Android Now Controls 80% Of The Global Smartphone Market

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Android Now Controls 80% Of The Smartphone Market (Business Insider)
New numbers from IDC show that smartphones running the Android operating system accounted for 79.4% of global smartphone shipments last quarter. Android grabbed 10 percentage points in market share over the last year. Apple's iOS platform market share slipped from 16.6% in Q2 2012 to 13.2% this past quarter. Read >

Samsung Files Patent That Indicates Galaxy Gear Smartwatch Is On Its Way (GigaOM)
Concrete evidence regarding Samsung's attempts at a smartwatch were unveiled in its latest patent application. The device will be called the Galaxy Gear. The application alluded to technology for, "wearable digital electronic devices in the form of a wristwatch, wristband, or bangle capable of providing access to the Internet and for sending and receiving phone calls, electronic mails, and messages." Read >

Microsoft Wants To Lure Any And All Developers To Windows Phone With Windows Phone App Studio (The Verge)
Microsoft launched Windows Phone App Studio. It will allow any person to create an app via the web, without any knowledge of code. It's a clear effort make Windows Phone app development easier and more enticing. It's also a way to bolster its app ecosystem, which is far behind Apple and Google. Read >

Native App Or Responsive Site? (Mashable)
Mashable surveys the pros and cons behind developing a native mobile app versus only maintaining a responsive mobile website. They focus on issues within mobile commerce between native apps and mobile web. Read >

Square Mobile Payments App Gets a Flurry Of Updates (The Next Web)
Card reader Square updated its mobile payments app on iOS. It now allows users to track payments and also offers Bluetooth printer support for iPads, among other new updates. It's another sign of the continued rise of the mobile payments industry. Read >

Intel Launches Education-Focused Tablets (Engadget)
Intel launched a 10-inch and 7-inch tablet running on the Atom processing platform. With these tablets, Intel will target the education system, particularly those budget-conscious elementary schools. Read >

Will Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley Ever Get It Right? (Fast Company)
Fast Company talks with Foursquare's CEO about his company's inability to earn a profit as well as other struggles, and questions what the future holds for the location-based service app. Read >

A Kickstarter Project Wants To Use Google Glass As Virtual Tour Guide (TechCrunch)
A tourism software startup in South Africa launched a Kickstarter project to help fund the creation of a Google Glass tourism application. The tourism app would be a clear example of Glass's ability to receive contextually relevant information on the go. Read >

Tempting China's Low-End Smartphone Buyers (Bloomberg Businessweek)
Chinese handset maker Xiaomi is gaining a lot of traction in its home smartphone market with high quality but still relatively inexpensive devices. The company is set to release its cheapest handset yet for only $130. Read >