Mystery Android 4.4 (KOT31B) Build Appears on Chromium Issue Tracker

Just one week ago today, Google unleashed both their flagship Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 KitKat into the world. While Android 4.4 ushered in some massive changes, it looks like a new update is already in the works. The mystery build was spotted on the Chromium issue tracker in a bug report submitted by a Google employee using a Nexus 5 device.
The currently shipping build of Android 4.4 that is seen both on the AOSP servers and on the new Nexus 5 is KRT16M. The mystery build spotted on the issue tracker is build KOT31B. According to myce, this means that the build was created on KitKat’s release day.
Unfortunately, nothing is known at this time about what (if anything) this revision changes or fixes. Given the rumored camera performance increases coming soon to the device, however, we wouldn’t be surprised if some builds that are coming relatively soon increase shot performance in the stock camera app.
Head over to the Chrome Issue Tracker to see the build number for yourself.

Hangouts and Keyboard from KitKat Appear in Play Store

Just last Thursday, we were graced with Android 4.4 KitKat alongside the release of the Google Nexus 5. Along with the host of improvements inherent to the new OS, early adopters were also treated to the new version of Google Hangouts that was announced at last week’s Google+ event, as well as a refreshed keyboard. Now, these are available for all to enjoy, directly on the Google Play Store.
As a refresher, the Hangouts update brings the SMS integration, as well as support for animated GIFs, location sharing, and a few other key features. Hangouts is available for devices running Android 2.3 or later. The keyboard update, which is available for devices running Android 4.0 or later, brings a refined UI, bereft of the old Holo blue accents. It also incorporates support for multiple word swiping gestures, similar to what we’ve seen previously in Swiftkey Flow.
To get in on the updates, head over to the Play Store pages for Keyboard and Hangouts, or just wait for your device to automatically install the updates.

Android 4.4 KitKat Available for the Motorola Defy

Do you remember all the way back to Android 2.1 Eclair? Yes? Maybe? It was released back in January 2010—almost 4 years ago. The Motorola Defy shipped with that OS. And now, years later, the Defy received a fresh build of KitKat, making it one of the first devices with just 512 megabytes of RAM to get the OS up and running.

XDA Recognized Developer Quarx did it again. He is the main developer for almost all new version of Android since Gingerbread on that device. The available build is CyanogenMod 11, but a more pure AOSP version will be released soon as well. The current build is described as alpha, and is not intended for daily usage. However, Quarx is working hard to fix things. And according to his changelog, the next build will have working camera, video playback and recording, radio functionality, and more. Essentially, the only things missing will be WiFi and Bluetooth. That’s very impressive, considering how most devices from that vintage are already resting in peace. Some devices just refuse to go to retirement, all thanks to the devs here on XDA!
If you are the owner of Motorola Defy or Defy+ and are not afraid to test the newest Android on your device, head over to the ROM thread to get started.
[Thanks to TK for the tip!]

An Apple iPad Air catches fire in Australian Vodafone store

A Vodafone retail store in Canberra had to be evacuated on Wednesday because an iPad Air burst into flames.

The fire allegedly started at the charging port, set the whole iPad on fire and proceeded to fill the entire store with smoke.
The fire department was called to put the fire out and later an Apple rep visited the store to collect the device for further inspection. No one was hurt during the incident.
This is not the first time we see devices bursting in flames or even exploding, but hopefully this is just an isolated incident instead of a widespread issue.
Source | Via

Apple allegedly in talks with Samsung to fix burn-in issues on Retina iPad mini

Starting last month, industry insiders close to Apple’s supply chain reported on potential supply issues Apple could face regarding production of its Retina iPad Mini display panels.

The latest report out of Korea indicates that burn-in problems with the LCD panels will result in Apple delaying its launch of the new iPad mini, and could cause Apple to reopen negotiations with Samsung in order to help complete the order of some 15 million panels.
The panels were expected by the end of this year in order to fulfill orders placed over the holiday season, with LG, Sharp, and Samsung joining forces as the primary suppliers. Negotiations with Samsung fell through, however, leaving only LG and Sharp to complete the orders.
Sharp panels use an IGZO substrate, which results in a burn-in effect on the displays not visible to the naked eye, but is nonetheless below Apple’s technological standards. Sharp has allegedly failed to solve these issues native to IGZO, and have not been able to maintain a high production yield.
As it stands, Apple has two options: upgrade the display substrate to LTPS, which eliminates the burn-in problem but will raise production costs and lower production capacity, or fulfill the order with Samsung, who has been one of Apple’s primary suppliers in the past, but is also one of their primary smartphone competitors.
Apple also has the third, less likely option of lowering their technological standards, but that could lower significantly lower their customer perception if it results in flawed devices, or even worse, a recall. Either way, Apple is set to face severe production shortages if it chooses to switch suppliers to Samsung.
Source | Via

Google Drive now supports multiple accounts

Google has updated its Drive app for iOS. It now supports multiple accounts and printing.

Lots of people were waiting Google to bring support for multiple accounts on Drive and it seems their request has been finally fulfilled.
The new Drive also supports printing via Apple’s Air Print or Google’s CloudPrint.
The update is already available in the App Store and in case you’ve turned off the automatic updates, now is the time to go to the App Store and get the new version.
Via

Panasonic’s huge 4K tablet coming to the US in January

The world’s first 4K resolution tablet from Panasonic, which debuted at CES this year, is set to hit the US just after the holiday season this coming January.

The tablet will miss the US holiday shopping bonanza, but at an MSRP of $5999 it’s hard to see the 20-inch tablet as a stocking stuffer.
The Panasonic Toughpad 4K UT-MB5 features a 20-inch IPS display of 3840 x 2560 with a 15:10 aspect ratio. Inside, there’s a 1.9GHz Intel Core i5 CPU with Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz, Nvidia GeForce GT 745M GPU, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM and a 720p capable webcam. There’s also the full range of sensors, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and USB 3.0.
Most impressive, however, is the Windows 8-powered Toughpad’s relatively compact dimensions. At 475mm x 332.7mm x 12.7mm, the Toughpad is all display, and the 2.4kg of weight isn’t too shabby either. The rated 2 hours of battery life isn’t as impressive, however.

SwiftKey update brings multiple keyboard size and layouts

Popular keyboard app for Android SwiftKey has released an update that allows you to change the size and layout of the keyboard in many ways. First of all, you can now select from five different sizes for the keyboard to one that suits the size of your phone or tablet’s display the best.

Secondly, you can also alter the layout of the keyboard. You can have the traditional layout, split layout where the keys are split from the middle to make typing on easier on larger devices and a compact, one-sided layout, such as the one first seen on the Note II, that lets you type singlehandedly without having to stretch your thumb.
One interesting new feature is that you can now undock the keyboard and have it floating around on the screen. This can be very useful on Samsung devices with multi window mode where before third party keyboards would end up blocking the lower window making entering text in them impossible. Now you can undock it and raise it so you can see what you’re typing.
There are some minor improvements to the UI, including the themes and the layout of the symbols panel. There is also an option for Canadian English now.
If you haven’t already, you can purchase the SwiftKey keyboard from the link below.
Play Store

Updated Hangouts app for Android brings SMS/MMS support

Google has updated the Android version of the Hangouts application with several new features. As we have seen on the Nexus 5, the Hangouts app now supports SMS and MMS, which means you can send and receive text messages from within Hangouts and they will appear along with your Hangouts chats. Unlike the Nexus 5, however, you can disable the SMS/MMS functionality if you want and continue using the stock messaging app on your phone.

Another addition is the ability to set your mood. You can now choose from one of the Hangouts emoji as your mood that gets displayed to anyone who messages you. You can also choose to announce the device type you are messaging from (phone or PC) or whether you’re in a call. Lastly, you can now also insert your location and animated GIFs in a chat.
The iOS version of Hangouts has also been updated but it lacks the SMS/MMS functionality and ability to insert location but gets the other features such as moods and sharing device type.
You can download either version of Hangouts from the link below.
Play Store • App Store

LG G2 goes free on Verizon, deal expires November 11

The LG G2, which is part of the smartphone elite at the moment, has just gone for free on Verizon Wireless.
All you need to do is sign a two year deal with the carrier, add the phone to your cart (showing you a price of $49.99) and add the promo code VZWDEAL. That code will convert the price to null.


However the deal is said to last until November 11 so you'd better act quick if you want to take advantage. You can find the product page here.
For more on what makes the LG G2 so great, check out our full review, or see how it fares against the likes of the Xperia Z1 and Galaxy Note 3. Source | Via

Snapdragon-powered Xiaomi Mi3 to launch next month

The Xiaomi Mi3 can be ordered in Tegra 4 form but up until now we had no clues as to when you could get the other version, running the faster Qualcomm processor.
Well if the Tegra 4's TD-SCDMA support isn't enough, you can soon order the Snapdragon 800-enabled Xiaomi Mi3 for the same 1,999 Yuan. According to Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, the Xiaomi Mi3 with Snapdragon 800 will be listed in China sometime in December, complete with the Wi-Fi 801.11ac protocol not found on the Tegra 4 version.


The Snapdragon 800 inside the Xiaomi will be the beefier MSM8974AB, which features higher clockspeeds all round compared to the MSM8974 - 2.3 GHz vs 2.2 GHz core speed, 550 MHz vs 450 MHz GPU speed and 933 MHz vs 800 MHz LPDDR3 speed.
Processor aside, the Xiaomi Mi3 has a 5" 1080 x 1920 display, 13 MP camera, beefy 3050 mAh battery and a heavily-customized Android Jelly Bean 4.2 build. Sadly the smartphone's great hardware for a reasonable price isn't available globally. Not yet, anyway.
Source 1 | Source 2 | Via

Microsoft announces Nokia Lumia 1520 pre-orders

A couple of days ago AT&T detailed its Nokia Lumia 1520 launch plans and today it's Microsoft's turn. The Redmond company has officially detailed the Lumia 1520 availability and launched a pre-order campaign for the phablet.

Microsoft is going the extra mile with this particular pre-order. For everyone who pre-orders the phone, they'll throw in a $50 Microsoft Store app card as well as an $20 app gift card provided by Nokia. That's not all - there's also a free Lumia 1520 flip cover (valued at $39.99) included as well. And if that's not enough, there's a free download of Halo: Spartan Assault for Windows Phone to top things off.
Microsoft's offer will end on November 21, while the device starts shipping the next day. The Nokia Lumia 1520 sells for $199 and will initially be available in black, red and white, with yellow to come later this year.
However, if you fancy yourself an unlocked Lumia 1520, then retailer Unlocked Mobiles will be happy to oblige. The SIM-free Lumia 1520 will cost you a hefty £594.98, and is scheduled to start shipping on November 25.
Source | Via

Motorola drops price of the Moto X Developer Edition

As some of you may know, Motorola also sells an unlocked version of the Moto X in the US. The Developer Edition, as it is called, comes with a network unlock as well as an unlocked bootloader, allowing you to use any GSM SIM with the phone or install a custom ROM.

The unlocked version was originally sold at a steep $649.99 but Motorola has seen fit to drop the price by a $100, bringing it down to a more palatable $549.99.
Specification-wise, the Developer Edition is identical to the carrier locked version. You get the same 4.7-inch 720p AMOLED display, 10 megapixel camera, Motorola's X8 Mobile Computing System, with a Snapdragon S4 SoC having a 1.7GH dual-core CPU and quad-core Adreno 320 GPU with a dedicated natural language and contextual computing processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage space, 2200mAh battery and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The DE comes in a special black and white color combination.
If you're interested you can purchase the phone from Motorola's website using the link below.
Source • Motorola

Dual-SIM Samsung SM-G7102 leaked via FCC website

An unannounced Samsung SM-G7102 found its way to the FCC for testing and its user agent profile is up on Samsung's site. The G7102 is an Android 4.3 Jelly Bean smartphone with a 5.25" 720p screen.

Despite the relatively low pixel density of the screen (288ppi), the processor clockspeed is listed as 2.3GHz, which can only be a quad-core Snapdragon 800 chipset. It's a fairly large device, measuring 147 x 75.1mm.

The FCC docs don't come out and say it, but Samsung SM-G7102 appears to be a dual-SIM device. This means it will probably launch in East Asia first, perhaps as a low-cost alternative to the dual-SIM Galaxy Note 3.
Source 1 • Source 2 | Via

Samsung reaffirms its support for Tizen, sheds light on its future

A report in Korean media emerged, shedding light on Samsung’s future plans for Tizen. According to the head of Samsung Electronics’ visual display unit, the OS represents a “significant investment” for Samsung, and much progress has been achieved in its development.


The company’s executive further iterated that a Tizen smartphone will be released before any other device. However, the launch of Samsung’s first handset has been pushed for 2014, not this year as initially expected.
On a couple of different occasions recently, we saw the Samsung Z9005 Redwood appear with Tizen on board. The smartphone however, is a developer-only device.
Source | Via