| Asus breaks a piece of that KitKat update for Asus Padfone 2 users Jul 3rd 2014, 15:46, by Kevin Lee 
Android L might be all the rage but some devices are still catching up with the latest version of KitKat - case and point with the Asus Padfone 2. Asus finally released the Android 4.4 KitKat update for its tablet-phone combo. Although there's no option to download the update over the air with your carriers, users can pick up the software update directly from the ASUS website. Before downloading the update make sure to match up the SKU version, which is mainly delineated by different regions, to your device. Also note that the update will wipe all data on the device, so make sure to back up everything on a microSD card or on the cloud. Fresh coat of virtual paintUnfortunately Asus has not included details on any new features the update includes. But as with most devices getting Android 4.4, users can expect faster performance and better multitasking. On top of the improved performance, KitKat also introduced the biggest visual changes to Android since Ice Cream Sandwich with a lighter-colored interface and flatter icons. Additionally, Google redesigned the home screen launcher to incorporate Google Now. Overall the KitKat update will make Android look even better and faster on the both the Padfone 2's 4.7-inch phone display or its other 10.1-inch tablet screen. - Check out the LG G3 for another phone with Android KitKat
       |  | Salesforce adds mobile reporting functionality to Salesforce1 Jul 3rd 2014, 15:37, by Juan Martinez 
Salesforce.com has added mobile reporting capabilities to its Salesforce1 app development tool. Now, mobile app developers will have access to real-time performance data within the Salesforce1 mobile app. The mobile reporting dashboard will provide access to data within the Salesforce1 Mobile App via a customizable interface. Features include the ability to drag and drop data between multiple records and real-time collaboration within charts and datasets. During the second half of 2014, users will be able to copy data from Salesforce1 into Salesforce Chatter, the CRM company's enterprise social network. By the end of July, users will also have drill-through functionality for charts and dashboards, as well as the ability to embed reports into external apps. What is Salesforce1?When Salesforce launched Salesforce1 in November the company listed Dropbox, Evernote, and Linkedin as clients of the service, which is focused on helping mobile app developers develop, market and sell sales, service and marketing apps. Salesforce1 is designed to provide organizations with the tools to create CRM applications that provide desktop functionality across Android and iOS devices. By enabling reporting features, Salesforce has now given Salesforce1 users another reason to invest more heavily in smartphone and tablet-based CRM. All Salesforce CRM and Salesforce1 clients have access to the mobile reporting tool.        | | Android L will give your phone a significantly longer battery life Jul 3rd 2014, 15:07, by Hugh Langley 
Android L's Project Volta set out to boost battery life on Android devices, and it sounds like Google's achieved its goal with flying colours. ArsTechnica has put Android L to the test and discovered that a Nexus 5 running new OS gains about 36% more battery life than one running Android 4.4 KitKat. For the test, the phone had its screen on, was connected to Wi-Fi, and refreshed a web page every 15 seconds. Even better, The Android test was done with "battery saver" switched off, meaning you won't have to sacrifice anything to get the extra juice. We want the powerThere are, however, a number of other features Google has added to help keep battery drainage down. One of these is the new JobScheduler API which lets Android batch unimportant app requests together for greater efficiency. There's also a new stat tracker named "Battery Historian" which makes gives a more detailed overview of which apps and features are draining the most power. And this is just the beta, remember. By the time Android L gets a proper release that 36% figure could be even higher.   | | Android Remote Access Trojan takes malware 'to a new level' Jul 3rd 2014, 13:11, by Desire Athow 
A new breed of RAT has emerged according to security experts Fireeye, one that could bring havoc to our banking services. Remote Access Tools (or RAT) on Android are nothing new but a new one called HijackRat goes further than its predecessors Under the package name com.II and appearing as Google Service Framework, it can transmit your details, steal your money and carry out other malicious tasks in the background, anonymously and remotely. When HiJackRat was first discovered, it appeared to be focusing on South Korea with eight banks from that country targeted. In addition, both the malware developer and its victims are Korean speakers a well. What worried Fireeye is that only 10 per cent of a set of 54 antivirus vendors managed to detect that malware, mostly because of its ability to chance its command-and-control servers. The two Fireeye researchers, who wrote the report, ended their analysis of com.II noting that "given the unique nature of how this app works, including its ability to pull down multiple levels of personal information and impersonate banking apps, a more robust mobile banking threat could be on the horizon."        | | EA says gamers uncomfortable with change as UK law slams Dungeon Keeper Jul 3rd 2014, 11:20, by Hugh Langley 
We've all had a good rant about EA's much-maligned Dungeon Keeper title on iOS and Android, and now the body in charge of advertisement regulation in the UK has decided that the game can no longer be called 'free-to-play'. The smartphone and tablet spin-off introduced a number of barriers that could only be broken by users waiting around and twiddling their thumbs for ages - or spending real-world money to speed the process up. Gamers felt cheated - not least because of the legacy of EA's beloved series - and now the British Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that EA misled customers and must stop advertising the game as "free". The advert, which appeared in an email campaign, proclaimed: "GET DUNGEON KEEPER ON MOBILE FOR FREE! A world of wicked fun is right at your fingertips. What are you waiting for, Keeper? Get it for FREE!" That's a pretty liberal use of the word "free", as anyone who's played the game will probably tell you. And the ASA agreed. "We understood that several mechanisms within the game took a significant amount of time to be completed and that these would only be speeded up by using the premium gem currency," it said. Will the ruling have ramifications for games in the future? It's difficult to say, but it may have game dev thinking more carefully about the "reasonable expectations" of F2P that the ASA mentions. Angry coreWhile all this palaver has been going on, EA COO Peter Moore told GamesIndustry that "core" gamers are just uncomfortable with the changes in the industry, while the company embraces new business models. "I think the challenge sometimes is that the growth of gaming… there's a core that doesn't quite feel comfortable with that," he said. "Your readers, the industry in particular. I don't get frustrated, but I scratch my head at times and say, 'Look. These are different times.' "And different times usually evoke different business models. Different consumers come in. They've got different expectations. And we can either ignore them or embrace them, and at EA, we've chosen to embrace them."        | | iPhone 6 release date may be later than originally thought Jul 3rd 2014, 10:02, by James Rogerson 
We're fairly confident that the iPhone 6 will launch in September, but the exact date in September remains under wraps. Previously September 19 was rumoured, but a new rumour points to September 25 for the launch, following an announcement on September 15. This latest claim comes from 'inside sources' picked up by various Chinese media outlets and spotted by G4Games. The sources claim that China will be one of the first places to get the phone, but not necessarily the very first, so even if it's right it's still possible that the iPhone 6 will launch on September 19 in some regions. Convincing priceAs well as a possible release date the sources also reveal the supposed Chinese pricing of the handset. The 4.7-inch model will apparently start at 5,288 yuan (around £496), which lines up with previous pricing rumours for a 32GB model of the handset. The 16GB model of the 5.5-inch model may retail for 5998 yuan (roughly £563). Of course in both cases the final price over here is likely to be higher once VAT has been added. Interestingly the larger model will apparently be called the iPhone Air, which would certainly differentiate it from the smaller handset, but also suggests that it's slim and light for its size. That could actually add up as a previous leak suggested that the 5.5-inch iPhone would come in at a sleek 6.7mm thick, while the 4.7-inch model would be a slightly thicker 7mm. - With the iPhone 6 likely months away the iPhone 5S is still worth buying.
       | | Nokia Lumia 830 potentially spotted with metal frame Jul 3rd 2014, 09:59, by John McCann 
Images of an unnamed Nokia handset have popped up online, promoting reports that it could be the rumoured mid-range "Superman" or "Tesla" handset that's been linked to the firm. Obviously Tesla and Superman are just development nicknames (we're also hearing about a low-end "Rock" and high-end "McLaren" linked to the Finnish firm), with a final retail name of possibly the Nokia Lumia 830 or Lumia 730 being bandied about. The photos were spotted by WPDang on Chinese social network Weibo, and it's not possible to verify the authenticity of the shots so we could just be looking at a mock up device. 
Material worldTake a look at the images and the handset in question appears to sport a metal frame and what looks like a plastic/polycarbonate rear - the same composition of materials that you'll find on the Nokia Lumia 930. On the rear there's a large black circle housing the camera lens and flash, reminiscent of the unit on the back of the Lumia 1020, but unlike the 41MP-toting smartphone this setup sits flush with the device, suggesting it may not pack the same high-res technology. Nokia hasn't given us any hints of its upcoming products, so we're going to have to sit tight and wait and see what it has in store later in the year.        | | Sony Xperia Z3 Compact leak points towards higher power Jul 3rd 2014, 09:17, by James Rogerson 
Barely two days have gone by since our first supposed look at the Xperia Z3 Compact and now a list of key specs for the device have been leaked. The specs were unveiled by Twitter tipster DooMLoRD, who posted the information alongside an image of the 'About phone' screen on the handset. Supposedly the Xperia Z3 Compact has a 4.5-inch 720 x 1280 display, a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB of RAM and an Adreno 330 GPU. The camera will apparently be 20.7 megapixels, while there'll also be a 2.1 megapixel front-facing snapper. Those are some impressive specs for a compact and a relatively decent upgrade over the Xperia Z1 Compact, which has a smaller screen and a slower, older processor. 
Less than its name suggestsOn the other hand it's a little disappointing to see that it might still have a 720p screen and while the Z1 Compact was essentially a match for full size Xperia Z1 in all but screen size and resolution, it doesn't look like the Z3 Compact will stand up to the full Xperia Z3 quite so well, as 2GB of RAM already sees it trailing behind the Xperia Z2. It does have a slightly faster processor than the Z2 (which is clocked at 2.3GHz) though, so that aspect of the specs may be found on the Xperia Z3. It's hard to say at this point, but if nothing else, going by these specs the Z3 Compact should give the HTC One Mini 2 and Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini a serious run for their money. - The iPhone 5S is still arguably the best 'small' phone.
       | | Google's Project Ara is coming March 2015, and 100 people will get one for free Jul 3rd 2014, 08:54, by Hugh Langley 
If Google Glass has proved anything, it's that Google isn't afraid of pushing out a product before it's ready. The same goes for Project Ara, its modular smartphone, as G has announced the first 100 beta testers are about to get a handset for free. Over 90,000 people applied to become Project Ara "scouts" and Google has whittled it down to just a select few that'll be taking its transformer phone for an early test drive. The announcement also says "over the next 8 months, Google will continue to refine the Ara prototype". After consulting several expert mathematicians, we've concluded that this pegs the release date on March 2015 - slightly later than the original January target. Scout's honorStill don't know what Ara's all about? The phone will be formed of parts that users can swap out individually, allowing them to make incremental updates rather than buying a brand new phone each year. The customisation doesn't end there: we'll even be able to choose the types of materials used to build our Ara phones. Essentially, it's Google's way of bringing smartphones to the masses. But are you one of the lucky 100 to taste it early? Go see if your name has appeared on Google's dscout page.        | | Amazon prepares for a legal tussle with the FTC over in-app purchases Jul 2nd 2014, 19:43, by Kevin Lee 
Amazon isn't backing down in a fight against the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The world e-tailer submitted a letter to the FTC warning the commission it would take it's case to court regarding a legal spat that stems from a lack of parental controls over in-app purchases (IAPs) preventing kids from ringing up tens to hundreds of dollars in faulty charges. To reimburse outraged parents the commission has demanded Amazon pay significant fines. However, the company insists it has already implemented plenty of safeguards to prevent tikes from accidentally unlocking every level in Plants vs. Zombies 2 and other virtual purchases. The web warehouse claims it clearly highlights apps and games that contain IAPs in its Kindle store. What's more, Amazon says it also sends out real-time notifications and allows users to set parental controls to prevent small hands from inadvertently making purchases. Sticking to its gunsEarlier this year Apple decided to settle in a very similar case with the FTC over circumstantial in-app purchases. Rather than taking the case to court as Amazon plans to, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company forked over $32.5 million (about £18.9 million, AU$34.4 million) to 37,000 customers demanding money back for faulty charges. The iPhone maker also implemented an additional step in the iOS app store to prevent children from buying digital items without explicit parental consent. In Amazon's letter, the company's lawyer Andrew DeVore wrote, "The commission's unwillingness to depart from the precedent it set with Apple despite our very different facts leaves us no choice but to defend our approach in court." The FTC is adamant that Amazon still needs to pay significant fines to repay the "thousands" of consumers saddled with charges they never agreed to. - Amazon stands its ground just as it unveils a new Fire Phone
Via The Verge        | | Facebook acquires online advertising platform LiveRail Jul 2nd 2014, 18:49, by JR Bookwalter 
No one likes advertising intruding on their online experience, but Facebook is looking for ways to deliver more relevant ads to users of its social network by acquiring one of the companies responsible for feeding such content to big media brands. Facebook today announced an agreement to acquire LiveRail, an advertising technology company best known for wedging themselves between content providers and users with online video ads. Founded in 2007, LiveRail currently powers the advertising pushed to websites and apps owned by Major League Baseball, ABC, A&E Networks, Gannett and Dailymotion, specializing in the delivery of only the most relevant ad content. With hundreds of millions of digital video viewers watching LiveRail-powered advertising each and every month, Facebook aims to satisfy publishers and marketers alike with more "interesting and engaging" online ads. Joining forcesFacebook Vice President of Ads Product Marketing and Atlas Brian Boland describes LiveRail as "a complete advertising solution for video publishers," although the announcement Wednesday doesn't offer details on how the acquisition might improve the experience for social network users already fatigued by online ads. At least for now, Facebook plans to keep LiveRail and its staff of 170 people operating independently of the House That Zuckerberg Built, although Boland hopes to use the combined expertise to "make video advertising much better for everyone." Although Facebook has primarily focused advertising on the web thus far, the clock is ticking on that front after announcing a mobile ad network initiative called Facebook Audience Network at the F8 conference back in May. The acquisition of LiveRail is likely to dovetail nicely with Facebook's own burgeoning advertising network, which the social network hopes to expand beyond the walls of its own branded mobile apps.        | | Samsung Galaxy S5 Google Play Edition leaks may placate the TouchWiz haters Jul 2nd 2014, 17:16, by Chris Smith 
A Google Play Edition of the Samsung Galaxy S5 always seemed inevitable. Now, following a couple of new leaks and peaks, it appears to be imminent. Evleaks has posted a couple of purported press renders showing the S5 in its TouchWiz-free, raw Android form. Interestingly, one shot appeared with on-screen buttons and another without. Alongside that, an image posted by Google on the Android website shows a Galaxy S5 running the Nexus-like version of Android. In that assumed slip from Google, the S5 appears in a group shot alongside a host of Android devices like the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and what appears to be the Google Play version of the HTC One M8. No clutterGoogle Play Editions of popular Android devices are a preferred option for those smartphone fans who want the hardware, without the extra UI clutter served up by Android manufacturers. Google Play Editions are also popular among users and developers alike because of the faster transition to new versions of Android that don't require OEM and carrier tweaks. It looks like the S5 will be joining those ranks sooner rather than later.        | |
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