Parallels Access 2.0: Windows and Mac Apps Land on Android, iPhone

Parallels has made a name for itself by running apps in unexpected places. Its virtualization software first brought Windows apps to the Mac, then it went a big step further last year with Parallels Access, which brought both Mac and Windows apps to the iPad.

For an encore, the 14-year-old company is bringing all those desktop apps to any Android phone or tablet, as well as the iPhone. Parallels Access 2.0, available Tuesday in the iOS App Store and Google Play, will turn your mobile device into a virtual window to your PC or Mac, letting you run apps as if they were native.

Say you're curling up in bed when an urgent email comes in, and to deal with it, you need to log into your company's proprietary desktop app, which happens to be on your computer at the office. Instead of getting in your car and mentally prepping for a long night, you log in right from your phone. Parallels adjusts the app for your device's screen, and it even incorporates native functions, such as the iOS magnifying glass and cut-and-paste menus.

As with the first version of Parallels Access, all of your desktop apps become accessible on your device, but Android gets the special bonus of being able to display app icons on the home screen. iPhone and iPad relegate all desktop apps to a special launcher, but iOS devices get a file browser that replicates Spotlight on the Mac.

Since desktop apps aren't often designed for fingertips, Parallels compensates with SmartTap, which estimates where you really wanted to click when tapping around menus and toolbars. To help in that regard, the Android version uses a magnifying glass similar to the one native in iOS.

To use the software effectively, you can't let the PC or Mac you're trying to access go into sleep mode. However, version 2.0 introduces a "wake on LAN" feature that should let you remotely jostle your machine awake. While the company can't guarantee it'll work all the time, it at least gives you a shot at connecting in an emergency.

Are you worried who might be around your machine when you access it remotely? New security features in the software enable you to black out the screen, and mute the computer's speakers, while you access it. And Parallels doesn't bestow unfettered access — you still need to log into the machine like you would in person.

With Parallels Access 2.0, you can access up to five computers from an unlimited number of iOS and Android devices for $19.99 a year, a huge price drop from the $79.99-per-machine cost of version 1.0 (it dropped a bit with subsequent updates). If you buy before June 30, you can lock in two years for $29.99.

The company is also introducing Parallels Access for Business, which has extra administrator features and multi-user capability. That costs $49.99 a year for five computers, and companies can buy to support more in increments of five. Parallels is making the business offering free until July 31.

Nike+ FuelBand App Now Available On Android

Nike has made the companion app for its FuelBand and FuelBand SE activity tracking wristbands available to Android users finally, two years after it first introduced the hardware and its apps for iOS devices. The companion app provides access to NikeFuel score information and history, and makes it so that your Android device can connect to your FuelBand as long as it has Bluetooth LE capabilities.

The app is compatible with Android Jelly Bean 4.3 and higher, and supports only a few handsets at launch, including the Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy S5, as well as the HTC One, Nexus 5 and the Moto X. It’s an English-only app, and is available in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany and Japan from the Play Store now.

Other features for those new to the FuelBand world include the ability to track and receive progress updates for a daily NikeFuel goal, tracking by individual session, the new “Win the Hour” feature for FuelBand SE owners, leaderboard with friends, syncing in the background over Bluetooth LE and more.

Nike’s FuelBand has been the subject of a host of recent reports, including one involving layoffs in the company’s hardware department that led many to believe it would end the FuelBand program altogether. The new app for Android indicates that at the very least, the company is continuing to work on software to support existing devices. In fact, its arrival on Android runs somewhat counter to recent reports that Nike and Apple would be working closely together on upcoming fitness-tracking initiatives, with Nike focusing on software while Apple tackles hardware, presumably through an upcoming wearable.

Lotto goes mobile with iPhone, Android apps

The Lotteries Commission has release iPhone and Android apps for Lotto (download them via mobileapp.mylotto.co.nz).

The app is connected directly to the Lotto gaming system, so checking tickets through the app is just as reliable for players as taking them into a local Lotto store," said Ben Coney, Lotto NZ’s General Manager, Digital.

 "Tickets cannot be purchased through the app," Lotto spokeswoman Kirsten Robertson tells NBR.

"The main purpose of the app is to enable customers to quickly and easily check their store-bought tickets.

"Players still need to visit retailers to claim any prizes they have won and to purchase new tickets – something that is made even easier as the app also enables customers to locate their nearest Lotto retailer."

All printed Lotto, Big Wednesday, Keno, Bullseye and Instant Kiwi tickets can be checked through the app by simply scanning the barcode using the phone’s camera.

CyanogenMod 11.0 M7 Based on Android 4.4.2 Now Available for Download

CyanogenMod has started pushing its latest version, 11.0 M7, to the general public. Notably, the latest version of the CyanogenMod is based on Android 4.4.2 KitKat and is now available for download for all compatible devices.

The company has also revealed the changelog for CyanogenMod 11.0 M7 which includes some overhauling and redesigning of the theme chooser UI and calculator app respectively. Other additions include performance profiles and improved theming performance on low memory devices (for devices with 512MB RAM or less).

The new CyanogenMod 11.0 M7 release will expand media format support (FFMPEG) and will also improve Bluetooth with support for new car audio systems and docks. There are some minor bug fixes which are global and device-specific.

The CyanogenMod 11.0 M7 version will also move settings to new slide-out panel and will also consolidate settings for home and drawer options.

The update was announced on CyanogenMod's official blog post that said, "The non-device specific code was branched on May 22nd, giving us a bit longer than usual for our stabilization period. Device specific code was branched on May 31st. For those of you who jump between nightlies and M releases, the May 22nd branch point is the one you should be paying attention to."

The company also clarified that the CyanogenMod 11.0 M7 version does not include the new Android 4.4.3 release. The blog post noted, "To get ahead of the inevitable questions, this release is based on Android 4.4.2. The 4.4.3 source has been merged into CM for nightlies, but given the source code was only made available last week, we chose not to rush the new code into the stable branch."

CyanogenMod confirmed that the next release, the version 11.0 M8 will come out next month and will address plenty of things from version Android 4.4.3.

Earlier, the company released CyanogenMod 11.0 M6 'Snapshot' build for download.

In April, CyanogenMod, as promised in January, teamed up with OnePlus on the recently launchedOnePlus One, providing a custom CM 11S OS version for the smartphone.

Can you survive on Android without ever having to pay for an app?

One fierce battle fought between Apple and Google is over apps and developers, and each platform tries to entice programmers with its own strengths. The main winners in this battle are smartphone users who get to explore two large ecosystems packed with free and paid apps, and find the perfect software tools for their devices. One such smartphone owner who has been using Android for over three years now without paying for any single app turned to Reddit for advice on how to spend a gift card on paid apps.

“I’ve been using Android for ages and never really needed to buy an app,” badapple89wrote on Reddit. “Now I have $25~ to use up, what have I been missing out on that I need (and can’t get for free)?” he asked.

Badapple89 further added that he’s not keen on playing games on a smartphone, and doesn’t want to spend money on launcher apps either, which are popular purchases among Android users.

Many Android users joined the discussions, posting their suggestions for must-have Android apps worth paying for. Some commentators said that paying for apps is not always required or necessary, and that there are many free, or ad-based apps that do the job well.

Some Reddit users have also pointed out that they only pay for certain apps, and only up to a certain limit, and do so to support developers.

“For me the best apps give something simple and unique. Paying a buck or three to remove ads is a no-brainer, totally worth it in my view,” user shavenwarthog said. “Then again if you haven’t ‘needed’ to buy an app, you don’t need to start now.”

Interestingly, no Android user advised badapple89 to try to get any existing paid apps free of charge via shady methods.

The discussion on Reddit seems to highlight a specific “problem” developers may have with Android – that users are likely to find a way to make the most of their smartphones and tablets without paying for many apps.

Both the Google Play Store and the App Store offer a similar number of apps, although many developers still choose to make apps for iPhone and iPad first. Apple often brags with its App Store statistics including downloads and revenue for developers, although studies have shown that Google is catching up. Even so, Google has yet to reveal any specific details about app revenues that go to Android developers.

KitKat Now Running on 13.6 Percent of Android Devices: Google

It is anything but surprising to see the latest numbers for the Android OS wherein the latest version KitKat, which ever since its launch in January has been slowly picking up larger chunks of the Android pie as compared to the other versions, has seen a sharp increase in the numbers.

On the Android Developers website the latest numbers between May and June show that Android 4.4.x KitKat grabbed another 5.1 percent over its last month's share of 8.5 percent to rise to 13.6 percent. On the other hand Android 4.3 Jelly Bean gained 1.8 percent from last month's 8.5 percent to settle at 10.3 percent. Android 4.2 Jellybean gained 0.3 percent to rise to 19.1 percent from 18.8 percent. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean lost 4.5 percent to settle at 29 percent from last month's 33.5 percent.

The data was collected on a seven-day period ending June 4. This data reflects devices running the latest Google Play app, which is compatible with Android 2.2 and higher. Amongst the other versions of the Android operating system, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich lost another 1.1 percent to fall from 13.4 percent to 12.3 percent. Android versions 2.3.3-2.3.7 Gingerbread fell 1.3 percent from 16.2 percent to 14.9 percent. Android version 2.2 Froyo fell from 1.0 percent to 0.8 percent. Jelly Bean's total share of the Android OS ecosystem now stands at 58.4 percent which is a fall of 2.4 percent from last month's 60.8 percent.

Google also says that since the data is gathered from the new Google Play store which supports Android Version 2.2 Froyo and above, older versions of the devices running the Android OS are not included. However in August 2013, devices running version older than 2.2 accounted for 1 percent of devices checking-in to Google servers.

As far as the information about the OpenGL version is concerned, OpenGL 1.1 had a 0.1 percent of the share, with OpenGL 2.0 still sitting comfortably at 83.6 percent, OpenGL 3.0 rose steadily to 16.3 percent

Android 4.4.3 update rolling out to Nexus, Motorola, and Play devices now

The rollout of Google's Android 4.4.3 is under way and, as usual, the first handsets to receive the OS updates are Nexus, Motorola, and Google Play Edition devices.

The full-blown rollout of 4.4.3 follows an announcement by T-Mobile earlier this week that it would release the update to the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 on 2 June, and that the latest Android version would bring security enhancements and bug fixes for the devices. Fortunately, now there's a good deal more information about what the update includes than T-Mobile offered in its sparse notes.

The imminent arrival of Android 4.4.3 was flagged up earlier this week when Google released it as a factory image (for unlocked Nexus devices) and on the Android Open Source Project — the build that third party ROMs such as CyanogenMod based their firmware on.

Motorola kicked off its Android 4.4.3 rollout on Tuesday for Moto X, Moto G and Moto E users. Sadly, for international consumers, the update for the Moto X is only scheduled for the operator's US customers. Device owners on other US carriers will also have to wait.

Moto G owners in the US who bought the device online and those in Brazil who bought it at retail can also expect the update this week. Consumers with the recently released low-end Moto E can also expect the update this week too.

"This latest software update brings an improved dialler with a new interface and new colours to enhance consistency and usability, as well as several stability, framework, security fixes, and enhancements to the power profile capabilities," said Steve Horowitz, Motorola Mobile's SVP of software engineering.

Improvements to the Moto X's camera come in the form of a more consistent exposure, more realistic flash colouring, and better low light handling for the front camera, according to Horowitz.

Meanwhile, Moto X and Moto G owners will also get a new app called Motorola Alert, which sends periodic messages to the contacts they choose. The Moto E only gets stability and security improvements and the updated phone dialler.

The other category of Android device that get a fast-track release are Google Play Edition (GPE) smartphones. According to Android Police, the GPE versions of the HTC One M7, the Galaxy S4, HTC One M8 and the Sony Z Ultra started receiving an 4.4.3 in an over the air update on Tuesday evening. 

Meanwhile, Sprint subscribers with the Nexus 5 should also be getting the update from this week, with the rollout occurring in batches until 9 June.

Anyone interested in digging through the entire Android 4.4.3 changelog can trawl through the list of 7,454 changes in the OS compared with Android 4.4.2 compiled by FunkyAndroid this week. As noted by Android Police, some of the standout fixes include losing Bluetooth functionality from overexposure to Bluetooth Low Energy devices and bad VPN routing.

One issue that might not have been fixed is a battery drain problem plaguing Nexus 5 owners that surfaced this March. According to one user on XDA-forums, the "mm-qcamera-daemon" bug is still there and consuming battery. The update also did not fix a problem with LED Notifications for missed calls, while some users are experiencing poor network strength.