CyanogenMod 11.0 M7 is now rolling out to download servers for supported devices. Based on Android 4.4.2, this updated software introduces a new calculator app and some performance improvements for low-memory devices rocking 512MB of RAM or less. Here’s a look at the complete changelog:
Not letting T-Mobile subscribers have all the fun, Google has released the factory image and binaries for Android 4.4.3 today. These tools apply to the Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (2013) and WiFi Nexus 10, Nexus 4 and WiFi Nexus 7 (2012) models.
Google-owned VirusTotal today released a version of the VirusTotal uploader application (via The Next Web) compatible with Mac OS X. Previously the software was only available for Windows-based machines.
VirusTotal Uploader works in conjunction with the VirusTotal web service to check files and links for malware. Google hopes that the release of the software for the Mac will help users more easily detect attacks on Apple’s platform. From the VirusTotal blog:
Today, Google announced a trio of updates heading to Glass later this week and they appear to be pretty thoughtful. First on the docket is image backups.This process will only take place when Glass is connected to WiFi, however users with wireless data to burn will have the option of forcing a data backup if they wish to do so. Snap happy shutterbugs will also be able to clear photos and videos from their timelines, which should help keep things nice and tidy.
Last week, international Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition owners started sinking their teeth into KitKat and today it’s Verizon’s turn. An over-the-air update for Big Red’s 2014 version of the Galaxy Note 10.1 is slowly starting to trickle out to customers sporting Samsung’s slab. In addition to KitKat, the new software push ships with a few bug fixes. Highlights include: a more stable S Note widget and Chrome’s tab bar no longer flickers when in portrait mode.
If you’re new to Android 4.4, you can expect to gain Google Cloud Print support, faster multitasking and Immersive Mode, which automatically provides full screen viewing. If you’ve already managed to pull down this new software, be sure to let us know how it’s treating you and your tablet by sharing your experience with us in our comment section below.
(via Verizon)
Google has yet to formally announce Android 4.4.3, but it’s definitely out there. In fact, the Play Store has revealed that Google’s Edu Device Setup application is already listing support for the unannounced Android build. Not exactly for Joe Q. Public, this particular app is used to help set up tablets purchased through Google Apps for Education.
The XE16 update recently hit Glass and in wake of this major software push, Google has tossed out a life preserver to those who dare to tinker. Most likely as a safety precaution, the company has released a new factory image for Glass just in case your adventurous habits transform the expensive wearable into a $1,500 paperweight.
Carrier-specific software updates are typically boring, but when a Nexus device is involved, it’s definitely worth a quick look. Today, Sprint is rolling out a new software bump for its version of the Nexus 5 and along with its share of generic fixes, the update enables Sprint Spark support for Bands 26 and 41. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Spark, it’s the carrier’s latest take on mobile broadband and is capable of data speeds of 50-60Mbps.
According to a new report from Billboard, Apple is considering launching an iTunes Store app on the Android platform to combat declining music sales on the digital platform. The report also says that Apple execs are in talks with high level label executives to discuss debuting an on-demand streaming service.
Apple has opened exploratory talks with senior label executives about the possibility of launching an on-demand streaming service that would rival Spotify and Beats Music, according to three people familiar with the talks. Apple is also thinking about adding an iTunes App for Android phones, the Google rival that has been growing faster than the iPhone, these sources said.
The move to an on-demand streaming service could transform iTunes Radio from the Pandora-like radio model to the more robust on-demand model used by Spotify, Rdio, Beats Music, and others.
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Google been working on a remote desktop management app for Android devices called “Chromoting” since last year, but today an entry in the Chromium issue tracker has revealed that an iOS version is also under developement. The issue, which was opened on Wednesday, indicates that the iOS version is still very much in the design stage, while its counterpart on Android is much further along in its development.
According to the post, the iOS version is is expected to be released much later than the Android client. The features of the app have mostly been kept under wraps, but it looks like a fairly straightforward piece of software that allows you to access and manipulate remote machines using Chrome as a condiut for the connection. The biggest advantage Chromoting would have over similiar solutions would be the low, low price of $0.00.
With rumors of Apple’s upcoming iWatch and its focus on fitness, it’s not a stretch to think that Google couldn’t also be exploring a similar use for its own devices. Now, as spotted by the unofficial Google Operating System blog, it seems we have our first glimpse at a fitness API for Android.
Whether this API will become available in a future Android update or will require new hardware or sensors to fully operate is not yet known. The company has already included some fitness sensors with its Nexus 5, but there’s currently no way for other devices to take advantage of similar data natively. A system fitness API could open up new doors, not just for Google’s own software, but for third-party developers like Nike.
The YouTube app for iOS has been updated with a new design for iOS 7, including the new keyboard and status bar, and a blurred sidebar design like that found in other apps.
The update also includes improved search results that include videos, playlists, and channels all on one screen. Finally, the new version introduces new settings for closed captioning and subtitles.
You can grab the free YouTube app on the iOS App Store.
The latest version of Picasa includes an additional bit of software called Google+ Auto Backup, as reported by Google Operating System. The new software can be used to automatically backup photos and videos from user-selected directories to your Google+ account. Interestingly, the app has nothing to do with the Picasa service, even though it ships exclusively with the Picasa app.
The app can save unlimited 2048px photos to your account, or upload full-quality versions at the expense of Google Drive space. It can also intelligently copy media from storage cards and other devices that are attached to the system. Furthermore, the app can be configured to backup all media to a designated location on the local hard drive, putting all of your backed-up media in one convenient place.
You can get the Google+ Auto Backup app by downloading the latest version of Picasa.
Lookout, a popular antivirus and security app for Android devices, today announced that it has struck a deal with AT&T to include the app preloaded on all of the carrier’s Android devices starting with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Yep, that means you’ll have yet another preloaded app to put up with on your new Android device, and if AT&T’s Lookout app is anything like T-Mob, you won’t be able to easily delete it from your device:
Moving forward, the Lookout app will be installed on all compatible AT&T Android devices (currently installed on the Samsung Note 3). With Lookout, AT&T customers can have the confidence to use their phone to its fullest capability, and rest assured knowing they are protected no matter what they do. Whether its helping to find a lost/stolen phone, managing phone security or backing up precious data, we’re helping AT&T customers with a safer, more secure, mobile experience.
This marks the third of 4 major US carriers to adopt the Lookout antivirus and security app. Sprint already preloads it on some of its Android devices as part of its Sprint Default Configuration and some T-Mobile devices, like the new LG G2, also have the Lookout app preloaded.
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Speaking at Samsung’s analyst day in Seoul, South Korea, the company’s Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun admitted that they need to work on improving their software. “Even though we’re doing the software business, we’re not as good as we are in hardware.” Kwon didn’t specify which aspect of his company’s software he believes needs help, be it the software on the company’s televisions or its TouchWiz software that graces its ridiculously large Android lineup of devices.
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Oh hi new Swiftkey update, the Android keyboard that I love so much I’d download it twice. The developer just alerted customers that a new version of the software is now available on the Play Store and “rethinks how you interact with your keyboard.” The newly update keyboard software introduces “Layouts for living” which allows you to “undock” Swiftkey “from your screen, resize it and present it in a compact, split thumb-typing or regular style.”
The company hopes the new features will allow you to get more from your mobile devices, “regardless of the context you’re typing in.” The new edition is now available to download in Google Play and is a free update for existing users. The new version gives you access to three keyboard layouts, all of which can be resized, and undocked and positioned where you choose on your screen.
The three new keyboard layouts:
As well as the new layouts, SwiftKey 4.3 also includes:
Reuters reports that Google is one of several companies currently considering a bid on part or all of Blackberry. The handset manufacturer has had a rough six years as they fell behind in the smartphone market to competitors like Apple and devices running Google’s Android operating system.
An updated Google Play with an image-centric design will be rolling out to all Android devices running Froyo (2.2) and up over the next few weeks, the Official Android blog confirmed. The redesign focuses on connecting ‘similarly themed’ content so apps, songs, and movies of the same genre are grouped rather than scattered everywhere.
Perhaps it’s too soon to state this with any certainty — surely this update has been in the works for some time now — but we may already be seeing the influence of Facebook Home on app design, at least as it pertains to the use of larger imagery and simplified interface. Something to keep an eye on at the very least.
Verizon Wireless began to roll out updates today for a slew of its devices. Motorola’s Droid RAZR, RAZR Maxx, and XOOM LTE users are witnessing a mass update to version 6.12.73 that includes improved data stability on hotspot, V CAST app preloaded, and more. Both versions of Motorola’s XYBOARD tablet are also experiencing an update today. The update “1.6.0M_279” is almost the same, except for a stylus improvements that affect the 10.1 version. Like always, if you are not seeing the update, simply go to “Settings>About phone>System” to push them through.
Official release notes are available after the break (via Droid Life):
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=T17XQI_AYNo]
Last we checked in on the Carrier IQ situation, XDA-Developer member Trevor Eckhart, the researcher who exposed the tracking software being deployed on various Android devices from Sprint, was receiving legal threats from the company behind the software. Eckhart didn’t back down, however, with the Electronic Frontier Foundation issuing a response to Carrier IQ on his behalf. Now, to further solidify his claims that Carrier IQ described as “false allegations”, Eckhart has put together the video above (via TechCrunch) showing how the software could theoretically track, record, and transmit user input.
While the video in no way proves that Carrier IQ or Sprint is actually collecting and recording the data, it’s clear IQ does have access to log user keystrokes with unique identifiers, track phone numbers dialed, record unique codes for SMS messages, and log secure data over WiFi unencrypted. While Carrier IQ and Sprint both deny actually transmitting and recording this data, it doesn’t seem necessary that the software would have these capabilities for its intended purpose– to improve the quality of their customer’s (Sprint’s) network and “understand device issues”.
More troubling is the fact that users are not informed of the software at any time and, according to TechCrunch, some are even reporting increased battery life and improved overall performance when the software is removed. Eckhart’s video ends by posing four questions to Carrier IQ and Sprint:
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Rivals and press for decades had been ridiculing Apple for insisting on controlling the whole widget. The iPhone maker took it on the chin, but nowadays many companies have come to realization that the best way to create delightful experiences is to approach product design from Apple’s perspective rather than slap together off-the-shelf components which run outsourced software.
For example, Google will pay $12.5 billion for phone maker Motorola. In exchange, the Android team gets to instruct Motorola’s hardware unit on how to build handsets sporting a greater interplay of software, services and hardware. Samsung, too, is looking to bolster its software as competition with Apple intensifies, reports Reuters, quoting head of the Samsung Group office Kim Soon-taek:
Chairman Lee told top managers to come up with various measures including M&As to enhance software competitiveness.
The revelation doesn’t come entirely out of blue, however. Samsung already makes Bada, its own operating system for feature phones that some think is the company’s plan B should their bet on Android go down the hill. They also create custom software for consumer electronics devices such as networked television sets and their smartphones run custom user interface built atop Android, dubbed TouchWiz.
