Android Phones Get Bluetooth Credit Card Swiping and Receipt Printing for Payment Processing.

Advanced Merchant Solutions has released a complete payment solution for Android devices. This solution is geared towards mobile sales professionals who can use the Pocket Verifier Software and Pocket Spectrum hardware to swipe credit cards and print receipts.

FULLERTON, Calif., May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Pocket Verifier Professional for Android is now available with the Pocket Spectrum Plus; a complete payment solution that swipes credit cards and prints receipts for the rapidly growing Android mobile platform.

Advanced Merchant Solutions, Inc. (AMSI) has launched a payment solution for the Android, available now in the Android Marketplace as a free application which enables on-the-go merchants to accept credit cards anywhere. This application can be used with the company's Pocket Spectrum Plus, a Bluetooth 2-track card reader and thermal receipt printer. Coupled together, the Pocket Verifier/Pocket Spectrum system enables any mobile business user to avoid the high cost of "card-not-present" transactions. AMSI further integrates this breakthrough system into a complete solution by packaging it with a combined merchant and gateway account; with no upfront costs, no term commitments, and no cancellation fees.

"This solution really differentiates itself from the rest of the market by incorporating a printer. The marketplace-to-date has had to settle for keyed-in email receipts which really slow down the throughput. In addition, attaching today's cradle solutions to read cards greatly increases the weight and bulk of the phone. That's what Bluetooth was invented for... to keep things isolated, light, and efficient," says Dennis Ideue, the company's CEO. "Being the developer of the application, the manufacturer of the printer, and the ISO issuing the merchant accounts allows us to give unprecedented value to our customer base," continues Ideue, "...everything is truly under one umbrella. We make it a simple one-stop mobile shop with one of the best competitive merchant rates in the industry."

Google Android Users Can Now Access Their City On-The-Go with Mobile by Citysearch.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Citysearch, a leading online local guide and an operating business of IAC , today announced its new Mobile by Citysearch application for the Google Android platform. Android device users can browse, search and share local information for over 15M local business listings, and post reviews to Citysearch directly from their devices. Mobile by Citysearch for Android joins the family of Citysearch applications for multiple mobile platforms, including iPhone, Palm WebOS, Blackberry devices and all mobile web browsers.
"Our mobile applications enable users to experience their city, their way - offering the best local content and features available, no matter where they are, or which mobile phone they use," said Kara Nortman, Senior Vice President, Publishing, Citysearch. "As one of this year's hottest holiday gifts, Android phones will now deliver an even better local experience to users, who can search, find and share local user reviews and editorial content in real-time."
Mobile by Citysearch for Android uses GPS to search the nearest restaurants, cafes, banks, movie theaters and other listings closest to a user's location, and provides directions via Google Maps. Mobile users can instantly connect and share a new listing with friends within the Citysearch App using email, SMS or Twitter.

  The Mobile by Citysearch for Android application will enable users to:

  --  Submit reviews on the go: Share feedback around local restaurants,

      bars, boutiques, salons and more

  --  Share: Share merchant details, reviews and tips via text, e-mail or

      Twitter

  --  Search and sort your city, your way:

      --  Auto-identify your location through enhanced GPS search and browse

          nearby destinations

      --  Search by keyword, category, distance, cost and Citysearch rating

  --  Access leading Citysearch content: user and editorial reviews,

      editor's picks and featured merchants

  --  Save time and money:

      --  Avoid awkward calculations with "Tip Calculator" and "Split the

          Bill" features

      --  Bookmark "favorites" or "wish-lists" of Citysearch merchants for

          easy re-discovery

      --  View recently-viewed merchants and recent searches

NaturalMotion Games Intros Jenga for Android

NaturalMotion Games, a digital publisher of socially connected games, has announced that its Jenga mobile app is launching on the Android operating system.

Designed in consultation with the original inventor of Jenga, Leslie Scott, and under official license from Pokonobe Associates, NaturalMotion Games reported that Jenga for Android lets users play the tower-building game wherever you are. Using an authentic real- time physics simulation and touch controls, Jenga for Android is an experience for everyone.
"We are excited to bring the official Jenga game to the Android operating system", said Torsten Reil, CEO of NaturalMotion. "Jenga is a cultural phenomenon, with more than 50 million towers sold, and we're delighted to be able to offer an authentic Jenga experience to Android users all over the world."

The Android version of Jenga is specifically optimized for a range of devices and Android versions, and takes advantage of available screen resolutions and processing power, the Company said. The game was developed by NaturalMotion Game's Oxford studio.

Jenga is available on the Android Market with immediate effect.

NaturalMotion Games is a digital publisher of accessible games for connected new platforms, combining technology and graphics with accessible, social gameplay.

RealVNC Launches VNC Viewer for Android

                  RealVNC announced it has launched its new VNC Viewer for Android, available to download now from the Android Market.
                   Following the success of VNC Viewer for iPhone and iPad on Apple's App Store, the company noted, this latest application allows users to connect to and take full control of a computer anywhere in the world from their Android mobile or tablet devices.
With VNC Viewer for Android, users can view and interact with their desktop, run applications and access files, exactly as they would if they were sitting in front of the computer itself. The app is ideal for personal and professional users alike, giving individuals the freedom to access their computer whilst travelling or as a tool for business users such as IT help-desk staff, enabling them to remotely support colleagues or access servers for troubleshooting wherever they are, reducing downtime and out of hours trips to the office.
                   The app offers a trackpad-style mouse for precision interactions and users can apply familiar touch, tap and drag gestures to control the computer, pinching to zoom into a specific area of the desktop or zooming out to see the entire screen. Text can be entered using the on-screen keyboard and a scrolling key bar for non-character keys such as cursor keys and Shift, Ctrl, Alt and Delete. VNC Viewer also features mouse button mode, incorporating virtual left, middle, right and scroll mouse buttons.
                   Android devices equipped with VNC Viewer can connect to any Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, or UNIX computer installed with and running a VNC compatible Server. The recommended Server is VNC Enterprise Edition that provides connections along with industry standard AES security.
                   "Following the success of VNC Viewer for iPhone and iPad, and staying true to our cross-platform roots, we have launched VNC Viewer for the Android platform," said Dr. Andy Harter, CEO at RealVNC. "Android users will now be able to access VNC remote control capabilities on their mobile or tablet device, in a way that is fast, simple and cost effective."
                   RealVNC will be demonstrating VNC Viewer for Android at the Mobile World Congress between February 14-17.

Google Android set to topple BlackBerry

GOOGLES ANDROID mobile phone operating system (OS) is set to pip Research in Motion (RIM) to second place in the global market by the end of this year, more than 18 months earlier than expected.

Mobile handset sales increased by 13.8 per cent in the second quarter, thanks to improving economic conditions, according to research published by the technology research analyst Gartner yesterday.

But the recovery in the market as a whole was dwarfed by a 50.5 per cent boom in sales of smartphones. And Android was the main beneficiary. Nokia and the Symbian OS remain overwhelmingly dominant, with respective market shares of 37 per cent and 41 per cent. But the Google OS was by far the fastest-growing in the second quarter, accounting for 17 per cent of the market - compared with just 1.8 per cent in the same quarter of last year, when the software had only recently launched.

Such stellar progress has already catapulted Android to third place in the world league, and just a single percentage point behind RIM's BlackBerry. Google and RIM have been on a collision course ever since the launch of Android, because RIM's major growth opportunity is to expand its business- focused product into the consumer market its rival is targeting. But the Google OS has taken off so rapidly, it is already second in the US league and is expected to oustrip RIM globally by the end of 2010, rather than by 2012, as previously forecast.

"For Android to overtake BlackBerry was always just a question of time," Carolina Milanesi, a research director at Gartner, said. "It is a surprise how quickly Android has become a force in the market."

Android's rapid rise is due to several factors, including the speed with which the software platform has been developed, the number of handset vendors that have backed the new system, and the support from major mobile operators.

The Google OS is not only a threat to RIM. Symbian's dominance is also being chipped away, dropping 10 percentage points from last year's 51 per cent market share. And the Nokia/Symbian combination needs to take a bigger piece of the high-margin, fast-growing smartphone segment of the market. "Nokia and Symbian are where they are because of volume not value, and in the long run that is something they can't afford," Ms Milanesi said.

But the big loser is Microsoft. When smartphones first hit the shops, the top three mobile operating systems were Symbian, RIM and Microsoft. But the giant has seen its market share progressively eaten away, falling to a woeful 5 per cent in the second quarter from 9.3 per cent last year.

The problem is the operating system itself. The software has suffered from the fact it was created by scaling down software designed for full-sized computer screens, and then re-engineered again for use on touch-screen devices.

Microsoft is trying to remedy the situation. The next version of its operating system set for release later this year, has been built from scratch specifically for small, touch-screen devices. But it may be too late.

"If Microsoft had done this a year ago, it would have been fine," Ms Milanesi said. "But now it is coming up with something that catches up with the competition but doesn't stand out."

INDIA SETS DATE FOR RIM SHUTDOWN

The Indian government has set a 31 August deadline to reach a deal over access to BlackBerry customers' secret data, after talks with the company and phone operators in the country yesterday proved "inconclusive".

The home ministry said it would block corporate email and instant messaging services over the devices if no solution is found by the end of this month.

The ultimatum comes after months of argument between the two sides, with the Indian government emboldened to increase its demands in the wake of a deal in the past few days between BlackBerry and the Saudi Arabian government. The Saudis had demanded access to codes used to encrypt the data travelling across BlackBerry's networks and through its servers.

Research in Motion, the Canadian company which owns BlackBerry, and which built its reputation on the security of email traffic between its devices, has not commented on the details of any of the disputes.

India says it needs BlackBerry's co-operation to monitor wireless networks because they can be used by terrorists.

Google amplifies voice commands for Android phones

Just because mobile phones are becoming more like small computers doesn't mean you should have to do a lot of typing on them.

That's the thinking behind the latest update to Google Inc.'s popular Android software for mobile phones.

The latest version of Android 2.2, released Thursday, includes 10 new voice commands that can be used to operate phones without using a keypad.

Although Google says about 200,000 Android-powered phones are being sold each day, not all of them are equipped with the 2.2 operating system, also known as Froyo. Google's Nexus One phone already runs on Froyo, but users will need to download free updates through its Android Market. Motorola Inc.'s Droid 2, which went on sale this week, already has the necessary updates. The features are expected to be added to HTC Corp.'s Evo and Incredible phones when they get Froyo in the coming months.

Google's new "Voice Actions" tool" enables people to dictate their text messages and e-mails. The voice recognition technology automatically translates the spoken words into text.

Phone calls can be made simply by speaking the name of a person or business. The feature can also find and play songs with spoken commands.

Although spoken words were turned into written words almost flawlessly in a Thursday demonstration for reporters, many applications relying on voice recognition technology misinterpret what's being said in less quiet settings. Google says its tests showed Voice Actions was highly accurate.

Android already has been processing spoken requests for Internet searches and directions. The feature has caught on quickly: Google says about 25 percent of its search traffic on Android phones is triggered by the spoken word.

The additional bells and whistles already have helped Android phones gain usage in recent months, though overall there are far more iPhones from Apple Inc. and BlackBerrys from Research in Motion Ltd. already on the market.

Besides adding more voice controls to Android, Google also is making it easier to transfer information from a computer screen to a phone. Google is making that happen by offering a free tool that users can add to Google's Chrome Web browser for personal computers. This tool makes it possible to send the link to a story or mapping directions from a personal computer to a designated phone within seconds.

Our Android Astronaut; A Nearly Forgotten Test Dummy Helped the U.S. Put Men in Space

"It was lying around in one of the warehouses. Nobody knew what it was," says Paul Ceruzzi, a curator at the National Air and Space Museum. "Someone said to me, 'Find out what it is or we're going to get rid of it.' "

The "it" in question looked like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. Ceruzzi would later learn that this tin man played an important role in the design of spacesuits for U.S. astronauts.

In 1961, when President John F. Kennedy committed the nation to sending men to the moon before the end of the decade, the space agency, NASA, had to figure out how that would be done. One important task was to make spacesuits that could hold up in the brutal environment of space.

"Spacesuits were very new at the time, and no one knew how to make them," Ceruzzi says. "Some early designs were heavy and hard to move in."

Testing different models meant doing experiments that might be painful, tiring and possibly dangerous for a person. The space agency needed a stand-in.

NASA turned to a team of engineers led by Jozef Slowik at the Illinois Institute of Technology. They built an android for the job. (An android is a machine that looks like a person.)

"NASA builds robots all the time," Ceruzzi says, "but this is the only robot that NASA ever built that looks like a human being. In reality, they look like whatever they have to look like to do a job. This one, it had to replace a human being inside a spacesuit."

Slowik's android copied many of the joint motions of the human body. With each spacesuit design, the engineers put the android through its paces: bending, kneeling, swinging its limbs, grasping heavy tools.

The android had sensors that measured force, "so it gave you feedback to let you know how hard it [was] to do certain things: how much strength [was] needed to turn your head, for example," Ceruzzi says.

Many fabrics and materials were tried. "In the vacuum of space, you need air pressure," he says. "If you didn't design it right, the spacesuit inflated."

That's what happened to Soviet cosmonaut Alexi Leonov in 1965. Leonov was the first person to walk in space outside a spacecraft. But when he tried to reenter the craft after 12 minutes spent floating outside, he couldn't fit through the entrance because his spacesuit had inflated. He had to release some of the air first.

NASA's test dummy was helpful, but not without its flaws.

The android was not a complex robot. It could not operate on its own. Instead, "it was remotely controlled by someone who twiddled a lot of knobs," Ceruzzi says.

In addition, it was bulky and needed lots of tubing. It used hydraulic fluid, the same substance that operates the brakes and other mechanical parts of a car. The android's fluid tended to leak; it was messy and even a little distressing to the engineers to see their creation "bleeding" after a particularly difficult test.

Slowik's widow, Clare, remembers her husband's intensity during the project. "I know that there were things they were concerned about," she says. "It had never been done before."

But she also remembers that "it was one of the best times of his working career. He was able to use his mechanical-engineering skills, but mostly, his imagination."

-- Brenna Maloney