Google plans to offer Android 4.4 updates for the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 tablets, and companies including HTC and Samsung are starting to reveal their update plans. But despite the efforts of third party developers to port Android 4.4 to run on the 2011-era Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Google still has no plans […]
android 4.4
Android 4.4 KitKat ported to run on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Google may have no plans to release an official Android 4.4 software update for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. But the nice thing about phones that ship with unlocked bootloaders is that you can load your own software — and like most Nexus devices, there’s a pretty healthy developer community involved with the Galaxy Nexus. So […]
Lilbits (11-01-2013): Rockstar patent suit
Google and some of the top makers of Android smartphones are now facing lawsuits over the technology used in their devices. A few years ago a coalition of companies including Microsoft, Apple, and RIM (now known as BlackBerry) spend $4.5 billion to acquire patents from Nortel, a company that had gone out of business. Then […]
Google Search takes over the Android 4.4 home screen (video)
One of the key features of Android 4.4 is a new home screen with built-in support for voice search and voice commands. There’s a little microphone icon in the search bar, but you don’t actually ever have to tap it. When you’re on your device’s home screen, just say “OK Google” to start a search, […]
Unofficial KitKat: Nexus 5 rooted, Android 4.4 ROMs arrive for older devices
A day after Google released Android 4.4 KitKat and launched the Nexus 5 smartphone, independent developers have started working with both. It’s now possible for anyone to root a Nexus 5 phone, and custom ROMs based on Android 4.4 KitKat have started to arrive for older phones and tablets. It’s always easy to unlock the […]
Download the Nexus 5 keyboard, home, email, other apps
Want to try out some of that fancy new Android 4.4 KitKat software that comes with the Google Nexus 5, but not ready to buy a new phone (or patient enough to wait for an official release for your device)? No problem. Google has posted a factory image of the Nexus 5 online, and folks […]
Lilbits (10-31-2013): Hello KitKat
Google introduces Android 4.4 KitKat and launched the Nexus 5 smartphone today. The operating system is designed to run on a wide range of devices, provide tighter integration with cloud storage, support for more immersive apps, and much more. It also won’t be long before we start to see custom ROMs based on Android 4.4. […]
Android 4.4 might support older phones, but not the Galaxy Nexus
Google’s new Nexus 5 smartphone ships with Android 4.4 KitKat. The company also plans to offer Android 4.4 as a software update for the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 in the coming weeks. Notice anything missing? The Samsung Galaxy Nexus won’t be getting an Android 4.4 update from Google. That’s despite the fact […]
Here’s what’s new in Android 4.4 KitKat
Android 4.4 KitKat is the first version of Google’s mobile operating system to get a new dessert name since mid-2012 when Android 4.1 Jelly Bean first launched. But aside from a name change, what’s new in Android 4.4? Google’s latest version of Android looks a lot like earlier versions, but it has a few noticeable new […]
Lilbits (10-30-2013): Nexus 5 eve?
Another day, another rumor/leak/series of photos of the upcoming Google Nexus 5. The good news is that it seems pretty likely we’ll be able to stop waiting for an official announcement soon… unless the latest rumors are wrong too. Here’s a roundup of tech tidbits from around the web. Android Police founder Artem Russakovskii seems […]