 | Android L screenshots hint that Lollipop may be dead Jun 24th 2014, 11:42, by John McCann 
There's still some confusion over what the next version of Google's mobile operating system will be called, with fresh screenshots revealing a new moniker in the form Android L. The images popped up on the Chromium issue tracker, but were swiftly taken down - although not before Reddit user Doopl managed to grab them. You'll see from the images that there's a L-shaped logo in the top left of the notification bar, which many are assuming relates to the version of Android we're looking at. The Chrome web browser also appears to be floating in the middle of the screen, similar to the pop-out apps you find on some Sony and Samsung handsets - potentially a new feature for Android L. 
Apart from those relatively minor changes there isn't a great deal of noticeable change on show here. Of course we could still be on to get Android Lollipop, although whether it will be Android 4.5 or 5 remains to be seen.        | | 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 handsets may arrive together Jun 24th 2014, 11:04, by James Rogerson 
If there's one thing we're not short of when it comes to the iPhone 6 it's rumours. The good news is that many of them are starting to point in the same direction, so certain details are looking ever more like facts. A new batch of rumours has reiterated much of what we'd already heard, with sources 'familiar with the plans' telling Bloomberg that the new iPhones will go into production next month, ready for a release around September. The sources claimed that there'll be both a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch model and that both may be available at the same time. However the 5.5-inch model is apparently more complicated than the smaller handset, which is resulting in lower production efficiency, a problem which must be overcome before they can increase the manufacturing volume. Reading between the lines then it sounds like it's possible that the 5.5-inch iPhone will be delayed. Finally, the sources claimed that the new models will be both rounder and thinner than the iPhone 5S. Same againAll of which more or less line up with what we've already heard. Various iPhone 6 dummy units have been spotted with rounded edges, while the 4.7-inch handset has been rumoured to come in at just 7mm thick. We've also long been expecting them to arrive in 4.7 and 5.5 inch sizes and for the release date to be around September, with the larger handset possibly arriving later. So while these rumours don't provide any new information they do add weight to what we've already heard, which is the closest we're likely to get to any sort of concrete facts about the iPhone 6 before its launch later this year.        | | Nexus 6 could come equipped with an LG G3 sized screen Jun 24th 2014, 09:12, by James Rogerson 
So far Nexus 6 rumours have been pretty thin on the ground, but a new titbit suggests that we may be in for a larger, LG G3 sized device. The information comes from a source 'within Google who is close to the project' who revealed to Ausdroid that not only will there be a new Nexus phone later this year but that it will have a 5.5-inch screen. Sadly the source didn't reveal anything else about the device or even which manufacturer would be making it. That 5.5 inch size point would immediately make us think of LG as the manufacturer, given that it's the same size as the LG G3 and the company made the last two Nexus handsets. G3 sized but not LG madeYet LG recently claimed that it's not making the Nexus 6, so it seems that the size is just a coincidence, if it even really is going to be 5.5 inches. We're not expecting the Nexus 6 to launch till October or November so there's plenty of time for more information to trickle out, but if you want an LG G3 sized phone but would rather run stock Android then you might be in luck. But with LG out of the driving seat don't expect it to have a QHD screen.        | | Updated: Nokia X2 launches with bigger screen, more power and home key Jun 24th 2014, 07:15, by John McCann 
The Nokia X2 has been officially announced by the Finnish firm on its blog after teasing us with the launch last week. It's been less than six months since Nokia took to the stage at MWC 2014 to announce its first trio of Nokia X devices, but already we're getting a successor in the form of the Nokia X2. This time though parent company Microsoft is laying claim to the handset, with the press release stating "Today Microsoft unveiled the next-generation of Nokia X, the Nokia X2." Sporting a 4.3-inch display, 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor, 1GB of RAM, 5MP rear camera and a 1800mAh battery the X2 has seen its specs bumped up across the board. In terms of design the Nokia X2 is very similar in looks to its predecessors, although it has gained a translucent outer layer which we first saw on the Nokia Asha 503 - and you'll be able to pick it up in green, orange and black, with yellow, white and dark grey joining the line up later this year. At 121.7 x 68.3 x 11.1mm the Nokia X2 is a little chunkier than the Nokia X, X+ and XL, but it should still be manageable in the hand and at 150g it isn't too heavy. Go homeAnother physical change Nokia has made on the X2 is the addition of a home key below the screen. It joins the back key which was the only physical navigation option on the previous Nokia X handsets - which caused some users a little trouble when it came to using the device - so the inclusion of Home should make it easier to use. While the Nokia X2 may be running Android at its core, the operating system has been rebuilt from the ground up to make it unrecognisable as Google's offering, providing a more Windows Phone style interface. That Android core means that you can download Android apps onto the Nokia X2, but Google Play isn't available so you'll have to use a third party store. Some of Microsoft's apps also make it onto the X2 including OneDrive, Outlook and some Xbox Games. In terms of the Nokia X2 price it's being listed at €99 (around £80, $135, AU$140), and it's available "immediately in select countries globally". Here's a quick video highlighting the key features of the Nokia X2. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri7qNQc5Q08       | | What does Google's hardware future look like? Don't ask Tony Jun 23rd 2014, 20:08, by klee 
Update: Cue the record scratches. It seems Fadell isn't in charge of Google's consumer hardware after all. "The Information is 100% wrong!" Fadell tweeted following a report from the site that he is essentially the point man on Google's hardware roadmap. "I run Nest as a separate biz w/ its own mgmt & brand." It's a short yet crisp denial refuting the report. We've asked Google for comment on Fadell's role at the company and will update this story when we hear back. Even if Fadell isn't heading up Google's consumer hardware, it's hard to imagine he and the Nest team aren't having some influence on the devices Google has cooking. We expect to hear more about these influences at Google IO. Original article below... Google is a search and software titan first, hardware maker second. Sure, it's dabbled with phones, tablets and laptops (made in partnership with others, of course). However, that is all apparently set to change as Google is turns its product-making prowess over to one man in particular. According to the The Information, Nest CEO Tony Fadell has been appointed head of Google's consumer hardware division, meaning the man who most famously designed Apple's iPod is now in charge of Google's hardware development. Currently Google only produces two products on its own, namely the Chromebook Pixel and Chromecast, but with Fadell's considerable hardware chops, that could soon change. Nesting timeNest famously made high-end thermostats and smoke detectors but thanks to a recent Dropcam acquisition, it may soon add security surveillance to its repertoire of smart home gadgets. It's very likely Nest and Google are working on a connected home solution, bridging together appliances and devices just as Google has linked users' computers and smartphones through Chrome and Android. Fadell, meanwhile, comes with the consumer product pedigree of being lead designer of the iPod, one of the world's most popular music playing devices. His success there and with Nest's sharp products seem to square him up nicely designing more Google goods. Mixed medleyGoogle has been looking to help push along its hardware more directly, and the hand of Fadell may just be the ticket. The company is rumored to announce its last line of Nexus devices this year as it moves to a more expansive Android Silver platform. With the new program in place, Google will have its hand in more than one Nexus smartphone and tablet per ear. Instead it could oversee the production of several devices from multiple manufacturers. Google has also developed Android Wear, a new platform for wearable devices and smartwatches to connect natively with smartphones. Add in Project Ara's ambitious goals to make modular mobile devices and Google's new hardware portfolio could become very fat within the next couple of years.        | | Ladies can now wear Google Glass and look good doing it Jun 23rd 2014, 18:47, by JR Bookwalter 
Being a so-called "Glasshole" no longer has to mean looking like everyone else, thanks to stylish new frames now available in a variety of colors for Google's smart eyewear. Online luxury fashion retailer NET-A-PORTER today announced the limited availability of DVF | Made for Glass, an exclusive version of Google Glass that brings a designer look to geek chic. Priced at $1800 (about UK£1058, AU$1911), the limited edition eyewear is intended for the ladies, designed by Diane von Furstenberg and available in a handful of stylish colors including brown, teal, plum, charcoal and white, each with matching shades. The DVF | Made for Glass series joins the company's Mr. Porter line for men, offering bold, thin or split frames complete with UV lens clip for a slightly more affordable $1650 (about UK£969, AU$1752). Tech-savvy fashionThe DVF | Made for Glass collection is being sold in an exclusive package that includes Google Glass, a choice of five frames and shades, a mono earbud and case. "We are thrilled to offer Glass to our tech-savvy customers who are true leaders and innovators in style and lifestyle," says NET-A-PORTER Group Founder and Chairman Natalie Massenet. The company describes the lightweight eyewear as "elegant frames meet cutting-edge technology" intended to make Google Glass "flatter every face shape." Currently only available for shipping to US customers, DVF | Made for Glass supports prescription lenses and includes a one-year warranty; however, the verdict is still out as to whether or not this collection will make the wearer look like any less of a Glasshole. - What's up with Windows 9? Find out in our up-to-the-minute news roundup!
       | | One version of the Galaxy Note 4 crushes the other in benchmark Jun 23rd 2014, 18:05, by klee 
It's seeming ever more likely the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will come in two different models, and now the pair of differently specced phones have been spotted in a benchmark drag race. We already got a full look of the hardware specifications on Samsung's next phablets June 20. Now, the phones have appeared again on AnTuTu's benchmark database - one sporting the Exynos 5433 chipset and the other a Snapdragon 805. From the purported results we can see the Exynos-powered SM-N910C smokes its SM-N910S Snapdragon 805 brother with a considerable lead. The Exynos octa-core chip yielded a test score of 40,303 points, whereas the Snapdragon 805 model lagged behind with 35,645 points. 
Slaying the (Snap)dragonIt also seems that the Exynos 5433 is such a processing beast that only Nvidia's desktop grade Tegra K1 chip pulls ahead with a score of 41,736 points. On the graphics front, the Exynos trounces the Snapdragon once again with its Mali-T760 GPU. This version is said to power a 2560 x 1440 QHD resolution screen, meaning Exynos flavor's graphics should really pop. Comparatively, the 805 SoC and its Adreno 420 GPU might only have to power a 1920 x 1080 display. One other interesting note about the results is that it seems AnTuTu couldn't test the Exynos 5433 in the 64-bit environment the chipset was designed for, so it's entirely possible the higher-end Samsung Galaxy Note 4 could be even faster and more powerful than these results suggest. - Will the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 go head-to-head with the QHD LG G3
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