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Verizon G Pad 8.3 finally gets Android 4.4.2 KitKat

LG has launched a new batch of G Pad tablets so, for a time, it seemed that its first G Pad was left behind. Fortunately, Verizon is giving the LG G Pad 8.3 some much needed love and attention, finally bringing the tablet's core Android OS from the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean that it launched with to a relatively more recent Android 4.4.2.



When LG began its new premium "G" direction, the G Pad 8.3 was the first tablet that it launched to bear that name. Although a WiFi model of the tablet has been available in the US for some time now, the 4G LTE variant only landed on Verizon's shelves last March. Those who bought the latter might have been living in envy when the Google Play Edition of the tablet, which, by the way, is no longer available from Google Play Store, received its Android 4.4.2 update way back in December. Fortunately, now it's their turn.


Verizon's changelog for this update isn't exactly that long, but the changes are definitely huge, considering it skipped Android 4.3 and jumped right into KitKat. Most of the improvements have happened behind the scenes, but users will be greeted by a new monochromatic status bar and a fullscreen immersive mode. KitKat also brings multi-user support to Android, but LG does have its own implementation of this guest mode. Also making its G Pad 8.3 debut is LG's Knock Code, which upgrades the simple "knock knock" to unlock previously found on the tablet to a more personalized and customizable multi-tap gesture.


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The update notification should arrive on users' devices shortly, though, as always, it won't happen at the same time. It will be delivered over the air as normal, so a stable WiFi connection is required. Considering massive changes to the OS are involved, it might be a good idea to back up important files and data in the meantime and ensure there is ample battery charge before performing the update.


SOURCE: Verizon (PDF)

VIA: Android Central





Verizon Galaxy S5 update could break root access

Verizon is rolling out a rather small update for the Samsung Galaxy S5. This maintenance update, which doesn't upgrade the Android 4.4.2 version to anything more recent, brings a mixed bag of useful fixes and improvements. However, for some power users, it might be more trouble than it's worth.



Software update KOT49H.G900VVRU1ANE9 pulls in a variety of new functionality and optimizations, but no new major features really. Apps like Caller Name ID and Message+ have been updated. Some apps have been fixed, like Memo no longer showing a Search icon when there's nothing to search for in the first place, or Visual Voicemail working even when the S-View cover is closed. Some minor new features like a Downloaded Apps section in My Files and Web Search functionality for S Finder have also been introduced.


It may all sound fine and dandy except for the fact that some users are reporting problems with root after installing the update. It seems that some now have broken root access, with no way of getting it back, even via the famed Towelroot. There doesn't seem to be a pattern to it though, as some rooted users are reporting that everything is fine on their end.


So if you're an owner of a rooted Galaxy S5 on Verizon, it might be a good idea to hold off on tapping that update button. Verizon is unlikely to comment on such an issue, considering rooting isn't an authorized process, so most of the work in figuring this out will have to be done by the Android community. On the other hand, if you have a rather vanilla Galaxy S5 instead, feel free to wait for the update notification or mash that System update option and enjoy.


VIA: Android Authority

SOURCE: Verizon (PDF)





Amazon Appstore offers 30 free self-improvement apps

There’s always room for change and improvement in our lives, and never has this been more encouraged than in the age of smartphones and apps. Things you’ve never thought of learning or doing before can now be discovered and understood at the click (or swipe) of your finger. The Amazon Appstore believes you can add a few more new things to your life as it’s offering 30 free Android apps in its “Summer Self-Improvement Bundle.”



If your quest for self-improvement this year is all about developing a beach body to be proud of, you can start with Daily Workouts. Now if you want to be able to prepare meals worthy of five-star restaurants, your best bet should be the Allrecipes Dinner Spinner Pro. The DrawingPad app aims to bring out the inner artist in you as you digitally create that masterpiece right on your Android phone. If you don’t have a piano at home but would want to flex those music muscles, why not play one on your smartphone since you can have the Little Piano app?


Productivity apps are key to a more improved and more organised you, so you have apps like List Master Pro, Bills Reminder, Home Budget Manager and CalenGoo among others. You’re never too old to learn something new and so educational apps like Essential Anatomy 3, Language Coach and Oxford Advanced Learning Dictionary are good deals to get for free. But of course, you need a little entertainment after all that learning, so you also have free games available, like Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing and Carcassonne.


All these 30 apps, worth around $100, are available for download for free in the next two days at the Amazon Appstore for any Android device. The Appstore has also now expanded to 41 more countries, particularly in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. However, local restrictions still apply of course, so don’t expect all apps to be available in all these countries. The new countries included are: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.



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VIA: Engadget

SOURCE: Amazon


Android platform dominates market; Samsung slips in 2Q 2014

They’re still the top smartphone in the market in terms of device shipment, but OEM Samsung has suffered a minor slip in numbers, according to data released by the IDC for the second quarter of 2014. Meanwhile,when it comes to platform, Android has dominated the market with an 85% share in the second quarter, leaving Apple, Blackberry and Microsoft Windows Phone in the dust.



Figures from the IDC shows that Samsung is still number one when it comes to shipment volume and market share in the second quarter of 2014, but compared to the same period last year, the numbers are a bit lower. Shipment volume this year is at 74.3 million while last year, they were at 77.3M. In terms of market share, in 2013, Samsung was at 32.3%, but this time around, it’s just at 25.2%.


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The good news for them is that archival Apple’s market share also slipped, although their shipment volume improved this year compared to last year. The biggest mover in terms of both shipment and market share is Chinese brand Huawei, who had a 95.1% increase this year and whose market share improved from 4.3% to 6.9% this year. Lenovo and LG round up the top 5 smartphone vendors from IDC, with both slightly improving their numbers.


Meanwhile, figures from the WSS (Smartphones) service show that Android had a record global market share of 85% as 295 million units were shipped in the second quarter of this year alone. Their closest rivals lost numbers in terms of share, as Google’s OS continues to dominate the smartphone market. This trend is not expected to change anytime soon, as Android’s platform is unmatched in terms of ease of use and low-cost services. Unless one of their competitors does something revolutionary soon, Android is expected to continually dominate, just like what happened in the PC market a few years back when Windows was a force to reckon with.


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VIA: SlashGear, Strategy Analytics


KDDI Japan intros new HTC J Butterfly with Duo Camera

HTC has just announced the new J Butterfly HTL23 with KDDI in Japan. It comes with high end specs like the One M8 but in a more plastic-like phone body. Coming in Rouge, Canvas and Indigo color, the new J Butterfly has a 13 megapixel + 2 megapixel dual camera module, offering HTC's Duo Camera features like UFocus and Duo Effects.



The latest HTC J Butterfly has a super powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz quad core processor (MSM8974AC), 5-inch Full HD S-LCD3 display, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage and microSDXC card slot. For selfie photography lover, the 5 megapixel front facing camera is definitely good to have. You can also find the same dual-tone flash LED, which will give you a more accurate artificial flash light. The built in WiFi supports a/b/g/n/ac wireless network, while the 4G LTE has a 150Mbps maximum speed.


Like what Japanese smartphones usually have, the J Butterfly is protected with IPX5/IPX7 waterproof and IP5X dust proof. Check out this post for a detailed IP rating explaination.


The HTC J Butterfly HTL23 will be available by end of August in Japan. Will HTC introduce this model to other markets? When the first HTC J Butterfly was announced 2 years old, it was later launched as Droid DNA for Verizon Wireless. It is possible that the updated Butterfly will be re-introduced again in US.


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Hangouts for Enterprise now allows use without G+ account

Google’s Hangouts has been coming out with a lot of new features in the last few months to make it the default mobile and desktop communications app. Now, it’s the turn of Hangouts for Enterprise to enhance how it can be used to maximize “face to face” digital conversations within your business. The most important update now is that you can now use Hangouts without having to sign up for a Google+ account.



As long as the user has a Google Apps customer account, you can now use the video meetings of Hangouts without needing a G+ account. The feature allows up to 15 people to join a face-to-face hangout, as long as they are on a computer or a Chromebox. But they assure that this capability will also arrive soon for mobile phones and tablets as well. They are also allowing people on other video conference systems, like Blue Jeans (for H.323 or SIP-based videoconferencing systems) or InterCall (for those with mobile phones but through an InterCall audio-conference bridge).


Hangouts for Enterprise is now also included in the Google Terms of Service for other Business products like Gmail and Drive. This means that users can also avail of the round-the-clock customer support and a 99.9% guaranteed uptime. Later on, they will also be adding enterprise integration for Hangouts with the Google Apps Vault. Your company’s IT administrator will also now be able to easily manage these video meetings from the Google Apps Admin Console. You can start, mute or end a meeting all from the comfort of your own computer.


While Hangouts for Enterprise has been a great tool (as they claim) for companies like Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Eventbrite and Kaplan, it still has not caught on as they would like to in the corporate world. But as digital business meetings continue to evolve and Google Business apps try to improve integration and go mobile, Google might still be able to penetrate this market.




SOURCE: Google Enterprise


Yahoo! Finance app redesigned for Android

If you’re in the finance industry or are interested or involved in the stock market, chances are you’d always want the latest updates even before you reach the office or a desktop. While there are many finance apps out there, it never hurts to try one that comes from known names in the industry. Yahoo! Finance has a shiny brand new app, completely redesigned for Android devices and will definitely come in handy for stocks whizzes out there.



As there are sometimes too many stocks to follow, you can save the ones you’re interested about on your watch list. The app will then give you relevant information and news regarding those on your list. And of course, the information and updates you’ll be receiving are in real time, as this is a crucial aspect in this industry. You can even go beyond just the stock information and the app will give you information about currencies, industries and commodities.


The app also includes interactive charts and graphs that can help you analyse better the trends and information. If you view your phone sideways or in landscape mode, then you’ll be able to fully appreciate the full screen charts. You can also set up the app to send you push notifications on things like breaking news for the stocks that you want to follow.


To help you find finance-related news stories better, they’ve also added a news tab that will constantly be updated with stories that you need to know, based also on the information and preferences that you input in the app. You can download the new Yahoo! Finance app for free through the Google Play Store.


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SOURCE: Yahoo





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