Samsung Galaxy S4 and Note 3 now updating to Android 4.4.2 KitKat

Source: Crave.cnet.

Kit's coming home, Kit's coming, KitKat's coming home! The Android 4.4 update has begun for the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 in Great Britain, where the four-fingered tasty treat was born.

The KitKat chocolate bar as we know it was invented in Britain in 1935, and now British owners of unlocked S4 and Note 3 devices can enjoy the chocolatey, wafer-y goodness of Google's very latest software, Android 4.4.2.

Owners of the S4 flagship phone and Note 3 phablet are reporting the 4.4 update is available to download over-the-air. If you can't see the update yet, it could be because it hasn't yet been pushed through your network. Your phone should inform you when you're ready to update, or you could try to update manually through Samsung's Kies software on your computer.

KitKat isn't a huge change, although you will notice some icons have changed colour. The phone dialler has a new, simpler design, while your contacts are organised based on who you speak to the most. The Hangouts app now combines your hangout conversations, text and MMS messages in one conversation thread. And you can say "Okay Google" to activate voice control and speak to search or dictate text messages.

Probably the most useful improvement is that KitKat uses less memory, affording smoother multitasking and longer battery life.

Android 4.4 KitKat Update For T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3: Source Code Released, OTA Expected Soon

Source: Ibtimes

The official firmware updates to the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat have been rolling out to a number of devices over the past few weeks. And now it seems that the T-Mobile (NYSE:TMUS) variant of the Samsung (KRX:005935) Galaxy Note 3, with the model number SM-N900T, could be the next flagship smartphone to receive the new OS.

On Friday, Samsung released the kernel source code of Android 4.2.2 KitKat for the T-Mobile branded Galaxy Note 3, which is a strong indication that the actual firmware update for the device is arriving very soon.

Interested developers can visit opensource.samsung.com and search for N900T to find the source code labeled N900TUVUCNB4. The filename is SM-N900T_NA_KK_Opensource.zip and it weighs in at 863MB.

The release of the source code was first reported by XDA Forum Member toastido, who noticed the addition on Samsung’s Open Source Release Center earlier on Friday.

Google Glass is getting Android KitKat, but monthly updates are no more

Source: Venturebeat

Google is gearing up for its biggest Glass update yet.

The smartglasses are finally getting an upgrade to Android KitKat, the latest version of Google’s mobile OS, as Google moves towards bigger but less frequent Glass updates, according to a private forum posting unearthed by Android Police.

Responding to the delay of the February Glass update, which was already delayed from January, Google employee Teresa Z. admitted that the update simply wasn’t ready.

“I know this might be a disappointment to some of you,” she wrote. “But it’s all part of the Explorer program. We’re trying a lot of things. Most of them work out great, and some of them need a little more polish. In this case, we’d rather wait to get it right, than release something that isn’t up to snuff.”

While the Googler didn’t offer any details about when the update would finally land, she gave Glass Explorers (the name for early Glass testers) a big update to look forward to: Android KitKat, which should bring with it things like Bluetooth 4.0 and additional power-saving features. Teresa Z. notes that KitKat should make the overall Glass experience smoother, as well as make it easier to update for developers.

Google has pushed out about eight big Glass updates since the Explorer program launched less than a year ago, which is a surprisingly steady pace given how long it takes to get Android updates out. But now that Glass is maturing and Google is getting ready for a consumer release, it makes sense for the company to slow down the rapid-fire updates. It’s far more important that those updates actually matter.

HTC One Android 4.4.2 Kitkat update suspended due to 'difficulties'

Source: Theinquirer

TAIWANESE PHONE MAKER HTC has suspended the Android 4.4.2 Kitkat update for its flagship HTC One smartphone, citing unforseen difficulties.

HTC started its Android 4.4.2 Kitkat rollout for the HTC One and One Mini smartphones in February, with the update arriving on both unlocked handsets and those locked to O2, Three and Vodafone.

However, the rollout has since stalled, with HTC saying it is experiencing 'difficulties' with the Kitkat update. What's more, HTC has changed its software update webpage to say that the update is back in the 'integration' stage, rather than being released to users.

HTC said in a statement, "We are aware that a limited number of HTC users are experiencing difficulties with the KitKat update. As a result, all FOTA updates have been temporarily suspended.

"HTC is committed to providing customers with the best possible mobile experience and we are working hard to resolve the issue quickly."

The firm has not revealed what difficulties it has encountered, but we have put the question to it. However, these issues often occur when an OEM skins Google's Android mobile operating system in a heavy custom skin, which is the case with the HTC One.

If HTC doesn't hurry up and restart the update, it could see the HTC One's successor, the anticipated HTC One+, make it to market before the HTC One Android 4.4.2 Kitkat rollout is complete.

The HTC One+, which presumably will arrive with Android 4.4.2 Kitkat onboard, is expected to feature a 5in HD 1080p screen, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, dual cameras and an updated version of HTC's custom user interface that, given this recent software update issue, we hope will be more stripped down than previous versions.