blue") will be totally free

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</h1>
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It's official: The Windows Blue update will be dubbed Windows 8.1, it'll
 be available for Windows 8 and Windows RT devices alike, and it will 
cost you the low, low price of zip, nada, zilch.
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Interestingly, the free Windows 8.1 update will be available through the Windows Store, not the usual Windows Update method.
<br />

"Windows 8.1 ... continues the journey we first began with Windows 8 last fall," the confirmatory <a href="http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2013/05/14/windows-keeps-getting-better.aspx">Windows Blog post</a>
 commented this morning. "Windows 8.1 will help us to deliver the next 
generation of PCs and tablets with our OEM partners and to deliver the 
experiences customers—both consumers and businesses alike—need and will 
just expect moving forward."
<br />

What's that mean? <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2031946/deep-inside-windows-blue-10-coolest-features-in-microsofts-leaked-os.html">Early leaks of Windows 8.1</a> gave us some tantalizing glimpses into the future, while we have some <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2035460/windows-blue-wish-list-15-must-see-improvements.html">strong suggestions</a> and logical guesses (<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2038093/windows-chiefs-comments-hint-at-a-desktop-resurgence-in-windows-blue.html">hello again, desktop</a>!) of our own.
<br />

<figure class="right medium"><img alt="" border="0" height="249" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/50-50-splitscreen-100037385-medium.png" width="400" /><figcaption>A new half-screen Snap feature was just one of many helpful tweaks in leaked versions of Windows Blue.</figcaption></figure>

Windows 8.1 gives Microsoft an unprecedented (for Windows) and crucial opportunity to <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2032861/why-rapid-fire-updates-are-the-key-to-microsofts-success.html"> quickly correct some of the most glaring missteps </a>
 present in its new-look operating system. Comments from company 
representatives seem to suggest that Microsoft is truly paying attention
 to customer feedback and metrics as it develops Windows 8.1—here's 
hoping Microsoft doesn't fumble the opportunity. The <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2033756/struggling-pc-makers-and-windows-8-push-pc-market-into-free-fall.html">very fates of the PC</a> and <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2037086/the-surface-shines-while-windows-tablets-wobble.html">Microsoft's mobile ambitions alike</a> may be hinging on this critical course recalculation.
<br />

Will Microsoft get it right? The Windows Blue leaks suggest the company 
is on the right track, but we'll know for sure before long.
<br />

Speaking at the JP Morgan Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, 
Windows co-honcho Tami Reller nailed down a concrete ship date for the 
developer preview. Prepare to start feeling Blue in just over a month, 
on June 26.
<br />

Split-screen Snap and a returned Start button, here we (hopefully) come. Just don't expect the price of future Windows upgrades to be so generous.
<br />
 
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<br /><span itemprop="articleBody description text"><section class="page"></section></span></div>

Microsoft confirms Windows 8.1 (a.k.a "Blue") will be totally free

It's official: The Windows Blue update will be dubbed Windows 8.1, it'll be available for Windows 8 and Windows RT devices al...

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Toshiba Kirabook review: The first Ultrabook with a higher-than-HD touchscreen

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<span class="product-list-price"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/product/1253057/kirabook-i7-touchscreen.html">Toshiba Kirabook i7 Touchscreen</a> ($1,999.99<span class="product-list-price-qualifier">)</span></span><span class="articleBody sharing-tools-top" itemprop="articleBody description text"> </span></div>
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Toshiba's luxurious Kirabook is the first Windows laptop to feature a 
display rivaling Apple’s Retina technology. The Kirabook is also thinner
 and much lighter than Apple’s MacBook Pro, <i>and</i> it’s outfitted 
with a touchscreen. But although I wish I could report that Toshiba has 
crafted a masterpiece that fully justifies its $2000 price tag, this 
machine suffers from a couple of significant flaws.
<br />

With a native resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels, the Kirabook’s 
13.3-inch display delivers a pixel density of 221 pixels per inch—just 
shy of the 227 ppi that Apple packs into the 13-inch MacBook Pro’s 
2560-by-1600-pixel display. If you think Apple’s computers are 
overpriced, consider the fact that a 13-inch MacBook Pro with a 3.0GHz 
Intel Core i7-3540M processor sells for $100 less than the Kirabook, 
which runs on a 2.0GHz Intel Core i7-3537U CPU. Apple, however, doesn't 
currently offer any full-blown computers with touchscreens (the iPad 
doesn't count).
<br />

<figure class=" large"><a class="zoom" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/kirabook_lid2_1160-100037581-orig.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="304" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/kirabook_lid2_1160-100037581-large.png" width="400" /></a><figcaption>Like many touchscreens we've seen, the Kirabook's is highly reflective.</figcaption></figure>

Clock speeds aren’t everything, of course. The processor that Toshiba 
picked boasts a TDP (thermal design power) of just 17 watts, versus the 
35-watt TDP of the chip that Apple uses. (<i>Thermal design power</i> 
refers to the maximum amount of power that a computer’s cooling system 
must dissipate. A lower TDP is desirable for a mobile computer, because 
it improves battery life. In our test, the Kirabook’s battery lasted an 
impressive 5 hours, 14 minutes.) The Kirabook’s other key components 
include 8GB of DDR3-1600 memory and a 256GB solid-state drive. I’ll get 
into the Kirabook’s performance in depth later.
<br />

<aside class="pullquote"><q>Toshiba is rightfully proud of the rigidity of the Kirabook's magnesium-alloy chassis, but…</q></aside>

Photos, movies, and documents look gorgeous on the Kirabook’s display. 
But when I compared the Kirabook to a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina 
display (Apple doesn’t offer its high-res display on its thinner, 
lighter MacBook Air line), I found that Apple’s product delivered far 
better contrast. Both machines rely on the Intel HD 4000 GPU core 
integrated into the CPU, so I don’t know whether the Kirabook’s problem 
is due to Toshiba’s choice of Corning Concore glass (which is 
specifically formulated for touchscreens) or due to the 
fingerprint-resistant coating on the glass. Whatever the reason, it was 
no contest: The Retina display produced much deeper blacks.
<br />

<figure class=" large"><a class="zoom" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/kirabook_profile_1160-100037553-orig.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="148" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/kirabook_profile_1160-100037553-large.png" width="400" /></a><figcaption>The
 Kirabook (top) weighs 2.97 pounds and measures 0.7 inch thick. The 
13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display (bottom) weighs 3.57 pounds and 
measures 0.75 inch thick.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>
Why no super high-res on the big screen?</h2>
Toshiba’s touchscreen is very responsive, and since it supports ten touch points it accepts all <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2013022/master-windows-8-gesture-commands.html">Windows 8 gestures</a>.
 But Toshiba made a serious mistake by outfitting the Kirabook with only
 an HDMI video output. If you connect the notebook to a big-screen 
monitor, the maximum resolution you’ll get is 1920 by 1080 pixels. Had 
the laptop’s designers specified DisplayPort, the Kirabook would have 
been able to drive a 27-inch display at its native resolution. I get it:
 HDMI is the most common digital video input on modern TVs and video 
projectors. But DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapters are dirt cheap and easy to 
carry. Limiting the Kirabook to HDMI-out cripples the system for desktop
 use.
<br />

Toshiba is rightfully proud of the rigidity of the Kirabook's 
magnesium-alloy chassis, but the lid housing its display flexes enough 
to do the limbo. It feels alarmingly fragile. The other half, which 
encloses the keyboard and motherboard, feels remarkably strong 
considering how thin it is. The machine weighs only 2.97 pounds, and it 
measures just 0.7 inch thick when closed. The Kirabook is one of the 
prettiest laptops I’ve seen, with nary a hard edge to be felt. Unsightly
 features such as cooling vents and speaker grilles stay hidden while 
this Ultrabook is in use.
<br />

<figure class=" large"><a class="zoom" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/kirabook_vents_1160-100037556-orig.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="243" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/kirabook_vents_1160-100037556-large.png" width="400" /></a><figcaption>Toshiba's
 engineers should be proud of their ability to render the Kirabook so 
quiet with vents that are all but invisible when the machine is running.</figcaption></figure>

The Kirabook’s backlit keyboard offers very good tactile feedback, and 
its monolithic touchpad—which also supports Windows 8 gestures—tracks 
smoothly and accurately. The left and right mouse buttons are integrated
 into the touchpad itself, helping to keep the overall design clean and 
elegant.
<br />

In addition to HDMI-out, the Kirabook has three USB 3.0 ports, a media 
card reader, and a combo microphone/headphone jack. It lacks a hardwired
 ethernet port, however. Exacerbating that problem is Toshiba’s decision
 to use Intel’s Centrino Wireless-N 2230 Wi-Fi adapter, which is limited
 to networks operating on the crowded 2.4GHz frequency band. Come on, 
Toshiba, this is supposed to be a <i>luxury</i> offering!
<br />

As you’ve probably guessed, the machine has no optical drive. The 
Harman/Kardon audio system, though, sounds much better than I expected, 
generating relatively full-range sound and a wide stereo field from the 
speakers’ left and right locations on the bottom of the unit.
<br />

<figure class=" large"><a class="zoom" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/kirabook_speakers_1160-100037554-orig.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="121" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/kirabook_speakers_1160-100037554-large.png" width="400" /></a><figcaption>The tiny Harman/Kardon speakers sound much better than I expected.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>
Benchmark performance</h2>
The Kirabook achieved a Notebook WorldBench 8.1 score of 284, versus the
 100-point score of our reference notebook, Asus’s VivoBook S550CA. Much
 of that performance delta can be attributed to the Kirabook’s SSD (the 
VivoBook has just a 24GB SSD acting as a cache for a 500GB mechanical 
hard drive). The Kirabook also delivered better performance in most of 
the other tests that make up the WorldBench suite, but those differences
 weren’t nearly as dramatic as the storage-performance results. And you 
shouldn’t expect to play hard-core games on either system, but that’s 
clearly not the audience Toshiba is going after with this product.
<br />

The audience Toshiba <i>is</i> pursuing with the Kirabook is the 
well-to-do professional who is willing to pay extra for services such as
 dedicated, United States-based telephone tech support. Toshiba goes so 
far as to guarantee Kirabook buyers that such calls will be answered 
within 45 seconds. If that’s inconvenient, you can schedule a date and 
time when a tech-support person will call you, instead. And should you 
need to send your unit in for repairs during its two-year warranty 
period, Toshiba will pay for overnight shipping.
<br />

<figure class=" large"><a class="zoom" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/kirabook_ports_1160-100037548-orig.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="132" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/kirabook_ports_1160-100037548-large.png" width="400" /></a><figcaption>Toshiba should have outfitted the Kirabook with a gigabit ethernet port.</figcaption></figure>

The Kirabook is the most beautiful Ultrabook to pass through the PCWorld
 Labs, but its inability to drive a large external monitor at native 
resolution, a lid that flexes like a contortionist, a Wi-Fi adapter 
restricted to 2.4GHz networks, and a display that doesn’t deliver as 
much contrast as the Retina display Toshiba wants consumers to compare 
it to make this machine’s sky-high price tag hard to swallow.
<br />

</section></div>
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Toshiba Kirabook review: The first Ultrabook with a higher-than-HD touchscreen

Toshiba Kirabook i7 Touchscreen ($1,999.99 ) 4 in Share 0 Toshiba's luxurious Kirabook is the first Wi...

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Mobile security reality check: What you really need for protecting your phone

To hear the headlines scream it, mobile security is already a lost 
cause. Android is the king of mobile malware! Umpteen gazillion rogue 
apps found! THE HACKERS ARE SNOOPING YOUR SNAPCHATS AND SEXTING YOUR 
GRANDMA!
<br />

It's enough to make you want to wrap your phone in tinfoil and cower in a corner somewhere—but don't believe the hype.
<br />

The sky isn't falling, and your phone isn't sending illicit photos to 
your grandmother. While you may want to slap a security app on your 
phone, it probably isn't for the reason you think. And those rogue apps?
 If you aren't an idiot, the odds of your installing a malicious mobile 
app are almost infinitesimally small.
<br />

Welcome to your mobile security reality check.
<br />

<h2>
Much ado about (very slightly more than) nothing</h2>
Here's the thing about all those ominous-sounding reports: Most of them 
originate from the very antivirus companies looking to sell you security
 solutions—so they're not exactly impartial.
<br />

Fortunately, I managed to track down honest, straightforward experts from three noted security firms: <a href="https://www.lookout.com/" target="_blank">Lookout</a>, which offers a popular security app for Android devices; <a href="http://www.mcafee.com/us/" target="_blank">McAfee</a>, which needs no introduction; and <a href="http://www.av-test.org/en/home/" target="_blank">AV-Test</a>, a highly respected independent institute that specializes in technology security.
<br />

All sang the same tune when it came to malicious mobile threats.
<br />

<figure class="right medium"><a class="zoom" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/droid-cleaner-100037658-orig.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="276" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/droid-cleaner-100037658-medium.png" width="400" /></a><figcaption>Malicious apps like Droid Cleaner are a rare (and quickly scoured) sight in Google Play.</figcaption></figure>

"If you follow simple precautions such as sticking to the Google Play 
Store, not downloading things from suspicious sites, and not clicking on
 suspicious links in emails you weren't expecting, then you're pretty 
safe," says Marc Rogers, the principal security analyst at Lookout. 
"Google has a very effective app vetting process in place."
<br />

Fear not, iOS lovers: Apple's approval process is even more stringent.
<br />

Andreas Marx, the CEO of AV-Test, agrees with Rogers. "The mobile 
malware situation for US and European users is not yet problematic; the 
majority of malware is spreading in China and Russia only.
<br />

"Google Play is not entirely safe to use," Marx continues, "but it's 
well maintained and even when malicious Apps are able to 'enter' the 
market—criminals are working hard on this—the apps are getting removed 
quickly. Google can also remotely wipe malicious apps from your phone if
 they see a very big risk."
<br />

<h2>
But…</h2>
Sweet! So you can leave your phone AV-free and carry on with life blissfully stress-free, right? Not quite.<br />
<br />
<span itemprop="articleBody description text"></span><br />
<span itemprop="articleBody description text"><img alt="" border="0" height="388" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/mobile_security-100026089-gallery-100037659-large.jpg" width="580" /></span><span itemprop="articleBody description text"></span><br />
<br />
All three organizations reported that they've been seeing an increase in
 targeted malware that skirt the precautions Google, Apple, and other 
platform protectors have installed—think malicious websites, third-party
 app stores offering free versions of popular paid apps, and phishing 
emails containing poisoned links or apps.
<br />

While the threat to the average person is still small, the bad guys are definitely getting smarter. Lookout recently identified <a href="https://blog.lookout.com/blog/2013/04/19/the-bearer-of-badnews-malware-google-play/" target="_blank">the BadNews malware family</a>,
 which disguised itself as an everyday ad network to sneak 32 apps into 
Google Play, and then began acting maliciously only after those apps had
 been downloaded between 2 million and 9 million times. The damage was 
limited mostly to Russian users, however.
<br />

Built-in app store security doesn't protect against trickery like that. 
Now for some not-so-delicious irony: Android typically gets hammered as 
being the more vulnerable operating system, compared with iOS, but Marx 
says iOS is actually more vulnerable to phishing attacks since Apple's 
App Store has few viable antimalware apps.
<br />

What's more, the contents of our mobile devices all but ensure that those unfriendly efforts will continue.
<br />

"Think about it: Your phone is, for all intents and purposes, a 
computer," says Luis Blando, vice president of mobile product 
development at McAfee. "It has every single bit of corporate data that 
your company wants to protect. Much more worrisome, it has your 
calendar, your Amazon account, God knows what else. As a target, phones 
are absolutely irresistible [to hackers]."
<br />

Slightly hyberbolic? Maybe. But it's also very true, and that has led AV-Test to revise its recommendations for mobile security.
<br />

"The situation is changing," says Marx. "More and more attacks are 
targeting mobile users in the US, so it's getting more risky. Therefore,
 we recommend using security software on your Android. Last year, we 
said 'It's an optional component, but it will get more essential in the 
future.' Now we argue: Use it."
<br />

Don't misunderstand: If you're smart and careful, the threat of 
infection is still fairly small. But with more and more bad guys trying 
to sneak their way onto your phone <em>outside</em> of the app stores, running Android unprotected is a risk.
<br />

Even if you don’t have much cash, you can keep your phone fairly secure 
using one of the freebie Android security apps that are out there, 
including offerings from Lookout, AVG, Avast, and others. However, 
sticking to no-cost solutions usually leaves you out in the cold when it
 comes to security features that are arguably the most handy-dandy.
<br />

<h2>
The real reason you want a security app</h2>
Even if you barely surf the Web and rock impeccable security habits, it's still recommended that you pick up a security app.
<br />

Mobile security, you see, isn't all about malware.
<br />

<figure class=" large"><img alt="" border="0" height="482" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/avg_2up-100026086-large-100037662-large.jpg" width="580" /><figcaption>Mobile security apps are more important for their non-malware-related tools.</figcaption></figure>

"One of the biggest mobile security risks is actually losing your 
phone," Blando says. "When you lose your phone, it's not only the cost 
of the device, but also the cost and hassle of losing its data."
<br />

That's especially so when your phone is stolen. People's entire <em>lives</em> are stored on their handset, open to anyone that picks it up. <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/report-most-people-dont-rush-lock-devices-passwords-295899" target="_blank">Study</a> after <a href="http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/New-Study-Finds-Few-People-Use-Password-Locks-On-Smartphones-193525181.html" target="_blank">study</a> shows that few people lock their phones, and losing mobile devices is an all-too-common occurrence.
<br />

In the past year, the "Find My Phone" feature in Lookout's mobile app 
was used more than 9 million times, or roughly every 3.5 seconds. Half 
of all robberies in San Francisco and 42 percent of all robberies in 
Washington, D.C. are related to smartphone theft, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/02/technology/cellphone-thefts-grow-but-the-industry-looks-the-other-way.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" target="_blank"> the <em>New York Times</em> recently reported</a>.
<br />

<figure class="right medium"><a class="zoom" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/apple-find-phone-100037663-orig.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="337" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/05/apple-find-phone-100037663-medium.jpg" width="400" /></a><figcaption>Apple offers free phone-finding and data protection services.</figcaption></figure>

Apple's iPhones have robust features against phone loss that <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/1158588/howto_fmi.html" target="_self">can be set up with minimal hassle</a>,
 including remote locking, wiping, and phone-finding capabilities. 
Android's antitheft options aren't quite as beefy, prompting experts to 
recommend picking up a third-party security solution.
<br />

"The question 'What can you realistically expect from a mobile security 
suite?' is easy to answer," says Marx. "To help you when your phone is 
stolen or lost, to either help find it and/or destroy the data on it."
<br />

While free security solutions sometimes work a few anti-theft tools into
 the mix—witness Lookout’s Find My Phone—virtually all security 
providers tuck the most helpful backup, location-finding, and remote 
control options into their paid-for offerings.
<br />

In other words, while careful users can usually get by with a free 
security program on their PCs, cheaping out on your mobile Android 
security means you won’t have access to the features that you’d really, <em>really</em> need if you ever lost your phone.
<br />

<h2>
The no-nonsense recommendation</h2>
So that’s where we stand today. What does it mean in terms of actual product recommendations?
<br />

If you’re walking around with an iPhone in your pocket, there’s no 
pressing need to buy a mobile security solution. Not because iOS is 
inherently safer than Android—if you’re even the slightest bit cautious,
 all mobile operating systems are highly secure—but because Apple 
already offers phone-finding and back-up features, and because none of 
the scant security options available in the app store can really protect
 against the increasing risk of phishing attacks and other “back 
door”–type malware.
<br />

The situation’s a bit different on Android. You’re going to want a free 
security app at the very least, and we recommend paying extra for a 
premium security app to gain access to those crucial remote security 
features. (Again: If you need ever them, you’ll really, <em>really</em> need them.)
<br />

Which app should you buy? Our <a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2028763/keep-your-android-device-safe-with-these-mobile-security-apps.html" target="_self">mobile security app roundup</a> can help answer that question, as can <a href="http://www.av-test.org/en/home/" target="_blank">AV-Test</a>’s superb (and independent) Android testing results.
<br />

But save your money if you’re using a BlackBerry phone. <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2074826/Snobby-Robbers-want-iPhones-leave-BlackBerries-behind.html" target="_blank"> Robbers don’t want your device anyway</a>.
<br />

<h2>
Parting words of wisdom</h2>
“But wait!” you cry. “What about metrics! You didn’t delve into the hard stats! I read this report…”
<br />

Hopefully, this reality check made sense <em>sans</em> all the numerical
 gobbly-gook. But regardless of whether or not you’re a stat freak, 
consider these parting words of wisdom from Lookout’s Rogers, and keep 
them in mind the next time you read a hysterically screaming report 
about mobile security.
<br />

"A lot of people have latched onto the idea that there's a large variety
 of Android malware that's out there, kind of implying that there's been
 some kind of huge explosion—but that's not really the case," he says. 
"…Don't get hung up on the numbers."
<br />

And when you do see numbers, give 'em a thorough eyeing. "Android threat
 doubles in the past year!" sounds scary, but if that means there are 
now 10 malicious apps where there were once five, it's not worth 
worrying about. <span style="line-height: 1.45em;">A good rule of thumb 
from the Lookout team: If you see percentages in an Android malware 
report, ignore it completely unless hard numbers back up the sensational
 headline.</span>
<br />

Knowing, as they say, is half the battle. Now that we're done with this 
mobile security reality check, here's hoping you know better than to 
believe the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear,_uncertainty_and_doubt" target="_blank">FUD</a>.
<br />
<br />
</div>

Mobile security reality check: What you really need for protecting your phone

To hear the headlines scream it, mobile security is already a lost cause. Android is the king of mobile malware! Umpteen gazillion rogue...

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