Search the Community

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/laptops/HP/HP%20SlateBook%2014/HP_Slatebook_PC_Android-470-75.jpgHP has officially announced its first laptop running Android in the form of the previously rumoured 14-inch SlateBook PC. The black-and-yellow coloured machine will arrive in August with an Nvidia Tegra 4 processor, which can handle 4K playback a la the firm's Android tablets, and 2GB of RAM. The 14-inch display rocks 1920 x 1080 HD touchscreen display, a battery life of up to 9 hours and come in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models. The Slatebook will run a forked version of Android with HP's custom UI but will have full access to the Google Play store, that will stretch across the full 14-inches without too much trouble. Chromebook rival?The Slatebook will answer the growing demand for Android on laptops, according to HP, and will rival Google's own range of Chromebooks, running the Chrome OS. While the Chromebooks will perhaps offer a better web browsing experience, the Android powered laptops have access to a much wider range of apps at their disposal. The HP SlateBook PC will cost $399 (around £238, AU$428). Great value? Check out the Toshiba Chromebook reviewhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/3b0ce7b4/sc/5/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/199107938583/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3b0ce7b4/sc/5/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/199107938583/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3b0ce7b4/sc/5/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/199107938583/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3b0ce7b4/sc/5/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/199107938583/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3b0ce7b4/sc/5/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/199107938583/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3b0ce7b4/sc/5/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/x4s3sHpeDfM

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/tablets/HP/HP%207%20Plus/HP-7-Plus-470-75.jpgHow low can you go? That seems to be the question on Hewlett-Packard's mind this week as the beleaguered hardware maker debuts a new seven-inch Android tablet for the budget-minded consumer. While not the cheapest slate the company has produced, HP today announced availability for the HP 7 Plus, a modest seven-inch Android tablet that boldly proclaims to be "big on performance." That would seem to be a dubious bit of marketing considering the $99.99 price tag, especially for a silver tablet capable of mustering up a 1024 x 600 display resolution and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, which is certainly no longer the freshest flavor of Google's mobile platform. The 7 Plus is powered by a quad-core ARM Cortex A7 processor clocked at 1GHz, but the 2800 mAh battery is only capable of eking out a mere five and a half hours, according to HP's own specs. Fair to middlingWhile HP may have skimped on some of the core details, the 7 Plus does offer a micro-SD expansion slot, and you'll likely need it, given the meager 8GB of onboard storage; the tablet also comes with a generous 25GB of Box cloud storage. Aside from the expansive bezel surrounding the display, the overall design of the HP 7 Plus certainly lives up the company's claims of looking "sharp with a suit and dynamite with denim," thanks to the silver-hued casing. The most obvious compromises made to get the price just shy of $100 come into play with the cameras - the good news is there are indeed two of them, but buyers are only receiving 2MP around the back and a woefully inadequate 0.3MP fixed focus lens up front. Still, for many consumers, it's what they can afford that counts, and the HP 7 Plus delivers the goods for a modest price that won't ding the wallet too badly, and comes with free standard US shipping to boot. What's the latest on Windows 9? Find out in our up-to-the-minute report!http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/3ac3aaad/sc/28/mf.gifhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/VKsa2wCSq_s

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/features/Android%20security/Android-security-main-470-75.jpgIntroductionYou have in your pockets a snooper's best friend. You take it everywhere: from your office to your bedroom, from the dining room to the lavatory (and hopefully clean it after). It records almost everything you do and can be made to turn against you in a matter of minutes. Believe it or not, the modern day smartphone is a private citizen's worst privacy nightmare. Think about what you have in there: email addresses and phone numbers from your contacts, calendar appointments, photos, and probably even personal financial information. On top of that, smartphones can continually track your location to build a detailed profile of your whereabouts. But just because it can doesn't mean you have to let it. Here's five simple steps you can take to control your smartphone security and keep your data, and life, private: 1. Manage your appsTo enjoy all the conveniences of a smartphone you need apps. Unfortunately, apps are the weakest link between your private data and the world. Many access your personal data to 'enhance their experience', leaving you to trust that they will only use this data in a desirable way. Unfortunately, not every app clearly states how they use this information. But there are ways to find out what your app knows about you and to restrict them. A critical component of your Android smartphone is the permissions system. When you install an app, it notifies you of what it would like to gain access to. You can then install the app, or not. Unfortunately, this system puts a lot of responsibility on the users to know whether these access requests are appropriate. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/features/Android%20security/Android-security-2-420-90.jpg Fortunately there are multiple ways of visualising app permissions. BitDefender's free Clueful will scan your apps and categorise them as high risk, moderate risk, and low risk. You can then browse each list and click on an app to find out the features it can access. You should uninstall any High Risk apps as they might be pinching your passwords or reading emails. There's also Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware mobile app, which scans apps and divides them into categories based on the phone feature they have access to, such as your calendar or contacts, giving you full transparency on what your apps are up to. 2. Protect yourself online In addition to preventing apps from leaking info, you should also minimise the personal data you put out there, even when sharing something as innocuous as images. Images can reveal a lot of information about you thanks to the exchangeable image file format (EXIF) data attached to them. If you take an image with a GPS-enabled camera or a smartphone it can reveal your location, the time it was taken, as well as the unique ID of the device. To strip EXIF information from pictures before sharing them you can use Instant EXIF Remover. This app doesn't have an interface, instead once installed it'll be available as an option in the 'Share' action. When selected, the app will intercept any images you wish to share and delete all EXIF data, before passing them on to the email client or any other sharing app. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/cameras/Canon/SX600HS/canon-sx600-l-s-420-90.jpg After securing your images it's time to take control of your web browsing activities. Just like any desktop web browser you can install a variety of add-ons to your Android browser. The Phony add-on can be used to customise the user-agent on the browser and hide the fact that you are on a mobile device. Then there's Self-Destructing Cookies add-on, which will automatically delete all cookies when you close a site. For more comprehensive control you can use the CleanQuit add-on, which removes all information about the previous session including the browsing & download history and site preferences. If you want full anonymity, you should switch to the Orweb browser. It's loaded with plugins to disguise your device, gives you control over cookies, prevents loading of Flash content and keeps no browsing history. However, it requires the Orbot plugin and Orbot is Tor for Android, which may not be something you wish to install. Protect your communications, device and data3. Control your communicationsYou can encrypt SMS messages with the open source app TextSecure, which can encrypt SMS stored locally on your phone. However, to send encrypted messages over the air, the recipient must also have TextSecure or they'll receive unencrypted messages. Before you can send messages you'll have to create a secure connection with the recipient's device by exchanging keys. TextSecure will send a message to the recipient, whose TextSecure app will automatically respond with a message to establish a secure connection. From then on you send and receive encrypted messages. To keep your calls safe you can use free RedPhone app for free, which makes encrypted calls over the internet. There's also SilentPhone, which is developed by Phil Zimmerman (who gave us OpenPGP for securing email and ZRTP protocol for securing VoIP calls). The SilentPhone app works on multiple mobile platforms but comes with a $10 (about £6) subscription fee. Both these solutions create encrypted calls. However the person at the other end of the line must be using the same app. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/HTC/HTC_One/Hands%20on/HTC_One_review_23-420-90.JPG To encrypt email messages on your mobile device you need the Android Privacy Guard (APG) app, which is an open source implementation of OpenPGP. You'll also need the K-9 email app, which integrates seamlessly with APG. To use these apps, first launch K-9 and configure it to connect to your email server. Then launch APG and tap the menu button, which brings up the option to manage private keys and public keys. You can export these keys from the desktop and import them into APG. Once the keys are imported, K-9 will display the option to sign and encrypt messages when you write a new email. Conversely it will let you decrypt emails when you receive a new encrypted message. For encrypting instant messages, you'll need the open source ChatSecure app. The app uses the OTR protocol to enable secure chat sessions over XMPP accounts. Using the app you can have secure chats with your friends over popular networks including Google Talk and Facebook on any OTR compatible client including Pidgin, Adium, and Jitsi. 4. Secure your deviceLocking your phone is one thing, but it doesn't help when you want to hand over an unlocked device to someone but still keep some things private. You can use Screen Locker to lock your screen before handing the phone to someone else. The app disables all forms of inputs and prevents the users from viewing anything other than what's on the screen. You can then enter a preset pattern to unlock the device. Privacy Master Free will lock access to apps and can also fake a crash to prevent an app from launching. You can also block the task manager as well as USB connections. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Samsung/galaxy-s5-adjust-420-90.jpg AppLock app has, along with the ability to block access to apps, two separate vaults where you can hide photos and videos. The app can also prevent toggling of settings such as WiFi. One of the best features is its ability to create lock profiles. So you can create a list of apps you want to lock when you in the office, and another set when you're with the kids. You can trigger the locks based on time or location. Applock can also randomly rearrange its numeric keyboard to prevent others from figuring out your password by following your fingers. It also allows you to hide the app from the application drawer to keep its existence on your device a secret. 5. Encrypt your dataThe key to securing your phone against any sort of surveillance is end-to-end encryption. Encryption safeguards data against any kind of snooping by making it unintelligible to anyone without the correct decryption keys. However, there are some caveats involved with the process. For one, encryption is a one-way process, which is to say that once turned on there's no mechanism to turn off the encryption. You'll have to reset your phone to factory settings and lose all your data. Make sure you securely back up your data before initiating the encryption process and don't interrupt the process - if you do you'll lose the data and render the device unusable. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/features/Android%20security/Android-security-3-420-90.jpg When using the standard Android encryption service make sure you have already set up a lock screen PIN or password. Android will use it as your decryption key. To begin encryption, head to System Settings > Security > Encrypt device. When it's done you'll have to enter the PIN or password each time you boot your phone. Instead of encrypting the whole device, you can also choose to encrypt selected files. One of the best apps for this purpose is SSE Universal Encryption. The app has three modules: the Password Vault module allows you to safely store passwords and organise them into folders. The Message Encryptor module encrypts snippets of text. But the most interesting option is the File/Dir Encryptor module. It lets you pick a file using the built-in file browser and then encrypts it. It's not just your mobile that's insecure - your web browser is too.http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/3aa1c79b/sc/4/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195506227555/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3aa1c79b/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195506227555/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3aa1c79b/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195506227555/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3aa1c79b/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195506227555/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3aa1c79b/sc/4/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/195506227555/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3aa1c79b/sc/4/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/CVaI1TrupcA

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/features/2013/best_android_apps-470-75.jpgGoogle has added the option for Android device owners to pay for Google Play content using their PayPal accounts. In a post on the Android Developers' blog, Google announced that users in 12 countries will now see PayPal as an option when purchasing apps, books, movies, games, music and more from the Play Store. Those countries are the United Kingdom, the United States, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands and Spain. The purchases must be for digital content and cannot be used for physical goods when spending via Google Wallet. Frictionless"Our goal is to provide users with a frictionless payment experience, and this new integration is another example of how we work with partners from across the payments industry to deliver this to the user," Google wrote. The somewhat surprising move comes long after Apple enabled users to link their iTunes accounts to PayPal. Will you be switching to PayPal rather than carrier or credit card billing? Let us know your thoughts below. The 50 best Android apps of 2014http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/3a79ee3c/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505987849/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3a79ee3c/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505987849/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3a79ee3c/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505987849/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3a79ee3c/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505987849/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3a79ee3c/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/195505987849/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3a79ee3c/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/DaNcToREv10

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/av_accessories/Spotify%20review/1-470-75.jpgAndroid users who have been looking jealously on as their iOS counterparts coo over the new-look Spotify app need envy no more: the revamped app is rolling out to Android tablets and phones starting today. Over the next few weeks, all Android users should receive the update which brings a sleek new look, improved Browse feature and Your Music to the Spotify party. Your Music lets you save songs and albums to your personal Spotify library rather than creating playlists to house them - the only downside is that the popular song starring feature is going the way of the dodo. Umming and ahhing over whether to subscribe? Check out our Spotify review to find out if it's worth ithttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/39e21541/sc/4/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505385286/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/39e21541/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505385286/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/39e21541/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505385286/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/39e21541/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505385286/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/39e21541/sc/4/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/195505385286/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/39e21541/sc/4/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/R9IUY8-B_pk

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Android/OK_Google_reprdroduction_Android_police-470-75.jpgRumours suggest Google has big changes afoot for its Android operating system, which could involve expanding voice command functionality beyond the search. Android Police has word the 'OK Google' feature within the Android Google Search app may become universal across core apps. The site, which doesn't say where it came by the information, believes users one day be able share photos in the Gallery app, or reply to Gmail messages by summoning the 'OK Google' commands. The presence of the functionality would be represented by a red lower case 'g,' the site claims, showing off the feature in a series of images produced base on its information. The development is still in the early stages of development and may only appear on Nexus and Google Play Edition devices, the site says. New Google button too?Beyond that AndroidPolice believes another big UI change is on the way, with the introduction of a new Navigation Bar. According to the report, the new ever-preset on screen controls would now feature a 'Google' button, rather than the traditional Home button. Hitting that would "trigger a search wherever you are" according to the report. How users would get back to their homescreen, if the change was made, was not revealed. The site has some fantastic, and super-professional looking mock ups of how it believes the feature may end up looking (such as the one we've borrowed). Follow the source link above for a closer look. Google I/O 2014: What we expecthttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/39c8dbb7/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505264085/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/39c8dbb7/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505264085/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/39c8dbb7/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505264085/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/39c8dbb7/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505264085/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/39c8dbb7/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/195505264085/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/39c8dbb7/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Jh79F-V-O-Y

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Android/KitKat/Android_KitKat-470-75.jpgGoogle has dropped a major hint that the next incremental update to its Android KitKat mobile OS will arrive imminently. The firm has issued an update for its Google Edu Device Set-Up app, which is geared at helping schools set up Android tablets for students. While it reveals nothing about the nature of the update, the app does promise support for the as-yet-unannounced Android 4.4.3 update. Just last week the Sprint network in the United States also appeared to confirm an update was on the way, but has since removed any references to it. Bug swatterThe Android 4.4.3 update isn't expected to furnish smartphone and tablet users with any new features, but it should nuke a number of bugs and bring the requisite performance enhancements. Some using the current version of Android KitKat (4.4.2) have been experiencing random reboots, issues with Bluetooth connectivity and problems with automatic connections to Wi-Fi. We'll let you know for sure when the update drops. Google Android Wear: What you need to know about the wearable-friendly OShttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/3994b542/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505038596/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3994b542/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505038596/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3994b542/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505038596/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3994b542/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/195505038596/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3994b542/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/195505038596/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3994b542/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/8IhxCm9yunk

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Android/Apps/BBC_iPlayer_Android_downloads-470-75.jpgThe vast majority of BBC iPlayer users on Android are now able to download content to watch offline after the corporation updated the app on Tuesday. Following the initial roll out on 11 devices in September last year and a careful expansion since, the Beeb has now announced that all smartphones and tablets running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and above are in on the act. That means 96 per cent of all current users will be able to grab episodes of Eastenders, Match of the Day, Panorama to view when Wi-Fi connectivity isn't available and without rinsing their mobile data allowance. The updated app is now available to download from the Google Play Store. Testing, testingThe opening up of the feature to practically all users goes against the Beeb's recent policy of testing it on every device before widening availability. As such, with 5,000 phones and tablets now able to access the complete set of features, the Beeb says users of some devices may experience a few bugs. "We believe that the vast majority of devices will enjoy a great video downloading experience. However, with more than five thousand different phone, phablet and tablet models able to install the BBC iPlayer Android app, there are likely to be a number of devices that exhibit bugs concerning download behaviour, wrote senior product manager David Berlin on the BBC Internet blog." On its fifth birthday, we looked at how the iPlayer sparked a TV revolutionhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/396ba87f/sc/15/mf.gifhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/yklCPZRrP0M

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Watches/LG%20G%20Watch/LG_G_Watch_vs_Samsung_Galaxy_Gear_2-470-75.jpgThe coming of spring means we're inching ever closer to the upcoming Android Wear invasion, which gets a wee bit closer today thanks to a few additional launch details from manufacturer LG. Pocket-Lint was on hand earlier today in the Weybridge suburb of London to catch an up close and personal look at a final prototype for LG's forthcoming G Watch, powered by Google's Android Wear software. Although the device wasn't actually operational, LG did manage to confirm the G Watch would be available in the UK "before July," where it will sell for somewhere in the neighborhood of £180 (about US$301, AU$322). That may sound a bit on the pricy side considering many of us pay less for a more powerful smartphone (with a two-year contract, that is), but the report claims the device "certainly felt premium," which sounds like it may be worth the wait. Gee, watchThe non-functioning LG G Watch prototype is completely buttonless, which many observers noted after seeing mockup pictures at the Android Wear launch, but is described as otherwise having "a solid, seamless build." Like the latest Pebble Steel, G Watch owners will also be able to swap out the included strap for another more to their liking, and LG plans to follow up the squarish design with something more round further down the road. Judging from the hands-on photos, the LG G Watch is only a hair larger than the new Samsung Gear 2, which completely turned its back on the Android platform in favor of a wearables variant of the Korean manufacturer's own Tizen OS. Assuming the rough July timeframe pans out, LG has less than 90 days to nail down the details and whip the G Watch software into shape prior to release. Catch up on the Samsung Galaxy S5 in our full review!http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/3922f3d1/sc/5/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/194479926004/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3922f3d1/sc/5/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/194479926004/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3922f3d1/sc/5/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/194479926004/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3922f3d1/sc/5/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/194479926004/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3922f3d1/sc/5/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/194479926004/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3922f3d1/sc/5/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/vQqTmbQ1_S4

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Twitter/Cover/cover_android_lockscreen-470-75.jpgTwitter has purchased the Android lock screen app Cover for an undisclosed sum, the two companies have announced on - where else? - Twitter. "Cover is joining Twitter! Excited for the future of Android and what's to come," tweeted Cover's official account. Twitter welcomed it "to the flock" in reply. But what exactly is to come? What does the future of Android involve, according to Twitter and Cover? And does Twitter really think it's this important to compete with Facebook Home? Cover upCover was created and launched by former Google employees in 2013. "We started Cover a year ago because we believed in two things: 1) the untapped potential of the supercomputers we carry in our pockets, and 2) the amazing power of Android," the company wrote in a blog post discussing the acquisition. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/software/Twitter/Cover/cover_twitter_android-420-90.jpg The lock screen replacement displays six apps contextually on users' devices based on their actions and locations. So if you're driving to work it might show Spotify and Google Maps, while if you're sitting at home it could swap Flipboard or Feedly in. The company says the app has been used by "hundreds of thousands" of people since October. Home sweet homeBut comparisons to Facebook Home are inevitable. The house that Zuckerberg built made a play at the Android lock screen early in 2013, turning users' lock screens into glorified Facebook feeds. It's not a bad-looking overlay, but its reception was not exactly overwhelmingly positive. It seems that won't stop Twitter from making its own play, though. "Twitter, like Cover, believes in the incredible potential of Android," Cover said. "They share our vision that smartphones can be a lot smarter - more useful and more contextual - and together we're going to make that happen. "We'll be building upon a lot of what makes Cover great, and we're thrilled to create something even better at Twitter." The existing Cover app will remain available in Google Play for now, but that might change as the companies' plans progress. These are the 10 best Android launchershttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/39170e98/sc/4/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/194479839892/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/39170e98/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/194479839892/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/39170e98/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/194479839892/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/39170e98/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/194479839892/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/39170e98/sc/4/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/194479839892/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/39170e98/sc/4/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/ZPLnaAqodco

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/televisions/Android_TV_screenshot_leak_verge-470-75.jpgGoogle is preparing to put the Google TV era behind it and move forward with a new, more straightforward Android-flavoured venture, according to purported leaked documents published this weekend. The as-yet-unnanounced Android TV platform, according to the documents, aims to put content front and centre, rather than aim to transform television with the all encompassing bells and whistles approach. The documents obtained by The Verge, alongside images of the new platform, claim "Android TV is an entertainment interface, not a computing platform. "It's all about finding and enjoying content with the least amount of friction," which Google also claiming it'll be "cinematic, fun, fluid, and fast." Rejoining the packThe screenshots seem to show an interface that's similar to the Apple TV set top box, which runs on a version of iOS, with large, easy to navigate cards dominating the display. As well as the stock movie and TV apps, there'll also be all of those popular Android gaming and communication apps like Hangouts, according to the alleged screenshots. Judging by the images it appears Google has abandoned its plans to totally revolutionise television by integrating live TV and online on-demand content. If Android TV does come to fruition it seems Google is more than happy to rejoin the pack of streaming set top boxes. Hands on with the Amazon Fire TV set-top boxhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/390c4ea2/sc/5/mf.gifhttp://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360948789/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/390c4ea2/sc/5/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360948789/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/390c4ea2/sc/5/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360948789/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/390c4ea2/sc/5/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360948789/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/390c4ea2/sc/5/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/193360948789/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/390c4ea2/sc/5/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/FBt413VeE0k

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Google/nexus5/Nexus%205%20Review/nexus-5-review-50-470-75.jpgGoogle may be plotting a new premium support initiative centred around selected Android devices, according to rumours on Wednesday. AndroidPolice has obtained internal Google documents explaining an 'Android Silver' programme, which could feature a maximum of five devices running the latest version of Android, and very few UI changes. Those who sign up, according to the report, would be entitled to set-up support from well-trained staff at carrier stores, as well as help transferring data and making their first purchase on the Play Store. After leaving the store, Android Silver members would have access to a Hangout Assistant (like Amazon's Mayday) who could answer questions and troubleshoot problems 24/7, the leaked document says. Never LostThe rumour, which purportedly originates from documents shown to Google employees in December, also speaks of a Never Lost feature, which would allow Android Silver members to track and wipe their device. Beyond that, the suggested Never Lost feature would help users navigate back to their lost device, remote back up data and even offer a loaner phone until the old one could be found or replaced. The concierge-style service is by no means certain to happen. The originator of the report gives it a "6/10" in the rumour stakes, but it's certainly interesting to see Google thinking about upping its support game. The insistence on up to date Android and limited UI changes could perhaps encourage OEMs to act promptly when pushing updates, in order to be part of Google's premium range. That of course, would help to ease Android's problem with crippling fragmentation. Right now, it all remains conjecture. Interesting conjecture, but conjecture nonetheless. Android is coming to your wrist, so you better get learned on Google Wearhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/38eb2207/sc/15/mf.gifhttp://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360869496/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38eb2207/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360869496/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38eb2207/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360869496/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38eb2207/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360869496/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38eb2207/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/193360869496/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38eb2207/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/_0XXXX1nnO4

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/HTC/HTC%20One%20Mini/Hands%20on%202/P1010956-470-75.JPGGoogle has been steadily improving the camera for the Nexus 5 and soon it might turn its attention to give all Android users some much-needed improvements. An insider aware of Google's plans confirmed with Engadget that the search company is testing a new version of the built-in camera app. The source said the new camera will come with a refreshed user interface and a 100-percent viewfinder. This means users snapping away smartphone photos and videos will be able to see a completely uncropped version of exactly what they're capturing through the sensor on the screen before they hit the shutter button. The camera app Android deservesThe same source also highlighted several improvements including one that will add a background-blurring effect for portrait pictures. In this effect, Android phones will create photos that simulate the shallow depth of field and bokeh effect of large aperture lenses. Higher-resolution panorama and Photo Sphere modes are also purported to be included with this next camera update. What's more the search company will supposedly open up the camera app with support for third-party filters. If it really happens, this would allow developers and die-hard smartphone shooters to create and import custom effects to the official camera app. Camera Improvements for allWhile the spread of different Android versions is still pretty mixed with some devices still running older versions of Android KitKat, the Google insider indicate that the new camera app will come separately. Supposedly any non-Nexus owners using an phone running Android 4.4 or higher will be able to take advantage of the improvements. The alleged software patch for the camera will come sepearte from the rumored Android 4.4.3 update we reported on last week. Last Thursday, we heard the next version of KitKat would only provide a small fix to remove the Nexus 5's blue tint issues with many other features still remaining unknown. The new HTC One (M8) has a pretty nifty dual-sensor camera, see what it can do in our reviewhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/38deca54/sc/15/mf.gifhttp://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360742904/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38deca54/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360742904/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38deca54/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360742904/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38deca54/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360742904/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38deca54/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/193360742904/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38deca54/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/qT4JZO5Gy9Q

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Google/nexus5/Nexus%205%20Review/nexus-5-review-50-470-75.jpgApple's iOS 7.1 operating system has seen the lowest app crash rates yet, according to newly-published research, but it's still higher than apps running on Android. According to Crittercism, apps on iOS 7.1 crash a meagre 1.6 per cent of the time, which is the best performance ever for iOS. However, devices running Google Android 4.0 and up experience apps crashes just 0.7 per cent of the time. That means, for every app crash on Android, there's more than two on iOS devices. One billion servedCrittercism gets its stats by monitoring usage of over a billion iOS and Android apps, so it's safe to say the company has been extensive in its research. Does that mean apps for Android are better built than those for iOS? Does it mean Android plays nicer with third party apps than their Apple counterparts? Or is the report a load of hogwash? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. iOS 7 vs iOS 7.1: What changes have Apple made?http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/38c38c32/sc/5/mf.gifhttp://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360357421/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38c38c32/sc/5/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360357421/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38c38c32/sc/5/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360357421/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38c38c32/sc/5/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360357421/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38c38c32/sc/5/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/193360357421/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38c38c32/sc/5/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/TaL_GcFYng4

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/events/Microsoft%20cloud%20and%20mobile%20event/Julia%20White%20demonstrating%20that%20cloud%20is%20about%20managing%20mobile%20devices%20as%20well-470-75.jpgWhen you have a program like Office 2013 that's crammed full of features on Windows, how do you decide what to keep when you make the iPad version? You look at what users do on a tablet, Office general manager Julia White told TechRadar Pro at the launch. "We looked and said what are people doing in that environment and let's take that as a starting point; let's put the right amount of capabilities in, and then add from there what makes sense." Weekly minor updates to become the norm?But this is definitely just the beginning, she emphasized. "This is just our v1, we're just getting started. We're going to make these apps richer based on what people are doing. As we get user feedback and we see what people are doing, we will update in the right ways; we'll get feedback about what people are doing most and what people want more of, and then we can rev the apps quickly. What we picked was the base; much more than you have on the phone, not everything you have on the PC or Mac but somewhere in between. It's what people are mostly doing on those devices. And we were also really thoughtful about making it a great touch experience." The key is matching the way you work on an iPad, Office Product Management Director Michael Atalla explained. "When you're picking up an iPad it's because you're picking up your work; precision control designed PowerPoints are not going to start on iPad necessarily, they're going to start on Windows or a Mac with a keyboard and mouse where you have that control and you're going to move to an iPad when you're ready to tweak and edit." That's why when you open a document you've worked on elsewhere, Office for iPad automatically takes you to the place you were editing last; the assumption is that you want to carry on where you left off. http://cdn2.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/events/Microsoft%20cloud%20and%20mobile%20event/cloud-580-100.jpg The price of Office for iPad is about striking a balance between letting you get your documents everywhere when you want to carry on working and giving you a reason to pay for Office 365, White explained. "It's so important that people don't lose information [when they change devices] so we want to make sure everyone can have a taste of what Office is good for and why people love it. But we also want to add value for Office 365 subscribers. So we felt that was the right balance. I can read all of my files, consume my content, I can present my content for free. But any manipulation of it, if I want to change words or do formatting, I need the subscription. Or if I want to start a new word or PowerPoint or Excel file in iPad, I need the subscription for that." We asked White how quickly to expect new versions of Office for iPad and it sounds like pretty soon. "In Office 365, we've been doing updates weekly," she pointed out. "We're going to watch really closely and see how people are using these apps and you should expect us to iterate very really fast. Especially as it's a v1 so we'll be learning fast and iterating fast." Is Office late or just right?There have been rumours for a long time about Office for iPad. Why launch it now, we asked Atalla? "It's the perfect time," he maintained. "This is the time when these devices are in the right place in the workplace, with the proliferation of devices and people using multiple devices, when there are three devices in everybody's hands. And yeah, this is the time when we got the apps to a place where they're great. iPad users are going to be blown away by what you can do with Office for iPad." He's not concerned about the competition from iPad-specific apps either, because he believes they won't be ready for whatever the next popular device is. "I think it's crazy to think any device paradigm will last for ever in a world where the design paradigms we work with for productivity have changed so drastically over just in the last five years. Five years ago, we did not have iPads in the workplace and we did not have 82" capacitive touch screens in conference rooms, but we have both of those now and we need productivity experiences to span all of those. And as device form factors and experiences change, we need Office to be able to adapt to those so users can have a great experience everywhere. For anybody to think about building something just for iPad is to miss the opportunity to deliver a great experience on what is next. We are both well positioned [for that] as well as we understand that Office needs to evolve with the industry - and in some cases it will lead the industry. We'll take it to new form factors and devices first and some of those will be things like Surface and PPI boards." http://cdn3.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/events/Microsoft%20cloud%20and%20mobile%20event/windows%20azure-580-90.jpg Imagine working on a whiteboard in a meeting and as you leave, taking a photo of it in the new Office Lens that's in OneNote on iPad (as well as on Windows Phone) which processes it to get the perspective correct. "You take picture of the whiteboard and have it reoriented and flattened and the colours bolded and you send it to OneNote. Then you walk into a room that has a PPI board and you open OneNote you open that whiteboard image and you just carry on working." You can do the same thing with a piece of paper and OneNote using the new LiveScribe pen.What's next for office on mobile devices?Having Office on all devices is broader than just the usual tablets then, but obviously it's Android that everyone is wondering about next. CEO Satya Nadella didn't name any other devices when he talked about having Office on all phones and tablets, but White suggested Android and Windows RT are both on the list. "iPad is important of course but people aren't just using iPad, they're using all kinds of devices and that's what's awesome with Office. I don't have this patchwork quilt of productivity in my life, I can have that same familiar experience and I know I can count on things working consistently across them. Today it's iPad, in the future we'll bring that to other devices." And what about the touch version of Office promised for Windows RT? "We're going to absolutely bring those to the Windows Store," White confirmed, "you'll see at Build next week some more examples of that, so stay tuned. Microsoft promises management ease with its mobility suiteshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/38c10226/sc/15/mf.gifhttp://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360347266/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38c10226/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360347266/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38c10226/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360347266/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38c10226/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360347266/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38c10226/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/193360347266/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38c10226/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/PFnDt3qq9UE

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/HTC/HTC_OneM8/HandsOn2/HTC%20One%20M8%20review%20(9)-470-75.JPGSmartphone manufacturers suckling on the teat of Google's open source Android software must now give the creator supreme some credit if it wishes to continue using the operating system's key apps. According to Geek.com, Google has thrown down a mandate requiring mobile makers to feature the words 'powered by Android' on the boot up screen in exchange for access to the Google Mobile Services suite. The GMS stable of course includes essential services like the Google Play store, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Maps, You Tube and the rest of those created by the hard-working folks at Mountain View. Those who choose not to give the Devil his due, won't have access the core Google apps, kind of like the Amazon Kindle Fire range. Whipping 'em into shapeThe report comes after eagle-eyed reporters spotted the 'powered by Android message when powering up the new HTC One (M8) following its launch earlier this week. It also appears on the new Samsung Galaxy S5's boot-up screen. A document sent by Google to Android manufacturers says the boot screen logo must be given "appropriate clear space" and it is advised that the logo takes up no less than 40 per cent of the width of the screen. Judging by this move it appears that Google is once again attempting to whip Android device makers into shape rather than giving them a completely free hand to use the software as they wish. Earlier this year, the company upped its efforts to do away with fragmentation by refusing to grant GMS approval for phones running on older version of the software. Got apps? Here's the 50 best Android apps of 2014http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/38bd2cd6/sc/5/mf.gifhttp://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360684615/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38bd2cd6/sc/5/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360684615/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38bd2cd6/sc/5/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360684615/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38bd2cd6/sc/5/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360684615/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38bd2cd6/sc/5/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/193360684615/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38bd2cd6/sc/5/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/qgRqRXGdgi0

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/HTC/HTC%20One%20Mini/Hands%20on%202/P1010944-470-75.JPGThe new HTC One (M8) is here and we love it, but any owners still hanging onto the HTC One Mini will be glad to know they're getting the latest version of Android. AT&T has released the latest version 4.4.2 of Android Kitkat with HTC Senses 5.5 to the smaller HTC One. HTC's executive director of product management Mo Versi tweeted out that the over the air update would arrive by the end of the week. With the update in tow, HTC One Mini users can expect a several improvements including a new icon to pop the camera off straight from the lock screen. HTC's Blinkfeed also gets a nice bump up with additional menus to add more news sources. Plus there's quicker access to switch content sources and search for custom topics. Small tweaks for a mini handsetHTC Sense 5.5 also revises the overall interface with new status and navigation bars. While using compatible apps, a new "immersive mode" enables full screen viewing of books, videos, and games. Users in constant contact with their friends and co-workers will now be able to look up whoever they want straight from the dial pad. Meanwhile, if the HTC One Mini gets a call from any unknown recipients, it will try to cross reference the number to any matches from businesses with a local listing on Google Maps. Tweaks have also been made on the email side giving the built-in email client Gmail's look and feel, while adding the ability for in-line editing. Connect your phone to your face with Google Glasshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/38a71a43/sc/15/mf.gifhttp://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360495408/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38a71a43/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360495408/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38a71a43/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360495408/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38a71a43/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/193360495408/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38a71a43/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/193360495408/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/38a71a43/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/EwAid0MB4Ac

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/LG/LG_Smart_Bulb-470-75.jpgLG has announced its first ever Smart Bulb, a household light bulb that is connectable to iOS and Android devices. The Wi-Fi or Bluetooth-powered Smart Bulb will blink when users get a phone call, will last for over a decade if on for five hours a day and result in 80 per cent energy savings, according to LG. The company has baked in a crafty security mode, to make it look like residents are at home, when they're actually away. It's not quite a Kevin McCallister one-man house party, but it'll do. Users can also set timers and brightness for the bulbs to ensure that morning light is easier on the eyes which "may feel good at daybreak," according to LG's translated press release. Party modeThere's also a party mode, which will set the brightness to the music emanating from the smartphone and will even blink to the beat, giving users their very own strobe effect. This is an Android-only feature at launch. The Smart Bulb is out in the coming days, priced at 35,000 won (around $32, £19, AU$33) and is compatible with Android 4.3+ and Apple iOS 6.0+. International launch plans are unknown, but this is definitely the most excited we've been about a light bulb since Christmas. It's also the most excited we've been about an LG home product since it announced that Blast Chiller refrigerator compartment that can cool a beer in ten minutes. Samsung's Smart Home platform brings the connected home under the roof of one app!http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/3881f4c0/sc/15/mf.gifhttp://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801547942/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3881f4c0/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801547942/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3881f4c0/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801547942/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3881f4c0/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801547942/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3881f4c0/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/191801547942/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/3881f4c0/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/hiRcC2tRn5I

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Google/nexus5/Nexus%205%20Review/nexus-5-review-50-470-75.jpg5 great SMS alternatives to Google HangoutsIt's all very exciting having the latest version of Android install itself on your mobile, but what happens when it makes changes you don't actually like? That's the situation owners of phones like the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 found themselves in recently, as Google's exciting new Android 4.4 KitKat release arrived – and forced upgraders to use Google's own Hangouts app as the default SMS app. Aside from no one really liking being told what software they have to use, the change was also a bit unsettling. The SMS tool is one of the most basic, reliable and unchanged features of any phone, with even the most backward of tech users usually able to work out how to send a simple text message. But in Hangouts? Even experienced smartphone users struggled to work out how to send a simple text. Not only that, the term 'hangout' is a dreary, predictable piece of brainstorming nonsense. So if you fancy rebelling against Google's forced use of the Hangouts app and going your own way, here are five alternative SMS apps to install and bring texting back to basics on Android. 1. Hello SMShttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Features/5%20Hangout%20Alternatives/sms/hello-sms-420-90.jpg Plenty of customisation options await in this Android SMS app, with Hello SMS letting users choose if they want a standard notification or the entire screen to light up when messages arrive. Plus there's a night mode layout option with a dark background to supposedly save your eyes and battery when texting late. The design is pretty jazzy, with a list of SMS threads down the left, plus a wider layout when viewing your texts in landscape mode. Replies are threaded, albeit in a subtle, bolded highlight way, and it's a fast, simple app to open and use. A long-press on the message icon lets you delete an entire conversation, while the attachment option is a swish combined gallery and camera app, splitting the screen between existing shots and a viewfinder for capturing and attaching live shots. View this app on the Play Store 2. Handcent SMShttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Features/5%20Hangout%20Alternatives/sms/handcent-420-90.jpg Handcent's been around for a long time on Android, and it shows. The design's not particularly thrilling, offering a white and blue colour scheme that looks like it's been ported from iPhone. Still, beneath the clunky layout there are absolutely stacks of features in Handcent, with this texting app letting users add doodles to messages as image files, attach screen captures of the phone's display, spellcheck messages before sending and, if you have a clear non-regional accent, input text via Google's speech-to-text tools. The sending of messages can even be scheduled, if you need to establish a watertight alibi. It's a proper hardcore texting app for people who use their 3,000 SMS allowance each month. View this app on the Play Store 3. EvolveSMShttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Features/5%20Hangout%20Alternatives/sms/evolve-sms-420-90.jpg EvolveSMS goes all-out on design, with a stylish layout that incorporates a swish landscape option, multiple font and text size options, Emojis and more. A nice pop-up reply box makes responding simple, plus there's a pattern lock and the ability to set some conversations to private while leaving others unrestricted, and a choice of Home screen widgets. You can also snooze incoming text message notifications for a set period of time, in the unlikely event you've got something better to do than look at your portable telephone. And as nice as it looks, the appearance can further be amended by installing themes and other customisation packs. View this app on the Play Store 4. Textra SMShttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Features/5%20Hangout%20Alternatives/sms/textra-420-90.jpg Textra bravely claims it's a "beautiful" texting app, and, if you like Android's old grey, boxy layout, it probably is. To make it less pretty there's a custom Textra Emoji plugin that can be downloaded for free, if you like expressing yourself via silly emoticons, plus there's a built-in audio recording tool, for sending people clips of you speaking when typing's too much of a chore. In terms of customisation, there's much to play with. It supports pop-up message notifications, the changing of the notification LED colour (if your phone supports it), with users also able to customise the pulsing of the notification vibration – for the ultimate in stealth text alerts. View this app on the Play Store 5. TextSecurehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Features/5%20Hangout%20Alternatives/sms/textsecure-210-100.jpg TextSecure has a bigger selling point than the rest: security. On a basic level it restricts Android from taking screengrabs of messages, plus, if you demand more control and reassurance that the wife/government isn't reading everything you say, there's the option of locking the app down with a passphrase. And, for yet more protection, conversations between two users can be kept private with end to end encryption. In terms of customisation, TextSecure delivers some fun consumer toys, with SMS delivery report tools, LED colour and blink pattern toggles for at-a-glance notifications, enter key modification and more. View this app on the Play Store http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/380e190f/sc/4/mf.gifhttp://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801173073/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/380e190f/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801173073/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/380e190f/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801173073/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/380e190f/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801173073/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/380e190f/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/191801173073/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/380e190f/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/ybrGD5MXoJA

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Instagram/Android%20app%20redesign%202014/press_small-470-75.jpgIn its first major visual overhaul since it launched in April 2012, the Instagram app for Android is sporting a cleaner look and faster feel, one that elevates the 'gram's game on Google's mobile OS. "We wanted to focus in on our Android users," Phillip McAllister, engineering manager at Instagram, told TechRadar. "Android is a first-class citizen for us and we wanted to provide a better design." This means a faster, richer Instagram Android app, one designed for the Google-powered operating system that stays true to the photo sharing service. "This new design is both uniquely Android and uniquely Instagram," McAllister said. "It's more in harmony with the Instagram platform and will have the familiarity Android users enjoy." It's also about giving a nod to the blossoming global market; according to Instagram, more than 60% of its users are located outside the US. Almost half of its overall users come by way of Android. By paring the app down, including chopping its size by half, Instagram aims to make it chummy with the wide array of Android devices used in regions around the world. What's new with Android's InstagramUsers will notice a crisper, more streamlined look to the Android app. The redesign has extended down to the fonts and icons, giving the overall app an up-to-date appearance. Don't look for a host of new features here - this overhaul is all about capturing greater visual appeal and keeping most of the app's functionality intact. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/software/Instagram/Android%20app%20redesign%202014/camera%202-200-100.jpg Though McAllister said the company strives to keep its Android offering on par with its iOS counterpart, there's undoubtedly some design carry-over from the Apple version, which saw its own overhaul late last year. For one, the blue orb that lets users take a picture in Camera in the iOS app is now beaming for all droids to see. It has a bit of a twist on the original monotone blue circle, as do some of the other rejiggered icons, but the overall look of the Camera UX is in line with iOS. For McAllister, the most noticeable changes are to be found in the Camera and Sharing screens. The makeovers allow for more room for the Camera's tools, and make "better use of the screen space for richer and fuller photos." The changes aren't limited to the Camera layout, though these are generally more subtle. Profile pages are largely the same except for a few design tweaks, namely the disappearance of dividing lines, and the Explore tab touts the app's new iconography. The Edit tab has undergone a tweak that sees all commands pushed to the bottom, leaving the photo to take up most of the screen space. Some fresh air was breathed into the Feed, though again the changes aren't radical (take a peek at the time-posted clock and colored hearts to see what we mean). http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/software/Instagram/Android%20app%20redesign%202014/edit%202-200-100.jpg Get up and gramDespite focusing on the app's aesthetics, there are some functional improvements as well. In addition to cutting its size down (amounting to faster download times and less space on storage-starved devices), the app will also now better fit varying screen sizes, whether large phablet or petite Mini, by self-identifying the display's dimensions and adjusting accordingly. Finally, the Android app is noticeably faster than previous iterations; McAllister said there's a 20% speed difference on some devices and the profile tab is capable of loading almost two times faster. "The feeling of the app is a lot faster," he said. The new look will be available in Instagram for Android version 5.1, and ready for downloading today in the Google Play Store. All you need is Android 2.2 and up to give it a whirl. Instagram recently revealed Direct, it's take on the same ol' http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/380e1917/sc/4/mf.gifhttp://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801173071/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/380e1917/sc/4/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801173071/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/380e1917/sc/4/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801173071/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/380e1917/sc/4/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801173071/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/380e1917/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/191801173071/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/380e1917/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/nzXn3qO_VC4

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Press/Z10-Press-05-470-75.jpgThe next update for BlackBerry's ever-improving BBM app for iPhone and Android, will soon bring group photo messaging into play, the company has confirmed. In a blog post this weekend, the Waterloo-based firm said it was continually looking to add new features in order to keep customers happy and photo messaging within group chats is next on the agenda. "We know customers want to be able to share pics with multiple people in a chat. The next release of BBM will support photo sharing in multi person chats," Jeff Gadway, the firm's head of product and brand marketing wrote on the BlackBerry Blog. The support will come as BBM looks to make up ground on other popular messaging apps like Google Hangouts, Apple's iMessage and Facebook-owned WhatsApp, which already have the ability to distribute photos to more than one person. Bigger filesAdditionally, the company is upping the maximum file size users are able to share from 6MB to 16MB. That's 16 seconds of 1080p HD video, according to BlackBerry, or more pertinently, the difference between sharing a full resolution photo taken with a DSLR and one taken with a smartphone camera. "What this means is that you'll be able to send bigger pictures, larger documents and longer videos," Gadway added. The company didn't reveal when the update would be dropping, but considering the frequency of the changes so far, then it's unlikely to be too far away from launch. BBM to collide with Facebook Messenger on Windows Phone later this year!http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/37b3b337/sc/15/mf.gifhttp://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531215960/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/37b3b337/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531215960/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/37b3b337/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531215960/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/37b3b337/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531215960/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/37b3b337/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/186531215960/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/37b3b337/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/vqgvGS_p1XI

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/gadgets/Google%20Glass/2.0/google-glass-prescription-lenses-470-75.jpgThe Google Glass headset will soon receive its largest update yet with the company confirming it will transition the device to Android 4.4 KitKat from the current Ice Cream Sandwich OS. The move was confirmed by Googler Teresa Z in a private forum, in a move geared to gee-up Glass Explorers disappointed by the lack of the XE14 software update, due in February. "We're working to move Glass from Ice Cream Sandwich to Kit Kat to make the Glass experience smoother and just plain better," she wrote. "This change will make it easier for us to bring you more useful updates and it's something we're really excited about. Developers, we know you're gonna be excited, too. But it's also something that we don't want to send to you all until it's just right." Larger, less regular updatesSomething else that isn't quite right yet is the XE14 update, which missed its February deadline and followed a month with no planned update, meaning Explorers have been waiting since December. Teresa Z added: "What we had planned for February just isn't ready for primetime yet. So... we've decided to hold off for now. "I know this might be a disappointment to some of you. But it's all part of the Explorer program. We're trying a lot of things. Most of them work out great, and some of them need a little more polish. In this case, we'd rather wait to get it right, than release something that isn't up to snuff." The Googler said that although Google was doing away with scheduled monthly updates, it was still committed to bringing Explorers regular software bumps that will in turn be larger and more stable. 2020 Vision: The Future of Google Glasshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/37b25b61/sc/15/mf.gifhttp://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png http://da.feedsportal.com/r/187558391104/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/37b25b61/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/187558391104/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/37b25b61/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/187558391104/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/37b25b61/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/187558391104/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/37b25b61/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/187558391104/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/37b25b61/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/tyJ6Nmsgyb8

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Nokia/NokiaX/Nokia_X_Android_apps-470-75.jpgThe Nokia X, the company's first-and-potentially-last handset running the Android operating system, doesn't really have much to identify it as a handset running Google-based software. There's no access to core Google apps like Gmail, YouTube, Hangouts, Google Now and users are unable to download items from the Google Play store. Everything is decidedly Windows Phone flavoured. However, thanks to a little bit of ingenuity from one of the clever folks on the XDA Developers forum, anyone can access those Android essentials on the new handset. Forum member Kashamalaga has unveiled a pretty easy - the man himself called it rudimentary - method for restoring the phone to its Google roots. Holy GrailMicrosoft hopes the Windows Phone-style user-interface, with the likes of Skype and OneDrive front and centre will give users an incentive to jump on board with the company's own OS next time they're in the market for a phone. However, what users really wanted from this release was the smartphone Holy Grail of a Nokia handset running full-fat Android. This little exploit doesn't offer that, but it brings the dream a little closer to reality. Microsoft needs to stop worrying about Android and learn to love the Nokia X.http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/37acbbb5/sc/5/mf.gifhttp://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531189715/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/37acbbb5/sc/5/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531189715/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/37acbbb5/sc/5/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531189715/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/37acbbb5/sc/5/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531189715/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/37acbbb5/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/186531189715/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/37acbbb5/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/9nViNspVNUE

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Geeksphone/Blackphone/Geeksphone%20Blackphone%20Press%20Shot-470-75.jpgGeeksphone is out with a new privacy promising smartphone that aims to subvert all NSA spy rings in the world. Dubbed the Blackphone, it's an unassuming little 4.7-inch Android smartphone. Geeksphone hasn't divulged the exact resolution of the screen but its been listed as a HD IPS display. Android users will also find the same specs they've come to expect on handsets including a 2GHz Quad Core CPU backed up by 2GBs of RAM, 16GBs of storage, LTE, HSPA+, and a 8-megapixel camera. But underneath this glossy screen Silent Circle, a security and encryption software developer, has done some serious Android OS tweaking to secure it into a new platform called "PrivatOS." Digital Fort Knox With a mix of secure applications and Android modifications, PrivatOS gives users more insight and control over how third party applications are doing with their data. Silent Circle's solutions drill down to replacing some of the basic communication apps to offer encrypted VoIP calls and silent texting. Meanwhile, the stock Android app has been replaced with Silent Contacts to block apps from scrubbing your virtual phonebook. Additionally the Blackphone comes with SpiderOak, a plan for 5GBs of "zero-knowledge encrypted data backup." Users will also be able search their musings on Google and Bing with the Disconnect search provider, which routes Internet queries through an anonymous VPN client. The bottom line feeshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Geeksphone/Blackphone/Geeksphone%20Blackphone-420-90.jpg However, in order for Silent Circle's applications to provide all this peer-to-peer encryption goodness, both devices receiving and sending information need to be enrolled in the service. Even the Blackphone itself comes with two years of service for all the encrypted apps. For everyone else not using a Blackphone, the software company has the encrypted apps available for download for iOS and Android devices that come with paid subscriptions. Blackphone buyers are given three additional one-year licenses to Silent Circle's security suite they can hand out to their friends. Once the terms are up, Silent Circle users can continue paying to use the suite for $10 (about £6/AUS $11) a month, buy a Blackphone themselves, or go back to regular phone calls and text messages. Of course the Blackphone can also call out to unsecured connections like their calling up the local Dominos and anyone else unlikely to enroll in Silent Circle's secure network. You can order the Blackphone today for $629 (about £377/AUS $ 695) and it's expected to ship in June. Stay tuned for our hands on with this privacy-protecting phone. For a little more security, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is the latest phone to have a fingerprint scanner. http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/377d2c33/sc/5/mf.gifhttp://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531044078/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/377d2c33/sc/5/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531044078/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/377d2c33/sc/5/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531044078/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/377d2c33/sc/5/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531044078/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/377d2c33/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/186531044078/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/377d2c33/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/7wanGRE-LQc

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Android/KitKat/Android_KitKat-470-75.jpgA 64-bit version of Google's Android operating system is only months away from an official launch, according to Jeffrey Ju, vice president, Smartphone Business Unit at Mediatek, during an impromptu briefing yesterday. He said that Q3 will be when that elusive beast will be announced, one that is likely to carry the moniker Android 5.0. Q3 is also when, traditionally, Google is expected to announce the followup of the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 7 2013 edition. 64-bit to become mainstreamJu said that it made perfect sense for Google to launch a 64-bit Android in Q3 because there are already two mainstream 64-bit system-on-chip solutions, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 410 and Mediatek's just announced MT6732, both based on ARM's A53 architecture and aimed at the "super mid-market audience". Other vendors like Samsung and Rockchip are also expected to launch 64-bit SoCs soon. In the entreprise arena, the likes of Cavium and AMD are also doing the same. The Linux Kernel, which is at the core of Android, is already 64-bit capable which means that the transition should be painless. Moving from 32 to 64 bit is likely to have the biggest improvement in performance in multimedia, added Ju. Intel worked on a 64-bit version of Android 4.4 Kit Kat for its own Merrifield solution earlier this year. Now check out the latest from the World Mobile Congresshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/377b04f7/sc/5/mf.gifhttp://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531041318/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/377b04f7/sc/5/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531041318/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/377b04f7/sc/5/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531041318/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/377b04f7/sc/5/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/186531041318/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/377b04f7/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/186531041318/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/377b04f7/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/aSydOlM0W7s