T-Mobile HTC One phones to receive Android 4.3 update on Monday

HTC One and not quite done

By now, HTC One owners on T-Mobile were supposed to have Android 4.3 up and running, but the overdue Jelly Bean update has been delayed until next week.

"It has been held until Monday," tweeted HTC U.S. President Jason Mackenzie. "Apologies for the delay, but this one is out of our control."

Mackenzie personally apologized to just about every irate customer of the nation's No. 4 carrier that reached out to him on Twitter.

"It's not easy to predict to be honest, but [we] have chosen to keep you up to date along the way," he said in another tweet to a customer.

Carrier my wayward son

Android 4.3 has been slow to roll out to HTC One smartphones and carrier-locked Android devices in general.

Sprint customers were the first HTC One owners to receive the update earlier this month with AT&T subscribers following closely behind last week.

Verizon, which became the last major U.S. carrier to launch the HTC One at the end of August, hasn't announced when Android 4.3 will be available to download.

However, the Verizon HTC One had Android 4.2.2 pre-installed instead of Android 4.2, so the customers of the No. 1 U.S. carrier aren't in angst just yet.

The Google operating system update made its debut with the Nexus 7 tablet in late July, so T-Mobile customers will have waited almost three months for this update if it comes out on Monday.

With Android KitKat 4.4 expected to launch at the end of the month, it may be just in time so that T-Mobile subscribers don't feel lapped.

• Read about the Google Play media event set for Oct 24 in NYC

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/t-mobile-htc-one-phones-to-receive-android-4-3-update-on-monday-1191076

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Google makes a Play-date, event set for October 24 in New York City

Here's hoping we get some Nexus 5 tidbits

After all the recent hubbub about the Nexus 5's brief appearance on the Google Play site, it only makes sense that we should get some official news soon.

Which makes a Google Play New York City event slated for October 24 a strange coincidence, does it not? The "night out" invite briefly lists an array of activities including a special performance by Capital Cities.

But sounds like the slumber party is missing one thing: a Nexus 5 announcement.

A Google rep has confirmed with TechRadar that "there is no news at this event - its a basic meet and great (sic) for NYC consumer press to learn more about Google Play."

So it seems like there really won't be any info about the Nexus 5, and that the event will probably focus on Google Play's new look - though we'll keep an eye out just in case, and wait for the imminent Android 4.4 KitKat launch.

More blips!

These blips won't toy with your emotions.

• Hulu Plus arrives on Nintendo DS systems
• A new look Google Play leaks as Android 4.4 approaches
• Android 4.3 arriving on T-Mobile's HTC One within days

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/google-makes-a-play-date-event-set-for-october-24-in-new-york-city-1191062

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Sony Xperia Z Android 4.3 update rumored to in November

A word has arrived on the potential availability of the much-awaited Android 4.3 Jelly Bean for the Sony Xperia Z. The latest Android Jelly Bean version will reportedly make it to the device in the last week of November.

There is no word on the features which the update will bring to the Sony Xperia Z. Rumor has it however, that the new version will bring significant changes to the device.

Furthermore, according to Sony Mobile Argentina, the Sony Xperia L will get Android 4.3 in mid-November. The information emerged in the official Facebook account of Sony Mobile.

Source 1 | Source 2 | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z_android_43_update_rumored_to_arrive_in_late_november-news-7010.php

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Google Play Music adds 'I'm feeling lucky radio' to ease musical indecision

We're listening to Play Music to Get Lucky? (credit: AndroidPolice)

Google's 'I'm Feeling Lucky' search button, which takes users directly to the first page in the listing, has been around forever, but is thought to be deployed in less than 1 per cent of all queries.

So the company will hope it finds a more appreciated home within the radio portion of Play Music app, for those users who just can't decide what they want to listen to.

The new feature, spotted by the AndroidPolice site, will allow users to auto-generate a radio station based on their previous listening habits.

In the current version of the app users need to select an artist or a genre in order to start a custom radio station.

One genre

According to AndroidPolice, the new button seems to serve up music from the user's most frequented genre, rather than offering up a mix, which seems to take away from the fun a little bit.

It also appears, from various reports that the feature is limited to All Access subscribers at present.

According to the site, the new version of the app will be rolling out to all users of the iTunes Radio rival in the next couple of weeks.

• Still waiting for the iOS version of Play Music All Access? It's on the way before October is out, according to reports.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/google-play-music-adds-i-m-feeling-lucky-radio-to-ease-musical-indecision-1191054

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Oreo flavored Nexus 5 spotted in alleged leaked retail box shots

These photos allegedly show the Nexus 5 in a new color (credit: underkg.com)

It's a good week for Nexus 5 leaks - first the new Google and LG flagship made a brief surprise appearance in the Google Play store, and now some alleged box shots have appeared showing the phone in a never before seen white and black color scheme.

The Korean website underkg.com, which carries the amusing tag line "Everything under 1kg. Because heavy stuff sucks," posted the photos online, though it since removed them.

The images appear to show various angles of the Nexus 5's retail packaging, and the phone on the box looks like it has a white back with black on the front and sides.

The Nexus 5's predecessor came in a lighter shade as well, though the white Nexus 4 was unveiled and released after the black one was already on the market.

Nexus 5 specs and battery

However, the photos that appeared today have clearly been doctored and should be viewed with skepticism for the time being.

The Nexus 5 has yet to be officially unveiled by Google or LG, but we're currently expecting a Nexus 5 launch just before Halloween at the end of the month.

The latest leak reportedly showed the Nexus 5 running Android 4.4, revealing some new features coming in Google's next OS update.

Another rumor earlier this month claimed that the Nexus 5 will come with two battery options, depending on the size: a 2,300mAh battery for the 16GB Nexus 5, and a 3,000mAh battery for the 32GB.

We had doubts about the report, though, since the alleged Nexus 5 manual that leaked before that said the 32GB will sport the smaller 2,300mAh battery as well.

Italian site TuttoAndroid said was skeptical as well, and said today that it can confirm there will only be a 2,300mAh option.

Other than that we're expecting the Nexus 5 specs to include a 5-inch 1080p display and a Snapdragon 800 processor.

• Turn to TechRadar for all the latest Nexus 5 rumors, leaks and specs!

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/oreo-flavored-nexus-5-spotted-in-alleged-leaked-retail-box-shots-1191052

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Apple says it couldn't read your iMessages even if it wanted to

Could Apple really read your iMessages - or hand them to authorities?

Research firms QuarksLab claimed on Thursday that Apple can theoretically intercept users' iMessages and read them or hand them over to authorities, but Apple responded that that's simply not true.

"iMessage is not architected to allow Apple to read messages," an Apple spokesperson told AllThingsD.

"The research discussed theoretical vulnerabilities that would require Apple to re-engineer the iMessage system to exploit it, and Apple has no plans or intentions to do so," the spokesperson continued.

Just a theory

QuarksLab presented its findings at the Hack in the Box conference that took place this week in Malaysia.

The group said that while Apple's end-to-end encryption is secure, Apple "can change a key any time they want, thus read [sic] the content of our iMessages."

The security and hacking community so far has reportedly found few faults with QuarksLab's theory, which is apparently quite complex.

However, the researchers emphasized that they're not claiming Apple does read your iMessages; only that it can if it chooses to.

To iMessage or not to iMessage

iMessages are messages sent between iOS devices that Apple has long claimed are more secure than standard SMS messaging.

The iMessaging service supposedly even thwarts U.S. law enforcement agencies like the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Then again, the service clearly isn't foolproof.

• Is any data safe? The NSA supposedly collects 250 million email contact lists a year.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/apple-says-it-couldn-t-read-your-imessages-even-if-it-wanted-to-1191036

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Nexus 5 memory options and battery info leaks

The upcoming Nexus 5 announcement is drawing near (just 10 days left to go) and the rumors are intensifying. Today we saw it briefly in the Google Play store and now information has surfaced detailing the memory and battery capacity of the upcoming pureblood Android.

According to unofficial sources the Nexus 5 will come with either 16 GB or 32 GB of built-in, non-expandable, storage. The addition of the bigger 32 GB variant is great news and seems to confirm Google (and LG) won't be opting for an 8 GB model this year.

Then there's the battery, which doesn't ring as high on the hype meter as the memory options. The next Nexus smartphone is said to bring a 2,300 mAh battery, which given the rumors of a 5" display and latest Snapdragon 800 processor doesn't really sound too exciting. Previous rumors of the 32GB version packing a larger 3,000 mAh juice pack have unfortunately turned out to be unfounded.

Finally said sources point to a release before the end of October, however they don't specify if that refers to a global release or just to select markets in a first wave.

Source (in Italian)

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/nexus_5_memory_options_and_battery_info_leaks-news-7009.php

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