Google has just unveiled Android 4.4 KitKat. The naming convention for major Android operating system releases doesn't take a genius to figure out. With each new big release getting a name based on popular sweets, and those names following the alphabet series, the next release after Jelly Bean was believed to be called Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. Now, after an announcement by Google itself, it's clear that isn't quite accurate.
Android is a fantastic mobile operating system, and continues to become one of the biggest forces in mobile software out on the market. As is the nature of Android, everybody seems to want a slice. Whilst this means that we, as consumers, have a large product base to choose from, it also means we get lumbered with a huge amount of manufacturer bloatware. Without a doubt the worst feature of the Samsung Galaxy S4, in my opinion at least, happens to be the user experience that Samsung TouchWiz provides. HTC Sense 5 isn't any better either, and don't even get me started on Motorola's MOTOBLUR from some years back.
The LG-manufactured, Google-branded Nexus 4 smartphone has proved popular with consumers thanks to its relatively low price allied to a fairly impressive list of hardware specs. Today, the Big G has lowered the price some more, with the device now retailing in the sub-$200 category for the 8GB model.
It's fairly safe to say at this point that there is no love lost between Google and Apple, and the latter has used its Siri digital assistant to poke fun at some of Google's properties in the past. With that in mind, it's no great surprise that Siri is in fact no great fan of what is perhaps Google's most popular product that nobody can buy.
Yesterday, we shared with you that YouTube v5.0 had been seeded to users by Google. Up until now however, this new version has been reserved for Android users, but we quickly found out that an iOS version was on the horizon - and it just dropped onto the App Store in the form of YouTube v2.0 for iOS. As Ben pointed out in his earlier post, the biggest change in this update is without doubt the new in-app multitasking functionality that allows you to watch a video, and browse the app itself with ease simultaneously.
Google yesterday announced a new, and considerably altered YouTube for Android app, but at the time the search behemoth was keeping mum on when the loveliness would make its way to Apple's iOS devices like the iPhone and the iPad. It turns out that despite the silence, those packing Apple's smartphones and tablets didn't need to wait too long for parity with their Android-toting friends. Just 24 hours, in fact.
CyanogenMod, the most popular custom firmware for Android based solely on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), usually serves as a sigh of relief for the plethora of users that otherwise would be stuck on an older Android version owing to the fact that OEMs are not really that keen on releasing updates for older devices. With the release of Android 4.3, a lot of Android users were looking forward to tasting the latest goodies on their device thanks to the famous custom ROM, and CM developers have not disappointed - CyanogenMod 10.2 nightlies have started making appearances on the official channel for a variety of devices, which is based on Android 4.3.
Google's Android firmware may be continually improving in a number of key areas, but one category of constant concern is that of Android malware and general security threats, which seem to be rising just as readily as the platform is. Worryingly, security outfit Trend Micro notes of how the number of malicious apps in existence across the Web has increased to 700,000, with almost 200,000 having manifested in the last quarter alone. With up to 99 percent of devices potentially at risk, the threat is very real, and although users are at least becoming more cautious and aware, it would seem the malware makers are more determined than ever.
Google has once again delivered a weighty bundle of features in the second iteration of the famed, ASUS-made Nexus 7 slate, and if you happen to reside in the UK and wondering when you would be able to purchase the heavily-lauded 7-inch tablet, you'll be pleased to learn that it will hit the Play Store before the end of the month. As confirmed by ASUS, the new Nexus 7 will be available in Britain from August 28th, and with the base, 16GB version retailing at just £199, it offers the same incredible value that made it a hit this time last year.
Earlier on this year, there was much talk of Google making the jump from Android 4.2.x Jelly Bean to version 5.0, named Android Key Lime Pie. But soon after, it was revealed that there would be a stop-gap in the form of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and thus, the blogosphere has focused its attentions towards this rather incremental release. With the search giant now having begun rolling 4.3 out to a number of stock Android smartphones and tablets, the Key Lime Pie patrol has resumed once again, and over on Google’s Chromium bug tracker, what looks to be a bug report of an unknown, future build has manifested.
