Google has just pushed out updated factory images for the developer preview of Android L. The release, which currently supports the Nexus 5 smartphone and Nexus 7 tablet, adds Google Fit compatibility, and as we near the end user build of Android L set to roll out this fall, it would seem that the search giant is working doggedly to ensure all of the features are in place.
Android, being open source and all, is a prime target for makers of malicious software, and even though Google's ubiquitous mobile platform has become more and more secure through the generations, it still seems to encounter unwanted threats more frequently than iOS or Windows Phone. A new strain spotted by Russian security experts threatens more than 500,000 Android users by taking advantage of the way some banks process information through SMS, and with the ability to assume almost full control of an afflicted device, it's actually rather dangerous.
Last week, Crazy Taxi: City Rush was rolled out to those rocking an iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The title, designed specifically for mobile rather than being a port of one of the old classics, has enjoyed a bright start since making its début over at the App Store, and fashionably late, the Android version has just arrived over at the Google Play Store. Details, as well as the download link, can be seen after the fold.
Wireless charging has come along in leaps and bounds over the past few years, but whilst the ability to power up a device from a short distance away is somewhat useful, it's still not convenient enough to convince most consumers that USB cables are redundant in this respect. Sure, wire-free charging seems an inevitable part of our digital future, but there's also a lingering feeling that there's much work to be done until it becomes a necessity, and several groups are looking to push the boundaries and bring these visions to reality. One system, which uses ultrasound to power devices that may, for example, be roaming on the other side of a room, is a prime example, and after years of development, looks a very exciting inroad.
Google's Android Wear initiative may be in the midst of what could be called a false start, but that problem maybe alleviated once the big software companies start to integrate wearable support into their apps. Two giants of the messaging world have done just that over the last couple of days, with both Facebook and WhatsApp issuing updates to their Android apps that give Android Wear, err, wearers a little taste of the future.
We may be only a couple of months beyond this year's WWDC, but even as the Apple developer community is working its way towards a big iOS 8 release, attentions are beginning to turn towards next year's event.
Apple's iPhone 6 is apparently being unveiled on September 9th, and although we'd gathered plenty of details already, we've now got some unofficial confirmation of several key features. It's naturally assumed, given the A7 processor of the iPhone 5s, that Apple will bundle an improved A8 chip into the next handset, and along with improved Wi-Fi and Touch ID, this will definitely be the case.
There's no doubting the popularity of the Game of Thrones series. Be it the hugely popular books or the equally well viewed TV series, the Game of Thrones franchise is one that must be raking in a pretty penny for its creator, George R.R. Martin.
It became something of a myth that turned out to be true, but there really was a guy called Sam Sung that worked for Apple as recently as late-2013. Even while both Apple and Samsung were going at it tooth and nail over patents and general hatred of each other, there was a cheery guy working as a specialist in Apple’s Pacific Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was almost too good to be true.
Quite how well Microsoft's third attempt at the Surface is doing still remains a bit of a mystery, but with the Surface Pro 3 it's believed that the company may actually be onto something this time around. Already available in the United States, Canada and Japan, Microsoft is set to bring its latest tablet to a further 25 markets at the end of this month, making it available to pre-order right now.
















