It's always admirable when a developer supports older operating systems; but there comes a time of diminishing returns when the effort to keep software working on old versions becomes disproportionately expensive compared to the ever-dwindling number of decrepit devices that still use an app. Such is the situation with Dropbox, which just declared the end of support for Android 5.x and older.
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There is no shortage of portable projectors on the market, but most of them aren't very good. 'Nebula' is a sub-brand from Anker, with just one product so far - the Nebula Mars. It's a smart portable projector that runs Android, with built-in JBL speakers and a battery big enough to watch a movie or two on a single charge.
So how does Anker's first foray into projectors end up? The Nebula Mars is a pretty great product, but it's not without a few faults.
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If you've been waiting for a more stable version of the CyanogenMod ROM to become available before upgrading to Android 5.0, now's your chance. Snapshot builds of CM 12 are now rolling off of the build server and onto the CyanogenMod download page, going in their usual alphabetical order by codename. These are the first snapshot versions of CyanogenMod 12, and according to members of the CM 12 team, they'll also be the last.
Snapshots are among the more stable releases of the community ROM, more so than the monthly "M" builds (which are pretty reliable themselves, at least compared to one-off efforts you might see on standard user forums).
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When the Nabi 2 received an update to Nabi OS 3.0 last month, this bumped it up to KitKat a year and a half after Google unveiled that particular version of Android to the world. Now the Disney and Nickelodeon editions of the tablets have stumbled in to receive 4.4 even later.
Fortunately the youngsters these tablets are geared towards aren't likely to follow Android blogs religiously, foaming at the mouth for the latest mobile goodness. So this is probably no harm, no foul. Nevertheless, it's hard for those of us who do keep up with these things to lay eyes on a tablet so woefully out of date without feeling some sort of paint in our guts.
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Look, Fuhu's products aren't for you. They're for your kids, or possibly your extended family if you're a really cool uncle or grandma or something. So the company doesn't have the same kind of demanding scrutiny for timely software updates as, say, the latest Galaxy Tab. Even so, the Nabi 2's update to Android 4.4 is being sent out almost a year and a half after the software was first available, and it's not like Fuhu has a ton of other products waiting in line.
Alright, alright, I'll stop my whining. The 3.0 update to the kid-friendly version of Android adds a grab-bag of new features and Fuhu software.
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Remember last night, when we were excited about the Galaxy S5 getting its Android 5.0 update already, at least in Poland? That was nice. Let's try to hang on to that warm, comforting feeling while we face this cold fact: a combination of lowered expectations for non-flagship devices and good old US carrier apathy means many Android owners won't be so lucky. For example, the Galaxy S4 Zoom on AT&T is just now getting its update to Android 4.4, more than a year after the release of both KitKat and the phone itself.
But enough whining. If you happen to have Samsung's odd phone-camera hybrid, perhaps as a result of some of the impressive discounts AT&T has added to the device, an over-the-air update is headed your way now.
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Google announced last year that the venerable Galaxy Nexus would not be getting any of that sweet, sweet KitKat action. Well, not officially anyway. Owners were not pleased, but they couldn't properly flood the internet with complaints because their phones were already dead. There have been a few KitKat ROMs that work well enough, but now some developers have created a kernel and GPU driver combo that could keep this device chugging along through the L release.
Normally the kind of customer who buys a "rugged" phone like the Hydro VIBE isn't all that concerned with having the latest and greatest in software - or at least that seems to be the attitude of the carriers and manufacturers, who don't seem very concerned themselves. Perhaps that's why Sprint and Kyocera launched the phone with Android 4.3 back in May, despite the fact that 4.4 had already been available for seven months. The company corrected that oversight with the 2.033sp update, dated yesterday.
Exactly what version of Android 4.4 the update contains isn't clear - Sprint's support page just says "KitKat."
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Owners of the Xperia T, TX, and V had a little hope before today that their beloved devices would see some of that KitKat goodness, but now their hopes lay dashed to bits at the feet of Sony's heartless engineers. These devices won't be making the jump to Android 4.4 KitKat, but will continue to live on with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.
Sony has announced an impending software update for the Xperia T2 Ultra and the T2 Ultra Dual that will deliver Android 4.4 to both devices. The update contains the changes introduced by KitKat, but it also tosses in a number of Sony-exclusive touches.
Sony's designers have tweaked the status bar and quick settings to make them easier on the eyes, and they've tossed in new animations at launch and on the homescreen that may look familiar to PlayStation 4 owners. And don't forget about those pre-installed Sony apps. They're getting love too.
Here's the provided list of what to expect.
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