Samsung Galaxy S6 to launch in March 2015

The competition in the smartphone category has been so19 stiff that the Samsung Galaxy S5 was easily trampled by more premium-specced handsets in the market. The tech company also suffered a major sales plummet. A blockbuster device might be its only ticket in order to pull through, and this very device may just be the rumored Samsung Galaxy S6.

Word on the street is that at the Mobile World Event Congress to happen on Feb 15, 2015, the successor of the Galaxy S5 will
finally show up. Although details about the upcoming handset is trifle, users are already assured that an S6 will indeed come into existence. This came from a statement via KpopStarz, by President in Charge of Android and Chrome Sundar Pichai who shed no light to the speculations but rather confirmed the integration of an Android OS in the S6, even with the emergence of the new-fangled OS, Tizen.

On the other hand, fans have their own tittle-tattle about the makings of the future Samsung Galaxy S6. The ambitious handset will be a far-reaching upgrade of the S5, enough to hurl the South Korean maker to the summit.

To take its turn to pound its contenders, it is rumored that the S6 will house a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor that supports 32-bit and 64-bit as well as a whopping 4 GB RAM. While Master Herald pointed out that the device would not be using a display bigger than 5 inches to follow "the Apple way," Latino Post reported that the S6 will boast a 5.3-inch Super AMOLED display on top of an imposing resolution of 4K (2160 x 3840 pixels). The S6 will also stay away from a plastic exterior and resort to an aluminum finish, which should give it a tasteful body.

The camera will be a monumental leap for the tech giant as well. From the 16-megapixel shooter inbuilt the S5, the S6 will sport a 20.7-megapixel rear-facing camera. But the major breakthrough is in the form of an Iris Scanner. This feature is set to replace passwords and log-ins to access the smartphone with simply the user's eye contact. In short, security will become too undemanding by having a user merely look at his or her S6 to have it locked or unlocked.

Other perks include a heart sensor and a UV sensor as well as revamped battery life and a fingerprint scanner, as reported by Latino Post.

Official announcements from Samsung are still absent but fans are forecast to meet S5's refined sibling on March 2, 2015

Android 5.0 Lollipop’s Major Security

Android’s newest update is coming soon, with devices running 5.0 Lollipop beginning to ship November 3. While the visual update might be the one that most users pay the most attention to, Android 5.0 also has a number of under-the-hood changes, including some major updates to the overall security of the platform. Google has put a lot of effort into addressing the biggest threats to Android user security, which still overwhelmingly represent lost or stolen devices, and today the company is detailing a few of these efforts.

Lollipop adds some new lock methods that make it easier to keep your device secure, which is a huge boon to the overall integrity of the platform. The biggest roadblock to mobile device security is actually user apathy, which sees people skipping basic security practices like implementing a lock screen pin code because it’s inconvenient when you’re checking your device every few minutes. Lollipop offers Smart Lock to help address this, which uses paired devices to let you tell your device it’s okay to open up without requiring a password or other means of authentication.

The device-based Smart Lock has a similar motivation, and effect, to Apple’s Touch ID: Both serve to get around user reluctance to set up on-device security measures. Using Touch ID is easier than constantly typing in a password, and using Smart Lock offers the same kind of convenience. You can set it up using any NFC or Bluetooth-enabled device that has been paired with your Android 5.0 smartphone or tablet – provided they’ve actually paired, which isn’t always true of short-range wireless communication methods. The pairing requirement adds a layer of security, meaning your smartphone won’t unlock if you happen to be near an NFC terminal you’ve used for an in-store payment at some time in the past, for instance.

Face unlock is also redesigned here, and has been rebuilt to analyze a user’s image continually, as more of a background security process than a device unlocking mechanism.

“Rather than pretending to take a picture, and analyze it, it’s analyzing a user’s face on an ongoing basis,” explained Android security engineering lead Adrian Ludwig in a briefing call. “If a user’s opted in and is using this method, at the moment it detects that a user isn’t the one that it’s expecting, it locks. That’s very different from the previous model.”

Used with something like an Android Wear smartwatch, this means that your phone will be ready to use without a lock code whenever it’s on your person. Used with something like a smart TV, it means that you’ll be safe to bypass security measures only when you’re at home, where your device is unlikely to be pickpocketed or left behind. It’s a feature that offers a lot of initial convenience, and that also has tremendous potential for increased sophistication once Google begins iterating and tying it to other Lollipop features like Guest mode and the ability to offer multiple user accounts, and segregated work data buckets.

Security is also more robust by default, thanks to automatic whole-phone encryption for newly activated devices. In Lollipop, when you power on a new smartphone or tablet, it encrypts all data automatically, and creates a unique key that remains on the device to decrypt the data. Android introduced its encryption features three years ago, but now it’s on by default on new devices, though anyone upgrading on an older device will still have to go into settings to enable it, should they want that additional level of protection.

“The question we’re posing is not ‘does the feature exist,'” Ludwig said. “The question is ‘how do we make sure that [the feature] is available and as easy to use as possible.” Ludwig says that a big barrier to users employing encryption previously has been that a user enabling it on an existing device could take hour depending on how much data was on their phone, whereas now that it’s enabled by default at the beginning of device setup, it takes no time at all.

The encryption key is also wrapped in your device unlock password, and with all Nexus devices, and other new Android hardware that supports it, a secure element located in the device hardware itself that isn’t accessible to the rest of the system.

Finally, Google is pointing to its use of Security Enhanced Linux (SELinux) to enable even further clarity around the isolation of individual apps. This really just means that users have to worry less about apps containing vulnerabilities that allow them to read info from other apps – basically it offers better visibility about how sandboxing works on the platform.

“Our goal with the security model of Android is that you should never have to care, honestly,” Ludwig explained. “I don’t think it’s realistic that the average person should think about security. That’s sort of the confidence level that we’re hoping for in Android, and SELinux gets us that much closer to it, where you don’t have to worry about security, you don’t have to spend time thinking about it.”

Ludwig says that their own research shows that actual risk to users from malware is “extraordinarily low,” with only less than 1 in 1000 Android users ever affected by a malicious local software attack. Device theft and loss is what needs to be addressed as the top immediate threat, and that’s what many of these features focus on. Google is also focusing now more on network level compromises, but in the near-term Lollipop should do a lot to help reassure IT departments worried about absent-minded employees losing track of devices.

HTC Update To Android 5.0 Lollipop

A few days ago, Tom reported that HTC Sense 7 might adopt a look and feel not too dissimilar from stock Android 5.0 Lollipop’s Material Design. As Tom said at the time, this would not be a surprise as Google is certainly encouraging manufacturers to tone down their own skins and adopt a more stock Android look and feel. We’ve now seen a Tweet from Upleaks that simply says, “1, Android 5.0 update for M8 will be released with Sense 6. 2, They haven’t started porting Sense 7 software to M8 yet.” And I’m not quite sure what to make of this, actually.

On the one hand, I follow through the logic that HTC will move their devices closer to the stock Android Lollipop look and feel. This is partially because if they don’t, third party applications will look out of place, but also partially because Material Design looks great. I also expect HTC to retain Sense’s own look and feel and so we’ll have a design that sits between the old interface and the new one. It’s going to be harder for the original equipment manufacturers to offer more (useful) features over and above the stock interface but I don’t think HTC are ready to condemn Sense to simply a widget pack (here’s looking at their iconic clock and weather widget that adorns my M8’s homescreen) and the ability to increase the ringer when the device is somewhere dark. Over the years, I’ve gone from disliking Sense, to tolerating it and now to enjoying certain it as it adds more to my device than it takes away.

Where it doesn’t necessarily make sense to me is if HTC are to release Sense 6 on a device running Android Lollipop, they’ll be retaining their current design style and this will start to look out of place as more and more third party applications will orientate towards Material Design. Perhaps we’ll see an interim update to Sense, say, 6.5 with no new features but an interface closer to Material Design? This may well tie in with a January release of Android Lollipop for the HTC One M7, M8 and similar products. We’ll then see the next HTC flagship device release a little later in the year running the next version of Sense, with the M7, M8 et al updated shortly after.

Android 4.4.4 KitKat Update Galaxy Note 2

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 owners, specifically those using the Sprint variant can now install Android 4.4.4 KitKat update using a custom firmware.

According to Phone Arena, Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was released on October 2012, running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. However, those who wants an upgraded OS for Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note 2 can now install Android 4.4.4 KitKat update, thanks to the CyanogenMod team that created the custom ROM based on Google's latest operating system.

Those who wish to install Android 4.4.4 KitKat update on their smartphone should check the model number of the device yet. As mentioned earlier, the CM11 M11 custom ROM is only suitable for the Sprint variant of Samsung Galaxy Note 2, which bears the model number SPH-L900.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 users who will install Android 4.4.4 KitKat update using the CM11 M11 ROM needs to ensure that there is enough battery. The smartphone needs to have at least 80 percent battery level during the installation process.

Users also need to create a backup of all the important data and settings stored on the computer. Installing a custom ROM might wipe out all of the phone's content if the process is not properly executed.

Turn on the USB Debugging mode on the phablet, too, before proceeding to install Android 4.4.4 KitKat update using CM11 M11 custom ROM.

As reported by International Business Times, the CyanogenMod11 M11 firmware is based on AOSP or Android Open Source Project. It brings in "customisation options to boost device performance, new visual interface, easy access to key apps and loads of personalisation options."

Visit this post to learn more about the features of the custom firmware as well as the process on how to install Android 4.4.4 KitKat update on Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Sprint variant.

Android 5.0 Lollipop Update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10

There is no doubt that the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 will be rolled out to the users later this month. Even though the Android 5.0 Lollipop official announcement didn’t bring us an ETA, we recently learnedthat the software update will be released for the Nexus devices on November 3rd.

It was initially reported that the WiFi-only variants of the Nexus 7 2013 and Nexus 10 will be the first devices to receive the new update, but it seems that all Nexus devices will start receiving Lollipop starting this Monday. We are advising you to keep an eye on the notifications panel.

As usual, the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 will be rolled out in phases, which means that some of you might not be able to download and install the update right away. You know the drill: once the system update message pops up in the notifications panel, tap on it, then follow the on screen instructions. If the system update notification failed to appear you would also want to perform a manual check under Settings > About phone > Software updates > Check now.

It’s also worth mentioning that your device must run an official stock Android firmware in order to be eligible to receive the OTA update. You should also know that you will also be able to update your Nexus device using the OTA ZIP files that will be posted online on various forums. You will also be able to flash Android 5.0 Lollipop on your device using the factory images Google will post on their website. Installing Android 5.0 Lollipop using stock factory images also works if you are coming from a custom ROM, but be aware that you will have to perform a full wipe.

Android 5.0 Lollipop is the most major update Android has seen since its debut back in 2008. The new update is even bigger than the transition from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich.

Android 5.0 arrives with Material Design, which is Google’s new design philosophy that focuses on realistic 3D effects and shadows, vivid colors, and responsiveness. The update also promises better battery life, while introducing battery saver mode and better battery statistics. You will now be able to see how much time it’s left until the battery is fully charged or how how much time you have left until you need to charge your device.

Lollipop comes with major improvements for the Notifications Panel and Lock Screen, as well. You will now be able to view notifications right on your lock screen and interact with them. Also, you will no longer be interrupted by notifications courtesy of the new heads-up notifications system. You should also notice that the Quick Settings button is now gone. In order to be able to access Quick Settings you will have to swipe down once to access the notifications panel, then swipe down once more to go to Quick Settings. There you will be able to find a couple of new toggles and a dedicated slider for brightness control. You will also be able to enjoy multi-users for phones, guest user profiles, and a new feature called Screen Pining.

Android 5.0 also arrives with security enhancements. The encryption is now automatically turned on, SELinux is enforced for all apps, and you will also be able to enjoy Android Smart Lock. In terms of connectivity, it arrives with improvements such as better network handoffs, better network selection logic, power-efficient scanning for nearby Bluetooth Low Energy devices, and a new Bluetooth Low Energy peripheral mode.

The new Android iteration also promises performance improvements. The obsolete Dalvik runtime is no longer used as it was replaced by Android Runtime (ART) which is supposed to deliver with up to 4 times better in-app performance, smoother animations, and better multitasking. As you may know, the new update also comes with native support for 64-bit processors.

As I was mentioning above, the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 will be the first one to roll out for the users. The Google Play Edition devices will most likely follow soon after, along with Motorola’s supported devices. I remind you that Motorola announced that they are planning to bring the update on all their 2013 and 2014 devices “as soon as possible.” HTC will reportedly update One M7 and One M8 in January 2015, Xperia’s 2014 flagship smartphones (Z2 and Z3) will get the update early 2015, LG said that G3 will get Lollipop by the end of the year, while Samsung is expected to deliver the update to their Galaxy S5 sometime in December.