Andy Rubin, Google's director of mobile platforms, says there are "now over 700,000 Android devices activated every day," sharing the news on Google's social networking site, G+. (Rubin put the words "Bureau of Android Statistics" under his name on the site.)

"... and for those wondering, we count each device only once (ie, we don't count re-sold devices), and 'activations' means you go into a store, buy a device, put it on the network by subscribing to a wireless service" for Android on a phone or tablet, he added, a few minutes after his original post.

The numbers are more than double those reported by Google a year ago, when the company said there were 300,000 Android devices being activated daily.

Google's wireless competitors, including Apple, don't share such activation stats. But in order to give you a bit of context, we crunched a daily sales number for Apple's iPads and iPhones. Based on the last Apple quarterly report, approximately 315,000 were sold every day during the quarter ending Sept. 24.

Android's share of the smartphone market has continued to climb. Last month, The NPD Group said Android was on 44 percent of all smartphones purchased in the U.S. in the third quarter, an increase of 11 percent from the second quarter. Apple's iOS "held relatively steady versus last quarter, rising one percentage point to 23 percent; RIM OS, fell to third position, declining from 28 percent to 22 percent."

Rubin's comments on G+ have drawn lots of "yays" from Android users, and some "nays" from those frustrated by the different versions of Android operating systems on phones, and the inability to update the operating system depending on the version and the phone they have.

Rubin's G+ post served as a means for users to vent. One, named Gaurang Dave, wrote: "I too am an Android user and huge fan of the operating system ... but my only issue is the OS upgrade ... I just bought a new device couple of months ago ... and now am sure that there is no way I can update the OS ... unless I root it and risk bricking my phone ... Andy please fix this ... and find a way so that user(s) can easily upgrade their phone(s)."

Related stories:

• Android Market hits 10 billion downloads
• It's Android or Apple for 71 percent of US smartphone users
• Android 4.0 review: The Sandwich has a few cool treats
• 300,000 Android phones activated every day

Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

Facebook

Facebook for Android update, with Timeline

Even though Facebook for Android came out later than Facebook for Apple, the Android app — like the mobile OS itself — has taken the lead over its iPhone/iPad counterpart.

AppData documented the rise in Facebook for Android's daily users, which culminated in this week's technical knockout with 58.8 million daily active users, vs. Facebook for iPhone's 57.6 million. (These are, by the way, the official mobile apps made by Facebook, not third-party ones.)

Of course, considering the increasing ubiquity of Android devices and downloads, it shouldn't come as too much of a shock to anyone that it's on top, especially since it's a free download.

It was never a question of if  Facebook for Android would gain more users, but rather, when it would surpass the iPhone Facebook users. Just this past week, it added 1.3 million users. Consider that about a month ago, on Nov. 19, Facebook for Android had a little over 53 million daily active users. 

AppData

In contrast, Facebook for iPhone added only 300,000 daily active users in the past week, and during the same month duration only gained 2.5 million daily active users.

On a monthly active user basis, Facebook for iPhone is still ahead, with 99.5 million vs. Facebook for Android's 86.1 million. But again, Android picked up 1.6 million monthly active users in the past 7 days, showing a faster rate of additions than Facebook for iPhone, which only gained 500,000 monthly active users in the same time period.

The latest update to the app, released on Android Market Dec. 15, aligns it with the Timeline changes on Facebook, which is also reflected in the most recent Facebook for iPhone update. Other improvements include: one-press navigation to groups, apps, pages and settings; zoom on friends' photo tags; and faster notifications.

In a recent Nielsen report, Facebook is second only to the Android Market as the most used app on Androids.

More stories:

• Facebook iPhone app updated with Timeline support
• Nielsen: Android users are on Facebook ... a lot
• Nielsen: Google & Facebook rule Android use
• Americans spend more time on Facebook than any other site
• It's Android or Apple for 71 percent of US smartphone users 

Check out Technolog on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Athima Chansanchai, who is also trying to keep her head above water in the Google+ stream.

Nielsen

Two years ago, 18 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers owned a smartphone; now 44 percent do, according to new research from Nielsen. And Apple continues to be the top smartphone manufacturer in the U.S., with 28.6 percent of the smartphone market, while Android is the most favored operating system by manufacturers, with the largest share of the smartphone market at 44 percent.

The findings are part of Nielsen's "State of the Media: The Mobile Media" report, based on a survey of 25,000 mobile customers. The report  also says:

• 64 percent of 25– to 34-year-olds and 53 percent of 18– to 24-year-olds now own smartphones, "and they have led in smartphone penetration compared to other age groups since 2009."
• 83 percent of all smartphone application downloaders use Android or Apple iOS smartphone devices and "they mostly discover apps by searching the top app stores and relying on recommendations."
• On the Android platform, app usage varies by age: "Older generations like games, such as 'Angry Birds,' and rely on their mobile devices for productivity (e.g. Google properties). Younger folks will use entertainment apps with social dimensions (e.g. Pandora, YouTube, Words with Friends) more than older segments."
• Social networking is "increasingly popular on mobile devices: Android smartphones and iPhone users spend more time engaging with the Facebook application on their phones than any other mobile application."
• Teens ages 13 to 17 "sent and received the most" text messages, an average of 3,417 as month in the third quarter of this year. But the "number of messages sent by those 55+ has more than doubled compared to 2009."
• 87 percent of those who have downloaded an app in the last 30 days say they used "deal-of-the-day websites like Groupon or Living Social."
• 49 percent say they "frequently use their smartphones while shopping."

Smartphone users also have a growing "app"-etite for apps; Nielsen says "app downloaders report having an average of 33 apps on their mobile phone, up 22 percent since 2010. Apple iPhone app downloaders have an average of 44 apps on their phones, while those with Android OS smartphones report having an average of 32."

Related stories:

• Average teen girl sends, receives nearly 4K texts a month
• Nielsen: Android users are on Facebook ... a lot
• It's Android or Apple for 71 percent of US smartphone users
• Apple top smartphone maker in U.S.: Nielsen

Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Actress Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, speaks at the fifth annual official Star Trek convention at the Las Vegas Hilton Aug. 20, 2006.

It's not exactly the final frontier, but the buzz around Siri has seemed to give Android's makers enough of a kick to come out with their own version of the smartphone voice-activated personal assistant, codenamed after a venerable Star Trek legend, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry.

Taylor Wimberly, founder of Android and Me, published a post with unattributed information that by year's end, Majel could make her debut as Android's answer to the Siri overnight sensation. 

Wimberly predicts:

Speaking of actions, it sounds like only Google search queries will be included with the initial release, that could come as soon as this year. I say this year because I’ve heard that engineers at Google X are working around the clock on finishing the first release and the NY Times previously reported that one product would be released by Google X this year.

December is nearly half over, so a January or February release might be more realistic. Other more advanced features like controlling phone actions and applications with natural language commands are expected to come later.

We've contacted Google for comment, but there is some cause to believe Wimberly's tip, namely in Google's recent acquisition of Clever Sense, makers of Alfred, a "personal robot" app available for Android and iOs devices that learns your favorite places to go out, to eat and other habits to create curated recommendations.

Google also acquired Phonetic Arts, which specializes in speech synthesis.

If you're not a fan of the sci-fi cult franchise, Barrett-Roddenberry is the widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, and has held three key roles spanning the various TV series and movies: She was the voice of the Federation ship computers, which explains Google's interest in her name, but she also played Nurse Chapel (who later got her M.D.) in the original series, and Lwaxana, mother of Counselor Troi in the "Next Generation." Often embarrassing to her more conservative daughter, Mrs. Troi was a fan favorite who also pined for Capt. Picard.

While we're still waiting on official confirmation, these are exciting developments for a voice-activated world that would be at home on any sci-fi show.

More stories:

• Siri starts man's car
• Awkward: Apple's Siri translates as 'buttocks' in Japan
• Colbert: Apple's Siri 'is clearly an arch conservative woman'

Check out Technolog on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Athima Chansanchai, who is also trying to keep her head above water in the Google+ stream.

Nielsen

If you're on an Android phone, it's highly likely you're checking Facebook on it. The social network dominates app usage on Androids, according to a recent Nielsen report.

Facebook is second only to the Android Market in usage on the phones, across all the age groups measured by Nielsen, edging out Gmail, Google Maps and YouTube. Only in the 35-to-44 age range does Facebook tie with Gmail. 

Across all age groups, starting with 18-year-olds and ending with 44-year-olds, more than 50 percent of those polled using these apps.

In a similar report released in September, Facebook was in the thick of things, but sandwiched mostly between Gmail and Google Search. Also that month, Nielsen released another report that showed how dominant Facebook was in general, with Americans spending 53 million minutes on the site. (Second place Blogger didn't even break the million-minute threshold.) 

Back to this current app report, two games also break into the Top 15: "Angry Birds" and "Words With Friends" (a game Alec Baldwin has now made famous, if it wasn't before). The latter seems most popular with the youngest set polled by Nielsen.

The only other Web-based email service that broke into the top 15 was Yahoo Mail, while the Amazon Appstore also saw more shopping potential as it stretched across the ages.

So what apps do you use most often on your Android?

More stories:

• Nielsen: Google & Facebook rule Android use
• Americans spend more time on Facebook than any other site
• It's Android or Apple for 71 percent of US smartphone users 

Check out Technolog on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Athima Chansanchai, who is also trying to keep her head above water in the Google+ stream.

Lookout Mobile Security

A smartphone security company has predicted that in 2012, there will be more malware masquerading as legit apps, apps that will fleece consumer pockets and malvertising — real-looking ads that lead trusting souls to fraudulent sites.

Lookout Mobile Security, which monitors apps on Android, Blackberry, iOS and Windows Mobile devices, released its "Malwarenomics: 2012 Mobile Malware Predictions" report Tuesday night, which follows up on information gathered this year that revealed more than 1,000 instances of infected applications, doubling in frequency since July. 

The report also found that for U.S. Android users, the likelihood of clicking on an unsafe link is 40 percent.

Not that it's surprising, but money seems the most significant motivation behind the most egregious mobile malware Lookout studied:

When mobile malware producers are able to steadily increase profits from infections more than they pay to infect devices, the industry will grow rapidly. There are a number of trends seen in 2011 that we expect to carry over into 2012 (perhaps at a greater rate) that will drive down the cost of infection and drive up profitability. 

The company identified some specific instances where consumers "should use extra caution when downloading apps or clicking links" on phones: 

• Visiting third party app stores. Lookout found that malware writers often test malware in alternative app markets before trying to place it in the Android Market or App Store. When discovered, malware is usually pulled more quickly from these primary distributors than it is from alternative markets. The likelihood of you encountering malware on an alternative app store increases dramatically.
• Downloading gaming, utility and porn applications. Be careful to check reviews on these apps before you download. We found that these types of apps are most likely to have malware hidden inside of them.
• Clicking on a shortened URL (e.g. bitly link) in an SMS message or on a social networking site. Users are three times more likely to click on a phishing link on their mobile device than they are on their PC (Trusteer 2011). Because we expect malware writers to increase web­‐based distribution, it’s time to start using extra caution when clicking on links on our mobile phones.
• An app asks you to click “OK”. Don’t “auto pilot” through the prompts an app shows you in order to perform a certain function or deliver a service. Sometimes these apps are greyware, which hide in fine print that they will charge you via premium rate text messages.

• Clicking on in‐app advertisements. Not all advertisements are bad. In fact, most are okay. But some are examples of malvertising and could direct you to a malicious website, prompt you to download malware, or violate your privacy. When clicking on ads, you need to make sure that the ad directs to where you expect to be directed. 

In short: resolve to make the new year a safe one when it comes to your phone.

More stories:

• Android app detects Carrier IQ
• McAfee: Malware loves Android
• Report: Dangerous links will affect 3 of 10 smartphone users

Check out Technolog on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Athima Chansanchai, who is also trying to keep her head above water in the Google+ stream.

Google

Graph showing Android Market growth in downloads

It took about two years, but the Android Market has reached a new threshold with its 10 billionth download, Photobucket Mobile. And to celebrate that — and possibly crank up those numbers even more — Google is selling selected apps every day for another week for 10 cents each.

Most of those apps usually cost 99 cents to $7, so it's a good deal to snap them up while they're still only a dime. 

In contrast, it took Apple's App Store about 2.5 years to hit 10 billion downloads almost a year ago, in January (with a giveaway of $10,000 to the woman who downloaded the milestone app, only after she hung up on them thinking it was a telemarketer). In July, the App Store crossed over into 15 billion downloads.

Google released an infographic, which we also share with you below. It gives us more details about this marker, such as how quickly the momentum has built up behind Android. In the five months between July and December, about four billion downloads poured into Android devices. Before that, it took more than a year to for that same volume to occur. 

We can't say we're that surprised they're at 10 billion. After all, there are more Android devices than iOS devices, which accounts for how it overtook Apple's mobile operating system download market share earlier this fall.

The infographic also tells us that the most popular download time is post-dinner, pre-bed, at 9 p.m. The U.S. also isn't the country with the appiest tendenices. In fact, it comes in fourth behind South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The biggest category for downloads is not a shocker, either: games, with more than a quarter of those billions.

But Android has been beset by consistent reports of malware invasions, most recently implicated prominently in a McAfee report. Android's vulnerability is also key in this story, which reveals Android malware has jumped 472 percent since July. But, that's not to say Google doesn't take precautions. Through applications permissions, sandboxing and making the device default to Android Market downloads, and other pre-emptive and responsive mechanisms, Google tries to counter those threats. Though it is open source, consumers should be wary of opening up their Android devices to third-party downloads not funneled through the official Android Market.

There's still a week left of the 10-cent discounted apps promo happening in Android Market. Today’s discounted apps are:

• Home Run Battle 3D
• Reckless Getaway
• Talking Tom Cat 2
• Kids Learn to Read
• ADW EX
• Space Physics
• Toki Tori
• Can Knockdown 2
• Tetris
• Blue Skies Donation Live Wallpaper

Google

More stories:

• More Android devices means more downloads than iOS
• 500,000 apps now in Android Market
• 25 reasons Android should fear iOS right now
• Top 10 ways iOS outdoes Android
• iOS gadgets outnumbering Androids by huge margin

Check out Technolog on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Athima Chansanchai, who is also trying to keep her head above water in the Google+ stream.

Facebook

The Facebook for Android app has received a significant — and rather necessary — makeover. It is now speedier, better organized, and more appealing than ever.

According to a post on the official Facebook blog, the updated app is beginning to show up in the Android Market. The key improvements in the new version include upgrades to the photo tools, changes to the main navigation pane and simpler access to messages.

It's now easier for users to view or edit comments, captions and tags on photos. And Facebook claims that it'll be possible to navigate through photos and albums twice as fast as in the previous Android app.

There is a main navigation pane which slides out from the left side of the screen and messages or notifications can pop down when necessary. (Yes, those particular details may sound incredibly familiar to those who use Facebook's iPhone app.)

Assuming that this newly makeover app isn't as prone to crashing as some of its predecessors, I'd say that Facebook deserves a little round of applause for finally getting things into shape for Android users.

Related stories:

• Facebook glitch reveals private photos — including Zuckerberg's
• Facebook: 6 degrees of separation? More like 4
• Facebook begins rolling out new Timeline design

Want more tech news, silly puns, or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

Instagram

According to Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom, the iOS version of the app already has between 14 and 15 million users.

Instagram — a popular iPhone-based photo-sharing service (and app) — is finally heading to Android.

CNET reports that Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom revealed that the company has two people working on developing an Android version of the app right now. There are no details as to how long it'll be before Android users are actually able to download and use Instagram yet, mind you.

Amusingly enough, Systrom remarked that the reason Instagram launched on the iPhone first is because that happened to be the mobile device of choice for the company's founders. Thanks to the superior camera performance of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, this decision — no matter how strangely it was made — turned out to be a very good one and quickly earned Instagram a large userbase.

Related stories:

• Getting arrested? Use this app to alert important people
• Android app automatically replies to text messages for you
• WalkSafe app keeps you from strolling into traffic

Want more tech news, silly puns or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

Starbucks

By John Cook
GeekWire

Starbucks customers are increasingly paying for coffee and snacks with their mobile phones. The Seattle coffee retailer says it has processed some 26 million mobile transactions since launching the mobile payment service in January.

And the buzz appears to be building. Adam Brotman, senior vice president and general manager of digital ventures at Starbucks, says the company processed 6 million mobile transactions during the nine-week period ended Nov. 30. That compared with 3 million transactions during the first nine weeks of the program earlier this year.

Users of the Starbucks iPhone and Android apps load cash onto their phones and then pay by scanning the device at retail locations. In essence, the mobile apps can replace plastic gift cards.

For the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, Brotman said customers loaded more than $2.4 billion onto gift cards. Of that amount, more than $110 million was loaded via mobile apps.

“Even less than a year in, we are seeing significant adoption of the mobile apps for doing everyday transactions, not just payment but reload,” said Brotman.

Some customers also have begun to take advantage of a new e-gifting feature in the apps,  which lets them send an electronic gift card to someone else.

Based on the success, Brotman says the company plans to roll out mobile payment to 700 locations in the U.K. in January. The company recently expanded the program in Canada. 

Starbucks also continues to evaluate mobile drink ordering, a frequently requested feature from Starbucks’ customers.

“There are a lot of factors in mobile ordering that are not just about the technology, but also about the operations,” Brotman tells GeekWire. “It is something that our customers have asked us for, so we talk about it every day.”

Top U.S. cities for mobile payments at Starbucks include New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago and San Jose.

More from GeekWire:

• Starbucks to serve beer and wine on Amazon campus
• Bring your coffee cup to life this holiday season with Starbucks new iPhone app
• Best coffee shop for work? Our 15 essential ingredients

Google Groups

Screenshot of the message board posting the release of an x86 Android version.

Android developers have released a version of 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich that is compatible with "x86" chips. That is, Android can run on chips by Intel and AMD, the ones found in most personal computers, from netbooks and laptops to desktop towers.

9to5Google spotted a message board posting about the release, which promised Wi-Fi and multitouch functionality, but no access to sound, camera, networking or hardware acceleration. The Google-watching blog reminds us that the search giant promised back in September that all future versions of Android would be friendly to Intel (and AMD) chips.

It makes sense, given the fact that there are Android tablets that have the power of typical laptops already, and in terms of basic usage, the OS could easily compete with Microsoft's Windows and Apple's Mac OS. Power users would probably steer clear, or would keep an Android version available for times when battery life is more important than functionality. That is, assuming battery life is better.

It also makes sense because it matches what Microsoft is doing, which is the reverse. In late 2012, Windows 8 will launch in two flavors, one that runs on x86 Intel and AMD chips, like the previous versions of Windows, and another that runs on ARM-based chips, which are found in tablet and phone devices that currently run Android and Apple's iOS.

(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)

More on Android from msnbc.com:

• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich available for developers
• It's Android or Apple for 71 percent of US smartphone users
• McAfee: Malware loves Android
• Samsung Galaxy Nexus review: The one to beat

Catch up with Wilson on Twitter at @wjrothman, or on Google+. And join our conversation on Facebook.