Top 10 tennis apps on the Samsung GALAXY S4 and Note 3 Oct 21st 2013, 12:59, by Your Mobile Life 
As any tennis fan knows, the season is never over. Whether you're still supercharged with Murray mania, a long-time Federer fan or a comedic Djoker, our top 10 tennis apps for the Samsung GALAXY S4 and GALAXY Note 3 will keep you in the loop. Sure, Wimbledon may be over and the 2013 US Open might have closed, but tennis fans still have the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals to look forward to in November. Plus, winter is surely the best time to start equipping your digital armoury with the best tennis apps available. You might even be looking to make your way to the top of the ATP rankings yourself. If so, our selection below will have you smashing felt around the court like a supercharged Nalbandian. Just don't go kicking any spectators. 
1. Gachinko TennisFree – Get it here Don't let Gachinko Tennis' blocky, SNES-like graphics fool you; the game demands hours of practice if you want to stand a chance of beating it. Starting off in the app's exhibition mode could save your head a few follicles down the line as you learn to control the player's speed while choosing between straight or slice shots to return the ball. Precision is the name of the game, and failure to move quickly enough or picking the wrong shot will see fuzzy felt repeatedly fly wide. When you're ready, Gachinko Tennis serves up 'Elimination' mode, which sees you earn experience points to spend on increasingly powerful skill shots, such as volleys or power serves, which you'll need for taking on 10 increasingly tough opponents. While not a 'feature' per se, the app's slightly corny on-screen dialogue could teach you a few tennis terms too, and the game prides itself on its seemingly impossible to beat final challenge. Complete it, and bragging rights will truly be yours. 
2. Tennis MathFree – Get it here If you've ever watched tennis on the telly, you may have wondered why the commentators are fixated on statistics. As with many sports, they show the strengths and weaknesses of players' games, and anything from an unusual number of forced errors to a player firing a steady stream of aces can point to who is 'set' for victory. Tennis Math is all about helping you spot those strengths and weaknesses in order to improve your own game. With a simple interface that provides buttons to log various on-court actions, from shots to movement patterns, the aim is to build up a picture over time of where improvement is needed. It has 'beginner', 'intermediate' and 'expert' modes, depending on the level of complexity you want to track your shots, and the app is widely configurable to track any type of match, from a 5-set Grand-Slam to a kids' or custom game. 
3. Stick TennisFree – Get it here Developed by the same people that brought us addictive browser-based game Stick Cricket, Stick Tennis is all about timing. The game's controls couldn't be simpler. While the phone controls your player's movements, your job is to swipe in various directions to pull off certain shots. Its cartoonish visuals may fool you into thinking you'll breeze your way to winning grand slams in no time, but Stick Tennis is no walk in the park. The computer can be ruthless, and you may find yourself having to improve your game at the 'Casual Sets Tennis Club' (essentially a practice mode) before growing in confidence to take on the big hitters. Whether you're passing the time on a short journey or looking to dig into an in-depth tennis challenge, Stick Tennis is one of the best pick-up-and-play offerings on a handheld device. 
4. Virtua Tennis ChallengeFree demo – Get it here (or £4.02 for the full version – Buy it here) Sega's been making Virtua Tennis games since 1999, meaning the series is so fine tuned you can almost smell the strawberries and cream. It's always been a looker, and Sega's Android version continues that tradition, featuring 18 perfectly rendered stadiums from around the world and 50 real-life felt swatters. Touch controls allow you to use top spin, slice shots, drop shots and lobs, giving you more varied shots over over rival tennis sims. Solo players can enter a 'World Tour' mode that lets you create a mini 'you' to take on opponents from around the globe, and a Multiplayer option lets you connect with players over Bluetooth for fast-paced doubles matches, whether that's head-to-head or against computerised opponents. 
5. Tennis Remote Score LiteFree – Get it here (or £3.22 for the full version – Buy it here) Having to mentally keep score when playing tennis can be off-putting for any player. To help in this area, Tennis Remote Score Lite allows either one or both players (or a third person) to track the score by tapping on a player's name to add points as a match progresses. Additionally, if you have a spare speaker handy that you can connect to the GALAXY S4 or Note 3, the app will use the smartphone's Text to Speech settings to read out the scores as the match progresses. It doesn't do it in Boris Becker's voice, unfortunately, but we can live in hope that it might do one day. 
6. Tennis ChartFree – Get it here If you're looking for a way to up your game tactically, whether it's adjusting your feet or discovering your weak points, Tennis Chart allows you (or someone else, unless you want to constantly stop the match) to mark where each of your shots land on the court with a tap. This allows you to keep track of winners, forced and unforced errors and ball placement. You have the option of recording full or partial matches too, in addition to setting custom scoring rules to highlight how often you successfully pull off certain types of shots. The app really benefits from the Samsung GALAXY S4's generous 5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED screen or the Note 3's astounding 5.7-inch Full HD Super AMOLED screen, making it easy to see where you're blasting balls and what your success rate is at a glance. -420-90.jpg)
7. Sports Rules & News FreeFree – Get it here Tennis can be a confusing game to newcomers. For a start, there's an awful lot of racket throwing and stomping about for a sport that mentions 'love' every five minutes. Sports Rules & News is an accessible and clearly presented app that explains the rules of tennis without jargon. From understanding the scoring system to learning all about the various court surfaces, it may even rekindle some long-lost knowledge for seasoned professionals. After you've swotted up, the app features a test mode that takes you through various questions in a true or false format to see what you've learned. And that's not all, as tennis is just one of 12 sports on offer – amazing considering it doesn't cost a penny. 
8. Tennis Mental WinnerFree – Get it here You may have mastered your shots, but what about your temperament? You only need to look back in tennis history to see that champions often come with a surly disposition, from John McEnroe's tantrums to David Nalbandian taking out a spectator's shins. Tennis Mental Winner is an app that not only helps tame your nerves and emotions, but also teaches you how to remain calm and focused in nearly any situation. Whether you're suffering from pre-match anxieties, the crowd isn't on your side or you're hitting an unusual amount of wide shots, this mental manual is your Ivan Lendl when you're struggling to break out of moody Murray mode. 
9. ATP/WTA LiveFree – Get it here While there are plenty of apps out there providing the low down on the four major slams, there's comparatively less choice when it comes to following tournaments held by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Luckily, this app offers up a wealth of information on the two, from the results of tours and events held throughout the year to future match schedules and live points that are updated minute-by-minute. You can track specific players too, meaning you can get all the latest on your favourite tennis starts at the swipe of a finger. Match statistics are also thrown into the mix alongside detailed ATP and WTA singles and doubles, and if you're looking to sharpen up your knowledge on players involved with the two associations, you could do worse than checking out the app's comprehensive head-to-head records and player bios. 
10. The Tennis AppFree – Get it here The Tennis App is something of a jack of all trades, featuring the latest tennis news and updates from social media platforms. It also allows you to track updates based on your favourite tennis players, but the app's prized feature is an automatically updated and comprehensive rankings list for ATP Singles, ATP Doubles, ATP Doubles Teams, WTA Singles and WTA Doubles. You can also 'star' matches as favourites to receive instant updates and notifications, in addition to browsing player directories.       | In Depth: Mastering Drama Shot on the GALAXY S4 and Note 3 Oct 21st 2013, 11:41, by Your Mobile Life 
By now, you're probably aware that the camera in your Samsung GALAXY S4 or Note 3 is, thanks to the wonders of software and a hefty dose of processing power, a veritable box of delights. And when mastered, it can capture shots that transcend the merely static and in some cases, produce results that appear almost magical. A classic example is the Drama Shot. We can all appreciate a bit of drama in our lives, so why not in the photos we take for posterity? Let's examine what Drama Shot is and how to use it. 
1. Figure out when to use Drama Shot The GALAXY S4 and Note 3's Drama Shot function is pretty specific, so you won't necessarily use it often – but when you want to, you'll appreciate knowing how it works. Trust us: when you pull off a great Drama Shot, you'll be left with a truly spectacular keepsake. Essentially, what it does is to take a sequence of shots, then edit them cleverly to produce what looks like a time-lapse photo, charting the progress of a moving subject across a static background. 
2. Choose your subject So, if you find yourself in a situation where one object in front of your viewfinder is on the move, then it's time to swing Drama Shot into action. You might, say, want to capture your children as they move across the screen – taking their first bike-ride, say, performing in a ballet, or running across a playground. It's perfect for sporting events: capturing the progress of a motorbike as it rounds a bend, or a footballer or rugby player on a mazy run. And if you're into extreme sports, then it's ideal for freezing a perfectly executed snowboard, mountain bike or skateboard jump in time. 
3. Select Drama mode This is the easy bit – as you would expect, it merely involves firing up the camera on your GALAXY S4 or Note 3, hitting the Mode button and scrolling up to Drama. At this point, you'll be given a small note explaining the Drama function. Essentially, it takes a selection of multiple-exposure shots and merges them into a single picture 
4. Set up your shot The first time you launch Drama mode, you'll be given a longer explanation of how it works, and it's well worth paying attention to this. First, it's vitally important to bear in mind that you need a subject that is moving from one side of the screen to the other, or else the results you get simply won't be worthwhile. Second, because of the clever way in which the software goes about its business, there must be just one moving object – any more, and it will get confused. Third, you can't use the zoom when in Drama mode, so any framing is dictated by where you position yourself; you may need to move towards or away from your subject before taking the shot. 
5. Take your shot When you've got everything set up to your satisfaction, it's time to dive in and have a go. If you're not able to direct whatever it is you're shooting, then timing is of paramount importance – what you want to do is start shooting at the moment the subject enters one side of the frame. Press the button once, and your Samsung GALAXY S4 or Note 3 will begin a shooting sequence that lasts a few seconds, with a bar at the bottom of the screen showing you its progress. Don't worry if that process is still going on when the subject has disappeared from the other side of the screen – the software is sufficiently intelligent to cope with that. But it is vitally important to hold your GALAXY S4 or Note 3 perfectly still; avoid the temptation to pan it with the movement, as that will ruin a Drama Shot. 
6. Trial and error As you may have suspected, a bit of practice comes in handy with a new function such as this, and it may take you a few goes to pull off your first worthwhile Drama Shot. If, for whatever reason, your first efforts didn't work correctly, it will be obvious from the camera display. If the Drama Shot worked, then you'll see a lovely sequence of multiple exposures apparently moving across the screen, and a reel of the shots across the bottom. If not, then it's time to hit the Cancel button at the top of the screen and have another go. 
7. Select your shots When it does work, though, it's deeply satisfying – and you will be given a chance to tweak the resulting image to your total satisfaction. This time, you will see a strip of single exposures at the bottom of the screen, some of which have been given green ticks. Those are the shots which the software selected for use in the Drama Shot. You can fiddle around with them to your heart's content – un-checking the selected ones, and checking the ones the software opted not to use, if you wish. That process can come in handy to eliminate unsightly gurning on your subject's face (or, if applicable, to highlight it). But in our experience, the GALAXY S4 and Note 3's software usually gets its shot-selection spot-on. 
8. Further editing If you've selected your shots, but still feel a modicum of tweaking is required (for example, to get rid of a bit of blurring), you can launch the GALAXY S4 or Note 3's general picture editing programme by selecting the Edit button at the top of the screen. Here, you can erase unsightly areas by rubbing the screen or, in the case of the Note 3, make fine adjustments with the S Pen. 
9. Save your shot Once you're done, you should be left with a wonderful shot that will leave your friends speculating whether you're related to David Bailey. Which will somehow seem even more wondrous, given that you created it on the fly and in a matter of minutes. So do yourself a favour and don't forget to hit the Save button. 
10. Share your shot Now don't be shy – pulling off a Drama Shot is an achievement, which you really ought to let the world know about. And a good Drama Shot is bound to become quite a talking point. So why not go into the Gallery, select your freshly minted Drama Shot and hit the Share button – Drama Shots are what the likes of Instagram, Facebook and Twitter were invented for.       | Archos launches budget offensive with Titanium smartphone range Oct 21st 2013, 11:09, by T Thorn 
Archos has announced its latest range of latest range of smartphones, pitched at a wallet-friendly price tag. Archos has given them its Titanium branding, with the four devices covering screen sizes from 4 to 5.3 inches. Archos isn't a brand that you'd normally associate with smartphones, with its most recent products being centred around the tablet market. You may have seen or heard about the Archos 80 Titanium or the Archos GamePad 2. That said, some may remember that it announced a range of smartphones back in April. Don't mention the B wordAlthough the budget market is one of the hottest markets, the spec list leaves little to set the world alight. Then again, when the cutting edge feature may well be price, maybe that doesn't matter. Specs wise, though, all four handsets come with dual SIM capability, a small 1.3GHz dual core processor backed with 512MB RAM, and 4GB storage. Screen wise, the baby of the bunch, the Archos Titanium 40, comes with a 4 inch WVGA 480x800 screen. Also aptly named, the Archos Titanium 45 and Titanium 53 come with 4.5 and 5.3 inch FWVGA 480x854 screens respectively. The Archos Titanium 50 has the highest resolution, a qHD 540x960 5 inch screen. There is no news of release dates or market availability, but prices have been announced at between €100-160 (about £85-135, $135-220, AU$140-225).       | More Samsung Galaxy S4 handsets get Gear support Oct 21st 2013, 11:00, by T Thorn 
If you haven't already received the Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 4.3 update, today's news that it is gaining wider availability might go some way to cheering you up. SamMobile reports that the update has now hit Indian shores, so surely the rest of us can't be sat clock watching much longer. Specifically, the update is for Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 handsets, via the Kies software and OTA. Faster and prettier, but not in the US... yetThere has been an unfortunate lack of release announcements for US owners, and there is still no news as to when this will arrive. Previously we've heard that the update, which brings support for the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch, is available for the GT-I9505 LTE variants. The update also promises to make your handset faster and more beautiful, with a speedier launcher and improved colour reproduction.       | In Depth: 10 top photography tips for the GALAXY S4 zoom Oct 21st 2013, 10:38, by Your Mobile Life 
The Samsung GALAXY S4 zoom opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for superb picture-taking on the go. Whether you want to shoot great photos while you are talking to friends on the phone or get the most out of the powerful 16MP camera and its customisable settings, you need to check out our top 10 photography tips to get the most out of your GALAXY S4 zoom. 
1. Using the Zoom RingIt's impossible to miss the Samsung GALAXY S4 zoom's crowning feature: the Zoom Ring. Mounted on the back of the handset just like a traditional compact camera, the Zoom Ring does more than just zoom. It also acts as a trigger for the Quick Launch and Shortcut features so you can open the camera to exactly the shooting mode you need. As seasoned photographers will know, timing is everything: so one second you spot that perfect once-in-a-lifetime shot, the next you can be snapping it with the perfect camera set-up. Even if you're on a call, you can take and share photos with nothing more than a twist of the Zoom Ring. Of course, it lives up to its name too, with the 10x optical zoom ensuring you can get as up close and personal to your subject as you want for that perfectly-framed photo. 
2. Custom set-upUnlike most cameraphones, the GALAXY S4 zoom allows you complete control over the 16MP camera and its functions. Professionals will relish the opportunity to control the shutter speed to get the most out of fast-moving sporty shots and super-low-light subjects, as well as tweaking the white balance and focal lengths. This means that you won't have to rely on post-production to make the most of your shots – and it allows you to be more adventurous in the field, too. 
3. Smart ModeOf course, if you're not that confident tweaking the settings yourself, you can let the GALAXY S4 zoom do it all for you. Smart Mode handles the nitty-gritty camera adjustments for you so that you can concentrate on getting your shot. Samsung's Smart Mode Suggest intelligently assesses the scene, giving you the best options based on the light level, focal length and face detection. If you're trying to get a shot of something moving, you'll want to try out Action Freeze, which does just that – freezes the action on screen. Meanwhile, Drama Shot can capture a burst of photos and merge them into one perfect image. 
4. Xenon FlashThe GALAXY S4 zoom comes with a high-end Xenon Flash, giving a shorter, brighter flash of light than the more common LEDs. While most compact cameras now have a Xenon Flash, they are still relatively rare on phones. Since the Xenon Flash provides a lot more light than the LED flash you usually get on a cameraphone, you'll get a much better 'strobe' of light as you capture your shot. This has the effect of freezing motion as you snap and reduces the possibility of a blurry photo. Like the rest of the camera options, you can choose to have as little or as much control over the GALAXY S4 zoom's flash as you like – either opt for the auto setting to have the device decide if the shot requires it, or toggle it on and off yourself. 
5. EffectsAs well as intelligently assessing scenes and detecting faces, the camera on the GALAXY S4 zoom has a number of nifty effects up its sleeve. You can choose settings that optimise the S4 zoom for landscape, dawn and snow scenes, as well as opt for the Macro setting for super-close-up images. To add a bit of magic you can try an Animated Photo, which allows you to capture a scene and create a cinemagraph-style photo containing both moving and static objects. 
6. Voice controlButtons are so passé! And inconvenient too, when you're trying to take a professional-grade selfie. Happily, the GALAXY S4 zoom comes complete with futuristic voice control. This means you can mount the camera on a tripod, set up your shot and step in front of the camera yourself. All you have to do is call out "Shoot" or the more traditional "Cheese!" and the shutter will click into action. Not only does this give you more freedom, it also means you're less likely to blur the shot by moving even slightly as you reach to hit the shutter button. Plus, you'll look pretty cool. 
7. Photo SuggestPhoto Suggest is a nifty addition to the GALAXY S4 zoom, and should prove a confidence booster to beginners. It instantly gives you access to a library of images taken by other photographers, providing inspiration and helping you to frame your shots perfectly. Inspiration is provided based on your location, making use of the S4 zoom's GPS sensor. Photo Suggest can even live up to its name by suggesting locations nearby that could be worth a few snaps, based on what other users have experienced. Who knows what could be lurking round that next corner? The shot of a lifetime, perhaps. 
8. Image stabilisationOf course, blur shouldn't be a problem given the professional-grade image stabilisation on board the GALAXY S4 zoom. Built into the handset is an Optical Image Stabilisation system (OIS) that helps keep the camera perfectly still to help you get that perfect shot. This will prove particularly essential when you're zoomed in 10x and every tiny breath you take has the potential to ruin your shot. If you still don't quite trust yourself, a tripod could be the answer; the GALAXY S4 zoom comes with a tripod mount – and when coupled with voice control, there should be nothing getting in the way of those perfect pin-sharp shots. 
9. SharingThere's no point taking all these excellent pictures if no one ever gets to see them. First arrange them into an event-themed timeline to share with friends and family using Story Album. You could then order prints of your favourites direct from the handset thanks to Samsung's partnership with Blurb, or just quickly and easily save them to your laptop or a tablet via Samsung Link. Pros can enjoy the freedom of choosing image formats from JPEG, PNG, GIF, WBMP, BMP and AGIF, while amateurs can rest happy in the knowledge that their images are being automatically taken in the best format for them. The GALAXY S4 zoom also comes with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC for wirelessly sharing photos to other phones or via email and social networks. There's no excuse for keeping them to yourself! 
10. AppsBecause the GALAXY S4 zoom is a powerful Android 4.2 smartphone as well as a pro-grade camera, you can make use of the wealth of photography apps available. From simple cropping to professional level image editing, you can always tweak your photos if they're not exactly as you imagined them. For olde time fun and a social bent, try an Instagram filter and share your photos to your Instagram network. With photos this high quality, though, you might want to try and reach a more professional community, in which case a network like Flickr might be more up your street – or to try and make some cash from your hard work using an app like GloPho, which allows you to sell them as stock images.       | Updated: Android 5.0 release date, news and rumors Oct 21st 2013, 10:22, by Paul Douglas 
Android 5.0 news and rumorsGoogle's showing no signs of slowing its pace of Android development, with Android 4.0 appearing on the Galaxy Nexus late in 2011, followed by the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean release that arrived powering the super Nexus 7 in July of 2012. Two more flavors of Jelly Bean were to follow: Android 4.2 was released on 13 November 2012, and then Android 4.3 arrived on 24 July 2013. Throughout the Jelly Bean reign, we've been gathering rumors of the next major Android update, Android 5.0. The word was that this release was being developed under the dessert-related codename of Key Lime Pie but then on 3 September 2013, Google announced that Android 4.4 KitKat would precede Android 5, so the Key Lime Pie name looks to have been ditched. We're still expecting an Android 5 release, of course, but with different features, a new code name and a later release date than we were originally anticipating. Cut to the chase What is it? The next major upgrade for Android, to follow on from Android 4.4 When is it out? We're thinking mid-2014 What will it cost? Nothing, it'll be a free upgrade
The dessert-themed moniker that we assume will begin with L is anyone's guess at this stage. Android 5.0 Lemon Cheesecake or Android 5.0 Lemon Meringue Pie, anyone? As we wait on official news of that code name, as well as the Android 5.0 release date and features, we can start to pull together the latest rumors from around the web. Android 5.0 release dateUntil Android 4.4 was announced we had expected the Android 5.0 release date to be some time in October 2013. We now expect to see Android 4.4 KitKat launch during that month. In the face of that point release, we think it's now likely that we'll see Android 5.0 shown in mid-2014, quite possibly at Google IO, Google's annual two-day developer conference in San Francisco. That's a year on from when we had originally expected to see Android 5.0, which was at Google IO 2013, which took place from May 15 to May 17 2013. Given that Google announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean at 2012's IO conference, it seemed reasonable to expect to see Android 5.0 at the 2013 event. But on 13 May 2013, we got our confirmation that there would be no serving of Android 5 at Google IO from Sundar Pichai, Google's new head of Android. Pichai told Wired that 2013's IO is "not a time when we have much in the way of launches of new products or a new operating system". Boo! "Both on Android and Chrome, we're going to focus this IO on all the kinds of things we're doing for developers so that they can write better things," he added. Android 5.0 phonesRumors of a new Nexus handset started trickling in during the third quarter of 2012, as we reported on 1 October 2012. There was talk that this phone would be sporting Android 5.0 but the handset, which turned out to be the Google Nexus 4, arrived running Android Jelly Bean. While the Nexus 4 didn't appear with Android 5.0, speculation that we reported on 21 January 2013 suggested that the Motorola X was the Android 5.0-toting handset that would be revealed at Google IO. The Moto X wasn't on show at IO and instead appeared in August 2013, running Android 4.2.2. We also heard whispers that a new Nexus phone, most likely the Google Nexus 5, might be blessed with Android 5.0 and on 18 March 2013, supposed images of the Nexus 5 surfaced, with the handset apparently being manufactured by LG. If the accompanying specs, leaked along with the photo by the anonymous source, are true, then the Nexus 5 will feature a 5.2-inch, 1920 x 1080 OLED display, 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and 3GB of RAM. The latest speculation, which we reported on 13 September 2013, suggests that the Nexus 5 will now arrive sporting Android 4.4 KitKat. 
If rumors that we covered on 30 May were correct, then HTC would have brought us an Android 5.0-powered 'phablet' in the form of the HTC T6. But that device launched in October 2103 as the Android 4.3-powered HTC One Max. Android 5.0 tabletsThe original Nexus 7 tablet was unveiled at Google IO 2012, so we thought it possible that we'd see a refreshed Nexus 7 2 at Google IO 2013. The speculation earlier in the year was that Google would team up with Asus for this, as it did with the original Nexus 7. We expected an upgraded display on the new Nexus 7 tablet, while Digitimes reported that the 2nd generation Nexus 7 would have 3G service and range in price from $149 to $199. The new Nexus 7 was a no-show at IO, but the Asus-built device was later launched by Google on 24 July 2013, albeit running Android 4.3 rather than 5. Samsung's Android 5.0 upgradesAlthough Samsung is yet to officially confirm its Android 5.0 schedule, a SamMobile source is claiming to know which phones and tablets will be getting the upgrade. According to the source, the devices set to receive the upgrade are the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Note 8.0 and Galaxy Note 10.1. Do note that this claim was made before Google announced Android 4.4, so if it was ever correct, it's probably a lot less correct now. 
Android 5.0 featuresFor 24 hours, it seemed as though the first kinda, sorta confirmed feature for Android 5.0 was a Google Now widget, which briefly appeared in a screenshot on the company's support forum before being taken down. As it was so hurriedly pulled, many people assumed it was slated for the big five-o and accidentally revealed early. As it happened, the following day, on 13 February 2013, the Google Now widget rolled out to Jelly Bean. On 28 February 2013, we learned from Android Central that Google is working with the Linux 3.8 kernel, which gave rise to the notion that this kernel might power Android 5. One improvement that the 3.8 kernel brings is lowered RAM usage, which would mean a snappier phone with better multitasking. On 13 June 2013, VR-Zone also claimed that Android 5.0 will be optimised to run on devices with as little as 512MB of RAM. We're now expecting that Linux 3.8 kernel to show up in Android 4.4, given that Google's stated aim with KitKat is "to make an amazing Android experience available for everybody". Android Geeks reported that Google Babble would debut on Android 5.0. Babble was the code name for Google's cross-platform service and app with the aim of unifying its various chat services which include Talk, Hangout, Voice, Messenger, Chat for Google Drive and Chat on Google+. A screenshot that we were sent from a Google employee on 8 April confirmed that not only was this unified chat service on the way, but that it was called Google Babel not Babble. The service was to come with a bunch of new emoticons and Google+ built-in so you can jump from Babel chat to hangout. A leaked Google memo on 10 April provided a few more juicy details including talk of a new UI and synced conversations between mobile and desktop. 
On 10 May, we discovered that Babel would launch as Google Hangouts, and on 15 May we saw it come to life for devices running Android 2.3 and up. So much for it debuting on Android 5. Following an 18 April tear-down of the Google Glass app MyGlass by Android Police, it looked as though there may be an iOS Games Center-like service coming to Android 5.0. Android Police found references in the code to functionality that doesn't exist in Glass, which suggested that developers accidentally shipped the full suite of Google Play Services with the Android application package. The files in the package contained references to real-time and turn-based multiplayer, in-game chat, achievements, leaderboards, invitations and game lobbies. As expected, we found out more about Google Play Games at Google I/O, but it's not an Android 5.0 feature after all as it has been made available already. Android 5.0 interfaceWhile this is pure speculation, we're wondering whether Android 5.0 might bring with it a brighter interface, moving away from the Holo Dark theme that came with Android 4.0. Google Now brought with it a clearer look with cleaner fonts, and screenshots of Google Play 4.0 show Google's app market taking on similar design cues. Is this a hint at a brighter, airier look for Key Lime Pie? ![Google Play is lightening up [image credit: DroidLife] Google Play 4](http://cdn4.mos.techradar.com///art/mobile_phones/Android/Google%20Play/Version4/Leaks/GooglePlay-v4-Leak-01-420-100.jpg)
On 6 August 2013, we learned that Google had applied to patent a rather cool piece of functionality whereby an Android user would be able to launch different apps by drawing different patterns on the lock screen. If this feature makes it into Android 5, we could be able to launch the camera app by drawing one pattern and Twitter by drawing another. Our Android 5.0 wishlistWhile we wait on more Android 5 features to be revealed and scour the web for more Android 5.0 news, TechRadar writer Gary Cutlack has been thinking about what we want to see in Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. Hopefully the new mobile OS will feature some of these things... 1. Performance ProfilesIt's bit of a fuss managing your mobile before bed time. Switching off the sound, turning off data, activating airplane mode and so on, so what Android 5.0 really needs is a simple way of managing performance, and therefore power use, automatically. We've been given a taste of this with Blocking Mode in Samsung's Jelly Bean update on the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Note 2 but we'd like to see the functionality expanded. Something like a Gaming mode for max power delivery, an Overnight low-power state for slumbering on minimal power and maybe a Reading mode for no bothersome data connections and a super-low backlight. Some hardware makers put their own little automated tools in, such as the excellent Smart Actions found within Motorola's RAZR interface, but it'd be great to see Google give us a simple way to manage states. Another little power strip style widget for phone performance profiles would be an easy way to do it. 
2. Better multiple device supportGoogle already does quite a good job of supporting serious Android nerds who own several phones and tablets, but there are some holes in its coverage that are rather frustrating. Take the Videos app which manages your film downloads through the Play Store. Start watching a film on one Android device and you're limited to resuming your film session on that same unit, making it impossible to switch from phone to tablet mid-film. You can switch between phone and web site players to resume watching, but surely Google ought to understand its fans often have a couple of phones and tabs on the go and fix this for Android Key Lime Pie? 3. Enhanced social network supportAndroid doesn't really do much for social network users out of the box, with most of the fancy social widgets and features coming from the hardware makers through their own custom skins. Sony integrates Facebook brilliantly in its phones, and even LG makes a great social network aggregator widget that incorporates Facebook and Twitter - so why are there no cool aggregator apps as part of the standard Android setup? Yes, Google does a great job of pushing Google+, but, no offence, there are many other more widely used networks that ought to be a little better "baked in" to Android. 4. Line-drawing keyboard optionsAnother area where the manufacturers have taken a big leap ahead of Google is in integrating clever alternate text entry options in their keyboards. HTC and Sony both offer their own takes on the Swype style of line-drawing text input, which is a nice option to have for getting your words onto a telephone. Get it into Android 5.0 and give us the choice. UPDATE: Google heard us and this feature appeared in Android 4.2. 
5. A video chat appHow odd is it that Google's put a front-facing camera on the Nexus 7 and most hardware manufacturers do the same on their phones and tablets, yet most ship without any form of common video chat app? You have to download Skype and hope it works, or find some other downloadable app solution. Why isn't there a Google Live See My Face Chat app of some sort as part of Android? Is it because we're too ugly? Is that what you're saying, Google? 6. Multi-select in the contactsThe Android contacts section is pretty useful, but it could be managed a little better. What if you have the idea of emailing or texting a handful of your friends? The way that's currently done is by emailing one, then adding the rest individually. Some sort of checkbox system that let users scroll through names and create a mailing list on the fly through the contacts listing in Android Key Lime Pie would make this much easier. 
7. Cross-device SMS syncIf you're a constant SIM swapper with more than one phone on the go, chances are you've lost track of your text messages at some point. Google stores these on the phone rather than the SIM card, so it'd be nice if our texts could be either backed up to the SIM, the SD card, or beamed up to the magical invisible cloud of data, for easy and consistent access across multiple devices. 8. A "Never Update" option This would annoy developers so is unlikely to happen, but it'd be nice if we could refuse app updates permanently in Android 5.0, just in case we'd rather stick with a current version of a tool than be forced to upgrade. Sure, you can set apps to manual update and then just ignore the update prompt forever, but it'd be nice to know we can keep a favoured version of an app without accidentally updating it. Some of us are still using the beta Times app, for example, which has given free access for a year. 
9. App preview/freebie codesSomething Apple's been doing for ages and ages is using a promo code system to distribute free or review versions of apps. It even makes doing little competitions to drum up publicity for apps much easier, so why's there no similar scheme for Android? It might encourage developers to stop going down the ad-covered/freemium route if they could charge for an app but still give it away to friends and fans through a promo code system. 10. Final whinges and requests... It's be nice to be able to sort the Settings screen by alphabetical order, too, or by most commonly used or personal preference, as Android's so packed with a huge list of options these days it's a big old list to scroll through and pick out what you need. Plus could we have a percentage count for the battery in the Notifications bar for Android 5.0? Just so we know a bit more info than the vague emptying battery icon.       | Nokia Lumia 1520 leak confirms 20-megapixel PureView camera Oct 21st 2013, 09:34, by Thomas Thorn 
With the Nokia World event scheduled for tomorrow, we're all pretty excited to see exactly what Nokia has in store for us. However it seems that someone got a little too excited, with a Nokia Lumia 1520 page appearing over on Nokia's store on Chinese website Tmall. The page offers up a few tidbits of information, appearing to confirm the rumoured quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and 20MP PureView camera. Big is the new black... cyan, or yellowAll this will cost you a pretty penny, however, setting you back 4999 Yuan (around £510, $820, AU$850) although obviously the actual international prices will probably be different. The anticipated 6-inch 1080p screen will mean that Nokia and Windows Phone venture into phablet territory for the first time. This puts the Lumia 1520 up against the new HTC One Max and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Both the larger screen and quad-core support were made possible by the recent Windows Phone 8 update 3 that was announced last week.       | Logitech bakes NFC into speakerphone for tablets and smartphones Oct 21st 2013, 09:19, by Kane Fulton 
Near Field Communication (NFC) has wormed its way into smartphones, desktop PCs and even London buses, and now Logitech is claiming to have outed the first mobile speakerphone that makes use of the Wi-Fi-style tech. Aimed at mobile workers that chop and change between smartphones and tablets in multiple offices, the Mobile Speakerphone P710e uses NFC to let users instantly pair devices with a tap. It means that office workers can walk around while holding audio or video calls, and because the P720e's cradle also acts a stand, users can pair a Bluetooth keyboard to take notes during calls. Multi-limbedThe P7201e, which can connect to a Mac or PC using USB, can also pair up to eight Bluetooth devices and connect to two Bluetooth mobile devices at the same time. Logitech says the device, which has been optimised for use with Microsoft Lync and Skype, provides 15 hours of talk time from its lithium-ion battery. The Logitech Mobile Speakerphone P710e will be released into the wild in November at a suggested retail price of £129.99.  | |
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