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Xperia Z2 and Z2 tablet Android 4.4.4 update gets certified

Sony Xperia Z2 and Z2 Tablet owners who have been wondering when they would finally get the update to Android 4.4.4 finally have an idea when they will get the OS update. Android 4.4.4 firmware 23.0.1.A.0.167 has finally been certified for the Xperia Z2 and Z2 tablet.



Both of those devices have been stuck on Android 4.4.2 for a while now. It's unclear what features will come to the devices with the new update. Presumably the two Z2 devices will get a user interface that looks similar to what the Xperia Z3 has since that device has ran Android 4.4.4 for a while.


What we don’t know right now is if all the features of the Z3 will be ported to the Z2 devices. The Z2 firmware is certified for the D6502 and D6503 versions of the smartphone.


The Z2 Tablet update is certified for the SGP521 and SGP541 variants of the tablet. The new firmware hasn’t started to roll out yet for either device, but with the certifications posted, it should begin any time now.


SOURCE: Xperia Blog


Samsung to report weakest earnings since 2011

Over the last several years, Samsung Electronics has been doing very well with its line of Android smartphones and tablets helping to push profits to ever-higher levels. Samsung is now reportedly set to announce its biggest annual income decline since 2011. The earnings reported for its July-September quarter will reportedly be the lowest reported in the last three years.



Part of the blame for the lower profits is that short-term prospects for smartphones are uncertain. Analytics firm Strategy Analytics has said that Samsung has been outclassed by the iPhone in the premium segment and undercut by rivals from China such as Lenovo and Xiaomi for the bottom end customers.


Samsung said in a regulatory filing this week that profit for Q3 is expected to fall 59.7% to 4.1 trillion won, or $3.8 billion. The mean forecast for the quarter was a profit of 5.6 trillion won.


The decline for the quarter also marks the fourth consecutive quarter where earnings have declined on a yearly basis. Samsung does expect things to turn around for the last quarter with strong demand for smartphones and TVs expected in the holiday shopping season.


SOURCE: Reuters


Land’s End is a gorgeous game for the Samsung Gear VR

The Samsung Gear VR is one of the accessories to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 that most tech and gaming junkies are excited about, a virtual reality headset in the mold of the Oculus VR. Virtual Reality has been on a general decline since its heyday in the mid-90s where it was supposed to be the next big thing. Maybe it was really just ahead of its time, as the current technology is now allowing for a better representation of the technology. Evidence to this is “Land’s End” a beautiful VR game designed for the Samsung Gear VR.



The game is designed by “ustwo” and the studio has just released its first trailer. The indie game developers are best known for “Monument Valley” a game primarily designed for tablets. It would seem that the developers had to learn a lot on coming to the VR platform but it seems that they have done fairly well for themselves, if the trailer is of any evidence.


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A simple lowdown on the game – it’s a puzzle-based game that takes place on a mystical ocean where there are islands scattered around. The controls are reportedly such that it is very, very near telepathy – where you would only need to “look” in a direction to actually go there within the game. The developers have made it so that the controls are intuitive to VR.




The Samsung Gear VR hasn’t even launched yet – although there are leaks and rumors saying that the virtual reality headset will be available in Korea by the 1st of December. Although that makes sense with the holidays coming, we suggest you take that news with a grain of salt. Once the Gear VR launches, then we can begin to ask when this beautiful game will be released.


VIA: Droid Gamers





OnePlus OTA update for CM 11S (38R) rollout begins

Owners of OnePlus smartphones have a new firmware update on the way that will bring some new features and fixes to the mix. The OTA update for CM 11S (38R) is rolling out starting today. The new firmware improves the responsiveness of the touchscreen of the smartphone and adds a new lock screen to the mix.



Fans of photography using their smartphone will love this new feature; photos can be taken in RAW format with the new firmware applied. Audio support was also enhanced to give the One the ability to play high-resolution 24-bit, 96/192kHz flac/alac/wav files without resampling.


A new method of reporting bugs directly to Cyanogen was added along with a pause button for video recording. Battery life has been improved and issues with camera exposure compensation being stuck in auto mode were fixed.


An issue where users who had chosen 4G preferred weren't able to connect to 3G data when needed has been patched. Static in headsets when changing the volume was fixed and a rotation issue where the screen didn’t move if turned slowly was fixed. The update also adds ANT+ support. OnePlus says the update is rolling out slowly starting today, so it could be a while before everyone has the update.


SOURCE: OnePlus


Star Warfare 2: Payback lets you even play as an alien

Star Warfare is back and it's back with a vengeance. Or at least that's what the name implies. But aside from what may seem like a catchy title, this sequel to Star Warfare: Alien Invasion, which is noted to have millions of downloads and a four-star rating, puts a few twists to the tried and tested sci-fi shooter convention.



Star Warfare 2: Payback, like its predecessor, offers two modes of playing. In single-player mode, you are left on your own to face hordes of aliens and other "biological oddities". Of course, you're not technically on your own as you have a wide assortment of weapons, robotic "pets", vehicles, and combinations of those to assist you in vanquishing your foes.


The game gets just a wee bit interesting when you dive into multiplayer mode, offering different ways of playing with others online. Aside from your usual PvP fights, you also have Co-op standoffs, where you get to team with other players in squad-based competition. There is also that popular capture the flag game that no modern multiplayer shooter can do without. Perhaps the most interesting mode is when you actually get to be the Alien Boss that will turn on your friends, or any other human players, to get a feel of what it is to be rooting for the other side, and maybe even getting owned yourself.


Star Warfare 2: Payback is free to download and play from Google Play Store. But, of course, like any freemium game this day and age, the game comes with in-app purchases. Thanks to the new Google Play Store feature, we now know that those range from $0.99 to $99.99, for a single item purchase, that is.


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Download: Star Warfare 2: Payback on Google Play Store


Elliptic Labs pushes for better gesture controls in devices

It’s a different kind of evolution, the way we interact with our devices – call it “reverse evolution” maybe, as the more we delve into better technology for our gadgets, the less physical interaction we demand from them. So device manufacturers come up with gestures, but most of those still require physical interaction through touchscreen or any other part of the device. Elliptic Labs has a viable solution called “multi-layer interaction”.



Elliptic has been at this for a while now, and we are seeing probably a product of years scaling and down-scaling so that the technology can become a viable option for smartphones and tablets. Elliptic says that it uses ultrasonic technology for its multi-layer approach, something that it claims is a level higher than the solutions available in the market today.


The gestures are pretty ideal in scope – you move your hand towards the device and the screen turns on, pretty much like how the new 2014 Moto X does it. But the kicker is in the layering – move your hand closer and it gives you a next level of options for actions, maybe unlocking the screen, or opening messages, or running specific apps. See more information from the video below.


Lastly, Elliptic is promising full 180-degree coverage of the area around your device – top, bottom, side, it doesn’t really matter. While I personally don’t like the “laziness” that is the premise here, I like that technology for our mobile devices is still evolving to loftier goals. Judging from the technology’s capabilities, it might not be too far off before we start seeing this in our devices.


VIA: SlashGear





Samsung boasts of S Pen capabilities in new video

A new video released by Samsung to highlight the capabilities of its S Pen in the Galaxy Note 4 may not be the most inventive, but it does get the job done. The enhanced S Pen is one of the selling points of the newest member of the Note family and this video might give you a case of Pen envy as you see all the cool and useful things that it can do.



The Smart Select feature of the S Pen allows you to use multiple images and text to capture and share with your friends or loved ones, either through email, chat or other apps that you need. So those pegs for the bridesmaid dress you want to wear for your friend's wedding can be sent in one fell swoop through your FB messenger. Another Smart Select cool feature is that when you use the S Pen to capture images or text, it can detect which related apps you may need to use to share it or which app you can use to understand it better, like Maps to locate a certain address or a calendar to add an appointment in your chat thread.


The Photo Note feature lets you capture written notes, whether on your lecturer's white board or your own notes or doodles during a meeting. You can convert the photo to editable text, then add or erase or edit your notes to your satisfaction. You can also now get the meta data from screenshots that you've taken using the enhanced S Pen which makes it easier for you to trace where you actually got a photo in your screenshots log.


The Galaxy Note 4 has already been released in South Korea and China end of September but is expected to be available in the US and Canada this October 17. There has been much anticipation for the new phablet, primarily because Samsung has been hyping it up leading to the launch event just before IFA 2014. So far, our hands-on experience has been pretty good, so let's see how it will do in a market that is saturated with all kinds of smartphones, tablets and phablets.







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