In an attempt to try and reestablish itself in the smartphone market it was once a key component of, Canadian outfit BlackBerry announced earlier on this year that it was bringing its famed, exclusive BlackBerry Messenger service to iOS and Android. Neither of the big two ecosystems are short on IM services already, but with BlackBerry short on ideas, the decision to open up BBM could well be the catalyst needed for the brand to reemerge as a giant. Today, a beta version of both the iOS and Android versions are now available on the BlackBerry Beta Zone, and although not all members have been offered a chance to test out the unfinished software, it would appear that we're drawing ever closer to the official release.
Not many tech releases can claim to have created more of a fuss and anticipation than both the next generation gaming consoles, but the hype surrounding Google Glass is certainly giving the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 a run for their money. At present, only certain individuals have managed to get their hands on a unit of the wearable tech for testing and development of the Android-based ecosystem, but it would seem Google is now offering some of those testers a chance to invite a friend to the process, provided they're willing to pick their very own pair from selected distribution outlets.
As a company, Samsung offers plenty of products for the smartphone world to consider, but while its range is wide and covers most areas of the market, its flagship models derive from the Galaxy S series. One thing you might've picked up from every new Galaxy S device, including the Galaxy S4, is that when it comes around to benchmarks, the new model always performs significantly better on paper than its predecessor. This, in terms of digital evolution, perhaps stands to reason, but AnandTech has done a little digging, and discovered evidence that appears to suggest the latest and greatest Samsung Galaxy S4 may have been tweaked to show favorable numbers in the benchmark tests, even if this doesn't necessarily translate to real-world performance improvements.
Step by step instructions on how to root Android 4.3 Jelly Bean running on Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Nexus 10 and Galaxy Nexus.
Google is constantly looking for ways to broaden its reach and range of digital products, and with Zagat support having recently been integrated into its official Maps app, a standalone app of the restaurant-finding tool has just been released for Apple's iPhone and Google’s very own Android OS. Details, as well as download links, can be seen after the leap.
The MoDaCo.Switch for the HTC One, which allows owners of the device to dual-boot between the Sense and Google Edition interfaces, has been released to the public in beta. For users looking for a clean, pure Android experience most of the time but a little tentative about dropping Sense, MoDaCo.Switch is the perfect go-between, and with a relatively easy setup, your HTC One could be running both stock Android and the Taiwanese company's modded Sense iteration.
As tech fans, we're often sucked in by the glamorous new features of a firmware update. The release of Android 4.3, while perhaps not a lot to write home about in all, offers quite a few intriguing implementations, but while a control center for individual app permissions doesn't sound particularly exciting, it's certainly something many Droidsters have been waiting on for a long time. And now, a new hidden App Ops feature within Android 4.3 has been discovered, that allows the user to set individual app permissions, and in the tech world's constant demands for more control over its mobile devices, this is most certainly a tick in the box. And enabling it is a piece of cake, here’s how you can do it.
The market for 4K Ultra HD displays has yet to really take off thanks to the lack of supporting content, high prices, and general newness of the technology. Yet with both the forthcoming Xbox One from Microsoft and PlayStation 4 from Sony both offering varying degrees of 4K support, it would appear other platforms are now following suit. The source code of the just-released Android 4.3 Jelly Bean seems to indicate support for Ultra HD, and although this doesn't necessarily signal a flurry of 4K Android devices, it is clear that Google is thinking ahead to the future.
Samsung has been really active over the course of its last two iterations of Galaxy line flagships, that is, Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4, both of which have been acclaimed as the most human-friendly smartphones ever. Features like Smart Stay and Smart Dial make you feel that your device actually understands you, and reads your mind, even if the reality is just a matter of some cleverly placed sensors and making use of existing tech.
If you're into your tech news, you'll be more than aware by now that Google made one or two important announcements yesterday. The event, headed in New York City by the company's head of Android and Chrome Sundar Pichai, saw a brand new iteration of Android - Android 4.3 Jelly Bean -announced alongside a new streaming peripheral by the name of Chromecast. On top of that, the search giant also added the small matter of a significantly-updated Nexus 7 2013 tablet, which features an improved display, rear camera and faster processor among other niceties. If you happened to have missed any of yesterday's proceedings or simply would like to relive the event, a video of the entire showpiece is now available to watch online via Google's very own YouTube.
