Those associated with Google's flagship mobile operating system will by now be very much aware that version 4.4, which has been given the name of the popular (and also very tasty) KitKat treat, will be arriving at some point in the near future. What remains rather less obvious, however, are the specific features Google will be packing therein, and although the rumor mill has suggested it could be released as early as this month alongside the very eagerly awaited Nexus 5, we've nothing concrete to go on. But as the mobile world gets itself in a tizzy regarding these rather significant releases, Gadget Helpline has snagged a rather dated build of Android 4.4, and having dissected it somewhat, has dug up some intriguing features.
As well as delivering plenty of insight into its upcoming Xbox One console along with some of the many launch titles set to be available when the November release date arrives, Microsoft has been doing a pretty stellar job of talking up the next-gen Kinect, which will ship with each and every newly-purchased Xbox One. We've already seen some of the many powerful features on offer with the new device, including the ability to recognize two different voices when they're talking at the same time, and and an intriguing new video clip offers perhaps the most vicarious look yet through the eye of the sensor.
Every dev team worthy of their place in the Apple ecosystem has been frantically updating their available apps to include full compatibility with the polarizing new OS to come out of Cupertino - iOS 7 - and of course tweaking the look and feel of the app where applicable. The big players in the game are no different, with today being the turn of Netflix to push out version 5.0 of their universal iOS app that brings the obligatory iOS 7 support as well as a number of other notable improvements for users.
The App Store may be a treasure trove of casual games such as your physics-based puzzlers, but over the past couple of years, we've seen plenty of popular console franchises make the leap to mobile space. The NBA 2K series is a primary example of this growing trend, and around this time of year is when the new version usually makes its its début. Right on cue, NBA 2K14 has been released for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, and if you're a big fan of basketball, you'll certainly want to be checking it out.
With the iPhone 5s quickly becoming old news on the Internet, attention is now very much beginning to turn towards what Apple has hidden up its sleeve for both the iPad 5 and iPad mini 2. All the leaks and rumors that were reserved for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c just a few weeks ago have now made way for rumors about tablets, though some of it does feel eerily familiar.
Waiting for an iPhone to come into stock at your local Apple Store is something we wouldn't want to wish on our worst enemies. The constant refreshing, the checking of different stores and the waiting game that never seems to end are all things that we have done when Apple hasn't been able to keep up with demand for a new iPhone. The iPhone 5s is no different.
Just yesterday, a little digging by Ars Technica revealed that Samsung had rigged its Galaxy Note 3 device for benchmark tests in order to make it appear as though it performed at higher levels than it did. But while Samsung may have born the brunt of the criticism - not less since, this has happened before with the International Galaxy S4 - the problem doesn't begin and end with the South Korean company. Nope; as it transpires, many of the market's well-respected vendors like to, shall we say fine tune certain aspects of a device's make-up to reflect favorably when those benchmark apps are running, and the fully classified list, as collated by AnandTech, makes for very interesting reading.
While iOS 7's launch hasn't been fraught with incident like some of the previous releases of Apple's mobile operating system, the last couple of weeks have not passed without a fair dose of complaints from certain folks within the iOS community. Apple, as we know, has added some new effects and animations to proceedings, and whilst they do serve to add a touch of elegance, not everybody has had such a pleasurable experience. In fact, some users have reported suffering from iOS 7 motion sickness after using the new mobile OS for lengthy periods of time, and trust U.S. chat show host Jimmy Kimmel to come up with a hilarious solution. Check out the video after the jump!
Smartphones are more than just communication devices, and have been so for quite a while now. They have replaced personal information managers, multimedia players (famously known as MP3/MP4 players), portable gaming devices, and even photo albums. In fact, the massive internal storage spaces on Android based devices, alongside the ability to supplement it with microSD expansion cards, make perfect combination for keeping your precious memories - both photo and video - with you anywhere. That’s a convenience that we all enjoy, and have become completely accustomed to.
Apple wouldn't be Apple if it wasn't to try adding something cool and exciting to its new mobile operating system, and with iOS 7, the new animations - notably the parallax effect - have certainly added a new dimension to the very new-look user interface. It's the kind of look jailbreakers have been shooting at for years with tweaks like 3D Board, and although it's rather unnecessary up against the large collection of useful implementations, it does bring that nice touch of finesse. If you were wondering how you could get this rather neat look with your own wallpaper, well, read on, and we'll outline the steps!
