Lookout Mobile Security has become a darling of the Android app world, although the hype isn't without good reason. Even if the antivirus and malware threats haven't fully materialized quite yet for the mobile operating system--and there are some indications that's changing--Lookout offers enough solid security features to make it a must-have app. It comes with a free phone locator service that can be upgraded to include remote wipe and remote lock options, as well as online backup for your contacts and anti-malware scans.

So what did we think of it? Check out the review for a full accounting of Lookout Mobile Security for Android.

LAS VEGAS--Skype's official CES press conference isn't until tomorrow, but there's a lot we already know, thanks to Nvidia. During a press conference today, the Tegra 2 chipmaker confirmed what we've been speculating for weeks, that Skype will introduce two-way video calling for Android devices.

The announcement came casually, as Nvidia President and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang welcomed Manrique Brenes, Skype's director of Business Development, to the stage to show off Skype video chatting on an Android tablet running one of Nvidia's dual-core chips.

Choked bandwidth caused Huang to scrap the demo and move on, but not before making it clear that two-way video chat is a reality. Skype recently brought video chatting to the iPhone, after falling behind mobile competitors.

Although he didn't say more than a few words about it on stage, Skype's Benares did say this in a statement:

We are excited that NVIDIA has leveraged SkypeKit to build a reference implementation of HD video calling on Android Tablets. In the near future, consumers will be able to make video calls from their Tegra-powered Tablets to anyone else using Skype, whether it's on a PC, Mac, TVs, or phones.

We think it's a safe bet we'll see the same in a Skype-made app for Android smartphones. Skype's press conference begins tomorrow (Thursday) at 10:30 am. Check back with us then.

Originally posted at CES 2011

LAS VEGAS--Underscoring two smartphones trends at CES 2011, Qualcomm is getting behind ooVoo to show the latter's video chat app on an Android phone.

More specifically, the two companies are demonstrating ooVoo's multi-party video chat app on a yet-to-be-released, dual-core Android phone running Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipset.

This exercise is important for a few reasons. First, as with any hardware change, performance specs only sink in when you can see how much faster or smoother they can execute tasks compared with the previous version. Take dual- and quad-core desktops and laptops, for example. At first glance, they look just like previous, single-processor models. It's only when tasks take significantly less time that the speed becomes apparent.

With its ability to maintain up to six video streams over Wi-Fi and data, Oovoo's video conference calling app is resource-hungry--and a good way to demonstrate a phone's quickened hardware performance.

Secondly (and to a lesser degree,) the battle over superior hardware also encompasses front-facing cameras, of which we'll undoubtedly see in greater supply at the show. They're not new (Sony Ericsson and Nokia models have long had them), but the video chatting concept is reaching a wider audience, even if the practice hasn't yet found its feet.

Finally, the CES partnership highlights the competitive activity around both the performance-boosting hardware and the two-way video chatting software that takes advantage of it. Nvidia beat Qualcomm to a dual-core Android phone release, and there are other players waiting to make their move--many at this show. Likewise, Skype and Qik are vying for their slice of the two-way video chatting pie against the relative unknown of ooVoo. (Skype recently added two-way chatting for iPhone; an Android announcement should be imminent.)

With all that in mind, we'll be keeping our ears pricked for more dual-core and video chatting news at the show. Stay tuned.

Originally posted at CES 2011