We have been hearing a lot about Android 4.4 KitKat although until now only a few features here and there have been mentioned. There is an Italian blog called TuttoAndroid that seems to have gotten their hands on a Google Nexus 5 running the new Android OS. With the rumored release of the 4.4 KitKat OS in just a few days we finally have a decent sized list of features to show you.

New Features in Android 4.4 KitKat:

• The notification bar now supposedly has white icons and a transparent background
• Additional transparency has been added to the navigation bar and app drawer as well.
• Widgets have been removed from the app drawer and are now accessed by long press as they once were.
• Google Photo’s and Hangouts have replaced the Gallery and messaging apps
• The camera will be easily accessed via the lock screen by swiping a small camera icon
• You will now be able to add more than 5 home screens
• You can access Google Now easily by saying “OK, Google” from the home screen

Many features have changed and we are sure that the ability to quickly activate Google Now as well as the new look of Android will prove to be beneficial. Its also nice to see Google listening to the community and changing features that we once liked but had removed, back to the OS again.

Android 4.4 KitKat was previously rumored to be officially announced October 15th, so in the next week or so we will be able to see what other features have been added. Until then this is about all we can find on the new KitKat OS. We are excited to see all of the visual improvements that have been mentioned once we get our Nexus 5. Let us know if you plan on getting the Nexus 5 as well as anything you have to say about Android 4.4 KitKat.

It looks like Samsung will be coming out with a Google Glass alternative for all of us waiting for the anticipated new technology. The Google Glass alternative is said to be released under the Gear Glass brand and could be officially announced as soon as April 2014. It looks like we can expect the announcement at Samsung’s next Unpacked event in the spring of next year along side their next Galaxy S device.

The initial buzz around Samsung Gear Glass was mentioned on twitter by user Elday Murtazin and mentioned Samsung developing it as well as the April/May release date. We can’t say that its surprising to see Samsung stepping into the market since they seem to have built their own reputation of offering everything anyone else has but with added features in most cases. On top of this Samsung has a proven record of releasing devices that Google has and doing much better marketing and selling it.

Samsung has their hands in just about everything which can be seen even today with the mention of their production of flexible displays for smartphones to be released within the next few days. Also we see their watches, tablets, and phones taking over the Android market share from all angles.

If they do release a set of glasses we will be first in line to check them out since we have patiently waited way too long for Google to release theres with the hype falling more every day. We do have a soft spot for Samsung even though they seem to be just one step behind Google with their tablets (not including the 2014 Galaxy Note Tablet coming soon). As we find out more on Samsung’s Glass Gear we will be sure to keep you informed.

If you plan on getting a pair of Samsung Glasses please let us know as we would love to hear what your thoughts are on them. Hopefully we can get a sneak peak of them in action at CES 2014 although odds are we won’t hear much until their next unpacked event in the spring.

LG and Samsung have both announced that they have flexible displays currently in production. Who will win in the new flexible display market? Well LG announced their flexible displays are in mass production and claim that they will be the “worlds first flexible OLED panel for smartphones”. Samsung responded to LG’s claims that they have already had flexible displays in production. Samsung also stated that their flexible displays will be released in a matter of a few days meaning that if true they will beat LG’s “G Flex” to the punch by about a month.

Samsung’s Flexible Display Specifications
Samsung’s flexible display is said to come in at around 5.7 inches and claims that its not only thinner but weighs less than LG’s version of the new glass. The dimensions that have been released put the Samsung glass at 0.12mm thick and weighing in at around 5.2 grams. Samsung also stated that their production will hit around 1 million displays per month although currently will be slightly less.

LG’s G Flex Flexible Display Specifications
LG has mentioned that their flexible glass will be slightly larger than Samsung’s at around 6 inches although their glass will be a little thicker and heavier. The LG flexible glass weighs in at 7.2 grams and is about 0.44mm thick. With the thickness coming in at over 3 times that of Samsung’s glass we have to wonder the difference in strength. LG has indicated that their glass will be produced in much lower quantities that Samsung’s 1 million per month and will not start releasing them for around one month.

While both companies have flexible smartphone displays in production you shouldn’t count on your device having one any time soon. Having a flexible display in production and even released that can be used on a smartphone is great although without a flexible frame, battery and internals it really makes no difference at this time. The one benefit we do see coming from flexible displays is the fact that they will create a screen that will not “crack under pressure” so to speak. This would make them the strongest glass available for smartphones.

While we may not see phones yet that can bend and twist these displays will open the door for curved designs and futuristic looking devices that may be pretty cool to play with. We do have to mention that the displays as we’ve been told are much cheaper to replace and as you can imagine will allow for even thinner devices than we already see on the market today. We look forward to possibly seeing these flexible displays in action at CES 2014 and will update you when we have more information.

If you don’t manage your time carefully you will find life passing you by. The world would be a much better place if everyone was a lot more productive. You want to spend your free time doing fun things like going to the gym, eating out at restaurants, or spending your hard-earned money online at cool shopping sites.

The only way you will become more productive is with a little help. You can change the way you think and act, or you can let technology do everything for you. If you have an Android phone there are some very good productivity apps screaming your name. Take a look at these ones you would be a fool not to test out.

SwiftKey
If you’re trying to send emails when sitting on the train you don’t want it to take too long because you’ll have less time to play games and do some window-shopping online. SwiftKey makes it easier for you to type a lot quicker because it gives you a better keyboard to use, plus it predicts the next word it expects you to type. It’s also got one of the best auto-correct functions around to increase your typing speed even more.

AirDroid
The screen on your phone is small, so do you think you would be able to do everything a lot quicker if you hooked your phone up to a full-sized monitor? You can do exactly that if you download this great app. You would probably be able to do most things on your desktop computer anyway, but there will always be a few things you can only do on your phone which is why you need AirDroid.

Locale
Has your phone ever started ringing in the middle of an important meeting because you forgot to turn it onto silent mode? I’m sure you were pretty embarrassed, but if you have the Locale app you won’t need to worry any longer. You can set up your phone to perform specific actions based on where you are. Instead of draining your battery by keeping Wi-Fi enabled all day you could only turn it on as soon as you stepped into the office.

Check
Have you been spending a little too much money on shopping sites? Are you late paying your bills on a monthly basis? Check lets you become the master of your finances and it will save you a lot of time. It will let you track those late night spending sprees and it will inform you when there is a bill due to be paid. It’s especially useful if you’re on a tight budget because you don’t want to incur overcharges or overspend.

Box
When you spend hours working on something on your phone you don’t want to lose it because it means you have to start all over again. If you’re looking for a great storage solution you should turn to Box and every single one of your files, photos, and videos will be safe from harm. The app is very similar to Dropbox except there are more security features to give you extra peace of mind, because losing everything is the worst thing in the world.

Evernote
If you want to remember something your friend tells you it’s a waste of time looking for a piece of paper. When you see something you want to buy on the internet you want to write down the details when you’re on the move. Evernote is the greatest note-taking app you will ever find and you’ll never have to struggle to find a notebook when you want take any notes again.

A few hours a day
Do you realize how much time you waste on a daily basis? It you added it all up it might come to a few hours per day, so you really need to do something about it. Hopefully you start using these apps to claim back some of those lost hours.

Android has had an exciting month in September, with new phone releases, new updates and much more to enhance the Android experience. If you’re in the market for a new device or just looking for ways to improve your current device, check out these newsbytes for the latest when it comes to Android.

Android Users Can Lock Devices Remotely

Losing a phone is a common concern for smartphone users. After all, the more phones can do, the more you rely on it to keep your personal data safe. From recipes to important contacts to medical information, most people have sensitive information stored in a number of different apps. Android users, however, can rest easy if their phones are lost. The Android Device Manager just released in August already allows users to see the location of a lost or stolen Android phone. Users can make the phone ring or erase all of the phone’s data from the Device Manager. Now, remote password locking is enabled. To prevent others from accessing your data, you can send a new password to the phone to secure it. Of course, you’ll first need to enable this option on the Android Device Manager on your phone.

Oppo N1 with Rotating Camera Released

Just when you think that smartphone camera technology can’t be improved, Chinese smartphone brand Oppo released their phone this week featuring the Oppo N1 rotating camera. The camera is 13MP in both the forward facing and rear facing positions, differing from other smartphones that typically lose some image quality with the forward facing camera. If you’re worried about the rotating camera being fragile, worry no more. It has been stress-tested for up to 100,000 rotations. If you rotated it 40 times per day, you’d still get seven years of use out of it. The camera rotates 206 degrees and comes with a Bluetooth enabled remote button to take pictures from up to 50 meters away.

Apps Mimicking iOS Update

There have been a number of apps released for Android designed to mimic the experience of the latest iOS 7 update. The latest is an unofficial iMessage app that functions to create an iPhone-like messaging experience on Android phones. The app does not have Apple’s blessing, though, and can pose potential security risks to those who download the software. Although it does work, it functions by tricking the Apple iMessage server into thinking the device is a Mac Mini. It requires users to enter their Apple ID credentials, which can be risky since the data is being piped through Chinese servers. Like other apps that have been released this week, such as the one that was aimed at making the Android interface look like the iOS interface, it will likely be removed from the Google Play store soon.

As always, Android development moves at a fast pace. Some developments improve the user experience while other unofficial apps and modifications can be potentially dangerous. Do your due diligence before installing any software on your phone that could potentially compromise your information.

In today’s business world, the clear and uninterrupted flow of information is critical. Whether you’re transferring financial data, important documents, you need a fast and portable device that you can rely on. While many people have flocked to the exclusive iPhone 5 club, that doesn’t mean it provides the ideal platform for conducting business. In some ways, the iPhone can actually limit what you can do for your business.

In addition to the obvious advantage of Google compatibility (calendar, drive, search, etc.) here are four more reasons why Android is better for business:

Near Field Communications
Remember the commercial where the two Samsung Galaxy SIII users touch the backs of their phones together to share pictures, while the iPhone disciples look on, jaws hitting the floor? This was made possible through NFC, or near field communications—a feature that Android and Blackberry have, but iPhone does not! NFC extends beyond simple doc sharing too. If you have the Google Wallet app, you’re able to conduct wireless, contact less payments by simply holding your phone near an NFC anywhere that accepts MasterCard pay-pass.

Microsoft Office Friendly
One of the advantages of using Android devices in the workplace is their compatibility with a large variety of files, including Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, Excel Workbooks, and even PDF files. Unlike the iPhone 5, Android can also download and display any file type attached to an email. The Quick Office app comes standard on most Android devices. This allows you to create, edit and save each of these files to your device’s internal storage. You can even save files to your device from your desktop computer by connecting via the micro USB port and mounting your Android smartphone as a storage device.

Universal Cable
Speaking of mirco USB, here’s another advantage Android has over iPhone 5. Remember how great Apple thought it would be to change the format of iPhone 5’s power cable? Perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea. Now you need a cord to charge your iPhone 5, and a different cord to charge your iAnythingElse. No so with Android. You only need one cable to charge your phone, tablet and Kindle.

Keyboard Options
If you’re not satisfied with Android’s standard keyboard layout, no problem. Not only can you download most small business mobile apps — including keyboard apps on the market (iPhone 5 is limited to only iOS keyboards), but you can also try Swype, which allows to you type words without lifting your finger from the screen. But what if you don’t even want to touch your tablet’s screen? Well, unlike iPhone 5 or other Apple devices, Android is also stylus friendly. If you can write faster than you can type, you can easily find notepad apps on the market that allow you to scribble and write notes on your tablet or smartphone.

Apple had its time. Business is evolving at a rapid pace. If you want to keep up, go Android.