Android owners will soon see the benefits of improved developer tools
Google has updated its Play Services tool for Android developers, which allows them to build the latest available features into their applications.
The headline new toy for devs is the ability to add native, turn-based multiplayer support for 8 players. The data from each turn will now be uploaded to Google's servers and passed onto each of the players.
Also among the new features is the opportunity for app makers to improve sharing to Google+ from their applications.
"An improved Google+ sharing experience makes it even easier for users to share with the right people from your app. It includes better auto-complete and suggested recipients from Gmail contacts, device contacts and people on Google+," the company wrote on the Android developers' blog.
Drive on
Google has also added a preview of the Google Drive API for Android, which will eventually see tighter integration between Google Play apps and the cloud storage locker.
This version of Google Play Services includes a developer preview of the new Google Drive API for Android. You can use it to easily read and write files in Google Drive so they're available across devices and on the web. Users can work with files offline too — changes are synced with Google Drive automatically when they reconnect," Google wrote.
While all this may be for the benefit of developers right now, Android users should start to feel the benefits as 2014 progresses. The update will begin arriving for app makers from today.
Xperia Z Ultra's prohibitive price-tag may fall with a Wi-Fi only version
Sony is plotting to ditch mobile data connectivity for a new version of its Xperia Z Ultra phablet, according to reports on Friday.
According to leaked benchmarks from http://techradar.com/AnTuTu, the Japanese giant is plotting a Wi-Fi only version of the 6.44-inch device that'll maintain cellular connectivity, but skip on the 4G LTE radio offered by the original.
That would enable users to maintain calling and texting functionality, but would lower the costs for those who only wish to use the internet when in range of a Wi-Fi router.
Aside from the missing 3G and 4G data, everything else looks to be as it was in the first device. There's a 1080p screen, quad-core processor and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, according to the leaked screenshot.
Pocket unfriendly
As G4games reports, this isn't the first time word of a Wi-Fi only Xperia Z Ultra has drifted beneath our nostrils. Such a device reportedly took a trip through the FCC in November.
If the device were to land, it would definitely fall on the tablet end of phablet, as if it wasn't in the first place. 6.44-inches would stretch a clown's pockets, let alone our skinny Levis 511s.
Samsung Knox security software is continuously gaining popularity among the corporate businesses. And while the US Department of Defense was considering using the Knox-protected Galaxy S4 for its staff, cyber security researchers at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel discovered a serious vulnerability.
According to the researchers the issue not only exposes critical email and communication data, but also allows hackers to insert malicious code through using it. Samsung immediately denied all possible vulnerabilities, but launched investigation anyway.
The investigation is now over and Samsung says it was able to verify the exploit and has intercepted critical data. As it turns out though this is not a flaw in the Knox software, but a classic Men in the Middle attack, possible due to user's omission while configuring the Knox security feature.
Here's Samsung's official description of the problem plus some tips how to avoid it. Samsung will be sending messages to the Knox users with these tips too.
"This research did not identify a flaw or bug in Samsung KNOX or Android; it demonstrated a classic Man in the Middle (MitM) attack, which is possible at any point on the network to see unencrypted application data. The research specifically showed this is also possible via a user-installed program, reaffirming the importance of encrypting application data before sending it to the Internet. Android development practices encourage that this be done by each application using SSL/TLS. Where that's not possible (for example, to support standards-based unencrypted protocols, such as HTTP), Android provides built-in VPN and support for third-party VPN solutions to protect data. Use of either of those standard security technologies would have prevented an attack based on a user-installed local application."
"KNOX offers additional protections against MitM attacks. Below is a more detailed description of the mechanisms that can be configured on Samsung KNOX devices to protect against them:"
Mobile Device Management — MDM is a feature that ensures that a device containing sensitive information is set up correctly according to an enterprise-specified policy and is available in the standard Android platform. KNOX enhances the platform by adding many additional policy settings, including the ability to lock down security-sensitive device settings. With an MDM configured device, when the attack tries to change these settings, the MDM agent running on the device would have blocked them. In that case, the exploit would not have worked.
Per-App VPN — The per-app VPN feature of KNOX allows traffic only from a designated and secured application to be sent through the VPN tunnel. This feature can be selectively applied to applications in containers, allowing fine-grained control over the tradeoff between communication overhead and security.
FIPS 140-2 — KNOX implements a FIPS 140-2 Level 1 certified VPN client, a NIST standard for data-in-transit protection along with NSA suite B cryptography. The FIPS 140-2 standard applies to all federal agencies that use cryptographically strong security systems to protect sensitive information in computer and telecommunication systems. Many enterprises today deploy this cryptographically strong VPN support to protect against data-in-transit attacks.
So, as it turns out there's no reason to lose your sleep about your Knox-secured device - your data is still safe with it.
According to Sony Mobile head for Europe, Pierre Perron, who spoke to TechRadar Sony is in talks with Microsoft to deliver a Windows Phone device. He says Sony is in talks with "other partners, including Microsoft" for a broader Sony spectrum.
"We don't want to be a single OS manufacturer" said Perron, and that's exactly what Sony has become having released only Android smartphones for a few years now. In its later days as Sony Ericsson the company was involved with Windows Mobile, on which platform the company introduced its Xperia lineup with the then-popular X1 slide-out QWERTY phone.
Recently we heard that Sony is pondering a WP device for a mid-2014 launch, but now that a credible Sony executive has confirmed the negotiations, we're more at ease believing them.
Sony has years of cooperation with Microsoft under its belt with the VAIO brand of Windows computers - an established brand name. Looking back to 2011 we can clearly remember a Sony prototype running a test version of Windows Phone 7 - later on Sony CEO Kunimasa Suzuki dispelled the rumors by saying that Sony won't release a Windows Phone.
Perron believes that making smartphones for just one OS - even the most widely adopted one - isn't a "viable position in the long term". He did add that Sony enjoys "a good collaboration with Google" but that the search giant has a relationship with direct competitors of Sony as well. The same could be said of Microsoft, however.
While Perron hasn't provided specifics on launch dates or if talks are even in their final stages yet, things are certainly looking promising.
The Ubuntu Phone is far from dead. In fact, we've been promised that we can still expect to see the Linux OS go big in our smartphones in 2014
Despite missing the funding goal to get its own handset out on the market, Canonical has kept busy to get manufacturers to build their own Ubuntu OS smartphones.
And speaking in a Google Hangout, Canonical community manager Juno Bacon confirmed that all signs are good.
"I'm confident that in 2014 you're going to see a number of Ubuntu phones hitting the market," he said. "I can't tell you [who it will be] right now but I can tell you that some awesome things are happening."
One OS to rule them all
Bacon also implied that we'll see some devices made exclusively for certain regions and carriers as well as some that will be sold unlocked online.
That's as concrete as Canonical is being right now, but it sounds like we can expect to see Ubuntu popping up all over the shop in the coming months.
A recent patent filed on behalf of Apple has made its way to the US Patents website, which details the development of a new camera stabilization mechanism. The "VCM OIS actuator module" is not only poised to reduce image blurriness, but will also allegedly improve autofocus speed.
Through the use of voice coil motor (VCM) actuators that move the camera in directions that move the lens in orthogonal directions related to the optical axis, the new VCM OIS system is designed to compensate for hand movement when taking a photo or video. Better yet, the design also has the lens and image sensor attached to one another as one rigid body, which should result in substantially simplified camera manufacturing process.
Heretofore Apple has yet to join the arms race that has been camera megapixels, relying instead on pixel size to make its 8MP shooter stand up against the 13MP (and higher) sensors found on most competing flagships. While initially this was enough, our recent six-way cameraphone shootout saw it fall behind in image fidelity of its higher-resolution rivals.
Hopefully, the new mechanical OIS tech will help it make up for lost ground and we'll see a better camera than ever with the next iPhone - whenever that is.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo, which was recently leaked via internal promotional documents, has been pictured next to the Galaxy Note 3.
If the leaked specs are to be believed, the Galaxy Note 3 Neo is set to be more of the spiritual successor to the Galaxy Note II, with a thinner profile and the faux leather back panel introduced with the Galaxy Note 3.
It'll also feature an as-yet unannounced 1.7GHz dual + 1.3GHz quad-core "Hexa" processor, which Samsung looks to be developing for its midrange and entry-level devices. It raises interesting questions about what sort of performance a potential six-core device could bring to the playing field, especially compared to Snapdragon or even Samsung's own octa-core Exynos.
Given the sheer amount of previous leaks surrounding the Galaxy Note 3 "Lite", as it was formerly known, it's likely that we'll get official word of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo at MWC 2014 next month.
AT&T has added the 32GB version of the Nokia Lumia 1520 phablet on its web store at $250 with contract. Note that only the black version has a 32GB option, while the red (which is selected by default), white and yellow ones do not.
Anyway, the normal 16GB version is back at $200 after a temporary promotion cut the price to $100. If you prefer, you can get the phablet off-contract too. The 32GB version is $640, while the 16GB units go for $585.
You can't get it just yet as its listed as "Out of stock online", but you can try your luck with a local brick-and-mortar store.
Keep in mind that the 16GB Lumia 1520 for AT&T can be had for $150 from Amazon and you can grab a 64GB microSD for $50. The off-contract price for the unlocked 32GB version is around $600.
We've heard about the Motorola Ara project, which is developing a modular smartphone allowing you to change parts such as camera and processor with ease, but ZTE is also looking into part-swapping handsets.
Motorola said back in December 2013 that its modular prototype was "pretty close", but it's been beaten to the punch by the ZTE Eco-Mobius.
The Chinese firm showed off its own modular smartphone concept at CES 2014 in Las Vegas, and although the phone itself was behind glass it shows a step forward in the technology.
Hot swap
The Eco-Mobius prototype allows a user to change its display, camera, battery, processor and RAM modules.
This would mean you could purchase the base spec at a low cost and once you've got more cash to burn, upgrade various parts - into photography? Then buy a better camera module. Running out of juice? Get yourself a bigger battery.
As to when we may actually see a modular smartphone actually hit stores, the people over at ZTE reckon the technology is two years away - CES 2016 better watch out.
KitKat for all! Sammobile has received a pre-release firmware of Android 4.4.2-running TouchWiz for the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9505 (the Snadragon version). The release has build number I9505XXUFNA1.
The build is still shaky here and there but stable enough to be used as a daily driver. The final update is expected to be released to the masses in the February to March window.
The most notable changes are the white status bar icons (moving away from the green ones), a camera shortcut on the lockscreen, performance boost and an improved landscape keyboard. Check out some screenshots below.
TouchWiz KitKat screenshots
Flashing the firmware is pretty straightforward but does include risks of bricking. You need to download the file (around 1 GB) and then flash it in Download mode through Odin. If you are interested - follow the source link for the instructions and the required files.
Garry Veale, president of Avaya in Europe, places his bets on the communications trends he thinks will make it big in 2014.
Connected Generation
In my mind, the trends we'll see emerging in 2014 will be driven largely by the desires and expectations of a new kind of workforce.
This workforce doesn't know a world without the internet, expects answers instantly, seeks constant engagement, and is comfortable with "connected" technologies like no other generation. It will have a profound impact on business and the way it operates in the future. Businesses will start to appreciate the limitations of mature networks.
To accommodate this hyper-connected generation, networks need to be fully prepared. Typical working environments weren't built to withstand the consumerisation of IT, BYOD, and BYOA, and enterprise technology often isn't capable of delivering the experience we're used to getting at home.
Next year more businesses will come to realise that relying on existing, and often mature networks will limit their ability to communicate in ways now expected. The network is key to enabling device and application flexibly and businesses will focus increasingly on creating environments that are flexible enough to embrace and enable the new era of communications. To do this, they must put in place clear and effective strategies that enable them to achieve simplicity of deployment and management.
Network demands
The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games is a prime example of this: the 75,000 mobility-hungry, hyper-connected spectators visiting the park each day will place unprecedented demands on the network.
This requires a flexible, secure and robust infrastructure capable of carrying vast amounts of data and coping with huge spikes in traffic during flagship events.
Society's appetite for cutting-edge technologies will impact infrastructure investment at all levels – whether that's an Olympics or a small business implementation. Regardless of the scale and profile of the project, organisations of all sizes face many of the same challenges, and that's the key takeaway for 2014.
We'll see the emergence of smarter offices through communications-enabled technologies.
Avaya's Gary Veale
Getting more done
We're progressively moving towards much more functional and productive ways of working. Concepts like the 'Internet of Things' or 'machine to machine communications', which are trending now, will soon become major influencing factors in the future of business.
In fact, communications-enabled technology will begin to enforce change on business processes as companies are presented with more timely and relevant information about customers. Technology and networks that are self-aware will rise up the agenda as the cost of the sensor technology which enables this reaches an all-time low.
In fact, Gartner predicts that we'll soon reach the point where it's cheaper to have a communications-enabled system than not. This will lead to a fundamental change in the way companies work – from new ways of developing technology, to better facilities management through an increase in pay-as-you-go billing models for office utilities.
Video star
Video will come to be recognised as a real cost-saving tool.
One of the most talked about communications technologies, video has been rising up the agenda for some time now. I think in 2014, however, we'll really start to see businesses realising the cost and productivity benefits of video solutions. In fact, we've already started to see that happening in 2013.
Video is benefiting from more advanced hardware, employee hunger for collaboration, more sophisticated networks, and more interoperability. Solutions are now accessible and affordable and the advantages of lower travel costs and higher productivity are grabbing the attention of more and more customers.
In addition, videoconferencing is no longer reserved for typical office-based businesses; it's also filtering through vertical industries such as retail.
If we take the example of SPAR UK, the successful convenience store chain, it chose Avaya's Scopia solution because the company needed a reliable, scalable, collaborative video solution to ensure that employees of all seven business units were able to communicate effectively without losing time and money to travelling for meetings.
SPAR UK saw an immediate return on that investment as employees no longer have to commute from branch to branch for meetings, and they're now more organised and productive in those meetings. We're starting to see a true democratisation of video and this trend will continue in 2014.
The contact centre will adapt even more to the next generation
Well connected
The rise of this hyper-connected generation will continue to impact the contact centre in a major way. Consumers who contact companies via digital and social channels expect outstanding customer service regardless of the platform they choose.
The customer service industry is changing dramatically as a result; businesses need to have the capability to allow customers to move seamlessly from one channel to another, without losing the thread of the interaction. And they need to provide a consistent service across all channels.
We'll see this trend persist in 2014 as it forces companies to re-evaluate their customer experience strategy to include those new platforms.
Companies are already looking to the contact centre to find ways to generate additional revenue without adding cost to the operation. Similarly, they are looking at how to automate more of the customer services model and drive more customers to self-service options to reduce time.
Integration and application development will therefore be an area of rapid growth in 2014, particularly as companies look to develop a customer service experience on new devices such as mobile applications, video or social networks.
Moving into 2014 – as our uptake of smart devices, and digital and social applications continues to intensify – I believe businesses will above all need to focus on investing in technologies that embrace and enable the new era of communications we live in today. It's an exciting time for the communications technology industry, and I'm eager to find out what next year has in store.
The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is already up for pre-order in Europe, but if you're thinking of getting one, you should check the offers by Sony's own web store as there are some enticing offers.
XperiaBlog.net checked the regional stores and made a list of the available promotions – the most popular option seems to be the Sony Wireless Headset DR-BTN200M, which would typically set you back €100.
The better offer, however, is for the UK – pre-orders get a free Sony SmartWatch 2, normally a £130 gadget. The phone itself is priced £450. Also in the UK, Phones4u is offering on-contract deals with carriers and throwing in a £120 wireless speaker and up to £65 in movies and music.
In other countries you can snag the NFC and Bluetooth-enabled headset for 1 of your local currency (euro, zloty, krona, whatever the case may be) with an Xperia Z1 Compact pre-order. Here's the list of countries to get it plus the Z1 Compact off-contract prices:
France is getting a more modest offer – a €50 rebate on the €550 price of the phone. That's still better than the Netherlands where users will have to pay the full €550 price and get nothing.
Sony has confirmed to TechRadar that it is actively looking into the possibility of launching a Windows Phone as it seeks to move away from being a single OS manufacturer.
Pierre Perron, head of Sony Mobile Europe, told TechRadar it didn't want to offer only one flavour of mobile OS, stating: "We are continuing our discussions with other partners, including Microsoft, as part of our partnership with this company on the broader Sony spectrum.
"[Working with Microsoft] is an interesting proposition for us in the PC environment, and we continue our engagement with them.
"We are exploring this as part of our discussion in mobile space too. One thing is using the platform [Windows Phone] itself, and another is 'what can we deliver on top of it'?"
There have been rumours that Sony is planning a comeback in the Windows Phone space for a while now, and this statement echoes a similar one made by Perron in 2012.
However soon after that CEO Kunimasa Suzuki moved to quash such speculation, saying the company had no plans to release a Windows Phone device.
Coming back around
The two brands do have history in the mobile space, with the Xperia X1 launching with Windows Mobile coming in 2008. However, the X2 sequel was launched but never released, and Sony has since then been focused solely on Android smartphones.
Given the success Sony is slowly achieving with Android power, it could seem odd that the brand would look elsewhere, but Pierron believes this is as much about safety in a changing market as it is about offering consumer choice:
"We don't want to be a single OS manufacturer, I don't think it's a viable position in the long term," added Perron.
"We enjoy very much a good collaboration with Google, we've been working with them for a long time and have a level of maturity with that discussion, that's good. But at the same time, Google has a relationship with direct competitors."
Perron declined to give a specific date on when we might see a Windows Phone, stating that the discussions were tentative at the moment (and clearly have been for some time) , but given the steady rise in popularity for Microsoft's OS, it seems that perhaps there may still be others looking to launch on Windows Phone too.
