Who is winning the smartphone war?

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Apple’s iOS phones get a lot of press, but Google’s Android phones own the market while Microsoft’s Windows Phones are showing signs of life.

Android owned over 70% of the world-wide smartphone market in 2012 while Apple iOS held just 21%.  According to IDC, a market-research firm in Framingham, MA, Android-based phones accounted for over 80% of the smartphone market world-wide as of Q3-2013, while market share of iOS-based phones declined.  (Visit http://www.idc.com for IDC’s report on the smartphone market as of Q3-2013.)

Items fueling Android’s dominance over iOS include:

  • More hardware options (from small, sleek phones to mid-sized Phablets)
  • Carrier access (Verizon, AT&T, etc.)
  • Open-source operating system
  • Price

See why eWeek says that Google’s Android is a smarter choice than Apple’s iOS at http://www.eweek.com/mobile/slideshows/android-is-a-smarter-mobile-os-choice-than-ios-10-reasons-why/?kc=EWWHNEMNL03182013STR1.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone accounted for 3% of the worldwide smartphone market in 2012 and edged up to just under 5% as of Q3-2013.  Market share of Windows Phone is projected to grow to 7% by 2018 (according to IDC).  Jeffrey Schwartz of Redmond Magazine reports that most of this is corporate IT rather than consumer-based.  (See Jeffrey Schwartz’s article at http://redmondmag.com/blogs/the-schwartz-report/2014/02/enterprise-demand-for-windows-phone.aspx.)

How to tweak Windows 8 for business use

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Anna D, Account Executive at Bryley Systems, reveals how she overcame some frustrations with Windows 8 and set it up for business use.

“My experience with Windows 8 started out a little bumpy, but with a few tweaks, I was able to customize the OS (operating system) to be more suitable for my business needs.

The first thing I noticed when I booted Windows 8 were the tiles, which can be compared to app icons for Android and Apple devices.  Personally, I only like navigating app icons on a touch-screen-capable device, and find it inefficient in my everyday business-computer needs.  For instance, when I am using an app on my phone, I am only using that one app.  At work, I am constantly multitasking, and moving back and forth from one application to another.  In order to solve this problem, I changed the settings so my computer will boot into desktop mode.  (For details on this procedure, please see Bryley Basics later in this post.)  I can still access the tiles with my Windows key, if I wish.

Once I changed the boot settings I came across another hurdle.  My Windows Start Button was missing and was replaced with a Windows key that brought me back to the tiles.  So, I went to Windows Store to restore the Windows Start Button.

The first option that was presented to me was Classic Start Button, but I decided to go with Classic Start 8, because it was the closest resemblance to the Windows 7 Start Button. (For details, see Bryley Basics later in this post.)  I have also tried Pokki, which is also nice, and which you can download directly on their website, or from the Windows Store.

I am now much happier with Windows 8.  I can understand the direction that Microsoft was going towards in creating a single operating system for all devices, but the OS still needs to be tweaked based on how you will use it.  The nice thing is I have the option and ability to customize Windows 8 for either business or fun.  At work I am more efficient using Windows 8 like a Windows 7 computer.  At home I much prefer the tiles, especially with a touch-screen-capable Ultrabook™, which is how I imagine Microsoft envision we use it.

I have more tips on tweaking Windows 8.  Next month I’ll let you know how to change the default photo-viewing application, Photos, back to the old Photo Viewer.  Those of you running Windows 8 have probably experienced the new Photos app, which opens the image in the full-screen, hiding everything else on the screen.  It is really inconvenient for me, and I am guessing I am not the only one.”

Bryley Basics: Anna’s Windows 8 procedures

Setup your Windows 8 PC to boot to Desktop Mode:

    1. Click the “Windows” key on keyboard to access the “Start” screen.
    2. At the Start screen, select the tile named “Desktop”.
    3. Once at Desktop, go to the bottom taskbar (circled below), place your cursor on the taskbar, right-click, and then select properties.

  1. A pop-up screen named “Taskbar and Navigation Properties” will appear. Select the “Navigation” tab, check-on the desired items (and check-off the undesired items), and then click OK.

Add a Start Button to you Windows 8 Desktop Mode:

    1. Click the “Windows” key on keyboard.
    2. Go to “Store”.
    3. Type “start button” in the search bar at the top-right.
    4. Select “Classic Start 8”.
    5. Select “Get app from publisher” on the upper, left-hand side.
    6. Select the “FREE Download Now!” icon.
    7. Follow the prompts.
    8. The new Windows Start Button is now added to you Desktop!

98% of mobile-device malware attacking Android (DROID) phones

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Worldwide, a significant portion of the population owns and uses a smartphone;  mobile users search Google over 5.9 Billion times daily while over 6 Billion hours of YouTube are watched each month on mobile devices.  (Statistics taken from a presentation by Intel Corporation at the MOBILE World Congress 2014.)

Since most smartphones are based on Google’s Android operating system, these are the primary targets of malicious attacks.  Kaspersky Labs, a prominent anti-virus software manufacturer, reports that 98% of malware targeted at mobile devices attacks Google’s Android (DROID), which confirms “both the popularity of this mobile OS and the vulnerability of its architecture”.

Suggestions for DROID (and other smartphone) owners to suppress malware:

  • Keep your mobile phone updated with the latest patches
  • Deploy an anti-malware application

Visit http://blogs.computerworld.com/mobile-security/23577/98-mobile-malware-targets-android-platform for the entire article by Darlene Storm at ComputerWorld.

Jim Livingstone Retires

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Jim Livingstone officially retired from Bryley Systems; he was a dedicated and highly productive employee for over 22 years.

After a distinguished career in Engineering, Jim moved his family to Massachusetts in the early 1970s to run Data Technology, Inc., which he later purchased and grew before spinning off a new company, RoMec Inc. in the early-1980s.

Jim joined Bryley Systems on a full-time basis in 1991; he was instrumental in the early years, providing managerial support and advice while handling many of the administrative and operational duties.  He gradually decreased his involvement in the late 1990s, moving to a part-time role with decreasing responsibilities while continuing to advise and mentor the management team.