The next big thing in feature phones: Cloud

Users will benefit from the low cost of phones because they won't need to store apps on their phone and will be able to access apps from a cloud server.

We keep hearing about new smartphones, but it appears Samsung and Motorola are going to surprise us with a new concept — cloud based mobile phones.

These are cheaper phones that will run on software stored in a remote server, or cloud. Usually, the data accessed by smartphones resides on the phone itself, thus raising the cost of the device. Cloud phones, on the other hand, will have no need to carry data with them. Rather, users can just pluck data from the cloud and use it as per their convenience.

Google fixes security flaw

The security flaw in Android 2.3.3 or older versions allowed hackers to gain user's login ID and passwords when unencrypted was sent by the user over a public WiFi network.

A flaw in the Android operating system, which allowed hackers to gain unencrypted data of a user over public WiFi networks, has been fixed up by the Google, the maker of the OS.

The security flaw was highlighted by a group of German developers and was reported by The Mobile Indian earlier too. 

It was found that Android devices running on 2.3.3 or older versions are particularly susceptible especially when the one uses services such as Google Calender and Google docs to be sent over-the-air unencrypted over a public WiFi network. This may allow hackers, present in the network, to gain the user's login ID and password. 

Smartphones facing heightened security woes

The latest report from Juniper reveals that smartphones have resulted in a major jump in the number of mobile phone related security threats including WiFi attacks.

With smartphones getting sophisticated and gradually replacing PCs as the preferred mode of both personal and professional computing, cyber criminals have turned their attention to these mobile devices, reveals the Malicious Mobile Threats Report 2011 of Juniper research. 

One of the key findings of the report is that the enterprise and consumer mobile devices are exposed to a record number of security threats, including a 400 per cent increase in Android Malware as well as highly targeted WiFi attacks.