A quick look at Android 2.1's Exchange support

With the release of Android 2.1 SDK it is possible to play with Google's support for Exchange ActiveSync which is included with the SDK emulator package.
It is important to note that just because the build of Android supports it, it is down to individual device manufacturers as to whether they choose to implement Exchange support - presumably due to licensing costs - and they may develop their own client software.
This post is for general geek interest only.

HTC Android-based devices already feature their own Exchange client developed by HTC independently.

For instructions on how to configure the SDK on Mac read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/running-android-sdk-mac-os-106-snow-leopard

Setting up the Exchange Account

Launching the Email application for the first time will prompt you what type of email account you want to configure:

Selecting Exchange will prompt you to enter all of the settings that an Exchange ActiveSync client will do, ie Username, Password and Server Address:

If you are using a self-signed SSL certificate (ie not root-trusted) on the Exchange server, you will need to select the option to Accept all SSL certificates. I did try manually installing the root cert for an Exchange server that uses a self-signed certificate and unticking this option, and received this error:

So at the time of writing it looks like you have to accept all certificates to use a self-signed cert.

Once you have entered all of the connection settings you can then specify how you want mail delivered, and how much:

On this screen you can also specify which other PIM folders you want to synchronise. You will notice a lack of the ability to sync Calendar information in this emulator release.
On the next screen you can enter a name for the account as well your sending name:

Providing all went according to plan, your mail now will now be delivered to the device:

Mailbox subfolders are also supported:

The device will appear to Exchange as simply 'Android':

Editing the account settings allows you to adjust your initial choices should you desire:

For an overview of the Exchange ActiveSync client available on the HTC Desire, read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/introducing-htc-desire

For information on accessing your GMail via Exchange ActiveSync rather than IMAP read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/access-google-premier-apps-email-android...

For a quick look at Android 2.3's Exchange support, read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/quick-look-android-23s-exchange-support

A quick look at Android 2.3's Exchange support

With the release of the Android 2.3 SDK it is possible to play with Google's support for the Exchange ActiveSync protocol which is included with the SDK emulator package.
It is important to note that just because the build of Android supports it, it is down to individual device manufacturers as to whether they choose to implement Exchange support at all, or may decide to develop their own client software.
This post is for geek interest only.

HTC and Motorola-based devices feature their own Exchange email clients.

For instructions on how to configure the Android SDK on MacOS, read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/running-android-sdk-mac-os-106-snow-leopard

Setting up the Exchange account

Launching the email client for the first time will prompt you to enter your email address and password:

You will then be prompted to specify the type of email account you want to set up:

The wizard will attempt to determine the correct settings to use automatically:

Should the wizard not be able to determine the settings to use, you will be prompted to enter the required configuration settings manually:

Your username will need to be entered in the form "domain\username"

These settings will be available from your IT department, but if you log into a Windows-based PC in the office, the domain information will be the same as that contained in the "Log Into" field when you press CTRL ALT DEL to access your PC (under the password field)
Your username and password will be the same as you usually use.

The Server Address will be the external name or IP address of your Exchange server. If you access Outlook Web Access via a web browser to check your mail, this will be normally be the same address, typically in the form "mail.company.com"

If your server requires a secure connection (you can tell if your Outlook Web Access URL uses https at the beginning, or redirects to an https address) then tick the option to use SSL.
If your Exchange server uses a self-signed, or non root-trusted SSL certificate, then tick the option to Accept all SSL certificates.

Provided that the client is able to successfully connect to the Exchange server based on the information provided, you can then specify how often you want mail to be checked, how far back into the past you want to sync, and what other mailbox folders you want to synchronise - contacts and calendar folders are supported:

You can then enter a name for the email account:

If your Exchange server uses security policies, you will be advised that these policies will be applied to your device and will be prompted to activate the policy:

Policies might include the ability to remotely hard reset the device or enforce a password on it without your involvement - this is presumably required to address the growing situation whereby devices used to access corporate resources are owned by the user rather than the company, and such agreements need to be made.

Once the account has been created, additional Exchange accounts can be configured by running through the same above procedure, Android 23 supporting multiple accounts.
Accounts can be viewed separately, or together using the Combined Inbox - accounts are colour-coded:

Once the account has been created, settings can be adjusted by accessing Account Settings from the menu:

Including such elements as your default signature as well as all the options configured during the initial setup

Mailbox subfolders can be accessed, but on my setup all folders were listed alphabetically, regardless of their location in the folder structure - if you have nested folders, these will all be listed alphabetically only one level deep.

When composing new email messages, contacts will be listed from the Global Address List automatically as you type:

You can also optionally assign different notification ring tones to different email accounts:

If you wish to review which security settings a remote email administrator can apply to your device, this information is accessible under Settings --> Location & Security Settings --> Device Administrators:

And administrators can be removed if desired:

Although doing so may also result in an inability to continue using the associated email account.

Visit the different manufacturers sections of the blog to view device specific Exchange support articles.

A quick look at Android 3.0's Exchange support

With the release of the Android 3.0 SDK it is possible to have a look at the look, feel and capabilities of the vanilla platform using the device emulator. In this article I shall have a quick look at the Exchange ActiveSync client included in this release of the Android operating system.

As always, this article was written using the device emulator, it is down to individual manufacturers as to whether they choose to implement Exchange ActiveSync, and whether they use Google's client or develop their own. This post is for general geek interest only.

For instructions on how to configure the Android SDK on MacOS, read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/running-android-sdk-mac-os-106-snow-leopard

Setting up the Exchange account

When launching the Android email client for the first time, you will be prompted to enter your email address and password. The client contains the settings for common email providers such as Hotmail and Google and will be able to configure the account automatically if you are using a service that the device "knows" about.

For private corporate Exchange servers the device will most likely not be able to determine the type of account automatically and you will be prompted to confirm the type of email account you want to configure:

Select Exchange, the following screen will be displayed:

Your username will need to be entered in the form "domain\username"

These settings will be available from your IT department, but if you log into a Windows-based PC in the office, the domain information will be the same as that contained in the "Log Into" field when you press CTRL ALT DEL to access your PC (under the password field)
Your username and password will be the same as you usually use.

The Server Address will be the external name or IP address of your Exchange server. If you access Outlook Web Access via a web browser to check your mail, this will be normally be the same address, typically in the form "mail.company.com"

If your server requires a secure connection (you can tell if your Outlook Web Access URL uses https at the beginning, or redirects to an https address) then tick the option to use SSL.
If your Exchange server uses a self-signed, or non root-trusted SSL certificate, then tick the option to Accept all SSL certificates.

Enter the required settings and select Next. The wizard will then connect to the server address entered and verify the details. If your Exchange server has device management policies enabled, such as a requirement to use a password, you will be prompted to confirm that you accept these policies:

Select OK. You will now be prompted to specify how frequently you want mail delivered, and what other mailbox folders you wish to synchronise: contacts and calendar are available besides email:

You will then be notified of the device management policies that the Exchange server will implement on the device:

Select Activate. Your account is now configured and you will be prompted to enter a name for the new email account to identify it:

Your mail will now be downloaded. Access to mailbox subfolders is also supported.

Account settings can be edited once complete by tapping on the Settings button in the top right hand corner of the email screen:

A quick look at Android 4.0's Exchange support

With the release of the Android 4.0 SDK it is possible to play with Google's support for Exchange ActiveSync which is included with the Android SDK emulator package.
It is important to note that just because the build of Android supports it, it is down to individual device manufacturers as to whether they choose to implement Exchange support, or they may choose to develop their own, superior, Exchange email client software.
This post is for geek interest only.

HTC and Motorola-based Android devices do feature their own Exchange email client developed by the manufacturer.

For instructions on how to configure the Android SDK on MacOS, read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/running-android-sdk-mac-os-106-snow-leopard

Setting up the Exchange account

The Email client is located in the Apps section of the launcher:

Launching the email client for the first time will prompt you to enter your email address and password:

The client will attempt to determine the correct settings to use based on the email address entered. If the client cannot determine these settings automatically you will be prompted to specify the type of account you are trying to configure:

Select Exchange:

You will be prompted to enter in your Exchange username in the form "Domain\Username".
You will be able to obtain this information from your IT department if you do not know it, but as a rule the domain will be the contents of the "Log Into" field on your desktop or laptop when you log into it - if you have one. The username will be the same as that used to access your PC, as will the password.
Note that the client will fill in the username for you based on the email address entered - it may not necessarily be correct, check it carefully.

You will also need to enter the Server Address, part of which will be filled in for you. Again this information can be obtained from your IT department, but if you access your email via a web browser using Outlook Web Access, then the server address will be the same as that entered into the browser, normally in the form "mail.company.com"

Finally you'll need to specify whether the connection should use SSL or not - as a rule this will be enabled.

Once all fields have been completed, tap Next. You will be receive notification that by setting up an Exchange email account, you are accepting that the administrator of the Exchange server has the ability to remotely wipe your device should the company deem it necessary to do so:

Tap OK to continue configuring the account. On the next screen you can specify which mailbox folders you wish to synhronise, and how often:

Tap Next to continue. You will receive a message in the notification area prompting you that security settings have changed and need acknowledging:

The features that the Exchange ActiveSync policy will be able to enforce on your device will be listed

Tap Activate to acknowledge the new security policy. You will be returned to the email setup wizard and be prompted to enter a name to identify the email account, this can be anything meaningful to you:

Once complete you will be taken to the email inbox:

When composing new email messages, suggestions from the Global Address List and contacts will be displayed as you start to type in the name of a recipient:

Mailbox folders can be navigated between:

To adjust email account settings once they have been entered, launch Settings from the app launcher:

And select Accounts & Sync

Select the entry for the email account

Enable or disable synchronisation items:

Select Account Settings to adjust general settings governing all email accounts as well as specific account settings

General settings allow you to define such actions as which email is displayed immediately after another email is deleted:

Select the specific email account to adjust synchronisation settings for that account

To review the Device Administrator settings, or deactivate a device administrator, select Security from the Settings menu followed by Device Administrators

Select the Email account

Enforced policies will be displayed:

Access the Android Market from your web browser

Google have launched a web-based version of the Android Market, available at http://market.android.com, allowing you to browse for applications, games, utilities, images, screensavers and more from the comfort of your PC. You can view what applications are installed on your device and also remotely install applications onto your device. You will need to log into the site using your existing Google account.

You can view applications by category, by most popular, or search for keywords. Any applications that are already installed on your device will be indicated:

Under the My Market Account settings you can view all of your downloaded applications, both paid and unpaid:

And you can view what devices are also logged into the Android market using the same Google account:

Comprehensive details of specific applications can be viewed:

And applications can be sent to your remote Android device by clicking on the Install button:

If you have more than one device accessing the Market using the same Google account, you will be prompted to specify which device you want to install the application on.

After a few moments (closer to 5 minutes when this author tried it) the application will be installed on your device and you will receive a message in the notification area.

Adding VPN connections to Android 1.6 (Donut)

Release 1.6 of the Android platform, aka Donut, included support for PPTP, L2TP and IPSec-based VPN connections.
This article will give an overview of where to find the settings governing VPN connections, what connection settings are required, and how to install and select certificates.

VPN settings are located in the Settings menu under Settings --> Wireless Controls --> VPN Settings:

The following types of VPN connection are supported:

• Point to Point Tunnelling Protocol (PPTP)
• Layer 2 Tunnelling Protocol (L2TP)
• Layer 2 Tunnelling Protocol with IPSec Pre-Shared Key
• Certificate based IPSec VPN with optional L2TP shared secret

PPTP

Adding a PPTP-based VPN connection requires only that an identifying name be entered for the connection, and the name or IP address of the VPN server:

DNS Search domains can be entered, to identify 'domain.com' as sitting 'behind' the VPN and to use the remote DNS servers on that network when searching for entries within the specified domain.

Once saved, the VPN connection will be listed:

Tapping and holding on the entry for the connection will display a context menu allowing you to initiate the connection, edit it or remove it:

Initiating the connection will prompt you to enter your username and password:

L2TP

Adding an L2TP-based connection is almost identical, except that you can select to use a shared secret and configure the details of that secret:

L2TP / IPSec PSK

The IPSec Pre-Shared Key L2TP-based VPN requires the same settings, but also allows for an IPSec key to be configured:

L2TP / IPSec CRT

Certificate-based VPN connections require that server and user certificates be installed on the device. These need to be exported from the VPN server in .DER format and copied onto the device. These can be loaded from the SD memory card, or can be downloaded via the browser.

ADDENDUM - whilst I found on the unit used to create this article originally that DER certificate files were required, if you find that opening your certificate in the web browser simply downloads the text content of the file, try using CRT format files instead.

When installing the certificate, you will be prompted to enter a name to identify it:

If you are prompted to enter a password before you can import the certificate:

this implies that the 'Secure Storage' feature has been enabled on the device. This is configured within Settings --> Security:

Once the certificate has been installed, when creating the VPN connection, the certificate will appear in the list of available certificates:

with the name you entered to identify it.

Your VPN connection has now been configured. For details on troubleshooting mobile VPN connections, read this article: http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/troubleshooting-mobile-vpn-connections

For details on how to tunnel VNC via SSH on Android, read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/connect-ssh-vpn-vnc-android-device

Android Applications

CamCard - Business card scanner for Android

Tweet

CamCard is an application for Android that enables you to scan business cards using your device's camera and have contact information imported automatically into your address book (and from there synced to your online account if one is enabled).

Available in both a free and paid version (the free version only provides access to a portion of the feature set), the application is simple to use and imported all the information on my business card with no problem.

Simply launch the application, you will be presented with the option screen shown above. Select the option to capture a card, the camera view will be displayed automatically:

When ready, capture the image by tapping the icon. The card will then be analysed:

Select the option to Save and specify which address book you want to save the new contact to. The new contact will be created automatically:

CamCard is available to download from the Android Market.

nat=yes
externip=81.138.13.178
localnet=10.0.0.0/255.255.255.0

Connect to an SSH VPN via VNC from an Android device

I have blogged previously about how to deploy an SSH-based VPN solution to offer remote control of corporate resources from 'untrusted' PCs safely (http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/deploying-ssh-based-vpn-solution). Should you need to, it is possible to access remote hosts from an Android device via VNC using a free SSH client and VNC viewer such as ConnectBot and AndroidVNC, both available from the Android Market.

To initiate the connection to the SSH server, download and install ConnectBot. When launched, you can enter in the details of the SSH server to be connected to:

Tapping on the Menu and selecting Edit allows you to edit port and username information:

When connecting to the SSH server for the first time, you will be prompted to acknowledge and save the server's public key and then enter in the password:

To configure port forwarding for the VNC connection, tap on the Menu button and select the option to Add Port Forward:

Set the source port to local, and enter in the IP address of the target machine to be controlled followed by the port used by the VNC application (5900 by default)

Now launch the VNC client and connect to the local IP address of the device (127.0.0.1) on the port number specified above as well as the password for the VNC connection:

After a few moments you will be connected to the remote machine:

Remote control-tastic!

Google Chrome To Phone available for Android 2.2

I blogged about the Chrome To Phone browser extension back in May (http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/google-chrome-phone): the utility that enables you to send web links, map directions and text in general from the Chrome web browser on the desktop directly to your smartphone running Android 2.2 (Froyo) over the air.
I used the Android emulator to create the original article, but Google have now released Chrome To Phone for Android 2.2 devices officially.

Simply download the extension and install it into the Chrome web browser (http://code.google.com/p/chrometophone/downloads), giving you a "send to phone" button:

Then download and install the client application from the Market:

Which will add an icon to the application launcher screen:

Then simply sign into the service on both the desktop and the device using the same account details, and you're ready to start sending information to your phone!

You can specify on the device whether links should be opened automatically, or should be displayed as a notification:

The below video provides a demonstration of the service in action:

Google Docs for Android

Google have released a native Android application for their Docs service, enabling you to view and share a variety of document formats as well as upload existing documents already on your phone. Text and Spreadsheet documents can be created and edited, but presentations are read only. It is also only possible to edit documents if you have an Internet connection: offline editing is not possible.
A number of widgets are also available that allow you to perform common tasks directly from the home screen such as uploading a photo taken with your device camera.

A nice feature is the addition of Optical Character Recognition (OCR), the upshot of which means you can take a photo of a piece of text using your device camera and Google will convert the text into actual editable text.

Results vary: you need a steady hand and Google state that handwriting is not supported, nor all fonts. The app is also only available in English.

Documents can be arranged and filtered in a number of ways, for those who have a large amount of files in their Docs account: either by document type, by label, by name, by date, etc

Google Docs for Android is free to download from the Android Market for devices running Android 2.1 or later.

Google Gesture Search for Android

Google's Gesture Search application for Android allows you to perform a system-wide search of your Android smartphone by drawing characters directly onto the screen, be it a contact, music track, bookmark or anything stored on your device:

The latest version of the application, version 1.2, allows you to initiate the program simply by flipping the orientation of the device.

You can read more on the Google Labs web site - http://gesturesearch.googlelabs.com/

Google Maps 6.0 for Android

Google has released version 6.0 of the Maps application for Android, bringing with it the ability to view inside certain locations in the US such as airports and shopping centres.

Detailed floor plans automatically appear when you’re viewing the map and zoomed in on a building where indoor map data is available. The familiar “blue dot” icon indicates your location within several metres, and when you move up or down a level in a building with multiple floors, the interface will automatically update to display which floor you’re on. All this is achieved by using an approach similar to that of ‘My Location’ for outdoor spaces, but fine tuned for indoors.

The below video provides an overview of the solution:

You can read more on the official Google blog - http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/new-frontier-for-google-maps-mapp...

Google Reader for Android

Reader is Google's news feed aggregator service that allows you to view all of your RSS and Atom news feeds in one place, directly from your web browser (www.google.com/reader).
A client is now available for Android that syncs with your Google account, allowing you to view your same news subscriptions from your Smartphone. Articles marked as read on your device will be removed from your reading list in your browser and vice versa. Similarly items marked with a star for future reading can be accessed from both - or indeed any other device with a Google Reader-compliant application.

Multiple accounts can be created, so you don't necessarily need to access Reader using the same Google account you use to access the Android Market, say.

Articles can also be shared with friends quickly and easily straight from your device.

Adding an account is quick and easy: if you have already run through the process of signing into the Market then the screens will look familiar:

Once your account has been added, Reader will show up as an option under the Accounts & Sync view alongside email, contacts and calendar.

When launching the application for the first time you will be prompted to allow the applications access to the Internet:

And then the main interface will be displayed:

Your existing subscriptions, items and starred items will be synced automatically.

New feeds can be added either by typing the URL or by searching for items of interest:

Feeds can be sorted by ascending and descending date order

and items can be shared and starred by accessing the menu:

or can be shared with others:

Reader is available free from the Android Market.

Google Voice Actions available in UK English

Google Voice Actions, an application for Android that allows you to compose emails, text messages, search for items, etc by issuing verbal commands, has previously only been available in American English. Google have now released versions for British English as well as French, Italian, German and Spanish.

To use Voice Actions, tap the microphone button on the Google search box on your home screen, open the Voice Search app, or press down for a few seconds on the physical search button on your phone to activate the “Speak Now” screen. You can see how it works in the above video.

Speak any of these commands to perform a Voice Action on your phone:

• send text to [contact] [message]
• call [business]
• call [contact]
• go to [website]
• navigate to [location/business name]
• directions to [location/business name]
• map of [location]

And of course, you can still conduct a Google search using your voice.

Voice Actions is available on phones and tablets running Android 2.2 and higher. If you don't have Voice Search on your phone yet, you can download it from the Android Market.

Google updates voice search for Android

Google have released an update to the Voice Search application for Android 2.2 (Froyo) enabling you to not only initiate a Google search for an item by saying what it is you want to search for, but to perform any of a number of actions verbally simply by saying the command. Functions include:

• send text to [contact] [message]
• listen to [artist/song/album]
• call [business]
• call [contact]
• send email to [contact] [message]
• go to [website]
• note to self [note]
• navigate to [location/business name]
• directions to [location/business name]
• map of [location]

To install the update, search for "Voice Search" in the Android Market.

The below video provides a demonstration of the utility in action:

Is Android ready for the Enterprise?

Currently in version 2.3.4 at the time of writing, Android offers high levels of user-customisation, social networking integration and a 'desktop-like' mobile browsing experience. The platform is very attractive to consumers...but is the operating system ready for the Enterprise?

What is meant by an 'Enterprise-ready' operating system? Ideally the platform should offer the features required by a mobile user as well as conform to the security policy defined by the IT department.

Features

• Wireless access to corporate (Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Domino) email, contacts and calendar information, ideally updated via 'push' with no user-interaction required. All information exchanges between the device and the server should be secure. Access should preferably be available via both cellular and WiFi connections.
• Support for Virtual Private Networking (VPN) infrastructure enabling access to internal corporate applications and network resources
• Optionally, the device may need to be integrated with the corporate IP PBX providing free calls over WiFi when in the office between internal extensions, and landline-to-landline call charges for landline numbers.
• The ability to create and edit office documents
• Access to corporate instant messaging / chat systems

Security

Providing remote access to sensitive corporate applications and information inherently comes with security risks: should the device be lost or stolen how do you prevent unauthorised access?

• An enterprise-ready platform should at the very least offer the administrator the ability to remotely wipe a device that has been reported lost or stolen by the user: or even the ability for the user to initiate a wipe themselves via a web browser as soon as they realise the device has been lost.
• It should also be possible to remotely apply a password usage policy to the device, so that users must enter a password on the device to unlock it, and the device should lock itself automatically after a period of inactivity. In the event that a password is incorrectly entered on the device x number of times in succession, the device should be able to wipe itself automatically.
• For ease of setup, enterprise-ready devices can have the necessary configuration settings for Internet access (both cellular and WiFi access points), email and VPN deployed remotely over the air, with little to no user interaction.
• Optionally, the platform should also support the ability to remotely enforce a corporate usage policy, enabling the administrator to remotely disable user access to certain hardware and software elements such as the camera, MMS, Bluetooth, etc. The ability for the user to install applications on the device, other than those expressly approved by the administrator, should also be configurable remotely.

Although it is fashionable to knock Microsoft products, and whilst it is true that the platform does look 'clunky' now compared to Android and the iPhone, it can't be denied that Windows Mobile 6.5 does address most of the above security concerns and device management functionality is included as part of the Exchange 2007 product, enabling the administrator to remotely wipe devices, enforce a password usage policy, enable and disable hardware and software elements as well as create application white- and blacklists.
Nokia's E and N Symbian S60 platform also natively supports the OMA-CP and OMA-DM protocols when used in conjunction with a suitable DM server product.
For more information on the DM functionality of Windows Mobile and Exchange as well as more powerful third-party DM solutions, read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/choosing-device-management-solution-q3-2010

So how does Android stack up?

Features

• Exchange Email - Android 2.3 features native Exchange support, with the ability to configure multiple concurrent Exchange email accounts, optionally displayed in a unified Inbox, colour-coded by account.
  Full mailbox access is possible, including subfolders. Signature and out of office settings can also be edited directly from the device. For more information on the Exchange capabilities of Android 2.3 read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/quick-look-android-23s-exchange-support

  

• VPN support - Android 1.6 (Donut) brought with it support for PPTP and L2TP VPN protocols, but a "proper" IPSec VPN client is still not available as standard - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/adding-vpn-connections-android-16-donut

  

• VoIP - Android 2.3.3 features a built-in SIP-based VoIP client that allows you to configure your device as a wireless extension of your corporate telephone system, both when in the office and when working remotely provided that your telephone system can be configured correctly. This allows workers to still use their mobile when in the office, but not pay mobile call charges and importantly not pay to speak to other people in the office. For more information on how to configure the SIP client on Android read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/setting-htc-desire-s-wireless-extension-...
• Document Editing - Android offers the ability to view common documents formats as standard, including word documents, spreadsheets, presentations and PDF documents. In order to be able to create and edit documents, current HTC and Motorola devices ship with the Polaris Office or QuickOffice suites that provide this functionality. A wide range of applications is also available to purchase from the Android Market, such as DataViz Documents To Go.
• Instant Messaging - Android supports Google's Talk service as standard, and there are a wide range of messaging clients available including Skype and Viber. At the time of writing there is no support for Microsoft Office Communicator / Lync server, however.

Security

• Open Source - Android is an open source platform based on the Linux kernel. As such it can be argued that whilst the open source project does mean a wealth of third party applications, it does also provide access to discover and exploit security vulnerabilities in the platform.

  One approach Google has taken when developing the Android platform is known as "application-sandboxing": all applications must state what hardware resources and file locations they require access to, and only those areas will be permitted by the operating system. It is not possible to alter these once installed without at least requiring approval by the user. This approval is requested during the initial installation and can be viewed at any point within the Applications setting menu:

  

  Android does also require that applications be signed before they can be installed, however the platform does not require that the certificate used to sign the application be 'root-trusted', therefore any old certificate can be used, rendering the feature fairly pointless, and the feature can be disabled altogether by the user:

  

• Remote Device Wipe - If a device has been configured to synchronise with an Exchange server, that device can be remotely wiped either by the Exchange administrator or by the users themselves in the event that it is lost or stolen. The remote wipe process can be launched within Outlook Web Access from any web browser.
  Android devices can also be remotely wiped by the administrator of a Google Apps domain if GMail is being used as the email platform.
  Also a number of manufacturers, including HTC (HTCSense.com) and Motorola (MotoBLUR), offer web-based device management portals to end users that allow for devices to be remotely locked and wiped from a web browser.
• Password Usage - If an Android device is configured to synchronise with an Exchange server, then use of a password can be enforced on that device as part of the Exchange ActiveSync policy. The required complexity of the password can also be specified.
  HTC and Motorola Android devices also support password history policies, so that users are required to choose new passwords each time their current password expires.
  Google Apps also supports password usage enforcement.

  It is also worth noting that Android supports the use of hand gestures as a form of unlocking a device, which can be used in addition to an alphanumeric password:

  

• Corporate Usage Policy - It is not possible to remotely enable or disable hardware or software elements on the Android platform at the time of writing via Exchange ActiveSync, however Google Apps administrators can disable the camera on connected Android devices - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/google-apps-device-policy-android.

  There are a number of device management solutions available for Android, including Soti MobiControl and 3LM. Follow the links for more information on the capabilities of these platforms.

Conclusion

Android offers a high level of customisation and personalisation options as well as a wide range of multimedia and social networking features that appeal to consumers. For businesses that need to support employee-owned phones but enforce a level of security to safeguard company assets and information that may be accessed from the phone, Android offers a number of security measures as standard including password usage enforcement and remote device wipe (and with Android 3.0 on-device data encryption).
With the use of a third-party device management solution such as Soti MobiControl or 3LM, it is further possible to remotely deliver required applications, and blacklist those applications you do not wish users to install.
3LM further offers the ability to establish a secure VPN tunnel back to the office to access corporate LOB applications. Follow the links contained in this article to find out more, or call Brightpoint on 0870 849 0225 to speak to an expert.

PowerPoint and OpenOffice remote for Android

PowerPoint and OpenOffice Remote for Android is a free remote control for Android that allows you to control any presentation running in either Microsoft PowerPoint or OpenOffice on Windows, Mac and Linux.

A client application is required both on the PC to be controlled and the Android device doing the controlling, and both PC and Android device need to be connected to the same wireless network.

The Android client is available in the Android Market here - https://market.android.com/details?id=de.vrallev

The Windows client, a Java application launched in a single .jar file, is available here - http://www.vrallev.net/do/apps/android/pptodp_remote/start

The Android client, when launched, will display the IP address that has been assigned to it on the wireless network:

On the PC, launch the Java application and enter in the same IP address:

And browse to the file that you wish to present:

If required you can optionally change the port that the connection uses:

Select the option to Connect. On the Android device you can then start the presentation:

and control the forward and reverse transition of slides as you deliver your presentation.

Remote control a Mac from an Android device

If you're new to the Mac operating system, then you may not know that it has a VNC server capability built-in via its screen sharing feature.

By installing a suitable VNC viewer application on your Android device you can remotely view your Mac's screen and, depending on what permissions you configure on the Mac, remotely control its operation as well.

Remote connectivity on the Mac is configured in the Sharing section of the System Preferences:

To simply enable the ability to view the screen on the Mac, enable the Screen Sharing option. To be able to remotely control the Mac enable the Remote Management option.

Clicking on the Options button allows you to specify what operations are to be permitted on the Mac remotely:

Click on the Computer Settings button, enable the option to enable access from VNC viewers and enter a password for the connection:

Apply the changes. If the Mac firewall is enabled you will be prompted to confirm you wish to allow incoming connections from VNC clients. If you wish to configure the firewall manually open the Security system preferences tab and allow connections to the AppleVNCServer.bundle:

You are now ready to configure the Android client. You will need to download and install a suitable VNC client application, such as Android VNC or Remote VNC:

Create a new connection, enter the IP address of the Mac, as well as the password you entered on the Mac earlier:

Save the connection and initiate the connection. After a few moments you'll be connected to the Mac.

NOTE - this connection is unencrypted, whilst suitable for home use or connectivity over the LAN, if controlling the Mac remotely across the Internet you may want to consider deploying a VPN solution, or use an alternate solution such as LogMeIn.

Dedicated VNC server applications are available also for MacOS X such as the open source Vine Server application that provides additional functionality.

Running the Android SDK on Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard

I have blogged previously about how the tools included within the Android SDK provide a very useful means of capturing screenshots from a connected Android device and also transferring files to and from devices, but the DDMS tool does not launch successfully on the new Snow Leopard operating system.

The fix is relatively simple, but not immediately obvious. I worked out the first bit myself, but thanks to Buffawhat for the second bit (http://buffawhat.com/2783/android-sdk-ddms-broken-in-snow-leopard-lets-f...)

Within the Java Preferences panel you will need to set the default Java virtual machine from 64-bit to 32-bit.
Open the Applications folder, and then browse to Utilities --> Java Preferences, the following window will be displayed:

Set the 32-bit VM to be the default simply by dragging it above the entry for the 64-bit VM.
Close the window to apply changes.

You will then need to make a small edit of the DDMS script file itself. Browse to where you have extracted the SDK file and open the DDMS file in the Tools folder in a suitable text editor.
Locate the section beginning:

# Mac OS X needs an additional arg, or you get an "illegal thread"
complaint.
if [ `uname` = "Darwin" ]; then
    os_opts="-XstartOnFirstThread"

And add the text -d32 as shown below:

Now DDMS will launch successfully.

Running the Google Android Emulator on MacOS

The Google Android Emulator is part of the Android SDK which can be downloaded free of charge from http://developer.android.com/

The SDK will download as a ZIP archive file. Extract the contents of the ZIP file to a location on your hard drive.
On the Mac platform, open the Terminal and browse to the Tools folder within the extracted ZIP file contents.

The first thing you need to do is to create a virtual Android device. Do this at the command prompt by entering:

./android create avd -n (NAME) -t 1

where (NAME) is the desired name you wish to assign to the virtual device.

Once the virtual machine has been created, you can invoke it with the following command:

./emulator -avd NAME

The virtual device will then be displayed:

If you're having problems running the Android SDK on MacOS Snow Leopard, read this article - http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/running-android-sdk-mac-os-106-snow-leopard

Setting up a POP / IMAP email account on Android 1.x

NOTE - this article was written using the Android SDK emulator (http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/emulate), the precise screen layout may differ on individual devices.

From the Home screen tap on the Menu and select the Email application. If no email accounts have been defined previously, the following screen will be displayed:

Tap Next:

Enter your full email address and password and tap Next. The wizard will attempt to verify the correct settings to use automatically based on the email address entered. If the wizard is able to determine the settings, the following screen will be displayed:

Enter a name for the account as well as your display name (as you want it to appear to recipients of any mail you send). Tap Done, the account will now be listed and you will be taken to the Inbox. Any available messages will be downloaded automatically:

If the wizard is not able to determine the correct settings to use automatically, you will be prompted to define what type of email account you are trying to access:

You will then be prompted to enter the required settings manually:

Your email account is now configured. Settings can be adjusted by accessing the Settings menu within the email application.

Skype for Android 2.1 adds 2-way video calling for most Smartphones

Following Skype's addition of 2-way video calling for the HTC Desire S a few weeks ago, a new version has been added to the Android Market which adds support for a further 17 devices, including:

• Acer A5
• HTC Desire (2.2)
• HTC Desire HD
• HTC Evo 3D
• HTC Evo 4G
• HTC Flyer
• HTC Incredible S
• HTC Sensation
• HTC Thunderbolt - Verizon (2.2) (US only)
• LG Revolution - Verizon (2.2) (US only)
• Samsung Droid Charge - Verizon (2.2) (US only)
• Samsung Galaxy S
• Samsung Galaxy S II
• Samsung Galaxy Tab
• Sony Ericsson Xperia mini pro 2
• Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY
• Sony Ericsson Xperia ray

If your phone isn't listed, but you're running Android 2.2 or later, you should still be able to enjoy the new feature by selecting "Enable Video Calling" within the Skype settings.

Skype for Android is available to download from the Android Market

Transferring files to and from an Android device from a Mac

Using the Google Android SDK, if your Android device does not support USB storage mode, you can transfer files to and from the Android device as well as any inserted memory card. In this post I shall only be dealing with MacOS, but similar instructions apply to both Linux and Windows.

The SDK can be downloaded from the Google Developer web site - http://developer.android.com

Once you have downloaded the SDK ZIP file, extract the contents. In the Tools folder, double click the "ddms" file:

The following window will be displayed:

On the Android handset, press the Menu button and browse to Settings --> Applications --> Development and enable USB Debugging.

Connect the device to the Mac using the supplied USB cable, the device will then be listed in the ddms window:

You can now select the File Explorer option from the Device menu:

The following window will be displayed:

You can now drag and drop files to and from this window as you would any other connected drive:

Use your Android device as a WiFi Remote with VLC Media Player on MacOS

I admit this is extremely lazy, especially seeing as I already have a Bluetooth mouse, but that doesn't mean it didn't bring a smile to my face when it worked!

Android devices can be used as remote control devices for the free VLC Media Player application on both Windows and MacOS. In this post I am using a Mac Mini running Snow Leopard and VLC Media Player 1.0.5 ....and an HTC Legend.

Configure the Firewall

If your Mac's firewall is enabled, you will need to allow the VLC application to accept incoming requests - this is configured within the Security System Preferences:

Configure VLC Media Player

Within VLC Media Player on the Mac, select the option to add a Web Interface:

Now launch the VLC Preferences pane and select the option to view All Preferences. Scroll to Interface -> HTTP and enter in the IP address of the Mac's wireless adapter:

Configure the Wireless Router

If your wireless access point is configured to only allow specific MAC addresses, you will need to locate the MAC address of your Android device and add it to your access point. The MAC address, on the HTC Legend at any rate, is located under Settings --> About Phone --> Hardware Information:

Add this address to your wireless router:

Configure the Android device

The VLC Remote application is free to download from the Android Market.

Ensure that the Android device is connected to the same wireless network as the Mac and is assigned an IP address on the same local network (or on a network that can route to the destination network). NOTE - the destination machine to be controlled does not itself necessarily need to be connected to the network wirelessly, provided that it is on the same network as the wireless access point.

Launch the VLC Remote application on the Android device and select Settings. Add a new VLC Server and enter in the IP address of the Mac to be controlled:

You will now be connected to your Mac's VLC Media Player and be able to stop, pause and play media files as well as access any Playlists configured:

NOTE - to locate the IP address of the target machine, on that machine open the Network System Preferences and open the Advanced properties of the network adapter: