Wireless Dat Service (WDS) released a study that found Android devices costing wireless carriers billions in repairs 'as they try to evolve their customer service strategies to keep pace with the rapidly growing ecosystem.' WDS teams around the world conducted a study over the past year analyzing over 600,000 customer service calls. The study, entitled Controlling the Android, revealed the potential downside to the rapid adoption of Google's Android operating system across numerous wireless manufacturers and carriers alike.

WDS found that hardware failures among Android devices were more common than that of iPhone and Blackberry devices, most likely due to the sheer volume of phones across all makes running Google's operating system. As opposed to Android's open-source software, Apple and RIM's operating systems are developed in-house, allowing more control over user error.

Many Android devices are in fact low-end to appeal to consumers not wanting to spend money on super-smartphones with the latest technologies. Google's reach across manufacturers and consumers with Android allows for installation on low- and high-end devices. Not all manufacturers guarantee that their devices will get the latest iteration of Android, such as the upcoming 'Ice Cream Sandwich' update.

The result? Angry phone calls from consumers to wireless carriers and manufacturers asking why their hardware can't keep up with the latest technologies, thus prompting customer service departments to revamp their systems and spend even more funds to appeal to such inquiries, on top of other hardware failures. If these customers get too angry, they may take their business elsewhere. Newer low-end operating systems, as seen with Windows Phone 7.5 'Mango' may become an increasingly appealing choice for these customers.

However, Google's widespread reach with Android devices has been their key success, with Mobiledia stating the following: 'This widespread availability gives Android an advantage, helping it launch devices powered by the OS into the top spot in the competitive smartphone market. Earlier this year, Google announced over 500,000 Android devices are activated daily.'

Google has opted to give customers $10 if they use Google Wallet to experience paying everyday vendors with one's smartphone. Due to lackluster adoption rates, Google is ramping up its Hamiltonian promotion for its mobile payment service at select stores across five major US cities and at participating merchants such as Walgreens, Jamba Juice, Footlocker, and Peet's Coffee & Tea.

Do you live in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Washington, D.C.? Between now and January 12, Google, Sprint, and Samsung representatives will hold demos at the aforementioned franchises (and other locations to be determined) to demonstrate Google Wallet on Samsung Nexus S demo phones.

'We're excited to give you a chance to try out Google Wallet and experience paying with a mobile phone,' said Google in their official blog.

Google's limited release of Google Wallet on Samsung Nexus S phones using the Sprint network has resulted in less than ideal adoption rates for the corporation. Google Wallet terminals are only available at a limited number of Google-partnered merchants in an even more limited number of cities-- another reason why people most likely haven't even seen the service in action.

Mobiledia reports on a few more downsides to Google Wallet. 'Wallet is also limited in that it supports just two payment methods, Citi MasterCard and Google pre-paid cards. Rival mobile payment companies Square and PayPal, which don't use NFC technology in their systems, allow all major credit cards, putting Wallet at a possible disadvantage. But the search giant reported licensing Visa's PayWave, which would let Wallet work at thousands of payment terminals already equipped with Visa technology. Google also says it has plans to bring Visa, Discover and American Express on board in the future.'

By having live demos coupled with the rise of NFC-equipped phones released in the near future, Google may find more potential customers as their demos commence throughout the holiday season. In addition to this, Google's partnerships with more and more established services will help to spread adoption of Google Wallet and other NFC services.

The NFC Forum, an industry group for the promotion of NFC technologies, has recently gained support from Isis, a coalition of credit card companies, carriers, and smartphone manufacturers. With more major corporations within the industry promoting mobile payments, it is still to early to tell the future of Google Wallet. Standardization of NFC technology by these groups may result in adoption of NFC-enabled payment terminals at more and more vendors.

Looking for Samsung Google Nexus S cell phone accessories? While you wait for Google Wallet to come to your city, PhoneSale is your place for Samsung cellphone accessories and other cheap cell phone accessories at warehouse pricing!

As HTC phones become more popular stateside, the handset manufacturer aims to lure iPhone customers and other potential smartphone shoppers with a 70% spike in shipments, as cited by the company's third quarter earnings. Despite a recent loss in the heated Apple Patent Cases, the 'Tiny Giant' of a phonemaker isn't doing so bad in the numbers that count.

'Here in the States, Taiwan's own HTC is pulling rank; the aforesaid handset maker edged out Apple and Samsung by shipping 5.7 million smartphones,' says Engadget in regards with the spike in HTC device shipments.

Mobiledia cites HTC's successes as a result of the company moving to differentiate its offerings with other Android-based smartphones as well as to lure potential iPhone customers as those waiting for Apple's latest 4S device are experiencing the expected wait times as seen with other iPhone launches. 'HTC pumped eight new smartphones into the market during the third quarter, putting new offerings in front of eager customers who had grown tired of waiting for the iPhone 4S.'

HTC is also trying to be more self-reliant and more of a namesake outside of 'yet another Android phone manufacturer.' One-third of the third quarter sales was attributed to the sale of Windows phones, with the latest 'Mango' operating system update offering future support that may switch potential iPhone customers to Windows Phone-based HTC devices.

HTC also signed content deals akin to what's seen with the likes of similar wireless corporations. HTC announced deals with competative streaming services, such as video streaming by Saffron and Onlive mobile gaming. Onlive, for example, could be in direct competition with the XBOX Live services that Microsoft will release in the near future for Windows Phones. In addition to the above, HTC has also partnered with the NFC forum, furthering HTC's plan to deliver high-end features with their devices off the bat with NFC-embedded phones not yet experienced by iPhone customers.

HTC, like Samsung and many others involved in the wireless industry, has been in legal bouts with Apple over patents. As the appeal of other potential smartphones such as HTC's EVO 3D pull iPhone customers away from Apple's coffers, HTC continues to make a name for itself by any (legal) means necessary.

BlueStacks App Player allows you to enjoy the latest app releases of Android on Windows machines, using the comfort of your large screen or faster hardware compared to your phone.

BlueStacks has been released as an alpha, to have those on Windows 7 try apps from their Android phone on a PC using BlueStacks Cloud Connect. Ten pre-loaded apps are available upon downloading BlueStacks, allowing you to trying Android on Windows 7 netbooks, tablets, laptops, and PCs. The alpha stages allow up to 26 more apps to be installed, with more to follow in the future.

Upon installation, an Android gadget is placed on your desktop, where you can launch apps from Words With Friends to Pulse News. BlueStacks displays Android on Windows, in virtualized and full-screen glory, bringing your apps to dimensions unlike before.

Company CEO and co-founder Rosen Sharma, previously McAfee's chief technology officer, said he got the idea from his daughter: 'She went to a Netbook, and she wanted the same apps on it.'

Not until BlueStacks were you able to run phone apps normally for Android on Windows devices. Numerous HTC, Samsung, and other Android users may have a two way portal, flawlessly syncing apps to PCs. Sending apps from your phone to PC requires the BlueStacks Cloud Connect App from the Android Market. You will be given a unique pin number to connect devices and allow you to sync apps accordingly.

'Developers have an opportunity here, as BlueStacks touts, because the App Player opens up Android space to over a billion PC users, and it does not require any additional work because the apps can run unmodified on the Windows PC,' according to a ZDNet article.

In a market that is hot for Apple, Google may push more developments like BlueStacks. Android on Windows may provide Google an unexpected boost in users previously on devices without the Android OS.

Many, upon news of the iPhone 4S release, were disheartened to hear that the newest Apple device did not look so new at first glance. Though the hardware is still only comparable to that of the high-end smartphone market and nothing too revolutionary, the iPhone 4S' software end is quite the contrary.

Siri was introduced as Apple's new 'virtual intelligent assistant' providing iPhone 4S users a new method of interaction with their phone and its apps using voice commands. Texts, emails, calendar dates, and directions are amongst the basic commands one can alter or create by simply commandingf with Siri. Apple turns up the dial with Siri as your commands are tied in with location-based recommendations and searches that highlight upon keywords in your voice search.

The iPhone 4S release and Apple's preview of Siri spell potential trouble for Google, according to some media outlets and analysts. Google currently has Voice Actions for Android that allows you to take basic voice control with your phone by allowing you to say simple strings to get you cut-and-dry results. Voice commands such as 'navigate to X' will open up Google Maps to navigate you to X on your HTC, Samsung, or otherwise.

Though the iPhone 4S release will not immediately include Siri, the personal assistant promised by Apple may not only one-up Voice Actions for Android, but even Google's entire suite of search engines. In Apple's official commercial, questions such as 'How is the traffic in this area?' will prompt Siri to pull up a map with GPS data tracking the traffic. From there, you'll be able to ask Siri to notify someone that you are running late via text and change the calendar engagement with yet another command.

Siri may pose a bit of a threat to Google by altering the way one searches for things on their phone, and even allowing for convenient searches by making use of natural voice recognition. However, Google's slew of services such as Places, which works in tandem with Maps, Plus, and Offers, 'allows businesses to pay for higher placement [and] was born almost entirely out of watching how and what users search for on their mobile devices,' according to Ars Technica. 'Mobile ads attached to those queries are exploding right now—arguably moreso than just regular browser ads—and while Google doesn't live or die by that revenue alone, it's certainly not something to be taken lightly.'

As the iPhone 4S release looms, time will tell as to whether or not Google will suffer from Siri's amazing abilities.