Smart Phone

Android 4.4 KitKat release date for all smartphones

2013-12-21T02:57:00.000-08:00

If you hadn't heard Android four.4 KitKat is out in the wild on the Google Nexus five, where have you been?

The update doesn't mean that all devices can have a break, with Android KitKat making the cut on some handsets, but not others.

With the release of every update, no matter what OS, there's always devices that won't be supported. As the new kid on the block, Android four.4 KitKat is what they are all clamouring for, right?

If you are wondering about the next generation of Android handsets which will run KitKat, we have seen* the Galaxy S5 walking it through a leaked* video. (*not seen, not leaked. This is TechRadar's idea for

Samsung's next flagship

Hopefully we will see the latest Android update land on a much wider range of devices, with KitKat supporting devices with as little as 512MB RAM.

This will mean we should see it on new budget devices, and we can hold a little hope that older budget handsets will get a refresh - although it's unlikely manufacturers will revisit their older, cheaper smartphones.

We have been in contact with various manufacturers, and we will continue to update this article as news trickles in, so keep your eyes peeled.

Here's our guide to whether or not you're going to get the update to Google's latest iteration of Android, and when those updates should land.

Google Nexus

Android is Google's mobile OS, so the Android 4.4 KitKat update was always bound to land on certain Nexus devices. Unfortunately, the word 'certain' is key.

Google is only supporting the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 (both editions) and Nexus 10, with the updates for the tablets now finally here - although shorn of the Google Experience launcher, which seems to be something to do with the larger devices being unable to handle the transparent bar at the bottom of the screen.

This is taking a while though - not everyone has got the update yet, but it is rolling out slowly, so stay tuned to the 'System updates' section of your menu to see when it arrives.

The certain devices getting the KitKat update also include the Play editions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, but not the Samsung-madeGalaxy Nexus.

Reasons touted are that it doesn't fit in Google's 18-month update window, and that Texas Instruments no longer make mobile chips, so is unable to provide support.

Samsung

As flagship devices, we're expecting to see news at some point saying the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat update is happening.

Currently, Samsung devices are already receiving updates. Many devices including the Galaxy S4 and S3 are gaining updates to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, meaning they gain Galaxy Gear support too.

Samsung has a wide variety of handsets out at the moment, covering all shapes, sizes and ends of the market - and there's hope smartphones towards the bottom end will be treated to 4.4.

As the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, S4 Active and S4 Zoom didn't gain 4.3 Jelly Bean updates, Samsung might have been holding out for KitKat. Hopefully we'll find out soon.

HTC

The big question when it comes to HTC devices is likely to be 'Will the HTC One get Android 4.4 KitKat?'

The good news is that HTC America's CEO, Jason Mackenzie has confirmed that the One, One Max and One Mini will all be treated to the KitKat update.

So when will the update be landing? Well a HTC spokesperson has told TechRadar: "Across EMEA, HTC will work with local carriers to begin the roll-out of Android 4.4 with Sense 5.5 for the HTC One from end of January."

A recent HTC One Tweet re-iterated this, so it still looks like you'll have to wait until the New Year's celebrations are a quiet memory before getting your hands on the new update.

The Google Play edition of the One looks set to stay on schedule soon too, as HTC has apparently received the necessary software to push it out.

"The Google Play edition will start to receive the update earlier, starting from the end of November. Details regarding the HTC One max and the HTC One mini will follow."

We'll also soon see if any of HTC's older devices, such as the HTC One Xand One X+, will get KitKat too.

Sony

Sony has yet to announce which of its Xperia devices are set to get future updates, although we would be hopeful, if not a little expectant, that the Xperia Z and Xperia Z1 Android 4.4 KitKat updates are to be announced soon.

Sony isn't going to keep the world waiting. We should find out in the next few days, as the official Sony Xperia News Twitter account said on November 1 to watch out for news.

"re. #Android @KitKat, we're excited – next week our news on: 4.3, 4.4; products & more... #SonyXperia" Sony tweeted.

We'll be keeping an eye on the Sony Blog, and will let you know as soon as we hear anything.

LG

Good news, the LG G2 Android 4.4 KitKat update is real. Given that LG built the past two Nexus devices, we were a little hopeful.

LG has reiterated that the Nexus 4 is expected to receive its update in the next few weeks, whilst also confirming the LG G2 will get Android 4.4 KitKat, saying "the date for the G2 update is yet to be confirmed".

Other LG devices, including the LG G Pad 8.3 and its Optimus range could also be set of a refresh, with Android 4.4 KitKat supporting devices with RAM as low as 512MB.

Motorola

Google acquired Motorola not so long ago, if you count 18 months as not so long. Since then, the only major release that we have to speak of is the US-only Moto X.

Being both the parent company to the hardware and software components, we would at least hope to see a Moto X Android 4.4 KitKat update.

On a new devices front, we might see the Moto G, an expected budget device. Could this roll up with Android KitKat?

Huawei

When it comes to devices, Huawei may be famed for its budget offerings. This sometimes means that software updates can be a little hard to come by.

The Huawei Ascend P2 and Ascend P6 both have a lot to shout about, though, so we might well see Huawei Android 4.4 KitKat with the Emotion UI landing on both devices.

As for other devices, we've mentioned once or twice that there is support for lower end devices, so we may see support for more devices.

ZTE

Alongside Huawei, its Chinese compatriot ZTE is another firm that is famed for lower end devices.

Both the cheaper quad-core ZTE Blade V, now on the market toting 1GB RAM, as well as the 512MB RAM ZTE Blade 3, are both technically supported by KitKat.

Although ZTE currently has no word on planned updates, we could see an Android 4.4 KitKat upgrade land on these devices.

Acer

Acer isn't necessarily a brand that many will associate with Google's mobile OS, however it does have a few devices out there running Android software.

With tablets such as the Iconia A1, and Liquid branded smartphones like the Acer Liquid S1, we might well see some Android 4.4 KitKat update love being shared to the Taiwanese firm's devices.

As with every other manufacturer, we have contacted Acer to find out more.

Samsung Ships 10 Millionth Galaxy Note 3 Smartphone

2013-12-21T02:44:00.002-08:00

On the English version of the weblog, there was also an infographic showing all of the Samsung rings that have hit that magical 8-figure sales number. In addition to a few dumb rings & early Android rings, all of the flagship Galaxy rings are on the list. There is the Galaxy S, Galaxy S II, Galaxy S III, Galaxy S four, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II, & Galaxy Note three.

Samsung's latest flagship phone, the Galaxy Note three, is officially a member of what the company calls it is ten Million Seller Club. That is right, despite the phablet's awkward sizing, it is proving to be as popular, & then some, as smaller rings. Samsung made the announcement on the their Samsung Tomorrow weblog.

Sony's upcoming Z1s/Z1 Mini may be of the first to offer a flagship, quad-core Snapdragon CPU with a phone that can still be operating with hand.

With the large rings selling so well, it is hard to deny that customers are up to purchasing ever-larger smartphones. It is still difficult, however, to say whether fans prefer the better specs that the rings offer, the bigger screens, or a mix of the. We have not seen crazy sales of either Samsung's Mega line of smartphones, indicating that it is not basically the immense screens that people favor.

By comparison, they don't know how lots of iPhone 5s handsets have sold, though it is been indicated that the phone is selling faster than its predecessor did last year. Rumors did point at Foxconn as making 500,000 iPhone 5s smartphones each day in order to keep up with demand.

Samsung Tomorrow by TNW

Sony PlayMemories App Gets Update For Lens Style Cameras

2013-12-21T02:39:00.000-08:00

The Sony PlayMemories Camera app has been updated to version four.0. This update will be obtainable for all Sony cameras that are Wi-Fi enabled & can be present in both GooglePlay & the Apple App Store. The program update now offers users an embedded "Quick Viewer" photograph browser. The app also promises faster speeds for iOS devices.

In addition to the program update, there will even be a camera firmware update for the QX lens style cameras that were recently released. The update will permit both cameras to shoot full HD 1080p video (1920x1080@30p). It will also enable the QX100 to shoot in shutter priority mode. Finally, the firmware update will give the QX10 additional ISO range up to 3200 & QX100 additional ISO range up to 12800.

Another program update is scheduled for Spring 2014. The future update will improve connectivity speeds on Android devices.

Apple Requiring Apps to Optimize for iOS 7 Beginning February 1st

2013-12-21T02:34:00.000-08:00

In what will hopefully help with a quantity of the application instabilities, Apple is forcing all apps submitted to the iOS App Store after February 1st, 2014 to be optimized for iOS 7. That includes any updates to the applications, as well as entirely new submissions.

No matter the way you slice it, iOS 7 has been a controversial choice on the part of Apple. Radical redesigns, new levels of tool instability, and even faster uptake on the part of iOS users around the globe have all kept Apple's latest application release in the news, recently.

Apple's request will mean developers must build their apps using the newer Xcode five - which means that they will all have 64-bit support baked in. In addition to increasing tool and app stability, the new guidelines will likely lead to apps that visually mesh with the new operating system; current application versions immediately look dated when walking on the new systems.

"Starting February one, new apps and app updates submitted to the App Store must be built with the latest version of Xcode five and must be optimized for iOS 7. Learn more about preparing your apps by reviewing the iOS Human Interface Guidelines."

by: TechCrunch

Nokia Normandy Android smartphone rumoured for 2014

2013-12-17T14:34:00.000-08:00

Nokia is rumoured to be preparing its first Android smartphone, which would either sit alongside or replace its existing range of Asha budget handsets & go on sale in 2014.

According to The Verge, unnamed Nokia employees have said the smartphone, codenamed Normandy, has been under development for some time.

The reason for the slow gestation is that Nokia is experimenting with a heavily customised version of the Android operating process - much in the same way that Amazon changes Google's interface for its Kindle Fire HD tablets.

They got our first look at a feasible Normandy prototype in November, when prolific Twitter spy @evleaks posted images of a red handset without the usual capacitive buttons or Windows logo. It was originally thought to be an Asha tool, but Nokia insiders have said otherwise.

Despite having sold its devices division to Microsoft, these rumours recommend Nokia is not going to be tied to the Windows Phone mobile operating process forever. The company has not said anything official, but with Mobile World Congress set for February they could only have a few months to wait.

Android botnet stealing SMS messages

2013-12-17T14:29:00.001-08:00

Security specialists have warned Android smartphone owners to be on their guard against newly discovered malware that steals SMS messages and emails them to cyber criminals in China.

The malware is part of what is described by tech security company FireEye as of the "largest and advanced" mobile botnets to date

botnet, which is dubbed "MisoSMS," has already been used in several adware campaigns.

MisoSMS infects Android systems by deploying a class of malicious Android app.

Each of the campaigns has been found to leverage web mail as its (CnC) infrastructure & the CnC infrastructure comprises over 450 matchless malicious electronic mail accounts.

The mobile malware masquerades as an Android settings app used for administrative tasks. When executed, it secretly steals the user personal SMS messages & emails them to a command-and-control (CnC) infrastructure hosted in China, FireEye warned.

The attackers logged in from Korea & mainland China, among other locations, to periodically read the stolen SMS messages.

"This threat highlights the necessity for greater cross-country & cross-organisational efforts to take down giant malicious campaigns," FireEye reported

Top 5 Android apps in November 2013 from Google Play

2013-12-17T14:05:00.002-08:00

App PicsArt-1

The application PicsArt one of the best applications that enables you to capture and make adjustments on the photographs which provides you with the latter many additions and the tools to do so, as you can distort and add effects very pretty on and you can download many backgrounds and technical drawings of the store application to add more life to your photos Special

2-iHeartRadio

Application was developed iHeartRadio by Clear Channel Broadcasting, one of the best applications of radio for devices Alandroed where you can the latter to listen to radio stations of your favorite addition to the more than 15 million song as you can set up stations commercial free with songs of your favorite artists in addition to access to Latest News and registration, or to participate in competitions.

You can download the application from the Google Play store

3-Viber

Viber application is considered one of the best applications to communicate Alandroed devices that allow you to communicate with family and friends where you can free the latter from make phone calls and send text messages, video messages and also send messages through more expressionistic posters, symbols, and graphics. The best feature of this application is to keep all the letters and calls.

You can download the application from the Google Play store

4-WeatherBug

The application WeatherBug one of the best applications that let you know the weather forecasts in the USA as it displays the last pictures of weather conditions in many of the delay, thanks to its connection with more than 2,000 Kamerawakther characteristic of this application is the possibility of accessing food through a button on the main screen.

You can download the application from the Google Play store

5-Instagram

There is no doubt that the application of Instagram is one of the best and most applications share photos and videos in the world where the latter allows you to share your photos with friends and family all over the world and capture videos up to 15 minutes duration and the amendment by a set of tools provided by you.

You can download the application from the Google Play store

So dear readers today we got the best 5 apps for Android in the month of September 2013, which I hope you like it Do not forget to join us your comments in the comments

Samsung Galaxy S5 Release is 2014

2013-12-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

With claimed Samsung Galaxy S5 benchmarks having appeared online in recent days, it's been suggested that, despite making a jump to a rival 64 bit processor, the Samsung Galaxy S4 follow-on will in fact be slower than its leading Apple-branded rival.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 rumours continue to flow, with latest reports claiming the handset will be slower than the iPhone 5S when it launches in Q1 2014.

While reports have suggested that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S5 clocked a score of 3303.88 in a Right ware Browser mark check, the recording is slower than both the iPhone 5S's score of 3669.91 and even the Samsung Galaxy Note three which clocked 3353.07

What is the meaning of IOS and how can i use it ?

2013-12-15T13:18:00.002-08:00

iOS (previously iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system developed and distributed by Apple Inc. Originally unveiled in 2007 for theiPhone, it has been extended to support other Apple devices such as the iPod Touch (September 2007), iPad (January 2010), iPad Mini(November 2012) and second-generation Apple TV (September 2010). Unlike Microsoft's Windows Phone and Google's Android, Apple does not license iOS for installation on non-Apple hardware. As of October 2013, Apple's App Store contained more than 1 million iOS applications, 475,000 of which were optimised for iPad.^[5] These apps have collectively been downloaded more than 60 billion times.^[6] It had a 21% share of the smartphone mobile operating system units shipped in the fourth quarter of 2012, behind Google's Android.^[7] In June 2012, it accounted for 65% of mobile web data consumption (including use on both the iPod Touch and the iPad).^[8] At the half of 2012, there were 410 million devices activated.^[9] According to the special media event held by Apple on September 12, 2012, 400 million devices had been sold by June 2012.^[10]

The user interface of iOS is based on the concept of direct manipulation, using multi-touch gestures. Interface control elements consist of sliders, switches, and buttons. Interaction with the OS includes gestures such as swipe, tap, pinch, and reverse pinch, all of which have specific definitions within the context of the iOS operating system and its multi-touch interface. Internal accelerometers are used by some applications to respond to shaking the device (one common result is the undo command) or rotating it in three dimensions (one common result is switching from portrait to landscape mode).

iOS is derived from OS X, with which it shares the Darwin foundation and various application frameworks. iOS is Apple's mobile version of the OS X operating system used on Apple computers.

Major versions of iOS are released annually. The current release, iOS 7, was released on September 18, 2013. In iOS, there are fourabstraction layers: the Core OS layer, the Core Services layer, the Media layer, and the Cocoa Touch layer. The current version of the operating system (iOS 7.0.4), dedicates 1–1.5 GB of the device's flash memory for the system partition, using roughly 800 MB of that partition (varying by model) for iOS itself.^[11]^[12] It runs on the iPhone 4 and later, 2nd-generation iPad and later, all models of the iPad Mini, the 5th-generation iPod Touch, and Apple TV

What is the meaning of Android and how can i use it ?

2013-12-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

Android is an operating system based on the Linux kernel, and designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones andtablet computers. Initially developed by Android, Inc., which Google backed financially and later bought in 2005^] Android was unveiled in 2007 along with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance: a consortium of hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices.the first Android phone (HTC Dream) was sold in October 2008.^[15]

The user interface of Android is based on direct manipulation, using touch inputs that loosely correspond to real-world actions, like swiping, tapping, pinching and reverse pinching to manipulate on-screen objects. Internal hardware such as accelerators, gyroscopes and proximity sensors are used by some applications to respond to additional user actions, for example adjusting the screen from portrait to landscape depending on how the device is oriented. Android allows users to customize their home screens with shortcuts to applications and widgets, which allow users to display live content, such as emails and weather information, directly on the home screen. Applications can further send notifications to the user to inform them of relevant information, such as new emails and text messages.

Android is open source and Google releases the source code under the Apache License.^[] This open-source code and permissive licensing allows the software to be freely modified and distributed by device manufacturers, wireless carriers and enthusiast developers. However, most Android devices ship with additional proprietary software.^[3] Additionally, Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("apps") that extend the functionality of devices, written primarily in the Java programming language in October 2012, there were approximately 700,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from Google Play, Android's primary app store, was 25 billion ^[developer survey conducted in April–May 2013 found that Android is the most popular platform for developers, used by 71% of the mobile developer population

What is the Smart phone ?

2013-12-15T12:52:00.002-08:00

A smartphone, or smart phone, is a mobile phone built on a mobile operating system, with more advanced computing capability and connectivity than a feature phone ^[The first smartphones combined the functions of a personal digital assistant (PDA), including email functionality, with a mobile phone. Later models added the functionality of portable media players, low-end compact digital cameras, pocket video cameras, and GPS navigation units to form one multi-use device. Many modern smartphones also include high-resolution touchscreens and web browsers that display standard web pages as well as mobile-optimized sites. High-speed data access is provided by Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, NFC and Bluetooth. In recent years, the rapid development of mobile app markets and of mobile commerce have been drivers of smartphone adoption.

The mobile operating systems (OS) used by modern smartphones include Google's Android, Apple's iOS, Symbian, Blackberry Ltd's BlackBerry 10, Samsung's Bada, Microsoft's Windows Phone, Hewlett-Packard's webOS, and embedded Linux distributions such as Maemo and MeeGo. Such operating systems can be installed on many different phone models, and typically each device can receive multiple OS software updates over its lifetime. A few other upcoming operating systems are Mozilla's Firefox OS, Canonical Ltd.'s Ubuntu Phone, and Tizen.

Worldwide sales of smartphones exceeded those of feature phones in early 2013. As of July 18, 2013, 90 percent of global handset sales are attributed to the purchase of Android and iPhone smartphones.